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

On the vast horizon, an endless tide of black armor broke through the dust and swept in.

One after another, gilded blue dragon battle flags fluttered wildly in the long wind, piercing through the smoke of battle, standing straight under the sky of the southern border.

The rhythmic footsteps, the crisp sound of clashing armor, and the neighing of galloping warhorses intertwined, creating an overwhelming momentum that rapidly approached the battlefield of Duanyun Pass.

The main force of the Great Qian reinforcements has finally arrived on the battlefield!

Beneath the walls of Duanyun Pass, the Daqian soldiers who had just been pursued and defeated by the Yan army, their bodies riddled with wounds, had their deep-seated despair instantly shattered the moment they heard the familiar and majestic bugle call and saw the Azure Dragon battle flag that symbolized the iron-blooded glory of Daqian!

Suddenly, a blinding light and burning ecstasy burst forth from those lifeless eyes!

"Reinforcements! Our Great Qian's reinforcements have arrived!!"

A hoarse yet impassioned roar erupted from the mouth of a soldier covered in blood.

This shout, like a spark igniting a prairie fire, instantly swept through the entire retreating defenders' ranks.

Countless battle-hardened, wounded soldiers straightened their backs, their eyes bloodshot, staring intently at the vast army approaching from afar. The pent-up repression, fear, and frustration of the past few days transformed into a boiling fighting spirit.

"Heaven has eyes! Our Great Qian reinforcements have finally arrived!"

"You brat Yan thief, your days of arrogance are over!"

"Today we will surely annihilate all the bandits, reclaim our territory, and protect our Duan Yun Pass!"

The roars echoed through the sky, and the originally exhausted and demoralized defenders were now filled with a surge of energy, as if all their fatigue and pain had been completely washed away at this moment.

Each soldier gripped their broken weapons tightly, stood tall, and stared intently at the Yan army formation ahead, their fighting spirit burning fiercely.

Zhou Lin and the other soldiers defending the city were covered in blood, their clothes and armor were all torn, and their bodies were covered with wounds left from the battle. The fierce fighting had already exhausted them and left them almost powerless.

But when the massive reinforcements came into view and they heard the familiar bugle calls, their spirits instantly lifted, and their energy surged forth once more.

The soldiers exchanged glances, each seeing in the other's eyes an overwhelming sense of excitement and unwavering determination. They raised their arms and shouted, "Great Qian will surely win! Drive back the invaders!"

The resounding shouts converged into a torrent, echoing throughout the Duanyun Pass and reverberating across the surrounding wilderness!

Not far away, from the two light cavalry units that had just stabilized their rout, two clear neighs of horses suddenly rang out.

"Whoa!"

The brothers Xiao Yichun and Xiao Yidong simultaneously tightened the reins and pulled on their horses.

The galloping warhorse reared up, leaving two long mud tracks on the ground, before coming to a steady stop.

The two brothers, their silver armor stained with blood and their long hair disheveled by the smoke and wind, had led a light cavalry in a desperate battle to cover the retreat of the defending troops. They had been fighting and retreating all the way, and were already in a dangerous situation.

But then reinforcements arrived, and the desperate situation was completely reversed!

Their eyes suddenly sharpened, and a chilling killing intent rose again. They gripped the reins of their warhorses tightly with both hands and squeezed their legs tightly against the horses' bellies.

"All troops, listen to my command! Change formation! Abandon retreat and advance!"

Xiao Yichun shouted in a deep, stern voice, his voice like thunder.

Thousands of light cavalry behind them moved at the sound, their movements perfectly synchronized. The galloping tide of horses instantly halted its retreat, turning their heads in unison. The cavalry formation, which had been hastily retreating, transformed in an instant into a sharp, ready-to-strike dagger, its blade gleaming, pointing directly at the Yan allied army formation ahead!

The escape has come to an end, and the counter-offensive is already brewing!

On the other side of the battlefield, on the main formation of the Yan allied forces.

Murong Di stood on the high platform of the commander, holding a cold spear, his eyes fixed on the vast Daqian reinforcements coming from afar. The rage and killing intent that had just erupted suddenly froze at this moment.

His pupils contracted sharply, his heart sank, and a bone-chilling cold instantly shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making his whole body tense, his breath catch in his throat, and he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

At a glance, the reinforcements of the Great Qian Dynasty stretched as far as the eye could see, with black armor like a tide, banners flying everywhere, soldiers and armor of excellent quality, strict formations, and an incomparably majestic aura.

Its troop strength was in no way inferior to the tens of thousands of Yan troops he brought this time!

