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Chapter 693 Mountain Combat

Li Daoxuan was also facing a climbing problem, but for him, it wasn't so bad. His mechanical body didn't move by burning fuel, but by esoteric energies.

However, the strength this mechanical body could exert was determined by its size.

The smaller Scout-type Tian Zun could only exert very little force.

The human-sized Test-02 Tian Zun could exert strength comparable to an average adult male.

The eight-meter-tall Tian Zun used in Jishan previously could exert the strength of a giant.

Such was the marvel of esoteric power.

Li Daoxuan was basking in his triumph when suddenly, a *crack* echoed underfoot. The stepping stone, normally sturdy enough for anyone else, splintered beneath his weight, snapping into two pieces.

Beneath the slab lay a ditch, and Li Daoxuan tumbled into it with a noisy rush. Due to his immense weight, his fall crushed and broke all the vegetation on the ditch walls, clearing a path like a bulldozer.

Zhang Fengyi: "Ah? Mr. Xiao, are you alright?"

Zhang Fengyi: "It must be quite a hardship for you, Mr. Xiao, following us through these remote mountain ravines."

Li Daoxuan: "Truly, it's nothing, just a minor issue."

He used both his hands and feet, taking some time to clamber out of the ditch, then chuckled, "Let's continue, this is quite fun."

—

The next day, early morning.

After waking up, Li Daoxuan quickly co-sensed into the box, only to find the White Pole Soldiers were already up and preparing for battle.

A militia soldier nearby approached him and whispered, "Last night, the rebel forces under Zijing Liang had already reached the foot of the mountain. They were shouting loudly and waving many torches at the mountain, trying to intimidate us."

Li Daoxuan simply hummed, "Oh."

"But they wouldn't dare climb the mountain in the middle of the night," the militia soldier explained. "It's too dangerous to ascend an unfamiliar mountain after dark. They'll attack during the day today."

Li Daoxuan nodded, thinking to himself: *This isn't Houjia Village, so it should be fine, right? The butterfly effect shouldn't have reached this far, should it? I'll wait and see what Zhang Fengyi does.*

He saw that the White Pole Soldiers had already established defensive positions on the mountainside.

Small, circular defensive platforms stacked from stones.

Archers were already standing by within the defensive platforms.

Although the primary weapon of the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers was the white pole spear, it didn't mean they couldn't use other weapons. Most soldiers were equipped with bows and arrows, and a small number also carried Three-Eyed Arquebuses.

In his modern life, Li Daoxuan had visited the ruins of Wan Shou Zhai and seen excavated artifacts, including Three-Eyed Arquebuses used by the White Pole Soldiers, displayed there.

So, seeing them bring out Three-Eyed Arquebuses now didn't surprise him.

Zhang Fengyi noticed him observing her army's Three-Eyed Arquebuses and offered an awkward smile. "Our arquebuses are quite weak, Mr. Xiao. They can't compare to the firearms your troops use."

Li Daoxuan smiled, "We'll exchange more insights in the future. I can also help you develop your firearm technology."

Zhang Fengyi sighed and shook her head. "Using firearms on a large scale requires too much money. Our Wan Shou Zhai simply can't afford it. To be honest, the Tujia people in our homeland still struggle to even eat their fill. They're in no position to tinker with firearms. These Three-Eyed Arquebuses were begged from the imperial court."

Li Daoxuan nodded, dropping the subject.

He also had no intention of helping the White Pole Soldiers develop firearms before the Ming court's downfall. Qin Liangyu, the commander-in-chief of the White Pole Soldiers, was fiercely loyal. If he helped them, she might well assist the court in resisting his "new era army," and who knew what might happen then.

Providing new firearms to the White Pole Soldiers would have to wait until the question of political power was settled, or after they had clearly chosen to support him.

At that moment, a horn blast echoed from down the mountain.

Zijing Liang's rebel forces began their assault on the mountain...

They came in a relentless tide, a sea of people surging across the hillsides.

The White Pole Soldiers unleashed the rolling logs and boulders they had prepared last night while Li Daoxuan slept, sending them crashing down the mountain. Arrows and Three-Eyed Arquebuses rained down upon the slopes.

The defensive platforms, walled with stones on the mountainside, now transformed into a series of "firing points."

These "firing points" astonishingly created a crossfire, subjecting the climbing rebel forces to a 270-degree encirclement.

The experience was overwhelmingly intense!

The rebel forces retaliated with their own arrows, but the defensive platforms protected the White Pole Soldiers. Shooting arrows from a lower position uphill was remarkably ineffective, posing virtually no threat to them.

The most daring bandits, after a strenuous effort, finally reached the defensive platforms, intending to scale them and attack the archers. But the moment they clambered over, several white pole spears met them head-on. These spears moved with agile, varied techniques, and their users' coordination was exceptionally clever.

The bandits were utterly unable to parry, and in a blink, they were stabbed to death. Their bodies then became additional rolling logs and boulders, hurled down the slope by the White Pole Soldiers to smash into those below.

The effect was indeed impressive, each impact sending terrified screams echoing from the ranks below.

It didn't take long for the morale of the leading rebel forces to shatter, and they stalled. No matter how much the rebels behind urged them on, those in front refused to advance, and many began to retreat.

Morale collapse was contagious. Soon, the entire rebel formation disintegrated, and the army, which had swarmed the mountain like locusts, retreated completely. Only the bodies of rebel soldiers, scattered arrows, and weapons were left on the slopes.

Li Daoxuan's people hadn't fired a single shot throughout the entire engagement, instead enjoying a truly authentic Ming Dynasty battle. It was quite exhilarating to watch.

"The Sichuan White Pole Soldiers truly live up to their reputation," Li Daoxuan praised sincerely. "Their skill in mountain warfare is astonishing."

For the next half-day, the rebels were in no hurry to attack the mountain. They were clearly strategizing on how best to assault this challenging terrain.

Several rebel detachments circled around to the flanks, seemingly searching for more suitable points of ascent.

However, Zhang Fengyi had long since sent scouts to thoroughly map the surrounding terrain. She had positioned several small teams in ambush on the adjacent slopes. When the rebel scouts came to reconnoiter, a volley of arrows flew, easily dispatching them.

The rebels, finding their scouts unable to penetrate, dared not launch a hasty assault. After a day of agitation, they failed to even reach halfway up the slope and were forced to encamp at its base.

That evening, as dusk settled.

Zhang Fengyi glanced at the distribution of rebel forces below and chuckled softly, "As the adage goes, 'to defend a city, one must first clear the surrounding encampments.' It's the same for defending a mountain. We can't let the rebels below get too comfortable. We'll raid their camp tonight."

Li Daoxuan couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, with a thousand men against fifty thousand, General Zhang still has the spirit for a camp raid. It seems you're quite confident."