Chapter 24: The Greatest General Under Heaven!

Li Guanyi remembered this name.

When Xue Changqing had been proudly showing off his marksmanship to his grandfather just moments ago, he'd mentioned that he wanted to study the "Thirteen Styles of the Divine Bow," and that old man had also brought up the "Heaven-Shattering Cloud Piercer Bow." So this was the divine weapon that had been sealed away for a hundred and thirty years?

Li Guanyi could sense that the as-yet-unformed White Tiger manifestation on the Bronze Cauldron was roaring in the struggle.

It seemed to desperately want to pounce forward and touch this bow.

The old man noticed Li Guanyi's gaze and smiled knowingly. "Mr. Li has noticed this Heaven-Shattering Cloud Piercer Bow? Understandable—everyone who comes to the Listening Wind Pavilion gets their eyes caught by it."

"However, I doubt you've heard the story behind this bow."

Li Guanyi shook his head.

The old man set down his teacup, extended his hand and touched the ancient bow. "Five hundred years ago, our ancestor relied on this very bow to force back an army of three hundred thousand with just three arrows. It is said that our ancestor was the incarnation of the White Tiger Star-Lord from the heavens, descending to the human world to quell the chaos of the age."

"In his youth, he lived in poverty, herding cattle for wealthy landlords. One day, he encountered a ferocious tiger as large as a mountain. After a deadly battle, he killed that beautiful yet deadly beast. Later, he used divine wood from the base of Mount Kunwu to craft this bow, and the tiger's soul was woven into the bowstring."

"When placed on its stand, the bow would often hum on windless nights, and the sound was just like a tiger's roar."

"Legend says that the last of those three arrows shot by our ancestor traveled over a hundred miles, killing the enemy general within his royal tent. When that arrow was loosed, the clouds in the sky were torn apart, rifts as deep canyons appeared, and thunderous booms rolled across the heavens. That's why it's called the Heaven-Shattering Cloud Piercer Bow."

Over a hundred miles?!

Li Guanyi's eyelids twitched violently.

What kind of terrifying power was that?

So the name Heaven-Shattering Cloud Piercer Bow wasn't just an exaggeration but a factual description?

Yue Qianfeng's punch shattering a mountain already seemed monstrous, but if someone could shoot an arrow across a hundred miles, then Yue Qianfeng's strength might not be that impressive after all.

Even Xue Shuangtao was hearing this story for the first time. When she heard "over a hundred miles," her expression froze, utterly unable to imagine what kind of terrifying strength that would require.

The old man chuckled. "You probably don't believe it, do you? I didn't believe it either. Martial artists being able to shatter mountains with their fists or embed arrows into rock walls—that's fairly normal."

"But the stories about our ancestors sounded like tall tales made up by our elders to glorify themselves."

"Who hasn't been young and brash? I was too."

"I didn't believe in heaven or gods, doubted my elders, challenged authority, trusted only myself."

"When I was eighteen, I took up a bow and three arrows and traveled the world as a wandering merchant."

"At that time, the Ying Kingdom hadn't yet filled the Wei River with the blood of nobles. I crossed the Changlian Mountain Range, riding a hairy longhorn ox of the Tangut people. The sky was vast, the clouds distant, shepherd girls sang their songs, and my skin burned in the harsh sunlight, itching and peeling."

"After drinking their pungent sour milk, I would sleep on the ox's back, covering my face with a hide, thinking about the fresh fish and greens of my hometown, regretting my reckless departure."

"Until I heard their cheers."

"I raised my hand to shield my eyes and saw, atop their sacred mountain, an enormous hollow—like a dragon had burrowed through it, splitting the peak, with sunlight pouring through that giant hole. It was breathtaking."

"They called it 'Aruen Urharivabodsadawa.'"

"Meaning—the Middle Kingdom Bodhisattva's Arrow that pierced their holy mountain."

"That was the mark left by our ancestor."

"And the true target of that arrow was far beyond the mountain, hidden behind it."

"My elders had lied to me."

The old man caressed the bow, his tone calm yet trembling with suppressed emotion. "The last of those three legendary arrows didn't travel a mere hundred miles—it flew three hundred and eighty miles, striking down the great khan of the steppe within his golden tent. The blood of the khan stained his pavilion red, scattering the eighteen tribes that had gathered for a grand assembly, thus lifting the empire's crisis."

Three hundred and eighty miles with one arrow?!

Li Guanyi's pupils trembled.

The old man added, "Although that final arrow left our ancestor gravely wounded and destroyed one of the five divine arrows, it remains a feat we descendants can only look up to."

"It was then that I finally believed—five hundred years ago, our ancestor truly ranked first on the Divine General Rankings, and this Heaven-Shattering Cloud Piercer Bow was rightfully first among divine weapons."

"I became obsessed. For three straight months, I shot arrows three thousand times a day. My palms were worn through by the bowstring, scabbed over, and then torn open again. Finally, I managed to shoot an arrow into that ancient hollow left by our ancestors. My spirit was complete."

"After that, I returned and took over as the family head, up until today."

Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao both imagined that grand scene.

A towering sacred mountain with a massive hollow punched through it, Tangut tribespeople in their fur garments kneeling in prayer, palms facing upward, offering their reverence, and the descendant standing under that vast sky with a bow in hand—what an awe-inspiring sight that must have been.

Li Guanyi asked, "Number one in the world?"

The old man sighed, "It could be considered so. Sadly, since then, only two people have ever managed to draw this bow, and the last of them died five years before I was born. For a hundred and thirty years now, no one has drawn this bow, and no one has heard its thunderous twang."

"It is said that whoever can lift and draw this bow will directly inherit the ancestor's techniques."

"With the divine weapon's power, one could shoot with unerring accuracy. If paired with its matching divine arrows, each shot could reach at least fifty miles, and anything within that range—people, structures, even mountains—would be obliterated."

Li Guanyi remained silent for a long while, his gaze fixed on that ancient war bow. He asked, "A divine weapon like this—aren't you afraid someone might steal it?"

Within the Bronze Cauldron, the White Tiger manifestation struggled fiercely, roaring with insatiable desire, making Li Guanyi's ears ring with the sheer intensity of its longing to pick up the bow and shoot it. But he forcibly suppressed that urge.

The old man burst into hearty laughter. "Steal it?"

"To even lift this bow requires an exceedingly harsh condition."

"One must bear the White Tiger Manifestation, just as our ancestor did."

"Otherwise, even if the strongest man in the world tried, he'd never lift it off that stand. Much less draw it."

Li Guanyi's mind paused.

White Tiger Manifestation?

The semi-formed White Tiger on the Bronze Cauldron was practically foaming at the mouth, desperately wanting to spring forth, but without the cauldron's reservoir of jade liquid reaching completion, it couldn't fully materialize. Frustrated, it curled up into a ball and rolled along the cauldron's walls, only to be swatted aside like a snowball by the Red Dragon.

"Wah!!"

"Awoo!!"

Thus began a scene of dragon-tiger combat atop the cauldron.

More or less.

Li Guanyi murmured, "Divine Generals... Manifestations...?"

The old man casually flipped his palm, and a book flew into it. He handed it to Li Guanyi. "Indeed."

"Manifestations have nothing to do with martial cultivation realms—they're traits possessed only by truly exceptional heroes."

"For over a thousand years, there have been three supreme rankings."

"The Divine General Rankings, the Divine Weapon Rankings, and the Manifestation Rankings."

"These lists weren't published by anyone but were instead shaped by the great battles and bloodshed across history. Divine Generals are unrivaled warriors, bearing Manifestations, wielding divine weapons, dominating battlefields, and steering the tides of nations. They are called the 'Upper Rankings.'"

Xue Shuangtao curiously asked, "Upper Rankings? Are there other rankings too?"

The old man stroked his beard. "Indeed. With many people comes strife—Upper Rankings concern wars between great nations. Other rankings are often fabricated by schemers to stir up the martial world, creating trouble. They have some value but often bring calamity too."

"If a martial artist gets listed on the Grandmaster Rankings, they'll never know peace. If a woman appears on the Beauty Rankings, she'll become a target of greed."

"More curse than blessing—you should steer clear."

"Mr. Li, are you interested in the Upper Rankings?"

"Yes."

The old man, without hesitation, retrieved a scroll and tossed it to him with a casual flick of the wrist. "Tea's not ready yet. You can look but not take it."

Li Guanyi nodded, opening the scroll and asking, "Who's the top-ranked general in Chen Country?"

The old man replied, "Once, there was a Grand Duke of Peace in the top ten, but he died tragically. Now, Marshal Yue is the strongest, ranked... eleventh."

Li Guanyi froze.

Marshal Yue—the man Yue Qianfeng admired like a god—was only eleventh?

The old man hesitated, then said, "The Divine General Rankings are based on battlefield merit, not individual strength alone. It also depends on the strength of their nation. Our current emperor enjoys poetry, paintings, and landscapes too much... I've said too much already. You can read for yourself."

Li Guanyi understood.

Chen Country's imperial court was weak, obsessed with luxury and arts, indulging daily in music and pleasure, preferring appeasement to war. Even if divine generals wanted to hold the heavens together, they couldn't. They could only clench their fists in frustration.

Thus, Chen's generals ranked low.

Li Guanyi opened the Divine General Rankings and scanned.

He was searching for a familiar name.

Would it be there?

In an instant, his gaze sharpened as he found it near the top—

[Yue Qianfeng], ranked thirty-fourth on the Divine General Rankings.

Assessment—

Southern Land's premier infantry commander.

...

Boom!!!

A single slash cleaved through a hundred-forged blade, reducing it to scrap. The ensuing shockwave sent a dozen elite assassins flying, torn to shreds. The burly man frowned. "A pity I didn't bring my divine weapon."

Assailants were appearing everywhere.

He could vaguely see the city ahead.

He glanced at the old man beside him, who was still deep in calculation. "Elder Zu."

"We're nearly at Guan Yi City."

(End of Chapter)