Zheng!!!
The sound of weapons clashing was sharp and piercing.
After the invitation from General Xue of the Xue family, the one who approached was the bearded Prince of Iron Le, wielding a curved saber that was extremely sharp and bizarre, striking from angles that defied common sense. Li Guanyi held a heavy blade in his hand, with a thick back and a thin edge, using the saber techniques passed down by Yue Qianfeng to counter.
After the flow of jade liquid in the bronze cauldron, this saber technique had already reached great mastery.
However, it was only when faced with such a formidable enemy that Li Guanyi realized.
Great mastery only represented proficiency in the saber technique.
But its application in battle was another art altogether.
The ornate golden curved saber clashed against Li Guanyi's heavy blade, then danced like a butterfly fairy. The seemingly robust Prince of Iron Le moved gracefully, twisting in mid-air and landing behind Li Guanyi, delivering a vertical slash.
Li Guanyi felt a sharp pain in his back, staggering forward a few steps before turning to sweep his blade, but the Prince of Iron Le had already retreated.
Within the range of Li Guanyi's blade, the Prince of Iron Le danced lightly, his curved saber's blade direction constantly changing, leaving Li Guanyi uncertain of where the next attack would come from.
Li Guanyi felt pain in his back, but there were no wounds.
"This place is merely a reenactment of past memories; all your sensations are only imposed on your spirit. Rest assured, this level of intensity is merely to make you feel as if you have been struck, but it will not affect your body."
General Xue spoke from the side: "But be careful. In my era, there were at least five types of secret techniques in the martial world and the court that could inflict severe damage on the spirit, making one believe they have died, causing their body to wither away. Many renowned ministers and great families have perished this way."
"In times of chaos, even kings have died because of this."
"I? I have certainly encountered such situations."
"That sorcerer did not expect Yaoguang to be by my side."
"Yaoguang awakened me, so I struck him down."
"Of course, had that been a real battle, you would have already died."
The remnant image of General Xue smiled as he sat there, holding a cup of tea that was also an illusion, lifting his sheathed sword and writing a character on the ground.
There were already ten characters written on the ground.
Now it was the first stroke of the eleventh.
Each stroke represented a time Li Guanyi had 'died.'
General Xue looked at the row of characters, his brows slightly raised, and let out a light laugh.
Then he said nothing more.
Perhaps, as expected of a renowned general, he understood how to provoke his enemy's anger.
Li Guanyi felt that this single laugh conveyed everything, combined with that lazy demeanor of watching a show, lacking the grandeur and calmness of the past years, making him want to grab the collar of this five-hundred-year-old old man and give him a good beating.
Having lost so many times, he naturally wanted to give up.
But the power of entering the realm, even being called the strongest in the world, filled him with desire and a sense of unwillingness after being defeated multiple times. Moreover, would there still be people like the Prince of Iron Le in this era?
Naturally, there would be.
If he encountered such a person in reality, wouldn’t he truly be cut down?
Li Guanyi gripped his blade; his childhood experiences with poison had given him a strong tolerance for pain. He tightened his grip on the blade and suddenly stepped forward, the standard blade of the Central Plains clashing once again with the curved saber of Iron Le in this unknown place.
Even if it was merely a memory of the past, even if limited to the means before entering the realm, his opponents were still the heroes who once stood at the peak of an era. Under such direct torment, Li Guanyi's saber technique rapidly grew.
From being instantly killed at the beginning to now forcing the Prince of Iron Le to use his footwork.
Clearly, the Breaking Army Eight Blades were still the Breaking Army Eight Blades.
Great mastery was still great mastery.
Yet Li Guanyi felt he had a deeper understanding of the saber technique.
However, every time he had this feeling, the Prince of Iron Le would perform a flashy move that would lead to his demise, making Li Guanyi doubt whether that feeling was merely a self-comforting illusion. He did not know how much time had passed, gradually, Li Guanyi went from being trampled to being able to resist.
Eventually, he could gradually exchange blows with the Prince of Iron Le.
General Xue looked at the dense characters in front of him, his smile unchanged.
Only life and death could temper a person.
In the battlefield, surviving a battle makes one an old soldier; surviving three battles is enough to lead new soldiers into combat. This is the baptism of the spirit through facing death, as well as a baptism of the saber technique.
Li Guanyi's Breaking Army Eight Blades had taken on the flavor of a battle-hardened veteran.
Cunning, fierce.
And with a determination to cut down the opponent.
Anyone who has been 'killed' for so long would stir up anger within.
Having 'died' countless times, Li Guanyi finally realized that the opponent's saber technique was light and agile, and he could not fall into the rhythm of the Prince of Iron Le. He stepped firmly, his saber technique unfolding heavily, dragging the Prince of Iron Le into his own rhythm.
Suddenly, he delivered a heavy slash.
The Prince of Iron Le's saber was cleaved apart, and Li Guanyi crashed into his center.
The blade's edge pierced towards the heart.
Suddenly, a low wolf howl echoed in his ears.
Ripples spread through the surrounding void, and a wolf with fur standing like steel appeared beside the Prince of Iron Le. The blade seemed to pierce into a stagnant void, completely unable to penetrate. The Prince of Iron Le roared in anger, wanting to launch an attack to seize him, but Li Guanyi keenly retreated, grabbing a longbow, creating distance, and shooting arrows in succession.
As the arrows approached the Prince of Iron Le, they would veer off course.
Unable to break through.
Dharma Form martial arts?!
General Xue leisurely remarked: "Ah, my apologies, junior. I have been dead for too long, and my memory has faded significantly. I almost forgot that the Prince of Iron Le is considered a natural Dharma Form. The people of the Western Regions say he is the wolf beside the great heavenly deity, coming to unify that vast land."
