Chapter 782: Zhao Yun and Guan Yu

"Boom!" A thunderous sound erupted as the horsetail whisk of the black-clothed youth was shattered. The attacks of the remaining eight opponents struck Zhao Yun and his steed, the Jade Lion, sending them flying.

"You clearly don’t understand what real combat is. Despite possessing the strength of Inner Qi experts, you can't even utilize half of your true power," Zhao Yun hovered in mid-air, staring coldly at the nine attackers below. Despite their combined strength surpassing his, Zhao Yun felt oddly calm. These nine, even together, posed less of a threat than the true masters he had witnessed, such as Lü Bu, Guan Yu, and Yan Liang, who could unleash the full potential of their strength.

Relying solely on raw strength? Zhao Yun thought as he observed his foes. If Lü Bu, General Guan, General Zhang, and Yan Liang could achieve such feats, then why couldn't he? He had never faced this many Inner Qi experts at once, but perhaps this was a good opportunity.

"If you've come here, don't think you can leave," Zhao Yun said, slowly unleashing his secret technique. As he infused half of his Inner Qi into the technique, the Taoists below suddenly felt the world freeze. All sounds vanished, and even the air seemed to stop flowing.

"What is this?" one of the Taoists asked, bewildered.

"Just a technique. Unless you defeat me, you can't escape. I’ve sacrificed half of my Inner Qi for this, but I’m confident that the remaining half will be enough to kill you," Zhao Yun smiled serenely, but the coldness in his demeanor sent chills down their spines.

Meanwhile, Guan Yu, riding his steed, the Red Hare, continued to race towards Mount Tai, carrying the Xuanyuan Ding. He wasn’t concerned about Zhao Yun—he knew that with their abilities, it would be difficult to trap them unless they were burdened.

Guan Yu's speed was incredible, his horse galloping at near-sonic pace. If not for the burden of the Xuanyuan Ding, he would have already reached Mount Tai.

"Whoa!" Guan Yu pulled on the reins, his sharp gaze scanning the empty surroundings. Despite no visible enemies, his instincts heightened, sensing imminent danger.

"Very cautious," said a golden-robed Taoist who suddenly appeared, floating in the air. Soon after, a green-robed Taoist appeared on Guan Yu’s left, a blue-robed one behind him, followed by a red-robed and a yellow-robed Taoist.

Guan Yu’s expression grew more serious. Each of these five exuded an aura of strength comparable to his own, and the last one to appear, clad in grayish-yellow robes, seemed even stronger than he was.

"Hand over the Xuanyuan Ding. We don’t want unnecessary bloodshed. You must sense that we’re no weaker than you," the golden-robed Taoist said, speaking for the group. They were the five who had come from the northwest, seeking the power of the Ding.

Guan Yu silently gripped his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, his eyes full of resolve. With his loyalty to Liu Bei and the fate of their cause tied to the Xuanyuan Ding, there was no way he would relinquish it because of mere words.

At that moment, Guan Yu’s heart was calm as still water. Holding his blade in one hand and the Xuanyuan Ding in the other, he prepared for the inevitable battle.

"Then don't blame us," the golden-robed Taoist said, but before he could finish, Guan Yu had already transformed into a streak of green light. In a flash, his blade had reached the Taoist, and with one swift strike, the man’s life was ended—his body, mind, and spirit obliterated by the power of Guan Yu's slash.

"Die!" Guan Yu's second strike followed immediately, and in perfect harmony, the Red Hare moved alongside the green-robed Taoist. With another slash, the second man was dead.

As the third strike came, the remaining three Taoists managed to react. Yet, despite their combined defenses, the blue-robed Taoist was still struck down by the overwhelming force of Guan Yu’s attack.

Turning his horse, Guan Yu calmly faced the remaining two opponents. Though he had expended nearly all his Inner Qi, he felt no fatigue—instead, his spirit was exhilarated, filled with clarity.

Guan Yu's cold, arrogant gaze locked onto the two survivors. While they were terrified by the swift deaths of their comrades, they knew better than to let their guard down now. The two cautiously launched probing attacks from a distance, too afraid to close in.

Guan Yu deflected their strikes with his dwindling Inner Qi, yet the effort brought him a sudden realization. His understanding deepened with each exchange.

With a sudden flick of his wrist, Guan Yu threw the Xuanyuan Ding at the yellow-robed Taoist. The man, momentarily stunned, grabbed it with both hands, delighted. But Guan Yu had freed up his right hand. Now wielding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade with both hands, he swung it with all his might, cutting through the Taoist’s defenses and ending his life.

"Only you remain!" Guan Yu said coldly, retrieving the Xuanyuan Ding. Though his Inner Qi was completely depleted, he faced the last Taoist without fear, fully confident that he could kill him even without his Qi.

"How… how is this possible?" the red-robed Taoist stammered, trembling as he stared at Guan Yu. The deaths of his comrades had shaken him to his core. Now, alone against the formidable Guan Yu, he no longer dared to claim equality in strength.

"Die!" Guan Yu shouted, his phoenix eyes opening wide. In the Taoist’s eyes, the image of a colossal Green Dragon Crescent Blade filled his vision, cutting him cleanly in two.

"God…" the red-robed Taoist muttered as his body split in half and fell to the ground.

"Pathetic. You had Inner Qi and mental strength on par with mine, yet your hearts were so fragile. You deserve to be destroyed by my willpower," Guan Yu remarked coldly, watching the Taoist fall.

That final strike had been infused with Guan Yu’s will, his unwavering intent attached to the spirit of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. The blow wasn’t about raw power but rather pure, unyielding determination. Anyone unable to withstand Guan Yu’s will was destined to be cut down in an instant.

Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter