Chapter 149: A Fateful Night of Divine Conflict

Deep within the dense forest.

Li Che, sporting a horse-faced mask, clutched his Xiangong Barrett with one hand.

He had consecutively sniped several Dragon Tooth Bodhi in a short span.

Even the barrel of his Xiangong Barrett was straining, barely able to handle the assault.

“Xiangong Barrett… it really needs an upgrade,” he mused.

Li Che neatly stowed away his mechanism and couldn’t help but ponder.

“In the end, two successive Dragon Tooth Bodhi shots, using sheer firepower, managed to suppress Wen Longshan’s arrows.”

“They hit, but didn’t kill him.”

“Wen Longshan… his flesh is remarkably tough. The might of Dragon Tooth Bodhi ultimately falls short, and with City Lord Su Huai Li watching, a lightning-fast reposition attack isn’t realistic.”

In that very moment the Dragon Tooth Bodhi found its mark, Li Che’s urge to relocate surged strongly.

But with City Lord Su Huai Li at Wen Longshan’s side—a cultivator seemingly condensed to his primordial spirit—the threat was immense.

Facing two foes alone, his only option was to retreat.

“The upgrade for Dragon Tooth Bodhi must be expedited. We need to integrate Great Avalanche; the simple effect of Bodhi Blood Tears isn’t sufficient. A mid-master can, by mastering flesh and blood, curb the devastating slicing effect of Bodhi fibers.”

“And its piercing effect weakens even further when the opponent dons defensive divine weapons. Inferior divine armor in the Eight Extremity category requires two consecutive hits on the same spot.”

“The difficulty is enormous, with an extremely high chance of failure.”

Beneath his horse-faced mask, Li Che briefly replayed the scenario in his mind, his brows tightening in discontent.

He wasn’t satisfied with the sniping outcome this time.

Although the duel ended with his mask piercing the enemy, it was merely a breach.

Li Che had originally intended to kill Wen Longshan.

Both lethal Dragon Tooth Bullets were aimed straight at his Mud Pellet Palace—right at the brow.

Alas, the greater the distance, even with the precision of a Chess Sage Dao Fruit, errors were always possible.

Moreover, Wen Longshan was not an unmoving target.

He would move.

“Upgrading our firepower is now urgent.”

Li Che exhaled deeply.

“And improving the Xiangong Barrett hinges on finding proper spiritual wood…”

“Shendiao Ridge… don’t let me down.”

His words drifted away like a gentle breeze across heaven and earth.

Li Che’s figure suddenly shot off; when a sniper’s spot is exposed, you must relocate.

He quickly found another secluded vantage point.

Silently, Li Che descended without a sound.

His Unsullied Heart coalesced into a sheet of paper as divine essence and vital energy merged, splattering ink to conjure a Painted Immortal!

With a swift grab of his fingers, he extracted a Xiangong Barrett directly from the paper.

The Painted Immortal’s rendition of the Xiangong Barrett worked, though its durability was significantly lower.

The drawn Xiangong Barrett could likely withstand only two Dragon Tooth Bodhi shots before disintegrating into inky mist.

He set up his sniping position.

The Cosmic Chessboard expanded once again.

Sensing… aiming…

With the cosmos as his chessboard, everything lay bare before his eyes.

No matter how astonishing Wen Longshan’s eagle-eyed divine vision was, it couldn’t match the all-encompassing Chess Sage Eye.

While his gaze remained fixed on Wen Longshan,

he also locked onto the direction of Zheng Lei Peak.

The Ma Mian from the Underworld…

Tonight, it’s time to spill blood.

Let the world know…

this Ma Mian isn’t just a divine archer;

he is a Divine Sniper.

…

…

Crack, crack—

Rolling thunder!

A colossal thunder deity-like presence descended onto the summit of Zheng Lei Peak as a fearsome electromagnetic storm raged.

Rocks below shattered under the explosive assault of thunder.

