Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

The moment the command was issued, the world seemed to be muted.

The wind stopped howling, the crows froze in mid-air, and even the mist swirling below the cliff seemed to solidify. The approaching barbarian cavalry remained mounted, their faces contorted in a grimace, their raised scimitars like insects frozen in amber, exhibiting an eerie stillness.

No, it is not completely still.

Chen Xing could sense an immense, indescribable energy gathering, twisting, and weaving above the open space he was pointing to. It was neither light nor heat, but a kind of spatial "folding," a "creation" that defied existing physical rules.

The effect of time freezing lasted for less than the interval of one heartbeat.

next moment--

"boom!!"

It wasn't a deafening explosion, but a deep, resonant rumble, like the beating of the earth's heart. The space in that open area rippled violently like water, and then, tall figures clad in heavy black armor and wielding long halberds and massive shields seemed to emerge from nothingness, rapidly solidifying from illusion!

A full one hundred people!

They appeared silently, yet carried an overwhelming, oppressive weight. Their bodies were clad in thick, dark iron armor, the plates gleaming coldly in the dim light. Helmets obscured most of their faces, revealing only pairs of cold, sharp, emotionless eyes, like icy pools. The halberds they carried were over ten feet long, their blades narrow and sharp, gleaming with a bloodthirsty light; their other hands held massive, square shields, almost half a person's height, edged with bronze, their surfaces seemingly engraved with some ancient, unverifiable patterns.

These hundred people, simply standing there, were like an iron wall that had suddenly risen from the ground! A fierce and murderous aura, having survived countless battles and endured mountains of corpses and seas of blood, spread out from them like a tangible shockwave!

"Hissing sound—!"

The Hu people's warhorses were the first to sense this terrifying atmosphere. They neighed in terror, reared up, and retreated uncontrollably, no matter how their masters scolded and whipped them. Some horses even collapsed to the ground, defecating and urinating indiscriminately.

The ferocity and anger on the faces of the Hu cavalrymen were instantly replaced by boundless horror and disbelief. Their eyes widened and their mouths gaped open, as if they had seen a ghost, staring at this heavily armored infantry that had appeared out of nowhere and was armed to the teeth.

"You... youkai!"

"Heavenly soldiers and generals?!"

"Where did they come from?!"

Exclamations and screams of terror rose and fell. The once tight encirclement instantly descended into chaos due to the frightened warhorses and the panicked soldiers.

The scarred leader was the only one who could barely maintain a semblance of composure, but even his hand gripping the scimitar trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with astonishment and deep apprehension. He stared intently at the silent, steel-clad army, then glanced at Chen Xing, who stood calmly on the edge of the cliff. A terrifying thought arose in his mind: Could this seemingly ordinary Han youth be some kind of sorcerer skilled in magic? Or… a secret agent cultivated by some powerful force they couldn't afford to offend?

Chen Xing ignored the shock and chaos of the Hu people. His gaze fell on the foremost soldier at the forefront of this army that had appeared out of nowhere—a particularly burly figure with the most imposing presence. The soldier stepped forward, facing Chen Xing, and slammed his right fist heavily against his left breastplate, producing a dull thud. Immediately afterward, the hundred heavily armored warriors behind him moved in perfect unison, simultaneously striking their armor!

"Thump!!"

A deep, penetrating roar, like the beating of war drums, resounded and shook the soul!

Then, a hundred voices converged into a torrent, piercing the sky, carrying unparalleled fervor and loyalty, resounding above this mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood:

"Wei Wu soldiers pay their respects to their lord!"

"I swear to be loyal to the death! I will have no regrets even if I die a hundred times!"

The roar was so powerful that it even shook the mist at the edge of the cliff, causing it to churn violently.

"My lord"...

The unfamiliar form of address sent a slight shiver down Chen Xing's spine. But he quickly suppressed the unease. Now was not the time for sentimentality.

He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound calm and authoritative, though his heart was pounding at the sight. He raised his hand, pointing to the chaotic Hu cavalry, his voice cold and devoid of emotion:

"All soldiers, listen to my command!"

"Those barbarian barbarians ahead, they regard our people as mere two-legged sheep, they are cruel and heartless, leave not a single one alive!"

