A reinforcement of forty thousand Xianbei cavalry, including ten thousand elite ironclad cavalry, swiftly arrived, bringing the Xianbei forces back to one hundred thousand and boosting their morale.
"The enemy is at the end of their tether. Our army shall slay the White Robe soldiers and capture Liang Xiao and General Tian!"
The Xianbei monarch raised his arms and called out. One hundred thousand troops poured out, charging towards the front lines.
"Marshal, the enemy has actually turned back to attack us!"
Liang Xiao and his companions, who were taking a short rest, received an urgent report from Lü Changhe.
"Tell Nie Yuan to immediately implement the established strategy, centering on the divine archer corps, and to coordinate with me in defending and breaking their formation!"
Messengers spread throughout the army, relaying the orders swiftly to Nie Yuan and Liang Zhan.
The two thousand divine archers, their faces flushed with fervor, roared, thumping their chests, "We are willing to shoot down all invaders for the Marshal and General Tian!!"
The two armies were less than a mile apart. The Xianbei cavalry advanced aggressively, while the Great Qian soldiers immediately organized a counterattack, with the White Robe soldiers temporarily retreating to their main formation.
The ironclad cavalry, shields raised to block arrows, used their height and powerful steeds to obstruct the enemy's view of the large number of longbowmen positioned behind them.
All divine archers dismounted, carrying quivers and nocking arrows. Their arrowheads were pointed upwards, aiming towards the eastern grasslands.
"Revenge! Kill the White Robe soldiers! Kill General Tian! Kill Liang Xiao!!"
Upon hearing that their forty-thousand-strong force had been annihilated, and that the Great Qian soldiers were at their limit, the Xianbei cavalry were enraged. Shaking off their fatigue, they were determined to deliver a decisive blow.
The overwhelming volley of arrows caused no significant casualties to the Great Qian cavalry, who had already formed a semicircular defensive formation.
These Great Qian cavalry soldiers had been trained in various formations and could organize themselves systematically under the command of bugle calls and signal flags.
The current semicircular formation resembled the "Que Yue" formation, designed to weaken the enemy's charge with its arc while buying time for the divine archers behind.
Of the forty thousand elite Great Qian cavalry, twenty thousand divine archers were dispatched to the desert battlefield, while the remaining twenty thousand Great Qian heavy cavalry were sent to the western frontier.
It wasn't that Liang Xiao had deliberately divided his forces. The desert was harsh, and the Great Qian heavy cavalry, burdened by heavy equipment, would have difficulty pursuing the highly mobile Xianbei cavalry in the desert, and might even be unable to provide timely support.
However, the divine archers were different. Those capable of wielding longbows were originally strongmen, equipped with heavy warhorses and wearing padded armor. They faced no burden of weight and did not need to carry heavy shields, allowing them to rapidly reinforce the desert. After the battle in the desert, and after resting in the northern territories, they could quickly proceed to the western frontier to reform the Great Qian elite cavalry corps at the fastest pace.
The Great Qian cavalry who had retreated from the front lines came to stand beside the divine archers, voluntarily lying down to rest and allowing the divine archers to stand on their backs to gain a higher vantage point.
Because their padded armor had steel plating on the inside, the divine archers standing on them, without repeated stepping, caused them almost no harm.
The divine archer corps gained an additional five to six inches in height, allowing their arrows a more flexible trajectory, free from the worry of friendly fire against the armored cavalry at the front.
The one hundred thousand ferocious Xianbei cavalry charged directly at the front army, approaching the fifty-yard battle line!
"The enemy has arrived! Divine archers, commence firing!"
Liang Zhan, observing the situation from the highlands, gave the order. The command spread, and the twenty thousand divine archers roared in unison, "Great Qian's Heavenly Might!!"
Twenty thousand arrows streaked through the air in slender arcs, whistling forward and directly targeting the charging Xianbei cavalry!
The distance of fifty to seventy yards was the optimal range for longbows, delivering devastating power.
"Puff, puff, puff..."
The sounds of metal colliding and blades piercing flesh were incessant, followed by a chorus of screams.
The Xianbei ironclad cavalry, which they prided themselves on, were pierced by arrows and fell from their mounts!
