Chapter 110: Breaking the Impasse, Gaining Great Fame

As the jade liquid in the bronze tripod rapidly accumulated, Li Guanyi sensed the approaching crimson dragon's aura, and at this moment, he felt even more clearly the might of General Yue Qianfeng.

At this moment, the 【Four Symbols Sealing Spirit Array】 in Li Guanyi's perception was violently fluctuating.

The imperial family of a nation's court.

Did General Yue Qianfeng just storm in without armor or divine weapons?

These top-tier generals and martial warriors are all monsters.

The youth watched as the coiling fire dragon, no longer concealed in the night, revealed distant pavilions and towers collapsing, dust swirling, and guards being flung like ants—Li Guanyi's heart stirred, and he sprinted toward it.

Big Brother Yue, this time you'll have to help me too.

Li Guanyi moved with extreme speed.

His Wu Gong was not the ethereal, entangling fighting of martial artists, but direct and straightforward.

His short-range burst was especially formidable.

Soon he neared the crimson dragon; more and more fallen guards surrounded him, many dead. As Li Guanyi leapt over rubble, he saw General Yue Qianfeng in plain robes, aura swirling around him, arrow wounds bleeding, scorch marks from Lei Ting still visible.

Many Jinwu Guards lay fallen around; General Yue Qianfeng reached out with one hand, gripping the head of a young Jinwu Guard—the boy still resisted, kicking and punching, glaring with fury—it was Ye Buyi, youthful and bold.

But the man he faced was a national general no less formidable than his father.

The South's undisputed master of foot combat.

That title meant defeating him in foot combat required nothing but lives—lives of equal cultivation.

Seeing Ye Buyi still had fighting spirit, General Yue Qianfeng's eyes showed approval, and he said, "Good."

Then he lifted his left hand and seized his battle sword.

He meant to cleave the young warrior to death.

Even though Ye Buyi was calm and courageous, he still felt a flicker of fear.

Though afraid, he clenched his teeth tightly, refusing to beg, still glaring at the man before him, eyes like frost—rare bone-deep valor. The other Jinwu Guards wanted to help, but in this life-or-death moment, facing the world-famous hero, they felt as if their bodies had been paralyzed, gripping their weapons tightly, daring not to advance.

At that moment, a sudden roar shattered the silence.

Breaking the surrounding dread.

"Stop!!!"

A sword flew toward General Yue Qianfeng—he flicked his wrist and split it in two.

Both General Yue Qianfeng and Ye Buyi froze slightly, turning to see a youth emerge wielding a battle halberd—Ye Buyi's eyes widened, recognizing him, and he suddenly shouted with excitement: "Run! Run, Li Guanyi!"

"You're no match for him—run! Find the Commander of the Jinwu Guards!"

"Run fast!"

General Yue Qianfeng, shrewd as ever, glanced and saw Li Guanyi glaring at him.

He was no scholar with a rigid mind—he didn't assume his friend had betrayed him, but from the boy's cunning, sharp gaze, he sensed something, and in an instant, he hurled Ye Buyi onto a nearby rockery, shattering the stones.

Ye Buyi spat blood, too weak to rise.

General Yue Qianfeng roared: "Good lad, fearless!"

"I'll kill you again!"

He surged upward, shoving aside the surrounding Jinwu Guards, instantly closing the distance to Li Guanyi, and delivered a brutal kick to his chest.

Powerful qi surged, the crimson dragon soared skyward.

But all of it was outward-pushing soft force.

Under the horrified stares of Ye Buyi and the young Jinwu Guards, Li Guanyi crossed his arms and was flung straight through, crashing into the pavilion's wall—General Yue Qianfeng abandoned them and strode off, dust swirling; the other Jinwu Guards rushed to aid Ye Buyi, but the youth shoved them away.

Ye Buyi leaned against the wall, rose unsteadily, and staggered forward.

All he saw was the collapsed pavilion wall, shattered armor, and a broken halberd plunged into the ground—grim, brutal, deadly.

Ye Buyi was stunned; the young Jinwu Guards around him fell silent.

