Chapter 1105: Fight to the Death

The two types of inner energy that had previously reached perfection were still manageable by Zhang Xiu’s body. However, now that they had been pushed to their limits and forcibly fused, the power they unleashed had surpassed all barriers.

Although Zhang Xiu had the unsettling feeling that he might explode at any moment, he had to admit that this overwhelming force was more than enough to crush most Inner Qi experts.

"I can take on five of them at once now!" Zhang Xiu’s hair flew wildly, and his eyes burned with a purple glow. The output of his inner energy had already surpassed even Lü Bu’s level!

"Ahhh! Break for me!" Zhang Xiu roared like a madman, charging forward at the head of his troops, diving into the lingering smoke. Zhang He and the Xiahou brothers could only see a flash of purple light streaking through, and all the Xianbei soldiers in that path were ruthlessly cut down.

Following closely behind Zhang Xiu, the Xiliang Iron Cavalry accelerated and charged into the gap he had created. The already disorganized Xianbei forces, who were confused due to limited visibility, were quickly trampled into the ground under the cavalry’s fierce onslaught.

"Kill!" Zhang He took a deep breath and led the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry in pursuit. They howled as they surged forward, following the path carved out by the Iron Cavalry and killing everything in their way.

"Incredible strength..." Xu Huang muttered as he felt the edge of his axe. Zhang Xiu’s display of power was enough to draw the attention of all the formidable warriors across the land.

"Full charge, chaotic battle!" Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun shouted simultaneously, ordering their troops forward. The left and right flanks, filled with the same high morale, charged into the fray with a fierce roar.

With a crisp sound, Zhang Xiu’s spear cut through the command flag of the Xianbei rear guard. In the brief moments following, he had slain the flag bearer and the soldiers around him.

Kebineng, who had been rushing toward Zhang Xiu, was shocked by what he saw and immediately ordered his troops to retreat. Although the Xianbei forces were numerous and their central army was the main strength, the loss of the rear guard wasn’t worth the risk of further confrontation with the Cao army.

At this point, Zhang Xiu’s eyes were glowing with a purple hue, and the surging inner energy within him caused unbearable pain. He knew he had to finish the battle quickly to relieve the pressure building inside him.

"Traitor, you won’t escape!" Ignoring his own suffering, Zhang Xiu turned his horse toward Kebineng. Killing the Xianbei commander would give them a decisive advantage in the battle.

Behind him, the cavalry continued to press forward. With the Iron Cavalry breaking through and the Wolf Cavalry cleaning up, the Xianbei morale was utterly crushed. The rest of the army received little resistance as they plunged into the Xianbei ranks.

Meanwhile, in the Xianbei central camp, Ma Chao was locked in a desperate struggle. He and his six thousand elite troops had been entrenched in a brutal fight, and the sheer size of the Xianbei central forces made the battle immensely difficult. Their defenses were tight and highly organized.

But Ma Chao had anticipated this. If the central camp were lightly defended, it would have been overrun long ago. In war, the key was always to maximize your strengths.

"Break for me!" Ma Chao roared, enduring several injuries while cutting down an enemy officer. Having already penetrated deep into the enemy formation, the overwhelming Xianbei cloud of energy severely limited his ability to use his own inner energy.

After killing the officer with a single spear thrust, Ma Chao quickly fended off the surrounding enemies, urging his horse forward. His personal guards surged behind him, forming a powerful tide that swept through the Xianbei ranks.

Fortunately for Ma Chao, the Xianbei central camp was not laid out in an organized manner, which gave him opportunities to push forward. Otherwise, with only six thousand men, they would have been annihilated long ago.

Even so, after prolonged and intense fighting, Ma Chao was beginning to feel exhausted. His personal guards were in even worse shape, their strength waning after hours of continuous battle.

Meanwhile, the Xianbei central army had fully mobilized and was beginning to encircle Ma Chao’s troops, gradually restricting their movements.

"Do any of you still have the strength to charge one more time?" Ma Chao asked, taking a deep breath as he glanced at his blood-soaked personal guards.

"Fight!" they shouted as one. Despite only four thousand remaining, their loyalty and admiration for Ma Chao had reached an unshakable level.

"Very well. Everyone, eat your rations and drink your wine. Follow me in this final charge to cut down their command flag. The Han army will prevail!" Ma Chao bellowed, his sense of duty and honor eclipsing any concern for the Qiang people or even himself.

After so much frenzied fighting, Ma Chao, despite his own injuries, knew what he was truly fighting for.

"Victory for the Han army!" The Qiang soldiers, still on horseback, roared in response. Without hesitation, they devoured their rations and downed their water and wine, preparing to follow Ma Chao in one final charge.

Ma Chao’s vision blurred with the blood of his enemies, and the pressure on him was immense. Every previous attempt to target the command flag had failed, and he had nearly been trapped multiple times.

"This is the last time. I will get them all out of here!" Ma Chao clenched his golden spear, tapping it against his tiger-shaped helmet. Though his beloved wife’s hair was no longer inside, he still made the gesture. He knew this might be his last stand.

"I should’ve married the Wang family’s daughter. Maybe I should’ve taken a lock of my sister Yunlu’s hair too." For the first time, Ma Chao felt a twinge of regret, but he quickly pushed it aside.

"I am the Heavenly General Ma Chao! I am the King of the Qiang! I am Ma Chao!" Ma Chao roared as his steed, Li Feisha, bolted forward at full speed.

"Slash!" Blood spattered as Ma Chao charged into the Xianbei central army once more, fighting with everything he had. One thousand steps, eight hundred steps, five hundred steps!

His spear moved with machine-like precision, each thrust drawing blood. All that filled Ma Chao’s vision was the enemy’s command flag. Only by cutting down that flag could the battle be won.

"Stand in my way and die!" Ma Chao no longer knew how many wounds covered his body, but he could feel that he was close to reaching the flag.

"Stop him!" Mo Hutu roared as Ma Chao closed in, now only fifty steps away from the flag. But he was also nearing his limit.

"Fall!" Ma Chao grabbed an enemy’s spear aimed at him and swept it aside, felling another soldier whose face he could barely make out. His entire body screamed in pain, but the power he had reserved for this moment finally surged forth.

With a final burst of strength, Ma Chao hurled his spear fifty steps forward. The golden weapon sailed through the air and struck the command flag’s pole, cutting it in two.

As the flag collapsed, Ma Chao’s eyelids grew unbearably heavy. But in the next moment, he heard the sounds of fierce battle around him, and countless spears closed in on him.

"Get away from him!" Zhang Xiu’s voice thundered as he hurled his tiger-headed golden spear. It tore through the air, killing the Xianbei soldiers surrounding Ma Chao. Li Feisha reared up, helping Ma Chao narrowly avoid death.

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