Chapter 963: Unwavering Loyalty

Zhou Tai seized the opportunity and unleashed all his strength. Ignoring the attacks from the others, he lunged at one of the Daoists, slicing him in two with a single strike. However, a deep wound was also carved into his back.

Even so, a ferocious smile appeared on Zhou Tai's face. He had realized that, although these individuals possessed the power of inner energy, they lacked battlefield experience. If he could find one or two openings, he was confident he could slay them like chickens!

"Thank you, Gongjin!" A glint flashed in Sun Ce's eyes.

Sun Ce had calmed down and no longer charged recklessly, but he hadn’t noticed the fine layer of sweat on Zhou Yu's forehead.

Using his musical talent to influence the opponent’s spirit and willpower placed a great strain on Zhou Yu. Without the aid of a shared energy from soldiers, he had no choice but to manage on his own. Although he had prepared for the possibility of an attack from immortals, he hadn’t expected the enemy to be so strange.

"You've sealed off this area?" Zhou Yu frowned as he asked.

Logically, by this time, reinforcements should have arrived. That earlier note from his zither wasn’t just to calm Sun Ce and freeze the others in place but also to signal anyone nearby to locate their position. Although Zhou Yu had not planned to act directly, taking precautions was still necessary.

That zither note was enough to alert others outside, allowing them to pinpoint their location and, if needed, summon the military’s cloud energy!

"Not just sealed. This is what we call 'storing the vast in the minute.'" Yu Ji responded cryptically, picking up on Zhou Yu’s hint. "To you, this place seems identical to the outside world, vast and expansive for miles. But to those outside, this space is no bigger than a grain of rice. In reality, it spans no more than a hundred steps."

"So that's it. I made a mistake." Zhou Yu nodded, acknowledging his miscalculation.

The flaw in Zhou Yu’s plan lay in his lack of understanding of immortals and their abilities. The limited information and intelligence directly hindered Zhou Yu’s further strategizing.

"Bo Fu, from here on, it’s up to you. Don’t hold back. If you lose, we’ll all die." Zhou Yu’s tone was unnervingly calm, as though their lives weren’t in danger at all.

Sun Ce frowned slightly. Given his understanding of Zhou Yu, something felt off, but he couldn’t pinpoint the problem. Still, it wasn’t Sun Ce’s nature to dwell on things he couldn’t figure out.

"Of course! I’ll protect you all!" Sun Ce’s internal energy suddenly surged, twisting around him like flames. In this dire situation, Zhou Yu’s trust pushed Sun Ce’s mind and spirit to their absolute peak.

[Yes, Bo Fu, release your full strength and defeat them. As long as you win, everything will be fine. The life force you’ve lost will be replenished. This is merely a backlash. As long as you endure, everything you’ve experienced so far will be forgiven!] Zhou Yu thought silently, stepping back, effectively leaving everything in Sun Ce’s hands.

Though Zhou Yu couldn’t fully grasp the power of immortals, having deduced the identity of the attackers, he had done his utmost to prepare. After all, Zhou Yu was a man of exceptional intellect, second to none.

[Bo Fu, this is as far as I can assist you. Give it everything you’ve got and defeat the enemy. Everything you’ve enjoyed until now will be validated. But if I intervene, it will harm your future fortunes...]

Zhou Yu mentally fortified himself, keeping a close watch on Sun Ce. If not for his concerns about Sun Ce’s future, Zhou Yu would have intervened by now. After all, spirit, will, and body were the foundation of all power. Whatever arcane techniques Yu Ji used would surely be built upon these three, meaning Zhou Yu could trace the roots of his abilities.

Every innate talent stems from the elevation of spirit and will. If one could reverse-engineer the process, what would happen when that power is destroyed? Zhou Yu had his theories.

It would likely result in a breakdown of the core forces of will and spirit. And how hard could it be to destroy one's innate talents? Destruction is far easier than creation!

Furthermore, one’s innate talent is an expression of their spirit and willpower, so while it would be difficult for someone else to destroy it, doing so oneself would be all too easy.

