Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 112 The First Sound of the Divine Arm

The Black Mountain Army's first wave of attack crashed against the north wall of Xinghuo Fortress, leaving behind thousands of corpses and a scene of devastation, before slowly retreating like the receding tide. But respite on the battlefield is always fleeting and precious. Beneath the black banner of the Black Mountain Army's central commander, Zhang Kuang's face was so grim it was almost dripping with gloom. He had watched his men fall like mowing grass, while that damned wall still stood tall, seemingly unharmed except for a few damaged crenellations and newly added dents in its surface.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" he growled in a low voice, but this time he didn't overturn the table. He just gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his knuckles white. The losses were greater than he had anticipated. The resistance from Starfire Fortress was far more tenacious and the preparations more thorough than expected. But there was no turning back now. He had staked everything and could not afford to retreat at this moment.

"General, although the first wave failed, it has greatly depleted the defenders' arrows and logs, and their defenders on the walls are also showing signs of fatigue." The strategist with the goatee leaned closer and whispered, his eyes gleaming. "Judging from where their artillery has bombarded, many of the battlements are damaged, and the defenders haven't been able to repair them in time. Now is the time to deploy the 'heavy armored vanguard' and, in one fell swoop, tear open a breach!"

Following the strategist's finger, Zhang Kuang saw several areas in the middle of the north wall of Xinghuo Fortress that had been heavily targeted by trebuchets. The crenellations were severely damaged, and the garrison was sparse, hastily repairing the breaches. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he nodded emphatically: "Good! Order: Heavy armored battalion, advance! Cannons, continue bombarding those gaps, keep them pinned down! The rest of the units, intensify the attack and tie down their forces!"

As the order was given, the drumbeats within the Black Mountain army's ranks shifted again, becoming heavier and more oppressive. Squads of soldiers, strikingly different from the cannon fodder of the previous wave, began to advance from the rear. Most were burly, clad in relatively complete lamellar armor or thick leather armor inlaid with iron plates, wielding large iron shields and heavy swords and axes, their steps steady, their eyes fierce. These were the few elite troops in the Black Mountain army—heavy infantry, typically used for assaults and breaking through enemy lines, one of Zhang Kuang's trump cards. Approximately five hundred strong, they were now concentrated as the spearhead of the second wave of attack, aimed directly at the damaged crenellations in the middle of the north wall.

At the same time, dozens of Black Mountain Army catapults roared again, their projectiles raining down on the designated breaches as if guided by eyes, making it nearly impossible for the defenders to peek out. The Black Mountain Army also intensified their attacks from other directions, their battle cries deafening, attempting to firmly tie down the defensive forces of Starfire Fortress.

On the main enemy platform on the north wall of Xinghuo Fortress, Chen Xing, Chen Wei, Murong Mingyue and others immediately noticed the enemy's tactical changes.

"Heavy infantry are coming up, their target is the gaps we've created with the artillery," Chen Wei said coldly. "Ordinary bows and crossbows will likely have difficulty penetrating their armor. Rolling logs and stones will also be less effective against heavy armor in dense formations."

Murong Mingyue gripped her sword hilt tightly: "Should we send the reserve force forward? The defenders at the breach are under too much pressure."

Chen Xing did not answer immediately. He raised his binoculars and carefully observed the heavily armored phalanxes that were steadily approaching under the cover of shields. He then looked at the gaps in the city wall where smoke and dust filled the air and the defenders were few in number. His gaze finally fell on a temporary bunker that had just been erected and was tightly covered by a thick cloth not far behind the enemy platform.

"No." Chen Xing put down his binoculars, a cold smile curving his lips. "Have the garrison at the breach retreat to the second-line cover as planned, to avoid their initial onslaught. The archers will continue to suppress the regular enemy forces in other directions."

He turned to Chen Wei, his eyes flashing with determination: "The Divine Arm Battalion, are you ready?"

Chen Wei's spirits lifted, and he nodded emphatically: "All thirty divine crossbows are in place. The crossbowmen are all carefully selected strongmen. After repeated training, although they have not experienced actual combat, they are already proficient in the crossbow operation process."

