Li Guanyi remembered this name.
When Xue Changqing had just smugly boasted to his grandfather about his successful shot, he mentioned that he wanted to practice the Divine Bow Thirteen Styles. The old man also brought up the Breaking Cloud Shocking Heaven Bow, which was the divine weapon that had been sealed away for one hundred thirty years, according to him.
Li Guanyi felt the unformed White Tiger Dharma Form on the bronze cauldron struggling to roar.
It seemed to yearn to leap out and touch this bow.
The old man noticed Li Guanyi's gaze and smiled knowingly, "Mr. Li has noticed the Breaking Cloud Shocking Heaven Bow? It's hard not to; every guest who comes to the Listening Wind Pavilion is drawn to this bow."
"But, sir, you probably don't know the legend of this bow, do you?"
Li Guanyi shook his head.
The old man set down the tea vessel in his hand and reached out to touch the bow, saying, "Five hundred years ago, our ancestor relied on this bow to repel three hundred thousand troops with three arrows. It is said that our ancestor was the White Tiger Star Lord descended from the heavens, here to restore order to a chaotic world."
"When he was young, he lived in poverty, herding for wealthy families, but encountered a tiger as large as a mountain. He fought and killed that beautiful yet dangerous creature, and later crafted this bow from the divine wood beneath Kunwu Mountain, with the tiger's soul transforming into the bowstring."
"The divine weapon, when placed on the rack, often emits sounds on windless nights, the bowstring's sound resembling a tiger's roar."
"It is rumored that our ancestor's last arrow of those three arrows shot over a hundred miles, killing the enemy general in his royal tent. When that arrow was released, the layers of clouds in the sky were torn apart, and the heavens trembled with a thunderous roar, hence the name Breaking Cloud Shocking Heaven Bow."
Over a hundred miles?!
Li Guanyi's eyelids twitched.
What terrifying power is this?
The name Breaking Cloud Shocking Heaven Bow is actually realistic, not an exaggeration?
Yue Qianfeng smashing a mountain with a punch is already frightening, but if someone can shoot an arrow over a hundred miles, then Yue Qianfeng's methods seem less impressive.
Xue Shuangtao was also hearing this for the first time. When she heard over a hundred miles, her expression clearly froze, unable to imagine such terrifying power.
The old man chuckled, "You must not believe it, right? I didn't believe it either. It's quite normal for a martial artist to smash a mountain with a punch or shoot arrows that pierce rock walls."
"But legends like that of our ancestor, I thought were just my forebears exaggerating, trying to save face."
"Who hasn't been young? I had my reckless youth too."
"I didn't believe in heaven or earth, didn't believe in my parents, challenged authority, only believed in myself."
"When I was eighteen, I carried a bow and three arrows, daring to roam the world of merchants."
"Back then, Ying Kingdom was still Wei Kingdom, and the Weishui River had yet to be filled with the blood of the powerful. I crossed the Changlian Mountain Range, riding on the long-haired cattle of the Dangxiang people, the sky high and the clouds far away, while the daughters of the herdsmen sang songs. My skin was sunburned, my face itchy and painful."
"After drinking their fishy sour milk, I lay on the back of a cow, my face covered with cowhide, thinking of the water shield and perch of my hometown, regretting my reckless journey."
"Until I heard their cheers."
"Shielding my forehead with my hand, I saw on their holy mountain a gigantic hollow, as if a giant dragon had passed through the earth, smashing the center of that holy mountain. Sunlight poured down from the hollow, beautiful beyond belief."
"They called it 'Aruen Wuerhabi Bode Sadawa.'"
"It means the arrow of the Central Plains Bodhisattva that pierced the holy mountain."
"That was the mark left by my ancestor."
"And the target of his arrow was actually further behind that holy mountain."
"My forebears deceived me."
The old man stroked the bow, trying to maintain a calm tone, but the ripples of emotion were hard to suppress:
"The last arrow shot by our ancestor was not a hundred miles, but three hundred eighty miles, killing the king of the grasslands in his golden tent, the blood staining the royal tent, causing the eighteen tribes gathered for the grassland conference to completely disperse, thus resolving the empire's crisis."
One arrow, three hundred eighty miles?!
Li Guanyi's eyes shimmered with astonishment.
The old man continued, "Even after that arrow, our ancestor was severely injured and took a long time to recover, and one of the five arrows was completely destroyed. Yet, it was still a magnificent feat that left us descendants in awe."
"At that time, I believed that five hundred years ago, my Xue family's ancestor, ranked first on the Divine General List, was indeed real, and our Xue family's Breaking Cloud Shocking Heaven Bow, the top of the bow divine weapons list, was also real."
"I was like a madman back then, shooting arrows three thousand times a day for three months. My palms were cut by the bowstring, the wounds scabbed over, only to be cut again. Finally, I shot an arrow into the hollow where my ancestor once shot, feeling fulfilled."
"Then I returned, became the family head, and have been until now."
Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao envisioned such a grand scene.
The gigantic towering holy mountain shot through with a massive hollow, the fur-clad Dangxiang people kneeling on the grass, their elbows resting on the ground, palms facing the sky, praying devoutly, while the descendants holding bows and arrows stood between heaven and earth, what kind of emotions must they have felt.
