Chapter 403: The Greatest Under Heaven, Ancient and Modern, the Tide Turns

Li Guanyi suddenly stepped forward several paces, gazing at the suspended Xuan Gui manifestation, upon which shimmering light rippled—a voice he recognized all too well, belonging to the greatest divine general of five hundred years past.

Characters upon the Xuan Gui glowed with light, then changed again, becoming a more unrestrained and carefree tone: "Boy, step back quickly and set the array."

"You understand my array."

"I'm coming now."

It was the Fisherman, Li Guanyi's heart eased—he stepped back and laid out the array, a technique surpassing Hou Zhongyu's, one belonging to the Fisherman himself. Layer upon layer of shimmering light rose upon the Xuan Gui's shell, and in the next instant, the light and the array converged.

Li Guanyi felt that, drawn by this array, a spiritual aura was rushing toward them at an terrifying speed.

The Fisherman differs from the Master Jiankuang and the War God.

The Master Jiankuang can unleash his utmost power wherever he is.

When the War God commands an army, his own abilities rise directly.

The Array Master requires fulfillment of the array's prerequisites; once the Dao of arrays is satisfied and the formation completed, he can accomplish the utterly inconceivable.

At this moment, the War God's aura blazed like a rainbow as he approached, and Li Guanyi had already ordered Fan Qing, General Yue Qianfeng, Wang Shunchen, Chen Wenmian, Khan Qibili, and General Ling Pingyang to prepare their troops for battle against the War God.

Both sides had pushed themselves to their limits.

Whether the War God arrived first or the Fisherman reached them first would directly alter the course of events—and even, for a time, influence the entire world's direction.

At this critical moment, the passage of time became unbearably slow.

Li Guanyi sat cross-legged, his long sword resting across his knees; he plucked the blade like a zither. Less than a cup of tea passed before the Xuan Gui manifestation blazed with radiant light—before Li Guanyi could even begin playing his Array-Breaking Melody, he opened his eyes to see the commander's tent flap lift.

"Puke…!!!"

"Bai Mao, what kind of damn array is this? My stomach's soups and broths are sloshing into one lump—I'm gonna puke—"

Li Guanyi saw Master Siming staggering, clutching the tent flap, kneeling and retching—it was because the Fisherman, without restraint, used the array as a coordinate and arrived at such speed that he exceeded Master Siming's limits.

Master Siming knelt on the ground retching, while the old Xuan Gui, the other end of the array, lay on its back, legs in the air, eyes vacant, nearly spiraling with dizziness.

For this array, Master Siming and the old Xuan Gui had paid too much.

The silver-haired Array Master swept his gaze across the scene: "Yao Guang isn't here?!"

Li Guanyi replied: "The battlefront is too dangerous—she stayed in Anxi City, protected by the Nine-Colored Divine Deer."

The Array Master's expression softened, a hint of approval appearing as he nodded: "Good. On this trip, I happened upon some Fire Spirit Fish, and happened to catch a few—barely decent, but I brought them for her."

"Not deliberately."

"Just happened to be handy."

Li Guanyi: "…………"

Master Siming retched for a long while, nothing coming out, then sighed: "What kind of time is this, and you're still thinking about gifts for your daughter? Honestly, couldn't you give it to her any other time?"

"The current situation is far more urgent!"

Master Siming was numb.

He'd just gone out for a trip—though it took a couple months longer than expected—who could have imagined the situation would shift so drastically!

They found Zhang Ziyong's arm, rushed to the Academy, retrieved the Mo Family's artifacts, and sought out the Mo Juzi.

Using the original Mo Family mechanical blueprints as a foundation, the Fisherman personally embedded countless arrays within the mechanism, linking reactions and channeling spiritual energy, barely managing to complete this task.

The Fisherman, the martial legend, had not rested at all during this period.

He didn't rest—and yet he dragged Master Siming along, forcing him not to rest either.

This Bai Mao, the martial legend, may not have the edge in combat or vitality compared to other martial legends—but even so, he nearly drained Master Siming dry.

Li Guanyi's expression paused—he sensed someone else standing outside, back turned to him, gazing at the battlefield where banners flared and demonic aura stretched for ten thousand miles: "The feeling of this battlefield, though not true immersion, is exceedingly rare."

"That little Chen Baxian must be green with envy."

"Hahaha!"

After only a few serious words, he burst into that carefree, arrogant laugh—only one person Li Guanyi knew could still laugh so lightly, so freely, before the storm of the world.

The greatest divine general of five hundred years past!

