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

Below the tumor, at the brightest and most intensely flowing key nodes of the crimson magic circle, sat five elderly men dressed in dark purple robes with gold trim, their auras as obscure and ancient as an abyss.

Their hands were clasped in strange and complex hand seals, their eyes were closed, and they were chanting ancient and blasphemous incantations that seemed to belong to another world.

Each time they chanted, the central tumor throbbed more violently, the pillar of light above grew stronger, and the wails and struggles of the countless souls on the four walls became even more mournful and desperate!
However, what shocked Gu Rubing the most and almost made him stop breathing was the very core of the pillar of light directly above the tumor!
There, a blurry figure, made of pure energy and exuding an indescribable ancient and evil aura, was slowly and gradually taking shape!
Although it was still very blurry, the pressure emanating from that figure had already surpassed all the enemies encountered before. It was as if some terrifying being that had been sleeping in ancient times and should not exist in the present world was trying to respond to this evil ritual, cross some kind of boundary, and descend into this world!
"So... this is 'Tongtian'..."

Gu Rubing was shocked and instantly understood all of Penglai's schemes! The Divine Marching Army and the Demon Cavalry were nothing more than byproducts of this ultimate plan!
Their true purpose is to open a passage to summon this indescribably terrifying being! Drawing upon the earth's veins and sacrificing countless lives are all to provide the immense energy needed to complete this ritual!
"Stop them!"

Gu Rubing's voice was distorted by extreme anger and horror.

"Monster! Die!"

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes were filled with murderous intent. He was the first to recover from this horrifying scene. With a roar, he rushed into the hall like lightning. His Green Dragon Crescent Blade, carrying the supreme belief of slaying demons and eliminating evil, transformed into a streak of blue lightning and struck directly at the purple-robed old man who was chanting the most recent one!
however--

"clang--!!!"

A dull, resounding crash, like a blow to ancient, solid ice!
Guan Yu's powerful and heavy slash, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, was actually blocked by a powerful force field that suddenly appeared, completely invisible and intangible yet indestructible, when it was still several feet away from the purple-robed old man!

The five purple-robed elders sitting cross-legged at the key point seemed oblivious to the attack that was so close at hand. They didn't even change their breathing rhythm, continuing to chant the blasphemous ancient incantation with complete concentration, maintaining the pulsation of the central tumor and the stability of the pillar of light.

Just as everyone's hearts sank at the sight of this solid force field—

"Om..."

Within the massive hall, amidst the already dense black shadows, several terrifying auras, far more powerful, profound, and soul-chilling than any previous enemy, suddenly awakened! Like ancient, slumbering beasts opening their icy eyes!

Three figures slowly emerged from different shadowy corners.

On the left is a man nearly ten feet tall, whose entire body is covered in an incredibly thick, pale white bone armor that appears to be made from the skeleton of some giant creature. The bone armor is covered with ferocious barbs that grow naturally on it.

His exposed eyes had no pupils, only two black charcoal eyes that seemed to have burned for ten thousand years in the abyss, flickering with cold, deathly flames.

With each step he took, his heavy bone boots caused the blood-soaked ground beneath his feet to tremble slightly, carrying a savage and oppressive feeling that locked onto Guan Yu, who had just swung his sword.

The person on the right has an elusive figure, seemingly without substance, more like a condensed, persistent humanoid shadow.

Around him, a chilling, bone-chilling wind swirled, and within that wind, countless tiny, pained faces could be vaguely seen shrieking silently.

He let out a sharp screech that did not travel through the air but acted directly on the soul, transforming into a twisted wisp of black smoke, carrying a chilling aura that could freeze the soul, and lunged at the agile Zhao Yun.

The woman in the middle was a woman with a seductive figure and alluring face, yet she possessed a deadly allure.

She wore tight-fitting dark purple leather armor that outlined her breathtaking curves, and in her hands she toyed with two short daggers, no more than a foot and a half long, that gleamed with a ghostly blue poisonous light.

Her bright red tongue lightly licked the corner of her lips, and her eyes as she looked at Zhang Fei were filled with a cruel and mocking gaze, like a cat catching a mouse.

With a swift movement, like a ghost leaving afterimages, his twin daggers traced deadly arcs as he targeted Zhang Fei, who was at the height of his power.

The oppressive energy emanating from these three people was like three invisible mountains, crashing down on everyone's hearts!

