Chapter 303: The Whale Fisher

The silver-haired girl uttered, "Father."

That legendary martial figure of the entire cultivation world, the eight-hundred-year master of formation arts, stood frozen there; his soul spirit, even when facing the Master Jiankuang's sword intent, had never been wounded, his internal qi vast and surging, endless and unbroken.

His formation had reached its limit!

His heart-mind was unshakable!

Being and non-being give birth to each other, the five elements cycle endlessly, boundless and infinite!

The Whale Fisher heard a creaking, creaking sound.

That was the sound of his heart-mind barrier shattering.

The old Master Siming took a sip of wine and saw the once invincible, fully prepared Whale Fisher suddenly stagger backward—his long-prepared formation scattered like spring snow.

Finally, the old Master Siming saw the Whale Fisher suddenly turn around, let out a long howl, and sprint away, tearing a furious air current across the heavens; the old Master Siming grinned, knowing the Whale Fisher's nature and history—he craved kinship, craved all emotion.

Yet because of his youthful experiences, he despised the world, bitter and arrogant.

Beneath his arrogance lay a fear of such kinship.

Even though the old Master Siming saw through the Whale Fisher's reasons at a glance, he still deliberately smacked his lips and smiled at the silver-haired girl: "Look, this old fool's backed down again."

A distant roar echoed: "Master Siming, shut up!!!"

The sky's formations piled layer upon layer.

A bolt of lightning fell from the heavens.

The old Master Siming foresaw it, seizing the Tortoise Divine Form to block before himself.

That lightning was the Whale Fisher's formation strike, crashing down with great force—enough to scorch large patches of the Tortoise Divine Form black; its eyes stared fixedly at the old Master Siming.

The old Master Siming fell silent.

Then he recalled the words he'd just recorded in his Yin-Yang School's guaranteed-victory script, smiled carefree, pretended nothing had happened, and gazed toward the Whale Fisher's retreating direction: "Look."

"Again so hasty."

Li Guanyi blinked, then pieced together the situation; suddenly he understood what had happened at the Gongsun Clan, and connected the Whale Fisher's earlier tales of the Xiyumo Sect with Yao Guang.

The silver-haired girl watched the Whale Fisher depart, then lowered her gaze, her expression calm.

Li Guanyi saw the girl's eyes clear and tranquil, yet for some reason, he perceived a faint trace of sorrow.

Was it because they could not acknowledge each other?

Or because the Whale Fisher had turned and fled?

The silver-haired girl stared at the Whale Fisher's departing direction for a long, long time; her outstretched hand slowly lowered its fingers, then drew back.

Then she felt the warm, broad sensation of a palm.

The silver-haired girl lifted her head and saw Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi reached out, cupping Yao Guang's small hand in his palm, supporting her emotions; seeing the girl look at him, he wore his usual calm expression and said: "Don't worry—I'm still here."

The old Master Siming grinned.

He hesitated.

The old Master Siming shoved the consequences behind his mind.

He decided to use the Yin-Yang School's shadow-recording technique to show this scene to the Whale Fisher.

He wondered what expression the Whale Fisher would wear upon seeing himself flee—only to witness this.

He'd surely turn red with rage.

Li Guanyi turned and asked with a smile: "Are the supplies ready?"

The silver-haired girl nodded, her eyes serene and still; Li Guanyi said: "Today, Auntie is cooking herself—if you want any sweets, you must tell her. Should we add more? Oh, Master Siming, join us for dinner today too."

"We have Murong family's fine wine."

The old Master Siming laughed heartily and nodded contentedly:

"You're a smart lad—no wonder I've helped you so much."

"Unlike your great-grandfather—he was full of lethal aura at your age. Wine? He'd rather sip sword tips."

Li Guanyi led Yao Guang to Murong Qiushui, who was simmering a pot of porridge but slacking off—sitting there, head nodding slowly, clearly dozing.

Li Guanyi sighed helplessly, walked over, raised his hand like a blade, and gently tapped the aunt's head; Murong Qiushui startled awake, looked up, saw Li Guanyi, mumbled twice, squinted, and lazily said:

"What's this, little cat? Don't scare your auntie."

Though she should be called "aunt," Li Guanyi and Murong Qiushui had lived together so long they'd grown used to the term and never changed it; Murong Qiushui's eyes were languid, her pale hand propping her chin:

"What's the rush? The food isn't ready yet."

