Li Guanyi sat cross-legged, yet his qi could erupt from his shoulders. This was undoubtedly a characteristic of the Tongmai Realm, where one's strength could reach every part of the body. Even when bound hand and foot, one could still kill and break through enemies. However, Li Guanyi had just recently learned the method of condensing qi.
To be able to achieve this so quickly.
Yue Qianfeng was astonished in his heart, yet at this moment, he could clearly discern what needed to be done. A vast internal energy protected Li Guanyi's organs, preventing the violent internal force from impacting his five viscera and six bowels. It took a full hour for Li Guanyi's breath to finally stabilize.
A miscalculation...
Li Guanyi rarely felt fear, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Previously, the White Tiger and the Red Dragon Dharma Idols had coexisted harmoniously. Li Guanyi did not anticipate that when they all reached the level of entry, such a fierce conflict would erupt between the Dragon and Tiger.
Gold and fire were inherently incompatible.
The "Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique" resonated with the power of the White Tiger Dharma Idol.
Li Guanyi borrowed the "Peace Book" from Yue Qianfeng, which was accelerated by the Red Dragon Dharma Idol.
The two streams of qi collided.
If it weren't for Yue Qianfeng being nearby, Li Guanyi felt that he would have likely suffered a backlash, with his organs being impacted. The two Dharma Idols of Dragon and Tiger beside him rose up, glaring at each other, each wanting to become the primary cultivation body for Li Guanyi, unwilling to yield.
This was the Dragon and Tiger, gold and fire.
It was a contradiction of power itself.
Li Guanyi forcibly found a balance between these two forces, allowing the qi of the Dragon and Tiger to circulate without colliding and tearing each other apart, which finally put his mind at ease. Yue Qianfeng, sitting cross-legged nearby, retracted his hand only when he saw Li Guanyi awaken.
Yue Qianfeng did not ask what had happened to Li Guanyi, only laughed heartily, "Are you awake?"
"Don't thank me; that thing is useless. Bring something practical."
"I've guarded you for over an hour, and now I'm hungry."
Li Guanyi set up a pot on the stove in the kitchen of the courtyard, adding scallions, chili peppers, and other ingredients to create a broth. He then used a sharp knife to slice the lamb he had obtained from Xue's family chef into thin pieces, mixing it with peanut sauce and sesame sauce, melting it in oil.
A simple and convenient hot pot allowed Yue Qianfeng to eat heartily. Seeing that Li Guanyi was fine, he said:
"Brother, let me tell you something. If you don't want to hear it, you must remember."
"In your future cultivation, do not be so reckless. I know you must have had some fortuitous encounters, but if you continue like today, causing your internal qi to go berserk, it can be truly dangerous. Today, I was beside you, suppressing it, which allowed your chaotic true qi to open your meridians."
"Forcefully moving from Condensing Qi to Tongmai."
"Although dangerous, it is not without its benefits."
"But what if I weren't here?"
Yue Qianfeng rarely spoke seriously, "You are only thirteen or fourteen years old, right?"
Li Guanyi replied, "In about ten days, I will turn fourteen."
Yue Qianfeng nodded, "Then in another year, you can get married."
In this chaotic world, nations lacked strong men, and the age for marriage was continually advancing.
Yue Qianfeng said, "If you can marry, then you are no longer a child."
"But remember, going berserk is not a trivial matter."
"This internal qi riot will run rampant. If it does not follow the meridians, it will erupt from your five viscera and six bowels. At that time, your skin will crack, and blood will flow from your seven orifices. Some may even explode from the inside out, becoming a mass of flesh and blood. In the Western Regions, the demonic sects, as well as the forces between the Turkic and Ying Kingdom, have similar methods."
"When I fought them, there were even some martial artists who specifically cultivated methods to induce their own qi to go berserk. If they couldn't win, they would directly rush at you, embracing you, and let their internal qi explode, killing many brothers in that manner."
"Heavenly Demon Disintegration, Great Freedom Transformation, these demonic sect secret techniques actively induce going berserk."
