Chapter 125: Divine Awakening on Jingguang Peak

A dense aura of divine essence filled the surroundings. Li Che felt the Dao Fruit ‘Unsullied Heart’ in his chest pulsate as though it had caught sight of an irresistibly delicious treat.

It reminded him of that time at the Bizarre Temple outside Feilei City when he stared at the ‘Three-Eyed Furious True Lord Spirit Infant Statue’.

The lingering divine aura of the Temple Spirit was laced with an incredibly sweet fragrance.

The two Dao Fruits looked like the gaping maw of a giant beast, ready to swallow everything in sight.

Li Che drew a deep breath. ‘Suspended Contemplation, Exorcising Evil, Thunder-Shaking Vajra Statue’—a seven-yuan level divine statue!

“No…it’s not the Temple Spirit…”

Li Che’s eyes flickered with regret.

Although the statue stirred a powerful sensation within him—a temptation akin to that of the Temple Spirit in the Bizarre Temple—Li Che, upon closer inspection, realized…

This statue was not the Temple Spirit!

Instead, it was a divine wooden carving!

His hand hidden in his sleeve was already itching to reach out and touch its head… if only.

“A seven-yuan level divine wooden carving!”

Yet after a pang of regret, Li Che was struck by a revelation.

In short, the artisan who carved this statue must be a seven-yuan Divine Carving Master!

Li Qingshan also sensed Li Che’s arrival. Slowly opening his eyes, he rose gracefully—as if a deity were rising from a meditation cushion.

The divine essence throughout the heavens and earth seemed to boil over, like someone emerging from a swimming pool, with torrents of water cascading and thundering down the sides!

“You’re here?”

Li Qingshan turned around, his corporeal form eerily separated from that immense divine phantom, like a shedding dragon.

With every rise and fall of his chest, the air around him was drawn in—imbued with divine essence as he inhaled and exhaled.

It was as if a true dragon were spitting forth, every ripple of his skin pulsating with fierce, terrifying power—as though he had transformed into a dragon in human form.

True meaning!

This was the Master’s true intent—an essence born of perfecting an ultimate art, as if divine veins had dissolved into pure spirit, merging with every movement of the flesh.

“Huu—!”

Li Qingshan’s eyes shone brilliantly like twin fiery comets in the dark. With every movement, sweat and heated blood rose, as if his very essence was set ablaze.

“The Master’s true intent lies in refining an ultimate art to perfection—integrating it into every step, every breath, every posture, uniting its meaning with both man and deity.”

“The ultimate art I practice is ‘Eight Dragons Overturning the River,’ the body-tempering technique of the Jin Guang Branch of Qianyuan Divine Sect. Each dragon carries its own true intent, and when the eight unite, one can rival the might of a True Master of the Divine Firmament!”

Li Qingshan planted his feet, sliding them softly; his fingers curled like dragon claws, and his spine arched like a great dragon as he ducked low.

A roar—!

Li Che felt as if a fierce river dragon were glaring at him with murderous intent.

It was as though his blood might turn to ice; with any misstep, the beast would pounce, its razor-sharp fangs ready to shred him to pieces, splattering blood across the great river!

Li Che’s hairs stood on end as his Dao Fruit ‘Dragon Elephant Vajra’ nearly activated on its own.

With a resounding ‘boom,’ his body bulged, his qi and blood swirling around him like a hazy mist.

Nine thick sinews coiled along his back like angry dragons, his muscles twisting like rugged serpents.

Yet Li Che hadn’t fully unleashed the Dragon Elephant Vajra—he only triggered a mild surge, causing his body to swell slightly without entering the Angry Gaze Vajra state.

Li Qingshan reined in his qi and blood, regaining his hunched posture as he squinted at Li Che’s swollen form.

“Well, kid, you’ve concealed it well. With this level of qi-blood intensity… could you have reached the Xuanmai stage?”

“Not bad at all. In that case…”

Originally, Li Qingshan had pegged Li Che’s qi-blood cultivation as still at the early stage—just having established his meridians.

