Chapter 201: A Fateful Clash in the Underworld

Is that… Divine Monkey?!

Divine Monkey of the Underworld?!

At that moment, the dazzling silhouette of the staff was so mesmerizing it seemed destined to capture everyone’s gaze.

Although the Divine Monkey wasn’t holding an ordinary stick – it was wielding a blazing golden spear!

But in everyone’s eyes,

the long spear had transformed into a fearsome, glowing golden staff, its power seemingly capable of shattering heaven and earth!

Boom!

A cloak formed from swirling vital energy billowed like rolling flames.

The radiant golden fur fluttered wildly in the stormy wind while its eyes gleamed with an almost blinding brilliance.

The moment Li Che donned his mask, he instinctively activated the embryonic form of his divine power – Tower Ascension.

It was as if he had fully tapped into the Temple Spirit’s divine energy stored within the 【Qi Tian Face】.

It felt as though the Temple Spirit itself had been summoned into his body!

Boom—!!!

Gripping the golden staff single-handedly, its scarlet-golden light flickered non-stop, dazzling like the midday sun.

Veins bulged in his arm, trembling with every surge.

He slammed his foot onto the ground, sending a burst of dust and debris skyward.

The Divine Monkey’s cloak whipped dramatically as he lunged forward, shattering the oppressive, raging winds before him while explosive sound waves roared.

It was as if flames were raging in an unyielding blaze.

The golden staff was raised high, its countless afterimages merging in brilliant layers as it fiercely clashed with the air, unleashing dazzling, explosive sparks!

At that moment, Li Che felt as though every drop of his blood was on fire, perfectly attuned to that unleashed power.

His fighting spirit surged like never before, radiating brilliantly.

It was as if he intended to shatter the very heavens and split the earth in two!

This is…

Is this Qi Tian Will?!

Staff silhouettes crashed down, countless strikes merging into one!

Countless mists of death were split in two, like tidal waves rolling to either side!

The barrage of staff shadows fell relentlessly, imbued with Divine Guts, roaring like a mountain-shaking tsunami.

It was as if the entire vast sea had been effortlessly stirred!

Bang—!!!

In a terrifying collision witnessed by all, the Divine Monkey’s ethereal figure delivered a crushing blow with his staff to the crown of the Corpse God’s Will, which nearly burst forth from its necrotic vortex.

In that instant, the Corpse God’s Will was struck so forcefully that a dense miasma exploded from its body, like a heap of flour pulverized by a heavy hammer, with toxic dust erupting all around!

That staff strike…

It was overwhelmingly dominating!

Qi Tian Will fused into that single blow.

The lethal finishing move of the Hun Yuan Qi Tian Gun manifested in Li Che’s hand at that very moment.

Just one blow.

It unleashed an earth-shattering explosion and thunderous roar!

The air and dead miasma shattered into fragments, the blast tearing the atmosphere as turbulent currents roared!

Yet the lingering might of that strike still resonated.

It was as if everything before him was about to be smashed apart, split in two!

Roar——!

The Corpse God’s Will roared in fury; its grotesquely twisted, massive body convulsed as its three hideous, blue-faced, fanged heads bellowed with seething anger.

But under that blow, it was knocked back!

A blood-red cloak of vital energy lashed through the void as the Divine Monkey relentlessly struck at the heart of the necrotic vortex, blow after blow!

Thunder and explosive blasts resounded ceaselessly while a rolling, dense miasma erupted like a tidal wave, obscuring everyone’s view!

At the collision point between the Divine Monkey’s golden staff and the Corpse God’s Will, nearly everything was being shattered—

from earth, blue bricks, vegetation, air currents, even the subtlest trace of divine essence all exploded into fragments!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

A succession of three blows!

Yuan Jingang had sacrificed the entire Qin Mansion and even his own primordial spirit to summon the Corpse God’s Will, which was then utterly shattered!

The three twisted, hideous blue-faced, fanged heads—exuding the high-level divine aura unique to the Corpse God’s Will—were completely obliterated by the three strikes!

