Chapter 410: Using Arrays to Shield the Body, the Golden Immortal Saves Others

The Whale Fisher's thoughts momentarily crystallized.

Even if he hadn't used his true power, the martial legend's essence was perfectly unified, his aura completely concealed within his body; ordinary martial cultivators couldn't even sense him—let alone detect him—if the martial legend himself chose to mask his presence, even if he walked right past them.

Yet Li Guanyi had precisely located him.

The implications of this made the Whale Fisher's expression tighten slightly.

Master Siming drew a sharp breath and said:

"You won't be able to secretly follow them anymore, will you?!"

"You won't be able to spy on their…"

Boom!!!

The Whale Fisher's temple veins bulged; he raised his hand and clamped all five fingers firmly onto Master Siming's forehead, smiling gently as he exhaled: "What do you mean, 'spy'?"

"I am merely, caring for, my own daughter."

"I don't want that brat riding the Fire Qilin to deceive her."

"Is there a problem with that?"

"There's no problem."

Master Siming drew another sharp breath, grimaced, and slapped the Whale Fisher's hand:

"Ow ow ow… ssshh…"

"Let go let go let go."

The Whale Fisher had his limits—he was only teasing the old man—but sometimes this old fellow used seemingly careless words to precisely pierce through the Whale Fisher's hidden thoughts, leaving him deeply annoyed.

Yet when his gaze fell upon Li Guanyi, he still felt a flicker of shock and surprise; in an instant, he appeared beside Li Guanyi, though the surrounding pedestrians were numerous, none noticed the silver-haired cultivator drifting nearby.

The Whale Fisher scanned him up and down, then said: "Come with me."

Li Guanyi also wished to understand his own condition, so he and Yao Guang followed the Whale Fisher to a quiet place; the Whale Fisher gently told Yao Guang to fetch some snacks.

The silver-haired girl looked at Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi gave a slight nod, then rose and left quietly.

This subtle gesture tugged at the old father's heart.

Once Yao Guang had temporarily left, the Whale Fisher suddenly reached out—though famed throughout the world for his arrays, this single gesture concealed divine grace, flowing endlessly, a masterful technique as he firmly pressed his hand onto Li Guanyi's shoulder.

A warm energy circulated through Li Guanyi's entire body; the Whale Fisher stared at him strangely:

"... Still eighth-layer, and leaking like a colander."

"Yet somehow, there's a trace of martial legend aura."

He frowned, paced around Li Guanyi, sensing repeatedly, pressing here, tapping there, then finally concluded: "... You haven't broken through, but the aura Chen Fubi gave you has been shattered and absorbed into your body."

"Roughly speaking, you briefly touched Chen Fubi's martial legend aura through the momentum of hundreds of thousands of troops; normally, it couldn't last—but you happened to engage in a fierce battle with Jiang Su, the foremost expert."

"No—he treated you like a wooden mechanism and pounded you."

"He struck, you endured; your body was nearly pulverized into dust—and in that process, Yu Langwang's martial legend aura was shattered by the Divine General's power, scattering into your limbs and bones."

"It's like making steamed buns."

"This power has seeped into every part of you; Jiang Su, the Divine General himself, infused it with perfect evenness."

After much thought, the Whale Fisher arrived at this apt description, nodded, and took quiet pride in his own insight.

Li Guanyi considered, then asked: "So what am I now…?"

The Whale Fisher looked at him coolly: "Eighth-layer, nothing more."

"Merely an eighth-layer cultivator with a faint trace of martial legend traits!"

He paused, then asked:

"How old are you?"

Li Guanyi answered: "Eighteen."

The Whale Fisher fell unusually silent; after a moment, he clasped his hands behind his back and sneered: "You're only a few years ahead of when I first received this aura…"

"That's all!"

By the window, Master Siming's white-haired head and the old tortoise's head both popped up, watching the scene; Master Siming sighed: "When this kid was unconscious, that old white-hair was more anxious than anyone else."

"Now that he's awake, why's he acting so stubborn?"

"Even the Divine General Jiang Su's battle edge or Elder Murong's sword aura probably couldn't crack his mouth."

"He should change his name."

"Call him Mouth King instead."

The old tortoise pulled his head back.

