Chapter 190: Chapter 181: The Unbeatable One—Even Immortal Gods Cannot Withstand a Single Punch
[Liu Bei’s three hundred thousand troops, during another river crossing, were unexpectedly met with a great flood, causing the army to scatter.]
[The Immortal Gods, fearing the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth, dared not recklessly slaughter Liu Bei’s forces, yet employing some tricks was too easy.]
[The soldiers looked disheveled, and their eyes turned collectively to the silent strategist, Zhuge Liang.]
[Zhuge Liang quietly gazed at the opposite bank; ten li ahead was Cao Cao’s mighty army, yet this short ten li distance was mercilessly blocked by a river like a chasm in the heavens.]
[This was already their eighth northern expedition, yet this time they hadn’t even obtained the chance to confront Cao Cao head-on.]
[The remaining two hundred thousand troops’ morale had hit rock bottom.]
[Zhuge Liang looked up at the sky, as if he could see those high and mighty Immortal Gods, silently mocking this mundane world’s mortal beings.]
[This is why for tens of thousands of years, "clever people" always choose to compromise.]
[Once one steps into this game, they become puppets in the hands of the scattered Immortal Gods.]
[Each reincarnation is the "prosperous age" anticipated by the Immortal Gods. Amidst heaven and earth, these "carefree Immortal Gods" occupy nine-tenths of the great fortune, and their ambitions grow ever bigger.]
[Without a "prosperous age," the Immortal Gods might even actively create a "prosperous age" to harvest sentient beings, prettily claiming—heaven and earth’s resources are limited and cannot accommodate an increasing number of souls...]
[Better to—sacrifice the small self, to achieve the great self.]
[This is precisely the root of the world’s stagnation.]
[Heaven and the Four Saints ascended skywards a millennium ago to end the "carefree Divine Race," ushering in a flourishing Great Era.]
[But their disciples, born "carefree," naturally began to pursue a higher level of "Dao." But for tens of thousands of mortals, this is an unbearable burden. Once dragon-slaying heroes gradually transform into new evil dragons.]
[The young Zhuge Liang slowly closed his eyes.]
[Faced with myriad Immortal Gods, what could he, a mere mortal, do?]
["Are you going to give up?" At this moment, a gentle voice sounded.]
[Zhuge Liang suddenly opened his eyes, a young man stood beside him.]
["Mr. Lü, have you been very disappointed in us?" Zhuge Liang smiles wryly, this Mr. Lü taught two "fools," causing this world to have his third fool.]
[But if he could do it all over again, Zhuge Liang would still choose to be this third fool.]
["Doing is right; being wrong is also right." Lü Bu shakes his head.
His life can be summed up by these eight words.]
[The first layer is "Heart Dao," as long as courageously done, even if ultimately failed, this action in itself is right and meaningful.]
[The second layer is "Tyranny," meaning whatever he does, regardless of right or wrong, is considered right by him.]
[Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, Yang Jin, Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, all knowing the impossibility yet carrying on, are true heroes.]
[Over the years, both Lü Bu and Wuyou have witnessed it.]
["Doing is right; being wrong is also right..." Zhuge Liang turns his head to look at the determined gaze of the generals beside him; after the seventh northern expedition, hadn’t they already expected the outcome of failure? Yet they still didn’t give up, acting according to their hearts.]
[There are no miracles in this world; they themselves are the miracles.]
["Foster Father, do you have confidence?" Yang Jin summoned "Lü Bu’s Divine Thought." Ever since Cao Cao received the help of myriad Immortal Gods, he hadn’t had a peaceful night’s sleep.]
[Liu Bei doesn’t want to yield, nor does he.]
[He didn’t want to do this uncertain task, but without Lü Bu’s power, they couldn’t even cross the river before them.]
["Next, I’ll take over." Lü Bu replied with a smile.]
[He hadn’t met a worthy opponent in a long time.]
[Lü Bu’s heart surged, his entire body enveloped in golden Qi, blazing fiercely, charging to the skies.]
...
[Cao Cao’s army suddenly sensed a heavy pressure, collectively looking up.]
[A golden figure stood in the sky!]
["Lü Bu, it’s Lü Bu!!" Those generals and soldiers who had survived Hulao Pass stared terrified at that figure in the sky.]
