"What were the losses?"
Zhu Yijun stood atop the city wall, gazing at the alien army encamped more than ten miles away. His expression was incredibly cold, and there was an overwhelming killing intent about him.
"The alien army came too suddenly and too recklessly. Although I tried my best to organize the people to retreat to the rear, more than 100,000 people were left behind and could not be evacuated. Now they are probably in grave danger!"
Although there has been no news from other areas yet, it is likely that they have also suffered significant losses.
A general covered in blood and missing an arm responded, his resolute face filled with murderous resentment, yet also with helplessness.
If it were just an ordinary steppe army, that would be one thing. Although steppe armies are very strong and are mostly cavalry, they are not weak either.
The problem is that the other side has deployed a large number of powerful experts. On his side, there are more than a dozen experts at the Innate Realm, and countless experts at the Grandmaster Realm.
The most troublesome thing is that the enemy's army is too large and too crazy. They are like mad beasts, completely unaware of fear, and their strength is also extremely strong, consisting entirely of Third-Rate forces.
Faced with such a huge gap, even as Peak Grandmaster Realm, he had his arm severed and nearly died in the midst of the army.
"In a moment, I will lead the Copper Armor Army to rout the main force of the alien army. You will lead the border troops to clean up the pursuing forces from the rear. These beasts must not be allowed to escape!"
After taking a deep look at the alien army in the distant camp, Zhu Yijun coldly gave an order, jumped off the city wall, and led the Copper Armor Army who had been waiting below to charge out.
Their Copper Armor Army was not an infantry unit but a uniform cavalry force, and their warhorses had their Bloodline Power activated Awakening.
Animals improve their strength much faster than Human Clan. After all, the Blood Sacrifice Instruction that Wang Hao concocted only partially fused with Bloodline Power, and its effect was at most only Issei of the full state.
Since the animal's own bloodline belongs to them, they can be fully utilized.
Therefore, the warhorses ridden by the Copper Armor Army were at least strong enough to contend with First-Rate martial artists, and with their enormous size, their strength was at least tens of thousands of pounds.
Their powerful bodies generate an extremely exaggerated impact force when they charge, with an explosive force of at least tens of thousands of kilograms, and the stronger ones can even reach an impact force of hundreds of thousands of kilograms.
"Is that the strongest army of the Central Plains people? Their momentum is indeed impressive, but unfortunately, they are too foolish!"
Zhu Yijun's Copper Armor Army did not conceal their presence, so they were quickly spotted by the alien army ahead, who then formed a battle formation in front of the camp.
The commander of this alien army was the chieftain of a large tribe, who was looking down with disdain at the rapidly approaching Copper Armor Army.
Although the Copper Armor Army opposite him was powerful and could be called the strongest legion he had ever seen, their numbers were still too small. Only 100,000 dared to attack his million-strong army.
A tenfold difference in troop strength—this goes beyond mere stupidity.
Commanding a million-strong army, he naturally had the right to express disdain for anyone.
"Those must be the Copper Armor Army selected by the Central Plains from the Brocade Guard. Their Red Copper bronze armor is impervious to swords and spears; they should not be underestimated. General, you must be careful!"
A master of the Esoteric Sect stood beside the alien commander and revealed the information he knew.
During this period, they also infiltrated the Central Plains, sending many spies there, which was an important reason why they were able to conquer such a vast territory so quickly.
However, they would not underestimate the people of the Central Plains. After all, they had only caught them off guard. Once the enemy reacted, the subsequent battle would not be easy.
They also found some intelligence on the Copper Armor Army, the strongest legion secretly trained by the Great Ming Dynasty, but unfortunately the information was very limited. They only knew that the set of Red Copper armor had very strong defensive capabilities, and even a master of the Xiantian Grandmaster level would find it difficult to break through.
"Hmph! Just a set of armor? You really think it can stop my army's advance?"