A ripple of array energy swept past, flipping Master Siming onto his back; the silver-haired man withdrew his gaze unhappily, then raised his hand and tapped Li Guanyi's heart, brow, and several major acupoints, faint array energies swirling subtly.

The Whale Fisher's tone was blunt:

"Though it may sound boastful, the martial legend state is not beneficial for you now—it's a massive drain. The ancients said: 'Excessive wisdom harms.' You're already showing signs of this."

"The Daoist saying is: 'Cultivate both life and spirit.'"

"Only robust blood and qi can sustain the spirit's activity."

"With your body shattered after this battle, sustaining the martial legend traits will exhaust your spirit—so naturally, your lifespan will begin to dwindle."

"Hou Zhongyu's Elixir of Immortality has been completely depleted."

"If you risk this again, you'll have to endure it outright."

"Today, I'm in a good mood, so I've left several seals on you—these will temporarily shield your martial legend aura, allowing you to accumulate qi; when you face enemies, unleash your arrays and use the stored qi to fight."

Though his words were harsh, the Whale Fisher's hands moved swiftly.

After the Whale Fisher's array enhancements, Li Guanyi clearly felt his weakness ease; he clenched his fist slightly and said: "So it's truly eighth-layer foundation—then, if I activate the arrays, what will happen?"

The Whale Fisher frowned for a long while: "Though not entirely precise…"

"Roughly speaking, yes."

"A martial legend who fell to a critical injury and regressed in realm?"

"Or rather, a martial legend who disbanded his cultivation and restarted, reaching the Eighth Heavenly Level?"

"He lacks the martial legend's near-real methods, lacks the ability to summon qi within a radius of dozens of li with each breath—but he still possesses the martial legend's lofty perspective, perception, and judgment."

"Or rather, your perception will be inferior to that of a normal martial legend."

"Yet it surpasses ordinary Ninth Heavenly Level cultivators."

"But the duration is brief—it cannot last. If prolonged too long, it will begin consuming your own primordial qi. Hmph, the Chen family… now I understand why this transformation occurred…"

The Whale Fisher frowned slightly, then suddenly remembered something and muttered to himself:

"Chen Fubì, Chen Fubì—his martial legend differs from Jiang Su's."

"Jiang Su's legend seeks unbroken victory in warfare."

"Chen Fubì's legend proves unyielding in mortal combat."

"Add to that Chen Baxian's final divine art, no wonder this martial legend's essence settled upon you and transformed so drastically… sacrificing primordial qi and vitality for peak explosive power."

Li Guanyi said: "So it truly is?"

"The martial legend is the One Great Dao—this is subtly true. Since the aura of my martial legend has suddenly surged, it truly signifies…"

The Whale Fisher frowned, then relaxed his brow, speaking calmly: "That old wolf, Chen Fubì—if he regains momentum, he will still be your enemy. He is the kind who lives his entire life by his own desires. Dying on this battlefield is a good thing."

"To die where one belongs—that is joy indeed."

Li Guanyi smiled: "Still, I hope to grow old peacefully in the rivers and lakes, in quiet tranquility. Regardless, this is the power left by my uncle—it is a great opportunity."

"I will use it wisely."

Yet Li Guanyi knew within himself he would never follow the path of the Wolf King. The Wolf King walked a boundless path of war and chaos with bold grandeur, but the path Li Guanyi must walk had already been determined when he became a Master of Tapo Sect.

The Nine Provinces and Four Seas shall be unified as one.

If he merely followed the lingering aura of the Wolf King and trod Chen Fubì's path, he could never surpass the Wolf King—the Wolf King would become an insurmountable peak before him.

He had his own path to walk.

The Whale Fisher did not know what Li Guanyi thought, only said:

"In any case, use this method as rarely as possible. The array I've placed upon you can gather your daily primordial qi, allowing you to use it once without cost at intervals. But once it begins draining your vitality, the array will seal shut again."

"When that happens, boy, you'd better run like hell."

The Whale Fisher pressed his palm onto Li Guanyi's shoulder, leaned close, squeezed hard, lifting Li Guanyi's shoulder with a dangerous smile: "Don't die somewhere, understand?"

"What are you seeking by fighting across the land, accumulating nothing but wounds and illness?"

"Fame? Or gold? You already have enough fame. And you've spent all the gold on comforting civilians and fallen soldiers—what's even in your head?"