Li Qingshan stood rooted in place, clutching his Horned Hammer, his hair whipping wildly; his blue garment had long been ripped away by the storm, leaving only his trousers and a massively muscular upper body!

In his post-master stage, his vitality and true qi were as fierce as a dragon’s.

His divine foundation had been completely chiseled into the Xuan Si Lei Zhen Zhu Xie Diamond…

Signaling that Li Qingshan’s divine form was now only one step from breakthrough!

That final step was to absorb the sculpted divine form into his body!

And that was the most perilous move of all.

He had long explained to Li Che that cultivating one’s divine foundation also depended on physical strength—only when your vitality reached the Xuan Meridian could you safely step onto the divine foundation.

The same principle applied to the divine form realm.

To solidly break through the divine form, your vitality must exceed that of a mid-master; even a novice master could be at risk.

Condensing a Seven-Element Divine Form might be possible at mid-master level, but for the Six-Chamber Divine Form…

mid-master strength simply wasn’t enough.

The danger was immense—if your body couldn’t support the terrifying force of the Six-Chamber Divine Form, you’d shatter under relentless divine essence and become nothing more than a slave to it.

Every year, countless cultivators stumble during their pursuit of divine essence, losing control, descending into madness, and ultimately becoming possessions of divine power.

In the end, their vitality is slowly drained away.

One could say Li Qingshan was walking a tightrope!

It’s one reason why many doubted his prospects.

The Six-Chamber Divine Form was of an extraordinarily high rank.

It demanded even greater physical strength to support it!

Or… a divine artifact specifically designed to bolster one’s body for survival!

But Li Qingshan had none!

Boom—!

The surrounding void roiled with divine essence from the form cultivators, crashing over like relentless waves.

Various divine forms and essences collided, creating wave after wave of impact!

Nan Lihuo and Monitor, both masters of the primordial form, held in check the three Seven-Element Corpse God Envoys of the Corpse God Sect, with Monitor’s two-stringed instrument inadvertently humming with every strike.

Yet Nan Lihuo and Monitor did not relent, knowing that these three envoys were merely phoning it in, not exerting their full power.

They were closely watching Li Qingshan’s breakthrough.

If it seemed that Li Qingshan might succeed in absorbing the Six-Chamber Divine Form…

then these three Seven-Element Corpse God Envoys would surely reveal their true tactics just as his breakthrough neared completion.

After all, the Seven-Element Corpse God Envoys were imbued with the silver aura of the Cursed Silver Corpse!

That power could rival even the divine might of a Grandmaster!

Elsewhere,

Zhu Hongdou’s battle fervor soared. Her Crimson Emperor Flame Divine Form was the type that grew fiercer with every fight; once in combat, she went completely berserk.

She spared no effort, launching a relentless barrage at a divine form cultivator clad in a mask and night attire.

The masked cultivator roared, “Zhu Hongdou, why are you targeting me?!”

Zhu Hongdou’s eyes blazed red as flames roared around her; behind her, the Crimson Emperor Flame Divine Form stood tall and disdainful.

“Shangguan Jie, you old scoundrel—don’t think that a mask makes you unrecognizable to me.”

“Last time, you got hurt just to play the pitiable fool in front of XiXi. This time…I’m dead set on finishing you! Come and meet your end, you old dog!”

Zhu Hongdou’s flaming spear flared as a burst of fire danced around it.

Furious, she charged at the masked Shangguan Jie.

Shangguan Jie was absolutely livid!

Everyone in Jingguang City’s divine formation recognized each other; a masked, night-clad figure was simply maintaining appearances.

Figures like Zhang Qingzheng, Weng Wuyou, Lin Xiu, and even the deputy of the Imperial Watch wearing a goat mask were all engaged in half-hearted skirmishes.

Only Zhu Hongdou, like a cornered husky with its tail trodden on, battled Shangguan Jie in an all-or-nothing fight.

