Chapter 199: Not Disgracing the Mission!

Boom!!!

Vast internal Qi instantly transformed into roaring flames, churning the wine into a coiling, howling dragon that surged forward; the Motian Sect Sect leader let out a loud laugh, tipped back his head to drink, then slammed one palm forward—waves of Qi surged like a tidal storm, colliding with Chen Chengbi's left hand.

The ground ripped open outright.

the Angry Sword Immortal closed his eyes, dissolving into a blade of light to evade Chen Chengbi's strike.

the Angry Scale Long Wang flicked his wrist, hurling the wine jar forward.

Tu Shengyuan scrambled wildly, dodging left and right, his body leaving behind a trail of afterimages as he evaded lethal techniques one after another, hiding himself behind; in an instant, the largest main garden of the city lord's mansion was crushed into the earth.

Tu Shengyuan's eyelid twitched violently.

The leader of the First Sect of Northern Chen State.

The chief of the Seventy-Two Linked Forts.

Both were top-tier figures among the Tianxia Masters—one a lord of a sect with tens of thousands of disciples, the other a bandit who cared nothing for personal martial glory; though not among the top ten on the Master Rankings, they were unquestionably within ranks ten to twenty.

Then he saw the old man who, over a month ago, had fought to a six-four draw with the Diliu Sect Master Qu Zai Shi—apparently forgetting his unhealed internal injuries—he burst into wild laughter, his left palm technique like a coiling dragon, trading blows with the leader of the First Sect of Northern Chen State, while his right hand snatched a chain and whipped it around, entangling the Angry Scale Long Wang.

One old man fighting two of the top fifteen Masters.

How deep is this old bastard's Wu Gong?

Tu Shengyuan cursed loudly.

The Motian Sect Sect leader, Ximen Hengrong, unleashed his fist and palm techniques like the sky collapsing, stirring the clouds into wild spirals; the Angry Scale Long Wang matched him stride for stride, roaring with laughter as he clashed with Chen Chengbi.

Though neither had unleashed lethal techniques, their battle was fiercely matched.

Wild waves surged like oceans, clouds roiled into the sky.

The terrifying pressure of Qi made everyone else struggle to breathe; all retreated, Tu Shengyuan fleeing fastest—he had reached the Sixth Heaven himself, but meddling in a Master-level clash would almost certainly turn him into pulp.

Yet he emerged from the wine jar, still alongside Chen Chengbi.

It was already destined that he'd be targeted.

A soft, warm voice came:

"Mr. Tu, why the rush?"

Tu Shengyuan shuddered, every hair on his back standing on end; the beautiful Grand Elder of the Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect regarded him gently and said, "Since you've come, why not share a drink?" With a mere flick of his sleeve, the cup of wine flew toward him.

Tu Shengyuan dropped into a rigid bridge, arching backward.

Simultaneously, his feet tapped rapidly—he moved like a bird piercing the clouds, a fish leaping into the sea, leaving a trail of afterimages, and forcibly escaped the Grand Elder's grasp; the beautiful man smiled: "No wonder you're the only one left alive from the original guest ministers of the Tianxia Diyi Lou in the World."

"Such body techniques are worth watching."

The Angry Sword Immortal kept his eyes closed, taking no part in the battle, still calm and composed, raising his cup to drink.

Yet his sword Qi had already reached the realm of perfection.

Any Qi entering within three feet of him was shattered into dust by supreme sword Qi, leaving not a trace; thirteen flying swords circled his body, their sword intent crushing with weight—he drank peacefully, even as Chen Chengbi or the Angry Scale Long Wang launched attacks.

He held the cup in his right hand, the sword in his left, never glancing, merely crossing it horizontally—and it blocked everything.

The City Lord was nearly enraged into shouting.

Where did this old bastard come from?!

Just because two old bastards emerged from that wine jar.

Four Masters were held in check.

Tu Shengyuan slipped sideways, evading the Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect's gentle caress.

This guest minister of the Tianxia Diyi Lou in the World felt his skull numb—he feared that if touched, he'd become the Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect's living alchemical furnace, his internal Qi nurtured into their Yin-Yang Wheel Dao embryo, his body dragged away as a cultivation partner.

He thought of the twisted, deformed creatures inside the Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect.

And those who had reversed their Yin-Yang—this guest minister, who looked merely middle-aged but was nearly as old as Chen Chengbi, felt his scalp crawl.

