Chapter 313: The Auspicious Omens of the Western Regions, the Legend Begins

The Nine Cauldrons hummed with a low, resonant cry; Li Guanyi's eyes flickered, as if sensing something.

He gazed ahead.

From above, the land of the Western Regions stretched out in splendid beauty—highlands abounded, vast stretches of crimson-yellow earth dotted with oases and lakes like pearls, exquisitely grand—but the Nine Cauldrons gave but one cry, then fell silent.

Li Guanyi frowned, clenching his fist.

He could feel that the blessing from the Nine Cauldrons of Jiangnan, now so far removed, had vanished; his own strength had receded to the normal level of the Sixth Heaven.

To contend with the Yu Langwang, Regent with a force capable of toppling nations.

Such power was likely insufficient.

Li Guanyi pondered.

Changsun Wuchou had remained silent throughout the journey, deeply anxious; now, gazing down from above, he recognized the familiar terrain, his heart trembling—this ten-thousand-li journey had been traversed in an instant, and he could not contain his joy.

The Ancient Crimson Dragon gazed into the distance, then spoke:

"Li Guanyi, where shall we descend?"

"Kanasper Lake."

Li Guanyi uttered the name of the lake in the Western script; the Ancient Crimson Dragon nodded and said, "Hold tight." With a deep, ominous dragon's roar, the Ancient Crimson Dragon ascended and glided through the clouds and mists of the Western Regions, carrying the Jiangnan Tiance Prefecture contingent.

The Ancient Crimson Dragon's speed surged noticeably; the others cried out in panic.

Kanasper Lake lay where the Western deserts, grasslands, and plateaus overlapped—immensely complex terrain, where all tribes settled around oases and water sources; this lake was one such place.

The Young Lady Xue Shuangtao had told Li Guanyi earlier that the land she had purchased lay near this lake; the land deed now rested in his bosom—a simple strategy—

After deliberation, the Tiance Prefecture strategists unanimously agreed that the Western Regions' situation was too convoluted; to immediately contact Li Zhaowen might provoke disaster. Changsun Wuchou, after hesitation, added that the Duke's relationship with Li Zhaowen seemed strained.

It seemed Li Zhaowen's brilliance had overshadowed the Duke's eldest son, making it hard for him to command respect.

The Duke's household was riddled with complications.

Moreover, Li Guanyi was a vassal lord; Qin Wu Hou could never submit to another.

Li Guanyi's journey to the Western Regions was to form an alliance with Li Zhaowen—not to serve him.

He needed his own territory.

First, secure a foothold on the land the Young Lady Xue Shuangtao had prepared; then dispatch Nangong Wumeng and Changsun Wuchou each in separate directions to establish contact with 【Li Zhaowen】 and 【Khan Qibili】.

When the Iron Tiele Golden Crescent Cavalry arrived, Li Guanyi would have troops.

Only then would the time be right for an alliance.

Only then could Li Guanyi aid Li Zhaowen—without being manipulated by Li Zhaowen's father or brother; Li Guanyi trusted Li Zhaowen, but had no ties to his father or elder brother.

He could not let himself be drawn into Li Zhaowen's passive position.

Li Guanyi recalled Wen Lingjun's words on the grand situation of the Western Regions: "The Western Regions are now in chaos—the Tuyuhun and Tangxi kingdoms have each nearly been destroyed; remnants of the Thirty-Six Tribes have risen again; the people suffer unbearably. Here, without military force, not a single step can be taken."

"Yet it is also advantageous."

"The Thirty-Six Tribes dwell near water; most are skilled with bow and horse. Hiring wandering cavalry with gold and silver is far easier than in the Central Plains—but just as easy as hiring them is the fact that, in today's Western Regions, the difference between armies and desert bandits is negligible."

"Therefore, I recommend the Lord take Fan Qing along."

