Chapter 444: Victory!

In an instant, the explosive surge of qi detonated, propelling the arrow.

The Cloud-Piercing Heaven Bow nearly unleashed the same power as Xue Shen's arrow that pierced a mountain five hundred years ago, its aura like a rainbow, streaking straight toward Jiang Su—Jiang Su had intended to fire three arrows, one after another, to crush Qin Wu Hou's prestige before ten thousand troops.

This man must not be killed.

Then shatter his prestige.

Words are useless; rely on martial prowess instead.

Layer upon layer, escalating.

But no one anticipated that Li Guanyi's qi surged in an instant, his arrow flying like a rainbow—Jiang Su's arrow and Li Guanyi's arrow nearly brushed past each other in midair.

A tiger's roar erupted in the void.

The arrow stabbed straight into Jiang Su's shattered left eye.

With a hum, the arrow halted, barely an inch from piercing Jiang Su's eye socket—but the invincible battlefield god-general caught it with one hand, the arrow vibrating violently, yet unable to advance a single step.

Yet the force carried by the arrow tore like blades and swords.

The eye guard binding Jiang Su's left eye shattered under this overwhelming force, revealing the still-clear scar and the pale eyeball—his left eye still regenerated continuously, but the Fei poison had crystallized the eyeball.

No matter how powerful a person's Wu Gong becomes.

The eyes, being fragile, remain a weakness.

The sight was chillingly terrifying, like a demon from hell—Li Guanyi reached out and seized Jiang Su's arrow; his palm was torn by the gale, blood streaming down, the Nine Li divine weapons' layers of metal stacked thickly, forcibly blocking the arrow.

The arrow pierced through the divine metal and entered the body, yet could inflict no further damage.

Li Guanyi's blood qi surged violently, still feeling nauseous and coughing blood, but the metallic taste in his mouth could not suppress his overwhelming exhilaration.

He pulled out the arrowhead, his brow rising, his qi sharp and icy, utterly unaffected—Jiang Su knew the young upstart had lost, yet the blazing fire in those eyes pierced his spirit with unbearable pain.

Such fire—once, long ago, had burned in his own eyes.

Li Guanyi tossed Jiang Su's arrow to the ground and shouted: "Grand Tutor! God of War!"

"Didn't you eat enough today?"

"Your arrows aren't sharp enough!"

In direct arrow exchange, at least on the surface, it was a stalemate—every Qilin Army general who witnessed this was filled with exhilaration, just as the legends said: their lord truly possessed the potential to match this invincible God of War.

Li Guanyi stared into Jiang Su's eyes, his gaze cold with lethal intent, whispering: "You shouldn't have failed to catch that arrow. You shouldn't have only reacted when it was nearly at your face."

"It seems even a martial legend, with one eye constantly ravaged by Fei poison, suffers greatly—and is affected, isn't it?"

"God of War, Jiang Su."

Words striking the heart, like daggers.

Jiang Su looked at Li Guanyi.

And saw, as if in reflection, the defiant, unyielding Yu Langwang who died without surrender.

And the sword madman, Elder Murong, who, years ago, used his strongest sword at the moment of Break Through the Realm to cleave through his cultivation foundation.

His fingers clenched tightly, the arrow shattered layer by layer.

Jiang Su finally uttered a single word: "Go!"

That day, the Ying State halted Qin Wu Hou's invasion, yet chose not to engage him in battle—after brief skirmishes, neither side gained advantage; Grand Tutor Jiang Su of the Ying State withdrew fifty li to establish defensive encampments.

He returned to Ducheng with only a small force, exterminating bandits who rose during the chaos—over a dozen brigand armies were crushed, civilians coerced into rebellion were pardoned, and only the rebel leaders were beheaded, their heads displayed on city gates to intimidate the surrounding regions.

Thus, the Ying State's previously unsettled situation was once again stabilized by this pillar of the sea.

On the battlefield, Li Guanyi watched the Ying State army retreat far into the distance, exhaled deeply, and his Cloud-Piercing Heaven Bow dissolved into shimmering light; his aura surged and flowed, gradually healing the wounds inflicted by Jiang Su's arrow.

A fierce wind howled, and the Whale Fisher appeared beside Li Guanyi in an instant.

