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Chapter 630: Zhao Yun's Troubles
🕑 Added 2024-09-27 04:23:25 +0000 UTCBecause Zhao Yun could only unleash 70% of his full potential under normal circumstances, he often didn't appear as strong as others. However, this also allowed him to handle any dangerous situations with ease.
Whenever Zhao Yun encountered danger, his instincts would naturally stabilize his mind. As long as he could tap into 90% of his strength, Zhao Yun could effortlessly suppress most of the top warriors in the world.
If Zhao Yun could consistently exert 120% of his combat power like Guan Yu, then even facing Lü Bu, who had broken through the "Spirit" realm, Zhao Yun wouldn't be at a disadvantage. After seven rounds of refining his internal energy, Zhao Yun's internal energy had already begun to surpass the level of other internal energy masters.
Of course, this was all wishful thinking. Zhao Yun had never truly felt in danger. Even when fighting Lü Bu, Zhao Yun was confident he could withdraw safely.
Zhao Yun had never encountered a situation that could push him to exceed his limits. If a battle was going poorly, he could always retreat. Even if Lü Bu chased him down, Zhao Yun could simply flee while fighting, and Lü Bu wouldn't stoop to the level of pursuing him over long distances.
As for others, they simply weren't capable of chasing Zhao Yun down. Unlike Lü Bu, Guan Yu, or Zhang Fei, who had faced countless life-and-death battles from a young age, Zhao Yun had reached the internal energy master level from the moment he stepped into the martial world. By the time he arrived at Hulao Pass, he had already undergone five rounds of internal energy refinement, placing him among the top fighters in the world.
Every advantage has its drawbacks. Zhao Yun's path had been too smooth. When someone never experiences the world's malice or danger, how can they tap into their full potential? Especially when Zhao Yun's strength was continuously improving—there was no need for him to explore his potential when he was already capable of defeating most opponents. Why would he waste time on such a pointless endeavor?
After Lü Bu's breakthrough, Zhao Yun had already become aware of his own limitations. It was clear that while Lü Bu's physical strength and internal energy hadn't increased, his overall power had surged. If Zhao Yun, with his nearly perfect martial understanding, couldn't grasp this, he wouldn't deserve to master every secret technique and forbidden move with just one look.
With his wisdom, Zhao Yun also understood how he could unlock his potential: by pushing himself into a desperate situation and surviving a life-or-death battle. If he survived, he would likely reach Lü Bu's level.
The problem was that Zhao Yun couldn't think of a way to truly push himself to the brink. Facing Lü Bu in a duel? If the fight went south, he could always retreat. Why wouldn't he flee if he had the chance? That simply wasn't possible.
To break through in a desperate situation, there must be no escape routes—a situation where survival hinges on a single, decisive effort. In a duel with Lü Bu, there were too many escape options. Zhao Yun never worried about being killed in a one-on-one fight. In fact, he was confident that no matter the outcome of the duel, he would walk away unscathed.
As for fighting three internal energy masters at once, like Lü Bu did, that also wouldn't work. Even if blocked, Zhao Yun knew that he could escape with his superior speed. In terms of sheer speed, even Lü Bu couldn't match him. If he decided to retreat, no warrior could stop him.
Leading an assault on an enemy formation was also not an option. As a commander, if Zhao Yun charged in, his personal guards would follow, and then the entire army would advance. This would not achieve the desired effect.
As Zhao Yun absentmindedly continued his duties, leading the Baima Yicong in a sweeping maneuver, countless arrows rained down on the enemy forces, pushing back those who attempted to come to the left camp's aid.
Even as he fought, Zhao Yun's mind was preoccupied. He had thought of hundreds of ways to push himself beyond his limits, but upon closer analysis, each method was revealed to lack any real danger. None posed a genuine threat to his life, and without that peril, there was no way to break through his limits.
Before Lü Bu surpassed the "Spirit" realm, if Zhao Yun could unleash his full potential, he might have been able to match Lü Bu blow for blow. But now that Lü Bu had entered a new realm, Zhao Yun realized that to fight him on equal footing, he would need nearly perfect mental strength, allowing him to exert 120% of his power.
Zhao Yun shot down a Yuan Shao officer attempting to retreat, feeling a sense of frustration.
Zhao Yun was irked by this realization. He disliked failure intensely.
If everyone's abilities were capped at 100%, Zhao Yun would undoubtedly be the strongest. Lü Bu, on the other hand, would likely rank only fifth or lower.
In terms of pure raw power, warriors like Dian Wei, Xu Chu, and Zhang Fei were all physically stronger than Lü Bu. But Lü Bu's mind was so strong that it overwhelmed these warriors, allowing him to turn one unit of internal energy into the equivalent of two—a 200% increase that left his opponents with no chance.
Meanwhile, Guan Yu and Yan Liang, though their raw power was behind Lü Bu's and didn't even make the top ten, were among the most formidable fighters due to their mental strength.
Lü Bu's mind was forged from countless battles and an undefeated spirit, while Guan Yu had unshakable confidence, and Yan Liang fought to prove that Yuan Shao's trust in him was not misplaced—a heart filled with gratitude and loyalty. These three warriors typically wielded power beyond their limits as a matter of course.
Zhao Yun's current strategy was to enhance his base strength, then use 90% of his power to crush those who had to push beyond their limits to compete with him!
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