Li Guanyi exhaled, pressing his fingers to his brow, murmuring:

"Recruit cavalry from the Western tribes with gold and silver, then join forces with Khan Qibili's Golden Crescent Cavalry; once I have five thousand riders, train them slightly, confirm they can form a military force, then contact the Elder… and Master Siming."

"Mo Sect…"

Li Guanyi gazed down at the land of the Western Regions.

Solo combat?

Master-level duels?

Following the momentum of the Fire Qilin Army and Tiance Prefecture?

First, unleash three or five volleys of Gongshu Ban's crossbow mechanisms, then sweep through with iron cavalry in formation—only then would it be complete; Li Guanyi was no man of the Jianghu; the heroes of this world had their own ways to solve problems.

Not yours, the Jianghu's rules.

Moreover, Li Guanyi harbored another thought.

"The Iron Tiele Nine Clans already number over ten thousand—could I leverage their momentum to forge a small cauldron? Not one with the power of the Nine Cauldrons—just enough to refine the qi of human destiny."

"Then I could directly raid the Mo Sect's stronghold."

"But this requires the Nine Cauldrons to unlock a new divine resonance—I wonder if the one-ninth already activated can be reused…"

Li Guanyi sighed.

"Probably not."

"The nine one-ninths, when placed together, automatically reassemble into a complete Nine Cauldrons, right?"

"Truly, dragons and phoenixes."

Yet heaven and earth, all things, harbor countless stratagems—not all can be guaranteed by mere preparation.

Li Guanyi quickly realized this.

The Nine Cauldrons rang out again, clear and sharp.

Then, after thirty-three breaths, another explosion echoed.

More frequent than before!

Something was approaching.

Yao Guang, who had been watching the swirling clouds, suddenly stirred, turning her head toward a direction; her eyes instantly sharpened. Li Guanyi pressed his left hand on Yao Guang's shoulder, his right hand extending, fingers slowly closing.

The Ancient Crimson Dragon's laughter vanished; his voice boomed like distant thunder:

"Li Guanyi, now that you've left Jiangnan, how many tricks remain?"

A bead of sweat formed on Li Guanyi's brow; he looked down to see a white jade pendant rising from his waist, and smiled: "... I won't let the Elder down."

He paused, then said: "Master 【Zhu】."

"This commotion—does it mean…?"

Boom!!!!!

The ancient crimson dragon's body surged upward violently; wind and clouds converged in a furious torrent. The silver-haired girl seated atop its head was instantly flung up a foot, then landed steadily on the dragon's skull with a tap.

Li Guanyi reached out and pressed his hand against Yao Guang's silver hair, preventing the girl from being flung up again by the jolting motion. Almost instinctively, his right hand gripped, he spun, his temple hairs fluttering slightly, his movement calm and domineering—golden light erupted, coalescing into a dark-gold battle halberd.

Then he clenched his fist tightly; the low, domineering roar of a tiger surged as he swept the halberd horizontally.

At this moment, only the majority of the halberd's shaft had materialized; as Li Guanyi twisted his body, the shaft bent into a terrifying arc, revealing the immense force behind the move.

Finally, the Tiger Roar Battle Halberd fully manifested, accompanied by the tiger's roar; golden light gathered ahead, forming a fearsome halberd blade that slashed outward—

【Tide Surge】!!!

Once a final killing technique, it was now merely Li Guanyi's opening move.

Waves of radiant light surged into a vortex, drawing in the residual qi and force. Li Guanyi was certain—he had struck something. The counterforce had numbed his palm. His gaze fixed on the empty air.

Zeng Sun Wu and the others were dizzy and disoriented from the crimson dragon's acceleration.

"Lord, what is this?!"

Li Guanyi barked: "Get down!"

He stared fixedly ahead.

Around the ancient crimson dragon, vast clouds of aurora had gathered unnoticed; though dusk neared night, the sky still glowed with brilliant, warm light. The ancient crimson dragon grinned, its voice low:

"Boy, perhaps you shouldn't have come with me…"

"Well then, luck's truly good."