You really understand nothing about human nature, woman!

Shangguan Jie had no energy to monitor Li Qingshan’s situation and could only focus on fending off the attack.

But Zhu Hongdou was truly giving it her all—fighting with all her might!

Although Shangguan Jie was a mid-master of the divine form, he dared not underestimate Zhu Hongdou, who had already condensed her divine form to the Six-Chamber level!

…

…

Crack, crack!

A torrent of electric serpents and column-like rain pounded down.

Wen Longshan, drenched by rain and with much of his blood odor washed away, looked dazed.

He returned to the City Lord’s Residence, his face a picture of disarray.

City Lord Su Huai Li sat with a cup in hand, handing tea to Wen Longshan.

“Captain Longshan, your defeat wasn’t your fault. That Ma Mian relied on Mechanical Art, not genuine archery.”

“You lost to Mechanical Art, not archery.”

“So, there’s no need for despair.”

City Lord Su Huai Li laughed, a hint of swagger in his raised brow.

Wen Longshan, upon hearing this, felt a noticeable ease as the blood seeping from his chest continued to writhe. Moments later,

scores of Bodhi Silk strands split apart, forced out by his flesh and blood, and fell to the ground.

“This reminds me of the Tang Clan’s Mechanical Art…”

“At their peak, the Tang Clan’s Mechanical Art, combined with fearsome mechanical beasts, even posed a threat to deities at the Divine Fetus realm—it wasn’t just empty talk.”

“Losing to the Tang Clan’s Mechanical Art isn’t something to be ashamed of.”

City Lord Su Huai Li picked up a strand of Bodhi Silk and remarked lightly.

“It appears that this Ma Mian is connected to the Tang Clan, or rather… the force behind the Ma Mian and the Ogre is linked to the Tang Clan?”

He furrowed his brows.

“A centipede rarely dies stiff; such resilience is impressive.”

“But the Tang Clan is long gone. What kind of disturbance can mere remnants of the Tang Clan cause?”

An unseen force erupted, incinerating the Bodhi Silk into nothingness.

“Back in the day, that Divine Fetus Ancestor of the Tang Clan was cleaved in two by my master, and even the Tang Clan’s prized mechanical beast among the Five Elders was captured by him.”

City Lord Su Huai Li’s lips curved into a subtle smile.

“They were nothing but pathetic remnants.”

Wen Longshan’s heart stirred, a flash of fervor in his eyes: “After all, the Prince is a martial saint of his era—naturally formidable.”

City Lord Su Huai Li’s gaze shimmered with a similar longing.

“Captain Longshan, rest assured, your injuries… they won’t be in vain. The Prefect will surely make things right for you.”

“And as for that Ma Mian… when the time is right, the Prefect will decapitate him for you.”

City Lord Su Huai Li consoled him, carefully winning hearts.

Wen Longshan, his gaze hardening, shook his head, “No need, Prefect. My ultimate archery technique, the Crimson Flame Divine Arrow Technique, is about to reach its transformation.

Once it enters the realm of true intent, I’ll surely pierce through Ma Mian with my arrow!”

A formidable confidence burst forth from him.

City Lord Su Huai Li’s eyes flashed with an unusual glint.

“Then allow me to congratulate Captain Longshan in advance.”

Wen Longshan clasped his fists and turned his gaze toward the storm-lashed Zheng Lei Peak.

“Prefect… will you act?” he asked.

City Lord Su Huai Li shook his head, “No need.”

Wen Longshan was momentarily stunned.

“That Ma Mian is watching you; once you fire an arrow, he’ll intercept with his sniping.”

“And Li Qingshan knows that upon breaking through his divine form, he’ll become the target of everyone. That’s why he hired Ma Mian to strike.”

“And it was worth every penny.”

“This Ma Mian is a top-tier assassin hiding in the shadows,” City Lord Su Huai Li added.

“Rivaling even the assassins of the Lie Shen Pavilion.”

