Chapter 201: Might Soaring to Heaven, Paying Homage to the Young Master

The fire of the Fire Qilin erupted into blazing light that pierced the night sky; Yuwen Tianxian's Bai Hu Zong roared upward, while the other warriors could no longer see the clash—yet behind Li Guanyi, the courtyard specially built to house the many strange beasts of the Divine Beast Villa suddenly flared to life.

Blazing light shot into the heavens.

That massive courtyard shattered outright!

The crossbows, chariots—all burned to ash in an instant, then swelled violently.

Yuwen Hua, clad in armor and rushing back, froze—he watched this surge of energy rise, as if utterly bereft of will, seeing Li Guanyi raise his battle halberd, the instant clash, the roar of Yuwen Tianxian's Bai Hu Zong aura dissolving.

The two weapons, laden with immense force, slammed together.

The boy's hands trembled violently, as if blood had been forced out.

Yuwen Tianxian forcibly held firm against this terrifying strike.

His peak sixth-layer inner qi and extraordinary physique held fast.

Cracking sounds rang continuously.

Beneath Yuwen Tianxian's feet, the earth split—fine cracks spread outward in all directions.

Li Guanyi gritted his teeth, staring fiercely at this famed general—the man had blocked this technique fused with his own and the Fire Qilin's power—when suddenly, Li Guanyi's heart pounded violently, straining to its limit, and the hidden 【Fei Poison】 surged again.

Intense pain plunged Li Guanyi's vision into darkness.

He loosened his grip slightly, then clenched the weapon with even greater force.

Agony makes cowards curl up—but it also unleashes greater power in the brave.

Li Guanyi let out a long roar; the aura of Fire Heaven's Great Possession surged violently along his halberd.

Boom!!!

The ground beneath Yuwen Tianxian shattered violently, collapsing into a vast hollow below; the rending qi surged like a storm in all directions, and Yuwen Tianxian's sacred weapon emitted a piercing shriek.

His long spear was split clean through the middle!

The Tiger Roars Heaven halberd rained down, striking Yuwen Tianxian's sacred armor.

It slashed from his shoulder down to his side waist; Yuwen Tianxian lunged forward with a punch, its force explosive, striking Li Guanyi's halberd in an instant—the young Daoist's body reeled backward, his feet scraping the ground as he slid ten feet back, then his wrist twisted, driving the halberd deep into the earth.

Yuwen Tianxian staggered back step by step, exhaling sharply.

On his sacred armor appeared a grotesque gash—not smooth, but charred as if seared; dark crystal iron curled outward like a wound. Yuwen Tianxian stared at the damage and murmured: "... Has another like Li Wanli or Xiao Wuiliang emerged among the generals of Chen?"

He dismissed his nephew who rushed to aid him.

"You're no match for him—fall back!"

His five fingers slowly closed; the general's lethal aura surged, spreading slowly through his palm into the shape of a spear—this was the refined application of Qi Condensation into Weapon, a higher tier beyond the third-layer's Qi-Forming.

The calm general fixed his gaze on the youth before him:

"As a general of Da Ying, I must leave you here!"

Yuwen Hua opened his mouth.

He stared at the youth, his fist clenched—but he still had to retreat; in that single step back, he knew: a vast chasm now yawned between him and this boy far younger than himself.

A warrior with talent and a future.

And a fifteen-year-old general.

Two different worlds.

Li Guanyi grinned, kicked his halberd with his right foot, and it rose again; the Fire Qilin's aura reappeared. This method of drawing on the Fire Qilin's power differed from the beast's own explosive might—if the Fire Qilin revealed its true form to fight once, it needed at least a month to recover.

But now, the Fire Qilin merely channeled energy.

As long as Li Guanyi's physique could endure it.

As long as the qi from the strange beasts it had just devoured hadn't been fully exhausted.

This technique, Li Guanyi could reuse—but in truth, he could only use it once more; his body would collapse under such output and consumption, suffering damage even a Dragon-Tendon Tiger-Bone frame could not withstand.

The boy gripped the divine weapon, his temple hairs stirring; his right eye glowed with crimson-gold radiance. The Fire Qilin's flames drew near, forming a crimson-gold armor that covered Li Guanyi's body. Amidst a solemn sound, a golden-red Heavenly King Armor appeared upon him.

He gripped the halberd and swept it sharply.

Flames scattered, swirling around him.

This so-called Qi-Condensation into Armor.

