Chapter 835: Chaos in Xiapi

In Xiapi, Xuzhou, the Yu Province army, which had once arrived with overwhelming might, had been repeatedly thwarted by the combined efforts of Chen Deng and Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei's strength was an unstoppable force for most ordinary generals. His formidable prowess, coupled with Chen Deng’s far superior strategies, caused the Yu Province army, despite its numerical advantage, to suffer defeat after defeat.

Though young and talented, figures like Li Tong and Li Yan, even with the assistance of Zhou Yu, were primarily warriors. Their promotions were earned on the battlefield, and though they had risen to the rank of deputy generals, they were unable to halt the repeated failures of the Yu Province army.

Some, like Deng Rui, arrogantly believed their martial skills to be unparalleled and challenged Zhang Fei to a duel, only to end up impaled on Zhang Fei’s Snake Spear. After that, Zhang Fei’s army pursued and annihilated the enemy, completely wiping them out under the walls of Xiapi.

Following this, Zhuge Jin sent Zhou Yu’s personal sword to Li Tong via fast rider, appointing him as the commander-in-chief of the entire army and granting him the authority to strip the other commanders of their forces. Li Yan, Lai Min, and Huo Jun were placed under his command.

With the imperial seal and Zhou Yu’s sword in hand, Li Tong’s promotion was both legitimate and unchallenged. Even someone as proud as Li Yan had no choice but to accept the decision.

After receiving the secret letter, Li Tong hosted a banquet for the other generals and swiftly had them arrested. However, instead of taking direct control of all the forces, he redistributed them to Zhou Yu’s chosen officers, granting them the same status as himself.

This act of humility was the reason even someone as haughty as Li Yan came to fully support Li Tong. With Li Tong now firmly in control of the Yu Province’s advancing army, alongside capable officers like Li Yan, Lai Min, and Huo Jun, they stood against Zhang Fei and Chen Deng’s outnumbered forces. Although a swift victory was unlikely, at least they were no longer in danger of constant retreat. While Chen Deng was a brilliant strategist, Li Yan was no slouch either. With Huo Jun handling defensive tactics and Li Tong commanding the army in a steady and methodical manner, the situation had greatly improved.

Moreover, during the appearance of the Xuanyuan Cauldron, Li Yan had refused to kneel. In his defiance, he forced himself to break through to the level of Internal Energy Release. Although his raging internal energy suppressed the mental strength he had been honing, it was undeniable that he had taken a significant step forward from being stuck at a lower level.

While Li Yan regretted that his initial goal of simultaneously advancing both his internal energy and mental strength had been shattered, he consoled himself with the fact that his breakthrough had propelled him to a significant level, even allowing him to develop a military unit talent. Compared to Sun Ce, who had achieved a similar feat, Li Yan had progressed remarkably, reaching a decent level immediately after his breakthrough and even gaining a unique military talent.

Had it not been for the fact that the emergence of this military talent had hindered his potential for developing mental talents, Li Yan would have considered this breakthrough an absolute success.

Leading his own army, Li Yan activated his new military talent and engaged Zhang Fei head-on. Unfortunately, this encounter marked his first crushing defeat.

Li Yan’s military talent enhanced the coordination between his troops, allowing them to better understand and execute his commands. This talent didn’t directly boost attack, defense, or speed, but the improved coordination made the troops more effective in formation.

While this talent had its advantages, its usefulness depended heavily on the commander. In the hands of someone like Hua Xiong, it wouldn’t make much difference since his Xiliang Cavalry were already masters of charge formations. But in the hands of a military genius like Zhuge Liang or Li You, this talent would be terrifying, enabling real-time adjustments to formation and strategy. Such commanders could adapt to battle conditions, changing tactics mid-fight, creating an overwhelming advantage.

Li Yan quickly realized that the best use of this talent was in organizing military formations. Though it didn’t directly enhance any combat attributes, the increased coordination allowed formations to be more effective, giving his army an edge. However, he soon learned a harsh lesson—he had severely underestimated Zhang Fei’s own capabilities, especially his unique military talent.

If most military talents enhanced one’s own forces, then Zhang Fei’s military talent was unique in that it was the only one that negatively impacted the enemy.

“You really think Zhang San is without a military talent?!” Zhang Fei laughed wildly, releasing a dark, veil-like aura that spread across both his own soldiers and those of Li Yan.

Within twenty exchanges, Zhang Fei had decisively defeated Li Yan. Those under the influence of Zhang Fei’s military talent were struck with terror, viewing him as an unbeatable foe. Meanwhile, Zhang Fei’s own troops were split into two camps—those frozen in place, paralyzed by fear, and those who became ferocious, filled with a savage desire to kill. The more they fought, the more they shocked their enemies.

After Li Yan’s retreat, Zhang Fei looked back at his own soldiers who had been paralyzed by fear and sighed. Those men were now done for. Zhang Fei’s military talent didn’t bolster his forces by increasing their strength or speed; instead, it instilled overwhelming fear in the enemy, to the point where prolonged exposure could kill them with sheer terror.

Unfortunately, the effects of this talent weren’t limited to the enemy—it also negatively impacted Zhang Fei’s own troops.

The only way his men could overcome this was by killing the enemy. Each kill boosted their morale and heightened their aggression. However, each victory also increased the strain on their minds, and eventually, even the strongest would succumb to the overwhelming pressure.

This military talent was powerful, but its use came at a high cost. Each time Zhang Fei activated it, it pushed his soldiers closer to their breaking point, forcing them to retire from military service.

After this battle, only eighteen of the five hundred men who had followed him from Zhuo County remained. The rest would have to retire after this campaign, not because they had fallen in battle, but because they could no longer withstand the mental strain caused by his military talent.

Once a soldier’s mind broke under the pressure, they became a danger to everyone around them. Even if they recovered, the next time they were exposed to battle, they would lose control and attack friend and foe alike, driven mad by the battlefield.

In some cases, even without experiencing Zhang Fei’s military talent directly, the stress of combat would trigger their violent outbursts. Zhang Fei knew that once a soldier reached this stage, the only solution was to send them back to the countryside, where the peace of rural life might help them recover.

Because of this, Zhang Fei had learned to restrain his military talent. He didn’t want to lose his soldiers to its effects, so he rarely used it. Had it not been for the dire situation against Li Yan’s forces, Zhang Fei likely wouldn’t have activated it this time either. Despite the overwhelming risk, he had chosen to unleash his talent to prevent a total collapse of his army.

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