The world assumed Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect disciples were beautiful; some naive young heroes even joked they'd gladly become furnace partners.

But many more twisted themselves into monsters—half-human, half-ghost: old hags with one side of their face smooth and the other like withered wood, terrifying to behold; why would a beautiful woman need to use her looks to become a furnace partner?

Moreover, the true Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect pursued restrained Yin-Yang cultivation.

It was cultivation through internal Qi exchange.

They sought the cold, serene aura of the Daoist path—emotion, only touched lightly.

Do not fall in love; love binds the heart. Do not avoid love; avoidance severs emotion.

To love or not to love—find the middle way.

But this path is difficult, so inferior methods have grown increasingly common.

Tu Shengyuan, cornered and eyes red, roared: "Go after Chen Chengbi over there! His pure Yang Qi is perfect for you—don't fixate on me! I've already broken my chastity just to avoid you!"

The Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect Grand Elder smiled:

"The title you gave me isn't very pleasant."

Tu Shengyuan, furious beyond endurance, flipped into a shadowy evasion, dodging the opponent's technique—then this refined scholar erupted into a torrent of curses, harsher than the vilest soldier:

"You genderless Yin-Yang freak, you're doomed to lifelong celibacy, you stinking man-bitch! You *****!"

"Your ancestors are selling hooks down below because of you—and you're still laughing!"

"I've been generous not to say you were a piece of meat with both ends fucked raw before you became Grand Elder! Fuck your mother, got it?! I fuck your mother!"

"Wait—no, you probably don't even have a mother."

"Sorry."

Tu Shengyuan's torrent of curses darkened the Grand Elder's face—if he'd insulted his low martial skill or vile character, the Grand Elder would've merely laughed it off; but these words pierced his heart like daggers.

Tu Shengyuan, having vented his rage, shouted:

"Old Chen, strike together!"

"After this fight, I'll give you a new nickname!"

Chen Chengbi pressed his left hand against the Azure Dragon manifestation, leapt into the air and kicked out a whirlwind of Lei Ting, standing atop the Motian Divine Eagle, his body stained with blood, yet roaring with laughter:

"Hahaha, good!"

The old man raised his left hand and pulled with his right.

"Travel the Six Voids!"

Thus, he used the Son of Heaven's martial arts to command the two masters' qi, reversed his internal energy, and struck back—both the Motian Sect Sect's leader and the Furious Scale Long Wang were struck by this technique, their faces darkened, true fury ignited, and they drew their own mysterious weapons, charging together.

Tu Shengyuan cursed and lifted the bamboo scroll in his hand.

With a single sweep, the scroll unfurled to a length of one zhang, like a flexible whip, yet wrapped in mystic iron and diamond, resembling a heavy blunt weapon; with one strike, it sent over a dozen martial artists flying.

"Do you really think I only know how to carve knives!"

Tu Shengyuan and Chen Chengbi wreaked havoc in this place—one wielding immense, boundless pure yang qi, the other possessing peerless footwork, pinning down the four sect masters; Nan Qingping, the Lord of the Divine Beast Manor, and other martial artists could only retreat farther.

Everyone's attention was drawn to this rare, monumental battle.

Only Yuwen Tianxian grew anxious, abandoned this place, seized his treasure weapon, and raced urgently toward the earlier clash site, while ordering the city lord's private troops: Li Guanyi and Yao Guang had just fled a short distance when they heard a thunderous roar.

"Li Guanyi!"

Li Guanyi looked up and saw Yuwen Tianxian had arrived, wielding a silver-spotted steel spear, his dharma form nearly solidified into reality—he was among the strongest below the master level; Li Guanyi glanced once and immediately grabbed with his right hand.

【Break-Cloud Thunder-Sky Bow】!

He spun, drew the bow.

Vast internal energy surged into the divine weapon.

The arrow shot out violently.

It flew straight toward Yuwen Hua, who leaned on his broken spear, staggering away from the battlefield; Yuwen Hua had been internally injured by Li Guanyi's 【Great Zai Qian Yuan】, and this arrow—fired by a divine weapon—aimed directly at the back of his skull.

Yuwen Tianxian roared in fury but had to change his technique.

His technique descended, intercepting and severing the arrow fired by the Break-Cloud Thunder-Sky Bow.

He immediately supported Yuwen Hua, pouring vast internal energy into him: "Hua'er, how are you?"

