Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 654 - 619: Bottom Line

"When the opportunity arises, I will come, and I hope by then you haven’t died by someone else’s hand," Zhao Yun said calmly, yet his words carried a pointed meaning.

After Lyu Bu opened his heart to a true battle, even Zhao Yun couldn’t help but imply to Lyu Bu that it would be a pity if such a formidable military general were to die by a scheme.

"Hahaha, you needn’t worry about that, how could I, Lyu Bu, ever die at the hands of another?" laughed Lyu Bu boisterously, "I’ll be waiting for you, standing at the peak of martial arts, awaiting your arrival. My intuition tells me that there will be another battle between you and me, and by then, we will be engaging not at our current levels, but in a truly ultimate confrontation!"

"I appreciate the auspicious words," Zhao Yun startled, and in a trance, he envisioned a clash atop the snowy plains of Northern Frontier Youyan, where the two met in combat once more. That split-second illusion vanished in an instant, but Zhao Yun felt clearly that it was no mere illusion.

"I shall take my leave now. General Guan will fight you once more, this time there will be a surprise," said Zhao Yun calmly to Lyu Bu as he bowed, then he released his Inner Qi and plummeted from the sky.

Lyu Bu opened his mouth, wanting to call Zhao Yun back; he knew Zhao Yun had untapped strength, but the latter chose not to deploy it.

Guan Yu watched Lyu Bu in the sky, hearing their conversation clearly. He felt an odd sense of this moment’s Lyu Bu—could that lofty figure in the sky truly be Lyu Bu?

After landing, Zhao Yun’s left hand loosely grasped the Yitian Sword, and then he couldn’t help but sigh. His Spear Technique might have reached a pinnacle, but his swordsmanship didn’t fear anyone either. Compared to the Seven Coiled Serpents’ trickery, his mastery of both spear and sword was his strongest skill, yet previously he never had a Precious Sword that allowed him to wield it freely.

[Lyu Fengxian, the next time we fight, I’ll use my strongest move. My expertise lies not only in the spear but also in the sword.] Zhao Yun looked at Lyu Bu in the sky, thinking resolutely. However, he didn’t know that after this battle, it would be a very long time before he saw Lyu Bu again.

"Strategist, does he have a chance of survival?" Zhao Yun eventually couldn’t help but ask Chen Xi, audible only to the two of them.

"No... However, ’heaven never seals off all exits’, there might be a chance, who knows. At least there isn’t one on my end now. He’s too unbridled in spirit. I don’t know who, other than Diao Chan, could bind his heart. Such a person might be moved momentarily and might act heroically because of the loneliness inside, but he’s just too wild..."

Chen Xi didn’t speak. His gaze remained fixed on Lyu Bu standing in the sky, but his words reached Zhao Yun’s ears without missing a beat.

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"I see, his heart is too wild, indeed. His current heroic and valiant demeanor doesn’t mean he won’t revert to his former self. A person’s heart always needs something to bind it, whether it’s emotion or morality, something to tether one’s desires to truly become a human," Zhao Yun sighed deeply, understanding Chen Xi’s concern.

"Yes, a person’s heart must be bound by something," Chen Xi replied without shifting his gaze, "but I’m very curious as to why he has become so valiant."

While Zhao Yun and Chen Xi were talking, Guan Yu and Lyu Bu had already begun their duel. Although Guan Yu was strong, his moves lacked the stunning impact of Zhao Yun’s. His every strike was mighty and powerful, but he couldn’t harm Lyu Bu.

"Guan Yunchang, your strikes with the blade are heavy and powerful, but they don’t last in prolonged combat. You excel in harnessing Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Each slash comes at the peak of your power, which makes them massively potent. But this also means once your fighting will and battle spirit can no longer escalate, each of your following strikes will only weaken!" Lyu Bu delivered a Heavy Strike with his spear, sending Guan Yu flying back without inflicting even a scratch. In that moment, Lyu Bu truly exhibited the air of a grandmaster.

Guan Yu remained composed. His technique was designed this way, yet his aim was to resolve his opponent within ten moves, or at least to inflict injury. That way, even if he weakened over time, the opponent would still not be able to defeat Guan Yu.

"Take my final strike, Marquis Wen!" For the first time, Guan Yu truly regarded Lyu Bu, acknowledging his strength openly as before; however, this time, unlike the past references of mere ’Lyu Bu,’ he addressed his opponent with respect.

"Fine, I too wish to see what this surprise Zhao Zilong spoke of is," Lyu Bu laughed heartily, his voice free of the usual arrogance and disdain as he spoke directly to Guan Yu.

Guan Yu whistled sharply, and a trail of fire came streaking across the sky. Lyu Bu was momentarily startled by the clearly visible figure, and he couldn’t help but whistle himself. The Galloping Red Hare, upon seeing the Curly-Haired Red Hare, felt an urge to charge forward, but it was kept in check by Lyu Bu’s imposing presence and did not make a move. Now, with Lyu Bu’s command, the Galloping Red Hare immediately charged forth.

"Red Hare Horse?" Lyu Bu marveled at Guan Yu with a tsk-tsk of surprise.

"I have a blade strike for Marquis Wen to evaluate!" Guan Yu roared, his body’s azure internal Qi and the brilliant fiery glow of the Red Hare Horse beneath him began to crazily fuse together. A swirling mix of azure and crimson flames fiercely burned around him, and his momentum climbed, surpassing one peak after another, at last even overwhelming Lyu Bu’s own aura.

As Guan Yu infused his essence, Qi, and spirit into the strike, nearly everyone present could hear the dragon roars emanating from the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Guan Yu, riding the Red Hare Horse and looking across at Lyu Bu, exuded a mix of disdain and confidence, "Take my Green Dragon Crescent Slash!"

With a ferocious roar from Guan Yu, the Curly-Haired Red Hare beneath him, as if given an order, transformed into a streak of firelight charging straight at Lyu Bu.

At the command of Guan Yu’s blade, the sky abruptly darkened as if a waning moon radiating a ghostly light swept across it. Accompanied by a booming sound, the whole area shook, and when the blade struck, the earth shattered, leaving a gash hundreds of meters long.

After the smoke and clouds dispersed, Lyu Bu and Guan Yu stood on their horses in the sky.

"Why did your blade veer off?" demanded Lyu Bu, struggling with his expression before finally regaining his composure, then asked.

"I am not your equal, but I have my own principles, my pride won’t allow me to defeat a stronger opponent by such means!" Guan Yu panted, and after slowly regaining composure, he spoke with dismissive pride. He disdained any explanation, but seeing Lyu Bu struggle with conflicting emotions before finally voicing his acknowledgment, Guan Yu felt inclined to elucidate.

"Principles, huh?" Lyu Bu muttered to himself, eventually regaining a calm demeanor,"Just now you had a chance to kill me—I was careless, and I couldn’t have dodged that strike."

"..." Guan Yu’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at Lyu Bu but said nothing. He was surprised that a man like Lyu Bu would admit such a thing rather than fly into a rage.

"However, you won’t get another chance," Lyu Bu’s voice shifted, "You’ve thrown away the only chance you had to become the supreme warrior."

"Next time I will be stronger, my blade faster and fiercer," Guan Yu said, his eyes fixed on Lyu Bu, feeling Lyu Bu’s recognition.

"Besides, I would not want to be known as the best in the world through petty tricks. I don’t wish for that!" For the first time, Guan Yu spoke at length, perhaps shaken by the impact Lyu Bu had left on him, "I will claim the title of the strongest under the heavens on my own! Don’t die yet!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it at qidian.com with your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)