"I don't care if you die—but if you die, what of Yao Guang…"

Tap-tap-tap.

A crisp sound—the silver-haired girl entered, holding a bundle of pastries.

The Whale Fisher's hand grew gentle; he patted Li Guanyi's shoulder, brushing away nonexistent dust, smiling warmly and cheerfully: "Ha! Nephew, good nephew indeed."

"Take care of your health."

Li Guanyi extended a finger, pointing at the shoulder the Whale Fisher had gripped.

A faint smile curled his lips:

"It hurts."

The Whale Fisher: "…………"

Li Guanyi smiled happily.

The Whale Fisher's smile twitched, growing slightly feral.

You bastard.

The silver-haired girl turned to look at the silver-haired man, set down the pastries, and lightly kicked the Whale Fisher.

Then she turned away, rising onto her toes, her expression blank.

She raised her palm and lightly slashed at Li Guanyi's forehead.

Placed a steamed bun atop Li Guanyi's head.

"Fool."

………………

In the end, the Whale Fisher was driven back by Yao Guang's calm gaze, allowing Li Guanyi to stroll leisurely through the city. The great war in the Western Regions had ended completely; though a faint tension lingered, the atmosphere was gradually easing.

Spring was in full bloom, and the Western Regions now welcomed their beautiful season. People moved along the streets, merchant guilds resumed operations, farming had passed, yet on the other hand, countless wounded soldiers needed care.

Many fallen warriors required compensation.

Taxes must be lightened, agriculture and sericulture encouraged.

Chen Wenmian personally traveled the four directions to gather the remnants of the Wolf King's army. At this point, most of these soldiers had lost their will to fight—the Wolf King was gone, and they had directly faced the unmatched might of the realm's number-one divine general.

The Anxi Protectorate settled them down.

Those willing to join the army were enrolled under Chen Wenmian's command; those who wished to lay down their swords and enjoy hard-won peace were allowed to return to their fields.

These matters consumed enormous sums of silver.

Yet regarding this matter, Po Jun told Li Guanyi not to worry.

Li Guanyi's prestige now soared; he had, in the name of Tian Kehan, directly defeated the undisputed number-one divine general of the realm. Across the Western Regions, he was already regarded as the de facto first overlord. His subsequent actions—nurturing the people and fostering peace—had won him immense popular support.

Under these circumstances, he could now claim the silver stored by Wen He in the Xiang Kingdom's capital—the silver that was "temporarily held" by Wen He: 【Our Silver】.

As for the other portion of Wen He's stored one million taels of silver,

it remained within the Western Defense Stronghold built by Lu Youxian.

"Lu Youxian…?"

In the end, I must still clash with this man.

No matter how we personally view each other, our positions in this chaotic age leave no room to retreat half a step.

Li Guanyi tossed the fruit in his hand.

He took a bite.

Hmm, sweet!

He wore a brown robe, black hair hanging down, his face pale—as if he were ill—lacking the battlefield's murderous aura; passersby paid him no mind. Li Guanyi and Yao Guang sat down at a tea stall to rest.

The Western Regions' economy had begun to align with that of the Jiangnan region.

Li Guanyi ordered a pot of tea and a plate of snacks, eating slowly. The spring sun had grown warm. Here, in the midst of the realm's slaughter, the wounded general sat quietly—no one truly recognized him.

What they recognized was the hero named Tianger.

The legendary Tian Kehan, spoken of in hushed tones, had grown ever more abstract, ever stranger—until finally, Tian Kehan became a divine figure twelve feet tall, broad-shouldered and massive, with arms wide enough for horses to gallop upon.

Li Guanyi nearly laughed out loud.

Yet when the common folk spoke of Tian Kehan, they did so with genuine smiles.

So Li Guanyi felt happy too.

He closed his eyes, listening to the voices of people passing by, to the wind. Though the marketplace was bustling, Li Guanyi's heart grew strangely serene.

Thinking of the Fisherman's question, he murmured:

"What I seek, the reason I fight—all of it lies right here."

"I have already received my payment."

Here, watching the flow of people, the peace of daily life, Li Guanyi felt nothing could soothe his spirit more than this. After some time, a man rode up and sat beside Li Guanyi, clad in a white robe, wearing a black jade crown, and said:

"Big brother."

