Chapter 107

Li Guanyi's heart stirred with a sharp ripple.

His gaze grew cold, but the ten years of fleeing had tempered his nature, allowing him to control his emotional upheaval—and at this moment, his first thought was not of his own destiny, but of Murong Qiushui.

Could it be that Auntie's elemental seal was also the work of this sorcerer?

Was it this sorcerer who stole his destiny and poisoned him?

That forced his mother to expend a third of her soul to transfer the blue phoenix to herself, causing her to never leave that palace, perishing in flames.

Thinking of this, Li Guanyi's grip on the sword hilt nearly slipped.

A warrior must possess three parts ferocity, three parts killing intent.

At this moment, this aura of malice and killing intent churned in Li Guanyi's chest, yet he crushed it down with all his strength; his right hand gripped the sword, fingers pale and blue, yet the blade gave not even the faintest whisper of a hum.

The female official seemed finally persuaded by the sorcerer Hou Zhongyu.

Her tone softened: "At least tell me who it is."

Hou Zhongyu said: "The Crown Prince is the Regent's son, and Chen's greatest general, Mokha Wuliang Xiao Wuliang, was a hero who rose with the Regent. If I told you, who knows if Xiao Wuliang might quietly kill the Emperor's illegitimate son?"

"Let me tell you this."

"The Emperor holds this child in the highest regard; even if you killed him, the Emperor would only make a Xue family scion his Crown Prince, and he would never side with Empress Dan Tai."

The female official trembled.

She gritted her teeth: "The destiny of Tai Ping Gong's son was transferred to the Emperor's illegitimate child?" The sorcerer burst into laughter, extended a finger to his own forehead, and said coolly: "That memory, I have long since stripped away."

"To survive in this palace, knowing too much is not wise."

"As for how I found the illegitimate child, there are other means—you need not probe me."

The female official clenched her teeth in fury.

This old sorcerer had served generations of emperors, extreme in nature, yet having lived so long, his mind was sharp and cunning—he immediately said: "... Fine, I will prepare everything you asked for."

"Will you leave it here?"

"Of course not. If discovered, neither of us would live."

The sorcerer said: "What I seek are stone cores and mountain marrow from great mountains and rivers, the qi of the five earth elements—only the earth endures eternally. Stone cores and mountain marrow are parts of the southern dragon vein's royal aura. If the Emperor learned of our trade in this, he would be enraged."

The female official exhaled: "Very well. I will deliver the portion I've obtained to the place you specified—in the stone cave at the bottom of the stream beside the third pavilion in the Imperial Garden, using the key: geng metal, yi chen, and the seventh line, third digit from the third page of the Calculating Scripture."

Hou Zhongyu smiled: "Thank you. How much mountain marrow is it?"

The female official replied coldly: "As you said—the mountain marrow from the main peak of Nanshan."

The sorcerer laughed heartily, clapping his hands: "Long life like the evergreen of Nanshan, the Fire Qilin lives eight thousand years, the eternal spring cypress endures ten thousand years—Qilin blood, Nanshan marrow—though not true immortality, extending life by decades and greatly advancing one's cultivation is no difficulty."

"My Eternal Azure Moon Immortality Elixir has only this mountain marrow left."

"Hahaha, brilliant, brilliant!"

Li Guanyi, within the array's core, memorized the meeting location and the secret key.

His memory was exceptional—he never forgot what he saw.

Though his heart swelled with killing intent, he grew even colder; he memorized the key flawlessly, without the slightest omission.

The sorcerer smiled as he escorted the female official away, then returned, idly tidying his belongings. Li Guanyi suppressed his killing intent and stilled his qi—this old man's depth was unknown, but at least he was only a first-stage warrior.

Sorcerers of third stage or higher wielded strange, unfathomable arts—he could not possibly handle them.

Li Guanyi planned to return immediately to Xue Lao.

With a seasoned elder who was both fierce and calculating at his side, he had no need to act alone.

What he had heard today—if he and Xue Lao had not already become confidants across generations—he would never dare tell him. This secret, if revealed to any common person—whether to the clans, the Emperor, the Empress, or the Xue family—meant certain death, without exception.

Even Li Guanyi, without his prior confessions, would never have dared speak.

The youth controlled his breath, suppressing his rage and killing intent.

The sorcerer picked up vials and jars, arranging them aside.

At that moment, Li Guanyi suddenly grew wary.

A chill crept into his heart.

He abandoned concealment, lunged sideways a step, gripped the heavy sword of the Jinwu Guard, and slashed horizontally—a sweeping arc of wind cleaved through the air, the scabbard striking a jade vial and sending it flying to crash against the wall.

The liquid inside spilled out—and in an instant, the pavilion began to rot, collapsing with a thunderous rumble.

Li Guanyi's pupils contracted, his hair stood on end.

He saw the sorcerer standing there, smiling faintly as he bowed: "Esteemed Jinwu Guard, when did you arrive? And how long have you listened?"

Truly, a thousand-year-old fox met a ghost!

These old bastards were truly troublesome.

