Chapter 531: A Spirit Willing to Swallow the Whole World

The Whale Fisher’s eye twitched violently.

He stared at that line of text, rubbed his eyes, widened his pupils, examined it closely—but nothing changed; he had not imagined it.

What met his gaze remained merely that simple title.

The Number One Divine General of the World.

The Whale Fisher fell silent for a long while, then sighed deeply: “Number One of the World.”

“Li Guanyi, Number One of the World?”

Yes, Number One of the World.

And more importantly, the most credible in eight hundred years—a general of chaotic times, whose grandeur from monarch to commander rivaled the founding heroes of the Red Emperor’s dynasty.

In such an era of chaos and mighty heroes, he rose to become the Number One Divine General.

His weight surpasses that of General Xue Shen.

How immense is the weight of a Number One Divine General forged in the crucible of chaotic battlefields?

Put simply:

He can lead an army and kill a Martial Legend with minimal casualties.

Truly invincible, unrivaled, dominating all.

The Whale Fisher stared at that line of text for a long while, still unable to accept this truth—that years ago, that weakling had now attained power worthy of the title Number One of the World.

Yet, in a daze, he recalled that their first meeting had been six years ago—how swiftly time had passed? The Whale Fisher instinctively glanced at the silver-haired girl beside him: Yaoguang sat quietly, flipping through scrolls of arcane arts, her expression serene.

Over these years, she had resolved her inner turmoil.

She was no longer the girl who once trembled with terror and dread at parting. As the Qin Prince waged war across the land, the Whale Fisher turned his gaze back to the Divine General List—

Achievements: 【Conquered the Western Regions, subdued the Southwest, reclaimed the entire Chen Guo within years, defeated the Wolf King, battled the War God, slain the Turkic Great Khan, killed Chen Huang—no one in three hundred years has destroyed more nations or captured more cities; his battle merits are unmatched, invincible.】

Realm: Above the Ninth Heaven, suspected Martial Legend—first revealed signs of Martial Legend aura during the reconquest of the Turkic lands.

The Whale Fisher gazed at this judgment from the Number One Tower.

Especially those six characters: 【suspected Martial Legend】. He mentally calculated the boy’s age—only twenty-two or twenty-three. A Martial Legend at twenty-two or twenty-three? Far earlier than even his own record.

Now he couldn’t even outfish that gossipy Xue.

Even the title of youngest Martial Legend had been snatched away.

The Whale Fisher was deeply displeased.

Yet beneath that displeasure stirred a thrilling sense of watching a younger generation stride boldly forward—he wanted to punch the boy, yet also thought of fetching a thousand-day wine to get roaring drunk with him, slapping his shoulder.

Saying, “You may not be as good as me, but you’re not bad.”

But if Li Guanyi has become the Number One Divine General,

Then Jiang Su is second?

The Whale Fisher stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Jiang the Second, the One-Eyed Dragon Jiang the Second?

Ha, that title suits him well.

The Whale Fisher smirked, planning to mock the fellow thoroughly next time he met him—but although Li Guanyi’s martial skill was formidable and his growth astonishing, he still couldn’t possibly defeat Jiang Su in single combat.

In command, Jiang Su surpassed Li Guanyi.

In troop quality, the Tiger Savage Cavalry rivaled Li Guanyi’s Qilin Army—so how could Jiang Su fall to second place?

The Whale Fisher’s gaze dropped further.

His brows furrowed.

For right after it, the Divine General List boldly bore the name: War God Jiang Su.

Honorific: Number One Divine General of the World.

The Whale Fisher’s eyebrows nearly knotted into a knot; after a long pause, he let out a dry chuckle: “...Two Number One Divine Generals? This heat... seems a bit too intense. Is the Number One Tower stoking the fires of this chaotic world?”

He continued reading.

Jiang Su’s judgment carried the same aura of invincibility; though his recent achievements didn’t match the Qin Prince’s, his martial skill, command, and strategy were the finest in three hundred years—glorious, fierce, and equally deserving of the title Number One Divine General.

The Whale Fisher compared the two judgments. Even as a man of the Jianghu, he sensed the heavy conflict hidden in the rankings: two Divine Generals, opposing camps, sworn enemies, yet both Number One.

Not to fight would be an insult to such titles.

Was the Number One Tower deliberately provoking?

Or was it—

That the storm of this chaotic age had reached such intensity, even the Number One Tower, ancient, revered, and acknowledged by all factions, could no longer decide which of the two was truly first?

Neither the Whale Fisher nor anyone else watching the Divine General List knew: the rankings after these two were quickly settled; only these two could not be decided.

No one dared render judgment, so the decision dragged on.

Finally, the Number One Tower’s lord dragged back the guest advisor Tu Shengyuan, who had tried to sneak away.

