Chapter 9

In the moment when Wang Zhe's hand patted on Cheng's temple, Cheng's mind was suddenly overwhelmed by a deafening sound, as if ten million brilliantly shining gilded copper bells were ringing at the same time. It was as if a range of mountains spanning thousands of miles had been shattered by the sun, and an endless tide instantly surged forth, only to be dried up by the sunbeams that spurted out at the same moment.

The scorching warm current swirled repeatedly inside his body, spreading through every part of his body. Cheng felt as if he were immersed in a large tub of hot water, warm and comfortable, to the point that even the intense pain in his legs had improved greatly, and he could hardly feel it.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he woke up, opened his eyes, and found that his body was covered in sweat. The originally dark sky had already broken into a faint light, and he must have lost consciousness for several hours.

Wang Zhe was sitting upright not far in front of him. His face, which was as resolute as steel and dignified, was now showing signs of fatigue and exhaustion. However, when he saw Cheng open his eyes, Wang Zhe smiled.

"Good, your speed of awakening is faster than I estimated. Well, take a deep breath and see how you feel."

Cheng was taken aback and took a deep breath. He felt a warm current emerge from his lower abdomen, and when he focused his attention on it, the warm current began to spin like a funnel, absorbing the scattered heat inside his body.

With this sudden change in his body, Cheng felt amused. However, when he saw Wang Zhe's tired face and thought about some common sense, he couldn't help but be surprised.

"General Wang, did you... transfer your power to me?"

For a martial arts master like Wang Zhe, whose internal energy was profound, even if he fought with someone for hundreds of rounds, he wouldn't be panting or blushing. However, he now looked exhausted, and the most reasonable explanation was that he had spent his true energy to heal someone. When Cheng looked at the abnormality in his own dantian, he made this judgment.

"I didn't transfer my power to you. I just laid the foundation for your practice. I didn't give you my power, nor did I bestow any great favor upon you. An hour ago, you were still a blank sheet of paper, but now you have surpassed the initial stage of foundation building and can practice true qi in your dantian."

Wang Zhe smiled slightly and spoke casually, but Cheng knew things were not that simple. The big battle was imminent, and danger was looming. Yet, Wang Zhe risked a great deal of his true essence to establish his foundation and heal himself. This gesture alone was a great favor, and Cheng earnestly bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Commander Wang."

Wang Zhe's face darkened slightly, but his back remained straight as a spear. He said lightly, "I helped you establish your foundation to compensate for Yue's injuring you. You don't have to thank me. Now, I will teach you a mantra and entrust you with three things. Will you agree?"

One mantra for three things, and Cheng had no idea what they were. He felt a bit skeptical, but even if he didn't trust himself, he believed in Wang Zhe. As the head of the sect and a high-ranking military officer, Wang Zhe wouldn't just speak casually.

"Please tell me, Commander."

Wang Zhe took out a sealed silk pouch and handed it to Cheng, saying, "Please keep this pouch."

His expression was very solemn, but Cheng was confused. "Whom should I give it to?"

Wang Zhe replied calmly, "It's for you."

"Oh?"

Cheng was stunned for a moment, then reached out to open it.

Wang Zhe stopped him. "Not now."

"When then?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

Cheng was confused. "What is this about? Why give me a sealed pouch and not let me open it?"

Wang Zhe looked at him and said slowly, "After you open it, just do what it says."

Cheng hesitated for a moment, then put the pouch in his backpack.

"The second matter. You must practice the mantra that I will transmit to you. Once your cultivation reaches the level of breaking through the Six Yangs, go to the Taquan Ancient Formation in the Canglan region. In the western part of the formation, there is a huge red boulder. You must offer a sacrifice in front of the stone and tell him that Wang Zhe dare not forget what he said in the past. As for the Six Yangs, when Cheng thought of the divine skill that Wang Zhe had imparted to his disciples, he wondered if he had received the Nine Yang Divine Skill. Cheng didn't dare to ask too much and asked, "Do I have to reach the Six Yangs?" Wang Zhe nodded with a serious expression, "Without reaching the level of Six Yangs, you cannot enter the Taquan Ancient Formation. Moreover, this matter must not be known to others. Only you can go to offer the sacrifice in person. Remember this." Although Cheng had some knowledge of sports, he had no idea how long it would take to reach the Six Yangs in martial arts. But seeing how seriously Wang Zhe spoke, Cheng nodded in agreement. After mentioning the two matters, Wang Zhe fell silent. Cheng didn't dare to disturb his thoughts and waited quietly. After a long time, Wang Zhe said, "Yue is the daughter of general Yue Fei, and you probably already know this." Cheng nodded again. The confidentiality measures in the Left Army were really bad. In a group of men, there was a pretty girl like Yue, who was very active. Even if he didn't pay attention to her, it would be difficult not to notice her unusual identity. "general Yue Fei was feared by the court. Even after he passed away, his relatives were still persecuted by the court's treacherous officials. Assassins were sent to exterminate the Yue family, and I failed to fulfill general Yue Fei's request. I was only able to save Yue, but she was left with the cold poison in her body..." Wang Zhe sighed and said, "Therefore... the third matter is for you to protect the descendants of general Yue Fei." This matter almost made Cheng laugh out loud. Protect Yue? Doesn't she have twenty-seven or twenty-eight times more skill than him? Isn't asking him to protect her like letting a squirrel guard a tiger? Looking at Wang Zhe's slightly desolate eyes, Cheng's heart moved. He didn't know much about this world, but Wang Zhe must be a well-known figure. Even he was so respectful of Yue Pengju. Could this Martial King be more powerful than Yue Fei in history?"

