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Chapter 877: The Decisive Battle Part 2
🕑 Added 2024-10-22 06:35:22 +0000 UTCGuan Yu, wielding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, led his most elite soldiers, the Xiaodao troops, along with a group of powerful officers, as they crashed into Yuan Shao's army.
With one swing, he beheaded a centurion from Yuan Shao’s forces. Guan Yu charged forward, leading his personal guard deep into the enemy lines. With his unparalleled combat skills, he quickly broke into Yuan Shao's central army, strangely becoming separated from his main forces. Now, with only a handful of elite soldiers, he pushed towards Yan Liang.
Though Guan Yu was cut off from his main army, he didn’t fall into Yuan Shao’s encirclement, as he remained in sight of Gan Ning.
On the other side, Gan Ning swung his iron chain wildly. The weapon’s whip-like attack pattern and wide range were incredibly effective in the context of army warfare. His fierce strikes tore through Yuan Shao's forces on the other flank, leaving a gaping hole in their formation.
"Die!" Guan Yu coldly grunted. The dragon image on his Green Dragon Crescent Blade seemed almost tangible. In this battle, where internal energy was severely limited, Guan Yu’s blade, representing his unshakable will, showed terrifying power.
Under the leadership of both Guan Yu and Gan Ning, Liu Bei’s soldiers tore through Yuan Shao’s army the moment they clashed, creating two massive breaches in the enemy’s formation. The army advanced like a sharp wedge, piercing through Yuan Shao’s first line of defense.
"General Yan, you must block either Gan Ning or Guan Yu. We need time for our reinforcements to arrive," Ju Shou said calmly.
"Guan Yu!" Yan Liang didn’t hesitate as he mounted his horse, gripping the long-handled greatsword specially forged for him by Yuan Shao for this kind of army battle. Charging toward Guan Yu’s direction, Yan Liang found him the more suitable target to engage, as he had faced him many times before, unlike the unpredictable Gan Ning.
Quickly, Yan Liang led his personal troops to intercept Guan Yu. As they advanced, Yuan Shao's soldiers instinctively parted, making way for Yan Liang, who soon clashed with Guan Yu.
"Guan Yu!" Yan Liang sneered, swinging his massive sword down toward Guan Yu with unmatched momentum, though lacking the destructive force it would have had when he could fully channel his internal energy.
"Yan Liang!" Guan Yu, who had been narrowing his phoenix eyes, suddenly opened them wide. In that instant, blue blade shadows appeared in his gaze, and with a diagonal slash of his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Yan Liang's weapon, his horse, and his body were cut in two!
Yan Liang hesitated for just a split second when he saw the blade light in Guan Yu's eyes. But even with his formidable will, which quickly returned, it was already too late. Guan Yu’s powerful slash had severed his weapon, torn through his armor, and cleaved his body in half from the chest down!
"In the next life, I hope you won’t be so careless!" Guan Yu said, showing a hint of pity as he looked at Yan Liang, a formidable foe who had fought him to a standstill many times before, but had now been felled by a single blow.
However, the next moment, Guan Yu’s face hardened into a cold sneer as he swept his gaze across Yuan Shao’s soldiers, who stood stunned by what had just transpired.
"Kill!" Guan Yu roared as he swung his Green Dragon Crescent Blade in a sweeping arc, instantly clearing the space before him. The morale of Guan Yu’s troops surged, and they charged at Yuan Shao's forces like tigers descending from the mountains.
Amidst Guan Yu’s cold and murderous cry, the soldiers of Yuan Shao’s army, who had witnessed Yan Liang’s death, finally snapped out of their shock. But even so, they could do nothing to stop Liu Bei’s army, which was attacking with overwhelming ferocity. In an instant, the left flank of Yuan Shao’s central army collapsed, and no matter how strong Ju Shou’s mental ability was, it couldn’t reverse the disastrous consequences of their plummeting morale.
"Hold the line!" Yuan Shao’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets in rage. When Yan Liang unexpectedly fell, something inside him shattered. The man who had always stood before him, vowing to protect him at all costs, had been cut down. How was this possible?
"Send the halberdiers to stop Guan Yu!" Unlike Yuan Shao, Ju Shou remained relatively calm. He knew what was most important at this critical moment.
"Kill him! Kill him!" Yuan Shao roared with fury. Never in his more than forty years of life had he been so enraged. "All crossbowmen, ready! Whoever kills Guan Yu will be promoted three ranks and granted a marquisate! Kill him!"
So furious was Yuan Shao that he leapt from his war chariot, mounted a horse, and charged toward Guan Yu himself, gripping his sword.
Yuan Shao’s reckless charge had an immediate effect. The soldiers, who had been falling back, paused in their retreat. Yuan Shao’s courageous advance, despite the danger, rekindled the spirits of his troops, who now pressed Guan Yu hard, forcing him to retreat.
"My lord! A gentleman should not stand in the face of danger! Don’t charge forward, General Yan wouldn’t want you to risk your life!" Shen Pei pleaded, grabbing Yuan Shao around the waist, desperately trying to hold him back.
"Let me go!" Yuan Shao yelled, swinging his fist at Shen Pei. But Shen Pei held on tightly, taking the blows without complaint.
Yuan Shao’s strikes didn’t last long. When Shen Pei looked up again, Yuan Shao had managed to suppress his grief. His eyes bloodshot, he drew his sword and pointed it at Guan Yu, shouting, "Guan Yu, if I don’t kill you today to avenge Yan Liang, I’ll die here myself!"
"Then prepare to die!" Guan Yu retorted arrogantly. He was now quite close to Yuan Shao, though the defenses around him had tightened considerably. Despite Guan Yu's cold words, the sweat on his forehead betrayed his exhaustion. Yuan Shao’s earlier charge had rallied the central army, and the soldiers were now fighting with renewed determination.
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