Mythical Three Kingdoms

”As the saying goes, all roads lead to the same destination. If I can understand the principle behind this scene, I may make a huge breakthrough in another area of my research.” Jia Xu’s eyes were calm, yet he did not hide his covetousness.

”Is this Mao Xiaoxian’s research? Is he testing whether my power can erase the path he has paved?” Sima Yi muttered to himself with a solemn expression.

”No, he is not testing you. He is merely warning us that even after losing his Spiritual Talent and Legion Talent, Lord Cao still possesses this power, warning us that Lord Cao must not be lightly disgraced.” Fa Zheng said indifferently, ”However, I admit, he has that qualification.”

At this moment, Zhou Yu’s expression was very unpleasant. In his view, the current situation clearly indicates that Cao Cao possesses the power to stand on equal footing with Liu Bei. Although this power might be cracked in a few years, the years it buys are enough for Cao Cao to accomplish many things.

[ I must find a way now; otherwise, if we go to war, the Yangtze River will be an obstacle and there’s not much to fear. But in negotiations, the gap between us and Cao and Liu will be apparent. ] Zhou Yu thought with a heavy heart.

[ I must resolve this issue quickly; otherwise, Bofu’s disadvantage is too evident. Compared to Cao and Liu, Bofu’s weaknesses are too obvious. ] Zhou Yu was anxious deep down.

The skill Cao Cao has displayed now is enough. Combined with Sima Yi’s intimidation, it can almost be considered a trump card. And revealing it so openly, his intentions are clear to Zhou Yu.

”What is going on here?” Xu Shu frowned, visibly gloomier. After his greatest ability was abolished, this strange situation made him realize his own weakness.

”If this ability cooperates with Sima Zhongda, it’s simply unsolvable.” Liu Ye said darkly.

”Not unsolvable, though. When legion faces legion, we have no disadvantage. Even without the blessings of Legion Talent or Military Formation, as long as the dispatching level is high enough, the legion can still be fragmented, and this move has a clear weakness.” Jia Xu slowly withdrew his gaze and turned to Liu Ye.

”Weakness?” Liu Ye was surprised to hear this, even showing a hint of joy.

”Yes, Mao Xiaoxian’s ability probably cannot distinguish between friend and foe, but this is both a strength and a weakness.” Guo Jia slowly spoke, ”The downside is that at a certain point, the enemy will receive support too, but the upside is that some negative effects can be bestowed upon the enemy. The biggest flaw is that once the Cloud Qi is destroyed, hengheng.”

”More importantly, negative effect Military Formations are far more than positive ones.” Jia Xu sighed, ”So, the only major flaw might be Mao Xiaoxian himself. This move consumes a lot, though it appears only rudimentary, and likely has many adjustable areas.”

”I suddenly find this move very suitable for me. Do you remember the first encounter at Mount Tai?” Sima Yi stopped his horse and withdrew his gaze from the Sky Dome, casting it upon Zhuge Liang, and surprisingly showed a hint of pride on his somber face.

”I remember back then Zhongda was extraordinarily confident, yet you didn’t win any of the three games.” Zhuge Liang smiled and said, not shaken by Sima Yi’s words.

”That’s not what I’m talking about.” Sima Yi said sulkily, took a deep breath to suppress the fire in his chest, and looked at Zhuge Liang. ”The battle on the chessboard is insignificant, only the victory on the battlefield truly matters.”

”I agree with that.” Zhuge Liang nodded.

”Your greatest advantage is your infinite Spiritual Talent, possessing all Spiritual Talents, while my Spiritual Talent firmly suppresses yours. You have everything, and I have nothing.” Sima Yi provocatively said to Zhuge Liang, who didn’t deny it.

”In the past, I also pondered that although my Spiritual Talent can abolish your greatest reliance, on the battlefield what should I rely on? And now I suddenly find the power Mao Xiaoxian possesses is exactly what I need. Kongming, do you have any other tricks?” Seeing Zhuge Liang did not deny it, Sima Yi said with some arrogance.

”Well, first of all, your perspective is problematic. My greatest reliance is not my Spiritual Talent. To be accurate, generally, I don’t use my Spiritual Talent. So if you believe my Spiritual Talent is my reliance, then all your subsequent deductions are entirely wrong.” Zhuge Liang said with a gentle smile to Sima Yi.

”Moreover, there’s another very crucial point. If you think mastering the power of Mao Xiaoxian can suppress mine, I can only say, the gap between us is truly vast now.” Zhuge Liang sighed.

Sima Yi’s face darkened upon hearing this, while Zhuge Liang merely shook his head and said no more.

Mao Jie did not maintain the manifestation for long, withdrawing his Cloud Qi solidification. The Cloud Qi that originally condensed into a Military Formation quickly dissipated when Mao Jie withdrew his power, rapidly disappearing, and the previous spectacle turned into a phantom shadow.

