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

He used the blood-stained spear in his hand to barely support his almost completely exhausted and swaying body. The wound between his ribs was so painful that it was numb, and all the bones in his body felt like they had fallen apart. Every breath was filled with the heavy smell of blood and a burning pain in his lungs.

He watched as Cao Cao's army slowly receded into the distance like the receding tide, yet their ranks remained orderly and their banners stood unfurled. He let out a long, hoarse, and weary breath.

That tone contained relief, lingering fear, but more than anything, a heavy sense of understanding.

He knew this was by no means the final victory. Cao Cao had merely chosen a temporary retreat, like a tiger withdrawing its claws and crouching to lick its wounds. The main force of Cao Cao's army had not suffered fundamental damage; it retreated without chaos, clearly still retaining considerable fighting power.

In today's battle, they merely withstood the fiercest wave of Cao Cao's army's offensive, survived the most dangerous moment, and successfully... defended this position and prevented the army from being defeated.

The fate of Liangzhou is far from decided. The final showdown with Cao Cao will inevitably involve an even more brutal battle.

However, they survived today. The soldiers defended the flag with their own flesh and blood, and waited for a turning point.

This is enough.

Gu Rubing slowly raised his head and looked up at the sky. The setting sun had already dipped below the horizon, dyeing the sky a poignant dark red, like the blood splattered on this battlefield. The blood-red setting sun reflected on the desolate wilderness below, littered with corpses and still shrouded in the smoke of battle, and also on the jubilant yet wounded soldiers.

A feeling mixed with tragedy, desolation, and a sliver of hope surged within him.

But just as Gu Rubing and all the soldiers of Gu's army were immersed in the complex emotions of this hard-won victory and survival—

A figure appeared abruptly and without warning on the buffer zone between the two armies, which had just been cleared and was now littered with corpses and wreckage.

The figure appeared so strangely, as if it had materialized out of thin air, or as if it had always been there, but no one had noticed it.

He stood there quietly, his back to the blood-red setting sun, facing the direction of Gu Rubing's army.

At first, not many people noticed him. The battlefield was too vast, and the cheers of victory were too loud.

Until someone inadvertently caught a glimpse of that solitary figure, so out of place with its surroundings, and let out a surprised exclamation.

"Who is that?"

Immediately, even more people's attention was drawn to it.

The cheers, as if suddenly choked by an invisible hand, quickly diminished and disappeared.

On the high platform in the center, Gu Rubing also turned his gaze in that direction.

When he saw the figure's outline clearly, especially the face that appeared somewhat blurry yet strangely familiar in the blood-red sunset, his pupils suddenly contracted!
His knuckles turned white from gripping the spear too tightly, and his heartstrings, which had just relaxed slightly after repelling Cao Cao's army, instantly tightened to the extreme!
Not only Gu Rubing, but all the core generals and veterans who recognized the man's identity—Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and even some senior strategists and captains—had smiles, excitement, and exhaustion on their faces.

A deathly silence, like an icy tide, instantly engulfed the battlefield that had just been boiling with cheers.

All eyes were fixed on the figure that had suddenly appeared.

Tong Fei.

This name might be unfamiliar to most of the soldiers present, or it might only exist in distant rumors and the occasional solemn whispers of the generals.

But for Gu Rubing, and for Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and other key figures who fought side by side since their humble beginnings and experienced the most tragic and unpredictable years in Qingzhou, this name represented far more than just a missing enemy.

It was a conspiracy that nearly wiped out their entire army, the first ferocious fangs revealed by the Penglai forces, the beginning of a nightmare in which countless comrades died tragically, and a scar in Gu Rubing's heart that has yet to fully heal.

He should be dead.

Everyone thought so. After the massive explosion and chaos that swept through Qingzhou and ultimately destroyed the evil formation, Tong Fei vanished without a trace.

But now, he stood there, amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, under the crimson sunset, between the retreating Cao army and the surviving Gu Rubing army.

What's even more chilling is that, about half a step behind Tong Fei, stands an old man with a thin face and calm, unwavering eyes, dressed in a gray robe—Zuo Ci! This legendary high-ranking figure from Penglai, who also disappeared without a trace after the Battle of Qingzhou, has actually appeared at this moment!

