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    Edict of Peace 124

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    Chapter 124: My Father, Li Wanli

    This Mountain Marrow, possessing the energy of qi, was stored in a crystalline form—neither metal nor stone—sealed within wood. It burns upon contact with fire, dissolves in water, and integrates with earth. If it encounters flesh and blood, it will transform and flow. Li Guanyi was unaware of the mystical methods required to harvest such a heavenly treasure. At this moment, the Qilin roared, following its instincts—like a hungry person seeking food or a thirsty person seeking drink—and swallowed the Mountain Marrow in one gulp.

    Li Guanyi watched helplessly as the qi he used to aid the Qilin dissipated. Then, he saw a bright yellow qi surge within the fire Qilin’s Law Physique. The Qilin roared repeatedly, seemingly in extreme pain. Li Guanyi, disregarding everything else, raised his hand, and the other four Law Physiques flew out, once again surrounding the Qilin in the center using the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array formation.

    The Qilin’s roars were suppressed. However, the roars didn’t disappear; they echoed within the small courtyard, growing increasingly solemn. The Law Physiques and Li Guanyi’s minds were connected, and he sensed the changes occurring within the Qilin’s Law Physique. Pure fire elemental qi attempted to consume the Mountain Marrow’s qi.

    But the Mountain Marrow’s qi was a treasure of the same level as the Qilin’s true form. It was a pure戊土(wùtǔ) (earthy) qi. Fire generates earth. The Qilin Law Physique’s fire elemental qi surged in, but instead of suppressing the戊土 (earthy) qi, it caused the戊土 (earthy) qi to rapidly expand. The fire Qilin emitted low, pained roars, its very existence threatened.

    In this critical moment, Li Guanyi remained calm. The four spirit Law Physiques roared in unison—the dragon’s roar, the tiger’s growl, the phoenix’s cry, and the tortoise’s bellow. The youth’s temple hairs fluttered, his hands forming Yin and Yang school hand seals. “How come you’re even greedier than me?!” he exclaimed.

    This situation was far more dangerous than his previous confrontation with Hou Zhongyu. Li Guanyi single-handedly manipulated the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array. The four spirits constantly shifted positions, utilizing the principles of the five elements’ generation and suppression to assist the fire Qilin’s transformation, ensuring its true spirit remained intact and unchanged. The five elements continuously generated and restrained each other.

    With this miniature rendition of the unparalleled array, Li Guanyi’s blood flowed rapidly, and his brow acupoints throbbed. In his past life, he had heard a saying: Talismans should not be drawn lightly. If one lacks the skill to draw them, it’s fine, but if one draws them correctly, it consumes spiritual energy; if that’s depleted, it consumes blood. Currently, the consumption of his spiritual power in his brow’s primordial orifice and the surging of his blood were rapidly changing.

    Just as Li Guanyi thought he might suffer severe internal injuries, a familiar medicinal power surged from his bones, causing his blood to churn again. The latent medicinal power of the Eternal Moon Immortal Medicine was forced out under these circumstances. With Li Guanyi’s second-level cultivation, he couldn’t possibly absorb it completely.

    The youth realized this, letting out a sigh of relief and exclaiming with joy, “Hou Zhongyu, oh Hou Zhongyu, I’m so grateful to you! You’re such a good man!” As his blood was drastically consumed, the latent medicinal power was reactivated. Simultaneously, as Li Guanyi manipulated the array and its transformations, the fire Qilin gradually lost its initial ferocity and dominance, instead displaying a majestic and grand aura.

    Li Guanyi breathed a sigh of relief. The four spirits guarded the heavenly gates, and the戊土 (earthy) element resided in the center. Amidst the dragon’s roar and tiger’s growl, the red Qilin fire suddenly scattered in all directions. Then, the earth began to tremble and rise. A Qilin, possessing bright yellow scales, slightly swaying mane, and fire-treading hooves, exhibiting both red and bright yellow auspicious colors, slowly emerged.

    A subtle connection finally formed between Li Guanyi’s five Law Physiques. Li Guanyi had an epiphany. It wasn’t necessary to forcefully merge the Law Physique’s cultivation methods. When all five elemental Law Physiques appeared, a natural cycle formed between them. Standing there, the fire-earth auspicious Qilin stood beside him, the dragon and phoenix were in the sky, the white tiger rested quietly, as if recreating a myth.

