As if sensing the sharp aura emanating from Li Guanyi, General Xue slightly raised his gaze, but gently lifted the brush in his hand and said leisurely, "Of course, I'm ready."
"Just writing a character, how much effort could it possibly take?"
Li Guanyi ignored the lazy general.
The Third Prince of Tie Le was already incredibly fierce, charging once more. The Cang Wolf Dharma Form gathered, transforming into a defensive and offensive ultimate technique. Li Guanyi twisted his waist, his body explosively unleashing power in a short burst. The heavy blade in his hand was thrown into the air, spinning violently as it struck down hard on the Cang Wolf Guardian.
Accompanied by a fierce howl.
The heavy blade was heavily deflected, its sharp edge embedding into the stalactite hanging from the cave's ceiling, causing many small stones to clatter down. Meanwhile, Li Guanyi swiftly retreated, this time simultaneously gripping two arrows.
This was a method taught to him by the young lady.
By pinching two arrows with his fingers, he could shoot them one after another, saving time. However, it required a high level of skill; lacking technique or wrist strength would greatly reduce the accuracy and force of the arrows, making it better to shoot them one by one in a straightforward manner.
Li Guanyi seemed to have a good grasp of the technique and had mastered it.
The first arrow was nocked, and the White Tiger roared on his shoulder.
Golden light radiated from the arrow.
The bow was drawn taut.
Shoot!
The entire bow vibrated violently, the arrow wrapped in golden wind spinning and tearing through the air. Upon striking the Cang Wolf Guardian, the guardian began to lose its strength, but this time the arrow did not give it time to dissipate its power. In an instant, it pierced through the Cang Wolf Guardian's defenses.
The Third Prince of Tie Le instantly twisted his body.
That robust and tall figure displayed an incredible arc in the air, akin to a dancer. The arrow wrapped in golden wind flew past, tearing a small wound at his waist. If he had been wearing armor, it would have been directly blocked.
This was an unbelievable ultimate skill.
Li Guanyi's arrow was something even Qian Zheng, the fierce soldier at the border, could not evade.
As the Third Prince of Tie Le landed, he used the momentum from his twist to charge forward without losing much speed, his body nearly scraping the ground as he approached in a zigzag pattern, like a hunting Cang Wolf.
However, Li Guanyi's steps did not falter; he quickly retreated while the second arrow was already nocked.
Draw it taut.
The Red Dragon coiled around the arrow, like a dragon wrapping around a pillar.
The seated General Xue slightly raised his gaze, a hint of surprise escaping his lips.
Li Guanyi's eyes reflected the figure of the Third Prince of Tie Le, seemingly igniting with flames. He tightened the bowstring, the high temperature staining his fingers with pain, yet he did not release the arrow because he knew that with the Third Prince's agility, he could evade this arrow just as he had the last.
When the Third Prince of Tie Le suddenly leaped up, now extremely close to him, Li Guanyi released the bowstring.
This time, the bowstring's whistle was intense.
A streak of red light burst forth from the bow.
It passed through the void created by the White Tiger arrow that had just pierced, and the Third Prince of Tie Le roared in anger, crossing his arms to block. At his wrists were heavy black iron gauntlets, two fingers thick, crossed to withstand the force of the arrow. But the next moment, the arrow, with the Red Dragon coiling around it, crashed into him.
Boom!!!!!!
A loud explosion erupted, flames bursting forth. The young man's black hair flew wildly, his eyes tinged with red flames, the fire soaring as if a dragon was roaring to the heavens. The Third Prince's forward momentum was interrupted, his gauntlets turning red hot, distorting his face as if he were being tortured.
Li Guanyi flicked his hand, sending the bow crashing towards the Third Prince, who surprisingly endured the intense pain and managed to deflect the bow.
However, as he pushed the bow away from his face, his arms moved away from directly in front of him.
An opening was wide open.
A fierce wind rushed in.
The young man had already leaped as he threw the bow.
In mid-air, he bent his knees, using gravity to slam both knees down hard onto the Third Prince's chest, while his left hand directly aimed for the Third Prince's eyes. The Third Prince raised his hands instinctively to block, leaning back to defend against this move.
