Chapter 144: The Black Vortex and Rising Shadows

Around the deep pit, a dense miasma of death and corpse energy intermingled.

It made the already somber night even thicker, with clusters of black whirlwinds swirling like churning dark smoke, hanging around the pit.

Before each black vortex stood a figure in a white robe and mask, on which the character ‘Eight’ was inscribed in blood.

They were none other than the Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoys of the Corpse God Sect!

There were six in all!

A terrifying and oppressive aura spread relentlessly.

“Grandmaster?!”

“It can’t be a Grandmaster…”

After a long pause, one of the Corpse God Envoys finally broke the silence.

“Grandmasters aren’t interested in the Bizarre Temple. They’re a bunch of madmen who push the limits of the flesh, shatter the void, and aspire to join the ranks of immortals…”

“The only thing of any real value in Jingguang City is that Four-Might level Eight-Armed Furious Third Prince Bizarre Temple…”

“It couldn’t possibly lure a Grandmaster here.”

Several Corpse God Envoys continued to speak.

“But…”

“That terrifying power, the lingering life-force, and the domineering, awe-inspiring aura hidden within it…”

“It really does seem like a Grandmaster!”

One envoy squatted down and snapped off a piece of rock crystal that had melted and re-solidified.

Suddenly,

the air began to surge violently. A black dot appeared out of nowhere, gradually growing and swirling.

It was like an ink-black dragon dancing through the void.

It transformed into a massive black smoke vortex three meters in diameter.

From within the vortex, a figure strode out, and a powerful rank aura swept over the area in an instant.

It left the Eight Extremes Envoys utterly subdued.

“Exalted Envoy!”

The imposing figure, dressed in white with a mask bearing a blood-red ‘Seven’, made his presence unmistakable.

He was the Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy of the Corpse God Sect!

Every Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy is a top-tier Yuan Phase master!

Moreover, he had perfected the Cursed Copper Corpse technique and generated a trace of silver aura – just one step shy of the Cursed Silver Corpse, marking him as a top-tier powerhouse!

“Did Xu Jiuying die?”

“Useless…”

“After being nestled in the Jingguang Branch for so long and fed countless resources to cultivate the Cursed Copper Corpse, disaster struck right before this session’s critical ‘Temple Spirit Resonance’.”

“Was that sevenfold Mother-Daughter Corpse Curse Seal recovered?”

A cold and oppressive rank pressure surged, leaving the Eight Extremes Envoys hesitant to speak.

Within the Corpse God Sect, such rank oppression was even more fearsome.

Since everyone cultivates the Corpse Curse Technique, the rank pressure of the Cursed Copper Corpse over the Cursed Iron Corpse is more than tenfold that of pure divine rank pressure…

Once you practice the Corpse Curse Technique, distinctions in rank become glaringly obvious!

Although the Sevenfold Envoy also practiced the Cursed Copper Corpse technique, the silver aura he exuded imposed an unsolvable pressure on his peers.

It overwhelmed them completely.

“Not only did Xu Jiuying’s soul, tethered to the Corpse Curse Seal, perish along with Huang Shiyi when confronted by an apparent Grandmaster…”

one of the Eight Extremes Envoys reported in a low voice.

“Xu Jiuying’s soul had traversed here via our sect’s Divine Secret Technique ‘Time-Space Corpse Technique’; its coordinate was randomly determined…”

“How did it come under scrutiny?”

“Did Huang Shiyi expose his position?”

The Sevenfold Envoy replied coldly.

His eyes, visible beneath his mask, glared at the mud-like figure of Huang Shiyi amidst the pit’s ruins with unabashed disdain.

“Absolutely hopeless!”

“Grandmasters? Every Grandmaster in the Dajing Dynasty is under our sect’s watchful eyes… In Jingguang Mansion, there aren’t any Grandmasters!”

“And do you really think Grandmasters operate at this level?”

“They’re all fakes.”

The Sevenfold Envoy stated icily, “Investigate! Find the culprit responsible, no matter the cost!”

“Temple Spirit Resonance is about to begin… Jingguang City now gathers powerful figures from everywhere. Even visitors from Daocheng – keep a low profile.”

