I maxed out the Scholar talent at the start, but I want to be a Warrior.

It's almost dawn.

The three of them headed south for about five or six miles. Gu Cheng's mental strength recovered somewhat, but his temples still throbbed with pain.

Forget about using flying knives anytime soon.

As Gu Cheng walked, he did some mental calculations.

In last night's battle, the bag of silver he threw out must have been worth at least several hundred taels.

That's enough to feed the entire Anle Village for several years.

It ended up hitting a barbarian in the face.

I didn't even hear a sound.

Gu Cheng felt a pang of heartache.

Gu He was walking at the front when he suddenly stopped.

"There's someone there."

Gu Cheng and Gu Qingshan stopped in their tracks at the same time.

"Where is it? Are there many people?" Gu Qingshan asked in a low voice.

"Judging from the sound... there are many," Gu He said. "The sound of horses' hooves is coming from the south."

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer.

"Let's hide first," Gu Cheng said.

The three left the main road and disappeared into the woods by the roadside.

The sound of horses' hooves grew louder and louder, and the ground trembled slightly.

Gu Cheng lay hidden behind the bushes, peering out through the gaps in the leaves.

A troop of cavalry galloped from the official road to the south.

The leading flag had a large character embroidered on it—"Zhang".

It seems to be the border troops of Dayu Town.

Gu Cheng scanned it with his probe.

These cavalry units generally numbered between 30 and 40, with the leading ones having between 38 and 39.

Elite.

They were a level above the ordinary soldiers of the barbarian vanguard battalion, whose strength was only around 20.

After the cavalry passed, a large contingent of infantry followed behind.

The spearmen, crossbowmen, and shield bearers were in neat formation and moved in unison.

Gu Cheng counted them—at least two thousand people.

"Why are the border guards here?" Gu Qingshan asked in a low voice.

Gu Cheng shook his head.

He didn't know either.

But then the border guards arrived, and what about the barbarians...?

He heard noises coming from the north—the clamor of footsteps, horses' hooves, and horns.

The barbarians are moving.

"Let's go up the mountain," Gu Cheng said.

The three of them climbed up the hillside and found a spot with a good view to squat down.

Looking down from here, you can see the official road to the south and the valley to the north in one unobstructed view.

The sky was beginning to lighten with the first light of dawn.

Gu Cheng saw a dark mass of figures emerging from the valley to the north.

savage tribe.

Retreat.

It wasn't an orderly retreat; it was a rout.

The group was disorganized, with some on horseback and others on foot, and supply wagons were lost along the way.

Gu Cheng scanned the area with his probe—the probe range just covered the edge of the valley.

The strength signals are densely packed, all between 20 and 30.

Interspersed among them are a few people over 50.

It was similar to the military camp last night, but there were significantly fewer people there.

"That fire last night..." Gu Qingshan said in a low voice.

Gu Cheng did not respond.

A single fire could not possibly drive away several thousand barbarian soldiers.

But if it were a granary that was burned, things might be different. The supplies were burned, the horses were frightened, and the morale of the army was thrown into chaos—plus the border troops pressing in.

If we don't withdraw, we'll really be surrounded and trapped.

To the south, the border troops had already formed their battle formation.

Spearmen were in front, archers and crossbowmen were behind, and shield bearers protected the flanks.

Completely different from the looseness of barbarians—neat, silent, like an iron wall.

The two armies drew closer and closer.

Gu Cheng's heart began to race.

He had never seen anything like it before.

Thousands against thousands, a forest of swords and spears, the air thick with murderous intent.

Then--

The bugle sounded.

The two armies clashed.

The spearmen and barbarian cavalry of the Dayu army were locked in fierce combat, while archers fired volleys from behind, arrows raining down like raindrops.

The sounds of clashing metal, screams, and neighing horses mingled together, like a giant pot boiling over.

The barbarian cavalry were fast and had a strong impact, but the Dayu infantry had a solid formation and a forest of spears. When the cavalry charged in, they were riddled with holes.

But the barbarians were not to be trifled with either.

Their cavalry charged back and forth on both flanks, nearly breaking up the Da Yu formation several times.

The two sides remained deadlocked for about fifteen minutes.

Within Gu Cheng's detection range, the power signals disappeared one after another.

Every one that disappears is a life lost.

He watched the numbers turn gray, his hands trembling slightly.

