Chapter 433

When Li Guanyi landed, a general in the besieging army gritted his teeth and fired a signaling arrow; in the midst of battle, especially when numbers swelled, archers always followed the orders of generals and captains, drawing their bows toward the direction of the signaling arrow.

Seeing the auspicious beast descend from heaven and the divine weapon take form, most ordinary people's minds went blank, unable to think or judge, and in that moment they followed instinct, revealing the fruits of their daily training.

Ten thousand arrows flew together, aimed at Li Guanyi and the auspicious beast.

The auspicious beast roared, its voice shaking the air.

The Jiuli Divine Weapon Jin Tie spiraled and howled; those ten thousand arrows were shattered outright by the surging torrent of arrows and the manifested divine weapon—the rain of arrows fell like a black waterfall, yet not a single arrow remained within three feet of Li Guanyi and the auspicious beast.

It presented a stark contrast.

All were shattered by the Jiuli Divine Weapon Jin Tie.

Such prestige, such dominance—purely from this display—it was nearly identical to the day on the Western Front, when Jiang Su's three-foot indestructible aura was seen; the Jiuli Divine Weapon Jin Tie settled upon Li Guanyi's body.

It flowed and shifted, as if by instinct.

Faint golden ripples spread; a specially crafted armor appeared upon the massive body of the southwestern auspicious beast, adorned with jade from Nanshan, its solemn divine beast aura overpowering its former cuddly appearance.

On Li Guanyi's body, too, armor appeared—solemn in hue, covering his form in a near-perfect manner, providing the most complete defense without hindering Li Guanyi's own combat in the slightest.

He raised his hand, his spiritual intent shifted—the Jiuli Divine Weapon transformed into a long spear, appearing in his grasp; Li Guanyi gripped the Jiuli Divine Weapon Jin Tie, shook it casually, and swept the heavy spear horizontally, its murderous aura sharp and biting.

Perfectly matched.

Li Guanyi could feel the martial clan's murderous qi flowing over the armor, sensing that when his internal qi transmitted, it wasted not a single bit, but naturally carried the martial clan's murderous qi, adding threefold power.

Every gesture, every movement, was a martial clan technique.

This armor—even still merely the Jiuli Clan's so-called "prototype of the divine weapon"—had already begun to reveal its wondrous power, utterly incomparable to ordinary armor; Li Guanyi lifted his gaze, staring at the army before him.

He could clearly sense the enemy's morale collapsing at a visible rate.

Fighting against a legendary auspicious beast, one bearing on its back a creature that looked unmistakably like a mythic progenitor—without immediately defecting, this army had already proven its ferocity.

Li Guanyi turned his gaze to the center of the army, watching the raised banners.

That was where the army's commanding general stood.

It was strangely ironic.

To proclaim their righteous cause and legitimacy, the central banner of this army was an ancient relic—a simple, ancient flag embroidered with nine-colored silk threads depicting the shape of the Shitie Beast.

And now, their opponent was the Shitie Beast itself.

Li Guanyi locked onto that position and said: "Wu Gu magic is one of the Shiwaisan Sect's arts; their methods are hard to counter, especially if your martial skill is insufficient—you cannot form internal qi armor until the Third Heaven, making you vulnerable."

"You and I join forces—first, take down this army's commander."

"Then eliminate the Wu Gu lineage."

"I'll raise your fee!"

The auspicious beast replied softly: "No need."

It tilted its head slightly, as if responding to the manifestation of Jiuli's weapon and murderous qi—though it was deeply "afraid" of the Jiuli Clan, seeing them now stirred complex emotions within it.

The auspicious beast answered: "Your payment was already settled just now."

Li Guanyi froze, gazing at the human-like melancholy on the auspicious beast's face, then understood, smiling faintly: "Is that so? Then I rely on you."

"Let's go!"

The auspicious beast unleashed all its complex emotions in a deafening roar.

The auspicious beast pressed its claw; the Bingzhu gripped the spear.

Jiuli's murderous qi surged into the sky.

One man, one beast, both clad in divine weapon armor, charged forth like a storm.

Duan Qingyu and others saw Li Guanyi and the auspicious beast charging ahead.

Recalling Li Guanyi's earlier words, their hearts stirred with excitement.

He truly meant to charge the enemy ranks alone!

A man's word is worth ten thousand gold—even if ten thousand soldiers block the path, he will not retreat a single step.

A promise is worth a thousand gold.

How heroic!

Duan Qingyu felt his chest swell, his blood boiling; he burst into laughter—Li Wanli, the world is full of wonders! There still exist those whose valor and grandeur match, not one bit less than your son!

