vstars Chapter 1176 Lü Bu Suffers from Age Advantage
Chapter 1176 Lü Bu Suffers from Age Advantage
Outside the tent, the firelight blazed, clearly illuminating the few white hairs at Lü Bu's temples. He was forty-four years old this year. Although he was still recognized as a top-tier warrior, his fierceness and courage were no less than in his prime, but after forty, he had lost some of the sharpness of his peak. Now, after a hundred rounds of fierce fighting on horseback, his palms were already sweating, and his breathing was gradually becoming heavy. The trajectory of his halberd had unconsciously become somewhat sluggish.
Ma Chao is only twenty-four years old this year, which is the golden age of a military general's peak. Back then, he was just a teenager, and when he first met Lü Bu, who was over thirty, he was able to hold his own with his spear. Now, almost ten years later, his spear skills have become superb, and every move he makes exudes the aura of a peak warrior. The silver spear in his hands is as light as a feather, yet it can unleash the power to shatter rocks.
Adding to this hundred-move standoff, Lü Bu's halberd was heavy and fierce, each strike carrying ruthless force, while Ma Chao always managed to use the agility of his Aurora Horse to maneuver and dodge, his spear tip either lightly touching or diagonally thrusting, dissolving the mountain-splitting force like spring rain nourishing the fields. Lü Bu's ferocity was like a raging torrent crashing against the shore, while Ma Chao's skillful strength was like a gentle stream piercing through stone. Between each attack and parry, Lü Bu's strength was rapidly depleted, beads of sweat sliding down his forehead and onto his armor, making a soft, rustling sound.
Hearing the mockery in Ma Chao's laughter was like a needle piercing Lü Bu's heart. When in his life had he ever been subjected to such ridicule?
"You little brat, you're asking for death!"
Lu Bu roared, his hand gripping the halberd, veins bulging, knuckles turning white from the force. Rage instantly coursed through his body; he abruptly bent down, channeling all his strength into his arms, the halberd drawing an arc in the air with a sharp whistling sound, aiming straight for Ma Chao's face.
Red Hare seemed to sense its master's rage, rearing up and leaving afterimages in the firelight with its forelegs.
A sharp glint flashed in Ma Chao's eyes, but he showed no panic. He lightly twisted his wrist, and the tiger-headed golden spear spun in his palm. The spear tip suddenly dipped, avoiding the halberd's edge, instead sliding upwards along the shaft. The spear's butt rose in the same motion, like a serpent raising its head, aiming directly at Lü Bu's wrist holding the halberd. This strike avoided the opponent's strength and hit the opening precisely when Lü Bu's old strength had just been exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen.
"Ding!"
The clang of spears clashing was deafening, sparks flying everywhere. Lü Bu felt a surge of force flowing through the shaft of his halberd, his wrist went numb, and the trajectory of his halberd involuntarily deviated by half an inch. In that half-inch gap, Ma Chao spurred his horse to the side, his silver armor grazing the halberd blade, leaving a trail of sparks.
"Lord Wen, anger leads to chaos," Ma Chao's voice came from the side.
Lu Bu roared like thunder, his halberd drawing a ferocious arc in the firelight, the sharp whistling of its tip cleaving through the air painfully loud: "Boy! All you do is hide and dodge, do you dare to challenge me with your strength?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Chao's expression suddenly turned serious. The playfulness in his eyes vanished completely, replaced by a calm as still as a deep pool. He slowly raised his hand, the tiger-headed golden spear twirling half a circle in his palm, its tip pointing steadily at the ground, the shaft trembling slightly from the tension. This spear was forged from celestial cloud iron, its entire body gleaming with a dull black light. Its weight far exceeded that of ordinary spears; it was both indestructible and as heavy as a mountain, making it fearless in head-on combat. His previous maneuvering was merely an attempt to exhaust Lü Bu's stamina by taking advantage of his fury. Now, seeing his opponent breathing heavily and veins bulging on his forehead, clearly nearing his limit, he no longer held back.
"Okay." The word came out from between Ma Chao's teeth with a crisp sound like metal striking stone.
Before he finished speaking, he spurred his horse forward. The Aurora Horse seemed to understand its master's intention, its four hooves leaping, actually charging head-on at Red Hare. In the instant the two steeds passed each other, Ma Chao flicked his wrist, and his Tiger-Head Golden Spear, like a dragon emerging from the sea, its tip carrying immense force, pierced straight for Lü Bu's heart. This thrust contained no finesse, only the raw power of a head-on collision; the wind from the spear swept across, even suppressing the surrounding flames by half a foot.