"And truly bad."

Li Guanyi sensed the Nine Cauldrons ringing incessantly, and said:

"Is that the opponent you mentioned—eight hundred years ago?"

The ancient crimson dragon replied: "Yes."

A crisp voice rang out; the radiant light swirled across the sky like fluttering ribbons. Yao Guang's eyes remained calm. Nangong Wumeng was tossed about violently, yet still murmured unconsciously: "So beautiful…"

Indeed, it was beautiful.

Vast radiant light, like twilight, formed nine-colored splendor, layered and overlapping.

It loomed behind a colossal, magnificent, sacred divine deer.

The deer was as huge as a mountain range.

Its magnificent antlers thrust toward the heavens.

Li Guanyi murmured: "The Western Regions legend—the Nine-Colored Divine Deer."

Yet this auspicious divine beast now seemed filled with rage, leaping through the sky as if the entire twilight had inverted, as if the beautiful landscape of the Western Regions had risen into the heavens and was crashing down upon them.

Li Guanyi raised both hands, gripping the Tiger Roar Battle Halberd tightly; his sixth-layer heavenly qi and Wu Gong erupted fully, swinging the impossibly heavy weapon so fiercely not even a drop of water could penetrate, and said:

"Elder, may I ask—what was your relationship with her eight hundred years ago?"

The ancient crimson dragon answered:

"Eight hundred years ago, I wanted to devour her. I failed."

Li Guanyi: "…………"

The ancient crimson dragon laughed like thunder: "Just a joke."

"Back then, my old friend and I battled the tyrants across the land. We saw Him here in quiet cultivation and wished to draw Him into the Crimson Emperor Alliance. But for some reason, He had an explosive temper, provoked me, and ended up making things deeply unpleasant—there was some conflict between us."

"I came here hoping to resolve this old grudge. But it seems, after eight hundred years, He has not forgotten."

Li Guanyi smiled bitterly: "You've dragged me into this, Elder."

The ancient crimson dragon laughed loudly.

Amidst the dragon's roar, the Nine-Colored Divine Deer stepped through the air toward them, battling the crimson dragon. Though clearly outmatched, it refused to retreat: "Why does the divine dragon of the Central Plains come here?"

The ancient crimson dragon's voice echoed vast and ancient: "Merely to aid a young one."

"I hope you'll grant him eight hundred years."

Li Guanyi: "………………"

"Elder, you've never begged anyone before, have you?"

The ancient crimson dragon sneered: "I do not need to."

A ripple of emotion stirred in the Nine-Colored Divine Deer's beautiful eyes.

The words "the Dao of humanity's fortune shall be yours" died unspoken—the beautiful Nine-Colored Divine Deer charged forward with an astonishing temper, its voice clear and exquisite: "If you wish to fight me, do not drag these humans into it."

"Put them down. Let us fight again!"

Li Guanyi, gripping the Tiger Roar Battle Halberd, spoke up: "This… Divine Deer, it's not as the Crimson Dragon Elder said…" The beautiful deer lowered her gaze, then saw the divine weapon in Li Guanyi's hands, and said seriously:

"Five hundred years ago, was it your predecessor who pierced through my sacred mountain?"

Li Guanyi fell silent.

Five hundred years ago? Pierced through the sacred mountain.

Xue Shen fired three arrows to secure Mount Tian.

One arrow pierced over three hundred li, drilling straight through the sacred mountain of the Tangut Kingdom, leaving a legend that endures to this day. Now, when the people of the Western Regions look up and see the gaping hole in the sacred mountain—as if pierced by a great dragon—they kneel in reverence, whispering:

【Aru En Wuerha Riwa Bodasadawa】

Meaning: The arrow of the Central Plains Bodhisattva that pierced the sacred mountain.