He gripped his battle bow and fired arrow after arrow, intercepting enemy officers ahead of Li Guanyi.

"Volley fire!"

"Shoot down every Gu worm scattered by the shock—today, collect them, fry them in oil, and serve them as a snack!"

The morale-boosted southwestern troops and civilians roared back, their response like mountains calling and seas crashing.

Li Guanyi and the Shitie Beast led the charge.

With vital areas covered by the Jiuli Divine Weapon Jin Tie's armor, the Shitie Beast no longer hesitated or guarded cautiously—it became fiercely bold, with no rear to fear.

Its blood qi surged powerfully, its speed unslowed, its strength immense.

Clad in divine weapon-grade armor, impervious to blades and spears, capable of crushing divine weapons with its jaws.

Bearing a divine general, it galloped across the battlefield.

Truly an auspicious beast suited for war.

The auspicious beast swept its right claw, tearing apart the Gu worms and snakes; lowering its head, it bit a Snake King into its mouth, gnashing its teeth and crushing it outright, its lips stained with blood, gaze fixed ahead.

Solemn and awe-inspiring, like the ancient Chi Dragon among ancient auspicious beasts.

The Shitie Beast, which once conquered the southwest through sheer strength, reappeared upon the battlefield.

Li Guanyi gripped the long spear, swinging it like a dragon, his momentum like a rainbow; no enemy officer stood before him for even a moment—he struck once, and his opponent was hurled from his mount.

"... Wu Gu magic is ineffective?"

The Wu Gu heir among the enemy army seemed stunned, then redoubled his efforts to drive the Gu worms; the auspicious beast pressed its claw, golden flames erupted, and together with Li Guanyi they surged forward—any Wu Gu artifact that drew near instantly stiffened.

Those mysterious, unfathomable Wu Gu techniques could not be deployed.

The Gu worm was slain by arrows that followed closely behind.

The current heir of the Witch Gu sect stared fixedly at the young warrior charging ahead with fierce bravery, cold sweat breaking on his forehead as he activated one Wu Gu technique after another—but for some reason, none of them worked. The Wu Gu arts, without a blessed body to augment them, were useless.

But why couldn't they affect him?!

All phenomena under heaven arise from and counteract each other; even the aura of the Son of Heaven can be pierced by Wu Gu arts, and it is precisely this nature that caused the Wu Gu lineage to be shunned by all under heaven.

But it's not working!

It's completely not working!

The Wu Gu heir Miao Ziling's face turned slightly pale as she watched the man ride back and forth through the battle line; the once-proud Captains, who had boasted of their valor, now looked deathly pale, their boldness entirely gone.

In just a few exchanges, they were thrown from their mounts.

In a short time, the man had torn apart the formation himself—seventeen Captains and eight Generals had been unhorsed, further fueling his momentum, his aura blazing like a war god reborn.

Li Guanyi's gaze swept across the battlefield and located the source of the Wu Gu arts.

The Iron-Eating Beast roared, and the surrounding troops scattered in panic; this massive auspicious beast charged forward, using sheer strength to shatter the shield formation. The southwestern troops wore armor that was both sturdy and light, excelling in mountain raids—but they had one flaw.

Their shield formations were too weak.

The auspicious beast sped forward at high speed; Li Guanyi spun his long spear, deflecting arrows, his gaze sharp as he locked onto a young woman. She had a delicate face and had been calm until she felt Li Guanyi's gaze—her heart skipped.

For some reason, her hands grew weak.

Those from the martial world, reclusive sages, would never understand the terror of being stared at by a general clad in heavy armor, wielding a weapon, having shattered an entire army, and advancing with utter dominance.

I found you.

Even without speaking, the woman seemed to hear that faint laugh.

Her expression changed as she unleashed a host of Wu Gu wonders; the Gu worms dared not advance, watching the man and beast charge like rolling mountains and falling boulders. Miao Ziling immediately activated a supreme Wu Gu technique—the Wu Gu took form, faintly coalescing into a colossal woman.

Though her figure was ethereal, she radiated an indescribable beauty, holding a bamboo staff coiled with green and purple snakes, real yet illusory, flying toward Li Guanyi. Li Guanyi raised his hand and blocked with his divine weapon.

One green snake was struck down by Li Guanyi's lethal aura.

It dissolved into mist.

The other purple snake bit down hard on Li Guanyi's wrist, exerting tremendous effort to finally pierce the weak point of his armor.

