Chapter 305: Chapter 53: Desperate Encirclement

The convoy, loaded with hundreds of tons of Exotic Beast Food, stopped on the road. To the left of the road, hundreds of meters away on a dirt slope, suddenly erupted with over a hundred human figures.

These figures shouted as they charged towards the convoy!

“Quick, get the equipment and get off!”

“Hurry, hurry, set up the shields!”

“Don’t panic, stick to the plan!”

On the convoy’s side, Li Fei’s men were also preparing to mount a counterattack in an orderly fashion.

On the last four trucks were Cao Mu’s confidants–nine Body Breaking Stage Martial Artists and three Qi Change Stage martial masters.

These men didn’t rush to make a move, for the enemy was still hundreds of meters away, well within effective range for a firearm retaliation.

Over a hundred people descended from the twenty-plus heavy trucks; they were all from Qingyuan Fist Village.

Their heavy Bullet-Proof Shields were swiftly carried from the cargo beds and, holding them, they ran to the edge of the highway. They propped the shields up on stands at the side of the road, creating a makeshift bullet-proof fortification.

Then, they took cover behind the shields and opened fire.

For this operation, Li Fei had traded with Luo Yifu, who provided him with an additional fifty Bullet-Proof Shields. These shields, stored in each truck’s cargo bed, were to be used at any time to quickly construct defensive fortifications, ready to fend off an assault!

Bang, bang, bang, bang–

The intense gunfire echoed across the wasteland.

Even for a martial master at the Qi Change Stage, if they relied solely on their Innate Qi for defense, it would be difficult to directly block bullets–only a Refining Strength Martial Master had such capability.

Therefore, before closing the distance of four to five hundred meters, the group of enemies charging at them–martial masters, Martial Artists, and ordinary people alike–were nearly equal under the muzzle of a gun.

However, the most formidable aspect of Martial Artists compared to Exotic Beasts was their ability to utilize tools.

The charging crowd quickly changed formation:

More than thirty people held meter-long Bullet-Proof Shields in front of them, gathering closely together to form an inward-bending arc.

Behind this arc were more people charging alongside them.

Bullets struck the Bullet-Proof Shields, sparking and ricocheting, some burrowing in.

To charge while carrying a hundred-pound Bullet-Proof Shield alone required at least the strength of a Body Breaking Stage Martial Artist, so this charging troop must include over thirty Martial Artists!

“Be careful, this is a Shield Formation!”

Behind a shield, Cao Mu looked at the approaching shield-bearing troops and suddenly shouted:

“Everyone, watch out for arrows! Get ready for arrow defense!”

Soon, the opposing force had covered two hundred meters. Now less than two hundred meters from the convoy on the highway, a flurry of dense arrows suddenly shot forth from their ranks.

Hundreds of arrows flew into the air, then plummeted towards the highway, tracing deadly arcs through the sky!

“Shield from arrows–”

Someone shouted loudly.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh–

A series of whooshing sounds followed, then the noise of arrows colliding with shields, and that of arrows piercing flesh, accompanied by shouts of alarm and screams of agony…

Fortunately, Cao Mu’s timely warning about the arrows meant that this downpour of arrows didn’t cause too much harm.

Having Martial Artists hold up Bullet-Proof Shields in the front line to block bullets, and then use bows to fight back once the distance narrowed.

This was the Shield Formation!

This tactic was created eighteen years ago during a battle between the Da Lan Dynasty and the Western Alliance Army.

Back then, the soldiers of the Da Lan Dynasty discovered that even the thickest Iron Armor couldn’t withstand the bullets of the Westerners, unless Protective Clothing was also worn beneath the armor.

Thus, the tactic of the Shield Formation was conceived.

Of course, this tactic was only useful in small-scale skirmishes; on a large-scale battlefield, in the face of the enemy’s mortar fire, this kind of collective charge was simply suicidal!

After three volleys of arrows, the enemy was only the final thirty meters away from the convoy.

At the distance of thirty meters, rifle bullets could penetrate Bullet-Proof Shields, so the gunmen on the convoy’s side seized the last chance to fire a volley of bullets.

Someone in the front fell after being hit; other Martial Artists simply threw away their shields, activated their Extraordinary Abilities at full power, and charged towards them with all their might!

“We’re going in!”

Cao Mu said to his confidants.

The hundred or so people from Qingyuan Fist Village were not Martial Artists, and though all of them were skilled fighters who had competed in the ring, they were no match for Martial Artists. If the thirty or more Martial Artists got close, they could likely be completely overwhelmed in no time.

So Cao Mu had to lead the people of Zhi Ge Court to hold off the enemy’s first wave.

Just as Cao Mu stood up, ready to launch a long-range Force attack, a black shadow flashed past him with incredible speed.

“So fast!”

Cao Mu was startled in his heart.

Then he saw the shadow rush into the crowd ahead, wielding a long blade that swung to the left and right, casting dark red blade auras seven to eight meters long!

Whoosh–

The blade aura sliced through the air; flesh and blood flew. Bodies were cleaved in two, blood and viscera strewn across the ground.

In just a single encounter, the Martial Artists at the very front had eight fall!

This scene caused the nearby Martial Artists to quickly scatter, running far away.

“It’s the Green-faced Ghost King!”

“The Ghost King is here!”

“The Ghost King has made a move!”

“Awesome, the Ghost King!”

The exclamations erupted from the crowd.

On the convoy’s side, spirits soared among the people of Qingyuan Fist Village.

Whereas the enemies charging at them began to hesitantly stop their advance and started to retreat.

Most of them were ordinary people–how could they dare to face a Tao Foundation strongman who had made it onto the Fengyun List?