On the contrary, Wang Xuan and the others on the ground were only dizzy from the explosion and were not seriously injured.
That's because the person who made the move was hesitant, worried about harming their own people, so they deliberately controlled the attack range.
Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Alliance of the Feudal Lords
Wang Xuan was stunned by the sudden attack.
Even from a distance of several thousand meters, a casual spear thrust through the air could repel two powerful cultivators at the Transcendent Realm.
The person who made the move from afar must be a top expert at the Celestial Realm!
"Wait a minute, the person who just made the move called himself Zhang Yide from Yan. Isn't that Zhang Fei?" Coming to his senses, Wang Xuan immediately guessed the origin of this group of people.
When Wang Xuan observed the aura earlier, he noticed that one of the warlords was missing from Suanzao City; that warlord was likely Gongsun Zan. Liu Bei, who had come with Gongsun Zan, lagged behind and only arrived now.
In fact, Liu Bei was also a warlord, but he had too few troops and his position was only that of a county magistrate. Therefore, he could only participate in this alliance as a vassal of Gongsun Zan and could not obtain the qualification of a warlord.
It wasn't until the Battle of the Three Heroes against Lü Bu that people learned Liu Bei had two fierce generals under his command, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Only then did Liu Bei gain fame and recognition from the other warlords, and could barely be considered a warlord himself.
Wang Xuan smiled. He had been worried about how to infiltrate the coalition of warlords, but now that he had met Liu Bei, everything was solved.
Liu Bei is no longer the imperial uncle of the Han Dynasty he will become. He has no troops, no territory, and his official position is only that of a county magistrate. He is in a state of destitution.
Wang Xuan was, after all, the son of Grand Minister Wang Yun. As long as he revealed his background, wouldn't Liu Bei come to befriend him?
Thinking of this, Wang Xuan shouted loudly, "Is that Liu Bei, the hero who defeated the Yellow Turban Army? I have long heard that Lord Xuande is eager to recruit talented people. Why did you allow your subordinates to attack us today? Isn't this going to discourage the heroes of the world?"
His shout was fueled by his innate true energy. Although it couldn't shake the earth for miles like Zhang Fei's, it still reached Liu Bei and the others in front of him.
"Where did that brat come from? Judging from his tone, does he think he's some kind of top talent? Who gave him the courage to talk back to me like that!" Someone in Liu Bei's army sneered with great displeasure.
This man was eight feet tall, with a leopard's head, piercing eyes, a swallow's chin, and tiger's whiskers. His voice was like thunder, and his momentum like a galloping horse. If Wang Xuan were here, he would recognize him at a glance—who else could it be but Zhang Fei, the Third Master Zhang?
Zhang Fei was about to rush over and teach them a lesson, but Liu Bei, who was beside him, immediately scolded, "Yide, don't be rude!"
"The identities of those people ahead are unknown, but they are riding unicorns and have two experts at the Transcendent Realm acting as guards. They must be extraordinary. Don't offend them easily and make an enemy for nothing."
Liu Bei had suffered setbacks at every turn over the years. When he finally managed to get the position of county magistrate of Anxi during the campaign against the Yellow Turbans, he had to resign because Zhang Fei whipped the inspector.
Fortunately, he had the title of a member of the Han imperial family, and he also had a good friend, Gongsun Zan, who was willing to take him in and helped him secure the position of magistrate of Pingyuan County.
The hardships Liu Bei had experienced over the years had made him more shrewd and less impulsive than he had been in his youth.
Liu Bei began by lecturing Zhang Fei: "Yide, for the sake of restoring the Han Dynasty's four-thousand-year foundation, I have worked hard to recruit talents over the years, but after all, my foundation is shallow, and where would truly talented people be willing to serve me?"
"Regardless of whether that kid in front is truly talented or not, he keeps claiming to be incredibly talented, so we can't afford to offend him. Otherwise, it will become even more difficult for us to recruit talent."
Zhang Fei, with his somewhat simple mind, couldn't understand and turned to look at the other person beside him.
The man was nine feet tall, with a two-foot-long beard, a face like a red date, phoenix eyes, and silkworm eyebrows. This was none other than the famous Guan Yu, the Second Master Guan.
