Chapter 207: Flames Over the Battlefield

A blazing, dazzling mushroom cloud unleashed an extreme burst of light and heat, soaring into the sky and flooding the leaden clouds.

Countless drifting snowflakes melted entirely into raindrops.

Howling winds and surging heat waves roared.

The firelight danced upon the Ogre Mask, with cascading flames resembling streams of golden clouds.

Li Che had wiped out every Corpse God Envoy dispatched by the Corpse God Sect on this mission.

Twenty-seven sevenfold Corpse God Envoys plus three sixfold Corpse God Envoys made a formidable force; without deploying his ultimate weapon, defeating them would have been a real challenge.

Most importantly, these Envoys had set up a magical platform to summon the Corpse God’s Will.

Li Che had encountered the Corpse God’s Will once before – that mid-level sixfold will. Once it appears… fighting it is no easy matter.

It was equivalent to a grandmaster who united body and spirit or even a Divine Practitioner with a Golden Body Transcendence.

Now, Li Che…

found himself somewhat overmatched.

Ever the advocate of caution, Li Che would never resort to desperate measures.

He simply couldn’t allow the Corpse God’s Will to manifest.

So he unleashed his ultimate weapon, sending them a colossal mushroom.

Raising both hands, his black robe billowed wildly.

Li Che’s Mud Pellet at his brow opened and closed as his Star Plucking Gaze whirled rapidly within.

Pure Heart · Spiritual Confinement!

In an instant!

Twisted soul energies spiraled out from the bodies of the fallen. Even at the very heart of the mushroom cloud’s roaring explosion, divine essence condensed into a chess piece and drifted over.

However, the twenty-seven sevenfold Corpse God Envoys could not coalesce their Spiritual Confinement soul energies.

In the end, Li Che harvested a total of 125 divine chess pieces at the Primordial Transformation level – some contributing 75 pieces apiece, others 50 – hinting at a disparity in their strengths.

Meanwhile, at the Divine Vision stage, the divine chess pieces numbered 1,550…

After all, the twenty-seven Divine Practitioners each provided roughly 50 pieces on average.

They perished in the avalanche-like fireworks created from the divine chess pieces, which then transformed into more pieces for Li Che.

After collecting all the divine chess pieces, he compacted the two soul energies formed by the two sixfold Corpse God Envoys into two chess pieces and swiftly left the scene.

With a light step, he sprang away.

His Vital Radiance transformed into a cloud of brilliance beneath him, propelling him upward with explosive power!

Only the fading mushroom cloud remained, its force gradually dissipating like a surreal dream.

……

……

The assassins from Lie Shen Pavilion were seriously cursing.

Facing the fierce brawl with Zhu Chaoyang, Lu Yao, and a mad Xie Jing, unwilling to prolong the fight, they had to retreat even as they battled.

Wielding a sleek ink blade, Zhu Chaoyang swept it out in a flash, the blade barely visible as its unmatched ferocity—imbued with the Martial Saint Technique—left the Lie Shen Pavilion’s Golden-Faced Assassins bleeding.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao preferred to hang back, chasing and keeping his distance, occasionally hurling a divine technique that sent his opponent into a rage.

Xie Jing, acting as if he had no fear of death, charged forward with his blade, chasing the freshly promoted Golden-Faced Assassin like a madman and slashing relentlessly.

Both Zhu Chaoyang and Lu Yao even deliberately freed their hands, knowing that Xie Jing was forcing them to break into the grandmaster realm.

The assassin was enraged, yet understood the situation was spiraling out of control.

It seemed the Corpse God Sect had been wiped out by The Underworld; if they continued to be encircled, death was inevitable.

Thus, the grandmaster had no desire to prolong the battle.

Boom——!!!

Xie Jing was thrown backward, his legs burrowing into the earth and carving deep furrows as mud and snow mounded into little hills.

The mighty, cutting force of his blade surged ever sharper as energy swirled continuously around him.

With a firm grip on his weapon and fighting spirit ignited, with enemies closing in, Xie Jing had one thought: to kill!

