The three fixed their eyes on the beast and suddenly gasped. The giant beast was extremely massive, over three zhang (about 10 meters) tall, covered all over with hard black scales like iron-forged armor. It had a lion-like head, but several times larger than a lion, with a curved single horn on its forehead glowing with dark golden light. Its eyes were exactly the orange radiance seen earlier, like two burning flames exuding a ferocious aura. Its four limbs were thick and powerful, with claws as sharp as knives that could easily tear gold and stone. A long tail dragged behind it, tipped with thorns.
"Is... Is this..." Liu Bei exclaimed involuntarily, "the legendary Suanni (one of the Nine Sons of the Ancient Giant Dragon, resembling a lion, fond of smoke and sitting, infinitely powerful, and capable of devouring tigers and leopards)! I never expected it to dwell in a cave here!"
After leaping onto the suspension bridge, the Suanni stared fixedly at the three, letting out a deafening roar that shook gravel from the cliff edges to roll down one after another. It suddenly took steps and charged toward the cliff edge where the three stood. The suspension bridge trembled violently under its trampling, and the decayed planks cracked one after another, falling into the torrential current below the cliff.
"Step back!" Guan Yu's loud shout, like a clap of thunder, echoed through the canyon, shaking gravel on the cliff walls on both sides to rustle down. His jujube-red warhorse, as if understanding human words, raised its head and neighed, trampling the decayed suspension bridge planks with its four hooves and charging straight at the Suanni. The suspension bridge was already dilapidated; after the warhorse stepped on it, it immediately let out a harsh "squeak——" sound. Through the gaps of the broken planks, the jet-black river water roared and surged, adding another layer of danger. Guan Yu held the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in his hand; the blade reflected the dark red halo of the River of Forgetfulness, and blue-gold dragon qi circulated along the blade edge, accompanied by a faint dragon roar. He knew well that the suspension bridge was narrow, only allowing one person and one horse to pass. Today, he had to fight to the death to block this exotic beast, buying time for his elder brother and third brother to cross the bridge.
The Suanni was originally an exotic beast guarding the suspension bridge over the River of Forgetfulness. Its body was as large as a lion, but it had a single horn, and its entire body was covered with dark golden scales that glowed with a cold luster in the yin mist. Seeing that Guan Yu dared to take the initiative to charge, the ferocity in its eyes intensified. It opened its blood-red mouth and let out a deafening roar. A stench mixed with cold dampness hit their faces, almost suffocating them. It suddenly kicked its front limbs; its thick beast legs made the suspension bridge shake violently, and the vines let out a groan of being overwhelmed. Its huge claws, carrying the howling wind, struck straight at Guan Yu's face like iron shovels, the claw tips glowing with a faint blue cold light as if poisoned.
Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes, not daring to neglect in the slightest. He twisted his waist, and the warhorse under him took a half-step to the left, narrowly avoiding the Suanni's sharp claws. At the same time, the veins on his arms bulged, and he suddenly swung his blade horizontally. The Green Dragon Crescent Blade drew a perfect arc in the air, and the blue-gold blade qi, wrapped in majestic dragon qi, slashed at the Suanni's claws like a silk ribbon. This strike gathered Guan Yu's lifelong cultivation, determined to cut off the exotic beast's claws.
"Clang——!"
A deafening crash erupted. At the moment the blade collided with the claws, sparks flew in all directions like a torrential downpour, falling on the decayed planks and igniting tiny sparks that were instantly extinguished by the pervasive dampness. Guan Yu only felt a huge force like Mount Tai pressing down along the blade, his arms going numb, his qi and blood surging, and a trace of fishy sweetness rising in his throat. The jujube-red warhorse under him was even shaken back three steps by this impact, its four hooves slipping on the suspension bridge, almost falling into the River of Forgetfulness below. The horse's belly rose and fell violently, obviously also under great pressure.
Looking at the Suanni again, its claws were unexpectedly hard, actually blocking the heavy blow of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, leaving only a shallow white mark on the dark golden claw nails. The exotic beast was shocked, obviously not expecting this mortal to possess such great divine power. It shook its claws, the ferocity in its eyes becoming even stronger, and two streams of white air sprayed out of its nostrils, full of intense hostility.
