Qi Fei Delivers an Important Speech on Building Liu Bei's Faction

"Isn't a talent focused on willpower a little lacking in combat ability early on?"

Guan Yu asked in confusion.

"That's why we need to start making adjustments now."

Qi Fei replied.

The confusion on Guan Yu's face only deepened.

Qi Fei looked toward Chen Xi, signaling for him to explain it to Guan Yu.

"From here on, aside from the bandits on Mount Tai, our enemies will be the Yellow Turbans in Qing Province."

Chen Xi began.

"I think Zihong means that while we have some time before we face any hard battles, we should use it to train the soldiers."

"Exactly."

Qi Fei nodded.

Nearly two years would be enough time for the Tunqi Cavalry to develop a second talent.

By then, Guan Yu's Divine Light should also be able to support the army.

Seeing that Guan Yu was still somewhat hesitant, Qi Fei simply launched into a rundown of the Fifth Generation Garrison Cavalry's advantages.

He mentioned fighting the Imperial Guard despite the odds, Three Talents, Resist Death, and forcibly achieving an Army Soul, among other things.

"It might even achieve an Army Soul?"

Hua Xiong asked, looking astonished.

Of the several generals under Liu Bei, he was currently the only one with even a little understanding of Army Souls.

At this point in time, the Central Plains had only two Army Souls: the Flying Bear and Trap-Breaking.

And Hua Xiong had once served alongside both of them.

It would have been harder not to know them.

"I can guarantee that although it'll be extremely difficult to put into practice, it's theoretically possible."

Qi Fei spoke with confidence.

In essence, an Army Soul was simply a legion whose willpower had reached its limit.

But in a direct comparison, the Fifth Generation Garrison Cavalry with Three Talents might even surpass one.

So, in Qi Fei's view, if they wanted to ignore the need for Imperial Will and forcibly achieve an Army Soul,

then, setting aside those ironclad armies that had truly fought their way out of impossible despair, the Fifth Generation Garrison Cavalry had the best chance of succeeding.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Zihong."

Guan Yu was tempted.

"No problem, but there's one thing I should warn you about, General."

Although Qi Fei had convinced Guan Yu, he had no intention of glossing over the drawbacks.

"If you want to take this path, you can't doubt yourself, and you can't doubt your soldiers, either."

"You must believe, without a doubt, that no matter what happens, you can carve out a path forward with the blades in your hands."

Otherwise, the Fifth Generation Garrison Cavalry would be a dead end.

Qi Fei didn't say the latter part aloud.

But from the grave expression on his face, everyone could more or less guess what the consequences would be.

Guan Yu tried to answer, but no sound came out.

After reaching Internal Qi Separation, with nowhere left to advance in his cultivation,

he had once believed his martial skills had reached the world's limits. He'd been confident that the heroes of the world were nothing special and that he could easily deal with anything using the blade in his hand.

That was, until he met Lu Bu beneath Tiger Trap Pass.

Only then did he truly understand what the pinnacle of human martial strength was.

If he faced Lu Bu again, could he still hold on to that confidence?

Guan Yu didn't know.

Suddenly, Guan Yu saw the worry on Liu Bei's and Zhang Fei's faces.

They seemed concerned for him, as though they wanted to speak up and stop him from taking this path.

Guan Yu also saw the anticipation on Chen Xi's and Qi Fei's faces.

It was as if they believed he could definitely succeed.

How dare I?

Guan Yu challenged himself inwardly.

How dare I falter in front of them?

A voice roared within him, tearing through all his self-doubt.

Even if he couldn't win, did that mean he wouldn't dare swing his blade?

Absurd!!!

"...I... must... do it."

Guan Yu spoke one word at a time.

With each word, his eyes grew brighter.

By the time he had finished those four words, the Divine Light in his eyes shone like a true radiance.

After speaking, Guan Yu closed his eyes and focused on breathing and regulating his energy for a while.

Everyone present could guess that he had made a breakthrough, so they waited quietly.

A long while later, when Guan Yu opened his eyes again, their Divine Light was still bright, but no longer as dazzling as before.

"Thank you for your guidance, Zihong."

Guan Yu bowed deeply to Qi Fei.

"It wasn't my doing. It was your own strength, Yunchang."

Qi Fei helped Guan Yu back to his feet.

He hadn't expected a single sentence from him to help Guan Yu break through.

In the original story, Guan Yu had only taken this step after Yuan Shao dealt with Gongsun Zan and turned his attention to Liu Bei.

Now it had happened several years early.

This was a delightful surprise.

"Congratulations, Second Brother, on advancing further in the Martial Dao."

Liu Bei spoke with heartfelt joy.

The others followed suit, offering their congratulations.

"I only had a small realization. My strength has improved a little, that's all."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and modestly replied.

"Second Brother, can you beat that Lu Bu fellow now?"