Li Guanyi stepped forward: "Elder, you're in high spirits."

Xue Shen turned his head to look—he froze slightly, seeing the man outside wore battle armor, but his face was not flesh, but mechanical material, carved with astonishing realism, though he could not tell by whose hand.

The mechanical face shifted, its expression changing from admiration to mockery: "Boy, it's been a long time."

Li Guanyi said: "This is…"

Master Siming said: "You know this already—the Mo Family's mechanical arts branch."

"Didn't you once save a singing girl in the Ghost Market? Her arm was severed, and she had it reattached with Mo Family mechanical arts—this time, it's the same, but the whole body is like this, and here—"

Master Siming tapped the mechanical chest.

"The Xue Shen's Secret Stone is here, keeping the array perpetually active. Xue Shen remains inside the array, controlling this mechanical body from within, then sends it out to fight."

Li Guanyi pondered, grasping the mechanism's principle.

He exhaled, steadied himself, and said: "But elders, you've returned at the perfect moment—Jiang Su's army is approaching. With you back, we can unite and strike against Jiang Su."

Master Siming scratched his head awkwardly, his gaze shifting to the old Xuan Gui.

The old Xuan Gui stared wide-eyed: "…………"

He roared: "What are you doing?! What are you doing?!"

"Old bastard, you're going to use me as a shield again?!"

Master Siming chuckled weakly: "Hahaha, old brother, where did you get such an idea?"

"Am I really that kind of person?"

The Fisherman snorted.

"Fight Jiang Su?"

"We can't win."

The Fisherman, arrogant as ever, spoke bluntly: "Don't you realize Zhang Ziyong himself couldn't match Jiang Su? Are you seriously expecting this mechanical body—possessing only half his arm's strength—to fight Jiang Su now, in his rage and peak state?"

"You just throw Zhang Ziyong over there."

"Put that fully restored Qing-robed Immortal in front of the Military God, who commands hundreds of thousands of troops—see if Zhang Ziyong doesn't crack open your skull to take a look!"

"On the battlefield, Zhang Ziyong will be pierced to death by the Military God, then trampled into pulp by iron cavalry!"

"As for me…"

The Whale Fisher sneered several times but did not mention the grudge he had with Military God Jiang Su in the city of Zhongzhou last year, when Jiang Su had wanted Yao Guang to marry Jiang Gao as a concubine, and the Whale Fisher had mocked him mercilessly.

The two fought each other.

After that battle,

the Whale Fisher's eye sockets remained black and purple for several days.

The Whale Fisher spoke succinctly: "Jiang Su, who commands tens of thousands of troops—in the legends of martial cultivation, every single one, without exception, is no match. The Dao Master, your great-grandfather, and I—all of us—could not stand against Jiang Su in this state."

"Just as Jiang Su, one-on-one, could never be your great-grandfather's match."

"Just as Jiang Su could never break through the array I prepared."

"I can leave—Jiang Su cannot stop me. But if you ask me to fight Jiang Su to the death, I will die—ten out of ten."

After a pause, the Whale Fisher extended a finger toward the Xue Shenjiang over there:

"And this mechanical man—half of Zhang Ziyong's arm."

The Whale Fisher was arrogant, but certainly no reckless fool. Hearing this, the Xue Shenjiang showed not the slightest irritation; with a sharp click, the mechanical faceplate on his face shifted, transforming into a broad, laughing expression, saying:

"Hahaha, of course."

"Even in my prime, I was never among the martial legends—how much less this mere shadow of my body, relying on the residual power of this Immortal?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk—this era's armor, forging techniques, mechanical crossbows, archery skills, and mechanical arts have made tremendous progress compared to my time. There are even more specialized troop combinations. I'm practically an ancient relic."

Li Guanyi said: "After all, it's been three hundred years of chaos."

The Xue Shenjiang smiled: "Indeed."

The enhancement of military equipment, the iteration of mechanical crossbows and mechanical devices.

One could already sense from the side the ferocious tide of these three hundred years of chaos—

The Xue Shenjiang raised his arm, clenched his fist, and felt the power of Mozi's techniques, the Whale Fisher's arrays, Zhang Ziyong's vitality, the old Master Siming's Siming Yin-Yang arts—the reborn miracle—and said:

"I can sense the vitality in this arm of Zhang Ziyong—it can barely sustain two or three more battles. If he truly fights a peak martial legend, this arm won't hold up."

After a pause, the Xue Shenjiang laughed:

"At least, this arm will give out before I do."

