Clash of Chaos Chapter 84: Azure Dragon Crescent Blade vs. Black Tortoise Earthquake

“General Guan, you need not worry too much. With your talent, should fortune favor you, you could reach the very pinnacle of martial arts. At that point, even without divine power, you would still be one of the greatest masters on the continent,” Ren Xingtian consoled.

Guan Yu understood this well enough. Yet the Azure Dragon’s refusal to acknowledge him was, in essence, a slight to his martial path—a matter the proud and lofty Guan Yu could hardly ignore.

“General Deng, would you be willing to spar with me?” Guan Yu suddenly proposed to Deng Zhanxuan.

“How could I possibly be a match for you, General?” Deng replied.

“Don’t worry, I’ll limit myself to the strength of a Martial Master. That way, it’s fairer,” Guan Yu explained.

Hearing it wouldn’t be an overwhelming contest, Deng Zhanxuan’s interest was piqued. “Very well, General, please.”

Thus, the two strode to the nearby training ground. They drew apart, some dozens of meters, and each assumed their stance.

“General Guan, my martial skills are more inclined towards defense, so please make the first move,” Deng offered.

Guan Yu nodded, “Good, that suits me.” With that, he pressed the blade of the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade into the earth, as a pale blue martial aura slowly enveloped the steel. Then, leaping forward, he dragged his blade in a charge toward Deng Zhanxuan. His speed was neither fast nor slow, but Deng summoned all his focus, axe and shield held before him, cloaked in jet-black martial energy.

When Guan Yu was just two meters away, he suddenly halted, raising the blade from below in an upward sweep.

“Moon Reflection.” A vivid green light arced upward, forming the shape of a crescent moon.

Deng Zhanxuan reacted instantly, thrusting his Earthshaker Axe heavily into the ground and raising his shield against Guan Yu’s blade.

“Divine Turtle Guard!”

Amid the screech of metal, with the aid of the ground’s force, Deng Zhanxuan held firm against the strike. Though Divine Turtle Guard was stable, its defensive strength did not match his Turtle Martial Shield. After withstanding the blow, Deng felt his strength flag.

Yet Guan Yu’s assault had not ceased. The crescent of blue energy rebounded behind Deng, and the blade was hoisted high once more.

“Illusory Moon.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade swept down, birthing another crescent in midair that crashed down. Deng Zhanxuan faced not only this strike, but the crescent displaced earlier, which now slashed at him from another direction.

At this moment, Deng Zhanxuan remained composed. He pulled his axe free and raised his shield high.

“True Martial Domain!” Centered upon Deng Zhanxuan, the black martial energy of the Black Tortoise formed a barrier around him.

Both crescents, forged of martial power, struck heavily against Deng’s True Martial Domain. But as the blade fell, Deng was bewildered: he felt only the weight of the blade, not the force of the martial energy. The blow was strong, yet weaker than he had anticipated.

But was Guan Yu truly so simple?

Deng Zhanxuan was still puzzled when the trailing crescent suddenly shattered his barrier. He reacted instantly, swinging his axe forward, forcing Guan Yu to raise his blade in defense and creating distance.

“Your reflexes are sharp. My Illusory Moon can be real or illusory, its force gathered or scattered. Not only did you withstand the blow, you countered as well. There’s still one more strike—be ready.”

Deng Zhanxuan took a deep breath. “Come.” To be honest, he had suffered a hidden loss; the True Martial Domain covered all directions, making it poorly suited for single-target attacks. Luckily, his defense was solid, so he didn’t succumb after two blows.

Guan Yu slowly raised his Azure Dragon Crescent Blade. His repertoire was sparse—only three strikes. Yet since he entered the battlefield, none save Lu Bu had ever survived his three blades. Though his prowess as a Saint Martial Artist played a part, the might of the Azure Dragon Three Blades was undeniable.

“This strike is named ‘Crescent Blade.’” As he spoke, a luminous blue moon appeared behind him, entwined by an azure dragon. With no elaborate motion, the heavy blade cleaved down.

A beam of blade light, reaching to the heavens, rushed toward Deng Zhanxuan. Deng did not choose passive defense this time; he raised his Black Tortoise Earthshaker Axe high and charged into the blade light.

“Black, Nether, Rend!” With a roar, Deng Zhanxuan crashed his giant axe into the gleaming blade.

A tremendous crash ensued. Guan Yu pressed his blade into the ground, steadying his stance. Deng Zhanxuan was less fortunate; though he dispersed the blade light, his strength was utterly spent and he collapsed where he stood.

Thus the spar concluded. Though neither had used their full strength, the outcome was clear: Guan Yu retained the power to continue, while Deng Zhanxuan was completely exhausted.

As the duel ended, the onlookers gathered around.

“General Guan is truly formidable—I concede defeat,” Deng Zhanxuan said helplessly.

Guan Yu nodded, “You did well. I intended to hold back, but you managed to endure.”

Liu Bei stepped forward as well. “Second Brother, you should be more modest.”

Guan Yu stroked his beard and said nothing. Ren Xingtian, struggling to help Deng Zhanxuan up, added, “General Guan’s three blades are truly ingenious—one following another, leaving the enemy no chance to breathe.”

Liu Bei clasped his hands and continued, “Sometimes a fight brings people together. General Deng’s strength will surely rival my second brother’s in days to come. But now, with the Han Kingdom’s front lines in turmoil, we have much to attend to. Let us part for today, and hope to meet again.”

After bidding farewell, Guan Yu and Liu Bei quickly set out on the road home.

Watching them depart, Ren Xingtian said softly, “Judging by his expression, he must have gained much from this.”

Deng Zhanxuan asked, puzzled, “What did he gain?”

“Ask Brother Tong later, you’ll find out.”

