Chapter 167: Underworld Revelations

Underworld Divine Monkey!

Hellfire Monkey!

A new mask signifies new emotions, new attitudes…

The moment he put on the mask, Li Che felt his entire being shift; his eyes sparkled as his spirit burst to life.

A wild, flamboyant energy blossomed within him like a flower thriving in the dark.

Unlike Ogre’s raw, unrestrained ferocity—a fierce, genuine drive that left no room for regret—

the Hellfire Monkey’s swagger exuded a king’s confidence, daring to challenge anyone, sure of its power to stand against all.

Thus, its boldness showed no sign of restraint and never intended to tone it down!

That was the stark contrast between the Divine Monkey and Ogre!

Strands of hair whipped in the wind as golden flames danced in his eyes.

Li Che’s gaze shone brilliantly as his emotions surged.

“I’m no weakling anymore… I need this battle to shatter my limits and ascend to a new realm…”

“So I won’t be modest—I need to be unrestrained!”

With his fingers pressed against the mask, a crazed murmur burst from his throat.

He fixed his eyes on the dark silhouette of Jin Lie Men.

Even though the deathly aura emanating from Jin Lie Men far exceeded that of Xuan Li, the Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy of Xinyuan Temple,

Li Che felt no fear—instead, he was eager to challenge and bring his foe down!

Sure, wearing the mask had changed him somewhat, releasing a streak of wild arrogance.

But the deep-seated steadiness in his bones remained unchanged.

“Challenges aside… one can never neglect what must be done.”

Beneath the Divine Monkey mask, Li Che smiled softly.

Then, with a sudden flick of his sleeve,

in an instant, using the 【Painted Immortal】 technique, the painted Immortal clones leaped out from the Unsullied Heart Divine Paper!

Sixteen Ogres hefted their 【Xiangong】 Gatlings and unleashed a barrage of fire.

In the distance, Ma Mian gripped his 【Xiangong Barrett】 to deliver long-range strikes!

The mechanical spirit cranes, resembling robotic dogs, had been rigged by Li Che with self-destructing Avalanche Guanyin Lotus Bombs!

However, each crane could only bear a payload equivalent to fifty Divine Chess Pieces.

They were classed as small lotus bombs.

Load them any more, and the crane would collapse under the weight!

But for Li Che, that was more than enough.

Lotus bombs equivalent to fifty Divine Chess Pieces

He pressed his palm lightly.

Swish, swish, swish…

The figures vanished swiftly into the darkness.

The spirit cranes raced off; moments later, they soared into the air, hurtling toward the stronghold of Jin Lie Men!

Boom, boom, boom—!!!

Moments later.

Explosions erupted in torrents of fire, booming from every direction!

Even though each crane carried only a modest payload, their blasts inflicted significant damage!

For cultivators honed in Divine Perception, such explosions left them little choice but to accept their fate in bitter defeat!

“Who dares ambush Jin Lie Men!”

Roars erupted from within Jin Lie Men.

A powerful surge of divine aura rose as a streak of golden light clung to a longsword, slicing through the air with relentless sharpness!

The entire night sky seemed to light up!

The Patriarch of Jin Lie Men glared furiously as the main gate burst into a display of fireworks, fear flickering in his eyes.

Such a tactic…

“Ogre?!”

He growled lowly.

“Have we been exposed?”

“Impossible…”

Jin Lie Men had always maintained a low profile—every master who had pledged themselves to the Corpse God Sect remained hidden.

They hadn’t only withdrawn from Jingguang City but had nearly sealed the Undead Curse Seal…

All were waiting for the Temple Spirit Resonance Conference to begin and end.

Yet the Patriarch of Jin Lie Men never expected that Ogre would eventually show up.

Even after Xinyuan Temple was annihilated, Ogre still managed to come after Jin Lie Men!

“If Ogre isn’t eliminated, it will severely hinder the Corpse God Sect’s operations in Jingguang Mansion!”

Murderous intent burned in the Patriarch’s eyes.