"Disregarding the body's capacity, seeking rapid elevation of realm will lead to various future troubles."
"Brother, remember, regardless of any fortuitous encounter, it generally cannot escape this relationship. Your cultivation method can be accelerated, and your internal qi can be infused, with seven or eight methods for rapid enhancement. However, the tempering of your physical body and the adaptability of your meridians to internal qi require time and effort."
He pointed at Li Guanyi's arm and then at his dantian:
"The body will gradually adapt to the internal force. Without this step, it is like a child wielding a heavy hammer."
"It will definitely harm oneself."
"Unless you can cultivate the body of 'Golden Skin and Jade Bones, Dragon Tendons and Tiger Bones,' then it wouldn't matter. Internal qi flows like water, and skin that cannot be cut by blades possesses terrifying adaptability to internal force. However, cultivating such a physique requires ten years just to enter the door."
Li Guanyi understood that Yue Qianfeng meant well. He promised to heed the advice and expressed his gratitude earnestly.
He poured wine for Yue Qianfeng.
Yue Qianfeng drank heartily, not caring for formality, downing cup after cup without getting drunk.
Li Guanyi asked, "Where will you go after this, Brother Yue?"
Yue Qianfeng replied, "In a month, there will be a grand festival in Jiangzhou. I plan to go to Jiangzhou City. I heard that the beautiful sword immortal from Luzhou will also be there. Hmph, last time I was caught off guard and my cultivation body was broken by her sword energy. Now that my injuries have healed, I must meet her again!"
"This Jiangzhou City will gather many talents. If we want to save Marshal Yue, this is the last opportunity. Even someone like Dantai Xianming, with such overwhelming qi, must not act in such a situation, or rather, it is precisely because he has cultivated to the 'Pacifying the World' realm that he cannot act at this time."
"We must not allow the events of the Peace Order to repeat."
Li Guanyi frowned, "A Confucian scholar, having cultivated to the Pacifying the World realm, would also send assassins?"
Yue Qianfeng sighed, "He is of similar age to the tiger of the Xue family."
"He has long since surpassed the bounds of his heart."
"The divine generals of this world traverse the land, outside the martial world and the court. Aside from those four legendary figures whose whereabouts are unknown, the current ten greatest masters are led by the Sword Madman."
"However, the various schools of thought are not divine generals and do not enter the martial world. Dantai Xianming is already a great Confucian in the Confucian school. If he were to enter the Academy, the Confucian sect leader would not be someone he couldn't contend with."
"Various schools of thought? The Academy?"
Li Guanyi felt that the world was growing larger, with many forces intertwining.
Yue Qianfeng said, "Yes, you know, everyone in the world knows."
"The great emperor of Zhongzhou has already become a puppet. He no longer possesses the bravery and ambition of his ancestors, who rose from the grasslands and dared to traverse the world with a sword. The Red Emperor's Red Sky Sword, which he wielded eight hundred years ago, now lies in the Taihe Hall, and no one can lift it again."
"Yet the Red Emperor's residual might still lingers."
"He was the one who defeated the overlord and reached the pinnacle."
"The world he opened remains glorious for eight hundred years, and the Academy still exists in Zhongzhou."
"The Daoist sect has two innate beings, and there is a living Buddha in the Central Plains."
"The Confucian school has the Gongyang Su Wang."
"The Mo family has the first giant."
"And there is the Yin-Yang family with their Zhongtian Beiji."
"These six sect leaders do not enter the great trends of the world, nor do they enter the martial world. They merely pass on their teachings, all residing in Zhongzhou. Some say that if they enter the world, it would truly mean chaos, and even the various schools of thought would have to join the fray. When the hearts of the people are in chaos, that is true disorder."
"Others say that they remain in Zhongzhou to maintain the last dignity of the Red Emperor's lineage."
"If they leave, the great emperor of Zhongzhou will not survive a month."
Yue Qianfeng wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, stood up, and said, "It's a pity that the freedom of these outsiders does not connect with our struggles. Now that I see you are fine, I should take my leave. If I survive in Jiangzhou City, I can come find you for a drink later."