So domineering, so powerful!

The roiling, seething black miasma evaporated beneath the blazing, furnace-like vital energy!

Even the freezing dead aura lost its chilling touch, as if scorched by intense heat!

The oppressive, claustrophobic weight that had enveloped the heavens and earth,

vanished like smoke!

It seemed as if one could hear the Corpse God’s Will’s enraged roar.

Yet that roar sounded utterly feeble!

Everyone’s ears throbbed painfully; as they stared in disbelief, the swirling black vortex of death had completely dissipated.

Whoosh——

Between heaven and earth, fierce winds howled and air currents surged wildly!

Only the roaring wind remained; the clashing of arms had ceased.

Above the sky,

numerous powerhouses fixed their gaze.

Behind Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, his resplendent primordial spirit shimmered with golden radiance. Even in his Golden Body Transcendence, his underlying power remained fearsome.

“It’s over.”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu sensed the world settling as the oppressive divine aura of the Corpse God’s Will dissipated.

Yet the dense black miasma of death still churned among the ruins.

No one could discern what lay beneath.

Grandmaster Nie Yang clutched an ancient bronze longsword, his gaze fixed intently.

For a long while.

Countless strands of Divine Guts crisscrossed his body, hammering and tearing through the void.

The sword in his hand suddenly swung.

In an instant, an overwhelming surge of sword aura swept forward, slicing through the void and cleaving the dense, deathly miasma with its fierce energy.

But he found that Qin Mansion was nothing more than ruins.

There wasn’t any trace of the Corpse God’s Will left.

And the Divine Monkey who had unleashed that overwhelming blow, along with Grandmaster Ogre’s earlier terrifying display of Divine Guts…

both had vanished without a trace!

They were gone!

Thump——!

Carriage Master Nie Yang, clad in simple, fluttering robes, took a single step and tumbled into the rubble.

The overwhelming aftershock had no effect on him; he gripped his bronze greatsword with eyes like lightning.

He drew a deep breath in and exhaled forcefully.

In an instant, he blasted away the dense black miasma before him, revealing the ruins of Qin Mansion!

Within those ruins, a deep, indelible mark of a falling staff shadow was evident!

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, Lu Yao, and other Divine Practitioners also exhaled in relief as they descended gracefully.

Gazing upon the ruins still resonating with remnants of terrifying divine power, their expressions remained grave.

“The overall might of the Underworld… seems to have grown stronger!”

Lu Yao said in a low voice.

Whether it’s Ogre…

or the Divine Monkey!

Their overall strength has soared.

The Divine Monkey… appears to be the pinnacle of the Underworld’s combat prowess.

Originally, Ogre and Ma Mian were to dispatch Yuan Jingang’s treacherous schemes, with Ma Mian executing a timely assassination…

Indeed, Yuan Jingang was dealt with by Ogre and Ma Mian.

But by sacrificing his primordial spirit, Yuan Jingang had summoned the Corpse God’s Will…

whose qi and divine pressure had undoubtedly reached the level of Golden Body Transcendence, with its corpse durability nearly matching that of a Cursed Silver Corpse!

Such a level of the Corpse God’s Will was no longer something Ogre could handle.

So the Divine Monkey emerged as the ultimate fallback.

Previously, the Divine Monkey had appeared to kill Grandmaster Xue Dufu, and at that time no one realized its true might.

Only now did they understand just how powerful the Divine Monkey truly was.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu stroked his beard and nodded, “Now it’s certain…”

“This Underworld Divine Monkey must be linked to Qitian Temple – at the very least, a direct inheritor of its legacy.”

That blow was none other than ‘Qi Tian’ – the lethal move passed down through Qitian Temple’s martial Saint art, the Hun Yuan Qi Tian Gun!

“It’s been five hundred years since Qitian Temple fell… no one has ever mastered the lethal move of the Hun Yuan Qi Tian Gun… and now the Underworld has unveiled the devastating Qi Tian move.”

“Could it be for Qitian Temple?”

