Chapter 190: Great Is Qian, the Peerless Divine Art!

Li Guanyi did not know what wooden tally he had drawn; the silver-haired Daoist held it between his fingers, eyes half-lowered: "Qian hexagram, Use Nine—Group Dragons Without a Head—Fortunate..."

He looked at the young man before him; within the Qian hexagram's "Group Dragons Without a Head," there were several interpretations: one said that all dragons of the world fought each other, entangled, with no leader—emphasizing the entanglement of countless rogue dragons and serpents.

Another said everyone was a dragon, yet none towered above the rest—its focus lay in everyone being a dragon; and the third interpretation held another meaning.

The Daoist calmly swept his hand, reinterpreting through the Six Lines method.

All six lines were yang.

Purest, utmost yang.

Thus came a more precise answer.

Use Nine: Heaven's virtue cannot be the head.

Six lines all yang, utmost hardness, utmost yang—this is Heaven's great virtue; everyone is a dragon, the world is held in common.

Heaven's virtue?

The silver-haired Daoist fell silent.

Whether interpreted literally as "Group Dragons Without a Head" or from a deeper layer, it was absurd beyond absurdity; though merely a fortune drawn from a tally—mere Daoist play—it was enough to leave one speechless.

Whether the "Head" that breaks the entanglement of dragons, or the dawn of the future hero era, or the "Heaven's virtue" where everyone becomes a dragon behind him—each was a conclusion that, if spread, would draw countless assassins.

On that side, Li Guanyi curiously reached to look; the Daoist smoothed the wooden tally.

He tossed it aside carelessly; the tallies fell to the ground, sprouted roots and buds, transforming into a dense grove. The Daoist said calmly: "I have understood. If you look, it loses its efficacy."

Li Guanyi stared, dumbfounded: "There's such a thing?"

The boy was suspicious.

He thought the Daoist before him was fooling him.

Yet Li Guanyi was not overly concerned; he simply sat cross-legged, nonchalantly saying:

"Then, what Wu Gong is the elder going to teach me?"

The Daoist paused, then said: "Before that, let me ask you."

"Do you know the Wu Gong of the world's heroes?"

Li Guanyi shook his head: "Xue Lao never told me. He said I should walk step by step, solidify my foundation, then look upon the world's heroes."

The silver-haired Daoist smiled faintly: "A sound idea."

"Too bad he never imagined that when you are ready to see the world, you have already entered it. If so, let me tell you."

"The first three realms: the martial cultivator trains the body, internal Qi, and internal organs. At the peak of the third realm, one begins to cultivate the Nascent Soul—this is one stage."

"The fourth to sixth realms focus on refining the Nascent Soul and spiritual will, gradually gaining the ability to interfere with the physical world and guide heavenly Qi against enemies."

"The seventh realm allows one to fuse one's will with the Qi of heaven and earth, elevating it into a Dharma Form."

"A typical third-realm cultivator can serve as a general, commanding a thousand; fourth-realm is considered a mid-tier military commander—many young officers in their thirties with exceptional talent fall into this tier; as for generals of the various states, high-ranking officers capable of participating in major battles, most possess the sixth-realm level."

Li Guanyi, having experienced the world's last great event, quickly found corresponding figures.

Third-realm? That's Geshu Yin, Yuwen Hua—young military commanders.

Fourth-realm? That's Qibili, who took that step, General Gong Zhenyong.

As for fifth and sixth realms, they are roughly the level of Lu Youxian and Ye Buyi's father.

Lu Youxian excelled in formations and city defense—such commanders were not famed for martial prowess.

The Daoist spoke calmly: "Many generals do not pursue their own martial cultivation; instead, to harmonize with their armies and battle arrays, they deliberately suppress their strength to the sixth realm. Sixth-realm commanders can typically lead elite troops exceeding ten thousand."

"They engage in large-scale battles, merging their battle array's energy with their own cultivation. Their martial arts, refined to the Dharma Form level, draw power from the momentum of the army, unleashing abilities rivaling those of Jianghu Sect Masters—combined with military martial ferocity and arcane arts, their power is unfathomable."

"Weak in one-on-one combat, strong in battle arrays."

"Some battlefield generals possess Dharma Forms themselves, understand battle arrays, and command elite troops—do not judge their strength by internal Qi alone. Remember this."

