Li Guanyi sat cross-legged, hearing General Xue's praise, yet there was not a hint of fluctuation in his eyes. His time spent with this fellow was not particularly long, barely a month.
It might seem short, but if one were to say that he had been thoroughly trampled in military strategy, tactics, warfare, and even cunning by the world's top-tier generals for a month, that would be a completely different matter.
The stimulation was simply overwhelming.
Li Guanyi felt numb.
From the old man, he learned that Guan Yi City was about to undergo significant changes, yet he felt no fear in his heart.
From General Xue, he understood that he had reached the threshold of entering the realm, yet he felt no wild joy.
It was as if he were a pool of dead water, without a ripple.
Li Guanyi sighed.
Old Deng has misled me!
The young man raised his brow and said, "So? What else is needed?"
General Xue's lips curled upward, replying, "What is needed is a little opportunity, a bit of tempering, and you can break through the realm. As for the process of slaughtering, that is unnecessary. The remaining ones, like this Daoist and that Living Buddha, are actually not adept at warfare before entering the realm."
"With your means, encountering Daoists or Buddhist disciples before they enter the realm..."
"Within thirty steps, you could kill them in seven moves."
General Xue spoke these shocking words in a calm tone.
Li Guanyi pondered for a moment and asked, "Why seven moves?"
General Xue smiled and said, "Because Daoists can run very well before entering the realm, and monks are tough to beat."
"Hard to kill."
"If you wield a spear, wear armor, and hold a crossbow, even if a dozen monks before they enter the realm come at you, it wouldn't take you even the time it takes to burn an incense stick to kill them. However, the trouble for these two sects is that after entering the realm, they each have their own mysteries, and they do not walk the same path as martial artists who purely enhance their physique and strength."
"After entering the realm, if the distance is extended, martial artists become disadvantaged. Your archery cannot falter. Also, I have a gift for you; this is truly a good item..."
"The Daoists have the Dao Heart, the Buddhists possess Buddha Nature, and the Confucians understand the Mandate of Heaven."
"My military family has it too."
"Do you want it?"
General Xue's smile was radiant.
Li Guanyi looked at General Xue cautiously and said, "You won't force it on me, will you?"
General Xue's lips curled slightly, his smile growing warmer and more genial, "Yes."
Boom!!!
A shadow flashed before him, followed by an immense force crashing down.
Li Guanyi instinctively raised his weapon.
His hands trembled!
The blade of the heavy sword shattered, the broken blade fragments swept across Li Guanyi's cheek like collapsing frost and snow. The young man's pupils constricted violently, his heart pounding fiercely, and then, driven by instinct, he curled his body back, releasing the force, avoiding the momentarily shattered ground.
As he retreated, he grabbed the long spear that was thrust into the ground. The spear was flexible, drawing an astonishing arc, dissipating the force from Li Guanyi's body. He landed on the ground, smoothly pulling out the spear, transforming it into the Tiger Subduing stance of the Ancient Spear Technique. But the next moment, a sound that tore through the void exploded.
Li Guanyi's spear was instantly shattered by an arrow.
In the next moment, a pain struck his throat.
A deathly fear gripped Li Guanyi's heart.
He knelt on the ground, gasping for breath, yet still stared intently at the dust ahead.
It was the sound of a tiger's roar, yet it also resembled the humming of weapons—
A battle halberd pierced through the dust, entirely black, its sharpness as chilling as a spear.
Then the battle halberd slightly turned, sweeping to the side, scattering the dust completely. General Xue stood there, one hand holding a bow, the other wielding a battle halberd with a fierce tiger's mouth. As the halberd swept through the air, the white tiger's mouth emitted a sound like a tiger's roar, as if it had come to life.
The blade of the halberd rested against the ground, and General Xue said lightly:
"What a military family needs is the heart to draw the sword, the determination to face all strong enemies."
"There is no enemy we cannot fight in this world!"
"There is nothing we cannot achieve in this world!"
"I want to personally forge this heart to draw the sword against all the kings of the world for you before you enter the realm!"
Li Guanyi gasped for breath, steadying his stance, waves rising in his heart.
In response to this world's number one general, the young man's reaction was to extend his hand and raise a middle finger.
General Xue's lips curled up: "It seems you already have such a heart."
"Then, your opponent is..."
His battle halberd rested against the ground as he stepped forward, the halberd carving a shattered line in the ground. The dust behind him did not disperse but instead rose strangely, gathering behind this general, transforming into the shape of a white tiger, its face fierce, fangs bared.
It raised its head and roared!