“Conduct your investigations in secret.”

“Also… many Prodigies and Child Prodigies have arrived. Seize every chance to infect them.”

“Even if only one prodigy joins our sect… our gains would be immense!”

The Sevenfold Envoy issued his orders decisively.

“Also…”

“That Ogre who specializes in hunting our disciples… I have just returned from Feilei City, and Cao Guang’s sacrificial city plan was thwarted. Among the chaos, traces of that Ogre were found!”

“That wretch ruined my plans… I will meet him soon, slaughter him, and feast on his meat!”

“Disperse!”

With a swift sweep of his white robe, he unleashed a burst of silver aura that struck Huang Shiyi’s mud-like corpse.

In an instant, the corpse vaporized into mist!

Then he turned and stepped into the black vortex, vanishing without a trace.

“There!”

The six Eight Extremes Envoys bowed respectfully.

They all stepped into the black vortex one after the other.

……

……

Winter snowflakes drifted down, laden with melancholy.

The land remained unclean, and the falling chill only deepened the cold over the rivers and mountains.

At dusk, a flurry of cawing crows fell like rain.

In the boiling heart of the Jiulong River, whose waters grew scalding hot, a massive and imposing Bizarre Temple stood, stirring ripples on the surging waves!

Within a thousand-foot radius of the Bizarre Temple,

scores of experts from the Temple Guardian Division, clad in red and black uniforms, stood like spears while forming complex hand seals.

Their divine energy burst forth, intertwining into an immense net that ensnared the temple.

Boom——!

The river churned, forming bulges like boiling water in a pot, surging continuously.

And the Bizarre Temple writhed in the turmoil, as if an enraged roar were trying to break free from beneath it!

“Ah——!”

That sound of rage, like rolling winter thunder, shattered the sky!

Rumbling and crashing…

It echoed like chains being dragged, an ear-splitting metallic screech reminiscent of naughty children gnawing on heavy chains.

The experts from the Temple Guardian Division on the riverbank wore grave expressions, their faces drained of color.

Invisible sound waves mingled with streaks of crimson divine energy, coiling around their bodies.

In an instant, their eyes turned blood-red, as if the divine energy were altering their very will.

Many of their hand seals slowed as if weighed down.

Yet, as trained professionals, even though their minds were partially clouded by divine energy, their seals did not falter.

“Thud——!”

Suddenly,

a voice like thunder exploded, and a figure strolled in from the distant riverbank. Though his steps were measured, his pace was astonishing.

His official uniform, embroidered with a mythical Qilin, billowed in the night wind.

It was none other than Xie Jing, the Supreme Commander of the Temple Guardian Division!

With Xie Jing’s arrival, those officials who had lost themselves to the spilled divine energy quickly regained their resolve.

Their expressions grew shocked and solemn as they resumed their intricate hand seals.

Xie Jing spread his fingers, each adorned with swirling divine characters, and pressed them forcefully onto the churning river.

In an instant, as if thousands of divine characters were being inscribed upon a blank canvas, a magnificent array of symbols appeared.

After several measured breaths, the once turbulent Bizarre Temple finally calmed.

However, the expanded range of the Bizarre Temple could never be forced back into submission.

Xie Jing stood up, his face etched with concern.

“Strange. According to the Imperial Watch’s predictions, the day of the Temple Spirit’s frenzy should still be some time away, so why does it show signs of tumult today…”

“Did it sense something?”

Xie Jing furrowed his brow.

Suddenly, the sound of a two-stringed bow instrument echoed. A humble elderly man, carrying a small bamboo stool, drifted gracefully and joined him.

“Monitor, what is the meaning of this?” Xie Jing asked, glancing at the musician.

The erhu sound faded as Monitor stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes.

“There are two possibilities… Someone entered the Bizarre Temple and accidentally awakened the Temple Spirit.”

“That possibility is extremely slim. The area around the Bizarre Temple is shrouded by a Bizarre Temple, and there are even several fearsome, slumbering Corpse Curse protectors – no one could have slipped in silently.”

“Then what is the second possibility?” Xie Jing pressed on.