Cheng expressed his doubts, and Wang Zhe replied: "general Yue Fei lived a life of pleasure and enmity, undefeated in his dominance. There were those who hated him, those who envied him, and countless more who feared him. I am confident in myself, but I am in awe of general Yue Fei's wisdom and foresight. Especially the invincible army under his command, which is the strongest army I have ever seen in my life."

Cheng was a little incredulous, "Are they stronger than General Wans army?"

Wang Zhe smiled, "Have you heard the slogan of general Yue Fei's army? I fought alongside the Wu Mu King's army before, and every time we went into battle, they would shout, 'The sun rises in the east, and only we are undefeated!'"

This impassioned statement made Cheng feel like he had been struck by lightning. He opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. Who came up with this slogan? Was it Yue Pengju? This world is even crazier than he imagined!

This unflappable General Wang, for the first time, revealed a look of excitement. He stroked the leather armor on his wrist and sighed softly, "The sun rises in the east, and only we are undefeated! Only the Wu Mu King has such momentum! In the past, the Yue army swept across the world, not only were their men strong and their horses robust, but also a variety of strange weapons and equipment emerged endlessly. general Yue Fei was clever and resourceful, and he could break enemies with ease. Who in the world could stop him? Oh? Why do you look so strange?"

At this moment, Cheng's facial expression could only be described as colorful. He really wanted to ask whether the Yue army, who shouted this impressive slogan, knew the origin of this phrase.

Wang Zhe, a perceptive person, could see the difference in Cheng's expression at a glance. He calmed down and said lightly, "Can you promise me these three things?"

Cheng thought for a moment. Although the first two things were inexplicable, they were not difficult. As for the third thing, whether he promised or not, it seemed to make no difference. Perhaps for Yue, the best way to protect her was to stab himself with a knife first.

"I promise," he said.

Wang Zhe breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, I'll teach you the incantation now. Remember these words: The Way of Jiuyang is for the divine, the Qi, and the essence. One begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things. Therefore, dissolve the divine into Qi, dissolve Qi into essence, dissolve essence into form, and thus form a person. All things contain three, three return to two, and two return to one. Those who know this Way will be joyful, guard their forms, cultivate their essence, refine their Qi, combine their Qi with their divine, refine their divine to emptiness, and thus acquire divine abilities. It begins with the first Yang..."

"Stop!"

Cheng quickly found a pen and said, "Wait, let me write it down." Wang Zhe smiled bitterly and said, "This chant cannot be written down. I can say it three times at most. You can remember as much as you can." This is not a song lyric, so how can it be easy to remember? Moreover, the chant is all in classical Chinese, and even though Cheng heard it, he didn't understand it, so how could he remember it? But Cheng had a way, he picked up a stick and said, "You speak, I'll remember it." "The way of the Nine Yangs, for gods, for qi, for essence..." As Wang Zhe spoke, Cheng drew a series of curved symbols on the sandy ground. Wang Zhe couldn't help but stop and ask, "What is this?" Cheng confidently said, "These are the characters I created. Let me read it to you: the way of the Nine Yangs..." Cheng pointed to the sky-like symbols and repeated the chant Wang Zhe had just spoken, without a single mistake. Looking at Wang Zhe's surprised expression, Cheng proudly shook the stick. There might be people in this world who understand English, but there is absolutely no one who has learned pinyin. Wang Zhe smiled and said, "That's your writing, right?" Exposed, Cheng scratched his head and chuckled. "Never mind. Write it down." Wang Zhe told Cheng the entire chant, then said, "Tomorrow, our army will have a decisive battle with the beast barbarians. You are still injured. If you have to leave, it's best to wait until after the battle." Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. Although he couldn't understand the chant very well, it was not too long, and he should be able to memorize it. He suddenly remembered something and asked, "General, after you finish the battle, are you going to disband the army?" Wang Zhe shook his head, "The military order is to eradicate the beast barbarians' lair. After the battle, we may have to stay a few more days."