Wen Longshan fell silent, a hint of shock in his eyes.

He hadn’t expected City Lord Su Huai Li to hold Ma Mian in such high regard.

After all, the Lie Shen Pavilion was an extremely mysterious and formidable assassin organization, known to have even eliminated deities at the Divine Fetus realm!

Ma Mian… could rival the assassins of the Lie Shen Pavilion?

City Lord Su Huai Li glanced at him and chuckled, “Of course… though he’s only the lowest rank among the Lie Shen Pavilion assassins.”

Wen Longshan nodded.

City Lord Su Huai Li then turned toward Zheng Lei Peak and said,

“Your prime opportunity to strike was interrupted by Ma Mian; now it’s too late to block him.”

“Li Qingshan.”

“It’s settled.”

…

…

Deep within the dense forest.

Every breath measured and steady, as calm as the gentle swaying of the breeze.

Outside the city, the rain was less frantic; even stray snowflakes mingled within it.

Li Che, still wearing his horse-faced mask, crouched at his new sniping spot.

Having promised Li Qingshan that he’d act tonight, Li Che made sure not to break his word.

The Cosmic Chessboard enveloped the entire Jingguang Prefecture.

It locked onto one imposing silhouette after another around Zheng Lei Peak.

The aura of those divine form cultivators was overwhelming—like beacons illuminating the chessboard of the cosmos.

He focused his view on the fiercest battle.

It was the duel between Zhu Hongdou, the peak master of Hongyun Peak, and Shangguan Jie—a fight to the death.

Compared to the half-hearted skirmishes of others, this battle was one Li Che couldn’t afford to miss.

“Shangguan Jie, patriarch of the Shangguan Family… father of Shangguan Zhengheng, hmm, my enemy…

“It’s you.”

Once Li Che realized Shangguan Jie was his target, there was no more hesitation.

He found no trace of corpse aura or deathly miasma on Shangguan Jie—an unexpected revelation.

After all, though Shangguan Zhengheng belonged to the Corpse God Sect, the patriarch Shangguan Jie clearly did not.

Even if Shangguan Jie wasn’t part of the Corpse God Sect, Li Che felt no sympathy.

Their grudge was irreconcilable, and with Shangguan Jie appearing tonight to disrupt Li Qingshan’s breakthrough,

there was nothing left to say…

In two simple words:

“I’ll snipe you!”

A burst of brilliance flared on Li Che’s brow, and behind him…

Seven divine foundations materialized simultaneously, seven streams of divine essence surging like torrential rivers into the Xiangong Barrett replicated by the Painted Immortal!

The Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullets roared as if an enraged flood dragon had emerged.

Their roars echoed across the heavens.

Then, the Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullets silently transformed into streaks of black light, streaking through the sky.

…

…

“Zhu Hongdou!”

Shangguan Jie smothered the flames on his body, seething with unbridled fury!

Bitter venom, anger, and murderous intent surged from him as genuine rage overcame him.

His attacks turned ruthlessly lethal, leaving no room for half-measures.

Zhu Hongdou… you’ve gone too far!

Not that Li Qingshan and Zhu Hongdou had wronged him—Li Qingshan had killed his son, Shangguan Zhengheng; Zhu Hongdou took advantage of his weakness!

How could Shangguan Jie possibly swallow such rage?

Sizzle, sizzle—

Countless arcs of lightning sprang forth from Shangguan Jie, his blood and vitality exploding in crimson, interwoven with brilliant bolts.

His figure blazed through the air like a lightning bolt, reaching breathtaking speeds.

It was the ultimate technique of the Shangguan Family—Canglei Body!

Divine essence erupted, and the Seven-Element Overwhelming Divine Killing Form manifested!

A terrifying divine visage, one that disrupted his very mind, appeared behind Shangguan Jie!

Zhu Hongdou’s eyes burned a deep red as she gripped her spear, her battle spirit surging.

