Chapter 179: Drifting Shadows of the Divine World

The rain fell in a soft, steady drizzle.

Within the courtyard.

Li Che clenched his divine sword, his surging Qi and blood slicing through Sixth-Stage Spirit Wood as sparks flew and the stench of gunpowder filled the air.

The quality of the 【Fire God’s Furious Dragon Wood】 was so exceptional that cutting it was no easy feat.

Had Li Che not recently advanced—boasting surging Qi and unrivaled strength that nearly crowned him a half-step grandmaster—he might have struggled to slice through the wood.

Carving wood remained, at its core, a task of raw physical effort.

Li Che paid no heed to the figure perched atop the tall building, whose twisted form and swirling storm continuously projected divine perception toward the small courtyard, watching as the leader of the Hunting God Pavilion.

The other party sought to expose a flaw, but in truth, all the Hunting God Pavilion leader saw was exactly what Li Che intended.

It was nothing more than an illusion crafted with the Cosmic Chessboard.

Only if he intervened directly would that illusion shatter.

From his distant vantage, all one could see was the honest, diligent Li Che diligently carving wood.

But if Huang Xi Long decided to act, Li Che would have no reason to hide his true self.

For three consecutive days.

Li Che’s routine became unwaveringly regular.

After clocking in at the Imperial Watch during the day, he would head to the Private Workshop Courtyard to polish and assemble the 【Fire God’s Furious Dragon Mechanical Cannon】.

In between, he paused to cultivate his martial path, drawing divine essence from the Sixfold Divine Essence Crystals to steadily enhance the maturity of his Pure Heart Dao Fruit.

During this period.

Through the monitoring of the Cosmic Chessboard, Li Che detected that the killing intent of the Hunting God Pavilion leader, Huang Xi Long, was growing ever more potent.

Clearly, after three days of observing Li Che’s humble work, Huang Xi Long could no longer hold back.

Once convinced that Li Che had nothing to do with the Ogre, he resolved to strike him down.

It would also serve to complete the assassination contract commissioned by the Little Prince, redeeming his reputation.

Even though the Hunting God Pavilion’s base in Jingguang City had been flattened to the ground,

its leader still survived.

Moreover, the Hunting God Pavilion wasn’t reduced to a one-man band; members returning from scouting other cities were steadily arriving.

While keeping a vigil on Li Che, Huang Xi Long concurrently arranged for his men to establish a new base.

This time, he would act with even greater caution, ensuring his hired killers remained ultra-discreet when accepting assignments.

When Li Che sensed that the murderous aura emanating from Huang Xi Long had thickened to nearly black water,

he left the courtyard.

Instead, he moved directly to the workshop at the Imperial Watch.

This move infuriated Huang Xi Long.

The Imperial Watch was no ordinary space like the Private Workshop Courtyard—after all, the real Divine Practitioner, Lu Yao, was stationed there.

Moreover, Monitor Hu Yingyue, known for her penchant for the erhu, was no simple character either.

Huang Xi Long’s original plan to strike was immediately dashed.

Yet he did not give up, continuing to watch Li Che from outside.

He was, in fact, gradually losing patience.

After confirming that Li Che was nothing more than an honest, hardworking man earning his living by carving wood,

Huang Xi Long resolved to end his life.

His master assassin from the Hunting God Pavilion had already failed.

But with a Divine Practitioner of his caliber stepping in personally, failure was simply not an option.

……

……

City Lord’s Residence.

The wind and rain lashed against the black eaves, with distinct droplets splashing from the upturned corners.

Su Huai Li sat in the courtyard, brewing tea and savoring plums in the Pavilion.

Beside him, Little Prince Ji Haihui—after many days of seclusion—finally emerged from his room to sit in the Pavilion, letting the cooling breeze ease his tensed nerves and emotions.

“Little Prince, relax. With the Divine Guardian protecting you, you’ll be safe,”

Su Huai Li said gently.

As a disciple of Ji Mo Li, Su Huai Li’s talent was remarkable; he had been assigned by Ji Mo Li to head Jingguang Mansion—not merely to monitor Nan Lihuo, a remnant of past transgressions,

but also to keep an eye on the Four-Yu Bizarre Temple, laying the groundwork for the upcoming Temple Spirit Resonance Conference for the Little Prince.

In recent days, Su Huai Li had been talking nonstop about the impending Temple Spirit Resonance Conference.

Having hosted several times before, he knew many of the details.

