Chapter 86: The Fourth Phase of Golden Muscle and Jade Bone

A coarse meal of wine and meat—no need to say Li Guanyi, even Master Siming might have already been unable to hold out, taking Li Guanyi to meet several masters he had found, and these masters were all familiar to Li Guanyi: Master Wang Tong, and the sword-wielding man with the black panther phase, stern-faced, whom Li Guanyi had passed by that day.

Also the elegant old man Li Guanyi had saved when he galloped out of the city on horseback that day.

Master Siming casually introduced them, saying, "This kid, you all know well."

"Li Guanyi, as for these three—this one is from the Confucian school, formerly the Sacrificial Wine Officer of the Imperial Academy, later left the Academy to travel among the states; this one, the Seventh Mo Juzi of the Mohists, whose lineage upholds universal love, having long abandoned personal names."

"His Wu Gong is excellent—he can break through heavy armor with a heavy sword; if not commanding troops in battle, in one-on-one foot combat he won't be inferior to General Yue Qianfeng, especially skilled in numerous secret techniques, Mohist gadgets that are famed throughout the martial world."

"This one—"

"Zu Wenyuan, the foremost mathematician of this age, Daoist Sacrificial Wine Officer, versed in a hundred arts, but does not cultivate Wu Gong."

Li Guanyi stepped forward to pay his respects; the three returned his bow. The Mohist Mo Juzi remained solemn, Wang Tong had already met Li Guanyi before, but Zu Wenyuan smiled and stroked his beard, saying, "I've long heard General Yue Qianfeng speak of a young friend he knew—I never imagined it was you."

"Was it you who solved the little problem I left at the Liu family's private school?"

Li Guanyi recalled how he had met the Young Lady—it had been this old man who had left that clue.

The hour was still early; Zu Wenyuan pulled Li Guanyi into idle chat, speaking often of mathematical and computational knowledge. Li Guanyi had originally thought the world's computational arts were ordinary, but the more he listened, the more he realized how extraordinary this old man was; after a stick of incense, he could only rely on the advantages of his own learned algorithms.

And soon the old man understood them.

Soon Li Guanyi could no longer keep pace with Zu Wenyuan's rhythm.

At that point, the old man would speak of martial world legends and the connection between computational methods and star-gazing, drawing his attention back again, gently guiding him—unconsciously, dusk had fallen. Zu Wenyuan timely ended the topic, looked up at the night sky, and smiled: "It's time."

"Come, young friend."

Li Guanyi's eyes brightened slightly—he knew the moment had arrived.

At this moment, he noticed the silent Mohist Mo Juzi had vanished.

Only he and Zu Wenyuan remained here.

The old man was clearly a Daoist master, yet knew no Wu Gong; his cultivation focused purely on the 【Spirit】, excelling in cosmic calculations and computational arts, yet useless in combat. Yet the old man only laughed: "At my level, computational arts make avoiding harm and seeking benefit simple."

"The highest good is non-combat. I, in this state, am freer than many martial masters with supreme Wu Gong."

Li Guanyi said: "Then there is nothing you cannot avoid?"

Zu Wenyuan smiled and replied: "None."

He paused, softly adding: "Only the things I do not wish to avoid."

The old man pointed the way; Li Guanyi drove forward. After leaving the city, they raced through the night for about an hour before reaching the place. Master Wang Tong sat quietly beyond the forest, calm and composed; behind him, all was as usual.

Yet when Li Guanyi stepped inside, suddenly a brilliant light illuminated his eyes.

The Confucians surpass all others in the mastery of Qi.

Under Master Wang Tong's concealment, nothing within the clearing could be perceived from outside; within, lay a complex array—the Mohist Mo Juzi had carved the array with his Weight in Hand, and the array incorporated Li Guanyi's destiny, Tuyuhun's fortune, celestial patterns, water currents, terrain, and countless transformations.

It was Zu Wenyuan's work.

At the very center of this vast, intricate array, a slow-spinning yin-yang fish turned.

