"You... are... not... a... king," the stone statue of Emperor Taizu spoke slowly, echoing the words of the Overlord.
"I am Guo Jia, a minister of Wei," Guo Jia replied, raising his right hand. A spiritual treasure, about the size of two fingers, materialized in his palm.
"A military tally?"
Fan Li recognized it instantly. It was clearly a Han Dynasty military tally. But then he realized it couldn't be; it must be a Wei Dynasty tally, considering the current political landscape.
In the past, the Han Dynasty had adopted the Qin Dynasty's systems. Now, the Wei Dynasty had inherited the Han's systems.
"Tiger and Leopard Battalion," Guo Jia uttered three words, and the Wei Dynasty military tally disintegrated into a pile of sand, scattering on the ground.
In the next moment, the sand transformed, giving rise to a hundred warriors mounted on tall steeds.
'Is this some kind of bean-scattering magic?' Fan Li marveled inwardly.
He vaguely recalled a report he had gathered on neighboring countries, which mentioned the Tiger and Leopard Battalion of Cao Wei:
"The Tiger and Leopard Battalion of Wei is composed of the most elite warriors in the land, each capable of facing a hundred opponents."
Fan Li's eyelids twitched.
Refined?
Could this military tally be infused with the souls of a hundred warriors, each a match for a hundred ordinary soldiers?
"I hope Meng De hasn't fallen into the demonic path," Fan Li thought to himself.
But he quickly dismissed the idea. The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry before him exuded a fierce battle spirit and sharp gazes, clearly a loyal and valiant elite force.
This suggested that the hundred loyal souls within the military tally had either willingly sacrificed their lives or remained dedicated to Cao Wei even after death.
"Tiger and Leopard Battalion," Guo Jia raised his hand, pointing towards the stone statue.
"Charge!"
The earth trembled as the hundred Tiger and Leopard Cavalry charged forward, their momentum resembling that of a mighty army, despite the mountainous terrain.
They faced the stone statue with Emperor Taizu as its main face. Taizu, wielding a broadsword in one hand, charged towards them as well.
The moment they clashed, twenty-five Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were instantly reduced to ashes by the broadsword.
"He's so fierce!" Lu Fubao exclaimed in shock.
Fan Li nodded silently. Throughout history, founding emperors had all been forged through blood and fire.
And Emperor Taizu, among all the founding emperors, was renowned for his ruthlessness. His brutality on the battlefield and in the imperial court was unmatched by many emperors throughout history.
Within a few short exchanges, another dozen Tiger and Leopard Cavalry perished, their bodies turning into sand and scattering in the wind.
"Impressive, they've actually managed to hold him back!" Yan Yuan exclaimed in surprise.
Emperor Taizu's momentum seemed to have waned, allowing the remaining fifty or so Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to surround him. They attacked from all directions, forcing Taizu to focus on defense, leaving him no time to counterattack.
Suddenly, the tide turned.
Emperor Taizu discarded his broadsword and raised his hands towards the sky.
A miraculous sight unfolded.
A beam of sunlight descended from the heavens, infusing Taizu's left arm with radiant energy. At the same time, a beam of moonlight bathed his right arm in a cool, silvery glow.
His arms, once made of stone, transformed – one golden and fiery, the other silver and frosty.
"ROAR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
Taizu let out a deep, guttural roar, unleashing two opposing forces from his arms that instantly engulfed the entire battlefield.
Half of the remaining Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were incinerated by the scorching heat, while the other half were frozen solid, transformed into ice sculptures.
Crack!
Shatter!
The ice sculptures crumbled under the force of the mountain wind, turning into dust and scattering in the air.
The Tiger and Leopard Battalion was annihilated.
Only now did everyone witness the true power of Emperor Taizu. Even as a mere stone statue, he could manipulate the celestial bodies and harness the power of the sun and moon.
"Pfft!!!"
The Wei Dynasty military tally reappeared in Guo Jia's hand, but it was now shattered and devoid of spiritual energy.
