You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 356 Even if the three of you, the Kings of Life and Death, join forces, what can you do to me, Lü Bu?

Dongyan Pass.

The flag of the Great Zhou was once again planted on the pass wall, and the entire Dongyan Pass returned to the hands of the Great Zhou.

On and off the walls, the Divine Martial Guards were cleaning up the battlefield and collecting the bodies of the fallen soldiers.

Huo Qubing, covered in blood, stood on the pass wall, watching the Yan army disappear into the distant horizon, and let out a long sigh of relief.

After these days of fierce fighting, Huo Qubing finally lived up to the emperor's trust, not only holding back the Yan army but also repelling them and driving them out of the pass.

Although this was closely related to Pei Yuanqing, who was sent by the imperial court to provide support, Huo Qubing and Yuwen Chengdu also played crucial roles in the process.

Of course, Huo Qubing also knew that without Pei Yuanqing, a powerful figure sent by the court in time, it would have been impossible for them to defeat the Yan army.

It was thanks to the support of Pei Yuanqing, a powerful expert at the peak of the Life and Death Realm, that Pei Yuanqing was able to severely injure Yan Yangtian, the commander of the Yan army, with a single blow, causing the Yan army to collapse and be driven out of the pass.

"General Huo, why not order the army to press on and crush the Yan army in one fell swoop, and recapture the Eastern Capital?"

Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing landed beside Huo Qubing.

At this moment, Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing were covered in the strong smell of blood, which was incredibly intense even from a distance.

The bright red bloodstains on Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing, in particular, looked as if they had crawled out of a pool of blood, which was horrifying and unsettling.

Both Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing looked at Huo Qubing with suspicion.

Logically speaking, now that the Yan army has been defeated, it is the best opportunity for them to press their advantage, crush the Yan army in one fell swoop, recover the eastern capital, and completely drive the Yan army out of the territory of the Great Zhou.

However, after Huo Qubing recaptured Dongyan Pass from the Yan army, he made no further moves, which puzzled Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing.

Huo Qubing glanced at Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing and said, "Although the Yan army is in retreat, the retreat is orderly and its fighting strength is still intact."

"To be honest, if General Pei hadn't severely injured Yan Yangtian, the commander of the Yan army, forcing them to retreat, it would have been impossible for us to defeat them in a direct confrontation."

"Compared to the Yan army, we are far inferior in both military strength and the number of skilled warriors."

"The reason we were able to defeat the Yan army and drive them out of the pass this time was due to luck and surprise."

Huo Qubing wouldn't let a small victory cloud his judgment of reality.

Huo Qubing was well aware of the gap between them and the Yan army. Even their most elite Shenwu Guard was far inferior to the Yan army.

In the Yan army, even a mere centurion possessed strength approaching the peak of the mortal realm, while the strength of generals above the rank of colonel was at least at the Celestial Realm, having broken through the barrier between the Celestial and Human Realms.

In contrast, even though Zhou Chen had already ordered the deployment of the most elite Divine Martial Guards in the army, very few of them had broken through the barrier between Heaven and Man and achieved the Heaven and Man realm.

If it weren't for the Shenwu Guard's military formation and excellent teamwork, they probably wouldn't even have been qualified to fight the Yan army.

"Besides, our army has reached its limit."

"Although the army's momentum seems strong, its combat strength has already reached its limit."

"The situation outside the pass is unclear. If we continue to pursue the Yan army, the outcome is hard to predict."

Huo Qubing glanced at the soldiers and horses cleaning up the battlefield around him.

He also wanted to press his advantage, recapture the Eastern Capital in one fell swoop, and completely annihilate the Yan army.

But reality did not allow him to do so, not to mention the situation outside the pass, the fact that the Yan army still had fighting strength, and whether the Yan army had laid an ambush.

Take the Divine Martial Guard and the Eastern Wilderness Army for example. After this great battle, they have suffered heavy casualties. Although the army's morale is still high, its spirit and combat power have reached their limit.

If Huo Qubing continues to pursue the Yan army relentlessly, and if the Yan army is pushed to the brink and forced into a desperate situation, the outcome will be far from optimistic.

Upon hearing Huo Qubing's words, Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing glanced at the state of the soldiers around them, and could only look unwillingly towards the direction beyond the pass.

They were all military commanders, and they knew that Huo Qubing was right.

The Divine Martial Guard and the Eastern Wilderness Army have suffered considerable losses in this great battle, and they certainly cannot continue to pursue the Yan Army relentlessly.

……

The Eastern Capital.

Yan Yangtian opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Pei Yuanqing's hammer blow did not simply injure Yan Yangtian; it severely damaged Yan Yangtian's internal organs.

Otherwise, Yan Yangtian wouldn't have so decisively led his troops to retreat.

To be honest, Yan Yangtian really didn't expect that the Great Zhou, an indigenous dynasty that had just merged into the Great Wilderness, would have a powerhouse like Pei Yuanqing, who was at the peak of the Life and Death Realm.

