(A group number has been released, where heroes gather amidst the flames of war. The group number is 20161655. Interested heroes and heroines are welcome to join the group to chat and discuss the book.)

One after the other, they arrived at the mountaintop. Mao Xiaodong stood outside the pavilion with a solemn expression.

Throughout the entire Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent, ninth-realm martial artists were far fewer than tenth-realm Qi refiners. This was why the appearance of a Song Changjing in Great Li could intimidate the mountains.

Ninth-realm martial artists had almost tempered their bodies to the pinnacle of humanity, rumored to be immune to all laws. Although Mao Xiaodong knew that this was an exaggeration, considering the existence of those upper five realms cultivators, whose divine abilities were vast, capable of moving mountains and overturning seas, the eighth-realm feudal lord Song Changjing, in those life-and-death battles with top cultivators, truly deserved that reputation. After all, upper five realms cultivators, like divine dragons hidden in clouds, were exceedingly rare.

Cui Dongshan introduced with a chuckle, “This old gentleman is named Mao Xiaodong, formerly Qi Jingchun’s junior brother, and now the true managing Deputy Headmaster of Cliff Academy.”

Originally, Li Er hadn’t even glanced at the tall old man with a ruler hanging from his waist. Upon hearing this, he immediately took the initiative to smile and said, “Master Mao, I am Li Huai’s father.”

The old man was surprised, and Cui Dongshan was equally curious. With Li Er’s straightforward and stubborn nature, even if he had no complaints about Cliff Academy, he should still harbor some resentment in his heart. After all, the academy had done nothing in this turmoil, seemingly neutral and just, but actually somewhat heartless. Not to mention Li BaoPing and her group, even the academy students who had followed Mao Xiaodong when he left Great Li felt confused. Why hadn’t the old gentleman spoken out righteously and demanded an explanation from the Great Sui court?

Just like Qi Jingchun, who was seated in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, deeply trapped in a dead end, with no possibility of leaving alive. Although the Great Li’s Song emperor hadn’t kicked Qi Jingchun while he was down, he hadn’t dared to raise any objections to those forces either, which disappointed many scholars who had come from old Cliff Academy afterward.

Li Er laughed heartily, “In the small town, Mr. Qi once invited me for a drink and mentioned old Mr. Mao. A scholar recognized by Mr. Qi must be a true scholar in my book, Li Er. So, regarding this matter, I believe the old gentleman, managing such a large academy, must have his difficulties. I, Li Er, haven’t studied, but I understand this much.”

It seemed that away from home, this simple and honest man wasn’t truly a silent gourd.

It was probably just that there weren’t many outsiders he could open up to.

And Mao Xiaodong was clearly benefiting from his senior brother Qi Jingchun’s reputation.

The tall old man sighed softly, “I dare not accept such praise.”

After Li Er finished his polite words, he began to look around. His sharp gaze surged like a tide. As the water flowed, occasional waves splashed up, like sturdy rocks in the river, but they quickly subsided in fear, avoiding his sharp edge. Among them was a tenth-realm Qi refiner named Cai Jingshen, located closest to Donghua Mountain.

Li Er found the vast and magnificent building, with red walls and green tiles, rich in dragon energy, a typical imperial style.

Mao Xiaodong asked, “Do you want to reason with someone?”

Li Er, who had already prepared to leave the mountain, stopped the circulation of Qi in his body after the old man spoke and nodded, “I’ll directly find the Great Sui Emperor. If he’s reasonable, he can bring out the Nanxi Chu family, the Upper Pillar State Han family, and the Marquis of Huaiyuan. I’m not bullying anyone. I can promise to let the most capable members of each family come forward, one at a time, or all at once, as they please.”

The short, stocky man’s expression was calm, and his tone was unremarkable.

Cui Dongshan marveled. He, as a spectator, wasn’t afraid of a hole being poked in the sky.

Mao Xiaodong was overwhelmed and was about to offer some advice when the man grinned, revealing his snow-white teeth, “If the Great Sui Emperor isn’t reasonable, then it’s even simpler. There’s a way to fight when reasoning works, and there’s a way to fight when reasoning doesn’t work. If I, Li Er, don’t tear down half of the Great Sui Imperial Palace today, I’ll take the Gao emperor’s surname from now on.”