The door slammed shut; the key was swallowed whole.

It was clear: Tu Shengyuan wouldn’t leave until he produced the Divine General List.

Yet even Tu Shengyuan, who had once angered both the Peaceful Duke Li Wanli and the Sword Madman Murong Longtu, refused to rank them—how fierce was the Qin Prince’s aura? In just a few years, he had shattered cities and destroyed nations, his momentum blazing.

War God Jiang Su, invincible, his prestige surging for three hundred years.

Who do I put above whom?

Who?

Me??!

Just kill me.

Tu Shengyuan, who had once been beaten with Murong Longtu’s scabbard, stubbornly refused to meddle. After a long silence, this lifelong free-spirited guest advisor finally grasped the art of appeasement. He sought out the Number One Tower’s lord and said:

“Lord, hear me out.”

“This is beyond our capacity to judge. For other generals, we may rank them by achievements, martial skill, strategy, and victories—after all, that’s merely what scholars do.”

“Historians debate battles.”

“But these two are different—they are the core of yin and yang, embodying the world itself; one rage shakes the world, one joy brings peace. In eight hundred years, nothing like this has ever occurred. Their victory or defeat is the world’s victory or defeat.”

“Their ranking is the ranking of Qin and Ying.”

“It is the ranking of the old three-hundred-year dynasty and the new, blazing era.”

“This cannot be captured by the term ‘Divine General.’”

“Their ranking is nearly the direction of the world itself.”

Tu Shengyuan said: “We are mere wanderers, scribblers with ink and brush—how could we possibly possess the stature to make such a judgment?”

The Number One Tower’s lord fell silent for a long while, then said: “Who can decide?”

Tu Shengyuan raised a finger and pointed to the sky, calmly replying:

“No one.”

“Only the final battle can determine their victory and ranking.”

“Only the vastness of the world and the annals of a thousand autumns can settle their final place.”

“We mere mortals—our mouths and tongues are only for earning our daily bread. We lack such power.”

The Number One Tower’s lord fell silent for a long while, then sighed deeply: “You are right. This matter is beyond human will—no forcing it. Then there remains only one final question.”

Tu Shengyuan exhaled, relieved—the white-haired lord would no longer force him into a decision that would brand him a fool for eternity. He relaxed, composed, and smiled: “What else, Lord?”

“Say it.”

“I will not refuse!”

The Number One Tower’s lord frowned: “Two Number One Divine Generals.”

“Who goes first? Who goes second?”

Tu Shengyuan: “…………”

You bastard!

His lip twitched; he raised his hand to slap himself.

The Number One Tower’s lord quickly grabbed his arm, earnestly pleading:

“Guest Advisor, no, no, don’t!”

“Just tell me—who ranks first.”

Tu Shengyuan wished he could strangle himself from ten breaths ago, but the situation was dire. After a long silence, he sighed, took two sheets of paper, and wrote 【Li Guanyi】 and 【Jiang Su】 on them.

Then he crumpled them into balls and tossed them into a box, closed his eyes, and drew one.

He opened it.

It clearly read: Li Guanyi.

Tu Shengyuan looked at the Number One Tower’s lord:

“Qin Prince Li Guanyi, age twenty-two, barely past his coming-of-age, conqueror of nations, invincible—broken Tuyuhun, Tangxi, thirty-six Western Kingdoms, entire Southwest, Chen Guo, Turkic steppes, and former Marshal of the Red Emperor’s army.”

“His fame resounds across the land; his status surpasses even the Ying Guo Grand Tutor.”

“Respect the noble.”

“He must rank above War God Jiang Su.”

The Number One Tower’s lord: “…………”

“Huh???”

“What if I had drawn Jiang Su?”

Tu Shengyuan’s face remained calm: “War God Jiang Su, Martial Legend, roams the world, dominates all, unmatched in three hundred years, pillar of Ying Guo, aura swallowing the cosmos—neither good nor evil, only the victor is first.”

“Respect the elder.”

“He must be ranked above Li Guanyi.”

The lord of the First Tower of Heaven stared in shock, then let out a bitter laugh, pointing at Tu Shengyuan’s mouth with his finger.

“You—you’ve got a tongue that can twist any truth upside down and still make it sound reasonable. Ha! In times of chaos or peace, you’ve always managed to talk your way into meals and drinks.”

“Only the Sword Madman Long Tu could silence you with a blade.”

Back then, Tu Shengyuan had placed Long Tu’s granddaughter, Su Zhangqing, on his Beauty List. Long Tu came to his door with sword in hand and beat him senseless—yet Tu still said: “You may break my limbs, but do not harm my tongue.”

Bold indeed, and his head was hard as stone. Long Tu laughed.

