Chapter 131: Ascendance of Divine Techniques

Golden radiance flowed, gradually revealing a sign before his eyes.

The fourth Dao Fruit gave birth to a nascent divine technique!

The 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit has finally advanced to LV3!

By absorbing Shangguan Zhengheng’s divine essence, its maturity received a significant boost.

But Li Che believed the greatest enhancement came from within the Golden Divine Temple.

He reached out toward the extended claw of the Golden Heavenly King Temple’s statue.

The black-gold Divine Chess Piece he absorbed transformed the 【Chess Sage】 piece, which had been stuck at LV2, and elevated it to LV3!

After Thousand Analysis Hand, Tower Ascension, and Spiritual Confinement, another nascent divine technique emerged!

Li Che had always looked forward to the nascent power of the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit.

To him, this nascent technique was like an enhanced version of Divine Secret Technique – far more potent and directly born from a Dao Fruit.

It was truly extraordinary, only deepening his anticipation.

Inside his chest, the 【Chess Sage】 pulsed with a beat more intense than ever before.

Li Che closed his eyes, his spirit projecting onto the Cosmic Chessboard that expanded from the Dao Fruit.

【Nascent Divine Technique (Chess Sage: Great Avalanche): Chess like a towering mountain, momentum like a collapsing sky – so mighty that even gods dare not face it】

Golden flowing words materialized in a script like liquid gold, slowly unfurling before him.

His mind calmed while his eyes sparkled and his divine perception expanded.

He realized that as his Cosmic Chessboard expanded, his perception grew wider – and no matter how high the angle, every detail was crystal clear.

In essence, the range he could manipulate with the Feilei Chess Piece had vastly expanded, granting him unprecedented freedom.

Not only that…

Li Che could even, in a faint way, glimpse another’s perspective through the chess pieces placed on them.

At a subtle shift, wisps of blue smoke whirled as if a polished mirror revealed a rippling, water-like scene.

In the vision, XiXi was held by Sang Guanyin as they slowly descended a mountain path in the biting wind.

Though the image was there, he couldn’t yet catch their conversation.

Li Che believed that once the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit matured further, even sound might be transmitted along with the image.

With a swift gesture of his hand, the scene instantly shifted.

His wife, Zhang Ya, was diligently practicing martial arts under an oil lamp in their home, with large beads of sweat trickling down her forehead.

Determined not to hold back her husband and daughter, Zhang Ya was striving to improve herself.

A smile touched Li Che’s lips, and with a flick of his finger, the scene dissipated instantly.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the effects of the nascent technique ‘Great Avalanche’.

This effect, much like Tower Ascension and Spiritual Confinement at their inception, initially left him completely baffled.

Even with an explanation, reading it felt as though he hadn’t read anything at all.

However, as feedback poured in, Li Che gradually grasped the meaning of ‘Great Avalanche’.

“So that’s it… a display of sheer momentum?”

“It’s like the Great Avalanche – an overwhelming pressure, almost as if it enhances hierarchical dominance!”

Li Che pondered thoughtfully.

Beyond that, there was an explosive buildup within the Divine Chess Pieces…

They could even be imbued with an unmatched lethality!

Inside the room, Li Che sat in quiet meditation.

He raised his hand and, in the center of his palm, two black chess pieces materialized instantly.

Absorbed from the slain Deputy Leader of the Fisher Gang, Liu Jinsong, these two Divine Chess Pieces hovered intertwined in his palm.

“Nascent Divine Technique, Chess Sage: Great Avalanche!”

Li Che’s heart stirred slightly.

He looked upward as his black hair whipped wildly behind him.

In that moment, his eyes seemed to transform.

The white of his eyes became overlaid with intersecting black grid lines, and his dark pupils morphed into star-like chess pieces on a board.

In an instant, the two black chess pieces in his palm merged, their divine essence bubbling like boiling water—churning and restless!

With a snap of his fingers.

The chess pieces transformed into a straight black line that shot out, slamming into the courtyard floor.