“The second possibility…”

Monitor turned his gaze toward the Divine Sect Mountain Gate, where Golden Light Peak rose like a flowing sword piercing the sky.

“On Golden Light Peak…”

“The Heavenly King is on his tour.”

……

……

Jingguang Mansion, Luohua Alley.

In a flash, a snowflake was torn asunder as a dark shadow descended.

In the entire courtyard, the piled-up snow was forcefully slammed against the walls with a dull ‘bang’.

Intense heat, searing and relentless, melted away all the accumulated snow.

Rising hot vapors swirled continuously, forming a hazy heat with a persistent sizzling sound.

Whoosh——

Gulp——

Heavy gulps, like the continuous pumping of a bellows, stirred the turbulent air in the courtyard.

After a dozen breaths or so, Li Che finally stirred. With difficulty, he removed his bamboo hat and mask and sat down heavily.

“As expected… it was still too forced.”

“The divine rank of the Heavenly King Temple Spirit is far too high. Stepping into the body of a Furnace Master and activating the Ascending Stance only absorbed one-third of the Temple Spirit Divine Chess Piece’s energy before reaching its limit.”

“Moreover, his flesh was shredded and his tendons and bones pushed to their extremes…”

Li Che recounted the power he had absorbed after swallowing the Golden Heavenly King divine energy.

In that moment, Li Che felt as if he were donning an Ogre Mask, poised to ascend to legendary heights…

“When gods block gods and buddhas block buddhas!”

Of course, that was merely the expansion phase of his power – something Li Che had experienced many times before.

After discarding his black robe, he revealed countless wounds on his flesh like knife scars, evidence of his power tearing through diamond-hard skin.

Now, the wounds had long since scarred. The perfected Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit naturally provided formidable healing.

“This is the first time I’ve been this severely injured…”

“And it’s entirely my own doing,” Li Che remarked with a sigh of satisfaction.

It had been a long time since he had felt real pain.

Too lazy to change, Li Che stood and began practicing his martial arts in the courtyard; his fingers curled like hooks, drawing in nearly all the ambient energy.

His muscles and bones crackled as if a coiled dragon were uncoiling, his spine roaring like an enraged beast!

He systematically executed the fundamental punching form of the Dragon Elephant True Might.

Scalding energy pulsed over him; his life force gradually returned, dispelling the slight negative effects from using the Heavenly King Temple Spirit’s power.

Finished, he donned a fresh black robe and returned to the inner room.

Unsullied Heart’s divine energy condensed onto paper as his life force merged with Seven Emotions Divine Ink.

Under the splash of ink, seven incarnations of Li Che, the Painted Immortal, emerged. They sat cross-legged in different corners of the room, entering a state of profound divine focus.

Li Che stroked his chin, pondering whether to create an additional Painted Immortal clone to keep practicing relentlessly—wondering if a stronger body upon reabsorption would benefit him.

But while divine energy can be reabsorbed, it is unlikely to bolster the flesh.

After all, his own mortal body, as a Furnace Master, was far too robust; a Painted Immortal clone could never match it unless he poured all his life force into the ink.

Seated, he downed a glass of water in one swift gulp.

Li Che rubbed his hands, finally at ease as he tallied his gains for the day.

Xu Jiuying was completely dead, his soul scattered. The threat he posed to XiXi had been avenged, leaving Li Che refreshed.

Moreover, he had obtained the sevenfold Mother Seal of the Corpse Curse Seal.

At that, his mind stirred with anticipation.

Within the Cosmic Chessboard, countless Unsullied Heart divine chess pieces, like spear-wielding soldiers, drew the corpse curse seal—thick with death aura and corpse energy—around the center.

Compared to the child seal, the mother seal was far more potent and would likely require considerable time to refine.

But there was no doubt—once refined, his ability to gauge the strength of Corpse God Sect experts would leap to a higher level.

“This sevenfold Corpse Curse Seal, with its child and mother components fused into one, likely reaches the level of Sevenfold High-Grade…”

“After refinement, I wonder if I can even detect the holder of the Six-Decree Corpse Curse Seal?”

