Chapter 204: Inked Transformations and Unyielding Ambitions

Golden light flowed as swirling inky stains surged.

In Li Che’s eyes, the radiance gradually revealed a line of text.

A wash of dark ink spread around his body, growing denser from his core like a drop of concentrated ink falling onto pristine rice paper and quickly diffusing.

The snow on his shoulders, at the tips of his hair, and even the snowfall within a ten-zhang radius turned pitch-black with ink.

The Dao Fruit 【Painted Immortal】—extracted relentlessly from his Painted Immortal clones—finally reached maturity at LV3.

It underwent its first transformation, spawning a nascent divine ability.

The embryonic divine power…

Painted Immortal: Ink Death!

Now, Li Che’s other Dao Fruits had already completed their second transformation, granting him not only the budding divine abilities but the full powers as well.

Li Che was no stranger to nascent divine powers; each one possessed its own unique talent.

Yet this time, advancing the maturity of the 【Painted Immortal】 Dao Fruit proved particularly challenging.

He had to painstakingly extract maturity from each of his Painted Immortal clones one by one.

Nonetheless, these clones provided immense assistance, at least liberating Li Che’s true self.

They allowed him, even as he cultivated, to free his hands for many other tasks.

The replication effect of the 【Painted Immortal】 Dao Fruit greatly amplified his 【Xiangong】 Mechanical Art.

Though massive energies like the Great Avalanche Guanyin Lotus Bullet were nearly impossible to replicate,

smaller potent mechanized bullets such as Dragon Tooth Bodhi and Snow Avalanche Muduya could be reproduced, saving Li Che considerable materials and effort.

It was as if he’d been handed a mobile arsenal.

Thus, Li Che eagerly anticipated the divine potential of the 【Painted Immortal】 Dao Fruit.

A stirring in his heart made the 【Painted Immortal】 Dao Fruit throb within his chest, each pulse unleashing a burst of dense inky mist from within.

【Nascent Divine Power (Painted Immortal: Ink Death): One dot, two dots, three dots, four—when four dots appear, the power of Ink Death is activated to obliterate the foe.】

A line of golden text slowly unfolded before his eyes.

Li Che furrowed his brow, a flicker of confusion on his face.

What is this…?

One dot, two dots, three, four…

Are you trying to sing or what?

Yet that brief introduction made Li Che’s hairs stand on end.

It felt as if an unseen deity, wielding a calligraphy brush drenched in cold, lethal ink, was slowly etching scars on his body.

Like the tongue of a cold-blooded creature licking his skin, freezing him to the core!

So powerful was the force that even the surging, mercury-like blood in his meridians struggled to flow.

“This is…”

Li Che’s eyes narrowed.

In an instant, a surge of awareness about 【Ink Death】 spread through his mind.

Gradually, Li Che came to understand the meaning of 【Ink Death】.

“Ink Death… total erasure…”

“Once four dots of ink mark an enemy—whether in a line, scattered, or in any form—the power of 【Ink Death】 is unleashed to obliterate them.”

Hiss—

Is this a conceptual form of divine power?

Of course; it must have its own limitations.

Still, this eerie, lethal force piqued Li Che’s interest.

With a flick of his finger, he sent forth a paper-like projectile formed from the condensed essence of his Pure Heart.

In the next moment, a figure stepped out from the scroll.

Li Che casually replicated a clone of “Yuan Jingang”.

Yuan Jingang radiated a full-body silver glow as divine essence burst forth from him.

Since it was a replication from the Painted Immortal Dao Fruit, it paled in comparison to the true Yuan Jingang.

With another flick, four droplets of mystical ink—a fusion of qi and divine essence—shot out and burst upon Yuan Jingang’s cursed silver corpse, blooming like four inky plum flowers.

Moments later, Li Che clenched his fingers.

Ink Death!

Those four droplets of mystic ink seemed to come alive, burrowing wildly into Yuan Jingang’s cursed silver form until he howled in torment and transformed into a shadowy, ink-black specter.

It stretched out its hand like a slowly melting snowman…

Finally dissolving into a pool of inky darkness.