The atmosphere on the battlefield instantly shifted from the euphoria of victory to an eerie and chilling atmosphere, like an ice cave! In the previous fierce battle, although Cao Cao used the improved Divine Marching Army and evil beasts, and even employed evil magic, he still could not find any trace of the core figures of Penglai.

Gu Rubing and his advisors had speculated that perhaps Cao Cao had only acquired the technology and remnants of Penglai, without truly cooperating with the real Penglai leadership, or that Penglai had ulterior motives. However, the joint appearance of Tong Fei and Zuo Ci completely shattered these speculations!

Penglai has never left! They've been lurking in the shadows, waiting for this opportunity? Waiting for Cao Cao and Gu Rubing to be both exhausted and weakened?

Gu Rubing's gaze met Tong Fei's in the distance. In that single glance, Gu Rubing's heart clenched, and an unprecedented chill ran down his spine! It wasn't the gaze of someone looking at an opponent, or even an enemy; it was a kind of…

His gaze was cold and indifferent, as if looking at an inanimate object, a symbol about to be erased. Deep within Tong Fei's eyes surged a kind of inhuman, madness that Gu Rubing had never seen before, yet he strangely maintained absolute calm.

Danger! Extreme danger!

Almost instinctively, the heavily injured and exhausted Gu Rubing subconsciously wanted to back away, and his body swayed slightly.

This subtle movement seemed to have caught Tong Fei's eye, and a faint, yet mocking and cruel, smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Protect the lord!"

Without any orders, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Ma Chao, these four peerless warriors who had just experienced a bloody battle and were equally wounded, moved instantly as if by telepathy!
They rushed to Gu Rubing's side from their respective positions as fast as they could, forming a tight protective circle made of flesh and blood, firmly protecting Gu Rubing in the center!

Zhang Fei and Guan Yu stood guard on the left and right, while Zhao Yun and Ma Chao flanked them. Everyone held their breath, gripped their weapons tightly, and stared intently at Tong Fei and Zuo Ci in the distance.

"Tong Fei!"

Despite his immense physical exhaustion, Zhang Fei, with his hair and beard bristling, still roared with thunderous fury.

"You cowardly rat hiding your head and tail! How dare you show yourself!" Tong Fei ignored Zhang Fei's roar, his gaze remaining fixed on Gu Rubing, who was heavily protected.

That gaze was like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.

Without a word, without a declaration, without even a superfluous movement, Tong Fei simply raised his right hand, holding a strange, jet-black spear that seemed to absorb all light.

The next moment, he threw his arm forward with a sudden thrust!
"call out--!!!"

The jet-black spear flew out of his hand without making a loud whistling sound. Instead, it carried a strange, deep hum that seemed to tear through space, and its speed was beyond the limits of what the naked eye could perceive!

The spear was aimed directly at Gu Rubing, who was being protected in the center by Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others! Wherever the spear passed, the air seemed to be stained with ink, leaving a faint black trail!

"careful!"

Zhang Fei, being the closest and reacting the fastest, roared and, without even thinking, unleashed the remaining strength in his body. His eighteen-foot spear, carrying an unstoppable momentum, slammed fiercely towards the black lightning! Guan Yu also swung his Green Dragon Crescent Blade almost simultaneously, unleashing a burst of blade energy as he slashed at the black spear from the side!
"clang--!!!"

A deafening roar erupted! Zhang Fei's spear slammed solidly into the shaft of the black spear, and Guan Yu's blade energy struck at the same time! The violent energy exploded, and Zhang Fei felt an indescribable force mixed with a chilling and sinister energy emanating from the spear shaft.

His arms trembled violently, his tiger's mouth split open again, and blood gushed out. He was so shaken that he staggered back four or five steps, his chest heaving with blood and qi, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood!
The black spear was also deflected from its original trajectory by the combined force of the attack, flying diagonally and embedding itself deeply in the ground dozens of paces away. The spearhead was still trembling violently, emitting a low groan.

blocked!
But Zhang Fei showed no joy on his face, only horror.

His arms, gripping the spear, trembled slightly uncontrollably. That last strike had almost drained him of his last bit of strength, and his old wounds had been aggravated, causing him excruciating pain.

