C10 Great Victory!

Lyu Bu's imposing presence sealed off the tent housing Lu Su and Zhou Yu, sending shivers down their spines.

"Gongjin, you've witnessed Lyu Bu's power. Surrender is our only option now," Lu Su astutely remarked.

Zhou Yu nodded in resignation, overwhelmed by Lyu Bu's formidable personal combat skills. He wasn't ready to meet such a grim end.

"Greetings, my lord," Zhou Yu and Lu Su said together.

"Haha! Excellent. With talents like you by my side, I suspect the time it will take to unify the world will be much shorter," Lyu Bu commented nonchalantly.

Exchanging glances, Zhou Yu and Lu Su were at a loss for words. They could discern from Lyu Bu's tone that for him, world unification was merely a question of when, not if.

Lyu Bu then sought out Lu Meng, Lu Xun, and other leading figures from Jiangdong. Without any fuss, he silently eliminated them and returned to his camp with Zhou Yu and Lu Su in tow.

"Chen Gong, allow me to introduce you to Lu Su and Zhou Yu, who have decided to join our cause," Lyu Bu announced. "Lu Su will serve as the advisor, and Zhou Yu will command the Huang Army."

"Thank you, my lord," Zhou Yu and Lu Su said in unison, bowing. They hadn't anticipated being entrusted with such significant responsibilities upon their arrival.

Lyu Bu dismissed the formality with a wave of his hand, "The task of conquering East Wu is now yours to undertake."

"We will not disappoint you," the assembly responded in chorus.

The defection of Lu Su, Zhou Yu, and others sent shockwaves through Dongwu, destabilizing the populace. Sun Quan was incensed, yet his formidable leadership temporarily steadied the ship.

For Lyu Bu, the remaining challenges were of little concern. With such an overwhelming advantage, he believed the conquest of East Wu would be swift.

Meanwhile, Yuwen Tian secluded himself for cultivation.

Four years on, under Zhou Yu's leadership and with Lu Su, Chen Gong, and others as strategists, Lyu Bu's forces triumphantly breached East Wu and seized its stronghold, Jingkou. Sun Quan took his own life.

All unfolded as Lyu Bu had anticipated. He, too, had diligently advanced his cultivation to the second tier of the Violet Palace Realm.

"Alright, with East Wu now subdued, our next objective is to address the issue of Liu Bei," Lyu Bu declared from his seat of honor to those assembled. "We have a five-year deadline to break Liu Bei's defenses."

"My lord, Liu Bei has fortified Yizhou, and with Zhuge Liang's assistance, it will be challenging to conquer him within five years. We must first eliminate the significant problem that is Zhuge Liang," Lu Su advised, turning his gaze to Lyu Bu.

"Rest assured, I will personally handle Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and the rest. After a year of preparations, we will march on Yizhou," Lyu Bu commanded.

The entire gathering complied without question.

In the north, Cao Cao became increasingly agitated upon learning that Lyu Bu had seized Jiangdong.

"Advisor, Lyu Bu has become a formidable adversary, yet we seem powerless against him," Cao Cao said, his frown deepening, his hair showing signs of graying.

"Master, we are at an impasse. To utterly vanquish Lyu Bu's forces, we must find someone who can match him. Otherwise, all efforts are futile," Guo Jia expressed, equally at a loss.

"Remember, the mighty Xiangyu, with his heavenly strength, was ultimately outwitted by Han Xin with the ten-sided ambush. Lyu Bu is not invincible," Cao Cao suddenly remarked, his eyes brightening with the thought.

Meanwhile, in Sichuan, Liu Bei was unsettled by the news of Lyu Bu's impending attack.

"Advisor, do we have a strategy to counter Lyu Bu?" Liu Bei inquired, his concern evident.

"I have been diligently analyzing Lyu Bu and have discovered that his most formidable asset is his divine martial prowess. By employing the Eight Trigrams Formation, we can harness the forces of nature to obliterate Lyu Bu," Zhuge Liang confidently asserted.

"Your words bring me comfort. Lyu Bu's arrogance will be his downfall. Once we draw him into the Eight Trigrams Formation, his fate is sealed," Liu Bei said, breathing a sigh of relief.

One year later, Lyu Bu's forces reached the lands of Sichuan.

"Let's stick to the usual plan. I'll pay a visit to Liu Bei's camp first and deal with Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and the others," Lyu Bu stated nonchalantly.

Everyone had grown accustomed to Lyu Bu's signature move, which seemed unstoppable.

One night, Lyu Bu silently entered Zhuge Liang's chambers.

Zhuge Liang, whose mental prowess was legendary, instantly became alert and demanded, "Who's there?"

"Hmm? With spiritual energy at the first tier of the Violet Palace Realm, you certainly live up to your reputation, Zhuge Liang," Lyu Bu remarked, impressed.

"Lyu Bu," Zhuge Liang muttered, recalling how Zhou Yu and Lu Su had been outwitted by Lyu Bu.

"Zhuge Liang, I'm offering you a chance to surrender," Lyu Bu stated coolly.

"Hmph!" Zhuge Liang scoffed, unleashing a torrent of spiritual energy from the void, powerful enough to topple mountains and surge toward Lyu Bu with earth-shattering force.

"Well, I've given you your chance. If you don't value it, then die. My patience is limited."

In a flash, Lyu Bu disappeared, reappearing behind Zhuge Liang like a specter and delivering a punch that pierced through Zhuge Liang's heart.

The entire encounter was over in an instant, leaving no opportunity for Zhuge Liang to react.