If it were to save Sun Ce, Zhou Yu was prepared to destroy the powerful talent he relied on. After all, he had two and a half talents. Even if he lost one, he wouldn’t be crippled.

Moreover, Zhou Yu was curious about whether it was possible to rebuild an innate talent after its destruction, a question no one had ever explored. So, if push came to shove, he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice his zither talent and half his military command talent. He was certain that the ultimate power, born from the refinement of body, spirit, and will, would have an extraordinary effect.

However, Zhou Yu wouldn’t resort to such measures unless absolutely necessary. Though he hadn’t studied Daoism extensively, he had grasped the concept of karma. If he used such methods, even if Sun Ce survived this trial, unforeseen consequences would likely arise later.

Ultimately, this was Sun Ce’s battle with Yu Ji. If Sun Ce could resolve it himself, or if some unforeseen third party intervened, that would signify Sun Ce’s successful passage through this calamity.

Naturally, if Sun Ce broke through, the seemingly “cheated” life force from earlier would be expunged, clearing the slate. No matter what lay ahead for Sun Ce, this moment represented both a crisis and an opportunity.

What frustrated Zhou Yu the most was that, if he hadn’t known any of this, he might have destroyed his zither talent, enabling Sun Ce to escape and leading the army to annihilate Yu Ji. That would have allowed Sun Ce to break free from this disaster.

But if Zhou Yu had been ignorant of all this, he wouldn’t have been by Sun Ce’s side at all. After resolving the troubles in Jingnan, he wouldn’t have been wandering the mountains with Sun Ce. Naturally, Sun Ce would have been alone, and without Zhou Yu, Sun Ce’s chance of survival would have been zero.

Unfortunately, for Sun Ce’s safety, Zhou Yu had delved into a mountain of research, gaining a deep understanding of the karmic implications.

Knowing everything, Zhou Yu couldn’t pretend this was a coincidence. Thus, even if Yu Ji were defeated, another calamity would follow. Zhou Yu decided to control the situation within an acceptable range.

Facing a known danger was far safer than dealing with an unknown one. Thus, unless absolutely necessary, Zhou Yu wouldn’t intervene. He had to ensure Sun Ce’s future!

This was why Zhou Yu stepped back. He didn’t want to affect Sun Ce’s future development. The concept of destiny was vague and mystical, but it was hard to ignore, especially after recent changes. Even if Zhou Yu had been blind, he would have noticed something was wrong.

Of course, Sun Quan had no idea about any of this. Not deeply involved in his brother’s affairs, Sun Quan found Sun Ce’s actions bizarre but had no way to draw any conclusions.

[Yu Ji said he started plotting against Bo Fu twenty years ago, so that must mean something significant was set in motion back then.] Zhou Yu quietly analyzed Yu Ji’s words. Though he didn’t dare interfere too much, he had gleaned the information he needed. The timing from twenty years ago was crucial.

[If the scheme began twenty years ago, what could it be targeting? Based on what Yu Ji said, it must be related to destiny or fate...]

A subtle gleam flashed in Zhou Yu’s eyes as he glanced at Da Qiao and Sun Quan, then finally turned his thoughts inward.

[Bo Mu and Bo Fu can likely be ruled out. So that leaves myself, Da Qiao, or Zhongmou...] Zhou Yu pondered silently. Suddenly, a memory of an anecdote told by Sun Ce’s mother, his foster mother, popped into his mind.

[Could it be Zhongmou?] Zhou Yu glanced at the angry and frustrated Sun Quan, his suspicions growing. [Bo Fu’s character is like the sun—bright and dominant. Zhongmou, however, is like the moon, merely a reflection. The sun is the supreme god, while the moon is just a companion!]

By now, Zhou Yu had pieced together the clues and understood the larger picture. He even knew how to resolve the crisis.

[Sigh...] Zhou Yu sighed quietly, casting another glance at Sun Quan. Then, he squashed his thoughts. After all, Sun Quan was still just a boy, too young to understand any of this.

