As the first rays of sunlight fell upon the plain, illuminating the figures of the two opposing sides, Murong Xuan stared at Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er ahead, a cold smile curving his lips. He raised his long sword high, then swung it forward with a mighty roar, "Men, charge! Crush them!"

In an instant, Murong Xuan's soldiers erupted in deafening shouts, surging towards Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's camp like a turbulent tide. The earth trembled slightly under their heavy footsteps, and the dust they raised filled the air, obscuring the morning sun and plunging the entire plain into a hazy, noisy twilight.

Xiao Yichen's expression was solemn, his gaze fixed on the approaching enemy troops. He turned to Lin Wan'er beside him and whispered, "Wan'er, proceed according to plan, and be sure to remain calm." Lin Wan'er nodded slightly, her eyes revealing determination and courage: "Don't worry, Yichen, we are already prepared and will make sure they don't return."

At this moment, one of Murong Xuan's vanguard generals, riding a black steed, charged to the front of the formation. He was clad in heavy armor, wielding a sharp spear, and with a ferocious expression on his face, he shouted, "Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, surrender immediately and you may be spared death!"

Xiao Yichen snorted coldly and replied, "Don't be arrogant, today is your death day!" With that, he drew the sword from his waist. The sword gleamed coldly in the sunlight, as if telling of its desire and anger.

Lin Wan'er then loudly encouraged her soldiers: "Brothers, do not be afraid! For our homeland, for our honor, we will fight to the death!" The soldiers shouted in unison, their morale soaring. Despite facing an enemy several times their size, they showed no sign of retreating.

Murong Xuan's soldiers charged closer and closer, their footsteps thundering in everyone's ears. Xiao Yichen watched the enemy advance, silently calculating the distance. He knew this wasn't the best time to launch a counterattack; he needed to lure the enemy deeper into the enemy territory.

Suddenly, an enemy soldier fired an arrow at Xiao Yichen. The arrow pierced the sky, whistling through the air as it hurtled towards Xiao Yichen. Xiao Yichen's eyes sharpened, and he dodged to the side. The arrow grazed his clothes and embedded itself in the ground behind him.

"Hmph, a mere trick!" Xiao Yichen roared, brandishing his sword and unleashing a sword aura towards the soldier who had fired the arrow. Dust billowed where the sword aura passed, and the soldier's eyes widened in terror. Before he could dodge, he was struck by the sword aura, screamed in agony, and fell to the ground.

This scene momentarily stunned Murong Xuan's soldiers, but they quickly resumed their charge. A general shouted, "Don't be afraid! They're just making a last-ditch effort! Keep charging!"

Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er exchanged a glance, then simultaneously gave the order: "Raise shields!" The soldiers quickly raised their shields, forming a solid shield wall to withstand the enemy's first wave of attack. Spears protruded from the gaps in the shields, like the quills of a hedgehog, ready to meet the enemy's arrival.

Murong Xuan's soldiers crashed into Xiao Yichen's shield wall like a surging wave. In an instant, the sound of metal clashing resounded through the sky, and sparks flew everywhere. The enemy's spears relentlessly thrust at the soldiers behind the shield wall, while Xiao Yichen's soldiers fought back fiercely, retaliating with their own spears.

One of Xiao Yichen's soldiers was pierced in the shoulder by an enemy spear. He groaned, but still held his shield tightly. He gritted his teeth and said, "I will never retreat!" Seeing this, his comrades next to him quickly used their spears to stab the enemy soldier, forcing him back.

Seeing her own soldiers wounded, Lin Wan'er felt a pang of pain in her heart. She shouted, "Archers, fire!" The archers, already prepared, quickly drew their bows and unleashed a volley of arrows towards the enemy. The arrows rained down on the enemy ranks like locusts, striking many enemy soldiers who fell one after another.

However, Murong Xuan's army was numerous, and these casualties did not deter their charge. They continued their frenzied assault on Xiao Yichen's shield wall, attempting to break through the defensive line.

Xiao Yichen knew that the shield wall couldn't withstand the enemy's fierce attack for long, so he said to Lin Wan'er again, "Wan'er, it's time to feign retreat." Lin Wan'er understood and shouted, "Retreat! Retreat!"

