Chapter 397

Central Plains, the Academy—

The academy, once bustling with students like shuttles, now lay eerily still; war raged across the land, leaving the academy desolate. Gongyang Su Wang idly moved a go stone, his opponent being Zhao Laoqi.

Zhao Laoqi had no hands, yet used his claws to lift and place a go stone.

Gongyang Su Wang sighed deeply: "What a great snow."

"With war breaking out everywhere, there must have been more than one instance where senior students fought their juniors—alas, last year, when the night cavalry rode to join the Turks and swept southward, that was already fierce rivalry."

"Now, the Ying state holds the Central Plains and the north, while using Xiyicheng as a sword tip thrust into the Western Regions. Now Yu Langwang is striking at Xiyicheng, while the Emperor of Chen, on Chen's northern border, allies with the Tian Kehan to jointly attack Ying… Jiang Su, Jiang Su—how will you choose?"

"One misstep, and the frontier suffers; Xiyicheng is chewed away."

"The mighty Ying state will have its hand deep into the Western Regions severed outright. Though not hopeless for the realm, it will suffer a crippling blow."

"No one knows who will claim that region."

"If it falls to Ying, nothing changes. If to Chen, then Chen grows powerful. If the Tian Kehan aids Chen, then three jaws—north, south, and west—bite down hard, and Ying suffers grievously."

"But if it falls to Li Guanyi…"

Gongyang Su Wang fell silent, pinching a go stone, and sighed deeply:

"Then the great tide would truly be set!"

"By then, the title might no longer be Qin Wu 【Marquis】."

Zhao Laoqi said: "It need not be Li Guanyi."

"Don't celebrate before success—it's bad luck."

Gongyang Su Wang laughed loudly: "You, a blessed omen, still hold to such superstitions?"

"Fine, fine, I won't say it."

"Still, it might be someone else."

Zhao Laoqi frowned: "Who?"

Gongyang Su Wang declared firmly: "Tian Kehan!"

"He is young, ranked seventh on the Divine General List, commands thirty-six tribes, and wields immense hidden power in the Western Regions."

"Stronger than Li Guanyi."

"If Tian Kehan seizes this region and gains the greatest advantage in this chaos, he will sit in the Western Regions and gaze upon the Central Plains—there lies his chance to soar."

Zhao Laoqi said nothing.

Gongyang Su Wang pinched a go stone and sighed deeply:

"The great tide of the world is truly impossible to fathom."

He seemed to sense something, turning to Zhao Laoqi: "Your aura… among Qilin, such sensing is common—has the Fire Qilin, besides you, undergone a change?"

Zhao Laoqi remained expressionless: "Just the young ones fooling around, achieving something minor."

"Continue playing. Play."

"Not worth mentioning."

Gongyang Su Wang studied this elder, then burst into laughter: "Your Qilin whiskers are curled and raised—between you and me, why hide it? Tell me, what change has your protégé undergone?"

Zhao Laoqi still refused to speak.

Celebrating before success is unwise.

Bad luck.

Truly bad luck!

Gongyang Su Wang said: "Strange—when even you, Elder, remain so tight-lipped, this change must be extraordinary. What fine fruit did you feed Him, to produce such results?"

Zhao Laoqi said: "There was no fine fruit."

"Divine beasts are born of heaven and earth, governed by natural law—innately spiritual, yet too empty. I merely repeated for that child what the Master once did for me."

The Qilin whispered: "What fruit this, fruit that? I merely taught with words, gave Him a 【Heart】."

"With this one heart, all laws and spirits awaken; light may radiate in all directions."

"No need to seek outwardly."

"It may also transcend 【Beast】, and enter 【Divine】."

"With this heart radiant, what more need be said?"

"This is the greatest fruit."

"As for why I told Him so many things—the Master once said: many teachings, much knowledge, seem tedious and dull at first."

"But one day, as you travel the world and look back, suddenly, you understand."

"That is what is called sudden enlightenment. That is transformation."

"He has understood."

Gongyang Su Wang asked: "What does 'understood' mean?"

Zhao Laoqi placed a go stone, decisively:

"Do it!"

…………………

Around the Flame Mountains of the Western Regions, the people suddenly felt the earth tremble. When they stepped outside, they saw the sky darken abruptly; far away, from the legendary Shenshan that suppressed the evil dragon, thick plumes of smoke erupted.

