As they spoke, Lü Bu leaped into the air, and with a casual swing of his Sky Piercer halberd, the area within a few dozen meters suddenly came to a halt. It was as if everything had been restrained, and everyone felt a sudden weight on their bodies. Then, Lü Bu's halberd moved, wielding immense power as he began to swing it with unparalleled might.
Lü Bu wielded his halberd with ease, unaware of why he felt so unrestrained at that moment. Although he had never been overly protective of his techniques, he had never displayed them so clearly before.
The overwhelming momentum continued to build, and a golden halo appeared around Lü Bu, encasing him in a sphere of energy that spanned fifty meters. He stood like a divine being, with an aura so intense that it almost became tangible.
Xu Chu stared at Lü Bu with his mouth agape. The difference between this and the last time they fought was stark—Lü Bu must have been holding back before. The gap in power was simply too vast. Within that fifty-meter radius, Lü Bu's aura had almost solidified.
Han Qiong unconsciously picked up a cup of wine, finally understanding Wang Yue's words: "After Hulao Pass, Lü Bu's momentum has reached its peak. No one in the world can match him anymore." Truly, a monster.
Guan Yu and Zhao Yun exchanged glances. Seeing Lü Bu's technique, a glimmer of battle intent flashed in their eyes. Zhao Yun slowly reached for his silver spear and stood up.
"Wen Hou, such a splendid performance deserves a worthy partner. Yun humbly requests to join you," Zhao Yun said, gripping his spear tightly as he looked at Lü Bu.
"Come, Zhao Zilong! It has been years since our last encounter at Hulao Pass. Let me see how much you've improved!" Lü Bu swung his halberd horizontally, and the immense aura that had enveloped him was instantly retracted. Glowing with a golden light, he turned to face Zhao Yun.
"Please enlighten me!" Zhao Yun responded, holding his spear as he charged directly at Lü Bu, a silver-blue light trailing behind him.
With a thunderous explosion, both figures were sent flying back. However, Lü Bu quickly halted his backward momentum, his aura only growing stronger as he charged toward the silver-blue light that was Zhao Yun.
"Zhao Zilong, you truly have mastered both metal and water elements, combining rigidity with flexibility. You use the strongest metal energy to cultivate a flexible internal force, and the most flexible water energy to cultivate a rigid internal force!" Lü Bu, engulfed in golden light, chased after Zhao Yun, his halberd crashing down with immense force.
After their first clash, Zhao Yun had gauged Lü Bu's strength—he was powerful, incredibly so, but not unbeatable. So when Lü Bu deduced his cultivation method, Zhao Yun wasn't too surprised.
As Lü Bu's halberd swung down with enough force to cleave him in two, Zhao Yun remained calm. His right hand trembled as he raised his spear, and with a deft twist, he turned defense into offense, aiming directly at Lü Bu's throat with blinding speed.
"Clang!" Lü Bu's face lit up with joy as he parried Zhao Yun's spear with the edge of his halberd. However, Zhao Yun twisted his wrist, causing his spear to bend and rise. Stepping onto Lü Bu's halberd, his silver spear vibrated violently, igniting like a phoenix as it shot toward the sky.
Lü Bu gripped his halberd with both hands and slashed down, shattering the phoenix into pieces. Then, he continued to swing his halberd relentlessly at Zhao Yun.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!" A rapid series of thunderous clashes echoed as Zhao Yun and Lü Bu engaged in a fierce battle, their weapons colliding like thunder and lightning.
After another clash, Zhao Yun, sensing the futility of his current approach, withdrew a hundred paces.
"Why did you stop attacking? Your 'Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix' and 'Hundred Phoenixes Facing the Sun' are formidable techniques. Why are you holding back?" Lü Bu asked as he hovered in the air, staring at Zhao Yun.
"Those techniques cause too much destruction. They should only be used in life-or-death situations. Besides..." Zhao Yun trailed off, his gaze fixed on Lü Bu. He had a feeling that even if he used both techniques simultaneously, they might still be ineffective against Lü Bu.
The stronger he became, the more Zhao Yun realized that neither 'Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix' nor 'Hundred Phoenixes Facing the Sun' truly suited him. Although these were top-tier techniques, he felt that they didn't fully bring out his potential. He needed a martial art that truly aligned with his strength.
"Wen Hou, Yun has one technique. Please evaluate it," Zhao Yun said, gripping his spear as he slowly advanced toward Lü Bu.
"Come!" Lü Bu responded, his halberd swinging with immense force toward Zhao Yun's silver spear. However, at the last moment, Zhao Yun's spear trembled, exploding into a flurry of spear strikes—some thrusting, some sweeping, some stabbing, and some parrying. It was as if every spear technique in existence was manifested in that single strike.
Lü Bu was momentarily stunned, but a smile quickly spread across his face. He unleashed his full strength, swinging his halberd with unstoppable force. One sweep of his halberd shattered countless spear strikes, yet more immediately followed. As the battle intensified, the techniques began to simplify.
Thousands of strikes gradually condensed into hundreds. Basic thrusts and stabs evolved into complex techniques, but even these techniques—'Phoenix Pecking,' 'Hundred Phoenixes Facing the Sun,' and 'Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix'—were continuously refined, until only one strike remained.
"Break!" Zhao Yun shouted as he unleashed a single, extraordinary thrust. In that moment, every technique he had ever mastered was concentrated into this one strike.
"Bring it on!" Lü Bu roared as he too reached his peak, his halberd crashing down with unparalleled might. Zhao Yun's spear shot forward with unstoppable momentum.
Lü Bu's halberd collided with Zhao Yun's spear, and the spear split into seven parts, striking at Lü Bu's vital points like a serpent. Zhao Yun's mastery of both rigidity and flexibility was on full display.
Although momentarily overwhelmed, Lü Bu remained composed. Realizing that there was no turning back, he reversed his halberd and parried Zhao Yun's strikes with the shaft. In one sweeping motion, he shattered six of the seven spear strikes. Only the final strike managed to collide with his halberd, producing a sharp metallic ring.
Lü Bu steadied himself, glancing at the scratch on his armor. "Zhao Zilong, you are indeed formidable. If not for the disparity in our internal energy, I might have been injured by you."
"A spent force," Zhao Yun replied with a sigh. Lü Bu's strength was awe-inspiring. Although his 'Seven Serpentine Strikes' was still in its infancy, it was designed for speed, precision, and lethality. Yet, Lü Bu had managed to block it.
"No, I can tell that you've been holding back. If you were to unleash your full internal energy, your power would far exceed this." Lü Bu said boldly, now embracing his role as a pure martial artist. "Next time, release your full strength, and we'll have another match!"