Yan Yangtian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and immediately said to a general beside him, "Pass on my order that the entire army be on high alert at all times in case the Zhou army launches a surprise attack. Send out scouts to monitor the movements of the Zhou army at Dongyan Pass without stopping."

"Report immediately if Zhou Jun makes any unusual moves."

"At the same time, immediately report the situation here back to Yandu and request His Majesty's assistance."

Yan Yangtian knew that they had all underestimated the Great Zhou, an indigenous dynasty that had just merged with the Great Wilderness.

Given the strength that the Great Zhou has demonstrated so far, their army alone is not enough to deal with the Great Zhou.

Putting aside whether the Great Zhou still has any hidden strength, the strength that the Great Zhou has revealed now is already beyond Yan Yangtian's ability to deal with.

Pei Yuanqing and Yuwen Chengdu are both experts at the Life and Death Realm. Although Yuwen Chengdu has just broken through, his combat power is something that even Yan Yangtian finds troublesome.

As for Pei Yuanqing, needless to say, he severely injured Yan Yangtian with a single blow.

This doesn't even include experts like Zhao Yun and Huo Qubing, who were also capable of fighting opponents of higher ranks.

Therefore, Yan Yangtian had no choice but to immediately seek help from Yandu.

otherwise.

They had no choice but to return empty-handed and immediately retreat to Great Yan.

"Yes, Marshal."

Upon receiving the order, the general immediately left.

After the general left, Yan Yangtian's face turned pale and gloomy.

This time, Yan Yangtian led his army in high spirits, captured the Eastern Capital City, and broke through Dongyan Pass. He originally thought that he could sweep all the way to Luoyang, the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

But who would have thought that they would stop at Donghuang City and ultimately retreat in disappointment.

This was something Yan Yangtian found very difficult to accept.

In particular, of the three Life and Death Realm experts, only Yan Yangtian managed to retreat safely. The other two Life and Death Realm experts were left behind in Dongyan Pass and died at the hands of Yuwen Chengdu and Pei Yuanqing.

This made Yan Yangtian's heart bleed even more.

It should be noted that even in the Great Yan Dynasty, experts at the Life and Death Realm are rare and top-tier combat power.

Now, with two people dead at once, this is a significant loss for the Great Yan.

……

royal palace.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen sat upright on the dragon throne, reviewing memorials.

At this moment, Cao Zhengchun, the head of the Eastern Depot, strode into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Your Majesty, news has just arrived from the Eastern Wilderness that General Huo led his army to defeat the Yan army and recapture Dongyan Pass."

"Yan Army Commander-in-Chief Yan Yangtian was severely injured by Pei Yuanqing's hammer. Two Yan Army experts at the Life and Death Realm were also killed by Pei Yuanqing and Yuwen Chengdu. The Yan Army has been driven out of Dongyan Pass."

As Cao Zhengchun spoke, he quickly handed the message in his hand to Zhou Chen.

"Oh!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen's expression changed. He immediately took the message from Cao Zhengchun's hand and glanced at it.

"it is good."

"very good."

"Unexpectedly, Yuwen Chengdu has already seen through Yin and Yang and entered the realm of life and death. Pei Yuanqing severely injured Yan Yangtian, the commander of the Yan army, with a single blow."

"They also killed two Life and Death Realm experts from the Yan army."

"That's really good. Now my Great Zhou has a little time to catch its breath."

Zhou Chen looked at the message in his hand and said repeatedly.

The sudden attack on Zhou by the two great dynasties of Yan and Yue put considerable pressure on Zhou Chen.

Now that the Yan army has been repelled and driven out of Dongyan Pass, and its commander-in-chief has been severely wounded by Pei Yuanqing, the Yan army should not make any further moves in the short term.

Zhou Chen can then turn his attention to the Vietnamese army in southern Xinjiang.

Once the Vietnamese army is defeated, the current predicament of the Great Zhou will be resolved.

Zhou Chen put down the message in his hand and looked up at Cao Zhengchun. "Cao Zhengchun, send an edict to Yuwen Chengdu, ordering him to immediately go to the southern border to help Zhou Yu deal with the Yue army's strongmen."

Now that the Yan army has been defeated, the crisis in the Eastern Wilderness has been temporarily resolved.

Therefore, Zhou Chen had to send Yuwen Chengdu to support the southern border immediately.

Although Zhou Chen had previously ordered Lu Bu and his men to go to the southern border, and Lu Bu was very strong and had reached the Life and Death Realm, he ultimately failed to reach the Life and Death Realm.

Originally, Zhou Chen planned to send Pei Yuanqing to the Southern Frontier to deal with the Yue army's Life and Death Realm experts after defeating the Yan army.

But now that Yuwen Chengdu has entered the Life and Death Realm, Zhou Chen no longer needs to send Pei Yuanqing to the Southern Frontier; Yuwen Chengdu can go there instead.