One military operation takes four months, plus the time to return home which is at least five months. The Left Wu Army is really capable of fighting.

Speaking of military operations, Wang Zhe looked somewhat gloomy. Cheng was surprised and asked, "Does the commander-in-chief not have confidence in tomorrow's big battle?"

Wang Zhe pondered for a while and slowly said, "You are not a soldier in my army, so I can be frank with you. I have a bad feeling about tomorrow's battle..."

Cheng became even more curious, "Are the beastmen still very powerful?"

"According to both the military intelligence and our army's combat statistics, the total number of remaining beastman warriors is only two thousand. Any of the three battalions in the Left Wu Army's first legion, Tianwu, Tiance, and Tianji, can completely wipe out the enemy."

"Then why is the commander-in-chief still worried? Is it because of the lack of food and supplies?"

Wang Zhe rubbed his forehead and said, "To be honest with you, there are people in the military who are working against us and hope that we will suffer a big defeat. I know about this. To prevent anyone from sabotaging us, we raised our own funds for this expedition and provided our own food and supplies. Although it was a bit difficult, we can still hold on."

A flash of insight suddenly came to Cheng's mind, "Could someone be colluding with foreign enemies?"

For example, in the Battle of Yipianshi, Li Zicheng, who was expected to win, was defeated by Wu Sangui, but did not expect the Manchu army to suddenly appear.

Wang Zhe understood immediately, "Borrowing troops? The only neighboring major country is Persia. Before our army set out, we had received information that all the troops in Persia had been called to fight against foreign enemies in the west. The only major army within a thousand miles is our Left Wu Army's first legion."

Wang Zhe had already thought it all through, and Cheng couldn't think of anything that could threaten this army.

Wang Zhe's eyes became firm, "Since its formation, the Left Wu Army's first legion has been the strongest army of the Six Dynasties and has never been defeated. Whether it is good or bad, we will know after tomorrow's battle!"

Soon, the answer was revealed in an unexpected way... Thin strands of mist wrapped around every blade of grass, connecting together to shroud the grasslands in a thick white fog at dawn. The dull sound of drums echoed through the mist, and faintly visible were the tightly formed battalions of the Tianwu army and their forest of spears. Before dawn, the soldiers of the Tianwu army had already entered the battlefield, lined up in formation on the open ground, ready for their final battle. Also heard were the howls of the beastly warriors opposite. They had been chased by the Left Wu First Army all the way across this vast grassland and had nowhere left to retreat. This battle today would also determine their fate. The sun slowly climbed up over the horizon, and the dense white fog slowly dissipated in the sunlight. Cheng stayed close to Wang Zhe, not daring to leave his side. He didn't admire this general, but he was afraid of Yue finding an opportunity to kill him. Wang Zhe's main camp was set up on a hill, with a view of the entire battlefield. He wore a purple-gold general's hat on his head, a black cloak on his shoulders, and his metallic armor gleamed brilliantly in the rising sun. Wen Ze still dressed as a scholar, with a long, slender hat on his head. The four Taoist masters of the Taiyi True Sect, Lin Caiquan, Shang Lexuan, Su Weiyang, and Zhuo Yunjun, also appeared and gathered on Wang Zhe's right side. Among the personal guards next to Wang Zhe, Cheng saw a familiar face. Yue looked calmly into the distance, but his fingers gripping the hilt of his sword were so tight that Cheng shivered. As the dense fog gradually dissipated, the beastly warriors opposite became clear. They didn't choose to confront the Tianwu army head-on but occupied a hill on the right side of the battlefield. As the fog dissipated, those beastly warriors, who had been roaring fiercely, strangely fell silent. If it were me, I'd be quiet now too. Cheng secretly thought. On the battlefield, the Tianwu army lined up six square formations, with more than three thousand soldiers in formation, their imposing momentum overwhelming the entire battlefield. The sunlight gradually became brighter, and the boundless green grass shed its dampness, revealing lush green leaves. On the battlefield, the Tianwu army's black battle formation stood firm like a rock, coldly gazing at the distant beastly warriors. Everyone was silent, as if waiting for something. When the last wisp of fog dissipated, a hint of gold suddenly appeared on the distant green hill, then rose higher and higher. It was a golden staff, with an eagle spreading its wings at the top, emitting a dazzling light in the sunlight. Cheng stared, watching the staff rise straight up, and exclaimed, "The Eagle Standard!"