    Only the Xuanwu remained. The Xuanwu rested on Li Guanyi’s shoulder, one claw clutching the youth’s black hair, the other pointing towards the distant library, its eyes full of longing. It seemed afraid that Li Guanyi hadn’t noticed it, and pointed even harder.

    “Don’t worry, you’ll have a chance after the Grand Sacrifice martial competition,” Li Guanyi reassured the Xuanwu. Then, looking at the now-empty prismatic crystal, having survived the danger, his eyes were filled with regret and remorse.

    He hadn’t expected the Mountain Marrow to be a qi energy. Since it caused changes in his Qilin Law Physique, it meant it was beneficial to the Qilin; Hou Zhongyu’s direction hadn’t been wrong. Such a treasure, even an Empress would treat with caution. He wouldn’t be able to obtain another one in a short time. But how could he release the Qilin?

    As Li Guanyi was filled with regret, he suddenly heard a cold voice: “The Mountain Marrow has become a spirit, transforming into an earth-element Qilin. Interesting, but that’s all.” Li Guanyi, gripping his weapon, abruptly looked up and saw a person standing on the wall. White hair cascaded down their waist like weeds, their eyes cold, their hands behind their back. Li Guanyi felt a discomfort in his brow’s primordial orifice.

    Li Guanyi suddenly noticed that in the wind, the old man’s clothes remained motionless, his entire being like a shadow, a illusion existence. The old man looked at Li Guanyi, frowning, “I said that my array isn’t a mere array but a cultivation method. I wonder who you are.”

    “Such a young fellow.”

    A leftover formation? Li Guanyi realized who this person was. One of the leading schools of thought in the world, the Yin-Yang school, ranked second among the top three. Si Wei, of the Yin-Yang School!

    Li Guanyi held his sword, his vigilance at its peak. Wasn’t it said that this person had vanished into the world to pursue a grand array encompassing the entire Central Plains? Why would he appear here?

    The Chen Kingdom’s Grand Sacrifice was truly a whirlpool; all kinds of people had arrived. Why was every step a thunderbolt? The youth lamented inwardly.

    Si Wei and the Si Ming old man were sworn enemies. Li Guanyi silently retreated, his right hand gripping the crossbow at his waist, drawing it and aiming at a nearby bronze bell, intending to create enough noise to attract Old Xue. But the crossbow bolt shot out slowly and weakly, finally solidifying in mid-air.

    The old man with white hair like weeds stretched out a hand, catching the bolt, sneering, “A bit clever.”

    Li Guanyi knew that there was a vast difference between himself and these old masters who had become famous at least sixty years ago. After some thought, he simply discarded the crossbow, bowed respectfully, and politely said, “Senior is incredibly intelligent, having left such a grand array at the age of thirty. I only understand it due to the dedicated guidance of the Qilin Palace’s术士 (shùshì) (cultivator), Hou Zhongyu.”

    “术士 (shùshì) (cultivator) Hou Zhongyu is intelligent and courageous, disregarding his own safety to teach the array without reservation. I only have a slight understanding of this array. If you wish to discuss the array, you should seek out Senior Hou Zhongyu.”

    Si Wei calmly said, “Hou Zhongyu? You mean the cultivator you killed? Boy, are you cursing my early death?”

    The old man casually turned the crossbow bolt around, its sharpness pointing at Li Guanyi. Then, as if time accelerated, the bolt shot towards Li Guanyi. The youth punched out, knocking the bolt away, leaving a white mark on his finger that quickly disappeared. He drew his sword.

    Si Wei drifted over, saying, “You know I’m from the Yin-Yang school, yet you speak nonsense. Let me see your caliber.”

    He extended his hand, fingers spread, descending upon Li Guanyi. The void stagnated, directly transforming into the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array, smashing down. Li Guanyi, seeing the ill intent, swiftly retreated, simultaneously drawing his sword and sweeping it horizontally—a high-grade heavy sword. The sword’s edge emitted a cold gleam, diagonally slicing past Si Wei.