But in no time, he had already stepped into the Xuanmai realm.

Li Qingshan retrieved a booklet from his Qiankun Jade and handed it to Li Che.

“This is the ultimate art of the Jin Guang Branch of Qianyuan Divine Sect, ‘Eight Dragons Overturning the River’. Once you join my Zheng Lei Peak, I’ll teach it to you.”

Li Che also reined in his qi, his body returning to normal. At the mention, he was taken aback and solemnly accepted it.

“Many thanks, elder, for bestowing this technique!”

Li Qingshan was among the few who truly understood his strength, though he still didn’t know everything.

Not to mention his divine cultivation—merely judging his qi-blood training alone, what he knew was incomplete.

Now, learning that Li Che had reached the Xuanmai stage, he gifted him the ultimate art, clearly appreciating him and preparing him for a leap toward True Master status.

“Is this the place where you practice Guan Shen?”

Li Che stowed away the ultimate art and steered the conversation back to that formidable, thunder-shaking, evil-exorcising statue.

Li Qingshan shook his robe and nodded. “That’s right; I don’t intend to consolidate the Virtual Form. I plan to plunge directly into the Divine Phenomenon realm.”

“Guan Shen is a crucial step from a complete Divine Foundation to entering the Divine Phenomenon—whereas the Virtual Form is merely a transitional stage that can be bypassed.”

“Only mediocrities, lacking self-confidence, cling to the Virtual Form!”

Li Qingshan led Li Che into a modest wooden house about a hundred meters from the Guanshen Temple.

The hut was barebones—just a bed, a table, and two chairs.

From his Qiankun Jade, Li Qingshan produced a carbon stove and a pack of tea leaves, using his qi to boil water before steeping the tea with the proper utensils.

After brewing, he pressed a cup of pale green tea toward Li Che.

“I’ve been practicing Guan Shen for two and a half years; my inner Divine Foundation has already metamorphosed into divine form. Just one more step, and I’ll merge with divine intent—leaping past the Virtual Form to attain the Divine Phenomenon in one swift stroke.”

Li Qingshan sipped his tea, exhaling a steamy sigh, and said proudly.

Li Che’s eyebrows shot up. “You mean—you skipped the Virtual Form entirely and leapt straight into the Divine Phenomenon?”

“Only mediocrities settle for the Virtual Form!”

Such talk was undeniably arrogant and overconfident!

Yet Li Che didn’t see it that way; consolidating the Virtual Form required a steady, gradual approach.

If one can smoothly transition into the Divine Phenomenon, why risk the perilous leap of a direct bypass?

“The only regret is that my qi-blood martial art hasn’t broken through to True Master status. Otherwise, with the robust strength of a True Master of Divine Firmament, sustaining the Divine Phenomenon would be a sure bet—no need to just practice on a seven-yuan statue.”

“The True Master realm… is so elusive.” Li Qingshan’s eyes shimmered with regret.

Squinting at Li Che, Li Qingshan remarked, “You started too late—only taking up martial arts at nineteen. Though you improved rapidly, the True Master realm might remain out of reach… a pity, but no matter, you have a prodigy daughter.”

“If you had started as early as XiXi did at three, with your talent, you’d likely hit True Master status well before fifty!”

“XiXi is a child prodigy; she could very well reach True Master status by twenty-five.”

Unperturbed, Li Che smiled. “I may have started late, but by remaining humble and persistent, who knows—maybe I’ll break through to True Master in time?”

Li Qingshan chuckled wryly, “Who do you think you are, a True Master?”

“You really believe that just by training you’ll surpass the True Master stage… How many martial masters hit that stage at twenty and never break through, no matter how long they train?”

Li Qingshan sighed.

“True Mastery demands a profound insight—a deep understanding of the true essence of heaven and earth, and of one’s own martial nature—to break through the barrier.”

“Attaining Divine Form is relatively easy, but True Mastery is a rare feat…”

Li Qingshan poured a cup of tea for Li Che. “After all, in practicing Divine Form, with the Temple Spirit right before your eyes, you can trace its contours, mold a divine shape within your inner realm, and awaken your divine intent.”