Amidst the unyielding flames,

the Patriarch was enveloped by an intense aura of death and corpse energy, his flesh flashing with copper gleam and Silver Guts!

He no longer held back.

With Ogre’s arrival, he knew Jin Lie Men could no longer remain hidden; without swift retaliation, they’d end up like Xinyuan Temple.

A fate of total annihilation by Ogre!

Boom—!

Inside Jin Lie Men, a figure cloaked in white robes and wearing a bloodstained ‘Seven’ mask soared upward.

This was the second Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy hidden within Jin Lie Men!

The two envoys hovered high in the sky.

The Patriarch, Jin Xinglie, withdrew a bloodstained Seven mask from his Qian Kun Jade and pressed it against his face, unleashing an overwhelming surge of divine perception.

Ogre…

he was courting death!

Within Jin Lie Men were two Corpse God Envoys, no less formidable than Xuan Li.

If Ogre dares show up, tonight he’ll pay the price!

Amid the torrents of explosive fire, one mechanical spirit crane after another—crafted from spirit wood—soared into the sky before folding its wings.

Their beaks, as sharp as javelins, hammered the main gate of Jin Lie Men!

One crane plummeted and exploded into a mushroom cloud two to three meters wide, its shockwave rippling through the air…

Accompanied by the agonized screams of the hidden Corpse God Sect experts within Jin Lie Men!

“Perfect… absolutely precise…”

“This Ogre is practically an insider in our Corpse God Sect—he even knows our followers’ whereabouts better than our two Sevenfold Envoys!”

Jin Xinglie, the Patriarch of Jin Lie Men, said gravely.

The other Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy fixed his gaze intently on the scene through his mask.

“It seems we must report this to the higher-ups of the Corpse God Sect and abandon the Jin Lie Men stronghold immediately… their location has been exposed, and masters from the Temple Guardian Division, Imperial Watch, and Jin Guang Branch will surely come storming in!”

“Slay that Ogre and then be gone!”

“That Ogre wields a movement technique; we’ll use the 【Time-Space Corpse Technique】 to disrupt and seal space, leaving him no room to shift—a chance to finish him off!”

“Eliminating Ogre would be a major feather in our cap within the Lingnan Path’s sect!”

Anger laced the Patriarch’s voice as he declared,

“Let him get away like this?”

He was not about to let that happen!

The other Sevenfold Envoy hesitated for a moment.

“Ogre is a master of tricks and schemes; he won’t engage us in a fair one-on-one fight.”

He had studied the aftermath of Xinyuan Temple’s collapse.

He had deduced the method Ogre used to breach Xinyuan Temple.

At that moment, he wasn’t eager to fight Ogre head-on—such an opponent was far too troublesome.

You’d neither be able to kill him nor capture him, and he’d keep peppering you with surprise attacks.

He loved his poisons and hidden weapons…

Ogre wasn’t a true fighter at all—it was nothing more than a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.

But the Patriarch of Jin Lie Men was getting riled up.

Suddenly…

Both envoys’ minds were jolted as they suddenly turned their gaze beyond the main gate of Jin Lie Men.

In the swirling haze of dust and smoke, a dark figure emerged, stepping steadily over melted puddles where snow had liquefied in the heat.

Clack, clack…

The sound of puddles bursting underfoot was deafening.

Flames lit up the dust, revealing the dark silhouette once more.

A slender, dark figure slowly emerged.

The figure carried a crimson long spear.

The spear rested on his neck and shoulder, his hands dangling loosely.

He staggered forward in a lazy, unsteady gait that couldn’t hide his unabashed arrogance and confidence!

“That is…”

The two Sevenfold Corpse God Envoys furrowed their brows as they fixed their gaze on the slowly advancing figure.

They were momentarily stunned.

Because…

what they saw was not the adorable Cute Cow Mask they so adored.

But a monkey mask with a bristly, thunderous visage—its grin oozing confidence and verve!

“Monkey?”

“Not Ogre?”

Both were rendered speechless by the shock.