“I’ve heard that the Great Realm, uniting various Divine Sects, plans to restore and explore Qitian Temple… perhaps the Underworld is now showcasing its legacy to claim a share of that grand event?”

“Lu Yao, as the Vice Supervisor of the Imperial Watch in Daocheng, certainly knows a great deal about this,”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu cast a glance at Lu Yao.

“It’s too soon yet. Qitian Temple is occupied by demonic gods… even if the Great Realm teams up with top figures from all the Divine Sects, reclaiming it from the demons won’t be easy.”

Lu Yao promptly agreed.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu then cast a deep, contemplative gaze at the ruined Qin Mansion.

The Underworld…

a force shrouded entirely in mystery.

Ogre, Ma Mian, and the Divine Monkey now all appear to be quite extraordinary.

They excel in the Tang Clan’s mechanical art and are connected to Qitian Temple’s legacy…

truly formidable indeed.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s eyes glimmered slightly.

“But the strength of the Underworld… is indeed not weak.”

“This return to Daocheng is bound to be treacherous. Having more experts along the way for protection would be a blessing.”

“It seems the Underworld, much like the Lie Shen Pavilion, operates on a task-based system.”

“I wonder if they even accept protection contracts?”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu was clearly intrigued.

The appearance of the Corpse God’s Will had raised his guard; it signified that the Corpse God Sect had long had their eyes on XiXi.

This Jingguang City was no longer safe to remain in.

Once XiXi absorbed about seventy percent of the Temple Spirit’s divine power and stabilized, she would depart immediately.

However, since the Corpse God Sect had already dispatched strong figures from Daocheng, their presence wouldn’t be far behind.

Moreover, the Corpse God Sect’s experts surely come from beyond just Daocheng.

Yunzhou Capital and the major cities near Yunzhou would all have their agents stationed.

If lower-ranked, sixth-level Corpse God Envoys like Yuan Jingang were to converge, it would spell serious trouble!

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu had already relayed the news to the Daocheng Qianyuan Main Sect.

They would send strong warriors to provide backup.

However, it would take quite some time for the message to result in a response from the Main Sect.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s withered brows furrowed deeply, as if he were expending his last reserves of strength in thought.

But…

How do we contact the Underworld?

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu exhaled deeply.

In the distance.

Li Qingshan, wearing a Cat Face Mask, descended gracefully…

Stepping on shattered rubble, he stood with his hands behind his back, his blue robe billowing in the wind.

Beneath the Cat Face, his eyes were cold and dull.

“The Underworld orders you to die by the third watch; who would dare let you live until the fifth?”

The Underworld’s own Cat Face has arrived to clean up the mess.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu looked toward Li Qingshan,

lost in thought.

……

……

Outside the city.

The carriage wheels had long ceased turning.

The stench of blood permeated the ground, thick and unrelenting.

Xue Dufu, brandishing a crescent blade, met up with the Divine Guardian who had severed Qin Fenghuo’s head.

As they clashed, a great battle erupted within the city – right when Ogre struck against Yuan Jingang.

From beginning to end, the fight was over in no time.

Wearing the Niu Yi Mask, Xue Dufu blocked the area around the carriage; its grim visage kept the nearby Divine Guard Army at bay.

Divine Guardian exuded a jet-black aura as he focused on extracting the three Temple Spirit Prison Lotus Seeds, which Qin Fenghuo had recently reined in.

“Are you done yet?”

Xue Dufu muttered.

Divine Guardian, absorbed in his work, shot Xue Dufu a glance but did not reply.

That vulgar brute remains crude even in death.

Extracting the Prison Lotus Seeds was clearly a technical task.

“Hurry up, hurry up—are you dead and eager for reincarnation?!”

“So crude!”

Divine Guardian burst into curses.

After devouring Huang Xi Long’s Spiritual Confinement, Xue Dufu’s body grew even more robust and imposing – surpassing even Ogre, who had activated the Dragon Elephant Vajra.

He scratched his head beneath the Niu Yi Mask.

A dark aura roiled.

All this divine business is just too finicky.