What shocked Murong Di even more was that the enemy's ranks were filled with layers upon layers of iron cavalry, densely packed together, their momentum overwhelming and their numbers far exceeding those of the Yan army he led!

The Yan army had initially gained the upper hand by riding the momentum of the allied forces breaking through the pass, but with Su Mu single-handedly repelling the army of ten thousand men, the Nanzhao elephant army withdrawing from the battlefield, and the main force of the Daqian army rushing to the aid, the forces being incomplete, and the iron cavalry pressing down, all their advantages vanished in an instant.

The evenly matched battle situation has been completely reversed. His grand ambition to storm into the heart of Pingzhou in one fell swoop has become as difficult as climbing to the sky, and has even become a pipe dream!

Beside him, Gongsun Yu, with a solemn expression, strode forward, his brows furrowed and his face full of worry. He solemnly bowed to Murong Di:

"General, the situation has changed drastically!"

"Our original numerical advantage has completely disappeared. Now the enemy and we are evenly matched. The enemy's elite cavalry is superior, and with Su Mu in charge of the central army, their morale is far higher than ours."

"The upcoming battle is perilous; we must not act rashly, but proceed cautiously and step by step!"

Gongsun Yu knew that his commander was strong-willed and proud, and he was afraid that the commander would lose face and become resentful, and in a moment of rashness, lead the army to fight to the death, fall into the enemy's trap, and cause the entire army to be defeated.

Therefore, he made a special point of reminding them at this moment to stabilize the morale of the troops and the mind of the commander-in-chief.

But at this moment, Murong Di had completely shed his previous rage and impatience.

The moment he witnessed the overwhelming military might of the Great Qian Dynasty, he became completely sober.

He stared intently at the Great Qian army arrayed ahead, his face cold and solemn, his eyes no longer showing any underestimation of the enemy.

He knew perfectly well that from the moment the Great Qian reinforcements arrived, the so-called crushing battle was over, and what followed was a brutal and bloody battle of head-on confrontation.

There is no room for opportunism or troop superiority; only a fight to the death can determine the victor!

"Order the entire army to form a defensive formation, and to be on high alert, ready to engage in battle at any time!"

Murong Di gave the order in a deep, cold voice, carrying a resolute determination to fight to the bitter end.

As military orders were relayed through the ranks, the Yan army, which had been in a state of panic and disorganized, quickly rallied its ranks. Armored soldiers raised their shields, spears stood in rows, and archers nocked their arrows. In an instant, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers formed a solid battle formation, their chilling killing intent soaring into the sky, confronting the mighty Daqian army on the other side.

The two armies faced each other, the air was completely still, and a chilling atmosphere enveloped the entire wilderness of Duanyun Pass. A great battle was about to break out!

Meanwhile, the main force of the Daqian reinforcements was in the middle of the battle.

The vast, surging army quickly regrouped, with hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers moving in perfect unison, advancing and retreating in an orderly fashion, forming a wall-like formation.

Layer upon layer of armor reflected a cold, sharp light; swords and spears stood in a forest; banners blotted out the sun; an iron-blooded aura, hardened by countless battles, firmly suppressed the Yan allied forces opposite.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, an ancient and heavy bronze chariot slowly drove out from the center of the army.

Su Mu took a step forward, his body soaring into the air, and landed gracefully on the chariot!

He stood atop the chariot, his white hair fluttering in the wind.

Those deep, aged eyes pierced through the smoke of battle, coldly locking onto the densely packed enemy troops of the Yan Kingdom ahead, their depths surging with fierce anger and bloodthirsty killing intent.

"They have invaded our Great Qian territory, killed our Great Qian soldiers, and breached our Great Qian city walls!"

"Today, we will surely drive these foreign bandits out of Duanyun Pass, out of our land, leaving not a single one alive!"

……

"This humble general, Xiao Yunche, pays his respects to Marshal Su!"

A hurried yet respectful figure stepped forward. Xiao Yunche, covered in blood, knelt on one knee, his posture upright and his manners impeccable.

Previously, he only knew that Su Mu was the reclusive Duke of the Great Qian Dynasty, a pillar of the nation revered by the court and the people. Only now, with the arrival of reinforcements and the return of the commander-in-chief, did he fully understand the true power of the old man before him.

Su Mu lowered his eyes to look at Xiao Yunche in front of him, his voice aged yet powerful, carrying the authority of a commander-in-chief:

"I, Su Mu, have been appointed by imperial decree as the Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition, leading 150,000 elite troops southward to drive out the Yan invaders, invade Yan territory, and welcome back the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty!"

Every word he uttered was powerful and resounding throughout the battlefield!

