Chapter 326

Yellow sand stretched endlessly, as if shrouding heaven and earth; the clear, azure expanse of sky moments before now seemed lowered, steeped in a dull yellow hue.

Sa Atandi lifted her head, gazing at the vast, dim yellow expanse of heaven and earth, instinctively pulling tighter the cloak shielding her from the sandstorm; the entire massive caravan moved forward, this segment led personally by Batuur.

Batuur said that, relying on inner Qi, one developed an intangible sense—unnameable, like geese flying through the sky—that subtly told him whether to hasten or slow the tribe's pace.

Just now, Batuur slowed his pace, and the tribe's able-bodied riders followed suit; the elders, with their superb horsemanship, became even more refined and composed.

And then—

The most dangerous sandstorm in the entire desert nearly brushed past the tribe; from where they stood, the storm's closest edge was only ten zhang away, the dryness palpable in every breath, fine grains of sand whipping against their faces.

Yet it truly passed by.

Sa Atandi could hardly believe it; the entire group sat astride their horses, watching the vast, perilous celestial phenomenon sweep past, carried off to some unknown place.

For these past days, they had ridden in a herd-like formation, galloping fiercely, yet precisely avoided all towns and villages ahead, and evaded the weather phenomena; as for wolf packs—

The wolf packs, symbols of danger on the desert, encountered a large group of people.

The danger should have been theirs.

Human groups devour all animals.

At worst, it's an extra meal; though wild wolf meat tasted awful, desert dwellers never wasted a single grain of food—they devoured every last bit, leaving nothing behind.

Flags fluttered in the distance; Batuur shouted: "Rest now."

"Follow the rules."

The tribe members exhaled in relief, dismounting to either feed the horses or prepare meals; even on the march, there was a rhythm of life; Batuur sharpened his knife; they did not know where they were headed, only trusted Tian Ge'er.

This journey, having avoided the sandstorms that signaled the wrath of heaven, deepened their trust in Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi gazed in awe as the sandstorm receded into the distance.

Beside him, the silver-haired girl, hooded, revealed only her smooth chin.

The abilities of the Star Gazing Line manifested fully here: the army advanced, observing celestial patterns, star positions, terrain, and hydrology, precisely avoiding large-scale sandstorms while maintaining marching speed, ensuring arrival at water sources and safe encampments.

This seemed an ordinary skill, yet for any army, its value rivaled that of a mighty general or a brilliant strategist.

Soon, the sky, clouded by the sandstorm, cleared again.

Stars reappeared in the heavens.

The silver-haired girl drank water, sat quietly upon the fine dust, picked up a twig, tilted her head to study the starry sky, calculating tomorrow's route—but in truth, such precision was no longer necessary.

Li Guanyi gazed into the distance, a thread of divine radiance in his pupils.

With the enhanced vision granted by the Nine Cauldrons, he faintly discerned the shadow of Zhenxi Xiongcheng through the wind and sand.

It was no longer far—only dozens of li away.

Li Guanyi pondered, sat cross-legged not far behind Yao Guang, watching the silver-haired girl silently deduce amid the vast heavens and earth, then reached out and grasped; the void rippled, and the Black Tortoise Manifestation appeared reluctantly, drawn to him.

Based on Master Siming's teachings.

Li Guanyi had developed the Black Tortoise Manifestation's uses with remarkable ease.

He used his Yuan Shen as ink, pressed two fingers to the tortoise's back, and wrote:

"Master Siming, we are only fifty li from Sa Atandi."

"Where are you?"

Li Guanyi's Black Tortoise Manifestation was born from a strand of divine essence split from Master Siming's; between the two tortoise manifestations, a faint connection existed; the golden characters faded, and soon a reply came.

"Still hundreds of li away; that fisherman knows something secret lies here, so he took a detour to come over—kid's got speed, though."

Master Siming's words floated up from the tortoise's back.

"Don't worry—it's merely three hundred li; that fisherman will arrive soon."

Li Guanyi stared at the distant city, pondering the situation.

At that moment, the Black Tortoise Manifestation suddenly changed.

The Black Tortoise Manifestation stiffened; the next instant, the text upon it turned sharply hostile: "Kid, what exactly are you planning?"

It was the Whale Fisher.

He had seen the connection between Master Siming and Li Guanyi, and finally could not hold back.

One hand pressed down on Master Siming's shoulder.

His overwhelming divine power suppressed Master Siming; he glanced twice, understood how to use the Black Tortoise Manifestation, and asked his question; Master Siming's eyelid twitched, staring at his own tortoise manifestation, frantically signaling.