His disdain deepened, and the alien commander ordered his guards, "Have Sieg take his Longxiang Strongmen and slaughter all the Central Plains people on the other side."
Soon, tens of thousands of people from the alien army came forward to meet them. They were all burly men, and they were armed with blunt weapons such as spiked clubs and heavy hammers.
While blunt force heavy weapons may not seem as lethal as swords and spears, they have a significant advantage in one-on-one combat, especially against heavily armored cavalry.
Even if a single blow fails to shatter the armor, it can still destroy the opponent's internal organs.
They went to great lengths for their southward expansion plan, collecting all kinds of metal-forged weapons and armor. Among them, these heavy weapons were the most brilliant achievement and the trump card against the Central Plains army.
Unlike the creative people of the Central Plains, the grassland people, despite having abundant resources and minerals, are not skilled at creation. Therefore, weapons and armor are scarce items, and it is already quite difficult to put together such a set of equipment.
The people of the Central Plains far surpassed them in terms of weaponry and equipment, especially their armor, which was incredibly thick and difficult to penetrate with a single scimitar. That's why they prepared this heavily armed army.
At the same time, this group of Longxiang Strongmen also cultivated the Esoteric Sect Dharma Protector Skill, Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art. Although they only had two or three levels of cultivation, it was enough to rival the strength of a Second-rate martial artist.
In particular, his strength is enough to rival that of First-Rate martial artist. Coupled with the heavy weapon in his hand, he is like a tiger with wings, and his destructive power is astonishing.
This is their secret trump card, and now it's time to unleash this trump card army.
The leader of this last legion of Longxiang Strongmen, Sieg, initially looked down on the Central Plains army ahead, just like any other general. However, he was completely dumbfounded when the two sides drew closer.
Hey, hey, hey, that's foul!
He could understand the crimson full-body armor; after all, the people of the Central Plains were best at creating resources and had always been superior to the grassland people in terms of military equipment.
But those warhorses beneath the enemy... let's just call them warhorses for now!
But the problem is, how could there be such huge warhorses in the world, and so many of them? They must have been at least ten feet tall at the shoulder, while the warhorses they rode, though magnificent, were only about six feet tall at the shoulder.
He was a full half-body height taller than them; how could he possibly fight?
Unlike Human Clan, animals, after Awakening their Bloodline Power, not only experience a rapid increase in physical strength but also a dramatic increase in size, which explains the exaggerated size of Zhu Yijun and his companions' warhorses.
Their weapons were also incredibly extravagant, all three-zhang-long spears with shafts made of Red Copper and blades forged from Third-Tier Profound Steel, making them virtually indestructible.
There was no other way, after all, the limited supply of Profound Iron severely restricted the production of Third-Tier Profound Steel, so in the end, the only option was to forge a weapon in the form of a spear.
All that's needed is to forge that small spearhead from Profound Steel; its lethality is just as considerable.
And so, leading his 100,000 Copper Armor Army, Zhu Yijun forcefully crushed the alien army of Longxiang Strongmen that had come out to meet him.
That's right, it's a complete crushing defeat!
Before they even clashed, the sheer pressure emanating from the numerous steeds beneath them caused the opposing Longxiang Strongmen ' warhorses to collapse and scatter wildly, utterly unable to confront Zhu Yijun and his group.
No matter how the Longxiang Strongmen tried to control it, they couldn't subdue the raging warhorse.
In this way, Zhu Yijun and the others broke through the obstruction of the Vanguard of the alien army, the Longxiang Strongmen, without even lifting a finger, and directly attacked the central army behind them.
"It's over!"
The alien commander, who had initially been full of disdain, turned deathly pale as he watched the rapidly approaching Copper Armor Army.
He realized he had made a mistake and underestimated the Copper Armor Army; the distance was simply not enough for him to organize an effective defense.
Most importantly, the latter half of the Longxiang Strongmen, propelled by their panicked warhorses, swept towards him. Even the Copper Armor Army from the Central Plains didn't need to intervene; these Longxiang Strongmen alone were enough to overwhelm their central army.
