Chapter 81: Transmitting the Art, Establishing Authority!

Body Casting?

That is one of the Three Gates after a Martial Artist enters the realm, requiring ordinary people roughly three years of gradual pounding and tempering to possibly break through; after breaking this gate, one may unleash full force in fists, feet, blades, and swords without fear of self-injury from excessive power.

It is the true foundation upon which a Martial Artist can bear vast primordial energy for combat.

Xue Daoyong’s feigned anger vanished in an instant; he appeared beside Li Guanyi and seized the boy’s arm. Li Guanyi’s qi surged and broke free at once—the old man’s strength was precisely calibrated to the level a Martial Artist could break free from after Body Casting.

Everything else can be faked.

Only the contest between Martial Artists is real.

The old man froze, murmuring: “Half a month? Half a month? Body Casting is already complete?”

Li Guanyi shook his head. “It’s more than that.”

Xue Daoyong looked at him. The youth clenched his fist and performed a set of fist techniques, then suddenly spun, his qi surging violently. Li Guanyi’s bones had been weakened by the poison in his body, but his comprehension of martial arts was exceptional; though this form was basic, he executed it with perfect rhythm and control.

When he finally gathered his qi and struck a punch, a jade-colored aura shimmered along his fist, stirring the air around him with a whistling wind. He halted his movements and said: “The Jade Arm Divine Bow Art—I’ve achieved minor mastery of its Entry Chapter.”

In half a month, Body Casting is complete, and the Jade Arm Divine Bow Art’s Entry Chapter is minor-mastery achieved.

The old man opened his mouth.

He stared at Li Guanyi.

Then he burst into loud laughter.

“Hahaha, good, good!”

“No wonder you’re my Xue family’s prodigy!”

“Excellent, excellent!”

Li Guanyi bowed with a smile. “Today I broke through, so I was in high spirits. Seeing Miss Xue in low spirits, knowing she had to face those noble families, I took the liberty of taking her out for a stroll. It rained, the roads were slippery, and she accidentally twisted her ankle.”

Xue Daoyong waved his hand. “What’s this talk of ‘Miss Xue’?”

“You’re nearly the same age, raised together since childhood, innocent and close.”

“From youth to now, your bond is deep.”

“Just call her Shuangtao.”

Li Guanyi froze.

He had always prided himself on lying as naturally as breathing.

Until he met this old man who built such a vast fortune amid chaos.

The youth realized he was still too green.

Xue Daoyong smiled. “Come, come—since you’ve achieved Body Casting, I’ll now transmit the [Qi Condensation Chapter] to you.” The elder had Li Guanyi sit down and demonstrated the qi transformations of the Condensation stage—merely forging internal qi to make it denser, from its original scattered state.

“Each sect’s methods are similar here, different paths leading to the same goal. In essence, it’s just compressing internal qi—but only two points matter.”

The old man opened his palm; his qi rose and condensed into a slender thread of energy, circling and spinning in his palm with a sharp whistling sound. “Condense. Control. After this stage, your internal qi will become far more agile. What once felt like qi accumulating in your meridians will now seem diminished.”

“In truth, it’s like clouds turning to rain—already a qualitative change.”

“The more condensed your qi, the farther it can reach beyond the body. Martial Artists at this stage all train in armor-piercing arts. My Xue family’s true lineage techniques only emerge at the Third Floor, when Qi Condensation becomes Weaponry. The martial art for this stage is called Shattered Jade Fist.”

The elder demonstrated: using the Jade Arm Divine Bow Art’s qi to accumulate force continuously during attack, then unleashing it, he drove the condensed qi into the opponent’s body, where it exploded within their muscles and bones.

“My Xue family specializes in archery, but Shattered Jade Fist is considered an upper-tier fist art in the martial world—comparable to the core inner arts of major sects during the Entry stage.”

Li Guanyi was curious.

The elder only smiled. “Everyone in this world seeks something.”

“The Xue family has nothing else but spare wealth. The world is vast, everyone suffers, and money can solve many problems. With enough gold, we hired several martial artists eager for profit to create an upper-tier fist art based on the Jade Arm Divine Bow Art’s properties—not difficult at all.”

Li Guanyi asked: “Won’t they spread this fist art?”

The elder said: “I heard that after completing this fist art, they severed the meridians in both arms.”

“To ensure no one could detect their internal qi flow.”

Li Guanyi said: “That’s brutal.”

The elder spoke calmly: “The Xue family gave them wealth no death-servant could ever earn—enough to secure three generations of prosperity.”

Li Guanyi grimaced, realizing he still didn’t fully grasp the Xue family’s wealth. The elder then transmitted the secret fist technique to Li Guanyi and had him sit before him, attempting Qi Condensation. Li Guanyi breathed in and out, following the Xue family’s Qi Condensation Method to compress his internal qi.

Li Guanyi felt his internal qi gradually compressing, like forging iron ore.

