Transferring Troops Over a Thousand Miles

He glanced at the light screen in his sea of consciousness.

Name: Sheng Huai'an

Race: Human

Realm: Houtian Mid-stage (+)

Cultivation Techniques: [Great Sun Heart Sutra (Novice)] (+) [Ferocious Ox Strength (Minor Accomplishment)] (+) [Blood Fiend Saber Technique (Great Accomplishment)] (Deduction) [Overlord Spear Technique (Minor Accomplishment)]

Strength: 20,000 jin

Talent: Master Archer

Slaughter Value: 3619

With one click, consuming five hundred Slaughter Value, he began to improve his cultivation.

A surge of powerful energy flowed into his body, beginning to strengthen his flesh, bones, and skin…

His flesh, bones, and skin seemed to be bathed in golden light.

Under the reinforcement of this power, his bones, sinews, and skin became increasingly hard and strong, as if cast from gold.

His blood energy and true essence also increased significantly.

Upon advancing his cultivation to the Houtian Late-stage, his strength increased by five thousand jin, reaching twenty-five thousand jin.

Others had skin like copper and bones like iron; he was now close to having skin and bones of gold.

Although his strength increased considerably after advancing to the Houtian Late-stage, Sheng Huai'an still didn't feel safe.

He looked at the large amount of Slaughter Value.

After some thought, Sheng Huai'an finally decided to advance another minor realm, pushing his cultivation to Houtian Grand Perfection.

Continuing to consume five hundred Slaughter Value, he advanced his cultivation to Houtian Grand Perfection, his strength increasing to thirty thousand jin.

Now, unless he encountered a Xiantian Mid-stage Martial Practitioner, Sheng Huai'an was confident he could even clash head-on with a Xiantian Early-stage Martial Practitioner.

Only after advancing his cultivation to Houtian Grand Perfection did Sheng Huai'an's sense of security increase slightly.

And only slightly at that, as he was only at Houtian Grand Perfection, not Grandmaster Grand Perfection.

The next morning, when Sheng Huai'an got up, Guo Xiaoping and Hu Bing saw him.

The two felt that Sheng Huai'an had somehow become stronger again. They sensed an extreme sense of danger from him.

They had already grown numb to the fact that Sheng Huai'an kept getting stronger.

They had broken through to the Houtian realm just the night before, and only now had they managed to stabilize their cultivation.

However… it seemed Sheng Huai'an had broken through again.

Sometimes, they couldn't help but wonder why the gap between people could be so vast!

After resting for two days, they left the area and continued to cause trouble on the grassland.

Within a day, they had swept through over a dozen small Xiongnu tribes, killing countless enemies, looting grain and livestock, and then burning the grain tents before leaving, absolutely not delaying for a minute.

As soon as they moved out and swept through over a dozen tribes, the news reached the Xiongnu army that was encircling them. The Xiongnu Cavalry from various tribes began to gather in this area again.

By the time the Xiongnu Cavalry from various tribes had gathered, Sheng Huai'an and his men had already led their army far away.

This kind of infuriating guerrilla warfare drove the Xiongnu Cavalry to madness.

In the past, when enemy forces invaded the grasslands, they used this same tactic against them.

Now that someone was using this tactic against them on the grasslands, with the roles reversed, they experienced that same helpless frustration.

Sheng Huai'an led his troops, sweeping through over a dozen small tribes, replenishing their supplies, and then retreating hundreds of miles to another grassland.

This infuriating fighting style left the pursuing Xiongnu Cavalry exhausted.

Meanwhile, on the Anning Pass front.

After Yongzhou and Dingzhou heard about the Xiongnu Right Worthy King's hundred-thousand-strong army invading and the tragic state of Yanzhou, Qizhou, and Dengzhou falling under the Xiongnu's hundred thousand cavalry.

The chief officials of the two provinces dared not stand idly by any longer and each dispatched Commandery Soldiers, County Soldiers, and conscripted new recruits to reinforce Anning Pass.

Once Anning Pass fell, Yongzhou and Dingzhou would have no natural defenses, and the hundred-thousand-strong Xiongnu army could trample the two provinces into ruins.

At once, wealthy families and landowners contributed money, and the government dispatched troops, adding thirty thousand soldiers to participate in the defense of Anning Pass.

Seeing the thirty thousand reinforcements, Yang Ye couldn't help but laugh. These corrupt officials finally knew fear and quickly sent out all their reserves.

"Heh heh, these officials are scared now," Sun Hao said with a sinister laugh.

They fought and died on the border, while those within the pass spent their days in revelry and debauchery.

