Chapter 356

Xiao Yuxue, within the capital of the Tangut Kingdom, felt a flicker of urgency and panic; though she had fused the Mo Sect's destiny with the Tangut Kingdom's fate to revive the colossal Bai Di, her original plan had been to slowly devour the qi of smaller cities to restore herself.

Yet she encountered Li Guanyi once again.

Must this man truly stand as my enemy?

Or is it that in this chaotic world, merely standing here means facing the roaring Fire Qilin—not that he comes to oppose me, but that I stand before him, and must inevitably confront the claws of the Fire Qilin?

Xiao Yuxue clenched her teeth, sinking into despair and resentment, yet quickly rallied her spirit: at least she had halted Bai Di's assault on Yemeng Pass; according to the flow of destiny, her past backlash had come from striking Li Guanyi.

This time, without acting, he cannot strike across such vast distances.

Yet for some reason, she could not find peace.

So she went to visit the Tangut monarch, who, since suffering a nightmare, had gradually grown despondent, yet despite this decline, he indulged obsessively in wine, food, and nightly dalliances with beauties.

He often went days without sleep, yet woke each morning still able to drink a flask of wine, eat three catties of beef, his gaze blazing like torches, his spirit fierce as lions or tigers, even as his body grew ever thinner.

Xiao Yuxue saw the Tangut King's piercing eyes and exhaled slightly in relief—she did not enter.

The Tangut King had long coveted Xiao Yuxue's beauty, repeatedly demanding dual-cultivation, but she had firmly refused, declaring she had only one man and would bear only one child—even if Your Majesty were the Martial Emperor of the Great Xia of the Western Regions, it would not be permitted.

The Emperor was deeply displeased.

Yet the Mo Sect possessed countless seductive, soul-eroding arts; beneath the dances of beauties, he had been placated, and now, when she spoke of shifting the situation, he refused to listen.

Xiao Yuxue and the Tangut Kingdom needed the Tangut King—he sustained the entire Bai Di's destiny; seeing he was unharmed, she should have felt relief, for it was not his decline that caused her unease.

Yet for some reason, the pressure in her heart grew heavier and heavier.

Like thorns pricking her back.

Terrible, terrible!

Lost and helpless, she wandered to the Tangut Kingdom's city wall, gazing far into the sky—the western heavens stretched boundlessly, white clouds drifted far away; she stared blankly, thinking of the storms of this chaotic western realm.

The Central Plains, the South, the Northern Regions—all had their overlords.

This western chaos once had its overlord, the Tuyuhun, but fell years ago; now all was fractured, and this was the final qualification to step into the chaos, the foundation for kingship—but upon this land, only two possessed the stature and capacity to become the western overlord.

Li Guanyi. Yu Langwang.

In one region, such heroes arise—how vast and magnificent the world must be!

Or perhaps, among the Thirty-Six Western Tribes, a great hero must emerge—perhaps one crowned with the title of a celestial deity—who will lead the tribes to clash and contend with the heroes of the Central Plains.

Xiao Yuxue suddenly felt stillness—did the Tangut Kingdom possess such qualification?

Too bad.

If only the ritual plan from over a decade ago had succeeded.

That child might have absorbed centuries of destiny, harnessed the bloodline and talent of the Whale Fisher, and become a force approaching legendary martial cultivation; then, she might have protected this nation and the Holy Sect for centuries, like the ancient Crimson Dragon.

She could have also brought the Whale Fisher to her side.

Would not a daughter aiding her mother be natural?

Was it not I who carried you for ten months and gave you birth?

Had that been so, how could we now be so passive? The so-called Li Guanyi, the so-called Yu Langwang, roam this world merely because they possess power.

Why do we not…

At that moment, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared on the horizon.

High above the vast sky, thick layers of clouds piled up—then, without warning, the farthest clouds silently split open in the center, followed by the approaching sea of clouds.

The celestial clouds parted in an instant, as if torn apart at the center.

Xiao Yuxue froze, eyes wide.

Without sound, the entire front gate of the city wall violently shook—the newly inscribed characters 【Western Tangut Great Xia Capital】 on the gate shattered into fragments.

Lanterns hanging from the city tower swung wildly, as if buffeted by a gale; the seventy-two white paper windows on the tower tore apart; a furious wind surged, lifting Xiao Yuxue's hair, sleeves, and skirt.

Only after several breaths did a sound arrive.

Boom!