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunche was deeply shaken, instantly understanding the true strategy behind this battle. He immediately kowtowed heavily and solemnly swore an oath:

"Your subordinate, Xiao Yunche, along with all the soldiers defending the three southern prefectures, are now under the command of Marshal Su!"

"I am willing to fight to the death alongside the Marshal, to punish the Yan bandits, recover lost territory, pacify Yan lands, and protect the mountains and rivers of my Great Qian!"

As soon as the words were spoken, figures stepped out of the formation one after another.

Xiao Yunchuan, Xiao Yichun, Xiao Yidong, along with Zhou Lin, Wang Yang, Shen Luotang, and other high-ranking generals from the Southern Frontier, all stood in neat rows, bowing respectfully with their hands clasped, their voices resounding through the sky.

"We pay our respects to the Grand Marshal! We humbly obey your orders and vow to follow you to the death!"

The generals were imposing and loyal, their iron will united as one, instantly stabilizing the morale of the Great Qian army to its highest level.

Su Mu slightly raised his hand, his tone calm and steady: "Generals, you may dispense with the formalities."

His gaze swept over the crowd, landing on the devastated battlefield of Duanyun Pass. He said in a deep voice, "There's no need for empty formalities now; only battle!"

"The Yan invaders have invaded our territory and slaughtered our people. Today, we will drive all these foreign bandits out of Duanyun Pass and demonstrate the might of our Great Qian Dynasty!"

His simple words, yet imbued with unparalleled power, ignited the passion of the generals.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the fiery-tempered Xiao Yidong stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and volunteered for battle. His eyes were sharp, and his fighting spirit was boundless: "Marshal! This humble general is willing to be the first to go into battle and challenge the enemy!"

"Slay their generals and seize their flags, crush the Yan bandits' morale, and curb their arrogance!"

When two armies are locked in a standoff, it is common practice to challenge the enemy first and blunt their momentum. Xiao Yidong was confident that his combat strength was enough to crush the ordinary generals of the Yan army and break the deadlock first.

Faced with his request to fight, Su Mu merely narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then gently raised his hand to calmly refuse.

"No need for challenges."

Su Mu's voice was calm, yet it carried an overwhelming aura of dominance:

"To deal with this group of arrogant and ignorant bandits who have come from afar, there is no need to waste words or fight them alone."

He raised his hand and pointed to the densely packed Yan army formation ahead, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"In today's battle, I will crush them with absolute military might! I will slaughter them, leaving them routed and utterly defeated! I will let the nations beyond the borders witness the true strength of my Great Qian Iron Army!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunchuan, who was standing to the side, had a hint of doubt in his eyes. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and respectfully asked, "Master, this disciple does not understand."

"Without engaging in battle formations or taking the initiative to challenge, how can our army break this deadlock? Please advise, Master."

The other generals also turned their heads, filled with curiosity.

With both armies of equal strength, and the enemy's formation stable and its forces sufficient, how can we quickly break through their stubbornly defended formation without first engaging in a decisive battle to dampen their morale?

A slow smile crept onto Su Mu's lips, a confident glint in his aged eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Pass on my order: command the artillery battalion to advance!"

"Set up the cannons and bombard the Yan army!"

A short but powerful sentence that resonated with the entire audience!

Among all the generals present, the brothers Xiao Yichun and Xiao Yidong were the first to have their eyes light up, their faces instantly filled with extreme excitement and anticipation.

Previously, Su Mu commanded the East China Sea Navy, relying on his invincible cannon warships to create the unrivaled Great Qian Navy. He swept across the East Yi seas with thunderous force, shattering thousands of East Yi warships, destroying the East Yi state, and securing a century of peace and stability for the East China Sea of ​​Great Qian.

Unfortunately, they were seriously wounded at the time and stayed in the southern border to recuperate, so they missed the chance to participate in the war to destroy the country in the East China Sea and never witnessed the power of the cannons.

Therefore, they always felt regretful and longed to witness the true power of this national treasure.

Upon hearing that Su Mu was going to deploy his artillery battalion to bombard the enemy head-on, the two brothers were instantly filled with excitement and anticipation.

Xiao Yichun immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, and declared in a passionate voice, "This humble general obeys!"

Compared to the expectations of the Xiao brothers, Xiao Yunche, Wang Yang, Shen Luotang, Zhou Lin and the other generals guarding the southern border were all bewildered at this moment, looking at each other with deep doubt and confusion in their eyes.

Artillery battalion?

They had been stationed in the southern border for many years, experienced countless battles, were well-versed in the military system of the Great Qian Dynasty, and had been to all the major main army corps, but they had never heard of a so-called "artillery battalion" in the army!

