Chapter 216: Thunderous Ascension
by xennovelBoom!
Boom!
A terrifying, earth-shattering roar of rolling thunder erupted from his flesh, resonating through the drenching spring rain!
At that moment, every eye in the arena was irresistibly drawn to the spectacle!
In the distance, Long Tai gripped his long-handled crocodile head axe, his rugged beard bristling and eyes wide with shock as he stared at the ever-expanding, balloon-like image of the true Divine Monkey form!
Even his indomitable martial will, honed through years of fierce combat, seemed to shrink under that overwhelming pressure.
It sent shivers of dread and panic through his heart!
What kind of divine manifestation is this?!
Is this truly a divine visage?!
Could such a mere manifestation terrify even a grandmaster of oneness with the heavens and earth?
Even the Four Supreme Divine Visages wouldn’t compare, unless…
“A Three Pure-Stage Divine Visage?!”
Long Tai murmured in horror.
It was utterly terrifying!
Someone actually mastered a Three Pure-Stage Divine Visage?
What kind of underworld technique is this?
That a monstrous being has emerged, capable of condensing a Three Pure-Stage Divine Visage!
In the entire Great Realm, few could achieve a Three Pure-Stage Divine Visage!
Not only are the prerequisites extremely harsh, but the rituals required are astonishingly complex – a robust body and a primordial spirit condensed in the Divine Foundation are essential!
Only those from imperial families or scions of extraordinary clans, with abundant resources in the Divine Capital, can ever hope to attain it!
It was outrageous!
Long Tai was utterly stunned!
In the distance, between towering pavilions, the spring rain washed over everything.
A female divine archer clad in light armor and a bamboo hat, wielding a blue divine bow, displayed an unusual glimmer in her eyes.
Just as she released her longbow, she drew it again with precise determination.
Her left eye began to shimmer with a gentle blue light, conspicuous in the rainy night.
Roar!!!
The colossal true Divine Monkey form, towering ten feet high, clutched the surging heavenly thunder as if wielding the very bolts of heaven and earth. Perhaps because it had only just been formed, the image appeared slightly blurred to the naked eye.
Yet its domineering, fierce presence was undeniable!
Between the pavilions, roofs had already exploded apart.
Under the giant ape, the mask covering Li Che’s face shattered under the force of a mighty roar.
The indomitable Ogre Mask, forged from resilient Fire God Furious Dragon Wood, could not withstand the power of the true ape-like divine manifestation!
Meanwhile,
Fully triggering the true Divine Monkey form, Li Che suddenly felt a surge of golden electricity racing through his mind.
It had given birth to a unique method!
A martial technique that complemented his Three Pure-Stage Divine Essence Technique!
Divine War: Heaven and Earth Manifestation!
Boom!!!
At the moment the mask shattered, countless strands of golden monkey hair sprouted across Li Che’s face. Even his sleek, dark hair was instantly tinged with gold.
Transforming him into a resplendent golden Divine Monkey!
As Li Che unleashed that divine art, he felt his already formidable primordial spirit surge, as if gulping down a potent elixir, growing ever stronger!
Within him, titanic qi and blood roared like molten mercury!
This martial technique was not simply activated by his divine nature; it required an immense mobilization of qi, blood, and essence – and in quantities that were nothing short of terrifying!
Boom!!!
The moment the mask shattered, thick streams of refined qi erupted straight upward from Li Che’s body, seemingly piercing through the stormy heavens!
Whirrr!!!
Under that overwhelming surge of qi and essence, Li Che’s spirit became ferocious and almost maddened!
It felt as though it were desperate to break free from its confines!
Growing incredibly imposing!
In an instant, it soared skyward, reaching ten, hundred, even thousand feet high!
His vision expanded limitlessly, his gaze stretching into infinity!
With a mere gesture, he could pluck the stars; he saw endless dark clouds, rolling mountain ranges, and even the boundless horizon of the sea…
From deep within his chest burst forth a spirit so fierce it seemed ready to roar at the heavens!
At the same time, the omnipresent divine essence of the cosmos surged wildly toward Li Che!
Soon, however, Li Che felt that elevated perspective vanish completely.
As his spirit settled, a profound sense of loss washed over him.
Yet that was the fortunate state of mastering a divine martial art!
Divine War: Heaven and Earth Manifestation is divided into nine stages. At this moment, Li Che… had only completed the first transformation!
But he already sensed an ultimate metamorphosis of his physical body!
It was a transformation utterly distinct from Vajra Transformation!
It wasn’t merely a stacking of one’s own qi and might, but a fusion with the divine nature permeating the heavens and earth…
Rip—crack—ripping apart!
Even the specially crafted elastic garment Li Che wore could not contain his expanding form. Muscles bulged and countless layers of divine essence accumulated on his skin, forming a shell reminiscent of that true ape!