"Wu Gong cultivators of the seventh realm, regardless of talent or disposition, can all condense a Dharma Form."

"With such Wu Gong, one may establish a sect, found a lineage—this is a Sect Master; most founding ancestors of major Jianghu factions and the top thirty on the Divine General List possess this level of power and realm."

"The world is vast; countless martial cultivators exist, countless practitioners of Daoist and Confucian arts—yet within a thousand li, the number of those who can be called Sect Masters, cultivators of this realm, is exceedingly few."

Li Guanyi pondered; it seemed Xue Daoyong and General Yue Qianfeng were at this level.

Thus, General Yue, at barely forty, already possessed such martial skill—he was a true genius. No wonder he received Ji Yanzhong's transmission and the Crimson Dragon Qi lineage.

Then, does the 【Hunting Qilin Gathering】 mean all Sect Masters from the northern reaches of Chen and southern regions of Ying—two or three thousand li across—will come?

Trouble. Serious trouble.

Li Guanyi thought, and decided to leave this to Xue Lao.

The Daoist looked at Li Guanyi and said softly:

"Your current cultivation has reached the peak of the third realm. As for the methods of the fourth realm—"

"Two realms. Two realms!"

Li Guanyi interrupted.

He sat upright, raised a finger, pointed to his eyes, and emphasized: "Two realms, Elder."

"I have only just opened my third eye and two eye orifices. From the Jianghu perspective, if the third eye's Mysterious Ancestral Aperture is not counted among the seven orifices, then I have opened two—thus, I am a beginner in the second realm."

The silver-haired Daoist gazed at him calmly.

In the air, Qi coalesced into blades, slicing Li Guanyi's body, leaving only faint white traces; Qi currents flowed, stimulating his Nascent Soul to tremble. The Daoist said plainly: "Your Nascent Soul has been cultivated for a full decade through the 【Jiangnan Mist Rain Twelve Storied Tower】 Wu Gong."

"Purest, purest third-realm Nascent Soul."

"Ten years of arduous practice—extremely solid."

"Your body contains five full Dharma Forms."

"Your physique combines the brutality of the military school and the profundity of the Buddhist path; your defense rivals that of a third-realm martialist with Qi-armored skin, and your strength surpasses most third-realm martialists."

"As for your endurance and recovery speed, they far exceed ordinary men."

"You can fight for hours on end without exhaustion—you will never die from depletion. In his prime, the former overlord's body was peerless, yet even at the same realm, he was still inferior to you."

"If you're clad in heavy armor, wielding weapons, and riding a beast, a thousand ordinary men couldn't hold you back."

"Your Wu Gong, Yuan Shen, physique, even your weapons and armor—all your internal Qi is merely at the Second Layer, yet your internal Qi combines the weightiness of the Chen Empire's Son of Heaven martial arts and the ferocity of the Xue family's Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique; your short-term explosive power won't fall short of that of a Third Layer internal cultivator."

"So you're saying you're Second Layer?"

The Fire Qilin burst into laughter.

Li Guanyi flipped the Fire Qilin over with a backhand, scratched its chin and belly using Xue Shen's method, then looked toward Chaozhudao Sect, his expression solemn and decisive:

"I'm just a martial warrior—I don't understand."

"But in the martial world, everyone measures by internal Qi."

"If my internal Qi is Second Layer, then I'm Second Layer!"

The silver-haired Daoist chuckled, flicked his sleeve, and sent the boy tumbling end over end; his voice was cold and clear: "Didn't expect you to be such a sly one."

The boy wasn't annoyed; he merely said: "Please, Elder, guide me."

He knew these things, but judging by this, his only weakness was his internal power; he'd always thought of himself as a breakthrough warlord, yet now it seemed he was closer to the role of a tank than such a warlord.

The world primarily cultivates Yuan Shen and physique.

Only the steppe Shamans of the Turkic tribes—wearing ox skulls, worshipping sacred mountains, dancing, burning incense, and praying for their Khans' victorious campaigns, with seven-colored banners fluttering in the sky—remain.

Li Guanyi rejected this aesthetic.

Chaozhudao Sect pondered, then said: "You're strong, yes, but your studies are scattered. In battle, you may strike with sword, halberd, or Yuan Shen—but you can't integrate them. When you attack with internal Qi, you're Second Layer; when you attack with Yuan Shen, you wield Third Layer power."