Miao Ziling activated a forbidden technique, her face lighting up with joy—she was about to bring down this fearless divine general.

The Wu Gu arts differ from the other two lineages.

They can be passed down through generations; these green and purple snakes are both a manifestation and a technique, marvelously mysterious—they can poison the soul and wound the flesh, greedily sucking blood. Li Guanyi sensed the purple snake's movement.

He laughed aloud: "If you want my blood, say so sooner!"

"Here it is!"

He surged his blood qi.

Activating the power of the Everlasting Imperishable Body.

Li Guanyi had ingested the Everlasting Immortality Pill and cultivated the Everlasting Imperishable Body.

Though Hou Zhongyu's pills had long since lost their effect, his flesh and blood had already transformed—now, his blood, altered by the Immortality Pill and refined by the Imperishable Body, was directly fed to the purple snake.

The purple snake rejoiced, swallowing eagerly.

After just a few gulps, it suddenly twisted.

Its belly swelled, it let out a long, mournful cry. Miao Ziling froze, watching as the general reached out and seized the purple snake—passed down for four hundred years—now unable to dissolve into mist. Its belly swelled further, then it shrieked violently and exploded.

The general's armor blocked the poison blood; the armor at his bitten wrist changed.

It naturally adjusted its state, thickening the defense at the wrist.

And it gave Li Guanyi a sense.

That the armor's wrist section had improved its defense against such attacks.

"A weapon that grows based on combat experience…?"

"Meaning that after fighting Jiang Su, this armor would naturally evolve into a state that most effectively counters Jiang Su and his Void Annihilation Divine Spear."

"No wonder even the Jiuli Clan from thousands of years ago said it could break all divine weapons under heaven."

"And this is still just a prototype?"

Li Guanyi inwardly marveled, yet felt regret—if he had possessed this armor during the Western Frontier War, his battle with Jiang Su could have caused this Jiuli divine weapon to evolve into the perfect counter to Jiang Su.

But Li Guanyi quickly swept away this trace of regret.

To defeat Jiang Su, how could he rely entirely on external tools?!

To open a great era of peace under heaven,

one must possess the boldness to overcome all rivals, the righteous spirit to defeat every opponent without clinging to borrowed power—but if one clings too tightly to regret and loss, wouldn't one be laughed at, losing the very breath of spirit in one's chest?

How petty!

The auspicious beast roared and charged forward—no one could fathom how such a massive creature moved with such terrifying speed; a hundred or so strongmen were directly flung aside. Li Guanyi spun his weapon, the spearhead gleaming coldly, slicing through their weapons as if they were straw.

While Miao Ziling was dazed, the colossal auspicious beast stood before her.

Her face filled with terror; she stumbled backward and fell to the ground, pale as death. Li Guanyi restrained the auspicious beast and said calmly: "Pity—this snake can't digest my blood."

Li Guanyi leveled his long spear at her forehead.

"The southwestern kingdom is our ally. This battle should never have happened, and I have no wish to shed more blood."

"The Grand Master of the Wan Mingyi lineage of the Shiwaisan Sect has already died by my hand."

"The two Guanxing lineages are now my right and left arms."

"Heir of the Wu Gu lineage—the world is vast. Will you submit, or will you fight? Make your choice."

Miao Ziling directly felt the overwhelming momentum of this contemporary supreme divine general breaking through ten thousand troops to reach her—her mind went blank, her lips trembled, her face deathly pale. She drew a small curved dagger from her waist.

With this dagger, which likely couldn't even pierce his armor, she trembled as she pointed it at the divine general charging toward her like a fortress:

"I—I don't want to fight, but… I…"

"My master's life-extending Gu was taken away."

"If I surrender, my teacher will die."

"Then just kill me."

Li Guanyi froze: "Life-extending Gu?"

His expression halted, and he immediately asked: "It can extend life?!!"

Miao Ziling blinked in shock, then said: "It uses spirit insects to share lifespan, prolonging a single breath of vitality. If you have Gu that can endure for a long time, even someone on the verge of death can gain seven more years."

"Using witch Gu arts to seek immortality—that is precisely our lineage."

Li Guanyi instantly thought of the elderly man in the south, exhaled slowly, his voice as calm as ever but with a faint ripple, and asked: "Can the life-extending Gu be cultivated by others?"

Miao Ziling nodded rapidly, stammering: "There isn't just one life-extending Gu—anyone can cultivate it. But once cultivated, you gain a life-bound insect, sharing one fate: if one is harmed, both are. My teacher's insect is in the hands of General Miao Junfeng."

