Chapter 179: Chapter 170: Ten Years Later at Hulao Pass, the Shocked Transmigrator
[A thunderous roar echoed in his ears, lingering for a long time, as if it sought to shake the very heavens and earth.]
[The golden light fell, and the "King of the Grasslands," a leader of an era, was pinned to the ground by a golden arrow of light, unable to move. Blood gushed forth like a spring, quickly staining the surrounding grass a shocking red.]
[The "King of the Grasslands" endured the intense pain, his gaze piercing through the thick fog to glimpse the towering walls thirty li away, though he could only vaguely catch a blurry outline.]
[The king’s personal guard reached out to pull out the "golden arrow of light," and as he touched it, a puff of black smoke rose from his palm. He withdrew his hand in pain, and saw that it was already showing the eerie white bone of his palm clasping the arrow.]
["Such domineering power... This arrow is actually condensed from the divine intent and the Gang Qi of military generals?!" the guard murmured in shock.]
[No one could withdraw the golden arrow of light; the grassland’s hundred thousand troops could only watch as the life fire of the "King of the Grasslands" gradually extinguished.]
[The "King of the Grasslands" fell, along with the Throne Great Demon who bore the throne, both vanishing from the world. Their banner fell powerlessly in the wind, and the alien races on the grasslands looked up to see the clouds sliced by an invisible sharp sword, leaving a long scar slowly healing. In front, those city walls loomed like an insurmountable barrier, instilling fear in all, deterring anyone from daring to step forward.]
[They lingered in this eerie silence, for an unknowable length of time.]
[As the first rays of morning pierced the clouds, illuminating this land, the day finally dawned.]
[Finally, the hundred thousand troops on the grassland slowly retreated, leaving only desolation and emptiness behind.]
[Henceforth, for five hundred years, this land became a forbidden place. Some alien races even moved overnight, distancing themselves as far as possible from this place of disputes.]
[As far as possible.]
[Upon the stronghold, the army on night watch received news of the "King of the Grasslands" and the Throne Great Demon perishing amongst their troops, followed by the quiet retreat of the grassland’s hundred thousand troops at dawn.]
[The young hero standing with his bow merely shot three arrows into the sky.]
[They gazed upon that initially unimposing figure, which at that moment grew majestic in their eyes, towering as if it could uphold the world.]
[Upon reviewing the long course of history, there had never been such a soul-stirring achievement.]
[From that day, the name Lü Bu became, in their hearts, the undisputed world’s number one martial general!]
[This event shook the world.]
[Some thought Dong Zhuo went to absurd extremes for martial glory, some believed it was the might of "Divine Weapons."]
[Others thought that Lü Bu had achieved the legendary "Seventh Realm of Martial Arts," but the Seventh Realm was merely equivalent to a "Celestial Divine General," needing to slay others of the same level amidst vast armies.]
[As difficult as scaling the heavens.]
[The most reasonable speculation was that Lü Bu had broken through to the Seventh Realm, combined with his divine military strategy, and thus overcame the "King of the Grasslands," achieving this dazzling feat on the battlefield.]
[Opinions varied.]
[Shortly afterward, the Emperor bestowed great rewards, for the "King of the Grasslands" had already perished, exiting prematurely in this Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth.]
[Yet due to this battle’s anticlimactic ending, with no body in sight, the Emperor simply promoted Dong Zhuo.]
[Lü Bu and the generals under Dong Zhuo feasted on wine, celebrating heartily, ready to return to the border county the next day.]
[Dong Zhuo hurriedly urged them to stay; he had already utilized the Lü Bu experience card. Contrary to rumors, relying not on any "life-draining" malign technique but rather on Lü Bu’s extraordinary strength in the Seventh Realm of Martial Arts.]
[Standing on the city wall, he witnessed Lü Bu unleashing three arrows without his aura diminishing.]
[Lü Bu gifted Dong Zhuo three strands of divine thought, saying they could save lives in times of peril.]
[Three years passed swiftly, with Dong Zhuo using the victory’s aftermath to campaign against alien races, amassing over thirty thousand heads as spoils, earning remarkable merit, rising to the position of one of the Three Ministers.]
[The tales of Dong Zhuo and Li Ru repeatedly inviting Lü Bu for aid were compiled by future generations and widely circulated, becoming a celebrated legend.]
[Ten more years passed; Dong Zhuo held the border, shaking the four corners, wielding half of the Celestial Dynasty’s military power, reigning with overwhelming influence.]
[The following year, the Taiping uprising erupted, with much of the populace responding, consuming thirty percent of the Yun Dynasty’s foundation, surpassing even the King of the Grasslands’ perilous time. The Celestial Dynasty’s general went to suppress and was greatly defeated.]
[The Emperor dispatched Dong Zhuo to quell the rebellion, yet Dong Zhuo returned in failure, ultimately imprisoned.]
[This defeat was not due to Dong Zhuo’s tactical errors. Rather, the "Taiping Daoist" had nurtured three thousand Yellow Turban Warriors using secret arts, each standing three zhang tall, resembling impenetrable copper walls, immune to blades and fire, composing a "military array," each strength equivalent to second-class generals, unstoppable wherever they went.]
[The Emperor consulted Emperor Heaven, learning that the Taiping Daoist had not personally intervened nor broken the rules, thus even Emperor Heaven could not respond.]
[Helpless, the Emperor issued orders for local powers to recruit troops, form alliances, curb the Tianping Army’s arrogance, and invited experts to break the Yellow Turban Warriors, barely stabilizing the situation.]