The Little Prince had already changed his attire—his hair tied in goat horns, donning a red vest, a golden neck ring, and red silk wrapped around his waist.

This look was designed to resonate with the Third Prince.

Essentially, every prodigy strove for such symbolic attire.

Six Black Armor Blood Guards, each hefting a massive Zhanma Blade and clad in black armor, stood coldly and somberly around the Pavilion.

The Little Prince’s expression softened slightly.

“That Underworld Divine Monkey… threatening to eliminate everyone around me—it appears to be empty boasts. Days have passed with no sign of anything,”

he exhaled deeply, feeling the tension ease from his heart.

The Temple Spirit Resonance Conference was about to commence, according to the intelligence provided by Su Huai Li.

The caravan from Daocheng would reach Jingguang City in just two or three days.

The Temple Guardian Division, together with the Orthodox Divine Sect, was escorting the Four-Yu Divine Soldiers’ 【Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel】; once they arrived in Jingguang City, the conference would begin.

“It’s finally happening,”

the Little Prince’s purple eyes shimmered like polished mirrors.

After all, he was only a five-year-old child, and the pressure from the Underworld fiends was overwhelming.

Especially the death of Grandmaster Xue Dufu had deeply shaken him.

“Finish the Temple Spirit Resonance Conference soon so I can claim my inheritance—then call my brothers to Jingguang Mansion to round up those Underworld fiends for punishment!”

Little Prince Ji Haihui, his purple eyes flashing like lightning, declared angrily.

He paused briefly.

Then he added, “And that little girl! I’m taking her as my maid!”

Su Huai Li smiled gently.

“Our senior brothers and sisters will surely be more than willing to help,”

but suddenly, as Su Huai Li sensed something amiss, his gentle smile vanished.

Vroom——

A shadowy figure appeared behind the Little Prince.

It was none other than the Divine Guardian concealed within the darkness.

Clang, clang, clang!

The sound of six Black Armor Blood Guards unsheathing their Zhanma Blades rang out in perfect unison!

But atop the towering walls of the City Lord’s Residence,

a figure clad in a golden mask and draped in a black robe stood silently, as if merging with the elements amid the lashing rain and wind.

“Hunting God Pavilion?”

The Divine Guardian was shrouded entirely in black mist.

A soft voice drifted out.

The other party—a Divine Practitioner himself—spoke in a tone that balanced indifference with quiet severity.

“Before his death, Xue Dufu agreed to the assassination mission… Shall we continue?”

Huang Xi Long spoke evenly.

He was ready to kill Li Che.

Before dying, he wished to confirm the mission details—adding a few credentials to the currently struggling Jingguang Mansion Hunting God Pavilion.

Little Prince Ji Haihui was stunned.

He suddenly recalled the task he had assigned to Xue Dufu.

The reward had been for the Hunting God Pavilion assassins to kill XiXi’s parents.

Due to Xue Dufu’s death and the subsequent threats from Underworld fiends, it had nearly slipped his mind.

He never imagined that even after their base was razed, the Hunting God Pavilion would come after them.

The Divine Guardian offered no reply, instead turning his gaze to Little Prince Ji Haihui.

Confirming that the assailant wasn’t there to murder the Little Prince,

the Divine Guardian finally relaxed his guard.

After a moment of stunned silence, Ji Haihui’s eyes—smooth as polished amethyst—reflected a murderous intent: “Kill! Absolutely kill!”

His expression turned feral, unleashing all the pent-up pressure from the Underworld threats.

“Very well,”

“Assassinate Li Che—ten Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystals.”

“Assassinate Zhang Ya—one Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystal.”

“Pay up now.”

“I’ll do it myself.”

Huang Xi Long, beneath his golden mask, spoke calmly with eyes that were deep and untroubled.

The Divine Guardian looked at him in astonishment, almost amused.

The Hunting God Pavilion was in a real bind…

After their base was flattened by the Underworld, with no trace left behind, even Divine Practitioner-level assassins had to personally carry out missions.

This was by far the worst branch of the Hunting God Pavilion the Divine Guardian had ever witnessed.

Without hesitating, Ji Haihui turned to Su Huai Li.

“Senior, pay up!”

Su Huai Li’s lips twitched.

“Little Prince, Li Che and his wife aren’t worth that much.”

The Hunting God Pavilion was charging a pig’s price.

They were simply trying to rake in performance stats.

“If they can be killed, it’s worth it!”

Ji Haihui insisted earnestly.