The following day, Liu Bei was stricken with horror upon learning of the deaths of Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and the others, his face turning deathly pale.

But none of this concerned Lyu Bu. He delegated the conquest of Sichuan to Chen Gong and others, while he focused on his cultivation.

Five years later, without the support of Zhuge Liang and his peers, Liu Bei was ultimately outmaneuvered and defeated by Chen Gong and his associates.

During the same period, Yuwen Tian managed to elevate his cultivation to the pinnacle of the second tier of the Violet Palace Realm.

"The quality of the natural energy in the Three Kingdoms is truly subpar, making progress painfully slow," lamented Yuwen Tian, feeling constrained by the circumstances.

He believed that had he been in the Mirage Sea Realm, his cultivation would have advanced several-fold.

After the conquest of the Great River Shu, Lyu Bu convened his civil and military leaders.

"Now we face our last adversary. Once we defeat Cao Cao in the north, we will unite the realm," declared Lyu Bu.

Upon hearing these words, a wave of unparalleled excitement washed over everyone's faces. It was clear that if things kept progressing this way, unifying the world would be within reach. They would all be celebrated as founding heroes, securing a legacy of prosperity for generations to come.

"Cao Cao's forces are formidable. My plan is to vanquish him within the next ten years. For now, let's develop our conquered lands following the model of Xu Prefecture, taking time to rest and reorganize. We'll transform our newly acquired territories into a foundation of true strength," Lyu Bu declared with conviction.

"My lord is wise," the crowd responded in agreement.

Far in the north, Cao Cao had already learned of Lyu Bu's defeat of Liu Bei. For years, he had been diligently searching for the perfect ten-sided ambush formation, hoping to leverage this strategy to defeat Lyu Bu, who had attained divine martial prowess.

"Advisor, after years of effort, we've finally mastered the ten-sided ambush formation. However, we're still missing someone with formidable spiritual power to lead it. This individual's cultivation level may not need to match that of the Military Immortal Han Xin, but it must be substantial. Otherwise, I fear we won't be able to overcome Lyu Bu," Cao Cao remarked.

Guo Jia nodded in agreement. "Indeed, finding such a person is extremely challenging. My own spiritual cultivation is decent, but to be safe, I propose that Xizhi Cai, Gou You, and I lead the formation together. United, we can unleash the full potential of the ten-sided ambush."

"Well, it seems we have no other choice," Cao Cao conceded, visibly relieved.

The entire world watched with bated breath as the struggle between Lyu Bu and Cao Cao unfolded. It was evident to the astute observer that the future ruler of the world would emerge from one of these two.

Lyu Bu, patient and strategic, had spent a full five years honing his cultivation to the pinnacle of the Zifu realm's second level. Only then did he lead his troops northward toward Cao Cao.

Standing at the heart of his army, Lyu Bu proclaimed with a calm resolve, "This campaign against Cao Cao will end in victory."

"Victory! Victory!" The troops echoed, their chants growing louder and more fervent, piercing the heavens.

"Alright, move out." With a mighty sweep of his halberd, Lyu Bu led the five hundred thousand strong elite army forward.

Cao Cao, in the north, believed he was prepared. He had stockpiled ample supplies and marshaled an army of six hundred thousand elite soldiers, anticipating Lyu Bu's approach. His intent was clear: a decisive battle with Lyu Bu, with the victor claiming dominion over all.

On the expansive plains, the forces of Lyu Bu and Cao Cao stood in opposition.

"Lyu Bu, I've laid out the formation. If you dare, come and break through!" Cao Cao taunted.

Casting a brief look at the formidable array before him, brimming with lethal intent, Lyu Bu responded coolly, "I see your provocation, but there's no formation I fear to challenge. I will shatter your hopes."

Wielding his halberd, Lyu Bu boldly stepped into the ten-sided ambush alone, while Guo Jia, Xizhi Cai, Gou You, and others were positioned at the vital points of the formation. Their fearsome psychic energy steered its mechanisms, harnessing the forces of nature to maximize its destructive potential.

"Chickens and dogs!"

Undaunted, Lyu Bu gave the grand formation a cursory glance, feeling a slight chill in his heart as he recognized the formation's power was on par with the second tier of the Violet Palace Realm. It piqued his interest.

Once inside, the relentless killing intent transformed into a fearsome storm, barreling towards Lyu Bu.

"Shatter!"

Channeling the Heaven Divine Arts, Lyu Bu infused his halberd with the pinnacle energy of the Violet Palace Realm's second level and struck a heavy blow.

Boom!

The impact was like the parting of the heavens and the earth, the halberd unleashing a staggering wave of energy that obliterated the ten-sided ambush in a flash. The masterminds behind the formation, Cao Cao's elite strategists, were left with their hearts shattered by the force.

"War God! War God!"

Lyu Bu's troops roared in fervor, while the morale of Cao Cao's forces plummeted.

"Zhou Yu, you have five years to bring peace to the north."

After uttering those words, Lyu Bu retreated for a period of seclusion, determined to dedicate the next five years to honing his skills with relentless dedication in order to break through to the Third Sky of the Zifu Realm.

Five years on, Cao Cao suffered a defeat at the hands of Zhou Yu, and despite a staggering loss of two hundred thousand soldiers, Lyu Bu's forces emerged victorious.

"At last, the Third Sky of the Zifu Realm," Lyu Bu murmured, a wisp of white breath escaping his lips. "I can almost sense the ultimate power that this world can bear."