The blood arrows from the Xian Deng shot towards the Trap Formation like a tidal wave, yet the Trap Formation soldiers remained calm, their expressions mirroring Gao Shun's indifference.
"The will of the Xian Deng: No life without death!" Li Ren shouted as he swung his blade towards the Xian Deng, and the other Trap Formation soldiers followed suit, their low growls echoing as they slashed forward. A wave of silver light surged ahead, piercing through Ju Yi's prideful blood arrows.
"Charge and wipe them out!" Li Ren roared, seizing the moment when the Xian Deng were thrown into disarray by the overwhelming momentum. He led the charge, holding up a large shield and pressing forward against the Xian Deng's powerful crossbow fire. The other Trap Formation soldiers followed, swinging their internal energy-infused blades like a fierce tiger among sheep.
"Archers, stagger your fire!" Ju Yi, though shocked by the Trap Formation's combat prowess, retained his composure. His battle-hardened mind quickly directed his troops to regroup, hoping to repel the enemy and defeat them using the Xian Deng's most effective tactic.
The Trap Formation soldiers deflected the arrows with their tilted shields and quickly rolled and leaped into the Xian Deng's formation, cutting down the enemies who hadn't switched to melee weapons in time.
"This is bad!" Ju Yi noticed how the Trap Formation soldiers required little to no command, relying solely on experience to make optimal decisions in battle. They could wield any weapon—crossbows, spears, arrows, shields, arm guards, and more—with lethal precision, as if they were born to fight with these tools. This realization filled Ju Yi with dread.
"Abandon the crossbows! Group into squads of five and engage!" Ju Yi ordered. Seeing that his troops were being steadily cut down, he understood that his soldiers couldn't match the Trap Formation in raw skill. Moreover, their crossbow fire had little impact on the enemy, who could even catch their arrows and fire them back with deadly accuracy. Ju Yi couldn't help but wonder if the Trap Formation was composed entirely of high-ranking officers.
Ju Yi's command quickly took effect. With disciplined teamwork, the Xian Deng squads managed to stabilize their lines. However, Ju Yi noticed that his soldiers struggled to land fatal blows on the Trap Formation, while the enemy's attacks inflicted severe damage with alarming ease.
"What is going on?" Ju Yi muttered, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the Trap Formation. He could understand being overpowered by an army bolstered by cloud energy, but this situation shattered his understanding of elite troops. The Xian Deng's attacks were almost useless unless they struck a vital spot.
Ju Yi's gaze fixated on one of his soldiers who had slashed deeply into a Trap Formation soldier's neck, only to see that the wound barely penetrated. Though such an injury should have been fatal, the Trap Formation soldier continued to fight ferociously, killing Ju Yi's man before yanking the blade out and charging again.
"This is impossible!" Ju Yi exclaimed in disbelief.
It wasn't just Ju Yi who was stunned. The Xian Deng soldiers were on the verge of panic. The Trap Formation's relentless bravery defied human understanding. Even squads of five struggled to contain the enemy, who fought with reckless abandon, taking arrows without flinching and cutting down comrades left and right. The Xian Deng began to feel an icy dread—the enemy didn't seem human.
Suppressing his shock, Ju Yi grabbed his blade and charged at Li Ren. It was one of the few times since the Battle of Jieqiao that Ju Yi led from the front.
"Clang!" Li Ren parried Ju Yi's sudden strike, and the Xian Deng soldiers furiously attacked him from all sides.
"Slash!" Two massive wounds appeared across Li Ren's chest, with his internal organs visible through the gashes. Yet, as if in a frenzy, Li Ren ignored the injuries and grabbed Ju Yi's blade, slashing at Ju Yi's chest and abdomen with his own weapon.
"Thud!" Ju Yi kicked Li Ren away and leaped into the air, bringing his blade down on Li Ren's neck, decapitating him.
"Trap Formation! Trap Formation!" Upon Li Ren's death, all the Trap Formation soldiers seemed to sense it, turning to gaze at Ju Yi. In response, the nearby soldiers charged at him without hesitation, swinging their blades in fury, ignoring the Xian Deng soldiers attacking them from behind.
"Clang!" Ju Yi blocked the first Trap Formation soldier's attack, ready to counter, but two more soldiers joined the assault, forcing him onto the defensive. Their fearless attacks, bolstered by cloud energy, actually began to push Ju Yi back, despite his considerable skill.
Seeing his Xian Deng soldiers falling back under the Trap Formation's sudden surge after their deputy's death, Ju Yi angrily shouted, "How dare you try to stop me! Out of my way!"
His blade cut through a Trap Formation soldier's neck, blood spraying everywhere. He followed up with a strike that sent another soldier flying, then spun and drove his blade into the chest of the last soldier, covering himself in blood.
"This... is exhausting," Ju Yi muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. The Trap Formation's resilience was beyond belief, and just as he caught his breath, he saw two of the three soldiers he had just killed slowly stand back up.
"This can't be..." Ju Yi gasped. But then he realized—his blade began to glow with the power of the army's will. He slashed again, cutting down one of the soldiers for good this time, confirming his suspicion.
"The army's will... as long as their will remains strong, even deadly wounds can't stop them!" Ju Yi bitterly muttered as more Trap Formation soldiers charged at him. He finally understood why they were so difficult to kill.
It wasn't that they couldn't die, but their willpower delayed the inevitable. On the battlefield, only overwhelming damage could bring them down. With their fierce determination, even critical injuries wouldn't stop them. Ju Yi also realized that off the battlefield, when their will to survive faded, even losing a limb could mean death.