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

The still-developing monster embryo convulsed violently in the flames, emitting an inhuman, extremely sharp and shrill scream, before being burned into charred charcoal within moments.

The stone slabs engraved with runes, the piled-up skeletal materials, the wooden supports... everything that could burn became fuel for the flames!

The core area of ​​the entire sorcery workshop was instantly transformed into a fiery hell! Heat waves rolled in, thick smoke billowed into the sky, and the pungent stench of burning flesh mixed with the stale, corrupting aura of fel energy was nauseating.

"No! My research! My sacred object!"

A black-robed sorcerer, who appeared to be the leader, watched as everything before him was rapidly engulfed by the sea of ​​fire and let out a desperate and frantic roar.

"Kill them! Kill these blasphemers!"

He wielded a staff inlaid with black crystals, from which a ghastly green beam of fel energy shot out, heading straight for a death warrior who was throwing torches!

"Protect our lord! Kill!"

The assassins showed no fear in the face of the attack.

They drew their weapons and engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand battle with the black-robed sorcerers who pounced on them like madmen, as well as the improved Divine March guards who rushed out from the shadows and corners of the workshop, their eyes glazed but their strength immense.
There are no formations here, no way to retreat, only the most primal fighting and destruction!
Zhao Yun had already positioned himself to protect Gu Rubing's flank, his gleaming silver spear now transformed into the scythe of death. His spear thrusts were swift, accurate, and ruthless, like a dragon striking out! He didn't engage in a direct confrontation of strength with the incredibly powerful Divine Marchers, but instead relied on his extraordinary agility and keen eyesight.

The spear tip always finds gaps in the enemy's armor or defenses—the throat, eye sockets, joints, and openings revealed when a sorcerer casts a spell! With each thrust, an enemy will groan and fall to the ground, either pierced through a vital point or having their weapon knocked away.

He was like a white lightning bolt weaving through flames and flashing blades, and wherever he passed, the enemy scattered in disarray.

Gu Rubing took the lead, his sword flashing, displaying his family's swordsmanship to its fullest extent.

Although his internal energy was somewhat sluggish due to his old injuries, at the critical moment of life and death, his potential burst forth, and his sword moves became even more fierce and ruthless! The sword energy crisscrossed, cutting down the approaching enemies along with the strange magical weapons in their hands!
A black-robed sorcerer attempted to chant a spell to summon a fel energy shield, but before he could finish the incantation, Gu Rubing's sword flashed past like a startled swan, severing his head! Filthy blood splattered onto the burning workshop walls, making a sizzling sound.

The assassins were equally fierce and brave.

They came prepared to die, and now they unleashed astonishing fighting power. Two against one of the Divine Marchers, one using a shield or his body to withstand the Divine Marcher's immense impact, while the other seized the opportunity to stab the Divine Marcher's vulnerable spots such as the back of the knee or the armpit with a spear.

Dealing with sorcerers is even simpler and more brutal. They don't give the opponent any time to cast spells; several people rush in and hack and slash them!

People were constantly struck by the sorcerer's bizarre spells, their bodies quickly withering or emitting black smoke as they died tragically. Others were constantly struck by the divine army's heavy blows, breaking bones and tendons. But those behind immediately took their place, stepping over the corpses of their companions to continue forward, continuing to pour oil and throw torches!
The battle was intense but brief. The suicide squad came prepared, determined to fight to the death; while the guards of the sorcery area, though strong, were caught off guard, and the core sorcerers were better at research than close combat.

Led by the two unparalleled masters, Gu Rubing and Zhao Yun, the three hundred elite warriors, like red-hot daggers, swiftly pierced through the chaotic defenses, annihilating most of the main resistance force within the workshop.

The fire is out of control! It has not only ignited the runes and materials on the ground, but has also spread to the main building of the workshop.

The structures built from black metal and bones began to deform and collapse under the high temperature.

Even more terrifying, there seems to be an even larger fel energy transmission network buried underground. When the leaked fel energy gas or liquid came into contact with an open flame, it triggered a series of incredibly powerful explosions!

"Boom!!!"

"Bang bang bang-!"

A massive fireball, carrying with it shattered metal, bones, and burning debris, shot skyward! The ground trembled violently, as if an earth dragon were turning over!

The violent shockwave completely destroyed the nearby remaining buildings, and scorching flames swept outwards like raging waves! Thick smoke obscured half the sky, illuminating the lights of other areas of Cao Cao's camp in the distance in a fiery red glow!

