Chapter 90: Xue Shenjiang, Defeat Him!

Beside the Marquis’s second son, Sun Wuchou’s sister also wore a hunting outfit, but unlike the girl’s spirited demeanor, Sun Wugou now looked slightly worried and whispered, “But if we leave the Marquis’s party and come alone, are we truly safe?”

The second son, Li Zhao, swung his horsewhip idly through the air and replied:

“What difference does it make?”

“One second son in the carriage is enough. Besides, Father likely doesn’t want to see me anyway.” When mentioning this, the girl’s expression darkened slightly; her phoenix eyes narrowed as she recalled how she had gathered countless treasures and maps from the Tuyuhun Khan’s tent and presented them to her father.

Now, she simply wished the Marquis’s household would grow more secure—for her father and brother’s sake. She had been joyful, certain her parents would approve, yet they had scolded her harshly. Her father seemed deeply displeased; she even saw a flicker of panic on his face before he berated her severely.

Even her brother had subtly accused her of being reckless and bringing trouble to the Marquis’s household.

After several failed negotiations, she had simply left on her own.

Holding her whip, she pointed toward the forest ahead, as if commanding armies:

“Today, warlords divide the realm. Even a dominant power like Tuyuhun can vanish in an instant. When Tuyuhun was strong, thirty-six tribes submitted; even Ying Guo and Chen Guo dealt with them as equals. Now that their kingdom is gone, the Tangxi have risen—and the whole world laughs.”

“If Tuyuhun could fall so easily, our family is merely the Marquis’s household of Ying Guo.”

“We guard the border. In times of chaos, standing still means falling behind. If we only seek to preserve our estate, we may end up losing even that. Why is Father so cautious?”

Sun Wugou said, “The Marquis holds the fate of our family—he must act with caution.”

“Second Young Master, don’t say such things to outsiders.”

The girl with dragon-and-phoenix bearing smiled. “Don’t worry—I’ll only say this to you.”

“This time, you and I came alone, avoiding your brother, because I want to see for myself the man I’ve befriended—Li Guanyi. Only then will he truly know who I am, and I’ll know who he is, free from the weight of social status, seeing the true nature of heroes.”

“Let’s go!”

……………………

Li Guanyi’s gaze lowered slightly. Sun Wuchou had returned days ago—he had been in Jiangzhou to receive the Marquis’s party. Li Guanyi himself held a strong liking for that second son.

Anyone who gave Wang Xi such a generous gift—

Li Guanyi would naturally like them.

If they gave an even better gift later—

Li Guanyi felt his favor would skyrocket.

He just didn’t know what the man looked like—was he handsome, or a tall, muscular warrior?

Li Guanyi looked down at the letter from the Young Lady, which said she had wandered Jiangzhou many times and found several interesting places; when he arrived, she would take him to see them.

She wrote that her aunt had heard of Li Guanyi’s poetic talent and hoped to receive a poem. At the end, Xue Shuangtao added: “I heard your birthday is approaching. I can’t leave the palace, so I planned to celebrate you—but I don’t know when this letter will reach you.”

“I plucked a spring blossom as a gift, to offer you.”

Only then did Li Guanyi understand the meaning of the flower in the letter.

He looked at the petal, perfectly preserved, clearly painstakingly cared for, and smiled faintly. “You’d be better off giving me silver instead of such literary trinkets.” Still, he carefully stored the flower away.

He pulled the silver from his rhinoceros-horn satchel and tossed it onto the table.

He replaced it with the flower and kept it on his person.

After all, it was a gift.

But… a birthday…

So much had happened lately that Li Guanyi had nearly forgotten—these days were his birthday. He was fourteen now, having lived in this world for fourteen years, fleeing for eleven.

His father dead, his mother dead, burned to ashes in Jiangzhou—also eleven years ago.

Seeing the Young Lady’s request, Li Guanyi naturally intended to fulfill it. Besides, Xue Lao had treated him well. A single poem—though Li Guanyi was a warrior, not a poet, his mind held many.

Thanks to memorizing homework.

Li Guanyi thought for a moment, picked up his brush, and wrote a poem, claiming he had merely heard the tale on the road.

He attributed the original author’s name as if it were a story, telling it to the Young Lady.

He ended with blessings, saying he would soon arrive in Jiangzhou and seek her out—though most likely she’d have to come to him, since he couldn’t enter the palace. He folded the letter and handed it to Xue Lao to send back.

Three days remained.

In three days, he would depart for Jiangzhou—a city over three hundred li from Guanyi City.

Add the difficult, winding mountain paths, and the journey would take even longer.

Even on horseback, it would take a day or two.

There would be no quick round-trip. Before then, Li Guanyi must defeat Xue Shenjiang.

He must seize Xue Shenjiang’s secret realm.

Then go to Jiangzhou, seek Zuwengyuan’s [Imperial Classic of World Governance], and seek the [Director of Fate] for his aunt’s method of cultivating her Dharma Form.

……………………

Beneath the stream of Guanyi City, within the Xue family’s secret realm.