Yuwen Hua spat out a clot of dark blood, his face pale, gritting his teeth: "He has at least fourth-layer heavenly realm cultivation, and possesses a mysterious supreme technique that can reverse and counter my moves—I was caught off guard and struck by this brat."

"Uncle, be careful—Li Guanyi's Wu Gong is no joke, and his methods are numerous."

"Good."

Yuwen Tianxian said: "Take this pill, rest quickly."

"I'll capture this man."

He turned around and saw the boy sprinting like the wind, then extended one hand, his arm as lithe as a monkey's, pulling out from somewhere a figure clad in a hooded long robe.

Li Guanyi no longer cared for caution.

When Yuwen Tianxian appeared, Li Guanyi's mysterious third eye throbbed violently.

This martial artist possessed a technique capable of killing him in one blow.

The young Daoist lifted Yao Guang, who had been hiding nearby; holding the heavy spear in his hand, he felt far more secure—then placed Yao Guang on his back. The silver-haired girl blinked, naturally extending her arms and clinging to the boy's back.

Her silver hair fluttered as she reached up, tucking stray strands behind her ears, then leaned gently against his ear and whispered:

"Go left."

Li Guanyi shifted his steps, stepping on the flowing wind and sprinting leftward.

A streak of light nearly grazed his body as it struck.

It reduced an entire pavilion to dust!

Yuwen Tianxian's expression was icy; in his hand he held a heavy bow, its string made of sea-dragon sinew, still humming.

The explosion's shockwave flung Li Guanyi through the air; he landed, flipped, and clutched Yao Guang tightly, rolling several times before driving his spear into the ground and leaping up to sprint in another direction.

Li Guanyi's lips curled slightly.

His overall strength was weaker than Yan Xuanji's, but roughly on the same level.

Damn it!

A name from the Divine General Rankings?!

Li Guanyi nearly cursed aloud.

Yuwen Lie, are you really overestimating me?

Though he certainly wasn't among the top ranks of the Divine General Rankings, even a general ranked ninety-something could stand alone, command tens of thousands of troops, and guard border cities—was this truly the method left just to kill me?

Breaking Beicheng was real; wanting to kill Li Guanyi was real too.

Yet for some reason, despite the danger and urgency, the boy gritted his teeth—yet a bold spirit surged within him; he felt no fear, only laughed loudly.

Yao Guang clung tightly to his neck, seemingly frightened.

The girl, like a leaf in the rain, nestled against Li Guanyi.

But her voice remained calm.

"Go right."

Li Guanyi spun his long spear and thrust forward.

【Crush Mountains】!

He struck directly against the wall.

The beautiful, rune-carved, lavishly decorated blue-rock wall shattered into dust.

The immense recoil sent Li Guanyi and Yao Guang crashing into a nearby ornate pavilion; behind them, blasts of qi continued to strike—he held Yao Guang tightly, lowered his body, and smashed his shoulder into the front wall.

His feet stamped the ground, every sinew and bone exploding with power.

Like a wild ox, a ferocious tiger.

The wall was shattered by the boy's impact!

One building!

Two buildings!

Three!

Li Guanyi charged like an enraged wild ox, smashing through three main courtyards, right hand gripping a spear, left hand pressing down on Yao Guang's hood, shielding the girl against his chest. Ahead, guards and private soldiers blocked the way—the youth burst into laughter: "Make way for me!"

He thrust his long spear forward with all his might!

【Crush Mountain】!

The faces of over a dozen second-tier guards turned pale.

Every weapon snapped!

Then the youth swept his spear sideways—a colossal force flung them all flying.

Li Guanyi spun his spear in his right hand; the force of 【Rolling Tide】 flung them all outward, slamming them into rockeries, walls, and wooden beams—bones shattered, no strength left to fight. Yao Guang, held in his arms, said without expression:

"Second-tier?"

The youth laughed: "Yes! Second-tier!"

He flung the spear upward with one hand.

It drove deep into the wall.

He held the silver-haired girl.

He leapt into the air, landing on the spear's shaft.

The spear bent, then snapped back—Li Guanyi soared upward, landing atop the high wall.

He waved his left hand, pulling a rope he'd snatched earlier, tugging hard—the spear flew back into his grip. He sprinted wildly, thinking to himself: I'm really in a sorry state.

At least Yao Guang is still with me.