Clearly, he could defeat those heroes from five hundred years ago, yet Li Guanyi felt a suffocating pressure. He still had the courage to draw his bow, the arrows spinning and shooting out, but they were casually sliced apart by the general as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.
Even the distance he walked was uniform, without the slightest change.
Finally, he casually lifted the battle halberd, sweeping it suddenly, and Li Guanyi felt as if his body was about to fall apart.
Shadows swept past before his eyes.
The battle bow slashed down like a battle knife, as if the entire sky was pressing down at that moment. General Xue's figure was immensely tall, his face and body shrouded in shadow, the white tiger behind him raised its head and roared, obscuring General Xue's features.
Only those eyes, cold and disdainful, seemed to look down upon the masses from the mountain peak.
"The world's number one!"
……………………
When Li Guanyi left the secret realm, his forehead throbbed painfully. General Xue had also limited his own strength to the level of entering the realm, yet the pressure he exerted on Li Guanyi was overwhelmingly strong; that rich aura was simply monstrous.
The world's number one...
They fought for two hours.
In the end, Li Guanyi could only exert all his strength to land a strike on General Xue.
After that strike, the previous fear and pressure seemed to be completely shattered.
A breath of relief surged in his chest!
Li Guanyi's perception of the world's number one shattered.
What remained was the frenzied slaughter between fierce tigers.
Then it was gone. Li Guanyi experienced what it meant to possess unparalleled martial arts experience and the combat experience of the world's number one, realizing that even with his realm suppressed, he was still a monster.
The sky was just beginning to brighten.
Li Guanyi rode slowly towards Guan Yi City. The horse belonged to the Xue family. Li Guanyi had never ridden before; this horse was spirited but seemed to sense the dragon and tiger aura on Li Guanyi, behaving quite docilely, going wherever he pointed.
Docile and obedient.
His aunt had already arranged for him to stay in a separate courtyard in the front yard of the Xue family, so Li Guanyi naturally returned to the Xue family.
He returned the horse to the stable and brushed its coat.
Suddenly, a loud laugh rang out: "Hahaha, Guanyi, you returned just in time." Li Guanyi turned around to see Xue Daoyong, whom he hadn't seen for a few days, striding out, dressed in a blue long robe, a jade hairpin securing his hair, looking three parts more refined than usual. Beside him was Xue Shuangtao, dressed as she had been when they first met.
It seemed that during this time, he had become too familiar with the sight of the girl holding a bow and riding a horse.
Wearing a skirt, with her hair secured by a jade hairpin, adorned with a flower on her forehead, and her eyes soft, Xue Shuangtao appeared somewhat unfamiliar. Her eyes were bright and clear, as if she had applied some light makeup, making her even more beautiful than before.
Noticing Li Guanyi's gaze, Xue Shuangtao slightly lifted her skirt and smiled in greeting.
She stood up.
With a gentle kick to the young man's calf, not painful, she softly said, "What are you looking at?"
Li Guanyi smiled and said, "This is the young lady I am more familiar with."
Xue Changqing nodded repeatedly: "Right, right, the mother tiger!"
"Ah!"
"Grandfather, she hit me!"
The young man stood there, smiling, while Xue Daoyong said, "A few days ago, a great Confucian came to Guan Yi City, and now there is a grand literary gathering. Most of the scholars and famous figures from the entire Jiangzhou region will be attending; it is the largest event in the Chen Kingdom in thirty years. Our Xue family has an invitation, and this little brat Changqing can hardly contain his excitement."
"Guanyi, come along with me."
The old man patted his shoulder and laughed: "Let them know that our Xue family also has a Qilin child."
"This time, it is your opportunity to gain literary fame in the Chen Kingdom and even in the world."
Zhangsun Wuchou smiled and said: "Little brother Guanyi is talented in both literature and martial arts, so he will not disappoint."
"I will also be going this time."
He had already received a reply from the second young lady, and the letter contained only one sentence—'If there are changes in Guan Yi City, protect him.'
The largest literary gathering in thirty years?
Li Guanyi suddenly thought of the old man of the Yin-Yang family speaking of literary and martial aura, thinking of the so-called timing and geographical advantages.
He suppressed various thoughts and said, "Alright."
Then he changed into a Confucian robe, with a leather belt around his waist. After hesitating for a moment, Li Guanyi brought along his sword, bow, and two jars of three-edged steel arrows, placing them on the hooks on either side of the horse, then mounted the horse. The young man appeared valiant, his demeanor radiant, exuding a sense of vigor, and Zhangsun Wuchou praised him.
The old man of the Xue family and Zhangsun Wuchou rode ahead.