He suddenly grabbed Li Guanyi's shoulder, a qi current flowing, sneering: "I thought you'd grown so fierce you could duel Jiang Su—only ten days passed, and you've already reactivated the martial legend aura left by Chen Fubi?"

"Didn't I tell you this state requires long accumulation to use?"

"Aren't you afraid your blood qi will churn wildly, your meridians reverse, and you shorten your lifespan prematurely?!"

"Just those three arrows you fired have already cost you at least three years of life."

Li Guanyi said: "I ate Hou Zhongyu's Immortal Elixir."

"The cost of lifespan—Hou Zhongyu has already paid it for me."

"We're even."

The Whale Fisher: "…………"

He wanted to rage, to scold him—do you think lifespan is such a trivial thing? —yet precisely because of that Immortal Elixir, the authority to rebuke him as an elder no longer existed; the Whale Fisher felt deeply stifled.

He wished he could drag Hou Zhongyu out again and kill him once more.

Master Siming, rarely seeing the Whale Fisher humiliated, felt immensely pleased—he patted the old Bai Mao on the shoulder, winking at Li Guanyi, barely holding back laughter to shout "Well done!"

He circled Li Guanyi, marveling: "Break Through the Realm?"

Before Li Guanyi could answer, the Whale Fisher snapped: "Break Through the Realm? Pfft."

He paused, then added: "Quantity reached. Quality still lacking."

Master Siming frowned in confusion; the Whale Fisher raised his hand, a formation swirling, summoning a patch of cloud and mist, then using formation arts to conjure a light rain that froze into ice before him.

The Whale Fisher said calmly: "Only when condensed to this degree is it the Ninth Heaven."

"His qi now surges powerfully—already like a raincloud—but merely exceeds the upper limit of the Eighth Heaven in quantity. To enter the Ninth Heaven, he needs a qualitative transformation, needs condensation."

"Still, it's merely a matter of patient, slow refinement."

"Once this step is taken, across the vast world, few will be your match."

Li Guanyi clenched his fingers, sensing the surging destiny within the Nine Tripods, and faintly heard the mournful tolling of the tripod atop Mount Juxu in the western lands, and the wailing of the Nine Tripods in Jiangnan.

He faintly sensed the destiny of the southwest surging skyward.

The Whale Fisher, still chatting with Xue Shen and Master Siming, frowned slightly and said:

"When I was in Anxi, I already told him: if his spirit is unified and refined, he can break through to the Seventh Heaven, earning the title of Master—but to reach the Eighth Heaven, he requires many aids."

And if you wish to reach the Grand Master realm, you must forge your own path.

Yet every Grand Master's way of breakthrough differs.

His path is unlike any of ours; if you ask me how he refines his essence and takes this final crucial step, I do not know—I can only ask him.

Master Siming turned to Li Guanyi, about to ask, when suddenly he sensed something and clapped his hands, laughing heartily: "Ha! Judging by your expression, you already know what to do—brilliant, truly brilliant."

Li Guanyi gave a slight nod.

As long as the third Nine Cauldrons is forged, and all three resonate fully, their qi linked together, he can seize this opportunity to refine his own fate and stand firmly upon the Ninth Heaven.

At that time, he will draw upon the martial legend-qi left behind by Yu Langwang.

Even at great cost, he now finally has a chance to stand toe-to-toe with Jiang Su.

Li Guanyi clenched his five fingers. Since childhood, he had wandered the lands, fought across ten thousand miles, and now, at last, he possessed the foundation to directly confront his enemy. He turned, gazing at the townsfolk and the Qilin Army, and saw that the forty thousand Qilin soldiers who had followed him into battle stood in solemn silence, awaiting something.

Li Guanyi smiled, then suddenly raised his weapon.

His brows lifted, and in this moment, he once again bore the fiery passion of youth, shouting loudly:

"We've won!!!"

A moment of dead silence.

Then, a roar of wind surged skyward, unceasing, echoing across all directions.

This meant Li Guanyi's forces had truly taken root here.

It meant this territory had been tacitly acknowledged by the Ying state as belonging to Qin Wu Hou and Jiangshan.

In the midst of the cheering city, Master Siming smiled faintly. In this chaotic age, he had finally, once again, seen the radiance of the heroes from three hundred years past—the possibility of restoring the world to unity.