Faced with his third brother's questioning gaze, Guan Yu simply uttered a few words: "A thousand pieces of gold to buy a horse's bones!"
Well, since both his elder brothers said so, Zhang Fei had no way to refute them.
Liu Bei, riding a white horse, said softly, "Let's go see those people."
Before long, Wang Xuan saw Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, the three brothers, walking towards them.
The three men before him were strikingly similar: one had arms that reached past his knees and large ears; another had a face like a red date, wore a green hat, and had a long beard; and the third had a leopard-like head and piercing eyes, with a slightly dark complexion. They were exactly the same as the three men Wang Xuan remembered—Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei—so he was absolutely certain he wouldn't mistake them.
"This must be Lord Xuande," Wang Xuan said with a smile. "I've heard my father mention you before, and I never expected to have the honor of meeting you today."
Liu Bei felt a chill run down his spine, but asked with a friendly expression, "May I ask who your father is?"
"My father is Wang Yun, the Grand Minister of Works of the Great Han Empire!" Wang Xuan's tone was rhythmic and imposing.
He often uses his father's name to intimidate people, and now that it's time to show off his father's connections, it would be unbecoming of him not to bring out Wang Yun's name.
Sure enough, when Liu Bei learned that Wang Xuan was the son of Situ Wang Yun, he immediately became respectful. Even Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were standing next to Liu Bei, looked at Wang Xuan with more kindness.
Just because Wang Xuan is Wang Yun's son, he deserves to be treated with special courtesy.
What followed was a natural progression: Wang Xuan and his companions infiltrated Liu Bei's army and followed them into Suanzao City.
Wang Xuan even asked Liu Bei to help him conceal his identity. He wouldn't openly stand against Dong Zhuo, the fat man, since his family was right under Dong Zhuo's nose.
Otherwise, the brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu would serve as his role models. These two brothers openly opposed Dong Zhuo, especially Yuan Shao, who even became the leader of the coalition of warlords. As a result, Dong Zhuo killed the entire Yuan family in a fit of rage.
"Don't do anything that will harm your father, or you'll end up killing him, and then you'll have nowhere to cry." Wang Xuan is reliable in crucial moments.
A few days later, the Suanzao Alliance officially began. As a small force, Liu Bei was not qualified to participate in the alliance independently, but instead relied on Gongsun Zan.
Regardless, Wang Xuan finally managed to seize the opportunity and sneak in with Liu Bei.
Now, let's talk about who those eighteen warlords were.
The first town was led by General Yuan Shu, the Prefect of Nanyang.
The second town was headed by Han Fu, the governor of Yizhou.
The third town was under the jurisdiction of Kong Zhou, the governor of Yuzhou.
The fourth commander was Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou.
The fifth town was headed by Wang Kuang, the governor of Hanoi Commandery.
The sixth town was headed by Zhang Miao, the prefect of Chenliu.
The seventh town, under the jurisdiction of Qiao Mao, the Prefect of Dongjun.
The eighth town, prefect of Shanyang, Yuan Yi.
The Ninth Town, Jibei Xiang Baoxin.
The tenth governor was Kong Rong, the prefect of Beihai.
The eleventh town, prefect of Guangling, Zhang Chao.
The twelfth town, under the command of Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou.
The thirteenth town, the governor of Xiliang, Ma Teng.
The fourteenth commander, Gongsun Zan, the Prefect of Beiping.
The fifteenth town, prefect of Shangdang, Zhang Yang.
The sixteenth commander was Sun Jian, the Marquis of Wucheng and Prefect of Changsha.
The seventeenth commander was Yuan Shao, the Marquis of Qi and Prefect of Bohai.
These seventeen warlords, plus the host Cao Cao, make a total of eighteen warlords.
Moreover, compared to the Three Kingdoms era in Wang Xuan's previous life, the main world has a larger territory and a larger population, and the forces brought by various warlords are naturally much greater.
Each of the warlords had anywhere from two or three hundred thousand to five or six hundred thousand troops under their command, and these were all elite soldiers handpicked from the best!
The eighteen warlords combined had over six million elite troops, their military aura and menacing presence permeating the entire city of Suanzao, leaving Wang Xuan somewhat parched.
Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Great Battle Begins
Liu Bei had few soldiers and generals, and no territory of his own. In the eyes of other warlords, he was just a nobody, and his status was not high.