Master Siming still wore ordinary clothes, but he held Tuyuhun's royal seal in both hands, stepping slowly into the array—his white hair stirred slightly, his expression solemn and dignified, utterly distinct from his usual eccentric old man persona—he was the oldest living Yin-Yangist, one of the Upper Three Seats, Master Siming.

He placed the seal upon the 【Yin】 position.

Then he looked at Li Guanyi: "Come forward."

"Yin and Yang rotate—what has passed has passed. You take the Yang position."

Li Guanyi removed his shoes and socks, stepping barefoot onto the array.

As his feet touched it, the array carved by the Weight in Hand glowed silver. Li Guanyi noticed the array's markings were drawn with silver powder; once he entered, the array rippled—Daoist Sacrificial Wine Officer's status, combined with the rank of the foremost computational master, and Master Siming's assistance.

This array, after today, could never be replicated again.

Li Guanyi sat cross-legged beside the Taiji diagram.

The entire array ignited, as if starlight from heaven descended, enveloping Li Guanyi. Master Siming released his grip, stepping one by one onto the nodes, opening his mouth to chant ancient casting texts—like ancient incantations and rituals of old—he was, after all, the greatest high priest of this age.

Tuyuhun's royal seal trembled.

Finally, wave after wave of Qi surged upward, nearly piercing through Wang Tong's concealment.

It was the power left by the greatest hero of the Western Regions—the conqueror who had established three centuries of Tuyuhun legacy. This boundless martial aura and royal qi surged upward; the array's waves of dispersion rippled, trees swayed as if banners flapped fiercely in the wind, Master Siming's chanting grew ever more urgent.

His white hair and beard were swept by the wind.

The trees' howling carried him back three hundred years—to the day this seal was forged, when the flags of the thirty-six tribes fluttered, the wind roared, blood poured into the furnace, turning into crimson flames.

In the midst of this martial and royal aura, Master Siming glimpsed the successive Tuyuhun kings.

He saw the silhouette at the front and said: "Tuyuhun!"

The old man spoke his friend's true name, gazing at the silhouette, softly saying:

"Your dream… is over."

Within the king's seal, the ancient conqueror turned his side—he saw his friend. The frail A Chai was gone; now he wore black armor, bearded, vigorous, eyes bright with wildness.

Three hundred years ago.

Tuyuhun gazed at the fluttering banners, momentarily dazed, looking at the seal—as if seeing his own end. The young Yin-Yangist, for presiding over this forging rite, had gained great renown; soon he would no longer be a fraud, but a member of the Twenty-Eight Seats of the Yin-Yangists.

The young Yin-Yangist wiped sweat and said: "Finally over."

Tuyuhun asked: "A Feng, do you think my conquered empire will endure forever?"

The young Yin-Yangist hesitated, then lied:

"I don't know."

Tuyuhun laughed loudly: "What an unwise answer. But after I die, who cares? Good friend, you're no longer a fraud—you'll surely live longer than I will. When that time comes, come watch my end. Don't worry."

"I'll help you, in the end."

That answer still lingered—and deep within the seal, the conqueror smiled.

He said: "No, you're wrong, A Feng."

"The dream never ends."

"My story ends—but this world is vast, and new heroes will rise. This is our pact. If you need it, take my power. My flame has burned out—but if it can ignite a fiercer fire across the world, what harm is there?"

"Who could refuse!"

Tugu Hun's will blazed up, surging like fierce fire; the wills of the remaining Tugu Hun tribes and the lingering spirits of past monarchs howled in unwillingness. Tugu Hun raised his sword and merely swept it sideways—these tyrants' wills were shattered by a single strike, the baleful aura vanished, leaving only a pure, heroic and bold spirit.

Tugu Hun stood amidst the blazing fire, looked at his old friend, and smiled, just like the A Chai of old: "Looking this old and decrepit really doesn't suit you."

"I thought you wouldn't age."