Is this a mysterious battalion that has never appeared on the battlefield in southern Xinjiang and is unknown to anyone?

What exactly is this battalion doing?

What kind of weapon is this so-called artillery?

The generals looked at each other, whispering amongst themselves, completely puzzled.

"I have never heard of my Great Qian having an artillery battalion."

"Yes, I know all the elite battalions, but I've never heard of the artillery battalion."

"Could they be a new elite force secretly forged and trained by the imperial court?"

Just as everyone was filled with doubt and discussing, the orderly and imposing central army formation of the Great Qian suddenly parted to both sides, making way for a wide passage.

A series of dull, heavy sounds of rollers grinding against the ground slowly emanated from the ground.

Two thousand elite soldiers, clad in specially made heavy armor and with solemn expressions, marched out of the army formation in neat rows.

Every soldier was upright, calm, and had a cold, sharp gaze; they were all battle-hardened elites handpicked from thousands of soldiers.

The object they were pushing drew everyone's attention instantly, their pupils shrinking.

One after another, massive, heavy, and completely black machines, forged entirely from cold iron, were steadily pushed to the forefront of the army.

The cannon's muzzle was dark and deep, pointing directly at the sky and the Yan army's formation opposite. The cannon body was covered with intricate patterns, and the base was solid and heavy, firmly rooted to the ground.

Beside each cannon, there were piles of round, black, palm-sized iron spheres, cold to the touch and exuding an unknown sense of intimidation.

Dozens of massive, black cannons stood in neat rows, silently arrayed before the two armies, exuding a chilling and oppressive aura.

Xiao Yunche stared intently at these strange, never-before-seen machines, his gaze fixed on them, his face filled with shock. He muttered to himself, "These... are the weapons of the artillery battalion?"

"It looks strange, neither a bow nor a crossbow, neither a knife nor a gun, and certainly not a catapult. What is the purpose of this dark, iron lump?"

Shen Luotang, Wang Yang, and the others standing to the side also shook their heads repeatedly, their faces full of confusion.

They had fought for half their lives, seen divine weapons and siege engines, ballistae and catapults, but they had never seen such strange weaponry. They could not imagine what kind of power it could exert on the battlefield.

Not only were the generals of the Southern Frontier of the Great Qian filled with doubt, but also the hundreds of thousands of Yan soldiers in the opposing Yan allied forces were all focused on the spot, their faces full of surprise and doubt.

The entire Yan army formation was instantly filled with a cacophony of whispers and discussions.

"Look! What are those things the Great Qian army is pushing out?"

"A black, heavy iron thing, it looks incredibly cumbersome, can it really be used for fighting?"

"It's not like a catapult, it has no launching support; it's not like a crossbow, it has no string or arrow—it's all very strange!"

"Could it be some newly built decoration by the Great Qian Dynasty? It looks impressive, but is actually useless?"

The ordinary soldiers were puzzled and discussed among themselves, their eyes filled with mockery and disdain.

The two Yan generals, Murong Di and Tian Cheng, also frowned, looking at each other with deep doubt and seriousness in their eyes.

They were experienced and familiar with all kinds of military weapons and siege tactics, but they had never seen such a strange iron weapon before.

Gongsun Yu, standing to the side, felt an overwhelming sense of foreboding the moment he saw the rows of black weapons. His hair stood on end, and his expression instantly became extremely solemn.

He stared intently at the array of weapons ahead, and warned in a deep voice:

"General, something's wrong!"

"The sudden display of such unknown and bizarre weaponry by the Great Qian Dynasty is no accident; there must be something fishy going on!"

"Immediately issue orders to the entire army: high alert, shields forward, all troops lower their stance and prepare for defense!"

The unknown is often the most deadly.

A man like Su Mu, who has been through countless battles, never does anything pointless. The mysterious camp and strange equipment that he personally dispatches must possess terrifying power!

Murong Di's heart tightened, and he instantly abandoned his contempt, immediately ordering the entire army to be on high alert and ready for battle.

Just as the Yan army was hastily adjusting its defensive formation and morale was wavering!

On the bronze chariot of the central army of the Great Qian Dynasty.

With his white hair flowing, Su Mu slowly raised his aged arm, his fingertips pointing straight up, freezing the sky in mid-air.

A fierce wind whipped up his robes, and his aged body stood atop the vast army formation, his imposing presence shaking the mountains and rivers.

The next instant, an ancient yet earth-shattering roar that resounded throughout the heavens and earth exploded out!

"Artillery battalion, prepare!"

"attack!!"