"Yet all these are merely parts of your strength—not your entirety."

Li Guanyi bowed solemnly: "Please, Elder, teach me."

Chaozhudao Sect lowered his gaze, raised a hand, and lightly tapped the wine jar. The jar trembled; a single drop of wine leapt out and hovered above his fingertip. He turned his wrist slightly, curled his finger, and flicked it—whereupon the drop became a streak of light, shooting into the heavens.

Above, clouds gathered thick as a great city, especially majestic beneath the moonlight.

Like a colossal entity looming overhead, prolonged gazing filled the heart with dread.

Li Guanyi didn't understand the Daoist's technique.

As he puzzled, the vast black clouds suddenly shattered!

A massive void collapsed from the center!

Then it collapsed outward in all directions.

Yet a single drop of wine blasted them apart.

Yan Xuanji immediately condensed into rain, crashing down in an instant—within moments, it became a torrential downpour. The girl on the other side seemed to have anticipated this; the silver-haired girl rummaged through her large bundle and pulled out an umbrella, shaking off its dust.

Her face showed no expression, yet she remained calm.

Just before the rain fell, she opened the umbrella.

She held it over both herself and Li Guanyi; raindrops pelted the canopy in dense clusters.

They even made a pitter-patter sound.

The mud below was pocked with countless circular indentations; the scent of damp earth rose, grass and trees swayed violently. The Fire Qilin, unprepared, got soaked; it shook its fur, flames surged, and vaporized all the rain into mist.

It yawned, then settled back down, still sleeping peacefully.

A single drop of wine had shattered a cloud, turned to rain, and fallen to earth.

Such Wu Gong had long surpassed the understanding of martial world folk. The silver-haired Daoist sat there, rain not touching him; he lifted his hand slightly and said calmly: "This is the summary of all I've learned—the first chapter."

"The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things, yet can also carry them away."

"Wu Gong doesn't rely solely on oneself—all forces can be harnessed. When cultivated to completion, even an enemy's attacks and the power of heaven and earth can become your own. This is the transformation of Heaven and Earth. This technique is called 【Great Zai Qian Yuan】. Watch closely."

Chaozhudao Sect raised his hand slightly.

A vast force erupted—his palm seemed to contain a void.

Rain from the heavens, wind, leaves—all swirled and howled, rushing toward the Daoist's palm. Li Guanyi's pupils contracted; he felt his own ferocious internal power slipping uncontrollably toward the Daoist's palm. The silver-haired girl nearly got pulled off her feet.

Li Guanyi extended his left hand, blocking directly before Yao Guang.

His right hand opened wide.

The Tiger Roars Heaven Halberd appeared, slamming downward with force.

It pierced through the ox cart and plunged deep into the earth, anchoring his stance. He stared at the Daoist, who sat there with his palm cradling a storm—everything in the heavens seemed sucked into it. Li Guanyi looked around and realized the storm was rising and roaring all around.

Their ox cart had become trapped in the eye of the storm.

Chaozhudao Sect slammed his palm outward.

Boom!!!

Li Guanyi's pupils contracted; his body tensed instinctively as a martial warrior.

The entire downpour was shattered!

It transformed into a state like white clouds; the ox cart felt as if it had fallen atop a cloud peak.

The silver-haired Daoist sat there as if upon a cloud summit, his hair slightly stirred, calm and composed. He gently placed his hand on Li Guanyi's shoulder—and the clouds and mist vanished. Li Guanyi gasped for breath, gazing upward: the clouds had cleared, leaving only a bright, clear moon hanging high in the heavens.

He stared, lost in thought.

Is this… also Wu Gong?

Chaozhudao Sect spoke calmly: "This is the summary of all I've learned—the grandest chapter. Today I impart it to you. During the journey to Zhenbei Pass, ask me any questions you have. How much you learn is your own fortune."

He then meticulously taught Li Guanyi the first chapter of the *Huang Ji Jing Shi Shu*.

Li Guanyi remained silent. He did not ask about the Daoist's realm, but curiosity stirred:

"I wonder—how many Layers is the Master Jiankuang Elder Murong?"

Chaozhudao Sect fell silent for a long while.

Li Guanyi said: "Eight Layers?"

The silver-haired Daoist shook his head.

