Chapter 160: Challenging One by One
"You are not a king."
The stone statue of the Hongwu Emperor of Ming slowly spoke, uttering the exact same four words as the Hegemonic King of Chu before him.
"I am Guo Jia, a subject of Wei."
As he spoke, Guo Jia raised his right hand slightly, and a spiritual treasure about the size of two fingers materialized in his palm.
"A tally?"
Fan Li recognized it instantly; this was clearly a Han-dynasty military tally.
Yet, he immediately realized it was not from the Han, but rather a Wei-dynasty tally.
In the past, the Han dynasty inherited the institutions of Qin.
Presently, the Wei dynasty inherited the institutions of Han.
"The Tiger and Leopard Camp."
Guo Jia uttered three words, and the Wei military tally actually transformed into a handful of sand, scattering onto the ground.
The next moment, the fine sand shifted and morphed, surprisingly turning into a hundred battle-hardened generals mounted on towering, majestic warhorses!
"Is this the art of turning beans into soldiers?" Fan Li wondered in astonishment.
He vaguely remembered that in the intelligence reports regarding neighboring states he had previously gathered, there was the following record concerning Cao Wei's Tiger and Leopard Camp:
"The Tiger and Leopard Camp of Wei consists entirely of the bravest warriors under heaven, refined from a hundred elite fighters."
Fan Li's eyelids twitched violently!
Refined?
Could this tally have gathered the souls of a hundred warriors, each capable of fighting a hundred men alone?
"That fellow Mende hasn't fallen into the demonic path, has he?" Fan Li could not help letting his imagination run wild.
However, he quickly dismissed the thought.
The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry before him radiated an overwhelming fighting spirit and possessed sharp gazes; they were undeniably a loyal and valiant elite force.
Judging by this, the spiritual tally refined from these hundred loyal souls was either formed because they had willingly surrendered their lives or because they remained willing to follow Cao Wei even after death.
"The Tiger and Leopard Camp."
Guo Jia raised his hand and pointed at the stone statue.
"Charge the formation."
In an instant, the earth shook and mountains quivered!
The hundred Tiger and Leopard riders moved across the mountainous terrain as if it were flat ground, and their charging momentum felt as formidable as an army of ten thousand!
Yet, what the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry faced was a stone statue bearing the visage of the Hongwu Emperor.
The Ming Emperor gripped a broad saber in one hand and charged straight at the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry!
The very instant they collided, twenty-five of the Tiger and Leopard riders were shredded into flying dust by the sweeping broad saber!
"He is so fierce!" Lü Fubao gasped in alarm.
Fan Li nodded in silence.
Every founding emperor throughout history had been baptized in blood and fire.
And among all founding emperors through the ages, the Hongwu Emperor was renowned as a fiercely formidable figure!
His brutality in slaughter was unmatched by almost any other monarch in history, whether on the battlefield or within the imperial court.
After just a few brief clashes, a dozen more Tiger and Leopard riders fell in battle, their bodies turning into sand and being blown away by the mountain wind.
"Remarkable, they actually held him off!" Yan Yuan said in surprise.
Indeed.
The Hongwu Emperor's saber momentum seemed to wane, and the remaining fifty-odd Tiger and Leopard riders managed to successfully trap him.
The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry swarmed him from all directions. The broad saber in the Ming Emperor's hand could only parry and block, leaving him no time to counterattack.
The situation suddenly changed!
The Hongwu Emperor abruptly abandoned his saber, opened his arms, and reached toward the sky!
A miraculous sight unfolded.
A dazzling ray of sunlight descended, pouring into the Ming Emperor's left arm.
Simultaneously, a chilly moonlight fell, injecting itself into the Ming Emperor's right arm.
The arms of the stone statue, originally made of stone, transformed—one became as brilliant as fire and gold, while the other turned as freezing as silver and frost!
"ROAR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
The Hongwu Emperor parted his lips and let out a deep, muffled roar. Two completely opposing forces erupted from his arms, instantly sweeping across the entire battle circle!
The fifty-odd Tiger and Leopard riders surrounding him met two fates: half were scorched to ashes by the blazing heat of the sun, while the other half were frozen into ice sculptures.
Crack!
Snap!
Crack, snap, crack, snap!
Blown by the mountain wind, the ice sculptures shattered piece by piece, turning back into dust.
With this, the Tiger and Leopard Camp was completely annihilated.
Only now did everyone truly witness the formidable might of the Hongwu Emperor.
Even as a mere stone statue, he could stir celestial phenomena and channel the dual powers of the sun and moon!