"kill--!"

The word "kill" was like the final fuse that ignited a powder keg.

"promise!!"

Led by the burly armored warrior, a hundred Wei soldiers responded in unison, their voices short and powerful. Without unnecessary shouts or chaotic charges, the entire formation sprang into action like a precisely tuned killing machine!

"Form ranks! Arrowhead!" the burly armored warrior roared.

The once orderly square formation rapidly shifted. The front-row shield bearers slammed their heavy shields into the ground with a deafening roar, instantly forming a solid shield wall. Meanwhile, the rear-row halberdiers thrust their halberds, each over ten feet long, through the gaps in the front-row shields, like steel hedgehogs suddenly unfurling their sharp spines!

The entire army formation resembled a giant arrowhead, with burly armored warriors at its tip, launching a silent and efficient charge towards the chaotic Hu cavalry with an unstoppable and fierce momentum!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The synchronized marching of the heavily armored infantry was like a giant hammer striking the earth, and also striking the hearts of every Hu person. The sound was not fast, but it carried a despairing heaviness and oppressive feeling.

"Fire! Fire now!" the scarred leader roared hoarsely, trying to turn the tide.

A few scattered bone arrows strayed erratically towards the Wei infantry's formation, but most of the Hu cavalry were still struggling to control their frightened horses and were unable to form an effective rain of arrows.

"Do! Do! Do!"

The sparse arrows struck the heavy shields and armor with dull thuds, most of them easily deflected, and a few managed to get stuck in the gaps between the armor plates, but they couldn't penetrate at all and cause no real damage to the warriors inside.

"This...how is this possible?!" Despair filled the eyes of the Hu people. Their arrows couldn't even penetrate the enemy's defenses?!

In the blink of an eye, the Wei infantry's arrowhead formation had slicing through the chaotic Hu people's ranks like a hot knife through butter!

"Pfft!" "Snap!" "Ah—!"

It was no battle, it wasn't a battle at all, but a one-sided, highly efficient massacre!

The halberds were like venomous dragons emerging from their lair, precise and ruthless. They would pierce a horse's belly, toppling the rider and horse together; or use their length advantage to pierce the chest and neck of a rider beyond the reach of the Hu people's curved swords; or sweep across the ground with a mighty blow, smashing the horse's legs, causing the rider to fall with a scream, only to be ruthlessly trampled to death by the Wei soldiers following behind.

The giant shield was not only a defensive tool; at close range, the edge of the shield was like a guillotine, slamming into the bodies of barbarians or horses, instantly breaking bones and tendons!

The Hu cavalry's prized horsemanship and scimitars appeared utterly laughable and powerless before this silent, cold, and perfectly coordinated heavy infantry. Their scimitars, striking the black armor, could only send up a trail of sparks and leave shallow white marks, while every swing of the Wei infantry's halberds inevitably brought forth a spray of blood and a piercing scream.

The battlefield instantly transformed into an even bloodier slaughterhouse. Limbs and severed bodies flew everywhere, mingling with the screams and cries of the Hu people. The already dark red ground was now stained even more crimson with fresh blood.

Chen Xing stood on the edge of the cliff, silently watching this scene. The strong stench of blood wafted over him again, even fresher and thicker than before. His stomach still felt a little uncomfortable, but he forcibly suppressed it.

Is this what chaos looks like? There's no logic, no law, only the naked law of the jungle. If you don't kill them, they'll slaughter you like a lamb. Mercy to your enemies is cruelty to yourself.

This realization, like a cold carving knife, left a deep imprint on his heart.

His gaze involuntarily fell once more on the burly, armored warrior charging at the forefront, a figure like a war god. That man was clearly the core of this Wei elite infantry, possessing the highest martial skill; with each swing of his halberd, at least one Hu soldier fell dead, his bravery unstoppable.

Seemingly sensing Chen Xing's gaze, the burly armored warrior, after deflecting a dying slash from a Hu cavalryman with his halberd, abruptly turned, his gaze piercing through the chaotic battlefield and landing precisely on Chen Xing. Even through the helmet, Chen Xing could almost feel the questioning in that gaze and… a hint of barely perceptible concern?

He was confirming his lord's safety.

Chen Xing's heart stirred slightly, and he nodded gently to him.