["Do not panic, quickly call the Immortal Master over!!" After the initial shock, one general quickly regained composure and ordered his men to report to Cao Cao. He looked up and sneered at Lü Bu, "Lord Cao has the Celestial Court’s protection, it is his Celestial Mandate! Mere Lü Bu..."]
["Lü Bu, look at this general’s divine techniques!!" At this time, a golden armored divine general eager to claim merit unleashed his exotic beast’s Dharma Aspect, making the first move by leaping fiercely towards Lü Bu in midair.]
[Cao Cao and those from the Celestial Court walked out from the banquet, looking up at the sky.]
["Such a great merit, yet Ding Yuan went ahead first, what a pity." Another red-armored divine general moved a step slower, sighing.]
[Cao Cao unified the world, those present could all share the fortune, but during this Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth, naturally, more contribution meant more fortune, and "fortune" could maintain their emotions from being obliterated.]
[Lü Bu was indeed a big fish!]
["Someone beat the drums to inspire the troops!!"]
[Cao Cao shouted excitedly.]
[Over the years, Lü Bu was his incessant nightmare; he often dreamed of being caught by Lü Bu and struck into a blood mist with a halberd.]
[Today, with the Celestial Court’s assistance, the nightmare should be dispelled!]
[Next to him, a general heard Cao Cao’s words and promptly grabbed a big hammer and slammed it down.]
[Boom—]
[Lü Bu, with great interest, raised his hand and punched.]
[The golden armored divine general didn’t even utter a scream before turning to ashes on the spot, leaving heaven and earth abruptly silent.]
["Ah?!" Everyone present gasped in shock.]
["One punch?"]
[The Celestial Divine Generals’ Divine Techniques were almost indistinguishable, each fighting for three days and nights before a ranking could be determined. Indeed, there was no victory or defeat, only a hierarchy. Without a suitable Magical Artifact in hand, one cannot kill the other Divine General.]
[Typically, one would beat the other half to death and then deliver them to the "Immortal Slaying Platform" to completely annihilate their Primordial Spirit.]
[Yet Lü Bu obliterated a Divine General with a single punch...]
[The Red Armored Divine General frowned, glancing around before retreating behind the others.]
[Cao Cao feigned composure, raising his head to meet the tranquil golden eyes in the sky, and his heart unexpectedly trembled.]
["The deeds of the ’Divine Generals,’ which martial artist hasn’t heard, yet they were slain by Lü Bu’s single punch. Observing the generals’ expressions of fear, where is the slightest bit of bravado?"]
[Lü Bu casually slapped a mosquito to death, then eagerly surveyed the Celestial Court’s generals and Immortal Masters below.]
[In an instant, the Celestial Court’s Will plunged into the abyss, surprisingly unable to muster the slightest will to resist, even falling short of the Cao Army leaders among the First-class Generals beside them. Lü Bu furrowed his brow.]
[Is this the Immortal Gods? Obviously possessing such earth-shattering power within, why fear death?]
[Too weak, unable to even gather the courage to throw a punch at him...]
[The fervor that had just arisen in Lü Bu was immediately doused by a cold splash of water.]
[What a bore.]
[Lü Bu looked up to a higher place, where there were greater experts. Mr. Wuyou spoke of Heaven and the Four Saints, the Hundred Schools Dao Lineage, and the Celestial Divine Generals, he knew he wouldn’t be lonely in this world, it’s just that these people seemed to deliberately avoid him.]
[He was just a mere mortal, unable to find where these people hid.]
[However, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Yang Jin established a dynasty, forcing them to act was truly an unexpected delight.]
[This time—you have no choice but to face me!]
["Master, shall we continue to beat the drums?" Amid the silence, the general tasked with drumming timidly asked.]
[Cao Cao glared fiercely at the general, then turned to the silent Celestial Court members beside him, asking, "Ladies and gentlemen Immortal Masters, who is willing to step forward, showcase Divine Techniques, and capture this crook Lü Bu, claiming the first victory!"]
[As his words fell, the Celestial Court members fell into a brief silence.]
[Cao Cao, seeing the Celestial Court generals vacillating, suddenly felt unease. He realized that Lü Bu’s strength was surely top-tier among the Celestial Divine Generals. Just as he was about to persuade the Celestial Court members to not be confined by martial virtues, to join forces in attacking Lü Bu,]
[At this moment, a red-robed Daoist confidently stepped forward from the crowd.]
