Chapter 1004: Lu Bu vs. Huang Zhong
Chapter 1004: Lu Bu vs. Huang Zhong
September 25, 2017
Above Dingyang City.
"To deal with a small fry like you, I alone am more than enough!"
With these indifferent yet proud and confident words, Huang Zhong stepped forward.
At this moment, Lu Bu was still immersed in the awe of Huang Zhong's arrow.
Lu Bu himself was well aware that Huang Zhong's arrow had been a stroke of luck. From the start, it hadn't been aimed at him. If it had been, it would have been with murderous intent, and he would have reacted accordingly.
However, Huang Zhong's arrow also conveyed a message to Lu Bu—a refusal to engage. If he had wanted to strike, he could have done so during the arrow rain, and Lu Bu would have been severely injured, if not killed.
After reflecting on the power of that arrow, Lu Bu finally looked up to see who had fired it. By then, Huang Zhong had already descended from the wall and was charging towards him.
When Lu Bu saw the archer, Huang Zhong had already left the city and was rushing towards him.
"It's you!"
Upon seeing Huang Zhong, Lu Bu's eyes narrowed, and his face revealed a look of shock as he recognized him.
This wasn't the first time Lu Bu and Huang Zhong had met. They had previously fought in Luoyang, where Huang Zhong and Dian Wei had fought without exchanging a word, leading Lu Bu to believe they weren't allies. As a result, Lu Bu hadn't expected to encounter Huang Zhong here.
Lu Bu hadn't anticipated this, and neither had the Dong Zhuo army behind him. At this moment, no one from the Lu Hai Kong army dared to challenge Lu Bu.
The Dong Zhuo army, which had always considered the Lu Hai Kong army as its imaginary enemy, was well-informed about its martial generals. They knew that only Dian Wei, currently in Youzhou, could match Lu Bu in battle.
With Dian Wei absent, Zhang Xiu and the others had expected to witness the Lu Hai Kong army's martial generals ganging up on Lu Bu. They never imagined that someone would dare to challenge Lu Bu in a one-on-one fight.
"Who is this guy?" Zhang Xiu asked, looking at Huang Zhong with furrowed brows, sensing that Huang Zhong's strength was no weaker than his own.
Xu Rong, beside him, shook his head. "I'm not sure. He's not in our intelligence reports, so he must have joined the Lu Hai Kong army recently."
"He's a fierce warrior, not much weaker than us, but compared to Lord Fendian, he's still a far cry. Guys, shall we place a bet on how many moves he can last against Lord Fendian?" Zhang Ji teased, looking at Huang Zhong.
"I'll bet on thirty moves!" Li Jue raised his hand.
"I'll bet on fifty!" Niu Fu, beside him, echoed.
It was evident that the Dong Zhuo army was extremely optimistic about the situation. They were in high spirits, making light of the bet, and those who had placed bets watched the distant scene with mocking eyes, anticipating a thrilling battle where Lu Bu would mercilessly defeat his opponent.
However, Lu Bu's side wasn't as optimistic. As soon as Huang Zhong appeared, his face turned solemn.
He was well aware that the opponent before him was a formidable adversary.
"What's the matter? Weren't you going to challenge all of us? I've come down alone, so why aren't you daring to make a move?"
Huang Zhong held the mysterious ancient blade in his hand at a slant, a proud smile on his face.
Lu Bu's brows furrowed, and his expression changed. "Not daring to make a move? Nonsense! Since you're so eager to die, I'll send you on your way!"
Provoking Lu Bu with such words was a surefire strategy. Huang Zhong's words immediately triggered Lu Bu's aggression, and he charged forward without hesitation.
Lu Bu raised the Heavenly Halberd in his hand, and the Azure Rooster beneath him snorted, releasing two puffs of white smoke. With full force, he rushed towards Huang Zhong.
"Look, they're fighting! They've started!"
As Lu Bu made his move, the Dong Zhuo army behind him became energized, especially when they saw that Lu Bu was giving it his all. Zhang Ji, who had taken the bet, couldn't help but smile.
"My apologies, gentlemen. I didn't expect Lord Fendian to be so serious. He's going all out from the start, so it seems you've lost this bet. This middle-aged man won't last thirty moves!"
As he spoke, those who had placed bets looked disheartened, clearly agreeing with Zhang Ji's words.
Zhang Xiu shook his head and smiled. "It seems Lord Fendian is truly enraged. This middle-aged man is in for a tough time..."
However, Zhang Xiu couldn't finish his sentence. He froze, unable to utter the rest of his words, which seemed stuck in his throat.
It wasn't just Zhang Xiu; the martial generals beside him also looked as if they had seen a ghost.
At that moment, Lu Bu and Huang Zhong had truly engaged in battle.
As Lu Bu unleashed his full power, Huang Zhong, with a calm expression, also burst into action.
