Chapter 11: Heavens Beyond Heavens, Towers Beyond Towers

Welcome to a world in chaos!

Li Guan stared at the dead night scout, still gasping involuntarily—his body’s instinctive reaction. Yue Qianfeng patted his back and warned, “Sit and meditate. I’ve used my Crimson Dragon True Power to open your acupoints and meridians, leaving behind a trace of Qi.”

“But this is still external aid, not your own.”

“If you don’t focus, you’ll forget it all in a few days.”

“Let your mind settle naturally, maintain this internal circulation—that’s true mastery.”

Li Guan nodded, walked into the Mountain God’s Hall, sat cross-legged, palms up, eyes closed, calming his mind and breathing slowly, guiding the warm current within to gather and flow. Though drenched in night rain, he looked vibrant, the warm Qi circulating through his meridians, radiating heat.

Yue Qianfeng then rummaged through the scout’s belongings. When he saw one object, his expression darkened slightly.

Li Guan closed his eyes, focused his Qi, reinforcing his body’s memory until the circulation became instinctive.

In this state, his awareness of his body gradually strengthened.

Slowly, Li Guan sensed that when his internal Qi passed his heart, it slowed abruptly, the warm flow tinged faintly with coldness, taking several breaths to recover—he understood: this must be the poison within him.

Detecting the poison’s location was already a qualitative breakthrough. Li Guan relaxed inwardly, yet faintly felt the Jade Liquid in the bronze cauldron remained incomplete.

Yue Qianfeng stood right before him, yet the Jade Liquid in the cauldron stagnated at ninety-five percent, unmoving.

Li Guan murmured to himself.

Does fulfilling the Jade Liquid’s requirement mean more than just being near Yue Qianfeng and the crimson dragon?

When Li Guan had breathed several times and confirmed he had mastered the internal circulation,

Yue Qianfeng took a sip of wine and said casually, “You’ve got good talent. You learned the ‘Breaking Formation Melody’ in just one incense stick’s time. This is a new technique of our military—few know of it; it was created barely twenty years ago and only passed within our ranks.”

“General Zhou, the old master of Marshal Yue, created it twenty-two years ago after crushing the Turkic Iron Cavalry.”

“The old general spent his life in war. When he passed through Jiangnan to pay respects to the late Emperor, he heard a girl of eight or nine playing the qin—her music rang like shattering metal and stone—and from that, he conceived this art, naming it ‘Melody.’”

“Ordinary warriors and guards first toughen their bodies before drawing in Qi. But the ‘Breaking Formation Melody’ draws Qi directly into the body, then uses internal strength to pound the flesh.”

“Its intent is already one level higher.”

“Of course, in the end, all paths converge.”

Li Guan pressed quickly: “Body and Qi?”

Yue Qianfeng replied: “Yes. Strong body endures blows; stable Qi delivers them.”

“Whether you start from outside or inside, the goal is to bring body and Qi to a critical point, then fuse them into True Qi—that’s entering the realm.”

“A warrior who has entered the realm surpasses ordinary people in speed, strength, and physique.”

“But different sects emphasize different paths. A warrior skilled in speed may not be physically stronger than a lower-level warrior focused solely on body conditioning.”

Li Guan set aside the bronze cauldron for now, focusing intently on Yue Qianfeng’s words.

Yue Qianfeng suddenly asked: “But do you think a warrior who has entered the realm can always defeat one still toughening his body or cultivating Qi?”

Li Guan thought, then said: “No.”

“If he’s unarmed, wearing ordinary clothes, and I hold a weapon capable of piercing his vital points, I have a chance to kill him.”

This was a conclusion many clever children could reach. Yue Qianfeng smiled and asked:

“Oh? With just that short sword of yours?”

Li Guan thought again and answered: “Two weapons.”

“Where’s the other?”

The thirteen-year-old boy pointed to his frayed clothes and replied:

“The underestimation of an entering-realm warrior toward a child like me.”

Yue Qianfeng’s smile faded slightly, surprised. He hadn’t expected such words from a boy dressed worse than a commoner from Guancheng. A flicker of admiration appeared in his eyes as he nodded:

“True. A tiger’s strength isn’t less than an entering-realm warrior’s, yet a few hunters working together can kill it. Even with pure strength, speed, and physique, carelessness can lead to downfall. With your short sword, if your opponent underestimates you, a surprise strike can kill even a newly entered warrior.”

“Divine weapons, armor, willpower, and mindset all influence the final outcome of life and death.”

Yue Qianfeng checked Li Guan’s Qi circulation again. Seeing he had mastered it, he sighed in admiration: “Truly excellent talent.”

Too bad—he’d been poisoned since childhood, his root quality corroded and diminished.

Yue Qianfeng’s eyes held regret. From the details of the meridians, Li Guan had only circulated Qi three times in one incense stick—just three cycles—but he’d memorized the entire technique’s path. His talent was extraordinary, yet his circulation was painfully slow.

Slow Qi movement meant slow cultivation progress, slow recovery in battle, weak power, and inferior combat ability. After thinking it over, he concluded: the childhood poisoning had ruined his root quality.

Too bad. Too bad.