Like a tiger's roar, a thick wave of qi exploded—the Tangut Kingdom's city defense array shattered violently; blood splashed across Xiao Yuxue's cheek; she looked up and saw the colossal Bai Di's destiny rearing its head, wailing in agony.

On Bai Di's head was a massive hole.

Its skull had been directly shattered!

"This… this is…"

The arrow suddenly transformed into a colossal white tiger, its body radiating unmatched malevolence, crushing the destiny of the Tangut Kingdom and the Mo Sect alike; with one bite, one tear—

The entire body of Bai Di shattered, collapsing in screams, devoured entirely by the white tiger.

The vast destiny surged into the white tiger's aura; the white tiger lowered its gaze, fixing its eyes on the tiny Xiao Yuxue on the wall; from the heavens, the luminous stars of the White Tiger Seven Mansions descended.

Xiao Yuxue suddenly realized one thing.

She had danced gracefully among mighty powers, manipulating them—but when borrowing power, it also meant that if those vast forces willed it, they could crush her efforts effortlessly.

The white tiger lowered its gaze and stared at her.

The enormous white serpent, nearly transmuting into a Gengjin Dragon, dissolved into drifting clouds, supporting the white tiger's destiny beneath the arrow.

Thus, the western destiny, Bai Di, changed hands!

Xiao Yuxue said: "... Bai Di, you intend to seize the western destiny while holding the red destiny—what do you seek? Do you mean to surpass the ancient Red Emperor and unify all under heaven?!"

The white tiger's manifestation said nothing.

Xiao Yuxue said: "My daughter…"

Far away, Li Guanyi sensed it and clenched his fist.

As the white tiger's manifestation was about to vanish, it suddenly raised its right paw and pressed downward.

Xiao Yuxue's face paled; she fought with all her strength.

But this time, she had no manifestation.

The white tiger's right paw pressed down—the gathered destiny could not harm mortals, yet Xiao Yuxue herself had directly orchestrated the fusion of the Mo Sect's destiny and the Tangut Kingdom's fate; in doing so, she had retained a portion of the Tangut Kingdom's destiny for herself.

For personal cultivation, for a last-resort escape.

Crisp, crackling snaps continued without end.

Xiao Yuxue lay in a pool of blood, all her meridians utterly ruined.

All the Wu Gong she had gained through Mo Sect methods were directly stripped away.

The Po Yun Zhen Tian Bow was locked onto the national destiny of the Tangxiang Kingdom.

Therefore.

The Tangxiang Kingdom no longer had any national destiny.

The vast fortune of Bai Hu slowly dissipated, returning to heaven and earth, but the arrow Li Guanyi fired had, during this process, solidified into a physical form and landed on the city wall, producing a crisp ting.

Xiao Yuxue staggered, knelt on the ground, her face pale, continuously spitting blood, her eyes vacant.

The arrow, like the spirit of Bai Hu, stood upright, embedded in the ground.

She had lost everything completely.

The fortune of the Mo Sect was exhausted; the Tangxiang Kingdom's national destiny had been slain, and even the position of the Western Lord, Gengjin Bai Di, had been forcibly swallowed by Bai Hu in an utterly ferocious manner!

Yu Langwang's army had surrounded the Tangxiang Kingdom; escape was impossible.

Those who seek to stir up storms with their own strength—should they fail, this is the outcome.

Xiao Yuxue suddenly heard a chorus of wailing. She suddenly remembered something, snatched up the arrow, rose abruptly, spat blood from her mouth, yet refused to surrender, staggering toward the sound.

She saw all ministers and officials heading toward the imperial palace.

Xiao Yuxue felt a surge of dread and fear. She pushed through the crowd, her clothes stained with blood, entered the palace, and saw the courtesans kneeling on the ground, their cries unceasing. Xiao Yuxue saw the Martial Emperor of the Great Xia of the Western Regions seated upon the high throne.

A beauty in his arms, fine wine in his cup, yet his eyes remained wide open in fury.

He had no breath left.

Xiao Yuxue staggered, her face pale, as if the world around her darkened gradually, as if all her methods had vanished, leaving only an unparalleled despair that threatened to swallow her whole, her heart aching.

……Defeated.

No, not yet defeated!

Xiao Yuxue struggled, as if grasping her final straw—the Tangxiang Kingdom's secret treasury!

It contained many treasures, relics, even the divine weapon of the Tuyuhun Kingdom, the 【Zhan Ye Dao】, the very foundation of Tuyuhun. If she could obtain them all, perhaps there would still be a chance to breathe—but then she realized another thing.

The Tangxiang King was dead; the Wang Yin was missing. The only one who could open this treasury.

