Pang De no longer made a move.
He simply stood there, dazed, then suddenly spoke:
"Good boy... this old man admits defeat. You're stronger than me!"
With those words, Pang De turned and walked away.
He had no shame in surrendering. Fenric's strength had thoroughly convinced him.
To him, trying to recruit such a powerhouse would be pointless. A peerless warrior like this didn't belong under anyone's banner—not even his. Only someone like Cao Cao might be worthy.
Watching Pang De walk away so calmly, Fenric was momentarily stunned.
He had expected him to issue a weapon challenge.
After all, generals like Pang De weren't known for hand-to-hand combat. Their true strength lay in leading troops, killing on the battlefield, and fighting on horseback with weapons in hand.
Voluntary surrender? That caught many soldiers off guard.
To the onlookers, Pang De still seemed capable of continuing the fight.
But only Pang De himself knew—whether in strength or speed, he and Fenric were on completely different levels. No matter how much experience he had, he couldn't overcome those two insurmountable gaps.
"F@*k, Shura-boss is insane!"
"Seriously, he made General Dun surrender just like that!"
"Damn... just with his base stats alone, the Shura-boss might be B-rank already!"
As the voices of other Samsara players buzzed in the air, Pang De returned to the viewing top.
The moment he arrived, Dun hurried up to him. "Miaocai, why'd you forfeit?"
The two were brothers—both from Qiao County in Peiguo—and among Cao Cao's forces, they shared the closest bond.
Pang De shook his head and said, "Brother, I don't know where that kid came from, but he's a monster. Unbelievably strong. Honestly... I doubt even the Flying General in his prime could have taken him down."
"!!!"
His words left the nearby generals in shock.
The Flying General.
Lu Bu's title.
And Lu Bu was widely considered the greatest warrior of the Three Kingdoms era.
For Pang De to suggest that even Lu Bu might not be a match for Fenric—it was almost unthinkable.
Naturally, not all the generals could accept that.
"Miaocai, you're exaggerating!"
"A mountain bumpkin like him, and you dare compare him to the Flying General?"
Their frustration was understandable. Lu Bu was a legendary figure, undisputed in his strength. Even his enemies respected him. Now, Pang De was saying some nobody might surpass him?
That was hard to swallow.
There's a saying: Among the learned, there's a number one; among the warriors, there is no true second.
Warriors prided themselves on being unmatched.
Lu Bu had barely been gone long enough for the wounds to heal to defeat his enemies, and now Pang De was claiming someone had already surpassed him?
Unacceptable.
Pang De sneered coldly. "That kid's still standing on the challenge stage. If you're not convinced, go try him yourself."
The room fell silent.
Pang De might not be the boldest among them, but he was a first-rate general. If even he admitted defeat, who else would dare step forward and embarrass themselves in front of the crowd?
Still, one voice broke the silence.
"A certain man is unconvinced. I'll go meet him myself!"
The voice came from a towering figure.
The other generals immediately stepped aside, parting to let him through.
"You've gained 1 reputation. Current Reputation: 3656 / 1000."
"You've gained 1 reputation. Current Reputation: 3657 / 1000."
"You've gained 1 reputation. Current Reputation: 3658 / 1000."
Pang De's public surrender had earned Fenric another wave of prestige.
He remained on the battle stage, unchallenged for a long while.
Just as Fenric thought the duel was over, the ground began to tremble faintly.
A massive figure slowly climbed onto the platform.
He was more than eight feet tall, broad-waisted and imposing, his eyes like bronze bells. Each step he took made the arena floor quake.
In terms of height, Fenric wasn't much shorter—but in sheer size, he was completely outclassed.
This man was massive. Visually, he looked to weigh over four hundred catties (~200 kg).
The man roared in a voice like thunder, "I am Xu Chu! Boy, I've heard you're strong. Let's see if that's true!"
Fenric's eyes lit up as soon as he heard the name.
Xu Chu—courtesy name Xu Zhongkang—also known by his nickname: The "Tiger Marquis."
He was also called "Tiger Fool," a title he'd earned for his sheer, monstrous strength.
When it came to sheer fighting ability in the Three Kingdoms, Lu Bu was hands down number one.
But when it came to raw strength, few could rival Xu Chu.
In his youth, there was a tale of Xu Chu trading an ox for food. After the ox was handed over, it tried to run away.
Xu Chu grabbed its tail with one hand—and dragged the massive beast back a hundred steps.
From that day on, his name struck fear across Huai, Ru, Chen, and Liang.