They far surpassed all the enemies they had encountered before, and even the commander of the demon cavalry paled in comparison!

They are the true guardians of the Penglai headquarters, the last bulwark!

Gu Rubing's heart sank completely, as if he had fallen into a bottomless ice cellar. The last, and strongest, guardian had finally appeared!

The ritual had reached its final stage, and the blurry demonic figure at the core of the pillar of light was becoming clearer and clearer, as if it would solidify completely and descend into this world in the next second!

Before them stood three unfathomable and formidable enemies, and a protective force field so solid it inspired despair!
Time is truly no longer on their side! Every passing moment could mean ultimate defeat and destruction!
Inside the colossal hall, evil energy surged, transforming it into a living hell. The enormous, pulsating tumor in the center, with each contraction and expansion, struck the hearts of everyone like a beating war drum, bringing a dual sense of physical and psychological suffocation.

The silent yet deafening wails of despair emanating from the countless souls gathered in the dome intertwined with the gurgling sound of the thick blood boiling and churning in the river of blood on the ground, forming an evil symphony that desecrated life and trampled on souls.

The appearance of these three Penglai guardians instantly pushed the already dire situation to the brink of despair!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The bone-armored guardian strode with heavy, elephant-like steps, ignoring the surging river of blood beneath his feet. His enormous bone fist, accompanied by a fierce wind that tore through the air, slammed straight towards Guan Yu! Even before the fist arrived, the overwhelming pressure made the air around Guan Yu thicken!
"Wow—!"

The black smoke that the Shadow Guardian had transformed into emitted a piercing shriek that seemed to cut straight to the soul. It was so fast that it left behind afterimages, and wherever it passed, even space itself seemed to freeze.

Leaving behind white frost marks, the chilling air instantly coiled around Zhao Yun, and countless ghostly hands made of yin wind reached out from the black smoke, grabbing at his vital points!
"Hey little brother, don't be so fierce, play with me for a bit?"

The alluring female protector gave a seductive laugh, her voice both seductive and chilling.

Her figure flickered like a ghost, her twin daggers flashing with eerie, venomous blue light, like two venomous snakes ready to devour their prey, attacking Zhang Fei's vitals from all sorts of unbelievable angles, forcing him to roar repeatedly and wield his spear wildly, yet he could not catch her true form for a time.

Ma Chao and Huang Zhong wanted to provide immediate support to the core battle zone, but they were entangled by more elite guards in dark gold armor who emerged from the shadows of the palace gate, as well as some twisted monsters that seemed to have been pieced together and resurrected from the remains of the previously killed Divine March Army!

These monsters felt no pain, were fearless of death, and pounced on them madly, making it impossible for them to escape!

Gu Rubing's gaze swept over the three battlegrounds that were instantly engulfed in fierce fighting, and then looked at the tumor and pillar of light that were so close yet so far away.

He chose not to help either side, because he knew that defeating any number of guardians would be futile without interrupting the ritual! Once the demon within the pillar of light fully descended, everything would be over!
The ritual had to be interrupted! He took a deep breath of the air, thick with the stench of blood and evil energy, ignoring the tearing pain emanating from his internal organs, and poured all the remaining internal energy in his body into the longsword in his hand with unreserved fervor!

"Om-!"

The longsword emitted a hum that seemed to be straining under its own weight, and the blade trembled violently, illuminating itself with an unprecedented, blindingly intense light!

That light contained his entire will and determination as a king and a warrior!
"Break for me!!"

Gu Rubing let out a roar like a dying beast, his body moving with his sword, becoming one with the sword, transforming into a dazzling stream of light burning with life, and once again resolutely and fiercely stabbing towards the invisible force field protecting the five spellcasting elders!

Will he succeed this time?
"boom--!!"

Gu Rubing's desperate strike, which gathered all his remaining internal strength and even carried a trace of resolute will, crashed hard into that invisible force field!
The surface of the force field instantly rippled with energy ripples far denser and more intense than Guan Yu's previous strike, like the surface of a lake where a boulder had been thrown in, with light flashing wildly!

However, that force field remained more resilient than anyone could have imagined!

It twisted and fluctuated violently, dispersing and guiding most of the impact force into the entire magic array system of the giant hall, and ultimately stubbornly maintained its integrity!

"puff……"

The powerful recoil struck back like a heavy hammer. Gu Rubing felt a tightness in his chest, a metallic taste rising in his throat, and he almost spat out another mouthful of blood, which he forcibly swallowed back. His face instantly turned ashen.

