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

Guan Yu always took the lead. Although he was in the center of the army, he was always the first to rush forward whenever there was a particularly difficult point of attack.

The Green Dragon Crescent Blade transformed into a whirlwind of death in the blue. Wherever the blade passed, whether it was the slow-moving corpse soldiers or the heavily armored Divine Army, they were all cut in two like rotten wood and withered grass!

That domineering and unparalleled sword aura seemed capable of slicing through everything in its path, paving a bloody way forward for the army.

"Wow! That's great! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Zhang Fei's roar was like a war drum, inspiring the morale of the entire army.

He wielded his eighteen-foot spear like a ferocious humanoid beast, completely disregarding any techniques or skills, relying solely on absolute power to crush his opponents!

As the spear swept across, men and horses fell, and the sound of bones shattering was incessant. Any attempt to form an array to block it was torn to shreds in the face of his violent and unparalleled power!

Zhao Yun's vanguard cavalry perfectly executed their "spearhead" mission.

They were like white lightning bolts, repeatedly darting and piercing across the vast wilderness.

Once the enemy attempts to assemble and form a defensive line, a swift and fierce charge is launched, disrupting the nascent formation and then continuing forward without pause, giving the enemy no chance to regroup.

Ma Chao's Xiliang cavalry, like two flexible wings, roamed on both flanks of the main army.

They used the mobility of their cavalry to fiercely attack any small groups of enemy troops that attempted to approach from the flanks and harass the main force's march.

In Ma Chao's hands, the Tiger-Headed Golden Spear transformed into a deadly, cold star. The fierce horsemanship and suicidal fighting style of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry inflicted heavy losses on any enemy attempting a flanking attack.

Huang Zhong, on the other hand, led the army's best archers in a relatively safe position.

They are like death gods lurking in the shadows, their cold arrows always aimed at the distance.

Once those sorcerers dressed in black robes were spotted, attempting to chant evil spells to disrupt the army's advance, several or even a dozen arrows immediately pierced the air!

Precise targeting often nipps evil spells in the bud, just before they take shape, effectively ensuring the "cleanliness" of the army's marching route.

They no longer pursued the complete annihilation of the enemy, nor did they concern themselves with the gains or losses of a single city or territory; all battles revolved around the same core principle—

Breakthrough! Success!

Battles often reach a fever pitch the moment they make contact, with flashing swords and flying blood and flesh, and end in a very short time as the enemy collapses.

The army rolled over like cold steel, leaving behind only a mess of corpses, broken armor, and some eerily burning remains. Then, without stopping, they continued their desperate march westward toward Guzang!
Traveling day and night, enduring wind and rain, they braved the scorching sun and pervasive dust and evil aura of the wilderness during the day, and at night they made their way forward with difficulty by the help of sparse stars and moon and the eerie light faintly emanating from the direction of the main altar in the distance.

When hungry, they would nibble on a few bites of cold, dry rations; when thirsty, they would sip a small mouthful of water that had already warmed up.

The soldiers were exhausted; their eyelids felt as heavy as if they were weighed down with lead, and their legs felt numb as if they no longer belonged to them.

Many soldiers' old wounds reopened during the strenuous march, and blood seeped through the bandages, but no one uttered a sound. They simply tightened the bandages again and continued to keep up with the column.

What sustained them was a tenacious, almost obstinate will, an unwavering trust in their commander Gu Rubing, and a faint yet intensely burning desire for victory!
They knew that stopping meant death, and only by moving forward could they have a chance to survive!
Perhaps their decisiveness and speed exceeded the enemy's expectations, or perhaps Penglai was busy digesting the newly occupied Liangzhou regions and could not mobilize enough troops for an effective encirclement.

The enemy forces attempting to pursue and encircle them from the rear and flanks seemed to be intimidated by their reckless and daring advance. Their attempts to encircle them were all a step too slow, and they ultimately failed to form an effective encirclement on this vast wasteland.

Finally, on the fifth day after leaving the stronghold, a blood-red dusk fell.

The blood-red setting sun struggled to cast its last rays upon this desolate land, dyeing the clouds in the sky a poignant purplish-red.

The scout cavalrymen at the forefront, covered in dust and exhausted, spurred their horses back like madmen, rushing to the front of Gu Rubing's horse in the center. Due to excitement and lack of oxygen, their voices changed, and they shouted hoarsely.

"My lord... my lord! Guzang! Guzang City! I see it! It's right ahead!"

