Chapter 62

"Indeed, the young men under my command cannot compare to the elite troops of the Marquis of Giant Rock."

In the midst of battle, Gu Chensha also observed the situation of his own army. Although the 243-man unit was fierce, their rate of slaughter was far inferior to Shi Zhongtie's troops.

Shi Zhongtie's troops did not wear the Jiaojiao armor but rather the second-grade Zhanpyang armor.

The armor standards of the Da Yong Dynasty were: ordinary armor, refined armor, Ling She armor, and Zhanpyang armor. Each type was divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. The most common officials and tax collectors wore ordinary armor, which was made of leather and iron, providing solid protection against blades and swords.

Refined armor was worn by the heads of the Six Ministries, who apprehended bandits and handled dangerous tasks in the civilian world.

Ling She armor was worn by military officers.

Zhanpyang armor was reserved for generals or true elites who had achieved significant military accomplishments and were rewarded with it.

Currently, every soldier in Shi Zhongtie's unit wore Zhanpyang armor, indicating that each warrior had at least a hundred barbarian heads to their credit.

As for the various armors worn by the guards of some noble families, these were custom-made and could not be mass-produced, so they need not be mentioned.

In the past, the private possession of bows, crossbows, and armor by noble families was a crime of high treason, punishable by the extermination of nine generations. However, the Tianfu Dynasty lifted this ban, allowing noble families to possess weapons as long as they did not engage in brawls or killings. Ordinary people could also carry swords and knives on the streets. This gained the Tianfu Emperor widespread support and demonstrated his confidence in controlling everything.

At such a high level, these minor matters were of no concern. Even if the noble families possessed more and more powerful weapons, if they dared to rebel, they would be crushed in an instant.

Zhanpyang armor was extremely valuable, with even the lowest grade worth an entire village. However, it still could not compare to the Jiaojiao armor.

Jiaojiao armor represented a revolutionary advancement, marking a leap in military equipment.

However, Shi Zhongtie's troops had a marvelous formation, with three to five soldiers forming small units, which then combined into larger formations. The army acted as a cohesive unit, sometimes transforming into a needle to pierce through the barbarian defenses, and at other times into a fan-shaped saw, rolling forward to harvest lives.

Among the barbarian troops, there were capable individuals who shouted and organized defenses, with shield bearers, spear wielders, archers, and cavalry forming layers of defense. However, the moment they had just set up their formation, Shi Zhongtie issued orders to break it apart, then transformed into a fan-shaped formation to reap more lives.

After several such maneuvers, the barbarian troops could not form a strong formation, fighting individually, colliding with each other, and even trampling each other, leading to a complete rout.

Gu Chensha's 243-man unit lacked this ability, still clustering together and relying on physical strength to kill enemies. They had no clear grasp of the battlefield. They had studied military tactics and trained in formations, but applying them in battle was a different matter. This experience could only be gained through countless battles.

Fighting individually, their efficiency was low, and they easily exhausted their strength. If not for the protection of the Jiaojiao armor, they would have already lost half their numbers.

"Lack of experience," Gu Chensha shook his head repeatedly. Such a unit, even with Jiaojiao armor, would be exhausted and captured if surrounded by ten thousand barbarian troops, ultimately leading to their deaths.

"Yiming" did not join the battle but followed behind Gu Chensha, serving as his ultimate trump card, waiting for the appearance of a powerful opponent.

At this moment, the barbarian troops were in disarray, numerous but lacking true experts, making it a good time to train his troops.

Roar!

The barbarian troops were retreating, lacking any morale. Suddenly, a Fangtian halberd emerged from their ranks, creating a whirlwind and reaching Gu Chensha in an instant, aiming directly at him.

Behind the halberd was a towering figure, like a demon god.

The barbarian general had not been killed by the explosion.

Gu Chensha had anticipated this, and his Demon-Slaying Blade changed form to meet the halberd head-on.

Clang!

The force transmitted from the halberd was powerful and tyrannical, spiraling into his body, disrupting his meridians. This hidden force was at its peak.

"Change of the Sun and Moon, melting ice and snow." Gu Chensha retreated, his internal energy surging, barely managing to neutralize the hidden force without spitting blood.

This showed that his martial arts had improved significantly since the last time.

As he retreated, the halberd struck again, the force forming a net that enveloped the area, not allowing him any chance to catch his breath. The barbarian general was a Third Transformation Daoist, with a body of copper and iron, while Gu Chensha, though powerful, was still a Mortal Martial Master, making it difficult for him to resist.

"Yiming."

Gu Chensha issued an order.

"Yiming" acted, not even needing to move. Several ropes of innate qi appeared out of nowhere, wrapping around the halberd and then binding the barbarian general.

In an instant, the barbarian general's body stiffened, completely restrained by the innate qi.

If it were Sixth Transformation innate qi, it could only be released, not retracted, and the barbarian general could still evade. However, Seventh Transformation innate qi was both hard and soft, flexible and versatile, as fast as lightning, making him no match.

