Lu Bu effortlessly deflected Zhang Fei's attack with a single sweep of his halberd. In that moment, the Sky Piercer seemed to extend infinitely, and within an instant, it appeared at Zhang Fei's throat.
"Clang!" Zhang Fei's eyes turned blood-red as he desperately used his Serpent Spear to deflect the Sky Piercer, but Lu Bu's halberd still managed to leave a shallow wound on Zhang Fei's neck.
Lu Bu calmly observed his own hand. At some point, his attacks had begun to ignore distance to a certain extent. Within a range of several paces, his halberd had become faster than an arrow.
The cold, indifferent demeanor of Lu Bu caused Zhang Fei's fury to erupt even more fiercely. As Chen Xi had once predicted, when the strength of these top-tier warriors increased tenfold due to their inner energy, the disparity between them would become increasingly apparent. But Chen Xi had underestimated them—these warriors' strength hadn't just increased tenfold, it had increased a hundredfold!
If Lu Bu's previous strength was rated as 5, and Zhang Fei and Guan Yu's as 3, the difference of 2 points still kept them within human limits. In that case, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu together could barely match Lu Bu. But now, Lu Bu's strength had reached a thousand points, while Zhang Fei only had around seven hundred...
This massive gap meant that Lu Bu was practically invincible. Coupled with his Red Hare, his mastery of techniques, and various other factors, Lu Bu's combat prowess now essentially guaranteed crushing victories against any general. Of course, there were a few exceptions, such as Zhao Yun's speed and Dian Wei's brute strength, which operated on a different scale altogether.
As for Huang Zhong, he now had around eight hundred points, making him capable of fighting Lu Bu one-on-one. In a short battle, it might even seem like a draw, but over time, Huang Zhong would eventually fall. And most importantly, Lu Bu was still getting stronger. From the Battle of Hulao Pass to Jingzhou and then to Wancheng, Lu Bu had fought every type of top-tier general in the world.
With each battle, Lu Bu refined his strength further. Now, even if Zhao Yun were to face Lu Bu, even with his superior speed, he wouldn't be able to overpower Lu Bu in a short time. At best, they would fight to a stalemate.
Similarly, if Dian Wei were to fight Lu Bu now, he wouldn't be able to knock Lu Bu away with a single punch as he had in Wancheng. Lu Bu had incorporated the heavy sword technique into his muscles. The crimson energy coursing through his body ensured that each of his attacks, although slightly less powerful than Dian Wei's, were still formidable.
This is why Zhang Fei, despite having strength comparable to Dian Wei in his arms, could not achieve the same results as Dian Wei. Lu Bu no longer had any obvious weaknesses. His speed, strength, and inner energy had all reached their peak. This was why Lu Bu could vaguely see the higher realm, while Huang Zhong could not.
Huang Zhong's physical condition had begun to decline. After years of continuously transferring his inner energy to his son, without time to strengthen his own body, his peak physical condition was no longer attainable. Without that foundation, Huang Zhong had reached the pinnacle of his career, and from here, his path could only decline.
"Zhang Yide, show me your full strength—the extreme of your inner energy, the perfection of your spirit, and the fusion of your mind, body, and spirit!" Lu Bu said calmly. Having chosen to protect his family, he had also abandoned the idea of killing Zhang Fei within fifty moves. Instead, he gave Zhang Fei a piece of advice. Whether Zhang Fei could understand it was up to him.
Zhang Fei was momentarily stunned, looking at Lu Bu across from him. His anger burned even hotter—being advised by someone he despised the most was intolerable for Zhang Fei.
"As you wish!" Black inner energy surged all over Zhang Fei's body, and his Serpent Spear began to tremble and ignite. The black flames flared up as Zhang Fei poured all of his inner energy into the spear, and soon the dark flames spread across his body, making Zhang Fei appear like a demon possessed.
"Roar!" As the black flames fully enveloped Zhang Fei, a pure white tiger emerged behind him. With an earth-shaking roar, the tiger's shadow merged entirely with Zhang Fei's body.
