At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

The north wind swept across the land, and yellow sand filled the sky.

On the open fields outside Pingzhou City, the fierce battle had been going on for two whole hours.

The deafening clang of metal and the piercing screams never ceased. The blood-soaked land was already a muddy mess, with layers of dark red bloodstains winding their way down the gullies and forming tiny pools of blood, a horrifying sight.

The Great Qian Iron Cavalry were all heavily armored and armed with long spears; they were all elite troops who had guarded the border year-round and fought countless battles.

After two hours of continuous charging and fighting, they were exhausted and their arms ached so much that they could barely lift their weapons. Their armor was covered with a dense array of knife marks and arrow holes, and the blood that had seeped into the wounds had long since dried and turned black, only to be covered by freshly splashed warm blood.

Every soldier's eyes were bloodshot, their breathing was heavy like a broken bellows, and their chests were churning with blood.

The speed at which he wielded the spear was no longer as sharp and swift as it had been at the beginning. Every parry and every thrust required him to exhaust the last of his strength.

However, the Yan army's offensive never weakened in the slightest.

There were simply too many of them.

The hundreds of thousands of Yan troops, like an endless tide, retreated wave after wave, rising again and again, surging towards the battle formation of the Daqian soldiers.

As the soldiers in the front ranks fell, those in the back ranks immediately stepped over the corpses to fill the gaps. The densely packed figures covered half the sky, and the sounds of battle were deafening, carrying an overwhelming and powerful force that crushed everything.

This relentless, relentless attack gave the Daqian soldiers no chance to catch their breath or rest.

Holding a long spear, Xiao Yunchuan stood at the forefront of the battle formation on horseback. His black armor was already soaked in blood, and his hair was stained with blood and stuck to his forehead.

His eyes were as cold and deep as an icy pool. His gaze swept over the fallen soldiers of his own side, and his heart felt as heavy as a boulder.

The warhorse beside him trembled slightly, its hooves stained with blood. Even a warhorse that had been through many battles could no longer withstand such a continuous and fierce fight.

Not far away, Xiao Yunche stood with his silver armor stained red, holding a gun. His back was still as straight as a pine tree, but his slightly heaving chest and pale lips showed that he had already exhausted himself.

Just as the battle situation was becoming increasingly dangerous and the battle formation was on the verge of collapse, a figure in blue armor rode through the chaos of the army and galloped to the side of the two princes. It was General Xiao Yichun.

He had just led his troops in a desperate attempt to hold off a Yan army charge, when he was accidentally struck in the shoulder by a long sword. His armor shattered, his flesh torn open, and blood dripped from his arm onto his warhorse. Yet, disregarding his own injury, he said urgently and solemnly, "Your Highnesses, we cannot continue this desperate fight!"

"Our soldiers have been fighting for days and have endured two hours of fierce battle. They are already exhausted. If we continue to hold our ground and fight to the death, the entire army will surely perish here!"

Xiao Yichun's gaze pierced through the swirling yellow sand, looking towards Pingzhou City, his tone carrying a hint of certainty:

"General Su's main force is already on its way. The entire army is fighting and retreating towards Pingzhou to buy some time!"

"Once our main force of reinforcements arrives, we will regroup and launch a counterattack, utterly crushing the Yan army!"

These words instantly brought a glimmer of hope to the tense and oppressive battle situation.

Xiao Yunche's eyes suddenly lit up, and the fatigue from the fierce battle seemed to have dissipated by most.

He knew that General Su Mu was quick to command his troops and that once the main force arrived, the situation would be completely reversed.

In an instant, a meticulous plan took shape in his mind.

He gazed intently at the narrow, precipitous valley in front of Pingzhou City in the distance. The valley entrance was narrow, but the interior was open, with towering rocks on both sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It was an excellent place for encirclement and ambush.

"That's excellent!"

Xiao Yunche spoke in a deep voice, a sharp glint in his eyes. His fatigue vanished, replaced by the composure and decisiveness of a battlefield commander: "Pass on my order! The entire army must immediately regroup, abandon the stalemate, and retreat in two routes towards the Pingzhou Valley!"

