Chapter 438: Flames Like Rainbow, Attack and Defense Swap Form

Li Guanyi's sword, though already used to slay the Bai Hu manifestation, still carried fierce residual power, and at this critical moment, it had pushed the art of swordplay to its absolute limit—impossible to evade.

Yuwen Lie's manifestation was severed, his soul withered.

Yet in that fleeting instant, he suddenly raised his arm, without the slightest hesitation, without the slightest fear or retreat, hurled his broken spear away, raised his right hand to tear forward, fingers splayed, eyes narrow as blades.

The Wooden Sword Dragon Diagram pierced straight into his palm.

Yuwen Lie's dark armor shattered outright; gauntlets and arm guards cracked under the sword's might, then his palm, then his arm.

Yuwen Lie's entire arm exploded into a mist of blood.

But he felt no fear or retreat; even now, his arrogance burned fiercely—he reached out with his left hand, seized the broken spear, seized the fleeting chance bought by sacrificing his arm, and whipped it hard toward Li Guanyi's chest and abdomen.

The Bai Hu manifestation was gone, but Yuwen Lie's own fiery aura remained as potent as at the start.

Never abandon battle. Never cease to be arrogant.

Even if he died, he would never surrender.

The ninth-layer Tiandeda Sect master's power erupted fully, unrestrained—Li Guanyi took the blow straight on; Yuwen Lie gasped heavily, his steed reared back, his left hand gripping the broken spear, raising the weapon to point at Li Guanyi, glancing at his left arm.

Pierced clean through by the Wooden Sword Dragon Diagram.

Tendons, bones, and meridians all severed, blood poured endlessly, and the sword qi and martial qi clung like parasitic worms, crawling deeper into his body; Yuwen Lie said coldly:

"Fell for a scheme—yet still needed a formation master, a grand array, stratagems, and deceit to deliver this one sword."

"Murong's sword."

"Not so impressive."

He truly believed it.

Then he raised his broken spear and brought it down hard, without hesitation, severing the arm now choked with sword qi and martial qi, now a burden, even spreading toward his dantian; blood fell, instantly stemmed.

Even losing his arm, even losing his manifestation.

Yuwen Lie was still Yuwen Lie—raising his weapon, pointing it at Li Guanyi.

His armor stained with blood, yet that cold arrogance remained unchanged.

"Come."

"Fool!"

A roar exploded—Yuwen Lie's narrow eyes turned to see He Ruo Qinhu spitting blood, having endured a blow from Xue Shen, yet using that momentum to charge toward him.

The fierce general's gaze burned like fire—he reached out, seized Yuwen Lie, and thrust his horse spear horizontally before him; Li Guanyi, holding the Wooden Sword Dragon Diagram, watched the two ninth-layer warlords, did not press forward, breathed in and out, and the Jiuli divine weapon of gold and iron reformed into a battle halberd—the Fire Qilin roared.

Yuwen Lie said: "Today's battle—I came here of my own will..."

He Ruo Qinhu clenched his fist, did not turn around, merely swung his hand backward and slapped Yuwen Lie across the face with full force; his rage was boundless—Yuwen Lie's helmet flew off; this humiliation to a warlord cut deeper than any wound.

He Ruo Qinhu roared: "Fool! Fool!"

"The lives of ten thousand soldiers, the fate of the nation—all rest on you, this single general—and yet you still care about your so-called pride and dignity? Are your comrades on the battlefield worth less than your arrogance?"

"Do you mean to use your comrades' lives to build your own glory?"

"Yuwen Lie, open your eyes—look at those who followed you here, thousands of miles from home, to fight—what are they like now?!"

"Do you place your dignity above your comrades and your homeland?!"

"What are you, anyway?!"

"Thief of fame!!"

He clashed with Li Guanyi—ninth-layer famed general, ferocious beyond measure, fully risking his life; Li Guanyi, at eighth-layer, fought He Ruo Qinhu, though one level lower, held his ground under the power of the Nine Cauldrons and military momentum.

Yuwen Lie looked around and saw the generals, captains, and soldiers of the Ying state.

Because he stubbornly rejected He Ruo Qinhu's warning and plunged alone into enemy lines, falling into the trap—he saw Ying soldiers fall to the ground, pierced by spears; saw Ying warriors crushed beneath warhorses in the distance; saw soldiers who died alongside the Fire Qilin army in mutual destruction.

He Ruo Qinhu endured Li Guanyi's strike, then thrust his horse spear backward.

Clashed with Xue Shen's halberd.