Cui Dongshan’s stomach churned with malicious intent, and he “kindly reminded” from the side with ulterior motives, “The Great Sui capital’s city-protecting formation, while strong in defending against external enemies, is mediocre internally and far less powerful than Great Li’s White Jade Tower, which combines offense and defense. But this is, after all, the central hub of the Great Sui territory, and the Imperial Palace is the most important place. Even if you are a pure martial artist at the peak of the ninth realm, once caught in a siege, you may not be able to escape unscathed.”

Li Er twitched his lips and stared at the white-clothed teenager with a gloomy gaze, “That’s my concern, you don’t need to blow this evil wind in my ears, Li Er. You’re not my wife, she can whisper sweet nothings, what are you? To be clear, I don’t care about your dog-sh*t plots, but that doesn’t mean you can treat me like an idiot.”

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, “Alright, treating good intentions as a donkey’s liver and lungs, do whatever makes you happy, Li Er, I don’t care.”

Li Er smiled, “But I still need to trouble you to tell Li Huai that his dad went out to buy something for his mother and them, and will be back to the academy later.”

Mao Xiaodong said worriedly, “One moment, to be honest, this turmoil, I do have ulterior motives, hoping to use this opportunity to truly give the children a safe learning environment, unwilling to let the struggle between Great Li and Great Sui affect Cliff Academy. With all kinds of people and their desires, I originally planned to personally go to the Imperial Palace in the near future and make a final decision with the Gao emperor…”

Li Er waved his hand, “Old sir, that’s your academy’s business, I can’t control it. My visit to the Imperial Palace this time is my Li Er family’s matter. Anyway, I promise I will definitely not bring trouble to the academy. You can rest assured about that, old sir.”

Mao Xiaodong said with a bitter smile, “To put it bluntly, the more trouble you cause at the Imperial Palace, the better it will actually be for the academy. But it’s too dangerous to break into a dynasty’s Imperial Palace alone. If unnecessary, don’t completely rely on such a tough and reckless approach. If possible, let me, as the Deputy Headmaster of the academy, personally talk to the Great Sui Emperor and let him put pressure on those families. If you, Li Er, are still not satisfied at that time, then it won’t be too late to take action, how about it?”

Li Er shook his head, “I appreciate old sir’s kindness. But I said earlier, this is my family’s business, as the head of the family…”
Li Er hastily stopped himself, amending his statement, “As the man of the house, Li Huai’s father, I rely on my fists to solve problems. I don’t overthink things.”

Mao Xiaodong had no choice but to signal the white-robed youth with his eyes, hoping this silver-tongued fellow could mediate and prevent the situation from reaching a dead end. Unfortunately, that fellow was determined to sit on the hilltop and watch the flood. The tall old man sighed and changed the subject, asking a question he had always been curious about, “How is Qi Jingchun doing, teaching in the town, facing a group of novice children every day?”

Li Er paused, seemingly surprised by the question. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “He’s doing alright, I suppose. Mr. Qi visited my home once. We didn’t talk much, but I admire Mr. Qi greatly. Even my wife, who is so feisty… so blunt, speaks highly of Mr. Qi. She joked that if she were twenty years younger, she would definitely remarry. Then she regretted that my daughter was too young.”

Speaking of such embarrassing matters, the burly man actually laughed heartily, adding, “I think it’s a great blessing for Li Huai to have a teacher like Mr. Qi.”

From this, it was clear that Li Er genuinely admired the scholar Qi Jingchun from the bottom of his heart.

The time his wife had her face scratched bloody by someone, and that family happened to have a mountain immortal as their ancestor, Li Er, enraged, secretly left the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven without telling his family. He went outside and fought his way from the foot of the mountain to the other party’s ancestral hall, demolishing it along the way. Finally, that madman, who hadn’t said a single word or given his name from beginning to end, swaggered away. That fight made half of Bao Ping Continent gasp in astonishment.

After Li Er returned to the town in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, Qi Jingchun paid him a visit.

Since leaving the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven required the approval of the Sage Qi Jingchun, and Li Er already respected Qi Jingchun as Li Huai’s teacher, he had informed him beforehand. Therefore, he felt somewhat at a loss when Qi Jingchun came to visit afterward, fearing that the academy teacher would have a negative impression of Li Huai. There was some homemade wine at home, very poor quality, and Li Er was too embarrassed to bring it out and make a fool of himself.