“Yet the path to True Mastery lies in the boundless heavens and earth—where one must grasp the elusive true essence of the cosmos. It’s indeed a far more daunting challenge.”

“Who can say what the future holds? Elder, is that the Temple Spirit?”

Li Che squinted and asked.

Though he already knew the answer, his Thousand Analysis Hand detected the overflowing divine essence from the statue, revealing it to be a seven-yuan level divine wooden carving.

Yet he still felt compelled to ask.

“Hehe, you got it wrong, didn’t you?”

Li Qingshan sipped his tea, a smug expression returning to his face.

“Of course it’s not the Temple Spirit. I’d rather haul the Temple Spirit statue home for my own Guan Shen practice—then my leap into the Divine Phenomenon would undoubtedly be much quicker.”

“This is a divine wooden carving. I had it crafted at great expense by a master from Shendiao Ridge.”

“You sure show promise on the Shendiao path. In time, I’ll take you to meet that venerable elder. If you catch his eye, you’ll be taught his craft—ensuring a future of wealth and honor.”

“At the very least, if you could carve a high-grade divine carving for XiXi’s future cultivation, it would save a lot of resources…”

Li Che’s expression hardened. “XiXi’s cultivation… does it consume a great deal of divine essence from the wooden carving?”

Li Qingshan laughed while sipping his tea, “Of course it does. XiXi is exceptionally talented; the Sect Leader certainly wouldn’t entrust her with low-grade divine techniques like Ten Du, Nine Yao, or Eight Ji.”

“The higher the grade of a divine technique, the more divine essence it demands… merely absorbing the lingering essence of the heavens and earth simply isn’t enough.”

“Drawing from a divine wooden carving is by far the fastest…”

“And high-grade divine techniques are best paired with a correspondingly high-grade wooden carving, ensuring maximum compatibility.”

“Those carvers at Shendiao Ridge… they charge a hefty price. Even with XiXi being a true disciple of the Sect Leader, there’s no discount.”

Li Qingshan shook his head, grimacing as he recalled the exorbitant resources that went into his seven-yuan divine wooden carving.

Li Che drew a deep breath, committing the matter to heart with solemn resolve.

After all, since XiXi’s future cultivation was at stake, this matter was extremely important!

It seemed he had to find an opportunity to infiltrate Shendiao Ridge, so that by producing his own, XiXi’s resources would be secured.

After all, as an old father, earning cultivation resources for his daughter was only natural, right?

“Enough chatter. Let’s get down to business.”

Li Qingshan set his cup down and, with a sweeping gesture of his bare hand, enveloped the area in a powerful aura of divine essence.

“Have you prepared the roster?”

Li Qingshan narrowed his eyes.

The lucrative business had yet to commence—the missing piece was Li Che’s roster.

Without further ado, Li Che retrieved a small booklet from his Qiankun Space and handed it to Li Qingshan.

“On the day of the Sect Entrance Examination, I detected the Undead Curse Seal among the formidable competitors—that’s how I compiled this list.”

Li Che’s expression darkened slightly.

Li Qingshan eagerly flipped through it, his eyes flicking over the names until his pupils constricted.

“Genuine?”

Closing the booklet, he fixed a steady gaze on Li Che.

Even though Li Qingshan had been prepared, the impact of the roster still sent shivers through him when Li Che presented it.

“Who are these people… how dare they?!”

“They are indeed genuine, but my methods can only detect those marked with an Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal or lower. If someone bears a higher curse seal, I wouldn’t be able to pick it up.”

Li Che exhaled and stated firmly, taking full responsibility for his words.

The ‘Chess Sage’ Dao Fruit, detected using the Cosmic Chessboard, provided Li Che with an accuracy he was utterly confident in.

Li Qingshan could sense Li Che’s confidence, which only deepened his own apprehension.