“Such a powerful corrosive force—when four dots of ink form a unique pattern, they automatically trigger a lethal barrage.”

Li Che was awash in ink, as if he had stepped right out of an ink-wash landscape.

Inside his Mud Pellet, his primordial spirit swept over his entire body.

He discovered that he had transformed entirely into flowing ink.

Even when struck by a fearsome assault, he would merely explode into ink splatters and then gradually reform into human shape.

Once the nascent divine power 【Ink Death】 receded, Li Che regained his flesh and blood.

“This divine ability drains one’s divine perception massively…and although its patterned assault is formidable, it might not utterly annihilate a truly powerful cultivator.”

Li Che stood up, his muscles quivering as he stretched lazily.

Crackling explosions sounded like rolling thunder.

Not a bad technique…

Ogre grew even more sinister.

This technique works far better than using that Jianshouqing Powder or any Herbdinghong concoction.

Li Che was very pleased with this nascent divine power.

Glancing at the courtyard—especially the small yard in Luohua Alley—Li Che felt a strong attachment.

He had no intention of selling it; it was one of his properties in Jingguang City, and he had a hunch he’d return someday.

So, there was no need to sell.

“The Eight-Armed Yulian Furious Third Prince Bizarre Temple is still here, untouched… and within its mysterious sanctuary lie great secrets…”

“I’ll be back, for sure…”

Li Che turned, gazing through the swirling heavy snow towards the Jiulong River outside the city.

XiXi had inherited the Third Prince’s legacy, binding her fate with cause and effect.

Soon, they’d surely return to that mysterious temple; even XiXi’s ascent to higher realms seemed inseparably linked to it.

Thus, Li Che saw no need to clear everything out.

With a snap of his fingers, the scroll unfurled.

Seven scrolls jolted open, and seven 【Painted Immortals】 of Li Che emerged, sitting cross-legged to cultivate their divine essence.

After surveying the scene, Li Che’s eyes shone with brilliance.

“The clones are training faster—and they’ve grown stronger, too…”

Li Che felt a pleasant surprise.

Where once the Painted Immortal clones, drawn from the same qi, only reached the Mastery Initial Stage, now some hit the Intermediate or even Advanced stages.

In short, as the maturity of the 【Painted Immortal】 Dao Fruit advanced to LV3, the quality of its clones improved dramatically!

This left Li Che in very high spirits.

Glimmers of light danced in his eyes.

……

【Name: Li Che】

【Bond: Li Nuǎnxi (Daughter)】

【Dao Fruits: 【Xiangong】 (LV4 50%), Dragon Elephant Vajra (LV4 40%), Pure Heart (LV4 15%), Chess Sage (LV4 10%), Painted Immortal (LV3 0%)】

【Nascent Divine Powers: Immortal Craft: Qianxi Hand, Dragon Elephant Vajra: Ascend the Tower, Pure Heart: Spiritual Confinement, Chess Sage: Great Avalanche, Painted Immortal: Ink Death】

【Divine Abilities: Star Plucking, Radiant Rise, Divine Guidance, Wuji】

【Tip: Each year of your bond partner’s growth yields a Dao Fruit from the Dao Tree】

……

A long-missed interface gradually materialized before his eyes.

Li Che glanced over and lingered a moment longer on the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit.

“As expected, the Guanyin Sitting Lotus Main Battle Tank has been successfully crafted—the maturity of 【Xiangong】 has surged. Once at LV4, even ordinary divine wooden sculptures hardly see further improvement.”

“Innovation is still the key…”

Li Che smiled.

Indeed, the long-developed 【Guanyin Sitting Lotus Main Battle Tank】 had finally been completed, fusing multiple kinds of Spirit Wood—even incorporating Fire God’s Furious Dragon Wood.

At last, this massive creation was complete.

It could accommodate the 【Great Avalanche Guanyin Lotus Bullet】 and even a grand mechanism in development to integrate the divine ability 【Black and White Collapse】…

Li Che was in very high spirits.

Though the maturity boost wasn’t as high as he’d imagined.