No, old friend, why did you just help him?

The old tortoise rolled its eyes.

'What do you think?'

Master Siming grimaced, watching the Whale Fisher's black robe, silver hair, blood-stained cheeks, and chilling aura; he read the tortoise's text and muttered inwardly: Kid, be smart—just fool this old bastard.

Facing the Whale Fisher's question:

Li Guanyi had originally written: "Join forces to destroy Mo Sect."

He paused, then confessed outright: "I have led ten thousand troops and civilians to the city's gates, using this season's sandstorms as cover; we have not yet been detected. We intend to seize this city by taking advantage of your assault on Mo Sect."

Master Siming's eyelid twitched.

Huh?

No, weren't you usually so clever?

Why not pretend ignorance now?!

As expected, the Whale Fisher sneered:

"Why should I help you?!"

Master Siming's eyes seemed ready to write on the tortoise's back.

Li Guanyi lifted his finger and wrote: "To destroy Mo Sect together."

The Whale Fisher's eyes narrowed slightly; the storm within them calmed.

"I alone can break this Mo Sect."

Li Guanyi: "But you cannot annihilate it."

Diaojingke: "I can't. Can you?"

"Of course."

Li Guanyi's gaze was calm; he glanced at the crowd behind him and replied: "But even I alone cannot do it. Only when you, Elder, break the Mo Sect's experts, and your prestige reaches such heights that the nobles and military units of Aqini City all retreat, can we act in accordance with the tide."

"We merely rely on your victory."

Master Siming saw the once unruly and defiant Diaojingke's furrowed brows slowly relax. Master Siming's face showed surprise—this kid, he speaks well indeed.

The silver-haired man lowered his gaze: "…Good boy. Bold words."

Li Guanyi continued: "There is one thing, however, that still requires your help."

"If possible, I hope you can shatter the gates of this Dacheng."

Diaojingke sneered: "Even if we joined forces, why should I follow your orders?"

Li Guanyi said: "Because Tai Lao Ye is not here."

"Otherwise, even the capital of an ancient kingdom like Aqini, with Tai Lao Ye's sword qi, could be shattered in a single strike."

"I know your array arts are peerless under heaven, but you are not skilled in direct assault. Aqini City likely has its own city-protection array, arcane techniques, prayers, and rituals—though inferior to Chen State's Zhenbei City, they are still as solid as steel."

"I hope you can, if you will, lend a hand."

"If you cannot, it's no matter."

Diaojingke scoffed: "A provocation?"

Li Guanyi's tone was sincere: "It comes from the heart."

The silver-haired man paused: "Even so… if I break this city gate, how certain are you—nine-tenths—that you can completely overturn one of the Mo Sect's three major outposts?"

Li Guanyi thought for a moment: "Nine-tenths."

"Nine-tenths…"

Diaojingke gazed into the distance: "I accept."

"But not because of your provocation."

"I simply find that city gate displeasing."

"But, Li Guanyi—if you fail to accomplish what you've said today, even if Yao Guang opposes me, I will take her away from the Western Regions."

"I'll plow through this Western Regions' underworld four or five times first."

The men kneeling beside Diaojingke turned pale: "Chief of Arrays, what are you doing? Our Holy Sect spans the Western Regions—every living being, every method, holds our Holy Sect in their hearts! Our Holy Sect will not—"

BOOM!!

Without sound or warning, their skulls exploded into mist.

The night wind howled across the desert; the black-robed man's sleeves surged like tidal waves, his silver hair fluttering slightly, his voice cold: "Then, keep killing."

"Kill until mountains lose their peaks, heaven and earth unite."

"Exhaust this legendary lifespan of mine."

"Kill you until not even history remembers you!"

BOOM!!

The skulls of the Mo Sect's experts surrounding them all exploded, collapsing to the ground, utterly lifeless. The silver-haired man's eyes burned with killing intent.

………………

Before Li Guanyi, the characters on the back of the Xuan Gui Fa Xiang slowly faded into stillness. He beckoned, and the visibly exhausted Xuan Gui Fa Xiang returned into his body. He gripped the Chi Xiao Sword, staring at the city.

Wait for Diaojingke to personally shatter the gates of this ancient Zhenxi Xiongcheng.

Then deploy one hundred thousand troops and surge in.

Directly take their home.