"What hard claws!" Guan Yu was shocked. The Suanni's defense far exceeded his expectations; ordinary weapons would probably not even scratch its scales. But he had been on the battlefield for a long time, and when had he ever feared a strong enemy? After a brief moment of shock, he quickly stabilized his mind, turned his wrist, and the Green Dragon Crescent Blade made a flower-like maneuver. The blue-gold blade qi became even more intense, and he swung the blade again to slash at the single horn on the Suanni's head. The single horn was crystal clear, glowing with a sharp edge, obviously the Suanni's vital point and the source of its power.
Seeing this, the Suanni was not to be outdone. It suddenly shook its head, and the single horn, carrying the sharp edge of breaking through the air, met the Green Dragon Crescent Blade like a sharp sword. Another ear-splitting crash erupted; this collision was more violent than the previous one. The blue-gold blade qi and the cold light of the single horn intertwined, forming a brief light wall. Guan Yu only felt his chest being hit by a heavy hammer, his qi and blood surging even more violently, and a trace of blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth. He forcibly swallowed it, holding the handle of the blade tightly with both hands to prevent the weapon from falling.
The Suanni was also shaken back two steps by the blade qi. Its huge body hit the vine guardrail of the suspension bridge, and several thick ancient vines snapped with a crack, falling into the River of Forgetfulness and being instantly swallowed by the torrential current. On the single horn on its head, a small cut was made by the blade qi, and dark purple blood dripped down along the single horn, falling on the planks with a "sizzling" sound and corroding small pits. In pain, the Suanni became even more violent. It raised its head to the sky and let out a long, shrill roar. The dark golden scales all over its body glowed with a strange red light. Its four limbs trampled the suspension bridge, making it teeter on the verge of collapse. Many decayed planks directly broke and fell into the river, making the already narrow battlefield even more dangerous.
Guan Yu struggled to stand up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his phoenix eyes were filled with fighting spirit. He propped the Green Dragon Crescent Blade on the ground to stabilize his figure, shouting to Liu Bei and Zhang Fei behind him: "Elder Brother, Third Brother, cross the bridge quickly! Leave this beast to me!" Before he finished speaking, the Suanni had already pounced again. This time, it no longer only attacked, but used its huge body to collide with Guan Yu, obviously wanting to directly knock him off the suspension bridge.
Seeing this, Guan Yu suddenly turned around to avoid the Suanni's collision, and at the same time swung his blade to slash at its abdomen. The scales there were relatively weak and might be the key to defeating the enemy. The Suanni reacted extremely quickly, twisting its waist and taking the blow on its back. With a "clang", the blade hit the scales, sparks flying, and bounced off, leaving only a deeper white mark. But the force of this strike was extremely great, and the Suanni was shaken to stagger, almost falling.
The suspension bridge shook violently in the fierce battle between the two, as if it would collapse at any moment. The torrential current of the River of Forgetfulness roared below, and the wails of countless lonely ghosts intertwined with the loud noise of the fight, forming a netherworld-like battle song. Guan Yu knew well that time was urgent; he could not linger with this exotic beast and must end the battle quickly. He took a deep breath, circulated his true qi in his body, and poured all the blue-gold dragon qi into the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. The blade let out bursts of dragon roars, its light so dazzling that people could not look directly at it.
"Green Dragon Slash!" Guan Yu shouted loudly, jumping up, and the long blade in his hand, carrying the momentum of destroying the world, slashed at the Suanni's neck. The Suanni looked up, a trace of fear flashing in its eyes, but it was also driven to ferocity. It suddenly raised its head, the single horn meeting the blade again, while opening its blood-red mouth to bite at Guan Yu.
Seeing this, Zhang Fei was so anxious that he paced back and forth, wanting to step forward to help. But the suspension bridge was too narrow, only allowing one person to pass. Guan Yu was entangled with the Suanni, and he could not step forward at all. What made him even more frustrated was that he was born afraid of heights. Standing on the shaking cliff edge, with a hundreds-of-zhang abyss and turbulent current below, he only felt dizzy, his legs not listening to him, and he could not even stand still, let alone rush up to fight.
"Second Brother! I'm here to help you!" Zhang Fei shouted anxiously, but he could only stamp his feet on the spot, holding the spear tightly in his hand, helpless.