He trusted that Li Che wouldn’t simply cobble together a roster to fool him—Li Che wasn’t that kind of person. Once he set his sights on a target, if the opponent lacked the Undead Curse Seal, Li Che’s trust would be lost.

“The Five Major Families, the Five Major Sects… even the Divine Guard Army and the Temple Guardian Division all have individuals marked by the curse seal?”

Virtually the entire might of Jingguang City had been infiltrated by the Corpse God Sect!

Could it be that the penetration of the Corpse God Sect was this horrifying?

These individuals occupy the highest echelons, basking in endless wealth and power—so why make such a choice?

It was incomprehensible—truly beyond understanding…

Li Qingshan closed his eyes; even he couldn’t find peace at that moment. He needed to gather his thoughts.

Moments later, Li Qingshan abruptly opened his eyes and looked at Li Che.

“On the day of the Sect Entrance Examination, did you detect any signs from the Divine Sect?”

Li Qingshan’s voice was tinged with hesitance.

Li Che shook his head. “I did not…”

“Because of the Sect Leader.”

Sect Leader Nan Lihuo’s divine perception had nearly transformed into primordial spirit, his sensitivity extraordinary. That day, as Li Che stimulated the Undead Curse Seal with the Cosmic Chessboard, he was detected before even drawing near.

To be safe, Li Che didn’t probe any further and dispersed the detection in that area.

Li Che looked at Li Qingshan, his eyes narrowing slightly, “Are you suspecting… the Divine Sect?”

“Do you think that even within the Divine Sect, there are those corrupted by the Corpse God Sect?”

This was indeed a serious matter—could it threaten XiXi’s safety?

Li Qingshan squinted, his fingers drumming lightly on the table, “I’m only speculating—I can’t be sure there aren’t any…”

“But I can say with certainty that among the top echelons in Jingguang City, there are those seduced by the Corpse God Sect.”

“The three might generals of the Divine Guard Army at the City Lord’s Residence, the three governors of the Temple Guardian Division, the two deputy inspectors of the Imperial Watch, and the four elders of the Divine Sect…”

“Among these, there are definitely those who have allied with the Corpse God Sect.”

Li Qingshan was resolute—clearly having been burned before.

Yet the roster provided by Li Che did not include any of them.

Slight regret crossed Li Qingshan’s face, but he remained convinced of his suspicions.

He traced his finger over the names in the roster, utterly absorbed.

“Let’s set aside those for now. Begin with the Five Major Families… Ogre, choose a target.”

Li Qingshan squinted.

At his word, Li Che grasped his tea cup and took a gentle sip.

Originally, Li Che had planned to target the Qin Family, as their pressure had been overwhelming when he first arrived in the capital.

Moreover, he had already killed Qin Yuqing of the Qin Family and bore a deep grudge against them.

But since the Qin Family had apologized and presented gifts two days ago…

Li Che thought it best to switch targets.

His gaze fell on the name Shangguan Zhengheng. He recalled the day when his aura had nearly overwhelmed XiXi.

Li Che squinted, lightly tapping his finger.

“Then…”

“It’s the Shangguan Family.”

……

……

A gentle breeze passed, and in a blink, several days had gone by.

Inside the Workshop Courtyard.

In the cool morning breeze, wood shavings danced in the courtyard, stirred by an unseen force and skittering across the ground with a soft rustle.

Within, the qi and blood blazed like a furnace, as sweat and exalted energy rose like brilliant mist.

Amid the swirling mists, Li Che stood shirtless, revealing well-defined muscles with chiseled lines that sculpted a perfect physique.

Every pore seemed to burst forth as he executed a slow, sweeping fist technique.

His movements were deliberate and powerful, as if he had transformed into a Buddha draped in magnificent golden robes.

Every ripple of his muscles pulsed with explosive power, like an enraged dragon growling and roaring!

“Huu—”

“Sss—!”

With each breath, Li Che’s rhythm was long and intermittent, interlaced with shifts that bathed him in golden light, as if his robes were dancing in the wind.