The Whale Fisher said: "It's already at its limit. Remove him, and there is no other force left to sustain your continued activity."

The Xue Shenjiang laughed loudly:

"To have this chance is already more exhilarating than I could ever have hoped."

The Whale Fisher, the old Master Siming, and the Xue Shenjiang returned.

But they merely added three powerful forces to Li Guanyi's side—perhaps even two, since the old Master Siming excelled in many arts, yet in this vast battlefield of military formations, he had little room to display them.

In overall strength, on the surface, Jiang Su held absolute superiority.

On the battlefield, Jiang Su was the strongest.

The so-called righteous, dominant imperial might.

The Xue Shenjiang smiled: "At least, as a dead man, I can still face off once against the greatest general of this age, charging across the battlefield—how exhilarating."

"Worst comes to worst, you and I charge together into the enemy ranks."

"We'll stop as many troops as we can—it will still be more effective for the overall situation than you going alone."

"Besides, with Brother Wu watching, you can fight freely. Even if things turn dire, Brother Wu can still carry you away from the battlefield and Jiang Su's blade, ensuring your survival."

The Whale Fisher snorted but said nothing in rebuttal.

Li Guanyi fell silent, then smiled:

"If I wanted to survive, I would have left here long ago."

Never mind that the Dao Master had come to this battlefield out of his duty to Wang Tong, who had entrusted him before his death—even Li Guanyi himself, eighth-layer, a famed general under heaven, riding the Fire Qilin, wielding a divine weapon—where in the world could he not go?

If he had no ambition, he could simply settle in some quiet, scenic mountain valley—who would bother a powerful warrior like him?

It's merely that his heart is unsettled.

All things that are unjust make a sound; so too do men.

Li Guanyi could feel the surging might of the Military God drawing near; all that he currently possessed, though powerful, was insufficient to stand against Military God Jiang Su head-on.

Li Guanyi turned his head, his pupils holding deep divine radiance—he could already see the battlefield's murderous aura surging like rolling black clouds pressing down, and within that endless dark cloud, a towering, solemn golden-armored divine figure was approaching.

The Military God Jiang Su has arrived!

The surging might left no room for hesitation.

Merely delaying Jiang Su for a while was not enough.

Li Guanyi gripped his weapon and said:

"Gentlemen, I have a plan!"

The Xue Shenjiang said: "Join forces?!"

Li Guanyi nodded: "Join forces!"

Five hundred years apart, two generations of Bai Hu Da Zong, charging across the Western Regions.

Competing against the strongest of this age.

………………

Time was short—or rather, to ensure continued pressure on Jiang Su's army, Li Guanyi's forces were never far from the Military God's position; Jiang Su's aura grew ever more fierce and domineering.

Jiang Su's military might surged forward—this man, who in one-on-one combat was only slightly inferior to the Master Jiankuang Elder Murong, and who, leading armies on the battlefield, was utterly invincible, came bearing the intent to kill Li Guanyi.

Unlike Xiao Wuliang.

For Li Guanyi, Jiang Su must kill him.

Back then, he did not forcibly kill Li Wanli or Chen Fubì; later, he regretted it, and used schemes to forcibly kill one and cripple one—but the one killed had successors, and the one crippled rose again from the mire-like hell.

Better to kill him!

Riding through chaos, the front-line army's momentum had already formed; an arrow had already shot forth, its aura surging, taking the form of a azure dragon, head raised as it lunged to strike—

Under Tai Ping Gong, the Divine Archer General, Wang Shunchen!

The General's battle spear swept horizontally, its tip striking the arrow dead-on at the peak of its force, exploding a terrifying shockwave—thus, the Divine Archer's fully charged arrow was shattered head-on by General Jiang Su.

The Dharma Form scattered, tearing the earth apart, yet the General's speed showed no sign of slowing.

And as he moved to block this strike, a crimson dragon surged forth, wrapped in military momentum, lunging at General Jiang Su; Yue Qianfeng roared aloud, amplified by the battle array, reaching the power of the Eighth Heaven, struck him once, then immediately withdrew.

Even so, Yue Qianfeng's Hukou was shattered, his battle halberd trembling violently; merely blocking the General's one strike had left him in this state—if they truly fought, he would likely be slain within three strikes beneath the General's spear.

If not for the General needing to bleed the Chen state dry on the northern front, crippling its logistics and livelihood, and if not for the Khan of the Turkic steppes looming above the northern border, who could stand against this man on the open battlefield?

Yue Qianfeng rode his divine steed, blood filling his mouth.

