Choose Liu Bei at the start, I am the only one who knows the plot of the Three Kingdoms.

Time flew by amidst the intense intelligence gathering and tactical simulations.

The captured old man from Penglai had his mental defenses completely collapsed under the relentless interrogation and psychological pressure from Zhao Yun and his elite troops.

His fragmented and incoherent confession, like shattered pieces of a mirror, was carefully collected and pieced together by the scribes and advisors.

They painstakingly extracted several key fragments of place names from the old man's fearful ramblings: "Valley of Death," "Weeping Blood Mountain," and "Source of the Blackwater River."

These names themselves exude an ominous aura.

At the same time, some vague descriptions of landform features were also obtained.

Located at the confluence of three ancient, dried-up riverbeds, it is surrounded by a continuous, dragon-spine-like black mountain range and shrouded in a persistent gray-white mist all year round.

Combining the fragments of information about the flow of earth vein energy deciphered from the bamboo slips with the distorted runes, the strategists lay prostrate on the massive western map of Liangzhou, repeatedly comparing, calculating, and debating. Ultimately, they narrowed their focus to the upper reaches of an ancient river called the "Wushao River," and a vast and desolate region known as the "Dragon Spine Mountains."

That place was a legendary land where no living beings were found and strange occurrences were frequent. Ordinary herders and caravans regarded it as a forbidden zone and dared not venture deep into it.

The air inside the stronghold seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible hand, filled with the extreme oppression of an impending storm.

Every soldier, from Gu Rubing to the most ordinary soldier, clearly understood that the journey they were about to embark on was ten or even a hundred times more dangerous than the previous raid on the cave in the Qilian Mountains!
That place is the headquarters of Penglai, which has been established for many years. It is the core of evil magic and must be heavily guarded with many traps and mechanisms. Moreover, there are "protectors" whose names are only known to others.

And what lies behind them? In the direction of Yizhou, Cao Cao's fierce army is sharpening its swords; on the border, Sun Jian's hungry cavalry is eyeing them covetously.

They had no way out, and could hardly count on reliable reinforcements and supplies.

However, it was precisely in this desperate situation that an even stronger belief and a determination to die burned brightly in the hearts of all the soldiers.

They came to stop a massive conspiracy that could destroy Liangzhou and plunge the world into chaos, and for the sake of the innocent lives that were slaughtered and sacrificed as materials in Penglai!

This belief became the strongest force supporting this elite force that ventured deep into enemy territory, making the light in their eyes sharper and more resolute than ever before.

At dawn, just as the eastern horizon began to lighten with the first hint of white, a thin veil of morning mist lingered over the valley, not yet completely dissipated.

After being streamlined once again, with only the core combat forces remaining, Gu Rubing's troops have been fully assembled. Like a cheetah poised to pounce, they have quietly set off, advancing towards the more desolate, deeper, and more dangerous western region of Liangzhou.

The team is small, but its members are all battle-hardened elites, selected from hundreds or even thousands of others. They are truly the sharpest of the sharp.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Ma Chao—these five legendary generals, the best of their time, were all by Gu Rubing's side. This was almost the strongest military force Gu Rubing could muster in Liangzhou at this moment, demonstrating his determination to succeed or die trying.

Based on the old man's vague confession and the limited information deciphered from the bamboo slips, the general direction of the main altar was determined to be somewhere in the upper reaches of the Wushao Ancient River and the Longji Mountains.

The group silently traveled westward along the dry, cracked ancient riverbed, or along the rugged paths eroded by wind and sand that ran parallel to it.

Scouts were sent out ten miles away, like the most vigilant sentries, using all the terrain for cover, watching out for any unusual movement, both to explore the way forward and to guard against possible ambushes and spies.

The further west you go, the more eerie and desolate the surrounding environment becomes.

Unlike the deserts and Gobi common in eastern Liangzhou, where some life still tenaciously survives, the land here presents an unsettling, unnatural grayish-brown color, as if scorched by a fire or covered with a thick layer of dead ash.

The vegetation has become extremely sparse. Occasionally, a few clumps can be seen, but they are all distorted in shape and dull in color, as if some invisible force has forcibly twisted their vitality and drained their essence.

A faint, strange smell, like rusted metal mixed with decay, filled the air, making one feel slightly uncomfortable when inhaled.

