A horse stumbling, especially at full gallop, could have catastrophic consequences. When it happened, the horse's head would slam into the ground at high speed—an outcome easy to imagine. The warhorse would either die or suffer severe injury. And the rider? He might as well have been hit by a speeding truck.
Thrown off and smashed into the ground—serious injury was almost inevitable.
In the middle of a charge, such an incident was even more terrifying.
And it wasn't just one or two horses that stumbled—an entire wave of Huns at the front fell into chaos. Horse after horse crashed to the ground, and the Hunnic cavalry suffered devastating casualties. The stench of blood instantly permeated the battlefield.
Those behind had no idea what was happening ahead. The land looked perfectly flat, but as their horses galloped forward, they too stumbled over the same hidden traps. They had no time to stop—riders and horses collided violently with those who had fallen, bodies flying in every direction. Even skilled riders who managed to leap over the fallen were not spared—once they landed, their mounts stumbled again.
Down they went.
"Mother! There's a pit!"
"A pit! A huge pit!!"
"Dear heavens, what kind of trap is this?!"
"No! Why are there so many pits?! You cursed pit-traps are killing us!"
Under the hooves of the horses, the seemingly flat ground covered in green grass suddenly caved in.
Pits.
Everywhere—pits!Hidden beneath the grass were countless large and small pits. Pits connecting to pits, overlapping pits. Taken by surprise, the once orderly Hunnic cavalry charge descended into absolute chaos. The cavalry were pitiful, devastated before even reaching halfway across the field. The sheer force of the falling warhorses left men crushed under hoof and impact—many reduced to pulp.
A hellish scene.
Liu Bao's face shifted through all shades—red, white, black—like he'd just stepped into a dye house. His eyes bulged as he stared at the ground riddled with the pits left by the falling horses. The anger and frustration he felt were beyond description.
Cavalry encountering pits—worse, an entire field full of them—was an unthinkable disaster. Especially discovering them mid-charge. It was a complete and utter catastrophe.
No warhorse could fight on such terrain. Charging was suicide.And the grass cleverly hid the trap. There was no way to tell where a pit might be—it was like marching into a minefield. One could never know which step would be the last.
To Liu Bao, the entire field ahead looked like nothing but pits.
Seeing the massive casualties among men and horses, his face turned pitch black. His eyes burned with murderous rage—if looks could kill, Xuanhuang Village would already be in ruins.
They were still a fair distance away from the village.
Yet just these pits had instantly neutralized the Huns' greatest weapon—their cavalry. No horses could enter this pit-laden terrain. Even walking could lead one to fall in.
The damage was devastating.
Just now, easily thousands of soldiers had died falling into pits. The wounded were countless. The Huns, usually fearless, now looked toward the flat field ahead with visible dread. None dared to advance.
They had never imagined that the land itself could be so terrifying.
"Hahaha! Serves them right! This is so satisfying. The Huns finally get a taste of their own medicine!"
"Watching them tumble like ragdolls off their horses—it's like drinking three barrels of fine wine! Truly exhilarating!"
"I dug some of those pits myself! Probably took a few of them down. Digging traps for Huns is the most satisfying thing ever!"
"We're pros at digging! Used to farm all day with a shovel. Now I'm ten times stronger—I dig massive pits now! Gotta make it worth the effort, right?"
"They deserve this! These man-eating beasts—may they all die in those pits!"
On the village walls, the people watching burst into joyful cheers. This was pure catharsis. They had all contributed. When Yi Tianxing first proposed digging traps to counter the Huns, the entire village had volunteered—every man and woman took up a hoe and got to work.
And now that most villagers had enhanced strength, they could dig faster than ever. In no time, the field around the village was filled with hidden traps.
Then, those who had awakened the Life Glyph [Growth] used their divine abilities to accelerate the grass's growth, covering all the pits in a natural camouflage. From the surface, everything looked flat—but any horse stepping on it would immediately stumble and fall.
It was brutal. And it was working.
The trap was simple—but in this moment, it was devastating. The Huns suffered tremendous losses, and their cavalry dared not move forward. This stretch of land had become a nightmare.
Without their horses, the Huns were reduced to mere infantry—less than a third of their original strength.
"Brilliant strategy, my lord. Digging pits outside the village truly is the best way to counter cavalry. It cuts off their speed, their momentum, their advantage. Their morale has plummeted. Their threat is vastly diminished."
Huang Chengyan stroked his beard and nodded approvingly.
Digging pits might seem basic, but knowing when and how to use them was the key.No one had expected such a move against the Huns. And now—even if the enemy knew the pits were there, they had no way to counter them. It was an open trap, and still unavoidable.
I'm telling you there are pits ahead. Are you brave enough to come?
"Indeed. In past battles against cavalry, we've used spike barricades and rope traps, but never thought that simple pits would be this effective. This is genius. The Huns are stuck—they can neither advance nor retreat."
Yang Ye was full of admiration.
The method was simple, but the brilliance lay in thinking of it.
"It may be basic, but its effectiveness is unmatched."
Yang Yanping also looked at Yi Tianxing with newfound respect. He himself had never considered such a method—he always faced cavalry head-on with spear formations, usually at great cost.
On most battlefields, there simply wasn't time or opportunity to dig traps. But this time, Yi Tianxing had used the terrain and preparation time to their full advantage.
Adapting to terrain—that is the true essence of warfare.
In terms of flexibility and creativity, Yi Tianxing was beginning to show true brilliance.
Cai Yan's gaze toward him was now tinged with both admiration and something else—perhaps affection, perhaps wonder.
"This Pit Formation can only stop the Huns' cavalry. It's reduced their combat power by 70%. But that's not enough—I want them all to die here. These pits were dug as their graves. Send the signal—seal the canyon! If we trap them here, Liu Bao will become a fish in a barrel, with nowhere left to run."
Yi Tianxing's eyes were cold as he looked toward the stalled Hun army. Many among them had the green glint of flesh-eaters in their eyes. These people couldn't be allowed to live. If even one escaped, his conscience wouldn't be clear.
Whoosh!!
A sharp arrow shot into the sky with a screech.
Boom!!
Moments later, boulders and logs came crashing down from above the canyon. Massive stones blocked the gorge within seconds. The exit was sealed shut. Removing the blockade wouldn't be easy.
"No! They're cutting off our escape route! They've been lying in wait! This is a trap—they don't just want to stop us, they want to kill us all!"
Shaman Saman's expression twisted. His eyes blazed with fury.
They were being boxed in—the enemy wanted to exterminate them entirely.
"They want to eat us? Then let's see how good their teeth really are."
Liu Bao bared his fangs in a wicked grin.