Xue Shenjiang held his weapon, gazing at Li Guanyi, and smiled faintly. “You never give up. You’re back so soon—looks like you’ve had some troubles. You’re in a hurry to leave Guanyi City, so you want to beat me?”

Li Guanyi said, “Who wins or loses isn’t decided yet!”

Xue Shenjiang shook his head. “No. You’ve won.”

Li Guanyi froze.

Xue Shenjiang’s lips curled slightly. “Such confidence—I’m truly awed. In sheer audacity and blind self-assurance, you’ve far surpassed me.”

Li Guanyi grinned.

He knew this man would never utter a kind word.

His wrist flicked; his halberd lunged forward violently.

Xue Shenjiang stood still, one hand casually blocking the halberd, then pressed downward, raising an eyebrow. “Good. More refined than before. Want to add a wager? If you can make me strike first…”

“You win.”

“Don’t regret it.”

Li Guanyi suddenly stepped forward; his weapon roared violently.

Power surged forth—more than several times his previous strength.

Warriors, even ordinary people, never reach their true physical limits—muscle strength exceeds what the body can endure, causing self-injury. But Golden Skin and Jade Bones raise the body’s upper limit, allowing warriors to unleash their full theoretical potential without harm.

Xue Shenjiang’s pupils contracted.

Even with his realm suppressed, even with his own power at the Entry Stage, even with one hand—he couldn’t hold back!

Li Guanyi grinned.

He couldn’t outmatch this general’s technique—so he’d change tactics.

This was the beauty of raw numbers!

Old man!

Xue Shenjiang stepped back half a pace.

He caught the shaft with his elbow, barely containing the terrifying surge.

The ease vanished from Xue Shenjiang’s face. He saw the boy suddenly leap upward, his body glowing with golden-jade hues, muscles bulging, both hands gripping the halberd—he paused, then brought it down in a crushing, thunderous strike.

The force was too overwhelming.

Even the halberd’s shaft bent into an arc.

Xue Shenjiang crossed his halberd to block.

He could have neutralized the blow with technique—but even then, he’d have to absorb it directly. Why? This strike abandoned technique entirely, pursuing pure, maximum power. At this level of force, even in his Entry Stage, Xue Shenjiang couldn’t suppress a grunt.

He raised his eyes, studying the aura swirling around Li Guanyi’s body.

He recalled past opponents—and recognized this physique.

“Golden Skin, Jade Bones? Dragon Tendons, Tiger Marrow?”

“You’re truly… a monster.”

Xue Shenjiang shifted his stance, guiding Li Guanyi’s halberd off course. His technique blended fluidity and power—this move flowed like mountain wind, using pure skill to redirect momentum, transforming it into a forward thrust.

Li Guanyi landed, his whole body tensing, then twisted violently.

Purely through his physique, he reversed the technique’s inertia.

His halberd swept sideways.

When Xue Shenjiang’s halberd pierced the air, the sound was faint as evening breeze.

Li Guanyi’s sweep roared like a tiger’s roar.

The two halberds clashed violently, ringing with continuous shrieks. Xue Shenjiang’s technique grew increasingly complex—even in defense, his true skill emerged. Li Guanyi compensated for his inferior technique with the raw power of Golden Skin and Jade Bones.

Only now did he realize:

Without this physique, Xue Shenjiang’s technique could have defeated him in a year of fighting. Each time, Xue Shenjiang held back, letting Li Guanyi feel he was just a hair’s breadth away—just one more effort would bring victory.

But the truth was:

Even though Li Guanyi’s technique had changed beyond recognition since the beginning—

Even with his physique enhanced—

He could barely match Xue Shenjiang now.

The gap in technique between them was vast.

The easy smile on Xue Shenjiang’s face had vanished long ago.

His eyes glowed like sharpened blades.

A terrifying pressure subtly pressed upon Li Guanyi.

Was this the world’s greatest, even in Entry Stage? Even without Golden Skin and Jade Bones, pure technique alone could achieve such power? Li Guanyi exhaled; the aura of his Qingluan Dharma Form flowed, soothing his fatigue and internal injuries.

It was time.

Li Guanyi changed his stance.

The Imperial Classic of World Governance activated.

The internal cultivation flowed naturally onto the White Tiger manifestation.

Qi swirled along the spear’s tip, growing fiercer, taking the form of a roaring tiger; as the cultivation reached its peak, Li Guanyi felt that if he pushed further, this sweeping motion could make the tiger leap forth from the spearhead.

But this time, it was enough.

Qi dispersed—the White Tiger rolled the waves!

Force erupted like a tidal roar, surging with spiral qi.

General Xue Shen’s battle halberd shifted to both hands, blocking the attack head-on.

He stepped back half a pace.

The Jade Arm Divine Bow Art—divine power surged again.

The stacked force exploded; Li Guanyi stepped forward, closing the distance.

The halberd, like a spear, did not thrust or spiral qi—only pushed straight forward.

The Book of Imperial Cosmic Order switched—White Tiger transformed into Crimson Dragon.