Heroes of the mortal realm, divine generals riding across the land, the grand ambitions and bold wills of heroes colliding—even spiritual beings existing since the ancient age could not help but yield before such passion and grandeur.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer and the ancient crimson dragon clashed. The crimson dragon laughed: "The Western Regions are vast. Beyond this auspicious beast, there are also gray wolves. Boy, the place you spoke of is near. Prepare to descend!"

As the ancient crimson dragon swept over a stretch of land, night had fallen. The city below lit up with one by one glowing, radiant lights—it was a city. The ancient crimson dragon was no longer the bloodthirsty beast of eight hundred years ago; he had not truly fought the Nine-Colored Divine Deer.

Only as he glided did his aura clash with the Nine-Colored Divine Deer's light.

Boom—thunder roared without end.

The struggle of such colossal beings was like two mountains colliding; the streaming light they unleashed was considerable, yet the Nine-Colored Divine Deer, being a blessed beast not adept at combat, produced only Master-level residual waves.

The Ancient Crimson Dragon, however, seemed quite pleased.

Li Guanyi and the others of the Tiance Prefecture rode atop the dragon's back, bouncing with its undulating body.

It made some of them feel nauseous.

In Li Guanyi's hand, the Tiger Roaring Heaven Halberd slashed through the falling streaming light.

The nine-colored radiance was warm; when it descended, it did not become an attack, but passed over the Tiance Prefecture group like mist and aurora. Nangong Wumeng, whose face had turned pale from the violent jolting, suddenly felt much better.

Shi Dalin's eyes lit up as he shouted: "The nine-colored radiance of the Divine Deer! Is this not the legendary treasure recorded in the murals of the Western Regions' Ten Thousand Buddha Caves, the 'Bodhisattva Deer King Birth'? It was said to cure all diseases and once sparked wars among ancient Western kings?!"

"It can be used in medicine!"

"It can be used in medicine!"

Xu Tiange had long been motion-sick from the high-speed flight, gripping tightly onto Mo Jia Pan Wanxiu's arm, his eyes unfocused, and just before fainting, he clenched his fists and shouted three times: "Plant crops! Plant crops!"

"I want to plant crops!"

But Li Guanyi's pupils contracted.

A bronze ding rang at his ear.

Within his body, the bronze ding—whose nine-tenths had been lit by the Ancient Crimson Dragon—now shimmered with new radiance. The Nine-Colored Divine Deer's light sank into the ding, faintly transforming into threads of jade nectar.

As Li Guanyi was lost in thought, the residual waves from the battle between the Nine-Colored Divine Deer and the Ancient Crimson Dragon surged past him. He snapped back to awareness, standing firm atop the divine dragon's head, and said: "Elder, please first lower the others."

The Ancient Crimson Dragon let out a long roar, and a gust of wind carried the Tiance Prefecture group safely downward.

Yao Guang remained seated quietly.

The girl formed a formation with her hands, allowing Li Guanyi to stand more steadily, no longer buffeted by the gales. Li Guanyi swung the Tiger Roaring Heaven Halberd, slicing, severing, and shattering every falling strand of nine-colored light, which the Jiuzhou Ding naturally absorbed.

"???!"

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer regarded Li Guanyi, as if sensing this change. The Ancient Crimson Dragon said: "I did not lie. How so?"

"You have sensed the difference, haven't you? Though you are a divine beast of the Western Regions, Tai Ping Gong's Fire Qilin could not escape destruction; the hegemon Bai Hu also perished on the battlefield. Moreover, you are not a beast meant for combat."

"As a blessed beast like you, even a vast army of human soldiers could overwhelm and kill you."

The magnificent, enormous Nine-Colored Divine Deer gazed at Li Guanyi and said:

"King of the Central Plains, what have you come here to do?"

"The Yu Langwang of the Central Plains has torn apart Western lands, driving the people of each tribe into exile. The Tangut have gone mad. Young King of the Central Plains, have you come here to raise armies, conquer this land, and enslave its creatures?"