More and more members of the Divine Guard Army gathered around, yet no one dared approach.

After all, Xue Dufu and Divine Guardian were a pairing of a Grandmaster and a Divine Practitioner…

Who the hell could take them on?

Did you not see how the Qin Family Patriarch, transformed into a half-step Cursed Silver Corpse, was chopped to pieces with just a few slashes?

Terrifying…

For a moment, the atmosphere froze.

Meanwhile, within the city, terrifying explosions and shockwaves continued to surge.

The soldiers of the Divine Guard Army were left numb.

The city’s order was utterly out of control.

Fights involving Grandmasters erupted both inside and outside the city.

It was total chaos.

Thus, the Divine Guard Army merely stood by and watched.

Xue Dufu didn’t go on a rampage; he simply blocked the Divine Guards.

Divine Guardian was in a frantic tizzy while Xue Dufu scratched his head.

Suddenly,

Divine Guardian ceased his actions and stood up.

He then saw a hulking figure, as tall as a tower, emerge abruptly beside him – its wildly raging vital energy intertwining as it lashed through the air with a deafening roar.

“Master!”

Upon seeing this, both Divine Guardian and Xue Dufu immediately bowed their heads in reverence,

displaying awe, respect, and fervor!

Li Che, donning the Cute Cow Mask, looked dazed as his mind nearly exploded.

But what had to be done, had to be seen through.

Qin Fenghuo’s corpse had been split apart, its head severed by Divine Guardian.

Li Che glanced briefly before clenching his fist and unleashing his Spiritual Confinement.

He intended to seize Qin Fenghuo’s soul.

However, he soon realized that his normally infallible Spiritual Confinement had failed.

“Qin Fenghuo isn’t dead… No, the one possessing his body isn’t dead.”

In an instant, Li Che understood the reason.

Qin Fenghuo’s soul had dissipated, making it impossible to capture – thus, Spiritual Confinement unexpectedly failed.

However, it did manage to extract the condensed Temple Spirit Prison Lotus Seed from Qin Fenghuo.

There was only one.

Divine Guardian then presented one as if offering a treasured relic.

“One is missing.”

Li Che frowned.

There should have been three Prison Lotus Seeds in total, but now there were only two…

Xue Dufu looked utterly perplexed – completely clueless about what had happened.

He simply focused on hacking away…

While Divine Guardian explained,

“Were they consumed? Or perhaps sacrificed?”

Li Che nodded in understanding.

It wasn’t their fault.

Qin Fenghuo had originally planned, like Yuan Jingang, to summon the Corpse God’s Will – so it’s highly likely that the lotus seed had been sacrificed.

But at the final moment, Divine Guardian ambushed and decapitated him,

causing the seed to be sacrificed while the Corpse God’s Will failed to materialize.

“What a pity, but it’s not a major issue.”

Li Che pocketed the two remaining lotus seeds.

Xue Dufu then offered the Qin Family Patriarch’s Qian Kun Jade as a prized treasure.

Li Che was struck dumb.

“Well done.”

He had come to understand his master’s temperament perfectly.

Glancing at the Divine Guard soldiers poised like foes in the distance,

Li Che snapped his fingers – as if making a decisive move on a chessboard.

Flying Thunder!

Xue Dufu, Divine Guardian, and Ogre!

In an instant, they teleported away, vanishing from sight.

All the while, the Underworld’s powerhouses disappeared before their eyes.

Every Divine Guard soldier lowered their weapon and panted heavily.

The mysterious Underworld.

The terrifying Underworld!

……

……

Luohua Alley.

Within the Private Workshop Courtyard.

Li Che returned with Xue Dufu and Divine Guardian – though the latter two had already disintegrated into black mist and merged back into the Pure Heart Dao Fruit.

With a thought,

the Cosmic Chessboard suddenly sprang to life, swiftly enveloping the entire courtyard and sealing it off from any prying eyes.

Li Che dropped onto the ground, removed his Ogre Mask, and sat cross-legged.

He exhaled a tremendous gust, sending shockwaves through the courtyard!