Gu Rubing and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others beside him were suddenly invigorated, as if all their fatigue had been instantly dispelled!

They simultaneously spurred their horses, galloping up a slightly higher earthen slope ahead, and looked westward—

On the horizon, blurred by the blood-red sunset, the twisted and eerie outline of a massive city, like an ancient beast lurking on the earth, suddenly appeared at the edge of everyone's sight!

That was their ultimate goal for this trip: the capital of Liangzhou, which was also the core lair of the Penglai Demon Army in Liangzhou—Guzang City!

As the army finally arrived five miles outside Guzang City under the blood-red setting sun, the colossal city standing at the edge of the wasteland revealed its full, ferocious appearance to everyone.

At this moment, Guzang was far more terrifying than Gu Rubing remembered, or even more so than any intelligence report described. It was no longer just a city, but more like a living, enormous evil entity that constantly exuded intense malice.

The originally gray and heavy city wall is now almost completely covered by a kind of eerie moss that is dark green to almost black and seems to have a life of its own.

These mosses were not still, but were slowly, creepingly, like a boil rising and falling under the skin of a giant beast.

In the gaps of the moss and at the key points of the city wall, countless twisted runes, emitting a ghostly green or dark red light, flickered like breathing, injecting streams of eerie energy into the city wall itself, making the entire section of the city wall seem to pulsate slightly.

Most astonishingly, a soaring evil aura, a mixture of gray, black, and dark red, rose from the very center of Guzang City like an ugly pillar supporting the heavens and the earth, forming a huge, slowly rotating vortex of evil aura that covered an area of ​​dozens of miles in the sky.

The swirling clouds pressed down heavily, unable to penetrate even the last rays of the blood-red setting sun, which managed to outline a strange halo around the edge of the clouds, casting a dim and ambiguous glow over the earth.

The air was filled with a pungent, almost tangible stench of decay, mixed with the burnt smell of excessive energy accumulation. Inhaling it caused a stinging pain in the throat, chest tightness, nausea, and almost suffocation.

"Set up camp immediately! Construct simple defensive fortifications, and send out scouts to reconnoiter!"

Despite his physical discomfort, Gu Rubing gave the order in a stern voice. His voice was exceptionally clear in the oppressive and deathly silent environment.

The army, like a sophisticated machine, moved at top speed despite being exhausted, using the simple materials they carried and the surrounding terrain to build a temporary, rudimentary camp.

However, before the camp's fence was fully erected and the earthen mound was even half-built, the elite scouts sent out returned swiftly, covered in an even heavier aura of evil dust and with solemn expressions.

"Report——!"

The scout captain knelt on one knee and spoke very quickly.

"My lord, the defenses of Guzang City are extremely tight! The moat has been completely polluted; the water is black and viscous, constantly bubbling with poisonous bubbles, and the poisonous miasma it emits is visible to the naked eye. It is impossible to get close, let alone fill it in or swim across!"

He took a breath and continued his report, his voice slightly hoarse.

"On the city wall, the defenders were densely packed, with almost no gaps! They were all well-equipped elite warriors of the Divine March, with a fierce, eerie light in their eyes. Mixed among them were a large number of black-robed sorcerers who held staffs and were surrounded by fel energy fluctuations."

Furthermore, the battlements are equipped with numerous modified, giant ballistae with runes inscribed on their arms, as well as some strangely shaped magical artifacts that constantly emit ominous light; their energy fluctuations are intense and pose a great threat!

The scout captain's face grew even more worried. "What's more troublesome is that the area outside the city is not a smooth road. Taking advantage of the terrain, at least three large camps have been built, several miles apart, forming a semi-circular defensive perimeter around the main city."

Each camp was quite large, with flags fluttering and patrols constantly moving about; the number of Penglai troops stationed there was probably no less than tens of thousands! To directly attack Guzang City, these thorns must first be removed!

Gu Rubing listened silently, then waved for the scouts to leave and rest.

He climbed another slightly higher earthen slope, gazing at the colossal city shrouded in evil aura, his face grave. The scouts' intelligence confirmed his worst fears—Guzang was indeed a tough nut to crack, fortified and impenetrable by Penglai!

The city was well-defended, with elite troops and surrounding camps providing mutual support.

If he chooses to launch a direct attack, even if he manages to capture the city by chance, his already heavily damaged and isolated army will likely bleed to its last drop of blood here, and the losses will be incalculable.