Was the Tangxiang Crown Prince, whose whereabouts were unknown.

Xiao Yuxue fell silent; her expression finally turned to despair.

Is this what a hero of the world truly is?

The martial sects that roamed the Jianghu, scheming with painstaking effort, the Jianghu's passion, decisiveness, and stratagems—before this general who, amid a hundred thousand troops, had boldly slain the supreme commander—

Are they truly so utterly powerless…?

【September, a white rainbow pierced the sun; the city collapsed; the Emperor trembled and died in his palace.】

——————History of the Western Kingdoms · Sa Atandi

…………

In Yemenguan, sand had been swirling like a curtain, shrouding the four directions.

But when Li Guanyi fired one arrow—

The sand across the heavens and earth scattered, and within Yemenguan, the people were shaken. Zhu Xie Kedi stared wide-eyed at the dim sky and earth splitting apart, speechless.

Li Guanyi flicked his wrist, spun around, and his weapon unraveled.

He placed his palm on Zhu Xie Kedi's shoulder and said, "How?"

Zhu Xie Kedi took a long moment to recover. His chest heaved with hot blood; he bowed his head and said:

"From this day forward, my weapons shall march before you."

Li Guanyi said to Fan Qing beside him, "Give him a set of armor, a horse, a bow. From today on, you and Yu Chi are my guards."

"From now on, you are no longer Zhu Xie Kedi."

"You are my war general, Li Kedi."

"Do not tell anyone the origin of this name."

Li Kedi only bowed his head in assent, his heart surging with emotion; he went to claim his armor. Li Guanyi directly assigned Li Kedi to assist Fan Qing in commanding the ten-thousand-strong prisoner camp. Li Kedi silently swore to himself: he would never betray this trust.

The ten thousand elite warriors of the Western Regions, the fierce generals and Captains, saw that Li Kedi had become a deputy general, and thought: if he can, why not us? And due to Li Guanyi's prestige, not a single one harbored rebellion.

Li Guanyi ordered that they depart the next day for Xiyicheng.

Yet when he returned to his quarters, he extended his hand; ripples formed in empty air. From before him, a Bai Hu paw emerged. Amid a low roar, the massive, majestic Bai Hu manifestation stepped forth—far more solemn and awe-inspiring than before.

The Chi Xiao Sword, which had previously ignored the Bai Hu manifestation, suddenly rang out.

Within the room, flame-like energy swirled, condensed, and retreated, forming flowing crimson scales. Accompanied by a low dragon's roar, the form of the Crimson Dragon reappeared.

Li Guanyi sat cross-legged, the Bai Hu raised its head to his left, the Crimson Dragon coiled to his right.

Both manifestations were no longer as they had first appeared; both now carried an indescribable calm and vastness. The Crimson Dragon's scales shimmered with gold; the Bai Hu's eyes held boundless emptiness. Between them, a subtle struggle stirred—a spirit of dragon versus tiger, pressing heavily upon the void.

Li Guanyi extended his palm, sensing the qi of Bai Hu and the Crimson Dragon.

He could faintly perceive what had occurred after that arrow had been fired. He clenched his five fingers:

"The Tangxiang Kingdom's national destiny has been swallowed…"

"The Tangxiang monarch must have been deeply influenced by the Mo Sect. As ruler, he led his nation to ruin. I slew the Bai Di's destiny; the Tangxiang monarch and I clashed in qi. Due to past events, his own national destiny turned against him."

"The Bai Hu manifestation has further evolved—it now subtly rivals the Crimson Dragon."

"The Tangxiang Kingdom is no longer a true adversary. Yu Langwang's army still surrounds this city." Li Guanyi felt the Jiuzhou Ding within him ringing fiercely, so he turned his spirit inward and saw the Jiuzhou Ding transform.

Faint streams of light converged within the Jiuzhou Ding—there, jade-like fluid was gathering!

Its color was mixed, yet its essence was pure.

Vast and majestic.

Inside were energies born from malevolent qi, and others absorbed by Bai Hu; Li Guanyi pressed his palm against this bronze ding, and thus clearly understood what the qi within this bronze ding truly was—

【13】 Among them were several transformations, each distinct.

Among them were several transformations, each distinct.

One came from the qi of the Nine Tribes of the Tiele and the city of Anxi.

One came from the martial qi of the Seven Western Tribes, subdued by his heroic might.

Also present was the national destiny of the Tangut Kingdom, just now exterminated, fully devoured, and erased.

