Chapter 337: Grand and Majestic, Master? Emperor? Overlord?

The Whale Fisher's expression froze slightly. "... So fast already."

"He's only one year older than I was when I broke through to Master."

"This kid—was he fooling me all along?"

Li Guanyi pressed his palm against the phantom imperial seal, walking forward as his heart, internal qi, soul, and even the human destiny rivaling celestial phenomena converged into a single point; all he heard was the unceasing roar of dragons and tigers.

All his power gathered, transformed!

Not far beyond Aghni City, a group of martial artists approached slowly; their elderly leader suddenly burst into delight. "This—the heavenly and earthly primordial qi—has changed! Hahaha! In the vast western deserts, where winds and clouds churn, and Jianghu sects are few…"

"We've actually found such a celestial phenomenon!"

The old man's eyes gleamed with excitement; they were disciples of a hidden Jianghu sect, having reached the sixth heavenly level—the rank of a top-tier martial artist—and yearning to attain the Master realm, yet unwilling to settle for an ordinary Master.

In their sect's ancient texts, it was said—【To attain the supreme realm by borrowing the power of celestial phenomena】—and with diligent, unceasing cultivation, they might one day restore their ancestor's stature and majesty.

After ten years wandering the desert, he now saw the sands swirling, the dust settling, rivers surging, and nine-colored divine light blazing in the heavens; his heart surged, certain he had finally witnessed such a celestial phenomenon, and that the path to Masterhood lay before him.

"Go! Go!"

"There's a phenomenon in this city! Ordinary fools wouldn't understand such an opportunity—this chance belongs to us!"

Immediately, they all unleashed their lightness arts and raced off; they were skilled enough, yet the old man sensed someone within the celestial phenomenon—yet he gritted his teeth, refusing to abandon such a great opportunity, and activated his sect's martial art, attempting to draw it forth.

A gentle woman's voice spoke: "Those who come, this place is under cultivation."

"Please, do not approach."

The old man shouted: "Celestial phenomena concern the supreme foundation—the Master realm! Martial artists train for sixty years seeking precisely this sliver of chance! This is destiny—belonging to those with affinity!"

He disregarded all caution, determined to let his soul touch this vortex of primordial qi.

The Whale Fisher raised his hand, then suddenly sensed something, and smirked faintly.

He lowered his hand again.

The white-haired old man felt the aura of the celestial phenomenon—and his expression hardened instantly; before his eyes, a battlefield of iron and blood unfolded, filled with boundless slaughter, roaring with the fury of blades and spears clashing.

Tens of thousands of spiritual wills descended.

The old man felt as if a colossal mountain rested upon his back!

These crushing thoughts nearly solidified into Mount Taishan; his sixty years of Jianghu wandering, decades of arduous cultivation—utterly unable to bear the weight of countless souls, his first instinct was to flee.

His internal qi violently trembled; his soul, once perfected to the peak of a divine aura technique, instantly scattered.

The old man spat out a mouthful of blood.

His airborne body plummeted.

His disciples rushed forward, catching him; their faces were filled with panic. The celestial phenomenon shattered instantly. The old man saw a figure—bearing the thoughts of ten thousand souls.

A Master is not achieved through force or plunder.

One must bear its weight.

Someone hovered in midair, then took step after step.

Each step brought swirling, dense primordial qi, shaking the surroundings.

Such effortless mastery, such control of heavenly qi by the soul—bordering on surpassing Wu Gong itself—was precisely the realm revered as Master in the Jianghu. The old man's face turned ashen; he flipped over and bowed deeply. "Disciple of Wangu Sect, unaware a Master elder was cultivating here!"

"Please forgive our transgression!"

All his disciples turned pale and hurriedly bowed.

A calm voice, distant yet clear as if spoken beside their ears, rang out—its tone young: "... Go now. Do not enter the city."

A calm voice fell from far away, as if sounding right beside their ears, clear and composed, the voice young: "... Go now, do not enter the city."

The old man felt as if granted a divine decree; he bowed repeatedly, then without hesitation pulled two large ingots of gold from his satchel, dropped them on the ground, and—still spitting blood—dragged his disciples away, fleeing without delay.

He unleashed his full body technique, covering a hundred li in an instant.

The old man's foundation and soul had already been shaken; as he ran, he spat blood, which stained his white beard—but he dared not stop, only halting when his internal qi churned violently.

The old man had already shaken his own foundation and soul, running while spitting blood, the blood staining his white beard, yet he refused to stop—only when his internal qi churned violently did he finally halt.