    The old man’s body rippled. He said, “Five-element body, four spirits gathered, golden skin and jade bones, dragon tendons and tiger marrow. No wonder you could comprehend my array. I thought you were some unparalleled genius; it turns out your body is special. However, such a body is suitable for guarding the array. Boy, come with me to maintain the array. I’ll make you an array disciple.”

    The old man nonchalantly treated Li Guanyi as if he were air.

    “I’m afraid that won’t do, senior,” Li Guanyi replied, still smiling and joking, not showing any fear. “I still have things to do. I haven’t gotten married yet.”

    Step by step, he retreated, suddenly raising his hand, dragon and tiger qi erupting, transforming into a Yin-Yang Taiji array in the void. Si Wei dodged, and the Yin-Yang Taiji array rotated in mid-air. Li Guanyi ducked, avoiding the old man’s careless sweeping sleeve. His right hand pressed against the ground, and the Xuanwu transformed. The Four Images Sealing Spirit Array’s eye changed again. He was vying with this mad array creator for control of the array’s eye.

    The old man was surprised. His nature was arrogant, and Li Guanyi’s actions were to his liking. He sneered twice, took a step, and the array’s eye that the youth had struggled to seize was instantly changed.

    Red dragon and white tiger appeared on Li Guanyi’s left and right, dragon’s roar and tiger’s growl. The youth made his decision, the two Law Physiques charging forward, merging in mid-air into the ‘Dragon-Tiger Entrapment’ variation of the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array. His understanding of arrays couldn’t compare to the old man’s. But he possessed the four spirits and five elements within him. His body was equivalent to a grand array.

    The Dragon-Tiger Entrapment enveloped both of them. The old man stood with his hands behind his back, watching the youth deploy the array, making no defense, seemingly intending to see how far the youth’s array cultivation had reached. Facing the sound of the four spirits’ long cries and the circulation of the five elements, he kept his hands behind his back, looking at Li Guanyi and simply saying one word:

    “Come.”

    One word, domineering and arrogant. Li Guanyi inhaled, his blood roaring. The old man lowered his gaze, the surrounding array shifting again.

    At that moment, a thunderous shout echoed from the air, an old voice roaring, “Si Wei, attacking a junior—where’s your face?!”

    An object spun and flew down, landing before Si Wei, breaking the stalemate. It was a token, with the Yin-Yang Taiji on the front and Si Ming’s mark on the back.

    Si Wei snorted coldly, his body dispersing into qi, then reforming on the wall. Li Guanyi and Si Wei’s brief exchange involved mainly array manipulation, testing their mental fortitude. Li Guanyi breathed a sigh of relief, seeing an old man in gray robes, with disheveled white hair, squatting angrily on the other side of the wall, wanting to burst into curses. It was Si Ming, whom Li Guanyi hadn’t seen in a long time.

    Si Wei, seeing Si Ming, no longer entangled with Li Guanyi, calmly said, “I thought you’d hide forever, like your Law Physique, like an old tortoise.”

    Si Ming cursed, “Humph, old man, I still want to ask, where did you hide?!”

    Si Wei stood with his hands behind his back and answered simply, “Ying Country’s Grand Tutor’s Mansion.”

    Ying Country’s Grand Tutor’s Mansion was in Ying Country, thousands of miles away from here. Si Wei possessed the ability to be here! Si Ming burst into laughter, then widened his eyes, “Nonsense!”

    “I know your abilities, how could you be thousands of miles away?”

    Li Guanyi slightly relaxed. Then, he heard Si Ming concede, albeit reluctantly, “At most, three thousand miles.”

    Li Guanyi’s eyes narrowed. Could it be done?! This was the pinnacle of the Yin-Yang school?

    Si Ming looked at Si Wei, his expression turning serious, “Our grudge has lasted sixty years, it’s unclear who is right or wrong. Why involve this young fellow?”

    Si Wei muttered, “Involvement?”

    He suddenly laughed wildly, “Involvement? Si Ming, don’t flatter yourself. I came here only to discover someone who had solved the riddle I left behind, thinking it was a genius in the art of arrays. It turned out to be a moving array. I originally thought he was an ordinary person, and just wanted to test his skills. Since you value him so much, fine, I’ll take him!”

