"Based on my current estimation, I can hold on for another three days at most!"
Fu Baoguo shut his eyes tightly, feeling like he had used up all his strength. If he had not been holding on, he would have collapsed to the ground.
Hundreds of thousands of lives had been lost here. Could it be that they could not hold on any longer?
Fu Baoguo had thought that the Fortress of Resilience could hold on for at least another twenty days under his command.
Unless he was faced with a tragic situation where he had no soldiers to deploy, the Fortress of Resilience would never fall. No matter how capable Han Sanhe was, he could only attack and defend in a well-behaved manner.
After fighting for some time, the reinforcements kept coming, especially the western troop's arrival, which gave Fu Baoguo more confidence.
The military intelligence also informed him that Old Marshal Qiu Jianhan was rushing here with his army; they would arrive at the Fortress of Resilience in a day at most!
This made Fu Baoguo's hope grow. He was confident that he could definitely hold on until Old Marshal Qiu arrived. Once the troops were united, they could fight Han Sanhe together. Then, Yutang's army would only need to hold on until the Nine Supremes Lords came to help and the eastern border would be completely safe.
Alternatively, they could continue to hold on and exhaust Dongxuan's million-strong army to the point where both countries could no longer hold on and the war would naturally end!
Even though Dongxuan had sent the entire nation's military force to invade, the Fortress of Resilience had the eastern border, the western border's elites, and Old Marshal Qiu's reinforcements. Their capability was not too far behind, especially when they had an impregnable fortress like the Fortress of Resilience to rely on. The defending side would still have the upper hand in a battle. If they continued to wear the enemy down, Dongxuan would suffer a greater loss based on the current casualty ratio.
Yutang's chance of winning this war had risen from the initial ten percent to the current thirty percent. The tide had turned!
However …
Fu Baoguo realized that his assessment was only his own wishful thinking. Han Sanhe was indeed Tianxuan's publicly acknowledged top general. He wondered if he had been planning for this since the beginning. If so, he would be terrifying!
Such a drastic change in the Fortress of Resilience's walls made Fu Baoguo lose all hope.
The old marshal's troops were about to arrive and the tide of the war was about to turn, but at this crucial moment, a flaw had appeared. The wall was faulty. Unfortunately, there was no way to repair such a position!
"Could it be that the heavens want me dead? That the heavens want Yutang dead?"
Fu Baoguo let out a long sigh.
…
"Chance!"
The chance that Han Sanhe had been waiting for had finally arrived!
"Everyone, charge! We must take down the Fortress of Resilience within the next day and night! "
Han Sanhe issued his orders, "No matter the cost, no casualties! We must take down the Fortress of Resilience, even if the three hundred thousand soldiers in this battle are to be sacrificed! "
All the Dongxuan warriors were baffled by Han Sanhe's crazy order.
But even though they were puzzled, this order was strictly carried out.
Everyone went out to make their preparations. They were determined to fight to the death, determined to fight to the death.
Zhan Ge looked at his teacher. "Teacher, the situation we're most happy to see has happened. There's a huge problem with the enemy's wall, and it's already foreseeable that the Fortress of Resilience will be ours. However, this should also be when the enemy's resistance is at its strongest. Launching an all-out attack now will definitely increase the number of casualties … This …"
There was no need to pay such a huge price at such a time!
Zhan Ge was bewildered.
"Speed is crucial in war. We must take down the Fortress of Resilience before Qiu Jianhan arrives. Otherwise, there won't be a chance like this anymore!" Han Sanhe sighed softly.
"We can at least drag it out for a month … There are pros and cons to this."
"The situation is already leaning towards us. Even if that old man Qiu Jianhan arrives, can he turn the situation around?" Zhan Ge was still bewildered.
"Zhan Ge, you're a man who understands war. Can you really not see the current situation clearly? If it weren't for the flaw in the enemy's wall at this delicate juncture, the tide of the war would have been turned around completely. The tide would no longer be on our side! "Han Sanhe said in a low voice.