"Shouldn't we rest for a moment?"

"No—no—hck—"

The old man spat another mouthful of blood, his face as pale as paper. "Such a person—hovering in midair, transmitting voice like a whisper—must be a hidden Master of the Jianghu. How could such a one spare us just because of a few ingots of gold?"

The old man spat another mouthful of blood, his face as pale as paper, saying: "Someone of this caliber, flying through the air, transmitting voice like a whisper—must be a master hidden from the world. How could such a person let us go just for a few pieces of gold?"

"I disturbed his cultivation by accident. Perhaps he doesn't care now—but we must be wary. If he harbors even one ill thought and turns back to kill us, we won't even have time to run!"

The disciple said: "... That Master's voice sounded young. It's more than that."

The old man snapped: "How could there be a Master at fifteen or twenty?!"

"He's surely an ancient demon with the appearance of a child—white hair, youthful face!"

"Go! Run faster…"

Li Guanyi clenched his fist, glancing at the gold the old man had dropped. He was slightly startled, then raised his hand; internal qi flowed out, tugging the two ingots toward him, and with a pull, they landed in his palm.

Li Guanyi clenched his fist, startled to see the gold the old man had dropped; he raised his hand and summoned his internal qi, which flowed out to tug at two gold pieces, then pulled with force—the gold flew into his hand.

Li Guanyi joked: "This guy's actually quite thoughtful."

The Nine-Colored Deer watched Li Guanyi, sensing his transformation, and spoke softly: "How is it? Have you achieved it?"

Li Guanyi clenched his fist, sensing his own condition.

He could no longer sense the aura of the Nine Cauldrons of Jiangnan.

The distance was too great; he had merely burned three centuries of Mo Sect destiny and borrowed the Nine-Colored Deer's auspicious blessing to briefly connect with the Nine Cauldrons—a state like sudden enlightenment, unsustainable.

But that single moment of contact had clarified his path.

He had drawn upon one-third of the Mo Sect's accumulated destiny over centuries.

Li Guanyi had firmly crossed this threshold.

Li Guanyi still stepped steadily across this pass.

At this moment, his qi has stabilized to the Seventh Heaven.

The Master Realm, compared to the Sixth Heaven with slightly more solid foundations, brings subtle changes in the quantity of internal qi, physical body, and speed—but no sudden, explosive leap upon breakthrough.

Cultivation is the act of steadily transforming oneself through martial arts, discipline, and practice.

This is gradual.

Though Li Guanyi's overall abilities have not undergone a earth-shattering leap, he can feel that his former ceiling has risen once more; his physical strength, speed, and the depth of his internal qi can all be further enhanced.

In addition, his spirit has become harmonious, and his control over himself has grown increasingly refined.

Though his overall qualities did not leap instantly, the effects he now produces are unquestionably far beyond his Sixth Heaven self.

Li Guanyi swept his fingers lightly—a common technique.

Yet it shook the void, slicing out a sharp blade of qi; such a feat once required renowned, high-grade Wu Gong to achieve. He clenched his fist and swung forward, and in the void, his aura condensed, as if forming a mountain peak.

【Crush Mountain】.

【Rolling Waves】.

【Shatter Peak】.

He wielded them casually, each a single technique; the profound subtleties of these once-legendary arts came to him effortlessly. In the Master Realm, each sect has its own style and emphasis: Daoists may be called True Person, with spirit perfected; Buddhists become Earthbound Arhats, with Vajra bodies and methods.

Li Guanyi walks the pure martial path, embracing all under heaven.

His yuan shen bears the weight of human destiny.

Though burdensome, it is vast and mighty, perfectly aligned with his physical form; with a single thought, his body moves naturally. In the past, every martial technique required him to first summon intent, then guide qi, then strike.

Hence, martial artists judged one another by mastery of techniques.

But after the Master Realm, a single thought triggers change—no need to consciously guide qi. Any martial art, once learned, becomes instinctive, effortless, at this level.

That is why one is called a Master.

The 【Master of All Weapons · Bearing the Weight of Affairs】 Li Guanyi once encountered was said to be a master of every weapon technique, having pushed this Master Realm trait to its extreme—learning countless mysterious Wu Gong, blending sword and blade into a single-man formation.

His yuan shen fused with his blood and qi, his spiritual will immensely strong.

Called "Martial Path Penetrates the Divine," he becomes immune to most techniques of alchemists, Yin-Yang specialists, and witchcraft; any attempt to ambush such a one is detected in advance.