The destruction of his spiritual treasure caused him to suffer a backlash, forcing him to cough up a large mouthful of blood.
"I... cough cough... I did my best."
Despite his injuries, Guo Jia managed to speak, a smile still lingering on his face.
Sage Ruler Jin De's face was ashen. She was dissatisfied with Guo Jia and Zhou Yu's performance, but seeing their injuries, she couldn't bring herself to criticize them further.
"It's your turn now," she said to Zhuge Liang with urgency.
"Please be patient, Sage Ruler. I shall go now." Zhuge Liang smiled and stepped forward, gently waving his feather fan.
The statue's heads rotated once more, with the head of Emperor Gaozu of Han taking the central position.
"Zhuge Liang, a minister of Han, greets Your Majesty, Emperor Gaozu."
To everyone's surprise, Zhuge Liang bowed deeply to the stone statue.
However, they quickly understood.
The stone statue before them was a manifestation of the Three Emperors Formation. But where did the formation originate?
Fan Li had a suspicion, and he guessed the others shared the same thought.
Therefore, Zhuge Liang's bow to the statue of Gaozu was entirely appropriate.
"You... are... a... Han... minister?"
Zhuge Liang's bow had unexpected consequences. Emperor Gaozu spoke, still using only four words, but this time, it wasn't "You are not a king."
"Your humble servant is the Prime Minister of the Great Han," Zhuge Liang replied with a bow.
The stone statue remained silent for a moment, then waved its hand.
"Retreat. You cannot break this formation."
Fan Li's expression turned into a mixture of amusement and surprise.
The reason was simple.
Zhuge Liang, like Zhou Yu and Guo Jia, had been sent by the Three Kingdoms to assist Sage Ruler Jin De. It was a thankless task, and they would naturally avoid it if they could.
If it were Fan Li in his position, he would have obediently withdrawn.
"No, Zhuge Liang, you cannot retreat!" Jin De shouted, realizing something was amiss.
However, Zhuge Liang seemed to ignore her.
"Your humble servant obeys the decree of Emperor Gaozu." With that, he retreated back to the group, bowing apologetically to Jin De.
"Please forgive me, Sage Ruler. I am a minister of Han. With Emperor Gaozu present, I cannot disobey his orders."
"It's just a stone statue!" Jin De gritted her teeth in frustration.
Zhuge Liang smiled. "But what if it is a stone statue left behind by Emperor Gaozu himself?"
"You...!!!" Jin De was left speechless.
Zhou Yu and Guo Jia, on the other hand, looked at Zhuge Liang with envy.
"Master Zhuge, you have good fortune," Zhou Yu said with a hint of dejection.
"Congratulations, Kong Ming," Guo Jia added, wiping the blood from his lips.
'Heh, three mere workers,' Fan Li thought to himself with amusement, then noticed Jin De staring at him with resentment.
"Is there something you need, Sage Ruler? Oh, are you expecting me to step in? I could, but I have already extended an invitation to Master Guiguzi. If I were to win this battle, I'm afraid Master Guiguzi would join the Great Chu, not the Brahma Sound Pure Land." Fan Li grinned mischievously.
"Sage Ruler, a gentleman does not take what rightfully belongs to another. I am willing to yield. Why don't you challenge the formation first?"
Although Jin De loathed Fan Li, his words resonated with her.
He was right! Fan Li had only extended an invitation on behalf of the Great Chu, so he wasn't technically helping the Pure Land.
Despite his weak cultivation, strange things always seemed to happen around him. What if he truly managed to break the Three Emperors Formation? Wouldn't that mean Guiguzi would be lost to the Pure Land forever?
"When did I ever ask for your help?" she snapped. "Step aside! Don't get in my way! A mere stone statue? I have my ways of dealing with it!"
Jin De stood tall, her confidence radiating. After a journey filled with frustration, she could finally unleash her full power.
It was time to show Fan Li the true strength of a Great Vehicle Realm expert!