Hearing this, Su Huai Li said no more—he wasn’t so protective of the Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystals given the Little Prince’s wealth.

He merely felt it wasn’t worth the price.

If it were a matter of killing the prodigy Li Nuǎnxi, he’d have done it without a second thought.

But killing Li Nuǎnxi’s parents—

what would that achieve?

Su Huai Li understood that Ji Haihui had his eyes on Li Nuǎnxi; he planned to take her as his maid and subjugate the little girl.

A single defeat had ignited a child’s fierce desire to keep her subdued for life.

He shook his head; in that, it was reminiscent of the domineering ways of the Dragon God’s clan,

very much like the Dragon Queen.

With a flick of his fingers, eleven Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystals rocketed toward Huang Xi Long.

Huang Xi Long caught them without a glance and stowed them into the Qian Kun Jade.

“Good…”

“Wait for my signal.”

With that, his words fell silent.

Huang Xi Long then seemed to dissolve into the air, vanishing without a trace.

The Divine Guardian squinted his eyes.

“The divine secret technique behind the concealed aura of the Hunting God Pavilion… truly impressive.”

……

……

The great river roared unceasingly.

Turbulent waters crashed as waves erupted in a furious cacophony!

The Jiulong River stretched for thousands of miles, winding alongside Jingguang Mansion and irrigating countless fields.

The river roared on, its warm current as if powered by burning coals at its depths, churning relentlessly!

An overwhelming divine aura mingled with the bursting waters, seeping into the air like a child struggling to break free, roaring against the heavens.

The entire Jiulong River seemed in a constant state of rebellion!

Heavy rain pounded in relentless sheets!

The world became a hazy blur, shrouded in mist and rain.

Along the riverside, the main road had been carved out, its surface churned into thick mud by the downpour.

Yet on that uneven road, a carriage convoy raced at breakneck speed.

The wheels pounded the ground, and with a roar, splashes of gray, muddy slurry soared several feet high!

The convoy moved swiftly, its horses no ordinary steeds but demon-blooded nightmare horses that could brave any storm and gallop thousands of miles in a day.

This was a caravan from Daocheng.

Suddenly.

From within one of the carriages, a burly figure burst through the storm, landing atop the carriage cover.

Clad in the uniform of the Temple Guardian Division’s Inspector, his attire accentuated his explosive physique as his surging Qi rippled like battle flags in the wind!

Before the rain could even fall, he exploded into view.

This man was none other than Grandmaster Inspector Zhu Chaoyang, dispatched by Daocheng’s Temple Guardian Division.

He had refined eighteen divine auras—each capable of tempering ten bodily meridians, meaning he had penetrated 180 Circulation Points.

He had already mastered half of the Divine Aura realm.

This time, Zhu Chaoyang was tasked with escorting the elders of the Qianyuan Divine Sect and the Four-Yu Divine Soldiers to Jingguang City to unlock the mysteries of the Four-Yu Bizarre Temple and commence the Temple Spirit Resonance Conference!

His Qi and blood roared, shattering raindrops.

Zhu Chaoyang’s eyes became as sharp as blades, slicing through the mist to gaze directly upon the raging river.

In that fleeting moment, he swore he saw a phantom dragon undulating amidst the currents!

“The dragon emerges from the depths… The Eight-Armed Yulian Furious Third Prince Bizarre Temple is erupting—seems it’s about to begin.”

Zhu Chaoyang’s eyes gleamed as he stood with crossed arms, watching a dragon swish its tail, sending countless river currents crashing as it fled.

With one step, he descended from the carriage cover back into the carriage.

Inside, a five-year-old child with gravity-defying braids, dressed in a red vest and seated cross-legged with a Flame Divine Spear resting on his lap, looked as if he were engulfed in flames.

His chubby cheeks and the dancing flames in his nostrils made it seem as if he were devouring fire.

“Little Tiewa, you’ve traveled from the Divine Capital to Daocheng. The Inspector General promised you’d take part in this Temple Spirit Resonance Conference, so don’t come back empty-handed—our Temple Guardian Division’s honor is at stake!”

Leaning against the carriage wall with his arms folded, Zhu Chaoyang couldn’t help but smile as he watched the fiery child.

The little boy opened his eyes with a rebellious glint as he stared at Zhu Chaoyang.

Then, he spat a jet of flame toward Zhu Chaoyang.

Zhu Chaoyang’s face darkened as he clenched his fist, snuffing out the flame.