Clang!

As his long blade grazed the ground, a cold light burst out; a long, furious roar followed, sending the insignia of the Temple Guardian Division on his attire flying about.

The sound of ripping steel echoed like the overwhelming Dragon Elephant Martial Dao will that had once blazed during the battle between the Ogre and Yuan Jingang in Jingguang Prefecture.

It was as if a divine dragon was chanting and a giant beast was bellowing!

How terrifying, how domineering!

His blade…

could do wonders!

At the moment the blade’s song erupted, a slicing gust roared to life. A wisp of Divine Guts finally coalesced along the cutting edge, merging with the cold gleam and swirling fiercely!

It was like a serpentine dragon spitting out its essence, cleaving through the air in every direction!

The ruthless surge of energy broke through the winds!

The grandmaster…

Brek!

Xie Jing let out a long cry and slashed at the Lie Shen Pavilion’s Golden-Faced Assassin!

This time, he didn’t get repelled. Instead, his onslaught met the enemy’s murderous technique in a continuous clash!

It worked!

In the midst of the savage skirmish, as Xie Jing refined his Divine Guts and unleashed his energy, he officially stepped into the grandmaster realm.

Zhu Chaoyang gripped his ink blade and laughed heartily.

Seeing his former junior put up such a display, he truly felt delighted.

The three Golden-Faced Assassins of Lie Shen Pavilion, their eyes hidden beneath their masks, looked utterly miserable.

They exchanged glances and, without hesitation, pulled out their silver orbs.

“What… is this?”

Zhu Chaoyang’s laughter suddenly halted. His eyes narrowed. With a curl of his long blade, surges of blade energy erupted.

However, the three silver orbs exploded, releasing billowing silver smoke that spread relentlessly.

The swirling smoke mingled with powder from sixfold Divine Essence Crystals, completely disrupting the tracking of their divine perception.

Even Elder Jiao Shaoqiu couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

“Tang Clan Mechanism – Silver Smoke Thunderbolt.”

This device, capable of blocking divine perception, was an excellent escape tool.

It was a rather niche escape mechanism.

Who would have thought that each Golden-Faced Assassin from Lie Shen Pavilion carried one?

Zhu Chaoyang, Lu Yao, and the newly promoted Xie Jing attempted to pursue, but were blinded by the silver smoke. When they tore through the divine crystal powder and charged forward,

they were instantly dumbfounded.

Because all three of Lie Shen Pavilion’s Golden-Faced Assassins…

had been shattered into fragments on the ground.

A towering figure, as imposing as a mountain, appeared – wearing a bamboo hat and a cute Cow Mask.

In the air still lingered the roaring, domineering cry of a dragon.

“Ogre!”

Zhu Chaoyang’s hairs stood on end; his eyes filling with wary intensity.

He felt a deep sense of bewilderment.

That Zhu Chaoyang could be shaken into awe by Ogre—a warrior who had barely refined two lines of Divine Guts on entrance to the grandmaster realm!

Could it be… that Ogre had truly grasped the true meaning of the Martial Saint Technique?

Had he even perfected a killing technique?!

The oppressive aura of Ogre was overwhelming. His body, enshrouded in swirling energy like dense, blood-colored armor, exuded raw power.

His massive build radiated fiery, scorching energy, as if he were a blazing furnace.

The chilling and austere currents of air whipped into a storm.

Zhu Chaoyang clutched his ink blade tightly, his eyes grave.

Xie Jing’s gaze toward Ogre was feverish, even reverential!

Though Xie Jing had just broken through to the grandmaster realm, he knew he couldn’t withstand even one strike from Ogre!

Lu Yao, however, remained indifferent. A skirmish among brutes bore little relevance to a Divine Practitioner like him.

Glancing at the Golden-Faced Assassins of Lie Shen Pavilion, who had been gruesomely decapitated by Ogre, he noted that their Qian Kun Jades were all missing.

Lu Yao rolled his eyes.