However, he had no time to hesitate, much less time to stand in a prolonged standoff with the enemy!

Every moment of delay increases the pressure on Lu Su in Yizhou and the danger for the troops defending the northern border against Sun Jian!
He must break the current deadlock as soon as possible!

"Send the order!"

Gu Rubing took a deep breath, suppressing his anxiety, and his voice regained its calmness.

"First, dispatch all the more astute scouts, divided into several teams, to take turns monitoring the troop movements and patrol patterns of the three enemy camps outside the city, especially to investigate their food supply routes and approximate storage points!"

"Secondly, order those in the army who are somewhat familiar with formations and have keen senses to take turns approaching and observing the energy fluctuations of the Guzang city walls and moat, especially that strange formation, to find out the possible patterns of energy flow, changes in strength, and even extremely short intervals!"

"third!"

His gaze swept over the soldiers behind him, who, though exhausted, still stood ramrod straight.

"All other units, except for those with essential guard duties, should immediately seize this precious time to rest, eat, treat their wounds, and recover their strength! A fierce battle could begin at any moment!"

"I will obey your orders!"

The generals responded with a resounding roar and each went to carry out their orders.

Night fell, like a heavy curtain soaked in ink, slowly descending upon this land shrouded in evil.

Against the backdrop of the swirling, dark gray aura, Guzang City resembled an ancient behemoth that had fully awakened and lurked in the darkness. The writhing moss and flickering runes on the city walls were its ferocious skin, and the soaring evil aura was its heavy breathing, exuding a dangerous aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

In contrast, Gu Rubing's temporary camp was brightly lit.

To prevent the invasion of evil spirits and possible sneak attacks, many specially made torches burning with exorcising herbs were placed around the camp. The flickering flames stubbornly propped up a small, relatively "clean" area in the dim night.

Inside the central command tent, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.

Gu Rubing sat in the center, surrounded by core generals such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Ma Chao, as well as several key strategists and captains. The light of the oil lamp stretched the shadows on their faces, which reflected a mixture of weariness, solemnity, and contemplation.

"A direct assault is absolutely unacceptable."

An older strategist spoke first, his voice hoarse.

"The enemy forces are formidable, the city's defenses are unpredictable, and there are also surrounding camps providing support. Our forces are limited and exhausted. If we were to launch a forced attack on the city, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock."

"So, are we just going to wait here like this?"

Zhang Fei slammed his hand on the table in frustration, causing the oil lamp flame to flicker.

"Yizhou and the border cannot afford to wait! I think it would be better to concentrate our forces and take down one of their outposts outside the city first, to deflate their arrogance!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and pondered.

"What my third brother said, though hasty, is not without reason. If we can quickly break through a stronghold, we may be able to dampen the enemy's morale and also obtain some supplies."

However, we must guard against reinforcements from other camps and the city's garrison; a foolproof plan is needed.

Zhao Yun, on the other hand, appeared even calmer.

"The camps outside the city are closely connected to the main city. If we launch a strong attack on any of the camps, we will inevitably face the danger of being attacked from both sides."

The most urgent task remains finding the weaknesses in their defensive system, especially their evil protective formation. If their formation can be broken, the difficulty of attacking the city will be greatly reduced.

Everyone discussed strategies to defeat the enemy, but each plan faced enormous risks and uncertainties.

The air seemed to freeze; the suffocating oppression before the battle gripped the heart of everyone in the tent like an invisible hand.

As he listened to the crowd's argument, Gu Rubing's gaze sharpened even more.

He knew that conventional methods were slow and inefficient at this moment.

He had to take a risk and launch a surprise attack when the enemy thought they would only rest or test the waters!

"All right."

Gu Rubing finally spoke, his voice not loud, but it instantly drowned out all the other discussions.

His gaze swept across the tent, finally settling on the few captains standing at the end, their auras sharp and their eyes bright.

"Li Gan, Wang Qing!"

He called out by name.

"The general is here!"

The two captains immediately stepped forward and clasped their hands in response.

They were all highly skilled soldiers known in the military for their quick thinking, daring, and expertise in infiltration and reconnaissance.

"I order the two of you to immediately select the most astute, stealthy, bold, and meticulous men from the army to form an elite scout team of twenty men."

Gu Rubing's command was clear and cold.

"Under the cover of night, penetrate deep into the outer perimeter of Guzang, avoiding enemy patrols and sentries, getting as close as possible to the moat, and even... attempting to get close to the city walls for observation!" (End of Chapter)