The Suanni fought with Guan Yu for dozens of rounds, still unable to find a flaw, and became more and more anxious. It suddenly roared, and its body suddenly rose into the air, floating in mid-air. It turned out that the Suanni was not only infinitely powerful, but also had the ability to float in the air. It circled in the air, suddenly turned around, avoided Guan Yu's blade, and pounced at Liu Bei behind him.
Liu Bei was caught off guard and could only subconsciously pull out the sword at his waist to resist. But the Suanni was too fast, and its huge claws were in front of him in an instant, the stench hitting his face. Seeing that Liu Bei was about to be bitten by the Suanni on the arm, at the critical moment of life and death, a roar suddenly sounded: "Evil beast! Don't hurt my elder brother!"
Zhang Fei's eyes were wide open, staring angrily at the Suanni. He had somehow overcome his fear of heights and rushed to the cliff edge. Ignoring the shaking under his feet and the fear of the abyss, he suddenly stretched out his hands and tightly grabbed the two sword-like fangs of the Suanni. These two fangs were several inches long, extremely sharp, glowing with cold light. Zhang Fei's palms were cut, blood flowing, but he did not let go at all, using all his strength to grapple with the Suanni.
After the previous fight, the Suanni was already a little exhausted. It did not expect Zhang Fei to suddenly attack. Its fangs were grabbed, and it could not close its mouth. It suddenly became furious, twisting its head frantically to break free from Zhang Fei's hands. Its strength was boundless. Zhang Fei only felt his arms were about to be torn apart, his bones creaking, his face turning red, and his veins bulging, but he still gritted his teeth tightly and refused to let go.
"I, Zhang Fei, will fight you to the death!" Zhang Fei roared, exerting force from his dantian, and suddenly pulled back. There were two crisp "crack" sounds, and the two huge fangs of the Suanni were actually pulled out alive by him!
"Aoow——" The Suanni let out a shrill scream, its orange eyes full of pain and anger. It suddenly broke free from Zhang Fei's hands, rolled several times in the air, and then pounced at Zhang Fei again.
But at this time, because the Suanni had lost two huge fangs, its strength was greatly reduced, and it was shocked by Zhang Fei's bravery. The force of its pounce was not as strong as before. Although Zhang Fei's arms were in severe pain, when he saw the Suanni pouncing, he still had no fear. He raised his spear and suddenly stabbed at the Suanni's eyes. The Suanni was so frightened that it quickly dodged, but was scratched on the eyelid by the tip of Zhang Fei's spear, blood flowing.
In great pain, the Suanni no longer had the will to fight. It let out a sad neigh, turned around and fell into the torrential current below the cliff. In the torrential current below the cliff, the wails like countless ghosts suddenly became intense. Countless black shadows rushed out of the water, like hungry beasts, swarming up and tearing the Suanni's body. The Suanni let out bursts of screams, and was soon submerged by the black shadows, disappearing into the turbulent current, and the wails gradually subsided.
At this moment, there was a loud "crack" sound. The suspension bridge, which had long been overwhelmed, finally broke. The huge vines and planks fell into the torrential current below the cliff, stirring up huge waves. Guan Yu, Liu Bei, and Zhang Fei were caught off guard and fell down the cliff one after another. At the critical moment, the three subconsciously grabbed a few remaining thick vines beside them.
The vines were stretched straight by the weight of the three, making a "creaking" sound, as if they would break at any moment. Guan Yu grabbed a vine tightly with one hand, and subconsciously reached out to Liu Bei with the other, just grabbing Liu Bei's wrist. The three hung on the hundreds-of-zhang cliff, with the torrential current below, their situation extremely dangerous.
"Elder Brother, hold on tight!" Guan Yu shouted loudly, exerting force with his arm, wanting to pull Liu Bei up. But the bearing capacity of the vines was limited. The weight of the three plus the impact of the water flow made the vines shake more and more violently, and subtle cracks had appeared on them.
Liu Bei looked at Guan Yu's red face due to exertion, and then at the precarious vines. He made a ruthless decision in his heart and said: "Second Brother, let go! This vine can't support the three of us. If this continues, we will all die here! My death is not a pity, but I haven't fulfilled the wish of reviving the Han Dynasty. You and Third Brother must survive!" After speaking, he resolutely let go of the hand holding the vine, wanting to sacrifice himself for righteousness.
