Pullman rode a horse behind the dense army formation, holding a telescope in his hand to observe the situation on the opposite side. He was wearing black armor and a navy blue cloak behind him, and his strong body showed thick muscles.
"Do we have to fight here, Pullman?" a handsome man riding a white horse asked nearby.
"Of course." Pullman put down the telescope, called the messenger beside him, and began to give some instructions.
"Why, are you not confident about my decision?" Pullman turned around and asked after giving the order.
"There are some. According to the current situation, if we hide in the mountains, consume the logistics of those harassing them, and then ambush them, the casualties will be much smaller." The companion analyzed calmly.
"I understand what you mean. I guess you're cursing me in your heart for disregarding everyone's lives for some false name and glory."
Pullman looked at his friend and smiled.
"But war is not just war, it is more of an extension of will."
"Since we started the uprising, we have mobilized many people to go to various counties and provinces to make announcements, to speak to those living in misery and oppression, to tell them about this ideal, to stand up and fight, and to work together to create an equal and happy country."
“But as you know, it didn’t work out well.”
"Tolan, you should have seen those scenes. Some people get up early and work late, barely making ends meet, and finally die of exhaustion in the stinking ditch. Even though it has come to this point, they still numbly endure it and never resist."
"Yes."
"In fact, those people are not stupid, but too desperate. If they had seen a little hope, they wouldn't be like this."
"But the nobles hold the cultivation path of Transcendent Sequences. They also possess vast resources. A single Sequence 1 can defeat a dozen ordinary people. Resisting them would likely lead to their death even faster. Years of repeated experience have locked their hearts like a spell, rendering them incomparably docile."
"Even if we defeat these nobles in the mountains, what good will it do? That would only send a signal that we were no match for them in the first place, and that we only managed to win by luck by relying on a sneak attack at a strategic location. We're likely to fail again in the future."
“Maybe you and I both know that it’s not true, but it appears that way to others.”
"Only by defeating the West Wind nobles fairly and squarely on a battlefield where the enemy has an advantage and is fully prepared, can we dispel all doubts."
"And such a victory will turn into a resounding thunder, igniting the long-dormant fire in people's hearts."
"So, no matter how much sacrifice is made, we must not take a single step back."
"Go forward, go forward, and keep going forward until death. This is our belief, our choice, and our destiny."
"Well, let's begin." Pullman waved his hand, and the ancient and desolate horn sounded.
The horn was made of ancient animal bones and had been passed down for who knows how many years. As the horn sounded in the center of the army, horns announcing the attack were heard from both wings of the rebel army.
The warriors under these azure banners wielded spears and round shields, each over three meters long. Their densely packed tips pointed skyward, like a dense forest. Soldiers standing in formation couldn't even see the sky, their vision filled with tightly packed spears. These warriors stretched for nearly three kilometers, forming a formation nearly a hundred meters thick.
Xifeng's regular army numbered approximately 120,000, with an additional 10,000 temporary conscripted peasants responsible for logistics and other support. The rebel army, on the other hand, numbered approximately 70,000, with an additional 20,000 auxiliary personnel.
After the order was passed down, the mid-level officers began their final mobilization. They themselves weren't entirely sure, as none of them had ever experienced such a grand battle. But no matter how nervous they were, they couldn't express it. They were the backbone of the army, the heart and soul of these soldiers.
"Everyone!" A roar came from the officer's mouth.
"Stand tall and look forward."
"Hold your shield tight and your spear straight."
"Work together and move forward!"
These officers would not tell these soldiers nonsense such as victory means survival. This would only make the soldiers hesitate and waver in their will.
War is a matter of countless deaths. Any naive fantasy will be shattered by the bloody reality. Instead of letting soldiers have luck, it is better to let them accept this cruel reality from the beginning.
But even so, they had reasons to move forward. Unlike those private armies of nobles who did things for money, these poorly dressed warriors were prepared to die from the very beginning.
The silent formation began to move. They shouted slogans and marched in unison to the rhythm of the slogans. The sharp spears began to move forward like a city wall. The simple steel armor and spears kept shaking as they moved forward, like a shimmering ocean.
When the West Wind Allied Forces on the opposite side saw this orderly and terrifying scene, the ground trembled and they felt terrified.
"Hey, hey, no way, aren't they just country bumpkins in the mountains?"
A veteran soldier in full steel armor watched the opposing troops marching forward with a sense of panic. It was just a common peasant uprising, a common occurrence every few years, and a good beating would sway it. Why were they so aggressive this year? The other smaller clans nearby were even wavering, their formations beginning to falter.
"Bow and arrow, shoot!"
At a command from the longbow camp on Xifeng's side, the arrows flew high, drew huge arcs, and then poured down like heavy rain.
"Raise your shield!"
The accompanying officers shouted orders, and the black cast iron round shields were raised overhead, layer upon layer like fish scales. Arrows struck the shields with a clanging sound. Most of the arrows were blocked by the shields, while a few penetrated through the gaps in the shields, piercing arms and shoulders. Even so, the soldiers who were hit gritted their teeth and held on, not lowering their shields.
After the rain of arrows, some soldiers fell down, and the vacant positions were immediately filled by those behind them, who continued to move forward.
With terrifyingly orderly steps, these warriors advanced under a hail of arrows.
"Stupid." The old duke muttered, and then ordered his cavalry to begin preparations.
A path parted in the middle of Xifeng's army, and cavalrymen wearing orichalcum armor filed out from it. The exquisite patterns on the copper reflected bursts of golden light in the sunlight, and the war horses under their crotch neighed.
A triangular flag was hung on a long copper lance, and on the red flag was a golden goat head pattern. The totem of the cliff goat was the family emblem of the Duke of Rock. It was as combative as a goat, with strong horns on its head, breaking through the rocks and never looking back.
These armored cavalrymen wore tight orichalcum armor, and their war horses were also covered with tough armor plates. When they walked, the armor plates collided with each other, making a crisp sound, like wind chimes announcing death.
The leader of the legion raised his golden broadsword, pointed it at the sky, and then swung it down heavily.
"Orichalcum sheep, charge!" Wind chimes rang and the sound of hooves was like thunder.
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