Black smoke surged toward the heavens.

The earth trembled faintly.

Terrifying!

Because that mountain was dangerous, no settlements existed within a hundred li—otherwise, many would have perished. Even so, the sight of black clouds roaring into the sky drew countless eyes.

Especially as, within those towering plumes of smoke, faint golden-red firelight flashed like thunder, mixed with violet luminescence—magnificent, boundless, beyond count.

Within the Flame Mountains.

The roar of the Fire Qilin shook the four directions.

The terrifying golden flame outside, capable of melting metal and burning gold, felt to the Fire Qilin as if returning home—it was not that it could utterly ignore such intense flames, but rather that within its body, the spirit pearl emitted layer upon layer of emerald waves, the two forces colliding.

The Fire Qilin actually felt a sense of comfort.

He was nearly falling into a drowsy slumber.

But guided by Zhao Laoqi's teachings, he knew this was the most critical moment, so he mobilized his own primordial qi, breathed in and out, and sought to circulate the Fire Qilin's fire primordial energy to suppress the water primordial energy—but the flow of water and fire could not harmonize.

After countless attempts, all failed, instead causing the water and fire primordial energies to surge wildly, scattering primordial qi and churning the lava of the Flame Mountain into countless swirling vortices.

Exploding into bubble after bubble.

The Fire Qilin grew anxious.

He knew that if this continued, the tearing force generated by the collision of water and fire primordial energies would inflict grave injury upon himself.

Either he would perish here, revert to a Fire Qilin egg, wait centuries in this place, lose his memories, and be reborn anew—or the water primordial energy would leak from every part of his body, severely damaging his primordial qi, and he would crawl back.

No, that would be too shameful for a Qilin!

At this moment, the Fire Qilin landed deep within the Flame Mountain, all four paws touching the ground.

A surge of extremely pure Wu Earth energy arose.

The Fire Qilin recalled what the Ancient Taigu Chilong had said.

Use Wu Earth energy to harmonize Kan and Li, water and fire, and reverse yin and yang.

In an instant, he understood what he must do—but as soon as he tried, he felt water and fire entwine his body, their collision generating vortex-like tearing forces, binding him as if in chains, unable to move.

This sensation would send other divine beasts into panic.

But to the Fire Qilin, it felt utterly familiar.

For over a decade in the Chen Kingdom's imperial palace, it had been like this.

Hou Zhongyu had chained Him within the Qilin Palace; that old sorcerer came and went, muttering about stone marrow, alchemy, yin-yang, harmonization—annoying things, yet now he heard them clearly.

It perfectly matched his current situation!

The Fire Qilin unconsciously followed Hou Zhongyu's so-called method.

Refine yin and yang, tread upon water and fire.

Reverse the five elements to forge Wu Earth.

In an instant, all the fire elemental power of the Flame Mountain collapsed inward, compressed, and collided with the vast water primordial energy representing the Four Spirits' water—yet it was harmonized by Wu Earth energy, transforming and circulating without explosion.

As if using heaven and earth as a furnace, the Qilin as the elixir, refining itself in a grand spectacle.

The Qilin rejoiced—

Good Hou Zhongyu!

He then focused entirely, circulating the fire primordial energy, harmonizing Kan and Li, transforming yin and yang.

Gradually, his spirit became vast and empty, as if overlooking his own body, as if using the volcano's heart as an egg, drawing upon the mysterious transformations of heaven and earth to once again gestate himself.

He did not know how much time had passed.

The Qilin suddenly awoke.

Strangely, the water and fire primordial energies that should have scattered now gathered marvelously around Him, not vanishing entirely despite all prior failures.

The Qilin opened his mouth and inhaled—the water and fire energies, yin and yang in circulation—returned into his body.

Filling the emptiness left after his breakthrough.

Even forming into his scales and patterns.

Making him appear even more magnificent.

The Flame Mountain, after this transformation, released its fire primordial energy outward—the volcano erupted with a thunderous roar, golden-red lava surging in all directions, crashing down; distant villagers, witnessing this, turned pale with awe.

Yet the Flame Mountain had always been extremely hot.

In summer, it was like a steamer, ready to dry and roast people into baked buns; now, with the volcano erupting and lava flowing, no one knew what effect it might have on the surroundings—already, elders began worrying about the coming years.

Would they have to relocate again?