An explosive boom echoed as turbulent air surged, smoke billowed, and shattered stones roared!

A powerful shockwave rippled outward in concentric circles.

Li Che’s layered divine essence formed a barrier that halted all incoming debris.

“I can’t believe it can detonate chess pieces…”

“And its power is remarkable! These pieces, condensed from an illusory cultivator’s divine essence, carry an imposing aura – their explosive force rivaling even the assaults of such cultivators.”

“And that’s only two chess pieces…”

“Imagine if there were more!”

Without hesitation, Li Che put his thought into action.

He raised his hand.

In an instant, every Divine Chess Piece he had absorbed from Liu Jinsong gathered in his palm, converging forcefully!

Countless pieces fused into a black mass the size of a fist.

This was the lifetime accumulation of divine essence by an Illusory cultivator.

The massive black piece floated in his palm, its surface intermittently bubbling like boiling water, harboring an incredibly terrifying force of destruction.

If thrown, it could easily level his entire courtyard.

No…

It wouldn’t just obliterate his courtyard!

Li Che had no idea how potent this destructive force truly was.

After all, it was the culmination of an Illusory cultivator’s lifetime strength fused and unleashed in a tremendous explosion…

How terrifying could it be?

And this was just one cultivator’s divine essence. Imagine if two, three… or even a hundred or a thousand unleashed theirs simultaneously!

“Is this… the Great Avalanche?”

Li Che’s gaze shrank momentarily.

It was as if a colossal mushroom cloud of realization slowly formed in his mind…

Shaking off that thought, he exhaled deeply, his face growing grave as the chessboard reflected in his eyes—the strain of controlling the immensely compressed piece became overwhelming…

“Whew—”

Li Che clenched his fist as countless Divine Chess Pieces scattered automatically.

They transformed into individual pieces that floated all around him.

The wind swirling through his sleeves set his black robe billowing.

In the dark, the shimmering divine chess pieces around him, however brilliant, could not outshine the excitement blazing in his eyes.

That dazzling, awe-inspiring display was indelibly imprinted upon his mind, like a colossal mushroom firework.

“It seems the Muduya has once again upgraded!”

……

……

Golden Light Peak.

Inside the temple.

The Sect Leader Nan Lihuo sat cross-legged on a cushion inside the temple, facing the pagoda temple spirit as three incense sticks in the censer emitted a gentle blue smoke.

Nan Lihuo closed his eyes, his hair disheveled as he meditated in silence, his formidable divine perception nearly enveloping the entire hall and beyond.

“Since you’re here, please come in and have a seat.”

Nan Lihuo’s gentle voice broke the silence.

But then a light laugh echoed: “Leader Nan, this old body won’t be going inside—I prefer admiring the view of Golden Light Peak from outside.”

That was the Capital’s Imperial Watch Inspector, dressed in plain clothes, clutching a two-stringed erhu and carrying his own small stool.

Beside him stood a figure in a sharp black and red robe, a blade at his waist and eyes so piercing they exuded an unrivaled, domineering aura.

Their mere presence made the surrounding divine essence seem to roar.

“The Imperial Watch Inspector and the Director of the Temple Guardian Division have come to Golden Light Peak in the dead of night… Golden Light Peak truly shines with splendor.”

Nan Lihuo stood, dusted off his robe, and slowly walked out of the grand hall.

The Imperial Watch Inspector, the Director of the Temple Guardian Division, and the Divine Sect’s Jin Guang Branch Leader –

these three were among the Capital’s elite.

Each one’s mere stomp could shake the entire city.

“Has your new disciple activated the Divine Portal?”

The Director of the Temple Guardian Division, Xie Jing, fixed his gaze on Nan Lihuo and said in a low voice.

“Yes,” Nan Lihuo replied, his long sleeves billowing as he nodded slightly.

“What did she obtain from the Divine Portal?”

Xie Jing asked coldly.

Nan Lihuo tilted his head and replied, “Director Xie, is that truly your concern?”