"PUFF!!!"
In Guo Jia's hand, the Great Wei military tally reappeared, but it was now utterly shattered and devoid of all spiritual energy.
With his spiritual treasure destroyed, he suffered a backlash and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood!
"I... *cough, cough*... I have done my best."
After vomiting blood, Guo Jia forced his body to stand, a smile still lingering on his face.
The Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue wore a livid expression.
She was not satisfied with the performance of Guo Jia and Zhou Yu, but seeing that both men were clearly and heavily injured, she found it difficult to voice any further reprimand.
"It is your turn." The Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue urged Zhuge Liang.
"Holy Sovereign, pray be at ease. Liang shall go of his own accord."
Zhuge Liang smiled, feathered fan in hand, as he stepped forward.
At this moment, the head of the stone statue rotated once more, revealing the face of Emperor Gaozu of Han!
"Zhuge Liang, a subject of Han, pays respects to His Majesty, Emperor Gaozu."
To everyone's surprise, Zhuge Liang actually performed a deep, formal obeisance to the stone statue.
Yet, realization dawned upon them shortly after.
The stone statue before them had manifested through the [Three Emperors Formation].
However, where did the [Three Emperors Formation] originate?
Fan Li had his suspicions, and he guessed the others shared the same thought.
Therefore, Zhuge Liang's prostration before the statue of Emperor Gaozu was entirely natural.
"You... are a subject of Han?"
Zhuge Liang's kneel genuinely brought an unexpected development.
Emperor Gaozu of Han spoke, still uttering four words, but they were no longer "You are not a king."
"This subject is the Prime Minister of Han," Zhuge Liang replied with a bow.
The stone statue fell silent for a moment before waving a hand.
"Step back. You cannot break this formation."
Upon hearing these words, the expression on Fan Li's face turned extraordinarily colorful!
For no other reason than this:
Zhuge Liang, much like Zhou Yu and Guo Jia, had been sent by the Three Kingdoms to assist the Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue.
In thankless tasks like fighting as hired muscle, it was always best to avoid involvement whenever possible.
If Fan Li were in Zhuge Liang's shoes, he would have obediently taken his leave without hesitation.
"No, Zhuge Liang, you are not allowed to retreat!" The Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue also realized something was amiss and shouted loudly.
Regrettably, Zhuge Liang acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"This subject obeys the sacred teachings of Emperor Gaozu."
Having said that, Zhuge Liang retreated straight back into the crowd.
He even remembered to cup his hands in apology to the Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue.
"May the Holy Sovereign forgive me. I am a subject of Han, and since the Gaozu of Han is right here, I cannot disobey his imperial decree."
"It is merely a stone!" The Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue gritted her teeth.
Yet Zhuge Liang smiled. "What if it is a stone left behind by my Emperor Gaozu?"
"You......!!!"
In the end, the Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue was left completely speechless.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yu and Guo Jia looked at Zhuge Liang with unconcealed envy.
"Mr. Zhuge, what wonderful fortune," Zhou Yu said in a depressed tone.
"Kongming, congratulations," Guo Jia said while wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
*Hah, look at these three corporate wage slaves,* Fan Li mocked inwardly, only to find the Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue glaring at him with resentful eyes.
"Does the Holy Sovereign require something?"
"Ah, could it be that the Holy Sovereign wishes for this duke to step up?"
"If so, I certainly can, but I previously extended an invitation to Master Guiguzi. Should I win this battle, I fear Master Guigu will choose to join Great Chu rather than the Sanskrit Pure Land."
Fan Li wore a mischievous smile.
"Holy Sovereign, a gentleman does not seize what others love. I am willing to be courteous—why don't you make the first attempt at the challenge?"
Although the Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue detested Fan Li, she took his words to heart.
That's right!
Earlier, Fan Li had only recruited Guiguzi on behalf of Great Chu, so he clearly wasn't acting as a helper for the Pure Land.
Though this fellow's personal strength was weak, bizarre things always seemed to happen around him.
What if he actually managed to break the [Three Emperors Formation]? Wouldn't that mean Guiguzi would forever slip through the Pure Land's fingers?
"When did I say I wanted you to take action?"
"Step aside! Do not get in my way!"
"It is merely a stone statue; I have my own methods to subdue it!"
The Holy Sovereign of Gold Virtue was full of high spirits, displaying the imposing manner of a heroine unwilling to yield to men.
She had endured grievance all the way through Mount Yunmeng, and now she could finally unleash her full strength.
It was time to let Fan Li witness the true power of a Supremacy-realm expert!