When they sent people to request reinforcements, the chief officials of the two provinces treated them like beggars, sending only some cannon fodder.

"It's only because they heard that Yanzhou, Qizhou, and Dengzhou were ravaged by the Xiongnu cavalry, that countless officials and prominent families were killed, and their grain and wealth were plundered. They were afraid that Anning Pass would fall and they would die under the Xiongnu cavalry, which is why they were forced to transfer the Commandery Soldiers and County Soldiers," Zhao Yong'an said.

"Qishan Fortress has been breached, the border regions of the three states have fallen, and the pressure on Jubei Pass has greatly increased. I don't know if the General Who Guards the North can hold on," Yang Ye sighed.

"Now we can only rely on them to hold their ground," Sun Hao said.

They were already struggling enough against the Left Virtuous King's army of over a hundred thousand men.

The three prefectures have fallen, and how many ordinary people will be crushed under the hooves of the Xiongnu cavalry.

"Jin Daorong is truly despicable," Yang Ye couldn't help but curse.

Jin Daorong, the general defending Qishan Fortress, had abandoned it and fled to preserve his own strength.

This allowed the three prefectures of Yanzhou, Qizhou, and Dengzhou to fall under the sharp edge of the Xiongnu cavalry.

"Hmph, that cowardly fellow probably sided with the Second Prince long ago. Defending the pass isn't as important as preserving strength to help the Second Prince contend for the throne," Sun Hao said without reservation.

"Regardless, with these thirty thousand soldiers, our pressure has been greatly relieved," Li Daoru stated.

With these thirty thousand reinforcements, it would be impossible for the Left Virtuous King to take Anning Pass anytime soon.

"I wonder how Sheng Huai'an and the others are doing now." Sun Hao spoke of Sheng Huai'an with some concern.

He greatly admired Sheng Huai'an, a man who dared to fight and kill. This was what a soldier should be, forged in iron and blood, skilled in combat.

Except for the first few days after Sheng Huai'an and his men left the pass and entered the grasslands, the Xiongnu army had paused their siege. These past few days, they had resumed their attacks.

This meant that the plan to cut off the Xiongnu army's grain and fodder had failed.

"Life and death are determined by fate; they can only rely on their own fortune," Yang Ye spoke words that were both cruel and helpless.

Sheng Huai'an and his men had ventured deep into the grasslands, and they could not offer any assistance.

Little did they know, Sheng Huai'an and his men were feasting on beef and mutton until they couldn't stand it every day on the grasslands.

On the grasslands, as long as they could run and hide, and avoid encountering the main Xiongnu cavalry forces, there wasn't much danger.

One day, Sheng Huai'an led his subordinates, swept through over twenty small tribes, and then fled again, disappearing into the grasslands.

By the time the Xiongnu cavalry arrived, all that was left was a mess of old, weak, women, and children.

As a soul from another world, he had mastered the Grand Ancestor's guerrilla warfare tactics to perfection.

When he encountered large Xiongnu cavalry forces, he would flee. When he encountered small Xiongnu cavalry units, he would charge forward and annihilate them.

It could be said that he displayed the art of bullying the weak and fearing the strong to its fullest extent.

This also caused the pursuing Xiongnu cavalry to grind their molars to dust.

In just a few days, Sheng Huai'an had led his subordinates across more than a thousand miles.

"Battalion Commander, I feel we need to go back. Otherwise, I'm afraid we won't be able to get out of the grasslands," Guo Xiaoping said with deep worry.

Constantly attacking small Xiongnu tribes would only further enrage the Xiongnu, causing them to dispatch more cavalry to encircle and suppress them.

Once they were cornered by a large Xiongnu cavalry force, they would truly have nowhere to escape.

"Sigh!"

Sheng Huai'an sighed. His strength was still not powerful enough. If he possessed Grandmaster cultivation and led a hundred thousand iron cavalry, he would dare to march all the way to the Xiongnu royal court.

After these days of fighting and maneuvering, the soldiers under his command were less than nine hundred.

He glanced back at his soldiers. Although they all appeared spirited, the exhaustion in their eyes could not be concealed.

"Head towards the border pass, we're going back," Sheng Huai'an said softly.

Don't be fooled by their rampages on the grasslands; this was merely taking advantage of opportunities. They dared not engage in direct combat with Xiongnu cavalry forces exceeding two thousand men.

He did not want to bury these young soldiers on the grasslands.

The wind on the grasslands was too cold; they had grown up within the passes and would not be accustomed to it.

He wanted to lead them back alive.

Having decided to return, the army began to advance in the direction of the border pass.