The Divine Monkey, clad in a black battle shirt and unable to find a staff-form divine weapon, had improvised with a Liuxue Stun Spear for now.

To Li Che, the difference between a spear and a staff was negligible.

It’s just a matter of blunt versus pointed.

When your strength and speed are enough, even a staff can impale like a spear.

As he moved, his black shirt billowed in the wind.

Li Che glanced at the two Sevenfold Corpse God Envoys hovering in the air.

Their mastery of Divine Perception, combined with the power of Silver Guts and Cursed Copper Corpse,

was even a notch above Xuan Li.

The underlying strength of the Corpse God Sect in Jin Lie Men… was truly profound!

“Underworld Divine Monkey…”

“Today, let’s rid the world of evil and settle the score.”

He lifted his intricately carved monkey mask, its fur dancing, squinting his eyes as he grinned wildly.

In the next moment,

Li Che’s thoughts shifted.

A Divine Chess Piece of the Fire-Eyed Xuanjing Spirit Monkey Temple Spirit was instantly gripped by his divine perception, suspended within the Cosmic Chessboard.

It shattered under his sudden, tight grasp!

In an instant, a torrent of power surged through every limb and fiber of Li Che’s body.

Ascend the Tower!

Though his body rose only slightly, his muscles felt as if tightened like screws—each fiber entwined like intricately twisted cords.

Terrifying power erupted along every intertwined muscle fiber, unleashing itself in an explosive outpour!

His hair grew, flowing down to his waist.

Then it whipped around like a cape in a sudden gust!

The two Sevenfold Corpse God Envoys were utterly astonished.

Ogre had not appeared—instead, a monkey had emerged.

Wielding a long spear, he charged fearlessly towards them.

But their faces quickly turned to shock.

“Is that… the Temple Spirit’s divine essence?!”

“It appears to be the divine aura of the Fire-Eyed Xuanjing Spirit Monkey Temple!”

Both men’s hearts pounded with astonishment.

They exchanged looks, their eyes brimming with a sense of impending crisis.

“This Underworld…”

“What on earth is its origin?!”

Within Xinyuan Temple, Xuan Li had been commissioned by the high-ups of the Corpse God Sect in Daocheng to capture the Fire-Eyed Xuanjing Spirit Monkey Temple Spirit…

But after Ogre decimated the temple,

now an Underworld monkey, imbued with Temple Spirit essence, had emerged!

This Underworld…

could it be challenging the Corpse God Sect for the Temple Spirit?

There was no time for overthinking.

In an instant, the Divine Monkey sprang into action, stomping down forcefully—

and the entire ground collapsed in a thunderous roar, spiderweb-like cracks radiating outward as billowing dust and shockwaves burst forth like a chaotic curtain!

One wasn’t enough…

within the Cosmic Chessboard.

Li Che’s divine perception smirked with wild abandon,

his fingertips twitching.

The second one!

The third one!

He shattered three Fire-Eyed Xuanjing Spirit Monkey Temple Spirit Divine Chess Pieces in succession!

In that instant, the overwhelming divine force pressing upon the world surged to even more terrifying levels!

Masterful Martial Saint Technique!

Hun Yuan Qi Tian Gun!

……

……

Jin Lie Men was not far from Jingguang City.

As the explosive commotion spread, every faction within the capital felt its impact.

The divine senses of cultivators with ethereal and divine perception swept over the area.

A formidable figure soared into the air, scanning the distant horizon.

Moments later.

The Temple Guardian Division, Imperial Watch, Divine Guard Army, and Jin Guang Branch all unleashed powerful auras across the sky.

Li Qingshan, draped in a billowing blue robe with his hands clasped behind him, stepped lightly over the void.

After breaking through the Divine Perception realm, his flight had become effortless and graceful.

Pain was etched on the aged face of Li Qingshan—he nearly couldn’t contain his anguish publicly.

Based on his experience…

Ogre was at it again, having his fun all by himself—no one needed to join in!

Lin Xiu shot Li Qingshan a peculiar glance, a silent signal in his eyes.