Of course, since the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit had already reached LV4, progressing further meant stepping up to LV5…

Li Che was curious about what transformations an LV5 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit might bring.

“If 【Xiangong】 improves a bit more… maybe handcrafting a Gundam isn’t just a dream.”

Li Che smiled as ambition stirred within him.

“With explosive power sources like Black and White Collapse and Great Avalanche, who knows—I might even craft a mech, a Gundam or something similar…”

That thought simply wouldn’t leave him.

Yet for now, Li Che knew developing such a creation was still a challenge.

He wasn’t in any rush.

The difficulty lay in sourcing materials—even common ones and Spirit Wood might not suffice.

After all, having built such a behemoth, his adversaries might well be akin to Martial Saints; ordinary materials could easily be shattered by them.

After a quick tidy-up, Li Che arranged his Painted Immortal clones and resumed cultivating his divine essence.

Li Che then left the small courtyard.

Strolling along Long Street, he arrived at the Imperial Watch Tower.

Outside the tower, an ornate carriage waited with Lu Yao and Tang Ren inside.

Once Li Che boarded, the carriage slowly set off, racing out of the city toward Shendiao Ridge.

Since he was leaving Jingguang City, Li Che naturally had to bid farewell to his long-overdue acquaintance, Master of Mechanisms Tang Sanjia.

After all, the horses pulling the carriage were jiao horses infused with dragon blood, sprinting with incredible speed.

After chatting with Lu Yao for a while, Li Che arrived at Shendiao Ridge.

Tang Sanjia was as burly as ever, hardly the image of a master of mechanisms.

Inside the Reception Hall.

Tang Sanjia looked at Li Che with exasperated admiration: “I never expected you, Li Che, to leave the Jin Guang Mansion so soon…”

“I heard that once you reach Daocheng, you plan to join the contest for elders at Qianyuan Shendiao Ridge?”

Apparently, Lu Yao had informed him, and there was no shame in revealing it.

Li Che nodded with a gentle smile.

“Give it a shot—if successful, you might be at the Divine Sect Mountain Gate, seeing XiXi every day.”

Tang Sanjia exhaled, “That won’t be easy—a formidable challenge indeed.”

Li Che squinted at Tang Sanjia, “I’ve just made a breakthrough in wooden carving—maybe it’s worth a try…”

Lu Yao didn’t quite understand what Li Che meant.

But Tang Sanjia’s eyes suddenly brightened.

“Old Yao, step outside for a moment.”

Tang Sanjia issued a dismissal order.

Lu Yao, who was just sipping tea, was instantly bewildered.

“I’m leaving?”

Lu Yao pointed at himself.

Tang Sanjia’s massive frame exuded a solemn air.

Lu Yao felt as if the sky were falling—decades of friendship between him and Tang Sanjia paled in comparison to the bond Tang Sanjia shared with Li Che over just one year!

He had even hurried over from Daocheng to see Tang Sanjia.

What a waste of genuine sentiment!

Angrily, Lu Yao swept his sleeve, grabbed Tang Ren, and rushed off to Shendiao Ridge to enjoy the view.

After Lu Yao left, Tang Sanjia’s primordial spirit leapt forth and set up restrictions.

He rubbed his hands…

His rugged face lit up with excitement.

“Ah Che… may I take a look?”

Tang Sanjia had seen the design blueprints for the Guanyin Sitting Lotus Main Battle Tank and had offered plenty of advice.

Now, Li Che’s words suggested that he had actually built the Guanyin Sitting Lotus Main Battle Tank?

How could that be?

It wasn’t even long—such a massive project!

The assembly of tens of thousands of components!

Li Che did not object; as his Cosmic Chessboard expanded, it sealed off Lu Yao’s furtive primordial spirit.

That’s how he retrieved the Guanyin Sitting Lotus Main Battle Tank.

In just one glance,

Tang Sanjia couldn’t take his eyes off it.

……

……

When Tang Sanjia saw Li Che and Lu Yao off as they left Shendiao Ridge,

his fervor clearly stirred envy in Lu Yao.