Was merely manipulating highly concentrated qi to condense and cover the surface.

Li Guanyi's inner qi was insufficient.

But the Fire Qilin's qi was more than enough.

He raised his halberd, extended his left hand, and seized the silver-haired girl.

He stepped forward slowly and said: "Come!"

The Fire Qilin was upon his back.

Li Guanyi's previous clash with Yuwen Tianxian had barely gained the upper hand, but in truth, with Fire Heaven's Great Possession, he had instantly shattered all the crossbows and siege engines here, driving back the archers; when the Fire Qilin soared through the air, there was no need to fear interference from siege weapons.

It was time to use the Fire Qilin's true form to charge the formation again.

Qi flames surged to the heavens; Yuwen Tianxian gripped his weapon, watching the youth rising from the chaos of the age, his expression calm—just as they were about to clash, a wild, booming laugh shattered the solemn air:

"Hahaha! So you're here, Li Xiao!"

Li Guanyi froze.

It was Chen Chengbi!

He smiled and shouted: "Grandpa, I'm here!"

The old man laughed loudly; Li Guanyi heard a rumbling sound like a dragon turning over—the main hall of the city lord's mansion collapsed, the garden toppled, then a thunderous crash echoed as a tall tower built for Mid-Autumn moon-viewing was suddenly ripped from its foundation.

A white-haired old man, bloodied yet still wild, gripped the ten-zhang tower with both arms and lifted it.

He exhaled sharply, exerting force.

Swinging the ten-zhang tower like a branch, he hurled it with all his might.

A deafening boom—and suddenly, a dragon's roar echoed.

When the towering building, thirty-three meters high in Li Guanyi's past world, was about to crash down, it suddenly halted—then blue waves erupted violently, and a blue jiao dragon let out a long roar, coiling around the massive structure as it slowly advanced toward the battlefront.

Its scales were clear as blue cold jade.

Amid the waves, tiny fragments of weapons spun at high speed.

The ten-zhang tower, under the coiling of the jiao dragon's spiritual form, turned to dust and slowly dispersed; the jiao dragon spiritual form then swiftly approached Chen Chengbi. The old man let out a strange cry, leapt into the air, and stood atop the jiao dragon's back, sprinting at breakneck speed as he clashed with his opponent.

Above him, another man—a giant—wielded a chain-like weapon and battled Chen Chengbi midair at a speed too swift for the naked eye; each clash sent out vast showers of sparks, and Chen Chengbi raised his hand to meet the Furious Scaled Dragon King's strike.

He leaned back into an iron plank bridge, then kicked out, colliding his fist with the Motian Sect Sect leader's punch.

A visible ripple of qi surged outward.

The old man burst into laughter: "Li Guanyi, if you're interested, come over and have a drink or two with this old man!"

Chen Chengbi directly named Li Guanyi.

Others turned pale, staring at the young man whose name was rising across the realm. Li Guanyi lifted his battle halberd, fixing his gaze on Chen Chengbi's direction—yet a faint hesitation stirred within him.

And at that moment.

Li Guanyi felt a warm touch in his palm.

The silver-haired girl gripped his hand tightly.

Li Guanyi turned his head; the silver-haired girl's face showed no expression, her voice calm:

"Wherever you go, I will accompany you."

"………………"

Li Guanyi lowered his gaze, clasped the girl's hand in return, his spirit surging with boldness. Though hundreds surrounded him with bows and crossbows aimed at him, he remained arrogant and composed, lifting his halberd with one hand and roaring:

"Fine, old man—I'm coming."

He pulled Yao Guang close, wrapping her in his arms; crimson qi surged violently as he leapt into the air, stepping upon empty space as crimson Fire Qilin flames erupted—Li Guanyi soared upward, racing toward them.

Of the hundreds around him, not a single soul dared to block him.

The ancient heroes of old—though their spirit was fierce—were no greater than this.

The birth of a world-renowned general required nothing more than such boldness and aura to terrify ordinary warriors; they merely felt their palms tremble, their legs weaken, and after Li Guanyi departed, their first reaction was to collapse onto the ground, gasping for breath, faces pale with fear.

Yuwen Hua, seeing this, cried anxiously: "Uncle, why didn't you act?!"

General Yuwen merely watched Li Guanyi leap into the air.

All the mechanical crossbows here had been destroyed; he knew ordinary archers could not stop the boy—and…

Suddenly, the previously calm General Yuwen turned pale, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He staggered, bracing his long spear against the ground to avoid falling disgracefully.

