Chapter 17: Zhang Fei is Defeated, Lord Guan Enters the Fray

At this moment, Xue Rengui felt a surge of impatience in his heart.

After all, before coming here, his lord had explicitly instructed him to cross swords with both Guan and Zhang individually, probing their strengths as much as possible.

Regarding this task, Xue Rengui had been brimming with confidence. After all, within the entire Bingzhou army, apart from Xingtian who could suppress him by a sliver, he himself was the strongest.

Although that pair, Guan and Zhang, had indeed enjoyed a formidable reputation since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, causing Xue Rengui to hold them in some regard, he never believed he was incapable of defeating them.

Yet, the fact remained that although he had not yet unleashed his full power, he had failed to subdue Zhang Fei after all this time.

Xue Rengui now decided to unleash his full strength and end the battle swiftly.

Otherwise, even if he managed to defeat Zhang Fei in the end, his excessive physical exhaustion would likely leave him with no strength left to duel Guan Yu.

And if his stamina was depleted to a certain extent, even if he forced himself to fight, how much of Guan Yu's true strength could he possibly probe? After all, his lord had told him that Guan Yu was very likely even stronger than Zhang Fei.

With this thought in mind, the large halberd in Xue Rengui's hands danced wildly, launching a flurry of attacks against Zhang Fei in the blink of an eye.

"Ding! Xue Rengui's White Tiger skill, second effect, activates successively. Might +3, +3, +3. Xue Rengui's current Might rises to 120."

Driven by his eagerness to win, Xue Rengui triggered the second effect of his White Tiger skill three times in a row. Thus, all three effects of the White Tiger skill were now fully unleashed.

The hundred-pound painted halberd felt as light as a feather in Xue Rengui's hands as he ruthlessly slashed it toward Zhang Fei's position.

Unlike before, when he balanced technique and raw power, Xue Rengui now gripped his war halberd tightly with both hands, raining heavy, crushing blows down upon Zhang Fei.

An uninformed observer witnessing this scene would never guess that Xue Rengui was wielding a halberd; instead, they would mistake it for a club, staff, or some other blunt weapon.

Zhang Fei, after all, was still young at this time and had not yet reached his absolute peak. Under Xue Rengui's overwhelming assault, he began to show signs of failing to hold his ground.

Sweat poured from Zhang Fei like rain upon the drill grounds. If anyone were to inspect him closely from up close, they would notice his arms trembling imperceptibly.

"Ding! Zhang Fei's Berserker skill, second effect, activates for the first time. Might +3. Zhang Fei's current Might rises to 115."

"Ding! Xue Rengui's Valorous skill activates. Might +5. His current Might rises to 125."

Although the pressure of Xue Rengui's ferocious onslaught forced Zhang Fei to trigger his skill once more, regretfully, Xue Rengui's skill exploded in response.

Having already unleashed all available skills, Xue Rengui was simply beyond the reach of Zhang Fei at his current stage.

As the gap in their might widened once again, Zhang Fei, struggling desperately to parry, finally lost his footing. Xue Rengui caught a flaw, neither too big nor too small.

With a mighty sweep of his halberd, Xue Rengui instantly batted away the Serpent Spear from the exhausted Zhang Fei's hands.

Zhang Fei, having lost his weapon, was no fool. Since this was merely a spar on the drill grounds, there was no need for him to be reckless. He immediately chose to dismount and concede defeat.

Standing off to the side, Guan Yu kept his gaze fixed intently on Xue Rengui. Seeing his third brother, Zhang Fei, defeated, he felt a jolt of astonishment despite having anticipated this outcome.

The strength Xue Rengui displayed at the end was terrifyingly formidable; even he himself might fall slightly short.

However, far from being cowed, Guan Yu felt his fighting spirit burn even brighter.

Clearly, Guan Yu also possessed hidden trump cards and believed he had a solid chance of defeating Xue Rengui.

Similar to Guan Yu yet different in intent, Liu Bei also stared fixedly at Xue Rengui.

While Guan Yu's gaze burned with martial intent, Liu Bei's eyes were filled with a scorching heat. His furtive eyes locked onto Xue Rengui, refusing to look away for even a second, as if he had laid his eyes upon a peerless treasure.

At the same time, a subtle trace of jealousy toward Li Xiang sprouted in Liu Bei's heart. Heaven had actually bestowed such a magnificent general upon him.

Li Xiang, standing nearby, naturally noticed Liu Bei's clandestine strangeness. Yet he merely glanced at him sideways and paid it no further mind.

A quiet chuckle escaped Li Xiang's heart. He was no Gongsun Zan; Liu Bei might have had the ability to poach Zhao Zilong from Gongsun Zan, but Li Xiang would never give him the chance to poach his own Xue Rengui.

Xue Rengui was currently the only commander in his possession with a command rating exceeding one hundred. Even Meng Tian, who remained in his father's hands, only had a command rating that exactly hit one hundred.

Naturally, Li Xiang could not afford to be nonchalant about a general whose command was divine and whose martial might reached peerless peaks.

Over the past few years, Li Xiang had showered Xue Rengui with endless warmth and care, visiting him unprompted during every festival and holiday, and always reserving a share of any fine treasure he obtained for Xue Rengui.

Though he could not view the loyalty stat, Li Xiang dared to wager that even if Xue Rengui's loyalty had not reached the absolute maximum of one hundred, it was undoubtedly infinitely close to it.

Today, Xue Rengui was absolutely, like Xingtian, forged into his die-hard loyal subordinate. No matter how silver-tongued Liu Bei might be, he would never be able to pry away this cornerstone of his.

"Cough, cough, cough."

At this moment, Gongsun Zan on the other side also noticed Liu Bei's anomaly and covertly nudged Liu Xuande, signaling him to restrain himself.

"General Li, it was Bei who lacked decorum. The truth is, General Xue's divine valor has left me deeply awestruck." Realizing his own impropriety, Liu Bei immediately spoke with an apologetic expression.

Though he felt repulsed by Liu Bei's hypocritical facade, Li Xiang maintained a courteous demeanor. "Lord Xuande is overly modest. Your sworn brother, Zhang Yide, is also braver than the three armies and yields to no one."

While Li Xiang and Liu Bei exchanged polite pleasantries, Xue Rengui and Guan Yu had already sought each other out.

"General Guan, I have long heard of your renowned reputation. Having the fortune to meet you today, I wonder if you would be willing to grant me your guidance in a match?" Xue Rengui initiated the conversation.

"It is precisely what I desire; how could I dare decline? It's just that General Xue has only just been through an arduous battle. Why not rest for a while before we engage in our bout?" Guan Yu sighed, despite the blazing combat intent in his eyes.

Though Guan Yu longed to spar with Xue Rengui immediately, he was, after all, a proud man.

Guan Yu refused to take the slightest advantage of Xue Rengui; winning under such conditions would only feel like an unearned victory to him. To Guan Yu, such a triumph was worse than defeat.

"General Guan worries too much. At this moment, Xuli is burning with fighting spirit; what need is there for rest?" Xue Rengui replied with a hearty laugh.

Hearing these words, Guan Yu's fighting spirit instantly erupted. He mounted his horse and grasped his blade, his intentions unmistakably clear.

The only catch was that Guan Yu was riding Zhang Fei's warhorse, seeing as his own steed was merely an ordinary beast. Furthermore, the techniques he practiced all relied on immense, crushing momentum.

Normally it might have mattered little, but today, facing a powerhouse like Xue Rengui, how could Guan Yu dare not give his all? Thus, before entering the arena, he specifically borrowed a warhorse from Zhang Fei.

On the drill grounds, much like before, the two men stood facing one another once more.