Li Guanyi lowered his left hand, pressing against the small tiger-shaped Wang Yin at his waist, his fingers tracing its surface. He felt the human destiny qi of the one hundred thousand behind him settle upon him, atop his sixth-level foundation.

This reinforcement of human destiny qi reminded Li Guanyi of the blessings of the Bingjia battle arrays.

These past few days leading the army, he had felt a strange familiarity.

The two—human destiny qi's blessing upon a sovereign, and the Bingjia battle array's effect upon a commander—were extremely similar. Li Guanyi simply merged them, borrowing human destiny qi to enact Bingjia battle array momentum.

Though there were minor setbacks, it ultimately took shape.

With the aid of Yao Guang's arcane array techniques.

Qin Wu Hou Li Guanyi's maximum command reached one hundred thousand and three thousand.

He felt pain in his third eye.

This must be my limit.

Li Guanyi thought, gripping the Wang Yin.

Absolute limit.

Leading one hundred thousand troops in a rapid advance gave him the sensation that his soul was splitting apart, requiring total focus to track the qi flow of this vast force. He vaguely sensed that one hundred thousand command might be a watershed for a great general.

Commanding one hundred thousand, and below.

The threshold for whether one person can launch a major campaign.

Above it, one becomes a great general whose name endures in history.

Below it, one is merely a renowned general of the age.

Time flows, generation after generation produces talent; decades later, the top hundred generals of that era will each have their own style, their own strengths.

"But this time, I'm merely using the Wang Yin's human destiny qi to lead one hundred thousand in a rapid strike—it's a completely different level of difficulty from commanding one hundred thousand in a full-scale battle."

Li Guanyi pressed the Wang Yin, lost in thought:

"This is what is called the Son of Heaven leading the charge in person?"

"With the support of human destiny and the martial destiny, greater power will be unleashed."

"But these are merely the Thirty-Six Western Regions' Wang Yin. I wonder—if one day the Nine Provinces were cast and divided across the land, forged from the Nine Provinces' earth veins and human destiny—what would such a seal be like?"

"At that time, the human destiny, vast and boundless, would be how mighty?"

"I truly wish to see it before I die."

"The lord of a single land is the Wang Yin."

"The ruler of the Nine Provinces uses the Xi, doesn't he?"

"The material used is not gold."

"It is superior jade."

"The Imperial Jade Xi of the Nine Provinces..."

Li Guanyi's fingers gripped the golden Wang Yin, and as he thought of personally recasting the Nine Ding and the Jade Xi, even his temperament felt a fierce heat rising from deep within his soul.

Sometimes he felt that this great undertaking, this Yan Huang Huaxia, belonged to no one but him; yet at other times he felt his own character and abilities were merely walking step by step through this chaotic age—whether he could truly accomplish such a feat was utterly uncertain.

Human nature is inherently complex.

He simply refused to be swept into the whirlpool of this era, refused to retreat.

Gathering his composure, he watched Yao Guang still observing the stars and divining; Li Guanyi held the Wang Yin in one hand and absentmindedly pulled out the Mo Sect's Gongyang Suxiang. The human destiny on the statue had been utterly devoured and shattered by the Tiger Wang Yin, leaving only an empty shell.

But here, only dozens of li from Nicheng, the Gongyang Suxiang seemed to resonate with one of the Mo Sect's three major bases; faint streams of light shimmered across the statue, and the golden Tiger Wang Yin in Li Guanyi's hand also glowed with a low, golden radiance.

Li Guanyi felt a familiar sensation.

Just like that time in Jiangnan with the Nine Ding.

He clasped the Wang Yin in his right hand, and a fierce, pure surge of human destiny erupted violently, surging directly into the Mo Sect's Gongyang Suxiang. With a crisp sound, the lingering light on the statue flickered wildly before being severed.

Cracks appeared across the Mo Sect's Gongyang Suxiang, and finally, in Li Guanyi's hands, it shattered into dust, scattered by the wind; meanwhile, the golden Tiger Wang Yin trembled violently.

In a daze.

Murmuring voices filled Li Guanyi's ears, just as with Fu Hu Yan Jixuan before—through the reverse connection of the Mo Sect's human destiny, he sensed again the situation at the Mo Sect's stronghold dozens of li away.

After all, it could not compare to the Nine Ding of Jiangnan.

Only within a range of dozens of li did the Golden Tiger Wang Yin possess such ability.

Li Guanyi glanced at Yao Guang, then sat calmly beside the girl. As soon as his awareness reached out, he heard only a furious voice—seemingly from an old man—saying:

"Why? Why has that fisherman come again after more than a decade?!?!"

