CHAPTER 1002: CHAPTER 959: REMINISCING THE PAST, NEARLY LIKE YOU

"Was it you who injured my Red Hare?" Lyu Bu, who had been recently nurturing his Qi and consuming a vegetarian diet, glanced at the wound on Red Hare’s back. Golden flames ignited in his eyes, but he made an effort to suppress his anger as he looked at the young Ma Chao and inquired.

"Are you Lyu Fengxian, the number one in the world?" Ma Chao cautiously watched Lyu Bu. He could feel an overwhelming aura emanating from Lyu Bu, but this pressure did not evoke fear in him; instead, it ignited a kind of burning blood.

"Number one in the world?" Lyu Bu glanced casually, his hand stroking the back of Red Hare, "If everyone before me is dead, then I am. So, was it you who injured my horse?"

"Come, let’s have a thorough battle!" Ma Chao laughed heartily, completely disregarding Lyu Bu’s question.

"Red Hare, was it him?" Lyu Bu stopped questioning Ma Chao and merely stroked the mane of Red Hare, who, as if understanding Lyu Bu’s words, snorted at Ma Chao.

"You’re really troublesome. If you don’t take out your weapon, I’ll attack." Having just fought a large battle, Ma Chao now felt full of strength, and thus he laughed as he spoke to Lyu Bu.

"I’ve seen those seeking death, but none so determined as you." Lyu Bu sneered, "If you can withstand one move from me and live, I’ll spare your life!"

As he spoke, Lyu Bu swung an empty hand in the direction of Ma Chao. In an instant, Ma Chao’s hair stood on end as he exerted himself toward an almost invisible attack point. With a thunderous roar, Ma Chao’s entire body felt as if he’d collided with a mountain, directly flying backward, crashing down alongside Lifeisha.

"He actually blocked it." Lyu Bu looked surprised at the large pit, not expecting the opponent to be able to withstand his move.

Having completely stepped into this realm, Lyu Bu’s strength had transformed dramatically. Although it was a single strike, it was several times the power of his Ultimate Inner Qi Manifestation period, so even without using a weapon, it was equivalent to his original Pinnacle Strike.

Ma Chao emerged embarrassingly from the crater, staring at Lyu Bu with intense apprehension. His once-golden armor was shattered in several places, and Lifeisha bore many scars. Just one weaponless strike had caused destruction enough to make Ma Chao tremble.

"Name yourself." Lyu Bu’s calm voice reached Ma Chao, who was on high alert. Even though Ma Chao was exceedingly arrogant, he now understood that his opponent could kill him with fewer than thirty moves, and he might not even be able to escape, as the Red Hare Horse was faster than his Lifeisha.

"I’m Ma Mengqi of Xiliang!" Ma Chao shouted. Although Lyu Bu had not launched an attack, the lock-on of his aura already left Ma Chao drenched in cold sweat. If this continued, he would be at the mercy of others, so he launched an attack on Lyu Bu as soon as he answered.

"Impressive courage." Lyu Bu calmly watched Ma Chao. In Lyu Bu’s eyes, the swift attack was only so-so. Inner Qi extended from his hand, forming a Qi halberd identical to his usual Sky Piercer, down to the exact patterns.

"Boom!" Lyu Bu held the halberd in one hand, and as Ma Chao thrust his spear at full force, Lyu Bu struck the spear tip with the halberd, immediately unleashing a force of ten thousand pounds. Ma Chao only felt his wrists go numb, his chest tighten, and before he could see clearly, Lyu Bu’s Sky Piercer had already changed its move and smashed down.

Unlike Guan Yu and others, Ma Chao had not fitted his Lifeisha with a saddle. This time, Lyu Bu directly knocked Ma Chao off his horse.

Again, a massive crater formed. When Ma Chao reappeared, he had already sustained some injuries. More crucially, he thoroughly understood the gap between himself and Lyu Bu. The opponent didn’t need any skillful tactics or move changes; just one halberd strike could not be resisted. Such comprehensive strength was impossible to fend off!

If Lyu Bu was aloof, then Ma Chao might be the closest in character to Lyu Bu. They were both like Wolf Kings of the prairie.

Naturally, having taken two blows from Lyu Bu, Ma Chao couldn’t simply swallow his pride and leave. Although Lyu Bu’s earlier attacks were very likely only intended as lessons, the next attack might carry fatal danger, but Ma Chao was unwilling to just leave.

Springing into the air again, Ma Chao did not leap back onto Lifeisha’s back; he knew that Lifeisha had already suffered internal injuries from the previous strike. Ma Chao’s eyes focused intently on Lyu Bu, prepared to scrutinize his every move. He could be defeated, or escape when outmatched, but he absolutely couldn’t retreat without a fight!

"Nice gaze." Lyu Bu glanced at the extremely focused Ma Chao. Compared to those top experts, Ma Chao still had quite a disparity in strength, but in terms of willpower, he was not weaker; and considering his age and strength, he was worthy of being called a genius.

Recently, planning to cultivate himself because of Diao Chan, upon seeing Ma Chao’s unyielding gaze, Lyu Bu couldn’t help but recall his past self.

"Tell me your purpose. Surviving two of my halberd strikes, I bear no grudges against you and will not pursue the battle with Red Hare." Lyu Bu’s deep voice spread across the land, to the extent that Ma Chao could feel the sluggishness of the surrounding space.

Lyu Bu also knew that Red Hare liked to run about and perhaps bumped into Ma Chao. Since Red Hare wasn’t badly hurt, equivalent to the level of Inner Qi Separation, it could recover in a day or two. Seeing Ma Chao’s gaze so reminiscent of his own, Lyu Bu, nostalgic about the past, decided not to pursue the matter further.

"What if I don’t tell you?" Ma Chao concentrated intensely. He finally understood why figures like Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Zhao Yun displayed a solemn expression when mentioning Lyu Bu — he was indeed strong.

"Then I will ensure you remember everything that happened today with your body." A rare smile appeared on Lyu Bu’s face, different from previous maniacal and cold expressions, showing genuine admiration for Ma Chao’s potential.

"Let’s see if you have what it takes!" Ma Chao growled.

"Hehe~" Lyu Bu merely chuckled. In the next moment, Ma Chao was launched into the air. Although Lyu Bu had not used a weapon or attacked Ma Chao’s vital areas, Ma Chao felt his sternum crack.

Nevertheless, Ma Chao instantly drew upon the power of the Divine Stone. He no longer hoped to fully absorb its power; even in defeat, he refused to be toyed with.

As he was blown away, Ma Chao forcibly halted his backward flight and steadied himself in the sky. Upon looking up, although he didn’t see Lyu Bu, he sensed a massive force coming from behind, plunging him once more into the earth.

"Clang!" Ma Chao suddenly erupted with all his strength, blasting himself out from the ground, transforming into a beam of golden light shooting towards Lyu Bu.

At this moment, the greatest effect of the Divine Stone for Ma Chao was no longer enhancing his strength but healing his injuries. Despite sustaining damage to his meridians, he unleashed power close to the Ultimate Inner Qi Manifestation, seeing the possibility of fighting Lyu Bu. As for bodily pain, a true man ignores any wound! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)