As a result, his entire center of gravity shifted to his upper body, and with Li Guanyi's forward charge, he fell heavily to the ground.
Li Guanyi's left hand aimed for the eyes but was blocked.
His right hand was already raised, the middle finger protruding, the thumb pressed against the base of the middle finger, forming a Phoenix Eye Fist.
Using the Third Prince's falling momentum, he struck fiercely at the Third Prince's throat.
This was the Beggar Clan's Scatter Hand!
The Third Prince of Tie Le roared, struggling to rise. Li Guanyi did not resist but instead turned his body, locking his legs around the Third Prince's arms, his arms encircling the Third Prince's neck, dragging him back down to the ground. Then, using his waist as a pivot, he exerted force in the opposite direction.
This was a variation of the Scatter Hand that the old beggar had taught him.
The Third Prince of Tie Le grabbed at Li Guanyi's waist, struggling and twisting in resistance.
Once again, he countered.
Li Guanyi's internal energy from the Breaking Array Melody surged to its peak, and the two struggled for a full incense stick's worth of time. Ultimately, after the Breaking Array Melody, the residual force was unending, while the Third Prince's arms were injured, blood flowing from the wound on his waist. After the first wave of explosive struggle, his strength began to wane.
Finally...
A crisp crack sounded.
This unmatched fierce warrior, the Third Prince of Tie Le, had his neck twisted and was finally killed.
The Third Prince's eyes lost their light, transforming into fine starlight that slowly faded away. Li Guanyi's body relaxed, and although the battle had not lasted long, he felt as if he had completely exhausted himself. The intense fatigue and soreness made his arms spread wide as he fell backward.
Muscles tensed, bones relaxed, sweat poured forth from his forehead and back in an instant.
He gasped heavily.
Even knowing the opponent's techniques and style, such a clash still filled Li Guanyi with fear and immense pressure. Qian Zheng was a fierce soldier at the border, having slain seven enemies and led fifteen new border troops, yet Li Guanyi could single-handedly strangle them.
And facing the Third Prince of Tie Le, who had been reduced to a non-Entry level.
Knowing the opponent's techniques, he still struggled so hard, which made it clear how terrifying the Third Prince would be if armored and leading an army on the battlefield. Such a figure, a hero of the Tie Le tribe, was truly exceptional...
Historical records were brief.
[Rebellion, for treason, angered the heavens, sent generals to quell it]
[Rebellion was quelled]
Li Guanyi lay there, suddenly feeling the weight of those three words in history, his own insignificance.
"Rebellion was quelled..."
Such a figure was reduced to just these three words.
At this moment, the starlight from the deceased Third Prince still lingered, not yet vanished. General Xue nodded and said, "Take the elixir and absorb this starlight. It is the power of the stars drawn from this cave, very effective for tempering before entering the realm."
Li Guanyi struggled to rise, taking the elixir provided by the Xue family and circulating the Breaking Array Melody.
From the very beginning, he felt a difference.
As the old man had said, during battle, consuming one's essence and exhausting the body, in life-and-death struggles, areas that are usually hard to train would also be activated. After the battle, using the elixir to stimulate the internal energy flow could greatly enhance the resilience and recovery of his internal power, as the star power entered his body, replacing his original essence and refining his subtle muscles and bones.
Li Guanyi realized this was altering his foundation.
This was a process of supplementing the foundation after continuous life-and-death battles with potent elixirs, artificially creating a foundation that could withstand a hundred battles!
It was impossible to have a situation where one could fight a hundred battles without injury or death.
Even more impossible to have such a potent elixir to purify essence after life-and-death battles.
Only those who could wait five hundred years to achieve the impossible could be considered extraordinary figures.
General Xue smiled and said, "I will teach you the Cang Wolf Guardian technique, but first, we must fulfill our previous promise. It is my legacy, and even the Great Emperor wishes for me to teach his descendants. Unfortunately, his grandson is too foolish, with only women in his eyes, and cannot learn."