Ogre’s movements were unbelievably swift…

In the next moment, Lu Yao’s divine energy surged as he drifted toward the carriage.

Zhu Chaoyang sheathed his ink blade and nodded before leaping back.

Only Xie Jing charged forward fervently, exclaiming, “Senior Ogre!”

“Are you accepting recruits in The Underworld?!”

“I want to follow you and learn your martial ways!”

Xie Jing halted, standing upright as he bowed deeply.

“The Underworld isn’t recruiting anymore.”

Li Che shot Xie Jing a glance.

“You have your own martial path.”

His words finished.

Li Che raised his head to meet Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s probing gaze.

After a slight nod,

Li Che clutched a Feilei Chess Piece and vanished without a trace.

Xie Jing looked up, only to find Ogre had disappeared, leaving him with a sense of loss…

Returning to the caravan, he spotted Li Qingshan—seated sideways on the carriage pole, still tossing around his Goat-Horn Hammer while donning a Cat Face Mask.

A surge of mixed emotions overwhelmed him.

That Li Qingshan… could join The Underworld like that.

While Xie Jing himself had been rejected.

Sigh… he envied Li Qingshan on his very first day.

Boom, rumble——

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s formidable Primordial Essence retracted, and the fluttering curtains fell.

Nie Yang adjusted his bamboo hat, re-sheathed his bloodstained broken sword, and sat on the carriage pole to continue driving.

Meanwhile, Li Chengzhou’s eyes shone brightly.

It turned out that his old carriage master was remarkably skilled!

“Keep moving.”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu coughed a few times before his aged voice drifted out.

The caravan’s leader and escort quickly clasped his fists in response.

After all, this escort was only at the master level; who would dare act insolently before someone like Elder Jiao Shaoqiu?

The carriage wheels churned, crushing wind and snow as the caravan pressed onward.

Suddenly, Li Qingshan, in the midst of tossing his Goat-Horn Hammer, abruptly grabbed its handle…

“Huh?”

“Is it over already?!”

Li Qingshan’s eyes narrowed as he froze in shock.

He hadn’t even acted yet!

Wasn’t the journey to Daocheng supposed to be dangerous?

With adversaries from the Corpse God Sect, Lie Shen Pavilion, and even experts dispatched by the Little Prince Ji Haihui’s Dragon Queen…

How could it come down to a single assassin from Lie Shen Pavilion?

And what about the Corpse God Sect?

Where were the experts of the Dragon God Clan?!

Li Qingshan gritted his teeth so hard his back teeth shattered.

Once again, Underworld Cat Face had come in second.

After the caravan set off again, the Jiaoma calmed down under the soothing influence of Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s Primordial Essence, working even harder.

As the carriage galloped, children peered eagerly through its windows, longing for the sights outside.

Inside the carriage, XiXi and a host of little companions huddled together.

“Did you see that mushroom firework earlier?”

“It was so beautiful—it must have been Master Niu Niu’s work!”

XiXi’s eyes sparkled with admiration, as if little stars were twinkling.

She blinked her big eyes seriously and declared, “Someday, I’m going to set off fireworks just as lovely!”

Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu immediately clapped.

“Emperor XiXi will surely make it happen! When that day comes, count us in!”

A smile tugged at XiXi’s lips as she nodded with satisfaction.

No wonder ancient emperors always surrounded themselves with flattering ministers—who doesn’t love sweet words?

Nearby, Tie Shancai leaned on his hands, looking at Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu with disdain and a mocking chuckle.

“Sycophants.”

Tie Shancai scoffed dismissively.

Hai Chaosheng shot Tie Shancai a glance, as if sharing a silent understanding.

Gazing at the vast mushroom cloud that still lingered, XiXi admired it for a long while until a towering tree along the Main Road blocked her view.

Then she plopped down onto the soft carriage seat.

“It’s been ages since we set off fireworks…” XiXi mumbled.

Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu scratched their heads, utterly lost for words to comfort her.

Wasn’t it only on New Year’s Eve that XiXi had last set off fireworks?

So why was she itching to do it again?