Li Guanyi bowed deeply in reverence: "Nine Layers?"

The silver-haired Dao Master spoke softly:

"The ninth level is the peak of mortals, but the Master Jiankuang's sword lies beyond the heavens."

Li Guanyi grinned broadly—he felt that even if he were to journey across the world from now on, he no longer needed to worry about his aunt's safety; a divine sword deemed "beyond the heavens" by the Dao Master—what manner of splendor must that be?

Perhaps like the Dao Master's palm, or the Xue Shen's arrow.

A divine art utterly beyond his comprehension at this moment.

The martial world is small, but the world at large is vast; among the masters of the martial world, warriors like Brother Yue rank only thirty-fourth on the Divine General List—this reveals the grandeur of the world. Li Guanyi, recognized by the Dao Master as possessing combat power at the peak of the third heaven and the initial stage of the fourth, could only fantasize about his future.

How strong was this nemesis, Yuwen Lie?

What kind of martial skill did his father possess back then?

What does it matter to be the number one Divine General? Compared to legends of the martial world, who is stronger, who weaker?

What kind of bearing and methods do the Crimson Emperor's divine arts, the six Lords of the Learning Palace, the Daoist Primordials, and Gongyang Su Wang of Confucianism each possess?

After indulging in these fantasies,

Li Guanyi could only frown and grind through the summary of the *Huangji Jingshi Shu*.

Although the Dao Master said that realm is merely the abundance of internal Qi, unrelated to victory or death—he had once seen in the Northern Sea an enormous Xuan Turtle, as massive as a mountain range, its vital energy no less formidable than that of a master—yet a fifth-level cultivator, commanding a Longxiang warship and leading an army, could hunt it.

They would slice its flesh into stews; its fat would be made into eternal lamps and sent to the Central Plains.

Yet even so, internal Qi remained essential.

The summary of the *Huangji Jingshi Shu* appeared to be an extraordinarily profound and mysterious Wu Gong.

But in truth, it was a discipline grounded in mathematical calculations and esoteric arts—extremely complex. The Dao Master spent an entire night barely managing to explain it. The ox cart slowly rolled into a town for rest; since there was no longer danger as before, they took three rooms.

Li Guanyi pondered deeply, studying and grasping this martial art.

More than a Wu Gong, it was a bizarre mathematical and esoteric system for calculating the trajectories of all forces, then harnessing them through vast internal Qi and formidable spiritual essence.

Li Guanyi felt that along the road from here to Beicheng, he might only learn this one section; the Dao Master's strength was such that even the bronze tripod could not glimpse its truth, let alone extract primordial energy from it.

Fortunately, he had received instruction from Zu Lao during that time.

Combined with his experience from the Sixtieth Chapter of the *Huangji Jingshi Shu* and the array fundamentals he gained from Hou Zhongyu, Li Guanyi was not entirely unable to enter this path—though progress was excruciatingly slow; after a full day, he gained nothing, only sensing countless barriers.

Every step forward required long contemplation before he could proceed further.

Unconsciously, it was past midnight, the moon high overhead; Li Guanyi felt no sleepiness, only a faint throbbing in his forehead. He wanted to give up—but recalled the Dao Master's vast, incomparable art, its ability to unify internal Qi, physical body, and spiritual essence into one.

He gritted his teeth and persisted.

Li Guanyi sensed that once they reached Beicheng, the Dao Master would leave.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Li Guanyi pressed his forehead, pondering the summary of the *Huangji Jingshi Shu*: "Of all things, none is greater than heaven and earth, yet even they have their limits. Heaven's greatness is exhausted by yin and yang; earth's greatness is exhausted by hardness and softness."

"Within such reasoning, how does one proceed? What is heaven and earth? What does it mean for them to be exhausted? How does one leap from heaven and earth to yin and yang, hardness and softness?"

These questions were exceedingly difficult.

The Fire Qilin lay sprawled on the bed, snoring loudly.

The Fire Qilin did not need to cultivate; this creature was nearly five hundred years old, yet still in its youth, not yet mature. Such divine beasts, once mature—even if they merely slept until maturity—would possess the combat power of a mortal master clad in armor, wielding dark weapons.

It was simply unreasonable.

Frustrated, Li Guanyi reached out and lifted the Fire Qilin.

The Fire Qilin blinked sleepily: "Time to eat?"