He seemed wildly angry and resentful, pacing back and forth, muttering curses.

A crisp voice asked: "Guardian Heavenly King, what should we do?"

"What to do?! Ha, the Martial Legend has come—what can we do?"

The old man, clearly enraged, said: "What can we do? Hmph. Each of us must flee for our lives. In just these few days, he's destroyed over a dozen of our outposts. As he came this far, even the nobles in the city are running."

"Those people, who once received the Holy Sect's grace, whose inner energy was granted by the Holy Sect—now that the Whale Fisher has come, each has some excuse and abandons us all."

"What can we do?"

The old man raised his hand, then gazed far into the distance. His cultivation allowed him to sense a targeted aura—locked onto him from hundreds of li away. Such a technique resembled that of Sword Mad Murong Longtu against the Yin-Yang Wheel Turn Sect.

Do not move rashly.

If you move rashly, the Thunder's wrath will strike.

Staying here, we still have the city's great array and many fallbacks. Leaving this place, the endless desert is nothing but yellow sand—without the Martial Legend's restraint, he would come to kill us outright, and survival would be nine out of ten deaths.

The old man muttered to himself: "Legends of the Jianghu..."

"What a fine Martial Legend!"

The Holy Maiden Long Han'er's expression was complex: "But our Holy Sect's accumulated destiny over three centuries..."

The old man, with broad shoulders, a shaved head, and Western Regions-style tattoos, was irritable—he had once told Xiao Yuxue that there was no need to transfer the local destiny, not even if her old lover came.

He had only boasted then!

But now, the fisherman has truly come...

At this moment, one of the Mo Sect's Four Guardian Heavenly Kings did not know what to do.

He paced back and forth: "I should have crushed that girl with one palm back then. A dead weapon is a better weapon. What use is being heartless and desireless? Now look—trouble follows trouble, trouble, trouble!"

"Fine, fine, fine—I might as well sit back down on the shit I spat out back then."

"I said no need to transfer then—but now we must!"

"Holy Maiden, go summon the people. Those nobles fled too quickly—get the rest here fast. Otherwise, under the Three Lives Drum, the Soul-Severing Grass can grant them power... or take their lives. If they don't come within moments, I'll shatter their five viscera and six bowels into fragments!"

Yan Xuanji then unleashed his ultimate technique and rushed to the Mystical Realm, gazing at the great array here—this array involved a part of the 【Weapon】, one of the Three Celestial-Earth-Human Array Nodes.

Grand and domineering, it contained half the Mo Sect's accumulated human destiny over centuries.

Around it stood countless stone statues, each representing the Mo Sect's major and minor outposts nearby, and the statues within those outposts that condensed destiny.

The arrays were linked, their qi in harmony—so any change elsewhere

Would be instantly known here.

Now looking, a vast stretch of stone statues on the left had dimmed, indicating they had been stripped away by the fisherman. But human destiny cannot be refined—so even the fisherman could do nothing with them.

Ji Zongcheng muttered: "We must take them away. Even if some destiny is lost, it's better than letting the fisherman plunder them all. That old bastard has no use for this—he'd just waste it."

"He's neither a hero of the realm nor a lord of a new land. Human destiny is useless to him—he can't even refine it..."

"Throughout the world, those with ambition, will, and the capacity to contain human destiny number no more than three. What use is this to him?"

"I don't believe he can find one so easily."

Ji Zongcheng said to the Mo Sect Holy Maiden Long Han'er: "Afterward, extract these destiny statues and retreat swiftly. Though this will inevitably cause much destiny to scatter, there is no other choice."

Long Han'er asked: "Won't you come with us, Heavenly King?"

The old man laughed: "Leave?"

"The fisherman's divine intent has already locked onto me from afar. Step out of this city, and a great array will crush me. Besides—you've read the Juan Sect's records. What happened to those who fled fifteen years ago? You know."

"My grandson, my son, my daughter-in-law—all were killed by that fisherman."

"Since this burden has fallen upon me, I won't leave!"

"With this city-wide array, I shall harness the lingering human destiny of this land to test whether this martial legend is truly as invincible as they say!"

Ji Zongcheng's aura was majestic, radiating the fierce and bold spirit of a martial master.

He naturally had grounds for pride—he was over two hundred years old, having used special means to seize destiny as flesh and blood, extending his lifespan to nearly match that of the Master Jiankuang.