Wang Zhe's expression remained calm as water as he asked, "Who are they?"

Cheng's blood boiled throughout his body, and his voice became hoarse with excitement. "Rome! The Roman legions!"

The eagle standard, the symbol and glory of the Roman legions. Because of Rome's glory, countless countries chose the eagle as their national emblem, attempting time and time again to let the wings of the eagle cover the entire world.

Previously, Wen Ze only mentioned the Persian Empire in the West. Cheng didn't know that the Roman Empire also existed in this world, let alone whether its power was big or small compared to what he knew in history. But if the eagle standard suddenly appeared in the enemy's position of the beast barbarians, this showed that things were not simple. ... Wang Zhe's ominous premonition had come true!

With the sound of shields colliding, one eagle standard after another appeared in sight.

Third Legion: Augustine. Fifth Legion: Skylark. Sixth Legion: Steel Wall. Tenth Legion: Knight. Twelfth Legion: Thunderbolt Thrower... The Roman legions in battle formation crossed the hills and surged towards the battlefield. They were typical European races with rough and curly yellow hair, straight nose bridges, and blue eyes, some of which had the characteristics of the Gaul race. They wore brass helmets with a bunch of red-dyed horse tails on top, bronze armor on their cheeks, square brass breastplates on their chests, and shin guards tied to their left legs, with red war robes draped over their backs.

Roman soldiers were all equipped with a one-meter-two-high oval shield, which was made of three layers of birch wood and weighed about ten kilograms. It was pierced with an iron dragon bone in the middle, wrapped with iron edges, covered with a layer of sheepskin on the surface, and painted with the legion's emblem. Unlike the left military's shield-holding method, they held the shield with their left hand, with their arm straight, gripping the handle tightly, and the shield's upper edge on their left shoulder, slanted in front of their body.

All five legions were full, with over 6,000 soldiers in each legion. The youth team was at the forefront of each legion, consisting of twenty hundred-man teams. Each hundred-man team formed a small square formation of ten people horizontally and eight columns deep, with two hundred-man teams forming a squad. They held shields in their left hands and carried two standard spears with them.

After the youth team comes the adult team, composed of twenty hundred-person teams. They form the same queue, each equipped with a 70 cm Roman short sword except for the shield. Further back is the true main force of the Roman legion, consisting of experienced veterans who have participated in many battles. They are fewer in number, with only forty warriors in each hundred-person team, but they have an unparalleled impact on war.

Countless dense small squares form a long array and rush towards the battlefield. The beastly barbarians that appeared at first became their wings. Gegeer, the tall beastly chieftain, gripped a bronze battle axe tightly, with a bloodthirsty ferocity on his face.

Cheng finally understood where Wang Zhe's ominous premonition came from. Wang Zhe's intelligence was not wrong. The Persian Empire did indeed mobilize its entire army and sent it westward. This was because they faced a stronger opponent: the Roman legion! Wang Zhe's only mistake was not expecting that the powerful enemy would solve the Persian army so quickly and move on to the grasslands without delay.

Cheng also understood where the western threat mentioned by Wen Ze and Yue Pengju came from. Rome, the great western power on par with the Han dynasty. The Qin army that swept away the six kingdoms and the Roman legion spanning Europe and Asia were unexpectedly confronting each other in this time and space. It was exhilarating to even think about it... If he could watch the battle from a farther place, it would be even more exciting.

The soldiers of the Tianwu camp in formation remained as silent as rocks, without any reaction to the appearance of this army that crossed the entire continent and time. A chariot drove out quickly from between two infantry formations, driven by a charioteer wearing a board-shaped long crown and exquisite armor with fine bronze pieces extending from the shoulders to the back of the hand. He knelt in the center of the black chariot, holding four reins in his hand.

Behind him stood the cold-faced Han Geng, with a crimson long spear beside him. Two burly men stood on his left and right, with long swords at their waists. One held a crossbow and the other held a long spear over three meters long, with small branches on the spear sharpened exceptionally sharp.

As the charioteer pulled the reins, the four war horses lifted their front hooves simultaneously, and their hind hooves were firmly nailed to the ground like nails, stopping in the middle of the battlefield.