"He is a distant junior of my teacher, who tricked his way into obtaining it."

"Where is he?"

Miao Ziling extended her hand and pointed: "Over there."

"Good. Wait."

Li Guanyi reached out and tossed the Fire Qilin cat onto Miao Ziling's lap.

Miao Ziling stared blankly as the divine general turned, the auspicious beast roaring—before them, the enemy army, facing the auspicious Iron-Eating Beast, had not a shred of fighting spirit. The man and beast charged forward, and the front line split open like waves cut by a blade, offering no resistance.

The enemy's vanguard general gathered his troops, preparing to retreat.

But then one man charged forward, and atop the auspicious beast, a voice bellowed:

"Where is Miao Junfeng?!"

Miao Junfeng heard the voice and instinctively turned his head.

He thought, "Damn!" and immediately raised his weapon to intercept—but the man swung his long spear down in one blow. Miao Junfeng felt dizzy, his arms trembling with searing pain, his Hukou splitting open, blood gushing—he screamed as his divine steed was crushed outright.

He was taken down in a single strike.

The man seized him by the shoulder and rode through the ranks as if walking through empty land.

Li Guanyi threw Miao Junfeng down before Miao Ziling and said:

"Here you go!"

Miao Ziling stared, dumbfounded.

To her, this mighty general with a powerful army was like a child before the divine general riding the auspicious beast—utterly powerless to resist.

Li Guanyi charged back and forth, leveraging the Fire Qilin's immense impact on the southwestern army's morale. The southwestern forces dared not fully attack the auspicious beast. He charged into their ranks seven times; where his spear fell, not a single officer stood a chance—he sent men reeling from their mounts with every strike.

He targeted only the Captains and generals, trying to break their battle formations.

The enemy's vanguard nearly collapsed.

Under these conditions, they could only retreat toward the rear.

The auspicious beast roared.

Jiuli Bingzhu stood alone, spear in hand, blocking the city's gate.

The army retreated in disarray.

All who witnessed this scene on the walls of Wang Cheng fell silent. Seeing the posture once revered through generations now manifest in the present, their minds went blank—then, after deathly stillness, came cheers.

The morale of the entire southwestern Wang Cheng surged to near-frenzy.

In this state, every man dared to fight to the death. The enemy's vanguard commander had been captured by Li Guanyi; his forces collapsed and retreated. Li Guanyi returned to Wang Cheng, dragging Miao Junfeng behind him, and placed him before the southwestern king, smiling: "This villain has been captured."

"Good, good, good."

"Hahaha, Brother Yaoshi, excellent, excellent, so bold! So magnificent!"

Duan Qingyu was overjoyed, gripping Li Guanyi's arm. The people cheered; soldiers raised their weapons. The entire army was bathed in joy. Within Li Guanyi, the Nine Cauldrons rang and howled, the qi of human destiny converging within them—nearly full.

What Li Guanyi pursued was the Dao of the Nine Regions uniting, the world unified.

The southwestern region spanned thousands of li; the more it drew closer to the west and the south, the more fully Li Guanyi's path was realized. His heart grew vast, and under the flow of destiny, he naturally possessed the grandeur to swallow ten thousand li.

He had now reached the ninth-tenths level.

When complete, his own realm would subtly advance further still.

He would even gain the right to forge a third Nine Cauldron.

Duan Qingyu watched the army's movements and said: "Pity—the remaining troops have retreated. But today, their commander has been captured. Even if their army remains, their morale is shattered—they are no longer a threat."

"Their morale is broken. This siege is lifted."

"Please, drink!"

He picked up a wineskin, offered it with both hands. Li Guanyi looked around, seized the wineskin, tilted his head, and drank deeply. His divine armor still clung to him, reeking of blood; holding his weapon as he drank, his bearing was bold and majestic.

First, he reclaimed the Twenty-Four Bright Pearls, and the auspicious beast bowed in submission.

Then, he subdued the nine-li divine weapon, Jin Tie, which had lain dormant for millennia.

Afterward, he rode alone into the enemy army and captured their vanguard commander.

All were united in admiration and sincere submission.

Even Duan Qingyu could not help but sigh inwardly: seeing Li Yaoshi's prestige at its zenith, he spoke up: "Pity—you came too late. Had you arrived sooner, with your talent and boldness, I would have entrusted the southwest to you."

"Now, we have already decided to ally with Qin Wu Hou."

"Indeed, it cannot be otherwise."

Duan Qingyu was subtly reminding Li Yaoshi.

