Chapter 1158: The Army May Fall, But the Eagle Standard Must Not Be Taken

Thud! Thousands of Roman longbowmen unleashed a volley of arrows at the Western Liang Cavalry, but, just as when the short bows had failed to pierce the cavalry earlier, the arrows were deflected.

Shlick! Roman spears managed to pierce through the armor of the Western Liang cavalry, striking the riders, but instead of killing them outright, as had been expected, the cavalry retaliated, cutting down the Roman soldiers with swift strokes.

"So... this is it?" Li Jue looked at the glowing light surrounding his hand, a mix of darkness and silver gleaming in the midst. He finally understood.

"Crush them all!" Li Jue roared. He didn’t care where the newfound power came from. The moment it appeared, he knew exactly what it was and that annihilating the Romans was far more important than pondering its origin.

With a swing of his horse-cutting blade, Li Jue decapitated the Roman cavalryman before him, ignoring the arrows still flying toward him. He knew that from the moment his legion talent activated, his Western Liang cavalry had become the most formidable defensive force on the battlefield.

Qi-enhanced defense, elite attributes enhancing their toughness, formation defense bonuses — and now, with the legion talent finally unlocked, Li Jue’s Western Liang cavalry, even if clad in the most basic armor, would still be the most indomitable defensive cavalry in the world.

"Hahaha! Well done, Zhiran!" Fan Chou and Guo Si had sensed something was amiss when they saw the glow of the Roman eagle standard. Their frustration and fury had nearly boiled over; how could even an inanimate object surpass them? After all, they were some of the best cavalry commanders in the world!

But the next moment, Li Jue's glow enveloped them as well, quelling their anger with the overwhelming force of their brother’s newly awakened legion talent.

"Kill, kill, kill!" Guo Si shouted, exhilarated when he felt the arrows bounce harmlessly off him. He knew exactly what this talent was, and while it might seem a little cowardly, it was undeniably effective!

Once Li Jue’s legion talent spread to all the Western Liang cavalry, every soldier could feel the transformation. It was as if they were all clad in an extra layer of impenetrable armor, and the entire cavalry became invigorated.

"What is this madness?!" Canasius exclaimed. When the Roman eagle standard rose, he could feel the surge of power within his troops. But before he could even shout out the command to annihilate the Han forces, he saw the similar glow radiating from Li Jue.

Even though he had never seen such a phenomenon before, Canasius instinctively understood what it was. The Han army was now shielded from their arrows, and even more terrifying, they were beginning to overwhelm the Roman heavy infantry through sheer brute force.

"Seize that eagle standard!" Li Jue shouted, now bursting with confidence, swinging his weapon with reckless abandon. He had never felt as powerful as he did at that moment. No longer did he need to defend his abilities by claiming his individual strength. From now on, he could declare that he was a true commander, worthy of the title of a great general. The legion talent was a testament to that.

The Western Liang cavalry pressed forward, crashing into the Roman lines under a rain of arrows and clashing with the Roman heavy infantry. However, the sheer defensive power of the cavalry, now bolstered by Li Jue’s legion talent, greatly hindered the Roman attacks.

Despite this, the advantage did not immediately translate into victory. The Romans, recognizing Li Jue’s push toward the eagle standard, fought back with a desperation bordering on madness. As the battle raged on, casualties on both sides mounted.

Shlick! Guo Si decapitated a Roman heavy infantryman beside him. His horse-cutting blade had already been shattered during the fierce combat, and he had switched to a larger chopping sword, engaging the Romans in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Yet, despite the intensity, he hadn’t sustained many serious injuries.

"We can’t keep this up. The consumption of my legion talent is increasing. At this rate, it’ll only last another half-hour. These Roman soldiers’ fighting spirit is terrifying!" Li Jue slashed through a high-ranking Roman officer and could feel his legion talent weakening. Although he didn’t fully understand how other commanders’ talents worked, he knew his own was immensely powerful.

He realized his talent had a time limit, and while it offered extraordinary defense against arrows and heavy weapons, it could only reduce the force of swords and spears by about thirty percent.

Li Jue was a quick learner. In such a short time, he had already figured out that his legion talent was purely defensive, like a protective shield that strengthened his soldiers’ defense.

"Zhiran!" Fan Chou shouted as he slashed off the arm of a Roman infantryman, making his way toward Li Jue. He knew that they couldn’t continue this fight much longer. The Romans’ resolve to fight was too strong. If this had been a battle in the Central Plains, the enemy would have already routed.

Li Jue’s face darkened. This was his first battle after activating his legion talent, and yet he hadn’t been able to secure a decisive victory. Still, he knew better than to get caught up in pride — the Romans’ fanatical determination was making this fight unbearable.

In truth, Li Jue had no idea that the only reason the Romans hadn’t collapsed yet was because of him. By relentlessly pushing toward the Roman eagle standard, he had put tremendous pressure on the Roman First Legion’s elite heavy infantry, nearly breaking their will to fight.

The Romans had fought countless battles over the centuries and had suffered defeats and near annihilations before. But losing the eagle standard? That had only happened once. The eagle standard was the symbol of the Roman Empire. Every soldier could die, but the eagle standard must never fall. This was the vow of the Roman army.

If the soldiers died, the empire would honor them. But if the eagle standard was lost, they would owe an explanation not just to the empire, but to their families for generations. Moreover, the legion that lost its eagle standard would be disbanded forever, its name struck from the records.

The one time an eagle standard had been lost, the entire Roman Empire mobilized eight legions to reclaim it a few years later.

With Li Jue fixated on capturing the eagle standard, the Romans fought with unyielding ferocity. They were willing to let the mercenaries and even their own soldiers perish, but the eagle standard had to be protected at all costs. This was the mindset that drove the Romans to fight with near-insane determination.

Step by step, Li Jue closed in on the eagle standard, now only a hundred paces away. Yet, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t advance any further. The Romans’ relentless will had allowed Canasius to regain control of the battlefield, luring the Western Liang cavalry into a tightening encirclement.

Canasius knew that eliminating this Han army would likely cost him two thousand soldiers, maybe more, but he was determined to finish them off. This Han cavalry was simply too formidable. If he could avoid it, Canasius would never want to engage them again.

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