Zhan Ge's expression changed as he said seriously, "Teacher, it's obvious that we have the upper hand in the current situation. Even without the flaw in the wall, taking down the Fortress of Resilience is only a matter of time. Why do we have to go this far?"
Han Sanhe shook his head and said after a pause, "Dongxuan's entire military force has been gathered here in this war. While it's impressive, there are many hidden threats on our side as well. If it weren't for the four-nation alliance to besiege Yutang back then, this old man would never have suggested such extreme measures. If Ziyou could have killed Supreme Cloud in one fell swoop, there was no need to kill him. As long as he was trapped, Yutang would be annihilated in a short amount of time."
"However, not only did Supreme Cloud break out of the siege during the battle in Ziyou's capital, Zilong City, he completely shocked Ziyou's higher-ups. The Emperor of Ziyou also realized his own shortcomings because of that battle and ordered the Ziyou army that had already set out to retreat. Now, Yutang's western border is safe for the time being."
"There's also the southern border. After Supreme Cloud left Zilong City, he unexpectedly galloped to the southern border and joined the battle forcefully, causing the southern army to suffer a great blow to Dayuan. Although the Empire of Dayuan's total military strength was not greatly damaged, their morale has fallen to rock bottom. They can no longer fight! With Tie Zheng guarding the north personally, it's as stable as a mountain. Therefore, the only four-nation war that still has a chance of taking down Yutang is our eastern border. "
"However, Fu Baoguo's capability has greatly exceeded my expectations. The Steel Cavalry's harassment strategy that he has arranged has affected our supply line to a certain extent. The western border's reinforcements that have just arrived have stabilized the precarious Fortress of Resilience. If we wait for Qiu Jianhan's reinforcements, I can say with certainty that even if Supreme Cloud doesn't join the battle and Yutang is defeated, Dongxuan will definitely fall as well! Now, do you still think that the situation is in our favor? "
Zhan Ge's expression changed drastically.
"Attacking the Fortress of Resilience in the most extreme way will cost many lives, but it has bought us time. If we really wait for Qiu Jianhan to come and take down the Fortress of Resilience, I'm afraid we'll have to pay four hundred thousand or even more … and there's still time."
"Why? The flaw is already there. It can't be changed! "Zhan Ge was puzzled.
Could it be that Han Sanhe could repair the wall just because he was here?
Han Sanhe did not answer, only sighing.
The blizzard began to fall once more.
Amidst the blizzard, the war drums in Dongxuan's military camp suddenly thundered. Countless enemy troops surged up like a tidal wave. The long siege ladder was like a forest.
"Han Sanhe has discovered it. He's already launching his attack on this point!"
Fu Baoguo roared with all his might, "All brothers who can move, be it the eastern or western troops, defend with all your might!"
"So many of us? There's no need to do this! "Sun Zihu was shocked.
"Han Sanhe's attack this time will be an unprecedented all-out attack. It's an extreme attack!" Fu Baoguo closed his eyes. "We have to give it our all as well! Otherwise, the Fortress of Resilience will be lost from our hands before the old marshal arrives! If that happens, Yutang will really be in danger! "
This was a war that was destined to be devastating!
This day was the twenty-second of the twelfth lunar month!
Many years after the war, everyone in both countries remembered this date.
Because of this day, it became a common holiday between the two countries.
In Dongxuan, it was known as War Soul's Day.
In Yutang, it was known as Loyal Soul's Day!
Every day on this day, the Empire of Dongxuan would fall into silence and have a day of rest.
Yutang, on the other hand, would wear white mourning cloaks on this day. Incense and candles filled the air!
The war was so devastating that in the end, both Yutang and Dongxuan, even the elite veterans who had survived hundreds of battles and the iron-blooded men who were used to witnessing life and death wailed as they fought.
It was too tragic!
The top of the Fortress of Resilience's wall was filled with battles that were almost non-stop.
No, it was no longer almost, it was a fierce battle all the time!