The old general's beard and hair bristled, blood in his mouth, wounds spewing blood—but suddenly roared, his blood and qi surging; the war formation's soul suddenly shifted from Bai Hu into a giant bear, rearing its head and roaring, swinging its claws.

The formation chains binding the soul of the hundred-thousand-strong army began to shatter layer by layer.

On the battlefield, the divine general was invincible.

Yuwen Lie needed only a few thousand men to surround and slay the Longlife Guest.

The formation master's ability to control a hundred-thousand-man array was already astonishing—but true heroes of the world never surrendered; as He Ruo Qinhu acted without regard for consequence, the war formation's soul tore at the formation, and its constraints began to break free.

Suddenly he thrust his spear forward—Xue Shen countered, but a faint cracking sound echoed—the formation master's enhancement had reached its time limit.

Xue Shen's mechanical warrior began to crack apart.

He Ruo Qinhu seized Yuwen Lie and hurled him backward.

Yuwen Lie's breath scattered—he looked around the battlefield, dark as ink, without a single ray of light; the soldiers who had fought beneath his banner lay in pools of blood, dying on a battlefield devoid of meaning or strategic value.

He Ruo Qinhu stood tall, eyes blazing, staring at the Divine Commander Yuwen Lie, tiger eyes wide with fury, bellowed:

"FLEE!!!"

Flee?!

Yuwen Lie was momentarily stunned.

That one word. That crushing defeat. The soldiers who died on the battlefield without dignity.

Finally shattered the arrogance in Yuwen Lie's chest.

As he fell, his steed galloped forward and caught him; He Ruo Qinhu, barely holding on, retreated from the front—now, the Ying state's forces in the south still had tens of thousands ready to fight, nearly equal to the Fire Qilin army.

Though they had been overconfident and advanced recklessly, they had not reached the catastrophic state of Yu Langwang; if one divine general was determined to withdraw, unless Li Guanyi and the Fire Qilin army were willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of lives, they could not possibly trap them all.

He Ruo Qinhu retreated, covering Yuwen Lie, beard and hair bristling, swinging his horse spear, trying to rescue Ying generals and captains locked in desperate combat—warriors who had once fought against Yu Langwang's hundreds of thousands.

He was among the world's absolute elite.

Li Guanyi drove his halberd into the ground, raised his hand to seize the Po-Yun Zhen-Tian Bow; the warbow sang, golden qi gathered thread by thread, forming an arrow that locked onto the ferocious He Ruo Qinhu.

His fingers released—the arrow spiraled forth like a pillar of light.

He Ruo Qinhu seemed to have anticipated it; his battle halberd swept horizontally, forcing the surrounding Fire Qilin troops back, and while still seated on his mount, he spun and brought down a heavy slash, the Xuan-level war spear nearly swung full circle as it crashed downward.

The arrow from the Po Yun Zhen Tian Bow shattered.

But the divine weapon's property activated: though the luminous glow on the arrow dispersed, it instantly shifted position and pierced into He Ruo Qinhu's waist and abdomen. He Ruo Qinhu, locked in fierce combat, had overextended his technique and could not retract his strength; his layered internal Qi was pierced through by the arrow.

This arrow drove deep into He Ruo Qinhu's abdomen, his armor offering no defense.

The arrow sank into flesh and blood; He Ruo Qinhu winced in pain, his face darkening.

Yet he swung his hand and severed the arrow, still as fierce as at the outset; the Ying army began retreating, avoiding further combat; on the battlefield, annihilating an enemy force, slaying its generals—this was already a top-tier achievement, typically occurring after a decisive victory when the enemy broke and fled.

He Ruo Qinhu still possessed martial prowess; even though the formation constrained the army's war spirit, no one—not even a Whale Fisher—could bind the war spirit of nearly a hundred thousand troops with a single formation.

To overpower and devour this army, the Fire Qilin troops would need to pay at least thirty thousand deaths.

Xue Shen Jiang rubbed his mechanical armor's chin and said:

"Kid, should we pursue?"

Li Guanyi exhaled slowly, ending his martial legend state; even his body felt exhaustion, and he replied: "To surround and kill two Ninth Heaven-ranked generals with one hundred thousand troops—even if one is wounded—is impossible."

"Jiangnan's military strength simply cannot do it."

"Rather, to drive them into such a crushing defeat is already a tremendous achievement."

Xue Shen Jiang nodded, seeing many discarded armors and weapons on the ground, and said: "Kid, don't speak empty words—what do you plan to do?"

Xue Shen Jiang, shrewd as ever, had read from Li Guanyi's reaction that he was not the type to let Yuwen Lie and the others leave so easily; the general clenched his fist and felt Zhang Ziyong's vitality once again seeping out slightly.

