Chapter 160: Dragon Roar, Tiger Cry, Legacy of the Red Emperor!

The object upon the high platform seemed to exert a powerful allure upon Li Guanyi, continuously emitting an aura that made him feel unable to control his urge to turn his gaze toward it—and yet, this act felt entirely natural.

For everyone on the arena had noticed the difference in today's Observing-Wu Platform.

There sat a man upon a throne at the same height as the Chen Huang—an old man clad in black-and-red robes, his white hair meticulously tied back, his brow bearing a weariness as if he had not rested well.

Yet even so, an indescribable air of noble elegance clung to him.

Beside him rested a casket, exquisitely ornate.

The aura that so strongly attracted Li Guanyi emanated from there; during the match announcements, the eunuch ceremonial officer was absent—instead, another eunuch presided, informing all the commoners that this man was the uncle of the Great Emperor of Zhongzhou, Prince Ji Yanzhong.

And the ritual vessel this great Zhongzhou figure had brought directly ignited the passion of every spectator at the martial contest—

"Ritual artifact—Chidi's paired sword, divine weapon, Chixiao!"

"As if the Emperor himself were present."

"Come to pay homage!"

After a moment of deathly silence, an invisible transformation swept through the crowd—Li Guanyi saw the commoners lower their heads, even the most defiant martial artists raised their weapons and struck their chests; in an instant, a solemn aura pressed upon both Li Guanyi and Yuwen Hua alike.

This was what was called solemn majesty.

Then they murmured in low voices:

"Clouds gather, serpent slain, spirit mother proclaims auspice; crimson banners raised, nine realms laid bare."

"Scouring heroes, rising like the sun; rising from obscurity, seated upon ten thousand chariots."

The majestic, quiet voices—not loud, but deep—rose like waves, as if the greatest heroes of the Central Plains still lived; under this atmosphere, the foreign Wang Hou felt a violent spiritual shock.

The Seven Kings' pupils shrank sharply; they instinctively gripped their weapons.

The Xiang prince nearly turned pale with fear.

Chidi.

Even though his era had passed eight hundred years, wherever his sword appeared, the people still offered reverence; the Turkic Seven Kings gripped their weapons tightly, then released them, their eyes filled with respect and dread: "Chidi… the greatest hero of the Central Plains."

"My father once said: if he met a Central Plains ruler from five hundred years ago, he would vie with him for dominion over the realm; but if he met Chidi, he would bow northward and serve him, racing beside his generals to be the first horseman at his side."

The Chen Huang remained silent, offering his own reverence; only now could Prince Ji Yanzhong still feel the dignity and glory of the Zhongzhou imperial clan—yet this glory stemmed solely from ancestral splendor, and when contrasted with the present, it only deepened his sorrow.

Thus his inner pain grew sharper; recalling the Son of Heaven's sword he had heard last night, he felt the current Great Emperor of Zhongzhou was utterly unworthy.

Yet he did not know where the one who chanted of that sword might be.

Prince Ji Yanzhong slumped.

Yuwen Hua gripped his weapon, reciting the verses commemorating Chidi: "Chidi's legend, though long distant, still stirs the heart with every reading. Li Guanyi, I had intended to let you off today."

"But now that Prince Ji Yanzhong has brought Chixiao to witness the contest."

"Before Chidi, I will not hold back."

Li Guanyi grinned.

He knew exactly what was calling to him.

Chixiao Sword.

The nominal foremost divine weapon of the Central Plains.

The money-grubber swiftly averted his gaze, his face utterly expressionless.

As if the object before him were not the most powerful divine weapon in history, but a guillotine—Li Guanyi was not the kind to be bewitched by divine weapons; besides, he already possessed the Tiger Roars to Heaven Battle Spear, whose renown among divine weapons was no lesser.

He could not yet unleash even half its full power.

Chixiao's call to him was no blessing—if this sword flew to him now, his best fate would be taken back to Zhongzhou as a puppet, and more likely, endless assassinations would follow.

Compared to the vastness of the world, Chixiao and the Zhongzhou imperial palace—

Were merely chains and shackles.

This thought rose instinctively in Li Guanyi's heart.

And this thought seemed sensed by Chixiao, far away.

In an instant, Li Guanyi intuitively perceived Chixiao's stirrings—the divine weapon first rejoiced at his thought, as if recognizing a judgment akin to its former master's.

Then, after a pause, it seemed to feel "anger" at being ignored.

The blade flared, ready to unleash a sword cry that would shake the heavens.

Li Guanyi's scalp prickled.

How could this sword's sentience be so strong?!

He urgently thought: 'Wait, behave yourself! Don't cry out!'

'I'll come find you later.'

'I'll come find you, alright? Calm down!'