As for Pei Yuanqing, it would be safer for him to stay in Donghuang Town to guard it.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Cao Zhengchun immediately bowed and said.

After Cao Zhengchun left, Zhou Chen's expression showed no sign of relief.

The defeat of the Yan army was indeed good news for Zhou Chen.

But Zhou Chen knew in his heart that this was only temporary.

Despite the Yan army being repelled, Pei Yuanqing severely injured Yan Yangtian, the commander of the Yan army, with a single blow.

But the Yan army will certainly not retreat so easily; they will definitely seek help from the Great Yan court.

When the Yan army's reinforcements arrive, the crisis facing the Great Zhou will be even greater than before.

Fortunately, Yuwen Chengdu also saw through Yin and Yang and entered the realm of life and death.

With Pei Yuanqing and Yuwen Chengdu, two kings who could save lives, the Great Zhou was no longer as powerless against dynasties like the Great Yan and Great Yue as before.

……

Southern Xinjiang.

Zhennan City.

The Great Zhou flags on the city walls were riddled with holes, and the walls were covered in blood, with severed limbs and corpses scattered everywhere.

Zhou Yu stood atop the city wall, his body stained with bright red blood, a far cry from his former elegant and refined demeanor.

After two days of fierce fighting, Zhou Yu, with his prior preparations, led 500,000 Zhennan troops and managed to hold back the Yue army's advance.

Although Nanmen Pass was eventually lost and captured by the Vietnamese army, and most of the southern border was occupied by the Vietnamese army, the Vietnamese army paid a heavy price.

As the Grand Commander stationed in the southern frontier, Zhou Yu had done his best.

It wasn't that Zhou Yu lacked ability; it was that the Vietnamese army was too strong. The Zhennan army was far inferior to the Vietnamese army in strength.

Even though Zhou Yu was well-prepared and used all his skills to deploy troops to resist the Yue army, he still couldn't stop them in the end. The Yue army's iron cavalry invaded the southern border, leaving only Zhennan City as the last line of defense.

If Lü Bu and his men hadn't arrived in time, Zhennan City, the last line of defense, would probably have fallen the day before yesterday.

Zhou Yu gazed at the godlike and demonic figure high in the sky outside the city, his face grim.

Zhou Yu had never witnessed the overwhelming power of a single man fighting three heroes and blocking ten thousand troops at Hulao Pass.

But now, outside Zhennan City, Zhou Yu witnessed Lü Bu fighting alone against three kings of life and death.

"Grand Commander, it seems that Zhennan City will not be able to be defended today. Although General Lü is brave and able to withstand the combined attack of the three kings of the Yue army, there is still a general in the Yue army at the peak of the Life and Death Realm who has not yet made a move."

"Once that Vietnamese general, who is at the peak of his life-or-death struggle, makes a move, General Lü will likely be in danger."

Taishi Ci looked at the battle in the sky and said with a solemn expression.

Lu Bu was indeed very strong, but his cultivation level was only at the late stage of the Yang Realm, not even reaching the peak of the Yin-Yang Realm.

Lu Bu's ability to withstand the combined attack of the three legendary warriors of Yue was already at its limit.

Zhou Yu did not turn around, still gazing at the battlefield high in the sky; "Pass down the order, prepare for battle, and launch a full-scale attack once the Vietnamese general makes his move."

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Yu's eyes.

Even if Zhennan City cannot be defended, Zhou Yu will spare no effort to delay the Yue army's advance.

……

high in the air.

Lu Bu brandished his halberd and fought fiercely against three powerful warriors from the Yue army at the Life and Death Realm.

Despite only possessing the strength of the late Yang Realm, Lü Bu's combat power has soared several levels. Even when facing the three Life and Death Realm experts from the Yue army, Lü Bu's aura is no weaker than theirs.

"Hahaha, that's great!"

"You traitorous Vietnamese soldiers, even if the three of you join forces at the Life and Death Realm, what can you do to me, Lü Bu?"

Lu Bu laughed loudly and fought with increasing ferocity.

Lu Bu unleashed his domineering aura, displaying a magnanimous spirit that regarded all the heroes of the world as mere weeds.

"Take my Heavenly Halberd!"

"Extinction Cross".

The moment Lü Bu drew his halberd, the world changed color.

It seemed to be capable of destroying the heavens and the earth, tearing apart layers of space.

"not good."

The three Vietnamese soldiers, all at the Life and Death Realm, paled as a sense of crisis arose in their hearts.

As powerful beings at the Life and Death Realm, they had not experienced such a crisis for a long time.

Unexpectedly, today they felt a sense of crisis from Lu Bu, a person at the Yin-Yang Realm.

The three Yue soldiers, all at the Life and Death Realm, dared not be negligent and went all out to meet Lu Bu's earth-shattering and awe-inspiring halberd strike.

boom……

A deafening roar, like thunder and lightning, exploded in the air and echoed in all directions.

The powerful shockwave shook the earth several times.

(End of this chapter)