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

In the center of that area stood a simple altar crudely built from unknown black stones!
The altar was about half a person's height, with an ancient style but exuding an eerie feeling.

The altar was covered with dense, twisted and entwined complex patterns. The style of the patterns was the same as the runes recorded on the bamboo slips and branded on the bodies of the previous ambushers, but more concentrated and complete, forming a strange pattern that would make people feel dizzy and uneasy if they looked at it for too long.

The ground around the altar was an unsettling dark red, as if it had been repeatedly soaked and permeated by large amounts of blood, eventually drying and hardening, and felt unusually hard and cold to the touch.

A faint, indescribable stench permeated the air, mixed with a burnt smell reminiscent of flesh being instantly charred, creating a bizarre and nauseating atmosphere.

"Look there!"

A sharp-eyed soldier pointed to the side of the altar, his voice trembling.

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, and couldn't help but gasp, a chill running from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads!
Around the altar, and on the walls and floors of several relatively intact dilapidated houses nearby, were clearly visible charred human-shaped marks in extremely struggling and twisted postures!
The marks were so lifelike, as if a living person, in extreme pain and fear, was instantly vaporized by unimaginable high temperatures, leaving only this eternal, silent, terrifying mark on the contact surface!
"hiss……"

Even Zhang Fei, a fearless and fierce general, couldn't help but gasp and grip his spear tightly when he saw the traces of such human tragedy.

The scribe and the older strategist, suppressing their discomfort and fear, approached the altar, took out their rubbing tools and paper, and carefully examined and recorded the strange patterns.

The more they examined them, the paler their faces became, and fine beads of cold sweat even appeared on their foreheads.

After a long while, the older strategist straightened up and spoke to Gu Rubing in a slightly trembling voice.

"My lord... this is a remnant of an extremely ancient and long-lost evil sacrificial ritual! Its core is... it uses the flesh and soul of living beings as offerings to forcibly extract... extract a certain power from the earth's veins through this evil formation!"

He pointed to the patterns on the altar, then to the dark red ground around him and the charred human-shaped marks, his voice heavy with emotion.

"This perfectly matches the descriptions in the bamboo slips about seizing the earth's veins and sacrificing living beings with their blood!"
This village... wasn't abandoned naturally at all; it was used by Penglai as a place for some kind of evil experiment or ritual!

These villagers... are probably all..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood.

Those charred, human-shaped brand marks are the best proof!

This village was once a living sacrificial site!
"This altar... seems rather strange."

Zhao Yun's eyes were sharp, and his senses were even more acute. He stared at the black altar and said in a deep voice.

"The patterns on it don't seem completely lifeless; there appears to be some extremely faint energy fluctuations remaining."

After his reminder, everyone vaguely felt that when they approached the altar, they would feel a strange palpitation and unease, and occasionally some distorted illusions would flash before their eyes, making them feel restless and uneasy.

Just then, a young soldier on guard duty around the area, perhaps out of curiosity or attracted by the strange pattern, subconsciously reached out to touch a seemingly inconspicuous pattern on the edge of the altar.

"Don't touch it!"

Zhao Yun caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye and immediately shouted to stop him!

However, it's still a step too late!
The young soldier's fingers had just touched the cold, black stone—

"Zi la——!"

A terrifying sound, like a red-hot iron being branded onto flesh, suddenly rang out!
"what--!"

The young soldier let out a bloodcurdling scream, his body jolted backward as if struck by a tremendous force, and he fell to the ground.

Everyone stared in horror as the finger that had just touched the altar was now charred black, like charcoal, and the blackening was rapidly spreading towards his palm! The air was instantly filled with the stench of burning flesh!

"Quick! Hold him down! Chop off his hand!"

The accompanying medical officer reacted extremely quickly, shouting hoarsely.

Although the two comrades beside him were also shocked by the horrifying scene and turned pale, they still gritted their teeth and stepped forward to hold down the soldier who was writhing in pain. The other veteran was quick-witted and drew his sword from his waist and brought it down!
"Pfft!"

With another short scream, the arm, which was completely charred and even starting to emit wisps of black smoke, was severed at the wrist! But not much blood flowed from the wound; instead, it was just a charred mess.