The entire area of ​​evil magic had been completely transformed into a devastating inferno! The ear-piercing explosions, the sounds of collapsing buildings, the wails of monsters that were not yet dead, and the howling of the raging flames intertwined to create a symphony of apocalypse!
The core objective—destroying the sorcery workshop—has been achieved! The results have even far exceeded expectations!
"Retreat! Retreat immediately along the original route!"

Gu Rubing cleaved the last black-robed leader blocking his path with a single sword strike, wiped the blood splattered on his face, and roared at the assassins who were still fighting off the remaining enemies. The fire and explosions were spreading rapidly; if they didn't leave now, everyone would perish in the flames!

Upon receiving the order, the surviving assassins did not linger in battle. They immediately covered each other and retreated rapidly towards the southwest corner of the fortress they had come from. Of the three hundred men who had come, a rough count revealed that nearly a third had perished, and the remaining men were all wounded, but their movements remained swift and their formation intact.

However, just as they were about to break through the fiercest flames, less than a hundred paces from the fortress, and even able to see the chaotic firelight of Ma Chao's cavalry patrolling outside—

A sudden change occurred!

An indescribable, cold, violent aura, filled with boundless rage and terrifying pressure, like an ancient, frigid wind blowing from the far north, suddenly erupted from the depths of the sea of ​​fire, from behind that tallest, still partially collapsed, evil magic building!

The pressure was far stronger than any evil sorcerer or divine army they had encountered before, and it even caused the raging flames around them to pause, and the temperature seemed to drop a few degrees!

"Gu Rubing!!!"

A roar of extreme rage, like the fury of a demon god from the netherworld, shook everyone, causing their blood to boil and their eardrums to ache. Some of the more seriously injured assassins even coughed up blood and staggered to the ground! Accompanying this roar, a terrifying sword aura, as black as ink yet wrapped with chilling dark red evil energy patterns, appeared.

Tearing through the billowing smoke and blazing flames, with incredible speed and power, like a destructive dragon leaping out of the abyss of hell, carrying the will to crush everything, it struck directly at Gu Rubing's vital back!
This attack was swift, ruthless, and vicious! It embodied the attacker's lifelong skill and boundless rage, further amplified by a strange resonance of evil energy generated by the destruction of the evil magic area!

Wherever the sword energy passed, the stone slabs on the ground silently turned into dust, and the remaining ruins along the way were easily cut open and sent flying like paper!
Cao Cao! He actually personally oversaw the operation here! Or rather, the moment the workshop was attacked and flames erupted, he rushed from the vicinity to the core area at top speed!

Seeing his hard work destroyed, this ruthless man finally flew into a rage and took matters into his own hands, determined to kill Gu Rubing, the culprit, with his sword!
Life and death are separated by a mere instant!
Although shocked, Gu Rubing remained calm! The moment he heard that roar, the hairs on his body stood on end, and an unprecedented sense of deadly danger was poured over him like ice water! He had no time to think, let alone dodge this deadly sword strike that had almost locked onto all his vital energy!
The only option is to tough it out!

"Drink--!!!"

Gu Rubing let out a roar like a wounded tiger, and at the critical moment, he suddenly twisted his body!
The pure Yang internal energy within his body, which had never fully recovered due to repeated battles and old injuries, was now forced to its limit by the life-or-death crisis. It surged, roared, and exploded at an unprecedented speed and intensity! All of it was poured into the longsword in his hand without reservation!
"Om-!"

The sword that had accompanied him in battle for many years suddenly emitted a violent hum as if it could not bear the weight, and then burst forth with an unprecedented, dazzling pure golden radiance, as bright as the midday sun!
The sword energy surged forth, stretching over ten feet, protecting his entire body. At the same time, it gathered all his power and fiercely met the terrifying demonic sword that was attacking him!

One is pitch black and malevolent, with raging demonic flames; the other is golden and radiant, exuding righteousness!

Two sword energies, representing completely different paths and containing the full will and power of their respective masters, collided head-on like two meteors on this burning ruin, under the gaze of countless horrified eyes!
"clang--!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It wasn't the clang of metal on metal, but rather a thunderclap from the heavens that exploded directly in everyone's minds and eardrums! It was like a deafening roar at the beginning of creation!
At the core of the impact, the turbulent energy flowed like a runaway prehistoric beast, rampaging wildly! Gu Rubing felt an unimaginable, immense force, mixed with a chilling, bone-chilling, and eerie evil energy that seemed capable of freezing the soul, surging along the sword and instantly shattering his barely maintained internal energy defenses!

"puff--!"

A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he could no longer suppress it. A mouthful of scalding blood gushed out, staining his chest armor crimson! The blood even faintly contained a trace of dark gold—the mark left by his burning of his inner strength to forcefully resist!
Immediately afterwards, an irresistible force acted on him, and he was hit head-on by a battering ram, his feet leaving the ground and flying backward uncontrollably!

