Mythical Three Kingdoms

In Xiapi, Xuzhou, the Yuzhou Army, which once carried its formidable might into Xuzhou, has suffered repeated defeats under the combined efforts of Chen Deng and Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei's valor is an unstoppable force for ordinary generals. His overwhelming power, combined with Chen Deng's intelligence that far surpasses his opponents, has led the Yuzhou Army—despite its numerical advantage—to frequent losses.

Although young talents like Li Tong and Li Yan, with the assistance of Zhou Yu, demonstrated promise, they were still merely military generals. Advancement for them could only happen on the battlefield, and their promotion up the ranks remained limited to vice-general positions, inadequate to stop the inevitable demise of the Yuzhou Army.

Worse still, Deng Rui, who fancied himself unmatched in martial arts, challenged Zhang Fei to single combat, only to end up impaled on the Eighteen-foot Long Serpent Spear. The entire army subsequently fell under Zhang Fei's relentless slaughter, pursuit, and annihilation beneath the walls of Xiapi City.

Later, Zhuge Jin dispatched his trusted aides by horse to deliver Zhou Yu's sword to Li Tong, appointing him as chief general of the army. Zhuge Jin then ordered Li Tong to strip other generals of their forces and assume overall command, with Lai Min, Li Yan, and Huo Jun serving under him.

Zhuge Jin's secret letter firmly established Li Tong as commander-in-chief, granting him authority over all divisions of the Yuzhou Army. With the official seal and Zhou Yu's sword legitimizing his position, even the envious Li Yan could raise no complaints.

However, upon receiving the letter, Li Tong hosted a banquet for the generals, only to seize them one by one. Surprisingly, he refrained from directly consolidating all their forces under his command, instead distributing troops among the lieutenants personally designated by Zhou Yu, granting them equal status to himself.

This approach was precisely why Li Tong could win over a proud individual like Li Yan. In doing so, Li Tong securely grasped command of the Yuzhou Army's eastward campaign. Generals like Li Yan, Lai Min, and Huo Jun fully supported his leadership.

With Li Tong, Li Yan, and others directing the army against Zhang Fei's numerically inferior forces, alongside Chen Deng's tactics, victory was no longer assured but retreat seemed improbable. Though Chen Deng was brilliant, Li Yan was no amateur. Huo Jun's defensive arrangements and Li Tong's steady command, coupled with their numerical advantage, certainly tilted the scales in their favor!

Moreover, upon the emergence of the Xuanyuan Cauldron, Li Yan refused to bow and chose to break through to Inner Qi Manifestation. Though turbulent Inner Qi suppressed his steadily cultivated spiritual capacity, it undeniably represented a significant step forward compared to being perpetually stuck at second-class.

While Li Yan regretted abandoning his long-held aspiration to simultaneously advance both Inner Qi and spirit, the circumstances left little room for regret. Furthermore, unlike Sun Ce, Li Yan quickly established a solid foundation post-breakthrough and even gained his own Legion Talent.

Were it not for the blocked possibility of a Spiritual Talent awakening, Li Yan's gains could be considered enormous.

Leading his troops personally thereafter, Li Yan activated his Legion Talent to provoke Zhang Fei into a direct confrontation, only to suffer the first catastrophic defeat of his career.

Li Yan's Legion Talent enhanced the coordination of his soldiers, facilitating their understanding of his command as the chief general.

This Legion Talent, neither outright excellent nor ineffective, varied in utility depending on its user. If granted to someone like Hua Xiong, its existence wouldn't matter—it wouldn't change the natural tendencies of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry to charge in Spearhead Formation. On the other hand, in the hands of strategists like Zhuge Liang or Li Youu, with their mastery of military formation, it would become a formidable tool—adapting formations on the fly during battle. Terrifying, isn't it?

Naturally, Li Yan immediately grasped the optimal use for his Legion Talent: military formation. While it offered no direct boosts to attack, defense, or speed, its efficient coordination accelerated the application of all necessary enhancements through formation adjustments.

Regrettably, Li Yan's lack of worldly experience led him to mistakenly believe that Zhang Fei lacked a Legion Talent. When finally confronting him, Li Yan narrowly escaped death, coming face-to-face with a Legion Talent fundamentally distinct from all others.

Where previous Legion Talents provided positive augmentation to their users, Zhang Fei's Talent stood as the sole example of a reverse-effect Legion Talent.

"So you truly believed Zhang Sanye doesn't have a Legion Talent?" Zhang Fei roared with laughter as he unleashed a black, sheer-like radiance that enveloped not only his soldiers but also Li Yan's troops.

After defeating Li Yan in twenty moves, the soldiers under the influence of Zhang Fei's Legion Talent were left trembling with fear, viewing Zhang Fei as an invincible adversary. Meanwhile, Zhang Fei's soldiers exhibited mixed responses—some froze in place, while others fought with a ferocity capable of slaying enemy generals, their increasing dread striking terror into the hearts of their opponents.

Following Li Yan's retreat, Zhang Fei turned to the motionless soldiers under his command and sighed. Those immobilized were destined for mediocrity, unable to overcome the adverse effects of his Legion Talent.

Unlike typical Legion Talents that bestowed various strengths, Zhang Fei's ability utilized sheer intimidation to instill terror in enemies, escalating to the point where his presence alone could break opponents and, theoretically, frighten them to death.

Unfortunately, this oppressive aura didn't exclusively affect enemy forces—it also had detrimental impacts on Zhang Fei's own troops.

Strikingly, Zhang Fei's troops could mitigate the negative effects of this talent by defeating enemies, gaining an aura of their own. However, each victory amplified the negative repercussions. So long as their strength outweighed the accumulating strain, they were unharmed, but over time, this hidden danger inevitably grew until it exploded.

This Legion Talent ultimately guaranteed that Zhang Fei's soldiers would end their military careers prematurely, driven by the overwhelming mental toll of sustained exposure to its effects. Yet, this exchange—trading soldiers' future combat potential for immense battlefield dominance—proved astonishingly powerful.

As long as fear exists within an opponent, Zhang Fei could exploit it to achieve victory. This was the greatest strength of Zhang Fei's Legion Talent.

Nevertheless, Zhang Fei had long refrained from activating his Legion Talent to spare his troops from its repercussions. Among the five hundred Township Braves who followed him from Zhuo County, fewer than fifty remained. After this battle, only eighteen remained; the others would soon retire.

Not because they perished on the battlefield, but because they could no longer endure the devastating mental strain of his Legion Talent and were unable to continue as soldiers.

Those who became desensitized displayed erratic behavior. Even after recovery, a subsequent activation of the talent would provoke uncontrollable rage, leading them to slaughter indiscriminately—be it comrades or enemies—succumbing to madness and death.

Even without direct exposure to Zhang Fei's Legion Talent, the psychological scars sustained in the heat of battle could lead to irrational attacks on those nearby. Knowing this, Zhang Fei resolutely retired such soldiers, believing only the pastoral tranquility of the countryside could restore their peace of mind.

In many ways, Zhang Fei was the first military general of his era to learn to restrain his use of Legion Talent. His unwillingness to harm his troops led him to limit its activation.

Had it not been for the pressure of Li Yan's forces forcing him to the brink of annihilation and recognizing that more lives would be lost in defeat than through activating his Legion Talent, Zhang Fei might never have resorted to using it.

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation or monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)