Chapter 25: Zhang Jue, I’ve Seen Through Your Tricks

The defense around Zhang Jue was weak. If someone could break through and kill Zhang Jue, the tide of battle could be turned. This was a glaring vulnerability, yet everyone was so overwhelmed by Zhang Jue's apparent miracles that they lacked the courage to fight.

As time passed and the spectacle continued, Wang Yan, with his sharp senses, began to notice something peculiar. With his extraordinary vision and hearing, he observed the lightning-struck area. He realized that each bolt of lightning precisely avoided the soldiers, only striking the ground and creating dust but causing no actual harm.

"Zhang Jue's thunderstorm is grandiose but has not caused any direct casualties. Not a single person has been struck by lightning."

"Why doesn't Zhang Jue summon lightning directly into the Han camp, decimating his enemies? Wouldn't that demonstrate his divine power more effectively?"

Wang Yan had a bold hypothesis. "Could it be that this miraculous display is merely a trick by Zhang Jue to intimidate his enemies?"

"It must be. Otherwise, how could Zhang Jue have been repeatedly defeated by Lu Zhi?"

"But how does it work?"

Although Wang Yan did not understand the exact mechanism, he recalled an item in his system's inventory—a seemingly useless tool: the Electromagnetic Shielding Grenade.

"Could it be that Zhang Jue's miracles are some form of electromagnetic projection? Has the system not deceived me after all?"

"If I want to uncover the truth, I must venture into the midst of it."

"Alright then, nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Just as Wang Yan made up his mind, Liu Bei suddenly responded, "Second brother, third brother, you are right."

He turned to Wang Yan, "Ziyuan, we should avoid confronting this sorcerer directly…"

Before Liu Bei could finish, his expression froze. Wang Yan ignored his words, riding forward and standing his ground before the formation, shouting:

"Soldiers, the time to test your courage has come!"

"The Way of Peace deceives the people and plunges the land into chaos. The common folk suffer the ravages of war!"

"Sorcerer Zhang Jue claims to seek peace but incites rebellion, causing innocent blood to be shed for his ambition. Such a sorcerer deserves to be executed, does he not?"

Wang Yan's righteous voice pierced through the thunder, echoing across the battlefield. The soldiers roared in response, their voices shaking the heavens.

"He deserves death!"

"He deserves death!"

"Soldiers, the sorcerer stands before us. Tell me, what should we do?"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Wang Yan turned his horse and covered its eyes with a cloth, taking a deep breath. "Soldiers, follow me into battle!"

His horse leaped forward, Wang Yan leading the charge like an arrow shot from a bow, heading straight for Zhang Jue. Zhao Yun and Zhou Cang, also covering their horses' eyes, followed without hesitation.

Behind the three, three thousand elite soldiers charged like a tide of steel.

This unexpected move stunned everyone.

Liu Bei: ....

Guan Yu's mouth twitched, struggling to conceal his shock.

Zhang Fei's eyes bulged in surprise and disbelief.

The three brothers exchanged looks, reading each other's eyes the same emotion. "He's insane, unafraid even of the gods!"

To them, Wang Yan's actions seemed suicidal.

Simultaneously, Zhang Jue noticed Wang Yan's advance from his high platform. He could hardly believe that someone dared to charge at him amidst his divine spectacle.

Are they not afraid of death?

Zhang Jue swung his sword again, causing the clouds to churn, and from their midst emerged an enormous head resembling Zhang Jue, glowing with golden light. This colossal visage hovered in the air, glaring down at Wang Yan like a god watching an ant.

The head spoke boomingly, shaking the battlefield, "Who are you?"

The Han soldiers, seeing this, nearly collapsed entirely. Zhang Jue's manipulation of wind, rain, and lightning had already shattered their understanding. Now, witnessing a giant divine visage, even the most steadfast were shaken.

"Oh my god, a deity has descended."

"Great deity, spare us!"

But beneath Zhang Jue's enormous head, Wang Yan rode on, undeterred. Behind him, Zhao Yun, Zhou Cang, and the three thousand elite soldiers followed, unfazed by the divine illusion.

This army, utterly loyal to Wang Yan, followed him fearlessly towards Zhang Jue's platform, undeterred by the divine visage.

In response to Zhang Jue's question, Wang Yan remained calm. He pulled the reins with one hand and slowly raised his middle finger towards the platform with the other, expressing profound contempt.

The enormous head seemed to sense the immense insult and humiliation, growing furious.

"Scoundrel!"

Zhang Jue, on the platform, waved his sword again. Instantly, countless lightning bolts crashed, forming a barrier of lightning around the platform.

Wang Yan initially thought Zhang Jue wouldn't understand the gesture, but Zhang Jue's reaction was intense. "Is this gesture not only internationally understood but also timeless?"

Puzzled, Zhao Yun and Zhou Cang wondered, "What kind of magic is our lord using to terrify Zhang Jue?"

Seeing Wang Yan leading the charge towards the lightning barrier, seemingly rushing towards his doom, Dong Zhuo, from a distance, was flabbergasted, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"He's insane. This is insanity."

"Are noble sons not supposed to be cautious and shrewd, always calculating their interests and those of their families?"

"How is Wang Yan so different? Is this the Confucian ideal of sacrificing oneself for righteousness?"

This scene deeply moved the thousands of Han soldiers. 

"Look at them, just three thousand men, yet they face divine phenomena without fear, showing immense courage."

"And look at us, fifty thousand strong, surrendering without a fight!"

At that moment, Wang Yan was the first to leap into the lightning zone. All around him, lightning flashed, and thunder roared, shaking his eardrums. Yet, his body remained unscathed.

Wang Yan grew more confident that it was all an illusion. He pulled the Electromagnetic Shielding Grenade from his system space, pulled the pin, and threw it high into the air.

Bang.

With a faint explosion, the grenade detonated, releasing a dazzling light. Though the explosion itself was weak, the electromagnetic field quickly spread.

Instantly, the sky cleared as if clouds had been swept away. The lightning vanished, and the dark clouds dispersed, revealing bright sunlight. Zhang Jue's enormous head also disappeared without a trace.

Seeing this, Wang Yan smiled at Zhang Jue on the high platform. "Zhang Jue, I've seen through all your tricks!"