At that moment, a roar—part dragon's cry, part tiger's howl—rose, and streams of auspicious energy radiated from the towering black cloud column; a divine beast stepped forth, head raised, calling out.

The lava that had surged outward and flowed away instantly halted.

On the ground, golden-red flames rolled and churned.

In the sky, auspicious energy swirled, radiant light stretched ten thousand zhang.

The villagers stood stunned, unable to refrain from offering praise.

Thus, a new legend of auspiciousness arose in the Western Regions.

The Fire Qilin, soaring through the air, felt more exhilarated than ever before—riding freely through the clouds, no longer needing to ignite fire and thrust downward as he once had to fly.

He did not know how far he had run, but once he felt his release complete, he landed beside a river, gazing at his reflection—

His overall color had deepened from the original crimson fire to something far richer; when unleashing power, the edges of his scales emitted pale blue luminescence, allowing him to command water clouds, fire qi, and Wu Earth.

Water and fire in circulation could transform into auspicious clouds.

The Fire Qilin turned his body, gazing at his own form, utterly delighted.

Wow wow wow, I'm so handsome!

That miserable past life, the one who exploded from eating too much—that couldn't have been me!

The me of the past is not the me of now.

When I return to the Ancient Taigu Chilong's Mystical Realm, I'll go to the place where He left His mark and write another reply.

The previous note read—

【Tastes excellent, cool and refreshing】

【My descendants must try it!】

Then let this little master add one—

What should I supplement?

The Fire Qilin pondered for a long while, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

【Ah, indeed!】

"Then let's do it!"

The Fire Qilin happily gazed at its reflection in the water, its youthful nature taking over as it kept admiring itself—until, while gazing at its own image, it suddenly noticed something wrong: a shadow beside it.

Dressed in a plain Daoist robe, silver hair at its temples like frost, its aura was serene and unassuming.

The Fire Qilin whirled around and saw the silver-haired Daoist standing right before it, startled into a shiver—then recognized him: one of the Four Legends from two years prior, known as the Daoist with the most complete methods, whose Dao could pierce the heavens.

The Fire Qilin watched the Daoist's sleeves swirl with yin and yang, and suddenly, enlightenment struck—it understood why, during its breakthrough, the water and fire qi that should have been wasted had instead coalesced into the shape of a yin-yang fish, circling gently around it without dissipating.

The Fire Qilin turned to find Li Guanyi, then realized it had run off alone; after a moment's hesitation, it politely and cautiously asked:

"Is it… uh, Master Daoist… did you help me?"

It wasn't sure how to address him.

In terms of cultivation, even now that it had broken through, the silver-haired Daoist could flip it onto the ground with one hand—but in terms of age, it was unquestionably older than this Daoist.

The silver-haired Daoist spoke in a flat yet gentle voice: "It is rare to encounter a naturally divine being that breaks through a barrier. I could not bear to see you waste too much primordial qi, so I lent a hand."

"Where is Li Guanyi?"

The Fire Qilin froze, then beamed with joy: "Master Daoist, you've come to find Guanyi?!"

The Martial Dao Legend, the Daoist Sect.

Such an unparalleled supreme expert appearing in the Western Regions, specifically seeking out Li Guanyi—could it be that he had come personally to help? Overjoyed, the Fire Qilin no longer cared about the awkwardness of titles; it called out "Master Daoist!" repeatedly, the words flowing effortlessly.

The silver-haired Daoist said: "In a sense."

"At the request of an old friend, while traveling the world, I happened upon this place to seek him out."

The Fire Qilin paid no heed to the meaning of those words; it led the Daoist back to Anxi City, where Li Guanyi had been fretting over the Fire Qilin's seven-day absence. Seeing the Fire Qilin return, he was overjoyed, grabbed its horn, and lifted it up, scolding:

"You said you were going out to play? And you vanished for this long?"

"I thought you'd found some place full of ripe fruit and got so drunk on sweetness you forgot your own name."

The Fire Qilin asked: "'Drunk on sweetness and forgot your own name'—where's 'Shu'?"

Li Guanyi glared at it: "That's not important. Where did you go?"

The Fire Qilin beamed proudly: "I found the most, most, most powerful fruit—swallowed it whole. That's one I couldn't even eat in my past life!"

Li Guanyi froze, then immediately sensed the Fire Qilin's transformation.