"Alright," Chen Xing said in a deep voice. "Uncover the curtain and have the Divine Arm Battalion move into their designated firing positions. Target: the enemy's heavily armored phalanx, and... the operating areas of those artillery vehicles that are yelling the loudest! Free aim, three rounds of rapid fire! I want to see results!"

"Yes, sir!" Chen Wei clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, turned around, and strode quickly toward the cover.

Soon, when the enemy's heavily armored infantry approached to within about 150 paces of the city wall, the defending troops at the breach in the wall retreated as ordered. The Black Mountain Army, believing the defenders were weakened, let out excited howls, quickened their pace, and raised their shields, preparing to charge through the breach in one fell swoop—

In the middle section of the north wall of Xinghuo Fortress, behind several seemingly severely damaged crenellations, and on the intact sections of the wall on both sides, the heavy cloth curtains were suddenly lifted!

Thirty uniquely shaped crossbows, far larger and heavier than ordinary crossbows, appeared conspicuously on the wall! The gray-white steel arms gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the morning light. The complex mechanism was protected within a sturdy casing, and the long crossbow barrels were mounted on specially made support frames. Behind each crossbow, a burly, muscular crossbowman was working hard to turn a simple winch, cocking the daunting crossbow. An assistant was nearby, helping with calibration and handing over bolts.

These crossbow bolts were also unusual, with thick, long shafts and triangular, armor-piercing arrowheads that gleamed with a cold, eerie light.

"What...what is that?!" A Black Mountain Army centurion, who was leading the charge, caught a glimpse of the strange device that had suddenly appeared on the wall out of the corner of his eye, and felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

Before he could think it through, a captain in charge of the Divine Arm Battalion on the wall of Starfire Fortress suddenly waved down the red command flag in his hand!

"Divine Arm Battalion—Release!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom——!"

Thirty incredibly strong composite bowstrings were released simultaneously, producing not the sharp sound of ordinary crossbow bolts leaving the bowstring, but a muffled, explosive roar like a heavy hammer striking a drum or a giant bow snapping! The combined sound even briefly drowned out all the noise on the battlefield!

Thirty heavy armor-piercing crossbow bolts, like thirty black lightning bolts, tore through the air with an extremely shrill whistle, and shot towards the Black Mountain Army's heavy armored square formation 150 paces below and the catapult position about 200 paces further behind at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye!

"Pfft! Snap! Thud!"

The next instant, a series of teeth-grinding sounds rang out from within the enemy ranks.

The Black Mountain Army's heavy infantry at the forefront, their lamellar armor strong enough to withstand ordinary swords and arrows, were like paper before the Divine Arm Crossbow! A crossbow bolt pierced through the iron shield of a heavily armored sergeant who was holding his shield high. With its momentum, it pierced through his iron lamellar armor, entering through his chest and exiting through his back, spraying blood as it pinned another soldier behind him to the ground!

Another crossbow bolt struck the shoulder armor of a heavily armored soldier. The sturdy iron plate shattered like a fragile shard of pottery, and the bolt embedded itself deeply in his shoulder blade. The enormous impact caused him to scream and fall backward, knocking over his comrades behind him.

Another crossbow bolt accurately struck a Black Mountain Army centurion in the gap between his faceplate and neck guard, the entire arrowhead piercing his throat. He died instantly before he could even scream!

With just one volley, the front of the Black Mountain Army's seemingly impregnable heavy armored phalanx was as if swept away by an invisible giant hand, leaving dozens of terrifying gaps! At least twenty heavy armored soldiers died instantly, and more than thirty others were seriously wounded and fell to the ground, incapacitated. Blood soaked through their armor, which they were so proud of, and broken iron pieces and twisted crossbow bolts were scattered everywhere.

But that wasn't all. Several crossbow bolts were fired further back, their targets aimed directly at the trebuchet operators who were busy loading their loads. A gun emplacement commander was waving a small flag to urge his men on when he suddenly felt a chill on his chest. Looking down, he saw a long, thick crossbow bolt piercing his leather armor and chest, the fletching still trembling. He opened his mouth, his eyes filled with disbelief, and fell backward. Two operators nearby, who were pulling the winch with all their might, were also pierced by the whistling crossbow bolts, screaming as they tumbled off the gun emplacement.

