Edict of Peace 26
Chapter 26: Incomparable Inheritance
* * *
*Hum!*
Almost the moment Li Guanyi grasped the divine bow, the ancient bronze tripod on his chest began to tremble violently. This unusual phenomenon wasn’t due to the bronze tripod itself, but rather the newly imprinted White Tiger Law Physique on it.
It was as if it had encountered an old friend, a being of the same bloodline.
It began to tremble and struggle violently. Layers of shimmering light suddenly illuminated the bronze tripod, but instead of suppressing as before, they gathered into a surging gale, surrounding the White Tiger Law Physique. This caused the briefly appearing red dragon to be forcibly re-imprinted back into the bronze.
In Li Guanyi’s eyes, wisps of energy began to gather.
To the Xue family’s grandfather and granddaughter, nothing seemed to happen. They only saw the young man, eager to try, approach the war bow and place his hand on it.
But in Li Guanyi’s eyes, a certain energy was clearly circulating on the bow. He wanted to remove his hand, but he couldn’t. The White Tiger Law Physique on the bronze tripod climbed onto his shoulder, as if standing on a peak, roaring loudly forward, while the energy continued to gather.
Li Guanyi saw a transparent hand appear on the war bow.
He looked up.
The converging energy coalesced into a tall man, clad in ancient armor, his face obscured. Beside him, a lifelike White Tiger paced, its gaze cold, seemingly able to perceive the mysteries of all things. Behind them stretched mountains, a towering mountain range and a majestic city rising into the sky.
Two figures, two White Tiger Law Physiques.
As if across vast stretches of time, they gazed at each other.
The wind passed over the lotus pond, carrying the sound of battle flags from a battlefield five hundred years ago.
Five hundred years ago…
A ruthless yet brilliant king arose on the grasslands. He killed his father, forcibly married his stepmother according to the customs of that era, conquered his entire tribe, and swept across the steppe with overwhelming force.
In ten years, eighteen grassland tribes were united under his banner. They held annual gatherings on the plains, without prejudice, drinking, feasting, wrestling, and racing horses like brothers. A single voice echoed across the grasslands, the name of one king sung in the wind.
Thus, armed with spears and short bows, riding hardy steppe horses, they gathered an army of three hundred thousand to invade the Central Plains, even besieging the emperor of the Middle Kingdom in a fortress, nearly ending his life. After returning to his capital, the emperor appointed the Xue family’s Divine General to defend against this grassland enemy.
The two sides were about to clash beneath the mighty pass. The Xue family’s Divine General sat cross-legged in his camp, quietly polishing his war bow, a White Tiger lying beside him. The young man’s hand stroked the war bow, sensing its excitement. He looked towards the distant sacred mountain of the grasslands and said:
“We are about to accomplish the greatest feat of our lives.”
“Ancient generals were granted titles at eighteen, but my ambition is far greater.”
“I will slay the grassland king beneath their sacred mountain during their sacrificial rites, ensuring that these people, raised from birth on horseback, will not dare to invade our Central Plains for three hundred years, protecting our descendants for generations to come.”
“Such a feat should not be lost to the dusts of history. Using this divine weapon as a guide…”
“I will etch this unsurpassed achievement into the annals of history – five hundred years before, and five hundred years hence.”
The large White Tiger yawned.
Five hundred years ago, the young man holding the war bow said: “I think, whoever in the future can lift this bow should also see our determination. I will pierce their so-called sacred mountain with one arrow. To those who come after, if you are destined, go to the hollow in that sacred mountain, for I will leave something there.”
“The emperor was besieged, and I killed him. My renown is too great, causing a backlash, so I feared the extinction of the Xue family. Therefore, I leave my war halberd here, while only the bow and arrow are passed down within the Xue family. This self-sacrifice protects my descendants.”
The young man smiled slightly: “Finally, please accept this greeting from the past.”
“To the people of the future…”
“Greetings.”
“Is the world of the future peaceful?”
Five hundred years ago, the Divine General’s strategists entered the tent, curiously asking:
“General, what are you saying to the war bow?”
The young man looked up and said, “Nothing.”
“I was just thinking that if this war bow doesn’t break, one day someone might hear what I’m saying? Maybe in ten years, maybe in a hundred, or maybe even longer, even after I’m dead.”
“It’s like discovering the handwriting of a predecessor in an old book.”
“Isn’t it a delightful thing?”
The strategists looked at each other, sighing, “General’s divine will can last for a thousand years, can it?”
The young man merely caressed the war bow without answering, gazing towards the battlefield of tomorrow.
Outside the tent, the clash of weapons and the sound of flags flapping in the grassland wind faded into the distance. The scene before him, like smoke and dust, mirrored in Li Guanyi’s eyes. He heard the words left by the once greatest Divine General five hundred years ago.
As if sensing something, he looked up.
An immense, almost divine ancient White Tiger Law Physique stood before him, its eyes golden, its fur longer, flowing in the wind like morning mist. To say that such a White Tiger Law Physique was the White Tiger Star Lord descended to earth, no one could refute.
Meanwhile, the White Tiger Law Physique on Li Guanyi’s shoulder struggled to keep its footing. Its furry paws lifted and lowered, as if massaging Li Guanyi’s shoulder. Finally, its tail tensed, like a spring being released, and it flung itself forward, like a small steel ball, then unfurled in mid-air.
*Thump!*
It landed on the peerless Law Physique of the divine weapon.