The blood fell to the ground, scorching hot, emitting waves of white vapor.

Within the Fire Qilin flames, an odd poison had somehow mixed in.

General Yuwen had not anticipated the ferocity of the Fire Qilin technique; in desperation, he chose to meet it head-on and ended up with a minor injury. In midair, away from the battlefield, a trickle of blood also seeped from Li Guanyi's lips.

The silver-haired girl, expressionless, reached out and wiped the blood from the young Daoist's lips.

His injury was similar to General Yuwen's.

The Fire Qilin's primordial qi strength matched General Yuwen's internal qi level.

Because it was rooted in a divine beast, it was even stronger than an ordinary Sixth Heaven realm.

But Li Guanyi's body bore the strain of this technique, placing immense burden on his five viscera and six bowels—yet even so, this matter was essentially concluded; Li Guanyi suddenly understood the calm composure of the strategist who saw the final move come to fruition.

If Po Jun were here, he might have done even better.

Li Guanyi thought, walking toward the ground now a vast, deep pit, where the sand and soil had been vitrified by the intense internal qi. Tu Shengyuan was dodging the Grand Elder of the Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect's techniques, spewing curses nonstop.

The Furious Sword Immortal drank quietly; only within a three-foot radius around him had the ground not been flattened.

No one dared approach this spot. Chen Chengbi gripped the Motian Sect Sect leader's wrist with his left hand and blocked the Furious Scaled Dragon King with his right arm; his qi sliced like blades. Seeing Li Guanyi had truly come, the old man grew even fonder of this youth, laughing heartily:

"Good! Good! Boldness!"

"You're a fine lad—excellent!"

Chen Chengbi unleashed his qi, forcing both masters back.

The Furious Scaled Dragon King looked at Li Guanyi, surprised, then seemed to sigh—but burst into loud laughter:

"Li Guanyi—your reputation is well-deserved!"

He had fought Chen Chengbi, who was wounded; he himself had taken a heavy blow from the old man's technique, blood streaming from his chest—yet he remained arrogant, shouting: "Furious Sword Immortal, bring the wine!"

The Furious Sword Immortal did not lift his gaze.

He merely swept his sleeve; a jar of fine wine spun through the air toward him.

The Furious Scaled Dragon King, bare-chested, muscles knotted like ropes, lifted the wine jar with one hand and roared: "Though we'll still fight later, I've always loved forging bonds with heroes—whether as friend or foe, it's exhilarating! Come, come, come—I toast you!"

"I'm just a river pirate—I've killed, I've saved. Not a good man. I'll drink first!"

"As for you, kid—drink if you want, hahaha!"

He tilted his head back and drank deeply.

Then he shook his hand—the blue jiao dragon spiritual form bit down on the wine jar.

It coiled through empty space toward the boy; Li Guanyi swung his halberd with his right hand, unleashing Fire Qilin qi—the blue jiao dragon dispersed, and the wine jar landed atop his halberd. He flicked his wrist, raising the halberd; the wine arced upward, then fell back down.

Li Guanyi extended his left hand, catching the wine jar.

He upended it; the wine, clear as jade, poured entirely down his throat.

He tilted his head back and drank deeply.

This silent, direct response suited the rough, bandit-hearted heroes perfectly; the Furious Scaled Dragon King's eyes blazed with delight, laughing heartily:

"Hahaha! Good! Excellent!"

"Young man, in my Seventy-Two Linked Forts, no one has such boldness!"

Li Guanyi took a deep swallow, flicked his wrist, and hurled the wine jar back using the Rolling Wave qi: "Seventy-Two Linked Forts—blockading Dajiang from north to south. Your chief robs the rich to aid the poor, wields the jiao dragon qi known across the realm—excellent wine!"

The mighty water-warrior Long Wang of the Angry Scales laughed heartily at these words.

He cried out, "Thrilling!"

The wine jar spun and whistled as Long Wang of the Angry Scales and Chen Chengbi exchanged blows; then he reversed his palm and said, "Good, good, good—you're a fine lad! Come, Angry Sword Immortal, what's the point of drinking alone? Have a sip too!"

The Angry Sword Immortal lowered his gaze, opened his mouth slightly, and inhaled; a vortex of internal qi surged into his mouth.

