Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Deep within the Starfire Fortress army formation, beneath the fluttering Starfire battle flag, lies the heart of the entire "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation"—the formation's core.

The terrain here is slightly higher than the surrounding area, offering a relatively open view, yet it is partially obscured by several deliberately erected large shields and a makeshift wooden watchtower. This allows the commander to observe the overall situation while also preventing excessive exposure and making the area a focal point for enemy long-range attacks. On the ground, a large, simplified Bagua (Eight Trigrams) diagram is drawn in white lime, with each of the eight trigrams corresponding to the approximate areas of the eight "gate" teams within the formation. At this moment, the small wooden plaques representing each "gate" are being rapidly moved by several scribes based on the battle reports constantly being transmitted from the front.

Chen Xing stood at the center of the formation, clad only in light leather armor and a dark blue battle robe, without heavy armor. His posture was as upright as a pine tree, his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, while his right hand hovered in front of him, his fingers sometimes slightly open, sometimes lightly clenched, as if manipulating chess pieces on an invisible chessboard. His gaze was not fixed on any particular bloody battle, but rather, with an almost overlooking air, he calmly surveyed the entire battlefield, taking in every subtle shift and ebb and flow of momentum between the enemy and his own forces.

Beside him, Chen Wei stood like the most loyal rock, his hand on his sword. Chen Wei's attention was even more focused—he stared intently at every gesture of Chen Xing, listened to every brief instruction uttered by Chen Xing, and at the same time, his peripheral vision was constantly watching the dozen or so elite guards around the center of the formation who were responsible for signaling, drumming, and relaying orders.

The entire core area was eerily quiet, except for the occasional, deliberately suppressed command and the rustling of the scribe moving wooden plaques. This contrasted sharply with the deafening shouts, clashing weapons, and dying cries from the surrounding area. This quiet was not a sign of laxity, but a chilling stillness born from intense focus.

"Report! The 'Injury Gate' in the east reports: The enemy infantry's left flank attack has intensified, with about three hundred men rushing forward, attempting to break through our flank!" A messenger covered in blood, with a broken arrow still stuck in his shoulder, staggered to the outer edge of the formation and reported hoarsely.

Almost as soon as the messenger finished speaking, another scout, rushing from the west, arrived at the same time: "Report! Urgent report from the western 'Du Men' gate! Shi Biao's Iron Falcons have split off a force of about a hundred riders, attempting to bypass our cavalry archers' interception and launch a surprise attack on the junction of 'Du Men' and 'Jing Men'!"

Two urgent military reports arrived almost simultaneously, and the air at the heart of the formation seemed to freeze for a moment. The scribes' fingers hovered above the wooden plaques, their eyes all fixed on Chen Xing.

Chen Xing's gaze first swept quickly across the wooden plaques representing "Injury Gate" and "Blockage Gate," then fell upon the red marker representing Murong Mingyue's cavalry archery battalion further away, finally settling on the frontal area on the map where the main force of the Black Mountain Army's infantry was continuously being deployed. In his mind, the dynamic battlefield scene composed of countless fragments of information spun, combined, and deduced at lightning speed.

The front, the "pocket" formed by the "Gate of Life" and the "Gate of View," is enduring the most frenzied and chaotic assault from the main force of the Black Mountain Army's infantry. The "millstone" effect of the formation has begun to manifest; the surging Black Mountain soldiers are like sinking into quicksand, constantly being divided and worn down. However, their numbers are simply too great, advancing wave after wave, putting immense pressure on the soldiers defending the front. The line has even shown slight dents in some areas.

On the left flank, the pressure on the "injury point" has increased sharply, indicating that the Montenegrin army is trying to open a breakthrough here to coordinate with the frontal attack and tear open a corner of the "pocket".

The right flank is even more troublesome. Although Shi Biao's cavalry was disrupted by Murong Mingyue and failed to form the most threatening mass charge, their mobility and impact should not be underestimated. If these hundred elite cavalrymen were to actually break through the relatively weak connection point between the "Du Gate" and the "Jing Gate," they could very well disrupt the operation of the entire right flank formation and even threaten the flank and rear of the formation's core!

In the blink of an eye, Chen Xing had already made his decision.

His right index finger suddenly rose, pointing to the wooden plaque representing "Rest Gate," while he clearly and steadily uttered the command:

"The 'Rest Gate' reserve force will be divided in half and deployed to the left flank of the 'Injury Gate' to reinforce the defensive line. They will use crossbows to slow down the enemy and prevent them from getting close to engage in combat."

Upon hearing the order, the flag bearer standing to the side did not hesitate and vigorously waved a blue triangular command flag embroidered with the character "休" (rest) in both hands, tracing a specific trajectory in the air. At the same time, a drummer struck three short and one long drumbeats to indicate that the "reserve force should advance."

The order was instantly transmitted via flags and drums to the "Xiumen" unit, which had been poised to attack from the northeastern position of the formation. The "Xiumen" unit, which had been waiting for some time, saw the flags and heard the drums and immediately selected fifty of their most elite swordsmen and shieldmen and twenty crossbowmen. They broke away from their main formation and swiftly and methodically moved diagonally into the left flank of the battlefield, precisely filling the gap on the left side of the "Shangmen" unit, which was slightly weakened by the enemy's fierce attack. The newly arrived reinforcements and crossbowmen immediately stabilized the formation and suppressed the advancing Black Mountain infantry.