[This was precisely the scenario the Three Religions of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism hoped to see, having schemed repeatedly, finally dividing the Great Fortune of Heaven and Earth in his hands, allowing everyone under heaven to possess the potential of a True Dragon.]
[The following month, the Emperor suddenly passed away.]
[Thrusting into power alone, Dong Zhuo orchestrated a bloody purge of the court.]
...
Hulao Pass.
The camp of the Eighteen Allied Armies.
Though the Taiping Army had been heavily damaged by the united heroes of the world, their grassroots foundation remained deep, often resurging. However, now they were not considered a grave threat. Dong Zhuo must not seize the advantage.
Inside the tent, four inconspicuous figures blended in, led by one with long ears and arms and a composed demeanor, facing the assembled heroes with neither arrogance nor humility.
And behind him followed three closely, one with a face red as dates and another with a leopard head and round eyes. Though their leather armor appeared plain and even somewhat poor compared to the splendid battle robes of those present, they exuded a formidable aura.
They were Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, the three brothers.
Behind them, there was a refined and graceful scholar named Yang Jin. He sat to one side behind Liu Bei, his deep-set eyes carefully observing the various dukes present.
Yang Jin transmigrated three months ago. Upon hearing of Cao Cao’s assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo, he realized he was in the Three Kingdoms era. Although not proficient in schemes, he was confident in relying on his past life’s "ability to recognize people" and "strategic vision."
Living under any duke’s banner seemed manageable for him.
Since he was here, he might as well make himself comfortable.
This was a chance to witness the demeanor of the world’s heroes...
Then, Yang Jin discovered something was off about this Three Kingdoms. A guard in his family lifted a hundred-pound stone and tossed it a hundred meters away. He thought he had found some famous general and was ready to honor him as a guest, but the guard said he was only worthy of being a Centurion.
His greatest dream was to cultivate True Qi and become a non-ranked military general, which would double or triple his salary.
Yang Jin was stunned.
What level of martial prowess did this Three Kingdoms era possess?
He sifted through his memories.
History had deviated completely from what he knew before.
The unusual occurrence seemed to begin when a historical Confucian Saint shed his robes and shattered a city gate with a world-shaking punch...
Since then, in the Human Race, the literary and martial paths have advanced side by side.
A hundred years ago, the tales of Qi Cultivators and Immortal Gods were enigmatic and indistinguishable, while at the edge of the grassland, the Great Demon enthroned was exceptionally fierce. Just over a decade ago, the King of the Grasslands swept through, nearly toppling the Emperor from his altar in Luoyang.
The Taiping Army swept across the land.
Everything felt abnormally powerful.
Yang Jin speculated that if famous generals of the historical Three Kingdoms period had their power measured today, it would probably increase more than a hundredfold.
Outside, chaos reigned. As he left his house, he unfortunately encountered a group of fierce Yellow Turban Thieves. The guards accompanying him were instantly slaughtered. If Guan Yu had not intervened in time to save him, he would have likely met a similar fate, ending up severed at the neck.
In a fight with the Yellow Turban Generals, Guan Yu struck with all his might, slicing a mountaintop in half with a single saber.
To repay the life-saving favor, Yang Jin advised Liu, Guan, and Zhang on infiltrating the camp and securing a position.
In his mind, he assessed the various dukes and suddenly found that following Liu Bei might be best. After all, the world is not fixed, and the Celestial Mandate can be altered.
In the subsequent two weeks, the allied forces battled Dong Zhuo’s army, advancing all the way to Hulao Pass.
Then, Dong Zhuo’s general "Hua Xiong" emerged, slaying several generals, including a "First-class General," which caused a drop in the allied forces’ morale. The dukes were at a loss, planning to crush the enemy with their massive army.
"Second brother, do you have confidence?" Yang Jin knew it was the right time and looked over to Guan Yu for inquiry.
Guan Yu half-closed his eyes, stroking his long beard with a nod. He had observed Hua Xiong in more than ten matches and was determined to succeed this time.
Guan Yu volunteered for battle, taking his saber and capturing "Hua Xiong" with three strokes before returning.
Everyone in the tent watched Guan Yu with different expressions.
After the celebratory banquet,
In Liu Bei’s tent,
"Next, it should be the turn of the world’s number one martial general, Lü Bu. Third brother, although second brother is brave, he might not be able to handle him alone. You could assist from the side; together, you should be able to match Lü Bu." Yang Jin’s gaze moved between Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and finally settled on the young general in white at the tent’s entrance.
Lü, Zhao, Dian Wei; Guan, Ma, Zhang Fei.
This young general in white was none other than Zhao Yun, whom Yang Jin had painstakingly recruited through various means!
Dealing with Lü Bu required the righteous tactic of encirclement, making him not a significant threat.
As Yang Jin finished speaking, a burst of mocking laughter came from within the tent, tinged with disdain.
"You all dare to compare yourselves with Lü Bu?"
"Lü Bu merely relies on the power of his Divine Weapons and slightly superior archery skills. On the battlefield, let me, Zhang Yide, show you how I use my spear to pierce him through and seize his undeserved fame as the world’s number one martial general!"
Zhang Fei glanced at Hua Xiong, full of heroism and confidence.
Guan Yu stood proudly silent.
It was not for any other reason except that Lü Bu, apart from repelling the grassland army with the might of "three arrows" over a decade ago, had no other illustrious battle record despite his mighty reputation as the world’s number one martial general.
That fame was purely inflated by the ten thousand troops under Dong Zhuo’s command.
Perhaps, Lü Bu might have long died due to some life-depleting secret technique.
Hua Xiong glanced at Zhang Fei in amazement, as if observing a monster. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Hahaha."
...