On that day in Beicheng, Yao Guang had to climb the wall with Li Guanyi, precisely because of this.

"If I must name the greatest change…"

Li Guanyi thought.

The youth stood suspended in midair, no movement, no cultivation activated—yet ripples spread through the void, forming golden-red scales, and a crimson dragon appeared beside him, circling endlessly.

Li Guanyi stroked the dragon's horn with his left hand, his sleeves fluttering in the wind.

He felt the connection to his manifestation, a vibrant, joyful sensation.

"Even 'a single thought triggers a technique' and 'casual motion yields ultimate art'—martial artists below the Master Realm, through years of relentless practice, can match a Master."

"This is why the Master Realm surpasses ordinary martial artists…"

"A single thought—and the manifestation appears."

Li Guanyi clenched his fist; the crimson dragon manifestation seemed real. As he stroked it, he remembered events nearly three years ago—he was still in Yicheng, merely a junior pharmacist at Huichun Hall.

His monthly salary: one tael of silver.

Often withheld, never full weight, never full strings of coins.

Just before he was to be dismissed, in that ruined mountain shrine, he met General Yue Qianfeng, badly wounded. The young pharmacist killed in the rain that night—and Brother Yue revealed his manifestation, landed one punch, and opened Li Guanyi's world, shattering open his heart's Jianghu.

Li Guanyi's heart stirred suddenly.

A faint longing, a surge to punch, arose from within.

The crimson dragon's roar swelled. Li Guanyi leapt into the air, flying beyond the city walls. The crimson dragon's roar intensified, gathering into his fist. The Nine-Colored Deer, earlier using the Wang Yin to manifest auspiciousness, had caused misty rain here.

The youth roared, then plummeted like a meteor onto a desolate hill outside the city.

Rain in the Western Regions was rare; fine drizzle fell like cowhairs—and froze in place.

Countless cowhair raindrops solidified in midair, becoming beads of water, like a vast mist, encircling Li Guanyi. He clenched his fist; his heart pounded, blood and qi, his yuan shen, the aura of the Master Realm surged and exploded.

The next instant, countless droplets shot upward into the sky.

Li Guanyi exhaled sharply.

Just as then, just as in his memory of General Yue Qianfeng.

Li Guanyi closed his eyes slightly, feeling fused with the bold Brother Yue of his memory; before him, he saw his own youthful, naive self—his heart serene.

He turned, twisted his waist.

Clenched his fist.

BOOM!!!

Amidst the instant vaporization of countless raindrops into mist like clouds, blazing fire erupted from between Li Guanyi's fingers, roaring flames engulfing the small hill outside Aqi'ni City.

It shattered his memories.

Instantly before the Nine-Colored Deer, it became a roaring crimson dragon.

The hilltop, its gnarled dead trees, its shattered stones—

In an instant, turned to dust!

The Nine-Colored Deer watched from the air; rain still fell over the region, but above Li Guanyi's small desolate hill, the sky was clear, as if under Zhuge Qingkong. The crimson dragon manifestation slowly dispersed. Li Guanyi looked at his palm, clenched his fist.

"Before the Master Realm, one must use special ultimate arts to summon manifestation power."

"After the Master Realm, every gesture carries immense power."

Li Guanyi felt a small sense of satisfaction.

This punch on the desolate hill was nearly identical to the one General Yue Qianfeng unleashed in Jiangzhou City—back then, Li Guanyi was still a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old pharmacist, killing in the rain, trembling with fear. Now, he had spent years in the Jianghu and under heaven.

That punch then. This punch now.

You were once that. I am now.

All things have a beginning and an end.

His fist unclenched, the Crimson Dragon manifestation vanished completely; now, even Li Guanyi's ordinary strikes could suppress his own Sixth Heaven self by virtue of his Master trait—every gesture, every step, summoned the manifestation in tow. Though it consumed immense energy, it fully revealed the terrifying destructive power of a Master.

"The gap between a Master and those below is truly a chasm."

"A world apart."

Li Guanyi recalled more than a year ago, at the Gongsun Clan's domain, when he had clashed with the Motian Sect Master, Ximen Hengrong, whose mind had been clouded.

At that time, Ximen Hengrong, under the influence of the Longlife Guest, was mentally chaotic and unable to use Master techniques; Li Guanyi, relying on his Longlife Imperishable Body, had endured wounds to trade wounds, barely holding him off.

That must have been his only prior life-or-death encounter with a Master.