“Brat!”

Zhu Chaoyang retorted irritably.

“Tut-tut-tut!”

The little boy stuck out his tongue defiantly.

“Don’t call me ‘brat’ or ‘Little Tiewa’!”

“I have a name!”

“I’m Tie Shancai!”

……

……

Inside the Private Workshop of the Imperial Watch.

Li Che gripped the blade of his divine weapon with determined fingers as he patiently polished the Fire God’s Furious Dragon Wood, sending sparks flying.

Six crimson cannon tubes were intertwined together.

On each tube, Li Che engraved a mechanism seal bearing the character “Battle” using his Qi, blood, and divine essence!

This seal would unleash greater explosive force from the cannon’s barrage!

Next to the mechanical cannon, Li Che had set up three “Snow Avalanche Muduya,” each more than twice the size of a standard Muduya, linked together by chains.

When the Fire God’s Furious Dragon Mechanical Cannon roared to life and whirled at high speed, the chains quickly loaded and fired the shells!

In the span of a single breath, it could unleash over a hundred rounds of Snow Avalanche Muduya!

Essentially, the Fire God’s Furious Dragon Mechanical Cannon was an enhanced version of the Xiangong Gatling!

Both were based on the revolving cannon mechanism!

On the Snow Avalanche Muduya, Li Che meticulously inscribed a seal bearing the character “Solider.”

He had discovered that attempting to carve two seals simultaneously on the cannon would cause them to clash and diminish its power.

He once consulted Old Tang, who explained that this was the next unattainable technique after the Tang Clan’s Nine Seals of Mechanism.

But Old Tang had been absorbed by the Imperial Court, cutting off the lineage.

The proper coordination of nine mechanism seals was the key to the Tang Clan’s unparalleled mechanized beasts!

This had troubled him for years.

Hearing this, Li Che felt a pang of regret but paid it no mind — perhaps someday he’d see it for himself.

Maybe once he mastered the nine seals, insights would come.

With his face flushed and sweat dripping, Li Che’s sinews throbbed as he roared like a raging dragon.

The terrifying power surged forth as he gripped the newly finished, immensely heavy Fire God’s Furious Dragon Mechanical Cannon.

It felt incredibly heavy—that was his first impression.

Yet he could sense the cannon harbored a dreadfully destructive force.

With improved propulsion, the firepower of the Xiangong Gatling was elevated further, and each Snow Avalanche Muduya shell released the force of fifty Divine Chess Pieces.

Li Che thought…

most grandmasters would be overwhelmed by its firepower.

As for Divine Practitioners…

Li Che’s eyes sparkled.

“Let’s see who can stand against it,” he murmured.

Gently caressing the Xiangong Fire God’s Furious Dragon Mechanical Cannon, he absorbed the power and heat it radiated.

A slight smile curved his lips.

In the next moment, stirred in both body and spirit, the [Painted Immortal] Dao Fruit trembled.

Soon thereafter, a Pure Heart paper drifted out, endlessly replicating the [Snow Avalanche Muduya].

After expending roughly 70% of his divine essence and Qi, Li Che finally replicated a thousand [Snow Avalanche Muduya].

The drained Qi and divine essence made him exhale softly.

He took a Martial Pill, crushed it in his mouth, and greedily absorbed its medicinal power to restore his Qi.

With his furnace-like physique, even ordinary Eight Extremity Martial Pills could only be used to replenish Qi, not to reinforce his body.

He tapped his brow.

The Cosmic Chessboard expanded within his mind.

In an instant, Li Che located outside the Imperial Watch the unmistakably murderous aura of the Hunting God Pavilion leader.

It was so thick that its deathly intent nearly resembled black water.

This left Li Che’s eyes as cold as ice.

“So you want to kill me… and even went to the City Lord’s Residence…”

Huang Xi Long was watching Li Che.

But Li Che was watching him in return.

Having reached LV3 with his Chess Sage Dao Fruit, he activated the Beidou Chess Sage State, allowing him to survey from above and lock onto Huang Xi Long’s movements.

He switched directly to Beidou mode—essentially opening his all-seeing eyes.

Thus, when Huang Xi Long visited the City Lord’s Residence, Li Che deduced his true intentions.

It was clear that he planned to reinitiate the assassination contract commissioned by the Little Prince.

Since Huang Xi Long intended to kill him,

Li Che naturally…

wouldn’t simply wait to be killed.

He would strike first!