They clenched their fists, gripped their weapons tighter.

The youth's blood boiled; his eyes burned with rage, thinking of how he'd been too terrified to move forward—shame and pain twisted into fury and killing intent, thinking of the young comrade he'd fought and met, now likely dead.

His shame, pain, and hatred nearly swallowed his reason.

Ye Buyi gritted his teeth and shoved aside his friends.

He bent down, seized the broken halberd with both hands, rose, gripped it tightly, eyes blazing red, and turned to roar:

"Go find people!!!"

"Go find people!"

"Bring him back—even if we die, we must find him…"

……………………

Behind a hidden palace wall.

Li Guanyi and General Yue Qianfeng listened as the distant clamor faded.

General Yue Qianfeng had a full beard, radiating murderous aura; the youth wore tattered Jinwu Guard armor. Both leaned against the wall, holding their breath—after a long while, they exhaled. General Yue Qianfeng turned to Li Guanyi, poked him with a finger, and grinned:

"What's going on?"

"Kid, how'd I run into you again?"

"Did you do something sneaky again?"

Li Guanyi smirked: "Big Brother Yue, why talk like that?"

General Yue Qianfeng nearly burst out laughing, but barely held it back, his smile lingering: "You—you, tell me, this tattered armor, you're Jinwu Guard—but you're clearly using that identity to pull off something huge."

"Tell me, what did you do?"

"Did you sneak into the Emperor's treasure vault?"

Li Guanyi replied: "I broke into the Fire Qilin Forbidden Palace."

General Yue Qianfeng's eyebrows twitched violently.

He gained a clearer understanding of just how bold this young man was.

Li Guanyi said: "What did you do, Brother Yue?"

General Yue Qianfeng replied: "I suspect Marshal Yue is being held in some forbidden zone within the Emperor's palace—I came in to take a look."

Li Guanyi asked: "Not in the Heavenly Prison?"

General Yue Qianfeng answered seriously: "I just came from there. He's not there."

A vein throbbed on Li Guanyi's forehead.

Broke into the Heavenly Prison, then slipped into the Forbidden Palace?

He gained a clear understanding of just how fierce this giant was.

General Yue Qianfeng and Li Guanyi sighed almost simultaneously:

"You're really bold, kid."

"Brother Yue really has guts."

They locked eyes, then General Yue Qianfeng grinned broadly, pulled off his wine gourd at his waist, and handed it over: "Fine wine from the Emperor's study—I took a little stroll there. There's medicinal treasure inside, good for the body."

Li Guanyi took it.

Above, stars filled the sky; within the palace, guards carried torches like a long dragon, shouting everywhere, experts leaping through the air, chaos and slaughter—yet these two men, one tall, one young, simply sat there, drinking as they listened to the sounds of swords and blades.

Before them lay the myriad stars; behind them, swords and pursuit; in hand, wine; beside them, a friend.

A man's heroic spirit reached its peak here—just this one gourd of wine was enough to bring joy to a lifetime, turning two strangers into sworn brothers.

General Yue Qianfeng laughed: "You really are my fellow outlaw!"

Li Guanyi said: "Brother Yue, you're too reckless—there are so many experts in Chen's court. Aren't you afraid they'll catch you?" General Yue Qianfeng took the strong liquor, poured it over the scar on his arm, rolled his eyes, and said: "Pfft."

"The Chen imperial family's ancestral martial art was one of the finest in the martial world."

"The royal house indeed had many experts—many had trained in the martial world in their youth, and the Guardian Shanzhuang was a major force in the martial realm—until that great sacrifice ten years ago."

"The Chen royal family's experts were wiped out; the Guardian Shanzhuang was annihilated."

"Hmph, I suspect it was Tai Ping Gong's doing."

"I think Tai Ping Gong alone killed off the entire generation of Chen's royal experts."

"To preserve such experts—even a nation must pay a price."