Li Guanyi was about to catch up when he heard a gentle knocking sound from the carriage beside him.
Li Guanyi reined in the reins, riding alongside the young lady's carriage. The girl lifted the curtain and said:
"Remember to stay by my side during the literary gathering."
Li Guanyi raised an eyebrow.
Xue Shuangtao said, "Otherwise, those young masters from noble families and the officials of Jiangzhou will come to bother me."
Li Guanyi smiled and said, "Is the young lady asking me to be a shield?"
"That will cost extra, you know."
Xue Shuangtao rested her hands on the small window of the carriage, her chin resting on her fair hand, slightly tilting her head, the sound of jewels jingling.
The girl was beautiful.
In the morning light, her smile was gentle:
"Then we should calculate how much your bow, arrows, horse, sword, and pills are worth?"
"My esteemed guest?"
Li Guanyi coughed lightly, turning his head away, not glancing sideways: "Leave it to me later."
The girl couldn't help but laugh.
As dawn broke, the shops on either side had just opened, the traces of rain on the bluestone slabs still wet, with some water marks. The carriage moved forward, the crowd surged, the girl dressed elegantly, her smile gentle, her hair adorned with green, swaying lightly, while the young man rode his horse, eyes straight ahead, time passing peacefully.
The sound of hooves echoed.
The literary gathering was held at the royal villa in Guan Yi City. When the Xue family arrived, the carriage was already lined up on the main road, gifts piled up on either side of the entrance like two walls, each gift adorned with red silk ribbons, which themselves could be used as currency.
Li Guanyi said: "So, the famous scholars are this wealthy?"
Zhangsun Wuchou replied: "They are great scholars."
As the old man dismounted, many dignitaries had already gathered, their faces showing respectful and polite expressions. The old man smiled grandly, and Zhangsun Wuchou handled such matters with ease and composure.
Li Guanyi, feeling bored, looked up, and the bronze cauldron's eye technique made him sense something was amiss.
But without the Yin-Yang family's gazing technique, he couldn't see clearly.
He noticed that young nobles had already surrounded Xue Shuangtao's carriage.
Of course, the family was among the wealthiest in the world, his aunt was the most favored concubine of the current emperor, and his grandfather was a top-tier expert. In terms of family wealth, they were immensely rich; in terms of lineage, they were descendants of the number one general of five hundred years ago, Duke Xue.
With unparalleled beauty, skilled in playing the guqin, archery, and numerology.
A coveted prize in the eyes of the young noblemen.
Li Guanyi heard the carriage wall emit a soft thud.
He paused, seemingly a bit annoyed, and increased his strength, along with the girl's cough.
Li Guanyi urged his horse forward.
Those young nobles were still introducing their family backgrounds, and even when the girl inside the carriage softly tried to dissuade them, it was of no use.
Just as he was about to move further ahead, he suddenly heard a neigh, a gust of fierce wind, and a horse with crimson fur reared up, its hooves striking down, pushing those young nobles aside, leaving them pale with fright.
They cursed loudly, angrily glaring at the scene.
Seeing the young man with a sword at his waist rein in the reins, his brow raised, his dark cloud-patterned Confucian robe unable to conceal his heroic spirit, a wooden token hanging from his waist, indicating he was a Ninth-Rank Martial Officer. This rank was not high, but considering his age, it was somewhat intimidating.
Li Guanyi sat on his horse, smiling: "Gentlemen, please step back."
The young nobles asked, "Who are you?!"
Li Guanyi did not answer, decisively dismounting.
One hand held the horse's reins, the other extended, and then the carriage curtain was pulled open. The girl in the skirt extended her hand; noble ladies often had maidservants to assist them when disembarking, but Xue Shuangtao lightly rested her fingers on her friend's wrist and stepped down from the carriage.
The surroundings fell silent.
Old Xue had already pulled a scholar in his thirties over, laughing heartily, pointing at the spirited young man and saying:
"My family's Qilin child, how about it, Wang Tong?"
…………
At the city gate, the old man of the Yin-Yang family, Si Ming, looked up at the sky.
The grandest literary gathering in the Chen Kingdom in thirty years had gathered an overwhelming literary aura.
The old man murmured: "It is about to begin."
At this moment, representing martial aura, Yue Qianfeng stood ten miles outside the city gate.
The dual auras of literature and martial arts, like Yin and Yang, had surged into the sky, flowing like the Yin-Yang fish, about to converge—
Li Guanyi's movements paused slightly.
His heart burned fiercely.
The bronze cauldron seemed to sense something, suddenly vibrating violently.
(End of this chapter)