Thus, within the bronze ding, the qi surged and churned, boundless and mighty; the youth extended his hand, as if pressing the entire ding beneath his palm, and it flowed, it transformed, and though each qi's nature differed and purity varied, they merged as one.

Yet upon this vast, desolate land of the Western Regions.

Of the Thirty-Six Western Tribes, seventeen of their destinies now resided within this ding!

Subdued—nearly half!

Either a subject, or defeated, or destroyed, or extinct.

Thus, all these destinies now rested upon this body.

Li Guanyi murmured to himself: "The supreme Dao of the martialists—breach cities, annihilate nations, pacify the world…"

The colossal Bai Hu manifestation lowered its gaze; its fur glowed faintly with threads of white-gold light, and finally, all these streams surged like starlight from heaven, pouring into Li Guanyi's Nine Cauldrons.

Within the Nine Cauldrons, the portion representing the Western Regions underwent another transformation; fine golden traces stretched and spread, instantly expanding far beyond the region of Anxi.

Most of the former Tangut Kingdom's territory was now etched onto the bronze ding.

The golden light was magnificent; the Western Regions portion of the Nine Cauldrons had already surpassed half its full extent—merely the territory now displayed on the ding already far exceeded Li Guanyi's native Jiangnan!

The Western Regions were vast; though sparsely populated, they held abundant resources.

Their population, produce, and commerce could not compare to the two great powers of the Central Plains.

Yet in terms of area, they were scarcely smaller than the Chen Kingdom.

If fully swallowed and linked downward to Jiangnan, then Qin Wu Hou could truly say—this is a realm of ten thousand li!

The Western Regions are the foundation of kingship.

Yet the geographic map formed by the qi within the Nine Cauldrons was still incomplete, especially regarding the Tangut Kingdom; Li Guanyi pondered, suspecting he must enter the Tangut's secret vaults to fully claim it, while for other tribes such as 【Da Wan】 and 【Sha Tuo】,

he would need to proclaim his renown far and wide, securing all forty-two cities, perhaps then succeeding.

Li Guanyi slowly opened his eyes, gazing afar; Bai Hu and the Crimson Dragon rested quietly beside him. He looked at his own palm—had he, who once needed to secretly cultivate by drawing on the residual qi of other Wudao Sect masters, truly come this far?

What a distant road it has been.

Yet what would the Nine-Colored Divine Deer make of this spectacle?

Li Guanyi smiled lightly.

The next day, Li Guanyi's forces departed from Yemeng Pass, heading toward Xiyicheng, aiming to strengthen their alliance with the Duke and inform Hao Yuan Xia of the Tangut affairs—for the sake of the world.

Fan Qing assisted Li Guanyi; Khan Qibili led six thousand Golden Curved Blade cavalry.

Li Kedi served as Fan Qing's deputy, alongside several other fierce barbarian generals, commanding over ten thousand captured troops; together, twenty-three thousand men marched toward Xiyicheng. Li Guanyi, using the gift previously given by the Nine-Colored Divine Deer, seized an opportunity to calm the sandstorm, revealing divine might—every soldier revered him.

With Yao Guang present, they could reliably locate water sources and resting spots along the way; Xiyicheng drew ever nearer. Yet on this day, as the army marched, the girl suddenly sensed something. She spurred her horse to Li Guanyi's side and tugged at his sleeve.

Li Guanyi lowered his gaze: "What is it?"

The silver-haired girl said: "The qi feels wrong…"

Her clear eyes fixed on the horizon: "Someone is waiting ahead."

Li Guanyi froze, then instantly redirected his army—but his change in formation seemed detected; in an instant, he felt a surge of martialist malevolent qi approaching.

Who could it be?! Blocking the way now?!

Li Guanyi raised his arm; Fan Qing, Khan Qibili, and Li Kedi all directed troops to re-form their ranks. With over twenty thousand men under his command, Li Guanyi now handled control with ease. He gazed far ahead and saw the martialist malevolent qi, previously concealed, now surging skyward.

The thunderous hooves of countless cavalry came in perfect unison, crashing down like rolling thunder. Li Guanyi locked his gaze on the horizon and felt overwhelming pressure; he looked up and saw, amid the sandstorm, a lone rider emerge.

A towering warhorse galloped through the storm, yet somehow conveyed an aura of majestic grandeur.

Upon its back sat an aged man, yet even in age, he sat rigidly upright, clad in black armor, his ink-black cloak billowing in the wind; his arm muscles bulged, yet he did not grip the reins, letting his steed run free.

