Chapter 1076: The Personal Guards Forged Through Hardship

Ma Chao once again adjusted the protection provided by his control over the cloud energy. After enduring several days of frost and biting winds, he unknowingly mastered the ability to manipulate cloud energy.

To be honest, Ma Chao didn’t understand how he suddenly knew how to control cloud energy. He only remembered that during a particularly harsh blizzard, he used the cloud energy to shield his troops from the environment. However, after just over an hour, the cloud energy had been depleted to a dangerously thin level, and his soldiers were drained, their morale and energy plummeting.

Fortunately, at that time, they reached a sheltered area. If not, Ma Chao estimated that his entire army might have been wiped out.

As they continued marching, Ma Chao began to consciously suppress the use of cloud energy to just the bare minimum required to fend off the harsh environment, keeping its consumption within tolerable limits. This new control over cloud energy felt almost instinctive.

As Ma Chao became more familiar with this ability, his usage of cloud energy became increasingly precise. He could now even apply it to offense and defense, though it was still only an experimental attempt. Nevertheless, it was something he could achieve.

However, when he tried to push this newfound skill further, Ma Chao noticed that once he reached a certain limit, the cloud energy would automatically revert to its original state, leaving him puzzled.

After all, cloud energy inherently carries unique properties, and the ability to enhance soldiers' attacks and defenses using cloud energy is usually attributed to battle formations. The power of a general’s will, synchronized with the will of their soldiers, affects the cloud energy, producing effects known as Legion Talents. Elite units develop special attributes because their mastery of cloud energy becomes instinctive, and the energy manifests additional properties.

As for Army Souls, they are purely willpower-based. The secondary abilities they manifest are driven by cloud energy, pushed to its limit by sheer willpower.

In essence, formations, Legion Talents, elite attributes, and Army Souls are all expressions of personal will and cloud energy. Their differences lie in their specific attributes, which in turn affect how they manifest, becoming stronger as they approach their limits.

These insights had been shared with Ma Chao by Chen Qun. Just like Liu Bei's army and Sun Ce's forces, Cao Cao's side also had individuals researching and collecting data on such phenomena.

In the past, before the late Han dynasty, there were very few people capable of achieving Out-of-Body internal energy, and since the world’s essence hadn’t been fully activated yet, there wasn’t much material to study. But now, with many internal energy experts and widespread use of Legion Talents and unique formations, it would be strange if the wise men of the time weren’t investigating these phenomena.

Naturally, Cao Cao's forces had also compiled a complete set of research on these topics. As an ally and someone venturing deep into the northern desert, Cao Cao, hoping to foster a closer relationship, generously provided this information to Ma Chao before his campaign. After all, if Ma Chao didn’t survive, the knowledge wouldn’t spread, so there was no harm in sharing it.

This is how Ma Chao came into contact with these materials, which only the three major factions possessed. Incidentally, Chen Qun also had access to information on the immortal arts of longevity but had sealed it away after reading it, realizing that path held no real value.

Ma Chao suspected that he had awakened a Legion Talent, but strangely, according to the materials Chen Qun provided, a general should know instinctively when their Legion Talent is awakened, even if they don’t fully understand how to use it. But Ma Chao felt uncertain about his abilities, leaning more towards the notion that what he was controlling resembled a formation rather than a Legion Talent.

Unfortunately, Ma Chao had no opportunity to test his theory, as wasting cloud energy in such harsh conditions would have been irresponsible towards his troops.

Suddenly, Ma Chao spotted something in the distance—an opening in the sky several miles away. He felt a rush of excitement. "Pick up the pace! Our resting point is just ahead!" he shouted.

Ma Chao had guessed correctly. The clearing in the sky was the resting point that Xun Yu had prepared for them. When Xun Yu had asked Ma Chao to designate a resting point and estimate their arrival time, this was the reason. Xun Yu had expended an enormous amount of mental energy to alter the weather hundreds of miles away. Though he could only affect a small area, the strategic significance was clear.

As Ma Chao stepped into the clear zone, the wind and snow completely vanished. Though they still stood on a snowy plain, the biting cold that had once seemed so unbearable had disappeared, and the dark clouds above had parted, revealing a brilliant moon and countless stars.

The Qiang warriors, upon entering this tranquil resting spot, were filled with awe. Many even knelt on the snow to offer prayers to the heavens, and their gaze upon Ma Chao grew increasingly reverent, as though they were looking upon a god.

"Set up camp! Rest and cook! We’ll recover tonight!" Ma Chao roared. In such conditions, a single bowl of hot soup would greatly boost the soldiers' morale.

"Yes!" The Qiang warriors shouted in unison. They now understood why Ma Chao had ordered each of them to bring two horses, with one carrying firewood. Soon, the entire Qiang contingent had entered the resting zone and began setting up camp and preparing food. Ma Chao, however, did not order extra patrols—tonight, he would stand guard himself.

Soon, the aroma of meat filled the air. After eating their fill, the soldiers followed Ma Chao's orders to rest early. Meanwhile, Ma Chao stood outside the camp, watching the raging blizzard and howling winds just beyond their sheltered haven.

Compared to the sheer power of Out-of-Body internal energy, the ability of top strategists to manipulate nature itself seemed almost godlike. Observing the scene before him, even Ma Chao felt a sense of awe.

"Fa Xiaozhi, is this the kind of power you possess? Not only do you have incredible intellect, but you also wield such mighty abilities," Ma Chao thought to himself. As for the possibility of a nighttime raid, he wasn’t worried in the slightest. He stood guard only to prevent any potential large-scale attacks from wolves.

After a night of rest, Ma Chao's troops, previously battered and exhausted, had regained their morale. Their eyes now shone with renewed determination, and their aura was more imposing than before. Most importantly, they had newfound confidence in themselves.

Miracles and glory—after last night, they had absolute faith that their king would lead them to victory. Any hardships they faced beforehand were now seen as trials, preparing them for the journey ahead.

It might sound as though they had become fanatics, and in truth, they had. The young Qiang warriors had always revered their king. Ma Chao, someone of their own age, had ended the thousand-year internal strife of the Qiang, and his unparalleled strength commanded their utmost respect.

Just as noble families would instill their younger generations with stories of their ancestors, the Qiang also taught their descendants about their kings, painting them as perfect and powerful figures. Ma Chao’s every action fit the image of the Qiang King from these legends, and these dream-filled young warriors naturally projected that legendary figure onto Ma Chao, convinced that he would lead them from one victory to the next.

They did not fight for themselves but followed in their king’s footsteps. Every young Qiang warrior silently made up their minds as they marched across the snow-covered plains. They believed in Ma Chao, in their king, and knew that he would bring them victory.

The biting winds and blinding snow, once so difficult to endure, now seemed more bearable under the steadfast belief that all these trials could be overcome.

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