Chapter 32: Zilong Must Join the Fray

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Having seen people with innate divine strength before, someone like Guan Yu, who could wield an eighty-pound Green Dragon Crescent Blade without using internal qi, could already be considered to possess innate divine strength.

Similarly, someone like Wu Anguo, who relied on internal qi to wield a heavy hammer weighing hundreds of catties, also possessed innate divine strength. But even innate divine strength must have its limits!

Lu Bu himself possessed innate divine strength; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to handle the Sky Piercer halberd made of meteoric iron. But now, Zhang Fei's strength gave him a sense of shock. Was this truly the strength of a human being?

Lu Bu expressed that he had developed a research interest. He planned to capture this fellow, feed him well with fine wine and food, and study him thoroughly to see what on earth this guy ate to grow so much strength.

Zhang Fei's strength was still increasing. Much like Lu Bu's internal qi, once the valve was opened, there was no sign of it stopping. His strength grew larger and larger; one could even see the muscles beneath his exposed skin slowly trembling and expanding. Zhang Fei, whose body was already composed of bulging knots of muscle, now had arm muscles so large they were nearly bursting through his armor.

Zhao Yun watched Zhang Fei with curiosity. Previously, he had only felt that this man's strength was quite formidable, but seeing the current situation, it was no longer just "formidable." The surging muscles on Zhang Fei's massive arms were almost as large as his own thighs.

"Zichuan, do not worry. If General Zhang maintains this level of strength, it will not be easy for Lu Bu to take him down in a short period. This kind of strength is enough to ignore most techniques. If Lu Bu dares to use that half-baked Light-Heavy Sword technique of his now, his Sky Piercer will definitely be sent flying," Zhao Yun explained with a smile to the nervous Chen Xi.

"It is likely impossible. I think I understand what Third Brother is up to. Get ready, Brother Yun," Chen Xi said with a bitter smile. He remembered Zhang Fei once mentioning that both he and Second Master had "trump cards" kept in reserve. This abnormal increase in strength was most likely Zhang Fei's ultimate trump card.

Zhang Fei had become numb to it all. He no longer cared about any specific moves; he had reached a state of realization. To Lu Bu, any technique was trash. The only thing he could compare himself to Lu Bu on was strength—and his strength was greater than Lu Bu's.

Knowing this gave him confidence. His father had told him: in a fight, if your strength is inferior, use technique; if your technique is inferior, use speed. As long as you have an advantage in one of these three, you can at least run away if you can't win. Of course, if you are inferior in all three, then stay far away; if you absolutely must fight, do not think about surviving. Only by embracing the determination to die can one find a path to life.

Chen Xi's guess was correct. Zhang Fei was indeed using a secret technique. Well, although it started because Guan Yu once told him about developing a special move, and Zhang Fei felt that since Second Brother had one, he should have one too, he ended up researching this method: a way to use qi to stimulate the muscles to erupt with even greater power. Though, he had previously tested this move on a pig.

Even though Zhang Fei had never used it on a human, the pig he used for research had almost matched his own strength during that period. Indeed, Zhang Fei felt his technique was a success, so he killed the pig and ate it...

Later, when he was boasting to Guan Yu, he claimed he had also researched a secret move. Naturally, Guan Yu had no idea what Zhang Fei's "secret move" actually entailed.

Zhang Fei had no idea how ruthless this move truly was. It was essentially the total squeezing of muscular potential, the restriction of certain neural transmissions, and the destruction of the body's instinctive protection system. This was why Zhang Fei's strength was growing without limit; once the body's instinctive protection system completely vanished, even an ordinary person without internal qi could strike with tons of force.

"Bang!" Lu Bu was pushed back. Lu Bu, who was utilizing the Heavy Sword technique while riding Red Hare, had been repelled. Although it was only a small step, Zhang Fei already saw the hope of victory. He could feel his strength continuously rising; if this continued, slapping Lu Bu to death would certainly not be a problem.

Lu Bu's expression turned grim. He had been pushed back. He was the one who pushed others back, never the other way around. Encountering this for the first time, Lu Bu was somewhat stunned.

"You have angered me!" Lu Bu snapped out of it, his eyes tinged with a bloody red. With a frenzied roar, his aura coalesced into a single mass, and the Sky Piercer halberd smashed down with the majesty of heaven and earth.

"Boom!" A massive explosion rang out, followed by a huge shockwave that sent dust flying everywhere.

As the dust settled, Lu Bu sat atop Red Hare, having pulled back to create distance. He glanced at Guan Yu, who was shielding Zhang Fei, and then at the blood-soaked Zhang Fei, who sat wobbling on his horse. Lu Bu sneered, "I thought you were truly increasing your strength without limit, but it turns out to be such a laughable conclusion. Your body simply cannot withstand that immense power. How truly pathetic."

The entire field was shocked. Guan Yu and Zhang Guan, who had been fighting Lu Bu on equal terms, had actually seen Zhang Fei severely wounded by a single blow after Lu Bu's fury. Was it possible that Lu Bu had been playing with them like a cat with a mouse all along?

"Let me end you all!" Lu Bu laughed wildly, swinging his Sky Piercer toward Guan Yu. He could see that Zhang Fei had lost his combat effectiveness; now, all he needed to do was harvest. He had witnessed the strength of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei—they were strong, but only "strong."

"Zhao Zilong of Changshan, please grant me your guidance!" Zhao Yun stepped forward with his spear, looking somewhat helpless. This was truly his first time participating in a group fight against a single person.

Lu Bu licked his lips and abandoned Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to charge directly at Zhao Yun. A group fight or a war of attrition meant nothing to Lu Bu. From Bingzhou to Luoyang, and from Luoyang to his current battles against the various lords of the world, who dared to duel him one-on-one? He was peerless across the land; his principle had always been to kill only the masters!

Zhao Yun was a master, and Lu Bu knew this well. But he knew even better that any master facing him was mere trash. He had the confidence to defeat all the masters in the world. Whether it was Wen Yan, who called himself a famous general of Hebei, or the current Guan Yu and Zhang Fei whom he had essentially defeated, they were all masters—but they were facing Lu Bu!

Zhao Yun's spear was incredibly fast. With Lu Bu's vision, he could only see streaks of silver light. He had never imagined anyone's spear could be this fast. The blooming "spear flowers" filling the sky even caused him a moment of shock. It was too fast—just as the sight of Zhang Fei's strength had been so shocking before.

Silver-blue light circles and gold-red light circles continuously compressed against each other. Neither side could swallow the other; they could only fiercely maintain the center line.

Lu Bu no longer dared to play with that half-baked Light-Heavy Sword technique. That pretty boy had nearly left a hole in him by seizing the opportunity when Lu Bu used it. Lu Bu wanted to curse inwardly; hadn't that old man said that this technique could only be comprehended by martial geniuses, and mastering it required ten years of practice? In this world, the only ones who could use it smoothly were old men in their seventies or eighties!

Lu Bu cast aside that half-baked technique and began to fight with steady, solid strikes. He refused to believe that this pretty boy could hold out for long!

(End of Chapter)