Chen Wenmian, upon learning Li Guanyi had awakened, had rushed back at once. Li Guanyi chatted with him and learned the current situation in the Western Regions was largely as Bojun had described—no difference.

The forces of Chen and Ying had both retreated to some degree.

Chen Wenmian sipped tea and said:

"Lu Youxian has begun building walls again."

Li Guanyi paused: "... That guy."

"Too cautious."

Both Li Guanyi and Chen Wenmian knew that with the great affairs of the Western Regions settled, all factions had entered a phase of recuperation—but for Tiance Prefecture, it was imperative to swiftly seize the southwest while Chen and Ying were preoccupied with internal matters.

Seize the momentum.

But the situation had become so delicate, it was almost an open hand.

Lu Youxian had likely guessed Li Guanyi's assessment and choice.

So—

Build the walls first!

Chen Wenmian fell silent, his hands circling his cup, and said: "My father… still has no word…"

Li Guanyi lowered his gaze, unsure how to respond.

Though he suspected Yu Langwang had died on the battlefield he chose, he could not say so plainly to Chen Wenmian; instead, he said: "Changfeng Lady is preparing to break down the barriers between nations' information networks."

"She has also made contact with the Ghost Market."

"News will return soon."

Chen Wenmian pressed his lips together, whispering: "I've since guessed my father's choice… but knowing it doesn't make it easier. I always felt that day would come far off—never imagining events would change so swiftly."

"My father departed. General Xiao Wu liang lost his arm."

"The army was shattered by Jiang Su. Though my father left me the White Wolf Guard, the rest of the troops have all lost morale—only Father could have united them."

"I am, after all, not my father."

Li Guanyi looked at Chen Wenmian and felt the struggle and pain beneath his calm exterior—indeed, Chen Wenmian was the one who had truly endured the full Western Regions battlefield.

From the day Yu Langwang brought him into the Western Regions, to now, years had passed.

Chen Wenmian had earned his fame blade by blade, spear by spear. In his battles against Jiang Su, whether leading troops to cut through enemy lines or bravely confronting Jiang Su himself, he displayed prowess far beyond that of a Sixth Heaven peak cultivator.

He knew what danger his father faced at that time.

As a son, unable to stand beside his father on the same battlefield was agony—so he fought with all his strength on the Western Regions front, his ferocity witnessed by all of Tiance Prefecture.

Li Guanyi sensed Chen Wenmian's inner pain and struggle, sensed the subtle transformation within him. Li Guanyi's pupils narrowed slightly—and behind the bowed, fist-clenching Chen Wenmian, the void rippled in concentric waves.

Chen Wenmian's Dharma Form appeared.

His Dharma Form was the Qiongqi of the Chen royal house: a two-winged tiger radiating the vastness of the endless sky; the faint, rolling waves it emitted gave it a tangible presence.

A Wudao Sect Master is merely a warrior whose essence, energy, and spirit have reached their absolute peak, then transformed through a special method—this step is a barrier even the top hundred generals on the Famous Generals List struggle to cross!

Chen Wenmian, who endured the entire Western Regions battlefield and survived his clash with Jiang Su, the former Crown Prince of Chen, now stood at the threshold of the Master realm.

If he could cross it—

He would become a Wudao Sect Master at twenty, ranking among the top thirty on the Famous Generals List.

He would not disgrace his father's name.

But Chen Wenmian's heart was now tangled in pain and turmoil, drowning in it—unable to gather his spirit, unable to take this final step. This is the nature of the barrier: some cross it in sleep; others never take a single step in their lifetime.

The many generals ranked thirty to one hundred on the Divine Generals List.

All remain stuck in this stage.

Li Guanyi did not speak of it, only poured Chen Wenmian more tea and said: "We must go to the southwest. But first, Lu Youxian blocks our path. And the people of the southwest never joined the chaos of the world—their strength remains intact."

"Tiance Prefecture is also a weary army. To seize this land before Chen and Ying recover will not be easy."

Chen Wenmian's attention shifted as he heard someone nearby mention Yu Langwang and Chen Fubì.

Chen Wenmian's thoughts paused. Li Guanyi's gaze followed.