"What's happening? Is this the true power of Great Qian's longbows? Why are our country's imitations so ordinary, even severely cracking?"
The Xianbei monarch on the high slope was shocked and bewildered, unable to understand.
"They use yew wood. This wood is tough and suitable for longbows. Our Tian Ri tribe is also making them. We can consider selling them to you after this battle!" Valentin explained abruptly.
The Xianbei monarch roared, "Then why didn't you tell me sooner?!"
Valentin retorted, "I only just found out myself..."
"Puff!"
The Xianbei monarch thrust his spear through Valentin's throat.
Valentin's pupils constricted, his gaze unfocused, and he died on the spot.
"Upon returning, tell Valentin's retainers that Valentin died in the chaos of battle. Once my Xianbei have concluded this campaign and taken the gold, we shall recuperate and surely annihilate the Tian Ri tribe as well!" the Xianbei monarch said grimly.
The generals vaguely felt that they had been used, even manipulated, by the Tian Ri tribe, and therefore did not question the Xianbei monarch's actions.
"Your Majesty, should we cease hostilities and negotiate peace with the Great Qian army..." a soldier finally whispered, fearing that the Xianbei monarch might also spear him.
The Xianbei monarch roared, "Peace? Even if the Great Qian country lets us go, we will never let the Great Qian country or the gold go! Whether the Xianbei can dominate the world in the future rests on this battle. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Charge forward with all your might, and great rewards shall be bestowed! When we enter the Great Qian in the future, beauties, wealth, and official positions will be yours for the taking!"
"I have endured humiliation until now, yet I still suffer heavy losses. Even if I exhaust all my elite troops, I will grind Liang Xiao and General Tian to bone and pulp, ravish their wives and daughters, and then have their male family members slowly sliced to death. I will not spare them!!"
The Xianbei monarch, a great ruler of his era, transformed his inner inferiority and fear into rage at this moment.
Inspired by the Xianbei monarch, the Xianbei generals were also consumed by anger.
"Kill Liang Xiao! Kill General Tian! Kill the White Robe soldiers!"
The brief interlude did not alter the battlefield situation.
Xianbei cavalry charged forward one after another, falling from their horses under the trajectory of the longbows.
By the time they reached the Great Qian army's formations, they had already endured four volleys of longbow fire, with casualties exceeding at least five thousand.
The Great Qian iron cavalry immediately advanced to meet them, with the armored shield cavalry providing protection and the remaining iron cavalry flanking from the sides.
Facing nearly one hundred thousand Xianbei cavalry with only fifty thousand Great Qian iron cavalry, the latter showed no fear, their fighting spirit soaring.
The two thousand divine archers continued to nock and draw their bows. Even if they could not hit the Xianbei cavalry engaged in combat, they could still rain arrows down on the enemy's rear.
Furthermore, the direction of the arrow volleys was towards the northwest, carried by the wind, adding to their power.
The Xianbei cavalry at the front charged fiercely towards the Great Qian formations, but they could not break through the combined defense of Great Qian's large shields, iron armor, and long spears.
Facing the integrated long-range and close-range assault of longbows and long spears, an increasing number of Xianbei cavalry died in hatred before the formation, their eyes filled with terror.
Even though the Great Qian iron cavalry remained stationary, the enemy's momentum meant that the long spears were effectively thrusting at the enemy's speed.
"Your Majesty! Our army cannot break through the enemy's defense line..."
The urgent report from the messenger was like a bucket of cold water poured onto the enraged Xianbei monarch.
"Impossible! My Xianbei cavalry are not what they used to be, and we have a numerical advantage, twice that of the enemy!" the Xianbei monarch roared hysterically.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. We will immediately lead our troops to charge!" The generals earnestly persuaded him, finally calming the Xianbei monarch and enabling him to quickly consider a countermeasure.
Shortly thereafter, the White Robe soldiers from afar once again poured out in full force, their auras soaring, causing heaven and earth to change color and the mountains and rivers to tremble with awe!
With a flash of white shadow, Liang Xiao, on horseback, raised his halberd and shouted, "Break the formation and capture the enemy! Now is the time!"