Chapter 14 Vitality Like a Galloping Horse Is Not the End!
Before the Shang Kingdom’s army formation, Zhang Yang stood proudly atop his chariot, clad in armour and holding his spear. On either side of him were Heitu and Guan, both dressed in leather armour, each wielding a long spear and mounted on tall, sturdy horses.
“Are you ready?” Zhang Yang asked calmly, gazing across at the Jing Kingdom’s forces.
Heitu cupped his hands respectfully and replied, “Everything is prepared, but...” He paused, casting a slightly troubled look towards Zhang Yang. “Grand Marshal, this plan is too risky.”
“If it fails, the outcome will be grim.”
“I am willing to take the lead for you, Grand Marshal,” Heitu said through clenched teeth, his eyes resolute, already resolved to face death.
Zhang Yang’s plan was simply madness!
This battle relied on speed!
A rapid breakthrough!
A swift elimination of the enemy commander.
The goal was to force the enemy to collapse without a fight.
In simple terms, the most elite cavalry unit of the Xuan Bird Battalion would act as the spearhead, piercing directly into the enemy’s core and taking out their commander in one decisive strike.
But the enemy commander was stationed at the heart of the central army—catching him in one swift move was far from easy.
They would inevitably face an all-out counterattack from the enemy, the pressure unimaginable.
The plan was too risky, too reckless.
Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow, fixed his gaze on the enemy commander’s banner, and smiled, “Are you worried about my safety?”
Heitu lowered his head slightly and considered carefully, “Grand Marshal, you are already the foremost warrior in the realm, having created your own paths in martial arts, possessing courage that a hundred men cannot match.”
“However, this plan to aid the king is too risky; it will inevitably face a desperate counterattack from the enemy.”
“When that time comes, Grand Marshal, you won’t be facing a hundred men, nor a thousand, but tens of thousands.”
“Your humble servant~~~”
“Hahaha.”
Zhang Yang laughed heartily, “You, after following me all these years, still haven’t understood one thing.”
Heitu was taken aback. “Please, Grand Marshal, enlighten me.”
Zhang Yang’s lip curled slightly as he said firmly, “I don’t fight battles I’m not confident of winning.”
Having said that, Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes and sighed, “People say that Vitality Like a Galloping Horse is the pinnacle of the Way of the Shaman.”
“But is Vitality Like a Galloping Horse truly the peak?”
At that, Zhang Yang waved his hand, signalling the charioteer to drive forward.The charioteer received the order and gradually steered the war chariot towards the centre of the battlefield. Only Heitu and the others were left exchanging glances in silence.
Is Vitality Like a Galloping Horse truly the pinnacle? Could it be…?
As they watched Zhang Yang’s departing figure, an almost unbelievable possibility took shape in their minds.
Zhang Yang had already touched upon a realm beyond Vitality Like a Galloping Horse!
There was no doubt about it.
Since Zhang Yang’s resurrection, five years had passed. He had come back to life at the age of twenty-one and shortly afterwards had broken through to the Vitality Like a Galloping Horse realm.It had now been four years.
Throughout these four years, Zhang Yang had never stopped studying martial arts.
Combining the martial knowledge from his previous life, he had discovered a gateway beyond Vitality Like a Galloping Horse.
The core of the Vitality Like a Galloping Horse realm lies in having abundant qi and blood within the body, akin to thousands of horses galloping, which grants the cultivator immense burst power and regenerative ability.
This burst and regeneration were comprehensive.
Zhang Yang, integrating the cultivation theories of the Buddhist and Daoist schools along with the essence of martial power, strength, and intent, had pondered a possibility.
What would happen if all the body's qi and blood were concentrated to one spot for an explosion?
For example, infusing all the qi and blood into the hands and feet!
The answer was~~~
Without experience, it would be fatal!
Qi and blood are inherently difficult to control. Concentrating the power of qi and blood in one spot certainly brings about an incredibly powerful burst, but a slight mistake could cause blood vessels to rupture.
However!
All of this stemmed from cultivators’ limited understanding of the human body's structure.
Zhang Yang was different.
He came from Earth and, after being reborn, recalled all the knowledge he had seen and learned in his previous life.
This included anatomical diagrams of the human body—
the skeleton, internal organs, blood vessels, nerves, and meridian charts!
Drawing on the medical knowledge from his past life, Zhang Yang spent two years experimenting and finally discovered a method of advancement.
Tongmai!
By channelling the body's qi and blood into one area, he could comprehensively enhance his strength, speed, and more.
The effect was doubled!