Li Guanyi laughed and sighed: "Come train with me!"

The Fire Qilin lay there, grumbling: "I don't need to cultivate—I'm not like you humans. Even if I sleep until maturity, I'll still have your so-called master's abilities. I'm a Fire Qilin!"

Li Guanyi could only keep grinding, when suddenly he heard a tapping at the window.

He ignored it.

The tapping grew louder. Li Guanyi rose, walked over, and opened the window.

Moonlight flooded in, blanketing the floor in silver frost.

The moon shone bright, stars sparse; the town lay peaceful. Ancient buildings were draped in a faint glow; beneath the moonlight, a silver-haired girl stood quietly atop blue tiles, her hair gently lifted, her beauty so exquisite it seemed to halt the heart.

She crouched, watching the boy who had come to the window.

She reached out and poked Li Guanyi's cheek—her face showed no expression.

Perhaps because of the moonlight.

Li Guanyi felt the girl before him was softer than when they first met.

"I think you might need help."

The girl's voice remained cool and serene.

Her fingers, pale and slender, lightly pressed against the window frame, then pushed hard—she leapt lightly inside, her right foot landing on the wooden table, her body bending slightly, spinning like a butterfly toward the open space.

She leapt again.

A soft *tap*—her steps light, pale embroidered shoes touching the ground.

Her hem and hair fluttered slightly, then settled.

The girl's fragrance, carrying the scent of rain, surged in with the moonlight.

Her hem concealed the embroidered shoes; the girl stood quietly before Li Guanyi, smoothing the wrinkles on her hem, her eyes calm and gentle.

Li Guanyi remained silent for several breaths.

Then he said: "Yao Guang?"

Yao Guang nodded: "I've come to help you."

Li Guanyi hesitated: "But the Dao Master said only I may learn it."

Yao Guang thought for a moment: "But—"

The girl looked at the boy before her and replied: "I am also your strength."

"You can rely on me."

Li Guanyi had no rebuttal, so he laughed freely, exuding the same bearing as the ancient Emperor Chi: "Anyway, I've got the technique!"

"Come, sit down!"

The girl nodded and sat quietly beside the table, moving the candle to the center.

Li Guanyi brought tea; the silver-haired girl watched him jot down notes, thinking deeply, while the boy rummaged for snacks and heard a voice say:

"I thought you would have come to find me long ago."

Li Guanyi froze, turned around, and saw the silver-haired girl gazing at the scroll by candlelight.

Her face showed no expression, only quiet as ever.

Li Guanyi looked outside—it was already midheaven, the same as two a. m. in his past life. The girl always slept punctually; perhaps she had been waiting all night for some fool who didn't understand arrays, frantic and disheveled, to sneak over and knock softly on her door.

But he didn't come, so Yao Guang stepped across the moonlit green tiles and tapped on his window.

Li Guanyi said: "Next time, I'll come find you early!"

"Mm."

Yao Guang's arcane arts and array knowledge helped Li Guanyi unravel many critical pieces he couldn't understand, and Li Guanyi, in turn, integrated them fully—previously impassable obstacles suddenly became smooth and open.

Without realizing it, the first volume of the extremely difficult Book of Imperial Supreme Cosmic Order had been thoroughly organized.

Though still far from mastery, he now understood it.

At least, he had entered the gate.

Li Guanyi stretched, feeling invigorated; the sun had risen beyond the horizon.

Li Guanyi said: "Yao…" He turned, and saw the silver-haired girl sprawled across the table, eyes closed, breathing soft and gentle, already asleep. Morning light fell on her cheek, faintly golden.

Li Guanyi lowered his voice. He thought for a moment, then draped his Dao robe over her shoulders.

Then he picked up the Fire Qilin and shoved a steamed bun into its mouth from behind.

To keep the Fire Qilin from bellowing.

He held the Fire Qilin in his arms, stepped out, and carefully closed the door, then strode to the Daoledao Sect guest quarters and knocked. When the Daoledao Sect member opened the door, Li Guanyi stepped inside and looked at the Daoist.

The boy bowed: "Elder."

The Daoledao Sect member, tea in hand, lifted his gaze slightly: "How?"

Li Guanyi said: "I've learned it."

The Daoledao Sect member's eyes, untouched by youthful matters, paused slightly.

"Hmm?"