Vast, boundless, the starry sky is filled with myriad phenomena, yet I exist alone.
Before Li Guanyi, a white expanse loomed, seemingly intent on burying him completely, causing his consciousness to scatter and return to his true self. It felt akin to the primordial era, where ancient beings gazed up at the starry sky in a daze. Li Guanyi's consciousness seemed on the verge of departing this state, plunging into a pure dream.
But at that moment, the melody he had played countless times over the years echoed once more in his heart.
This was not an external sound.
Rather, it was the trace and imprint left in his soul after years of unceasing practice.
It had transformed into the most genuine existence. Even if Li Guanyi's consciousness was in chaos, this melody would not dissipate. This was what was known as the Qin Heart, an existence that, among the myriad schools of thought, was somewhat useless in chaotic times, yet precious enough to rival the Dao Heart.
It had nothing to do with martial arts, could not kill or destroy; it seemed of little use, yet it kept the heart from falling, allowing one to maintain their true self amidst the tumult of the world.
Do not be assimilated into a mad beast by this chaotic era, Li Nuer.
Li Guanyi seemed to hear Murong Qiushui, at the age of three, playing the qin and softly singing with a smile:
"Resonance symbolizes heaven, pressing notes resembles man, scattering notes aligns with the earth."
"Li Nuer, do you remember?"
The qin's melody was melodious.
When Li Guanyi played the qin, his spirit would condense. After ten years of hard practice, the melody deep within his heart kept his mind from scattering, sweeping away all distractions. After two breaths of confusion, Li Guanyi regained his composure amidst this vast and overwhelming scene, his spirit coalescing.
The qin's melody gradually settled in his heart.
Li Guanyi raised his hand to cover his forehead: "Why did I suddenly think of my aunt's qin melody?"
"Where is this…"
He lifted his hand and saw wisps of white cloud energy sweeping past his palm. Looking up ahead, a great sun seemed to hang high in the sky, golden and immense, with golden rays cascading onto the white clouds, transforming into layers of ripples.
Where exactly is this place?
Li Guanyi slowly walked forward, hearing the roar of tigers and the cries of dragons in his ears. He moved toward the source of the tiger's roar, and as the white clouds parted, a gigantic white tiger stood quietly, majestic and towering. Its fur was longer than that of a normal tiger, with hints of gold at the tip of its tail.
It gazed at Li Guanyi.
Then it took a step forward, gradually shrinking as it approached.
Finally, it stood at the same height as Li Guanyi.
Even so, it was still taller than an ordinary beast.
Its forehead gently touched Li Guanyi's, and a golden aura flowed into Li Guanyi's spiritual platform. In that instant, an indescribable essence was comprehended by Li Guanyi, as the knowledge that naturally existed between heaven and earth converged into something he could understand.
The power of the stars descended to the mortal realm, each carrying its own characteristics.
And the unparalleled martial artists comprehended this natural might, creating their own divine abilities and ultimate techniques.
This was what was known as sudden enlightenment of nature.
Li Guanyi also entered this state during his breakthrough.
This was the power from the White Tiger Seven Constellations. Generations of White Tiger sect leaders received this power and comprehended different techniques and divine abilities from it. The power of starlight gathered within Li Guanyi's body, and when this feeling faded, he instinctively sensed the star power.
The White Tiger constellation governs slaughter.
Li Guanyi raised his hand.
In this place, where reality and illusion intertwined, golden rays gathered at his fingertips, taking on a violent form, akin to General Xue in his past, who, after becoming the White Tiger sect leader, developed his own archery techniques. At this moment, Li Guanyi also comprehended his own White Tiger ultimate technique.
The power coiling around his fingers spun faster and faster.
Ultimately, it transformed into a golden ray with extreme piercing and penetrating power.
Li Guanyi flicked his hand, sending this ray flying far away, piercing through the air like the fangs of a fierce tiger, emitting a sharp whistling sound. The White Tiger's dharma form slowly retreated, majestic and solemn, as Li Guanyi looked up at the surrounding white clouds.
Just as the White Tiger dharma form returned to its original position, the surrounding clouds suddenly dispersed.
Accompanied by a sound as heavy as thunder, the clouds rapidly flowed around the youth, ultimately dispersing to reveal a white jade-like floor beneath his feet, showcasing intricate patterns that spread out from where he stood.
Thus, Li Guanyi saw that around the White Tiger dharma form, there were also swirling Red Dragons and a tranquil Black Tortoise.
The Red Dragon had already lit up, while the Black Tortoise was real yet devoid of any spiritual essence in its eyes.
There was also a blank high platform.
The four dharma forms surrounded him, and Li Guanyi stood amidst them.
