Chapter 130 - 111: One Man Holds the Pass

Chapter 130: Chapter 111: One Man Holds the Pass

"Excellent! Excellent! To think Lu Yuan actually managed to take Moya Mountain." Hearing him say this, the several generals in the tent first glanced at the Seventh Prince, then awkwardly chimed in with Xiao Heng’s praise.

They weren’t Marshal Xiao, after all.

They didn’t dare offer any real praise. An Imperial Army Garrison General was different from a local Garrison General. Many who held the Senior Fourth Grade official post were related to the imperial family in some way.

The Seventh Prince’s expression, however, remained unchanged. He wouldn’t let Lu Yuan’s victory stir any emotion in him.

’He’s just a commoner, after all. Lu Yuan could struggle his entire life and still not reach the starting point of someone from Prince Polu’s Mansion.’

Xiao Heng, however, was clearly and genuinely pleased.

After all, setting aside the strategic significance of this victory, the discovery of a talented individual alone was worth celebrating.

Then, after glancing around at the generals in the tent, he said with a light chuckle, "Since Moya Mountain has been taken, the reinforcing Border Army can continue to advance."

The Imperial Guard was meant to decide the final outcome. He would absolutely not deploy them lightly until the moment that truly determined victory or defeat. Like the Xirong Elite Warriors, they were his trump card.

If the Imperial Guard were to join a large-scale battle like this, it would mean that Dayong had reached a moment of life and death.

The others in the tent nodded and resumed their discussion of subsequent battle plans.

「Meanwhile, on Moya Mountain.」

Lu Yuan felt the True Essence in his Dantian was completely full, and his meridians were overflowing.

’It’s time for a breakthrough,’ he realized.

He then opened his system panel.

[Fourth-Grade Cultivation Skill "Mixed Element Qi Skill" - True Essence: 1037/1000 (Minor Achievement). Breakthrough?]

The moment he chose to break through, a powerful and violent surge of energy within Lu Yuan’s body rushed toward his Dantian.

In the next instant, his Dantian, which had been like a mere pond, was transformed into a lake by this power.

The skin all over his body pulsed.

"BUZZ!"

Rich and mellow True Essence spread throughout his entire body.

[Fourth-Grade Cultivation Skill "Mixed Element Qi Skill" - True Essence: 37/10,000 (to Great Success)]

At that moment, Lu Yuan achieved a major breakthrough in his True Essence.

Feeling the boundless energy within his body, he now had the power to fight even an Innate Great Success expert.

And in truth, there were very few who could reach Great Success in the Innate Realm.

This meant that he now had little to fear from any Innate Expert.

What they could do, Lu Yuan could also do. And what they could not do, Lu Yuan could also accomplish.

Most frightening of all was Lu Yuan’s physical strength. After constant refinement, it could be described as an astonishing Divine Power. It was no exaggeration to say that even without using his True Essence, he had the power to fight an Innate expert relying on his physical body alone.

At this point, he could finally, just barely, be considered a true expert.

Even in the midst of a ten-thousand-man army, he now had the power to protect himself.

Just at that moment, a deafening sound erupted outside. "BANG! BANG!" When Lu Yuan stepped out of his tent, he saw fiery red balls of light exploding in the sky.

Zhou He rushed over, looking with lingering fear at the beams of light below as he said to Lu Yuan, "Sir, those are the Imperial Guard’s signal arrows! It means a large number of enemies are coming. I fear the Xirong People are charging up the mountain."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, an icy glint flashing in his eyes.

"THUD! THUD!"

Then, the sound of approaching footsteps came from outside.

Lu Yuan looked over and saw that Zhou Xiong and his men had also arrived.

"Notify everyone to prepare for battle! Sun Li, take your men and defend the summit. The rest of you, follow me to White Cloud Bay!"

As soon as he gave the order, he hefted his Crescent Saber and started down the mountain.

Zhao Wu and Zhou Xiong exchanged a glance, then led their men and followed him.

At that moment, there were only just over 1,600 men on the mountain capable of fighting.

Sun Li had more than four hundred men under his command.

The other two Thousand Men Commanders had a combined force of just over 1,200 men.

They didn’t know how many Xirong had come, but they understood that if the enemy was allowed to charge all the way up, their men would certainly be annihilated.

On the mountain path at White Cloud Bay, a Hundred-Man Squad had been left to stand guard against anyone coming up.

The leading Centurion, upon hearing the signal arrows, immediately gave an order: "Get all the stones up here! Block the road with anything you can use!"

He too was a veteran who had fought and survived for years in the Border Army; he knew exactly what that signal meant.

The barrier had been almost completely destroyed during the day’s battle. Now, at his command, the surrounding Warriors began hauling nearby stones and wooden stakes to block the path.

Just then, they saw the pitch-black mass of the Xirong army already advancing up the mountain in the distance.

They wore armor and carried torches in their hands.

On their way up, they had already discovered the corpses of Xirong Warriors, so they had extinguished their lights. Who would have thought there would be Imperial Guard sentries at the foot of the mountain? Once their position was exposed, they simply relit their torches and charged straight up the slope.

Seeing this, the Centurion grit his teeth and said, "Brothers, without the advantage of this treacherous path, this will be a hard fight! If you’re men, then fight with all you’ve got today! Buy some time for our comrades behind us!"

Lu Yuan and his men had not yet arrived. If White Cloud Bay was lost, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As men who fought in the army year-round, they could naturally see that the Xirong army below probably numbered in the tens of thousands.

If that force charged up all at once, their meager thousand-some men would be devoured without even their bones left behind.

"Yes, sir!"

Hearing their Centurion’s cry, the Warriors behind him all raised their weapons.

These men had either followed Lu Yuan through countless battles to get here, or they had survived the world-shaking war from half a month ago.

Therefore, they felt no fear.

And at that very moment, the Xirong People charged forward.

Behind the barrier, Lu Yuan’s Centurion led his men and instantly clashed with the Xirong People.

They could smell the stench of blood wafting from the Xirong People.

In just an instant, more than a dozen Dayong Warriors fell to the ground.

And the Xirong Warriors behind them surged forward like a tidal wave.

One can only imagine the immense pressure on those hundred men.

Hearing the shouts of battle from afar, Lu Yuan and his men didn’t dare to delay, sprinting down the mountain with all their might.

Even so, by the time they reached White Cloud Bay, only a dozen or so men from that Hundred-Man Squad remained.

Under the moonlight, Lu Yuan gazed at the blood-stained barricade. His icy eyes locked onto the Xirong People, and without a moment’s hesitation, he charged straight ahead.

The moment he reached the barricade, his Crescent Saber swept out. The astonishing blade arc kicked up a great mist of blood.

The nearby Xirong Warriors couldn’t help but feel a chill run through their bodies.

Zhou Xiong and Zhao Wu glanced at the enemy force below, their scalps tingling with fear. But they didn’t hesitate, quickly charging up to follow Lu Yuan.

In that instant, the long, narrow mountain path became an inferno.

Lu Yuan, Crescent Saber in hand, single-handedly blocked two-thirds of the path, while the others filled in the gap.

They didn’t know how long they would have to kill before the enemy was defeated; they just kept swinging their weapons.

In moments, their bodies were covered in gore.