One was at the Third Transformation, the other at the Seventh Transformation, the difference was too great, and being captured in one move was inevitable.

The barbarian general roared, trying to struggle, but Gu Chensha's sword pierced his eyes, entering his brain and destroying it, instantly killing him.

It was that simple.

Even at the Copper Skin and Iron Bones level, there were weaknesses, and the eyes were a clear vulnerability.

However, the barbarian general was fully armored, and the weakness was eliminated. But when Yiming acted, he managed to lift the helmet, allowing Gu Chensha to deliver a fatal blow.

At the moment the barbarian general was killed, a large blood ball and a powerful soul floated up in the Sun and Moon Altar space, far stronger than the four major demons.

The barbarian general had committed countless atrocities and was closest to the evil god. Killing him was like purifying the world and driving out a virus, and if offered as a sacrifice, it would bring great rewards.

Though the world has no inherent good or evil, it has order, and the evil god is a disruptor of that order, like a virus in the natural law. Acting on behalf of the natural law to eliminate evil is like treating a disease.

Gu Chensha realized that killing tigers and wolves and absorbing their strength was a poor strategy. Eliminating demons and obtaining celestial dew was the superior approach.

For example, killing the barbarian general, if using his own blood as a sacrifice, would likely result in being overwhelmed by the force and disintegrating. It was better to use divination grass to obtain a large amount of celestial dew.

"Master, the armor the barbarian general wore is called the Wild Beast War Armor, forged through thousands of hammerings and blessed by the temple for at least sixty years, giving it a spiritual quality. It is extremely powerful, not inferior to the Chilong armor, and is a rare treasure. Also, his Fangtian halberd is made of black steel and red iron, blessed with incantations, and is invaluable." Yiming, familiar with the barbarians, recognized the treasures.

"The barbarian troops are retreating, the barbarian troops are retreating."

The soldiers shouted.

Indeed, with the death of the barbarian general, the barbarian troops completely collapsed and fled in all directions.

"Do not pursue them," Gu Chensha ordered. "First, inventory the loot."

The entire county was partially destroyed, but there were still many intact areas, filled with items left behind by the barbarian troops. The reason he did not pursue them was mainly due to the lack of manpower. The barbarian troops were spread across the mountains and fields, making it impossible to chase them down.

The barbarians had transported not only troops but also a large amount of supplies and wealth through the portal. If he could obtain the bulk of it, the construction of his residence would no longer lack funds.

"Master, I know where the recently transported items are stored," Yiming immediately reported.

"Set up defenses outside the county to welcome the incoming army," Gu Chensha instructed. Everyone obeyed, and Shi Zhongtie understood that he was going to search for treasure, but did not interfere, as this was a normal practice. Even princes received only a small annual stipend, barely enough to cover living expenses and social obligations. Without a windfall, they could not survive.

Princes were not like ordinary people; their residences housed at least several hundred people, including servants, slaves, managers, maids, soldiers, and guards, all of whom required money. If they also needed to support loyalists, elite guards, personal cultivation, talent development, official relations, residence construction, and estate purchases, even mountains of gold and silver would be spent.

The key was that Shi Zhongtie knew that Gu Chensha, as a prince, had a thin foundation and no assets. To put it bluntly, even a wealthy local landowner might be richer than him.

"Everyone, do not approach the center of the county. Set up defenses on the outskirts and collect the tools left behind by the barbarian troops," Shi Zhongtie ordered, and the other soldiers nodded in understanding.

Gu Chensha and "Yiming" walked to the center of the destroyed temple, surrounded by massive, broken stone walls and pillars.

"The storage room is here," Yiming pointed to the rubble below.

The area was completely buried by large stones, and it would take thousands of people several days to clear it. However, Yiming used his innate qi, like many invisible hands, and cleared it in half an hour.

"The first six transformations of the Daoist realm are purely destructive, but the Seventh Transformation allows the innate qi to be versatile, making one person as effective as a thousand in construction," Gu Chensha realized the power of the Seventh Transformation.

The underground storage room was very deep, with embedded pearls providing light, revealing many large chests.

"The storage room you obtained last time was just a temporary transfer station. The true storage room is here underground. If I did not know how to open it, no one else would. Many of the supplies here were obtained through exchanges with the Da Wei Dynasty," Yiming explained.

"Good, you watch the surroundings and do not let anyone approach."

Gu Chensha jumped down and indeed found a large warehouse, with supplies piled up in quantities three to five times greater than the rewards.

He did not open the chests but directly sent them into the Sun and Moon Altar.

The altar space could accommodate these items. After the previous sacrifice, though it had not evolved into a true Sun and Moon Altar, it had become more spacious.

After loading over a thousand large chests into the altar space, Gu Chensha entered the altar and lit the divination grass for the sacrifice.

This time, he had killed many barbarian troops and the barbarian general, and the altar space was filled with countless blood balls and souls. All were sacrificed, and celestial dew fell like rain.

"Almost seven hundred drops of celestial dew, with the barbarian general alone contributing over six hundred drops, more than the four major demons combined. This shows that the general was truly a heinous criminal."