122: Summon Lu Bu's Heroic Spirit

Shen Xiaochuan stood at the entrance of the Main Hall, one foot stepping over the threshold, his blade pointed at Higashino Guitian.

He did not speak; his breathing was light. The blood on his work clothes had dried, and the copper gear pendant on his sleeve was somewhat hot.

Higashino Guitian stood up abruptly, his expression changing.

"You dare to come to my Main Hall all by yourself?" His voice was tight. "What kind of thing do you think you are?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground split open into six fissures, and red patterns crawled out from the brick cracks, connecting into a web.

Chains drilled out from underground, lunging toward Shen Xiaochuan like snakes.

Shen Xiaochuan dodged and swung his blade, cutting through three chains.

But there was no blood at the break; instead, red mist emerged. The mist turned into three faces, screaming as they rushed over.

He raised his hand and slashed again, scattering them.

But just as he finished the movement, he felt a chill behind him.

The Yata Mirror Blade was coming.

A silver light slashed down from the side, moving too fast to see clearly.

Shen Xiaochuan barely managed to block it, his arm going numb. His entire body was slammed down onto one knee, his knee crushing a circle of stones.

"Is this an Advanced weapon?" Higashino Guitian sneered, twisting the long blade in his hand and thrusting again. "With just this little bit of skill, you dare to point a blade at me?"

Shen Xiaochuan rolled to dodge, the blade grazing his shoulder. His clothes tore, and a gash was cut into his flesh.

He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up, only to find that his left arm could not move.

The backlash had begun.

His blood vessels felt like they were being pricked by needles, and his bones felt cold.

The zanpakuto was becoming heavier and heavier, and his hand holding the blade began to shake.

"You won't last long." Higashino Guitian approached step by step, the Yata Mirror Blade rotating in his hand. "You want to wait for reinforcements? Don't dream; you won't live for another minute."

He thrust again.

Shen Xiaochuan retreated, his back hitting a pillar.

The chains rose again, this time wrapping around his right leg. With a violent pull, he fell to the ground.

"Bang!"

His head hit the ground, and his vision went black.

Higashino Guitian walked over and looked down at him: "Thousands died at the southern front barracks, the communication tower was blown up, the granary is gone... Do you think you are a hero? In my eyes, you are just a lunatic."

He raised his foot, stepped on Shen Xiaochuan's hand that was holding the blade, and ground it down with force.

"Crack."

His fingers made a sound.

"Ah!" Shen Xiaochuan let out a muffled groan, sweat appearing on his forehead.

"Speak, who sent you?" Higashino Guitian bent down to ask. "Was it Yue Zhengzhong? Or Zhao Wuwei?"

Shen Xiaochuan looked up, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, and smiled: "No one sent me. I came here myself."

"Nonsense!" Higashino Guitian stomped down hard. "A person like you with no background can pass through the Nine-Layer Barrier? Avoid detection? And charge in directly? Do you take me for a fool?"

Shen Xiaochuan did not answer, using his still-movable left hand to touch the Gear Pendant on his sleeve.

The pendant was very hot, like a piece of red-hot iron.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You want to know who I am?" He said in a low voice. "I will tell you now."

Higashino Guitian frowned: "What are you saying?"

Shen Xiaochuan opened his eyes and stared at him intently: "I am nobody's person. I am Shen Xiaochuan. A Mechanical System graduate, my parents are steel mill workers. Three years ago, my instructor said I had 'no combat talent' and kicked me out of the training camp."

He slowly pushed himself up, even though his leg was turning purple from the constriction of the chains.

"You say I'm crazy? Yes, I am crazy. Because I am sick of being looked down upon. Sick of watching Believers die and being unable to save them. Sick of you treating human lives like chess pieces."

He raised his hand and pointed at the other person, his voice turning fierce: "When you deployed troops to kill Tang Long, did you ever think that he was a living person? When you ordered the massacre of the city, did you ever hear those cries?"

Higashino Guitian's eyes flashed: "That is war. The weak deserve to die."

"Good." Shen Xiaochuan smiled. "Today, I will let you see how the weak win."

After saying this, he pressed the pendant against his chest.

"Hum—"

A wave of power spread out.

The chains on the ground stopped, the red patterns flickering on and off.

"What did you do?" Higashino Guitian took a step back.

Shen Xiaochuan did not answer; he closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink in.

He knew there was a door in his Sea of Consciousness that had always been closed. That was the ability of [Divine Sense Resonance], which he had not yet learned. Every time he tried, he would get a headache and even have a nosebleed.

But there was no time left.