"Why the hurry?"

Murong Qiushui lightly tapped Li Guanyi's shoulder with her fan, as if swatting at fireflies—casual, effortless.

Li Guanyi expertly massaged her shoulders, coaxing:

"Auntie, got any good sweets?"

Murong Qiushui blinked, glanced at the silver-haired girl, and smiled: "Oh? Sweets? Fine—I never thought the famed Heavenly Strategy General, the Wu Hou who wears sword and boots into court, would be so eager."

"I suspect it's not little cat here who wants sweets—it's Xiao Yu."

Two years ago, during the Chen Kingdom's grand sacrifice, Yao Guang predicted the outcome in advance.

She had driven the carriage to take Murong Qiushui away early.

Murong Qiushui and Yao Guang were close; she'd long ago given the silver-haired girl a pet name—because her hair was like snow and her eyes clear, Murong Qiushui had laughed and said: "Snow-treading little cat, jade-sky flying ribbon—call her Xiao Yu."

Li Guanyi's protest failed.

Auntie, you can't give pet names with cat words.

Rejected.

Even the mighty Wu Hou, who roamed the world and dominated the cultivation realm, had not an ounce of authority before the aunt who raised him.

Yet Yao Guang seemed to genuinely like this name, unrelated to her destined duty.

Murong Qiushui reached out and drew the silver-haired girl into her arms, resting her chin atop Yaoguang's head, nuzzling gently against her silver locks, swaying her back and forth; the silver-haired girl made no resistance, simply swaying with Murong Qiushui.

Murong Qiushui laughed at such meekness, saying, "Come, come, Xiao Yuer—what do you want to eat? Tell your auntie, today I'll make it for you."

The silver-haired girl thought a moment, then said only, "Steamed buns!"

Murong Qiushui burst out laughing. "Fine, fine, steamed buns it is—but what kind? Filled with red date paste, or soft as osmanthus cake? The south has fine winds, fine water, and even finer pastries."

"Beautiful and tasty."

Yaoguang was doted on by Murong Qiushui.

Li Guanyi smiled as he watched, stepped back two paces, then lightly patted the old Master Siming on the shoulder. "Old man, come take a look at today's wine. Though the Murong family is famed for forging swords, their cellar doesn't match the great clans—but they do have some fine liquor."

"Let's open one jar today."

The old Master Siming nodded knowingly. After Li Guanyi had soothed Yaoguang's disappointment, he and the Master stepped out, fetched a jar of wine, went beneath the pavilion, and respectfully poured a bowl for the old man before asking, "Old man, that great—"

Li Guanyi fell silent, restraining his instinct.

Then he said, "That elder—is Yaoguang's father?"

The old Master Siming sipped his wine, nodded in satisfaction. "That's why I say you're clever. Had you been your great-grandfather's type, you'd have drawn your sword straightaway. Only you, raised in this world's grit, know to ask an old man."

The old Master Siming recounted Yaoguang's past in detail, then smacked his lips.

"Yaoguang's life has been hard. Don't blame the fisherman—he grew up eating from a hundred households. After he grew powerful, people feared him and flattered him alike; he never learned how to relate to others."

"Maybe when he was a beggar, whenever trouble came, he just ran and hid. That habit stuck. He doesn't want Yaoguang to go to the west—but how can any problem in this world be solved by lowering your head and ignoring it?"

"I've already tried to broker a reconciliation between them. It had some effect—at least the girl finally called him 'Dad.' But that fisherman, fearless of heaven or earth, got tripped up right here."

"Today it's clear—the Fisherman's heart still hasn't healed."

"It's fear of meeting, mixed with guilt."

"The more he longs for closeness, the more he instinctively pulls away."

Li Guanyi mused, "If you go to the west, then the Mo Sect—"

The old Master Siming, wine cup in hand, replied:

"Don't worry—you and the girl go to the west."

"Your own martial skill is no slouch, and you have the Fire Qilin beside you. Ride the Fire Qilin, wield your divine weapon—even the Mo Sect won't easily harm you. Just be wary of their underhanded tricks. Before today, you'd have had little risk going west."

"But now—"

The old man answered, "Now it's nine point eight… no!"

"It's nine point nine percent safe."

"Your journey to the west may not crush the Regent, may not secure your place in the world—but your own safety is absolutely guaranteed."