“Ah Che… I have high hopes for you! Your innate talent for mechanisms is a rarity—I underestimated you.”

“You did promise to help me with a favor I still haven’t fulfilled. But I hope that once you reach Daocheng, you won’t abandon mechanical research… there’s great potential in Mechanism Art!”

Tang Sanjia was so enthusiastic he almost didn’t want Li Che to leave.

Not until Li Che and Lu Yao’s jiao horses and carriage disappeared from view,

did Tang Sanjia reluctantly withdraw his gaze.

“Inconceivable talent…”

“Perhaps… there is truly a chance to help me complete that task.”

Tang Sanjia exhaled.

He crouched down and gently patted Shendiao Ridge.

Even his rugged face revealed an unexpected tenderness, reminiscent of a soft, embroidered Zhang Fei.

……

……

Li Che returned to Jingguang City and bid farewell to Monitor Hu Yingyue.

Then he turned back to the half-mountain cottage at Zheng Lei Peak.

The courtyard was bustling with activity.

Zhang Ya, alongside Granny Mu and Old Chen, busily arranged and packed up belongings—bedding, mats, and even pots and pans.

Although Zhang Ya knew her family wasn’t short on money, she was reluctant to replace these cherished items.

Even if Li Che said they could be bought in Daocheng.

Watching the lively bustle, Li Che smiled and retreated into his study.

He retrieved a book gifted by Tang Sanjia titled “Tang Clan’s Mechanism Beast Compendium”.

Tang Sanjia had hesitated for a long time before finally giving it to him.

It contained the blueprints for creating five Mechanism Beasts.

The highest-tier Mechanism Beast reached peerless heights, though its manufacturing process was regrettably omitted.

Instead, it documented several Mechanism Beasts of below-peerless rank.

Below peerless, Mechanism Beasts are rated as Five-Star, descending to Nine-Star at the lowest.

For Li Che, Nine-Star Mechanism Beasts posed little challenge; for instance, the Wooden Spirit Crane was a Nine-Star, nearly Eight-Star Mechanism Beast.

As he touched the compendium, he felt the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit in his chest throb incessantly!

If he could fully master its secrets and replicate every Mechanism Beast within,

the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit might leap straight to LV5, perhaps even challenging LV6.

Tang Sanjia had warned Li Che not to consider Five-Star Mechanism Beasts—they were far too challenging.

Crafting one required at least a Supreme Grandmaster at the Three-Flower Realm with abundant qi.

Without sufficient cultivation, forcing such a creation would only harm oneself.

Tang Sanjia advised that once in Daocheng, over the coming years, Li Che might attempt to craft a Seven-Star Mechanism Beast.

This was his recommendation based on Li Che’s cultivation.

Of course, Li Che naturally… rejected that suggestion.

Back in his study, he immediately flipped to the blueprints for the Six-Star Mechanism Beasts.

“This compendium documents a total of three Six-Star Mechanism Beasts…”

Li Che’s gaze fixed on a page, and he was instantly captivated.

“The Upper Six-Star Mechanism Beast…”

“Blood Yang Nine God Vajra Ape!”

……

……

For now, Li Che’s study of Mechanism Beasts remained purely academic.

The Six-Star Mechanism Beast had indeed set his heart racing, but gathering its required materials—Five-Star and Six-Star Spirit Wood plus rare divine metal ores—was a nightmare.

Collecting these materials was headache-inducing in itself.

Tang Sanjia suggested that once in Daocheng, Li Che could aim for the Imperial Watch’s first-class official post, since none could match their power in material sourcing.

The next day, heavy leaden clouds loomed.

Yet the wind and snow persisted.

But the icy storm couldn’t dispel the warmth in the small courtyard.

At Zheng Lei Peak, halfway up the mountain,

the courtyard where Li Che’s family lived was more lively than ever.

Zhang Ya had neatly arranged all the packed belongings in the yard—even though she’d planned to load them onto a carriage, with one wave from Li Che everything was tidied away.