"If Lu Youxian has opened his mind, I do not wish to fight him."
"I must enter the city quietly."
"I wonder who told him I was coming!"
Li Guanyi hesitated for a moment but still said, "I know who did it."
Yue Qianfeng cursed, "Who? I'll squeeze the urine out of him!"
Li Guanyi silently took a half-step back.
Yue Qianfeng seemed to guess something, staring at Li Guanyi with a strange expression:
"You?"
Li Guanyi smirked, "I can't deceive you, Brother. It was me, but I didn't expect you would really come." He explained the circumstances to Yue Qianfeng, who did not get angry but burst into hearty laughter, saying:
"Hahaha, there's nothing to be done about it. Since you said so, I can only accept it."
"However, it seems that Lu Youxian's stubbornness is merely normal defense. He actually did not believe your information, and the reason for strengthening the defense is simply his cautious nature. In such major matters, he will always prefer to believe there is something rather than nothing."
"You little brat, having mixed in as a seventh-rank military officer, I can still give you a gift before I leave today."
Li Guanyi was puzzled.
Yue Qianfeng grinned but did not answer.
That day, he attempted to stabilize his cultivation body when he suddenly heard Zhao Dabing mention the news in the city.
It was said that Yue Qianfeng had directly crashed into the city gate, cursing Lu Youxian for being on guard, and then left. Lu Youxian had suffered little loss, so today Li Guanyi was rewarded with a merit point and a hundred taels of silver.
Li Guanyi was dumbfounded, both crying and laughing.
Then he resumed his cultivation.
He regulated his breathing, his meridians now open, and internal qi could erupt from various parts. However, Li Guanyi encountered a significant problem—
The White Tiger and Red Dragon, two Dharma Idols, were facing each other.
Neither could stand the other.
Although they no longer had their qi running rampant and harming him, he could not think of controlling the Dharma Idols in the short term. When he tried to mobilize the White Tiger's qi, the Red Dragon would become agitated, and vice versa, causing him to lose the balance he had painstakingly found.
The loss of balance between the two Dharma Idols was not necessarily a bad thing.
As one diminished, the other would grow, like the interplay of yin and yang, eventually reaching a new balance.
However, although Li Guanyi's body was forged, it could not withstand the continuous agitation of the two streams of qi.
Before the two Dharma Idols reached a new balance, Li Guanyi's physical body would be torn apart.
He felt like a glass cannon; to have a Dharma Idol was already a rare talent, and to have two Dharma Idols that were both top-tier and unwilling to yield to each other was unprecedented throughout history. His path could only be walked step by step.
This special Dragon and Tiger confrontation cultivation body could not exert its effect at this moment.
He sat there, propping his chin with one hand.
"After this, I will have to wait for the Old Man of Fate. Brother Yue said that with Golden Skin and Jade Bones, I can smoothly use my cultivation body. At that time, the powers of the Dragon and Tiger might be able to be used simultaneously, and their might will surely be much greater than now."
Li Guanyi grasped his battle spear, pondering the matters ahead.
At this moment, his internal qi was violent, needing to dissipate its aggression and find an opportunity to have his aunt check his meridians.
He needed to complete the Tiger Roar Bone Forging Technique.
To eliminate hidden toxins.
And also...
The secret realm of General Xue.
With Condensing Qi accomplished, the Rolling Waves could be used.
It was time to use the Rolling Waves to beat General Xue fiercely!
With his strength enhanced, he could use ultimate techniques and surely extract some good items from the secret realm of General Xue, right?
Li Guanyi was eager to try.
……………………
The next afternoon, a significant guest arrived at the prison in Guan Yi City.
From the Chen Kingdom, the Fourth-Rank Xuanwu General, Qi Jun Song.
He came to see his son, bringing a delicate food box filled with his son's favorite dishes. Qi Langxian had his legs broken and lamented to his father while eating and drinking, his face showing a mix of flattery and pity, hoping his father would show him some affection.
Qi Jun Song quietly watched his son, also speaking of matters at home.