After a moment’s thought,

he stepped outside and watched the torrential rain battering the building.

The roaring downpour blurred the world, concealing even the most intense killing intent.

Li Che pondered for a moment.

Then he retrieved the Underworld Divine Communication Mirror, replicated with his [Painted Immortal] Dao Fruit.

He sent a message to Li Qingshan.

“Are you there?”

“Consider it a warm-up before great prosperity—get ready.”

“Assassinate the Divine Practitioner.”

……

……

At Zheng Lei Peak.

Li Qingshan was in the courtyard, his Qi and blood surging as he refined his body, with six-way Qi Dragons snaking and roaring around him.

He had cultivated the grandmaster technique ‘Eight Dragons Overturning the River’ to the Six Dragons level!

Boom!

Six-headed Qi Dragons rolled throughout the courtyard, tearing through the howling wind and torrential rain with their immense true Qi!

It was as if genuine dragon energy were poised to overturn the very river!

Roar——!!!!

A furious cry echoed, flinging countless raindrops and tiles skyward under the force of his Qi!

Bang bang bang——

Then, under a dragon’s roar, everything exploded into fragments.

Li Qingshan clenched his fists as if a dragon had emerged, his phantom form trembling!

“Hahahaha!”

“It’s done!”

“I’ve made it at last!”

Surrounded by the true essence of dragons, Li Qingshan laughed heartily.

At the Six Dragons realm, he channeled his true essence to temper his innards, with a sharp surge of gang Qi emanating from within!

Domineering and weighty!

That was his gang Qi—the style of ‘Eight Dragons Overturning the River’ was indeed domineering and heavy.

Though only a trace, it meant Li Qingshan was just one step away from the grandmaster realm!

After years immersed in the martial path, he finally had the chance to reach the grandmaster level!

“But my gang Qi is still too weak, and I haven’t yet forged my martial will to merge it into divine aura!”

Li Qingshan exhaled.

Just as his joy peaked, his expression shifted subtly.

He retrieved the Underworld Divine Communication Mirror.

Then a message flashed across its surface.

“Oh, so there’s action already?”

“A warm-up before great wealth… just a prelude?”

“Hmm?”

“Assassinate the Divine Practitioner?”

“You call assassinating the Divine Practitioner a warm-up?!”

Li Qingshan was dumbfounded.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a preliminary move against a Divine Practitioner?

Or was it a direct strike against the Little Prince?

No…

Li Qingshan sensed something amiss—if they truly intended to target the Divine Guardian, it wouldn’t be just a warm-up.

“Are there other Divine Practitioners in Jingguang Mansion?”

“Wang Kuyu? Lu Yao… hmm? The fugitive leader of the Hunting God Pavilion?”

Li Qingshan’s eyes shifted.

Then, gritting his teeth,

he resolved that if he were to join the Underworld, he needed to be involved in every battle!

Otherwise…

how could he dare claim the Underworld’s Cat Face before others?

A Goat-Horn Hammer slipped from his sleeve.

Using the Underworld Divine Communication Mirror, he shot a reply to the Ogre:

“Wait for me!”

Donning the Cat Face Mask, Li Qingshan dashed down the mountain.

……

……

Wait…

Of course, waiting was not an option.

After all, opportunities vanish in an instant and wait for no one.

However, Li Che did not act immediately.

He sat cross-legged.

With his eyes closed, the Cosmic Chessboard unfolded and expanded in his mind…

A Divine Practitioner…

was even harder to contend with than a grandmaster.

Thus, Li Che needed to be fully prepared.

He knew every move had to be methodical and steady.

It was a foregone conclusion that the Hunting God Pavilion leader wanted to kill him.

Crisis loomed large!

In fact, the leader intended to kill not only him but also Zhang Ya—since the contract involved assassinating XiXi’s parents.

Thus…

a grudge of life and death!

It was time for Li Che to act.

His eyes snapped open.

His plan to assassinate the Divine Practitioner was already set.

He stood up.

With a sweeping gesture, Li Che sent forth a [Painted Immortal] paper from which a clone of himself slowly emerged.

Wearing a gentle smile, the clone nodded toward his original self.

Li Che clenched his fingers.

In an instant, the Feilei Chess Piece was gripped tightly in his palm.

Then he returned to the small courtyard of Luohua Alley.

“Spiritual Confinement.”

His fingers curled like hooks as he grasped firmly.