Those youthful dreams, those longings and pursuits, those things once sought but vanished like bubbles…

Master Siming lowered his gaze and whispered softly: "Wait a little longer."

"I will come find you."

As if the entire world had peeled away, this carefree, whimsical old man, who laughed and raged as he pleased, suddenly radiated an inexplicable loneliness and desolation—as if a long wind had blown, and he would soon vanish with it.

At that moment, Master Siming stroked his beard; his robe was torn, and as he tugged at it, his money pouch slipped out. He froze, watching it fly away, and instinctively reached out to grab it.

Old Black Tortoise happened to extend his front claw.

Master Siming slipped, fell with a slap against the city wall, and his fingers scrabbled for purchase.

The money pouch sailed out in an elegant arc, struck a protruding section of the wall, and with a clatter, the hundred or so copper coins scattered like a shower of flowers, falling into the soil.

Master Siming: "…………"

His face twisted.

"My money, aaaaaaah!!!"

Xue Shen regarded him thoughtfully: "So… gambling on fortune really does steal it away?"

"What if I gamble like this?"

"If it lets me meet my Yao Guang again…"

"Even if it meant I'd have endless money, live in a grand courtyard, and feast on rare delicacies every day—I'd do it!"

"What would happen?"

"By the way, Bai Mao—I mean, Fifth Brother—when are you going to deliver on that thing you promised me?"

Amidst the noise and laughter, everyone relaxed. Li Guanyi exhaled, gazing at the distant world where wind and clouds churned and all things flourished. His once-taut spirit gradually eased.

From the beginning, he could not stand against the Divine General Jiang Su.

Then, with tenfold forces and at any cost, he forced the Divine General to retreat through sheer momentum.

Now, after paying a certain price, he could barely match Jiang Su in direct confrontation. Li Guanyi felt his own transformation and growth—and after all he had walked, he had finally reached this point.

Li Guanyi unfastened his water flask, used water as wine, and raised it in salute to the distant world.

"Our hearts, both, are as iron."

"Jiang Wanxiang, our alliance is ended. The blood debt of our parents, the hatred for our homeland, the great vow for the world."

"Let us settle it on the battlefield one day."

Ten thousand miles of land and rivers, heroes of the world, bold ambition—here, it ends.

………………

Qin Wu Hou surged with momentum on the front lines; Nangong Wumeng, exhausted from the journey, finally relaxed, changed into women's attire, and stretched lazily in the courtyard of the Murong Clan.

Xiang Rui condensed his form and devoured large bites of Jiangnan's green bamboo.

Chew. Chew.

"Southwest green bamboo, wild and vigorous, rich in flavor, juicy—excellent, excellent."

"Yet Jiangnan's emerald bamboo is delicate and graceful, tender to the bite, with a lingering sweetness—also wonderful."

The Iron-Eating Beast felt a profound sense of fulfillment in its beastly life.

The Jiuli Clan never told him that central plains and Jiangnan had such delicious food.

If they had, I would've come sooner!

Nangong Wumeng propped her chin on her hand and said: "You and Little Qilin both love eating—so why don't you two get along?"

Xiang Rui, grinning and tearing apart bamboo stalks, shoved them into his mouth, and growled angrily:

"Him? He burns bamboo shoots before eating them!"

"And sprinkles them with that chili powder and some kind of Western Regions… big Xie Ziran."

"Heretic! Utter heresy!"

"Worse than those who refuse to eat bamboo shoots!"

Xiang Rui gnawed fiercely, while Nangong Wumeng laughed, lazily stepping through puddles, gazing into the distance, as if in a dream: "It's already been nearly three years since I met him… time really does fly…"

"I wonder… did we win?"

Gong Wumeng had originally intended to rush to the frontlines for reinforcements, but was stopped; her Fifth Heaven Wu Gong had seen no change in these past years, and among her peers, she was already outstanding.

Not everyone is a monster like Li Guanyi, Chen Wenmian, or Li Zhaowen.

On the battlefield, riding the wrathful aura of siege and conquest, one breaks through in rapid succession.

Yet, upon careful thought, those heroes who suddenly rose during times of great upheaval across the land, streaking across the sky like meteors—should they not have been just like these?

As she thought of this, Gong Wumeng suddenly felt a daze—as if she stood within history itself—and lifted a hand to pluck a strand of her black hair, saying: "So, how will future books record me?"