Li Guanyi cursed inwardly, his nerves taut—he faced the sorcerer's probe, his mind racing, and in an instant found a sliver of opportunity. Not only did he feel no fear, he coldly retorted: "Hou Zhongyu, as the Emperor said, you know far too much."

Hou Zhongyu's smile froze.

"Are you sent by the Emperor?"

Li Guanyi sneered, brushed dust from his battle robe, then stepped forward, sword hilt in hand, upright and imposing, commanding: "I am the nephew of Empress Xue, imperial kin—why would I suddenly be assigned to guard the Fire Qilin Palace? Did you never wonder?"

"Without the Emperor's decree, how could a man of my lineage ever come here?!"

"Without the Emperor's approval, how could I even enter this realm's greatest array?"

This second statement halted Hou Zhongyu's expression.

Indeed.

This profound array was created over thirty years ago by Si Wei, second-ranked master of the Yin-Yang school—the greatest school of the realm. Even he spent ten years mastering it; it could trap and kill—even the primordial divine beast, the Fire Qilin, famed to live eight thousand years, could not break free.

And this youth's bearing was clearly not that of a coward.

Could it be that everything has been under the Emperor's gaze all along?

Has he discovered all of my secrets?

His face darkened; the situation left him no choice but to spiral into wild speculation.

Li Guanyi shouted sharply:

"The Emperor knows everything you've done!"

"I was sent merely to shadow you secretly!"

"But out of respect for your past merits, I'm giving you a chance to turn back—hand over the Elixir of Immortality to the Emperor!" Hou Zhongyu's face darkened with despair; he whispered, "Yes, the Emperor seeks only immortality…"

"That's why he tolerated your actions, that's why he sent you…"

His expression of despair suddenly shifted—he flung the jade vial at Li Guanyi, and at the same instant, Li Guanyi exploded into motion, rolling sharply to the side, while his hand, seemingly resting on the hilt, plunged downward and yanked free the Golden Guard crossbow.

Made by the Mohists, it fires three bolts in a single shot.

Black iron steel.

Capable of piercing iron armor at a hundred paces.

Both men struck at once, nearly simultaneously.

Li Guanyi saw the poison corrode metal, causing palace pillars to collapse, his face paling; the sorcerer saw the three bolts pierce straight into the iron cauldron beside him, their thuds dull, his face changing too—neither had ever intended to negotiate.

At this point, Li Guanyi knew he must kill.

Hou Zhongyu likewise believed that, now, even if it were the Emperor's order, he must die; seeing the boy's ruthless brutality, the sorcerer's face twitched, and he cursed aloud:

"Brat!"

Li Guanyi retorted:

"Old beast!"

He flung the crossbow backward.

Under the brute force of Golden Muscle, Jade Bone, Dragon Tendon, Tiger Marrow, this strike was no weaker than a bolt.

Hou Zhongyu twisted aside, insubstantial as mist, evading it.

But Li Guanyi stepped forward, Holding Weight sword rising from below in an upward slash; the aura of Bai Hu swirled, golden light shimmering along the Golden Guard's heavy blade, accompanied by a muffled tiger's roar, a golden sword qi spiraled outward.

Hou Zhongyu's face changed: "Second Layer Martial Artist?"

"A fifteen-year-old Second Layer Martial Artist?!"

He retreated, his body nearly parallel to the ground, toes barely touching the floor.

In an instant, he slid back three zhang.

Ethereal, graceful, rising against the wall.

He evaded the sword qi—the blade struck the wall, shaking the entire chamber. Li Guanyi had trained only in military martial arts, battlefield techniques—he had never seen such light, floating martial arts.

But military martial arts emphasize sudden explosive closing of distance.

No fancy tricks—only overwhelming power and weight.

He had closed the gap instantly.

Li Guanyi knew: the opponent was a Third Layer Realm sorcerer—distance favored the enemy.

His only chance was to close the distance.

The situation now had advantages and disadvantages.

The disadvantage: Li Guanyi, to conceal himself, had not brought his Golden Guard halberd.

Golden Guard weapons and armor were weapon-grade artifacts capable of channeling sword qi and blade light, and were exquisitely ornate.

The advantage: this was inside the palace.

Hou Zhongyu could not easily create distance either.

Li Guanyi closed in instantly, gripped his sword, blade pressed to the ground.

He surged upward from below.

Bai Hu roared.

【Rolling Waves】!

Sword qi erupted like a surging tide, engulfing the entire area.

From the first strike, he unleashed a Divine General's ultimate technique.

The blade hummed, slicing through the sorcerer—and cleaved him in two.

But Li Guanyi's face froze.

There was no sensation of cutting flesh.

The enemies Xue Shen had prepared for him had never used such tricks; in five hundred years, three hundred of them chaotic, survival techniques had far surpassed even Xue Shen's era.

Li Guanyi instantly understood.

The severed qi dispersed, forming a straw doll that fell to the ground—split open upon impact, bound with red cords, bearing a painted human face, and on its back, a birth chart.

The sorcerer's curse-substitution death technique.

This was no sorcerer.

This was a witch-cultist.