The old man's eyes went wide: "A Chai…"

Tugu Hun looked at Master Siming and said unhurriedly:

"Old friend, these past several hundred years—"

"Have you been lonely?"

"Don't worry—"

"Even if the years change, if my power can kindle in another person's body, then take it as me still being able to walk a stretch of road alongside you." He stepped forward, reached out and lightly patted Master Siming's shoulder; that figure was after all only formed from lingering royal qi, and vanished. He strode ahead.

The king's dark cloak swept past Master Siming's eyes.

A Feng turned his head back, but his old friend's figure was already gone.

The once most powerful overlord needed no weakening by formation; he did not, as everyone feared, transform into a malevolent fiend to prevent all later comers from using his power.

Within such words, he vanished unhurriedly.

Master Siming opened his mouth, and seemed to have suddenly aged several dozen years. The old man chanted an ancient prayer; the power of his old friend transformed into flames and fell upon the later comer. Li Guanyi's pupils contracted—Tugu Hun walked the path of domineering will that suited Bai Hu most perfectly.

In that instant, everything around him seemed to vanish, accompanied by Bai Hu's roar.

The formation spread and transformed into a water's surface; he stood upon this water, and before him was a colossal Bai Hu, slightly bowing its body, head lowered, eyes burning with blood-colored firelight, calmly gazing at him.

Then this Bai Hu Dharma Idol suddenly pounced forward and plunged into Li Guanyi's body; the dharma idol's power transformed into sharp qi, and the tiger's roar beside his ear suddenly soared skyward. Li Guanyi suppressed the feeling of his spirit being shaken apart, endured the searing pain, and instinctively circulated the "Tiger Roar Bone Tempering Art."

The Tugu Hun Wang Yin rotated slowly; the royal qi within transformed into a tiger's roar, tempering Li Guanyi's essence, qi, and spirit. The accumulation of three hundred years—even though it had been greatly weakened due to unworthy descendants—the remaining power was still extremely pure.

The tips of Li Guanyi's hair stirred slightly.

A faint jade-gold hue rose upon his skin.

Within his body, those currents of power began remolding his sinews and bones. A metamorphosis that would originally have required a long period of cultivation to complete was now methodically accomplished under the push of Tugu Hun's three hundred years of royal qi. The stars at the horizon were gradually about to drift down.

The Tugu Hun Wang Yin lost its power and fell to the ground.

The end of hegemony, yet also the continuation of a dream.

In the sky, the streaming light of the Seven Stars of Bai Hu suddenly blazed bright.

A scene appeared before Li Guanyi's eyes—within the Mystical Realm, a silver-haired girl knelt before a bonfire, her voice serene, chanting the incantations of the Eastern Lands Star-Gazing School. Beside his ear, the chanting voices of the Yin-Yang family's Master Siming and the Eastern Lands Star-Gazing School's Yao Guang rang out as one.

It was the tiger's roar transformed from the creator of Tugu Hun's three-hundred-year hegemony.

It was also the streaming light of the Seven Stars of Bai Hu.

The Yin-Yang family's dual qi of yin and yang, calculated by the Daoist sect's foremost scripture of mathematics; the formation completed by the Mo family's Mo Juzi.

The bonds of good karma forged through these encounters over this stretch of time finally converged together, like ten thousand streams returning to their source, surging and crashing together with tremendous force.

Pushing the realm of the "Tiger Roar Bone Tempering Art" to the realm of that sole person since ancient times!

In an instant's hesitation, the dragon and tiger dharma idols within Li Guanyi's body roared together in unison, no longer checking each other. Li Guanyi breathed and felt the circulation speed of his inner qi suddenly surge; beside his ears rang the sound of jade and gold, unceasing. He could feel his own metamorphosis, feel the power brought by blood flowing within his body.

Tiger Roar Bone Tempering Art, Great Completion!

【Warrior's bone constitution elevated by one tier; hidden injuries cleansed; latent toxins purged】

Li Guanyi breathed in and out, gathered his spirit, intending to ride this perfect momentum of breakthrough, gather fiercely, surge toward the direction of the lethal poison at his heart, and with this momentum, in one fell swoop, shatter the lethal poison to pieces.