The great battlefield of the Western Regions has ended, and many from the Central Plains have come here; in times of chaos, many strongmen rise, and there are always opportunists.

At a nearby table sat several men dressed as Central Plains warriors, also ordering tea, naan, and dried meat, with a plate of nuts placed on the table; as they ate, they spoke in Central Plains speech:

"Finally arrived—Anxi City."

"Yes, but this city doesn't seem as brutal and wild as the Central Plains rumors described it. Looking around, it bears quite the flavor of our Central Plains nations."

"After all, isn't this Western Region now the domain of that one?"

"You mean… Qin Wu…"

"Shh, be silent."

Li Guanyi paused slightly, his eyes lowering slightly.

The silver-haired girl clasped her hands together; the other noisy sounds seemed to recede from around them, leaving only the clear voices of the Central Plains warriors: "The might of Qin Wu here is called Tian Kehan."

"We heard a Central Plains bandit chieftain came here, merely to impress his men and show off, saying that even Tian Kehan must lick his shoes."

"The tribes long suppressed erupted in rebellion."

"They shot that threefold Heaven bandit chieftain into a pile of pulped flesh, stripped him naked, and threw him out to feed the wolves. I heard Tian Kehan is a giant, twelve feet tall, with a waist eight feet wide, wielding a pair of thunder-beating golden hammers weighing eight hundred jin."

"He eats three hundred jin of pork, three hundred jin of mutton, and three hundred jin of naan in one sitting."

"They believe him to be a heavenly deity walking the earth."

"He's also called something like Jin Zhu."

Li Guanyi: "…………"

Chen Wenmian shifted his gaze away, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if barely holding back laughter.

"Sorry, big brother, I didn't laugh."

"I was just…"

Chen Wenmian had rarely laughed these past days; the heavy gloom on his person had lifted, and Li Guanyi felt it harmless to laugh along—yet the leader of the warriors seemed displeased, saying:

"Enough, don't speak further."

"That man is still Qin Wu Hou… Now that Xiyicheng has retreated, the Seven Kings of the Turks are indeed fierce, but they've been bloodily crushed by Yu Langwang, and Lu Youxian is wounded—right now, Qin Wu Hou may become the undisputed master of the entire Western Regions."

"Yes, what a pity."

The bearded man among them said: "What a pity—Yu Langwang is dead!"

"I heard Jiang Su personally cut off his head with a knife, in front of everyone, and hung the corpse on the eastern gate for three days, exposed to wind and rain…"

Li Guanyi and Chen Wenmian's expressions froze instantly.

The rare smile on the white-robed general's face vanished. Li Guanyi heard a tiger's roar; the aura of the Qiongqi Manifestation burst forth violently. The next moment, the Central Plains warriors felt a chilling killing intent, their scalps prickling.

Then they saw a tiger lunging at them—they screamed in terror and collapsed backward. When they blinked, dazed, they saw a handsome young man in full battle armor, his white robe pristine, gripping their collar with one hand, eyes red:

"You said—what happened to Yu Langwang?!"

The warrior, terrified by the faint aura of a Master, his scalp numb, stammered: "I—I don't know! It wasn't me! It wasn't—"

"Yu Langwang, Chen Fubi, was killed… personally by the Divine General Jiang Su."

"The Divine General Jiang Su cut off Yu Langwang's head in front of everyone."

"It seems he missed the first few cuts—only on the fifth strike did he sever the head. Even though Yu Langwang was already dead, his fierce, hot blood spurted high, and then they hung his head and body at the gate of Ducheng to cleanse the shame of Ying State."

"I—I only heard it from others!"

"It's just hearsay, great hero, please don't be angry!"

He was pale with terror, speechless from Chen Wenmian's murderous aura.

Chen Wenmian released the man's collar, staggered backward, nearly collapsing. Li Guanyi placed a hand on his shoulder, sending a gentle qi into his body to steady his spirit, then turned to the warrior and said:

"May I ask… what became of Yu Langwang's remains…?"

Li Guanyi's voice was strained; he could scarcely imagine that such a bold, fierce hero could meet such an end. The man steadied himself, seeing Li Guanyi's plain attire and gentle expression, and slowly calmed his fear, saying:

"Yes… on the third day…"

"A monk broke into the city gate and stole the corpse…"

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