    “Use him as a sacrifice for the grand array, it would be a wonderful strategy.”

    Si Ming said, “Xue Daoyong is here. He hasn’t come because your array skills are sufficient to conceal the aura here. But if you really fight, that old man’s arrow will pierce your neck in a heartbeat. Do you want to gamble?”

    He intended to scare Si Wei. But unexpectedly, the madman laughed loudly, his demeanor arrogant and unrestrained, “Alright! Let’s gamble! The stakes are our lives!” He seemed ready to fight immediately.

    Si Ming’s expression froze, then he cursed the madman. He glanced at Li Guanyi, his lips moving, silently transmitting sound. Si Wei’s eyes narrowed. After a long while, the hand of the world’s most arrogant madman finally lowered. “Is what you said true?”

    Si Ming nodded. So Si Wei fell silent. He said, “Good. Our grudge ends here. I’ll go to the academy.”

    He said, “The Chixiao Sword suddenly howled, it is an imperial sword. I oversee the dangers of the world, I oversee life and death. The dangers of the world are more important than our feud, and the lives of the world are worth ten thousand times more than our lives.”

    This madman of the world looked up to the sky and howled, his voice shaking for dozens of miles. He was extremely sorrowful and dejected. Finally, he said, “Our feud will be settled after I complete my duty! That kid, your array is not bad. Consider transforming the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array into a Five Elements Heavenly Suppression Array. If you travel the world, I will find you to see if you have any comprehension. Foolish people are not qualified to inherit my array.”

    Si Ming was extremely annoyed that this matter was so secret. He was secretly transmitting sound. He didn’t expect Si Wei to be too lazy to use secret transmissions, speaking directly. Fortunately, he didn’t use the later roaring voice to discuss this, only Li Guanyi heard it; otherwise, things would have been much worse.

    Si Wei left, vanishing into the air. Si Ming let out a breath and squatted there cursing. Seeing Li Guanyi unharmed, the old man breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “Ha, you’re fine. Si Wei, that old madman, goes crazy without considering others. Old Xue is not here today, I’ll scold him. But Old Xue probably didn’t expect anyone to dare to do such a thing in Jiangzhou City before the Grand Sacrifice. He’s right; even thieves have disappeared from Jiangzhou City at this time, but Si Wei doesn’t follow reason.”

    “But why do you have this fire-earth Qilin Law Physique? This thing is rare!”

    Although both cultivated the Yin-Yang Taiji cultivation method, Si Wei and Si Ming’s paths were not the same. Si Wei couldn’t see the Law Physique, requiring physical contact to perceive it. The moment Si Ming arrived, he saw the auspicious Qilin and coveted it.

    Li Guanyi recounted everything, including his regrets. Si Ming laughed, “Hou Zhongyu, that kid made a mistake in his cultivation. The Qilin is of the same level as the Mountain Marrow, but why did he think he could change the same level fire Qilin with the Mountain Marrow? There’s only so little Mountain Marrow, but the fire Qilin is a living being. No matter how you calculate it, the fire Qilin is stronger, with endless potential. It needs a subworld blessed land that can nurture Mountain Marrow to change it again. Nurturing new Qilin power within the fire Qilin. Otherwise, it’ll at most give the fire Qilin diarrhea.”

    Old Si Ming patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder, smiling, “Alright, you’re fine. You didn’t cower in front of Si Wei, that old madman. You’re a good kid. I should go and do my thing.”

    But Li Guanyi grabbed his sleeve. Old Si Ming questioned, “What’s wrong?”

    Li Guanyi had been secretly searching for Old Si Ming to inquire about his aunt’s injuries. Now that he had encountered him, how could he let him go? He quickly explained his aunt’s injuries. Old Si Ming frowned, “The Law Physique is trapped… I do have a solution, but it requires special materials, which aren’t easy to obtain. Such injuries are not something ordinary people would suffer. Little fellow, can you tell me why your aunt suffered this injury?”

    The old man’s expression turned serious. It was clear that Li Guanyi had to convince him before he would help. Li Guanyi remained silent for a long time. He put down his sword and bowed, “My father, Li Wanli.”

    (End of Chapter)

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