Chapter 76

The old man stared blankly, gazing at the royal seal of Tuyuhun, once one of the Four Great Powers of the world, and for a moment failed to answer Li Guanyi’s question, instead doubting his Yin-Yang Qi-Observation Art—had he truly seen correctly?

He achieved the feat of destroying a nation while still young.

Could it not match the luminous radiance of the Seven Stars of Bai Hu?

Is it truly stronger, blessed by the Seven Stars of Bai Hu?

Or is the true Lord of the Stars the one who, with tyrannical force, seizes the starlight of the Four Symbols and concentrates it within himself?

Such thoughts arose in the old man’s mind, then clashed with each other—the Starwatching and Qi-Observation lineages each saw different reflections of the world; only true sages could glimpse a fragment of the future from the myriad changes they observed.

Li Guanyi said: “Is this seal not enough?”

The old man returned to the present.

He grinned, clutching his chest, leaning his back against the Xue family’s wall, slowly sliding down to sit on the ground, then gasping for breath, lifting his head, not targeting anyone, but letting out a furious, unfiltered curse—only after that did he calm down, and finally reached out, grasping the seal, Yin and Yang qi swirling.

That royal qi was sealed; the old man exhaled in relief and said:

“Bullshit, of course it can!”

“With this thing’s aid, you can refine something truly special.”

“The royal seal of the Western Regions’ overlord— you, you, ah…”

Li Guanyi could tell the old man’s description had shifted from “can share a portion” to “refine something special”—a clear qualitative leap—and asked: “What can it refine?”

The old man held up the seal and said: “You know about the martial cultivator’s Body Casting upon entering the realm, right?”

“After entering, one casts the body, condenses qi, and unblocks the meridians.”

“In essence, the martial cultivator forges himself—Body Casting allows him to carry sufficient power, Condensing Qi makes his qi dense and refined, like smelting iron ore into a weapon, and Unblocking Meridians allows qi to flow freely, enabling him to unleash force in any direction to kill.”

The old man cursed:

“Crude martial cultivators—those three thresholds after entering the realm are all for better killing.”

Li Guanyi could guess that other sects certainly did not follow this path.

The old man said: “Once you’ve passed all three, you reach the Second Floor.”

“After the Second Floor, martial cultivators train in the transformation of their qi. Through corresponding cultivation, by the Third Floor they can condense qi into weapons—but is condensing qi into weapons necessarily stronger than a martial cultivator who has refined his body at the Second Floor?”

Li Guanyi replied: “Not necessarily.”

The old man nodded:

“One can only say that condensing qi into weapons allows martial cultivators to increase their lethality faster.”

“At this point, Body Casting, Condensing Qi, and Unblocking Meridians yield far less return than refining qi’s transformations—even ten years of hard training, making the body tougher and qi denser several times over, means nothing if your opponent has long since reached the Third Floor.”

“Condensed qi weapons are more agile than your techniques; condensed qi armor is tougher than flesh and blood—you still can’t match them.”

Li Guanyi nodded, understanding.

The old man stared at the seal and murmured: “Martial cultivators think forging the flesh is inefficient for killing.”

“But among the Buddhist and Daoist sects, there are countless cultivators who don’t pursue killing—they focus on refining their own bodies, and in this arduous training, in every punch and kick, find inner peace.”

“They refine only the body, and dedicate their entire lives to it.”

“About seventeen hundred years ago, when a marquis shattered the Daoist sect, even Daoist sword immortals who cultivated qi could not match them—yet a Daoist who swept the temple steps stood unharmed before the onslaught, even as arrows rained down like a storm, and the world learned of this path.”

“Body Refinement became a trend then.”

“In its later stages, such cultivators possessed boundless strength; their bodies were impervious to internal qi or weapons. They lacked the high-level martial cultivator’s ability to gather qi into oceans or dragons—but such techniques crumbled before them like clay statues.”

“Gradually, geniuses from various sects abandoned martial cultivation.”

“In the martial cultivator’s Second Floor, Third Floor, Fourth Heaven—each level saw some deliberately halt, focusing on one path: either refining the body or strengthening qi.”

“They cultivated only one thought, perfected that realm to its utmost, rejecting all other paths—they chose to widen, not extend. The Second Floor, the Buddhists call it Dragon-Elephant, the Daoists call it Heavenly Armor, named for the Dragon-Elephant’s boundless strength and the Six Ding and Six Jia guardians who protect and exorcise demons.”

“At this level, the body is immensely strong; perfected, fists and feet can split mountains and shatter seas.”

“The only problem is it requires slow, grinding effort—ten years, maybe twenty, just to enter and transform, achieving massive power gains; before that, progress is negligible, so now it has gradually faded.”

“After all, with that time, one could refine qi, question the heart, manifest a Dharma Form—and still match their power. So these are two distinct paths. But now, with this thing in your hands, you have the chance to cultivate both body and qi equally.”