With every step, the courtyard trembled, and countless drifting wood shavings were pressed to the ground by an invisible, overwhelming force.

Li Che halted as torrents of heat burst forth from his pores, sounding like the boiling roar of a kettle!

Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide; his gaze shone like a meteor streaking across the night sky.

“Huu—! Mitrā Golden Garment, finally ascended to the Transformation Stage!”

In the next moment, Li Che’s aura underwent a dramatic shift; his bones and sinews seemed to sing as his fists and palms thumped, sending ripples through the air like crashing waves.

The sound of a dragon’s roar exploded, accompanied by the cracking bellow of an elephant!

The ultimate art: ‘Dragon Elephant True Might’!

Li Che’s divine veins and qi surged, as if he had transformed into a terrifying beast!

Boom—!

The courtyard air erupted with a thunderous boom, and only after a burst of surging energy did it finally subside.

The divine veins and qi had transformed in four aspects!

Mitrā Golden Garment, Cloud Yao’s Nimbus Leap, White Tiger Turbulent Wind Fist, Eight-Strike Bone Shattering Spear!

These four martial arts he had refined to the Transformation Stage merged with his divine veins, culminating in a profound qi-blood metamorphosis!

With his divine veins undergoing four transformations, Li Che felt his physical strength increase dramatically—far surpassing his initial phase of transformation.

“Imagine if his divine veins underwent nine transformations… how ferocious would that be? Coupled with the nascent ultimate art ‘Dragon Elephant True Might,’ he could defeat even a fledgling True Master, even without activating the enhancement of ‘Dragon Elephant Vajra’!”

Li Che’s body trembled as his muscles vibrated, his aura surging step by step, exhaling a deep, rumbling breath like rolling thunder.

“There are five more qi-blood transformations to go. The four martial arts are all at the master level, not yet fully transformed… but it’s coming soon.”

“With nine transformations of the divine veins, bolstered by the ultimate art, breaking through the True Master barrier…”

“I should be able to achieve it within a year.”

“Then, it’s time to gather more ultimate arts and perfect ‘Dragon Elephant True Might’ to eventually challenge the True Master realm…”

Li Che shook his head. The True Master realm still seemed too distant for him.

Even with the aid of his Dao Fruits, reaching that level in a short time was impossible.

“Hmm, my divine cultivation—acquired from Feilei God-Catcher Zhou Ruoguan’s ‘Chaos of Joy and Confusion’, refined through the absorption of Ten Du Divine Crystals—has reached the Yangxing Ruhe stage… I can now start forging my Divine Foundation.”

“With my Seven Emotions, I forged a Four-Wheel Divine Foundation; once ‘Chaos of Joy and Confusion’ is mastered, that becomes a Five-Wheel Divine Foundation…”

“When the Five-Wheel Divine Foundation is unleashed, its might will be no less than that of the Virtual Form, right?”

Li Che’s eyes sparkled—he hadn’t yet truly tested its strength in battle.

But there was no need to rush; plenty of chances would come.

Glancing at the sky, Li Che paused his cultivation, brought his fingers together and made a gentle gesture in the void.

From it, he withdrew a bamboo hat, a Cute Cow Mask, and a black robe.

Donning the bamboo hat, draping the black robe, and covering his face with the Cute Cow Mask, his body suddenly swelled dramatically.

Li Che’s entire aura shifted dramatically, as if the world itself had turned upside down.

Unbridled, frenzied, wild, and utterly unrestrained!

A fierce wind swept through as his aura calmed.

Ogre sprang on his tiptoes and vanished without a trace!

……

……

Jingguang Peak.

At night, the mountain retained a crisp, spring chill—more desolate than early winter’s cold.

Sang Guanyin, dressed in an apricot-hued long dress and graceful in form, strolled along the mountain path hand-in-hand with XiXi, as if riding on clouds amid the mists half-way up Jingguang Peak.

The two ascended the stone-paved path all the way up the mountain.

Chatting as they walked, Sang Guanyin was frequently amused by XiXi’s childlike chatter, her demeanor growing ever more radiant.