“Must I spell out what my disciple gained from the Divine Portal for your division?”

“The Temple Guardian Division probably doesn’t have the qualifications, does it?”

The Imperial Watch and the Temple Guardian Division were both branches of the Imperial Court.

Yet locally, the Divine Sect’s power was by no means inferior, so Nan Lihuo did not relent.

Xie Jing rested his hand on the hilt of his unassuming ancient long knife. Instantly, atop the mountain, a fury of knife qi roared as if countless knife-wielders had emerged, ready to draw their blades.

Nan Lihuo abruptly rolled up his sleeves, letting them fall behind him, his hair flaring as his eyes turned cold.

“Gentlemen, there’s no need for hostility. Allow me to play a tune on the erhu to soothe our tempers.”

The Inspector chuckled, shook his head, then sat on a small stool and began playing the erhu.

Both Xie Jing and Nan Lihuo listened; the erhu’s melody calmed their anger and rendered their emotions as still as a pond.

“Outside the city, at the heart of Jiulong River, at the Eight-Armed Yulian Furious Third Prince Bizarre Temple, there were six strange events during your disciple’s time in the Divine Portal – one even hinted at an awakening of the Third Prince Temple Spirit!”

Xie Jing’s voice was exceedingly cold.

Nan Lihuo’s eyes flickered, yet his tone remained gentle as he said:

“What connection does that have to my disciple entering the Divine Portal? They are nearly a hundred miles apart… How could her opportunity affect the Third Prince Temple?”

Clenching his long knife’s hilt until his veins bulged, Xie Jing said, “My Temple Guardian Division’s celestial servants are on the front line at the Third Prince Bizarre Temple, risking their lives to block the disturbances…”

“As their Director, I naturally need to know what’s happening.”

“After all, it concerns the lives of my kin in Jin Guang Mansion’s Temple Guardian Division.”

Xie Jing said coldly, “Nan Lihuo, I don’t know what you’re up to…”

“But if you dare harm the lives of the eight hundred celestial servants guarding outside the bizarre anomalies…”

Xie Jing lifted his chin, his veins bulging like coiled dragons beneath his skin.

“I, Xie Jing…”

“Even if it means abandoning my post, I will kill you, Nan Lihuo!”

Nan Lihuo’s gentle expression vanished: “As if my Divine Sect disciples never subdued the Bizarre Temple…”

“If the Bizarre Temple falls into chaos, do you expect my disciples to be spared?”

“Xie Jing… if you don’t choose your words carefully, you’re as good as dead!”

Xie Jing shook his head, as if to say he never spoke gently.

Then he turned and, with his divine essence erupting like a rainbow, sprang away.

The Inspector ceased playing the erhu and laughed, “You two are something else – every meeting turns into a confrontation.”

Nan Lihuo replied warmly, “He’s just jealous that I took on such a valuable disciple.”

The Inspector stroked his beard and asked, “Indeed a treasure – a three-year-old prodigy capable of activating the Pagoda Divine Portal… What exactly did she obtain that triggered anomalies at the Third Prince Temple hundreds of miles away?”

Nan Lihuo shook his head, “It’s merely a Fifth Elder-level Divine Appearance Technique.”

“Is that all?”

The Inspector frowned.

“XiXi said so. As for whether there’s more, who knows? By the way, XiXi also brought out a butterfly from the Divine Portal. Could that be the cause?”

Nan Lihuo, suddenly recalling something, asked.

He described the butterfly’s appearance, but the knowledgeable Inspector looked puzzled.

“I haven’t heard of a Butterfly Divine Beast. I’ll consult the chronicles when I return.”

After speaking, the Inspector picked up his erhu and small stool and took his leave.

Before departing, he paused and glanced at Nan Lihuo, standing alone atop the mountain with his clothes wildly fluttering in the gusts.

“Leader Nan, regardless of any grudges with the Mansion Lord… now that the Corpse God Sect is approaching aggressively and poses an imminent threat, all our forces in the Capital must unite.”