In one hand he held a double-edged long-handled battle blade, moving with the calmness of a man strolling through a garden, his gaze sharp as a blade.

Behind him stood countless cavalrymen in cloaks and gray armor, mounted on massive horses; as they charged, they made no sound, appearing from afar like terrifying gray wolves—a silent, crushing pressure bore down upon Li Guanyi's army.

Fan Qing's expression tightened; Khan Qibili gripped his reins tightly.

Li Kedi, known as the Flying Tiger, breathed heavily, veins bulging on his forehead, eyes reddened.

They were all young generals, barely in their thirties; yet this man, at their age, had already dominated the world. The old general pulled his reins, his eyes fixed ahead.

Malevolent qi coalesced in the sky, forming countless gray wolves whispering low growls.

The former Fourth Divine General of the Realm, a Ninefold Heaven Grand Master—the Wolf Wang Chen Fubi.

And alongside him, the elite cavalry unit, famed equally with the Taiping Army:

The Gray Wolf Cavalry!

At a moment no one anticipated, in a place no one imagined, he arrived with a full fifty thousand elite troops, appearing behind Li Guanyi's force—exhausted from battle, still recovering, and burdened with prisoners.

Li Kedi gritted his teeth: "Wolf King!"

"Let me test him!"

Li Guanyi raised his hand, stopping Li Kedi and Yu Langwang.

He stared ahead, recognizing the man—the old merchant who, over two years ago, had given him a ride after he and Li Zhao Wen had caused chaos at Changfeng Lady's pavilion and fled.

The Wolf King guided his steed forward with regal ease and laughed:

"Today I have wine—dare you join me for a cup?"

Li Guanyi spurred his mount forward, slowly advancing before the fifty thousand Gray Wolf Cavalry, calm and composed: "Why not?"

Both armies stood silent and solemn; the Gray Wolf Cavalry excelled at concealing their qi—perhaps because they had once been defeated by the First Divine General through a flanking maneuver, the Wolf King's unique unit specialized in stealth and high mobility.

The two commanders each broke from their armies, advancing several hundred paces forward.

The aged gray wolf pulled out his waist flask, drank deeply, and as the strong liquor spilled, he paid it no mind, roughly wiped his beard, and tossed it carelessly to Li Guanyi, who looked at him and tilted his head to drink.

Having finished the strong liquor in the flask, he threw the flask back.

Both sides remained calm and composed, neither losing their bearing or aura.

The aged gray wolf studied Li Guanyi, a dangerous, bloodthirsty smile creeping onto his face:

"It really is you."

"Nephew."

Li Guanyi was not surprised to be recognized; he merely stared at the wolf. The aged wolf smiled, gripped his long-handled double-bladed battle axe, flicked his wrist, and raised the blade to point at Li Guanyi:

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

"My roots in the Western Regions are not strong enough; I had hoped to claim more meat from this game in Xiyicheng."

"But I never expected to meet you."

"I've heard of your mighty reputation in the Western Regions."

"You've become my enemy, then, my nephew—today, do you think you can pass me, or will you fall to my blade?"

"Do not be stubborn."

"Surrender to me, and I shall make you Tai Ping Gong!"

With these two sentences, Li Guanyi realized that every event—the Tangxi Kingdom, Xiao Yuxue, the seven Western Tribes' flanking strike, and the battle with Li Duke—had not escaped the gaze and judgment of this aged divine general.

He truly behaved like an old wolf, waiting for the conflict to end before preparing to attack and devour his target—yet Li Guanyi had never imagined that this Wolf King's target would be himself.

Chen Fubi watched Li Guanyi, awaiting his reply.

Li Guanyi extended his five fingers, and the Tiger Roar Heaven Halberd slowly materialized; he gripped it firmly, raised his weapon, and pointed it at the Wolf King, whose name had shaken the world for decades. The young general's face showed not a trace of weakness; his aura stood unshaken before this peerless warlord.

The battle commanders under both sides could already see it.

The Wolf King, Chen Fubi—this meeting between them would be either battle or alliance.

Whoever won or lost would shape the course of the world.

Li Guanyi, clad in armor, holding his halberd, declared loudly: "Do you think such words can shake my troops' morale, Wolf King?"

Before ten thousand soldiers, two riders faced each other alone.

In this chaotic age, Wang Zhi meets Wang Zhi.

Li Guanyi raised his halberd, pointing it at the Wolf Wang Chen Fubi before him, and answered the strongest enemy in the Western Regions:

"If you wish to fight."

"Then fight!"

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