After the sect's disaster, he once wandered the world with a sword on his back, having witnessed the Master Jiankuang's peak, when he challenged and defeated every sword and knife school under heaven; he had also seen Gongyang Su Wang's invincibility, and the Xue family's divine archery purging an entire region.

He had fought them all, though he was defeated by the Master Jiankuang and Gongyang Su Wang.

But he had battled the Xue family's tiger to a standstill.

Now, after another sixty years of secluded cultivation, his art has reached the verge of creation—having abandoned all thought of survival, he now possesses only a heart of deathless combat. With the Mo Sect's great array to channel human destiny, and these city dwellers as pawns to distract the Whale Fisher, he may yet have the strength to fight!

Ji Zongcheng stared at his palm and muttered: "Even if I die, I must test what kind of spirit this so-called martial legend truly possesses. But since I must die, I won't give you any advantage."

"This array seals away part of the girl's seven emotions and six desires to sustain its operation. Now, I shall first destroy the spiritual essence within this array—then see if you can piece it back together afterward!"

Ji Zongcheng was not the kind to poison someone and leave them an antidote.

He always believed: either do nothing, or do it utterly.

But at this very moment, the old man suddenly sensed something amiss.

A faint, fragmented sound had appeared.

His eyes widened instantly. Slowly turning, he gazed at the statue that had not yet been extracted—on its surface, fine cracks had appeared, and under his gaze, it slowly shattered.

"The Array's Core has not yet been seized—who has drained the destiny from the statue?!"

Ji Zongcheng suddenly felt something, and roared in fury: "Who dares intrude upon my Holy Sect? Show yourself!!!"

His vast internal energy was indeed tyrannical and overwhelming—he slashed downward, and behind him, his aura coalesced into a nine-headed serpent, grotesque and terrifying, radiating power as if it would burn heaven and earth to ashes.

Destiny?!

"These are all my Holy Sect's people—my Holy Sect's flesh and blood."

"Who are you, to dare plunder my Holy Sect's servants? Their lives belong to me—not to you!"

Manifestation—Xiang Liu!

The statue suddenly shattered. Li Guanyi, having heard the old man's purpose and methods, had stirred a ripple—and was now detected. At this moment, he gripped the Tiger King Seal tightly; majestic destiny surged together, the Seal howled, and he used the Mo Sect's land to gather destiny and condense his soul.

Similar to the method Xiao Yuxue had used that day.

A low, thunderous tiger roar exploded. The Xiang Liu manifestation twisted in distortion. Ji Zongcheng struck—but the void rippled, and a figure coalesced, stepping forward slowly. Li Guanyi felt the Tiger King Seal tremble incessantly.

It seemed that the phrase "All the Western Regions are my Holy Sect's servants" had enraged the lingering spiritual essence within the Golden King Seal. A surge of tyrannical wrath rose—Li Guanyi's heart stirred, and he followed this domineering momentum to channel destiny.

The gathered destiny-body's sleeves flared, transforming into ink-black robes. The Bai Hu stepped forward slowly. The Mo Sect's land—centuries of accumulated Mo Sect destiny—began spontaneously erupting, detaching from the stone statues, and flying directly toward Li Guanyi's manifested form.

The destiny of the Western Regions… comes naturally?!

Who is this figure of such renown?!

Ji Zongcheng's face froze.

Amid the tiger's roar, Ji Zongcheng saw before him a figure clad in ink-black robes, accompanied by a tiger. The body of one of the Mo Sect's Four Heavenly Kings—having lived over two hundred years—slowly stiffened. Childhood memories, like a nightmare, surfaced.

"…………!!!"

"Tu Gu Hun?!"

Li Guanyi, using the Golden King Seal as he had once used the Nine Cauldrons of Jiangnan, manifested a similar form in this nexus of destiny. In an instant, Ji Zongcheng's face turned pale. Li Guanyi lifted his gaze and said: "Wrong."

He raised his hand, grasped the void, and slowly drew his blade—channeling the human destiny within the Golden King Seal, directly dragging the roaring, dragon-like human destiny of the Mo Sect's Mystical Realm, and slashed downward with all his might—

His aura changed due to the nature of the Golden King Seal.

From gentle and calm, it transformed into tyrannical, haughty, and utterly unrivaled.

His voice now carried the echo of a tiger's roar.

One slash—toward Ji Zongcheng!

He spoke coldly:

"Kneel!!!"

?? Finally managed to regain control of my schedule.

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? Hope the second chapter updates around twelve (at peace)