Sensing the sharp aura emanating from Li Guanyi, the Divine General Xue lifted his gaze slightly. However, he merely raised the brush in his hand with a gentle smile and said leisurely,
"Of course I'm ready."
"How hard can it be to just write the character for 'correct'?"
Li Guanyi ignored the lazy Divine General.
The Third Prince of the Tiele, bold and fierce, charged once more. The image of the Blue Wolf coalesced again, transforming into a defensive and offensive martial manifestation. Li Guanyi twisted his waist, unleashing a short burst of force. He hurled his heavy saber, which spun violently and struck hard against the Blue Wolf's shield.
With a sharp, echoing clang—
The heavy saber was deflected violently, its blade sharp, embedding itself into a stalactite hanging from the cave ceiling. Bits of stone clattered down as Li Guanyi quickly retreated. This time, he held two arrows in his hand.
This was a method taught to him by the young lady.
Clutching two arrows between his fingers and firing them one after the other could save precious time—but the technique was demanding. Lacking skill or wrist strength would result in poor accuracy and weak shots, making it better to shoot arrows one by one.
Li Guanyi seemed to have a good grasp of the technique.
He nocked the first arrow. The white tiger on his shoulder roared.
Golden streamers of light flowed from the arrowhead.
The bow was fully drawn.
Release!
The entire bow vibrated intensely. The arrow wrapped in golden streamers spun as it tore through the air. It struck the Blue Wolf's defense—
but this time, it gave no time for the defense to dissipate its force.
In an instant, it pierced through the Blue Wolf's shield.
The Tiele Third Prince twisted his body instantly.
His strong, tall frame bent into an impossible arc mid-air, as graceful as a dancer. The arrow wrapped in golden wind only tore a shallow gash along his waist. If he had been wearing armor, it would've been completely blocked.
This was an unimaginable feat.
Even elite border warriors like Qian Zheng couldn't dodge that shot.
As the Tiele Prince landed, using the momentum of his twist, he charged forward again. His body moved with exaggerated, near-ground-level zigzags, closing the distance like a hunting wolf.
But Li Guanyi didn't pause either. He continued retreating swiftly, the second arrow already nocked.
Bow is drawn fully—
A red dragon coiled around the arrow like a column.
The seated Divine General Xue lifted his gaze again, letting out a soft surprise "Oh?"
Li Guanyi's eyes reflected the charging Tiele Prince, seeming to burn with fire. His fingers pulled tightly on the bowstring, which burned with heat, stinging his skin—
but he didn't release the arrow yet.
He knew: if the prince could dodge the last arrow, he could dodge this one too.
Only when the Tiele Prince suddenly pounced and was almost right in front of him—did Li Guanyi release the string.
This time, the bowstring's twang was thunderous.
A red stream of light shot out.
It flew through the hole the previous white tiger arrow had pierced in the Blue Wolf's shield. The Tiele Prince roared and crossed his arms to block.
His wrists were wrapped in thick, iron-like bracers. He managed to intercept the arrow's momentum—
but in the next moment, the coiling red dragon on the arrow exploded.
BOOM!!!!
A blast of fire erupted.
The boy's sideburns flew wildly. His pupils were dyed red by a firelight. The explosion bloomed like a dragon's roar soaring to the sky.
The Tiele Prince's charge was halted.
His bracers turned glowing red like torture devices, contorting his expression in pain.
Li Guanyi tossed his bow forward—
The Tiele Prince, despite the agony, managed to bat it away.
But in doing so, his arms moved away from his front—
Leaving his defense wide open.
A violent wind surged.
At that moment, Li Guanyi had already leaped into the air.
He tucked his knees, using gravity to slam both into the Tiele Prince's chest like twin chisels.
His left hand thrust toward the prince's eyes.
The Tiele Prince raised both arms on instinct to protect his face and leaned back, narrowly blocking the attack.
But that shifted all his weight onto his upper body.
Combined with Li Guanyi's forward momentum, he was smashed to the ground.
Li Guanyi's eye gouge was blocked—
But his right hand was already raised.
Middle finger protruding, thumb pressed against it: forming a phoenix-eye fist.
He used the momentum of the fall to slam it into the prince's throat.
Beggars' Sect San Shou (Scattered Hands) technique!
The Tiele Prince roared and struggled to rise.
Li Guanyi didn't resist directly.
Instead, he twisted his body, clamped the prince's arms with his legs, and wrapped his arms around the prince's neck—
pulling him back to the ground.
Then, using his waist as the pivot, his limbs rotated violently in opposite directions.
This was a variation of San Shou taught by the old beggar.
The prince tried to claw at Li Guanyi's back, fighting back in desperation.
But Li Guanyi pushed his internal energy to the limit, circulating the Breaking Formation Song technique.
They grappled for nearly the time it takes to burn one incense stick.
Eventually, the Breaking Formation Song's internal force proved continuous and overwhelming.
The Tiele Prince's arms were injured. His waist wound bled nonstop.
After one final burst of strength like a trapped beast, he began to weaken.
Finally—
Crack!
The Third Prince's neck twisted.
He was dead.
His fierce, unyielding eyes went blank—his body dissolved into starlight.
Li Guanyi's body finally relaxed.