He knew in his heart that if Guan Yu hadn't taken the brunt of the force at the same time, he probably wouldn't have been able to even deflect the black spear in his current exhausted state!

"Huh...huh..."

Zhang Fei was panting heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Tong Fei watched this scene from afar, the mocking smile on his face becoming even more pronounced.

He shook his head slightly and spoke in a voice that seemed to carry a metallic, cold quality, devoid of any emotion.

"You ants dare to shake the heavens? After repeated battles, you're at your last gasp. How does it feel? Gu Rubing, do you really expect these useless trash to protect you?"

This merciless mockery struck the hearts of every soldier in Gu's army like a whip. Zhang Fei's eyes turned red with anger, and he wanted to retort, but he coughed violently because his breathing was unsteady.

However, Gu Rubing, who was being protected by everyone in the center, slowly raised his head at this moment.

His face was ashen white from blood loss and excruciating pain, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, burning with an indomitable flame.

He gently pushed away the guards who tried to help him, straightened his scarred back, and met Tong Fei's gaze without flinching.

"waste?"

Gu Rubing's voice was hoarse, yet clear, carrying a strange calmness.

"Tong Fei, the 'trash' you speak of just defeated Cao Cao's entire army and held this position. And you, and those Penglai rats hiding in the shadows behind you, what can you do besides come out and pick up the scraps when others are fighting to the death?"

He paused, a cold smile even appearing on his lips.

"Back in Qingzhou, you were like a stray dog, clinging to life by relying on evil formations. Now, it seems you've found a new master, or... have you finally given up and decided to crawl out of the gutter yourself to become the leader of those shady demons and monsters?"

Every word was like a knife, every sentence pierced the heart! It struck at Tong Fei's deepest pain and also unveiled the veil that Penglai had been hiding behind the scenes all along!
Sure enough, the hint of mockery on Tong Fei's face froze instantly, then turned into a icy gloom and fury!
The air around him seemed to distort, and an even more terrifying and sinister pressure than when he threw the spear spread out! Zuo Ci, who was behind him, also slightly moved his usually calm eyes, as if he had glanced at Gu Rubing.

"Sharp-tongued and quick-witted, yet unaware of his impending doom!"

Tong Fei squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, the killing intent in his voice almost tangible.

"Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish!"

Before he finished speaking, Tong Fei made a grabbing motion in the air with his right hand, and the pitch-black spear that was deeply embedded in the ground flew back automatically with a "hum" and landed steadily in his hand.

This time, he gripped the gun with both hands, and the dark red patterns that had been there before, slowly writhing like living things, suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light!

A terrifying aura, ten times stronger than before, rose from his body, as if some slumbering beast had awakened within him! Wherever the spear tip pointed, even the space itself emitted a faint cracking sound as if it could not bear the weight!
"This shot will take your dog's life!"

Tong Fei roared, his arm muscles bulging to their limit, his entire body's strength perfectly merging with that eerie aura, all of it poured into the black spear! Then, he hurled the spear out again!
This shot was completely different from the one before!
The moment the black gun left the hand, it emitted a shrill shriek like the cries of thousands of wronged souls! The gun was completely enveloped in a dense, inky black energy and dazzling blood patterns, transforming into a destructive black meteor. Wherever it passed, it plowed a deep trench in the ground, completely expelling the air and creating a vacuum!

The speed was extreme, the power devastating! The target was still Gu Rubing, who was being tightly protected! This time, it was a true killing blow!

"My lord—!!!"

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes widened instantly, bloodshot! He could clearly see that the power contained in this spear was several times greater than the attack Zhang Fei had just blocked! He absolutely could not let it hit his lord!

"Open it!!"

Despite his own severe injuries and depleted internal energy, Guan Yu unleashed the last and strongest power of his life! He took a step forward, blocking Gu Rubing's path, gripping the Green Dragon Crescent Blade tightly with both hands, his veins bulging all over his body.

An unprecedentedly condensed azure blade aura soared into the sky, the blade humming under its own weight, and slashed down fiercely at the incoming black meteor! He was going to cut through this fatal blow head-on!

The blade and the black spear collided with a thunderous roar less than three zhang in front of Gu Rubing!
“Boom——!!!!!”

A deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing! More violent than any previous collision! A raging energy storm exploded instantly! (End of Chapter)