Sometimes, the higher you soar, the more it hurts when you fall.
Such was the case for the soldiers of Yuheng Dominion. They had believed that the invincible Huaxia Empire would finally meet its match against their formation, unable to advance any further.
In their minds, the Huaxia Empire's first defeat would be at their hands. They imagined seeing panic and confusion on the faces of the Empire's soldiers as their own cannons' power was turned against them.
But that was just their imagination.
The harsh reality was a brutal wake-up call. The Huaxia Empire had slapped them in the face with devastating force, and those array masters who had formed the Yuhui Formation were now left utterly embarrassed.
Their carefully constructed formation was utterly useless. Even if it could reflect the power of the soul cannons, what good was that when the enemy's cannon fire could curve in midair?
At this moment, it was too late to form another Yuhui Formation overhead.
"Hold the line! Scatter now!" The commander of the Yuheng Dominion's Round Jade Army shouted in desperation, his voice filled with panic as he looked up.
The Huaxia Empire's soul cannon fire hadn't been reflected. Instead, it curved in midair and came crashing down on them from above, raining death and destruction.
The relentless barrage, like a storm of falling stars, came down hard. Lightforce cannons, magma cannons, and heavy cannons unleashed their fury, intertwining in a lethal net of soul energy that engulfed the Round Jade Army.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Blinding flashes of soul energy and the violent soul power storm from the cannon explosions spread in all directions.
Although many of the awakened warriors managed to block some of the cannon fire, much of it still landed on the soldiers of the Round Jade Army, inflicting massive casualties.
Bodies began to fall from the sky, and the shockwaves and soul power explosions from behind reached the array masters, who had formed the Yuhui Formation. Many of them were sent tumbling to the ground, their backs scorched and smoking, too weak to continue summoning their formations.
The so-called Yuhui Formation had been utterly ineffective against the Huaxia Empire, and it had already failed miserably, leaving the Round Jade Army in disarray. Even those who managed to stay airborne were wounded and demoralized.
"Charge!"
In that instant, the Huaxia Empire's forces let out a thunderous battle cry, surging forward like a beast unleashed. Their formation, as sharp as a spear, pierced through the enemy ranks, tearing them apart.
Within moments, the Imperial troops were charging on both sides, and the Round Jade Army, still reeling from the earlier cannon barrage, was no match for the tiger-like ferocity of the Huaxia soldiers.
The Round Jade Army, facing this unstoppable force, was quickly overwhelmed.
"Retreat to the city! Use the formations to defend..." The commander of the Round Jade Army barely managed to give the order before the roar of the soul cannons drowned out his voice.
Those dreaded beams of soul energy, no longer confined to straightforward attacks, curved beautifully through the air like raindrops, raining down upon the defensive barriers of the city behind the army.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of explosions reverberated through the air, drowning out the sounds of the battle as fiery blossoms of explosions erupted across the city's barrier.
The formation virus had already weakened the city's defensive barriers, and with the added pressure from the soul cannons, the barrier shattered into countless fragments of light.
The resulting shockwaves didn't significantly damage the city's infrastructure, but how they affected the civilians inside was not a concern for Lin Qian or the Huaxia Empire.
Lin Qian wasn't about to risk his own soldiers' lives for the sake of the enemy's civilians.
Why harm his own people for the sake of others?
For Lin Qian, the priority was to conquer the entire Southern Region, incorporate it into the Empire's territory, and then focus on governance.
The Huaxia Empire, honed and reformed in his previous life, was uniquely equipped for this task. Lin Qian believed his empire, one he was immensely proud of, would perfectly govern the Southern Region.
Completing this as quickly as possible was necessary for Lin Qian, as he also needed to head to the Central Region to find his parents.
On the front lines, the Imperial troops fought valiantly, their war cries echoing across the battlefield as they unleashed their combat techniques, making the one-sided slaughter even more absolute.
Even though Yuheng Dominion had developed a counter to the soul cannons, it was clear they were suffering a devastating defeat.
The soldiers of the Round Jade Army, now being hunted down, were filled with despair. They finally understood why the Huaxia Empire had never lost a battle.
The sheer strength of the Huaxia forces, coupled with their superior soul armor and weapons, put them at a disadvantage in every one-on-one confrontation.
The meticulous coordination, the division of roles, and the leadership of powerful generals made the Imperial Army like the fingers of a hand—seemingly separate, but acting as one cohesive unit.
Every soldier of the Huaxia Empire fought like a god of war, unstoppable in their assault.
The generals of the Huaxia Empire were radiant, powerful, and each with their own style.
But the soldiers, they seemed to be cut from the same mold—cold, emotionless, and single-mindedly focused on battle. They were like war machines, designed only to fight.
A military force born for war—that was the Huaxia Empire's Imperial Army.
As the battle drew to a close, the remaining commander of the Round Jade Army hovered in the air, despair etched across his face. He knew there was no escape. His eyes locked onto the massive bow aimed at him by Duan Chen.
Those hawk-like eyes of Duan Chen pierced through him, and he knew his fate was sealed.
"Even if you win here, the Yuhui Formation will be improved! Even if your cannons can change direction, we'll still defend against them," the commander shouted in desperation. "Without those cannons, you're nothing!"
"You're wrong!" Duan Chen replied calmly, his massive bow drawn taut, a look of pity in his eyes. "His Majesty has never taken you seriously. Even when he declared war on the entire Southern Region, it was only to train the army."
"What's more terrifying than our cannons, you will never know." With those words, Duan Chen released the arrow, and the commander was instantly obliterated.
"As His Majesty said, you're too weak. You're not worthy."