Xue Shen Jiang had only one final battle left in him.

He said: "Don't chase a desperate foe, kid."

"I can't fight anymore."

Li Guanyi said: "Don't chase a desperate foe."

"But there's another saying."

"Pursue the desperate foe with remaining valor."

"Do not seek empty fame like the Hegemon."

Xue Shen Jiang froze, puzzled: "Where did you hear that? I've never heard it before."

Li Guanyi's expression didn't change: "Now you have."

Xue Shen Jiang laughed.

"Fine, I'll see what you plan to do."

The Ying army gradually withdrew; the Fire Qilin troops all exhaled in relief—Jiangnan's Fire Qilin forces had never fought such a massive battle; this victory, standing firm against the Ying army and one of the world's top ten generals, stirred within them a surge of pride.

Li Guanyi raised his halberd, internal Qi surging, his voice carrying far.

"Wind!"

The Fire Qilin officers and soldiers raised their weapons in unison and roared:

"Wind!"

"Great Wind!"

The roar rose like a gale, soaring into the heavens, morale surging; Li Guanyi sheathed his halberd and turned to the other generals gathering around him, but did not order a halt—he said: "Rest for half an hour. Gather all units."

"Count the troops. Those with severe injuries are to be taken back for recovery."

"Those still capable of fighting are to be issued pills, supplies, replaced swords, replenished arrows and crossbow bolts, fed, and restored."

The Fire Qilin officers did not know what Li Guanyi intended.

But within the entire Tiance Prefecture Fire Qilin force, Li Guanyi's prestige was immense, like the sun blazing overhead; even though they didn't understand his plan, each felt the thought: 【If the Lord acts thus, there must be his reason.】

Jiangnan is a prosperous land.

Previously under Yan Daiqing's administration, civilian logistics were excellent; as soon as Li Guanyi gave the order, the logistics corps arrived, treating wounded, collecting prisoners, and replacing swords whose blades had snapped in combat.

All expended arrows and crossbow bolts were replaced with fresh ones.

Then they prepared food sufficient to restore strength and replenish energy without overfilling and impairing combat readiness.

This is the nature of fighting on home ground.

Logistics can instantly catch up; supplies are perfect.

Conversely, even the finest armies, once stretched thin and fighting within enemy territory, suffer severe disadvantages, continuously weakened, for deep incursions are always an extreme gamble.

But if successful, the gains are enormous.

Yet had Li Guanyi not returned in time,

had he not obtained the Jiuli Divine Weapon Jin Tie in the southwest, had there been no Formation Master, had Jiang Su's wounds not finally healed, then Yuwen Lie and He Ruo Qinhu's extreme gamble might not have failed.

It could have bought enough time for Ying's grand strategy.

The Fire Qilin transformed into a streak of light, returning to its normal state; Li Guanyi returned to the central command tent, where Master Siming regarded him with complex eyes, sensing subtle changes in Li Guanyi's aura.

Yuwen Lie's Bai Hu Da Zong manifestation had been shattered, broken apart.

Even if he later recovered, rested, and reformed his manifestation, it would still be Bai Hu—but no longer the sovereign of chaos and slaughter, no longer the rank of Bai Hu Da Zong, but degraded to the level of Xue Dao Yong's Bai Hu state.

The Old Black Tortoise couldn't help grinning and muttered: "This was merely a false Bai Hu Da Zong—and yet it shattered the true Bai Hu Da Zong, and now it's slowly gathering the original Bai Hu Da Zong aura that belonged to Yuwen Lie."

"Who, then, is the true Bai Hu Da Zong?"

"Is it Yuwen Lie—or was it always Li Guanyi?"

Master Siming couldn't help laughing: "Old friend, what are you talking about?"

The Black Tortoise looked at Master Siming, who sighed softly: "The Bai Hu Da Zong, the wrathful god who ignites the fires of chaos—only the victor has the right to be Bai Hu Da Zong. Does clinging to truth or falsehood matter?"

The Old Black Tortoise fell silent, watching Master Siming's calm, detached demeanor—the air of a transcendent sage who sees through all things—and felt annoyed; he deliberately lowered his voice: "Oh? Is there still meaning?"

"Senior Nine-Colored Deer, can you turn into…"

Master Siming flew into a rage and kicked the tortoise over.

The Whale Fisher returned, grumbling.

"How could Shi Wei's formation be broken so quickly?"

The old Master Siming rolled his eyes: "Enough already, Bai Mao. With just this hundred-thousand-strong army and top-tier divine generals, if you could hold back his momentum for even a moment, you'd earn your name in the art of formations. Yet you dragged it out so long."

