Chapter 1143: The Invincible is Always the Person

"How is this possible?" Ma Chao pointed at himself, exclaiming, "How could I be inside my own mind?"

"Hmph." Lü Bu let out a cold snort, looking too disdainful to explain.

"I'm afraid what Lord Wenhou says is true," Guan Yu said with a serious expression. He suddenly realized that the gap between his strength and Lü Bu’s had not only failed to close but was instead growing infinitely larger. The techniques Lü Bu demonstrated no longer seemed human.

"This must be a technique of the gods. No wonder you have ascended to the heavens, Lord Wenhou," Guan Yu said gravely, summoning his Green Dragon Crescent Blade to his hand as if it naturally belonged there.

"What? He ascended to the heavens? How is that possible?" Ma Chao gaped in disbelief. "Only saints can ride nine dragons to ascend to the heavens. How could he?"

Without even glancing at Ma Chao, Guan Yu kept his focus on Lü Bu. "He shattered the sky above Jiuyuan City in Bingzhou, then rode his Red Hare horse and ascended to the heavens with his wife."

"...I was really lucky not to have died before," Ma Chao muttered, feeling fortunate.

"Enough talk. Ma Chao, I left this divine imprint in your consciousness because I wasn’t confident I could break through the limits of heaven and man. But now, it seems I have succeeded," Lü Bu casually swung his Sky Halberd, and an overwhelming pressure bore down on both of them.

At this point, even if Ma Chao were foolish, he understood what Lü Bu meant—he had left this imprint to train him.

"Both of you come at me together. Let the mortal world once again experience the might of Lü Bu," Lü Bu said, losing interest in dragging things out. After a thousand battles, Lü Bu realized that Ma Chao’s growth was limited. Despite gaining experience and insight, Ma Chao’s core strength remained at the peak of internal energy cultivation.

Even though Lü Bu had fed him countless opportunities for improvement, after a thousand battles, Ma Chao had only gained in technique, perception, and reflexes. Lü Bu, even if foolish, understood that this opportunistic training method wouldn't lead to Ma Chao’s true development.

Thinking of how he had already ascended, Lü Bu lost much of his desire to continue teaching. Ma Chao had already reached the peak of his training in terms of experience and technique. Lü Bu figured there was nothing more to teach, so he prepared to enjoy one last fight before disappearing.

Ma Chao’s face filled with resentment. He looked at Guan Yu, clearly displeased. The world’s number one ascended martial artist had been sparring with him, providing endless opportunities to grow, and now that chance was about to be ruined by Guan Yu.

"You better give it your all. If you get injured here, your real body will suffer too. For you, the mind and body are one!" Lü Bu laughed as he ascended into the sky. With a powerful swing of his Sky Halberd, the world created by Lü Bu’s divine imprint began to break apart with a howling wind.

All the light gathered around Guan Yu’s Green Dragon Crescent Blade as he poured every ounce of strength into it. Similarly, Ma Chao infused his spear with his unwavering will. However, before they could strike, the sky shattered like glass.

"Take this blow!" Lü Bu’s roar, amplified by the power of the heavens and earth, echoed like thunder across the crumbling world, and in the next instant, everything shattered.

Neither Guan Yu nor Ma Chao had expected Lü Bu’s attack to carry such devastating force, shattering the very fabric of the world. Desperately, they unleashed their full-strength strikes at the largest fracture in the sky.

As the false space collapsed, Ma Chao’s body reconnected with his primary consciousness, forcibly expelling any foreign presence. However, the injuries incurred in that space also erupted outward, and countless small wounds appeared all over his body, staining the bed sheets with blood.

At the same time, a violent, chaotic force pressed down on Guan Yu, causing numerous wounds to burst open across his body. In an instant, radiant light enveloped him, flickering between light and darkness. After a moment of confusion, Guan Yu regained his senses, standing next to Ma Chao as blood spurted from his wounds.

Lü Bu’s single strike was earth-shattering, though it wasn't his own power that caused the world to crumble. Since the world was created by Lü Bu through his eternal will, he could destroy it as he wished, and the space shattered simply because the power was withdrawn.

As for the injuries sustained by Ma Chao and Guan Yu, the simple truth was that they believed the strike to be real. Lü Bu’s overwhelming blow had convinced them that it was.

"We can’t let this go to waste!" Wu Pu, seeing the countless blood spurts from Guan Yu, immediately sprang into action. He began collecting the blood in various jars, adding materials as he worked. Opportunities like this didn’t come often!

Meanwhile, Ma Chao suddenly opened his eyes, hearing Lü Bu’s voice in his ear. "Work hard now. I’ve taught you all the techniques and skills. You now have enough experience not to lose to anyone in the world. The rest is up to you to become invincible."

Before Ma Chao could respond, Lü Bu’s voice continued, "But I do agree with Chen Zichuan's words—there are no invincible techniques or skills, only invincible people. You know everything I do, yet you're still weak! That last strike was just a simple slash."

Ma Chao nearly spat out blood at this, but remembering how Lü Bu had shattered an entire world with that single strike, he held back. Truly, there seemed to be no limit to martial prowess. Even the heavens could be shattered.

Ma Chao also realized what had happened at the Xianbei royal court. With the power displayed in Lü Bu’s final blow, Ma Chao considered it a miracle that anything remained of the Xianbei at all. With the heavens themselves shattered, the destruction must have been terrifying.

"I’ve ruined Mengqi’s opportunity," Guan Yu rarely showed embarrassment, but he now felt a little regretful. Unlike the straightforward Ma Chao, Guan Yu could tell from Lü Bu’s words that this had been a form of inheritance. Ma Chao had been chosen by Lü Bu to carry on his martial legacy.

"Forget it. He already taught me everything—the techniques and skills—and my combat experience is now vast. That final strike showed me the ultimate limit of martial prowess." Though Ma Chao felt some resentment, he let it go.

Lü Bu’s final words had been right. Ma Chao had already learned all of Lü Bu’s techniques and skills. After sparring with him countless times, Ma Chao’s experience was no less than anyone else’s, yet he still couldn’t land a hit on Lü Bu.

"Invincibility never comes from techniques or skills; invincibility always lies in the person. Even if it's the simplest strike, if it shatters the heavens, you have to acknowledge that as invincible!" Ma Chao thought to himself.

Both Guan Yu and Ma Chao were filled with an unyielding spirit. Instead of fear, Lü Bu’s earth-shattering blow brought them joy. They now understood that martial strength could reach such heights, that this was what true power looked like.

"One day, I will reach that level too!" Guan Yu resolved silently. He finally understood why everyone had stopped when Lü Bu shattered the sky. This was what true strength was.

Neither Guan Yu nor Ma Chao considered that it wasn’t really about shattering the heavens—Lü Bu’s ascension had simply elevated his legend.

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