099 Perfect Integration: Equals Invincibility

Liu Bei thought to himself, "So, Cao Aman, you think you're the only one who can beat a drum, do you? If you can beat one, so can I." He decided then and there to compete with him, to see whose drum would sound the loudest.

Thump.
Thump, thump.
Thump, thump, thump.

Liu Bei was locked in a silent contest of wills with Cao Cao, swinging his arms with all his might to strike the drum. As the drums on both sides thundered, the atmosphere on the battlefield reached a fever pitch. Amidst the chaos, four fierce warriors were locked in a battle so intense it seemed they were enjoying themselves. At first, Su Ming had felt the strain of facing three formidable generals alone, finding himself on the defensive. But warfare is much like a game of chess: play against a clumsy opponent, and your own skills grow sluggish; play against a master, and your craft becomes refined. The same held true for this martial struggle. As Su Ming fought Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Zhao Yun single-handedly, his own martial arts prowess began to improve rapidly.

At the most critical moment, a familiar system chime echoed in Su Ming's mind:
[Yuwen Chengdu soul fusion increased to 99%.]

The fusion of the Yuwen Chengdu soul within Su Ming had risen from 98% to 99%. One should not underestimate this mere one-percent increase, for it was enough to bring a palpable surge in Su Ming's strength. Su Ming swung his Phoenix-Winged Gilded Trident downward with a violent force. Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Guan Yu all surged forward to meet it. Zhang Fei’s Serpent Spear caught the tip of the trident, while Zhao Yun’s Dragon-Gall Bright Silver Spear and Guan Yu’s Green Dragon Crescent Blade braced against the wings on either side.

"Clang!"

With a thunderous crash, the combined strength of the three generals finally managed to hold back Su Ming’s strike. After the blow, the three men exchanged looks, their eyes filled with utter disbelief. How was it that this boy, Su Ming, was becoming more powerful the longer they fought? Usually, a person's stamina wanes and their strength fades as a battle drags on, but Su Ming was different. He grew more spirited with every passing moment. Where they had initially been able to suppress him, they now found themselves forced onto the defensive.

There was no time to ponder this, however, as Su Ming’s trident came sweeping toward them again, more ferocious than before. That 1% difference in fusion had begun to tip the scales of the battlefield. Su Ming was now the one pressing the attack against all three.

"Clang."
"Clang, clang."

The speed of Su Ming’s trident increased incessantly. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun scrambled to defend themselves, feeling the burden weigh heavier with every strike. They were completely overwhelmed, reduced to mere parrying with no room to counter. Su Ming fought with such urgency because he could clearly feel that he was but a hair’s breadth away from 100% fusion. It felt like a thin layer of window paper; one final push would break through to total synergy. Never underestimate that final one percent—the difference between it and the rest was as vast as the heavens and the earth.

After hundreds of rounds of relentless assault, even Su Ming was drenched in sweat. As for the others, they were in far worse shape. Zhang Fei’s thumb-web had split earlier, and blood now seeped continuously, staining the shaft of his Serpent Spear a deep crimson. The handsome Zhao Zilong was disheveled and in a sorry state, his hair loose and wild. Guan Yu’s naturally ruddy face was flushed even deeper, and a large portion of his long beard had been shorn off. The four warriors were all nearing their limits.

Limits! That was exactly what Su Ming had been striving for—by forcing himself to the breaking point, he pushed his potential to the edge.

"Ah!" Su Ming let out a roar as he felt a surge of immense power erupt from his dantian, as if a volcano within him had suddenly exploded. The familiar system chime rang out once more:

[Yuwen Chengdu soul fusion 100%.]

Su Ming raised his Phoenix-Winged Gilded Trident, his body and weapon becoming one, and unleashed a heavy, crushing strike. He needed to vent this erupting power, or he felt as though his body would burst. His target was Guan Yu. Guan Yunchang, a man of unyielding pride, saw the earth-shattering blow coming and thought, "I cannot retreat!" Knowing the strike was of extraordinary power, he gritted his teeth and moved to intercept it. Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun could not allow Guan Yu to face the brunt of it alone, so they rushed in from either side to assist.

"Clang!"

A sound like a thunderclap erupted, and three figures were sent flying. Su Ming, seated upon his Leopard of Thunder, remained as steady as a mountain. Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Guan Yu had all been knocked back, but Guan Yu, having borne the brunt of the impact in the center, was thrown over a dozen yards before slamming into the ground, where he coughed up a spray of blood and lay motionless, his fate unknown.

"Second Brother! Second Brother!" Zhang Fei, mustering his remaining strength, crawled and scrambled toward Guan Yu, pulling him into his arms.

Zhao Yun, having struggled to his feet, looked at Su Ming, who sat unmoved upon his horse, and a terrifying thought took root in his mind: Had Su Ming been toying with them all along? Had he never used his full strength, using them instead as whetstones to hone his skills until he chose to defeat them with a single blow? This thought shattered the pride Zhao Yun had held as a top-tier warrior.

Of course, this was merely Zhao Yun’s own speculation. In reality, Su Ming had not been that strong at the start; it was through the grueling struggle against the three of them that he had continuously refined his fusion until he attained his current power.

"Yide, take Yunchang and go! I will hold him back!" Zhao Yun shouted. He picked up his Dragon-Gall Bright Silver Spear, its tip now slightly bent, and mounted his horse to face Su Ming. He realized now the gulf in strength between them; Su Ming could kill them with little effort. Zhao Yun was prepared to sacrifice himself to buy time for Zhang Fei and Guan Yu to escape.