“Sister Yinyin, are we heading all the way to the mountaintop?”

XiXi looked up, her chubby face slightly flushed from the chilly wind; her long lashes fluttered and her big eyes brimmed with liveliness.

“Yes indeed. Since you’ll be at Jingguang Peak for seven days, I plan to impart the techniques of Yangxing, Divine Foundation, and Divine Phenomenon to you.”

Sang Guanyin’s gentle, commanding tone was utterly lovely.

XiXi nodded, raising her little fist. “Daddy taught me the Yangxing technique, and I’m already pretty good at it!”

“Daddy once said that to become the great XiXi Emperor, you need to master both Yangxing and martial skills,”

Sang Guanyin laughed, “Your daddy is absolutely right.”

The two continued their conversation as they walked along the mountain path.

Before long, they reached the summit of Jingguang Peak, where a temple with black-tiled, dragon-arched roofs and upturned eaves stood.

As soon as XiXi arrived, she felt an overwhelming pressure in her heart, and terror flashed across her small face.

Quickly, she clutched Sang Guanyin’s soft hand. “Sister Yinyin… where is this?”

Sang Guanyin knelt down hurriedly, using her divine essence to soothe XiXi’s unease.

Soon, XiXi calmed, though a spark of curiosity shone in her eyes.

“This is the seven-yuan Bizarre Temple we suppress here at Jingguang Peak. I usually train inside it. Don’t worry, XiXi—the Bizarre Temple was conquered long ago by the Founding Ancestor of Qianyuan, so the Temple Spirit is in eternal repose, and strangeness has no place here.”

Sang Guanyin picked up XiXi and comforted her.

She adored XiXi, this little junior, and naturally didn’t want her to be frightened.

XiXi, however, wasn’t scared; her big eyes were filled with wonder.

Footsteps echoed from within the main hall.

Her Third Senior Brother, Liu Yangyuan, emerged with strikingly handsome yet otherworldly features, prompting XiXi to glance at him twice.

Upon seeing XiXi, Liu Yangyuan couldn’t help but smile and quickened his pace.

“XiXi, you’re here? The teacher wants you in.”

“Third Senior Brother!” XiXi chirped sweetly.

Liu Yangyuan felt his heart nearly melt.

They then led XiXi by the hand into the main hall.

Once inside, XiXi’s attention was drawn to a wooden carving atop a high dais; on the altar, where a Temple Spirit statue should have stood, there was none.

Instead, there was a pagoda!

The pagoda was exquisite, with seven layers bathed in a somber, gilded hue, its luster dull and parts in ruin. Amid its intricately carved pillars, a powerful aura of menace swirled.

Beneath where the Temple Spirit should have been, there lay a meditation cushion.

Upon the cushion…

Sect Leader Nan Lihuo, clad in his robe, formed the Pagoda Seal with his hands and sat in serene composure.

“This is the ‘Shеli Ruyi Golden Pagoda’—the Temple Spirit of this Bizarre Temple. It harbors precious secrets; every Sect Leader’s true transmission can be invoked by its light, bestowing techniques, divine secret arts, and even divine weapons…”

“The more the pagoda’s light shines down, the greater its bestowals…”

Sang Guanyin, half-squatting gracefully, softly explained it to XiXi.

Apparently hearing the whispers, Nan Lihuo opened his eyes and turned his head, his gaze gentle.

Sang Guanyin and Liu Yangyuan halted and bowed respectfully, leaving the remainder of the path for XiXi to tread alone.

XiXi set off on her short little legs, walking about a hundred paces until she reached the center of the main hall.

Nan Lihuo stepped forward.

He now stood beside XiXi.

Raising his hand, he bent down and touched a point at XiXi’s brow.

In that instant, a flame-like divine pattern appeared on XiXi’s brow.

“XiXi, you have been at Jingguang Peak for seven days. Today, as your teacher, I shall awaken the Temple Spirit and impart to you the divine technique taught by your Sect Leader…”

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