Li Che’s Qiankun Space, powered by the maturing Pure Heart Dao Fruit, had devoured several premium Qian Kun Jade pieces and expanded to an astonishing extent.

Uncle’s family had also packed up and arrived.

Since Li Chengzhou had taken Master Nie Yang, the Carriage Master disciple of Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, as his teacher, Li Che gave him a piece of Qian Kun Jade as a congratulatory gift.

It even included a Divine Sword—though not of the highest quality, it was offered in good faith.

Now, all of Uncle’s family’s gifts were stored within Li Chengzhou’s Qian Kun Jade.

Nie Yang, holding Li Chengzhou’s hand, sensed Li Che’s gaze and nodded.

Even the peerless Li Che never underestimated this master Carriage Master.

This Grandmaster was mightier than anyone Li Che had ever encountered.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu had once told Li Che that Nie Yang was a swordsman stuck at a bottleneck, still refining his inner state in search of a breakthrough.

Li Che knew that once Nie Yang broke through, he would likely become a Pre-Heaven Grandmaster, achieving a union of heaven and man!

“Let’s go—time to descend the mountain.”

“The caravan is waiting at the foot of the mountain.”

In the distance, Old Chen, donning a bamboo hat, braved the wind and snow as he shouted.

Li Che cradled XiXi, while Zhang Ya nestled against his arm.

The family of three gazed at their snowy, swirling courtyard.

Unbeknownst to them, they had spent a whole year in that courtyard.

Zhang Ya felt a twinge of reluctance.

She had experienced so much in that courtyard.

It was here, with her husband’s day-and-night guidance, that she honed her tendons and tempered her bones…

Though only a year, it held countless memories for the family.

“Husband, will we come back?”

Zhang Ya pursed her lips and softly asked as she exhaled warm vapor.

“Yes, we will.”

“When XiXi grows up, and her wings harden enough to let her fly on her own, if you wish, I’ll bring you back here to retire.”

Li Che’s voice was gentle.

XiXi wriggled in his arms indignantly, “Dad, stop it! My wings will never harden—they’re way too soft!”

“XiXi must come back with us!”

Li Che ruffled her head, “Got it, my little tagalong.”

“Hmph!”

Zhang Ya couldn’t help but laugh softly.

The world was quiet as the wind and snow swirled gently.

They settled on the aged black tiles, the surrounding walls, and on a loquat tree in the courtyard—perhaps years later, when they return, it will stand tall and graceful.

The group began their descent from the mountain.

At the Divine Sect’s gate, numerous carriages were stationed.

Nan Lihuo, Zhang Qingzheng, Zhu Hongdou, Weng Wuyou, and others had been waiting early on.

XiXi’s senior, Sang Guanyin, had also packed her bags; she, too, was bound for cultivation at the Orthodox Divine Sect.

Li Qingshan trailed behind Nan Lihuo, his head hanging low and expression dejected.

He initially thought he would be the one going to Daocheng this time.

Because he was next in line—but then…

his Master sent Sang Guanyin instead of him.

So he’d have to remain in Jingguang City…

Li Qingshan couldn’t help but feel a pang of discomfort.

Yet he still came today to see XiXi off.

“XiXi, do you want to ride in the same carriage as us?”

In a huge carriage pulled by three jiao horses, the window was lifted to reveal the small faces of Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Yu.

They cheerfully greeted XiXi.

The carriage had been crafted jointly by the Three Great Families for the children to ride together.

It was meant to foster camaraderie so that once at the Divine Sect, they could always look out for one another.

“If you want to go, then go; when you’re tired of playing, just return to your mother’s carriage.”

Li Che ruffled XiXi’s head and let her down.

XiXi slid to the ground and dashed off excitedly.

“Here comes the Great Emperor XiXi!”

Then she leaped into the carriage, causing it to sway violently.

There were many carriages, and the Three Great Families had even hired top merchant convoys traveling to Daocheng for escort.

Coupled with the presence of Divine Practitioners like Jiao Shaoqiu, Lu Yao, Wang Kuyu, and others, the journey was undeniably secure.

Thus, the caravan heading to Daocheng was not one to be worried about.