Li Che mused, though considering the one bearing the Six-Decree Corpse Curse Seal, how powerful must they be?

Shaking his head, Li Che decided not to dwell further on it and focused on the turbulent, furious sevenfold mother seal.

He directly manipulated two dark-gold Heavenly King divine chess pieces—so massive their lines nearly dented the cosmic chessboard.

Instantly, the mother seal quieted, submitting obediently.

It was as if, chastened by the door gods, lurking phantoms trembled in fear.

Li Che smiled as he began gradually refining it with his Unsullied Heart divine energy.

Exiting the Cosmic Chessboard, Li Che tore through the air with a flick of his fingers, summoning two pieces of Qian Kun Jade.

One came from close combat with Xu Jiuying; the other was the prized one from when he pummeled an Eight Extremes Envoy into mush during his Golden Heavenly King Ogre mode.

Harvest time—a joy that made the heart bloom with anticipation.

Upon simultaneously activating both Qian Kun Jade pieces, Li Che split his divine perception into two, left and right, and began his probing.

The Qian Kun Jade belonging to two top-tier masters of divine perception…

Surely they wouldn’t disappoint him too much?

Li Che began to tally his gains.

“Their Divine Crystals: Eight Extremes Divine Crystals – 4 pieces; Jiuyue Divine Crystals – 20 pieces; Tendu Divine Essence Crystals – 110 pieces.”

“Not bad!”

Li Che was delighted. Divine Crystals, much like his Unsullied Heart divine energy, rapidly enhanced his core and accelerated the refinement of his Seven Emotions Divine Foundation.

They were incredibly practical.

“It’s a pity there’s no Sevenfold Divine Crystal…” Li Che sighed in regret.

But that was expected.

With four Eight Extremes Divine Crystals accounted for, Li Che was already very pleased.

Following Divine Crystals came divine weapons and pills.

Li Che clenched his fist as a sword-like weapon hidden in its scabbard fell into his hand.

His palm suddenly turned jade-colored as his Thousand Analysis Hand began its work!

……

【Divine Weapon (Sevenfold High-Grade): Lü Xuan Ice Yang Sword】

【Craft: Cast from thousand-year-old cold iron and red gold, imbued with Shock Divine Energy and Rage Divine Energy, hammered through relentless flames to mimic a Sword Immortal’s blade. It channels both ‘Shock Divine Energy’ and ‘Rage Divine Energy’, and when unsheathed, it manifests both ice and fire.】

【Wielded by: Masters of Shock and Rage Divine Energy at Sword Spirit Master level or above】

……

A Sevenfold Divine Weapon Sword, forged in imitation of a Sword Immortal’s blade!

“Lü, Sword Immortal’s Sword?”

Li Che’s eyes flickered with a strange light.

Could it be from one of the Eight Immortals?

After a moment’s reflection, he put away the divine weapon.

Apart from this divine weapon, Xu Jiuying’s collection held only one or two Tendu Divine Weapons—after all, he was an elder of the Enforcement Hall. Though undercover, he still carried out his duties faithfully.

It was surprising he hadn’t indulged in corruption or bribery.

But thinking of the sevenfold low-grade divine weapon Xu Jiuying had handed to Shangguan Qinglei to threaten XiXi made Li Che irate.

It made him feel his destiny had been set too low.

As for that Eight Extremes Envoy, his Qian Kun Jade contained no Sevenfold Divine Weapon—only an Eight Extremes low-grade divine weapon…

How pathetic.

Li Che kindly explained that the envoy must have been in a rush and forgotten to bring his Sevenfold Divine Weapon.

Regarding the pills, Li Che was pleasantly surprised.

With a gesture, a bottle containing a pill, encased in black jade and brimming with swirling, boiling dead aura, appeared in his palm.

“Seven-Stage Low-Grade Dead Qi Martial Pill!”

“This guy wouldn’t have traded all his divine weapons for merely one pill, would he?”

Li Che’s eyes sparkled with joy and disbelief.

So intense was the dead aura that even a single Seven-Stage Pill would drastically aid his body refinement.

For someone at Furnace Master body, such a pill was just effective enough.