"Youping, kill them quickly!" Zhou Yu commanded Zhou Tai, who was still fighting fiercely. Meanwhile, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, having calmed down from their initial panic, watched the battle unfold with intense focus.

"Kill!" Zhou Tai roared, and his injuries, once gaping and severe, rapidly closed. His blood surged, and streaks of crimson appeared within his inner energy. He was pushing himself to the limit. He realized that the coordination between the three opponents was growing more precise, and their true strength as Inner Energy masters was beginning to show.

"Danger!" Azui, seeing Zhou Tai’s ferocity directed at him, immediately retreated. But Zhou Tai, ignoring the attacks from the other two, lunged at Azui with a death-defying attack.

"Die!" The other two Daoists didn’t bother to save Azui, focusing instead on attacking Zhou Tai directly. They were Yu Ji’s disciples and had no personal connection to Azui. Their sole objective was to complete Yu Ji’s mission.

"Shah!" Azui realized there was no escape, so he bit the tip of his tongue, using a secret technique to draw on the surrounding energy of heaven and earth. A shining net of light immediately enveloped the area, locking everything in place!

The moment the net appeared, Zhou Tai felt the power of his techniques, which relied on external energy, significantly weaken. However, he had already committed to the attack. With a fierce gleam in his eyes, he pressed forward. He could see Sun Ce’s difficult situation, and if he delayed any further, not only would he perish, but Sun Ce’s entire upper echelon could also be wiped out. Even if he had to die, he was determined to take these men down!

In an instant, Zhou Tai retracted all his internal energy, his body swelling by a tenth in size. His muscles, particularly those in his shoulders and legs, bulged, and his veins protruded like coiled dragons. He had become a mountain of muscle!

Being unable to use his internal energy did not mean Zhou Tai was no longer a top-tier warrior. On the contrary, in a situation where access to the energy of heaven and earth was blocked, the short-term power he could unleash was beyond imagination!

With his body’s sudden burst of strength, Zhou Tai ripped through Azui’s heavenly net. Before Azui could react, Zhou Tai’s mighty kick smashed into his torso, breaking him into three parts with a sharp crack.

"Shlck!" Two simultaneous sounds followed as the two Daoists drove their swords into Zhou Tai’s back. But unlike before, when their blades easily pierced him, this time it was as though they were stabbing into solid stone. Though they penetrated his flesh, it was much harder.

After killing Azui in one strike, Zhou Tai’s chest and back were pierced through, his lungs severely damaged. However, at this point, his life-threatening wounds were irrelevant. Zhou Tai’s eyes had turned entirely red and black. With a savage roar, he whirled around, lunging at one of the remaining Daoists.

His right fist slammed into one of the Daoists, ignoring the sword that stabbed through his left arm. At the same moment his punch connected with the Daoist’s abdomen, it blew open a massive hole, shattering the man’s internal organs.

With a swift backhand swing, Zhou Tai crushed the Daoist’s skull with his left arm, sending blood splattering, even onto Sun Quan.

"Just one left!" Zhou Tai bellowed, charging at the last Daoist like a wild beast. He endured another sword strike to the chest. As his internal energy and life force burned away faster, his strength grew to terrifying levels. He drove the final Daoist into the ground with a crushing blow, pummeling him and the earth into dust.

In just a few seconds, Zhou Tai had used every ounce of his strength and life force to kill all of Yu Ji’s helpers!

When Zhou Tai rose again, he looked like a demon, his black-and-red internal energy swirling violently around him. This was the result of burning away his internal energy and life force. He had gained the power to instantly kill those at his own level, but at the cost of his life.

"Die!" Zhou Tai roared, ignoring his mortal wounds. At this point, with his life force and energy burning out, his death was inevitable. Without a second thought, Zhou Tai charged at Yu Ji, his massive fist creating a sonic boom as it tore through the air. Since there was no hope of survival, his only remaining purpose was to kill Yu Ji and protect Sun Ce in the last moments of his life.

Zhou Tai’s punch carried the same raw power as Dian Wei’s normal attacks. In close combat, Zhou Tai’s might was fully unleashed for all to see.

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