Li Qingshan felt a sudden relief—thankfully, Ogre hadn’t involved Lin Xiu in this mess, which was somewhat tolerable.

He shook his head, indicating that the plan was still unclear.

A supervisor from the Temple Guardian Division and a commander from the Divine Guard Army descended from the skies.

One in uniform, the other clad in armor.

The commander of the Divine Guard Army’s eyes flickered as he cast a glance at Li Qingshan and Lin Xiu.

It was now an unspoken truth within Jingguang City.

Li Qingshan and Lin Xiu had joined the Underworld faction of Ogre and Ma Mian, becoming one of its own.

The four top powers of Jingguang City exchanged uneasy glances, the atmosphere thick with tension as no one spoke.

They raced out toward the Jin Lie Men outpost beyond the city.

By the time they reached the main gate of Jin Lie Men, raging fires still blazed.

With no time to worry about what was inside the gate, their eyes fell on the distant, cratered battlefield…

There…

Two figures knelt on the ground, their tattered robes revealing bronze-hued, cursed copper corpse bodies.

But those cursed copper bodies…

had been shattered to the point of broken bones and death!

Fierce blood mingled with an unrestrained divine aura, surging wildly without end!

Beside the two fallen Corpse God Sect experts,

a figure in a black battle shirt, wearing a Divine Monkey mask, slouched with a crimson divine spear draped over his neck and shoulder, gazed at them with audacious arrogance.

Wasn’t that Ogre?!

Even Li Qingshan and Lin Xiu were stunned.

That was not at all Ogre’s style!

There was no sign of Divine Crystal Powder or Jianshouqing Poison Powder in the air…

The two Sevenfold Corpse God Envoys had been utterly obliterated, taken down on the spot by overwhelming power and technique!

They could vaguely sense the wild, unbridled battle that had just erupted.

One against two—they had smashed both Sevenfold Envoys of Silver Guts!

“So domineering and unrestrained…”

Even Li Qingshan couldn’t help but gasp.

“Underworld Divine Monkey…”

The slouched Divine Monkey tilted his head and chuckled lightly.

Then, with a tip of his toe,

in a billowing cloud of smoke, he disappeared into the haze.

The commander of the Divine Guard Army roared and charged forward, only to find that in the dense smoke there was no sign of the Divine Monkey.

“He’s gone…”

“Just like Ogre—phantom-like.”

The commander gripped his longsword tightly, his eyes somber with grave resolve.

Ogre and Ma Mian—now another Divine Monkey had appeared…

Unknown… ever unknown!

Who is Ogre?

Who is Ma Mian?

And who, then, is this Divine Monkey?

“Underworld… Divine Monkey?”

Li Qingshan and Lin Xiu exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up ever so slightly.

“He’s one of our Underworld comrades…”

Their hearts stirred, emotions welling up unexpectedly.

So domineering, so unbridled, so arrogant…

Ogre was covert and vicious; Ma Mian was sleazy and mysterious; but this Divine Monkey… was boldly arrogant and shameless!

Li Qingshan felt his own dominance diminishing in comparison!

Lin Xiu clapped his hands in admiration—he preferred this audacious, brazen Divine Monkey over Ogre and Ma Mian.

He even mimicked the Divine Monkey’s slouched stance with the divine spear on his shoulder…

in his lazy, downcast posture, there was an air of defiant contempt for the heavens!

“Underworld…”

The supervisor from the Temple Guardian Division shot a glance at Li Qingshan and Lin Xiu,

but said nothing further.

Though he was displeased with the likes of the Divine Monkey, Ogre, and the Underworld rogues,

he had to admit that these Underworld experts had been invaluable in helping the Temple Guardian Division root out the traitors the Corpse God Sect had planted in Jingguang Mansion.

During the incident at Xinyuan Temple, the Temple Guardian Division had broken out in cold sweats.

They realized that the malefactors of the Corpse God Sect in Xinyuan Temple were likely plotting an attack on the Bizarre Temple.

And this time…

“Jin Lie Men… harboring traitors of the Corpse God Sect! They deserve nothing less than death!”