Impurities were expelled; the qi grew purer.

Soon, the first thread of condensed qi formed.

Li Guanyi stared at the slow-flowing qi in his palm—it wasn’t yet pure or dense enough, but unlike his previous scattered energy, it was now visible to the naked eye. He flicked his finger; the qi shot out, striking a chess piece and sending it flying.

The youth clenched his fist.

Qi Condensation.

Once Qi Condensation is complete, he can transmit qi into others’ bodies to assess his aunt’s condition—no longer like last time, when his qi vanished the moment it reached her wrist.

Li Guanyi deeply cared for his aunt’s condition.

And the Xue Shenjiang’s ultimate art [Rolling Waves], and Chen Duke’s ultimate art [Crushing Mountains], both require mastery of qi control after Qi Condensation to be completed.

Qi Condensation…

As Li Guanyi practiced, he also sensed the cold, icy presence interfering at his heart.

After flowing through his heart meridian, one-third of his condensed qi scattered again.

This left Li Guanyi deeply unsettled.

This poison, clinging to him for ten years, its shadow never lifting—when Si Ming returns, he will use the Tiger Roar Bone Forging Art to crush it utterly. But he didn’t know: by then, how much would his bones improve? How fast would his qi flow?

Yet even this stage of qi condensation earned Xue Daoyong’s strong approval.

The elder invited him to stay for dinner, then pulled out a letter and casually handed it to Li Guanyi to read—these were Xue family’s secret messages. He sighed: “The Chen state’s grand sacrifice in a month will be even larger than we anticipated, Guanyi.”

“The five khans of the Tielei were crushed by Yuwen Lie; yet the seventh khan possesses piercing insight—he seized the grasslands of the Western Regions and has become a new ruler of the steppes.”

“And this seventh khan will come to Chen’s grand sacrifice.”

“The Ying state will send its second prince, Jiang Yuan—renowned for his virtue. I wonder if the crown prince will come too—if even that crown prince arrives…”

Xue Daoyong paused, then said: “Yuwen Lie, the famed general of the world, will come as well.”

Li Guanyi’s movements halted.

The elder continued:

“Also, the second son of the Ying state’s Duke Prefecture.”

“He is young but already famed for talent, both literary and martial.”

“Originally, the eldest son was to come—no one knows why they suddenly changed.”

“It resembles the situation with the Tielei seventh khan.”

“Also, the son of the newly founded Tangxi state’s ruler—all of them will come.”

“I heard the Tangxi ruler is secretly searching the Western Regions for the Wangyin of the Tuyuhun. Yuwen Lie of Ying, and Dantai Xianming, they’re all seeking the same thing. Perhaps the dying Tuyuhun king suddenly awoke and, with the seal, leapt into the volcanic chasm that split the Western Regions.”

“Otherwise, how could such a precious object vanish?”

“The remnants of the Tuyuhun tribe, the newly founded Tangxi people, the watchful Tielei, the Ying state building a Protectorate, and the old fox Dantai Xianming—all are watching this seal.”

“I heard that when this seal was forged, thirty-five tribal chieftains were slaughtered. Three hundred years later, it still stirs bloodshed. The Tuyuhun king of that era was truly the greatest hero and overlord of the Western Regions in a thousand years.”

Xue Daoyong sighed.

Li Guanyi’s expression remained unchanged. “Indeed. This is where the winds of the world converge.”

“But who will claim it, and where?”

Xue Daoyong smiled. “Whoever gets it—that’s far away in the Western Regions, none of our concern. We simply watch. When he emerges, trouble will surely follow.”

Li Guanyi said: “True.”

Yet inwardly he thought: before entering the grand sacrifice, he must drain the aura from the seal.

The elder chatted with him about the world’s changes, the vortex of the sacrifice. Finally, he raised his teacup and whispered: “Tomorrow, Shuangtao departs for Jingcheng. Guanyi, ride with her to see her off—turn back after about a hundred li.”

“We must resolve one of your troubles before you enter the grand sacrifice.”

Li Guanyi fell into thought.

The elder waved his hand; the curtain of the Listening Wind Pavilion fell, silencing all inside.

The elder and Li Guanyi spoke for the duration of an incense stick.

………………

It had rained today; tomorrow, the Jiangnan sky was exceptionally blue. The Xue family’s carriage convoy was ready, exiting the eastern gate of Guanyicheng, heading toward Jiangzhou and Jingcheng. The carriages carried gifts and formal invitations from the Xue family to other noble houses. Miss Xue sat inside, lifting the curtain to chat with Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi rode his horse, strikingly martial. The carriage moved slowly; the hundred-li journey took an hour. Ahead, he could already see the imperial consort’s entourage. He pulled his reins tight. “Then, Miss Xue, I can’t accompany you further.”

“Travel safely.”

Xue Shuangtao lifted her gaze. Suddenly: “...You’ll come in a month, won’t you?”