But then,

her eyes widened in shock.

Suddenly, with a resounding bang!

The figure employing Canglei Body—its oppressive energy almost tangible—seemed to have been pierced by an invisible arrow.

It was hurled sideways in mid-air.

A dense cloud of blood mist erupted from his chest!

Pfft—

Shangguan Jie roared in terror, his eyes betraying pure horror.

“Zhu Hongdou— you treacherous, despicable woman!

“How dare you deceive me!”

In his bleeding fury, Shangguan Jie slammed a palm onto his blood-misted chest, using his terrifying divine essence to contain the explosive Dragon Tooth Bodhi within.

Yet suddenly, his body turned icy cold.

High in the night sky, shards of rain were shattered by a burst of Canglei Body.

But just as he regained stability, another Dragon Tooth Bodhi silently streaked toward his Mud Pellet Palace!

His entire divine form was suddenly encased in a resilient shield!

But would Zhu Hongdou allow this opportunity to slip away?

With a sudden grip of her five fingers, the Crimson Emperor Flame Divine Form chiseled out a Crimson Spear, piercing through Shangguan Jie’s divine form!

Shangguan Jie continued splattering blood mid-air, terror and rage mingling in his eyes!

“Ma Mian—!”

It was Ma Mian!

That insidious, despicable divine archer who had killed his son, Shangguan Zhengheng—the treacherous backstabber lurking in the dark!

Shangguan Jie’s divine form, just breached by Zhu Hongdou, soon saw a Dragon Tooth Bodhi silently burst forth…

Its rapid rotation unleashed a fearsome penetrating force that directly shattered the other side of Shangguan Jie’s chest!

Zhu Hongdou trembled with exhilaration, her whole body shaking as flames roared uncontrollably.

It felt so incredibly satisfying!

There was an undeniable synergy…

Absolutely exhilarating!

Though Shangguan Jie was a mid-master of the divine form, Zhu Hongdou—condensing her form to the Six-Chamber level—was evenly matched.

But now, the scales had tipped!

Shangguan Jie suffered consecutive heavy blows; sensing imminent danger, he roared and turned to flee.

Yet Zhu Hongdou would never let him escape!

With overwhelming advantage, every move from Zhu Hongdou was a lethal strike!

Meanwhile,

at the summit of Zheng Lei Peak,

Li Qingshan’s hair stood on end as he laughed heartily.

He spread his arms wide; his muscular, veined upper body burst with blood that formed three raging blood dragons!

Eight Dragons Overturning!

The three blood dragons entwined with the divine form sculpted from his foundation!

They strained, pulling the Six-Chamber Divine Form into the inner realm of his Mud Pellet!

Boom—!

Li Qingshan’s body erupted into a dense cloud of blood mist as countless thunderbolts surged around him, forming a true body of thunder!

“Hahaha—”

“Divine form! I have done it!”

Li Qingshan roared with laughter.

Everyone…

Are you surprised?

Shocked, perhaps?!

After a brief silence, curses erupted all around!

“Damn! Despicable!”

“Five Dragon Realm? Master-level Eight Dragons Overturning?!”

“So sneaky, hiding so deep!”

The powerful cultivators monitoring Li Qingshan’s breakthrough erupted in angry curses.

Some, expecting his body to fail under the pressure of the Six-Chamber Divine Form, shouted in fury!

Li Qingshan had hidden it too well!

Master-level Eight Dragons Overturning…

His success rate in absorbing the Six-Chamber Divine Form reached at least seventy percent!

They had been duped!

Explosions of divine energy burst forth as divine forms scattered like falling trees, fleeing in all directions from Zheng Lei Peak.

Li Qingshan swung his Horned Hammer, with thunderous wings beating behind him.

In the shadows, silent Dragon Tooth Bodhi sniper bullets exploded in unison, bolstering Li Qingshan’s assault!

Almost every shot was dead-on!