"Until I shot him down, the people there always thought so."
"You must be careful."
Li Guanyi's mouth twitched as he shot arrows, but they were all blocked.
A flurry of arrows shot wildly, and finally, the arrows got closer and closer to the Prince.
His defense was about to be broken.
Ultimately, the Prince of Iron Le charged forward.
In Li Guanyi's eyes, a haze of qi emerged as he saw the Prince of Iron Le's arms cross like a city gate crashing, the wolf howling, and a white tiger peeking out from the young man's shoulder, letting out a loud roar. A faint golden light flickered on his arrows, swirling.
A chilling golden wind.
Dharma Form Ultimate Technique: One Arrow of Cold Light.
Unfortunately, the Dharma Form had not yet manifested, and this arrow's buildup was incomplete, so it could only be shot out fiercely. The arrow spun and pierced through the Prince of Iron Le's Dharma Form, but as the opponent's Dharma Form defense shattered, an incredibly powerful force erupted, his crossed arms swinging violently to the sides.
Li Guanyi felt a blur before his eyes, and he was sent flying.
After a while, he came to his senses, realizing he had almost won. Li Guanyi clenched his fist, unable to suppress a curse.
"Well, not bad."
"This move is called [Cang Wolf Guard]. It uses the Dharma Form for protection, allowing one to withstand very strong attacks, dispersing the force onto the Dharma Form. When the limit of the attack is reached, the Dharma Form's defense shatters, releasing all the unspent power."
"Both offensive and defensive, your defeat is not unjust."
General Xue commented, writing another character.
"That's enough for today."
"You have fought for a full two hours. If you continue, your spirit will be exhausted. If you have any pills, taking them now will help your body absorb the medicinal power better, strengthening your physique."
Li Guanyi collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.
Unfortunately, he had not brought any pills.
And General Xue also seemed not to have prepared any pills here. He simply walked over to the still Prince of Iron Le and said, "I guess you won't want to fight for a while. How about this?"
"If you defeat the Prince of Iron Le within three days."
"I will have him teach you [Cang Wolf Guard]. What do you think?"
Holding his chest, recalling the previous attack that had charged through the arrows, Li Guanyi gritted his teeth, knowing this was a big opportunity, and decided to seize it.
"Alright."
………………
After two hours of practicing the saber, Li Guanyi was mentally exhausted. Estimating the time, he jumped into the stream and swam outward. The water was icy, but as he floated, Li Guanyi suddenly changed his expression.
Without warning, a sharp pain shot through his heart!
It was the poison.
In the past, the bronze cauldron and internal energy had suppressed it, but today, using internal energy for too long without taking pills, the accumulated poison erupted once again. Li Guanyi's face turned pale as he gritted his teeth, enduring the pain of the poison, and saw a flicker of firelight in the water, swimming towards it with all his might.
After surfacing, he gasped for air, the intense pain causing him to stagger and sit on the ground, his face twisted and pale.
Li Guanyi's vision blurred, and at the same time, the bronze cauldron began to exert force, and the internal energy circulated, slowly suppressing the poison that had erupted for the first time after a long accumulation. He heard footsteps, followed by a calm voice like a gentle stream.
"You are poisoned."
"It is not a difficult matter to handle. Please come here and rest for a moment."
This voice seemed to have a calming magic, allowing Li Guanyi's mind to settle.
Exhaustion and poison surged up, and he suddenly opened his eyes, only to realize he had actually fallen asleep. The pain of the poison had disappeared, and he was wearing the clothes he had in the cave. The water had dried, and he lay on a stone, watching the starlight fall. Beside him, a warm campfire flickered, and a person in a simple hooded garment knelt by the fire, flipping through a scroll.
Li Guanyi saw his clothes and weapons and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Did you save me?"
The person replied in a still tranquil voice: "No, you yourself are sufficient to suppress such toxins; you were just too exhausted, which gave the poison a chance."
"You are..."
The hooded figure said: "The celestial constellations reveal all omens; chaos is about to arrive. You are one of those who will open the chaotic era. I have come to seek you, following the ancient covenant."
This statement reminded Li Guanyi of the old man who had climbed the wall a few days ago, and he declined:
"Fate is still too mysterious."
The hooded figure replied: "That is not some unfathomable power, but something as natural as spring flowers and autumn leaves. It is just that ordinary people do not understand this knowledge, which makes it seem mysterious. You have already stirred the fate of the celestial constellations; please allow me to show you the source of this power."
The person closed the book in hand, placed a fallen leaf inside, and knelt beside Li Guanyi.
Reaching out, they said:
"Please give me your hand; it won't take long, just a moment."
Li Guanyi extended his right hand, and the person cradled the young man's palm with both hands.
Suddenly, the white tiger Dharma Form on the bronze cauldron shone brightly.
The seven stars of the white tiger in the sky were brighter than ever, and in the Listening Wind Pavilion, the divine weapons roared in the night wind, causing the old man to open his eyes again. Li Guanyi looked at the starlight rising from his palm, and the originally imprinted white tiger Dharma Form slowly brightened, becoming more complete until it appeared under the starlight.
The starlight fell.
The white tiger Dharma Form appeared on Li Guanyi's shoulder.
It fully manifested under the starry sky, excitedly shaking its body.
The person withdrew their right hand and slowly removed their hood, silver-white hair cascading down, a face so beautiful it seemed not of this world, with brown eyes and a mysterious, intricate golden pattern on the forehead, their voice calm and peaceful, without ripples, as their hand lowered.
"My name is Yaoguang, a disciple of the Eastern Land Star-Gazing Sect."
"Following the guidance of fate and the stars."
"I have come to find you and fulfill the destined covenant of the celestial constellations."
(End of Chapter)