The divine weapon Chixiao quieted slightly, and Li Guanyi exhaled in relief; on the viewing platform, someone glanced toward the guest of the First Tower, Tu Shengyuan.

On the first day, Tu Shengyuan brought bamboo slips and carving knives.

On the second day, he brought new bamboo slats and carving knives.

Today, Tu Shengyuan brought white paper and inkbrush.

A curious onlooker laughed: "For today's match, Mr. —what will you bet… ah no, I mean, what will you wager?"

Tu Shengyuan sneered; he had stumbled twice against this boy, licked his lip where a scar had split open, and said: "Li Guanyi excels in physique and internal Qi, his techniques are comprehensive, with almost no weakness—such a warrior is born to ride the battlefield."

"Unluckily, Yuwen Hua is the same."

"Li Guanyi is a descendant of the Xue family's divine general; Yuwen Hua's clan still has a top-tier divine general alive today. In Wu Gong, internal Qi, and techniques, neither holds clear advantage. In my view, today will be a dragon-and-tiger clash, impossible to determine a victor."

"Had there been no Chixiao Sword or Prince Ji Yanzhong, Li Guanyi would have won—this is Chen territory, and the Yan state must grant some face."

"But now? Hard to say."

The surrounding martial artists heard his analysis, immediately nodded in approval, and asked: "If you're wrong today, Mr., what will you eat?"

Tu Shengyuan opened his mouth to reply—then saw the boy lift his battle spear, grinned, and said: "I'm not eating. You eat."

The match was presided over by Gong Zhenyong. He glanced at Li Guanyi, then at Yuwen Hua, and lazily raised his sword, saying: "Today's victory—no lethal strikes. I won't elaborate on the rules; aside from matters of life and death, treat it as a battlefield!"

"Fight!"

The longsword slashed down.

A dense aura of sword qi spread out; as the qi swept from one end of the arena to the other, Li Guanyi and Yuwen Hua erupted simultaneously—the battle spear and heavy spear tore through the airwaves and collided with pinpoint precision.

Both were standard-issue weapons, merely unsharpened.

The violent shriek silenced the entire arena. Instantly, the heavy spear and battle spear both blurred into afterimages, lunging at each other, then veering midair to intercept each other's strikes. Weapons clashed endlessly; the immense force generated speed so rapid it seemed countless blades struck together at once—the metallic shrieks roared like the arena itself howling.

Dozens of collisions in an instant, the two battlefield heavy weapons sparking fiercely.

Li Guanyi's physique was unmatched in strength; Yuwen Hua's physique was no weaker, his internal qi one full realm higher.

In their first direct clash, neither retreated a single step.

A flicker of shock and fury passed through Yuwen Hua's eyes; he roared: "Good!"

"Again!"

He stepped forward, gripping the heavy spear and thrusting straight ahead—the spearhead spun violently, qi howling; visible emerald qi formed a colossal spiral drill that slammed forward. Li Guanyi's pupils contracted slightly; he reversed his grip, and the battle spear hummed like a tiger's low growl.

Rolling Waves!

The ultimate strike reappeared!

The technique Yuwen Hua unleashed was also a Divine General-level martial art created by Yuwen Lie; though inferior to Rolling Waves, Li Guanyi had not yet reached its upper limit either. When the two strikes collided, they both tore apart, dissolving into scattered primordial energy.

The entire arena split cleanly down the middle.

Yuwen Hua had only hoped to win, never expecting such a stalemate. His emotions surged; he pushed his qi harder, thrusting, sweeping, and slashing with the heavy spear, exhausting every technique of the Yuwen family. Li Guanyi met each move with his battle spear—not yielding an inch.

Their direct clashes now felt even more evenly matched than the earlier fight between Xu Huiyang and Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi thrust his battle spear forward; Yuwen Hua dodged.

Li Guanyi twisted his wrist—the battle spear shifted from thrust to slash, descending with crushing force. The piercing sound was sharp. Yuwen Hua's pupils contracted; he gripped the spear with both hands and raised it high to block—but Li Guanyi merely flicked his wrist, and the spear's side prongs locked onto the spear shaft.

Yuwen Hua's heart jolted.

No—this is the battle spear's weapon-locking technique!

Li Guanyi violently shook his wrist; Yuwen Hua's spear nearly slipped from his grasp.

Yuwen Hua clamped down hard, blood streaming from his Hukou, refusing to release the weapon. His tiger-like eyes blazed with fury; suddenly, he laughed aloud, raised the spear above his shoulder, gripped both ends with reversed hands, and spun violently.

He loosened his left hand from the shaft, letting his right slide down to the butt.

The spear, propelled by his spin and release, snapped free of Li Guanyi's battle spear, then swept horizontally.

