"Why wouldn't I dare?" Zhao Yun's face showed a trace of coldness. He could sense the power hidden within his opponent, but even if Zhang He unleashed his full strength, Zhao Yun had absolute confidence in his own abilities. Moreover, under the dense battlefield cloud energy, he feared no one!
With a tug on the reins, Zhao Yun's steed, the Night Illumination Jade Lion, charged toward Zhang He. Behind him, a dozen of Zhao Yun's personal guards flanked him as they rushed toward their opponent.
"Take this!" Zhang He, already wary of Zhao Yun's strength after their initial exchange, thrust his spear with all his might, avoiding revealing his true abilities. The strike was forceful and decisive.
"Clang!" Zhao Yun deflected Zhang He's spear with a swift thrust of his own. A large blossom of spear energy bloomed before Zhang He's eyes, and before he could react, the spearhead shot forward like a flower bursting into bloom.
"Slash!" Zhang He managed to block with his spear, but the force of the blow tore a piece of armor from his shoulder, though it didn't draw blood.
Zhang He, his eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light, stared at Zhao Yun. His opponent wasn't overwhelmingly strong, nor did his inner energy seem particularly powerful. The cloud energy suppressed both of their abilities, making Zhao Yun an ideal match—a worthy opponent.
Laughing heartily, Zhang He swung his spear fiercely toward Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun, holding his spear in his right hand, thrust it toward Zhang He's chest with incredible speed, so fast that it was nearly impossible to track.
"Bang!" Zhang He, relying on instinct, parried Zhao Yun's lethal strike. In response, Zhao Yun swung his spear, killing two of Zhang He's guards.
"Die!" Zhang He ignored the deaths of his guards and aimed a powerful thrust at Zhao Yun's waist. The spear strike, heavy with force, caused the air to crackle. Zhao Yun, however, calmly used the butt of his spear to deflect Zhang He's attack and simultaneously killed another of Zhang He's guards with a quick counter.
"Zhao Yun! Do you dare face me in single combat?" Zhang He shouted in anger. He could tell that Zhao Yun's focus wasn't on him. Every move Zhao Yun made seemed aimed at his guards, a clear sign of disdain.
"You're too weak," Zhao Yun said, glancing at Zhang He. "If you fought with your full strength, it might be interesting. But as it stands now..."
"You're courting death!" Zhang He roared and thrust his spear with all his might. He hadn't expected Zhao Yun to be so strong—his physical strength seemed inferior, his inner energy at the same level as Zhang He's, yet Zhao Yun's effortless movements revealed a strength far beyond his own. Was this the power that allowed him to stand toe-to-toe with Lü Bu?
Zhao Yun thrust his spear forward in a simple, unadorned move. Zhang He met it with all his strength, but in the next moment, it felt as if he'd collided with a speeding truck. He was sent flying backward, crashing into his own men.
"Urgh..." Zhang He spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at Zhao Yun in shock. "Such a technique exists?"
As he recalled the techniques Yan Liang had been practicing, Zhang He realized how similar they were to Zhao Yun's move—methods that condensed power without dispersing it.
"You're just too weak," Zhao Yun said as he swept his spear through Zhang He's remaining guards, scattering them. With their cloud energies evenly matched, neither side could dominate the other in terms of inner energy suppression.
Seeing his guards scattered, Zhang He didn't hesitate. He mounted his horse and fled, realizing that this duel was unwinnable. Without using his full strength, he couldn't last ten moves against Zhao Yun.
"Trying to escape? Let's see you try!" Zhao Yun swept aside the last of Zhang He's guards and charged after him.
"Thud, thud, thud!" Seeing Zhao Yun's pursuit, the Wolf Cavalry turned and unleashed a rain of arrows at him. Zhao Yun twirled his spear, deflecting the arrows with ease, while the White Horse Volunteers responded with their own volley, overwhelming the Wolf Cavalry and shifting the battle's momentum.
Zhang He glanced back at the relentless Zhao Yun, fury building within him. He looked again at the state of his Wolf Cavalry, realizing that if this continued, his elite troops would collapse. He couldn't let Zhao Yun pursue them indefinitely.
Without further hesitation, Zhang He ordered his soldiers to scatter and relay messages to the Wolf Cavalry's commanders. After fleeing a bit longer, Zhang He abruptly turned and charged at Zhao Yun, while the Wolf Cavalry, in perfect unison, wheeled around to confront the White Horse Volunteers!
"Slash!" The Wolf Cavalry's sudden reverse charge caught many of the unprepared White Horse Volunteers off guard, and several were unseated. Meanwhile, Zhang He engaged Zhao Yun once more.
"Clang!" Zhang He, with a calm expression, thrust his spear at Zhao Yun. The two crossed weapons, and Zhang He was sent flying sideways, while Zhao Yun took two steps back.
"Again!" Zhang He shouted, his face serious, as he spurred his horse toward Zhao Yun. His spear seemed coated in a layer of dark energy as he hurled it toward his opponent.
Zhao Yun remained composed, deflecting Zhang He's spear. He could feel the condensed power in that strike—it was not to be blocked head-on.
"Get out of my way!" Zhang He's deflected spear suddenly surged with a terrifying force, exploding the air around it as it drove toward Zhao Yun.
"Bang!" Zhao Yun, holding his spear with both hands, blocked Zhang He's attack with even greater speed. As their weapons clashed, Zhao Yun felt his hands go numb, while Zhang He's hands began to bleed.
Despite the blood dripping from his hands, Zhang He didn't relent. He seemed possessed, his eyes blazing with madness as he launched a desperate assault on Zhao Yun. Each attack was more forceful than the last, each strike heavier than the one before.
Ten moves, twenty moves, thirty moves—Zhang He unleashed a final, powerful strike that forced Zhao Yun back. As Zhao Yun braced for the next attack, Zhang He shouted, "Retreat!"
At the same moment, the sound of gongs echoed from the rear of the Wolf Cavalry. The soldiers, who had been preparing to counterattack, turned and followed Zhang He in a swift retreat.
Zhao Yun hesitated for a moment, then shouted, "Attack!" Leading the White Horse Volunteers, he charged after the retreating Wolf Cavalry.
They pursued for about ten miles until Zhang He reached the hills where he had previously set his ambush. Zhao Yun and his White Horse Volunteers followed closely behind.
"Kill!" The ambushers hidden in the hills shouted as Zhao Yun passed by, loosing a rain of arrows down on the White Horse Volunteers below.