Chapter 821: The Battle Begins

Looking at the silent, assembled army outside the tent, Liu Bei took a deep breath, dressed in full armor, and shouted, "Move out! We will win this battle!"

Without any further motivational words, all the soldiers shouted in unison, "Victory!" The chaotic noise quickly converged into one word—"Victory!"

Liu Bei led the vanguard with Guan Yu at the front, commanding the veteran soldiers. Liu Bei himself stayed in the center with his personal guards, while the flanks and rear were filled with Qingzhou’s new recruits.

As the army marched out, they advanced cautiously. After traveling only ten miles, they saw a black line rolling towards them from the west. The smoke and dust swirled, and even from such a distance, they could feel the ground trembling beneath them.

Finally, the two armies stopped about a mile apart, both halting simultaneously. Not a sound was heard as the opposing sides stared at each other. Across the battlefield, the leading general of the enemy was clearly visible—it was Yan Liang. On his flanks, a formation of black-armored cavalry stood in strict silence.

"As expected, Zhengnan, your prediction was correct. The enemy indeed planned to conserve their strength and let us tire ourselves out. Our biggest advantage over Liu Bei is our cavalry, and that advantage lies not just in combat but in mobility," Yuan Shao said, his eyes narrowing as he gazed solemnly at the well-prepared opposing army.

"My lord, Liu Bei is no easy foe. Many of his troops are seasoned veterans," Shen Pei observed sharply, quickly recognizing that most of Liu Bei's soldiers were experienced.

"This wily Yuan Shao has truly invested in his cavalry, even equipping them with armor," Chen Xi muttered, his expression turning serious, though his hands didn’t stop moving as he quickly connected with the army, gathering and consolidating the clouds.

"After all, he’s a model for the world," Liu Bei said, his expression steady and unafraid, as he coldly eyed the opposing forces.

"It seems there's no need for single combat today. Zhenli, be ready. You are my trump card. Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Zhang He, Jiang Qi, be prepared to command. I need Zhenli to deliver a decisive blow!" Yuan Shao ordered coldly to the four commanders on his war chariot. As for Ju Yi, he was disguised as an ordinary soldier, wearing standard armor and wielding a regulation spear.

"I’m increasing the humidity. Zijing, strike when we engage in close combat!" Chen Xi said, turning to Lu Su.

As the two armies stood in silence, the tension grew heavier. Many of Yuan Shao’s soldiers were hunched over, gripping their weapons tightly as beads of sweat slowly appeared on their foreheads.

On the other hand, the veteran soldiers at the front of Liu Bei’s army kept their sharp eyes locked on the enemy, their expressions fierce, as if they could kill with their gaze alone. The two sides faced each other coldly, with the pressure building, and the clouds above gathering ominously.

"Kill!" Finally, one of Yuan Shao’s soldiers couldn’t withstand the mounting pressure any longer and shouted. In an instant, nearly 100,000 soldiers on both sides roared in unison, as if they had shared the same thought.

At that moment, both Guan Yu and Yan Liang’s auras reached their peak. Gathering the energy of their respective armies, they each unleashed a devastating attack, then mounted their horses and charged forward with their personal guards without even looking back.

Simultaneously, both sides’ strategists completed the connection with their armies’ cloud energy, igniting a surge of power from their formations. At this point, ordinary strategists were no longer of much use; victory would depend on the commanders’ valor and ability to inspire their troops.

In a large-scale battle like this, unless one side had made thorough preparations, it was essentially a direct clash of strength.

Soon, volleys of arrows flew from both sides, as the vanguard, with shields raised, rushed forward. The cavalry from both wings surged out, charging to engage the enemy’s horsemen.

Arrows rained down, and although Yuan Shao’s soldiers had shields, they were no match for the crossbows and archers of Liu Bei's army. In just a few hundred paces, hundreds of soldiers had fallen.

Liu Bei’s shield bearers, on the other hand, were battle-hardened veterans who had danced through dozens of such arrow storms. Moreover, during training, Chen Xi had invested heavily in their preparation, organizing mock battles between archers and shield bearers. The incentive was simple: uninjured shield bearers would get extra meat for dinner, and archers who hit vital spots would be rewarded the same.

Can you imagine what it’s like when city guards from Fenggao’s defense force can guarantee that, unless several archers concentrate their fire, they’ll make it to the enemy line and earn their dinner? These old soldiers might not all have that level of skill, but the ones charging today, aside from a few unlucky ones shot by stray arrows, were mostly suffering only minor injuries.

Just before the two sides clashed, about three steps away, Liu Bei’s shield bearers almost simultaneously threw their large shields at the enemy. At such close range, a heavy round shield thrown with force could either knock an enemy down or at least make them stagger, and in close combat, a single stumble could be fatal.

In just one exchange, half of Yuan Shao’s frontline fell. In terms of combat skill, Liu Bei’s soldiers, if they had stayed in an orderly army, would have all risen to the rank of fifty-man commanders by now.

As the shield bearers engaged, a brilliant light exploded from Guan Yu, enveloping over 10,000 of his soldiers. At the same time, Chen Xi raised his hand, and a pale white glow spread over the entire army, causing Liu Bei to glance over in surprise. Instantly, the morale of Guan Yu’s troops soared, making their attacks even more ferocious.

Before Yuan Shao’s soldiers could even feel fear, a golden light suddenly erupted from the rear of Yuan Shao’s army.

From atop his war chariot, Ju Shou’s figure became visible, and a layer of golden light enveloped all of Yuan Shao’s soldiers.

The high morale granted by Chen Xi and Guan Yu’s combined army abilities clashed head-on with the physical enhancements given by Ju Shou’s spiritual powers. The mental and physical qualities of the two armies collided fiercely, while the cloud energy of both sides also violently clashed.

At the moment the two armies collided, the previously clear sky suddenly darkened. Before Shen Pei and the others could react, hail began to fall from the sky, and the summer heat abruptly turned into the bitter cold of winter.

"Disperse the fog, quickly!" Winter had barely begun when a thick fog suddenly formed on Yuan Shao’s side. It wasn’t the result of some weather manipulation spell but rather a natural consequence of the rapidly dropping temperatures, far more potent than anything Yuan Shao’s strategists had anticipated.

As Lu Su acted, the nearby temperature plummeted. However, while the soldiers on Liu Bei’s side only felt dry cold due to the lower humidity, on Yuan Shao’s side, where the humidity was near 100%, the effects were terrifying.

In almost no time, a thin layer of frost began to form on the armor of Yuan Shao’s soldiers. While this wasn’t fatal, even slight disadvantages in battle could be deadly.

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