[Cao Cao immediately cast a hopeful glance at the red-robed Daoist, raising the cup of fine wine in his hand, about to speak in support: "Upper Immortal..."]
[Only to see the red-robed Daoist salute and say, "Lord Cao, this humble Daoist just recalled there’s a batch of elixirs brewing in my cave, I must return immediately to watch over them, this humble Daoist bids farewell!"]
[As soon as the words fell, without waiting for Cao Cao to persuade him to stay, the red-robed Daoist had already turned into a gust of Qingfeng, dispersing with nothing left behind.]
[Cao Cao stood stunned with his fine wine held aloft: "???"]
[The Qi Cultivators from the Celestial Court turned to glance at the golden figure in the sky, who appeared "invincible," swiftly realizing that if they didn’t leave now, they’d face annihilation the next moment.]
[Together they bid farewell, dispersing like birds and beasts.]
[The originally occupied ground suddenly was left with only the Celestial Divine Generals, looking at each other in dismay; it wasn’t that they didn’t want to leave, but as regular members of the Celestial Court, they couldn’t leave.]
["Didn’t you say Lü Bu was merely an earth chicken and dog? Captured within ten moves?" Cao Cao questioned anxiously.]
["Lord Cao, you didn’t inform us that Lü Bu was so fierce, did you?" The Celestial Divine General who had boastfully claimed to capture Lü Bu in ten moves now appeared exceedingly innocent.]
[If they had known earlier that such a powerful being existed in the Mortal World, they wouldn’t have eagerly vied for the opportunity to descend, now caught between a rock and a hard place.]
["Didn’t I tell you?" Cao Cao let out a cold laugh, harboring initial anxiety about Lü Bu, hesitating to use force against Liu Bei. However, these Celestial Divine Generals and Upper Immortals scorned Lü Bu.]
[Yet Lü Bu’s single punch left those Divine Generals cowering, a truly ironic scene.]
[Cao Cao silently cursed, lamenting how Lü Bu and the Immortal Gods meddled freely in mortal affairs, stifling his plans, leaving a million-strong army ineffective. Should he one day become ’Emperor,’ he would ’tear down mountains, cut down temples, sever the Celestial connection,’ wiping out all Immortal Gods.]
[He surveyed the Celestial Divine Generals, all cowardly and negligible, unreliable folk.]
[Back then, listening to Feng Xiao’s words, ascending to pay homage to the gods, Immortal Gods descended to assist him; as long as he triumphed over Dong Zhuo, he would be the Celestial Mandate.]
[Celestial Mandate?]
[Cao Cao suddenly remembered the silk bag Feng Xiao had left behind, hastily withdrew the letter within, only to see four large characters written boldly on it.]
["Surrender and live."]
[Cao Cao flew into a rage, then took a deep breath, staring at the words, pondering.]
[Surrender and live?]
[At this moment—]
[With a tremendous noise, a heavenly thunder descended, resembling a substantial thunder column, striking Lü Bu from the sky deep into the mountain below!!]
[Clang—]
[As the deep bell tolled, the clouds and mist dispersed slowly, revealing in the sky a majestic Bronze Gate, its suspended plaque seemingly enchanted, heralding the name "South Celestial Gate."]
[Subsequently, a magnificent Giant God appeared in the air.]
["Mortal from the Lower Realm, do not resist." ]
[The drumbeats roared and shook the heavens, the South Celestial Gate opened gradually, countless Celestial Soldiers surged forth like tides, swiftly assembling into a well-ordered Military Array. Each Divine General bore an expressionless face, eyes fierce and unwaveringly locked on Lü Bu.]
[They faced Lü Bu without fear, able to fully display their strength—]
[Lü Bu stood firm on the earth, bathed in the fierce bombardment of the thunder column, his calm visage finally underwent a subtle transformation as his lips curved into a faint smile.]
[At the same time.]
[Cao Cao gazed at the sky, focusing on the thunder column yet to disperse.]
[He suddenly tore the letter in his hand into pieces, casting them aside, with the fragments scattering in the wind.]
[I, Cao Cao, am the one destined by heaven!]
...