Seeing that he had finally accepted the challenge, Lü Bu's eyes flashed with ferocity. He swung his halberd horizontally, and the shaft of the halberd slammed heavily into the spear.
"clang--"
The deafening clang of metal against metal made the surrounding soldiers' ears ring and their eyes dazzle, and sparks flew like a sudden rain. Ma Chao felt a tremendous force surge up the shaft of his spear, his arm went numb, and his tiger's mouth throbbed with pain—this was the brute force of Lü Bu at his peak, and even though his strength had diminished, his remaining power was still enough to shatter rocks and split monuments.
But he steadied himself. The muscles beneath his silver armor bulged, transferring the force to his horse's back. Though the horse reared up from the impact, it landed steadily on the ground. Ma Chao used the momentum to twist his waist, his spear tip sinking to avoid the halberd's edge, instead sweeping across Lü Bu's side. This thrust was as fast as lightning, the force of the spear shaft causing Lü Bu's armor to rustle loudly.
Lu Bu parried with his halberd, and another deafening collision resounded. This time, he clearly felt the numbness and tingling in his arm even more intensely, and the halberd almost flew out of his hand. Gritting his teeth, he channeled all his remaining strength into his arms, wielding the halberd like a windmill, each strike aimed precisely at Ma Chao's vital points. Sometimes a vertical slash was like thunder splitting a mountain, sometimes a horizontal slash was like a whirlwind sweeping away leaves; each strike aimed to crush his opponent with brute force.
Ma Chao, however, was not at a disadvantage. His spear technique appeared fierce and powerful, but it actually contained hidden resilience. At the moment the spear tip collided with the halberd blade, he could always use the elasticity of the spear to deflect some of the force, returning the rest to the enemy. The two men swung and circled on horseback, spears and halberds clashing, each collision like two mountains crashing together, shaking the pebbles on the ground.
Red Hare gradually slowed down, its breathing heavy, white foam dripping from the corners of its mouth; Aurora, though also breathing rapidly, remained steady on its hooves. Sweat rolled down Lü Bu's forehead, stinging his eyes and making them hard to open. His hand gripping the halberd was already soaked with sweat, his strength draining away like a receding tide. Yet, looking at Ma Chao's still upright figure and listening to his steady breathing, a surge of unwilling anger rose from the depths of his heart, forcing him to unleash even more ferocious attacks.
Lu Bu let out a roar like a trapped beast, gripping his halberd tightly, his veins bulging like earthworms. Using the momentum of Red Hare's charge, he poured all his strength into this strike—the halberd, with a sharp whistling sound, crashed down on Ma Chao like Mount Tai, the cold light on the blade almost suppressing the flames.
"Well done!" Ma Chao's eyes flashed with a sharp light, leaving no room for retreat. His arm muscles bulged, and his tiger-headed golden spear was swung like a windmill, the shaft carrying a whistling wind, colliding head-on with the halberd!
"clang--!"
Amidst the deafening clang of metal, Lü Bu felt an immense force explode through his arm, his bones throbbing with pain. The halberd trembled violently in his palm, almost slipping from his grasp. He gritted his teeth and pulled the halberd back with all his might, his hand splitting open instantly, blood streaming down the shaft, yet he held on tightly—this weapon that had been with him for half his life, he absolutely could not let it slip from his hands now.
"Is that all the strength you've got?" Ma Chao's voice, carried by the wind of his spear, slammed down with undisguised sharpness. "Where's the might of Marquis Wen back in the day? Push harder!"
Before he finished speaking, he flicked his spear tip, using the momentum to twist his wrist, and the spear shaft coiled around the halberd like a serpent, pulling it sharply backward. Lü Bu was already exhausted, and this pull immediately caused him to lose his balance, his body involuntarily leaning forward. However, he twisted his left wrist sharply, turning the halberd half a circle in his palm, and used this pulling force to stabilize his body. The tip of the halberd grazed Ma Chao's spear shaft and slashed upward, forcing Ma Chao to parry with his own spear.
Red Hare reared up, and using the momentum, he swept his halberd out with a resolute and ruthless force. This strike no longer sought power, but was exceptionally cunning, aiming directly at Ma Chao's lower body.