The previous dryness and blazing heat had vanished entirely, replaced by a calm, balanced aura—yin and yang swirling, unpredictable, with added wu earth qi.

Li Guanyi understood. He lifted the Fire Qilin, now in the form of a large cat, and stared wide-eyed: "Holy shit?! You ate the 【Four Seas Spirit Pearl】?"

"Are you alright?"

"Did you encounter danger? Did you get internal injuries?"

Worried, Li Guanyi rubbed and turned the cat-shaped Fire Qilin over and over, checking everywhere—but found no issues. Worse, the Fire Qilin now stood firmly upon water and fire, its power solidly shattered the peak of the Seventh Heaven.

As a Fire Qilin nearing adulthood,

it had reached the level of the Eighth Heaven.

With this power, it could now challenge Zhao Laoqi in the Academy and reclaim its dignity—any day now. The Fire Qilin, brimming with pride, boasted: "Hmph! Who do you think I am? A mere 【Four Seas Spirit Pearl】? I'm not the same as my past life!"

"Crack-bang-zap—I swallowed it!"

"Easier than eating a ripe sand fruit!"

"Crunch!"

Li Guanyi frowned: "How do you know the Wu Earth Qilin transformation method?"

The Fire Qilin rolled its eyes.

"Hou Zhongyu figured it out by experimenting on me!"

"How could I not know it?"

"He may be a bastard, but he spent years refining me like a pill—I couldn't help but memorize it. Besides, I'm naturally brilliant. Hmph. The Wu Earth Auspicious Qilin Transformation Technique? I learned it long ago."

"Enough of that. Come here—there's a guest!"

The Fire Qilin leapt down, clouds rising beneath its feet as it landed steadily.

Then it led Li Guanyi out. As Li Guanyi stepped outside, he saw the silver-haired Daoist standing with hands behind his back, aloof and detached. Just as Li Guanyi emerged, the Daoist turned his head—his aura calm and unremarkable.

Li Guanyi saw him with his eyes—but his powerful yuan shen sensed nothing of the Daoist's presence.

As if the Daoist had merged completely with heaven and earth.

Unlike the paths of the Sword Madman, the Array Master, or the War God, his manifestation was utterly distinct.

Li Guanyi stepped forward two paces and bowed in the teacher's salute.

The Daoist sidestepped slightly, avoiding the bow, and regarded Li Guanyi:

"Eighth Heaven. Good…"

"Two Eighth Heaven cultivators working together can rival the might of a Ninth Heaven."

"With an army behind you, even Jiang Su's forces cannot crush you outright—you'll have room to fight back. That's enough to earn your place in the world."

Li Guanyi respectfully replied: "All of this is thanks to your transmission of the Dao. Without you, neither I nor the Fire Qilin could have united as one."

"Since you've come, let me, as host, offer you proper hospitality."

The Daoist merely shook his head: "No need. I came at the request of an old friend—to speak with you if I ever encountered you during my travels."

"After speaking, I will leave."

"The Western Regions are vast. The world's struggle for dominance is no place for me."

Li Guanyi politely said: "I humbly listen."

The silver-haired Daoist gazed at the young divine general, his tone undisturbed, and said:

Wang Tong is dead.

Li Guanyi's body froze.

……………………

Master Wang Tong passed away from illness in the winter of Tianqi Year 11.

He was buried in Tianqi Year 12.

It was exactly one year ago, when Li Guanyi, full of ambition, arrived in this western land.

The Qiandao Sect's final act was to share a pot of tea with Li Guanyi; the silver-haired Daoist handed Li Guanyi Wang Tong's final letter. Li Guanyi took the letter and read it in silence—even at the end, Master's words remained simple and robust.

He wrote: a master-student bond, a friendship forged—Li Guanyi clings too tightly to old ties; knowing of his death, he would surely travel to Zhongzhou City to carry his coffin and observe mourning.

"Zhongzhou Academy is a whirlpool. You barely escaped—don't return."

"Let him die. Whether you know or not, it doesn't matter."

"Would screaming and wailing across the heavens truly bring peace to the dead?"

"It would only worry whether this grief might harm your own descendants."

"A gentleman's friendship is as plain as water; master and student should be the same. Master Wang Tong taught you knowledge—perhaps it was your fortune. But meeting you was also my fortune. When winter snows blanket the world, I wonder whether the people beneath it are cold and thinly clad."