This is the battlefield.

There is only killing and being killed.

The two sides remained deadlocked for nearly 35 minutes, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.

The barbarian cavalry were too agile, and although the Dayu infantry had the advantage, they couldn't defeat them.

Then--

A different number popped up on the exploration panel.

Strength: 83.

Gu Cheng's pupils contracted.

The signal came from the rear of the Dayu army formation, moving with incredible speed, and crashed into the flank of the barbarian tribe like a cannonball.

Gu Cheng stared intently at the scene.

A person.

He rode a black horse and charged out from the ranks of the Dayu army.

The man was extremely burly, with broad shoulders and a thick waist; riding on horseback, he looked like a small mountain.

He was carrying a large sword—not an ordinary battle sword, but one with an extremely wide blade, twice the width of a standard battle sword, and a row of copper nails cast on the back of the blade.

He charged into the barbarian flank, sweeping his broadsword horizontally.

As the blade flashed, three barbarian soldiers, shields and all, flew out like straws.

Gu Cheng scanned the area with his probe—the power signals of the three barbarian soldiers disappeared simultaneously.

One cut, three.

It was incredibly ferocious, like a prehistoric Tyrannosaurus Rex entering a flock of sheep.

The exhilarating scene made Gu Cheng unconsciously clench his fists.

No wonder Gu Chang'an was so arrogant back then. If I were like that, I might think I was a god on the battlefield!

"A true man should be like this! I will surely be able to take his place in the future," Gu Cheng thought to himself, indulging in his fantasies.

……

The man did not stop.

The broadsword slashed left and right, each strike creating a visible shockwave.

The barbarian's sword slashed at him—

Ding, ding, ding.

It bounced off like it was being struck on a metal plate.

Gu Cheng took a closer look.

A faint light enveloped the man's arms and his broadsword.

Thin, but very clear.

Gang Qi (罡气).

Gu Cheng had heard his uncle describe it countless times, but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes.

Aura covering weapons and torso—this is the mark of a second-rate warrior.

A barbarian centurion, his eyes bloodshot, charged at the burly man on the black horse from the side.

Gu Cheng subconsciously scanned it with his probe.

Strength: 53.

A centurion who has awakened a first-tier combat skill.

The centurion raised his sword and stabbed him in the back.

Gu Cheng's heart was in his throat.

But that burly man riding a black horse—

He didn't even turn his head.

He swept the broadsword backward.

Like casually swatting away a fly.

The barbarian centurion's sword broke.

The person flew out.

It spun twice in the air, then crashed heavily to the ground and never moved again.

The signal for Strength 53 disappeared from the detection panel.

one move.

Sold out instantly.

Gu Cheng lay motionless on the hillside.

The barbarian flank has completely collapsed.

The burly man on the black horse charged ahead, his broadsword sweeping across the battlefield, causing the barbarian soldiers to scatter and flee in all directions.

No one dared to stand in his way.

He was like a red-hot knife cutting into butter.

The barbarian formation began to crumble from the flanks, then the center, and then the entire army.

Defeat.

The barbarian soldiers abandoned their armor and fled north.

The border troops pursued for a while, then the bugle sounded and they withdrew.

The burly man on the black horse reined in his horse and slowly turned it around.

Gu Cheng scanned it with his probe.

[Name: Zhang Lie] [Constitution: 82 (Max) / 80 (Current)] [Strength: 85 (Max) / 83 (Current)] [Spirit: 48 (Max) / 48 (Current)] [Warrior Skills: Armor-Splitting Slash (Tier 1), Sweeping Strike (Tier 2), Mountain Splitter (Tier 3), Overlord Blade (Tier 4)] [Scholar Skills: None] [Preferred Weapon: Greatsword (Proficient)] [Equipment Items: None]

Before Gu Cheng could process this information, the burly man on the black horse suddenly turned his head and glanced in their direction.

Gu Cheng's heart tightened, and he quickly withdrew his probe and lowered his body.

The gaze lingered on the hillside for a moment before disappearing.

Gu Cheng felt a chill run down his spine.

A second-rate soldier's senses... are they that strong?

"Let's go. The barbarians probably won't be able to hold out much longer. We don't want to get caught in the crossfire," Gu Cheng said.

The three of them retreated down the hillside and headed south.

"go home!"