Mythical Three Kingdoms

Gan Ning landed heavily and swung the Horizontal River Iron Chain with all his strength. The spearhead that had pierced Ju Shou's back was yanked out, and with a wide sweeping motion, Gan Ning opened a gap in the Battle Formation of Great Halberdiers before quickly retreating.

"My Horizontal River Iron Chain is a flexible weapon, not like a crossbow bolt that can be easily deflected," Gan Ning sneered coldly as he leapt onto his warhorse. "Ju Shou's understanding of martial arts only goes this far. The scariest thing in this world is not ignorance but overconfidence!"

The Spiritual Capacity of a top strategist meant that even unparalleled generals like Guan Yu and Gan Ning could not take them lightly, especially within a ten-step radius. A moment of carelessness could draw them into dire straits.

As for arrows, to be honest, unless it was someone like Fa Zheng actively seeking death, top strategists were almost immune to such flying weapons. This was why Gan Ning didn't use his great sword in this instance, instead opting for the Horizontal River Iron Chain. The task Guo Jia assigned him was to annihilate Ju Shou.

The Horizontal River Iron Chain, over ten meters long, was cumbersome to wield. However, it was also the best way to avoid Ju Shou's desperate counterattacks. After all, if Gan Ning got too close, even he could be dragged into a fatal situation.

For someone like Gan Ning, who had skillfully wielded the Horizontal River Iron Chain countless times on the Yangtze River, making it curve like a whip was no difficult feat. Yet his earlier straightforward attack was merely a ruse to confuse Ju Shou!

He made Ju Shou think he had deflected the weapon, overlooking the fact that the Horizontal River Iron Chain was still controllable. In the instant Ju Shou used his Spiritual Capacity to push the chain to his left, Gan Ning leveraged its momentum to make the chain curve, piercing straight through Ju Shou, who had mistakenly thought he was safe.

The bizarre attack method of the Horizontal River Iron Chain left Ju Shou's personal soldiers stunned. None of them had the time to respond before Ju Shou's life ended.

At the moment Ju Shou fell, the soldiers of Yuan Shao's army, who had been focused and powerful, suddenly experienced a sharp decline in strength. Their performance, previously pushed to personal limits, instantly dropped to that of ordinary men.

"Ju Shou is dead." Seeing the glow that had enveloped Yuan Shao's army fade away, blood trickled from the corner of Guo Jia's mouth. He turned to Jia Xu and said, "The rest is up to you. I've fulfilled my mission."

With those words, Guo Jia collapsed weakly onto the war chariot in the Central Army. Facing a fifty-fifty gamble, Guo Jia had decisively eliminated Yuan Shao's greatest advantage. The 150,000-strong Yuan Shao army, whose every soldier had previously possessed skills comparable to ordinary elite troops, suddenly lost that edge. The disappearance of Ju Shou's Spiritual Talent plunged Yuan Shao's forces into an abyss.

"Leave the rest to me. You should rest. We will surely win." Jia Xu's tone was eerily calm. "I doubt Yuan Shao ever guessed why his Elite Soldiers of Hebei could go toe-to-toe with our Warriors of Mount Tai!"

"What a terrifying Spiritual Talent, but it ends here!" Lub Su watched the fading radiance with immense relief. The moment before, the critical strength of Yuan Shao's forces had been decisively interrupted by Liu Bei's army.

"Order the Central Army to charge—charge to the death! Ignore what's behind, ignore what's ahead; break through all obstructions!" As the last glimmer of light faded, Jia Xu issued his final command. His ability to control the battlefield ended here; the remaining dispatches were left to Lub Su.

When Ju Shou fell, the morale earlier surging from Yuan Shao's vanguard attacks crashed like a floodgate opened. This was not because the soldiers consciously knew Ju Shou had died but because his death had triggered a chain reaction. The Spiritual Talent amplifying Yuan Shao's army disappeared, causing the entire army's strength to plunge by one-tenth!

"How could this be?" Before Yuan Shao could erupt into fury, Sheni Pei's eyes reddened with blood as he stared at Ju Shou's lifeless body, anger turning into insanity. Although he deeply resented Ju Shou's stubbornness and unapproachable demeanor, Yuan Shao's mediation gradually led Sheni Pei to accept Ju Shou as an indispensable comrade. But now, Ju Shou had fallen.

"Zheng Nan, retreat immediately!" After enduring two consecutive heavy blows, Yuan Shao sobered up and, firmly gripping Sheni Pei's arm, began pulling him back. Yuan Shao had noticed that the once sturdy Great Halberdier defensive line was now teetering dangerously after Ju Shou's collapse.

"No, I'll kill him!" Sheni Pei snarled in rage. "We still have tens of thousands of soldiers! We can devour Liu Bei's army!"

"Slap!" Yuan Shao delivered a heavy slap to Sheni Pei's face, snapping him out of his frenzy. In a voice filled with both fury and relentless resolve, Yuan Shao roared, "Sheni Pei, have you forgotten Gong Yu's plans? What was it all for? What are we fighting for? Only by completing Gong Yu's strategy can we dominate the ages and truly avenge them!"

In that moment, the wrath-clouded Yuan Shao exuded the same majesty as when he had once raised his blade to oppose Dong Zhuo. That fearless, commanding aura brought Sheni Pei back to his senses.

Sheni Pei wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glared with hatred in the direction of Liu Bei's army. His formerly refined demeanor hardened into icy resolve. In the face of adversity, Sheni Pei immediately grasped the unplayed cards Ju Shou had left behind.

"My lord, order the left and right private troops to intercept Liu Bei's army in waves. Even if they breach this line, ensure they fall into layers of ambush!" Sheni Pei spoke icily, his aura sharp as a blade.

"Very well. Order Wen Chou and Lyu Kuang to intercept Liu Bei's army in waves!" Yuan Shao commanded steadily. As he issued orders, he also retreated, compressing the Great Halberdier defensive line to protect his central position.

The moment Yuan Shao's Central Army began withdrawing and the Command Banner moved back, the morale of Yuan Shao's forces plummeted. In contrast, the attack intensity of Liu Bei's army surged dramatically.

Taking advantage of the shifting tides, Guan Yu charged at the forefront, decisively breaking through Yuan Shao's Central Army Guard. Liu Bei's army surged forward in relentless pursuit of Yuan Shao, understanding that only Yuan Shao's demise could determine the battle's conclusion.

"My lord, dispatch 10,000 soldiers from the Rear Army to flank Liu Bei's rear. Our first two units are unlikely to achieve their objectives," Sheni Pei suggested coldly as he battled and retreated simultaneously.

"Dispatch Zhao Rui to lead 15,000 troops and penetrate Liu Bei's rear lines," Yuan Shao ordered decisively. With only Sheni Pei among his strategists now, Yuan Shao placed his trust in him!

"Withdraw from the Rear Army to reinforce the Vanguard. Break through Yuan Shao's Central Army at all costs—smash the front line to pieces!" Lub Su stood, issuing orders to the nearby messengers as Yuan Shao's Command Banner moved back. Lub Su knew the battle had reached its critical juncture.

Jia Xu glanced at Lub Su. He had not expected the normally refined Lub Su to make such a daring decision. It seemed that Lub Su, too, harbored a bold and adventurous spirit! (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)