Though the fight hadn't been long, it felt like every ounce of his strength had been drained.
His limbs went limp and he collapsed backward.
Tension released.
Muscles relaxed.
Sweat burst from his forehead and back.
He gasped heavily.
Even with full knowledge of the opponent's techniques and style, this fight-filled him with fear and suffocating pressure.
Qian Zheng was a hardened border veteran. He had slain seven enemies, and led fifteen green recruits—Li Guanyi could wipe them out solo.
Yet the Third Prince, despite having his power level suppressed below "Entry Realm,"
still proved so difficult even with foreknowledge.
Had he been armored and commanding troops—he'd be a terror on the battlefield.
A rare hero of the Tiele tribe…
Yet history barely recorded his name.
"Rebelled. A traitor. The Emperor grew furious and sent a general to quell him."
"Rebellion pacified."
Lying there, Li Guanyi suddenly understood the weight of those three words in the history books—his insignificance.
"Rebellion pacified…"
Such a hero, yet history gave him only three words.
At that moment, the starlight from the prince's death still lingered.
General Xue nodded,
"Take the pill and absorb the starlight. It's celestial power from this blessed land—very effective for pre-entry realm tempering."
Li Guanyi forced himself up, took the Xue Clan's pill, and began circulating the Breaking Formation Song.
Immediately, he felt the difference.
As the old man said:
In life-or-death combat, you burn your essence and tire your body.
Places usually hard to train get activated.
Using pills to speed internal flow after battle—
can greatly strengthen resilience and recovery.
The falling star force replaced his original human essence, tempering his minute tendons and bones.
Li Guanyi realized—this was a reshaping of his fundamental physique.
By repeatedly surviving life-and-death battles,
then using rare elixirs to purify one's essence—
one could artificially forge the Hundred-Battle Bone Structure!
Ordinarily, no one could fight a hundred battles without dying.
Nor could one afford such rare medicines afterward.
Only someone who could wait five hundred years for the impossible—
could become such a peerless figure.
Divine General Xue smiled:
"I'll teach you the Blue Wolf Shield technique.
But first, I must fulfill my promise—my true inheritance."
"Even the Great Emperor wanted me to teach his grandson,
but that boy was too stupid—had eyes only for women."
Li Guanyi grew curious.
What kind of inheritance was this?
Xue didn't demonstrate any martial arts.
He merely sat beside the youth and said,
"The Tiele people ride Western horses."
"Fangzhou Miscellany records:
These horses from the West stand nine feet tall, with neck and body equal in length,
head held high like a phoenix.
Their hind legs have dual joints, and their hair hides scale-like textures.
They are swift and tireless.
Riders wear light armor; their horses go unarmored for speed."
"In battle, they hug the horse's back, blade horizontal.
When two riders cross paths, they can decapitate the enemy mid-gallop.
The head won't even fall until the horse has run dozens of meters forward,
still carrying the headless corpse."
"Their golden sabers and crescent formation tactics specialize in slicing through armies.
If you led troops and encountered them,
what would you do?"
"If you commanded cavalry?
Or foot soldiers with fewer numbers?"
Xue smiled,
"You've learned my martial skills—how could you not learn strategy?"
The exhausted Li Guanyi widened his eyes.
Whether he liked it or not—he was caught in a trap.
He only wanted to leave Chen with his aunt in peace.
At most, to repay the Xue family's help.
He had no desire to conquer the world on horseback.
He craved martial strength, not military command.
General Xue curled his lips and smiled:
"You're already here."
"You're too tired to move, too drained to focus your mind, aren't you?"
He flipped his brush and poked the boy's cheek, grinning.
"That too… is part of the strategy."
Li Guanyi grimaced.
General Xue chuckled:
"If chaos breaks out, this knowledge will prove useful."
"Don't disgrace me, successor."
"Archery? Spears? Bah.
That's not my true skill."
"Every country has mighty warriors.
To be undefeatable in single combat is only the baseline.
There are better archers, fiercer battlefield lions."
"In times of great struggle, even martial grandmasters abound."
"Why was I ranked number one among Divine Generals?"
Xue said,
"Military theory divides generals into six types."
"Fierce and unstoppable, who charge even when wounded:
Fierce Generals."
"Those who lead the cavalry, moving as one with their troops:
Cavalry Generals."
"Those who win single combat, seize banners, and boost morale:
Dueling Generals."
"Those who can lead forced marches and break through enemy lines:
March Generals."
"Those who devise strategies, know timing and terrain,
win with fewer men:
Strategist Generals."
"Those who hold regions and command armies over 100,000:
Grand Generals."
Li Guanyi understood,
"You want me to study strategy and become a Grand General?"
Xue smiled:
"Martial prowess may let you defeat a thousand men,
earn fame and admiration—
But what I shall teach you…
is the art of defeating ten thousand."
"To slay foes, win always, conquer all, and hold long-lasting peace.
To calm the world with a smile, terrify kings with a frown.
To break all before your spear.
To best every general."
He stood up, gazing at the youth.
"That… is a Supreme General."
At the same time, elsewhere—
the world was stirred by a single piece of news:
The hidden Thirty-Fourth Divine General of the Realm—Yue Qianfeng—
His whereabouts… had been exposed!
(End of Chapter)