The soldier was in so much pain he almost fainted and was quickly carried away for emergency treatment. If it weren't for the timely rescue, that strange energy would likely have spread along his arm and throughout his body, with unimaginable consequences!
This scene sent chills down everyone's spines, and their gazes toward the black altar were filled with fear and vigilance.

This damned thing, even after being abandoned, still contains such a vicious and dangerous residual power!

Gu Rubing stood still, his fists clenched tightly involuntarily, his knuckles cracking from the excessive force.

He stared at the hideous and sinister altar, and at the charred human-shaped marks on the ground that silently spoke of extreme pain and despair. The anger in his chest surged like a volcano, almost bursting out of his chest!
All of this before our eyes is a silent yet deafening accusation against the countless heinous crimes committed by Penglai in this place!

They regard human life as worthless, sacrificing the flesh and souls of countless people as offerings, and practicing this evil art that defies heaven and reason and is abhorred by both gods and men!

This terrifying discovery, on the one hand, confirmed that they were on the right track.

Gu Rubing did not linger there. The lingering, eerie energy fluctuations and the almost tangible resentment made the area extremely dangerous and ominous.

The group quickly left the chilling, cursed land and continued westward.

However, the twisted patterns on the black altar and the struggling, charred shadows on the ground were deeply imprinted in the minds of every soldier, like a nightmare, and could not be erased.

This heavy burden did not crush their will; instead, it transformed into an even more intense and almost all-consuming rage!

Their resentment towards the countless crimes committed by Penglai, their compassion for the innocent victims, and their sense of responsibility for the land beneath their feet being devoured intertwined, making their eyes more resolute and their steps more steady and powerful. Everyone knew that they were approaching the heart of the demon, and every moment of delay could mean the creation of another similar altar in western Liangzhou.

Another batch of innocent people were sacrificed, the earth's veins were further damaged, and the evil power of Penglai may become even stronger and more difficult to deal with as a result.

As the team ventured deeper into the outer regions of the Dragon Ridge Mountains, the resistance they encountered increased significantly, by several levels!

Penglai had clearly realized the threat posed by this small elite force. They no longer simply sent out assassins skilled in infiltration and ambush, but began to mobilize more and stronger forces, attempting to completely break and crush Gu Rubing's sharp arrow on this territory they had long cultivated!
Danger struck suddenly during what seemed like an ordinary march.

That was during a trip that required crossing a wide, ancient riverbed that had been dry for countless years.

The riverbed is wide and covered with pebbles rounded by wind and sand, with earthen riverbanks several meters high on both sides.

Just as the vanguard of the army had stepped onto the opposite bank, the main force of the army was still in the middle of the riverbed, and the rear guard had not yet fully entered the valley—

"Boom...boom...boom..."

A dull tremor, seemingly emanating from the depths of the earth, came from afar and was clearly felt through the hard, dry ground beneath our feet!
The sound didn't sound like horses' hooves; it sounded more like some heavy, enormous thing trampling the earth!

"Be on alert! Enemy attack!"

The lookout sentry shouted the alarm at the top of his lungs!

Gu Rubing looked up abruptly and saw billowing dust from the upper reaches of the valley, like a giant, earthen-yellow dragon sweeping towards them! Within the dust, the figures of a troop of cavalry could be vaguely seen!

As they drew closer, the true appearance of the cavalrymen sent a chill down the spines of even the seasoned soldiers of Gu Rubing's army!
These cavalrymen were unlike any enemy they had ever encountered before!

The warhorses they rode were exceptionally tall and powerful, far exceeding ordinary steeds, with bulging muscles that seemed about to burst, yet their forms exuded an unnatural ferocity.

What's most chilling is that these warhorses have no pupils in their eye sockets, only two eerie, burning green flames!
The horse's body was covered with a rough, grayish-white, bony plate-like appendage that seemed to grow into its skin and flesh, providing additional protection.

The horses exhaled not hot air from their mouths and noses, but a pale white smoke with a pungent sulfur smell, as if it came from the deepest hell!
The knights sitting atop these terrifying mounts are like demons crawling out of purgatory!

They were completely shrouded in thick, dark armor with a grotesque design that seemed to absorb light. Even their faces were completely covered, except for two chilling crimson lights shining through the gaps beneath the armor, filled with pure bloodlust and a desire for destruction.