"Boom!" Zhang Fei charged at Lu Bu like a tiger descending from the mountains. The impact caused both men to step back—Zhang Fei by three steps and Lu Bu by two. Zhang Fei's face showed a trace of joy; he was no longer afraid.
"Take to the skies. The wind follows the tiger. Let me see how strong your White Tiger is!" Lu Bu said coldly. Although Zhang Fei's momentum now surpassed his own, Lu Bu didn't care. He was long past the point of worrying about such things.
Lu Bu patted his Red Hare. In this era, not many horses could fly, and Lu Bu didn't want to take advantage of Zhang Fei. He could sense that flying had become instinctual for Zhang Fei at this moment.
"It doesn't matter how strong it is—today, I will kill you!" Zhang Fei shouted, brandishing his spear as he soared after Lu Bu into the sky.
Once airborne, Zhang Fei had no more reservations. He felt as if the sky itself responded to his every move. Each strike carried an astonishing force, and a casual sweep of his spear could tear the earth apart.
Zhang Fei's frenzied attacks filled the sky with black flames, yet at the center, a single point of golden light remained undimmed, though it seemed to sway with the chaos, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.
On the ground, the soldiers of Taishan cheered wildly for Zhang Fei, while Lü Bu's troops were visibly shaken, unable to believe that their commander was being suppressed. Guan Yu, already present to oversee the battle, stroked his beard with satisfaction. His younger brother had grown to this level—such overwhelming power, though costly, had even managed to suppress Lü Bu.
Guan Yu focused on the sky, his eyes filled with battle lust. Lü Bu was indeed powerful, but he no longer seemed as terrifying as he had during the Battle of Hulao Pass.
Guan Yu's eyes narrowed slightly. Back then, the pressure Lü Bu exerted on all the warriors was immense.
Xu Chu watched the sky and saw Lü Bu being suppressed by Zhang Fei. He couldn't reconcile this with the tales he'd heard from Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Hua Xiong. Lü Bu seemed strong, but clearly not to the overwhelming extent they had described.
As Zhang Fei's inner energy waned, the previously united force of his mind, body, and spirit began to falter. His violent impulses subsided, allowing him to think more clearly.
Glancing at his Red Hare, Lü Bu casually deflected another of Zhang Fei's attacks. His inner energy was nearing its limits, and the protective energy around him was thinning, sometimes even flickering out of existence.
Seeing Lü Bu's weakening defenses and the flickering of his golden aura, Zhang Fei's heart soared with joy.
"Die, you treacherous cur!" Zhang Fei roared. Pouring all his essence into his Serpent Spear, he transformed into a black dragon and lunged at Lü Bu.
At that moment, Lü Bu, who had been on the defensive, paused. Zhang Fei, filled with delight, noticed that Lü Bu had hesitated.
"Zhang Fei, you fool!" Lü Bu roared. In an instant, he exploded with blinding golden light. The overwhelming black flames that Zhang Fei had built up throughout the battle vanished like frost under the scorching sun.
"Crack!" Lü Bu reached out and, to the disbelief of Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Xu Chu, grabbed Zhang Fei's spear.
"Now die!" Lü Bu swung his Sky Piercer, aiming for Zhang Fei's waist. As the blade cut through Zhang Fei's armor, about to cleave him in two, Lü Bu's mind flashed back to that earlier question. Instinctively, he flipped the halberd and swatted Zhang Fei away like an insect.
"Boom!" Before Guan Yu or Xu Chu could react, Zhang Fei was sent flying by Lü Bu's strike, crashing into the ground before Guan Yu's army, creating a massive crater.
"Slap!" Zhang Fei's hand emerged from the pit. Although he hadn't suffered any critical injuries from Lü Bu's strike, the blow had shattered his essence, spirit, and energy. He could no longer fly by instinct, but the surrounding winds had cushioned his fall, preventing further injuries. Otherwise, he would have broken half his bones.
"You treacherous cur!" Zhang Fei spat blood and glared at Lü Bu in the sky. Only now did he realize the immense gap between him and Lü Bu, even larger than during the Battle of Hulao Pass!
Before Zhang Fei could ask, "Why didn't you kill me?" Lü Bu threw Zhang Fei's spear back at him and transformed into a streak of light, descending to finish the job.