“Otherwise, the outcome for all the provinces of Jizhou will be a blood-soaked mountain of corpses – much like what awaits Jin Guang Mansion.”

“Leader Nan, please consider the greater good.”

Nan Lihuo nodded gently.

The old Inspector sighed deeply and departed gracefully.

The mountain wind was cold and desolate.

Nan Lihuo rolled up his sleeves, letting them hang behind him as his robes clung to his lean frame.

“The greater good comes first…”

Nan Lihuo smiled softly, murmured, and turned back into the hall.

Sitting cross-legged on a cushion, he bowed in worship.

……

……

The Cosmic Chessboard expanded, enveloping an area several miles in diameter around the Workshop Courtyard.

Inside the room.

Li Che retrieved Shangguan Zhengheng’s Qian Kun Jade.

Using his Thousand Analysis Hand, he effortlessly tore open the jade’s barrier, plunging his mind inside to catalog his gains.

According to Li Qingshan and Lin Xiu, this bounty was meant to be split half with Ma Mian.

But since both Ogre and Ma Mian belonged to Li Che, he kept it all without hesitation.

He first focused on the Divine Crystals – a collector’s treasure for a family head that were unlikely to be of low value.

One after another, Divine Crystals were extracted from the Qian Kun Jade. Compared to Liu Jinsong’s spoils, Shangguan Zhengheng’s wealth was far greater.

Though both were Illusory cultivators, their fortunes were on completely different levels.

After all, Shangguan Zhengheng had the formidable Shangguan family behind him.

He possessed fifty-two Tenfold Divine Crystals and an astonishing fifteen Jiuyue Divine Crystals! The only pity was the absence of any Eight Extremity Divine Crystals.

Though Li Che felt regret, he had anticipated it.

After all, the Eight Extremity Divine Crystal was an exceptional cultivation resource; once acquired, Shangguan Zhengheng would undoubtedly refine it.

Still, such a bounty was enough for Li Che to cultivate for a long while, even enabling him to forge other Three-Round Divine Foundations and train them to mid Divine Foundation level.

There were only two divine weapons. According to his Thousand Analysis Hand, one was of the Eight Extremity grade while the other had astonishingly reached the Sevenfold level!

A Sevenfold Divine Weapon!

And it was a heavy halberd nearly ten feet in length!

Li Che’s eyes gleamed with uncontainable excitement.

With a firm grip, he extracted the Sevenfold Divine Halberd from the Qian Kun Jade.

Boom—!

In an instant, surges of thunderous serpent energy roared, accompanied by howling winds that surged forth!

……

【Divine Weapon (Sevenfold Top Grade): Jiao Bone Wind and Thunder Halberd】

【Craft: Forged from millennium-old mysterious iron paired with the bone of a Sevenfold Demon Jiao, weighing 3,000 jin. It channels various divine essences, possesses wind and thunder attributes, and can summon the Jiao spirit for aid.】

【Wielded by: Masters of Qi and Blood level and above, with perfected Divine Foundations.】

……

Li Che’s black hair fluttered as he felt the weapon’s weight, his mood soaring.

With a ‘wong-bang’ sound, his flesh suddenly swelled in a ring.

Under Vajra Transformation, his strength surged, making his gripped Jiao Bone Wind and Thunder Halberd perfectly suited!

After a few graceful maneuvers that stirred a howling wind and raging gales, Li Che, satisfied, stored it away in the Qianyuan Space of the 【Pure Heart】 Dao Fruit.

As for the other Eight Extremity Divine Weapon, it was a Ruyi Armor that could change size at will, offering immense defense—even a master’s blow couldn’t harm it.

Shangguan Zhengheng normally wore it close to his body, but while seeking pleasure in Yunfang Fang, he disrobed and was beaten to death by a Divine Appearance cultivator, an Illusory cultivator, and a sharpshooter.

Frankly, it was infuriating.