The supervisor’s voice boomed as his divine perception expanded mightily,

immediately branding Jin Lie Men!

Those rogue elements of the Corpse God Sect, exposed by the explosions and injured—unable to flee quickly—were hopelessly captured and suppressed!

“What a pity…”

“The fallen Sevenfold Corpse God Envoys are none other than the one we uncovered—the upper echelon Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy… Yuan Jingang.”

“That city-wide massacre in Feilei City was masterminded by Yuan Jingang…”

“That Yuan Jingang is nowhere to be found!”

The supervisor from the Temple Guardian Division shook his head and sighed.

Li Qingshan and Lin Xiu exchanged a look.

“Yuan Jingang?”

“Old Zhao, explain this in detail.”

Lin Xiu, well acquainted with Supervisor Zhao Yang of the Temple Guardian Division, couldn’t help but ask.

Supervisor Zhao Yang briefly described Yuan Jingang, offering only a few details.

“Yuan Jingang is powerful—not an ordinary Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy but the overall commander of the Corpse God Sect in Jingguang Mansion.”

“The Thousand Infant Banquet in Feilei City was orchestrated by him.”

“His strength is formidable. If you encounter him, avoid a head-on clash—seek help from the supervisor, the Monitor, or the Southern Sect leader.”

“The supervisor once dueled Yuan Jingang on the Jiulong River outside the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple—he had likely already stepped into the realm of Cursed Silver Corpse, and his divine cultivation had reached the Yuan Xiang Realm!”

Supervisor Zhao Yang was extremely serious.

Li Qingshan and Lin Xiu fell silent; such power…

faced the risk of death.

……

……

The Fire-Eyed Xuanjing Spirit Monkey Bizarre Temple.

The quietly burning white candles suddenly became agitated.

It was as if a fierce gust had suddenly blown through.

Inside the serene temple,

a figure materialized out of nowhere.

Li Che, wearing the Divine Monkey mask, grasped a Feilei Chess Piece—it exploded and disintegrated—while the wild, brutal energy in his eyes gradually subsided.

The lingering, restless divine essence of the Temple Spirit within him began to stir.

Even the Temple Spirit’s aura within the Bizarre Temple started to ripple and boil.

Li Che removed the Divine Monkey mask, shook his head, and slowly let the Temple Spirit’s divine essence within him disperse.

His whole body radiated heat, every pore erupting waves of scorching energy!

“Awesome!”

Li Che lifted his face, his hair flecked with glistening sweat, a smile tugging at his lips.

“The Martial Saint Technique… though incomplete, is outrageously powerful when stimulated by the divine aura of the Fire-Eyed Xuanjing Spirit Monkey Temple—it’s simply incredible!”

“The staff’s shadow is breathtaking…”

Li Che’s eyes sparkled.

Clenching his fist, the Liuxue Stun Spear in his hand trembled before bursting forth in a display of sprawling staff shadows, much like a peacock fanning its plumage.

The surging airflow roared as the very air cried out under the strain of the explosive force!

The flickering candles in the Bizarre Temple danced wildly, reflecting Li Che’s twisted, audacious silhouette…

“The Martial Saint Technique – Hun Yuan Qi Tian Gun… has reached a preliminary breakthrough!”

Li Che laughed.

He had barely begun mastering this staff technique, yet today it had already advanced to a new level!

It felt as though this battle had truly made him feel…

as if aided by the gods!

It was as if a divine force had possessed him, powering his staff technique!

Li Che tucked away his Liuxue Stun Spear.

A hint of regret crossed his face.

“Damn, I wish I had a divine treasure staff.”

“It wouldn’t feel as natural anyway.”

Li Che muttered to himself.

His gaze settled on the Spirit Monkey Temple Spirit statue atop the altar.

For a moment, the statue seemed to tremble subtly…

“Since we’re here…”

Li Che leaped onto the altar, landing before the statue, reaching out to rub its head.

His Star-Plucking Gaze widened between his brows.