Upon hearing the order, the soldiers began to retreat in an orderly fashion. As they retreated, they used their shields to fend off enemy attacks, trying their best to maintain the order of their ranks. Seeing Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's troops begin to retreat, Murong Xuan assumed they were truly unable to hold out, and his smugness grew even stronger.

He laughed loudly, "Trying to run? Not so easy! Chase them, don't let a single one escape!" So, Murong Xuan's soldiers quickened their pace, their battle cries shaking the heavens as they closely followed behind Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's group.

As Xiao Yichen retreated, he observed the enemy's movements. He saw that the enemy had gradually been lured away from their initial position and secretly rejoiced. He said to Lin Wan'er, "Wan'er, if we retreat a little further, we can launch a counterattack."

Lin Wan'er nodded and said, "Okay, I hope everything will go as we wish." During this tense retreat and pursuit, the soldiers on both sides were on high alert, while Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er were waiting for the best opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Murong Xuan's army and turn the tide of the battle.

Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er led their soldiers in a fighting retreat, appearing disheveled but actually executing their plan methodically. Occasionally, a subtle glint of cunning flashed in their eyes, a sign of their confidence in the impending counterattack.

As Murong Xuan rode his warhorse, watching Xiao Yichen and his men retreat in disarray, his smugness growing ever stronger. He was convinced that his army had driven the enemy into a corner, and victory was only a matter of time. "Hmph, you dare to oppose me? Today is the day of your demise," he muttered to himself, quickening his horse's pace, eager to witness the enemy's complete collapse.

Xiao Yichen feigned panic as he commanded his soldiers, "Don't panic! Maintain formation!" However, a deliberate tremor in his voice further convinced Murong Xuan that their morale was in disarray. Lin Wan'er, meanwhile, played along with Xiao Yichen, feigning terror as she cried out, "What do we do? There are too many enemies!" Her expression and tone were so convincing that it was hard to doubt that this was a carefully planned deception.

During the retreat, one of Xiao Yichen's soldiers accidentally tripped and fell to the ground, dropping his weapon. He stared in terror at the approaching enemy, seemingly already anticipating his death. Seeing this, Murong Xuan burst into laughter: "Look at you all, so utterly pathetic, yet you dare to oppose me!"

Seeing this, Xiao Yichen hurriedly turned around, pretending to be anxious as he tried to help the soldier up: "Get up quickly, don't give up!" But his movements seemed somewhat sluggish, as if controlled by fear. At this moment, a general from Murong Xuan rushed over, raising his long sword and slashing at the fallen soldier. Just as the sword was about to fall, Xiao Yichen swiftly swung his sword, barely blocking the fatal blow.

"Oh, you still want to resist?" The general scoffed, then engaged Xiao Yichen in a brief exchange. Xiao Yichen deliberately exposed a few openings, giving the general an opportunity to exploit. After a few moves, Xiao Yichen feigned defeat, being pushed back a few steps by the general, a look of despair on his face: "Are we really going to die here?"

Lin Wan'er quickly rode to Xiao Yichen's side and asked with concern, "Yichen, are you alright?" Xiao Yichen shook his head and said helplessly, "Wan'er, it seems we can't resist today." Their conversation clearly reached Murong Xuan and his soldiers' ears, making them even more convinced that Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er had run out of options.

Murong Xuan's army continued their relentless pursuit, their footsteps kicking up clouds of dust across the plain. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er led their soldiers back a short distance, now approaching their pre-arranged counterattack point. Xiao Yichen silently calculated the distance, while subtly giving Lin Wan'er a wink.

Lin Wan'er understood. She took a deep breath and shouted, "Everyone, hold on a little longer! We can't give up like this!" Her voice still trembled slightly, but it held a newfound firmness. This shout invigorated the soldiers. Although they knew it was an act, they were inspired by Lin Wan'er's spirit and gripped their weapons tighter.

Seeing this, Murong Xuan secretly sneered, "Even at this point, they're still being stubborn. Once I catch you, I'll make you suffer." The image of Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er kneeling and begging for mercy after being captured flashed through his mind, which made him extremely excited.

Xiao Yichen continued to direct the soldiers' retreat, occasionally glancing back to observe the enemy's movements and ensure they followed the plan to enter the trap. Although he felt some tension, he was mostly filled with anticipation for the impending victory. "Murong Xuan, enjoy your smugness. Soon you will pay a heavy price for your arrogance," he silently thought to himself.