However, Qi Jingchun took the initiative to ask for wine. The two men sat on small stools in the courtyard, each with a bowl. The so-called “table” was actually a chair of better quality, with a plate of homemade pickles and a plate of salted peanuts on top.

Qi Jingchun discussed Li Huai’s studies and smiled, “The strong draw their swords against the even stronger. You remind me of an elder brother and friend of mine.”

The burly man, not good at conversation, muttered, “I don’t have a sword.”

Qi Jingchun took a sip of wine and said, “Then the strong throw their fists against the even stronger?”

The burly man was truly nervous at the time, not only because of Qi Jingchun’s status as the Confucian Sage presiding over this place, nor merely because he was his son’s teacher, but also because his own master had evaluated Qi with six words: “Has the potential to establish a religion and become an ancestor.” Li Er’s nervousness was not fear, but sincere admiration. The greater the world, the higher one’s martial skill, the higher one’s cultivation, the more one would discover how remarkable some people were. Towards these lonely, towering figures, Li Er, even though he feared neither heaven nor earth, was willing to show them due respect.

Therefore, Li Er could only say what was on his mind, “This barely counts… I can’t intervene when children fight, but it’s not difficult to reason with their ancestors.”

Qi Jingchun clinked his bowl against the burly man’s and asked with a smile, “How did you feel about going out this time?”

Li Er shook his head and said, “Great reputation, sounds impressive, but none of them could fight.”

Saying this, Li Er smiled sheepishly, “The wine is bad, Mr. Qi, I’m sorry.”

Qi Jingchun finished the poor-quality wine in his bowl in one gulp, gazed at the distant night, and squinted his eyes with a dazed smile, “It’s good. When I was young, I often drank such wine, and my temper was much worse than yours.”

In the end, Li Er knew that even if Mr. Qi really wanted to drink more wine, he had deliberately left him half a pot. He insisted on getting up and said to him, “I can’t say that I’ll teach Li Huai to be very knowledgeable, but I will definitely make him a good person, with a heart no worse than his father’s. You can rest assured about this, Li Er.”

Li Er also stood up, “Mr. Qi, that’s enough!”

Li Er escorted Qi Jingchun to the door. The Confucian-robed man walked alone in the alleyway, his back looking lonely and isolated.

The last time he saw Mr. Qi was when Li Er was secretly hiding in the side room of the Yang family’s shop. That day, it was raining in the small street. Mr. Qi was holding an umbrella, walking shoulder to shoulder with someone. The umbrella was not big to begin with, and he tilted it towards the Mud Bottle Lane youth named Chen Pingan. The two were chatting. The youth tilted his head and smiled, saying okay, while the teacher tilted his head down, his face full of smiles.

Li Er had never seen Mr. Qi so… not alone.

At this moment, atop Donghua Mountain in a foreign land, Li Er looked at the youth and the old gentleman beside him, smiled, and said:

“Among all the scholars in the world, none can compare to Mr. Qi.”

Li Er thought of Qi Jingchun, Chen Pingan, and finally, his own son, Li Huai.

The man’s heart surged with emotion, feeling the urge to speak his mind, but he couldn’t quite articulate it. Since that was the case, then fight! He himself didn’t know why, but he just felt that he owed Mr. Qi half a pot of wine that year, and he had to fight someone wholeheartedly, and then drink!

Li Er’s not-so-tall figure erupted on the Donghua Mountain side, soaring into the air with a bang, drawing a huge arc, spanning half of the capital city, and landing in the Sui Dynasty Palace!

In the Sui Dynasty Palace, in the simple and elegant Yangxin Hall, the Sui Dynasty Emperor once again summoned the Minister of Rites, frowning and asking, “Is there still no movement from the academy?”

The short old man shook his head and said, “Elder Mao only said that he would give Your Majesty an explanation, but he didn’t say when he would enter the palace.”

The refined man in the dragon robe said helplessly, “It is my Sui Dynasty that should be giving their academy an explanation. But if Elder Mao doesn’t come, I can’t urge the academy to come and demand justice, can I?”
The wizened old man carefully chose his words, meticulously crafting his response after thorough deliberation. “If we trace the origins of the conflict between Li Huai and the academy children to mere squabbles, it’s understandable. The fault initially lay with our Great Sui. The ensuing incidents, big and small, were a case of shared blame. However, the young man named Yu Lu undeniably overstepped the boundaries. The crux of the matter lies not only in his ruthlessness, but also his cunning. According to the sword cultivator, Yu Lu revealed varying degrees of strength in his strikes, initially at the Fourth Realm of Martial Arts, then the Fifth and Sixth. He consistently suppressed his cultivation at the Sixth Realm until the very end, when he unleashed the power of the Seventh Realm to severely injure the sword cultivator.”

