"Boom!" In about thirty-five moves, Lü Bu severely injured Wen Chou, adding another top warrior to the list of casualties. However, this time, instead of charging toward Yuan Shao, Lü Bu slightly frowned and looked westward, sensing two formidable auras approaching him.
He smiled. Although these two auras were not as strong as his, they stirred the blood in his chest, a rare occurrence for him. [Come on, I have always been waiting for strong opponents. Defeating ants does not excite me; only killing formidable foes can ignite my blood!]
Guan Yu's green aura grew more imposing as he approached, even starting to overshadow Zhang Fei's dark aura beside him.
"Lü Bu, prepare yourself!" Guan Yu's stern face displayed an air of supreme confidence as he uttered these four words, exuding an overwhelming presence.
Holding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade upside down, Guan Yu could feel the uncontrollable power coursing through him. However, Lü Bu, who stood still like a perfect target, showed no signs of concern.
"Good timing!" Lü Bu's eyes revealed rare caution. Even though he had seen through Guan Yu's attack, he didn't dodge. After all, he was Lü Bu, who disdained avoiding any attack. In his world, the only ones who dodged were his opponents; no one could make him dodge.
"Clang!" With an explosive sound, Guan Yu's full-strength strike collided with Lü Bu's full-force counterattack. The shockwave killed most of the nearby soldiers instantly.
"You're impressive!" As the dust settled, Lü Bu, still seated on his steed Red Hare, gripped his halberd with both hands, staring at Guan Yu. "With that move, it's no wonder Hua Xiong fell to you. But to defeat me, you're still lacking."
Blood surged in Guan Yu's chest. He had never imagined someone could stop his full-strength attack so effortlessly. No, Lü Bu didn't just stop it; he used his strength alone to repel Guan Yu and dissipate his built-up momentum in a single blow.
"A forward-only attack, if faced with a normal opponent, would directly kill them due to the overwhelming force of the first strike. For someone at Hua Xiong's level, even blocking it wouldn't stop your momentum, leading to their eventual defeat. And if they dodged, your momentum would grow stronger, ultimately cutting them down," Lü Bu analyzed Guan Yu's attack calmly.
Guan Yu silently regulated his breathing, maintaining his proud demeanor, masking the tumult within. Even Lü Bu couldn't discern the turmoil inside him.
[So this is the world's strongest warrior? He effortlessly took my strongest attack!] Guan Yu, holding his reins, stared at Lü Bu, inadvertently acknowledging his strength.
"Second brother, I'll help you!" Zhang Fei, itching for a fight, shouted as he saw Guan Yu forced back.
"You're good..." Lü Bu glanced at Zhang Fei.
Surrounded by enemy soldiers, Lü Bu felt no danger from them. Only the two before him could pose a threat.
"It seems the coalition has only a few worthy opponents," Lü Bu said, disdainfully glancing at Yuan Shao and then at the newly arrived Cao Cao and the Xiahou brothers.
Lü Bu unleashed his aura freely. Guan Yu, squinting at him, said nothing. Despite using his strongest attack, Guan Yu couldn't gauge Lü Bu's depth, finding him unfathomable.
"Buzz!" A sharp sound followed by a silver arrow streaking through the night sky and shattering into stardust made Lü Bu frown. He turned his horse, preparing to leave.
"Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, remember to keep your heads safe," Lü Bu laughed coldly, turning his horse.
Xiahou Yuan, gripping his bow, stared at Lü Bu. The overwhelming aura nearly paralyzed him, preventing him from releasing his prepared arrow despite his internal struggle.
"Lü Bu, don't go!" Biting his lip, Xiahou Yuan finally roared and released his arrow, a blood-stained black streak shooting toward Lü Bu.
After the shot, Xiahou Yuan looked like he had been pulled from a river, drenched in sweat.
Lü Bu sneered, deflecting the arrow with his halberd, then drew his own bow from his horse. "Let me show you what a real archer is."
With a flick of his thumb, a golden-red arrow materialized on the previously empty bow. As he drew the string, the arrow solidified. Releasing it, a golden-red streak silently pierced through a thousand meters.
"Oops, slipped. It's been a while since I used a bow," Lü Bu's mocking laugh echoed as the coalition's command flag shattered.
Guan Yu glanced at the cold-sweating Xiahou Yuan. Despite Lü Bu's overwhelming aura, this Qi Refining warrior managed to release his arrow.
"Congratulations," Guan Yu said, reining in his horse and saluting Cao Cao and the Xiahou brothers.
As Lü Bu left, Xiahou Yuan's forced composure crumbled. Confirming their safety, he let go of his reins and slumped down.
"Miaocai!" Cao Cao sensed something amiss as Xiahou Yuan released his reins, reaching out but unable to catch him in time.
Fortunately, Xiahou Dun caught the falling Xiahou Yuan. "Elder brother, Miaocai is fine, just exhausted from using too much internal energy."
"Lord Cao, Xiahou Yuan has a great chance to break through his current level when he wakes. If not, ask him how he managed that shot today," Guan Yu advised, then turned his horse to leave.
"Oh, Lü Bu is gone? I wanted to see the action," Chen Xi arrived like a late policeman.
"Lü Bu left," Zhang Fei said, though it was hard to tell with his already dark face.
"Oh, didn't you try to stop him?" Chen Xi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Couldn't stop him..." Zhang Fei's face darkened further. He thought he was tough, but today he saw what a true warrior was.
"By the way, I am Chen Xi from Yingchuan, courtesy name Zichuan. Greetings, Alliance Leader, Lord Cao," Chen Xi introduced himself formally for the first time.
Cao Cao, still worried about Xiahou Yuan, courteously returned the greeting before rushing back to camp with Xiahou Yuan. Yuan Shao, busy tending to Yan Liang and Wen Chou, didn't even acknowledge Chen Xi.