Li Guanyi asked, "The world's number one?"
The old man sighed again, "It can be said so, but unfortunately, since then, only two people have been able to draw this bow, and the last one passed away five years before I was born. This bow has not been drawn for one hundred thirty years, and no one can hear that thunderous sound of the bowstring anymore."
"It is said that those who can lift and draw this bow can directly inherit the legacy of our ancestor."
"They will immediately learn the absolute skills of our ancestor and can rely on the power of the divine weapon to shoot without missing. If they use the corresponding arrows, they can shoot arrows with a range of at least fifty miles, devastating everything within range!"
Li Guanyi remained lost in thought for a long time, looking at the ancient battle bow, saying:
"Then, with such a divine weapon here, aren't you afraid of it being taken away?"
In the bronze cauldron, the White Tiger Dharma Form struggled violently, filled with desire, making Li Guanyi find it somewhat noisy. That almost instinctual yearning to pick up the bow and shoot was firmly suppressed by the young man.
The old man, however, laughed heartily, "Pick it up?"
"This bow requires an extremely harsh condition to lift."
"That is, one must possess a White Tiger Dharma Form like our ancestor."
"If not, even if the world's strongest warrior comes, they won't be able to lift this bow!"
"Let alone draw it."
Li Guanyi's thoughts paused.
White Tiger Dharma Form?
Meanwhile, the White Tiger Dharma Form on the bronze cauldron was eager to try, wishing to leap out immediately, but due to the incomplete essence of the jade liquid in the bronze cauldron, it couldn't fully take shape and turned into a ball of frustration, rolling against the cauldron's wall, being flipped over by the tail of the Red Dragon as if it were a snowball.
"Wah ah woo!!!"
"Aw woo!!"
Thus, on the bronze cauldron, a battle between dragon and tiger ensued.
Perhaps.
Li Guanyi asked, "Divine General, Dharma Form...?"
The old man casually waved his hand, and a book flew over. He handed it to Li Guanyi, saying, "Yes."
"Dharma Form is unrelated to realm; it is a characteristic possessed only by truly top-tier heroes."
"A thousand years ago, there were already the Three Upper Lists."
"Namely, the Divine General List, the Divine Weapon List, and the Dharma Form List."
"These three lists are not published by anyone but are arranged based on the battles and killings that shake the world. Divine Generals are unparalleled beings, possessing Dharma Forms, wielding divine weapons, traversing the battlefield, looking down upon all, capable of influencing the great tides of the world by themselves, unmatched, hence called 'Upper.'"
Xue Shuangtao asked curiously, "The Upper Three Lists? Are there other lists?"
The old man stroked his beard, "Yes, when there are many people, there will be struggles for superiority. The Upper Three Lists are based on the great nations battling; while the other numerous lists are often released by those with ulterior motives to stir up the martial world and create discord, though they have some value, they also bring trouble."
"If a martial artist appears on the Master List, they will not find peace; if a woman appears on the Beauty List, she will be coveted."
"It is a disaster, not a blessing; you should avoid it."
"Young sir, are you interested in these Upper Three Lists?"
"Yes."
The old man was straightforward; the Upper Three Lists are not something just anyone can see, yet he still found it for Li Guanyi, tossing it to the young man like a rolled-up paper, saying, "The tea isn't ready yet; you can take a look, but you can't take it away."
Li Guanyi nodded, flipping it open while asking:
"Where does the strongest general of Chen Kingdom rank?"
The old man replied, "Once, the Taiping Duke ranked in the top ten, but he died unexpectedly; now, Marshal Yue is the strongest, ranked eleventh..."
Li Guanyi was stunned. The Marshal Yue who could make Yue Qianfeng submit was only ranked eleventh?
The old man pondered for a moment and said, "The Divine General List reflects the achievements of the battles and is not closely related to the general's own potential. If it concerns the nation, heh, the current ruler writes good poetry and paints beautiful landscapes. I've said too much; young sir, you can see for yourself."
Li Guanyi understood.
The Chen Kingdom court was weak, indulging in frivolities, enjoying wealth and pleasure, filled with music and entertainment daily, favoring peace over war. Even if a godly general wanted to mend the cracks in the sky, he would be powerless, only able to sigh in regret.
The rankings of the divine generals in Chen Kingdom were all low.
Li Guanyi opened the Divine General List and quickly scanned through it.
He wanted to find a familiar name.
Would there be one?
He read through it and suddenly focused his gaze, finding that person near the front—
[Yue Qianfeng], ranked thirty-four on the Divine General List.
Evaluation—
First in the Southern Land's foot battle.
………………
Boom!!!!!!
With a single slash, the Hundred Refinements Blade shattered into pieces as it was swung, the storm it created sweeping away a dozen elite assassins, shredding them. The burly man frowned and cursed, "It's a pity I didn't bring a divine weapon."
All the way, snipers were relentless.
He had keen eyesight and could faintly see the city ahead.
Looking at the old man who was still deducing beside him, he said, "Master Zhu."
"Guan Yi City is almost here."
(End of this chapter)