The Emperor of the Great Sui nodded. In truth, the eunuch in python robes had already explained that the young Yu Lu should be at the peak of the Sixth Realm of Martial Arts. However, during the great battle within the library, he had used the Sword cultivator of the Viewing Sea realm as a whetstone, successfully breaking through. His potential, talent, and willpower were undoubtedly of the highest caliber.

The man who sat upon the dragon throne perceived people and events differently than the cautious Minister of Rites, regardless of their inherent nature or the unfolding situation.

Suddenly, the old eunuch appeared beside the Emperor of the Great Sui. The Minister of Rites saw only a blur before a figure in crimson python robes stood before the Emperor, disregarding all courtly protocol.

The Emperor was merely curious, neither angered nor alarmed.

Then, a violent tremor, like the earth itself was turning over, shook the entire palace.

A resounding voice boomed, “Where is the Emperor of the Great Sui?”

The Emperor rose, smiling. “That fellow has quite the nerve. I wonder, how strong is he?”

The aged eunuch replied in a deep voice, “A Ninth Realm Martial Artist, perhaps even beyond the ordinary Ninth Realm. He is exceptionally formidable.”

The Emperor nodded. “Like our Imperial Go Academics. Even among Ninth Dan masters, there are strong and weak. The difference between a strong Ninth Dan and a weak Ninth Dan, though seemingly of the same rank, is vast.”

Escorted by one of the palace eunuchs, a guardian of the Great Sui capital, the Emperor walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, saying slowly, “There should be a Tenth Dan, but because the Great Demon of White Emperor City in the legendary Earth Continent claims that rank, and has even raised a banner declaring ‘Granting the World the First Move’, no dynasty dares bestow the title of Tenth Dan upon its own Go players. Truthfully, the Great Sui boasts a wealth of talented Go players, surpassing all of Treasure Bottle Continent, but even the Great Sui doesn’t dare break this precedent. I truly yearn to visit White Emperor City and see it for myself.”

The eunuch said, “Allow palace experts to test his depth first. It’s not too late for Your Majesty to appear.”

The Emperor and the eunuch in python robes had barely stepped out of the corridor when a white-haired Qi cultivator rushed over to report the battle’s progress.

In the plaza outside the Hall of Martial Valor, a vice-commander of the Imperial Guard, a Seventh Realm Martial Artist, had already been knocked unconscious by a single blow. No one dared to move him.

After they had walked a hundred paces, a burly general in golden armor came to report.

A Tenth Realm Qi cultivator master, who guarded the palace perimeter year-round, rushed into the palace and had barely unleashed his magic treasure when it was smashed away by a single punch. The punch sent the master flying out of the palace walls. Another punch sent the master crashing into the city wall. This time, he didn’t lose consciousness, but was unable to continue the fight.

The Emperor grunted. “The palace array has been activated, hasn’t it?”

The general in golden armor nodded. “It has been activated! It can be utilized at any moment. Martial Arts Grandmasters and Qi cultivators from within and outside the capital are rushing to the palace.”

The Emperor asked, “Has he attacked proactively?”

The general shook his head. “No, he only said that he came to see Your Majesty. Unless we attack, he remains motionless.”

The Emperor muttered, “Things don’t go beyond three.”

The eunuch in python robes chuckled. “Your Majesty, now is not the time to be so particular. Allow me to meet him. If I still lose, then Your Majesty can reveal yourself.”

The Emperor jested, “You are both on the path of Martial Arts. Don’t lose too badly.”

The old eunuch, whose position was extraordinary, having served three emperors of the Great Sui, laughed. “I won’t borrow the dragon aura of the capital unless it is absolutely necessary.”

The old eunuch touched his toes lightly and instantly soared over the roof of a palace, skimming the air like a dragonfly, riding the wind as if a celestial being on a carefree journey.

In the realm of Martial Arts, the Eighth Realm, the Ascension Realm, allowed one to hover in the void and travel far on the wind, hence the name “Distant Journey Realm.”