Almost simultaneously with issuing the first command, Chen Xing's index finger moved towards the red marker representing Murong Mingyue's cavalry, while his middle finger tapped the junction of the "Du Gate" and "Jing Gate" on the map:

"Order General Murong not to annihilate the outflanking enemy cavalry, but to divide his forces into one group to intercept their flank and rear, forcing them to return to their aid or causing them to fall into disarray. The 'Jingmen' team should move towards the 'Dumen' team within half an arrow's width, with their shields facing west and their spears ready to defend against a sudden attack by enemy cavalry."

The standard-bearer waved again the red winged flag representing the "cavalry archery battalion" and the black triangular flag representing the "gate of alarm," displaying complex flag signals. The drumbeats also changed, with the addition of rapid gong sounds, a signal to alert the right flank troops to the cavalry threat and to adjust their formation.

The order was given. Murong Mingyue, who was maneuvering around Shi Biao's main cavalry force on the periphery, noticed the change in the central army's flags and immediately understood. Without lingering in battle, she immediately ordered a valiant centurion beside her to lead more than thirty riders to break away from their unit. Like a sharp dagger, they stabbed diagonally towards the flank and rear of the Iron Falcon detachment that was attempting to outflank them, raining down arrows.

At the same time, the "Surprise Gate" team moved at the command, their entire formation moving as one, quickly and orderly converging about thirty paces towards the "Closed Gate." The shield bearers facing west turned in unison, slamming their shields heavily to the ground, while the spearmen peered out from between the shields, forming a new hedgehog formation to counter the cavalry charge. Although the formation's movement was somewhat clumsy, basic coordination and execution were already in place.

The hundred-man Iron Falcon guerrilla force, having maneuvered its way to their designated assault position, was suddenly disrupted by arrows raining down from their flank and rear. They also witnessed the Starfire Fortress army rapidly adjusting its formation, adopting a defensive posture. Their momentum faltered. The squad leader, caught in a dilemma, hesitated, unsure whether to continue the assault or deal with the flank attack first. In that brief moment of hesitation, the opportunity was lost.

Chen Xing's gaze never left the most intense and crucial frontal fighting zone in the center of the battlefield. He observed that, due to the easing of pressure on the left flank and the successful disruption and delay of the right-flank threat, the pressure on the "Gate of Life" and "Gate of View" on the front, while still immense, seemed to have lessened the sluggishness of the formation's operation. More importantly, the Black Mountain Army infantry pouring into the formation were becoming increasingly chaotic under the continuous compression and division of the formation; many squads had lost their command and began fighting independently, even clashing with each other.

it's time.

Chen Xing slowly clenched his right fist, then suddenly spread his fingers, making a "tightening" gesture.

"The 'Open Gate' reserve team, commit all to the front, reinforcing the right flank attack of the 'Life Gate'." His voice remained calm, yet carried a chilling killing intent. "'Death Gate' team, advance thirty paces, join forces with the 'Wound Gate' to pincer attack the enemy's retreating left flank that is trapped in the enemy lines. Banner: Total Annihilation!"

The last two words were like the clash of metal and stone, decisive and resolute!

The flag bearer, his spirits soaring, mustered all his strength and vigorously waved the crimson star-shaped main flag, representing the general offensive, along with the command flags representing "opening the gate" and "death gate"! The sound of the war drums suddenly became turbulent and powerful, like a storm sweeping across the entire battlefield! At the same time, the sharp sound of horns soared into the sky, signaling the launch of a decisive counterattack!

At the heart of the formation, Chen Wei, who had been standing as still as a mountain, twitched slightly on his sword hilt the moment he heard the word "strangulation," and a chilling glint flashed in his eyes. The elite guards behind him instinctively straightened their backs and gripped their weapons, as if ready to pounce at any moment.

The order was absolute, sweeping across the entire army!

The "Open Gate" team, which had been hidden behind the formation as the last reserve, roared and charged into the front line like tigers released from their cages. The addition of this fresh force instantly made the offensive on the right flank of the "Open Gate" several times more fierce!

Meanwhile, the "Death Gate" team, which was positioned relatively far back and had been responsible for maneuver and counterattack, suddenly surged forward, forming a perfect pincer attack with the "Wound Gate" team on the left flank, and fiercely biting the flanks of the Black Mountain Army's routed soldiers who had been trapped in the battle, lost their organization, and were trying to struggle backward!

The entire Starfire Fortress army formation seemed to come alive at that moment, transforming from a steadily turning millstone into a primordial behemoth with its jaws wide open, ready to devour its prey! The eight gates rotated, and the killing intent filled the sky!

At the heart of the formation, commands were issued with absolute authority. Chen Xing remained standing quietly in the center of the Bagua diagram, gazing at the battlefield where the winds and clouds shifted in response to his commands, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well. Sweat had already soaked through his inner shirt, and his temples throbbed slightly—the strain of intense concentration. Yet, his hand gripping the sword hilt remained steady.

He knew that the most brutal battle had only just begun. The Black Mountain Army still held a numerical advantage, Shi Biao's main cavalry force had not yet been deployed, and Han Meng's central army had not yet exerted its full strength. But at least, through precise command of the battle formation, he successfully thwarted two dangerous moves by his opponents and initially steered the battle in a direction favorable to him.

In this game of chess where the lives of thousands were at stake, he made the first move, proceeding cautiously step by step. Now, it was the Black Mountain Army's turn to make their move.