Ma Chao's eyes sharpened. He lightly touched the stirrup with his toes, leaping into the air to dodge the attack. At the same time, his spear tip fell like a meteor, aiming straight for Lü Bu's shoulder. Lü Bu sidestepped, his halberd clashing with him again with a clang. Both men were forced back half a step by the impact.
Lu Bu's hand, gripping the halberd, trembled uncontrollably. Blood soaked through the anti-slip grooves of the shaft, yet it felt as if it were welded to his palm. He knew he was no longer at his peak, but this halberd held half a lifetime of glory within him, and even if he were to die in battle, he could never let it leave his hand.
"Again!" he roared, raising his halberd once more. This time, his move carried a touch of tragic desperation.
The sounds of fighting mingled with the crackling of flames. Cao Xing, hidden in the shadows, suddenly taut his bowstring, and a cold arrow, whistling through the air, hurtled straight for Ma Chao's back. He had calculated the opening when both sides were pushed back; the angle of this arrow was so precise that even the air seemed to whistle as it cut through it.
Unexpectedly, Ma Chao's Aurora Horse seemed to possess a spirit, suddenly rearing up, its forelegs tracing a half-arc in the air. Ma Chao used the momentum to twist his body, and the arrow grazed past his armor, embedding itself in the tent pole behind him, its fletching still buzzing. "Despicable!" he roared, sweeping his tiger-headed golden spear horizontally, the wind from the spear whipping up sparks, heading straight for Cao Xing, who had already retreated into the shadows.
However, after so long of fighting between Ma Chao and Lü Bu, the situation had quietly changed. Chen Gong, leading his personal guards, weaved through the flames, directing his soldiers to extinguish the fires with sand, and the previously scattered formation was gradually being regrouped. The Xiliang cavalry, which had charged into the camp with unstoppable momentum, were now hindered by the narrow tents. Their hooves trampled over the burning blankets, only kicking up more sparks and making the path ahead even more chaotic.
"My lord! The eastern wall of fire is almost closing in!" Zhang Liao spurred his horse to Ma Chao's side, his armor stained with soot. "If we don't leave now, we'll be trapped!" Zhang Xiu also reined in his horse and approached, his spear tip still dripping blood. "The enemy has stabilized their position. Our cavalry can't maneuver here. Let's retreat!"
Ma Chao glanced at Lü Bu, "Lü Fengxian!" he shouted, his golden spear drawing a silver arc in the twilight, "I've had my fill today, but another day I'll settle things with you fair and square!"
Having said that, he turned his horse around, and the Aurora Horse trampled over the burning tent ruins, its hooves kicking up sparks that left a long tail behind it. The Xiliang cavalry followed in retreat like a tide, the sound of their hooves shaking the ground, and the swirling dust mixed with sparks shooting into the night sky.
Cao Xing sidled up to Lü Bu: "My lord, shall we pursue them...?" Lü Bu mounted his horse, and Red Hare leaped forward as if guided by a spirit. "Bingzhou Wolf Riders, follow me!"
Five thousand wolf riders stormed the burning camp gates, their iron armor gleaming coldly in the firelight. Lü Bu lay prone on his horse, the wind rushing into his armor, sending sparks flying across his cheeks. He stared intently at the silver figure ahead.
Chen Gong watched as Lü Bu led his Bingzhou wolf cavalry out of the camp, his brows furrowed, his sleeves fluttering wildly with urgency. He turned to the soldiers beside him and shouted sternly, "What are you all standing there for? Our lord is hot-tempered and is currently in a hurry to catch up. The Xiliang army is cunning; there might be an ambush! Hao Meng!"
"Your subordinate is here!" Hao Meng responded and stepped forward, one hand on his sword and the other gripping the reins, his eyes filled with anxiety.
"Quickly lead five hundred light cavalry to catch up with our lord and persuade him to return to camp!" Chen Gong's voice was tense with anxiety. "Tell our lord that we should not pursue a desperate enemy, beware of a trap! If he does not listen, then follow him closely and never let our lord venture into danger alone!"
"Yes!" Hao Meng mounted his horse, its hooves slamming into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. He turned and waved, and five hundred light cavalrymen quickly assembled, their hooves thundering like a sudden downpour, galloping off in the direction Lü Bu had gone.
Chen Gong stood at the camp gate, watching the two plumes of dust gradually merge across the open field, his heart still pounding in his chest. He murmured to himself, "My lord, my lord, when will you ever change your competitive nature..." Then, he urgently ordered his personal guards, "Quickly put out the fire and take stock of the losses!"