Tie Shancai cast a sidelong glance at Gongyang Xiu and Gong Yuanliang huddled before XiXi, then peered through the gaps in their figures at the little girl’s forlorn, tearful face.

He snorted derisively.

Rising from his seat, he strode over to XiXi after a short walk,

pushing Gongyang Xiu and Gong Yuanliang aside.

Gong Yuanliang was instantly incensed, but seeing Tie Shancai—this little prodigy from the Divine Capital—he clenched his fist, too afraid to speak.

“Make way.”

“You all just don’t understand little XiXi.”

Tie Shancai folded his arms and said flatly.

He looked over at XiXi.

“Little XiXi, when we stop for a break later, I’ll set off some fireworks with you. Go ahead…”

“Bombard me!”

At that, XiXi’s eyes lit up in delight.

Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu immediately drew a sharp breath.

“Now that’s a master!”

Nearby, Hai Chaosheng quietly reined in his earlier enthusiasm.

That sycophant wasn’t worth it.

Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was a far cry from the grim chill outside—it was jovial and lively.

Chubby Kid Zhou Peng, Yun’e, and Zhong Liushou—prodigies from millennia-old Daocheng families—joined in the laughter and banter.

Though they were all prodigies,

they were still children who loved to play and fool around.

Adults had their own worries.

Children had their own joys.

……

……

Using a Feilei Chess Piece, Li Che returned to the carriage.

With the Cosmic Chessboard shielding his senses, he sank into the soft seat, his eyes slowly closing as he exhaled a cloud of turbid air.

He removed his mask, set aside his bamboo hat and black robe.

After changing into a freshly laundered ink shirt, he leaned back into the plush carriage seat.

The Cosmic Chessboard still hung high overhead, vigilantly monitoring everything within its 500-li radius.

Though his nerves remained taut—even after dispatching Lie Shen Pavilion and the Corpse God Sect—there were still challenges: the Dragon Queen dispatched by Little Prince Ji Haihui, as well as experts from the Dragon God Clan…

Even though the Dragon Queen had rushed over to Jingguang Prefecture at the news, it wouldn’t be enough in such a short span.

But contacting and summoning nearby experts shouldn’t be a problem.

Some of the experts dispatched by the Dragon Queen were even in the Heavenly Unity and Golden Body Transcendence stages!

If that were the case, it would become quite tricky.

The Cosmic Chessboard maintained its vigilant watch at all times. Once any expert in the Heavenly Unity or Golden Body Transcendence stages appeared, Li Che would detect them immediately.

Breathing steadily, inhaling the scent of wood in the carriage, his spirit slightly relaxed.

“The Corpse God Sect… They won’t rest until they’re annihilated. Especially that Demon Child—I must kill him. Otherwise… his mere existence is too dangerous. How can a kid be scheming over XiXi? Absolutely unforgivable.”

Li Che resolved to exterminate the Demon Child.

After all, that brat’s target was XiXi for impure purposes.

Presumably, he coveted the divine spirit of the Temple Spirit within her.

How could Li Che bear to see his daughter treated merely as a vessel for the Temple Spirit’s essence?

For his daughter’s safety, for her stable future,

Li Che had to seize the chance to eliminate this Demon Child!

They say it’s not theft that matters, but when a thief sets his sights on you!

Li Che must address the problem at its roots!

Thus, on this journey to Daocheng, Li Che’s list of targets grew.

City Lord Su Huai Li and that Demon Child from the Corpse God Sect—both were on his hit list…

“The Corpse God Sect and I… It seems there is a grudge akin to that of sworn enemies.”

Expanding his influence in The Underworld to confront the Corpse God Sect.

Li Che exhaled slowly, fingers interlocked as he tore through the air,

retrieving his freshly acquired spoils.

A total of five Qian Kun Jades.

Three came from the Golden-Faced Assassins of Lie Shen Pavilion, and two were gifts from the sixfold Corpse God Envoys of the Corpse God Sect.

Counting each one, Li Che couldn’t help but smile.