An abundance of pills made Li Che feel as if he’d struck it rich. Cultivating the Cursed Bronze Corpse demanded an enormous supply of Corpse God’s Deathly Aura Martial Pills.

Using his Thousand Analysis Hand, Li Che discovered these pills weren’t made from human flesh and blood as one might imagine, but from a blend of precious herbs, demon beast blood, and collected death aura.

In essence, they were herbal martial pills, not demonic ones.

Pills made from human flesh and blood come with severe side effects and pale in comparison to those made with demon beast blood and rare elixirs.

That’s why Li Che could safely ingest and refine them.

“Nine Death Auras Martial Pills – one of which is an Eight Extremity Martial Pill! And eight are Nine-Stage Top-Grade Death Auras Martial Pills!”

So many pills were being prepared…

Shangguan Zhengheng intended to use these pills to firmly establish his Cursed Bronze Corpse!

What a great fellow!

Now, everything was working in Li Che’s favor!

Li Che grinned so broadly his lips wavered, as he sliced through the air with his fingers, storing all nine pills into the Qianyuan Space.

He wondered if these pills would suffice to help him reach Qi and Blood Master level?!

Calming his emotions, Li Che resumed cataloging his gains.

In terms of divine cultivation techniques, he had finally discovered the long-coveted Terror Divine Essence Method.

And it was comprehensive – from nurturing vitality and Divine Foundation to Illusory and Divine Appearance methods.

“‘Sevenfold Extreme Terror Devouring the Divine, Life-Stealing Divine Appearance Method’ – this is the foundational technique of the Shangguan family… meaning their old ancestor manifested the Sevenfold Divine Appearance!”

Li Che’s eyes sparkled as he perused the technique, then stored it away.

Next came Divine Secret Techniques and martial arts, which Li Che examined selectively.

Finally, his gaze settled on a blue booklet.

A supreme art of profound truth!

‘Canglei Body’!

This is the true, supreme art of the Shangguan family!

Li Che couldn’t hold back his smile any longer and burst into hearty laughter, “Ha ha!”

A supreme art of profound truth!

It meant the world to Li Che.

Li Qingshan had passed down the Divine Sect’s supreme art “Eight Dragons Overturning the River Technique”, a mid-grade masterpiece!

Now, with the Shangguan family’s “Canglei Body” in hand – their second supreme art – his own creation, “Dragon Elephant True Might”, might be enhanced through newfound insights.

“No… rather, by absorbing these, my Dragon Elephant True Might can integrate the profound truths of all these supreme arts.”

“In other words, my strikes might embody both the true essence of Canglei Body and Eight Dragons Overturning the River!”

“Once I reach the Master realm, cultivation must focus on mastering the supreme art of profound truth… the stronger that truth, the higher the chance of forging a Divine Guard – the key to ascending to Grandmaster rank…”

Inside the room, Li Che clutched the ‘Canglei Body’ booklet, his eyes shining brightly.

He gradually mapped out his future path.

His divine veins had transformed in four ways, and the Master realm was drawing near.

……

……

In Jingguang City, Shangguan Zhengheng, the head of one of the five prominent families, was slain in a personal vendetta on the Jiulong River!

The news swept through like a raging storm.

Unrest prevailed relentlessly for an entire month.

After all, he was a noble patriarch and a top-tier Illusory cultivator—yet such a formidable figure met a tragic end.

Although the Shangguan family tried to cover it up, news of Shangguan Zhengheng refining himself into a Cursed Bronze Corpse and colluding with the Corpse God Sect eventually leaked out.

As a result, though many sighed in regret, few offered any sympathy.

The Corpse God Sect was synonymous with treachery; association with them could brand one a traitor, deterring anyone from taking sides lightly.

The trio of Lin Xiu, Li Qingshan, and a mysterious Divine Archer who killed Shangguan Zhengheng left many major factions unsettled.

Many recalled vaguely the time when a lone warrior had single-handedly challenged a Fisher Gang and decimated many Corpses God Sect traitors.