Many of the exhausted Yutang soldiers who had been struggling to hold on used up the last bit of their strength. When they saw the enemy charging up the top of the wall, they charged up with their own bodies and hugged the enemy, charging down the wall that was a hundred and fifty feet tall together, crashing to the ground below.
This was their last resort. They would perish together with the enemy and go to the netherworld. In the end, they were not willing to lose anything!
People were falling from the top of the wall like dumplings being dropped into a pot. War cries intertwined with each other, ringing endlessly.
Steam billowed high into the sky, melting the falling snow in mid-air and turning it into droplets of rain that fell to the ground.
However, even the rain could not wash away the gurgling blood on the ground.
On such a frigid day, countless warriors were bare-chested, their hair disheveled as they fought in a frenzy.
Their bodies were covered in crisscrossing scars.
A warrior's scars had always been a badge of glory and they were all exposed in front of everyone at this very moment.
Regardless of friend or foe, everyone was fighting in a frenzy!
The drumbeats shook the heavens!
Fu Baoguo yelled at the top of his lungs, "Steel Cavalry! Fight! "
To reduce the pressure on the wall, the Steel Cavalry had reached the point where they had to fight.
Once they were out, it was a battle to the death!
"For Yutang!"
"For father and mother!"
"For brothers!"
"Kill!"
The tightly-shut city gate opened abruptly. Yutang's Steel Cavalry charged out like a raging dragon, crushing the Dongxuan soldiers who were besieging the city with an unstoppable force. However, the Steel Cavalry was immediately drowned in the sea of Dongxuan soldiers!
There were too many Dongxuan soldiers in front of them. Even with the Steel Cavalry's charge, they could not disperse, break, or even move.
The dense rain of arrows fell like a downpour. When they fell, be it rain or snowflakes, they were all blocked by the rain of arrows.
The Steel Cavalry charged to and fro in the enemy's formation like a raging dragon, trying their best to disrupt the rhythm of the reinforcement troops.
Han Sanhe's headquarters responded swiftly. Their old rival, the Shadow Cavalry, was already prepared, waiting for Yutang's Steel Cavalry's arrival.
Yutang's Steel Cavalry had been in the limelight all this time. The Shadow Cavalry had long been seething with hatred. Now that the Steel Cavalry had finally entered the battlefield, they charged forward at once, launching the most extreme of attacks.
One of the Steel Horsemen and his three brothers were separated from their group by the enemy, but they still charged forward with all their might, sweeping away all who stood in their way. The surrounding Black Horsemen were thrown off their horses, and in the blink of an eye, at least twenty to thirty corpses fell to the ground. However, his three brothers also fell off their horses one after the other, turning into meat paste.
Seeing that the Steel Cavalry man was alone, the enemies who were already in a frenzy of bloodlust swarmed forward, intending to dismember him. Unexpectedly, the man raised his saber to the sky and roared thunderously, "Hold it!"
When the surrounding Shadow Cavalry heard this, they were all stunned and stopped in unison!
Until now, be it the Steel Cavalry or the Shadow Cavalry, despite the deep hatred they had for each other, there was also a similar level of admiration alongside the hatred.
The Steel Cavalry lived up to their name of invincibility!
The Shadow Cavalry lived up to their title of warriors!
Faced with the order to stop at the last moment from the strongest enemy they had ever met, the Shadow Cavalry soldiers retracted their weapons in unison.
The man stood proudly on his horse and guffawed, "The Shadow Cavalry is indeed an elite troop who is qualified to fight with my Steel Cavalry brothers for a lifetime! Just the fact that you stopped now is enough for me to think highly of you. "
He raised his saber and said faintly, "The three brothers who charged with me were my three younger brothers from the same mother. Now that they're gone, as their eldest brother, I can't possibly let them fall into the netherworld and not even be able to recognize their parents, can I?"
"So, allow me to fix their appearances."
As he spoke, he leaped down like there was no one else around and strode forward in the forest of Shadow Cavalry, searching for the corpses of his three brothers and dragging them out one by one.