First, a terrifying aura emanated from Huang Zhong, and then his mythical beast mount surged forward, bringing him face-to-face with Lu Bu in an instant. Huang Zhong brandished the mysterious ancient blade in his hand, drawing a line filled with mystique that collided with Lu Bu's Heavenly Halberd.
The ancient blade and the Heavenly Halberd clashed, and in the next instant, everyone witnessed Lu Bu and Huang Zhong each take a few steps back. A tangible wave of sound surged forth, spreading in all directions.
Just then, Zhang Ji and the others heard a sharp, deafening clash of weapons, followed by a gust of wind estimated to be around level four or five.
A single strike, yet so terrifying!
This exchange between the two sides completely shattered the mocking attitude of the group on Dong Zhuo's side.
At the same time, Lu Bu and Huang Zhong resumed their fierce battle.
Watching the fight between Lu Bu and Huang Zhong, Zhang Xiu and the others were left dumbfounded and sweating profusely.
Damn, would it be over in a few moves? Or would it take a few dozen? Judging by their current situation, even after a few hundred moves, Lu Bu might not gain the upper hand.
"Damn it, isn't Lu Hai Kong's strongest martial general supposed to be Dian Wei? When did such a freak appear in Lu Hai Kong's camp?"
It took quite a while for Zhang Xiu and the others to regain their senses. They stared at each other, each looking as if they had seen a ghost.
It was common knowledge that ever since Lu Bu joined Dong Zhuo's camp, before Dong Zhuo obtained the Demon Blade, Lu Bu had been like a war god.
Especially in recent years, Lu Bu's strength had grown rapidly. In the eyes of the martial generals on Dong Zhuo's side, Lu Bu was now almost the strongest martial general in the world. Even Dian Wei, who had defeated Lu Bu a few years ago, might not be able to win against him now.
They had come prepared to watch Lu Bu dominate the entire battle, but they hadn't expected Huang Zhong to suddenly appear halfway through.
It was clear to anyone with eyes that Lu Bu was now engaged in a fierce battle.
Moreover, Zhang Xiu and Hua Xiong, who had advanced further in martial arts, could even see that Lu Bu was subtly at a disadvantage.
Although Lu Bu and Huang Zhong were both incredibly strong and almost evenly matched, it didn't mean there was no gap between them.
It was evident that in terms of pure martial arts, Huang Zhong was far more experienced than Lu Bu. The reason their battle seemed evenly matched was that Lu Bu currently held other advantages.
For example, Lu Bu's Azure Rooster mount was clearly superior to Huang Zhong's, his armor was better, and he was stronger than Huang Zhong.
These slight advantages, when combined, created the current evenly matched situation.
However, this situation couldn't last long, and it was estimated that Lu Bu would soon be at a disadvantage.
Lu Bu was well aware of this, or rather, he was even more aware of his current predicament.
Therefore, at this moment, Lu Bu was eager to quickly defeat Huang Zhong.
In the midst of the battle, a golden light flashed in Lu Bu's eyes, and he suddenly roared, "Come and die with me!"
As he roared, golden inner strength surged within him, and the Heavenly Halberd in his hand ignited with golden flames. Then, Lu Bu and his mount moved as one, charging towards Huang Zhong.
In the flickering golden light, Lu Bu reached Huang Zhong, and the Heavenly Halberd in his hand slashed towards Huang Zhong with the force of the wind.
It was clear that he was aiming for a decisive blow!
However, he didn't expect Huang Zhong's combat experience to be so rich that he already knew what Lu Bu was planning as he unleashed his full power.
As Lu Bu unleashed his full power and attacked, Huang Zhong pressed forward. With a flourish of his ancient blade, he drew a curve that was almost like a path, effortlessly deflecting Lu Bu's Heavenly Halberd and diverting his force to the side.
At the same time, Huang Zhong swept his ancient blade, taking advantage of Lu Bu's exposed opening and slashing towards Lu Bu's chest.
"Old fool, you've fallen for my trick!"
Before Huang Zhong's blade could land, a cold smile appeared on Lu Bu's face, and the armor on his body shone brightly.
Seeing this, Huang Zhong was still unaware of the anomaly, but he continued to slash with his blade, striking Lu Bu's armor.
"Ding!"
A faint sound rang out, and Lu Bu's face changed, turning slightly pale. It was clear that Huang Zhong's attack was more terrifying than he had anticipated. However, Lu Bu didn't care and swung his Heavenly Halberd towards Huang Zhong.
At that moment, Huang Zhong had just retracted his ancient blade, and his hand was still trembling, clearly sensing something odd about Lu Bu's armor. In his haste to block, he and his mount were swept aside by several meters.
Witnessing this, Zhang Xiu and the others' faces paled, and they immediately grabbed their weapons and charged forward.
"Are you bullying us because we're alone?"
On the city wall, Wang Ti's eyes flashed with a cold light, and two fierce generals immediately leaped down from the wall...
(End of Chapter)
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