The Whale Fisher sneered, turning to Murong Longtu:

"It's not that Shi Wei's formation is weak—it's that you're not up to the task."

"Next time, I'll show you what a real formation looks like."

"Not bad?"

"You old bastard, how dare you say that?"

The old Master Siming grinned, ignoring the Whale Fisher, who had flown into a rage over just those two words. Li Guanyi looked around and said: "The army will rest. I'm returning to Tiance Prefecture to handle some matters."

The Whale Fisher went to help Xue Shen repair and patch things up.

Li Guanyi rose and departed.

Within the city walls of the Eighteen Southern Provinces, in the Murong family compound, Murong Qiushui sat alone playing the qin. Her melody drifted gently, audible even to passersby at the gate. The common folk knew Murong Qiushui was the aunt of Qin Wu Hou of Tiance Prefecture, and the granddaughter of Murong Longtu.

Murong Qiushui's presence here, without leaving, naturally calmed the people's hearts.

Murong Qiushui lifted her gaze to the distant sky. The martial aura of war rose like black clouds, surging upward; the wailing of swords and spears could be heard even within the courtyard, like ceaseless thunder from heaven.

Suddenly, the long-standing clash fell silent. The dense clouds of martial energy slowly dispersed. Murong Qiushui's qin melody shifted; she gazed at the fading clouds, and for the first time, a trace of worry appeared on her face.

Black clouds pressed down, threatening to crush the city—but in that instant, they vanished entirely, signaling that the battle had reached its verdict. She had already seen the Fire Qilin, knew Li Guanyi had returned, but did not yet know the outcome.

Then, far off, a blazing fire surged into the sky, and the roar of mighty winds carried across the Eighteen Southern Provinces, dispelling all fear from the people's hearts.

On the streets, in the schools, in homes—men, women, elders, children—all froze, then burst into sounds blending sobs and joy, rising like a tidal wave.

Murong Qiushui heard the cheers outside. Her hands, which had played the qin for hours each day for over ten days, finally stilled. She pressed her fingers against the strings, dazed, then rose to go see what had happened.

But her spirit was too drained; as she stood, she staggered.

Instinctively, she reached out to grasp something for support. An arm extended, steadying her firmly. Murong Qiushui froze, hearing a voice filled with amusement: "Auntie, you don't have to be this excited just because you haven't seen me in a while."

"I'm almost embarrassed."

Murong Qiushui's body trembled as she turned—and saw Li Guanyi standing there, clad in green robes, bloodstained, his black hair bound with a jade hairpin, a sword at his waist, his brows fully open.

Since the autumn of the eleventh year of Tianqi, chaos had engulfed the land.

After Li Guanyi stabilized the south, he immediately departed for the Western Regions. Now, nearly two years had passed. In his teens, he had grown rapidly: when he left, he was a sixteen-year-old youth brimming with vigor; now, at nearly nineteen, he was steady and grimly lethal.

Murong Qiushui had raised Li Guanyi since childhood, like a mother.

She had never been apart from him so long. Looking at him now, she wanted to say something—but instead, she smiled as always and playfully tapped his head. She had intended to strike his forehead lightly, but he had grown too tall.

So she gently tapped his shoulder, teasing:

"You've grown up—and your nerve's grown too, Qin Wu Hou."

"You dare joke with your own auntie now?"

"You're asking for a beating."

She lightly tapped his shoulder, as if the two years had never passed. Li Guanyi reached out and brushed a fallen leaf from her shoulder, smiling: "I'll tell you everything about the past two years when I return."

"The Western Regions have beautiful scenery and delicious food—but no southern spring breeze, and no auntie."

"So the south is truly my home."

Murong Qiushui burst into laughter: "Smooth-tongued rogue."

"Who taught you that?"

Li Guanyi smiled: "It came straight from my heart." Outside, hurried footsteps and the wind's howl signaled that Wen Lingjun, Xiao Zhi, and others were waiting. Li Guanyi ended his reunion with his auntie, rose, and stepped forward.

Wen Lingjun and the others bowed in unison: "My Lord."

Li Guanyi grunted: "Bring me the terrain maps and battle reports." Without hesitation, without delay, Tiance Prefecture war generals stepped forward, bearing a set of Central Plains mountain-patterned general's armor, a jade-belt with jade rings, and a specially made Jiangnan Fire Qilin battle robe.

A golden circlet helm, dark-patterned battle boots.

The general donned armor—but Li Guanyi first removed his green robe, revealing white inner garments. He donned the fine-linked armor first, then the heavy plate, while the Nine Li divine metal flowed as an inner layer.

