Chapter 1996: Chapter 1790: Zhao Yun’s White Horse
The resounding oath, like thunder, echoed throughout the Southern Huns’ camp as the White Horse Soldiers, led by Zhao Yun, charged into the rear camp of the Southern Huns with almost unparalleled speed.
Confronted with the panicked Southern Huns, the White Horse Soldiers swung their blades with abandon, their unimaginable speed unleashing extreme damage within the Rebel Army, as countless Southern Huns were struck down by the sudden flash of blades from behind during their flight.
The astonishing speed, combined with incredible agility, made the White Horse Soldiers appear as Soul Reapers from the Underworld Office under the moonlit night. The Southern Hun soldiers had not yet mounted the appropriate resistance before collapsing.
Watching helplessly as their comrades in front fell to the sudden flash of blades, that scattered army without structured formation was mercilessly slain upon encountering the White Horse Soldiers.
Indeed, the White Horse Soldiers represent the pinnacle of Light Cavalry, with extremely deficient defensive power, unable to execute any formation-breaking attacks. Yet as compensation, their astonishing agility and extreme speed were greatly amplified amidst the chaos.
Originally created by Gongsun Zan to rout formidable armies within an extremely short timeframe, they then crazily enhanced their combat power during the pursuit of retreating soldiers. From the beginning, their creation’s purpose was pursuit and slaughter.
The extreme speed rendered escape impossible, while attacks beyond imagination followed in pursuit, inflicting near-overwhelming damage as soon as they caught up to enemies, with unparalleled agility allowing them to weave freely through the disorderly formations of fleeing troops.
Although Zhao Yun’s current White Horse still has issues with precise blade timing due to absolute speed, one cannot deny that they possess all the foundational capabilities that Gongsun’s White Horse once had.
The biggest difference lies in Gongsun’s White Horse, forged through Gongsun Zan’s relentless enemy chasing and Hu killings until hand fatigue set in, fostering a physical instinct.
Admittedly, Gongsun Zan lacked Ma Chao’s Legion Talent; no matter how trained his soldiers, they reach an extreme reaction limit of 0.15 seconds, and with this limit used alongside the Wind Rider White Horse’s extreme speed, there would be a considerable margin of error of around 0.05 seconds in timing each slash.
Meaning from the reaction to swinging the blade until it’s done, approximately 0.2 seconds would pass, yet with the White Horse’s shocking speed, they’d already moved forward six to seven meters or even over ten. Speaking the unpleasant truth, upon slicing, at the moment of cutting, they’d already dashed past the opponent.
Truthfully, a reaction time of 0.15 seconds is considered exceptionally quick; typical reactions range from 0.15 seconds to 0.4 seconds, while the extreme limit with training is 0.1 seconds. However, achieving a sustained 0.15-second reaction time is usually a trait of the Talent Faction, yet the 0.15-second reaction means a slash would veer several meters off course!
Ma Chao’s Legion Talent potentially improves reaction speed by roughly 0.05 seconds, adding this speed means quicker maneuverability, thus after Ma Chao’s adjustment, the Wind Rider White Horse can inflict shockingly terrible damage.
Back then, Gongsun Zan’s relentless pursuit and Hu slaughter bred a natural instinct, parallel to the Xiliang Iron Cavalry’s instinctual formation training, but the instinct birthed by the White Horse was termed the "slashing instinct."
Maybe from excessive killing, through experience they could approximately judge lead time, meaning despite reaction errors and blade swing time differences, relying on experience corrections, the previous generation White Horse could, based on intuition, slash while still at a distance from the enemy, then strike at the peak moment.
For the previous generation, this intuitive skill they developed through instinct, experience, combinations is most precious mainly because it essentially equates to the North Huns Guard Army’s Military Spirit ability of prejudgment.
As for training this technique, candidly Gongsun Zan didn’t understand training for Wind Rider White Horse, formulating a corps with such pre-slash perceptive skill merely arose from excessive kills, developing expertise from sheer necessity.
Just like many Veteran Soldiers develop anticipatory danger perception, observing enemy motions leading to conditioned reflexes hinting attack forms; the White Horse’s Elite Talent basically is such an innate ascent.
Despite Zhao Yun’s White Horse gradually mastering blade fundamentals from their focused Spirit, taking a path distinct from Gongsun’s White Horse due to lacking certain attributes hence evolving self-reliantly. That’s undeniably today’s Plains aspect of Zhao Yun’s White Horse somewhat lags behind Gongsun Zan’s.
But Zhao Yun’s White Horse from concentrated Spirit lowers terrain demands, rendering it hard to ascertain which fares better.
Regardless, it’s undeniable that Zhao Yun inherited Gongsun Zan’s White Horse Soldiers, ending Gongsun Zan’s era as they become Zhao Yun’s trusted aides.
Blade lights flowed like water, stealthily infiltrating the Southern Huns’ rear camp under dim moonlight; battling unfolded merely for One Quarter Hour before Southern Huns’ rear succumbed to this watery blade light, fleeing crazily in all directions reminiscent of meeting White Horse Soldiers on the Northern Frontier.
Numerous Hu People once attempted defeating Gongsun Zan’s White Horse, all unsuccessful; more accurately none survived. Those exposing backs to White Horse met death since none outraced nor outmatched the White Horse’s cavalry ferocity.
This time, Southern Huns also crumbled, retreating frenziedly as the unmatched blade light shattered their will to fight, retreating madly unwilling to face White Horse Soldiers, completely forgetting their foes’ own specialty isn’t attack but speed.
"Kill!" Zhao Yun charged into the Central Camp, chaotic as the camp nonetheless suited White Horse Soldiers, blade lights flashing, countless Southern Huns fell without comprehending their plight.
Among were Hun Chanyu’s followers, and Nu Rong-led troops, yet Fa Zheng found significance in none, slaying them nonchalantly.
"We surrender, we surrender!" Amidst Zhao Yun’s White Horse’s manic massacre of Central Camp Southern Huns, two pressed someone, continually shouting within the camp.