Surrounded by these towering, majestic dharma forms akin to true deities, his heart naturally felt solemn.
The Four Symbols gazed at him.
As the clouds dispersed, the view ahead became clear. Li Guanyi saw a path leading to a more distant place, seemingly the pinnacle of mountains and rivers, with dense white clouds and fleeting shadows surrounding the road. At the highest point of the steps, there appeared to be a jade-colored high seat.
The jade seat overlooked the Four Symbols.
Li Guanyi instinctively took a step forward.
In the next moment, immense pressure bore down on him. Li Guanyi's shoulders sank, feeling a severe mental oppression. The white jade steps beneath him seemed unable to bear his weight, crumbling inch by inch, and Li Guanyi began to fall downwards.
Li Guanyi suddenly opened his eyes.
What met his gaze were traces of rocky terrain, and he could still hear the gentle sound of a stream flowing over stones. The youth gasped for breath, and then a tranquil voice calmed the momentary agitation in his heart: "You have awakened."
Li Guanyi turned his head and saw Yao Guang kneeling in front of him, reading a book.
She was not wearing a hood, her silver hair cascading down quietly, with blood on the hem of her garment.
Li Guanyi lowered his head and saw that his wounds had been treated, wrapped in clean cloth. Coupled with the enhancement from entering the realm, these wounds no longer felt significant; only the rapid flow of qi and blood made the wounds tingle and itch as they gradually healed.
Yao Guang looked at him: "You have entered the realm; you can try to sense the changes in your body."
This was the rocky terrain outside the water stream. Li Guanyi raised his head and felt the surroundings were different, as if a new sense had suddenly emerged, or as if he had opened his eyes for the first time, instinctively perceiving a certain special power in this world.
He clenched his fist, feeling a certain level of increase in his physical strength.
However, Li Guanyi could sense a force filled with destructive power in his palm.
As long as he swung it out, it could unleash far greater destructive power than before.
He had entered the realm.
He was unsure of the effects of entering the realm.
He sensed his own power; the Bronze Cauldron emitted a faint hum, and a misty aura surrounded the youth's eyes. To his right, a tiger paw pressed against the ground, and a white tiger, five feet tall and seven feet long, walked slowly, appearing real. To his left, a Red Dragon, ten feet long, coiled quietly, firelight seemingly flowing over its scales.
And the blood-stained youth sat among them.
This scene, however, was invisible to anyone else.
Li Guanyi could clearly feel his own power, as if wielding a sword and knowing the approximate effect of a strike; at this moment, he could mobilize his internal qi to draw upon the world's vital energy, capable of smashing out with a punch, internal force breaking through the body, possessing numerous methods, able to draw upon the power of the dharma forms without using the martial arts of the dharma forms.
The White Tiger dharma form could enhance the sharpness and defense of weapons and fists.
The Red Dragon's body could allow Li Guanyi's every punch and kick to be infused with scorching fire energy, which could not be used on ordinary weapons, as normal forged weapons could not withstand prolonged infusion of fire energy.
However, the specific effects still needed to be tested in actual combat.
But he was unsure if he had truly received the inheritance of the Yin-Yang family.
The dharma form, transformed from the imprint left by the old man of fate and the unknown age Black Tortoise, was languid, not even showing its head, let alone mobilizing. Li Guanyi thought of that Black Tortoise saying to find him after entering the realm, and he resolved to search for it.
He recalled the scene he had just seen.
The Black Tortoise, the blank high platform, the jade stone steps, and the vaguely visible jade seat in the distance. Li Guanyi instinctively pressed his hand against the Bronze Cauldron on his chest, feeling that the scene he had seen was related to the Bronze Cauldron.
Inside the Bronze Cauldron, the jade liquid was nearly full.
In just the brief time since passing through the battlefield, it had filled the cauldron to nearly ninety-eight percent.
If it weren't for the last part often requiring special methods to complete, or needing to interact with divine weapons, or needing to demonstrate ultimate techniques like Yue Qianfeng to activate, Li Guanyi felt that the cauldron would have been filled to overflowing.
Entering the realm, jade liquid, dharma forms, visions from dreams.
Many matters surged forth.
Li Guanyi steadied his mind and asked, "Did I just break through here?"
Yao Guang replied: "No."
Her voice was calm: "You just entered a secret realm. However, the star power in such places is too dense, which is detrimental to your recovery. I brought you out. General Xue left a message for you to thoroughly master the realm, cultivate the corresponding techniques, and achieve some success before entering the secret realm with me."
Li Guanyi raised an eyebrow.
With Yao Guang.