The old man’s expression turned solemn as he caressed the seal and sighed:

“The meaning of destroying a nation for a military commander differs utterly from that for other sects.”

“For the military, the cultivation significance of destroying a nation equals a Buddhist’s sixty-year Silent Meditation or a Daoist’s sixty-year pilgrimage through the mortal realm—and most importantly, boy, how old are you? Huh?”

“When I was your age, I was stealing sweet potatoes from someone’s yard, then running for my life with that brat A Chai, and finally I had to go work for others to earn money to redeem that damn A Chai!”

“This seal can propel you forward a great step in Body Casting, helping you cultivate methods akin to the Buddhist Dragon-Elephant or Daoist Heavenly Armor—within the same realm, your body will be invincible.”

“Then clad in heavy armor, riding a strange beast, wielding a divine weapon, you’ll ride freely across the battlefield.”

“Boundless strength—arrows and crossbow bolts, even those that pierce qi, cannot seriously wound you; you pull out the arrows, and before the bleeding stops, your wounds begin healing. That’s the physique of a true warlord.”

“Can you imagine a nine-foot-tall giant, clad in black full-body armor, riding a beast with a head a full zhang tall, both man and beast fully armored, weighing ten thousand jin, charging toward you at a speed faster than a river bursting its banks, raising a spear as thick as a wrist?”

Li Guanyi imagined it, his breath growing heavy.

The old man said: “Ordinary soldiers seeing this would instantly break morale, flee. Once one in ten soldiers lose their nerve, panic spreads rapidly, turning the army into a rout.”

“Thus, such a being alone can shatter an entire army’s spirit.”

Li Guanyi said: “So this is what a warlord with such a physique is like?”

The old man shook his head: “No. That’s Tie Futu.”

“One thousand Tie Futu can scatter thirty thousand soldiers; if their losses exceed one hundred, their commander is a fool. But a true warlord can ride a strange beast, charge head-on through the Tie Futu, and break their spearhead.”

Li Guanyi fell into a daze, then sat upright, spine straight, and asked:

“Can it be achieved directly?”

The old man snapped back: “Is your qi strong enough to refine your body to the supreme level?”

Siming said: “This thing merely frees you from having to focus on body refinement—but it can help you achieve the initial form of this physique. Afterward, you must, at each new realm, refine your body with the aura of battle and bloodshed. This path is only for warlords in chaotic times who seek to pacify the world.”

“All these years, even this royal seal has lost its former edge, its power slowly leaking away—the heir of that overlord no longer carries his ancestor’s might. But even the residual aura of the former overlord is enough to let you forge this physique—like finding a raw jade. What comes after depends entirely on your own refinement.”

“It is called Golden Musculature, Jade Bones, Dragon Tendons, Tiger Marrow.”

“Boy, will you cultivate it?”

Li Guanyi recalled the might of Yuwen Lie, recalled the true Bai Hu Grand Master, and said:

“Please, Master, teach me.”

Siming’s expression turned solemn, yet his words lacked conviction: “Then… wait.”

“I’ll go find someone.”

Li Guanyi froze.

The contrast between his earlier solemnity and these words was too great.

The old man squatted before him, voice firm despite his lack of justification: “You said ‘a little’—but who knows what ‘a little’ means? Ordinary fortune, I can dispel it myself. But such a great opportunity, enough to transform your physique—I can’t do it alone!”

“I’ll find reliable people to complete this forging for you.”

The old man crouched in front of him, unshaken in his conviction, said: “You said ‘a little bit’—who knows what you meant by ‘a little bit’? Ordinary luck, I could dispel for you easily. But this kind of fortune is enough to transform your body—there’s no way I could manage it alone!”

Li Guanyi asked: “Can it be done before Chen Guo’s Grand Sacrifice?”

The old man looked at him.

Chen Guo’s Grand Sacrifice would inevitably become the first vortex of the world. Li Guanyi had no escape. The old man knew this—and now, he too wondered: at this gathering of heroes, how far could this boy go?

He nodded, calculated the time, and said:

Chen Guo’s grand ceremony would inevitably become the first vortex of the coming world. Li Guanyi had nowhere left to flee. The old man knew this, yet now he too looked forward—here, where heroes gathered, how far could this boy go?

Li Guanyi exhaled in relief: “Then I should write a letter to this friend.”

He looked at the letter, which ended by saying the second son of the Ying Duke Prefecture would also come to Chen Guo’s Jiangzhou City for the Grand Sacrifice—perhaps they might meet. Li Guanyi thought a moment, picked up his brush, and replied.

His brush descended, writing eight characters.

The Emperor of Chen Guo also picked up his brush.

He was viewing the newly completed “Thousand Li River and Mountains” painting with his ministers.

All ministers praised the artistry—except Chancellor Dan Tai Xianming, who smiled and said:

“Your Majesty’s painting is poor.”

“You made a mistake.”