Tonight’s assassination attempt was far from successful.

It had deviated from Li Che’s expectations –

be it Qin Fenghuo’s escape or Yuan Jingang’s desperate summoning of the Corpse God’s Will, nothing went as planned.

“Corpse God’s Will…”

Li Che’s expression turned grim.

“A mid-level rank in the Sixth Order…”

“Comparable to the second transcendence of a Divine Practitioner – a Golden Body Transcendence forged through Primordial Transformation…”

“Rivaling that of a preternaturally advanced Grandmaster whose 360 meridians are fully connected in perfect harmony with heaven and earth.”

Incredible power!

At the very least, it made Li Che, who had barely attained the Grandmaster realm with only two traces of Divine Guts, feel an overwhelming, oppressive force.

Most notably, the divine rank of the Corpse God’s Will was extremely high…

Even Li Che found that for an instant, under that rank, his qi and divine essence couldn’t circulate at all.

“Rank…”

“The Corpse God’s Will is undoubtedly forged from top-tier divine technique, so its rank imposes immense pressure… even my Seven-Whorl Divine Foundation can’t counter it.”

“But that is within the norm – it spans three major realms.”

Li Che exhaled, his breath surging and swirling continuously.

Fortunately, his body was strong enough to bear the power of the 【Qi Tian Face】, enabling him to deliver three blows without his flesh breaking apart.

Yet his muscles, meridians, and bones had suffered varying degrees of damage.

Thud.

Swallowing a Dragon Blood Martial Pill, Li Che began the arduous process of refining his body and healing his wounds.

Meanwhile, his eyes shone brilliantly as he raised his hand – and a Qian Kun Jade manifested in his palm.

It was Yuan Jingang’s Qian Kun Jade, which Li Che had retrieved after vanquishing the Corpse God’s Will.

Moreover,

Li Che stood up and slammed his fingers against the dark air ahead.

“Spiritual Confinement!”

Countless wisps of dark aura twisted and slowly coalesced into the figure of Yuan Jingang.

Adorned with twenty-five streaks of silver divine aura, the Cursed Silver Corpse of Yuan Jingang emerged from the gates of the Underworld, standing before Li Che.

Boom——!!!

The moment Yuan Jingang appeared, a violent, brutal aura erupted!

Li Che cast a glance and furrowed his brows before forcefully smacking his palm down.

Yuan Jingang’s scarlet eyes struggled for a moment before his head drooped in defeat.

“Is it the influence of the Corpse God’s Will?”

“What a pity…”

Li Che shook his head, then snapped his fingers to summon Xue Dufu and Divine Guardian back.

“Consider this your reward.”

Xue Dufu’s eyes suddenly sparked as his hatchet transformed into a crescent blade, which he swung directly at Yuan Jingang.

On the other side, Divine Guardian emerged from the shadows to strike.

Under Li Che’s suppressive command,

Yuan Jingang roared in anger repeatedly…

but in the end, he couldn’t resist and was ultimately divided and defeated by Xue Dufu and Divine Guardian.

Boom——!

Xue Dufu’s body grew even more robust; a hazy dark aura enshrouded him, intertwined with Divine Guts and Silver Guts in a bizarre display.

Divine Guardian, however, became as dark as ink, as if he had made further strides in his Primordial Transformation.

Li Che eyed the flickering silver light of Xue Dufu and raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Divine Guardian as his heart stirred.

He produced an Unsullied Heart Divine Chess Piece and embedded it into Xue Dufu’s body – and in an instant,

Xue Dufu’s entire body turned a brilliant silver-white, while Divine Guardian remained as dark as ink.

One dark, one white…

Li Che removed Xue Dufu’s Niu Yi Mask, then crafted a pure white mask from the Unsullied Heart Chess Piece – etched with a single ‘one’ – and handed it to him.

Divine Guardian, meanwhile, discarded his mask entirely.

“From today on, you shall be the new Underworld members: Black and White Impermanence.”

Black and White… Impermanence.

Xue Dufu and Divine Guardian exchanged a glance.