Along the way, they passed several sizable abandoned village ruins. The broken walls and ruins stood alone on the desolate land, telling tales of a bygone era.

However, what is chilling is that no bones could be found in these ruins, not even a trace of wild animals gnawing at them!
There was only a profound, chilling emptiness and deathly silence, as if all life in the village had been wiped out and evaporated by some incomprehensible force in an instant.

This eerie silence, surpassing that of ordinary wars and natural disasters, was like an invisible shackle, gripping everyone's throat and suffocating them.

Even seasoned veterans who have seen countless battles and death felt a deep unease and oppression on this land, as if something extremely terrifying was lurking around them, coldly watching them.

The warhorses in the procession were particularly noticeable; they snorted and neighed incessantly, their hooves pawing the ground restlessly. They needed their owners to constantly stroke them and whisper words of comfort before they could barely continue moving forward.

Gu Rubing rode on his warhorse, his gaze sweeping across the desolate, gray land around him like that of a hawk, as if it had been completely eroded by some invisible curse.

"The earth's veins are depleted, life is cut off... The evil magic of Penglai is truly devouring the very foundation of this land, sacrificing all living beings as offerings!"

Gu Rubing's voice was icy, filled with barely suppressed anger and chilling killing intent.

What he saw with his own eyes was far more shocking than the words on the bamboo slips, and it strengthened his resolve to destroy the Penglai headquarters.

The team struggled through this ominous land for three days.

Everyone was on edge, and the scouts reported back more and more frequently, but apart from the unsettling silence, no trace of the large group was found.

However, danger always strikes at the most unexpected moment.

On the afternoon of the third day, the sunlight was filtered through thin gray clouds, appearing weak and listless. The team was traveling through an area filled with wind-eroded rock pillars and deep ravines, with complex terrain and limited visibility.

Sudden--

"Whoosh whoosh-!"

A faint yet incredibly sharp sound of something cutting through the air suddenly rang out without warning from behind the gray rocks on both sides and from the cracked ditch!
Dozens of figures suddenly sprang up like ghosts!
They were dressed in coarse, earthy-yellow cloth that blended almost perfectly with the color of the surrounding rocks. They moved silently until the very last moment before launching their attack, when their deadly intent suddenly erupted!

These ambushers did not use standard weapons, but rather curved knives with strange arcs, and blowguns hidden in their sleeves or held in their mouths!

The short arrows shot from the blowguns had arrowheads that gleamed with a chilling blue light in the dim light, clearly coated with deadly poison! They were as silent as mutes, their eyes empty and numb, but burning with an almost insane determination, their target clear and unambiguous—directly attacking Gu Rubing, who was protected by elite soldiers in the center!
"Enemy attack! Protect our lord!"

Zhao Yun reacted with lightning speed. Almost at the same instant the sound of something breaking through the air rang out, he shouted and moved in a flash, blocking Gu Rubing's side.

In an instant, the bright silver spear in his hand transformed into a dazzling silver light screen, its tip pointing precisely at the incoming poisoned arrows!
“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!”

A series of sharp, rapid sounds, like raindrops pattering on banana leaves, rang out as several poisoned arrows were precisely deflected by the spear tip, veering off course and embedding themselves deeply into the nearby soil or rocks, their fletchings still trembling incessantly.

"You damn bastard! You cowardly rat hiding your head and tail! Get out here!"

Zhang Fei's roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. He was already holding back his anger, and the attack at this moment ignited it instantly.

The eighteen-foot spear, carrying a violent force, swept out like a black whirlwind!

Two ambushers who had just pounced out from behind the rocks, brandishing their scimitars and attempting to close in, were struck by this overwhelming force, along with their knives. Accompanied by a tooth-grinding cracking sound, they were sent flying like broken sacks, crashing into the rock wall and falling silent.

Guan Yu didn't even fully draw his Green Dragon Crescent Blade; he merely opened his phoenix eyes slightly, and a terrifying blade intent as chilling as the dead of winter emanated from his body!

The ambushers on the left, who were trying to approach under the shadow of the rock pillar, felt a chill instantly pierce their bones. Their movements froze involuntarily, as if an invisible blade was pressed against their throats. Terrified, they retreated repeatedly and dared not take another step forward!
The battle erupted in the blink of an eye, fierce and swift.