He talked about his mother and how his sister was doing.
Qi Langxian felt a sense of relief on his face.
After finishing the food above, he smiled and said, "Father, in that box below, there must be the little mountain pastries that mother made by hand. I love them the most. When you returned from the border, bringing back pastries from the Western Regions, mother would definitely make them for us. We can't miss them at every meal..."
He opened the compartment of the food box, revealing a short sword.
Qi Langxian's smile froze.
Qi Jun Song spoke softly, "The tiger of the Xue family has sent a painting."
Qi Langxian opened his mouth, panicking, "Father, I am your son! You can't do this."
Qi Jun Song closed his eyes and said:
"Yesterday, Yue Qianfeng really attacked the city."
Really, attacked the city?!
How could it be such a coincidence?
How could it...
Thus, the expression on Qi Langxian's face completely turned to despair. He looked at the dagger, his eyes filled with panic, fear, and madness. Finally, he raised his head to look at his father, who was as calm as a pine, and opened his mouth, saying, "Father..."
Qi Jun Song did not respond.
Qi Langxian opened his mouth, ultimately giving a bitter smile, his hand trembling as he held the short sword, suddenly saying:
"It is the family that raised me. Today, I bring disaster to the family. I truly deserve to die, to protect the family."
"Father, after I leave..."
"You must burn all the books and paintings in my room for me. Do not let my elder brother and third brother, nor my two personal maids, have them."
"I have taken them; I truly like them. They have accompanied me since childhood. In summer, I would rest my head on their legs, and they would fan me all night. They truly like me, but after I leave, my elder brother will definitely want to take them."
Qi Langxian took a deep breath, his eyes filled with malice, saying:
"Father, you should kill them!"
"Buried together with me."
"My women can only be my women in this lifetime."
Qi Jun Song agreed and left. Qi Langxian banged on the railing, shouting for the jailer to bring water. The jailers reluctantly brought it. Qi Langxian threw the remaining meat to the other prisoners, watching those who had not eaten fight over it, laughing in disdain.
The prisoner said, "Aren't you also a prisoner? What are you pretending for?"
Qi Langxian looked down on him, washing his face with water and arranging his hairpin.
With trembling hands, he picked up the short sword, placing it against his neck, his eyes wide open, staring outside, saying:
"Country bumpkins who farm the land do not know me!"
"I am a scion of a noble family!"
"My noble family should naturally stand above you!"
"How could I die like you?!"
Suddenly, he exerted force, the sword edge cutting his neck, truly unafraid of death, killing himself, eyes wide open. Qi Jun Song's eyes slightly reddened, his heart undisturbed, only looking at the sky, seeking Dantai Xianming, crying out about his son who took his own life for the family and the noble lords.
The conflict between noble families and external relatives grew increasingly sharp.
Before the sword immortals of the martial world and Yue Qianfeng arrived in Jiangzhou City, this vortex grew larger. The starlight remained bright as ever, the sound of the stream flowed gently, and a silver-haired girl quietly lit a bonfire, kneeling in front of it.
A wooden stick was inserted into the steamed bun, the other end stuck in the ground.
Pressed down with stones.
The girl had no expression, seemingly because the bonfire reflected in her eyes.
Thus, her gaze was piercing.
This time, Yaoguang did not look through the ancient star-gazing scrolls.
She began to attempt using star-gazing techniques to determine the skill of not burning the buns.
The girl performed the Star-Gazing Technique, sketching spells in ancient language.
[May the light of the stars and destiny bring delicious food.]
To ensure her buns would not burn.
However, the bonfire was clearly more powerful than the starlight.
She looked at the burnt buns, holding them in her hands, seemingly a bit dazed, pondering whether the spell had failed?
After thinking for a moment, she turned around and took a bite from the other end.
Crunch.
Suddenly, laughter rang out.
Yaoguang looked up and turned around.
She saw a boy sitting on her wall, bathed in starlight.
Li Guanyi waved his hand, smiling, "Yaoguang."
"I've come to find you."
(End of this chapter)