The old Master Siming sighed.

"Just that one word—'Ah-Dad'—the fisherman is utterly done for."

"If you and Yaoguang go to the west, even if his heart resists that place, he'll go."

"The Tuyuhun is gone. The Tangut, who inherited it, have been crushed back and forth by Chen's lame Wolf King. All sorts of demons and monsters have surfaced. The Mo Sect has surely emerged in the chaos. The grudges from over a decade ago? Let them be settled now."

"To untie a knot, you must find its tie."

"To unravel the decade-old rift between the fisherman and Yaoguang, you must go to the west—to the land of the Mo Sect."

"Go meet the Mo Sect's master."

"Such deep inner wounds won't heal from just our two mouths—useless. If you want this girl to return to normal, you must go to the west."

"Besides, who knows what dark arts the western Mo Sect has left on Yaoguang? Only by smashing and burning every last foul thing can you rest easy."

Li Guanyi said, "The Mo Sect's master—Yaoguang's mother?"

The old Master Siming sneered, spat with a wet "Keh-ptoo!"

"She doesn't deserve it!"

"Still, you must raise your martial skill further. The fisherman may be sharp-tongued, but what he says isn't false. Among your peers, your skill is strongest—but your rivals, in their youth, were no different."

"Yuwen Lie, the Tian Kehan of the Turks, He Ruo Qinhu."

"And don't forget the Divine General Jiang Su—all your opponents."

"Rapidly reach the Qizhongtian Master realm."

"Only then can you unleash the true power of your Law Form, and fully wield the true essence of the Master Jiankuang's sword techniques."

The old Master Siming drank heartily, finished one jar, then went for a second. Li Guanyi pondered long, gazing into the distance, murmuring:

"The western Mo Sect…"

The journey west would bring far greater trials than imagined: the Mo Sect, the Great Flag Camp, the Thirty-Six Tribes, the Regent, the Tangut Kingdom, Lu Youxian, and Li Zhaowen…

Truly, the world is in great upheaval.

Every corner of this world churns with turbulent waves.

Meanwhile, the Fisherman had sprinted away, plunging straight into the Jianghe River, sinking like a stone. After a long while, he suddenly burst forth, clutching his chest, face twisted in pain and complexity—yet smiling.

The girl had shown no emotional shift; her utterance of "Ah-Dad" had been calm.

Yet it was sweeter than any sound he'd ever heard in his life.

Sweeter than spring blossoms unfurling, than winter snow falling, than the music of flutes and zithers—ten thousand times sweeter. Even after fleeing a thousand li, his heart still trembled.

That voice, like the supreme martial art, echoed in his mind even with his eyes shut, never fading.

The silver-haired man sighed.

"I believe the Master's words now: 'A lingering melody, unbroken for three days.'"

"But it's not good for the heart or the Nascent Soul."

He had come determined to take Yaoguang away—his resolve as hard as iron, unyielding. Yet that resolve, equal in strength to the Master Jiankuang's sword intent, shattered completely beneath those two words.

The Fisherman suddenly felt—

The Whale Fisher suddenly felt a—

"My daughter is going to the Western Regions? Then let her go to the Western Regions!"

The thought that "Her old man possesses Wu Gong and mastery of arrays—throughout this vast world, where could he not go?" now floated upon the water's surface, leaving him utterly motionless, carried helplessly by the surging waves.

Meanwhile, the old Master Siming had not found the Whale Fisher's whereabouts, but after thinking, he recorded the final moment when Li Guanyi brought down his halberd, shattering the Whale Fisher's array, and the residual qi waves shattered the Whale Fisher's hat, embedding the scene within a jade stone.

Then he folded a paper crane.

He placed the jade inside the paper crane.

The old man exhaled gently, then lifted the crane upward—it trembled its wings and came alive, flying toward the Central State Academy, the old Master Siming having written a few simple words upon it.

"Si Wei, someone used your 【Four Symbols Sealing Spirit Array】 to fight the Array Chief."

"And won."

"Look—can your array technique possibly be worse than this boy's?!"

Si Wei, like the six Academy Lords, remained within the Academy.

After flying for a day and night, the paper crane returned with Si Wei's reply; the old Master Siming opened it casually and saw page after page of text, the entire crane covered in tiny, dense calligraphy.

It was largely arguing that Master Siming's words were nonsense.