Even Uncle’s family was assigned a luxurious carriage by Li Che; it was their first time riding such splendor, leaving them a bit uneasy.

Their hair had hints of gray as they peered out the window at the falling snow, their expressions somewhat dazed.

Who would have thought that those who had spent their lives in the small Feilei City

would now have the chance to visit Capital—and even venture to Daocheng, a place they’d scarcely heard of in their lifetime.

Old Chen rode along with Uncle’s family.

Li Qingshan and Granny Mu shared a carriage.

Shangguan Qinghong squeezed into the carriage with the children to join the journey.

Jiao Shaoqiu traveled in his own carriage, with Nie Yang at the helm.

Small Li Chengzhou, braving the snow with his tiny bamboo hat and rosy face, insisted on riding with his master.

“Let’s go.”

Accompanied by a booming shout from the caravan leader,

the jiao horses neighed, hooves pounded, and the wind and snow burst around them.

The caravan slowly rolled out of the Jin Guang Branch’s gate, through the spacious Bluestone Street, shattering the storm and emerging from the ancient city under the watchful eyes of countless locals.

Among the departing crowd,

a young man in white, accompanied by a dog, silently watched the caravan leave.

……

……

The Jiulong River roared, its waters surging endlessly.

A massive Yellow Dragon Wooden Ship had its oars striking and splintering the torrent.

Snow falling from the leaden clouds, before reaching the river, was melted by the scorching divine essence in the water, erupting as rain that cascaded over the currents.

At the bow, a solitary figure stood silently.

Draped in a crane cloak, he was imposing and robust.

Swish, swish…

A gray hawk flapped its wings and soared in.

It alighted on the figure’s shoulder.

“News from the Lie Shen Pavilion?”

“Heh… indeed, even the entire stronghold of the Lie Shen Pavilion within the Jin Guang Mansion has been dismantled; how can there be no temper at all?”

“They’ve even redeployed the heads of the Lie Shen Pavilion from three surrounding prefectures…”

“Still as irritable as ever.”

He removed the letter from the hawk, glanced at it, and squinted.

“Jiao Shaoqiu is escorting the caravan out of the city… sending promising talents from the Temple Spirit Resonance of the Capital to Daocheng.”

“It seems that this trip for the Qianyuan Divine Sect has even produced a brilliant prodigy—departing before spring has arrived.”

The burly figure looked up, his purple eyes flickering like intertwining lightning.

“Corpse God Sect, Lie Shen Pavilion—I wonder how Jiao Shaoqiu alone can hold them off.”

Inside the Yellow Dragon Ship’s carriage,

several figures stepped out.

“Young Master.”

“The Princess commanded us to retrieve the little prince’s corpse… but Lie Shen Pavilion reported that the little prince, the Shadow Guard, and six Black Armor Blood Guards have all perished, their remains utterly destroyed…”

One of the figures, his face grim, said,

“How will we report this to the Princess…”

A figure with purple eyes stood with arms crossed, his imposing form fixed on the raging Jiulong River.

The Eight-Armed Yulian Furious Third Prince Bizarre Temple?

A temple that even King Ping Luan, Ji Mo Li, and the Dragon God held in high regard…

It indeed must be a mysterious place.

Not even a grieving Princess would dare to visit…

The burly figure, his purple hair tousled and his mirror-like purple eyes sparkling,

shook his head slightly.

“No matter…”

“We’ll intercept those coming from Daocheng on behalf of the Qianyuan Divine Sect and let the Lie Shen Pavilion and Corpse God Sect properly receive them.”

“A mere Jiao Shaoqiu—I’d love to see how he can withstand the wrath of both the Lie Shen Pavilion and the Corpse God Sect.”

“Within the Jin Guang region, we prefer not to act unless absolutely necessary.”

Once his words fell silent,

the young man with purple eyes burst into laughter.

His crane cloak split open as his body twisted and bulged, sprouting countless delicate scales.

He transformed into a writhing jiao dragon and plunged into the Jiulong River.

The remaining figures also morphed into jiao serpents and plunged into the river.