The tiger’s roar had not yet faded when it became a dragon’s bellow; the chilling tidal qi ignited suddenly, like waves turning to fire, and with one straight thrust, the Crimson Dragon shattered mountains!

A faint smile appeared on General Xue Shen’s face.

“When capable, pretend incapability; when strong, pretend weakness.”

“You said that the first time we chatted.”

Li Guanyi’s pupils contracted; General Xue Shen spoke calmly: “A general must not rush forward—you made a mistake.” At the same time, he leaned slightly sideways, transferred the halberd from his right hand to his left, raised it slightly, and aimed the blade toward Li Guanyi’s armpit.

This was a spot the Shatter-Mountain qi could not reach.

He did not exert force—Li Guanyi would injure himself by charging into it.

General Xue Shen added the finishing touch slowly, smiling:

“Attack where the enemy must defend—that’s what you said too.”

The terror of the realm’s greatest general lies in his ceaseless growth.

Li Guanyi stepped half a pace forward, gritted his teeth, and violently retracted his expelled qi.

Qi retreated and returned!

A move that would send any entry-level martial cultivator into internal injury or demonic deviation.

Golden skin and jade bones held firm; the Green Phoenix manifestation mended the meridian damage, forcing Li Guanyi to regain control. As the Four Symbols rotated, the Crimson Dragon naturally shifted—Li Guanyi gripped the halberd’s midpoint, spun sharply, and brought it down with the Eight Blades of Overthrowing the Army.

Connected to the third technique.

The Jade Arm Divine Bow Art had reached its limit—his peak was three consecutive bursts.

[Slay the Heavenly Wolf!]

The Green Phoenix’s cry rang clear, reflected in General Xue Shen’s eyes.

General Xue Shen’s expression changed.

The power of the Eight Blades of Overthrowing the Army could not match Rolling Waves or Shatter-Mountain.

The Green Phoenix had no matching cultivation art, no formed body, no qi.

But the pure force of the Green Phoenix was enough. The lingering qi from the Crimson Dragon’s Shatter-Mountain had not yet dissipated; the Phoenix flew into it—and in an instant, an unexpected transformation occurred, surpassing Li Guanyi’s expectations. The fading qi erupted violently, flames surging more than six times fiercer than before, and the Green Phoenix spread its wings and soared forth.

Flames coiled around its wings, the Crimson Dragon spiraled beside it—dragon and phoenix intertwined.

Dragon’s roar, phoenix’s cry—fire burned the heavens.

General Xue Shen sighed: “A third manifestation… to combine manifestations like this—alone? The world is becoming stranger by the day.” As dragon and phoenix lunged toward him, General Xue Shen gripped his halberd, sighed, and slammed it down sharply.

[Rolling Waves!]

Flames on dragon scales and phoenix tails vanished.

At the same entry-level realm, his qi had drowned the dragon and phoenix—leaving only a vast expanse of azure waves.

Golden fire extinguished. General Xue Shen placed his halberd on the ground. Before him, the boy barely stood upright, raising his halberd, its tip aimed at General Xue Shen, gasping heavily, eyes bright, straightening his body, and saying:

“...You lost.”

……………………

Within the Chen Imperial Palace.

On the second day, Xue Shuangtao received Li Guanyi’s letter. She exhaled in relief, thanked Li Guanyi, told him to visit her later, then saw the poem, smiled, and hurried toward her aunt’s residence.

Li Guanyi’s reputation in court had lately been poor; she was angry but also worried for him.

The eldest daughter wondered whether she could win her aunt’s favor for the boy.

Then have her aunt protect him.

She had no such power herself, but she believed that with the boy’s talent, her aunt would surely love his poetry.

As Xue Shuangtao hurried into the palace, she heard laughter. She slowed her steps, recognizing the emperor’s voice. A eunuch chuckled: “Ah, Miss Xue has come. His Majesty and Imperial Consort are inside—they invite you in.”

Xue Shuangtao had been about to leave, but thinking of the boy, she bit her lip and stepped inside.

The emperor greatly favored the second Miss Xue—Xue Shuangtao’s aunt—even during preparations for the Grand Sacrifice, he secretly met her. Now he greeted her with a smile. Xue Shuangtao bolstered her courage: “I’ve come to present a poem for my aunt.”

The emperor laughed: “Oh? Hahaha! You can write poetry too? Uncle must hear it.”

Xue Shuangtao said: “It’s not mine—it’s from my…”

“Guest Minister Li Guanyi’s work.”

Hearing the name that had lately plagued his ears, the emperor still smiled, patted Imperial Consort Xue’s hand, and said casually: “I’ve heard of this fellow—a young hero, but too aggressive. He writes poetry? Let’s hear it.”

The phrase “too aggressive” was casually spoken—but chilling.

Xue Shuangtao took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and softly recited.

Only the first two lines erased the emperor’s indifference.

“Clouds imagine her robes, flowers her face.”

“Spring breeze brushes the railing, dew on blossoms thickens.”