There was one Seven-Stage pill, six Eight-Stage Dead Qi Martial Pills, and the rest were Ninth-Stage Martial Pills—barely sufficient.

Xu Jiuying, being a traitor and having cultivated the Cursed Copper Corpse technique, didn’t have a proper martial pill—only Dead Qi Martial Pills.

Li Che could only accept them with a wry smile.

He happily stowed away the pills and moved on to tally his techniques.

Techniques were many and varied.

But Li Che was most interested in only two!

The ones that caught his eye were now just these two.

Xu Jiuying, as one of the Divine Sect’s masters of divine perception in the Jingguang Branch, held dominion over a peak and mastered a profound technique.

The top-level profound technique: Lü Xuan Sword Scripture!

It was no less formidable than Li Qingshan’s esteemed Eight Dragons Overturning the River technique!

Both were genuine top-level profound techniques of the Divine Sect – surpassing even Shangguan Family’s Canglei Body.

This highlighted the gap between the capital’s Divine Sect and the noble families.

However, the techniques wielded by the Temple Guardian Division and the Imperial Watch were also top-tier.

With another profound technique in hand, Dragon Elephant True Might could become even stronger!

Li Che mused that perhaps his Dragon Elephant True Might should be renamed…

“Integrating many profound techniques… why not call it ‘Ten Thousand Forms of Dragon Elephant’?”

Li Che laughed, knowing as the creator he held the final say on its name.

The second technique came from that Eight Extremes Envoy.

It wasn’t a profound technique but rather a divine secret method.

Li Che narrowed his eyes as he observed a scroll shrouded in dark, deathly aura.

“Time-Space Corpse Technique?”

A divine secret technique at profound levels.

Cultivated to a modest level, it allowed one’s body to transform into corpse-black smoke and traverse space.

“Oh… so it’s that endlessly delayed space traversal method of Xu Jiuying?”

Li Che raised an eyebrow.

The method that had kept him waiting almost to the point of despair—Xu Jiuying’s transit technique?

It wasn’t as efficient as a swift Feilei Chess Piece.

Although it required pre-set coordinates to reach a designated spot,

its efficiency was worlds apart – like comparing ultra-fast fiber internet to a sluggish dial-up connection.

However, Li Che did not completely dismiss this technique.

“Though its translocation is a bit weak, the Time-Space Corpse Technique involves both time and space…”

“At its pinnacle, not only will the speed of corpse traversal increase, but it can also momentarily solidify time!”

“Time freeze? Even if it lasts only half a breath – less than a second – in a duel between masters, that brief pause can be lethal and throw off the rhythm completely!”

Li Che’s eyes narrowed, and caution filled his heart.

Yet alongside that caution, he felt a stirring of excitement.

“Could I cultivate it?”

“If I could, might I integrate it into a Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet?”

“To let the target experience a time freeze while my own speed remains unchanged—wouldn’t that create an ingeniously variable-speed sniper bullet?”

Li Che’s heart pounded as he began to explore the idea; even if he couldn’t cultivate it fully, he would devise a way to incorporate it into his mechanisms.

……

……

Night deepened into silence.

Li Che returned to Zheng Lei Peak.

The small courtyard lay quiet. XiXi had just celebrated her birthday while others cultivated or slept.

Stepping out of the study, Li Che retracted his carved Painted Immortal clone.

Then, after extinguishing the candle, he stretched as his muscles and bones creaked.

Before his eyes, streams of light flickered by.

【Dao Fruits: Xiangong (lv3 86%), Dragon Elephant Vajra (lv3 70%), Unsullied Heart (LV3 7%), Chess Sage (lv3 15%), Painted Immortal (lv1 5%)】

The summary of his Dao Fruits flashed before him.

Li Che scanned them with satisfaction.

Except for Xiangong, every Dao Fruit had matured significantly.

Especially the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit – its boost was remarkable after he activated the Golden Heavenly King Ascending Stance to kill Xu Jiuying and an Eight Extremes Envoy.

The Chess Sage Dao Fruit had also improved considerably after absorbing corpse divine energy.

