The discussions in Yan City ended in no time.
But the battle for Lu Yuan and the others had only just begun. As the Iron Sparrowhawks galloped toward them, they raised their bows one after another. Unlike other Northern Barbarian scouts, every one of the Iron Sparrowhawks was skilled at mounted archery.
"Crane wings, block!"
Seeing the Iron Sparrowhawks raise their bows, Lu Yuan shouted. The cavalry on both wings immediately rode forward. The Cloud-Piercing Crane-Wing Formation could be used not only to charge, but also to block enemy archers with its wings.
As the two wings converged toward the center, the riders took the shields from their horses and raised them above their heads.
Lu Yuan had assigned ten Entry Realm experts to each crane wing. With shields in hand and the formation's blessing, they were more than capable of protecting themselves.
The two wings moved to cover them.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The Iron Sparrowhawks' arrows struck the shields one after another, then fell to the ground.
Some men were wounded, but their fighting strength remained largely intact.
Lu Yuan raised his Python Tendon Bow and drew an arrow from his quiver, firing back.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two arrows flew, and two men on the other side fell instantly.
Lu Yuan didn't stop, shooting arrow after arrow.
He moved quickly, drawing the taut python tendon with ease.
Each arrow flew like a full moon loosed from the bow.
Every shot felled a man.
In no time, more than ten men on the other side had been killed.
The Iron Sparrowhawks' Centurion saw what had happened and realized that this was undoubtedly the man who had defeated him last time.
He had never seen anyone in any of the three frontier cities use a bow with such skill.
At that moment, the system's voice rang out repeatedly in Lu Yuan's mind.
[Host killed a formidable enemy using Wolf-Chasing Archery. Proficiency +10] ...
The Iron Sparrowhawks' Centurion had witnessed the terror of Lu Yuan's archery. Gritting his teeth, he ordered, "Stop shooting. Charge them!"
The arrows had done little damage to Lu Yuan and his men. Instead, more than ten of his own had died.
He still had over seventy men under his command. In his view, they were more than enough to face Lu Yuan's men head-on.
These Iron Sparrowhawks were all elite soldiers. At the order, they followed close behind him and charged forward.
Seeing them charge, Lu Yuan put away his arrows.
"Wings back in formation. Kill!"
At his command, the crane wings moved to either side.
Lu Yuan, the crane's beak, gripped his broadsword, urged his horse forward, and charged the Iron Sparrowhawks.
[Host killed enemies using the Cloud-Piercing Crane-Wing Formation. Proficiency +10] ... [The Cloud-Piercing Crane-Wing Formation's bonus effect is active: the formation's combat strength is tripled.] [The Cloud-Piercing Crane-Wing Formation's bonus effect, Wind Borrowing, is active: the formation's speed and impact force are doubled.] [The Cloud-Piercing Crane-Wing Formation's bonus effect, Armor Piercing, is active: the formation's chance of landing an armor-piercing critical hit is doubled.]
As the system's voice rang out—
"Shhk!"
Lu Yuan crashed into the Iron Sparrowhawks.
His saber swept out, heavy as a mountain.
The Iron Sparrowhawk at the head of the formation was in the Bone-Forging Realm. Lu Yuan beheaded him with one slash, sending up a cloud of blood. Then he swung again.
The nearest Iron Sparrowhawk was cut in half.
With Lu Yuan breaking through their ranks at the front, Wei Yong and the others behind him faced far less pressure.
Though the Iron Sparrowhawks were formidable, a single charge scattered their formation.
More than twenty were killed or wounded.
They were down to around fifty men now.
Seeing this unfold beneath the bright sun, the Centurion's vision blurred.
There was no doubt about it—these were the same opponents he had faced last time. But this time, he had brought the Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks, and they had still been scattered in a single charge.
When he saw the enemy turn their horses around and charge again, he knew he had no way out. If he fled back, death would await him all the same.
In the next moment, he rallied the surviving men and led them toward Lu Yuan and the others once more.
But the outcome remained unchanged.
With the crane-wing formation's blessing and Lu Yuan leading the charge himself, the Iron Sparrowhawks had no chance of winning.
Another thirty-odd men fell to the ground.
Fewer than twenty remained, surrounded on all sides.
Excitement showed on the faces of the Great Yong soldiers.
After this battle, the military merits they earned would be enough to exchange for the resources they needed to reach the Entry Realm.
Their dark armor was spattered with blood, and their eyes gleamed.
"Kill!"
The Iron Sparrowhawks' Centurion charged Lu Yuan in a fury.
He knew he was sure to die in this battle. Now, all he could see was Lu Yuan, the one responsible for it all.
His cultivation at the peak of the Tendon-Refining Realm was on full display.
His eyes bulged like copper bells.
The other Iron Sparrowhawks stayed where they were. They understood what their Centurion had in mind.
At Lu Yuan's signal, his men likewise held back.
They watched in silence.
Just as the Centurion rode up to Lu Yuan, he leaped high from his saddle. The armor plates on his body clattered as they cut through the air at speed.
A flash of pale golden light flickered and vanished. Then his saber came down with the force of Mount Tai crashing overhead.
Sensing the thunderous attack above him, the Centurion was furious, but he didn't dare take it lightly.
He raised his fine-iron spear above his head.
He meant to block the blow.
"Bang!"
The saber struck the spear shaft, bending it before his eyes. Then the weapon was flung away.
The Iron Sparrowhawks' Centurion's arms trembled, his palms slick with blood.
"Neigh!"
His horse let out a mournful cry and collapsed onto its front knees.
The Centurion was thrown down in front of Lu Yuan.
Everyone who saw this was shaken to the core. With just one slash, Lu Yuan had defeated an Iron Sparrowhawks' Centurion.
How powerful was he?
"Shhk!"
Lu Yuan swept his saber, and the Centurion's head was cut off.
Lu Yuan looked toward the other Iron Sparrowhawks. They reacted as if struck by lightning; some even tumbled straight from their horses.
Then, more than twenty men dropped to their knees.
It wasn't that they were cowards. They had been overwhelmed by what they had just witnessed. The Northern Barbarians revered the strong too, and Lu Yuan's methods filled them with fear from the depths of their hearts.
Naturally, they no longer dared to fight.
"Bind them!"
It was unheard of for a band of Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks to surrender.
This would surely be a great merit when they returned.
Wei Yong and the others, of course, didn't hesitate.
Grinning, he said, "Yes, my lord!"
As he spoke, he led his men forward and tied the Iron Sparrowhawks up securely. They offered no resistance.
They only looked at Lu Yuan with awe from time to time.
"Count the spoils and collect the supplies. We'll rest here today and return to the city first thing tomorrow morning." At Lu Yuan's words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou He led the men in counting their spoils.
The Iron Sparrowhawks had been roaming around the area for quite some time, and their gear was full of valuable items.
Even if their military merits weren't enough this time, they could buy cultivation resources with the silver and still have enough to break through.