Chapter 1114: Capture

Although this enhancement only brought their physical attributes to the level of Qi Refinement into Steel warriors, the improvement was significant. In terms of raw physical strength, they were now on par with veteran soldiers. It’s important to note that even if one has cultivated Internal Qi, if they don't use it to strengthen their body in battle, even a Qi Leaving the Body expert could be fatally wounded by an arrow.

After all, they're still flesh and blood, not invincible. Even someone as powerful as Dian Wei could withstand a barrage of arrows, but if there were too many, he would eventually be brought down. The strength of the body is largely supported by energy, and Dian Wei’s body is simply more capable of utilizing this energy.

In general, a Qi Leaving the Body warrior’s body is much stronger than most Qi Refinement into Steel cultivators, and those at the Qi Refinement into Steel stage have bodies stronger than Condensed Qi warriors.

As for disease resistance, once a plague enters the body, one’s physical constitution is crucial. A Qi Refinement into Steel warrior’s body is strong enough to be immune to most diseases, and more importantly, their adaptability to harsh environments is greatly enhanced.

To put it simply, in a waterless desert, an average person might survive two days, a Condensed Qi warrior could last three or four days, but a Qi Refinement into Steel warrior might survive seven or eight days.

This difference is enormous. If such enhancements could be widely implemented, places like the southern regions, which are difficult to conquer due to poisonous insects and miasma, could easily be occupied with the right medicines. With the Han Empire’s population nearing fifty million, sending a million to these regions would ensure that even the Baiyue and Southern Barbarians could be assimilated.

This is why Zhang Zhongjing and Hua Tuo felt little excitement over ascension. Personal power couldn’t compare to the monumental leap this development could bring to an entire race. The latter represented a progression of civilization.

"You should inject it as well. There’s enough left for a few more people. We've already proven its value," Hua Tuo said with a smile to Zhang Zhongjing.

"I don't need it. I’m only forty years old, my body is very healthy, and I have no need for it," Zhang Zhongjing replied casually. "One more dose means more data for experimentation."

"Fair enough," Hua Tuo said without insisting. This wasn’t the finished product, merely a trial version. Although the results were promising, it was far too wasteful and still far from mass production. However, capturing Dian Wei would need to be reported.

"Dian Wei is supposed to be quite formidable, but with all the great generals and warriors on Liu Bei’s side, capturing someone shouldn’t be too difficult," Hua Tuo thought to himself as he looked at the sky, considering the feasibility of his request.

When Liu Bei and Chen Xi received Wang Xiu’s urgent letter, they were unsure how to react. While Liu Bei’s forces were indeed full of mighty warriors, capturing Dian Wei alive was another matter. Even defeating him in direct combat would be a challenge.

Still, Hua Tuo hadn’t specified a precise timeline for capturing Dian Wei, only that the sooner, the better. After reading about the effects of the medicine, Liu Bei became invested in the idea, despite the near-impossible odds of success.

Thinking about it, Hua Tuo’s poisons likely wouldn’t work on Dian Wei either. Even if they managed to capture him and seal his Internal Qi, binding him in chains might be useless. The thought of such a muscular powerhouse gave Liu Bei a headache, but he still agreed to the request.

After all, capturing Dian Wei could offer a chance to improve the physical health of the entire empire’s citizens. Even if it was just a possibility, Liu Bei believed it was worth the effort.

Naturally, when Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Gan Ning, Chen Dao, and Huang Zhong heard the news, they were silent. Capturing someone was far more difficult than killing them. If they were to ambush and kill Dian Wei with proper preparation, they could likely take him down in one strike. But capturing him alive? Without using lethal force, they might end up being killed instead. Best not to take on such a task.

This led to a strange situation during the battles between Liu Bei and Cao Cao. When facing Dian Wei alone, Liu Bei’s warriors fought with everything they had, but when two of them encountered him together, they held back, unsure how to proceed.

At this moment, however, Chen Xi and Liu Bei had not yet received any news from Taishan. They had just celebrated the full moon ceremony for their child, and both were in high spirits.

"Was I like this when I was little?" Xin Xianying asked curiously, leaning over the cradle and looking at the swaddled Chen Qian.

Xin Pi had confirmed that Yuan Shao had passed away. Had he known this earlier, he would have immediately gone to follow Yuan Shao. However, several months had passed, and his loyalty had cooled. Even so, he had not surrendered to anyone, choosing instead to remain in semi-retirement at home.

As for Li Tong, he had been easily convinced. After seeing how well the common people lived under Liu Bei’s rule and receiving a personal invitation from Liu Bei, Li Tong surrendered without much hesitation and now served as Zhang Fei’s lieutenant.

"You were probably like a little monkey when you were young," Chen Xi teased, glancing at the slender Xin Xianying. "Maybe even ugly~"

"Hmph, I won’t talk to you anymore," Xin Xianying pouted and ran off.

Recently, Lu Xun had been feeling the pressure. Although Xin Xianying acted nothing like a disciple in front of Chen Xi, Lu Xun still saw her as his junior. After all, Chen Xi didn’t hide anything from her during his teachings, and Xin Xianying’s progress was making Lu Xun uneasy.

Back in Yangzhou, Lu Xun had considered himself unparalleled. Even his uncle, Lu Ji, was no match for him, and others seemed mediocre at best.

But after arriving here, the people Lu Xun encountered were all monstrous. Leaving aside the unfathomable senior figures, he found it difficult to even keep up with Zhuge Liang, and keeping pace with Lu Yu was no easy task either. Now it seemed there was a chance he might even be surpassed by someone younger.

This put great pressure on Lu Xun, leading him to work harder. Meanwhile, Xin Xianying, as a girl, wasn’t pressured to study and only did so out of interest. Yet, her occasional questions left Lu Xun feeling even more pressured.

Chen Xi, on the other hand, hadn’t noticed any of this. He spent most of his days rocking his daughter’s cradle and lifting her up high. As for Lu Xun, Chen Xi just saw him as a diligent learner, with no significant changes.

And as for Xin Xianying’s occasional questions? That was normal. Even a fool sometimes stumbled upon a wise idea, and Xin Xianying certainly wasn’t foolish. It wasn’t uncommon for children to ask difficult questions.

"Master, Mi Zhu is here to see you," Chen Yun appeared silently beside Chen Xi and whispered respectfully.

"Alright, take care of Qian’er for me. I need to handle something at the bank," Chen Xi whispered back, then stood and left. He wondered what had prompted Mi Zhu to come to him at this time.

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