And the so-called ultimate realm in the eyes of the secular martial world, the Ninth Realm, the Summit Realm, was the Grandmaster whose martial path had reached its end. The strength of their physical body surpassed even the Buddhist Arhat’s Golden Body. Middle Five Realm Qi cultivators, excluding Tenth Realm cultivators, would almost certainly die within ten feet if they lacked a magic treasure of extremely high rank for protection.

The old eunuch in crimson python robes landed gracefully in the plaza outside the Hall of Martial Valor, standing twenty feet away from the unremarkable-looking man.

Before the grand eunuch appeared, a layer of golden light covered the ground, rooftops, and walls of the entire palace, like golden streams flowing and rolling. Within this thin layer of golden water, illusory images of dragons appeared, baring their fangs and claws with terrifying might.

The palace array of the Great Sui was called the Dragon Wall.

The Great Sui Dynasty had been at peace for so long that the Dragon Wall had not been used for over a hundred years.

The entire palace shone with a golden splendor when the array was activated. The old eunuch, who had personally experienced that brutal battle, was filled with mixed emotions.

“We meet again.”

The eunuch placed one hand behind his back and held a fist against his stomach. “Exchange three blows. If you win, you can see our Emperor.”

Back in the Glazed Pearl Paradise, it was this man who had been carrying the Dragon King’s basket, intending to sell the golden carp inside to a boy from a humble lane.

Then the old man and the prince Gao Xuan had intercepted two great opportunities along the way.

At that time, the man had concealed himself deeply. Coupled with the magical suppression of the Glazed Pearl Paradise, the old man couldn’t discern that the other party was a Grandmaster of Martial Arts.

The man was expressionless and didn’t attempt to be friendly with the eunuch in python robes. In slightly awkward Treasure Bottle Continent’s standard elegant language, he said, “I will let you strike me twice.”

The old eunuch raised an eyebrow. “Good!”

The man stopped talking and focused his Qi in his dantian. Without any movement, cracking sounds began to echo in the plaza outside the Hall of Martial Valor. The man stood like a towering mountain in the Great Sui Palace.

Within ten feet of him, the golden light on the ground instantly dimmed.
The aged eunuch drew a deep breath, taking a measured step forward. Each subsequent stride grew larger, culminating in a leap of two zhang, his momentum like a surging tide. He arrived before the man and unleashed a fist towards his chest.

A deafening roar echoed.

Like the resounding clang of a great bell, it reverberated throughout the imperial palace.

A golden dragon, previously swimming across the surface of the Martial Glory Hall’s plaza, was struck by the surging and turbulent energy. It was instantly thrown backward within the golden flowing light, shrinking into the corner of a distant high wall, remaining deathly still.

The strong man retreated three or four steps, calmly stating, “There is one more fist.”

The old eunuch remained silent, his scarlet python robe fluttering violently. He stepped forward, roaring as he delivered another punch, this time aimed at the man’s forehead.

This strike, whether in its execution or its impact on the forehead, was utterly silent.

However, within the Great Sui Imperial Palace, countless Imperial Guards, palace maids, and eunuchs suffered a tremendous shock. The former, with their foundation in cultivation, merely felt a violent tremor in their eardrums and unsettled qi and blood. But among the latter, many were sent flying backward on the spot. Upon hitting the ground, horrifying streaks of crimson blood seeped from their ears.

The man was sent flying by the old eunuch’s all-out punch, his entire body smashed into the high wall. But he quickly propped himself up on the edge with both hands, pulling himself out of the wall and landing lightly. He walked towards the aged eunuch who had delivered the two blows, his expression unchanged, and said, “You have one more fist. Feel free to strike. But it is also my turn to strike.”

From the seventh-realm martial artist earlier, to the tenth-realm Qi refiner, to this gatekeeper of the Great Sui capital, the strong man, in the end, only needed to use one fist.

Just one fist.

This strong man was truly honest and simple, unwilling to bully others.

The aged eunuch inhaled deeply. “Please enlighten me!”

The strong man began to sprint, delivering a straightforward and simple punch directly into the old eunuch’s chest.

And then, the figure of the Great Sui palace warden vanished from the Martial Glory Hall’s plaza. Only a large hole appeared in the high wall over there. The strong man waited for a moment, but no one emerged from the other side. Only then did he say, “Great Sui Emperor, you can either continue to hide, or send another one who can fight. If that doesn’t work, send everyone at once!”