He laughed.

Calm. Unrestrained.

………………

A hundred li beyond Zhenxi Xiongcheng.

The scout dispatched by General Yue Qianfeng returned—a man in his thirties, kneeling half-bowed, face ashen: "Something's wrong. Today I slipped into the city, found the Ghost Market, spent a fortune to retrieve intelligence."

"The Lord's mansion is a trap left by Yuwen Lie!"

"And within the city, there's a 【Hunt the Qilin Grand Assembly】—it's meant for Li Guanyi!"

The other generals' expressions darkened: "So the Lord's mansion is a net laid out solely for Li Guanyi—and Yuwen Lie left all these traps because he targets the internal forces within Zhenxi Xiongcheng."

"He wants to plant his own backdoor and hidden passage inside this great fortress of the realm!"

"So when we march against Chen, resistance will be far weaker."

"That's why… Li Guanyi hasn't sent us any intelligence or information…" The scout captain hesitated, bowing his head: "Either he's retreated… or he's already sunk into a quagmire, unable to save himself."

The other captains and officers fell silent—they all believed it was the latter.

The fifth-greatest general of the realm, four Grand Masters, secret private soldiers of the Lord's mansion, martial artists from the Jianghu.

It was a dragon's den, a tiger's lair.

Yan Xuanji and General Ling Pingyang both paled.

Only General Yue Qianfeng remained calm: "How much time remains until the agreed moment?"

"Less than an hour."

"Good."

General Yue Qianfeng rose. Clad in black heavy armor, he stood like a towering mountain in the night: "Tell the men—mount up, arm yourselves, prepare formation. We ride straight through, across the front of this mighty city."

"Guanyi has his own mission."

"Can we place everything on his shoulders?"

"I believe—even if he's trapped in the Lord's mansion and Yuwen Lie's scheme—he hasn't given up. We must do our part, all of you."

He raised his weapon, his expression solemn and still:

"With you, I share my robe."

In the night, spear after spear rose high.

Like a dense forest!

This eight-thousand-strong heavy cavalry—each man, at minimum, a second-tier Martial Path Realm cultivator.

Every hundred men had a Captain, third-tier.

Five hundred commanded by a fourth-tier martialist.

Thousand-man cavalry commanders, all fifth-tier.

Five generals on the Divine General List.

These eight thousand were officers-grade heavy cavalry—any one of them could raise a hundred-man cavalry unit within a year. Now, with hearts full of certain death, they rose, mounted their steeds.

Warhorses neighed like dragon roars.

To charge straight past the front of Xiongcheng, they'd suffer at least twenty percent casualties.

Every aggressive junior Captain and mid-level officer of the Yue family army might die in this suicidal charge—yet none feared, because the man who bound them together stood behind them.

We carry the Jade Dragon to die for our lord.

General Yue Qianfeng stood at the front, riding his blue-eyed lion beast. The Yue army began its rapid march. Beneath the night, every heart grew still—not trembling with fear at the coming suicidal charge.

At the final thirty li, speed surged to full charge velocity.

The towering bulk of Zhenxi Xiongcheng loomed ahead. To pass, they must charge through the narrow strip before the city gate—the very zone housing the city's siege machinery. On General Yue Qianfeng, the spectral form of the Crimson Dragon rose.

Come!

Charge!

Break through!

He could sense the transformation of the battle formation.

【Yue Family Army, Star Chart Formation, disabled】

【Yue Family Army, Military Charge Formation, weakened】

【South-Pointer Trait · Stripped】

【Yue Family Army Formation · Wind-Deflecting Arrow Array, disabled】

【Yue Family Army Formation · Cavalry Thunder Charge, disabled】

All heavy cavalry felt the exhilaration they once knew during charges now dulled; General Yue Qianfeng's temples bulged with veins as he cursed the name of the legendary Yin-Yang Master—but even with the formations weakened, the Yue Family Army's momentum surged even fiercer.

They were not fighting for themselves, nor for profit.

The soul of this army was preserved among them.

A blazing, fiery aura burned in every heart.

Suddenly—

A sharp whistling pierced the air, not an attack—arrows soared through the silent night, carrying a sound these death-bound heavy cavalry had long awaited; they all lifted their heads together.

One arrow shot into the sky.

It exploded violently.

Flames swirled, taking the shape of a Fire Qilin.