Immediately, the swirling gray aura before him coalesced into the figure of Xue Dufu,

and it was the Xue Dufu from before his arm had been severed.

Li Che tossed his divine Crescent Blade to Xue Dufu; the blade transformed into a hatchet, which Xue Dufu secured at his waist.

Although Xue Dufu could muster only 70% of his strength, a grandmaster at 70% was still a grandmaster!

After all, he was a grandmaster.

“My lord.”

With the blade at his side, Xue Dufu’s eyes shone with renewed vigor.

Li Che took a piece of Spirit Wood and, aligning his sword, a flash of blade glimmered as he carved out a grimacing Bull Head Mask.

He recalled the Corpse God Envoy of the Corpse God Sect.

Tracing a simple ‘One’ on the Bull Head Mask with his index finger,

the mask read “Bull One.”

He tossed the mask to Xue Dufu,

who immediately donned it.

“Under the banner of the Ogre… the demonic general, Bull One.”

Li Che smiled subtly.

He looked forward to the day he could forge an entire army under the Ogre!

With a grasp, a Cute Cow Mask was pressed against his face.

In an instant,

once the mask settled on his face, his demeanor transformed completely.

A surge of cold, brutal, and unrestrained emotion burst forth.

Divine Practitioner?

If he intended to kill me and Zhang Ya…

then he too deserved death!

Crash!

The doorway swung open as a black robe billowed dramatically.

The crimson, two-meter long, six-barrel cannon of the Xiangong Fire God’s Furious Dragon Mechanical Cannon was heftily carried by the one-armed Ogre, whose muscular arm, crisscrossed with twisted dragon-like veins, bore the cannon.

Rain pounded the crimson barrels, instantly causing them to sizzle and evaporate into rising steam!

The Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit thumped with force!

The Ogre’s aura instantly receded, along with Bull One and Xue Dufu trailing silently behind him.

And once the Ogre and Bull One had departed…

the Painted Immortal clone, Ma Mian, leapt agilely from the courtyard, crashing through the storm toward the far end of the city.

Seeking the perfect sniping angle!

Li Che’s latest creation—a high-transparency sniping Flame God’s Bodhi Bullet, etched with the “Soldier” seal—was retrieved by Ma Mian and loaded into the upgraded Xiangong Barrett.

Glowing with intense heat, it ignited as it raced through the slender barrel.

Atop a high building,

Ma Mian descended.

He took aim.

Target locked!

……

……

Li Che also replicated a Divine Monkey using his [Painted Immortal] Dao Fruit.

While essentially a clone of himself, the replicated Divine Monkey was weak—likely less than a tenth of his true power—and drained enormous amounts of Qi and divine essence.

In this assassination plan, it was more trouble than it was worth.

Thus, Li Che did not replicate a truly powerful Divine Monkey, but only a superficial version.

It would suffice as a deterrent.

Much like the Ma Mian clone that only needed to take aim and shoot—if the recoil proved too great, so be it.

Meanwhile, the Divine Monkey clone wasn’t meant to engage—it was purely for intimidation.

After all, the Underworld Divine Monkey…

was capable of killing a grandmaster like Xue Dufu!

As long as the Divine Monkey stood there, wielding the Tiger-Leopard Thunder Split Gold Spear, it would terrify any foe.

Everything was set.

Amidst the storm,

the charging Ogre lifted his face.

That irresistibly cute Cute Cow Mask grew even more endearing under the pounding rain.

Divine Practitioner…

Your old man, the Ogre, has arrived!

……

……

At the Imperial Watch, by the Clifftop Pagoda.

The storm roared like a column as dark clouds tumbled across the sky.

“Che, you’re home, huh?”

Shangguan Qinghong, squatting on a chair, greeted Li Che with a smile as he descended the stairs.

Li Che’s Painted Immortal clone exchanged greetings with her as usual; after a few pleasantries,

he opened his oil-paper umbrella, his inky robe fluttering in the storm,

oblivious as he strode into the rain.

With each step, rain splashed up in a cascade of droplets.

Li Che stepped out of the Imperial Watch.

In the hazy, misty rain,

atop a high building,

a solitary figure stood like a spear!

Huang Xi Long, wearing his golden mask, appeared as though he were one with the elements, having pushed the Hunting God Pavilion’s Breath-Converging Divine Technique to its extreme.

His eyes, calm and steady, watched the young man in the inky robe—with his oil-paper umbrella—as he emerged from the Imperial Watch.

In his eyes,

this young man

was as good as dead.

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