Just then, seeing that all was lost, the scarred leader's eyes flashed with extreme fear and madness. Knowing he had no chance of survival, he abruptly turned his horse around and charged towards Chen Xing, who stood alone on the edge of the cliff, disregarding everything! His face was contorted with a ferocious suicidal intent, and he raised his curved sword high!

"Han dogs! Let's all die!"

He wants to take someone down with him when he dies!

"My lord, be careful!" The burly armored soldier shouted, trying to rush back to help, but he was too far away and there was a chaotic crowd in between, so he couldn't catch up in time!

The curved blade, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, slashed down fiercely towards Chen Xing's head!

However, Chen Xing simply stood there quietly, his eyes coldly watching the scarred leader rushing towards him, observing the twisted madness on his face.

With the blessing of his "Ancient Martial Arts Body," his opponent's movements seemed to be slowed down several times over. He could clearly see the trajectory of the curved blade's downward slash, the twitching of every muscle on Scarface's face, and the rhythmic pulsation of the horse's muscles as it galloped.

Just as the scimitar was about to strike—

Chen Xing made his move!

He didn't retreat, nor did he parry; instead, he took a small step forward to meet the blade! At the same time, he slightly tilted his body to the side at an incredible angle!

"Whoosh!"

The sharp scimitar grazed the tip of his nose, severing a few strands of his hair, but it didn't even touch his skin!

Scarface's determined attack missed its mark. He had exerted too much force and lost his balance on horseback, leaving a huge opening. The madness on his face was instantly replaced by astonishment and disbelief.

How is that possible?! How could he possibly have dodged it?!

Chen Xing's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. As he dodged the slash, his right hand shot out like lightning, precisely grabbing the wrist of the scarred leader holding the knife and squeezing it hard!

"Ugh!" The scarred leader felt a sharp pain and numbness in his wrist, and his five fingers involuntarily loosened, causing his curved knife to fall to the ground with a "clang".

Immediately afterwards, Chen Xing clenched his left fist, exerted force from his waist, and concentrated the explosive power brought by the initial enhancement of his ancient martial arts body into a single point. A straightforward punch without any fancy moves slammed into the scarred leader's exposed waist, which was not protected by armor!

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

"Pfft—!" The scarred leader's eyes bulged out, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with pieces of internal organs. Like a kite with a broken string, he flew off his horse and crashed heavily into a pool of blood several meters away. He twitched a couple of times and then fell silent.

Only then did the burly armored warrior break through the barrier and reach Chen Xing's side. He looked at the dead Hu chieftain lying on the ground, then at Chen Xing, who stood with his fists clenched and breathing steadily. A hint of undisguised surprise flashed in his eyes beneath his helmet, which quickly turned into even more fervent loyalty.

He knelt on one knee, his voice booming, "Your subordinate is late in rescuing you, please forgive me, my lord!"

Chen Xing slowly withdrew his fist, feeling the shockwave from his fist—the sensation of shattering bones and internal organs—and a mix of emotions welled up inside him. This was the first time he had killed someone with his own hands. It wasn't as difficult as he had imagined, nor as exciting as he had expected; there was only a cold, icy sense of relief, as if some kind of shackle had been broken, and a faint, indifferent feeling towards the passing of life.

He glanced at the burly, armored soldiers kneeling on the ground, then at the nearly concluded massacre on the battlefield. A hundred Wei soldiers against a dozen or so Hu cavalrymen—the outcome was a foregone conclusion. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the once arrogant and domineering Hu pursuers were all reduced to corpses on the ground, not a single one alive.

"You are innocent, get up." Chen Xing's voice was a little hoarse, but he remained calm. "Tell me your name."

The burly, armored soldier stood up and respectfully replied, "Reporting to my lord, I am Chen Wei, the commander of your personal guard!"

Chen Wei... is he an absolute assassin bestowed upon him by the system?

Chen Xing nodded, his gaze sweeping over the even bloodier battlefield before finally settling on the leaden, unknown horizon in the distance.

The awakening of the system, the arrival of the personal guards, the completion of the first kill... all of this signifies that his fate in this chaotic world has been completely rewritten.

A hellish start, but... there seems to be a glimmer of hope.