"They lured both the Murong Di and Meng Shan enemy forces into the valley."

"Once Elder Su's reinforcements arrive at the valley entrance, we will attack from both sides, cutting off their retreat and completely trapping and annihilating these hundreds of thousands of allied troops within the valley!"

Xiao Yunchuan nodded emphatically, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit, and immediately accepted the order.

Xiao Yichun said no more, abruptly tightening the reins, leaping onto his horse's back, ignoring the whistling arrows and charging enemy soldiers all around, raising his long sword high, his voice booming through the air, piercing the sounds of battle: "All troops, listen to my command! Regroup, provide alternating cover, and retreat towards Pingzhou!"

The resounding military orders were relayed layer by layer, quickly spreading to every battlefield in the Great Qian Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, the Daqian soldiers, who had been struggling and fighting to the death, instantly regained their composure.

Everyone worked in perfect unison. The soldiers in the front row held their guns and stood in formation, holding off the Yan army's offensive. The soldiers in the back row retreated slowly, taking turns in an orderly manner. Even when they were at a disadvantage and exhausted, they still adhered to military discipline and there was no sign of a rout or chaos.

The cavalry turned their horses around, spears dangling at an angle, armor clanging as they steadily retreated towards Pingzhou, their feet crunching over the blood-soaked ground.

On the other side of the battlefield, Murong Di, the commander of the Yan army, stood on a high hill, overlooking the entire situation and taking in the movements of the Daqian army.

Seeing the once fearless and resolute elite troops of the Great Qian Dynasty suddenly retreat, his face, which had been tense for several days, instantly relaxed, and a smug and arrogant sneer appeared on his lips, his eyes filled with contempt and pride.

"Hmph! You ran away?"

"Already at their last gasp, they dare to resist my army of over ten thousand with only a few thousand remaining soldiers? Their previous resistance was merely a desperate attempt to prolong their lives; now that they can no longer hold on, their desire to flee and save their own lives is nothing but a pipe dream!"

Lieutenant General Tian Chengce immediately stepped forward, his expression urgent, and bowed, saying urgently, "General! You must not let them leave!"

"If we allow them to retreat safely to Pingzhou City and rely on the city's natural defenses to hold their position, then any attempt to attack and defeat them will be fraught with heavy casualties and extremely difficult! Today, we must annihilate them here and eliminate this threat forever!"

"No need for you to say more, I already know!"

Murong Di's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he gripped the cold iron spear in his hand tightly. The tip of the spear reflected the cold light of the setting sun, its sharpness chilling to the bone.

He raised his spear high and issued a stern order to pursue, his voice booming and echoing throughout the army: "All troops, listen to my command! Pursue with all your might, charge and kill them one after another!"

"Block all escape routes! Not a single person or horse shall escape! Today, we must annihilate the remnants of the Great Qian army, capture and kill the two princes, and raze Pingzhou to the ground!"

As soon as the order was given, thousands of elite Yan cavalrymen moved instantly.

The thunderous roar of hooves shook the heavens, and dust billowed everywhere. The dark mass of cavalry, like a black torrent, suddenly broke out of the army formation and pursued the retreating Daqian soldiers at full speed.

Murong Di took the lead, wielding a long spear and galloping wildly, his killing intent soaring, determined to kill Xiao Yunche and the others on the spot.

At the same time, on the flank of the battlefield, a series of dull, heavy tremors suddenly came from the ground.

dong dong dong...

The loud noises continued incessantly, the ground trembled violently, and even the howling winds and swirling yellow sand around them swayed slightly.

General Mengshan of Nanzhao sat atop the back of a giant war elephant, clad in heavy animal armor, his face rugged and fierce, his eyes gleaming with menace.

Looking down at the orderly retreating Daqian army from his high vantage point, he let out a disdainful snort.

"A mere remnant of a defeated army, you think you can escape from under the noses of my Nanzhao war elephant army?"

"dream!"

Meng Shan's voice boomed like a bell, carrying the fierce brutality of barbarians. He raised his hand and sternly ordered: "War elephants, form ranks! The entire army, flank and encircle! Cut off the enemy's retreat, surround and annihilate them! Leave no one alive!"