Li Guanyi reacted instantly—his eyes cold, he activated the Yin-Yang School's Qi-Seeing Art, locking onto the enemy's true form; his right foot slammed down, his body lowered and lunged forward, the Jade Arm Divine Bow Art flared again, his sword thrust like a spearhead.

Qi surged, causing nearby scrolls to fly upward, as if crushed by an overwhelming force, collapsing downward into a suffocating pressure that weighed on the chest.

【Crush Mountain】!

Hou Zhongyu stepped back calmly, hands clasped, murmuring incantations.

"Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing!"

The Daoist Nine Character Mantra.

Li Guanyi felt a force settle upon him—his body suddenly sank, movements sluggish as if trapped in mud; Hou Zhongyu smiled as he retreated, saying, "Halberd-Bearer, can you still close the distance now?"

He leisurely picked up the crossbow.

He bit his finger, sweeping it across the bolt, muttering incantations; Li Guanyi saw blue lightning erupt from the bolt, thunder roaring, his temple hairs pulled taut, bolts of lightning spewing outward, striking pillars and flowerpots.

Make the pillars collapse and the flower pots shatter.

This means the voltage has reached a certain level.

This is a Third Layer Realm sorcerer.

Hou Zhongyu said coolly: "They say warriors in armor fear nothing."

"But I, old man, have always loved warriors wearing Heavy Armor."

"Gold conducts lightning. With this Five Thunder Art, I've slain countless unruly warriors. Good—after you die, I'll blame the Fire Qilin affair on your Xue family. Let this be a lesson."

He pulled the crossbow's trigger; Lei Ting roared.

Li Guanyi moved slowly, but still took a step forward.

The surrounding sounds suddenly fell silent.

The entire Fire Qilin Palace seemed to become water; with this step, ripples spread outward, and only the young man's calm voice echoed: "Bai Hu is in heaven, yet I am within the Fire Qilin."

"Zhu Que is south, the palace is north; the Four Symbols revolve, and I stand at the center."

Lei Ting suddenly dispersed.

For the first time, Hou Zhongyu's face showed surprise.

He saw the boy extend two fingers forward; Li Guanyi's black hair fell at his temple, and said:

"The Four Symbols seal the spirit—Command!"

Li Guanyi's bindings vanished; Hou Zhongyu said: "I wondered how, but you understand arrays. Yet I've trained this array for decades—ten years to learn it, then perfect it. How old are you? What can you do against me?"

He activated his array.

"Array—turn!"

The earlier combat became an array duel, but this kind of struggle was no less dangerous than real sword and spear combat; instantly, Li Guanyi fell into disadvantage.

Yet Hou Zhongyu's expression slowly darkened.

He suddenly realized this boy seemed too clever.

He could extrapolate from my techniques.

Who is his master?!

But with decades of difference in foundational cultivation, Li Guanyi's internal Qi ultimately fell short; even after draining his Four Symbols body, he could not surpass an opponent two realms higher.

His gaze swept over and landed on a nearby stone bench; he suddenly kicked it with a clever force, sending it spinning toward Hou Zhongyu. Hou Zhongyu was no warrior—his flesh was weak, and he refused to take the hit.

Li Guanyi sprinted forward, smashing through the wooden door ahead with his shoulder guard; the array opened, nine turns activated, and he rushed into the flaw point described by Zuo Wenyuan—seven nodes forming a hidden stone chamber.

Li Guanyi gasped heavily, his face pale, his internal Qi exhausted.

Inside the Shi Wu was extremely plain: only a large cauldron, its flames burning continuously beneath.

Hou Zhongyu suddenly panicked: "You—you how did you know?!"

"Come out quickly!!! Hurry, I won't kill you, just go!"

"Go!"

Li Guanyi's internal Qi scattered; he gasped heavily, and on his shoulder, the Xuan Gui manifestation appeared.

Just like when he discovered the Tiger Roar Bone Strengthening Art.

The Xuan Gui manifestation settled upon the cauldron.

Li Guanyi thought to himself, stepped forward; Hou Zhongyu cried out in desperation: "Stop!"

"I beg you, please don't touch it!"

Li Guanyi said: "You don't want me to touch it?"

"Then beg me on your knees!"

With just that mocking word, the previously composed sorcerer suddenly dropped to his knees, pounding his head repeatedly:

"I beg you, don't touch it, please, little ancestor!"

Li Guanyi froze—the Xuan Gui manifestation had pushed open the cauldron; a fragrance burst forth, and Li Guanyi's exhausted Qi rapidly restored.

Inside was a pool of medicinal fluid.

Li Guanyi felt a powerful temptation; his throat moved as he swallowed. Hou Zhongyu wept and raged, unable to enter the seven nodes now occupied; Li Guanyi couldn't leave, nor could he enter—but if this continued, Li Guanyi would surely perish.

If only he could break through here…

Li Guanyi saw the Xuan Gui manifestation; he gritted his teeth, lifted the small cauldron, tipped the medicinal fluid into his mouth, and swallowed it whole!

The last thing heard was Hou Zhongyu's mad scream:

"No! My Ten Thousand Ages Crimson Moon Immortal Elixir!!!"