Wang Xuan had infiltrated the vassal state with Liu Bei, and before he revealed his identity, he naturally wouldn't receive preferential treatment from the other lords.
He, Cai Yan, Li Dian, and Yue Jin stayed in Suanzao City for several days, but they did not see Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, or the others until the army set off.
However, Wang Xuan did not feel regret. The reason he infiltrated the allied forces of the feudal lords was not to get to know those feudal lords.
He only wanted to watch the battles between those top experts to judge just how powerful the main world's military strength had become.
If Wang Xuan, like other transmigrators, wanted to dominate the world and sit on the throne of the Human Emperor, then he would naturally need to make acquaintances with some feudal lords and build a wide network of connections.
But Wang Xuan had never had such a thought.
While a human emperor could certainly amass great fortune, Wang Xuan possessed the Eternal Tower of Heaven and Earth, a supreme treasure capable of traversing countless worlds. If he were to dedicate himself to this pursuit, he might very well rule over world after world and ascend to the throne of the Heavenly Emperor!
But how can the position of the Heavenly Emperor compare to that of the Dao Ancestor?
As you can see, in the Great Primordial World and the Investiture of the Gods world, not only did the Dao Ancestor Hongjun and those saints look down on the position of Heavenly Emperor, but even the second-generation disciples of the three religions avoided taking up positions in the Heavenly Court like the plague.
It's important to understand that at the time, among the six Heavenly Emperors, apart from the Jade Emperor, the positions of the other emperors were all vacant, but no one was willing to take them. It wasn't until after the Investiture of the Gods that the positions of the Heavenly Emperors were filled.
Wang Xuan vaguely understood the reasons behind this.
Every emperor, whether human emperor or heavenly emperor, while gaining great fortune, also bears a huge burden of karma, making it difficult for them to transcend it.
Moreover, an emperor's fortune is also linked to the fate of the nation. Even if they acquire immense fortune, they can only utilize a small portion of it.
If too much of the nation's fortune is depleted, it will cause internal turmoil and destabilize the country's foundation.
Conversely, if the country has problems, it will also affect the monarch's own fortune.
Being a ruler or emperor may seem glamorous, but for those who aspire to transcend worldly desires, it is not a very good choice.
Wang Xuan spent his time chatting with Miss Cai Yan in the military camp, enjoying a relaxed and carefree time. Then, half a month later, news suddenly arrived: Sun Jian, the "Tiger of Jiangdong," had been defeated at Sishui Pass, and his general Zu Mao had died in battle!
Upon hearing this news, the various warlords were immediately agitated and summoned all of them together to discuss strategies for defeating the enemy. Even a minor warlord like Liu Bei was called in.
Wang Xuan was not about to miss this opportunity. He quickly followed Liu Bei and slipped into the military tent where the various warlords were discussing matters.
As Wang Xuan entered the military tent, he looked around and realized that he did not recognize most of the feudal lords, but there were a few he had seen before.
For example, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shu all visited Situ Wang Yun, and naturally they also met Wang Xuan a few times.
However, Wang Xuan had sneaked in behind Liu Bei and was standing in a secluded corner at the very edge of the military tent. Cao Cao and the others were busy discussing countermeasures and didn't even glance at Wang Xuan, so they naturally didn't recognize him.
The various warlords were holding a meeting when a messenger suddenly burst in, shouting outside the military tent: "Report! Hua Xiong, the garrison commander of Sishui Pass, has come to challenge us!"
Inside the military tent, Yuan Shao sat in the main seat and said calmly, "Who is willing to go into battle and kill Hua Xiong for me?"
Clearly, Yuan Shao did not take Hua Xiong seriously.
These eighteen warlords gathered most of the powerful figures in the land, a veritable gathering of fierce generals and outstanding talents. Could a mere Hua Xiong possibly surpass all the masters in the world?
No sooner had Yuan Shao finished speaking than a general rushed out from behind his younger brother Yuan Shu.
The man, clad in iron armor and gripping a steel spear, strode forward and shouted, "This humble general is willing to go!"
The various lords inside the tent were all skilled in martial arts. Those with keen eyesight could recognize that the general who was going out to fight Hua Xiong was clearly a master at the Transcendent Realm.