"Elder Brother! Absolutely not!" Guan Yu held Liu Bei's wrist tightly, his eyes firm. "The three of us brothers, we do not seek to be born on the same year, month, and day, but we seek to die on the same year, month, and day! How can we live alone? Besides, reviving the Han Dynasty cannot do without Elder Brother. If something happens to you, even if Third Brother and I survive, it will be meaningless!"
At this moment, Zhang Fei suddenly shouted loudly: "Second Brother, Elder Brother, I'll go up first, then pull you up!" He gritted his teeth, exerted force with his arms, and relying on his amazing strength, actually climbed up the cliff alive. After landing, he had no time to catch his breath, and immediately untied the rope around his waist, fixing one end on the ancient tree at the cliff edge, and throwing the other end down: "Second Brother, Elder Brother, grab the rope! I'll pull you up!"
When Guan Yu heard this, he was overjoyed, and quickly said to Liu Bei: "Elder Brother, grab the rope!" Liu Bei nodded, let go of the hand holding the vine, and grabbed the rope together with Guan Yu. Zhang Fei pulled hard above, and Guan Yu also climbed with strength below. The two worked together and finally pulled Liu Bei up the cliff.
The three collapsed on the cliff, gasping for breath, covered in cold sweat, their clothes soaked, and their faces and hands covered with scars. The previous life-and-death struggle had exhausted their physical strength, and they still had lingering fears.
"Elder Brother, Second Brother, are you okay?" Zhang Fei was the first to recover, quickly asking, his eyes full of concern.
Liu Bei shook his head and smiled bitterly: "It's okay. Thanks to Third Brother and Second Brother, otherwise I would have died today." He looked at Zhang Fei, his eyes full of relief. "Third Brother, you bravely fought the Suanni today and saved me and Second Brother. You are truly extraordinary!"
Guan Yu also nodded and praised: "Third Brother, you have made great contributions today! If it weren't for you, Elder Brother would probably have suffered an accident."
Zhang Fei scratched his head, a simple and honest smile appearing on his face: "Elder Brother, Second Brother, this is my duty. We are brothers, and we should live and die together!" As he spoke, he held up the Suanni's fangs in his hand. The fangs were several inches long, dark golden in color, covered with fine lines, and emitting a faint orange glow—exactly the same as the light from the eyes seen in the black forest earlier. "Heh heh, I didn't expect I'd get such a treasure! These fangs are extremely hard; maybe they can also be forged into a divine weapon!" Zhang Fei's eyes were full of excitement, the previous exhaustion and fear gone, replaced only by the joy of obtaining the treasure.
After resting for a while, the three stood up and looked down the cliff. The suspension bridge had broken, making it impossible to move forward. The three fine horses they had brought and the items they carried had also fallen into the abyss due to shock, disappearing into the turbulent current.
"It seems that this second visit to Wolong Mountain will again be fruitless," Liu Bei looked at the black forest on the opposite side, filled with regret. He had visited Zhuge Liang twice, but both times had failed to meet him due to dangers, and he couldn't help feeling a little lost.
Guan Yu comforted him: "Elder Brother, don't be discouraged. Mr. Kongming is a rare talent in the world; the road to seeking a worthy person is never smooth. Although we didn't meet Mr. Kongming this time, Third Brother got this treasure, and we also witnessed the power of the Suanni—it can be regarded as an adventure."
Zhang Fei also nodded: "Elder Brother is right! Next time we come, we'll be fully prepared and definitely meet Mr. Kongming! I'll also forge a divine weapon with these fangs. By then, the three of us brothers will each have a divine artifact, and we will surely sweep the world!"
Hearing this, the loss in Liu Bei's heart gradually faded, and hope rekindled in his eyes: "Third Brother is right! Next time we come, we must invite Mr. Kongming out of the mountain!" He looked at the sky; the sun had set, and the afterglow spilled over the cliff.
"It's getting late. Let's first return to Xinye, rest, and then make plans."
Wolong Mountain was gradually shrouded in night. Behind them, strange sounds and the howls of monsters came from the forest again.