As expected, Zhu Yijun led the Copper Armor Army, driving the collapsed Longxiang Strongmen towards the alien army. With the help of the enemy's Vanguard cavalry, they broke through the enemy's formation, preventing them from organizing an effective defense in a short period of time.
What followed was a one-sided battle.
Although it was Zhu Yijun's first time on the battlefield, when he was designated as a core member and trained, Comrade Old Zhu personally took charge of his rigorous training.
It's not just about cultivating enlightenment and spiritual practice, but also about enhancing military skills.
Comrade Old Zhu was, after all, a military emperor who rose from the ashes, and his military talent was equally impressive. He had no trouble teaching the young Zhu Yijun at all.
Zhu Yijun also has a good talent in this area. Although he may not be at the level of a true genius who can apply what he has learned to other situations, he is still quite good.
His cultivated formidable military skills enabled him to make the most appropriate decisions on the battlefield, allowing him to fully leverage the advantages of the Invincible Copper Armor Army.
Wang Hao did not pay much attention to the frontier battlefields. After learning that Zhu Yijun had crushed the alien army in the first battlefield, he turned his attention to the domestic situation.
It is indeed troublesome that the alien army uses those Undying Sacred Pill to enhance its strength, but as long as it cannot conquer the entire Central Plains in a short time, it is not a major concern.
If it's a protracted war, the Huaxia aren't afraid at all; they can overwhelm you with supplies.
This is no joke. Wang Hao's reform plan is not just about improving individual military strength. It also makes significant progress in science and technology. For example, he led the development of the production process for exploding shells six months ago.
Modern artillery shells are filled with a large amount of explosives, so when they are fired, they can cause a large area to be destroyed.
He equipped the frontier with a considerable number of artillery pieces, and it was precisely because of these artillery pieces that he was able to withstand the fierce attacks of the foreign army and prevent them from advancing into the heart of the Central Plains.
As long as the enemy's offensive is slowed down, the subsequent battle will simply be a matter of Zhu Yijun's Copper Armor Army mowing down grass.
Wang Hao is now busy mobilizing personnel to head to the frontier, preparing to take over large tracts of land on the grasslands.
He had long coveted the grasslands for a long time; they were the most suitable region for animal husbandry, and animal husbandry was related to the meat resources for the people's martial arts training, so it could not be taken lightly.
Originally, he planned to leave a plan after completing the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, allowing the Old Zhu Household family to gradually come and devise it.
But who would have thought that the nomadic tribes of the grasslands would be so insane? Anyone taller than a cartwheel was mobilized to form a massive army, and given those Undying Sacred Pill.
Once this is over, the grasslands will surely become a desolate wasteland, sparsely populated and devoid of resistance. If not now, when?
Even Wang Hao was preparing for the remnants of the fallen dynasty, relocating a large number of people there.
Fortunately, this period coincided with the peak of the Great Ming Dynasty's population, which numbered over 100 million, reaching the limit of the Central Plains Plains' ability to support its population.
Not to mention his Martial Arts Under Heaven Plan, which greatly increased the people's consumption of food, and they had long shown signs of being unable to bear the burden.
Now is a good time to relocate some people to the grasslands to relieve the pressure.
Wang Hao's interest wasn't limited to the grasslands; he also set his sights on places like the Western Regions and Tianzhu.
These are all rare and wonderful places, with fertile land and abundant resources. It would be a huge loss not to seize them.
Of course, as an outsider, he only provided guidelines; the specific implementation plan was left to his court officials, who were the professionals.
After settling these matters, Wang Hao then focused his attention on his own cultivation.
Compared to that, his most pressing matter right now is the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai three months later. Therefore, he must raise his basic attribute of Yin Soul Soul Power to the Third Tier limit so that he can be truly perfect and capable of dealing with any possible accidents.