Li Guanyi answered: "No."

Li Guanyi gripped his halberd and said:

"All under heaven is one nation. The tribes of the Western Regions may also be united into this realm."

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer had witnessed the chaos of the Western Regions over the past centuries: the Iron Le prince, who claimed to be the celestial wolf incarnate, easily slain by Xue Shen; the Tuyuhun's conquests three hundred years ago, drowning the land in blood; the Regent's massacre of entire cities.

It merely replied: "A ridiculous dream."

Li Guanyi raised his voice, but his words were drowned out by the dragon's roar.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer suddenly said: "This battle is unsatisfying."

"Ancient Dragon of the Central Plains, it has been eight hundred years."

"Let us go to some empty, lifeless place and fight again."

The Ancient Crimson Dragon roared endlessly. A gust of wind lifted Li Guanyi and Yao Guang down. Amid the roar, it said: "I do not involve myself in human conflicts. Li Guanyi, after this sparring match with this 'old friend,' I shall return to the Mystical Realm."

"I shall watch over the affairs of Jiangnan's rain and wind."

"Until we meet again!"

The Ancient Crimson Dragon roared, its golden-red flames staining the sky crimson. The Nine-Colored Divine Deer joined it in flight, departing together. As Li Guanyi fell through the air, his gaze flickered—he saw the little Fire Qilin swept into the residual waves, far away.

Li Guanyi saw the silver-haired girl falling from the sky.

The sky had grown utterly dark; the moon shone clear, the stars bright, bathing the entire night in a pure, tranquil radiance.

The long robe of the Star Gazing Sect fluttered in the wind, making the girl's fingers appear small and delicate. Her silver hair streamed as she drifted gently down, beautiful and cold.

The girl fell silent, lowering her head to look below.

The silver-haired girl's face was pale as snow.

Li Guanyi recalled how the girl, when climbing over walls or descending from them, always turned around, hooked her right foot on the wall, lifted her left foot, and tested each step down. Suddenly, he understood.

'Yao Guang… is she afraid of heights?'

Li Guanyi twisted his body midair, and the dragon's roar sounded again as the Crimson Dragon's manifestation appeared.

Li Guanyi shot toward Yao Guang in midair, grabbing her hand. The silver-haired girl looked up at him.

Her hand turned over and gripped Li Guanyi tightly.

Her fingers, pale and slender, clung fiercely to his sleeve. Her lips were pressed thin and taut; her face showed no expression, yet her voice was clear and calm: "Hold me tightly."

"I'm afraid."

Only when saying this did a tremor enter her otherwise tranquil, flowing voice.

Li Guanyi gripped Yao Guang's hand, and the two of them plummeted from the sky.

The boy pulled hard, drawing the girl who had been falling beside him into his arms. One hand held Yao Guang, the other gripped the Tiger Roaring Heaven Halberd. To summon the Fire Qilin now was too late—and the Fire Qilin wore a look of having just eaten its fill.

Li Guanyi surrounded himself with internal Qi and exhaled.

They had landed.

…………………………

Sa Atandi and her tribe remained at a corner of the lake. At night, the Kanasper Lake was clear and quiet, no longer serene like a jewel in daylight, but now imbued with a dark, life-consuming aura.

Sa Atandi pressed her lips together, gazing at her grandmother who embraced her, feeling sorrowful. Their tribe was small, only a thousand or so people, herding cattle and sheep, struggling to survive across this vast land. When they arrived at the Kanasper Lake, according to custom,

they left behind those over fifty-five years old.

It was said the lake's spirit was a merciful mother who protected children who had walked long paths; after the eagles circled the sky fifty-five times, the child who had wandered the earth should return to the mother's embrace.

There, one could enjoy eternal warmth, endless abundant food, no longer needing to toil hard or struggle for survival on the earth.