However, after the day when Lin Xiu, Li Qingshan, and the mysterious Divine Archer Ma Mian struck down Shangguan Zhengheng, they never acted again.

……

Tinghua Alley.

Li Che, clad in black battle attire, sat quietly on a stone chair in the courtyard with Old Chen, sipping tea and casting a resigned look toward the house.

“Wife, are you ready?”

Li Che called out, “Wife, hurry up! I’ve been waiting for nearly half an hour!”

Today, they had agreed to go to Golden Light Peak to see XiXi; the couple had begun preparations early.

Yesterday, Zhang Ya had been busy at the market buying plenty of ingredients. Today, she rose early to cook over a dozen dishes, packing them in lunchboxes.

She even specifically instructed Li Che to use his Qi and Blood energy to keep the food warm.

“Old Chen, aren’t you coming?”

Li Che glanced at Chen Daba, who was puffing on a dry tobacco stick.

Old Chen shook his head, “I can’t climb Golden Light Peak anymore, so I’ll pass.”

“Isn’t XiXi only coming down from the mountain every six months? A quick visit will do.”

“I should find something to do in the Capital as well.”

Old Chen chuckled.

He and Uncle had even learned to smoke dry tobacco; with XiXi not in the Tinghua Alley courtyard, Old Chen felt far less constrained.

When XiXi was home, Old Chen barely smoked.

Smoking and drinking lifted his spirits, though it sometimes made him feel a bit bored.

Hearing this, Li Che asked, “Need any help?”

Now a Third-Rank Cabinet Minister of the Imperial Watch, Li Che had taken up numerous assignments and made many acquaintances; his easygoing nature earned him a solid network.

If he wished, finding work for Old Chen would be trivial.

“No need; I’m just here to browse and make a living. Life in the Capital isn’t easy, and I can’t always expect free meals, eh?”

Old Chen replied with teasing laughter.

“You can eat as much as you want, though if you bankrupt me, that would be impressive.”

Li Che couldn’t help but laugh.

Old Chen had once sheltered them during their humble beginnings, so Li Che naturally couldn’t forget his kindness.

Old Chen nodded and took another puff of his dry tobacco.

After a couple of puffs, he stood up, “Alright, I’ve arranged to meet a friend from the Capital to get some details.”

“Let’s go.”

Clutching his smoking pipe, Old Chen set off, waving and humming a little tune as he left the alley.

Meanwhile, inside, Zhang Ya finally finished dressing.

“Husband, let’s hurry. Don’t keep XiXi waiting—I miss her so much.”

Zhang Ya hurriedly urged Li Che along.

Li Che was silent; if anything, it was her who dawdled and yet incessantly urged him.

“Today is the day for inner disciples to challenge for the true transmissions once a month.”

“It seems Qin Family’s Qin Fenghuo has broken through to Bone Tempering perfection and is boldly declaring a challenge to XiXi…”

“Isn’t XiXi’s strongest asset her mechanisms?”

“I wonder if XiXi’s training over the past month can hold up…”

Zhang Ya began to ramble nervously.

“Moreover, Qin Fenghuo even requested that no mechanisms be used! Is that even human? What a little rascal—bullying my XiXi, completely unchivalrous!”

Li Che opened his mouth, equally indignant!

“Exactly—if you’ve mastered hidden weapons, why forbid their use?!”

However, Li Che was not at all worried about this challenge.

After all, with the upgraded 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit monitoring XiXi in real time, he wasn’t entirely sure of his daughter’s strength yet.

It’s only been a month, but XiXi’s progress has been tremendous!

Now, XiXi…

She is practically the spitting image of the Third Prince in overwhelming might!

It’d be a miracle if she didn’t end up killing anyone!

Fifty thousand words! It wasn’t easy—sitting at the computer all day writing twelve thousand words made my butt numb. Unfortunately, it still hasn’t hit the recommendation list for PK. Please vote for monthly tickets, recommendations, and follow-ups—Old Li will continue to update explosively!