The sudden and terrifying attack, far beyond our comprehension, plunged the once-mighty Black Mountain Army's heavily armored phalanx into immense chaos and panic!

"Good heavens! What kind of crossbow is that?!"

"Shields are useless! Armor is useless!"

"The officer is dead! The artillery over there has also been hit by arrows!"

A series of shrill screams and terrified shouts erupted among the heavily armored soldiers. They could withstand mountains of knives and rains of arrows, and endure rolling logs and boulders, but this terrifying weapon, capable of easily piercing heavy armor from over a hundred paces away and accurately sniping commanders and artillery drivers, was completely beyond their comprehension! The momentum of the charge abruptly halted, and many instinctively raised their shields and cowered, unaware of how ridiculous this action was in the face of the divine crossbow.

"Don't stop! Charge! They're reloading too slowly!" The Black Mountain Army officer in the rear shouted hoarsely, trying to steady his troops.

However, the Divine Arm Battalion on the walls of Starfire Fortress gave them no chance to breathe!

"Quick! String the crossbow! Load the arrow!" roared the captain of the Divine Arm Battalion. Although the crossbowmen were also shocked by the enormous power, their rigorous training enabled them to react quickly. Working in pairs, they used a winch to string the Divine Arm crossbow at a speed much faster than that of an ordinary crossbow, while their assistants quickly loaded new heavy crossbow bolts into the quiver.

Just over twenty breaths later—

"Round Two - Release!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom——!"

The black lightning of death struck again! This time, because the enemy's heavy armored phalanx was thrown into chaos and clustered even more densely, the casualties were even more horrific! More than thirty heavy armored soldiers fell screaming, including officers who were trying to regroup. The catapult positions in the rear were also hit again; the winches of two artillery pieces were damaged and temporarily rendered useless.

"Third round—Release!"

The third volley followed, completely shattering the morale of the Black Mountain Army's heavy infantry phalanx. The surviving hundred or so heavy infantrymen no longer cared about military orders or rewards; with a shout, they dropped their shields, swords, and axes, turned around, and fled in disarray, even disrupting the ranks of the ordinary infantry that followed behind.

Meanwhile, the guards on the walls of Starfire Fortress witnessed this earth-shattering scene. After a brief moment of stunned silence, they erupted in deafening cheers!

"The Divine Crossbow! It's our Divine Crossbow!"

"Powerful! Powerful Divine Arm Battalion!"

The morale, which had been somewhat low due to the artillery bombardment and the heavy infantry pressing in, instantly soared to its peak! The defenders at the breach, without being urged by their officers, took the initiative to rush back to the front line, using arrows and prepared rolling stones to beat the fleeing enemy and chase down the fleeing enemy.

On the main enemy platform on the north wall, Chen Xing slowly lowered his binoculars, a hint of relief finally appearing on his tense face. Success! The first combat use of the Divine Arm Crossbow far exceeded expectations! It not only successfully routed the enemy's most elite heavily armored assault team, but also severely damaged the enemy's morale and command system.

Murong Mingyue's eyes gleamed with excitement. Although she knew that Chen Xing had been secretly developing new crossbows, she had not expected them to be so powerful! Chen Wei clenched his fist forcefully, his face full of excitement.

"The Divine Arm has fired its first shot, truly living up to its name!" Chen Xing said in a deep voice. "Order the Divine Arm Battalion: Cease firing, inspect the crossbows, and replenish arrows. Switch to targeted sniping mode, focusing on enemy officers, standard-bearers, and artillery operators! I will render this arrogant commander deaf and blind!"

He then looked at Murong Mingyue, a cold glint in his eyes: "Mingyue, the time has come. The Black Mountain Army's heavy armor is crumbling, the entire army is in disarray, and the artillery positions are in chaos. Your cavalry can move out now—target, the enemy's artillery positions and the routed soldiers! Stomp them down!"

"Yes, sir!" Murong Mingyue could no longer contain herself. With a flick of her red robes, she turned and rushed down the city wall.