A pale emerald aura erupted, forming an arc of light stretching several zhang across the entire arena.

Large chunks of the arena's blue stone were sheared away, shards flying like daggers. Li Guanyi recognized the blade's edge and had to retreat. Yuwen Hua charged forward, gripping the spear with both hands; it coiled around him like a dragon, radiating chilling frost. Li Guanyi exhaled, muscles swelling, and the battle spear shot upward from below.

The Xue family's battle spear and the Yuwen family's spear techniques were evenly matched.

For a moment, it felt less like a martial arts contest and more like two great generals locked in mortal combat on a battlefield. Yuwen Hua, unable to break through, had immense internal qi—but could not sustain such exhaustion; his limbs were growing numb. Yet Li Guanyi remained as peak as ever.

At most, slightly fatigued.

It seemed they could keep fighting until heaven and earth collapsed.

What kind of physique is this?

Yuwen Hua gritted his teeth inwardly—he refused to lose like this. Even before the Chixiao Sword appeared, he had intended to yield first place to Chen State—but only after the world knew he held the upper hand, then condescended to give it to them.

How could he be defeated so easily!

He was a valiant general's talent, born into a great family. His most admired uncle watched from the viewing platform. To be humiliated thus—no young man could accept it. After parrying another strike, Yuwen Hua's eyes hardened with resolve; he gritted his teeth, and his internal qi shifted through a unique circulation pattern.

The air seemed to solidify.

Spectators suddenly felt a surge of unease. Tu Shengyuan, who had been taking notes, froze—his pupils contracted: "?! This… is Divine Aura?!"

At the fourth realm of cultivation, a martialist gains the power of the soul.

It is the foundation for manifesting a Dharma Form.

Now, the void grew heavy; the wind subtly brewed something unseen. Yuwen Hua stepped half a pace forward, sweeping the Weight in Palm—its shaft nearly bent, the piercing sound condensed into a low, deep tone, then transformed into the roar of a tiger.

Tu Shengyuan said: "Yuwen Clan—Bai Hu Seven Kill."

Li Guanyi's pupils contracted; he swept his battle spear—but the heavy spear shattered it. Yuwen Hua, without needing to recover qi, lunged at Li Guanyi. His internal qi emerged, forming a Bai Hu that lunged straight for Li Guanyi. Li Guanyi flicked his wrist; the two broken spear halves crossed and struck in rapid succession, deflecting the heavy spear.

The internal qi-formed Bai Hu struck down, leveling a section of the arena into a deep pit, smoke spreading. Yuwen Hua let out a long howl, charging forward with the Weight in Hand—his topknot undone, black hair flying, golden markings etched across his brow like a tiger's stripes.

This was a secret technique usable only by fourth-realm martialists—imitating a Dharma Form through the Divine Aura of supreme martial arts.

Li Guanyi sensed the Chixiao Sword stirring slightly, as if sensing the Bai Hu's aura.

As if eager to leap.

His heart sank.

Trouble!

Li Guanyi struck rapidly with his broken spear, clashing with Yuwen Hua. With the secret technique activated, Yuwen Hua's strength and assault surged nearly twofold. If Li Guanyi did not unleash his own technique, he could not resist. His hands twisted instinctively—left broken spear swept to block the spear, right battle spear slashed upward.

Tyrant's Ultimate Form!

In this era, the martial arts of the Tyrants had vanished from history.

But one being still recognized it!

Li Guanyi pushed back Yuwen Hua, who was wielding the Bai Hu Seven Kill, and halted the technique—never fully unleashing it. He retracted the Tyrant's Ultimate Form, yet the Chixiao Sword still glowed faintly, as if sensing once more its fated rival.

The Chixiao Sword—its blade screamed!

Yet it echoed within Li Guanyi's mind!

The bronze tripod rang out; its Dharma Form shifted and transformed—Bai Hu, Fire Qilin, Hu Xuanwu, Qing Luan all scattered their radiance, then flowed and rearranged according to the array's mystery of "Four Symbols Seal Spirit, Five Elements Circulate." Finally, on the bronze nine tripods, the mark representing the Taigu Chilong glowed inch by inch.

On the bronze tripod, the Taigu Chilong nearly radiated flowing light.

Golden light traced the Taigu Chilong's path, converging at its twin eyes.

The dragon's pupils blazed bright.

Intense energy erupted, and Li Guanyi instinctively raised his hand and swept with his halberd.

After the tiger's roar came the dragon's howl!

A mournful dragon's howl echoed through heaven and earth, drowning out every other voice.

Everyone instinctively looked up toward the arena, where the boy, halberd in hand, saw his internal qi slowly transform—like shifting clouds turning crimson, eventually becoming dragon scales, dragon claws, and a fierce, majestic dragon head.