“You’ve received your travel permit—you won’t vanish suddenly, will you?”

Li Guanyi said: “Mm.”

“The Emperor has an imperial decree. Even if I wanted to run, I couldn’t.”

Xue Shuangtao relaxed, nodding slowly. “Then I’ll wait here for you.”

She smiled: “Jingcheng has many beautiful places, delicious food, fun things—I’ll explore them all. When you come, I’ll take you.”

Li Guanyi handed the girl a small sack.

Xue Shuangtao opened it: inside were smooth, round stones children played with, and a spinning top. Li Guanyi halted his horse, watching as Miss Xue waved to him, was helped into the imperial carriage, and gradually faded from view.

The youth turned his horse, heading back toward Guanyicheng, when suddenly he heard a whistle.

From the grass, ropes of tripwires rose one by one.

Then came the sound of hooves. Five tall horses, unseen in Jiangnan, burst forth. Each bore a young man in bright robes, masked, their brows raised with arrogance. The five fine steeds circled Li Guanyi at speed. One laughed: “Is this Li Guanyi?!”

“Hah! We’ve caught him!”

“Today we’ll ruin his martial arts, break one of his legs, and see if he can still attend the Grand Sacrifice!”

“Hahaha, brother, which leg are you talking about?”

The youths burst into laughter, their brows wild and arrogant—clearly seasoned riders. The five horses circled Li Guanyi at speed; one youth whistled, raised his hand, and hurled a hooked iron chain straight at Li Guanyi.

If it struck, it would leave at least a few bloody holes—but Li Guanyi raised his hand and caught the iron chain.

The youth froze, then cursed: “What kind of peasant dare fight back?!” He instinctively yanked the chain; Li Guanyi lifted his gaze, looking at the youths in fine robes and rearing steeds, and the old man’s earlier words returned to his mind.

“Ever since the imperial decree and the Emperor’s praise, you’ve been placed on the fire, Guanyi. Now that it’s known you’re entering the Chen State Grand Sacrifice, the sons of the court’s martial nobility won’t hold back—they’re always reckless, galloping through the capital…”

“They band together, shun outsiders.”

“They resent you, wear masks to strike you, and because they’re noble families, they escape punishment.”

Li Guanyi asked Xue Daoyong: “How much should I conceal my abilities?”

The old man burst into loud laughter, then roared:

“Conceal your abilities?”

“Conceal a damn thing!”

Li Guanyi held the same thought, but feared bringing trouble to the Xue family.

He hadn’t expected the old man felt the same.

Xue Daoyong said:

“Those noble youths have none of their ancestors’ boldness. If you hide and yield even a little, they’ll see you as weak and exploitable, then press three steps forward, continuing to bully and humiliate you, probing further—until it drags noble families and imperial in-laws into their feud.”

“That’s what I’m telling you.”

“The ones who show up first are the weakest of the martial nobility—the old man can handle them. Those martial nobles oppress others, but they’re not fools; they’ll judge your reaction to decide their move. So the old man’s advice is…”

The old man extended a finger; beneath the night Mingzhu , his smile resembled a ferocious tiger of chaotic times:

“Beat them to death!”

“If you don’t establish your authority now, every cat and dog will come to provoke you.”

“The Emperor plans to use you to temper the sharpness of the martial nobility—so tell him this: using you as a whetstone will end only one way.”

Beneath the night Mingzhu , the old man’s eyes blazed with fire, now transformed into the warm sunlight falling now. The youth in fine robes tried to pull back his weapon—but couldn’t. His companions, who had been laughing, now sensed something was wrong.

They spurred their horses forward, shouting: “You! What are you doing?!”

Li Guanyi opened his eyes; his gaze was like a calm, sleeping tiger.

He suddenly raised his hand—the Jade Arm Divine Bow Art erupted.

His warhorse neighed, spinning on its hooves.

The youth clung desperately to his weapon, yet was yanked clean off his steed, flung toward Li Guanyi. Li Guanyi’s left hand gripped the scabbarded black blade and swept it hard—crashing it into the noble youth’s face. CRASH! Blood splattered across his face as he collapsed.

Teeth fell from his mouth; he screamed in agony.

The four other noble youths froze.

Li Guanyi sat calmly atop his warhorse, back straight, hand resting on his heavy blade, and said:

“What did you say?”

Dead silence.

The martial nobles who had ruled the capital with impunity realized: the rules had changed.

One noble youth unconsciously forgot he wore a mask to conceal his identity, and shouted angrily:

“Do you know who he is?! How dare you do this?!”

“Is this how you face an enemy? Your first reaction isn’t even drawing your blade?”

“Is this what a martial noble looks like?”

Li Guanyi sighed.

He thought for a moment, tugged the reins.

The warhorse reared high, yet the boy atop it sat perfectly upright.

Hooves swung.

He slammed them down hard onto the legs of the noble youth who had attacked him first, and said calmly:

“I understand.”

“And then?”