Even during that encounter in Beicheng, neither side had truly sought to kill.

"Truly… lucky."

Li Guanyi exhaled, withdrew the Master's aura, appearing now as an ordinary man—even the fierce, bold spirit he had radiated moments before had faded. Inside his robe he carried two gold ingots; a faint smile played on his lips—he was nothing but a mild-mannered, wandering merchant of the Central Plains.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer was far away.

Li Guanyi asked.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer sighed, showing no anger, only saying: "I simply could not bear to see that Crimson Dragon—after seeing it, I felt stomach pain, so I kept my distance. As for him, his dragon nature is unruly and unrestrained."

"I truly cannot think of a way to describe him without violating the propriety of auspiciousness, so I shall say nothing."

Li Guanyi grinned.

That was already saying something.

He bowed slightly and said: "Thank you, Elder, for your aid this time. Without it, I would have needed another one or two years to reach this realm."

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer said: "You aided me first; I am merely returning the favor."

"Moreover, all I did was assist."

"Had you not experienced pacifying the Jiangnan and Western Regions, had you not endured all those past obsessions, what could I have accomplished?"

"You helped yourself."

It was strange—Li Guanyi saw tenderness in the deer's eyes, and on its face, a gentle, beautiful smile.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer stepped lightly through the void, its nine-colored light swirling, shrinking gradually from the size of a small hill to that of an ordinary young deer, full of vitality. It touched Li Guanyi with its antlers and said:

"Yet, I sense faintly that you have not yet fully connected this land's qi veins with the southeast direction. Though you have taken this path, you have only just stepped onto it."

"Not complete."

"Not perfected."

Li Guanyi nodded and smiled openly:

"It is normal that the connection is not yet complete."

"Jiangnan spans over two thousand li, with a million households, thriving industries—the Central Plains' land of rice and fish, its human qi surging fiercely. But Aji Ni City has only tens of thousands of people; even the territory marked on the Nine Tripods has not been fully controlled. The people's hearts are unsettled, the world is unstable—the two sides are inherently mismatched."

Li Guanyi sat down casually, gazing at the city, and said: "If Aji Ni City, in its current state, could truly match Jiangnan, then wouldn't all our struggles over these years be laughable?"

"My friend Yan Daiqing would get another stomachache."

"This momentary connection allowed me to take this step."

"It was thanks to the Mo Sect's accumulated centuries of qi fortune."

"And to your aid, Elder."

Li Guanyi paused, faintly sensing a divine will nearby, displeased.

Li Guanyi's expression did not change: "And to the Great—"

"Great Elder's guidance."

The distant divine will softened slightly.

A wave of divine resonance—"Good lad, you've got sense"—rippled through the air. Li Guanyi understood, at last, why Masters could instantly sense one another. He smiled, feeling the heavens and earth bright and clear, and knew his own cultivation path.

Dare boldly!

This change was the first step.

Only by walking the path he chose—the path of all people—could his spirit be unburdened, his steps advance, his barriers shattered, and the legendary realm become possible.

When the Western Regions are pacified, his realm will shift again.

And when the southwest is subdued, flowing downward to link with Jiangnan, the momentum will merge—what transformation might then unfold?

Could the unification of the Nine Provinces and the reforging of the Nine Tripods reveal the legendary realm?

But these are merely external things.

Li Guanyi sat cross-legged, hands resting on his knees, gazing from the spot where his punch had shattered the hilltop across the vast, boundless skies of the Western Regions. His spirit widened endlessly; a surge of boldness rose within him:

"When will the world be united, the four seas become one?"

"The Western Regions are desolate and wild—I hope one day, those from Jiangnan may come here, needing no border crossing, as if traveling within their own land."

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer watched beside him, the young man sitting cross-legged in the midst of heaven and earth, clad in Western Region scaled armor beneath his brown robe, gazing far off. Suddenly, he drew a deep breath and said:

Dressed in Western Regions scale armor beneath a brown robe, he sat cross-legged amid heaven and earth, gazing into the distance, then drew a deep breath and said: "May this world know peace!"

"May war vanish from all quarters! May the world become one!"

"May our descendants never need to wield weapons in strife!"

"May all people be like dragons!"

"May this world have no more slaves!"

The boy's clear voice rang out, each word a wave of boldness. The Nine-Colored Divine Deer, thinking of the changes in Aji Ni City, grew dazed—then, in that moment of reverie, Li Guanyi rose, drew his sword. His gaze was clear, his smile gentle:

"For this, Li Guanyi vows to fight his whole life."