Li Guanyi couldn't help but feel curious.
What kind of legacy was this?
General Xue did not display any martial arts but sat cross-legged beside the young man and said:
"The Tie Le tribe rides the horses of the Western Regions."
"The 'Fang Zhou Miscellaneous Records' states that the Western Region tribute horses stand nine feet tall, with neck and body equal, raising their heads like phoenixes. Their hind legs have two spurs, and their fur hides like scales. They are fast and have great endurance. They wear light armor, and their horses are not clad in heavy gear, pursuing the ultimate speed."
"In the clash of two armies, they would lean their bodies close to the horse's back, holding their blades horizontally. When two horses cross each other face to face, the opponent's head would be severed by their blades. Quickly, sometimes the opponent's horse would run out ten or more zhang before the head would be lifted by the blood, and at that moment, the horse would still carry the headless corpse forward."
"The Tie Le Golden Curved Blade Cavalry excels in the Crescent Formation, like a swift blade, especially adept at cutting tactics, slicing through the flesh of the enemy from the flanks of the army, as if swiftly carving through blood and meat. If you lead troops and encounter such a force, how would you break it?"
"If you lead a cavalry army, or if you command an infantry army, and your numbers are fewer than theirs."
"How should you handle it?"
General Xue smiled and said, "You have learned my skills; how could you not understand warfare?"
Exhausted, Li Guanyi's eyes widened.
Regardless of whether learning military strategy was good or bad.
He felt he had fallen into a trap.
He only wanted to leave Chen Kingdom safely with his aunt, and at most, to repay the help of Old Xue. The current young man had no desire to ride warhorses to conquer the world. Compared to military strategy, he wanted martial arts and strength more. General Xue's lips curled into a slight smile as he said:
"You've come this far."
"You are exhausted now and actually cannot move, unable to focus your mind, right?"
He turned the brush in his hand and poked the young man's cheek, smiling:
"This is also military strategy."
Li Guanyi grimaced.
General Xue laughed: "If the world falls into chaos, such knowledge will be useful."
"Those who come after must not bring me shame."
"Compared to archery and battle halberds, this is my true skill; fierce generals exist in every nation, and a single man holding the pass against a million is the foundation of a famous general. In my army, there are those whose archery skills surpass mine; there are also battlefield tigers who are unmatched in bravery."
"In this world of great contention, the masters of the rivers and lakes are also extraordinarily powerful."
"Why is my ranking first on the Divine General List?"
General Xue said: "The military divides generals into six categories."
"Unmatched in bravery, fighting while injured, leading the charge is a fierce general."
"Those who can command cavalry, their energy unified, moving freely, are cavalry generals."
"In battle, those who win in one-on-one duels, slaying generals and seizing flags, raising the might of our army are duel generals."
"Those who can lead rapid marches, ensuring the army arrives, interspersing forwards and backwards, are leading generals."
"Those who strategize appropriately, know the timing, occupy advantageous terrain, strike the strong with the weak, and the weak with the strong are strategists."
"And those who can command over a hundred thousand troops in great battles are grand generals!"
Li Guanyi caught the drift and said, "You want me to learn military strategy and become a grand general?"
General Xue smiled and said: "Martial arts are merely a means to stand against a million enemies, moving freely, commanding respect from the world, making lords hate you yet love you, allowing the people to admire your might."
"What I want to teach you is the art of facing millions of enemies."
"To charge and slay generals, to win with the weak against the strong, to ensure victory in battle, to conquer, to secure, and to endure."
"With a smile, the world is settled; with anger, the kings tremble. Wherever the spear points, it can break through. Duel generals, fierce generals, leading generals, cavalry generals, strategists, grand generals, all can be faced, all can be defeated, with unparalleled grace, unmatched in the world!"
He stood up, looking at the young man, and said:
"Only then can you be a grand general!"
………………
At this moment, however, the world was stirred by a piece of news.
The hidden thirty-fourth Divine General of the world, Yue Qianfeng.
His whereabouts had been exposed!
(End of Chapter)