"Not bad, not bad at all. Since my martial arts have reached their peak, you two are the first to make me bleed. As a reward for making me realize that there are still people in this world who can hurt me, let me show you my true strength!" Lu Bu's aura surged continuously as he spoke, and in that brief time, a golden-red, shimmering, solid armor appeared on his body, adorned with clear patterns of tigers and leopards, making it seem as though Lu Bu was truly wearing such armor.
Seeing this, anyone with half a brain would understand that Lu Bu had not been using his full strength before. Watching Lu Bu walking in mid-air, a soldier in the Tiger Trap Pass shouted, "General, mighty!" and was followed by waves of cheers. As the coalition had feared, Lu Bu's presence was a terrifying boost to the morale of Dong Zhuo's troops.
A hint of worry appeared on Liu Bei's face. He had always believed that his second and third brothers were unrivaled in the world, but now, anyone with eyes could see how vast the world was! At this moment, Lu Bu was wildly unleashing his strength, his overpowering might suppressing all warriors under heaven, leaving them in awe.
With his incredibly powerful attacks, Lu Bu firmly suppressed Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Guan Yu realized that his previous strike wasn't ineffective because it lacked power, but because it didn't hit the mark. Lu Bu had used some technique to deflect his blow, and the blood on Lu Bu was from the recoil of diverting Guan Yu's lethal strike.
Knowing this, Guan Yu regained his confidence. Lu Bu, though extremely strong, was not beyond his and Zhang Fei's reach.
Confidence was good, but Guan Yu clearly misjudged one thing: Lu Bu hadn't used any technique or trick to deflect his attack but had indeed knocked his full-strength blow off course. Guan Yu's most powerful strike hadn't reached the level that Lu Bu had to dodge.
The Sky Piercer danced up and down, and to an observer, it seemed like the three were surrounded by a blur of spear shadows, occasionally interspersed with flashes of blue or black. Even in a two-on-one fight, the young Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were no match for the peak Lu Bu. The mighty and flamboyant Lu Bu had complete control over the situation with his unparalleled strength.
Guan Yu, while holding off Lu Bu's attacks, cursed inwardly. He had resolved that unless he could take down his opponent in one strike, he would never again use his self-developed ultimate skill, especially against masters. If it failed to kill, it would surely lead to his own death.
Lu Bu alternated between light and heavy sword techniques, ensuring that Zhang Fei was definitely internally injured, and that the red-faced Guan Yu with the massive blade wasn't faring much better.
Zhang Fei swore that if he got the chance, he would learn the techniques of the light and heavy sword. Several times he thought Lu Bu would clash with him head-on, only to find the Sky Piercer, seemingly weightless, using his force to strike at his second brother at super speed. The sticky air and explosive sounds that followed made Zhang Fei realize that such an attack could deal massive damage.
Guan Yu wanted to curse. Despite his red face hiding his thoughts from Lu Bu, he was growing increasingly frustrated. He had taken one of Lu Bu's super-heavy strikes, almost losing his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and knew that another direct hit would result in serious injury.
Lu Bu grew increasingly relaxed. The light and heavy sword techniques he had won from an old man were starting to feel more natural. Now, he could employ them with finesse. He was confident that fifty moves would be enough to defeat the two, but he was wary of at least two other inner qi out-of-body masters targeting him with arrows. If he fought to kill, they would abandon all decorum.
"Brother Yun, aren't you going to help?" Chen Xi wasn't foolish. The golden-red glow had already compressed the blue-black light into a tight circle, looking ready to engulf it at any moment. He felt like cursing; Lu Bu was terrifyingly strong!
"Wait a bit longer. General Guan and General Zhang's strengths are rising continuously. This might be their first experience being suppressed, and fighting desperately could significantly boost their abilities. Before forty, it's the best time to fight hard!" Zhao Yun gripped his silver spear tightly, ready to rush to their aid. He had seen that Guan and Zhang were in a desperate situation.
Zhang Fei's mind was blank, akin to the "no-self" state some martial arts spoke of, though that was a joke. He wasn't thinking at all, just staring at Lu Bu's Sky Piercer.
Guan Yu fared slightly better. Although his strength had dropped to ninety percent due to his ultimate strike, he could barely hold off Lu Bu. Strangely, Lu Bu seemed to target Zhang Fei more now.
Guan Yu didn't know why, but Lu Bu did. He could have outmatched Guan Yu and Zhang Fei combined, but not by much. Guan Yu's initial powerful strike had left him in a weakened state, giving Lu Bu the upper hand. The nine-tenths Guan Yu was merely a distraction to Lu Bu, forcing Zhang Fei to defend his brother, thus giving Lu Bu an edge.
In high-level duels, Guan Yu at ninety percent strength was merely a hindrance. Sometimes Zhang Fei had to block hits for him, giving Lu Bu more opportunities. A battle that might have taken hundreds of moves to determine was compressed to fifty by Lu Bu.
Now, Lu Bu focused on Zhang Fei, whose spear seemed to grow heavier, not due to technique but raw power. Lu Bu was puzzled and enraged. Mid-battle breakthroughs were common, but increasing strength was abnormal!
Zhang Fei's strength grew increasingly abnormal. Initially, Lu Bu could push Zhang Fei back with heavy sword techniques. Now, even with heavy techniques, Zhang Fei pushed back. Was this human strength? Lu Bu's inner voice roared in disbelief.
Lu Bu disdained using tricks to defeat Zhang Fei. Confident in his ability, he was curious about this brute's full strength.
As for Guan Yu, let him regain his breath. Lu Bu had gauged his limits. Apart from the powerful initial strike, the rest was manageable. Once Zhang Fei was dealt with, Guan Yu would fall in fifty or sixty moves.