There were eight sixfold Divine Essence Crystals and a total of 36 sevenfold Divine Essence Crystals—understandable given they belonged to five individuals.

As for the remaining Divine Essence Crystals, Li Che didn’t bother tallying them, instead stashing them all into his Qiankun Space.

“Ten bottles of lower-grade Dragon Blood Martial Pills at the sixth level, and only four bottles of upper-grade Martial Pills at the seventh… but better than nothing.”

The combined stock of pills among these people couldn’t even match that of the Little Prince Ji Haihui.

But they were of a different status, after all.

Of course, Li Che cared more about the Divine Essence Techniques.

Among the gifts from the Lie Shen Pavilion assassins were merely master-level techniques—pale in comparison to Huang Xi Long’s, not even reaching the level of the Martial Saint Technique.

However, the main reason was that Jingguang Prefecture’s geography was different; Huang Xi Long’s assignments were unique, which meant he had access to better things.

Over at the Corpse God Sect, Li Che had enjoyed significant gains.

The “Babylon Dragon-Nose Devour Death God Original Technique”!

The Nasal Fragrance Divine Technique of the Six Desires Divine Essence!

This brought Li Che unexpected delight—now he had assembled a complete set for the Six Desires Divine Essence.

Without hesitation, Li Che studied it for a while before passing it to his clones for cultivation.

The spacious carriage saw Li Che summon out all his Painted Immortal Clones, assigning each to their own practice.

Even while on the move, there was no time to slack off on cultivation!

“It’s a pity I only have the Nasal Fragrance Divine Technique; I still need the Eye and Tongue Divine Techniques…”

“Surely, among those sevenfold Corpse God Envoys obliterated by the Guanyin Lotus Bullet, I can gather enough for the remaining techniques.”

Li Che shook his head.

The Qian Kun Jades from those sevenfold Corpse God Envoys were almost certainly destroyed by the massive avalanche Guanyin Lotus Bullet.

Apart from the Divine Essence Techniques, these assassins and corpse envoys also left behind sevenfold divine weapons, all of which now belonged to Li Che.

It’s just a pity none of these divine weapons were of a model suited for him.

After taking stock of his haul,

Li Che’s eyes flickered as streams of light danced before him.

[Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Vajra (lv4 50%)]

Li Che observed that the maturity of his Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit had improved, and his mood remained calm.

As his strength grew, the maturity contributed by slaying warriors and cultivators of his level naturally diminished.

Li Che shook his head, his eyes glimmering.

He just wondered if the Corpse God Sect and Lie Shen Pavilion would dare send more experts before reaching Daocheng.

Before even arriving in Daocheng, the Corpse God Sect and Lie Shen Pavilion had already boosted his Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit to lv5.

Li Che smiled.

Then he grabbed a piece of tenacious Spirit Wood and, with a divine dagger sliding into his grasp,

returned to the carriage.

Inside, Li Che used the Cosmic Chessboard to monitor the road while calmly engraving a wood carving.

……

……

In the days that followed, the journey unexpectedly became dull yet stable.

The Corpse God Sect was completely stunned. Despite dispatching over a dozen sixfold Corpse God Envoys from three neighboring states,

they were wiped out in one fell swoop.

Their liaison back at the Corpse God Sect barely had time to react.

They couldn’t even summon additional experts in time to besiege the caravan.

Lie Shen Pavilion, aside from the five fallen Golden-Faced Assassins, still had several silver-faced assassins hidden along the route.

But if even five Golden-Faced Assassins had been defeated, how could they dare to sacrifice themselves?

So upon hearing the news of the five Golden-Faced Assassins’ demise, they scurried away in panic.

Thus, the caravan’s journey continued undisturbed, with danger no longer looming.

The three major families of Jingguang Prefecture coordinated with experienced merchants shuttling between Daocheng and Jingguang Prefecture.

Consequently, the merchant teams managed the journey with calm efficiency, ensuring a remarkably smooth ride.

Everyone’s routines slowly fell into place.

Every day besides traveling, Elder Jiao Shaoqiu would pause the caravan to arrange nearly an hour of martial practice for the children.

