"That old thing had never taken this step before; he couldn’t do this."
"Hey, he actually made it through, what a pity, I want to take this step too, but I dare not."
Gongyang Su Wang calmly said, "Ahead lies a cliff of ten thousand zhang, there is a path, but no gate to enter."
"What can be done about it?"
At this moment, Master Mo, the living Buddha from the Buddhist Sect, and Master Su Yue all dispersed, checking the surrounding Primordial Qi to prevent Zhang Ziyong from making any fallback moves, while Yuwen Lie watched Li Guanyi without saying much and ordered the Tiger Barbarian Cavalry to regroup.
Gongyang Su Wang had time to chat leisurely with Li Guanyi, and this elderly Confucian Scholar said gently:
"Ninety-seven mystical weapons crisscrossed to give him the prestige of the world’s number one Grandmaster, but they also constrained him. At that time, he and I were almost alike; I fought with him three times, he never broke through, and I never defeated him."
"Now, fighting one-on-one, I fear it would be difficult to withstand his sword moves."
"I really want to mobilize the momentum of the ancient path of Confucianism to fight him."
"But Confucianism’s heritage is not meant for personal skirmishing."
"It benefits neither the state nor the world."
Li Guanyi curiously asked:
"How great was the change in Grandpa, before and after his breakthrough?"
Gongyang Su Wang seemed to hear something very interesting, he burst into laughter, reached out and patted Li Guanyi’s shoulder, saying, "Truly a child, how great is the change? The change you speak of is like a bird flapping its wings, a fish wagging its tail, the change of the Sword Madman, however, is like a fish turning into a dragon, a bird transforming into a roc."
"The first Grandmaster, ninety-seven mystical weapons intertwining and crisscrossing."
"To kill the Sect Master of the Yin Yang Reincarnation Sect in the Nine Heavens, it takes only two moves."
"And the split and changes of the Yin Yang Reincarnation Sect are due to a debate initiated by Zhang Ziyong; Zhang Ziyong ’enlightened’ the Yin Yang Reincarnation Sect, such methods, yet cannot directly resist Murong Longtu’s current sword."
Li Guanyi then said, "I see."
"The Yin Yang Reincarnation Sect also has something to do with this guy."
He held the Chi Xiao Sword, grinning:
"What a pity, I just could not poke a few more holes in Zhang Ziyong."
Gongyang Su Wang laughed heartily: "Good child, you have the spirit of our peers."
The sound of horses and the friction of armor were chilling, adding a hint of coldness to the heart, Yuwen Lie had reorganized eight thousand Tiger Barbarian Cavalry, and he brought the troops to the front of Li Guanyi, his tiger-like eyes staring at Li Guanyi.
Gongyang Su Wang paced, standing in front of Li Guanyi.
While the Academy’s Palace Master held this position, he bore the collective weight of All Schools, not serving in the Court, but in this moment, he still upheld the old pact, saying:
Yuwen Lie, sitting on his war horse, looked calmly at Li Guanyi.
"Chi Xiao Sword, Li Guanyi..."
Li Guanyi smiled serenely, saying, "Do you want it?"
He held the sword, then threw it, the Chi Xiao Sword fell to the ground, howling, but Yuwen Lie did not go to look at the Divine Weapon, his War Spear against the ground, he said: "Merely legends of the past."
"I heard that many Masters from the Academy still harbor fantasies about this sword."
"Tian Xian told me you once mentioned a phrase, ’Would kings and potentates actually have their own kind?’"
"If you believe holding the Chi Xiao Sword you can conquer the world, then you are the least qualified to utter this phrase, and it also conflicts with the Confucian idea of ruler rules as ruler, minister serves as minister, father acts as father, son as son, right?"
The black-clothed Confucian Scholar holding a sword, answered:
"King Wu fought against the Human Emperor, I heard of punishing a solitary despot, not of regicide."
Yuwen Lie looked at Gongyang Su Wang, saying, "I heard Gongyang Su Wang, you adhere to classical Confucianism, different from the schools divided over these eight hundred years, then, if we obtain the world and the Four Seas are peaceful, Confucianism would also support it, wouldn’t it?"
Gongyang Su Wang said, "Naturally."
"Old Confucianism disturbs times of chaos; General, do you know the ’Book of Rites·Conduct of the Confucians’?"
Yuwen Lie said, "The practice of Confucianism is the only article I remember."
This renowned general solemnly said: "Confucianism advocates neither serving the Emperor above nor serving the Marquis below; they are cautious and still favor generosity, resilient and sociable, learned to command respect; close to literature, whetting the edges of integrity; even if offered a realm as tiny as a speck, they would neither serve nor hold office."
"The lineage of Gongyang Ru still exists."
He thrust with his War Spear, picking it up, the spear against the sword, producing a sword sound.
Then, on horseback, he made a powerful effort, picking up the Chi Xiao Sword, spinning it as it flew in front of Li Guanyi, who stretched out his hand and grasped the Divine Weapon, sitting there.
Yuwen Lie rode his warhorse.
A trace of a smile appeared on his solemn face.
It was the silent smile of a fierce tiger; he said calmly: "In front of me, there’s no need for such posturing, Li Guanyi, both of us are people who have stirred up times of chaos, keep the Chi Xiao Sword."
"I will relay this to the Emperor."
"As for the Emperor’s response, I can tell you now."
"You also need not be so guarded, Gongyang Su Wang, I will not launch a surprise attack."
He rode his warhorse, turned, and left; the Tiger Barbarian Cavalry split like flowing water and then gathered behind him, all movements silent, naturally, the renowned general raised his spear, a voice solemn, pausing between words, said:
"We will defeat the master of the Chi Xiao Sword."
"Submitting under the legend of Chi Xiao, believing that holding the Chi Xiao Sword can conquer the world, means we still kneel under the lingering power of the Red Emperor, the chains imposed on the flesh have not been severed."
"Such a Divine Weapon, for us, is a restraint."
"Let us meet on the battlefield!"
"Only by directly defeating the master of the Chi Xiao Sword can we prove the past has ended; we need not submit to the Red Emperor, we will carve our era with our blades and spears!"