It expounded on the transformations of the array and the principles of the 【Four Symbols Sealing Spirit Array】.

These characters filled every inch of the paper crane—front and back—written entirely in tiny, dense calligraphy.

These words reached the crane's physical limit, not Si Wei's.

The old Master Siming merely chuckled, glancing not once.

He simply folded another crane.

Inside he wrote two large characters.

【Panicked?】

Then he folded it neatly and sent it flying back to the Academy.

Afterward, one after another cranes filled with writing returned, but the old Master Siming read not a single one; he only said to Li Guanyi: "Watch—within a few days, that old bastard Si Wei will come himself. Your time in the Western Regions? Even the shortest stretch will take one or two years."

"The Mo Family's mechanical arts, Gongshu Ban's mechanical arts, plus Si Wei."

"They can give your prefecture city some proper arrays."

"This cannot be rushed—building grand arrays takes years to complete—but neither can it be delayed; if you wait any longer, it will truly be too late."

These days, the Fire Qilin Army and Tiance Prefecture selected those who would accompany Li Guanyi to the Western Regions, while Li Guanyi studied his great-grandfather's sword manual daily, seeking guidance; on this particular day, as Li Guanyi was cultivating, he suddenly heard a chorus of sword hums.

The sword hums were not from the wooden sword Longtu—they came from the divine weapon Chixiao Sword.

Li Guanyi jolted awake from meditation, opened his eyes, and saw Chixiao Sword materialize as swirling firelight, hovering in midair, its blade shimmering with golden-red radiance that shifted like flames.

"Huh? Chixiao, what's wrong?"

Li Guanyi was startled; Chixiao Sword hovered in the air, circling him, humming and leaping as if guiding him somewhere. Li Guanyi said: "You're telling me there's a place I must go?"

Chixiao Sword erupted in a sudden chorus of sword hums.

Then it shot straight upward, emitting a piercing cry as it flew into the sky, leaving a trail of crimson flame; Li Guanyi, at the Fifth Heavy Heaven Realm, could not fly, so he called out:

"Qilin!"

The Qilin, lying quietly nearby, opened its eyes.

Golden-red light glowed in its gaze; the next instant, accompanied by a roar like dragon and tiger, the Qilin transformed into firelight and appeared beside Li Guanyi, then became a streak of radiance—Li Guanyi soared into the air, riding upon the Qilin's back.

The Qilin trod the void, chasing the swordlight; behind the Academy, its aura reached the Seventh Heavy Heaven Realm, and its derived techniques were now fully mastered; now, when it stepped on fire, it no longer condensed flames into lotus platforms as before, but formed vast clouds of flame.

The Fire Qilin ascended along the fiery clouds, chasing the swordlight in the sky; the people of Jiangnan looked up and saw only a great burning cloud, curious but unalarmed; Chixiao Sword's speed was not great, and Li Guanyi and the Fire Qilin soon caught up.

They had reached a great height, where clouds and auroras filled the sky, and Chixiao Sword hovered in midair.

Li Guanyi did not reach for the sword; his gaze passed over it and fell upon the higher clouds, where layers of white mist parted, revealing the vast, winding body beneath—the golden-red scales, and a pair of calm, ancient eyes.

Li Guanyi's eyes settled on the grotesque sword scar upon its horn.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong, aged eight thousand years!

Chixiao Sword circled the colossal divine dragon, humming joyfully.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong extended its claw, touching the sword lightly; Chixiao Sword rang again, becoming a streak of light that returned to Li Guanyi's side. The Ancient Taigu Chilong spoke in human voice, slowly: "Long time no see, Li Guanyi."

Since the battle with his great-grandfather Elder Murong Longtu in Central State last year, Li Guanyi had not seen this dragon, who appeared often in myth and legend; now he bowed slightly and said: "Indeed, it has been a long time."

"But I wonder—why has the Ancient Taigu Chilong come suddenly to Jiangnan?"

The Ancient Taigu Chilong did not answer, but fixed its gaze upon the Fire Qilin and said slowly: "Good, good—I never expected that in so short a time, you would have reached such cultivation, rivaling the cultivation of an ordinary Qilin after a thousand years."

Fire Qilin: "…………"

Wait, just how many of those good fruits did that old bastard feed me?

The Fire Qilin began to doubt.