Murong Qiushui removed Li Guanyi's jade hairpin and personally re-bound his hair.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhi, Feng Xiao, and Wen Lingjun recounted the recent battle reports.

Li Guanyi swiftly inquired about all battlefronts and troop deployments.

Chestplate, arm guards, shoulder pauldrons—all secured. Finally, he draped the civil-military sleeve battle robe over himself, boots stepping on cloud patterns, Fire Qilin swallowing his waist, crimson robe billowing. The green-robed swordsman had vanished; in his place stood the mighty Qin Wu Hou of Jiangnan.

Li Guanyi raised his hand—the Nine Li divine metal transformed into a battle halberd.

Yet he halted the method of securing his hair with the golden circlet and helm. Instead, he picked up the plain, ancient hairpin once more and bound his hair himself—thus, beyond the fierce valor, there emerged the refined aura of a noble general.

"This one jade hairpin is enough."

Li Guanyi gently squeezed Murong Qiushui's hand, smiling:

"Auntie, wait here a moment—I'm off now."

Wen Lingjun whispered: "My Lord, what is your plan?"

Li Guanyi replied: "Minister, you'll know soon." He gripped his weapon and strode away, his battle robe billowing like waves, armor grim and lethal. Within half an hour, the Fire Qilin troops had rested, the wounded withdrawn—only those who could fight, who knew how to fight, who dared to fight remained.

Morale surged again!

Like a warrior drawing back his fist before unleashing it.

Qin Wu Hou rode the Fire Qilin onto the battlefield, reviewing his three armies.

He raised his halberd.

"The enemy invades our homeland, wounds our comrades—if we let them come and go freely, what becomes of our comrades' blood? Can we possibly accept this?"

"I stand with you."

"I will lead ahead of you. If any among you possess courage, step forward—fight beside me."

He pointed his halberd forward, his expression calm, and said:

"All troops—advance with me."

Beside Li Guanyi, the aura of Bai Hu Da Zong had never been so intense—it swallowed the white tiger's fortune scattered after Yuwen Lie's manifestation, growing ever more vast and terrifying, the martial spirit of the military house rising from this body as a monstrous god of chaos and slaughter.

Li Guanyi whispered: "If the bandits can go there, so can I."

"Counterattack—Ying State!"

Yuwen Lie and He Ruo Qinhu gathered tens of thousands of remnants, yet still remained a defeated army; though defeated, they had not yet collapsed. After marching fifty li, Qin Wu Hou completed his reorganization and led his main force to catch up, never launching a direct assault, only shadowing them step by step.

When the Ying State army's morale began to slacken, he personally launched a night assault, leading elite and ferocious troops to charge into the Ying State army several times, then withdrew before the divine generals could converge.

He Ruo Qinhu and others could not stop him.

This happened several times.

Yet he attacked only the front path, leaving the flanks extremely lax in defense.

Gradually, soldiers began to break and flee from the flanks; the Fire Qilin army ignored them entirely, letting them go—until, like a sand dune collapsing, the number of deserters swelled: first one or two, then dozens, then hundreds fleeing together.

Such is human nature.

Thus, even an army led by a famed general collapsed.

Under this slow, unrelenting, unpredictable pressure.

The Ying State army transformed from a defeated force into a routed one.

Once the three armies broke, there was no turning back—Li Guanyi's military momentum and battle style had already begun targeting the enemy's morale, grand and majestic, bearing the unmistakable aura of a great general.

In strategic confrontation, one failure leads to continuous disadvantage.

The routed Ying army fled chaotically toward Ying State's border, but the Fire Qilin army clung tightly, holding position just ten or so li behind—almost driving them straight into Ying State. The border commanders could not intercept them; the Fire Qilin army surged into Ying State, momentum roaring.

Two years ago, the Ying State border city that had blocked Li Guanyi for dozens of days fell to the Fire Qilin army in just three days; within its defenses, Fire Qilin banners flared fiercely, and Qin Wu Hou rode the Fire Qilin down the central road of the city.

The people—Ying State citizens—gazed at the warlord clad in battle robes, radiant as sun and sky, terrified and awed by his majesty, while Li Guanyi looked to the sky and murmured:

"The world underestimates me."

"Even though we are enemies, you have always regarded yourselves as elder heroes, seeing me as a youth—now I have returned."

"Jiang Wanxiang, are you ready to pay the price?"

"Now, the roles of attacker and defender have reversed."

The Ying State army collapsed into a rabble; its border defenses were exploited by the Fire Qilin army.

Qin Wu Hou's spearhead was like a blade.

Counterattack Ying State.

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