Zhang Fei asked impatiently.

"If his strength hasn't changed much since we first met, then I'd say I have a seventy-percent chance of winning."

Guan Yu thought for a moment before answering.

"But since I was able to break through, he might be able to as well."

Guan Yu's words gave everyone present a headache.

Lu Bu was already formidable enough. If he kept breaking through, heaven knew how much trouble he'd cause.

"Then I sincerely hope Lu Bu has already reached his limit and can't break through any further."

Chen Xi clasped his hands and prayed.

The others didn't echo him, but they all felt much the same.

Only Qi Fei, who knew what happened later, smiled without saying a word.

As if he couldn't break through.

Not only could he break through, he'd go on to achieve a great many things:

The first to become a Boundary Breaker, a martial artist who surpassed Internal Qi Separation;

The first individual to perform a single-person spatial teleportation;

The first Spirit Cultivator to overcome the Heart Tribulation;

And other minor achievements, like reaching the pinnacle of individual martial strength in the world and tearing apart the future observed by Rome's foremost expert...

Xu Zijiang, who ran the Yuedan Commentary, listed thirty-six people in the Martial General Ranking—and wrote Lu Bu's name for all thirty-six.

Yet no one objected, and no one went after Xu Zijiang or Lu Bu.

Because nobody could beat Lu Bu.

In short, Lu Bu in God Three operated on a completely different wavelength from everyone else.

Most others belonged in a military drama with cultivation elements, while Lu Bu seemed to have crossed over from some hot-blooded shonen manga.

Getting stronger as he fought was the norm. Breaking through mid-battle was routine.

To sum it up in one word: strong.

"Whether Lu Bu can break through remains to be seen, but our strength is truly growing stronger by the day."

Liu Bei spoke up to reassure everyone.

Lu Bu might be brave, but he was still just one man. If a large army surrounded him, he wouldn't be able to escape.

"That's true. We still have Zihong, don't we?"

Zhang Fei turned to look at Qi Fei.

Though generals in this world didn't shy away from duels, leading troops in battle was also an important part of their personal abilities.

If they really couldn't beat Lu Bu, they could just compete with him at commanding troops.

"Right, Zihong."

Hua Xiong winked at Qi Fei, looking hopeful.

He'd just shown Guan Yu the way. Now it was their turn to get some guidance, right?

I want to be able to beat Lu Bu into the ground someday, too.

"Zijian, just say what you want to say."

Honestly, Hua Xiong's expression made Qi Fei feel sick.

Seeing a big, muscular man make that kind of girlish expression was pretty disgusting.

"Zihong, could you take a look at everyone else and tell them which path they should take?"

Before Hua Xiong could speak, Liu Bei stepped in to help him out.

"Oh, sure. No problem."

Qi Fei took the opportunity to turn toward Liu Bei, escaping Hua Xiong's cute little expression.

"As for Zijian, just keep leading the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. It'll be difficult, but you really do have the potential to surpass the Flying Bear."

"Really?"

Hua Xiong asked, looking astonished.

"Really. Why would I lie to you?"

Qi Fei answered seriously.

He really wasn't lying to Hua Xiong. He just hadn't told him the whole story.

As an absolutely superior branch of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, as long as the Flying Bear remained, the Xiliang Iron Cavalry would inevitably become Flying Bear later on.

Even with a cap on its numbers that kept newcomers from joining, the Xiliang Iron Cavalry would still become Flying Bear's reserve force of its own accord.

But if Hua Xiong could break free of those shackles, surpassing the Flying Bear would naturally be easy.

It was just that even after the Flying Bear had died, it had taken Hua Xiong a very long time to do so. If the Flying Bear stayed alive, it would be even harder to say how long it might take.

"Don't think about changing your soldiers or keeping them away from the Flying Bear or anything like that. There's no point."

Until they accumulated enough strength, any changes they made would merely add new methods to the superior branch.

If Hua Xiong tried that, all he'd accomplish would be undermining his confidence.

"What you need to do now is build up strength together with your soldiers as much as possible, then ascend in a battle where defeat means death. Only then can you surpass the Flying Bear."

That was the path taken in the original story by Zhang He's Heavy Cavalry Guard and Rome's First Auxiliary Legion.

Build up strength, then wait for a battle to the death.

"Thank you for your guidance, Zihong."

Hua Xiong spoke solemnly.

"It's nothing. Just a few words."

Qi Fei waved a hand.

From Hua Xiong's expression, Qi Fei knew his pep talk had worked.

Hua Xiong had one good trait: he never doubted the words of someone he considered clever.

In other words, as long as Qi Fei told Hua Xiong he could do it, Hua Xiong would firmly believe he could.

That was crucial to developing an Idealistic Talent.

If you didn't even believe in yourself, how could you use your personal will to distort reality?

"Is it my turn now, Zihong?"