"Summon the Chinese Heroic Spirit..." He recited silently in his heart. "Protect my mountains and rivers."

faith points decreased rapidly.

Ten thousand, twenty thousand, fifty thousand...

His body began to tremble, and ancient characters appeared under his skin, lighting up one by one, as if electrified.

"What is he doing?!" Higashino Guitian felt something was wrong, raised his blade, and rushed up. "Don't play tricks!"

The blade light fell.

Shen Xiaochuan did not dodge, letting the blade strike his shoulder. Blood sprayed out, but a golden light flashed from between his eyebrows, and he let out a great roar:

"Come out!!"

"Boom——!!"

A Dragon's roar rang out, and the entire Main Hall shook.

Roof tiles fell, and pillars cracked. A red figure walked out from the air, wearing armor that looked like it was burning, holding a halberd, his eyes like lightning.

Lu Bu!

He landed with one foot, the ground shaking and cracking into spiderweb-like fissures.

Shen Xiaochuan's body was lifted half a foot by this power, his arms spread wide, and he let out a low roar: "Rebel, how dare you be so rampant!!"

The voice did not sound like his own.

Three parts were him, and seven parts were the Aura of Lu Bu.

Higashino Guitian widened his eyes: "This... what is this?! Heroic Spirit Possession? Impossible! This kind of ability has long since disappeared!"

He swung his blade to strike again.

Silver light cut through the air.

But just as it was about to hit, Shen Xiaochuan—or rather, the possessed Lu Bu—did not even turn his head, striking back with his halberd.

"Clang!!"

Sparks flew everywhere.

The Yata Mirror Blade was blocked, and the recoil caused the webbing between Higashino Guitian's thumb and index finger to split, almost making him drop his weapon.

"What?!" He took a few steps back. "How can the combat power be so high?"

A System notification popped up:

[Current Combat Power: 2017]

While he himself only had 1450.

"You... you are not human!" Higashino Guitian's voice trembled. "This is cheating! This is black magic!"

"Black magic?" Shen Xiaochuan slowly turned, dragging the halberd on the ground, creating sparks. "When you use a blade to kill people, that's the Righteous Path, but when I ask a Heroic Spirit for help, it's black magic?"

He walked over step by step, leaving charred footprints on the ground with every step.

"You say the weak deserve to die?" His voice was hoarse. "Today, I will use the identity of the weak to strike you down."

Higashino Guitian gritted his teeth, gripped his blade with both hands, and rushed up: "I don't believe it! Even if you have Heroic Spirit Possession, you won't last long! Once you fall, I can still kill you!"

He slashed down with all his might.

Shen Xiaochuan did not dodge; he charged forward to meet him.

The halberd swept across!

"Boom!!"

The blast wave exploded, shattering all the windows, and a stone pillar snapped and collapsed with a loud crash. Higashino Guitian was struck and flew out like a cannonball, crashing through three walls and finally smashing into a screen, dust and smoke rolling everywhere.

A few seconds later, the screen collapsed.

Higashino Guitian lay on the ground, his chest caved in, blood constantly spitting from his mouth. His fingers twitched as he tried to crawl, but he could not lift his body.

Shen Xiaochuan stood in the middle of the Main Hall, the halberd stuck in the ground, panting. His face was pale, his forehead bleeding, and he was also reaching his limit.

But he had not fallen.

"Didn't you ask me... if I could live for a minute?" He said in a low voice. "Now, it is my turn."

He raised his hand, the tip of the halberd pointing at the person on the ground.

"You say the weak deserve to die." He said word by word. "Now tell me—who is the weak one?"

Higashino Guitian looked up, his face covered in blood, his eyes full of shock and unwillingness.

He opened his mouth to curse, but only coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Shen Xiaochuan did not attack again.

He stood there, the halberd supporting him, his body trembling slightly. He knew the possession was about to end. But he had already won this exchange.

The Main Hall was very quiet.

The remaining guards sat on the ground, not daring to move. Some had dropped their weapons and were curled up in the corner, shivering.

The fighting was still going on outside, but no one here could hurt him anymore.

He looked down at his hands; his fingertips felt cold.

"It's almost over..." He muttered.

The copper gear pendant was still hot, as if reminding him not to fall.

He could not fall.

At least not now.

He looked up at the entrance.

The wind blew in, carrying the smell of gunpowder smoke.

He knew that reinforcements might be arriving soon.

He also knew that there were more battles to be fought later.

But for now, he just wanted to stand.

Even if he would fall in the next second, he had to stand for a while first.

Because that slash just now was not just for winning.

It was to tell everyone—

Do not underestimate the appearance of an ordinary person risking their life.