The moment Zhao Yun stepped forward, the atmosphere on the training ground subtly changed.
Sun Jian's eyes sharpened.
Unlike Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun did not give off a youthful, aggressive aura. Instead, he stood there calmly, like a still lake—yet that calmness carried a faint sense of danger.
"This one… is different," Sun Jian thought.
The Two Tigers Face Off
"Good!"Sun Jian laughed heartily. "At last, someone worthy!"
The two selected their weapons.
Zhao Yun chose a wooden spear.Sun Jian picked up a wooden sword and shield.
No unnecessary words.
They bowed slightly—then—
Move!
Clash!
Sun Jian attacked first.
He stepped in explosively, his wooden sword slashing diagonally with fierce momentum—fast, heavy, and direct, like a tiger pouncing on prey.
Zhao Yun did not retreat.
With a slight turn of his wrist, the spear tip flicked out—
Clang!
The sword was deflected cleanly.
Before Sun Jian could follow up, Zhao Yun's spear had already shifted angles, darting forward like a snake striking.
Sun Jian's pupils shrank.
"So fast!"
He raised his shield just in time—
Thud!
The spear struck the shield with precision, not brute force—but the timing was impeccable.
Rising Intensity
The two separated briefly, then engaged again.
This time, Sun Jian no longer held back.
His attacks became fiercer, each strike heavier than the last. Sword and shield worked in tandem—offense and defense seamlessly linked. His style was bold, aggressive, full of battlefield killing intent.
Zhao Yun, however—
remained composed.
His spear danced.
A thrust here A sweep there A sudden change of direction
Every move was clean, efficient, almost effortless.
Where Sun Jian was a roaring tiger—
Zhao Yun was a flowing dragon.
Onlookers React
At the side, Zhang Liao leaned forward, eyes blazing.
"Zilong's gotten stronger again…"
Huang Gai frowned slightly.
"This Zhao Yun… his technique is too refined."
Even Dian Wei scratched his head, muttering:
"They're fast… too fast. Hard to see clearly…"
The Turning Point
Sun Jian roared and surged forward, launching a fierce combination attack—three rapid slashes in succession!
Zhao Yun stepped back half a pace—
just half a step.
Then—
his spear shot out like lightning.
Tap!
It struck Sun Jian's wrist—not hard, but precise.
Sun Jian's sword paused for a split second.
That instant—
was enough.
The spear tip stopped right at Sun Jian's throat.
Silence
The entire training ground fell quiet.
Then—
Sun Jian burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! Excellent! Excellent!"
He lowered his weapon, completely unbothered by the loss.
"Such skill! Such control!"
He looked at Zhao Yun with undisguised admiration.
"I, Sun Wentai, have fought many battles—yet today, I have truly broadened my horizons!"
Zhao Yun cupped his hands modestly.
"General Sun is mighty. I merely relied on technique."
Zhang Xin's Thoughts
Watching from the side, Zhang Xin narrowed his eyes slightly.
"As expected…"
Sun Jian was fierce—worthy of his title as the "Tiger of Jiangdong."
But Zhao Yun—
was on another level.
Not just strength.
Control. Precision. Calmness.
"If this were a real battlefield…" Zhang Xin thought,"Zilong would win even faster."
Aftermath
Sun Jian turned to Zhang Xin, still smiling.
"Your Lordship truly hides dragons and crouching tigers!"
He sighed, half joking, half serious:
"If I had such men under my command… why would I worry about not conquering the world?"
Zhang Xin laughed.
"Brother Wentai jests. With your courage, even without them, you will shake the realm sooner or later."
Sun Jian's eyes flickered slightly at those words.
Then he laughed it off.
But deep inside—
he remembered them.
Not far away, Zhao Yun quietly returned to Zhang Xin's side.
No pride. No arrogance.
As if defeating Sun Jian—
was nothing unusual at all.