"Forget it."

Seeing no one had come, she clasped her hands, lowered her forehead, and whispered:

"May the gods bless him to return victorious."

"If he returns, I'll give him all the wealth in the world; if he truly doesn't return, I'll come to him myself." Gong Wumeng's black hair fluttered and fell as she prayed silently—perhaps useless, yet hoping to quiet her heart, simply a pure wish.

When she grew still, she stood like a jade bamboo, Murong Qiushui without ripples; a wild goose in the sky lowered its gaze and descended, while the fish in the pond leapt out.

At this very moment, a falcon had already flown over Murong Qiushui in Jiangnan.

A battle report arrived.

The frontlines achieved a great victory.

………………

As Jiangnan erupted into noise and waves of celebration,

the capital of the great state of Ying—Ducheng—was gripped by extreme tension.

The Imperial Guards and Forbidden Army had fully sealed off the palace's interior and exterior; all civil and military officials of Third Rank and above had hurriedly entered the palace and knelt outside the grand hall, each face bearing a faint air of panic.

Amid the panic, there was also unease, a hint of strangeness.

Human nature in all its forms, schemes and stratagems—nothing was more evident than now.

Candles burned brightly in the emperor's recuperation palace.

Jiang Gao and Jiang Yuan had both hurried to the palace; whether sincere or feigned, both imperial princes wore expressions of extreme alarm and worry as they rushed inside, only to find the Imperial Physician of Ying had just finished his diagnosis and stepped out of the chamber.

Jiang Gao went forward to ask about the condition.

Jiang Yuan followed closely behind.

The two princes surrounded the physician.

The emperor's other children and daughters, born after Jiang Wanxiang, remained outside and were not permitted entry.

The physician sighed and comforted them: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Second Imperial Prince, do not be overly concerned."

"His Majesty has merely exhausted his spirit and been further disturbed by the tide of the great affairs of the realm, causing his mind to falter and rebound against himself. I have already administered acupuncture; His Majesty has taken the Spirit Pill, and his breath has slightly stabilized."

"Moreover, His Majesty's own Wu Gong has reached the Master Realm, and he is already recovering on his own."

He paused, a flicker of hesitation appearing on his face.

He seemed about to speak, then held back.

Crown Prince Jiang Gao, seeing this, understood something and said gently:

"Physician, come with me—I'll see you out."

The physician thanked him and followed Jiang Gao outside; when they reached a secluded spot, Jiang Gao reached out and gripped the physician's sleeve, whispering: "Physician, no one is here—how truly is His Majesty's condition?!"

His eyes held genuine, tightly wound worry.

His hand clamped hard on the physician's arm.

The physician sighed: "His Majesty originally had over a decade left to live; with proper care, another twenty years or more was possible. But earlier, the Wolf King, Chen Fubai, attacked our capital Ducheng."

"His Majesty refused to use the people as a barrier, so he personally ascended the walls to confront the Wolf King."

"The world has qi-destiny—the collective spirit of millions. The Wolf King, after all, is the empire's second-greatest divine general, after the Grand Tutor, and he carries the momentum of conquest and endless war, fueled by a will to die without return."

"His Majesty is the Son of Heaven, yet on the battlefield, he could not match the Wolf King."

"That battle severely affected His Majesty—he was struck by the Wolf King's ferocious, malevolent aura."

The physician fell silent, for Jiang Wanxiang had always been magnanimous, and the Crown Prince before him was known for his kindness, so he spoke what he should not have: "His Majesty takes tonics daily; his blood and qi remain strong, but his spirit has weakened."

"His Seventh Heaven Wu Gong differs from those in the martial world who refine their skills entirely; it was largely built through pills. At this age, one is like a thin leather sack filled with water—if unbroken, it remains full."

"He appears spirit-saturated and qi-full."

"But once damaged, essence, qi, and blood spill out like water—and decline steadily."

"Among common folk, there are often elders who seem vigorous, even more agile than the young, capable of anything, as if they could live another twenty or thirty years without issue."

"Then one day, they stumble—and it's as if the sack has a hole."

"Essence, qi, and spirit leak out; within a year or two, they pass away."

"This is the calamity of old age—this calamity makes no distinction between kings, marquises, generals, heroes, beauties, or common townsfolk."