The ministers’ smiles vanished as if slapped.

Dan Tai stared at the chancellor.

The officials’ smiles vanished as if slapped across the face.

Drunk?

The emperor raised his eyes and smiled: “What’s wrong?”

The ministers dared not speak.

The refined old man bowed slightly, then calmly said amid the ministers’ shock: “Chen Guo has gained three hundred li of territory. This painting is too small. The Grand Sacrifice in a month will draw heroes from across the land—we cannot afford to appear petty.”

“Your Majesty must repaint it.”

The Emperor of Chen Guo froze, then burst into loud, joyous laughter, pointing at the refined chancellor: “Good! Good, Dan Tai Xianming! Hahaha! Then tell me—how should the ‘Thousand Li River and Mountains’ be painted?”

Dan Tai Xianming smiled: “Then, Your Majesty, grant it to me.”

“When I die, let me see the territory our Chen Guo once held—so I won’t forget from what land the Sage began, and built his achievements.”

The Emperor of Chen Guo laughed harder, waved his hand—the scroll fell into Chancellor Dan Tai Xianming’s arms. The chancellor bowed with a smile.

The general who had been promoted by him, who had conquered three hundred li of Tuyuhun land, stood beside him and bowed. His name was Liu Man’nu; the Emperor of Chen Guo had bestowed upon him the name “Zhong.”

The Emperor of Chen Guo laughed louder still, raised his hand, and the scroll landed in the arms of Chancellor Dan Tai Xianming, who bowed with a smile. The general beside him, who had been promoted by the chancellor and had subdued three hundred li of Tuyuhun land, also bowed. His name was Liu Man’nu; the Emperor had bestowed upon him the name “Zhong.”

New Divine General Rankings: 67th!

Achievement—First Battle: Crushed Tuyuhun, Expanded Border by Three Hundred Li.

Achievements—first battle: crushed the Tuyuhun, expanded the border by three hundred li.

The emperor’s laughter merged with the music praising his virtues.

On the northern steppes, the Seven Kings prepared their envoys for departure; Po Jun scattered the poison he had prepared into the river, gazing eastward as the river shimmered like gold under the sun, surging toward distant lands.

The hooves fell, shattering the river!

Yuwen Lie gripped his long spear, his expression solemn and cold.

Under the sunlight.

The Tangut ruler established his own kingdom, while the Tiele tribes of the Western Regions witnessed the young master of the Xue family and their ironware; the last remnants of the Tuyuhun retreated to their ancestral homeland. Yuwen Lie pressed his spear to the ground and drew a line, declaring that five hundred years hence, the Central Plains would once again claim dominion over this land.

This land would become the Protectorate of Ying State, governing the northwest.

Before him lay the severed heads of the noble chieftains of the Tuyuhun tribes in the Western Regions.

The fierce wind blew as the warhorse of the Fifth Divine General of the Realm galloped across rivers and streams.

Dan Tai Xianming controlled the fate of Chen State.

Po Jun lifted the coarse felt cloth, revealing a suit of armor etched with star patterns, solemn and reeking of blood; the Seven Kings responded to the orders and envoys of the Turkic Khagan; the phoenix of Ying State cleansed its wounds.

Waiting for a letter from afar.

The Tangut king revelled, embracing the Chen princess’s waist, sending his son to Chen State, yet his eyes remained icy.

They roamed the world, carrying their great aspirations, crossing rivers.

The world was a blank sheet; heroes came and went, rivers and mountains crisscrossed, transforming into inked characters. Li Guanyi picked up his brush and wrote his reply, then remembered something, took the imperial seal from the old man, breathed on it, and pressed it onto the letter.

The seal of the overlord from three hundred years ago fell, as crimson as the day it was first cast, imprinting upon those eight great characters—

【Beneath Jiangzhou City】

【Awaiting Your Arrival】

………………

The old man departed with the seal, and Li Guanyi heard a clanging sound.

It was the sound of an iron pot striking the wall.

He turned and saw his aunt waving to him; the boy hesitated, then went over. Murong Qiushui looked at the boy, raised an eyebrow, and said: “Little Cat, planning to go to Jiangzhou?”

Li Guanyi said: “...Yes.”

He told his aunt everything. Murong Qiushui propped her chin on one hand and said:

“But haven’t you already realized that if the emperor learns of your origins, it will cause trouble?”

Li Guanyi thought for a moment and said: “If Auntie doesn’t want me to go, I won’t go.”

Murong Qiushui sighed, pressed a finger to the boy’s forehead, and scolded: “Little Cat, you’ve gone bad—you’ve learned to wheedle me with words. When did I ever say you couldn’t go?”

“You just need to adjust your appearance and fortune a little.”

“And your destiny, your bearing.”

Li Guanyi froze: “Huh?”

Murong Qiushui smiled faintly, calmly saying:

“Though I know no martial arts,”

“I have something I can teach you.”