During this feigned weakness, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er cleverly exploited Murong Xuan's underestimation of the enemy, leading them step by step into their meticulously laid trap. Murong Xuan, however, remained oblivious, still immersed in the illusion of impending victory. He was unaware that a deadly disaster was about to befall him and his soldiers.

As Murong Xuan watched Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er lead their soldiers in a rout like stray dogs, his sense of triumph grew wildly, almost overwhelming his reason. He rode his tall warhorse, his posture becoming increasingly imposing, as if he had become the master of this plain, and everything before him was merely an embellishment on his path to glory.

"Hahahaha!" Murong Xuan laughed loudly, his laughter echoing across the entire plain, startling the surrounding birds into flight. "Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, you're nothing but cowards! I thought you had some great abilities, but you're just cowards." As he laughed, he brandished his long sword, which drew dazzling arcs in the sunlight, as if proclaiming his victory to the heavens and earth.

The generals around him echoed Murong Xuan's laughter, displaying the utmost obsequiousness. "Your Excellency is wise and mighty; these rebels are no match for you. Today's battle will surely make you a legend, the unparalleled overlord of this land," one general said with a beaming smile.

Hearing these flattering words, Murong Xuan felt even more elated. He turned to look at the vast army behind him, the soldiers' orderly ranks and high morale filling him with immense pride. "Look at my warriors! They are invincible! Anyone who dares to stand in our way will be crushed to dust!" Murong Xuan declared loudly, his voice filled with confidence and arrogance.

In his eyes, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's troops were now nothing more than a defeated and easily defeated army. He even began to imagine how to deal with them after the battle—whether to publicly behead them as a warning to others, or to imprison them in dark, sunless cells, letting them spend the rest of their lives in endless suffering. These thoughts swirled in his mind, making him increasingly excited.

"Speed ​​up! Don't let them escape!" Murong Xuan shouted the order, eager to end the battle himself and enjoy the fruits of victory. Hearing this, the soldiers roared in unison and quickened their pace. Their footsteps thundered across the earth, raising clouds of dust that dimmed the sunlight.

Murong Xuan charged ahead, leading the pack. His eyes gleamed with greed and cruelty, like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey. His heart was filled with a thirst for power and glory, a thirst that drove him forward recklessly.

As the distance closed, Murong Xuan could clearly see the feigned terror on Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's faces. This further convinced him of his judgment that they had been frightened into losing their will to fight. "You think you can escape my grasp like this? How naive!" Murong Xuan said with a sneer.

At this moment, an advisor cautiously approached Murong Xuan and whispered, "My lord, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er are always cunning. We'd better be careful." Upon hearing this, Murong Xuan's face darkened, and he glared at the advisor with displeasure: "Are you doubting my abilities? What tricks could they possibly have against such a powerful army like mine?"

The strategist, terrified by Murong Xuan's rebuke, dared not utter another word and silently retreated to the side. Murong Xuan, however, remained immersed in his smugness, believing the strategist's worries to be completely unnecessary. In his view, with his numerical superiority and his brave and fearless soldiers, the outcome of the battle was already a foregone conclusion.

Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er feigned retreat while closely observing Murong Xuan's every move. Seeing Murong Xuan's smugness, they secretly rejoiced. "He's completely fooled by us; victory will soon be ours," Lin Wan'er whispered to Xiao Yichen.

Xiao Yichen nodded slightly, a hint of coldness in his eyes: "That's right, but we can't let our guard down. We must ensure the plan is foolproof." They knew that although Murong Xuan had fallen into their trap, anything could happen before the final moment.

As Murong Xuan's soldiers charged, they shouted deafening slogans, their faces filled with battle fervor. However, they were completely unaware that the shadow of death was creeping closer. They blindly trusted Murong Xuan's leadership, believing victory was inevitable.

In the tense chase, the atmosphere on the plain grew increasingly heavy. Murong Xuan's smugness contrasted sharply with Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's composure. The final outcome of this battle was about to be revealed in the interplay between the two sides. Whether Murong Xuan's arrogance would lead to his demise, or whether Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's plans would encounter an unexpected setback, remained uncertain. Only the howling wind and deafening battle cries echoed across the plain, telling the story of the cruelty and intensity of this life-or-death struggle.