That hour was devoted to training in martial arts and combat techniques.

As for cultivating divine essence, that was done during the carriage ride.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu even provided divine crystals for the kids,

insisting that road travel should never hinder cultivation.

During the first halt for rest, XiXi jumped out of the carriage, pulling Tie Shancai along as they ran.

This made Li Che, who had been trailing Tie Shancai, furrow his brow.

He couldn’t believe Tie Shancai was willing to serve as a target for XiXi, letting her bombard him with the pink Fire God Gatling while setting off fireworks.

Li Che was at a loss for words.

Tie Shancai had a knack for taking hits, almost colliding with the avalanche Muduya shot by XiXi.

Even though XiXi was using the smallest dose of the avalanche Muduya, the explosions were still excruciating.

At first, Tie Shancai shrugged it off, but after a while, he actually began to enjoy it.

He allowed XiXi to keep bombarding him relentlessly.

She even didn’t spare the flames from the explosions, gulping them down all at once.

In the days that followed, XiXi sought out Tie Shancai every day to set off fireworks together.

For a time, Gong Yuanliang, Gongyang Xiu, and the others only felt a deep sense of grievance, as if their importance was gradually being diminished.

They felt as though they had lost favor.

Night deepened.

The wind and snow whimpered outside.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, leaning on his cane, sat with a group gathered around a bonfire—heated by Tie Shancai’s triple-flame fire, which he could control the temperature in real time.

“The forces in Daocheng vastly outnumber those in Jingguang City… Daocheng, with its millennia-old families, has a rich heritage.”

“For instance, Yun’e hails from the Yun Family of Daocheng, a clan with three millennia of history that has produced legendary divine prodigies.”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, stroking XiXi as she played near him, cheerfully explained the affairs of Daocheng to everyone.

Li Che, clad in his ink shirt, with Zhang Ya resting his arm against him and leaning on Li Che’s shoulder, listened intently to Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s accounts of Daocheng.

“Elder Jiao, do all these millennia-old families in Daocheng have divine prodigies stationed?” Li Che asked.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu glanced at Li Che and shook his head, “It’s hard to say… These venerable families have profound legacies, but whether they have seated divine prodigies is anyone’s guess.”

“Each major family is locked in rivalry. The spotlight is on the supreme grandmasters at the peak of the Three Flowers or the Divine Practitioner in the Breath Retention Transformation stage.”

Murmurs rustled around the bonfire, uncertainty filling the air.

“Daocheng… the divine prodigies on display are just a few.”

“In Qianyuan Divine Sect, there are three such divine prodigies, including our leader, whose prowess is renowned throughout the Great Realm.”

“Besides, the Daocheng Prefecture, the Temple Guardian Division, and the Imperial Watch all boast divine prodigy realms, and even the Su Family—Daocheng’s premier family—has an ancient patriarch of divine prodigy stature.”

“As for other forces, perhaps they have hidden divine prodigies, but they never show themselves openly.”

“Maybe so, but such secrets are known only to the Supreme Leader—they won’t reveal anything to us.”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s expression turned solemn.

He exhaled deeply.

“The whole of Daocheng… is like a vast chessboard. Only those with true divine prodigy status have the right to make a move.”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu spoke in a low, resonant tone, as if venting his inner emotions, regardless of whether anyone understood.

Wang Kuyu, Lu Yao, and the others sat in silence.

In the dark, the bonfire flickered.

Li Che’s eyes shone as he idly turned a Unsullied Heart Chess Piece between his fingers.

“Is it a fated move?”

……

……

The Jiaoma pulsed with the blood of a dragon—a beastly lineage.

Its pace, endurance, and speed far exceeded that of ordinary horses.

Fearing another ambush on the caravan,

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu urged them to drive the Jiaoma to its limit during every leg of the journey.

Before they knew it, a month and a half had passed.

At full throttle, they were drawing ever closer to the Daocheng region.

And the closer they got, the more weighty the atmosphere became, for powerful figures might appear at any moment.