”This move is not bad, it holds significant research value.” Chen Xi looked in the direction of Mao Jie, clicking his tongue in wonder. It seemed that the civil and military officials under Cao Cao shouldn’t be underestimated. He then turned his head and called out to Sima Yi, ”Zhongda, shut down your Spiritual Talent, otherwise, some military generals might come over to trouble you.”

Sima Yi, upon hearing this, immediately turned off his Spiritual Talent. The Spiritual Talents and Legion Talents lost by the group were restored, but several military generals were already rushing over.

”Is Marquis Chen interested in my move?” Mao Jie asked with a smile.

”Everyone here is probably interested in your move,” Chen Xi said without reservation, to which Mao Jie nodded in acknowledgment.

”Zhongda, Kongming, Shiyuan, the three of you come over for a moment.” Chen Xi beckoned in the direction of Pang Tong, Sima Yi, and Zhuge Liang. Upon hearing this, all three, whether it was the book-reading Pang Tong, the serious-looking Sima Yi, or the calm Zhuge Liang, came over riding their horses.

”Hmm, Ziming, you come over too.” Chen Xi thought for a moment and gestured towards Lyu Meng, who also rode over.

When the four had gathered, Chen Xi nodded in satisfaction. Pang Tong, Lyu Meng, Sima Yi, and Zhuge Liang were roughly the same age, all of them were malleable talents. Although some had already matured and changed, this was not important.

”Thank you, Marquis Chen, for the gift of books,” Pang Tong was the first to bow in thanks. Chen Xi waved his hand nonchalantly, indicating it was not to be taken to heart.

”Ha, this time I finally got you all together. Do you want me to give you a title, form a group or something?” Chen Xi said, pleased with the four before him. Zhuge Liang, familiar with Chen Xi, sighed upon hearing this—Chen Xi was completely out of tune. The other three looked at Chen Xi with some confusion.

”Your talents are actually very good, but as for Ziming, it’s not about strategy. If I were you, I would speak frankly with Zhou Gongjin and directly say that I want to pursue the path of a Commander-in-chief. If you continue to waste time, you’ll have no chance of surpassing Zhou Gongjin in this lifetime.” Chen Xi looked at Lyu Meng as he spoke, causing Lyu Meng’s expression to turn somber.

”You are currently in what’s probably your last and fastest growth period. Although you learn faster when you’re younger, your mind is not as clear as it is now. Once this period passes, your mental and cognitive abilities will decline,” Chen Xi pointed to himself as he spoke, ”and I am an example of someone whose mental capabilities have significantly declined.”

Upon hearing this, the four of them were stunned, their faces no longer carrying their previous lightheartedness. Seeing the four of them like this, Chen Xi felt very satisfied.

”So, how much you grow in your later life will be basically decided in these upcoming years. Make sure to grow as much as possible during these years, and do not waste this period,” Chen Xi advised the four with a smile, and upon hearing this, all four nodded.

”Zhongda, your father should have sent you a letter. I wonder what thoughts you have after reading it.” After giving his instructions to the four, Chen Xi turned and asked Sima Yi.

Only then did Sima Yi realize this was likely all arranged by Chen Xi, and his father’s actions were probably just coincidental. With this thought, Sima Yi began to reconsider his decisions.

Although Zhuge Liang made him very uncomfortable, Zhuge Liang’s demeanor made Sima Yi clearly feel the gap between them. Currently, there was a very obvious gap between him and Zhuge Liang, while during the Mount Tai period, the two were nearly evenly matched.

”Think it over. That place was prepared as a training ground for Kongming by his teacher. This is all I can offer you,” Chen Xi said to Sima Yi, ”Looking at your expression, you probably realize the reason for the gap between you and him.”

Sima Yi remained silent. Such an effort, no wonder Zhuge Liang surpassed him. Expending so much energy on nurturing, even an ordinary person would be outstanding, let alone a rare genius like Zhuge Liang.

”Pang Shiyuan, your talent is not inferior to Kongming and Zhongda, and your ambitions are not as wild as theirs. The two of them are almost pursuing omnipotence, but with your own talent, you’re following the path of Military Strategy and Ingenious Strategy, which is very niche,” Chen Xi said after advising Sima Yi, turning to caution Pang Tong.

”The path you’re on is actually very simple. You don’t need anyone’s guidance; you can reach the limit on your own, but that’s it. You are wasting most of your talent in this process since your path is too easy,” Chen Xi sighed as he spoke to Pang Tong.

Initially, Chen Xi thought Pang Tong was learning everything related to military strategy, only to find out in the end that Pang Tong had only learned Ingenious Strategy and Military Administration. This was a waste of talent. What about Military Formation, Dispatch, Command? All these were not being learned—what a waste.

Upon hearing this, Pang Tong couldn’t help but bow his head in thought and finally sighed. He could say that even if he wanted to learn these things, he might not have the opportunity to learn Military Formation, Dispatch, Command.

These cannot be learned just by reading books; they require extensive practice, and the situation in Eastern Wu doesn’t allow Pang Tong to have the opportunity to practice these.