Could it be that the old bastard's fruits didn't just alter time perception—but gave me far more cultivation per year than an ordinary Qilin receives in a full year?

The Fire Qilin twitched its brow, yet instinctively replied: "Great virtue does not seek office; great Dao does not take form; great trust needs no contract; great time needs no synchronization. To comprehend these four, one may aspire to learning."

"I am strict in study!"

After speaking, the Fire Qilin's expression turned grim.

You old bastard!!

It flew into rage, and instinctively assumed its true form.

The Fire Qilin trod upon crimson clouds, its front left paw raised, head tilted upward, its horn swirling with clouds, mouth slightly open, whiskers lifted, golden-red light shifting within its mouth—its posture now solemn, majestic, true to its nature as a divine Qilin beast.

Finally, no longer just wagging its tail.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong praised:

"Ah, I see. Excellent, excellent."

The young Qilin's current demeanor and aura clearly pleased these elder divine beasts.

It was the kind of spiritual child the elders favored.

The standard appearance and aura of divine beasts recorded in scrolls.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong gave a nod of approval before answering Li Guanyi:

"Li Guanyi, do you still remember the day you entered that Mystical Realm? I made a pact with you both: upon our next meeting, I would grant you a fate-blessing—you, a transformation of your Law Form; and in the Mystical Realm, there is something left for this little one by the previous-generation Fire Qilin."

"But when we last met, though you had broken through to a new realm, this little Fire Qilin was still as unruly as ever."

"Now that both of you have achieved something, come with me."

"It is time to fulfill the promise we made."

The Ancient Taigu Chilong raised its head and let out a long roar, urging Li Guanyi to follow it.

Li Guanyi had no objection—he went down first to inform Master Jiankuang. The Fire Qilin could not match the Ancient Taigu Chilong's speed in flying through the air, and the Ancient Taigu Chilong had no sense of divine beast dignity; it simply lowered its head calmly, allowing Li Guanyi and the Fire Qilin to sit atop its skull.

For the promise made that day was meant only for Li Guanyi and the Fire Qilin—only the two of them would go.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong let out a roar and immediately soared high into the nine heavens, then suddenly accelerated—gale-force winds slammed against their faces, nearly hurling Li Guanyi off; his face turned pale, and the Fire Qilin's claws instinctively gripped the dragon's scales.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong laughed loudly: "No need for that."

"You two won't fall."

Li Guanyi watched the land of Shanhe racing backward beneath them, the clouds on either side stretched into blurred lines, and suddenly a thought surfaced—he called out: "Elder, Elder…"

The Ancient Taigu Chilong seemed hard of hearing, or perhaps Li Guanyi's voice was too quiet.

After a long while, the Ancient Taigu Chilong finally heard him and said:

"Youngster, what did you say?"

Li Guanyi shouted: "Elder Taigu Chilong, your speed is astonishing—may I ask a favor?"

"I don't want the fate-blessing you promised."

The Ancient Taigu Chilong said: "Oh? You don't want it?"

Li Guanyi said: "I only wonder—could you take us to the Western Regions?"

He had set his eyes on the Taigu Chilong's terrifying speed.

Even if slowed, it could reach there in a single day.

The Taigu Chilong was stunned, then burst into uncontrollable laughter, its voice booming like distant thunder: "You want me to carry you to the Western Regions? Hahaha, amusing, amusing."

"In eight hundred years, you are the second to dare say such a thing to me."

"No wonder this sword favors you!"

Chixiao Sword rang out joyfully, exuding great pride.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong said: "Such a request is not impossible to grant—but it depends on how you perform later. Today, I bring you here not merely for the thing left by the previous-generation Fire Qilin for this little one."

"Nor merely for your Taigu Chilong Law Form's ascension. There is also a matter of great importance."

The Ancient Taigu Chilong swept across the heavens, its voice vast and deep:

"Do you know the 【Son of Heaven Divine Art】?"

Li Guanyi nodded—he had practiced a section of the 【Taigu Chilong Calms the Nine Provinces】, and knew that both the Chen and Ying kingdoms possessed ancestral arts rivaling the Ten Great Divine Arts of the Central Plains; he had long been familiar with such things. The Ancient Taigu Chilong said: "Then it is easy to explain."

Its voice grew solemn and still, and it spoke slowly:

"Do you wish to create your own—"

"The 【Son of Heaven Divine Art】?!"

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