"Never betray."

"Even if like a moth flying into fire."

"This resolve shall never perish."

The nine-colored divine deer was dazed; Li Guanyi raised his hand, pressing against a nearby stone, and rose into the air, gripping his sword as he gazed afar, the blue sky soaked into his eyes: "Though the Western Regions are vast, they are sparsely populated. To link the two lands, we must secure the Tangut."

"In the Central Plains, there is the game of Go."

"Even the greatest masters, when given three stones as a handicap, struggle terribly in play—and may even lose. Observing the world through these stones reveals that the world is a contest of every step, where not a single step may be retreated."

"I will contend for the Tangut state; perhaps your second brother's father will too."

"The Yu Langwang will certainly contend."

"Between us, even without hatred, neither will yield."

"Everyone has ideals; everyone holds great aspirations. Why should you tower above me?"

"At this moment, words cannot clarify anything—only swords and knives can."

"Let us fight!"

"Elder, your spirit seems deeply wounded. You've aided me today, burdening yourself—truly, you must rest and heal…"

The nine-colored divine deer replied: "The poison of the Fei has little effect on me now; the remaining wounds are from the Yu Langwang's martial aura."

"That thing is a form of the world's destiny. In this age of great chaos and ceaseless strife, such martial aura is at its peak—who in the world does not know war?"

"To heal, you would need another vast tide of destiny to compensate."

"You are forging an instrument of human destiny—your destiny cannot be spent on me."

The nine-colored divine deer urged Li Guanyi to focus on the Dao, not letting her shake his foundation, saying that as a being of her kind, even wounded, she could heal over a hundred years.

"Human destiny?"

Li Guanyi suddenly laughed: "I think I actually have a solution."

The nine-colored divine deer's voice was gentle: "Child, human destiny must serve humanity—even monarchs dare not misuse it. To channel the hearts of all living beings for one's own gain is tyranny."

Li Guanyi said: "Fortuitously, this is a war trophy."

The youth pulled something from his bosom.

Placed before the nine-colored divine deer, it floated in midair with its own mysterious destiny—a luminous, white pearl, radiant and pure, its spirit clear, majestic, and upright.

The nine-colored divine deer froze, her voice stuck.

"This… this is…"

"Of the Tangut state."

"Yes—the pearl from beneath the throat of the great white serpent that was the Tangut state's destiny." Li Guanyi had originally planned to test whether the Nine Cauldrons would consume it, but it seemed the Nine Cauldrons did not swallow everything—he felt a pang of regret.

He then discovered it had physical form; to sell it? He couldn't bear to.

So he kept it.

Who knew when it might be useful? This thing clearly was priceless!

The nine-colored divine deer's voice grew stiff: "Then Bai Di…"

The once bright, fervent youth lowered his gaze, hand resting on his sword hilt, wind lifting his sleeves and hem, smiling as he answered:

"I killed him."

The nine-colored divine deer's heart trembled.

On the youth, the earlier clarity now merged with an invisible pressure—his eyes reflected sunlight on one side, rain on the other.

He was the true sovereign of the Central Plains.

A blend of royal and martial power.

The nine-colored divine deer looked at Li Guanyi and asked: "You say the world—is yourself the player of the game?" Li Guanyi looked at her and smiled: "No, I am not the player. I am the first pawn."

Li Guanyi took a step forward.

Li Guanyi leapt from the mountain, his sleeves swirling fiercely, laughing aloud:

"I am that first pawn—crossing the river!"

"Heaven and earth gave me birth to this world to open this first river."

"If I fall!"

"Those who follow—endless!"

Boom!!!

Li Guanyi's sleeves flared as he stepped through the air; a Grand Master could briefly soar using his Wu Gong, expending much yet remaining free and unrestrained—the earlier majesty and martial aura dispersed, leaving only a boy.

Li Guanyi's spirit was clear and pure; the nine-colored divine deer watched him and said:

"... Taigu Chilong."

"This time, you won."

"You have finally convinced me."

The nine-colored divine deer swallowed the pearl, soared into the air, and chased after Li Guanyi.

That day, Li Guanyi stepped onto the Seventh Heaven.

He was called Grand Master.

Only one grand, glorious battle stood between him and the top thirty famed generals.

Amidst the ruins awaiting renewal, Changsun Wu came back.

Bringing what Li Guanyi and Nicheng most needed!

?? Please vote for monthly tickets, friends!

? Control of routine achieved (peaceful)