Summoning Wind and Rain

What are immortals and gods?

Countless people hold different ideas in their hearts, but one point is clear: those who can ride the clouds and mount the mists are immortals!

"It's an immortal god!"

"The Moth Bandits truly have a god among them!"

"Holy Venerable Huang Tian!"

"..."

Cries rose one after another atop the city walls.

Everyone, including Liu Hong, guessed that this youth was undoubtedly the Sovereign Yellow Absolute God from legend who protected the Moth Bandits.

"...Riding the clouds and mounting the mists?"

Liu Hong's brain went blank for a moment, caught between the anxiety of defending the city and an overwhelming yearning for immortal arts.

The high officials beside him were no better off. Although they had already confirmed the existence of immortals from the mouths of Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo, who had fled back to Luoyang, witnessing an immortal cast a spell with their own eyes was an entirely different matter.

Especially the elderly ministers—Yang Ci, Zhang Wen, and Yuan Wei—whose breathing subconsciously grew heavy.

If there are immortals and immortal arts, does that not mean there is longevity?

"Big Brother, are we... facing a true immortal?" Behind Liu Bei, the fierce and imposing Zhang Fei tugged at Liu Bei's sleeve and whispered.

Guan Yu, standing to the side, also looked toward Liu Bei. Though he considered himself a match for a hundred men in combat, he did not feel he was any different from an ordinary mortal when facing an immortal.

Liu Bei swallowed hard and replied in a low voice, "Death has existed since ancient times. To protect His Majesty and repay the grace of his patronage, what does it matter if we die? No matter how powerful an immortal he is, he can only take one head to kill!"

Liu Bei had been promoted by Emperor Liu Hong, and his most trusted followers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, had naturally "risen to the heavens along with him," each receiving military posts. Thus, it was no exaggeration to say that Liu Hong had shown them great favor.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei nodded slightly.

In this era, righteousness and filial piety were paramount; debts of gratitude had to be repaid, and grudges had to be settled. The three of them had to repay the Emperor's kindness.

Liu Bei whispered instructions, "That God Huang Tian possesses great magical power, and I feel deeply uneasy. I fear Luoyang's sturdy walls will not hold for long. We must watch the situation closely. If Luoyang is breached, we must immediately take His Majesty and flee toward the Dongyang Gate. There are fewer enemy troops in that direction, understand?"

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei replied, "Understood."

Liu Bei turned his head to look outside the city again. As his gaze wandered, he suddenly met the eyes of Yuan Shao. The former was startled and nodded slightly. He knew Yuan Shao, who hailed from the Yuan family of four generations of high officials and was a famous scholar in the capital; he had long wanted to befriend him.

However, Yuan Shao clearly had no intention of befriending him, especially under such extraordinary circumstances. Seeing Liu Bei's nod, he did not respond, merely shifting his gaze away with an expressionless face, thinking to himself.

There are indeed immortals in this world. Can Luoyang truly be preserved? It seems I must proceed with my plan to flee to another province...

On the other side, the handsome Gongsun Zan took a shallow breath, drawing the cold wind of the overcast day into his lungs, and shivered. "An immortal god! This world is truly absurd..."

Sun Jian also lost his usual invincible composure. He subconsciously gripped the Ring-pommel Saber at his waist, a flicker of relief rising in his heart. It is fortunate that His Majesty did not agree to my request to lead the charge that day. Otherwise, if I had led the army out alone, I might have already been captured or killed by the Moth Bandits.

Though he was reckless, he was not stupid. Facing an immortal with unfathomable powers, he felt that playing it safe was acceptable...

Atop the city walls, the ministers and generals harbored different thoughts, and the atmosphere gradually grew strange.

At this moment, Huang Tian stood upon the high platform. He looked up at the sky; it was overcast, gathering dark clouds, looking as if it were about to rain but holding back.

"After waiting for several days, I have finally reached a cloudy, rainy day..."

A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He tapped his right index finger lightly in mid-air, and brilliant golden light bloomed from his fingertip. Strands of spiritual energy drew in all the moisture between heaven and earth.

This was... the Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique!

Although the name contained the word "Lesser," if cast on a cloudy, rainy day, that word could be entirely discarded.

"Wind, come!"

The clear voice spread across the wilderness, ringing in everyone's ears.

Whoosh—

First came a bleak, cold wind, followed by a violent gale that roared from the depths of Mang Mountain. It carried the force to overturn everything, sending sand and stones flying, swaying tall trees, and making the banners snap and flutter!

Liu Hong and the high officials on the city walls were forced back repeatedly by the gale. Sand and dust filled their eyes, leaving them unable to see, their faces full of terror.

Liu Bei lunged forward to grab Liu Hong's arm, shouting loudly, his voice thinning in the wind, "Your Majesty, the false god is likely casting a spell of terrifying power! Let us retreat quickly, lest we be harmed by his sorcery!!"

Liu Hong nodded in a panic. "Yes, yes! Quickly, retreat!"

Protecting the Heaven-Reaching Crown swaying on his head, he fled toward the base of the city tower under the protection of Liu Bei. However, the soldiers on the tower also wanted to leave, but there were too many of them, and they became jammed together, pushing and shoving, unable to move.

Some soldiers, seeing no way out, knelt on the ground in sheer terror and kowtowed to Huang Tian, or lay flat on the ground, hugging their heads and trembling.

"Do not block the path! Do not block the path! Let His Majesty pass first!!"

Liu Bei shouted at the top of his lungs, but no one paid him any mind. He dared not rashly draw his blade to kill and clear a path; in such a situation, there was no telling how the panicked soldiers would react. If they drew their weapons to fight back, the safety of Liu Hong and the ministers would be impossible to guarantee.

The city walls were in complete chaos.

Below the city, the gale whipped Huang Tian's robes, but he paid it no mind. With another command of "Rain, come," the dark clouds in the sky rapidly accumulated, turning into a deep, inky black. The clouds hung low and churned, as if brewing something terrifying.

Patter... Patter...

Drops of rain drifted from the sky, landing on the small flags planted around the high platform with soft sounds. Immediately after, the rain grew heavier and heavier, turning the world into a vast, white curtain of rain that obscured the vision of countless people.

The wild wind roared and the torrential rain poured down as if the world had been turned upside down. The chaos on the walls of Luoyang intensified as everyone scrambled for a path, running downward like madmen.

Sun Jian was a man of bold courage; if he could not deal with God Huang Tian, could he not at least handle a mere rabble of soldiers? He immediately drew his blade from its scabbard and, with a ferocious expression, hacked down upon the neck of a youth who had discarded his armor. Puff. Scalding hot blood sprayed out, and the headless corpse collapsed heavily into the icy rain, splashing crystalline droplets into the air.

"All of you, clear a path for this Sima!!"

He roared as he carved a path with his blade. Everyone who stood in his way was cut down by a single strike. Although most of his personal guards had been scattered by the crowd, a few remained tightly at his side. The guards likewise slashed wildly with their swords, and on the horse path leading to the city gate tower, severed limbs flew through the air, turning the scene into a living hell.

Just then, someone shouted a curse amidst the torrential rain. Sun Jian faintly made out that the person was spitting insults and maledictions at him. He glared viciously in the direction of the voice, his pupils suddenly constricting as a crossbow bolt, gleaming with a cold light, puffed into his left eye with brutal force.

"Ah, the Sha tortures me so!!"

Clutching the crossbow bolt that had pierced his left eye, blood gushing between his fingers, Sun Jian let out a howl like a ghastly demon...