These ambushers were not as individually strong or fearless as the "Gods of Speed" they had encountered before, but their methods were more unpredictable. They were particularly adept at using complex terrain to ambush and launch surprise attacks, and their poisoned blowguns were impossible to defend against.

Moreover, they also possess a chilling ruthlessness, as if life means nothing to them.

After leaving behind more than a dozen corpses and failing to break through the defensive line formed by Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and others, the remaining ambushers did not linger in battle. Like startled cats, they quickly darted into the crisscrossing ravines and hid behind jagged rocks, scattering and fleeing in all directions, relying on their familiarity with the terrain.

They were extremely fast and agile. Even though Ma Chao led the Xiliang elite cavalry in a fierce pursuit, firing arrows in rapid succession, they were unable to capture them all, leaving only two or three corpses of those who were running a little slower.

The battle began abruptly and ended just as suddenly, leaving behind only a mess on the ground and a faint smell of blood in the air, along with the sweet, pungent odor emanating from the blue poisoned arrow.

"Clean up the battlefield, watch out for poisoned arrows!"

Gu Rubing remained calm and gave the order.

The soldiers carefully examined the bodies of the ambushers.

These people had no identifying items on them, and their clothing was rough and simple.

But when their shirts were peeled off, everyone gasped – the skin of these ambushers, from their chests to their backs and even their arms, was covered with fine, twisted, and eerie runes!

The style of the runes was strikingly similar to the patterns recorded on the bamboo slips, only more intricate, as if they were a permanent mark.

Even more chillingly, when examining several ambushers who were severely wounded but not dead and were struggling, it was discovered that they had unhesitatingly bit into the poison sacs they had hidden in their mouths. Almost instantly, their faces turned black and they died without the slightest hesitation, as if death was their final destination.

"They're all a group of assassins who are completely controlled..."

Zhao Yun looked at the quickly killed corpse, his brows furrowed, and said in a deep voice.

This small but extremely dangerous ambush, though successfully repelled, felt like a bucket of ice-cold water poured over the hearts of everyone in the team.

This was no accident! Penglai was clearly aware of their arrival and, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, was closely monitoring their every move!
These ambushers were sent out by the enemy to test their strength and slow them down!
On the road ahead, in that even more desolate and mysterious Dragon Ridge Mountains, there are bound to be more, more dangerous, and more unpredictable ambushes and attacks waiting for them!

After this ambush, the atmosphere within the team became even more tense, and they moved with increasing caution.

Gu Rubing immediately ordered that the number of scouts be doubled and the exploration area be expanded to almost its limit.

Every possible hiding place behind a rock, every deep ravine, and every high vantage point must be repeatedly checked.

However, the terrain of this barren mountain area in western Liangzhou is far too complex.

Over countless years, wind, sand, and rain have eroded the land, creating a network of ravines that resemble scars on the earth; strangely shaped wind-eroded rock pillars stand tall, forming a natural labyrinth; the ground is soft and undulating, making it extremely difficult to walk on.

In this environment, it is almost impossible to completely eliminate ambushes; they are virtually impossible to guard against.

The team was walking through a minefield, and their speed inevitably slowed down.

Two more difficult days passed in an increasingly cautious and oppressive atmosphere.

The desolation and barrenness along the way have become the norm, but the invisible sense of oppression is growing stronger every day.

That afternoon, one of the scouts sent out to investigate returned to the central army at full speed, his face showing barely concealed fear, and reported to Gu Rubing.

"My lord! A village has been discovered about five miles ahead... It's extremely strange!"

Gu Rubing felt a chill and immediately ordered the entire army to be on high alert. Then, led by generals such as Guan Yu and Zhao Yun, as well as the accompanying scribes and strategists, he quickly headed towards the village under the guidance of scouts.

When the village came into view, even though everyone was mentally prepared, they were still shocked by the sight before them.

This village is not large, with only a few dozen households, but it is completely different from other ruins that are utterly silent and only broken walls remain.

Here... there lingers an intense, almost tangible, and extremely unsettling evil aura! It's as if invisible resentment and pain permeate every inch of air, and even the passing wind carries a bone-chilling cold.

The village's layout was also peculiar; all the houses were arranged like stars surrounding the moon, encircling a relatively open central area. (End of Chapter)