Those in the Heavenly Unity grandmaster or Golden Body Transcendence Divine Practitioner stages could show up at any time.

The nearer they came to their destination, the less they could afford to relax.

Experienced hunters know that the best moment to strike is when the prey drops its guard.

Inside the carriage,

Li Che’s five fingers gripped a sixfold Divine Essence Crystal as he absorbed its divine energy.

Suddenly,

Li Che’s brow furrowed.

A potent sense of threat flashed through his mind.

That aura…

was unmistakably that of a Heavenly Unity grandmaster!

He raised his hand and pressed it to his brow.

His mind reached out to the Cosmic Chessboard as if seeking a connection.

It felt as though within the 500-li sphere, a pair of eyes had suddenly opened!

Yet…

the overwhelming threat vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

Li Che was left scratching his head in confusion.

“Gone?”

“They showed their face and then fled?”

Li Che frowned, sensing the abrupt disappearance of that innate grandmaster aura.

For a moment, he felt puzzled; on his Cosmic Chessboard, any sign of murderous intent would be locked in immediately.

So if that foe reappeared, Li Che would surely notice.

Holding his breath and sharpening his focus, Li Che kept vigilant watch.

Even as he monitored, he immersed himself in cultivation.

Inhale——

Exhale——

Li Che felt the overwhelming divine presence in the world around him.

Compared to when he first entered Jingguang Prefecture, the divine energy in Daocheng was far more potent and restless!

This was because Daocheng hosted far more Bizarre Temples than Jingguang Prefecture.

While Jingguang Prefecture had only three, Daocheng boasted not only scattered Eight Extremity or Sevenfold Bizarre Temples, but a whopping ten Sixfold Bizarre Temples, three Five Elder Bizarre Temples…

and even the Four-Yu Bizarre Temples!

Some of these temples were indigenous, while others…

had been transplanted by divine prodigies using extraordinary means for better suppression.

Within the realm of his Mud Pellet at the brow,

each cycle of his divine foundation pulsed with an ecstatic surge of divine energy — now, each cycle nearly reached perfection, just waiting for the Temple Spirit to take its place.

For his wondrous divine foundation, which summoned the Temple Spirit and manifested as the Divine Vision…

all the other divine foundations seemed to be itching to take part.

But Li Che’s primary focus remained on his Unsullied Heart Divine Foundation.

The Unsullied Heart foundation, fused with the essence of the Divine Heaven, Earth, and Celestial Spirit, could welcome the Temple Spirit from the Qi Tian Face.

Once its imprint was complete, Li Che could transform the Unsullied Heart foundation into Divine Vision.

……

……

Beside the rushing river,

a lone figure stood. Pulling out a scroll from a fragrant pouch at his waist, he crumpled some herbs into a bundle, rolled them into a cigarette, lit it, and grinned as he bit the corner of his lips.

Inhaling—

Exhaling—

The young man in white, cigarette in hand, exhaled a haze of smoky mist.

Leaning against a large bluestone, he basked in the gentle breeze and tousled a stray lock of black hair from his forehead.

He glanced toward the distance.

“Nearly got caught by Old Li…”

“Er Hei, you slack off—get it together, or I’ll dock your meal.”

In the far distance, the sky roiled.

The river churned with violent waves as bloodstained, dragon-shaped figures collapsed into the tumult. One monstrous, grim black dog the size of a hill stomped in the river, its low growl rumbling like distant thunder. On hearing this, fury burst forth—

biting clean off the head of a purple, dragon-like Jiaolong that had been channeling the Heavenly Unity energy—

with a fierce twist, it snapped the dragon tendons and bones,

then, in a fit of anger, swallowed it all whole.

Soon, spattered dragon blood shot up into the sky,

bursting as it soared.

Fragments of blood rained down like a deluge.

Seven thousand words—please vote for monthly tickets, recommendations, and followings. A big shout-out for your encouragement! Keep reading, or you might miss the next recommendation. With the ruthless competition at Qidian these days, I’m forever grateful to Old Li. My sincerest thanks!