The earth trembled.
At first, it was only a faint vibration beneath the boots of the Qin soldiers. Then the shaking grew stronger until shields rattled, horses neighed in panic, and dust rolled across the She Gan Plains.
Every soldier turned toward the Wei lines.
A deafening roar echoed across the battlefield.
"They're here..."
"Wei chariots!"
Dozens upon dozens of massive war chariots emerged from behind the Wei formations like an unstoppable tide of iron. Each was reinforced with thick timber and bronze plating, pulled by powerful warhorses charging at full speed. Spears lined their sides while crossbowmen stood upon the platforms, raining bolts ahead of the advance.
At the center of the Wei army, Lieutenant General Gong Yuan watched the battlefield with cold satisfaction.
"Now."
"The trap is complete."
The signal flags rose.
The entire chariot corps accelerated.
On the Qin left wing, Bao Jun's eyes widened.
"Brace yourselves!"
But it was already too late.
BOOOOOOM!!
The first line of Qin infantry disappeared beneath the charging chariots.
Wood splintered.
Armor shattered.
Bodies were hurled into the air as the unstoppable machines carved straight through the Qin formation.
The screams of soldiers echoed across the battlefield.
"Hold the line!"
"They're too fast!"
"We can't stop them!"
Entire companies were crushed beneath the wheels before they could even lower their spears.
The Qin left wing collapsed into chaos.
The chariots continued forward without slowing, smashing through formation after formation as though nothing stood before them.
From the Qin headquarters, even veteran officers watched in horror.
"The left wing..."
"It's being annihilated..."
Dust completely swallowed Bao Jun's army.
No banners could be seen.
No signals emerged.
Whether Bao Jun was alive or dead...
No one knew.
From his command post, Gong Yuan calmly observed the destruction.
"As expected."
"The Qin have committed themselves."
He pointed his fan toward the collapsing left wing.
"The chariot corps will continue through the left rear."
"They will then strike directly into Qin's center before sweeping across the right wing."
"Once their command collapses, this battle is over."
The Wei officers smiled confidently.
Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
Yet one man remained perfectly calm.
Lu Shen.
The strategic commander of the Qin army had never taken his eyes off the battlefield.
He watched the dust.
The speed.
The spacing between every chariot.
Then...
He smiled.
"So that was your intention..."
Messengers immediately rode from headquarters.
"Signal the center!"
"Third formation!"
"Shift the rear lines!"
"Heavy spear units forward!"
"Shield walls, rotate!"
Across the battlefield, Qin soldiers rapidly abandoned their original positions.
Entire formations pivoted with remarkable discipline.
The center army widened before narrowing again, creating layered defensive corridors rather than a solid wall.
Long spear units advanced while shield bearers formed overlapping barricades.
Archers repositioned behind the new lines.
Every movement had been calculated.
The Wei chariots crashed into the reorganized formation.
BOOOOOM!!
This time...
They did not break through.
The first ranks of Qin soldiers were thrown aside, but the second line immediately absorbed the impact.
Heavy spears pierced horses.
Shield walls redirected charging chariots.
Several overturned violently, throwing their crews onto the battlefield.
Others forced their way through only to meet another prepared defensive line.
Every meter of ground became a bloody struggle.
The advance slowed.
Then slowed again.
The battlefield became a brutal exchange.
For every Qin soldier crushed beneath iron wheels...
A Wei chariot was dragged down by disciplined formations.
Blow for blow.
Blood for blood.
Even Gong Yuan narrowed his eyes.
"They're adapting..."
Then...
A messenger galloped toward him in panic.
"Lieutenant General!"
"The rear!"
"Our rear has been attacked!"
Gong Yuan turned sharply.
"What?"
Behind the chariot corps...
A familiar banner emerged from the endless dust.
The banner everyone believed had already been destroyed.
Bao Jun.
Against all expectations...
The battered Qin left wing had survived.
Though bloodied and greatly reduced in number, Bao Jun had gathered every remaining soldier and circled behind the advancing chariot corps.
"Charge!"
The exhausted Qin soldiers roared with renewed determination.
They crashed into the exposed rear of the Wei chariot corps.
Spearmen pulled riders from their platforms.
Axes hacked apart harnesses.
Warhorses panicked.
Several chariots collided with one another as confusion spread through the formation.
"Their rear!"
"Destroy the wheels!"
"Don't let them turn!"
The once unstoppable chariot corps suddenly found itself trapped between Lu Shen's prepared defenses in front...
...and Bao Jun's desperate assault from behind.
For the first time since the battle began...
The Wei advance stalled.
Before Gong Yuan could issue another order...
A second messenger arrived.
His horse was covered in blood.
"Lieutenant General!!"
"The left wing!"
"Our left wing has collapsed!"
Gong Yuan's eyes widened.
"What did you say?"
"The Ri Yue Army...!"
"They routed our forces completely!"
The messenger struggled to breathe.
"But after breaking through..."
"...they disappeared."
Silence fell across the Wei headquarters.
Gone.
Five thousand soldiers led by Ri Yue had smashed through the Wei left wing...
Only to vanish from the battlefield.
No one knew where they had gone.
Not Gong Yuan.
Not the Wei commanders.
Not even the Qin headquarters.
The battlefield suddenly felt far larger...
And far more dangerous.
Far away, Hyou Ren silently looked toward the distant clouds of dust where the Ri Yue Army had vanished.
His instincts told him only one thing.
The true battle...
...was about to begin.