He looked at the young man, his heroic spirit surging, as if finally taking him seriously, and said coolly, "I hear you possess a sword named the Gentleman's Blade. Though it is a sharp weapon made of rare material, if you're willing, give it to me."

"Kunlun Mountain, Liu Nu."

The Angry Sword Immortal had shifted from utter disdain to current recognition.

He flipped his wrist and hurled the wine jar toward the young man.

Sword qi bristled with menace.

Li Guanyi's battle halberd stood planted in the ground; he punched out, shattering the sword qi with Xue family's Shattered Jade Fist, then seized the wine jar and drank deeply before replying, "The Kunlun Sword Sect is renowned across the land; their sword-cultivation and forging arts rival those of the Murong Clan. All four elders command respect in their regions."

"Unfortunately, that sword belongs to my friend Master Yan Daiqing."

"I left it behind when I departed Jiangzhou."

"If you're interested, seek him out one day. If you teach him even a single move, it would be a favor to that old Confucian!"

Li Guanyi drank, then flicked his wrist and sent the wine jar flying.

The stern Angry Sword Immortal lowered his gaze, swept his sleeve, and the wine jar shot straight toward the Motian Sect Sect Master. The old man leapt into the air, caught the wine, drank deeply twice, then laughed and said, "I'm just an old warrior. Yuwen Lie lured us here—we too wish to show some mettle in this world, to accomplish great deeds."

"Hahaha, young friend, we're after the cause, not the person."

"I've seen the spirit of the Wild Qilin."

He flicked his wrist, and the wine flew into Li Guanyi's hands.

The young man laughed loudly, "The Motian Sect of the Northern Realm has tens of thousands of disciples, upholding justice—every city has a Motian Sect training hall, where people practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies, founding schools and sects—what a mighty spectacle!"

"Excellent wine!"

Old man Chen Chengbi shouted, "We've been fighting half the night, and only you two have been drinking?"

"Boy, I called you here to drink—why are you drinking with these old fools? No, no, throw me some wine too!"

Li Guanyi threw the wine to Chen Chengbi, who reached for it.

But a swirling yin-yang qi intervened; the wine jar was snatched by the Grand Elder of the Yin-Yang Reversal Sect, a figure of extraordinary beauty, who smiled faintly and spoke in a clear, gentle voice:

"Throughout history, youthful heroes with overwhelming spirit have never been matched by mere martial arts ruffians."

"They are called the Dragon-Tiger disposition."

"In the past, I thought such phrases were merely flowery historiography—but now that I've seen one, I know such men truly exist."

He drank deeply, while the other masters let the wine trickle down their throats, absorbing it with internal qi.

The Yin-Yang Reversal Sect Grand Elder drank only by pressing his lips to the jar.

Then he flicked his wrist.

The wine jar flew steadily back toward Li Guanyi.

The Yin-Yang Reversal Sect Grand Elder brushed a drop of wine from his lips with his finger and smiled:

"I too shall drink with you."

Tu Shengyuan's mouth twitched, about to shout—when Cangmi Wu Meng, hidden nearby, frowned at the Yin-Yang Reversal Sect Grand Elder. At that moment, the previously bold young man suddenly raised his hand and drew his halberd.

The halberd swept violently.

The tiger's mouth spat its blade, slicing through the cold light.

The sound of the blade cutting air roared like a tiger's bellow, shattering the wine jar in one strike—boom—the wine vapor exploded outward like mist.

The Yin-Yang Reversal Sect Grand Elder's smile froze.

Li Guanyi never moved to catch it; the young man raised his halberd, pointing it at the beautiful Grand Elder, and said coldly:

"You, a vile creature—do you dare drink with me?!"

Tu Shengyuan roared, "Excellent!!!"

But was nearly knocked over by a surge of qi, his body leaving streaked afterimages as he rolled and scrambled away in utter disarray, avoiding the Grand Elder's attack. The beautiful Grand Elder stared coldly at Li Guanyi and said, "... Young General, are you choosing to oppose us?"

Li Guanyi thought of all he had seen and heard on the journey, and twisted his mouth.

The young man's fiery spirit showed no shame in his revulsion; he gripped his halberd, and golden-red flame flickered faintly across his palm, saying:

"You harbor hostility toward me."

"Yet I have no intention of letting you go."

Cangmi Wu Meng propped his chin, lost in thought.

