Meanwhile, far from the battlefield, Huangfu Song swiftly led his army towards the scene. He had seen the strange phenomena in the sky from a distance and knew that Zhang Jue must be using sorcery. Without a commander to maintain order, the Han forces in Ji Province would indeed be demoralized.
Huangfu Song grew increasingly anxious; his brows furrowed into deep lines. He knew that Zhang Jue's sorcery was formidable and could instantly turn the tide of battle. The spectacle earlier had been unprecedented in its scale. Now, the sudden disappearance of the phenomena only deepened his concern.
"Zhang Jue has ceased his sorcery. The Han army must be in dire straits," he thought, his heart sinking.
Little did he know, the battlefield presented a different picture.
Zhang Jue, the Great Teacher with tens of thousands of followers across the nine provinces, commanding thirty-six rebel armies, was supreme in his followers' eyes. To them, Zhang Jue was a god-like figure. Today, in front of a hundred thousand Yellow Turban soldiers, a mere youth mocked and insulted their leader.
These soldiers were mostly Zhang Jue's loyal followers. Seeing their idol's humiliation was unbearable.
"Kill him!"
"Kill that insolent boy!"
"Pulverize him, grind his bones to dust!"
Facing the wrath of the crowd and Zhang Jue's imminent attack, Wang Yan seemed to be on the brink of disaster. Even Dong Zhuo, watching from afar, closed his eyes and sighed.
"Brave but foolish," he muttered.
Zhang Fei and Guan Yu could no longer bear to wait. They exchanged glances and charged forward on their horses. Liu Bei, unable to stop them, also entered the fray.
The Han army began a full-scale counterattack.
While fighting both Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, Zhao Yun found the battle evenly matched. Having repelled Zhang Jue's guards, Zhou Cang turned to support Zhao Yun. The battlefield descended into chaos, with dust and shouts filling the air.
Yet all eyes were on Wang Yan and Zhang Jue, knowing that their duel would decide the battle's outcome.
Zhang Jue, like a lightning bolt, charged at Wang Yan with his sword raised high. Filled with fury, the Great Teacher's imposing presence masked his murderous intent.
"The Han army is insignificant, the court is insignificant, all the warlords are insignificant, but you, Wang Yan, I cannot let you live!"
Zhang Jue's warhorse, a massive and formidable steed, weighed at least 1,000 pounds. Its muscular frame and powerful strides seemed to crush the battlefield beneath it.
Wang Yan closed his eyes, his genetically enhanced senses allowing him to pinpoint Zhang Jue's approach by sound alone. He silently counted the steps:
"Fifty paces, twenty paces, ten paces, five paces..."
"Now!" he thought.
As Zhang Jue closed in, Wang Yan spun around, evading the sword thrust and delivering a powerful punch to the horse's head.
Bang.
The sickening sound of flesh and bone shattering echoed as the horse's head exploded, killing it instantly. Zhang Jue was thrown from his mount, tumbling several times before stopping, dazed and disoriented.
Wang Yan took a few strides forward, grabbed the dead horse, and leaped onto it. When Zhang Jue regained his senses, he saw Wang Yan standing with the horse's carcass held high above him. Blood dripped from the shattered head, making it look like a mangled, red rag.
Wang Yan hefted the horse and slammed it down towards Zhang Jue.
At that moment, the 1,800-pound horse seemed to magnify in Zhang Jue's terrified eyes.
"You... you're a warrior?"
Bang.
The massive impact was accompanied by the sound of bones breaking.
"Ahhh..."
Bang.
Another impact.
"Ahhh..."
Blood spurted from Zhang Jue's mouth; his voice reduced to a rasp as he felt his bones shattering. Wang Yan lifted the horse and slammed it down repeatedly, like a giant hammer.
Every swing, every impact, sent shockwaves across the battlefield. Soldiers stopped fighting, frozen in disbelief. The battlefield fell eerily silent as if time itself had paused. Only Wang Yan moved, his actions relentless.
"This one's for Wang Er."
"This one's for the countless innocents."
"And this one's for me."
Primitive and brutal, Wang Yan's display of strength turned the heavy horse into a deadly weapon. Though absurd, it underscores his point: there were no gods, and even Zhang Jue couldn't withstand the weight of a horse.
Zhang Jue, battered and broken, lay dying. Wang Yan, eyes ablaze with fury, didn't stop. He continued lifting and smashing the horse, venting a month's pent-up rage.
After dozens of blows, Zhang Jue ceased to move. Wang Yan dropped the horse and dusted off his hands.
"Satisfying."
The mighty Great Teacher, Zhang Jue, who had been revered as a god, was beaten to death with a horse.
This scene profoundly impacted everyone present, especially the hundred thousand Yellow Turban soldiers. Their faces showed shock and disbelief. Their god-like leader, their spiritual pillar, had been destroyed before their eyes, reduced to a pulp.
The Han soldiers erupted in cheers. The enemy that had terrified them was now vanquished, filling them with unprecedented hope and encouragement. They waved their weapons and shouted triumphantly.
The battle's tide turned dramatically.
Zhou Cang, watching Wang Yan kill Zhang Jue, nodded approvingly. "Our lord killing a man with a horse—clever move."
He had always known Zhang Jue wasn't a match for Wang Yan but hadn't expected such a unique method of killing.
Liu Bei, amidst the chaos, saw Wang Yan's feat and felt a complex mix of emotions. "No wonder he took such risks; he's solid, hiding his true power."
Zhang Fei, thrilled, swung his spear and shouted, "Ha! Brother Wang Yan is amazing, a true warrior like us!"
Guan Yu stroked his beard, "As a warrior, he is indeed formidable. Though his fighting style is... unconventional."
From a distance, Dong Zhuo, watching in disbelief, felt as if he'd been struck by lightning.
**Emotion Value +88%**
**Emotion Value +99%**
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