The giant White Tiger beside the Xue family ancestor lowered its gaze, looking at the small White Tiger clutching its whiskers, its limbs hugged close, its tail tucked, trembling. A look of fondness and sigh seemed to cross its face as it lay down, resting its forehead against the small White Tiger’s.
A faint glow appeared on both White Tigers.
Then, the lingering essence of the Xue family ancestor suddenly dispersed, transforming into a stream of light that flew directly into Li Guanyi’s brow. Li Guanyi’s face instantly turned pale, and a vast amount of knowledge flooded his mind—the inheritance of the divine will.
《Nine Heavens Ten Earths Stabilizing Heavenly Gang》
《Ten Directions Six Harmonies Infinite Hatred》
《Slay Heaven》 《Break Clouds》 《镇九州》 (镇九州 – This could be translated as “Subdue Nine States,” “Pacify Nine Provinces,” or a similar phrase implying control over a vast territory)
One name after another flashed past, but Li Guanyi couldn’t comprehend their content.
His realm was too low. He couldn’t understand.
A summer insect cannot discuss ice. It was like asking a primary school student to recite the solution to a complex advanced mathematics problem.
One can memorize the answer to a math problem, but these martial arts inheritances didn’t even offer that option.
Li Guanyi groaned, desperately maintaining his composure. At that moment, amid his chaotic state of mind, a piece of music echoed in his head—his aunt’s zither music. For some reason, his extreme agitation and nausea began to subside.
Li Guanyi’s ‘eyes’ suddenly scanned a text:
【Threefold Theory of Entry into the Realm】!
This he could barely manage to read.
Li Guanyi forcefully steadied his mind, enduring the dizziness and nausea, his face pale, but stubbornly imprinting this scroll onto his mind. He didn’t even have time to understand before the stream of light left Li Guanyi’s body, transforming into the Divine General before him.
The Divine General was translucent; his body’s meridians and acupoints lit up, flowing along a special trajectory.
Dozens of enemies appeared before him, mountains and rivers rising.
The Divine General suddenly stepped forward, his body like a roaring White Tiger, using his shoulder to send the enemies flying forward.
Then, he smoothly shot an arrow.
The arrow was wrapped in domineering golden wind, tearing forward.
The White Tiger roared, and the enemies in front were completely torn apart.
Mountains and rivers shattered.
Law Physique Secret Technique: 【One Arrow, Chilling Light】!
Then, he took two arrows and nocked them onto the bowstring simultaneously. A faint sound of thunder echoed around him. Compared to the previous move, its power was several times greater, clearly a more powerful secret technique.
However, at this point, even the zither music seemed insufficient to maintain Li Guanyi’s mental stability.
His realm was too low.
The gap between him and the once unparalleled Divine General was too vast. Even receiving the inheritance was an enormous pressure for Li Guanyi.
A calm, devoid-of-will response echoed in his ears.
“Realm too low.”
“Bow Dao perfected; after entering the realm, return for this inheritance.”
The various phenomena shattered, becoming indistinct. The changes before the young man vanished, leaving only the giant White Tiger still passing something on to his small White Tiger Law Physique. Li Guanyi felt a splitting headache, gasping for breath, his face visibly paling.
Li Guanyi understood clearly: he wasn’t yet qualified, lacked the strength to wield this bow.
But he also felt…
One day in the future, he would be able to draw it.
Perhaps he couldn’t pierce a mountain range, shoot three hundred and eighty li, but relying on the divine weapon, fifty li with one arrow might not be impossible.
He noticed Xue Daoyong’s doubtful gaze, and released the bow, regretfully saying:
“It’s indeed heavy. I can’t hold it.”
The Xue family elder’s doubtful expression returned to normal, and he laughed heartily: “Hahaha, after all, it’s our ancestor’s divine weapon. To be able to shoot three hundred and eighty li with one arrow, this bow’s weight and power are naturally extraordinary.”
Li Guanyi thought for a moment, then said:
“Perhaps it’s just that my cultivation is insufficient.”
“Senior, may I try again after I enter the realm?”
He only received the inheritance of one arrow, one accomplishment.
Li Guanyi was curious about the later secret techniques.
As for revealing this?
If he revealed receiving the Xue family’s inheritance, Li Guanyi would never be able to leave the Xue family and Chen Kingdom with his aunt.
Xue Daoyong simply considered it youthful arrogance, an attempt to save face in front of a girl, thinking this behavior was typical of a young man. Besides, without a White Tiger Law Physique, he couldn’t possibly lift that bow. It was an easy decision for him to agree. So he burst into laughter:
“Hahaha, good! Young people with courage, with a spirit of dissatisfaction and unwillingness, are wonderful! Wait until you enter the realm, then try again!”
“Thank you, Senior.”
The old and young men drank tea, both feeling like they had struck gold.
Xue Shuangtao’s eyes lit up. She also wanted to try, but the girl did not possess a White Tiger Law Physique.
She had no other divine will, and tried for a long time, until her jade-like face flushed red and sweat beaded on her forehead. Feeling a little embarrassed, she turned away, unwilling to let Li Guanyi and her grandfather see her sweaty face.
Li Guanyi did not see this charming side of the girl.
He barely managed to drink tea, maintaining his composure through the bitterness.
At this time, the giant White Tiger slowly dissipated. Li Guanyi’s White Tiger Law Physique had only existed through the divine bow’s energy; with the divine weapon now quiet, it retreated as a tired bird returning to its nest, back onto the bronze tripod.
Li Guanyi paused slightly.
The moment the White Tiger Law Physique returned…
Ninety-eight percent of the Qingtong Ding Cultivation Technique…
Instantly completed!
(End of Chapter)
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