He wiped the blood from his lips, his qi and blood surging.

He dared not slow down.

His aura rose, merging with the beast beneath him; crimson dragon scales manifested, as if a crimson dragon raced across the battlefield, piercing into the Ying army's flank, fighting fiercely, his blood and qi never ceasing to surge.

Thinking back to when he rode with Marshal Yue, invincible, yet still ranked thirty-fourth on the Divine General List—across the vast world and all nations, few could defeat him on the battlefield!

Even those ranked above him had merely more illustrious records.

As a general, Yue Qianfeng feared no one in single combat.

Following after Li Guanyi.

Not fighting the ferocious Yu Langwang.

But fighting the invincible General Jiang Su.

The former could last over a dozen rounds; the latter, one exchange was enough—you had to retreat immediately, or else, like Xiao Wu Liang, you'd lose an arm and be relegated to the second tier.

Across this vast world, fewer than ten hands' worth can surpass me!

How convenient.

I'm fighting exactly these few!

Blood still spewed from Yue Qianfeng's mouth, but after spitting it out, he felt far more exhilarated; he swung his halberd with both hands, charging through the battlefield, roaring: "Thrilling! Thrilling!"

Jiang Su did not pursue Yue Qianfeng; instead, he charged forward, aided by the Divine Archer General Wang Shunchen, while the Fire Qilin Army's top generals surged forth, all relying on military momentum, charging fiercely to strike the General once, then immediately retreating with the momentum.

Even so, each suffered injuries of varying severity.

Had it not been for the Divine Archer's continuous interventions, some of the fiercest generals would have been slain in a single round by the General; Wang Shunchen's repeated strikes had split his palms, blood continuously gushing, flowing down to his elbows.

Every strike was full power!

Every strike was an explosion beyond limits!

For a Grandmaster, this was an extreme drain on his cultivation foundation; only the most extreme hatred and resentment could sustain such explosive power—Wang Shunchen's eyes burned red, fixed on Jiang Su, drawing and releasing arrows in rapid succession, each arrow transforming into a beam of light that hammered relentlessly.

All the hatred, killing intent, and curses he had harbored toward Gu Dao Hui over the past ten to twenty years.

Now they fell upon himself, filling him with unbearable resentment, willing to sacrifice his own life.

The General, alone, passed through all the generals.

But that terrifying aura was finally weakened; as a roar echoed, violet lightning crashed down—Jiang Su's eyes narrowed, spun back, shattered the violet bolt, and the thunderous force struck the Tiger Roar Heaven Halberd, its aura blazing like a rainbow.

The Fire Qilin galloped and roared; Wang Shunchen, Yan Xuanji, and Yue Qianfeng gasped for breath.

The Fire Qilin Army and Tai Ping Army generals saw the figure riding atop the Fire Qilin.

Jiang Su's eyes narrowed; for an instant, his expression grew distant—he stared at the general riding the Fire Qilin, wielding the Tiger Roar Heaven Halberd, clad in armor and crimson battle robe, face masked in gold—and for a moment, he was transported back over a decade.

The young general he had seen when he ambushed the Chen capital.

Just as young, just as bold and valiant.

"It's… really like him."

The halberd's aura blazed like a rainbow; behind him, the military momentum, aided by the Fish-Master Jing Ke Ke, surged beyond limits, converging entirely upon Li Guanyi, who then swung the halberd, counterattacking Jiang Su's vital points.

Jiang Su did not hesitate, unleashing his General's techniques; at that moment, the Fish-Master Jing Ke Ke's eyes rippled—he centered himself, entering the battle array, transforming the previously flawed and uncoordinated formation.

In an instant, it reached its highest level of coordination, rivaling the General.

The Array Master was the only one among all other Martial Legends, including even the Six Masters of the Scholar's Palace, capable of manifesting true effect on the battlefield.

The Army Soul erupted instantly, transforming into a Fire Qilin; the Tiger Roar Heaven Halberd's aura flared as Li Guanyi swung his weapon fiercely at the General—this strike gathered the entire army's momentum, all its reserves, and the chance to change the chaotic age.

All to create one possibility for alliance!

Yue Qianfeng charged; Chen Wenmian thrust his spear; Fan Qing commanded the formation; the Eight Gates Golden Lock unfolded; Ximen Hengrong maneuvered—fate of the Ying and Chen states hung on this single collision!

Boom!!!

The Divine Weapon Tiger Roar Heaven Halberd clashed with the General's Annihilation Divine Spear.