He simply erased Su Zhangqing and Murong Qiushui’s names from the First Tower’s Beauty List and left. After being beaten, Tu Shengyuan, his face swollen and bruised like the lord’s, pointed at his own mouth and grinned:

“Is my tongue still intact?”

He was, in truth, a hero of his time.

Yet after completing this latest Divine General List, Tu Shengyuan fell silent for a long while, staring at the draft he had just finished. He raised his hand, snapped the brush beside him, and threw it to the ground with a long sigh.

The lord of the First Tower of Heaven gasped: “A guest advisor?!”

Tu Shengyuan said: “In my lifetime, I’ve claimed to know everything, compiled countless Divine General Lists, witnessed the rise of great generals and the fall of heroes. In these hundred years, the spirit of these warlords in the chaos has surpassed that of the past eight hundred.”

“I never expected this day to come so soon.”

“But this should be my final Divine General List.”

“The next great shift will be the final war for peace.”

The lord of the First Tower of Heaven, still valuing talent, spoke to dissuade him: “Even if, as you say, the next great reshuffling of the Divine General List will be the war that brings peace, still, after that great battle, the divine generals will need to be reordered.”

“Won’t that still require your hand?”

Tu Shengyuan shook his head.

“If the world is united under one state, what need is there for a chaos-era Divine General List?”

“If peace reigns, rankings will merely reflect merit—like portraits hung in the Hall of Heroic Deeds, rewards granted for service. That is not the kind of list written by wandering storytellers like us.”

“The chaos-era Divine General List ends here.”

“It is the final scroll of these eight hundred years—and my final scroll in this lifetime. My boldness, my words, are spent. I can write nothing greater than this list.”

“Better to break the brush, and never dip it in ink again.”

Tu Shengyuan, his temples now white, smiled: “Lord, today we part. If fate allows, may we meet one day in the age of peace, at a teahouse by the lake beside the city, where a storyteller recounts the three hundred years of the Jianghu and the eight hundred years of chaos.”

“That will be me.”

The guest advisor Tu Shengyuan of the First Tower of Heaven laughed aloud, pushed open the door, and stepped out.

He never returned.

The Divine General List ended here.

This final Divine General List came to be known as the “First Chaos List.” Its weight and the fierce, surging spirit within it matched none other than the very first Divine General List.

Beneath the two great warlords of Qin and Ying.

The top ten generals roamed the land.

Third Divine General—The First Archer of Heaven, who once wielded a battle bow and aided Jiang Wanxiang in establishing Ying’s golden age, opening the path to Xiyicheng and the Western Regions, and with a single arrow severed the bond between the Turkic Khan’s divine form and his destiny: Gao Xiang.

Fourth Divine General—A prodigy who rose young, dominated the land, unmatched in military strategy and tactics, a rare genius among commanders, his martial cultivation at the Ninth Heaven Realm, who absorbed and refined the poison of the Fei beast using the divine form of the Golden-winged Great Peng: Yue Pengwu, Marquis of Qin.

Fifth Divine General—The Divine General of Great Ying, who personally trained the Tiger Barbarian cavalry, rode a thousand li in a single night to annihilate the Tuyuhun. Though he lost an arm, his spirit only grew fiercer, and he took half a step further in cultivation.

Sixth Divine General—Wears a mechanical mask, skilled in halberd and bow, especially adept at provoking enemy generals’ morale before battle, concealing his identity and name: the Qilin Army’s Divine General. Alas, though his martial skill is high, he has never fully revealed his power.

Seventh Divine General—A seasoned, solemn, and deadly general of Great Ying: He Ruo, the Tiger Taker.

Eighth Divine General—Just past twenty, nearly the same age as the Qin King, already ranked among the top ten of heaven: the Lord of Xiyicheng, born with a divine form, granted the title of Duke: Li Zhao.

Ninth Divine General—Rose from obscurity, roamed through chaos, fought a hundred battles, never retreated. He once faced every general on the top ten list, losing repeatedly, vomiting blood each time, yet never yielding: Yue Qianfeng.

Tenth Divine General—Grand Marshal and General of Ying, a pillar on countless battlefields, cultivation at the Eighth Heaven Realm: Qin Yulong.

The world assumed the tenth spot would be chosen among Xiao Wuliang, the Western King Duan Qing, Qin Yulong, and Chen Wenmian. But though Chen Wenmian was formidable, he had yet to break through the barrier between the Seventh and Eighth Heaven Realms.

Xiao Wuliang lost an arm; his lord died; the Wolf King incident severely damaged his record.

Duan Qing’s cultivation was higher than Chen Wenmian’s, yet this Western King had spent too long in the peaceful lands of the Nine Li, growing out of touch with the brutal, sharp style of central plains generals.

