The Three Kingdoms: Rise to Power Starting with Intercepting Liu Bei

The Qin army adopted a fan-shaped attack formation with cavalry as the spearhead. The well-trained cavalry of the Great Wall Legion were in front, with light infantry on both flanks and archers providing cover.

In the relatively open plains, this attack formation was almost impenetrable. Moreover, due to their superior equipment, Ma Teng's Xiliang cavalry was caught off guard as soon as they met, suffering heavy casualties.

The crossbows used by Li Jing's army were improved by the Shan Gong Workshop by combining the Liang crossbows of the Great Snow Dragon Riders, and were much stronger in terms of range and armor penetration.

As the distance between the two sides closed, a cruel smile flashed across Ma Teng's face as he held his spear:

"Hehe, my Xiliang Iron Cavalry is one of the most elite forces in the world. When it comes to cavalry charges, I've never been afraid of anyone!"

Ma Teng was in high spirits. He had full confidence in his Xiliang Iron Cavalry. He might have been a little afraid of the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, but the one he was facing was not.

"kill!"

Ma Teng charged into the enemy ranks, thrusting left and right, killing several Qin cavalrymen in succession. He was having a great time, and just as he was about to continue searching for targets, a long spear suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking his spear and saving a cavalryman who was on the verge of death.

"Ma Teng, I am your opponent!"

Ma Teng looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the owner of the long spear was none other than Li Jing.

Although he had never met the other person, his distinctive armor stood out starkly against the Qin soldiers.

"How dare you! Since we've run into you, you might as well spare your life!"

Ma Teng gritted his teeth, burning with rage. With a sudden burst of strength, he pulled the long spear that had been blocked out and thrust it towards the opponent's face.

"Then let's see if you have the ability!"

Li Jing parried with his spear, then spurred his horse and retreated to create distance.

In an instant, as if by unspoken agreement, both sides cleared a one-on-one area of ​​about ten meters in diameter, allowing the two to face off head-on and see who would have the last laugh.

Ma Teng launched the first attack, wielding a long spear weighing over ten kilograms with the agility of a dragon swimming in water, the spear flashing and aiming straight for vital points. His warhorse seemed to be sentient, able to be steadily controlled without its master pulling hard on the reins.

"Well done!"

Li Jing, wielding his spear, used a clumsy approach to overcome skill, employing a powerful and heavy style. Facing Ma Teng's dazzling killing moves, he directly swept and slashed, countering each move as it came, exchanging blows for more than ten rounds.

For a time, the two sides were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

As for why this is the case, it's because Li Jing's greatest strength is not his personal martial arts skills but his strategic and command abilities, which are almost divine. In terms of martial arts alone, he is probably about the same as Gao Shun, and he is even less comparable to Zhang Liao.

Although Ma Teng was an outstanding martial artist and famous throughout Xiliang, he was getting old and couldn't keep up, so he couldn't defeat Li Jing quickly.

Seeing that he couldn't quickly defeat Ma Teng, Li Jing didn't want to get entangled with him anymore. He seized the opportunity to withdraw from the battle. The surrounding infantry had already surrounded him, and in an instant, countless spears thrust towards Ma Teng.

"You damn coward, are you scared?"

Ma Teng reacted quickly. When surrounded by Qin infantry, he suddenly pulled on the reins. His warhorse, in pain, raised its two strong front hooves high and let out a neighing roar.

They turned their horses around and retreated, avoiding the Qin army's encirclement.

Li Jing didn't respond, and seeing that no one answered, Ma Teng cursed even more fiercely, calling him a coward and a wimp. Li Jing ignored him even more, leaving him to perform a one-man show.

A peculiar scene unfolded on the battlefield: the sounds of fighting were mixed with foul insults.

The battle lasted for about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, and the Xiliang army gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

Although the Xiliang army was brave and skilled in battle, that was the impression they had when fighting against foreign tribes in Liangzhou. Now, they were no match for the well-trained Qin army.

To put it bluntly, among the feudal lords today, only Qin Xuan's army can be considered both offensive and defensive, capable of rapidly switching between combat states in a short period of time.

Although Li Jing's army lacked combat experience, their training was not neglected, especially in how to conduct coordinated infantry and cavalry operations in open field battles on plains, which they were very good at.

Although things didn't go smoothly at first, they got better and better as the game progressed.

In an instant, cries of agony filled the vast battlefield, and the stench of blood filled everyone's nostrils.

"Kill! Kill!"

Just as Ma Teng ordered a retreat and troop withdrawal, a series of reassuring sounds suddenly rang out from the rear of the army formation.

The reinforcements of the anti-Qin coalition finally arrived. Ma Teng glanced back and saw a large number of soldiers waving their weapons and joining the battlefield, with colorful banners fluttering in the wind.

Their pressure suddenly decreased significantly.

"Soldiers, our reinforcements have arrived! The Qin army is doomed! Kill!"

Ma Teng brandished his spear and shouted.

The response echoed across the battlefield, and everyone was filled with an indomitable fighting spirit.

Seeing this, the Qin army did not panic at all, nor did any soldiers abandon their weapons and flee in fear. On the contrary, they fought even more fiercely and, under the leadership of generals such as Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, they stabilized their position.

"The cavalry are deployed in threes of three, with soldiers forming ranks with shields and spears!"

Seeing that the anti-Qin coalition reinforcements had arrived, Li Jing remained calm and composed, issuing battle orders in an orderly manner, and instructing his soldiers to begin acting accordingly.

The cavalry's three-man system evolved from the four-man combat teams of the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry. When facing an enemy force several times their size, they did not fight alone, but formed three-man teams. Even if surrounded, they could each provide cover and not be easily defeated.

In addition to the slender ring-pommel sword, which was improved from the Liangdao, they also had a long halberd about 1.5 meters long.

This was a unique configuration for the Qin cavalry, taking into full account the combat needs of ordinary long spears, which were three or four meters long and unsuitable for cavalry use. In addition, there were improved crossbows carried by the soldiers.

The infantry spear and shield formation is even simpler, usually consisting of about twenty men, equipped with shield bearers, spearmen, and archers, making it both offensive and defensive.

If well-trained and battle-hardened, a shield and spear formation can take on dozens of soldiers or a dozen light cavalry.

If you encounter heavily armored cavalry or ranged archers, you're basically doomed.

The Qin army moved swiftly. As soon as Li Jing finished speaking, the soldiers who had been fighting fiercely just moments before sprang into action. First, the soldiers around Li Jing started moving, and then those who hadn't heard the order immediately understood what their comrades meant and followed suit.

In just five or six minutes, countless shield and spear formations appeared, standing firm and unmoving like rocks.

The three-by-three cavalry attack formation was quickly formed and charged towards the enemy.

A fierce and intense battle continued until the afternoon before gradually coming to an end.

The two sides were less than 100 meters apart, the air thick with the stench of blood, and everywhere lay gruesome corpses and horses.

Li Jing gripped the long spear, utterly exhausted. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his dry lips, a faint metallic taste stimulating his cerebral cortex. He stared at the person opposite him with murderous intent, lost in thought.

The battle resulted in significant losses for our side, and the battle stretched as far as the eye could see.

This was Li Jing's test. Through this battle, he had gained a preliminary understanding of the strength of the anti-Qin coalition, laying the groundwork for the next battle.