Violet lightning exploded violently; the General's Dharma Form raised its head, swinging its weapon as a vast white tiger roared—two terrifying forces erupted together, nearly tearing open the boundless storm-clouds of malevolence above the heavens!

The aura of the Martial Legends rose simultaneously!

One was violent, the righteous path of the Military School.

One was slow, the eternal obsession of immortality.

The Divine Weapon Annihilation and the Divine Weapon Tiger Roar Heaven Halberd locked together.

Aura exploded upward; the General's power instantly surpassed Li Guanyi's—but at that same moment, the Tiger Roar Heaven Halberd suddenly spun and thrust out with a technique far beyond Li Guanyi's normal level!

Boom!!!

The General's helmet and Li Guanyi's golden mask flew apart.

The General's white hair lifted; his helmet landed in the muddy earth, blood trickling down his temple.

The Annihilation Divine Spear pierced into the opponent's body.

The Divine General's pupils contracted—

The man before him, clad in battle armor, crimson battle robe, wielding a divine weapon, riding the Fire Qilin, was not Li Guanyi; his spear had pierced the opponent's body, and that body emitted power akin to the 【Eternal Immortal Body】.

The Fire Qilin roared; thunder exploded.

The automaton's face shifted expressions, yet spoke in a voice laced with mockery and taunt:

"You guessed wrong."

"Youngster."

At the same moment!

On Xiyicheng's walls, Lord Li stood, spotting banners suddenly appearing ahead—armies approaching at terrifying speed, banners whipping wildly across the chaotic sky, flags of the western tribes rolling across heaven and earth.

Lord Li, a brilliant general, froze, his face taut.

Cavalry—tens of thousands of cavalry—skirted Jiang Su's vanguard with terrifying speed and charged straight toward this position, at this most critical moment, just as Jiang Su's entire army had launched?

Lord Li's palm pressed hard against the wall, veins bulging.

Impossible—

Impossible!

The leading figure rode a divine steed, clad in ink-black armor, hair bound with a jade hairpin, holding in hand—

Chixiao Sword.

Li Guanyi, emerges from the ranks.

"I have a plan."

At that time, Li Guanyi told Xue Shenjiang and the Whale Fisher his audacious idea: avoid the strong, strike the weak; Xue Shenjiang and the Whale Fisher would lure and hold Jiang Su in place; meanwhile, Li Guanyi would personally lead the main force, riding around to the rear.

Xiyicheng, its troops fully deployed, left only a fraction to defend.

Cut off the Divine General's rear, shatter his momentum, then encircle from three directions simultaneously.

Just delaying Jiang Su?

That's not enough!

In the chaotic battlefield, Li Guanyi rode his divine steed, his gaze calm.

His black temple hairs lifted.

Jiang Su, within his army, was immensely powerful.

But if his momentum is severed, how much power can the Divine General still wield?

In this chaotic age, heroes are the sons; Shanhe stretches vast and wide.

Clutching the divine weapon Chixiao Sword, dragons and tigers following him, Li Guanyi raised his hand, fingers closing; golden light converged into an ancient war bow—this bow once settled a chaotic battle with three arrows, and now it would once again bear such meaning.

The divine weapon, Sky-Shattering Bow, paired with the divine weapon Chixiao Sword.

Ultimate kill—Shoot the Sky Wolf!

In an instant, the rising power became a beam of light, slamming into the gates of Xiyicheng—Lord Li was stunned, this general, this coordination, could not possibly appear here at this stage.

It was a clash of great generals, a contest of strategy and valor.

A battlefield beyond the reach of ordinary commanders.

Jiang Su deceived heaven and earth; Yu Langwang slipped past Chen Cang; Li Guanyi avoided the strong and struck the weak.

Yet in this western frontier battlefield,

A third strategy of equal caliber emerged.

Li Guanyi's allied western coalition sealed off Xiyicheng front and rear; though they failed to breach the city, they forced its defenders to retreat into fortifications, then built defensive lines, turned, like a sharp blade.

Successfully severed the connection between the Divine General's vanguard and rear.

The Divine General Jiang Su became isolated.

Trapped deep in the western frontier!

The tide had turned!

And at this critical juncture, Li Guanyi turned, leading his army, banners behind him like rolling clouds and dawn light, raising his spear:

"Come then, world…"

He whispered: "It's my turn to flip the cards—"

Left hand: Chixiao Sword; right hand: the great banner spear, raised beneath the heavens; behind him, banners stood like a forest.

"In the name of Tian Kehan!"

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