Several slower novices of the divine form were brutally decapitated by Li Qingshan’s triple hammer blows!

“Li Qingshan!”

“Come on!”

From afar,

Nan Lihuo roared loudly.

Li Qingshan’s gaze sharpened, and without hesitation, he grabbed his Horned Hammer and soared upward, riding arcs of lightning as he charged at a Seven-Element Corpse God Envoy!

Zhen Lei Zhu Xie!

Heaven overcomes deathly corpse energy!

“Corpse God Sect villain!”

“Come and meet your end!”

…

…

Outside Jingguang City:

Li Che adjusted his Bamboo Hat.

The rain had stopped.

Snow began to drift gently from the sky, cloaking the land in a silvery mantle.

Bang—

The Xiangong Barrett in his hand exploded, disintegrating into inky mist.

Li Che exhaled a weary breath.

“It’s over.”

After Li Qingshan, with an unexpectedly cheeky and almost dare-to-get-beaten stance, forcibly pulled the Six-Chamber Divine Form into his Mud Pellet inner realm—transforming from divine foundation to divine form—

Li Che realized that tonight’s storm had finally subsided.

“Senior Qingshan, you were impressively steady… that’s something to learn from.”

Li Che mused thoughtfully.

He had learned a great deal and was quite pleased.

“The only pity is… even if you kill the enemy as Ma Mian, you still don’t get a chance to inspect the corpse.”

“Not being able to examine a corpse after a kill always leaves me itching.”

Li Che sighed.

Fortunately, Li Qingshan had promised him an Eight Extremity Divine Essence Crystal, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Standing up on a branch, Li Che stretched lazily.

But his stretch was cut short.

Suddenly, Li Che quietly gazed off into the distance at a patch of air.

In that space, a dark dot began to materialize.

The dot was intensely dense.

Slowly, a surge of concentrated death aura and corpse energy burst forth from it, swirling at high speed and gradually forming a colossal black vortex!

“Time-Space Corpse Technique!”

“Undead Anchor!”

Li Che’s eyes glimmered with renewed intensity.

“This is the deathly aura anchor left behind by a high-level Corpse God Cultist in retreat!”

“Isn’t that perfect?”

Behind his horse-faced mask, a small smile tugged at Li Che’s lips.

Even his normally stoic demeanor couldn’t hide his amusement at that moment.

He had worried all night about not getting a chance to inspect a corpse.

And now, it was right here.

It allowed him to execute the Time-Space Corpse Technique—at the very least, it confirmed the presence of an Eight Extremity Corpse God Envoy.

Of course, it might even be a Seven-Element Corpse God Envoy, or perhaps… one of a higher rank.

The lessons he’d just learned from Li Qingshan made him rein in his smile and adopt a solemn focus.

He was about to unleash one of the most ingenious assassination techniques ever devised…

Sit Tight and Wait!

Within his chest,

the Pure Heart Dao Fruit pulsed vigorously.

In an instant, his resounding Unsullied Heart divine essence was summoned forth.

Fusing with the vital energy of a Furnace Master, it solidified into Divine Ink.

He splattered it onto sheets of Unsullied Heart paper.

In that moment…

Li Che’s creation of Painted Immortal clones reached its pinnacle with sixteen Ma Mian avatars.

Simultaneously, he brandished his Xiangong Gatling, its metallic clamor resounding mightily.

They fanned out in a fan-shaped formation, completely encircling the undead anchor vortex.

For utmost stability,

he tore through the air with two fingers to place a semi-finished Avalanche Guanyin Lotus Bomb—equivalent in divine chess piece potency to a hundred such pieces—quietly at the vortex’s exit.

All the while…

waiting for a small mushroom to sprout.

Good news: the high rating has broken ten thousand; bad news: recommendations have dropped, forcing a long bout of exposure. I rely on everyone’s continued reading to survive—please, keep reading and recommending. Many thanks from Old Li!