In an open space, he wrung his blood-soaked battle robe and spat out a mouthful of saliva to wipe the faces of his brothers. However, the more he wiped, the redder their faces became. The more he wiped, the harder it was to see the true faces of the three people.
"Catch!"
A general of the Shadow Cavalry suddenly hollered, pulling the white towel from his neck and tossing it over. Another Shadow Cavalry soldier untied his water sack and tossed it over as well.
"Haha, thanks a lot! Your father owes you … "The man dipped the white towel in water and wiped his brothers' faces clean. He then stood up quietly and said loudly," When you get there, remember to tell father and mother that we came together to fight for the country, to protect Yutang. It's an honorable death to die in the battlefield! "
"We didn't embarrass father and mother! The only thing we've let down is that the four of us didn't leave any bloodline for Old Qiao Family! "
"This is all my fault as the eldest. You all go to serve father and mother, I don't have to go. Such a grave mistake, I'll only embarrass father and mother if I go!"
Before his words echoed in the air, he burst into laughter, revealing his pearly white teeth. Blood flowed from his abdomen, but he did not seem to feel it.
With a flip of his muscular body, he mounted his horse again and pointed the saber in his hand forward. "Warriors of the Shadow Cavalry, thank you for your towels and water sacks! However, as the invader and the victim, which one of you will accompany me, Boss Qiao, on the road? "
The general of the Shadow Cavalry was stoic, his eyes glinting as he said loudly, "You, Boss Qiao, are a good man? We, the Shadow Cavalry brothers, are not cowards either. However, this is a war between two armies. We, the Shadow Cavalry, will not fight you alone foolishly! Arrows! "
With his command, the Shadow Cavalry around him nocked their bows and aimed their arrows at Boss Qiao.
Just like the general said, we, the Shadow Cavalry, are not cowards. We know that the enemy will die, but we will not risk losing another man to go with you. We are not that stupid!
Amidst Boss Qiao's earth-shattering laughter, the rain of arrows poured down like a waterfall.
Boss Qiao's laughter had yet to stop, the long saber in his hand had already left his hand like a bolt of lightning. At the same time, he and his horse had turned into a black porcupine!
Iron porcupine!
The long saber moved like lightning, flying over the heads of the Shadow Cavalry soldiers, cutting a Shadow Cavalry soldier and his horse in half a hundred feet away!
In the face of death, he still wanted to take a life with him. Since he had the will to die, how could he not reap the rewards?
"Salute!"
The general of the Shadow Cavalry gave the order and all the Shadow Cavalry soldiers raised their hands in salute to their enemy.
In the final moments of his life, he had chosen to let these Shadow Cavalry soldiers off because they had given him time, towels and water sacks.
That final, desperate strike was unstoppable. No one present had the confidence to block it!
Boss Qiao had chosen to throw the saber out at the last moment, killing the enemy in the distance. He had not killed anyone around him!
That was his final gift!
Boss Qiao, who was like a human-shaped porcupine, still had his last breath. He and his horse stood silently, his muscular body still sitting on the horse, his back straight. As his blood dripped, he mustered the last bit of his strength to turn his neck, as if he wanted to turn his head to look at the Fortress of Resilience that was in the midst of a fierce battle. However, his last movement and last wish suddenly froze!
He stopped moving!
He had completely stopped moving!
The general of the Shadow Cavalry urged his horse forward and bowed silently, saying in a low voice, "Don't worry. At least the moment you die in battle, the Fortress of Resilience has yet to be breached!"
With a crash, Boss Qiao and his horse fell to the ground, as if his last wish had been fulfilled and he had died without regrets!
…
The Steel Cavalry only had one mission that night, to charge into the enemy's formation with all their might, to reduce the pressure on the wall as much as possible!
A total of five thousand Steel Cavalry charged into the enemy's formation; not a single one of them retreated, and not a single one of them fled!
Everyone fought to the last moment!
The leading general had the highest cultivation base and the strongest combat ability among the five thousand Steel Cavalry. In the end, he charged left and right in Dongxuan's formation single-handedly, unstoppable. Wherever he passed, his spear was like rain and his sword like thunder; no one could withstand his charge!
