Edward Grant wielded a pair of meteor hammers, an exotic weapon of immense power. As he swung them, a streak of light flashed by, and those before him were instantly thrown off their feet, men and horses alike. Countless weapons struck at him simultaneously, but the nearly perfected Thirteen Guardians’ Iron Body technique displayed its formidable effect on the battlefield. He neither dodged nor flinched, charging forward without a care. All blades and weapons bounced off his tough flesh, leaving at most a faint mark. His clothes had long since been torn to shreds, his bare torso covered in filthy blood. With a mighty swing of the meteor hammer, a nearby man failed to dodge in time and was struck squarely on the crown of his head—his skull burst open, brain matter splattering onto Edward Grant's face. Another man slashed down with a blade, cutting off his topknot, sending his hair flying wildly. His bulging muscles, streaked red and white, and his ferocious, savage face struck terror into all who saw him. Though the phalanx was crowded, not a single person could withstand even half a move from him, nor could anyone slow his advance.

　　Under the lead of this monstrous figure, the remaining 180 imperial soldiers pierced into the heart of the Caesarites like a sharp blade.

　　As the Han army pushed deeper, resistance grew fiercer. Attacks came from all directions, and at any moment someone might fall, only to be trampled beyond recognition by countless feet. Yet no matter how great the pressure, this group of a hundred-plus men maintained a triangular assault formation from start to finish, with the arrowhead position held by the wild, tiger-like, almost demonic Edward Grant. As long as no one could intercept him, the triangular assault team would never be halted.

　　Outside the city, the Caesar legion numbered over thirty thousand. Under normal circumstances, even if Edward Grant and his men were twice as brave, they would never hope to break the enemy’s formation. But after more than twenty days of siege, every Caesarite soldier knew the enemy within the city was like a demon. In just a few days, over fifty thousand of Caesar’s elite troops had been buried beneath the city walls. Especially Edward Grant—invulnerable to blades and spears, his overwhelming presence had planted an indelible image of terror in everyone’s heart.

　　At this moment, due to a scout’s blunder, the Han Empire’s cavalry had approached right under their noses, forcing the Caesarites to hastily form ranks. They never expected Edward Grant and his men to be so audacious, daring to charge a formation of thirty thousand with barely a hundred men, catching them completely off guard. It was in this moment of surprise that a ripple of chaos spread through the Caesarite ranks.

　　The Caesarite commander, experienced and quick to react, surveyed the position and numbers of the red cavalry, and immediately issued a series of orders to adjust the formation, hoping to intercept Edward Grant and his men outside the lines.

　　But before the formation could be properly restructured, the Red Ocean Legion suddenly accelerated and launched the first attack.

　　A rain of bright red arrows fell from the sky, and in a flash, the Red Ocean had charged within bowshot. From horseback, they drew out specially made crossbows, pulled the triggers, and a storm of arrows rained down, inflicting heavy casualties on the Caesarites before they could raise their giant shields. As the horses drew near, a command rang out from within the Red Legion. Everyone slung their crossbows behind them, reached for their lances, and leaned forward to charge.

　　If the incursion by Edward Grant and his men was merely an unexpected disturbance, then the Red Ocean’s assault was a fatal blow. The Caesarite formation finally collapsed. Infantry against cavalry—without a solid formation, they stood no chance against the terrifying impact of a cavalry charge. The Xiongnu, with a population less than a tenth of the Han, could stand toe-to-toe with the Han in the north solely because their people were all warriors, and their invincible cavalry was unmatched.

　　With the Caesarite formation in chaos, the outcome of the melee was decided. Barring any unforeseen events, even if the Martial Emperor himself returned, he would have no choice but to die with regret. Now, all that remained was to see how great a victory the Red Ocean could achieve.

　　Though the Red Ocean was all cavalry, they numbered only a little over three thousand here. If the thirty thousand Caesarites had formed a square, the Red Ocean might not have dared to charge. The Caesarite commander had not made any grave errors; by the time he received word of the Red Ocean’s approach, it was too late to retreat. Besides, he had never intended to retreat, so he ordered his troops to assemble outside the camp and prepare to meet the enemy, while sending messengers to nearby Caesarite cavalry for reinforcements. If he could hold out for an hour, as the battle progressed, Caesarite cavalry would soon arrive, and with an attack from both inside and out, victory would surely be theirs.

　　What he hadn’t expected was that after more than twenty days of siege, Edward Grant and his men would still take the initiative to attack. Even more baffling was how, after so many days, they still maintained such abundant stamina and high morale. That a mere hundred men could cause localized chaos in a force of tens of thousands was completely beyond his comprehension.

　　To prevent the chaos from spreading, he had no choice but to risk altering the formation. But he underestimated the Red Ocean’s speed, equipment, and determination to kill. If it had been him, facing an enemy more than ten times his number, he might not have been able to order a full assault. As a result, all these unexpected factors combined to hand him the first defeat of his life.