"Boom!" As Zhang Fei was sent flying, Guan Yu finally reacted. He had clearly seen Lü Bu show mercy, yet Zhang Fei had still insulted him with that infamous phrase. While everyone called Lü Bu a "treacherous cur," Though this insult had long been used to refer to Lü Bu, saying it to his face was practically inviting death!
Despite Guan Yu's silent scolding of Zhang Fei for his lack of tact, his loyalty to his brother remained unshaken. If Lü Bu sought to kill Zhang Fei, Guan Yu would never stand idly by, regardless of whether Zhang Fei had said something wrong. In Guan Yu's heart, Zhang Fei wasn't wrong at all.
Guan Yu intercepted Lü Bu's strike with his blade. His horse, Zhaohuang Feidian, let out a sorrowful cry—had it been an ordinary steed, it would have been killed instantly by the sheer force of the blow. Lü Bu's fury, ignited by Zhang Fei's repeated insults, had led him to unleash a strike without any restraint. Guan Yu felt his own blood and energy surging violently; the gap between them was now even greater than it had been at Hulao Pass!
Lü Bu glanced at Guan Yu, then at Zhaohuang Feidian, his eyes cold. At that moment, he understood: even if he wished to surrender to Liu Bei, it didn't mean Liu Bei would accept him. Zhang Fei's attitude was, to some extent, reflective of Liu Bei's own stance. And how could Lü Bu tolerate such humiliation?
"Guanyu Chang?" Lü Bu sneered at Guan Yu. "Do you think you can stop me?"
"Who knows until I try?" Guan Yu responded, feeling the immense pressure of Lü Bu's gaze, yet showing no fear. His body radiated a green glow, and his Green Dragon Crescent Blade echoed with the low roar of a dragon.
"I'll kill you in fifty moves." As Lü Bu swung his halberd, he shouted this declaration. Guan Yu's half-closed eyes gleamed with a cold light—when had anyone ever dared speak to him like this?
"Then come!" Guan Yu slashed with his blade, the strike landing squarely on Lü Bu's halberd. Without a foothold in the air, Lü Bu was sent flying back a considerable distance. But Guan Yu, his body now glowing even brighter, followed up with another strike, more powerful than the last, sending Lü Bu retreating another dozen meters. Before Lü Bu could fully stabilize himself, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade had already sliced through the sky, arriving at Lü Bu's chest. The sharp blade almost pierced through the golden aura surrounding Lü Bu.
"Is that all?" Lü Bu gazed calmly at the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, still some distance from him. In this world, there was no warrior he feared. At some point, Red Hare had appeared beneath him once again.
"Boom!" Dust filled the air as Lü Bu took the full force of Guan Yu's most powerful strike. Yet this time, he did not retreat a single step, while Guan Yu was forced back several paces.
Red Hare snorted disdainfully, its eyes flashing with a human-like expression of contempt as it glanced at Zhaohuang Feidian. The reputation of "Man among men, horse among horses" wasn't just for show—it had been earned through countless battles!
"Lü Bu, prepare to face my blade!" Xu Chu, having intercepted the Serpent Spear, witnessed Guan Yu's strongest strike fail to push back Lü Bu. Without hesitation, he charged in, fully convinced that Lü Bu was no ordinary man, but a true monster.
"Another Inner Qi departure!" Lü Bu sneered. "Today, I'll take all your heads!"
He swung his halberd at Xu Chu, having already noticed that speed was Xu Chu's weakness.
"Hmph! Face your death, Lü Bu!" Xu Chu roared, his body swelling as he grew even taller. The halberd, originally aimed at his neck, now slashed toward his chest. Unlike other warriors who possessed Inner Qi, Xu Chu's most terrifying trait was his fearlessness in trading blows. His thick layer of fat had been specially trained to absorb enemy attacks with little to no damage!
Even as Lü Bu's halberd slashed toward Xu Chu's chest, he didn't pull back. But in the next moment, to the shock of everyone watching, Xu Chu's fat seemed to compress inward, causing the halberd to slip past without hitting its mark. Meanwhile, Xu Chu's giant blade, filled with immense power, swung toward Lü Bu.