General Yue Qianfeng's eyes widened sharply; the emblem of the Fire Qilin from the Age of Chaos reflected in the eyes of all eight thousand men—it was Li Guanyi's agreed-upon signal.

General Yue Qianfeng grinned, stunned, then burst into loud laughter:

"Hahaha, good brother!"

"Men! CHARGE!!!"

The Yue Family Army's speed surged abruptly.

In his hand, his battle halberd rose—a crimson dragon appeared, engulfing all eight thousand iron cavalry.

They rode straight through, brazenly, as if taunting, past the massive fortress of Zhenxi Xiongcheng; the thunderous hooves of their warhorses drowned out the great siege engine that had once felled Tie Futu, and the thirty thousand soldiers guarding it.

No reaction.

This was the first time since Zhenxi Xiongcheng's founding.

One charge could have cut them off—but there was no movement.

An impossible coincidence. An impossible coordination.

A suicide charge had succeeded.

Prince Ji Yanzhong stood atop Zhenxi Xiongcheng, having completed troop redeployment, watching the Yue Family Army break through as the crimson dragon of the Age of Chaos soared into the sky, while the Fire Qilin above slowly dimmed; the old man suddenly felt a chilling loneliness—the shifting tides of chaos, the rise of heroes.

Perhaps he truly was old.

That day—

Eight thousand of the Yue Family Army charged through Zhenxi Xiongcheng.

Successfully escaped Chen's border.

Not a single man lost!

General Yue Qianfeng led them all away, without even drawing weapons, galloping a hundred li beyond; under the moonlight, someone waited ahead.

A young man stood there.

The heavy cavalry halted in unison; the thundering charge fell silent.

Under the moonlight, the young man extended his hand, his heart pounding wildly from the oppressive aura, yet he pulled down the oilcloth beside him, revealing grain, salt, and medicine.

A vast quantity—enough to sustain the army for ten days.

Before the eight thousand iron cavalry, the young man slowly bowed with clasped hands; his voice trembled with fear, his legs weak—he did not understand the Changfeng Lady's intent, when even she had to eat steamed buns!

Why had she forcibly diverted all her funds into these supplies?

And why forbid him from telling these iron cavalry?

Though he did not understand, the Changfeng Lady's guest minister still said:

"The Changfeng Lady has a message for you all."

Eight thousand mighty soldiers fell silent.

The young man exhaled, clasped his hands, and bowed.

As if the young Daoist stood behind him, he replied:

"Li Guanyi—has not failed his mission!"

He did not grasp the weight of those seven words—he spoke them lightly.

Those seven words fell into the night, echoing far—but the young man heard no reply; he looked up and saw the iron cavalry's solemn expressions, even the generals' faces grave.

The leader seemed to understand; he suddenly roared: "Dismount!"

In perfect unison.

They slammed their weapons into the ground—like a forest of steel; the wind whistled through them like a mournful song, a chilling aura rising to the heavens.

The young man's scalp prickled; his whole body trembled.

Thud!

Eight thousand mighty soldiers landed in perfect unison; the chilling aura spread outward. They were forces that could shake the Age of Chaos—but now, each raised a hand, struck their chest, bowed their heads in unison, the air thick with solemn reverence.

Eight thousand men. Perfectly aligned.

They paid military tribute.

The Changfeng Lady's guest minister felt his scalp prickle, his body trembling, yet his blood surged—he needed no words; the tribute of these eight thousand mighty soldiers was enough to stir any man's soul.

It was not for the young guest minister.

It was for that boy.

Not the son of Tai Ping Gong.

It was only Li Guanyi.

In a chaotic era like a chessboard, the boy's first move into the game had already shattered the balance between Yuwen Lie and the Jianghu, personally carving a path for the racing Yue Family Army, and thereby stepping onto the stage of the entire world.

The Historical Records · Annals, First Chapter —

Lord Yue was trapped before Zhenbei Pass; 【Shang】 went to rescue him, pulling Lord Yue from amidst ten thousand soldiers.

At the time, he was fifteen.

………………

Li Guanyi and Yao Guang were still frantically fleeing.

The governor's mansion was too vast and complex; even Li Guanyi felt a headache, and only with Yao Guang's guidance could he precisely and perfectly evade each ambush, steadily drawing closer to the exit.

And at this very moment.

The Black Tortoise suddenly surfaced again, stronger and more frantic than ever before, frantically clawing at Li Guanyi.