After Hua Xiong left, Zhang Fei asked eagerly.

"As for you, Third Master, I can't think of a good solution right now. Your Legion Talent is somewhat unusual."

Qi Fei said with a headache.

"My Legion Talent?"

Zhang Fei instead looked utterly perplexed.

Qi Fei couldn't help but sigh at the sight.

This timing really was troublesome.

Heaven and Earth Essence hadn't recovered much yet, and many things still hadn't been fully defined.

"Martial generals who have achieved Internal Qi Separation also develop special powers, just like the Mental Talents of civil officials."

"You can see it in Zilong, for example. His soldiers are generally calmer than other people's."

Qi Fei used the most obvious example, Zhao Zilong.

Zhao Yun's Legion Talent not only kept his mind clearer, but also made him immune to negative mental effects.

Everyone looked at Zhao Yun.

"That's true. I thought it was just my imagination."

Zhao Yun, who had the face of a young boy, said shyly.

"Yunchang must have noticed it too. When you're in good shape, your soldiers' strength increases."

Qi Fei turned to Guan Yu.

Guan Yu's Legion Talent increased his soldiers' strength. The exact degree depended on how firm their convictions were.

"Yes."

Guan Yu uttered two words.

"What about me?"

Zhang Fei looked at Qi Fei expectantly.

"Your Legion Talent hasn't fully manifested, but from what I've observed, it should be a powerful ability that affects everyone, friend or foe."

In Qi Fei's memory, Zhang Fei's Legion Talent was somewhat like a Fear Aura that affected everyone, friend or foe.

Enemies who fought him would be continually exposed to this power, which would then weaken their combat strength.

Once they were scared out of their wits, they would be unable to fight back against Zhang Fei ever again.

At the same time, this power affected his own side, too.

His allies were more inclined to go berserk, but they could also be overwhelmed by it.

"So I'll have to study how our soldiers can withstand your ability."

Qi Fei's idea was to first lay the groundwork with Self-Adaptation, then find a way to turn it into a cavalry unit.

Actually, if Legion Talents could be stacked, putting Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei together would solve the problem.

Unfortunately, that wasn't possible.

"Then take your time figuring it out. Old Zhang will be waiting."

Zhang Fei spoke up.

His power hadn't manifested yet, so there was no rush.

After Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun was next.

"Zilong, you're not suited to lead the White Horse."

That was the first thing Qi Fei said.

"You'll treat the White Horse's top speed as a negative effect and eliminate it. And their style of fighting, launching high-speed surprise attacks, doesn't suit someone like you, who excels at cutting down enemy generals in the thick of battle."

In short, they would only hold each other back.

"You need a Talent with some negative effects, but whose positive effects are absurdly powerful."

"But I'll have to study that kind of Talent first. I'll call you over once I've got results."

For now, he only knew a few basic Talents.

Something like Slaughter Absorption would take him some time to study.

"Thank you, Strategist."

Zhao Yun said gratefully.

He'd wondered why he didn't feel quite at home using the White Horse. So that was why.

"As for you, Zhongkang, you should train with the Huangfu Personal Guards for now. They're the best fit for you."

At last, Qi Fei looked at Xu Chu.

"Oh, thank you, Strategist."

Xu Chu scratched his head and left, looking a little puzzled.

"Actually, things would be much easier if Zichuan could bring Huangfu Song here."

Qi Fei looked at Chen Xi with an expectant expression.

With Huangfu Song around, he wouldn't have to figure out how Talents worked on his own—and he could slack off, too.

It would kill two birds with one stone.

"That'll be difficult. All I can say is that I'll do my best to think of a way."

Chen Xi said helplessly.

Dong Zhuo certainly wouldn't let Huangfu Song leave now. As long as Huangfu Song had troops, he'd be difficult to control.

And after Dong Zhuo died, Huangfu Song would be among those who settled accounts with him and divided up the spoils. He'd be even less likely to come to Mount Tai.

"I'm counting on you. You have to poach him!"

Qi Fei said, patting Chen Xi on the shoulder.

With Huangfu Song, one of the foremost figures beneath the God of War, around, Qi Fei could save himself a mountain of effort.

"Zijian, I'm counting on you."

Chen Xi decided to put the pressure on Hua Xiong.

"Me?"

Hua Xiong pointed at himself, looking confused.

"Aren't you supposed to recruit the Flying Bear? Before that, bring Huangfu Song over for me."

Chen Xi assigned Hua Xiong the task.

Hua Xiong glanced at Chen Xi, then looked at Qi Fei and the people behind him, Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei.

He immediately felt the pressure mounting.

"I'll do my best."

Hua Xiong accepted the assignment helplessly.

"Done. Let's go. We're heading into Mount Tai."

After handing out the tasks, Chen Xi said cheerfully.

The others patted Hua Xiong on the shoulder, comforting him while making it clear they were counting on him.