……

……

The raging waters of the Jiulong River splattered in every direction.

At the city gate.

Jiao Shaoqiu ordered Nie Yang to halt the carriage.

He pulled back the curtain as cold wind gusted in, making his ancient garments flutter.

“Aren’t the Underworld folks here yet?”

A note of doubt flickered across Jiao Shaoqiu’s withered face.

Suddenly.

He looked into the distance.

There, on a snow-laden tree a hundred zhang from the main road,

a figure in a black robe and bamboo hat, clutching a slender, three-foot-long mechanism with a bright red barrel, appeared.

Sensing Jiao Shaoqiu’s gaze, the figure lifted its head to reveal a horse-faced mask.

“Underworld… Ma Mian.”

Jiao Shaoqiu squinted.

Then he looked up once more.

His potent divine perception soared skyward until, amidst the leaden clouds, he saw a swirling mass of blood-red cloud high above.

Above the blood cloud, a figure lounged lazily.

Fiddling with a long, crimson-gold staff and wearing an unrestrained Divine Monkey Mask.

“Underworld Divine Monkey!”

And also…

Jiao Shaoqiu turned toward the dense forest by the roadside, where two nearly imperceptible figures strolled slowly,

one dark and one light.

Li Qingshan had informed him that these were the Underworld’s new members… the Black and White Wuchang.

“And Ogre?”

Jiao Shaoqiu murmured softly.

Yet his primordial spirit could not locate Ogre.

Though he couldn’t pinpoint Ogre’s whereabouts…

Jiao Shaoqiu had a feeling that Ogre…

had always been there!

Knowing the Underworld had mobilized provided him some comfort.

Jiao Shaoqiu lowered the curtain, his gnarled face filled with solemnity.

Once outside Jin Guang Mansion,

his primordial spirit ignited, spreading golden radiance to alert every corner.

For once you step out of the Capital,

danger…

is only then truly beginning.

“The Dragon Maiden from Ji Haihui, the Corpse God Sect, the Lie Shen Pavilion…”

“This trip will be anything but peaceful.”

……

……

The carriages rolled on slowly with the caravan moving orderly along the main road like a winding dragon.

Li Qingshan observed the swirling snow outside his carriage.

Holding a Cat Face Mask in his hand, he remained ever ready.

His body tensed with anticipation.

For he knew that various Underworld fiends were nearby providing escort.

The Underworld had accepted Jiao Shaoqiu’s escort mission—so impressive that even a master like him, who had attained Golden Body Transcendence, could confidently dispatch such tasks.

This all indicated that escorting the caravan to Daocheng was fraught with peril.

Thus, Li Qingshan expected plenty of chances to join forces with Underworld allies.

At the first sign of combat, he would immediately don his Cat Face Mask and leap into the fray!

He was always prepared!

How could the harmonious Underworld family be without his Cat Face?!

This time…

Li Qingshan would definitely not miss it!

……

……

Li Che had his own separate carriage,

used for practicing wooden carving since he planned to challenge the elder trials at Shendiao Ridge in Daocheng.

So everyone knew not to disturb him.

A charcoal stove burned, making the spacious carriage as warm as spring.

While the carriage wheels turned, the interior was eerily quiet—a luxury even the Three Great Families knew well.

Lounging against the seat,

Li Che’s fingers lightly tapped on the carriage wall.

He sensed the tension of Jiao Shaoqiu’s expanding primordial spirit enveloping the caravan.

Sitting cross-legged, Li Che closed his eyes in silence.

Holding his breath, he concentrated.

About ten li out of Jingguang City,

Li Che suddenly felt each of his Dao Fruits beating fiercely within his chest.

As his eyes opened and closed, a murderous gleam appeared on his face.

He raised his hand, tapped his brow, and softly drew a mark.

Flesh tore as his Star Plucking Gaze activated!

Buzz—!

The Cosmic Chessboard erupted skyward in an instant, swirling above the caravan and expanding thunderously…

Rising like a storm!

Ten zhang, a hundred zhang!

Ten li, a hundred li!

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