He was also genuinely regretful: such ambition, such boldness, such prestige—and he held the nine-li divine weapon Jin Tie—yet he could never control the southwest. The strategists of the Tiance Prefecture.

Even he could only sigh: Pity, pity.

Li Yaoshi smiled carefree, set down his wineskin, and was about to speak—

Suddenly, a sound like distant thunder rolled through the air. Soldiers and civilians who had just climbed the walls looked up in confusion, following the noise—far off, they saw a banner pointing to the heavens, tearing through the sky.

The banner, like a lance, descended as if ink-black clouds from the heavens rolled down.

Only the seasoned turned pale: "Cavalry!!!"

Yes, cavalry—the next moment, all realized it: black armor, horses like dragons, likewise clad in black plate. Even here in the southwest, before Dacheng lay broad, flat ground.

This cavalry, born from the Nightgallop Cavalry, excelled in high-speed raids; only after drawing near Wang Cheng did they charge, like a surging tide along the Jiangnan front, banners snapping, the host thundering forward.

The vanguard had been suppressed by Li Guanyi's general, their morale shattered by the auspice's presence.

This army was forced to retreat, only to meet the Canglang Guard—fresh and waiting—whose spears leveled, and whose thirty thousand fully armored cavalry, in this short-range burst, showed all why, in this chaotic age, fully armored cavalry was supreme.

The rear guard of this army was pierced clean through by thirty thousand Canglang Guard.

Amidst wildly whipping banners, the leading general wore black armor but draped a white robe, wielding a twin-bladed war spear, riding through the ten thousand troops without hindrance, his aura mighty, personally slaying the rebel general and casting him from his horse.

Duan Qingyu could not help whispering: "Twenty years ago, I saw Li Wanli and Chen Fubi—but even Li Wanli and Chen Fubi, at that age, had not done this…"

"Li Yushi captured a general from ten thousand troops."

"This white-robed general pierced through a thousand armies."

"A new generation replaces the old… it stirs the heart."

As for this southwest allied army, though composed of fierce veterans, they faced an enemy they could not defeat.

First, they met the auspice blocking their path, with Jiuli Bingzhu holding his spear.

Then their commander was seized amid ten thousand troops.

As the army retreated without leadership, they encountered the Canglang Guard—this generation's premier force—and were pierced clean through. These southwest flying troops were captured and disarmed; the Canglang cavalry, having taken their weapons, did not linger, remaining solemn, gathering beyond the city walls.

Amidst snapping banners, the fully armored cavalry brought a terrifying aura of death, enough to crush hope—especially since messengers from within Wang Cheng attempting to alert Qin Wu Hou's army were all intercepted by Meng Zehao.

That is to say, this army had received no follow-up alliance letter from Duan Qingyu; the fully armored cavalry encircled the city, while the world's famed generals stood solemnly.

Among them was even Xiao Wuliang, himself at the peak of the Eighth Layer, though he had lost an arm; here stood a god-general who had once ranked fifteenth in his prime, bringing immense pressure.

And even now, the Canglang Guard's heavy cavalry remained silent and indifferent.

This silence brought an endless aura of death.

The elation just brought by Li Yushi had instantly turned to despair.

This was the army that had once fought Jiang Su—the true, battle-scarred, iron-and-fire aura of a world forged in chaos struck them, clearly showing all how vast the gulf between such an army and ordinary troops truly was.

In this despair, Li Yushi's battle armor parted, he set down his wine flask, suddenly rose from the auspice, and leapt down, pressing against the city wall before soaring to land before the thirty thousand fully armored cavalry.

Every heart clenched.

The man, now clad only in blue robes, stood in stark, despairing contrast to the Canglang Guard before him—each horse chest-high at eight feet, both man and steed clad in heavy armor.

Li Yushi planted his long spear into the ground.

The next instant, the thirty thousand fully armored cavalry moved.

In perfect unison, they dismounted; armor clanked, releasing an aura of death that surged skyward. Their expressions reverent, they raised their weapons despite their armor and struck their chests.

In perfect unison, they intoned:

"My Lord!"

The solemn voice echoed grandly, reverberating through the mountains and forests.

Duan Qingyu, Tai Bo Yong, and others froze in shock.

Li Yushi, clad in blue robes, turned his head slightly toward them before ten thousand troops, his black hair slightly falling, his eyes calm, and said: "I am."

"Li Guanyi."

The crowd fell utterly silent.

In the silence, the qi of human destiny surged to its limit.

The Nine Provinces Cauldron was complete.

It could now be cast—the third.

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