Divine Guardian, however, looked slightly disdainful.

“You crude brute!”

He couldn’t believe he had to team up with such a clumsy warrior.

Yet, faced with their master’s command, Divine Guardian chose to accept in silence.

Having absorbed Yuan Jingang’s Spiritual Confinement, both men needed time to assimilate that power.

Li Che finished these tasks without rushing to count the two Qian Kun Jades he had gained.

Clenching his hand, the Tiger-Leopard Thunder Split Gold Spear appeared before him.

Within his chest, the 【Dragon Elephant Vajra】 Dao Fruit throbbed intensely!

Li Che suddenly opened his eyes wide as his molten blood roared like a surging ocean.

He struck out with his staff – and the explosive silhouette shattered the air.

The Tiger-Leopard Thunder Split Gold Spear moved in unison, its roar accompanied by scalding, searing heat!

Domineering. Peerless!

Qi Tian!

Li Che’s eyes lit up as if two golden flames had ignited within them.

The staff seemed to stand level with heaven and earth, exuding unyielding, all-conquering arrogance!

With a fierce drop, he unleashed his blow!

Bang——!!!

The air suddenly exploded, turbulent currents swirling chaotically!

“Failed.”

Li Che exhaled deeply.

The second killing move of the Hun Yuan Qi Tian Gun – the Absolute One Strike, Qi Tian Staff – was executed using the same mindset he had when he first donned the 【Qi Tian Face】,

yet it still failed.

Just because he managed to unleash one Absolute Qi Tian blow didn’t mean he had mastered it completely.

But he did gain a faint sense of its power!

“I can feel it…”

“In my view, the Hun Yuan Qi Tian Gun is the most challenging among all the martial Saint arts I’ve mastered…”

“Even the Myriad Transformations of Dragon Elephant or Wanlong Fushen pale in comparison to it.”

Li Che exhaled a stream of scorching air that twisted the atmosphere with a sizzling hiss.

Had it not been for the boost from the Qi Tian Face, he wouldn’t have managed to deliver a Qi Tian blow.

Li Che wasn’t sure how long it would take to perfect this finishing move.

Once he mastered it, it would pave the way for a third martial Saint art and even allow him to refine his internal organs!

Within his dantian, the coating of a Sixth-Stage Pill had been torn as potent medicinal energy coursed through his limbs to heal his wounds.

In no time, Li Che had absorbed the damage inflicted by the 【Qi Tian Face】’s divine power, nearly restoring himself.

In fact, the ordeal of injury and recovery had significantly enhanced his physique, making him even sturdier with the aid of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit!

His spirit stirred slightly.

The Cosmic Chessboard unfurled before his eyes.

Li Che’s gaze fixed on the mythical 【Qi Tian Face】, now calm and suspended within the Cosmic Chessboard.

Yet now the Qi Tian Face seemed far more vivid, its sparkling golden eyes subtly shifting from time to time.

It was all due to the stimulation from the Corpse God’s Will…

The Qi Tian Face actively chose Li Che.

Now it had returned to calm once more.

However, Li Che found it increasingly difficult to connect with and control it.

Yet somewhere deep inside, a unique bond had already formed.

Buzz——

Suddenly,

Li Che felt the Qi Tian Face burst forth with radiant streams.

Then, as if a single monkey hair shot out from the mask and burrowed into the center of his primordial spirit.

In the courtyard,

Li Che, seated cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes wide as his dark hair whipped around like a dense cloak behind him!

The monkey hair unfurled slowly in his mind,

transforming into golden, ancient characters,

which interwove into a divine method!

“Divine Method of Celestial Phenomena and Earthly Spirits”!

Three Pure Ones Rank!

This chapter spans just over six thousand characters. This afternoon, a toothache nearly split my head – and to make matters worse, Old Li was still on mycoplasma pneumonia medication. It wasn’t until night, once the pain subsided, that I managed to write these words. That’s all for tonight – please cast your monthly and recommendation votes and support my continued writing! Sincere thanks from Old Li!