"Guanyi, go on. Don't look back."

Li Guanyi stared at the simple, plain letter.

He could still see that gentle master.

For a long time, he could not recover his composure, could not believe that this Confucian master, only in his thirties, with high Qi cultivation, was gone. He looked at the Daoist before him, who said: "He entrusted me to come here, knowing you would set foot upon this path."

"If you ever face mortal peril, I will aid you once."

"Now the world stirs with upheaval. I can take you away from here, make you a hermit cultivator, and inherit my legacy."

Li Guanyi closed his eyes and said: "Disciple cannot obey."

"The path of withdrawal is not my path."

The Daoist was not surprised. "Is that so?"

"Then this humble Daoist takes his leave."

"Jiang Su is my close friend. His Wu Gong and methods are formidable—on the battlefield, he is unmatched. Beware of him."

The silver-haired Daoist did not follow the path of withdrawal; he viewed the mortal world with compassion, yet acted with impartiality, never favoring one side out of personal feeling—instead, he seemed heartless.

Li Guanyi said: "Elder."

The Daoist halted, turned back: "Hmm?"

Li Guanyi said: "When the master passed away, what else did he say?"

The handsome, cold Daoist gazed at Li Guanyi, clad in crimson Fire Qilin robes. Today's spring snow drifted lightly—not true snow, but snow from the northern mountains' shaded slopes, still unmelted, scattered by the wind.

It reminded him of that time, in Zhongzhou Academy, when snow fell heavily, and the young Confucian sat on his bed, gazing outside in thought. His relatives asked whether to summon his disciples back. Wang Tong only looked out and smiled:

"No."

"They are now traveling the world, brimming with ambition, seeking to change this age. Do not let my death as an old Confucian dampen their spirit. After I die, bury me simply. When you return, do not seek them out."

"Do not hope to live off wealth and status through my disciples."

"Such wealth cannot last. Virtue unaligned with position brings only disaster. Your generation may still enjoy prosperity through my favor—but the next will face overwhelming calamity."

"Only till the soil and read."

All relatives and juniors replied: "Yes."

Wang Tong sighed: "Who does not die?"

"When you come, do not burden your parents."

"When you go, do not trouble others—that is enough."

At that time, the silver-haired Daoist watched as another young hero among the next generation passed away. Now, facing Li Guanyi's question, the Daoist simply answered: "... Nothing."

Li Guanyi said: "... Is that so?"

The Daoist's sleeves fluttered, placing an object upon the table, and said softly:

"Since you refuse to leave the world with me, I give you this."

"It is my repayment of Wang Tong's trust."

"Now our karmic debt is settled. Should you one day unify the world, I shall watch you from Kunlun Mountain, as the mortal realm burns below."

Li Guanyi remained dazed for a long while, then snapped back to awareness—the silver-haired Daoist was already gone, ethereal as a shadow of the mortal world, vanished. On the table lay two Juan Sect scrolls: one was Wang Tong's "Wen Zhongzi Anthology."

The other bore several calm, balanced characters.

"The Book of Supreme Harmony!"

The Daoist's lifelong supreme technique.

Containing boundless profound principles, ineffably mysterious.

Also the final favor Wang Tong secured for him.

Li Guanyi's expression shifted, his lips pressed tight, swallowing grief and pain deep within. He bowed deeply toward Zhongzhou, hands clasped, and remained bowed long after.

The situation shifted, upheaval surged. Li Guanyi's own Wu Gong had already formed a system, and he was beginning to create his own martial scriptures. Such a divine technique as "The Book of Supreme Harmony" was no longer about learning moves or techniques for Li Guanyi at this stage.

It was about contemplating and perceiving the hidden principles of martial arts within.

Especially, the Fire Qilin did not merely wield fire qi.

It wielded fire qi, water qi, and wu earth qi.

Li Guanyi's synergy with the Fire Qilin was no longer limited to 【Great Fire and Heaven】.

It had gained more variations, more choices, more fluid transformations and applications. The world's tensions tightened daily—today, they reached their peak, and change finally came.

Reinforcements from the Ying State arrived at Xiyicheng.

No one had yet seen the commanding general.

Yet the battle standard unfurled by this great army was black as ink, with white outlines depicting a roaring tiger—

Yuwen Lie!

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