Zhang Yang had tested it once.
In a state of explosive power, his strength could reach three thousand jin!
What does three thousand jin mean?
A Wuling Hongguang weighs just over two thousand jin!
With such terrifying strength, a single punch or kick could easily send an ordinary soldier flying several metres, even more than ten.
Ordinary armour was almost pointless against that kind of force.
Even warriors at the Vitality Like a Galloping Horse realm struggled to contend with thousands of troops.
But cultivators at the Tongmai realm—
Though they still couldn’t match an entire army, they could, like a peerless mower cutting down grass, become an unstoppable weapon tearing through enemy lines.
Able to stand against a thousand opponents alone!Such power was enough to change the course of a war!
Zhang Yang gripped his spear firmly as the chariot slowly made its way to the centre of the battlefield.
He called out loudly, “I am Zhang Yang, Grand Marshal of the Shang Kingdom. Where is the commander of the Jing forces?”
From the ranks of the Jing army, Prince Liao’s chariot advanced slowly to the front line.
Though advanced in years, with grey hair and beard, his spirit was vigorous.
Prince Liao called out in a loud voice, “I’ve heard much about you, Grand Marshal Zhang. Are you planning to surrender?”
“I have long admired Grand Marshal Zhang. If he wishes to surrender, I shall surely treat him with the utmost honour.”
At these words, bursts of laughter echoed through the Jing troops.
Zhang Yang’s lips curled slightly, his smile tinged with cold indifference. “Since ancient times, there has been a proper etiquette for surrendering commanders.”The “Zhi Shi” ritual means to “express the determination to fight,” where a warrior rides a chariot charging into the enemy ranks to challenge, intimidate, or provoke on a small scale, aiming to showcase one’s own morale and provoke the opposition.
“I, Zhang Yang, lacking talent, am willing to personally perform the Zhi Shi ritual,” Zhang Yang shouted loudly.
With that, he waved his hand, and the charioteer steered the horse-drawn chariot straight towards Prince Liao’s chariot.
This bold move startled Prince Liao.
Having campaigned and fought for many years, he had never encountered such a reckless commander.
The Zhi Shi ritual was indeed an ancient tradition.
But which commander would be mad enough to perform the ritual themselves?
Was he out of his mind?
Was he afraid the enemy wouldn’t manage to capture their commander?
Prince Liao froze for a moment, then suddenly came to a realisation as Zhang Yang’s chariot drew closer. If they could capture Zhang Yang here, the Shang Kingdom would be doomed!
Prince Liao hesitated for only a fraction of a second before immediately raising the command flag.
At once, ten chariots roared forward, charging straight at Zhang Yang.
Seeing this, the soldiers of the Jing Kingdom all shouted loudly,
“Victory is assured! Victory is assured!”
Meanwhile, the Shang Kingdom was filled with jeers.
“Shameless.”
“Absolutely disgraceful.”
“That damned Jing Kingdom, actually sending ten chariots to attack the Grand Marshal—how despicable.”
“General, the Grand Marshal is in danger, we—”
The Shang Kingdom’s army rang with curses like thunder; some swore, some were worried, others wanted to charge forward to protect Zhang Yang.
But the commanders left in charge, including Heitu, remained unmoved.
They held the reins tightly in both hands, awaiting Zhang Yang’s command.
Without the battle flags raised or the war drums sounding, how could the army advance?
Amid the cheers and curses from both sides, the war chariots had already engaged.
Two chariots came at Zhang Yang’s from left and right.
The archers went first.
Sharp arrows tore through the air, hurtling towards Zhang Yang.
With a slight flick of his wrist, Zhang Yang’s spear tip seemed like a golden dragon, deflecting the deadly arrows aside.In the blink of an eye, the battle chariots drew near.
Enemy soldiers wielding long halberds raised their weapons high, aiming to take him down on the spot.
Yet—
Zhang Yang gripped his spear with both hands, like a golden dragon slicing through the air.
With a flick of the spear, a terrifying force struck the head of one of the horses pulling the chariot.
“Bang!”
The warhorse reared and fell instantly.
Losing one warhorse, the chariot immediately spiralled out of control, the other three panicked horses running wild and veering the chariot off its original path.
At this initial clash, Zhang Yang emerged with a decisive victory.
However!
The other eight chariots, seeing this, all deliberately avoided close-quarter combat with Zhang Yang.They scattered to Zhang Yang’s left and right, taking up their bows and loosing arrows.
In an instant, a dozen or so sharp arrows came hurtling towards Zhang Yang from all directions!
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