Such decisiveness, such talent—and yet this. Fate plays cruel tricks.

Yue Qianfeng set aside his regret and said: “The ‘Breaking Army Sword Technique’ I just passed on is common in the Central Plains armies, but what I taught you is our improved version. It lacks the refinement of top-tier martial arts from major sects, yet its discipline is strict, concise, and efficient—no less effective.”

“The names and internal force patterns differ greatly, but on the surface, it looks like just two basic moves any soldier knows. You can use it without fear.”

“The ‘Breaking Formation Melody’ will take one to three months to break through the first layer. Each subsequent layer takes longer—twelve layers total. A genius may complete it in three years; someone with decent root quality may achieve results in eight. When fully cultivated, you may attempt entering the realm.”

“After entering the realm, the next techniques require spiritual insight—not mere verbal instruction.”

“But even a mere entering-realm warrior can join the elite battalions of the army.”

“You can serve as a squad leader in regular troops; most wandering heroes are at this level. You can also become a casual retainer for a noble family—enough to protect yourself and live comfortably.”

Yue Qianfeng assessed Li Guan’s root quality. Even with the ‘Breaking Formation Melody,’ it would take him over fifteen years to complete it. By then, at twenty-seven or twenty-eight, an entering-realm warrior in a backwater region would still be considered a prodigy—his life would be decent.

Li Guan heard these words and sensed the hidden comfort in Yue Qianfeng’s tone—he guessed his root quality was mediocre. But now he didn’t care; he focused only on the traces of Jade Liquid in the bronze cauldron.

Not enough. Does he need longer contact with Yue Qianfeng—or greater intensity?

Without hesitation, Li Guan bowed deeply and said: “Disciple pays homage to Master!”

Yue Qianfeng reached out and stopped him, laughing heartily: “You’re sharp, boy—but no.”

“Today we met by chance, and I like you. Teaching you martial arts is fine, but taking you as a disciple? No. My lineage demands immense physical foundation.”

He openly explained why he couldn’t accept him.

He found the boy clever and fierce, intriguing—even if his root quality was poor and unsuitable as a chief disciple, he still pulled out a small bronze seal and tossed it casually to Li Guan.

“But your answer was excellent. Take this.”

“It’s my token. Infuse it with your ‘Breaking Formation Melody’ Qi, and I’ll sense your location faintly.”

“If one day you fully master the ‘Breaking Formation Melody’ or face a dire situation, come find me with this. Let it mark the end of our connection. Ha ha! If you can’t find me, consider it a keepsake.”

Li Guan heard the farewell in Yue Qianfeng’s voice.

He knew that after today, unless he used this bronze token, he’d never see Yue Qianfeng again—his bronze cauldron’s activation seemed impossibly distant.

Li Guan looked at Yue Qianfeng—and the crimson dragon behind him.

He sensed the Jade Liquid in his chest’s cauldron at ninety-five percent. A thought struck him. He feigned curiosity: “Before you go, may I ask one last thing? What lies beyond entering the realm?”

Yue Qianfeng fell silent: “You child—entering the realm is like climbing a tower, one floor at a time.”

“Why so eager for heights?”

He paused, studying the boy’s innocent, curious gaze. He knew Li Guan would likely never rise beyond the first or second level of entering the realm. Yet his nature was bold and generous—he liked this boy. Softening, he smiled: “Fine. If you mean the realm beyond the heavens, beyond the towers...”

“Then let me show you.”

Yue Qianfeng clenched his fist.

Night, rain falling heavily—yet in an instant, it froze. Countless raindrops hung suspended in midair, like a vast mist. Li Guan felt his heart freeze, a crushing sensation of weightlessness and suffocation.

The next moment, the droplets shot upward, reversing toward the sky.

Yue Qianfeng moved.

Turned, twisted his waist.

Clenched his fist.

BOOM!! As the rain instantly vaporized into mist like clouds, blazing fire erupted from between Yue Qianfeng’s fingers, roaring through the mist, then forming before Li Guan’s eyes a shrieking crimson dragon, which lunged forward with a punch.

The entire Mountain God’s Hall, the hillside it stood on, and the corpses of the pursuers—all

turned to dust in an instant!

They scattered in a fine haze. Li Guan slowly raised his hand, looked up—the sky was clear, the moon had appeared. The night rain had been shattered by a single punch. Only the crimson dragon, roaring and circling, remained visible, coiling around Yue Qianfeng, making him seem divine, demonic.

Yue Qianfeng slowly extended his hand. The crimson dragon circled above it, gliding toward Li Guan like a dragon devouring.

It merely tapped once on the boy’s head, snapping him back to awareness.

Is this the power even a wounded elder possesses?

Li Guan stared at the crimson dragon that had scattered the night rain. Firelight reflected in his eyes. He clenched his fist unconsciously, gripping so hard he felt his heart pounding violently.

As Yue Qianfeng’s palm rested on Li Guan’s head, the Jade Liquid in Li Guan’s bronze cauldron began rising again.

And when the crimson dragon—visible to all—vanished,

the Jade Liquid in his chest’s cauldron reached fullness.

(End of Chapter)