In their hands were long-handled swords burning with pitch-black flames!

The flames leaped silently, devoid of heat, yet emanating a chill that could freeze the soul!

This cavalry force was not large, estimated to be only about a hundred riders, but the momentum of their charge was as if they had gathered a thousand troops!
A suffocating aura of death and destruction, as if the air itself were freezing, surged towards the group in the riverbed like a tangible wave!

"This...this is..."

Among the group, the most knowledgeable Qiang guide, Zaxi, turned deathly pale the moment he saw the cavalry. His eyes were filled with extreme fear, and he screamed in terror, his voice trembling.

"Demon Cavalry! Demon Cavalry! The true elite of the Divine March! Legendary monsters born from demonic fire, impervious to swords and spears, and invincible!"

His exclamation was like the final piece of the puzzle, instantly making everyone understand the terrifying origins of the enemy before them!
This is no longer the grunts who relied on bizarre and suicide tactics, but the truly terrifying force that Penglai has up its sleeve to crush everything head-on!
"Form ranks! Quickly! Spearmen, advance! Archers, prepare!"

Despite the danger, Gu Rubing remained calm and issued a stern command, his voice piercing through the chilling sound of hooves.

However, the speed of this demon cavalry charge was too fast!
Faster than you can imagine!

As if those demonic horses burning with green flames were not affected by gravity at all, their hooves created wind and stirred up clouds of dust. In the blink of an eye, the black torrent of steel, like a red-hot iron, crashed into the relatively weak flank of the formation!

A quick-thinking captain frantically organized a platoon of pikemen, attempting to halt the terrifying charge with a dense hail of gunfire.

"Stand up with your gun—!"

The gleaming spearheads pointed diagonally forward, forming a jungle of death.

However, conventional defenses proved so vulnerable to this inhuman onslaught!

The demon cavalryman at the forefront, facing the thrusting spear, neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, he swung his long-handled sword, which was burning with black flames, down with a shrill sound as it cut through the air!
"Clang—Crack!"

Amidst the piercing clang of metal against metal, there was a teeth-grinding cracking sound!

The spearhead, forged from fine iron, was easily severed like rotten wood the instant it came into contact with the black flame battle blade! The break was as smooth as a mirror!
That's not all! The eerie black flames on the blade, as if they had a life of their own, suddenly spread upwards along the broken spear shaft!

"what--!"

The soldier holding the spear only had time to let out a short, extremely shrill scream before the black flames had already clung to his arm!

A horrifying scene unfolded: his flesh and blood seemed to encounter ice and snow under the scorching sun, melting and carbonizing rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Even the bones turned charred black in an instant!
The pain far exceeded the limits that ordinary people could endure. The screams stopped abruptly, and the soldier fainted from the pain, collapsing to the ground, with only a small, charred remnant of his arm remaining!
This horrific scene spread like a plague along the flanks!
The demon cavalry's charge was unstoppable, and their black flame swords were invincible. Whether it was swords, shields, or flesh and blood, anything that touched them crumbled and died instantly!
The flank defenses began to crumble almost the instant they made contact. Screams, the cracking of weapons, and the neighing of demon horses spewing sulfurous fumes mingled together, creating a hellish symphony!

Under the terrifying onslaught of the demon cavalry, the formation was torn apart like a piece of fragile paper in an instant, leaving a huge gap!

The battle blade, burning with black flames, was swung, tearing up pieces of flesh and limbs. The iron hooves of the demonic horse, with green flames leaping in its eye sockets, were about to step into the core of the formation, trampling and tearing the entire team apart!
At this critical moment, when life and death were decided!
"You monster! Cease your arrogance!"

A powerful, resounding roar, like the thunder of a great bell, suddenly exploded, drowning out all the noise on the battlefield!

In the center of the army, the veteran general Huang Zhong stood with his hair and beard bristling, his eyes wide with anger, and his aura was as powerful as a lion awakening!

He had already drawn his bow and nocked an arrow. The specially made arrow, its shaft intricately engraved with exorcising runes, was now firmly resting on his long-time, sturdy iron-framed bow! The bow was full, the arrow like a shooting star! (End of Chapter)