The backlash from almost exhausting his internal energy and the injuries caused him to sway and barely stand.

In that split second, when his old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen, and his movements were sluggish—

"Hehe... Little brother, you're in such a hurry! Let me play with you!"

The seductive laughter of that alluring female protector seemed to echo in my ears!

She had been locked in combat with Zhang Fei, but now she feinted and forced Zhang Fei to defend himself with a strange poisonous light. Her figure flashed like a ghost and appeared beside Gu Rubing without warning, as if she had teleported!
The two dark blue short daggers in his hands, with their cunning and unpredictable arcs, moved silently yet with lightning speed, aiming straight for Gu Rubing's unsuspecting ribs!
If this stab lands, Gu Rubing will be severely injured or even die on the spot!

"Lord, be careful!"

Zhao Yun caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, and was so shocked that he cried out in alarm!

He wanted to help, but the black smoke formed by the shadowy guardian clung to him like a bone-deep infection. The chilling ghostly hand and the piercing shriek made it impossible for him to escape. He could only watch helplessly as the poisonous thorn approached!

Gu Rubing was about to be pierced through the body by two daggers!

At the critical moment——

"call out--!"

A crimson arrow, like a ray of dawn tearing through the darkness, came hurtling through the air from the other side of the battlefield with a piercing whistle!

The timing, angle, and speed were all perfect! It was Huang Zhong who, amidst the chaos of battle and the confusion of the army, risked being grazed on the shoulder by a heavy hammer from an elite guard to shoot the life-saving arrow!
"Ding! Ding!"

Two crisp collision sounds!

The arrows struck the sides of the female protector's twin daggers with perfect accuracy!
The exorcising power and fierce force contained in the arrow, although it failed to damage the short spike, inevitably delayed the female protector's sure-kill strike by a negligible moment!
It's this very moment!
Relying on his honed fighting instincts and will to survive, Gu Rubing mustered his inner energy and twisted his body to the side in an extremely awkward and difficult posture!
"Hey!"

The eerie blue venom grazed his ribs, tearing through his tough armor and leaving two charred marks. A burning stinging sensation shot through his skin, clearly indicating the poison was potent! But it had ultimately avoided a vital spot!
At the same time, Gu Rubing used the momentum of his twisting body to slash back with his long sword, forcing the female protector to take half a step back and temporarily avoid the attack.

He narrowly escaped death! Gu Rubing's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, and his breathing became rapid and labored.

But as his mind raced, he realized even more clearly that if he didn't break that damned force field, everyone would be worn down and killed here by these three powerful protectors and the endless stream of minions!
We must find the weakness in the force field!
His gaze was no longer limited to the five old men, but quickly swept across the entire grand array of the giant hall!

The surging river of blood on the ground, the wailing souls on the walls, the pulsating tumor in the center, and the pillar of light that pierces through heaven and earth... there must be some kind of energy connection between them!

Suddenly, he keenly noticed that whenever the wails of the spirits on the four walls became slightly disordered for some reason, the light of the invisible force field would also produce extremely subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuations!

The core of the force field protection seems to be the five spellcasting elders themselves and the magic array nodes beneath them, while the central tumor is not so well protected!

A bold idea flashed through Gu Rubing's mind like lightning!
"This force field... its energy is not inexhaustible!"
It relies on drawing power from the Blood River and souls to sustain itself!

Its core purpose is to protect the caster, not the ritual itself!

Gu Rubing roared, and despite the fierce battle, his orders were still issued in an orderly manner and clearly reached the ears of every general.

"Hansheng! Disrupt the Blood River! Yunchang, Yide, Zilong, Mengqi! Attack the souls on the walls and the dome! Disrupt them! The force field will be affected!"

Although the generals were all engaged in fierce battles, they did not hesitate to carry out the order immediately!
Without hesitation, Huang Zhong instantly changed his target, and the bowstring twanged repeatedly!

Instead of shooting at the guardians who were difficult to hit, they fired the few remaining evil-breaking arrows like a machine gun at the blood river area near where the five old men were sitting, where the energy flow was most intense!
"Boom boom boom!"

The arrow pierced the viscous river of blood, and the cinnabar talismans inscribed on it suddenly exploded, blinding golden light flashing in the dark red blood, like cold water poured into boiling oil! (End of Chapter)