Chapter 814: The Clash

As they spoke, Qu Yi suddenly made a swift move, appearing directly in front of Liu Bei. A crimson flash of internal energy appeared on his sword as he slashed toward Liu Bei. Born in the northern frontiers, Qu Yi's approach was as rough and direct as it gets. Since swearing allegiance to Yuan Shao, he had been willing to die for Yuan Shao’s grand ambition!

Clang! Zhao Yun was faster. A streak of silver-blue light flashed as he used his own internal energy to block Qu Yi’s attack, then countered with his Yitian Sword. The sweeping arc of his sword was enough to kill both Yuan Shao and Qu Yi in one blow!

Clang! Qu Yi twisted his body, his whole frame enveloped in a dark red aura of internal energy. Unexpectedly, he managed to withstand Zhao Yun’s sword strike head-on.

"Time to send you on your way!" Chen Xi swiftly pulled out his crossbow, releasing a massive surge of spiritual energy. He aimed directly at Yuan Shao and let loose a volley of bolts. The arrows, infused with Zhao Yun’s secret technique, turned silver as they shot toward Yuan Shao.

In the blink of an eye, as Zhao Yun intercepted Qu Yi, Yan Liang leapt forward to protect Yuan Shao. In one fluid motion, he deflected eight of the ten crossbow bolts. It wasn’t that the bolts were too fast, but the spiritual energy infused into each one made every arrow a significant mental strain for Yan Liang.

Boom! After parrying the eighth bolt, Yan Liang sensed danger. His weapon wasn’t ideal, and Chen Xi’s spiritual energy threatened to overwhelm his focus.

As Chen Xi unleashed his attack, Jia Xu also drew his crossbow, targeting two of the enemy generals he had been watching for a while. He quickly infused his bolts with spiritual energy and fired them toward Tian Feng.

Ordinary bolts wouldn’t harm a strategist. They could easily deflect them using their spiritual energy. But Jia Xu had one goal: to kill Tian Feng!

Of the eight arrows, five were aimed at Tian Feng, the most dangerous target, and three were directed at Xin Ping, who stood nearby. If Ju Shou had been present, Jia Xu would have aimed all eight at him. But Jia Xu’s mental calculations had revealed that five arrows were enough to seriously wound Tian Feng. Any more would simply be overkill.

"You dare?!" Wen Chou roared, charging toward Liu Bei. Xu Chu, however, hurled one of his dining knives at Wen Chou, clearly intent on taking him down.

Zhao Yun swept his sword toward Yan Liang and Qu Yi, forcing them to defend. Meanwhile, the last two bolts, one following the other, flew straight at Yuan Shao. If they hit, he would certainly die!

"Block it!" Sitting nearest, Shen Pei’s eyes flashed with fierce determination. He poured his spiritual energy into deflecting the bolts, managing to knock them off course.

"Go! Don’t worry about me! Kill Yuan Shao!" Chen Xi shouted as his arrows missed, and the explosive sounds of the bolts detonating brought Liu Bei back to full awareness. Without hesitation, Liu Bei grabbed a bronze cup and hurled it at Yuan Shao. Wine splashed everywhere as Chen Xi tossed one of Liu Bei’s twin swords to him. With a flash of steel, Liu Bei charged toward Yuan Shao!

Clang! Liu Bei aimed to finish off Yuan Shao. Naturally, Yan Liang and Qu Yi wouldn’t let that happen. They raised their weapons to stab at Liu Bei, only to be intercepted once again by Zhao Yun. At this moment, Wen Chou, Zhang He, and the others rushed forward, while the strategists on both sides unleashed their spiritual energy, prepared to fight to the death.

"Look! I’ve already killed three!" Jia Xu gloated as he wielded his sword while retreating alongside Chen Xi. "I took out Xin Ping, Zhou Ang, and Chen Fu! Too bad I only grazed Tian Feng. Otherwise, the explosion would’ve blown him to pieces!"

"Wu Anguo, stop Zhang He!" Chen Xi shouted, as he noticed Wu Anguo struggling without his oversized hammers. If he had them now, he could easily take out several of the enemy’s strategists.

"Zhongkang, finish off Wen Chou!" Chen Xi yelled to Xu Chu. Wen Chou was already wounded, unfamiliar with using a sword. Xu Chu’s attack had put him on the back foot.

"Zilong, take Yuan Shao down along with the others!" Chen Xi commanded, his overflowing spiritual energy almost visible to the naked eye. Everyone was focused on blocking Yuan Shao’s strategists and warriors. This was a golden opportunity—Yuan Shao had to be eliminated!

Zhao Yun smiled wryly. He couldn’t do it. There were too many techniques he couldn’t unleash in such tight quarters, and to make things worse, Qu Yi wasn’t even using internal energy in the conventional sense. His internal energy was like that of a military soul fused with his body, making him almost indistinguishable from a true internal energy master.

Even more absurdly, Zhao Yun had always relied on the sheer amount of his internal energy to overwhelm others. But now, Qu Yi was crazily burning through his own energy, matching Zhao Yun blow for blow in a war of attrition. Anyone else would have been exhausted to death by now!

Meanwhile, Lady Zhang had long since slipped away. Though both sides were respectful toward her, the chaos of battle could easily engulf her. She wisely chose not to risk it. Confident in Liu Bei’s combat prowess and aware of Yuan Shao’s limitations, she believed that Liu Bei stood a good chance of success.

"Don’t worry about me—just hold off the others! I’ll kill him myself!" Liu Bei shouted as he swung his sword in a fluid motion, aiming directly at Yuan Shao.

With one powerful strike, Liu Bei forced Yuan Shao to block. The sheer difference in strength caused Yuan Shao’s armor to split under the pressure, opening a gash across his chest. If Liu Bei had been using an internal energy technique, Yuan Shao would have been cleaved in two.

As Yuan Shao reeled from the blow, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and the others, seeing their lord gravely injured, roared in fury and launched desperate attacks.

"Die!" Wen Chou’s bloodlust surged as he ignored the sword Xu Chu had stabbed through him. Gripping Xu Chu’s blade between his muscles, he severed it and, with terrifying speed, drove his own sword toward Xu Chu’s chest.

Thud! Wen Chou’s sword pierced Xu Chu’s chest. Xu Chu’s eyes turned blood-red as he staggered back, disbelief washing over him. In all his years on the battlefield, never had he suffered such a grievous wound. With a savage growl, he smashed his fist into Wen Chou’s chest, sending him flying. But as Wen Chou flew back, he triggered the internal energy within his sword, causing it to explode.

Boom! After the exchange, Xu Chu spat out a mouthful of blood, while Wen Chou, with several broken ribs, glared fiercely at him. Both men were gravely injured, yet neither was willing to back down.

As for the other generals under Yuan Shao, they had been held at bay by Xu Chu and Wen Chou’s fierce duel, unable to enter the main hall. Only after both men were heavily wounded did Yuan Shao’s remaining forces finally have room to fight.

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