Inner qi crashed against the heart.

The tiger's roar did not cease.

The lethal poison that had clung to Li Guanyi for ten years like a bone-eating maggot struggled, but the tiger-roar qi brought by this breakthrough was like a fierce tiger charging forth, incomparably sharp, tearing at the toxin at Li Guanyi's heart. The lethal poison finally began to crumble.

It was driven out from his heart vessels. And at this moment, Li Guanyi suddenly discovered something amiss.

Along with the purging of the lethal poison, currents of jade-green clear light bloomed from his heart; the miasma of the toxin dispersed, and the jade-like flowing light grew ever more resplendent, brighter and brighter. Finally, beside his ear came a tiger's roar and a clear, soaring bird cry, and the lethal poison utterly collapsed.

The sound of wings beating was clear and true.

A verdant phoenix emerged from Li Guanyi's heart with a beat of its wings. At this moment Li Guanyi discovered that the poisonous miasma had all been shredded and vanished by this Blue Luan Phoenix. The dharma idol gathered and let out a hearty, unrestrained long cry; it suddenly manifested, stretching its body freely in the void.

Elegant and noble.

Appearing beside Li Guanyi with boundless affection, circling around his body.

Then affectionately touching his forehead.

This is… a dharma idol?

Why is there a dharma idol at the heart?

Li Guanyi froze. The dharma idol nuzzled his forehead, then beat its wings and flew into his body.

It brought a sensation of warm stabbing pain. Mist gathered before his eyes; this mist coalesced into a scene—his own memory. When he was still an infant, a woman looked down at him with gentle eyes. Li Guanyi could not make out her face clearly, only heard the woman speaking:

"Then transfer his poison to me…"

"What cannot be purged, the remaining poison—my Blue Luan will protect him."

An aged voice fell silent: "But if you transmit the dharma idol, your primordial spirit will… Even with an improved method, transferring a dharma idol will cost you one-third of your primordial spirit, and moreover, you…"

"It's nothing."

"It's nothing."

The woman's palm pressed gently against his brow.

Li Guanyi's eyes went wide; he tried to see her face clearly.

She held him as though he were the most precious treasure in the world, taking him to see flowers, to read books, telling him stories, her eyes filled with smiles whenever she looked at him. At last Li Guanyi finally saw her face clearly—a very gentle, beautiful woman, gazing at him with a smile.

She affectionately called him by his childhood name. Li Guanyi reached out, wanting to touch her.

But she was gone; before his eyes remained only a palace consumed by raging flames. He could feel her within it; he shouted loudly, but could only produce an infant's wail, able to do nothing.

Li Guanyi suddenly staggered. He clutched at his heart; the memory he had personally lived through yet forgotten pierced into his heart like a blade, making his heart ache unbearably. This was the body's instinctive agony, born of memory and spirit.

At this moment, as if extreme grief and pain had suddenly struck, his body activated its self-protection, and he instead thought very calmly that the bronze cauldron's complete suppression of the deadly poison had begun from the moment it came into contact with General Yue Qianfeng's Crimson Dragon.

What had always been suppressing the deadly poison was the Dharma Aspect.

Therefore, what had suppressed his deadly poison from the very beginning, what had protected him for as long as ten years, was not the treasure that had brought him to this world — it was only one-third of his mother's nascent soul and life. She had passed her Dharma Aspect to Li Guanyi, letting her own Dharma Aspect protect him, while she herself had come to a stop ten years ago.

From beginning to end, he had been silently loved.

Li Guanyi was dazed, and suddenly recalled that day when that woman held him, springtime light flowing, the rivers of Jiangnan stretching on and on.

Her chin rested on the child's forehead, as she smiled and hummed an ancient lullaby.

"I only wish my child, a long life of a hundred years, forever happy and free of worry."

"A long life of a hundred years."

"Forever happy and free of worry."