“Crack! Crack! Crack!”

The sword in his hand, which had accompanied him in his campaigns across the country, slaying generals and capturing flags, groaned under the terrifying force of this attack from both within and without.

The sword was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and then, with a crisp crack, it shattered into pieces! The fragments, mixed with the lingering pure yang sword energy, shot out in all directions!
"Oh!"

Gu Rubing's back slammed heavily against a section of the charred, still-steaming earthen wall behind him! The solid rammed earth wall was dented by his impact, and dust fell in a flurry.

He felt as if his internal organs had shifted, his vision blurred, and his bones felt like they were about to crack. His right arm, which was holding the sword, was in excruciating pain and he almost lost all feeling in it, leaving it hanging limply.

Amidst the smoke and the still-unsettled turbulent energy, a figure slowly emerged. Cao Cao, wielding a strangely shaped sword with a blade slightly wider than ordinary longswords, its entire body displaying an ominous dark hue and currently shrouded in dense black energy, stepped out from the still-burning flames and ruins.

His dark cloak was slightly torn, and his face was smudged with soot, but his narrow eyes were now blood-red, burning with a fury that could consume everything! The muscles on his face twitched and twisted slightly, revealing the extreme anger and...heartache in his heart!
This "Purification Workshop" is the culmination of his countless efforts and resources in trying to eliminate the dross and retain the essence of that strange power after gathering the remnants of Penglai. It is also an indispensable part of his future ambitions!
Now, under the sudden attack of this sworn enemy, it has been reduced to a sea of ​​fire and ruins, years of hard work gone to waste! This hatred is boundless!

"Gu Rubing!"

Cao Cao's voice was hoarse and cold, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a deep-seated killing intent.

"You have destroyed my sacred ground! Today I will tear you to pieces to atone for the sacrifices of my disciples and their blood and sweat!"

He took a step forward, seemingly slowly, yet his figure left afterimages in the flickering firelight, his speed was unbelievable! The demonic sword in his hand, wrapped in thick black energy, emitted a shrill and ear-piercing shriek.

It was as if countless wronged souls were wailing within the sword. The sword tip sliced ​​through the air, leaving a straight black line that ignored the distance of several feet and pierced straight into Gu Rubing's unprotected heart! This sword strike was more concentrated and more deadly than the previous sword energy from a distance!
With his back against the barrier, Gu Rubing was severely injured, his breathing was disordered, and his right arm was in excruciating pain. He watched as the deadly black sword tip rapidly enlarged in his pupils, the aura of death so clear! He tried his best to raise his left hand to block, but his body felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead!
At this critical moment, when life and death are about to be decided——

"Lord, be careful!"

A sharp shout rang out like a thunderclap! A silver figure, as if breaking through spatial limitations, suddenly appeared before Gu Rubing! It was Zhao Yun!
He had clearly just regained his footing from the aftershocks of the explosion, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were sharp as knives, and the bright silver spear in his hand burst forth with unprecedented light! The spear moved like a dragon, without the slightest frill, and the tip of the spear struck the spine of Cao Cao's demonic sword with perfect precision!
"Ding--!"

A crisp, resounding impact rang out, sparks flying everywhere! Zhao Yun's spear strike, with its perfect timing, angle, and force, deflected the deadly sword strike by an inch!
The black tip of the sword grazed Gu Rubing's left rib.

With a "ripping" sound, the tough leather armor and lining were torn apart as if made of paper, leaving a trail of bright red blood! The excruciating pain made Gu Rubing groan, but it also completely snapped him out of his brief dizziness—a hair's breadth away from death would have meant certain death!

"Ok?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Cao Cao's eyes; he clearly hadn't expected Zhao Yun to intercept his angry attack so precisely.

With a flick of his wrist, the black energy on the demonic sword wriggled like a living thing, transforming from a thrust into a slash. The heavy blade carried the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, yet also contained a sinister and cunning evil force. He swung it diagonally towards Zhao Yun's neck! The speed and unpredictability of the sword strike made it impossible to defend against!
Zhao Yun had just used all his strength to deflect the demonic sword with his spear. His old strength was gone and new strength had not yet been generated. Faced with this fierce counterattack, he could only grit his teeth and parry with his spear!
"clang--!!!"

The spear and sword clashed again, unleashing an even more muffled roar than before! Zhao Yun felt an indescribable force emanating from the spear, a force that contained not only Cao Cao's own formidable internal energy but also a chilling, bone-corroding evil energy that frantically seeped in and eroded him! (End of Chapter)