Chương 271: Liu Ce and Yuwen Chengdu Sparring

Xu Da and Xue Rengui quickly ran over and said, "My lord! What brings you here?"

Soon, Zhang Liao, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Lü Bu, Zhao Yun, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin... a whole bunch of generals surrounded him, all wearing armor and drenched in sweat.

Liu Ce laughed and said, "Not bad, not bad! The training is quite impressive! These kids are really something, there's a killer instinct in their eyes, and their movements are crisp and clean, not just for show!"

Upon hearing this, the generals all grinned, but remained modest:

"Your Majesty is too kind! It's all thanks to your excellent leadership!"

"Yes, the training methods you gave us are really effective. Push-ups, squats, weighted running... they've made the soldiers' legs strong and their endurance great!"

"They've been given ample equipment, wearing bright armor, carrying swords... naturally, morale is high!"

Liu Ce waved his hand dismissively with a laugh, saying, "Stop with the flattery! Do you think I don't know your abilities in leading troops? Xu Da is strict in his discipline, Ren Gui is good at paying attention to details, Yun Chang emphasizes the morale of his troops, and although Yi De is rough and bold, he is meticulous beneath his rough exterior... These are all your own abilities!"

The smiles on the faces of those whose names were called widened.

The lord remembers everyone's good deeds.

Liu Ce changed the subject, his eyes sweeping over the generals: "But speaking of which, my health..."

He thumped his shoulder.

"I'm practically rusting from boredom! Every day at the Prince's mansion, I'm either listening to reports or chatting with the madam. The gentle embrace is nice, but a warrior's hands itch if they don't touch a weapon!"

His eyes darted around, scanning the faces of the generals before finally settling on Yuwen Chengdu.

Yuwen Chengdu was currently polishing the blade of his Phoenix Wing Gilded Halberd, looking smug as he stood aside watching the spectacle, thinking, "My weapon is the coolest."

Liu Ce looked at Yuwen Chengdu and smiled slyly, saying, "Chengdu!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Chengdu sprang to his feet and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Your subordinate is here!"

"Shall we have a little sparring?" Liu Ce laughed.

"Let me see if your Phoenix Winged Gilded Halberd is still as formidable as before! I heard you've been frequently sparring with Fengxian, Rengui, and Jingde lately, and you've improved quite a bit?"

Yuwen Chengdu's eyes lit up instantly: "Your humble servant obeys! It is my honor to spar with you, my lord!"

He had long wanted to fight Liu Ce again! The last time they clashed was when he was first summoned. In the past few years, he had honed his skills on the battlefield and practiced with fierce generals such as Lü Bu, Xue Rengui, and Yuchi Gong. He felt that his martial arts skills had improved a lot and he was looking for an opportunity to test them!

"Great! Finally, we get to see the King show off his skills!" Cheng Yaojin was the first to jump up, his voice booming.

Dian Wei rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "The last time I saw Big Brother fight was when we wiped out the Xianbei... That scene was really exciting!"

Guan Yu stroked his long beard, his phoenix eyes gleaming with anticipation, and said, "Brother's martial arts are unparalleled in the world. General Yuwen is also a formidable general of our time. This battle is worth witnessing."

Lu Bu, eager for a fight, shouted at Yuwen Chengdu, "Chengdu, give it your all! Don't let the lord take you down in no time! I've fought you for three hundred rounds without a clear winner!"

Xue Rengui smiled and shook his head, saying, "Fengxian, the way you talk makes it sound like you can last long under our lord."

Lu Bu blushed, his neck stiffening as he said, "I... I can last at least two hundred rounds!"

The generals laughed.

The atmosphere instantly became lively.

later......

"The betting is on! How many rounds will it take for our lord to defeat General Yuwen?"

"I bet 150 rounds!"

"Nonsense! Our lord is incredibly valiant; a hundred rounds at most!"

"General Yuwen is no pushover either; I'll bet you two hundred rounds!"

The generals immediately erupted into a commotion, chattering and arguing amongst themselves.

Cheng Yaojin, with the loudest voice, had already started arranging for "opening betting".

Dian Wei and Xu Chu, those two simpletons, squeezed to the front, eagerly waiting to see what would happen.

Zhang Fei wrung his hands anxiously, saying, "Brother! Beat him hard! Let him see what Old Zhang... no, I mean, let him see how powerful Brother Zhang is!"

Luo Cheng crossed his arms and smirked, saying, "My lord, please go easy on me. Don't beat me to a pulp. I still want to spar with him."

Xue Rengui smiled and shook his head, saying, "Gongran, the way you're saying it makes it sound like Chengdu is destined to lose."

Zhao Yun, his eyes filled with anticipation, said, "It's been a long time since I've seen my elder brother go all out."

Gao Shun nodded silently to the side, Huang Zhong stroked his beard and smiled, and Zhang Liao, Xu Huang and others also gathered around.

All the soldiers on the drill ground stopped training and rushed over, forming layers upon layers, crowding around the area, craning their necks and standing on tiptoe, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"May Your Majesty be mighty! General Yuwen, keep up the good work!"

"My lord! Let us see this!"

The sounds of cheering, shouting, and whistling filled the air, making it even more lively than a vegetable market.

Caught up in the atmosphere, Liu Ce was in high spirits and said to his personal guards, "Go and bring me my Black Gold Armor, Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, and my Black Steed!"

"Here you go!"

In no time at all, the guards arrived swiftly, carrying armor, halberds, and leading the magnificent black warhorse. Upon seeing Liu Ce, the black horse snorted affectionately and nuzzled his shoulder.

Liu Ce quickly donned his black armor. Dressed neatly, he gripped the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, then mounted his black horse, which snorted excitedly and pawed the ground with its front hooves.

Liu Ce gripped the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd with one hand, casually swung it, and with a whoosh, a small gust of wind was stirred up.

Standing there, he was truly awe-inspiring, exuding an aura that seemed to swallow mountains and rivers. The once somewhat noisy training ground instantly quieted down.

The soldiers stared in disbelief. What was true majesty? This was true majesty! His Highness the Prince of Yan's imposing presence was so great that people would believe he was a god descended from heaven!

Yuwen Chengdu did not dare to be negligent and put on his armor.

He picked up his phoenix-winged gilded halberd, mounted his crimson dragon steed, and stood fifty paces away from Liu Ce.

The entire training ground fell silent instantly, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional snorting of the warhorses remaining.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes wide open, afraid of missing a single detail.

Liu Ce took a deep breath, spurred his horse's flanks, and shouted, "Begin!"

With a long neigh, the black horse charged out like a black lightning bolt! Fifty paces were covered in the blink of an eye!

With a whooshing sound, the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd swept across the battlefield, aiming straight for Yuwen Chengdu's waist and abdomen!

This halberd strike, seemingly simple, actually embodies Xiang Yu's domineering power of "strength to uproot mountains," transcending the scope of ordinary moves. It emphasizes overwhelming force and overwhelming strength! Before the halberd even arrives, a strong wind is already blowing in your face!

Yuwen Chengdu's pupils contracted slightly, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent. He knew how terrifying his lord's martial prowess was—the strength to charge into enemy lines single-handedly and take the head of an enemy general amidst a vast army!

"Ha!" Yuwen Chengdu exhaled and swung his phoenix-winged gilded halberd upwards, the shaft of the halberd colliding solidly with the shaft of the halberd!

"clang!!!"

A deafening clang of metal clashing!