"If His Majesty survives tonight, he may live another one or two years."

"But if he does not survive tonight..."

Jiang Gao's face turned deathly pale; he gripped the physician's wrist tightly: "What then?!"

The physician looked at the Crown Prince with regret:

"Your Highness, spend more time with His Majesty."

Then he rose and took his leave. Jiang Gao stood pale, unable to recover for a long while, feeling as if his mother's death had only been yesterday—yet today, his father, who had always seemed eternally young and endlessly energetic, was about to depart.

Dazed, he turned to go back but failed to see the steps ahead.

He stumbled, nearly falling.

Inside the inner chamber, Imperial Prince Jiang Yuan dismissed the eunuch bringing the medicinal decoction, placing the bowl on the table, lifting the lid—and saw the dark, bitter broth within.

It was a powerful tonic.

But such tonics merely fill the essence, qi, and spirit; if they leak too fast or too violently, even they cannot turn back death.

Jiang Yuan watched his father in silence.

Father, you've grown old…

He thought, and a faint ripple stirred in his heart.

Even the father who was forever brave, forever majestic, forever unyielding, would grow old—those commanding, unrivaled eyes still circled before him now.

His father and mother had an excellent bond; they were like a normal family of four. As Emperor, Jiang Wuxiang had watched them grow up. His mother was too gentle, Jiang Yuan too mischievous at times, and his elder brother spoiled him, while his mother could never hold him back.

Back then, a single glance from his father could freeze Jiang Yuan in place, head bowed, silent.

Later, his mother passed away. To serve the greater cause, his father was forced to take imperial concubines; the bond between father and son gradually grew distant, and Jiang Wuxiang became consumed by the affairs of the realm, slowly unable to accompany him often.

Thus, in Jiang Yuan's memory, his father was always the mighty, martial Son of Heaven, beside his mother.

But even you… will grow old.

Jiang Yuan looked at Jiang Wuxiang, lying still with closed eyes. The eternal lamp beside the candlestand flickered, casting shifting shadows across Jiang Wuxiang's face—and across Jiang Yuan's own. His hands were hidden within his sleeves.

Inside the sleeves, he held a vial.

A jade vial.

Inside the vial flowed a liquid that seemed to pulse, as if still bearing a heartbeat and vitality after eight hundred years—it was the Blood Poison of Fei.

The last remaining drop of Fei's heart-blood.

Jiang Yuan stared at his father, then at the medicine bowl on the table, its surface lit by the flickering lamp, his face half-lit, half-shadowed. He had already heard: the Emperor and the Grand Tutor had discussed the future heir.

The Grand Tutor still recommended the Crown Prince, to allow the state to rest and recover.

Yuwen Lie should have died on the battlefield, but that beast He Ruo Qinhu had brought him back. Jiang Yuan sensed, faintly, that his own momentum was still uncertain.

If his father's wishes held, perhaps the elder brother would still prevail.

Unless… the Emperor died, and the imperial edict was forged.

He had already contacted the Chancellor. After long struggle, though he disliked his brother Jiang Gao, the bond of father-son blood made this decision unbearably difficult.

But Jiang Yuan had walked too far down this path.

Like a boulder rolling down Gaoshan.

He could not stop.

From the moment he first felt hostility toward his elder brother, from the first time he secretly moved against him, the innocent, youthful Jiang Yuan had died. Desire and greed would only grow—his struggles were fleeting; constant descent was the norm.

In truth, it was not that Breaker Mr. who began it.

It was Emperor Chen Dingye himself who gave him this medicine. That powerless, serpent-like Emperor Chen, with a gentle, refined smile, told him: if his talent could defeat Tai Ping Gong and Yu Langwang, why couldn't Jiang Yuan?

Yes, Chen Dingye could!

His talent, his audacity—far surpassed Chen Dingye's!

Why not!

Jiang Yuan's expression shifted. Chen Dingye's words were like venom from a dragon, taking root and sprouting in his heart. Shadows trembled; Jiang Yuan's silhouette seemed swallowed by a deeper, colder reflection.

Finally, he slowly withdrew the jade vial, uncorked it, and poured its Fei-blood into the medicine.

In the silent palace, the son's voice echoed.

"Father."

He said: "Time for your medicine."

?? Managed to restore my routine; hope the second chapter can hold.