He absorbed the Temple Spirit’s Divine Chess Piece.

Though Li Che could now absorb from afar with his Star-Plucking Gaze, he still relished the tactile sensation.

He wanted to savor the feel of every Temple Spirit’s essence.

After absorbing the Divine Chess Piece,

Li Che released his grip with satisfaction.

It was as if he had heard an extremely angry monkey’s scream.

Li Che just assumed it was a cry of overwhelming pleasure.

He stepped down from the altar.

Then, Li Che sat cross-legged.

“Damn, I didn’t get a chance to raid Jin Lie Men’s treasure vault—no time…”

“But it probably doesn’t matter; since Jin Lie Men has become a bastion of the Corpse God Sect, the vault was likely emptied long ago.”

“Snatching the Qian Kun Jade from those two Sevenfold Envoys would be about right.”

Li Che retrieved two Qian Kun Jades.

Although he had switched from Ogre to Divine Monkey,

his temperament had changed tremendously.

But his instinct for handling corpses remained unchanged.

No matter the identity, it’s a fundamental skill when traversing the martial world.

Even if touching everything might get him into trouble, he had to do what came instinctively.

Li Che didn’t rush to activate the Qian Kun Jades.

Instead, he tossed them into Qiankun Space, planning to activate them later.

He had serious business to attend to now.

“Hoo—”

“Suck—”

With each breath, the world suddenly fell silent.

Only the roaring heartbeat of his Dao Fruit resounded within his chest.

It crashed in his ears like thunder!

One Dao Fruit thumped as if urging the others to beat in unison!

A stir went through his mind.

A burst of dazzling light flashed in his eyes!

It was like explosive fireworks blooming vividly before him!

【Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Vajra (LV4 0%)】

It’s here!

Li Che’s eyes snapped open, his pupils reflecting the image of a dragon!

The scene before him transformed cataclysmically in an instant.

It was as if a colossal suction force dragged him into the vast, boundless realm.

The endless expanse of the world.

A divine tree erupted from the earth, stretching high into the sky!

Its sprawling branches bore an endless array of multicolored, glazed Dao Fruits that shone brilliantly.

Li Che’s gaze was instantly drawn to one exceptionally radiant Dao Fruit!

He saw that the fruit was trembling violently!

Suddenly…

it burst forth, unleashing an endless cascade of mists and light!

The swirling mists obscured the sky, transforming in Li Che’s eyes into both a true dragon and a colossal elephant!

The two ancient, fearsome beasts unleashed a terrifying might, making every hair on his body stand on end as his spirit froze in awe!

The dense dragon-elephant mist surged toward Li Che in an instant!

In a flash, he felt every pore on his body burst wide open!

It was as if a giant swallowed him whole, devouring all the mists into his very being!

Li Che’s consciousness swiftly withdrew from that boundless realm!

He opened his eyes again, now filled with a swirling tide of mists!

Pain…

Intense agony surged through his entire body!

He felt every inch of his bones, every sinew, every shred of flesh, every cell…

undergoing transformation!

Being reborn anew!

His whole body trembled; the muscles along his spine quivered like writhing serpents, suddenly straightening as though a roaring dragon were unleashed!

Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch—!

Bones and sinews cried out in unison!

Flesh and blood roared!

This was entirely different from the painless second rebirth of a 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit upon reaching LV4!

The second Xiangong rebirth had been completely devoid of any pain!

For Li Che, it felt natural and soothing—as if bathed in spring air!

But the transformation of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit…

seemed poised to tear his body apart and reshape it entirely!

Li Che broke into a cold sweat, his body veiled in blood mist.

Yet his eyes remained fierce as he fixed his gaze on the shimmering light before him!

And then he saw…

【Dao Fruit LV4 Second Rebirth: Nascent Divine Skill (Dragon Elephant Vajra: Ascend the Tower) Upgrade: Acquired Divine Skill (Dragon Elephant Vajra: Radiant Rise)】

The Dao Fruit’s second rebirth!

Divine Skill: Radiant Rise!

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