Sa Atandi gripped the dagger at her waist, watching the elders there remove their garments, leaving them for the tribe, kissing their children, preparing to stay behind, their faces bearing the mixture of serenity, fear, and numbness.

The girl pressed her lips together.

She knew—it was merely a story told to fool children.

Leaving the elders here was because they could not endure the journey ahead; the summer desert was parched, lacking water and food, and in this era, they would become a burden slowing the tribe's progress.

The tribe would reserve food for the young and strong and the children, leaving the elders—who lacked the strength to hunt or protect the tribe—by the lake, placing some food beside them, letting them fend for themselves, letting them die.

When she was young, she asked her grandmother, who said she would stay here, unable to go with them.

When she was young, she asked her grandmother, "Will I too be left like this?"

Her grandmother gently stroked her head and answered: "Yes."

"Every family, every person is like this. This is fate."

"I once left my mother, my am, here too."

"I turned away from the calves and foals, listening to their bells and cries fade into the distance, step by step, never looking back."

"So, when your time comes, you must not turn back, must not regret, must not cry. Do you understand?"

Now, the majestic eagle had circled the sky for five years, and it was time again to place the tribe's elders in the lake goddess's embrace. Sa Atandi gripped her dagger, her heart aching, gazing at the sky, remembering the legend her grandmother had told her in childhood:

"Long, long ago, there was such a legend."

"It was said that the mountain where the gods dwelled had been seized by demons, who burned the grasslands, froze the glaciers, stopped the rivers from flowing, and dimmed the lake goddess's embrace, filling the earth with weapons and calamity."

"At that time, a brave young man climbed the mountain, pleading for the gods' mercy. The gods pitied his plight and praised his courage, and thus bestowed this name."

"Say, Tian Ge Er. Tian Ge Er."

"Then a hero would come to the earth, shatter the calamity, end the weapons—this was the first great hero in recorded history, before the King of Tuyuhun of the Western Regions, existing only in oral legends."

"Say, Tian Ge Er."

Sa Atandi wept bitterly, whispering: "Tian Ge Er… Tian Ge Er…"

Her quiet voice stunned the elders; even the young men performing the ritual felt sorrow, tears welling in their eyes. One said: "It's this season already—could we not wait until next year?"

But a man with a full beard, two knives at his waist, eyes red and streaming tears, shouted: "No, no. The rule is the rule."

He looked at his father and mother among the elders, his heart aching.

There wasn't enough food, the elders were sick, the summer desert would burn with scorching heat—this would become a plague, and the children would die. He gripped his knife and shouted: "Returning to the lake goddess is far better than climbing the cliff walls to let the emissary of the Eternal Heaven—the eagle or vulture—peck out their innards and return them to heaven and earth!"

"What more could you want?"

"Unless Tian Ge Er truly comes…"

BOOM!!!!!

A gust of wind exploded outward, a wailing sound sweeping across the land. Sa Atandi's eyes widened. All the tribe members, in the night and by torchlight, turned toward it—a figure descended from the sky, entwined in crimson-gold flames and nine-colored radiance, crashing heavily to the ground.

BOOM!!!!!

Faintly, a crimson dragon's spectral shadow appeared. He, as in legend, shattered the ritual implements of the tribe. The fire scattered, his black hair stirred slightly, cradling in his arms a beautiful girl with silver hair.

Like the hero of myth, he answered the call and arrived upon the earth.

A deathly silence, solemn.

Li Guanyi slowly raised his head, staring at the ancient artifact he had shattered into powder, his gaze frozen. He looked around at the dense crowd of burly men, each holding a torch in one hand and a curved blade in the other. The young man fell silent, lifting his eyes toward the distance, his gaze empty.

Far away, his aunt in Jiangnan, his great-grandfather.

I am Guanyi.

My first day in the Western Regions did not go well.

I think I just destroyed someone's ancestral artifact.

?? My schedule has collapsed again (slams table)

? Good night, everyone. Control your schedule. Control your schedule.