"If it were the Ying royal palace, with its fierce might, I wouldn't dare enter—but now, in Chen's palace, aside from a few places—the Emperor's quarters, the Court's Secret Grove—if I'm careful, I won't die. Chen has ancient monsters, but they've transcended the mortal world and won't chase me down."

"As for Xiao Wuliang—that kid—he rarely acts unless the Emperor is threatened."

Wiped out an entire generation…

Li Guanyi's eyes narrowed slightly.

Li Guanyi said: "The Gold Guard has just undergone its final rotation before the great sacrifice. Brother Yue, you'd better leave soon—I'm afraid this is a trap."

General Yue Qianfeng said: "Yes, it's bait."

"But we have no choice but to jump in. I've received confirmed news—the Emperor is only holding us off; he still plans to strike at Marshal Yue. Let's not speak of that… You've done well lately, kid—hahaha! Since we've met today, I'll give you a gift."

Li Guanyi froze.

General Yue Qianfeng said: "I broke into the Heavenly Prison, stormed the Forbidden Palace—I've already ruined my reputation completely."

"But you, kid, still have a vast future ahead."

He placed his hand on Li Guanyi's shoulder, then leapt into the air—the crimson fire dragon manifestation exploded again in the sky, its roar shaking the land, and Li Guanyi watched as General Yue Qianfeng, wild and unrestrained, smashed through the court experts' blockade.

Then he unleashed a punch—the crimson dragon manifestation roared, striking the Fire Qilin Palace.

The palace's array was shattered into chaos.

He laughed aloud: "I heard the blood of the Qilin brings benefit—the world's auspicious beast, and it's hidden here!" The royal experts' faces changed instantly.

This place gathered the great forces of the world.

Ying, Tujue, the Western Regions.

General Yue Qianfeng exposed this secret.

He forced the truth—Chen's secret possession of the Fire Qilin—into the open, voicing what everyone knew but dared not say, plunging the situation into chaos. The old man roared: "Yue Qianfeng, how dare you!!"

The old man soared into the air.

Dozens of precious swords leapt skyward, transforming into torrents of sword qi, tearing toward General Yue Qianfeng—his sword technique was exquisitely refined, displayed to perfection in this single strike.

"Martial arts from the Jianghu?"

General Yue Qianfeng said: "Old man, how arrogant!"

He punched forward—the qi entangled, and the sword qi torrents shattered.

The precious swords snapped, embedding themselves upright in the ground.

The white-haired, white-bearded elder was struck pale, spat blood, and crashed through a palace hall.

General Yue Qianfeng returned.

When he landed again beside Li Guanyi, his breath was uneven, his body marked with new sword wounds: "Old brother has ransacked the Fire Qilin Palace—no matter what, your merit outweighs your crime."

He heard the sound of pursuers drawing near.

General Yue Qianfeng's expression hardened: "The palace is like the deep sea—the longer we stay, the bigger the whirlpool grows, the deeper we sink. I don't know what ancient monsters might be stirred up—we can't stay any longer."

"Stay any longer, and we'll reach a level they simply won't tolerate."

General Yue Qianfeng wiped blood from his lips.

Li Guanyi said: "Brother Yue, you're injured?"

General Yue Qianfeng said: "No divine weapon or armor—just one man storming the palace—of course there's a cost. I'm leaving!" Li Guanyi's eyes flickered with struggle, then he exhaled, grabbed General Yue Qianfeng's arm, refusing to hide or flee alone:

"Come with me."

General Yue Qianfeng frowned: "Huh?"

Li Guanyi said: "I know the layout and arrays here."

"I still have family back at the Xue household; I can't roam freely with you, Brother Yue."

"But I can't know the path and not point it out to you, letting you fight wounded on your own. You're holding me hostage, then striking me with a Taigu Chilong Qi blow—go ahead, hit me hard, it's fine."

Yue Qianfeng looked at the boy before him and simply said:

"Fine."

One word weighed a thousand gold.