It was widely accepted that if Duan Qing faced Chen Wenmian at the peak of the Seventh Heaven Realm, his chance of victory was under forty percent—unless Duan Qing brought along the Western Auspicious One, the rolling ball of fluff.

Provided, of course, that the Western Auspicious One hadn’t been lured off course by food and gotten lost.

Chen Wenmian was merely young, limited by his record and martial skill; otherwise, he might have climbed even higher into the top ten.

In the end, after much deliberation, each general had strengths and flaws—but Qin Yulong, who had earned merit without spectacular feats or glaring failures, claimed the tenth spot.

Yet while compiling this Divine General List, Tu Shengyuan had poured immense effort into reviewing archives. The more he researched, the more desolate he felt—

In just a few short years, too much had transpired: the Wolf King Chen Chengbi died; the Turkic Khan perished; the former steppe’s top archer, three years ago, fell to a single sword as Long Tu exited the pass.

Lu Youxian opened the city gates and surrendered, then took his own life for his country.

Chen Tianqi exhausted his life force and died on the grasslands.

These generals, who once ruled their domains with boldness and dominance in this turbulent age, now fell one by one on the eve of the final war for peace.

They could have foreseen peace was near—yet each died in battle.

Like a long night.

Stars filled the sky, once lighting the world for a time, now all fallen.

Thus the night grew deeper, darker.

Thus the night must break.

Yet before the final sun rose, illuminating the world completely, in this darkest hour before dawn, Tu Shengyuan felt he could still see the day of peace.

Yue Qianfeng stared at the names on the Divine General List, thrilled, planning to hang it as a treasured heirloom for future generations—when he noticed: among the top ten, Ying and the Qilin Army each held five.

Two top divine generals.

Four great generals each.

Even the list itself seemed to become a battlefield—words like spears, swords, and halberds clashing, making one instinctively hold one’s breath.

Words alone could convey the fierce, unyielding spirit of blade against blade. Words alone could subtly reveal the grand, overwhelming tide that would swallow heaven and earth.

Yue Qianfeng gazed at this scroll and, as if seeing the great generals of the realm, one after another, clashing with spears and blades, rising and falling, felt his blood surge. He sighed with awe: “The day of peace cannot be far off.”

“The final battle will be the greatest of the past eight hundred years.”

“In this battle, I shall be the vanguard—first to face the host of heroes.”

“Even if I die, I shall not regret it!”

………………

Li Guanyi set down the Divine General List, casually closed the scroll, no longer giving it much thought. Beside him, Po Jun glanced at the list, slightly surprised.

The weight of this Divine General List was less a martial ranking and more an omen of the world’s shifting tides.

Its spirit surged, anchored by the Qin King and the Divine General, transcending mere martial commentary based on records and cultivation.

To see this list was to see the world—to see a million soldiers arrayed on the battlefield.

Generals clashing.

Fierce, surging.

Po Jun murmured in admiration: “He has talent—and vision. He knows to place my lord at the top.”

Good. Not a back-alley amateur. He has vision!

I, Po Jun, now recognize him.

Li Guanyi said: “Sir, you know that at this stage, the Divine General List is merely empty fame.”

Po Jun looked at the Qin King, his smile fading slightly.

“My lord will ultimately prevail.”

Li Guanyi gripped the Jiuli Lord Sword, his fingers calmly tracing the dark blade etched with faint golden veins, listening to the sword’s hum: “In the final battle of the world, only the victor earns a place on the list. For now, this Divine General List is only worth a glance.”

“The First Tower of Heaven must have realized this—hence they didn’t rank first or second.”

“In raw strength, I am still inferior to Jiang Su.”

“His command is peerless; his martial skill ranks only below my great-grandfather. But the tide of the world and the outcome of victory are not decided by paper records alone. In the final battle, you and I must give everything.”

Po Jun declared firmly: “Yet he who rose from obscurity to contend among emperors cannot compare to my lord.”

“He is merely older than you.”

“If they were the same age, he would lose to you easily.”

Li Guanyi laughed: “How can you calculate it like that?”

“The final battle is for the world—it’s a contest of national strength and foundation. Such a great war will not begin lightly. Even if Ying seeks to end it before we fully unleash our foundation…”

“They cannot start it immediately.”

“We don’t have much time. Before the war begins, we must rest, recover, and gather our strength.”

“Ding—”

Li Guanyi gripped the sword hilt. His aura surged like a blazing sun, yet was fully contained, inwardly restrained—the realm of martial legend lay just ahead, as if one step away from breaking through.

Subdue Chen Guo. Shatter the Tielei.

Walk his own Dao.

The balance of the world was already divided.

The vast destiny had already flooded his body.

The Nine Cauldrons within him rang and trembled, louder than ever before.

Li Guanyi slowly exhaled.

Time to forge the cauldron!

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