Chapter 823: Military Soul Manifestation

[Then, everyone, please respond to my will. Let the shared belief resonate through me.] Chen Xi slowly closed his eyes.

At that moment, in Chen Xi's perception, everyone around him turned into small points of light. His spiritual ability quickly connected with each soldier.

Among the tens of thousands of soldiers, there were pure beliefs as well as mixed emotions, but all Chen Xi needed to do was connect with the nearly identical beliefs, slowly channeling them into the foremost point—where Guan Yu was.

[If the Military Soul is the manifestation of will and belief, this would explain why it can be entrusted to a single person, whereas cloud energy, even with just a few thousand people, cannot be focused on one individual.] Chen Xi silently connected with the beliefs of all his soldiers, pouring streams of willpower into Guan Yu.

[Perhaps belief and willpower are the key to surpassing one's limits.] Chen Xi muttered to himself, speeding up the process of linking the soldiers’ shared will.

As streams of willpower poured into Guan Yu, the restrictions imposed on him by the cloud energy were quickly lifted. Even without expending the power of the Military Soul infused by Chen Xi, Guan Yu could already perform regular inner-energy-based combat as if the constraints of cloud energy didn’t exist.

[If my estimation is correct...] A pure moonlight-like glow flickered at Chen Xi's fingertip, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. [Even a mortal could rival the legendary figures of mythology with this power. Xiang Yu must not have lost unjustly...]

Chen Xi had never seen Xiang Yu, so he could only compare him to the strongest warrior of his era, Lü Bu. He came to a conclusion based on this comparison.

After all, from what Chen Xi had observed, if Han Xin had indeed been the one to create the systems of cloud formations, army talents, and Military Souls...

Then the strength of a Military Soul connected by an army of a million would be unimaginable. Chen Xi could hardly fathom its power. Even the strength drawn from connecting the shared beliefs of just tens of thousands of soldiers was immensely powerful. If it were a million, splitting mountains and seas would likely be a trivial feat.

[Perhaps there is a fundamental difference between acquiring the power of the Military Soul through this method and the true Military Soul units. However, the advantage lies in the large number of soldiers, and quantitative change may lead to qualitative change.] Chen Xi quickly rechanneled the Military Soul power he had drawn into his body, releasing it outward.

[In the early Han Dynasty, there were no other inner-energy masters besides Xiang Yu. This means that army talents likely have no direct correlation with inner energy. This also explains why inner-energy masters were easier to obtain at most—it’s probably that human hearts have been limiting their potential all along.]

As Chen Xi continued to connect the shared will of the army, he pondered the relationships between cloud formations, army talents, Military Souls, and their relevance to inner-energy cultivation.

After all, it was Han Xin who had created all three systems. This fact was clearly recorded in historical materials obtained by Liu Ye from the Yang family of Hongnong. Yang Chang, the ancestor of the Yang family, was married to Sima Qian’s daughter, so their family had original records of Qin and Han history, detailed and authentic.

Of course, the Yang family hadn’t realized the significance of Han Xin creating army talents. Perhaps they had misunderstood or failed to grasp the meaning of "creation," missing an important opportunity.

[When people think they’ve reached their limit, it’s really their own hearts that are holding them back, not their true potential. Most likely, everyone thought that Han Xin's support for the army came from a spiritual ability...]

Chen Xi smiled bitterly. If he wasn’t mistaken, the first two to realize that army talents didn’t require inner-energy mastery were probably Gao Shun and Qu Yi.

But they were unique in that their armies had already reached a higher level. This made it seem natural that they had army talents. Even they thought it was reasonable and didn’t reflect on the true reason behind it.

[It seems that inner-energy mastery only reduces the difficulty of gaining army talents, but it's not a necessary condition. This also explains why warriors like Xu Chu, Wu An Guo, and Hua Xiong struggle.] Chen Xi thought to himself. Sometimes overthinking things creates unnecessary limitations.

[It’s a shame about Yu Jin. If he had seen through this, he might have become the greatest drillmaster in the land. But if I were to tell him, even with army talents, he wouldn’t reach the pinnacle.] Chen Xi sighed, realizing why helping someone too much could sometimes hinder them.

Meanwhile, Guan Yu, leading his personal guards, charged into Yuan Shao's army, wielding his massive blade and leaving a bloody trail behind him. As the mist dispersed, he and his troops surged toward Yuan Shao.

Naturally, Yuan Shao's soldiers weren’t easy targets. They thrust their spears at Guan Yu, but even without inner-energy techniques, Guan Yu was too powerful for ordinary men to handle. His blade swung in wide arcs, cutting through their formation.

Seeing Guan Yu's advance, Yuan Shao’s officers rushed forward to stop him. Suddenly, four or five Qi Refining stage experts surrounded Guan Yu, and, like Yan Liang, he found himself unable to escape without the use of inner-energy techniques.

As Guan Yu considered retreating, he suddenly felt the cloud energy’s suppression on him begin to lift. In a burst of power, the Blue Dragon Crescent Blade extended with a brilliant glow. With one slash, he cleaved two enemies in half. Another strike felled three more.

[Chen Xi’s power?] Guan Yu realized, after two slashes, what had happened. He no longer hesitated. Although it was exhausting, the ten-thousand-strong cloud energy’s suppression was only a tenth of its usual force for him, and he could barely manage inner-energy-based techniques again.

[Is this meant to help me kill Yuan Shao?] Guan Yu thought, slashing down a commander in front of him. With a flick of his blade, he deflected incoming arrows. His narrowed phoenix eyes locked onto Yuan Shao’s position, and he charged straight toward him.

[This power seems unaffected by the cloud energy, though using it drains me quickly. But it’s enough—killing Yuan Shao will only take one strike!] Guan Yu smirked coldly, charging toward Yuan Shao while testing the effects of the Military Soul, soon feeling fully prepared.

Yuan Shao watched Guan Yu and his hundred men charging at him without much fear. His army hadn’t collapsed, and although Guan Yu’s prowess was evident, Yuan Shao was surrounded by his most elite troops, the Xian Deng Guard. Moreover, Qu Yi stood beside his carriage. Yuan Shao had no reason to be afraid.

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