Chapter 858: Yu Jin’s Thoughts

Guo Yuan never had any intention of engaging in a major battle. However, when Yu Jin’s elite troops charged toward him, he had no choice but to lead his personal guards to meet the attack. Though both he and Yu Jin were at the Qi Refinement realm, Guo Yuan was far more confident in his personal strength.

Unfortunately for Guo Yuan, no amount of confidence could change the fact that, in the hasty engagement, his troops were utterly outclassed by Yu Jin’s well-trained elite forces. Chaos ensued, with soldiers and horses tumbling in disarray.

Yu Jin’s elite soldiers, trained specifically for the purpose of decapitating enemy leaders and capturing enemy banners, were perfectly prepared for this moment. The five hundred men worked in unison, and in the midst of the chaotic battle, they could accomplish feats that even those in the Internal Energy Separation realm could not easily achieve on their own.

In the grand scale of army battles, individual strength was always insignificant. Yu Jin firmly believed this, which is why he focused on enhancing the strength of his troops as a collective. He trained them to achieve the same results on the battlefield as generals known for their bold charges, making it clear to all that victories in war depended on the power of the group, not on personal heroics.

With this mentality, the two forces clashed. Even before Guo Yuan could fully display his strength, his personal guards were routed by Yu Jin’s elite soldiers, who had been prepared for this moment. Unlike the invincible armies of the Tiger Guard or the Fearless Vanguard, Yu Jin’s troops focused purely on explosive strength.

Under Yu Jin’s training, his soldiers were conditioned to unleash their full power for only a few dozen seconds. During this brief period, they could stand toe-to-toe with even the fiercest armies like the Tiger Guard. It was a method of concentrating all their power into a brief but dazzling burst.

Of course, it wasn’t quite as dramatic as sacrificing years of their lifespan for those few seconds of brilliance, but it was a training method that pushed them to unleash everything they had for a short period. The cost was that afterward, they would be physically spent, with no strength left for further combat.

However, there were times when such explosive power was necessary. This concept struck Yu Jin after he observed Guan Yu’s battles and sought to replicate that kind of sudden, overwhelming force. He selected soldiers capable of this fighting style and trained them relentlessly in it.

Now, this unit had come into its own. Of course, the limitation wasn’t with the soldiers themselves. In fact, it was simply because Yu Jin lacked the Martial Talent or the Army Soul to push his troops further. At least in the hands of someone without such abilities, this unit had reached its peak.

Nevertheless, whether or not they could continue to improve was irrelevant. Once the blade was drawn from its sheath, the resulting surge of power from Yu Jin’s soldiers instantly shattered Guo Yuan’s frontlines. Yu Jin then pressed the attack, swiftly routing Guo Yuan’s forces.

[Still not enough…] Yu Jin thought as he watched Yuan Shao’s army retreat. While ordering his soldiers to clean up the battlefield, tend to the wounded, and tally the losses and enemy casualties, his mind was occupied with analyzing his own shortcomings.

[Is it really impossible to reach that next level without Martial Talent? This cursed Internal Energy Separation! Personal martial prowess is irrelevant on the battlefield. Why must personal strength be tied to Martial Talent?]

Yu Jin’s face remained impassive, but inside, he was seething with anger. He had never believed that Internal Energy Separation was important for a military commander. In his view, the key to a commander’s success lay in strategic thinking and troop management, not in personal feats like slaying generals or capturing banners. That was something third-rate battlefield leaders concerned themselves with.

But now reality had crushed his confidence. He had once believed that generals like Gao Shun and Ju Yi were at his level, merely at the Qi Refinement stage. However, when he encountered them in Yanzhou, he realized just how wrong he was. Their abilities far surpassed the Qi Refinement realm, and even exceeded that of ordinary Internal Energy Separation warriors.

This realization had shattered Yu Jin’s self-confidence. It was now clear that Martial Talent required Internal Energy Separation, and without it, no matter how brilliant one might be, it would remain an unattainable dream.

Whenever he thought about how even Hua Xiong—whose command abilities were nowhere near his own—had developed Martial Talent and even fostered an Army Soul in his troops, Yu Jin’s heart burned with jealousy.

What Yu Jin didn’t realize was that had he continued to believe in his own command abilities, he would have already developed his Martial Talent, and his soldiers would have gained their own Army Soul. His command abilities were not weak. But he had begun to doubt himself, to waver, and in that hesitation, he lost his way.

A person who cannot believe in themselves can never become a great commander. Doubt and jealousy only weaken the spirit, and without the courage to surpass one’s predecessors, how can one forge their own path?

Repressing his anger and other emotions, Yu Jin began to blame himself. He knew his thoughts were wrong, and though he tried to build himself back up, encouraging himself to stay confident, he couldn’t help but wallow in self-pity and jealousy. After all, he was only human.

As this cycle continued, Yu Jin became increasingly withdrawn, his personality turning colder and more distant. He wrapped himself in a shell, unwilling to interact with others, becoming more and more different from the open, broad-minded figure he had been when he once worked with Lu Su.

The next day, after Yu Jin reported the details of his skirmish with Guo Yuan to the central army, both Liu Ye and Fa Zheng noticed something off.

"A probe, perhaps?" Liu Ye said, frowning.

"That’s the only reasonable explanation. The enemy doesn’t seem too concerned about our crossing of the Yellow River. Unlike Tian Feng and Ju Shou, Xun Shen seems to have a good grasp of our intentions," Fa Zheng remarked with a confused expression.

"But this probing feels completely pointless. What is he trying to achieve?" Chen Xi furrowed his brow. "It doesn’t seem like a feint, nor does it fit with a strategy of mixing reality with illusion. It’s a worthless probe."

"What does it matter? Let’s just lead the army and wipe them out!" Zhang Fei’s loud voice rang out, full of frustration. Confined to the central army and prevented from taking action, Zhang Fei had been given many explanations, but over time, his anger had only grown.

"An empty fort strategy, perhaps?" Chen Xi asked with interest, looking at Zhang Fei. Xun Shen’s meticulous defense during the crossing of the Yellow River now seemed completely at odds with this sudden and poorly conceived strategy.

"Ugh…" Both Fa Zheng and Liu Ye hesitated. An empty fort strategy was always risky, especially when overthinking it could lead to stagnation.

"How about we advance cautiously and fortify our position step by step? That way, we can avoid any risks," Chen Xi suggested with a smile, sensing their hesitation.

"I’m worried that the enemy may be intentionally delaying us," Fa Zheng said, troubled. "If we move slowly, we might fall into their plan."

"I’m more concerned that they’re waiting for us to rush in blindly," Liu Ye added, exchanging a troubled look with Fa Zheng. Knowing the strength of their opponent only made them more conflicted.

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