Finally, a crimson dragon appeared on the arena, fangs bared and claws outstretched, utterly suppressing the Bai Hu's aura, while Yuwen Lie, Crown Prince Jiang Gao, and Imperial Prince Jiang Yuan all froze.

They sharply turned their heads, almost instinctively toward Ji Yanzhong.

Ji Yanzhong was also deeply stirred.

Chi Xiao Sword drawn, the Crimson Dragon appears!

Could it be, could it be…

His hand trembled so badly he needed two tries to open the sword case; all eyes turned to it.

Inside the case, the Chi Xiao Sword lay utterly still, no radiance at all—in fact, it was dimmer than ever—and Ji Yanzhong's fervor instantly froze. Chen Chengbi burst into laughter: "Good, good, hahaha! That Yuwen boy used White Tiger Seven Kill!"

"Li Xiao, use my Chen family's Wang Yang Qi to channel Yue Qianfeng's Crimson Dragon Qi—Crimson Dragon kills White Tiger! Hahaha, brilliant, brilliant!"

Thus, the light in Ji Yanzhong's eyes faded.

Of course, many in the imperial family cultivate Crimson Dragon Qi—the current Emperor himself knows it—so he sat down awkwardly, picked up his tea, and said: "I overthought it…" Then he paused, realizing his lapse, and added:

"Still, to wield the Crimson Dragon Qi using Chen Kingdom's Wang Yang Qi—that's extraordinary talent."

"After this, I must meet this young hero myself."

The Emperor glanced at the motionless Chi Xiao Sword, relaxed, and smiled faintly:

"It's his fortune."

This battle had already changed nature the moment the Crimson Dragon and White Tiger appeared—as if echoing the war eight hundred years ago, when all cried out the Crimson Dragon's sacred name; Li Guanyi's heart echoed the Chi Xiao Sword's hum, and even the Crimson Dragon's manifestation seemed to subtly shift.

The people's will, the Emperor's Sword, the Crimson Dragon—they seemed to merge as one.

Is this the legendary transcendence of the Son of Heaven's Sword?

Li Guanyi gripped the broken halberd with both hands, slammed them together, and his internal qi surged—the Crimson Dragon coiled.

The halberd's broken ends melted under intense internal qi and briefly fused.

The Crimson Dragon coiled around the halberd as he stepped forward, and in his ears, he seemed to hear a booming laugh: "I was but a commoner, raising a three-foot sword to claim the realm…"

The Crimson Dragon coiled, infusing Xue family's halberd with a new, distinct essence.

Li Guanyi thrust his halberd forward.

Yuwen Hua's secret technique was about to expire—he roared, unleashed his heavy spear, and the golden mark on his brow cracked.

The two weapons clashed—the Crimson Dragon and White Tiger fought, internal qi swirling wildly. The arena's floor, forged of ultra-hard blue stone, sank instantly and split into fine cracks.

Boom!!

The cracks exploded outward—in an instant, the entire arena turned to dust.

The White Tiger shattered.

Yuwen Hua's heavy spear shattered into pieces; his pupils contracted.

Li Guanyi's halberd aimed for his chest—then changed course, spun, and struck only with the halberd's butt, the Crimson Dragon roaring.

Yuwen Hua was flung backward, crashing to the ground; the White Tiger's aura vanished. Li Guanyi stood atop the ruined arena, surrounded by cheers; he lifted his gaze, raised his halberd, and slashed downward sharply.

The halberd swept through empty air, scattering internal qi.

The Crimson Dragon roared—and vanished with the motion.

The boy's flying hair ends and the Crimson Dragon aura around him dispersed.

Old man Chen Chengbi stared, envious, muttering: "Win after win, Crimson Dragon clinging to him—damn, this kid's martial nickname's gotta be legendary."

"His eyes are red."

He glanced at the Living Buddha, saw the monk grinning with bared teeth.

His heart felt better.

Amid a moment of silence, Li Guanyi exhaled, thinking: The Chi Xiao Sword didn't hum—good. He shifted his gaze and saw the Young Lady; he raised his arm, the silk ribbon on his left forearm still fluttering, fingers clenched.

"I won."

He moved his lips, speaking silently.

The Young Lady froze, then burst into a joyful smile.

Yet somehow, she suddenly hid behind Empress Xue, shielding her face with a noblewoman's folding fan, leaving only her curved eyes visible.

Gong Zhenyong announced: "Winner: Li Guanyi!"

A roar of approval erupted, and finally, the Emperor gazed at the young man.

His expression was complex.

The eunuch beside him, holding the imperial decree, exhaled, and amid the deafening cheers, said:

"The victor is decided: he defends the nation with martial prowess."

"Li Guanyi."

"Step forward to receive your decree!!!"