As for the Painted Immortal Dao Fruit, though newly acquired, Li Che’s clones had labored tirelessly.

Everything was flourishing and steadily advancing.

Li Che was very pleased.

With his life force revitalizing his body, Li Che returned to his room.

To his surprise, the oil lamp in the inner room was still lit. His wife, Zhang Ya, sat by the lamp, fixated on the dancing flame.

Undoubtedly, she had been waiting for his return.

Zhang Ya had sensed what Li Che intended to do that night.

Moreover, the epic outburst from Flowing Sword Peak had been felt at Zheng Lei Peak.

After all, Li Che was a master of divine perception—naturally, Zhang Ya worried for her husband’s safety.

Seeing him return, Zhang Ya quickly rose, rushed to him, and embraced his waist.

“As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters… welcome home.”

Zhang Ya exhaled in relief.

Li Che’s eyes softened as he patted his wife’s delicate shoulder.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got everything under control. I’m the pillar of this family and would never put myself in danger.”

He reassured her gently.

Zhang Ya, her cheek nestled in his embrace, replied tearfully, “But I still worry so much.”

Li Che smiled, “You must trust in your husband’s strength. For this family, I won’t and can’t afford to fail…”

“After all, I have you and XiXi to care for.”

Zhang Ya pursed her lips.

Li Che laughed heartily, scooping up his wife’s slender legs as he headed back inside.

“Stop teasing—XiXi is sleeping with me tonight.”

Zhang Ya blushed furiously in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry, she won’t hear a word.”

Li Che calmly activated the Cosmic Chessboard, securely enveloping XiXi.

With that, the couple, at ease, began to work on developing and consolidating their Bone Tempering posture.

……

……

The next morning, at dawn,

Zhang Ya was still fast asleep.

Li Che, refreshed, had prepared breakfast for the family.

He first made his way to the courtyard of Luohua Alley and strolled calmly to a small restaurant, where a drowsy black dog was yawning and waving its paw.

“Boss, what’s for breakfast today?”

Li Che entered the modest eatery and asked.

A handsome young man emerged from the kitchen, glanced at him, and said, “Only buns.”

“Then give me one hundred buns!” Li Che joked, teasing the big black dog at the door.

The young man’s expression darkened: “We only have thirty buns; that’s all.”

“Then thirty buns it is.”

Li Che didn’t mind.

The young man returned to the kitchen, then emerged with three steamers for Li Che to take his buns.

Unabashed, Li Che took thirty buns and grabbed a large jug of soy milk, “Boss, I’m buying this many buns—how about some free soy milk?”

“Get out.”

Li Che smiled, dropped a Gold Leaf, and kicked the big black dog trying to snag a bun. As the dog bared its teeth, Li Che laughed heartily and strode away.

The young boss calmly pocketed the Gold Leaf and glanced at the fading figure in the wind and snow.

He grabbed a bun and fed it to the black dog, patting its head affectionately.

Li Che returned with breakfast, and everyone ate happily.

XiXi, by herself, devoured ten buns, her mouth greasy, “Daddy, these meat buns are so delicious!”

“We’ll want more tomorrow!”

XiXi exclaimed excitedly while holding a large meat bun in each hand.

“By the way, why is Mom still sleeping?” she asked in wonder.

“Your mom overdid the Bone Tempering practice yesterday. Let her rest.” Li Che replied calmly.

After breakfast,

Old Chen, puffing on his cigarette, grabbed Li Che.

He tapped the ash from his cigarette, his murky eyes glinting with a hint of hope.

“Ah Che…”

“Do me a favor, Old Chen. I want to see some blood.”

Divine Realm: Cultivating Nature, Divine Foundation, Divine Perception (Illusory, Divine, Yuan Phases), Divine Origin, Divine Embryo, Divine Tribulation

Martial Realm: Skin Polishing, Tendon Burst, Bone Tempering, Meridian Opening (Qi, Xuan, Divine), Grandmaster, Grandmaster, Martial Saint

This is the most orderly realm progression in the book so far. Please uphold the PV system. Many thanks for your continued support and monthly votes – thank you from Old Li!