Long Wang of the Angry Scales roared with laughter: "Good, good, good! But the wine is gone—time to fight. Townmaster Tong, what do you say?" His heroic spirit surged; he blocked a strike and forced Chen Chengbi back, then seized a long spear, ready to duel Li Guanyi.

But at that moment, the young Daoist smiled faintly: "Yet this time, I fear you must leave."

Long Wang of the Angry Scales said, "What?"

At that instant, a solemn tread of marching feet echoed—outside, an army was assembling; under the night sky, the military formation and the aura of commanders above the Sixth Heaven merged into a circling eagle—the pinnacle of battle arrays, the finest of commanders—forces even Jianghu masters dared not confront.

"... You planned this all along?"

Long Wang of the Angry Scales stared at the young man; once a water-warrior himself, he understood instantly. The young Daoist lifted his gaze slightly; the famed water-warrior looked at Li Guanyi, who bowed respectfully, his eyes calm, composed even amid chaos.

Like a game of weiqi, watching the ancient board—the young man calmly moved his piece.

A lone pawn capturing the general.

General! Commander!

Li Guanyi said calmly:

"Gentlemen, if not now, when?"

Long Wang of the Angry Scales roared with laughter. He lost interest in fighting Chen Chengbi, sat on the ground laughing until his stomach ached, wiped tears from his eyes, and looked at the young man, suddenly calling out: "Hey, Li Guanyi!"

Li Guanyi lifted his gaze; Long Wang of the Angry Scales' smile faded slightly:

"If you seek to contend for the world, and lack a navy, come to me!"

He extended three fingers and placed his bet with ease:

"I give you three thousand naval warriors!"

"A man like you could never remain obscure. The world is vast—this time, I admit defeat to you!"

He laughed loudly, drank his wine, then leapt into the air; his qi surged into waves. The former famed general, Jianghu Sect master, strode atop the waves and transformed into a blue dragon, soaring far away. The Motian Sect Sect leader sighed, then smiled faintly: "The Jianghu road is long, young general. May we meet again one day."

He also withdrew.

The Furious Sword Immortal picked up a flask of wine and departed calmly.

The Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect leader still wished to act, but did not expect three generals to arrive—something Li Guanyi had never anticipated, for Xue Daoyong's military token could summon only one.

The city governor's face turned deathly pale—if only one general had come.

In that scenario, it would have been 【Balance】.

But now, three generals—representing the Military Clan, the Noble Houses, and the Wu Xun Faction—each sworn enemies—rushed forward. This was no longer 【Balance】 or 【Suppression】; Li Guanyi was stunned.

His plan was to use troop movements to suppress the city governor and Jianghu Sect masters.

These three generals appearing together, mobilizing tens of thousands of troops, was not 【Suppression】.

This was—

【Mutiny】?

They meant to seize the city governor's authority outright—far heavier in consequence than Li Guanyi's own scheme. But this also worked in Li Guanyi's favor: old Chen Chengbi was chasing some Sect master into a fight.

Once that old man started fighting, he became a madman.

Li Guanyi himself was a wanted man. He clamped the silver-haired girl around the waist, slung her under his arm, slung the Fire Qilin over his shoulder, smashed through the gate in the chaos, and fled at top speed before the military formation could close.

For some reason, the ten thousand elite troops, forming their encirclement line, left just one gap—Li Guanyi barely slipped through, exhaled in relief, and turned back to watch the chaos at the governor's mansion. This wave of turmoil had shaken not just the governor's mansion, but even the Yuwen Clan.

"Strange—why has this become a mutiny for power?"

Suddenly, a gentle, aged voice spoke: "It is not merely a mutiny."

"These three generals belong to the Military Clan, the Noble Houses, and the Wu Xun Faction. They received word that they would clash—meaning the civil officials and Chen Dingye's faction will be driven out of Beicheng after this."

"You summoned one general; the other two learned of this from me. As for this situation, I did nudge it slightly—no single faction must dominate. Let these three balance each other, and Beicheng will develop fissures."

"Moreover, I have recorded all correspondence with these two generals."

"They may prove useful one day."

Through cunning maneuvering, Beicheng still bore a crack.

Li Guanyi turned and saw an old man step forward—his bearing refined and gentle, white hair like silk, a sword and a tiger token at his waist. Li Guanyi recognized the tiger token and froze slightly. The old man smiled, bowed, and gazed at the youthful, triumphant general before him, momentarily lost in thought.

He lowered his gaze, bowed, and smiled:

"Pang Shuiyun."

"My lord."