Han Geng shouted, "Han Geng, the commander of the Tianwu camp, the first legion of the Left Military!"

The deep voice sounded like rolling thunder, spreading throughout the entire battlefield. The Roman soldiers simultaneously stopped their footsteps, and then a white and tall warhorse dashed out from the Roman legion. The mounted leader was a proud middle-aged man who used a Gallic-style four-cornered saddle, with four high and upturned horns firmly holding his waist and hips. He wore a golden and dense chainmail, carried a short sword at his waist, his curly golden hair draped all the way to his shoulders, and his blue eyes sparkled with confidence.

The horse stopped 100 meters in front of the chariot, and the Roman leader sitting on the saddle said, "The commander-in-chief of the Roman Allied Forces, Agamemnon!"

Cheng almost dropped his chin to the ground. Was this another version of the Trojan War? Have the Greek heroes joined the Roman legion?

Han Geng's cold gaze swept across the battlefield and he said in a deep voice, "Rome has no communication or enmity with the Celestial Empire. How dare you join forces with the barbarians to invade our Great Han border?"

Agamemnon wiped his thick beard and said, "This is the land of the barbarians. Two months ago, the barbarian leader pledged allegiance to Caesar's banner in Damascus, and they have been under the protection of the Empire. As the protector of all nations, Rome has a responsibility to defend the interests of its own people."

The Tianwu camp only had more than 3,000 people, but they faced five Roman legions. Facing 30,000 with only 3,000 soldiers, Han Geng showed no fear. He said coldly, "It's ridiculous that the barbarians would kneel to Rome."

Agamemnon smiled arrogantly, "If I am not mistaken, behind the hill, there are two of your armies with no more than 6,000 soldiers. If..." He raised his hand, "You agree to surrender, I will give you the dignity of a soldier!"

Han Geng pulled out the crimson long spear on the chariot and threw it on the ground, saying, "If you want to take the land of Great Han, use your blood to exchange for it!"

With a flick of his reins, the chariot turned and rushed towards the rear of the formation. Even Han Geng, who stood on the chariot, did not look back.

Agamemnon turned his horse's head and faced his own legion, shouting loudly, "Brave warriors of the Empire! After pacifying the rebellion in Armenia, you did not stop, but came from Damascus to the East! Today, we have finally penetrated into the interior of Asia, standing on the easternmost land of the Empire!"

For the First Army of the Left Military District, this was a completely unfamiliar army. Neither the teachings of the Taiyi True Sect nor the experienced Wang Zhe had ever heard of this army. Only Cheng could call out their origin with one breath.

Wen Ze asked in a low voice, "What is he doing?"

"He's giving a speech before the battle."

Cheng said, "Before each battle, the commander of the Roman legion would give a speech to encourage the soldiers to fight bravely."

Wen Zedao asked, "Are they very strong?"

Cheng nodded and said, "Very strong."

In his knowledge of history, they had swept through Gaul, Carthage, and the whole of North Africa, defeated the Persian Empire, and even advanced into India. Now they had appeared on the border of the Han Empire. This Roman legion was truly powerful.

Agnamennon's voice grew more and more intense, "Brave Roman warriors! Before you are the enemies of the Empire! They are foolish, cunning, barbaric, and greedy! I, Agnamennon, from Mycenae, will make a promise based on the authority given to me by the Senate. Every soldier will receive the spoils he deserves! Their wealth will be divided equally among all soldiers who participate in the battle! Their nobles will become your slaves! Their land will become your hereditary estates! Greatness belongs to Rome! Glory belongs to Caesar! Warriors! Defeat these barbarians for the glory of the Empire!"

Agnamennon fighting for Caesar? It was more like Hitler. But when Cheng thought of King Wu of Zhou, who rose in the east like the sun and was invincible, he felt relieved. This world was even more absurd than he had imagined.

The warriors shouted out a battle cry as the Roman legion, composed of countless columns, marched forward. The blond warriors showed a determined look in their eyes, and every step they took seemed to shake the earth.

After entering the battlefield, the Roman legion began to change formation. Each squadron staggered to align with the others, forming a battle formation with sixteen columns, leaving a gap in the middle for one squadron. The youth and middle-aged soldiers advanced with their shields, while the old soldiers at the back knelt down with one hand holding their shields on their shoulders and the other holding their spears diagonally forward, serving as the vanguard of the legion.

With only five legions, their strength exceeded 30,000, and their array extended for three miles. The first to enter the battlefield was the Twelfth Legion, the Thunderbolts. Opposite them were two 480-man formations of the Tianwu Camp of the Qin Army.