On the road,

“Big Brother, how did your conversation with Li Qiutong go?” Guan Yu asked.

“Quite well. Li Qiutong agrees with my views. Once they’ve dealt with their affairs, they’ll come to join us.”

“With their support, your dream will be closer than ever,” Guan Yu sighed.

Liu Bei then remembered something. “Second Brother, in the last bout, did you use martial energy to shape your blade?”

Guan Yu nodded slightly. “I held back. I thought he could push further, but it seems that was his limit.”

Liu Bei could only sigh as he looked at Guan Yu. Guan Yu gazed silently at the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade in his hand, still unable to understand why Deng Zhanxuan had gained the Black Tortoise’s recognition, while he himself remained without the Azure Dragon’s response.

At Beitong Pass, Ren Xingtian and Deng Zhanxuan returned to their quarters. Li Qiutong was still staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Brother Tong, what agreement did you reach with Liu Bei?” Ren Xingtian asked directly as he entered.

Li Qiutong, noticing the two, turned and saw Deng Zhanxuan injured.

“Third Brother, what happened—why are you covered in wounds?”

Deng Zhanxuan grinned. “I just sparred with General Guan Yu.”

“You really are something. Go to the Western camp later and have them clean and dress those wounds,” Li Qiutong advised.

“It’s nothing, Big Brother, just a few scratches.”

After tending to Deng Zhanxuan, Li Qiutong brought up the main matter.

“I agreed that we’ll go to join him in the future. What do you think?”

Ren Xingtian didn’t comment directly, but countered, “What did he use to persuade you?”

Li Qiutong smiled wryly. “A beautiful world, and a dream that’s almost impossible.”

Having heard the answer, Ren Xingtian nodded. “Brother Tong, for matters like this you make the call—I’ll support you one hundred percent.”

Deng Zhanxuan added, “Yes, Big Brother, you decide. Wherever you go, I’ll go too.”

“Thank you.” After agreeing to Liu Bei’s proposal, Li Qiutong felt a pang of regret. Beitong Pass was not his alone; he felt unqualified to make such decisions for others. When he saw the two just now, guilt lingered in his heart. Their words, however, brought him comfort.

“So how do we tell the soldiers about this?”

“There’s no need to inform them yet. They’re still riding high on morale—let’s not burden them with more worries,” Ren Xingtian advised.

Li Qiutong pondered a moment, then agreed. After discussing further matters, wounded Deng Zhanxuan left first, heading to the Western camp to find the medic, Yu Ying.

“Hey, Deng Zhanxuan, what happened to you?” called a familiar voice.

Turning, he saw Biluo, just finished with her training.

“It’s nothing—I just sparred with General Guan Yu from the Han Kingdom and got a bit roughed up.”

Biluo stepped forward and examined him closely. “You really are foolish. Guan Yu is a Saint Martial Artist—fighting him is asking for trouble.”

Deng Zhanxuan could only scratch his head and laugh sheepishly.

“Are you going to see Doctor Yu Ying at the Western camp?”

“Yes.”

“She’s been busy lately with many wounded—why not come to my place? I’ll help dress your wounds,” Biluo suggested.

“Is that alright?”

“Of course. Come on.”

“Sit here; I’ll fetch the medicine.” Deng Zhanxuan sat quietly on the stool, looking around the room. He’d expected Biluo’s quarters to match her straightforward nature, perhaps masculine in style, but was surprised. The room was warmly colored and thoughtfully decorated, clearly a woman’s domain.

“Do you find my room nice?” came a cool voice.

“It’s lovely, but I…” Deng Zhanxuan’s face reddened instantly.

Biluo paid no mind. “Take off your shirt, I’ll apply the medicine.”

“Yes, alright.” Deng Zhanxuan quickly removed his clothing, revealing a sturdy, muscular torso, marred by new wounds and old scars.

Biluo applied the medicine without hesitation. “How did you get all these injuries?”

“The small ones are from when I was young and training. My father used to have a group attack me, said it was to build my resilience. Sometimes he’d give me a shield and lock me in with lions and tigers. At first, I got hurt a lot, but once I got used to it, they couldn’t touch me anymore.”

As Biluo’s hand passed over the scars, she felt a complicated emotion. “Weren’t you afraid of such harsh training as a child?”

“Of course I was. But my father said that our Deng family’s flesh was the shield for our comrades, and the scars were marks of honor. So I was scared, but I had to train, or how could I be everyone’s shield one day?”

“Truly foolish,” Biluo smiled wryly. “Your father must have been strict.”

Deng Zhanxuan thought for a moment. “No, he was a good man. Second Brother’s father was the strict one—he wouldn’t let him eat unless he finished his training each day.”

“Really? Where is your father now?”

“He’s dead. My whole family was killed by those villains.”

Biluo quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry, General Deng—I had no idea.” She hadn’t imagined the gentle giant had suffered such tragedies.

“It’s alright. Now I have Big Brother, Second Brother, and all of you at Beitong Pass. You’re my family. I’ll protect you all,” Deng Zhanxuan said quietly.

Biluo carefully put away the medicine, smiling gently. “Home belongs to everyone, and everyone should protect it. Next time, don’t rush in without thinking. Alright, put your shirt back on.”

Deng Zhanxuan swiftly dressed and watched Biluo tidying up. “General Biluo, can I stop calling you ‘General Biluo’? It’s such a mouthful.”

“What would you call me, then?”

“Just Biluo. And you don’t have to call me General Deng—just Xuan. Is that okay?”

Biluo was momentarily surprised, then smiled. “Certainly.”

Deng Zhanxuan, delighted by her assent, said, “Biluo, thank you. I’ll head back now. If you ever need help, just come find me.”

Biluo could only shake her head at his enthusiasm. “Alright, off you go.”