He recalled the records in the Breaking Cloud Shocking Sky Bow, the accounts of General Xue and Yao Guang from five hundred years ago in the Eastern Land's Star Observation School, and he understood a bit. Speaking of which, having entered the realm, he should also be able to gain more inheritance from the Breaking Cloud Shocking Sky Bow.
General Xue's arrow light had always been Li Guanyi's trump card.
However, that would have to wait until he returned to the Xue family.
Now, there were more important matters.
Li Guanyi looked at the captive, who was bound in a black bag.
He seemed extremely calm, remaining silent.
"Truly a professional killer…"
Li Guanyi exclaimed.
Then he removed the bag from the killer's head, seeing the panic on his face, his nose bruised and swollen, mouth agape as if he were shouting something, but a transparent ray sealed his mouth tightly. He opened his mouth to shout but could not utter a sound.
This only made him more panicked, fear evident in his eyes.
Li Guanyi was taken aback, then turned to look at Yao Guang.
Yao Guang had already donned her hood, revealing only two strands of silver hair and her smooth chin, her expression tranquil, her tone unruffled: "What happened just now cannot be seen by him. You could not allow him to make a sound while you were breaking through, as it would disturb your rest. You can rest assured; it was very safe just now."
Silently, the starlight on the killer's mouth dissipated.
The killer could finally speak and hurriedly shouted: "I’ll talk, I’ll say everything."
"As long as you let me go, you can cripple my martial arts, sever my tongue and tendons, and ensure I won't leak any of your secrets!"
He gasped, looking at the thirteen or fourteen-year-old youth who had entered the realm, and the white-haired woman.
Li Guanyi said: "Shouldn't you keep it a secret?"
The killer retorted: "I’m just a hired killer; there’s no need to risk my life. A killer is not a death warrior."
Li Guanyi was unsure if this killer could be considered professional.
The killer steadied himself: "That crossbow on your shoulder was shot by me. Leaving me alive is just to find out something. I can tell you everything I know, and you can cut off my tongue and sever my tendons."
"But the last part must be written down after you let me go, buried under a stone. Otherwise, it’s death either way. You must at least give me a chance to see the possibility of survival before I will cooperate with you."
"Otherwise, I’d rather you kill me now."
Li Guanyi confirmed that this was a very professional guy.
Yao Guang said: "Please wait a moment."
She extended her fair hand, her fingers tracing through the air, leaving a trace of golden light that ultimately transformed into an ancient pattern. With a gentle touch, it landed on the killer's brow, and the latter's voice froze. Yao Guang turned to Li Guanyi, her hair falling softly, nodding gently as she said:
"Now, you may ask."
"He will not utter a single lie."
Fear flickered in the killer's eyes.
Li Guanyi looked at the killer and asked: "Who are you? Where do you come from?"
The killer answered decisively: "Wen Xi, a disciple of the Xia Mo, from the Chen Kingdom."
There were many disciples of the Ink Masters, and when they scattered, some of the Xia Mo's disciples entered a narrower path of chivalry, with the most extreme among them becoming killers.
Li Guanyi asked: "Who sent you?"
The killer showed a hint of struggle: "It’s… the Prime Minister."
"Dan Tai Xianming."
"He said the Xue family is powerful, interfering in the world, and has unfaithful intentions toward Chen. The Xue Concubine is pregnant, and once a prince is born, the Xue family's power will surely overturn the court, causing the original Empress to lose favor, and the Concubine's son to become the Crown Prince. This is a major matter of replacing the elder with the younger."
"We are to assassinate Xue Daoyong and also force Yue Qianfeng to retreat."
Li Guanyi recorded this information, pondering: "Do you have any evidence?"
"Can you still write a confession?"
He could hand it over to the old man.
A mutual exchange.
The killer's face turned pale, refusing: "My tendons have already been severed."
Li Guanyi fell silent, feeling a bit regretful for having acted too decisively earlier.
He instinctively looked at Yao Guang.
Yao Guang met his gaze.
Her eyes returned to the killer's face, her voice tranquil and undisturbed, responding to Li Guanyi's needs: "I can use the techniques of the Yin-Yang family to leave his traces on the qi, embedding the qi into the jade stone. If the jade stone is shattered, this scene can be recreated."
Li Guanyi was overjoyed. He flipped over and found the healing and vitality-replenishing pills that General Xue had given him.
Inside were pills for healing and restoring vitality. Li Guanyi swallowed one directly, handing the jade bottle to Yao Guang, allowing the killer to recount everything with a pale face. Afterward, Li Guanyi wanted to ask the most important matter: "Just now, someone said, ten years ago..."
"Were you, ten years ago, chasing after a woman with a three-year-old child?!"
The killer's face turned ashen in an instant.
(End of Chapter)