Page 67

Rolling in were the Minos warriors led by Chief Blood Hoof. Generally speaking, the underground minotaurs favored giant battleaxes, while the orc bovine tribes used massive totem poles. However, the Minos warriors were proficient in both. Each of them wielded a giant battleaxe and carried a totem pole on their backs. With their towering and robust physiques, which surpassed those of ordinary orc bovines, they combined the use of both weapons, unleashing immense power.

The two armies finally met about twenty kilometers from Fontainebleau. Upon seeing the more formidable minotaur warriors than he had anticipated, Captain Tie Bato felt an uneasy chill. He immediately ordered his Iron Wall Company to advance, forming a defensive formation to protect the rear units, while also instructing the "Red Scorpions" to spread out on both flanks to flank the enemy.

The Iron Wall Company, consisting of a thousand warriors, was the most elite unit of the "Iron Cross." Every member possessed the strength of a Silver Warrior, equipped with towering two-meter-tall "Fortress Shields," which were heavy and sturdy enough for two people to use. The shields were connected by iron chains, forming movable walls, while eight-meter-long dragon spears protruded through the gaps. Whether facing heavy cavalry or orcs, these formations were machines of slaughter.

However, instead of charging directly, the Minos warriors, under Chief Blood Hoof's command, inserted their giant battleaxes into the ground and removed two thick totem poles from their backs, joining them to form a single four-meter-tall totem held in their left hands. Simultaneously, they drew their battleaxes with their right hands, forming a peculiar formation.

Captain Tie Bato, watching the opposing forces, felt inexplicably uneasy, unaware that he was about to face the legendary "Minos Great Labyrinth Formation," which would become renowned across the Mainland.

PS: Experimenting with something, I injured six of my ten fingers, the pain searing to the bone. I failed one exam, leaving me utterly dejected. However, I will never abandon this work.

Chapter 28: Traps and Snares at Every Step

To be honest, I often find the members of the mysterious Minos tribe quite extraordinary. Compared to other bovine tribes and even other orc races, they are exceptionally talented. When I taught them the old version of the Golden Bell Shield, a practice easier to master than internal martial arts, only thirty percent of the werewolf disciples succeeded. Yet, without my guidance, eighty percent of the Minos tribe achieved the sixth level and cultivated battle aura. The Eight Trigram Formation I explained to them was improved and transformed into the "Minos Great Labyrinth Formation." Additionally, they mastered the application of totem magic solely through the teachings of shamans, without the aid of the War God Temple's artifact, the "Eye of the War God." Their outstanding intellect and talent rival even the lion tribes. Why, then, were they nearly wiped out four hundred years ago, with tens of thousands slaughtered?

This question did not affect the ongoing battle, however. If the "Iron Cross's" main force, the Iron Wall Company, were to line up, they could form a moving wall over six hundred meters long. However, such coordination was impossible due to the limitations of the battlefield. Typically, ten Fortress Shields, operated by twenty soldiers, formed a small defensive front, followed by forty local troops wielding ten heavy dragon spears, creating a combat unit effective against both cavalry and orcs.

Today, however, the Iron Wall Company faced a formidable challenge. As the front row of Minos warriors advanced with their totem poles, they threw the four-meter-tall poles into the ground just before contact. Empowered by earth elemental magic, the totem poles sank a meter deep, firmly standing upright. The advancing Iron Wall Company was immediately halted; the interconnected Fortress Shields could not maneuver around the numerous pillars, and the dragon spears, requiring four people to operate, were too unwieldy. The Minos warriors simply used their totem poles to block, remaining unharmed.

Traditionally, the bovine tribes used totem poles made from sturdy wood, with high-ranking warriors using metal ones. The Minos warriors, however, commonly used stone pillars. But when they arrived at Fontainebleau, things changed. I gathered artisans and employed the mature techniques developed during the construction of the Qingcheng Fort, combining top-tier materials with the purple blood of hydra, to create super totem poles. These metallic-gleaming yet smooth-as-ceramic pillars were not only as tough as steel but also enchanted by the old shaman of Blizzard House into magical weapons.

Poor old man, he spent days empowering thousands of four-meter-high, half-meter-thick pillars. Even with my continuous infusion of essence and true qi, he was nearly exhausted. However, the benefit was that his intermediate-level divine magic, which had stagnated for decades, broke through to the advanced level, turning misfortune into fortune, or rather, proving that hard work pays off. When I suggested he use advanced divine magic to empower the pillars again, aiming to become a great shaman within his lifetime, the old man suddenly displayed speed unmatched by even the leopard clan, instantly fleeing Fontainebleau without a trace.

After the first batch of totem poles was planted, the human formation began to change. Some continued forward, while others were blocked. The second row of Minos warriors quickly moved through the gaps, planting the second batch of totem poles within the human formation. Then came the third and fourth batches, until the entire battlefield was surrounded by the Eight Trigram Formation. The connected Fortress Shields writhed like trapped centipedes, unable to break free.

Even before the Minos warriors first penetrated the human formation to plant their totem poles, Captain Tie Bato had already sensed danger. However, he did not immediately adjust the formation because the Fortress Shield formation consisted of five rows advancing together, and he was not overly concerned. Moreover, the formation's adjustments were slow and difficult to manage on the spot. If the enemy had been swift wolf cavalry instead of the slow-moving, heavily armed bovine warriors, he would not have used this formation.

Yet, all calculations were shattered. The Minos warriors repeatedly used the established totem poles to tear through the human defenses, surrounding all the Fortress Shield units. While the Fortress Shields excelled in frontal defense, once attacked from behind, they became vulnerable. Fortunately, the "Iron Cross" brought two thousand five hundred men, including the deceased scouts and the thousand soldiers of the Iron Wall Company, plus another thousand assault troops positioned behind the Fortress Shields for protection. Seeing the Minos warriors penetrate the rear of the Fortress Shields, the assault troops rushed forward to defend, giving their comrades time to lower their dragon spears and shields and draw their swords to engage the enemy.