The core of the 【Four Symbols Sealing Array】 lies in the Fire Qilin Palace, but when Li Guanyi was in Consort Xue's imperial palace, he could still sense the array nodes; now that Yue Qianfeng has breached the Fire Qilin Palace, the array's energy leaks out, and Hou Zhongyu had previously unlocked the hidden nodes—so even if they cannot use the 【Four Symbols Sealing Array】 to kill enemies,

they can still conceal their qi and anticipate enemy positions in advance.

Yue Qianfeng seized Li Guanyi like a hostage and burst out; elite guards rushed toward them. Seeing the young Gold Guard, armor shattered, bloodied, they hesitated—their leader recognized him as Consort Xue's nephew, disciple of Master Wang Tong, and his face turned pale.

Their weapons slipped from their grip.

If they failed to stop such a formidable foe, they'd only drag this boy down.

These guards would surely bear the blame.

Later, they'd inevitably face retribution from the Xue family.

The guards understood this in their hearts.

Those who draw the Emperor's salary, who don't flinch in battle, have already done their duty.

To fight such a ruthless man would cost more than their pay could buy—what if they offended the Consort and the Xue family…?

Just then, a high-ranking royal figure arrived and saw the scene; Li Guanyi suddenly shouted:

"Don't care about me—attack!"

"All of you—attack!"

"My Xue family has no sons who fear death—only sons who die fighting!"

His voice rang true, brimming with youthful spirit; heard clearly by the royal elders and the palace guards. Yue Qianfeng couldn't help but admire inwardly—this speech, heard by all, meant that even if the Emperor later decided to kill him, he'd have to consider the opinions of the royal elders and these guards.

You've killed Gold Guards who would die for you without fear.

What of us?

In that instant, Yue Qianfeng seized Li Guanyi and leapt into the air; as the boy whispered the array nodes, he surged forward at breakneck speed. A white-haired royal elder froze, then roared: "This is the pattern of the Four Symbols Sealing Array!"

"Where is Hou Zhongyu?!"

A guard reported: "The Fire Qilin Palace has changed—Fangshi Hou Zhongyu is missing."

Chen Chengbi, a distant royal uncle of the Emperor, instantly understood.

He cursed: "Hou Zhongyu, traitor! He's colluding with Yue Qianfeng—one attacks the palace, the other triggers the Fire Qilin? What a perfect inside-out attack!"

"Who did he capture?!"

Someone answered: "It's Li Guanyi, Consort Xue's nephew."

"He's the one guarding the Fire Qilin Palace."

As these details emerged, everyone instinctively pieced together the scene—the Gold Guard stationed at the Fire Qilin Palace discovered the problem and fought desperately; recalling the young Gold Guard's shattered armor, drenched in blood, it was clearly a brutal struggle.

Chen Chengbi was moved, saying: "A true man!"

At this moment, Yue Qianfeng was fleeing outside; Chen Chengbi shouted: "Follow me—chase him!"

Li Guanyi pointed the way; Yue Qianfeng flew out, already beyond the palace walls. The guards, fearing a feint, wouldn't pursue too far. Yue Qianfeng said: "Now, just find a way to slip out. Without you, Brother, I'd be badly hurt."

Li Guanyi replied:

"As long as Brother is unharmed, that's all that matters."

Yue Qianfeng laughed and nodded. Li Guanyi scanned ahead, thinking how Yue Qianfeng would escape, how he himself would extricate himself from this mess—and one question remained: why hadn't Yue Qianfeng simply slapped him dead on the spot, only wounded him? Should he get Xue Lao to stage a play?

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out:

"The military values solitude."

"The solitary stands where others cannot stand; the lone traveler goes where others dare not go!"

"What bold spirit!"

Yue Qianfeng's eyes flashed with coldness, but Li Guanyi was startled. A light rumble of wheels broke the silence—a luxurious carriage emerged from the quiet place. A handsome young man drove it and said: "My lineage specializes in stellar divination, the Yin-Yang of warfare. Today I saw the Seven Stars of Bai Hu clouded, positioned in the northwest."

"So I came to see."

Bai Hu smiled at the two fugitives, showing no fear.

He bowed slightly, carefree and unrestrained:

"Lord, have I arrived too late?"