Later, he served as Cao Cao's personal guard, saving his lord countless times.
He fought Zilong to a standstill over thirty rounds at Mount Hengshan—neither side claiming victory.
During the Battle of Weinan, Ma Chao—one of the Five Tiger Generals—once tried to ambush Cao Cao. Upon learning that Xu Chu was present, he gave up.
Xu Chu's battlefield record might seem lacking, but that was only because he spent most of his time guarding Cao Cao, rarely leading troops into battle. It didn't reflect his actual prowess.
His martial technique may not have been top-tier—but in strength, he stood above almost all.
Even Zhang Fei, the famously fearless warrior, was said to be weaker than Xu Chu in brute force.
Looking at this massive opponent, Fenric chuckled.
This Xu Chu was no fool.
He knew his strength lay in overwhelming power, while his weakness was a slight lack of speed—so naturally, he proposed a strength contest.
"I wonder how the General compares in strength?" Fenric asked calmly.
Xu Chu let out a hearty laugh. "How about we wrestle?"
Wrestling—
A direct contest of physical strength, hand-to-hand.
Almost primitive, but effective.
The moment Xu Chu said it, the onlookers couldn't help but curse him under their breath.
Shameless!
Everyone could see how unfair the challenge was.
Wrestling didn't just depend on strength—it also favored sheer size.
With Xu Chu's massive frame, it would be like trying to grapple with a mountain. If he wanted to throw someone, even a sack of bricks would go flying.
"F*k, this big guy has no shame!"
"So many people watching—and he dares to suggest wrestling?!"
"Wrestling? Why not race instead? See how he handles that!"
"Just looking at him pisses me off!"
"Boss Shura, don't take the bait!"
The Samsara player burst into chatter.
Even the surrounding soldiers frowned at Xu Chu's challenge.
Up in the tower, the military commanders shook their heads.
"Zhongkang really threw away his dignity this time."
"Even if he wins, he won't earn any face from it."
Still, none of them openly called Xu Chu shameless.
After all, he was Cao Cao's trusted right hand. Too politically dangerous to insult him directly.
That, and everyone knew—Xu Chu was Xu Chu. Blunt, simple, and proud. Unless Cao Cao himself told him otherwise, he didn't care what others thought.
Then something unexpected happened.
Fenric agreed.
"Just as the General suggested—let's do it."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
He agreed?
No one had expected this guy—Arush, as they knew him—to say yes.
He didn't even look particularly strong. And he was going to take on Xu Chu in wrestling?
"Maybe Pang De's surrender got to his head."
"Does he think he's unbeatable now?"
But only Fenric knew what he was doing.
Was wrestling Xu Chu reckless?
Absolutely.
But if he won—
The boost to his reputation, the aura of invincibility, the awe it would instill…
He was willing to take that gamble.
"Hahaha! Good lad, got guts!" Xu Chu laughed heartily, then slowly lowered himself into a sumo stance. "Come on, then!"
Crack! Click!
Fenric clenched his fists and took a forward-leaning position, inching closer like a stalking predator.
Suddenly—
"RAAHHH!"
Xu Chu roared, charging with surprising speed.
BOOM—! BOOM—! BOOM—!
Each step shook the ground. His hands pushed forward like a human battering ram.
And then—
Clash!
Their arms slammed together.
BOOM—!
The sheer force of it cracked the stone beneath Fenric's feet.
It looked like the ring might collapse from the impact of these two monsters.
But—shockingly—Fenric held his ground.
He didn't move an inch.
Gasps echoed from the tower.
No one had believed Pang De earlier. But now?
Now they understood—Arush's strength rivaled Lu Bu's!
From the viewing platform, Cao Cao's eyes gleamed as he watched Fenric.
This man… was a true tiger among men!
More importantly, he was his subordinate!
If not for the need to appear composed, Cao Cao might've shouted, "Heaven is on my side!"
On the stage—
Xu Chu growled and grabbed Fenric's shoulder, trying to toss him like a sack of rice.
His face turned red with effort—but Fenric didn't budge.
The young warrior stood steady, eyes calm, even admiring.
What power.
Fenric could feel the pressure. This man was no joke.
Judging by the sensation and system-enhanced perception, Xu Chu's strength stat was at least 250 points.
Terrifying for any normal man.
But still a far cry from his own 403.
Xu Chu simply couldn't move him.
"General Xu," Fenric said evenly, "I apologize in advance."
And with that—
He made his move.