There were enemies all around him, new wounds appearing on his body continuously. However, he did not care.
When the battle was nearing its end, as he looked around, he realized that the Shadow Cavalry had regrouped into their formation while his comrades were silent.
With a loud roar, he turned his horse around abruptly and roared like a thunderclap, "Han Sanhe! Die! "
The man and the horse charged towards the central camp where Han Sanhe was, like an arrow!
He was charging into the marshal's camp alone, amidst a million-strong army!
No one dared mock or ridicule such an unwise move; only the sound of his hooves thundering and his spear striking like lightning could be heard.
He was still unstoppable, like the wind and lightning!
Along the way, more than seventy soldiers of the Shadow Cavalry had perished on his path!
"Arrows!"
A loud cry came from afar. Hundreds of thousands of arrows rained down from all directions; it was a large-scale, indiscriminate attack that enveloped the many Shadow Cavalry soldiers who had gathered around the Steel Cavalry general.
It could not be helped. Although the Steel Cavalry general was far from threatening Han Sanhe's life, Dongxuan's higher-ups could not allow him to continue advancing like this. Otherwise, it would affect their side even more. Even if they had to sacrifice some of the Shadow Cavalry soldiers, they would not hesitate.
Seeing the rain of arrows coming, the Shadow Cavalry general did not evade. Instead, he raised his spear and roared one last time, "The Steel Cavalry is here! Who dares invade my land? "
The frenzied rain of arrows turned the Steel Cavalry general into a monument on the path of the charge.
Even in death, the warhorse maintained its charging stance; the rider was still standing straight, his spear still gripped tightly in his hands.
His eyes that were filled with hatred were still staring in the direction where Han Sanhe's marshal's flag was fluttering.
His mouth was slightly agape as if he was about to let out another thunderous roar, "The Steel Cavalry is here! Who dares invade my land? "
"The Steel Cavalry is here, who dares invade my land?"
For some reason, a Black Cavalry general shuddered.
"Who is this? He's killed more than four hundred of my brothers along the way! I can't wait to kill this bastard with my own hands! "
No one answered.
"Bury him!"
A Shadow Cavalry soldier walked forward slowly and helped the Steel Cavalry general off his horse. However, the spear in his hand glinted coldly; no matter how hard the Shadow Cavalry soldier tried, he could not pull it out.
His other hand was gripped tightly on his sword as well, unable to loosen his fingers no matter how hard he tried.
He was using his life to prove that whether he was alive or dead, he would fight until the very end, unwavering!
"Man and horse, along with saber and sword, bury them all!"
The Shadow Cavalry general could not hold back his tears anymore.
In the face of such an enemy, who wouldn't admire him?
…
The sounds of battle intensified abruptly.
On the top of the fort, the drums thundered.
Amidst the rain of arrows, Yutang's supreme marshal in the Fortress of Resilience, Fu Baoguo, appeared at the highest point of the fort.
"I am Fu Baoguo!"
Fu Baoguo's thunderous roar reverberated in the snowstorm, his voice reverberating throughout the universe.
The entire battlefield could hear him.
"I am here!"
"Life and death are here!"
"Fight!"
It was only two short sentences, barely a few words in total, but Yutang's side felt as if they had been injected with adrenaline.
The marshal had come to the battlefield personally!
He was standing at the most dangerous place, watching our battle. What else could they hesitate about?
Fight! Fight! Fight to the death! Fight to the end!
"Fight to the end!"
"Protect our homeland!"
"For our comrades!"
"For our parents!"
The soldiers roared thunderously. Their bodies that were initially sluggish from exhaustion suddenly became agile, their combat power increasing tremendously as if they were aided by God!
In Dongxuan's formation.
"Deicide Bow! Shoot Fu Baoguo with all you've got! "
Countless arrows from the Deicide Bow converged into a torrential river, drawing a pitch-black trail in the air as they charged at Fu Baoguo.
…
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