At that moment, Li Che seemed to have transformed into three overlapping entities.
His original mortal body was one, the layer of divine monkey armor on his skin made a second,
And behind him, that ten-foot-tall true Divine Monkey form counted as a third!
Three Monkeys in One?!
City Lord Su Huai Li felt a suffocating dread amidst the shattering fragments of the crimson Fire God Furious Dragon Wood mask.
Time itself seemed to freeze in Su Huai Li’s perception.
He stared wide-eyed at the face emerging from beneath the shattered mask – the true countenance of the Ogre…
Was it about to be revealed?!
Who is the Ogre?
Who on earth is the Ogre?!
City Lord Su Huai Li had always been suspicious of Li Che. Ever since arriving in Daocheng, he had been analyzing the Underworld’s motives, their methods, and their objectives…
Though complex, through various deductions and analyses,
Su Huai Li had come to suspect the culprit behind the Ogre’s identity…
The Ogre…
Could it be him?!
Is it… Li Che?!
However,
Beneath the shattered mask, Su Huai Li saw a face covered in monkey fuzz – the Divine Monkey!
The Ogre was… the Divine Monkey?!
For a moment, Su Huai Li’s mind went blank, as if frozen solid, unable to process the shock.
He felt a mix of confusion, astonishment, and a staggering sense of disparity.
Then, in the next instant, he was jolted back to reality!
There was no time for bewilderment – his skin prickled with fear as the shadow of death loomed over him!
Enraged, he glared at that horrifying form clutching the heavenly thunder!
His very teeth seemed on the verge of shattering from the force!
Yet, as he watched the contorting and surging Corpse God’s Will, a calm resolve settled within him!
How could any mere divine apparition withstand the might of the Corpse God’s Will?
Die!
Su Huai Li tiptoed back, retreating a step. Behind him, the dense aura of death and decaying corpse energy churned fiercely, with even thick blood beginning to boil!
He prepared to activate the Blood Escape aspect of the Time-Space Corpse Technique to flee!
But the Ogre, now transformed into the Divine Monkey – golden hair flowing and a massive, fearsome build, with muscles rippling like writhing dragons – stood nearly two and a half meters tall, radiating terror!
Its eyes burned like raging flames as it swept its gaze fiercely.
It was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the clear sky!
The sealing power of the Cosmic Chessboard descended with a thunderous crush.
Su Huai Li was shocked to discover that his Blood Escape was rendered utterly useless!
It was as if everything around him had been sealed off!
Rumble!
After that single glance, Li Che no longer paid any heed to Su Huai Li.
Fueled by an intense fighting spirit, his determination surged unabated!
His martial will erupted mightily!
It was as if a phantom dragon accompanied that massive true Divine Monkey form, roaring continuously!
The Corpse God’s Will distorted into a hideous form, with three ghastly heads and a repulsive body wracked with deathly energy and decay, its will spreading like a corrupting tide!
Rumble!
Hundreds of thunderous strikes exploded simultaneously, like a barrage of lightning bolts!
The entire luxurious pavilion trembled, every floor cracking as if ready to collapse into rubble!
Amidst the cataclysmic sounds!
The Corpse God’s Will rose, its decaying energy forming three heads and four arms, unleashing a terrifying whirlwind of deathly aura!
Its oppressive power rivaled even that of Long Tai, the fully unleashed primordial grandmaster!
In the briefest moment, the Corpse God’s Will lunged at Li Che. Its speed shattered the very air as if glass under its assault!
Raising its four arms, it sent a torrent of deathly energy crashing down, forming an image as dark and turbulent as spilled ink – the visage of the Corpse God!
Three hideous heads dripped with oily blackness, bellowing in rage!
Boom!!!
Behind Li Che, the ten-foot-tall true Divine Monkey form fixed its fiery gaze, clenching its fist as it transformed heavenly thunder into a deadly staff.
A dazzling burst of light and heat erupted between the thunder staff, as if a twisted thunder dragon had been captured in his grip!
With brutal force, it swung downward!
The staff crashed heavily onto the massed, tar-like mass of the Corpse God’s Will!
The impact of the Corpse God’s Will and his own strike clashed violently, like two monstrous beings colliding!
Bang!!!
In that instant, time itself seemed to halt!
The thunder staff, guided by the true Divine Monkey form, split the heavens and earth as if cleaving reality itself!
A colossal shockwave, accompanied by searing light and heat, burst forth atop the pavilion!
It was as if the very heavens were collapsing!
Bang!
The Corpse God’s Will was shattered into countless splinters of black oil and smoke, its limbs flailing in disarray.
The true Divine Monkey form swung its massive heavenly thunder staff once more upward. It wasn’t a refined martial art, merely a raw, crushing blow!
Yet its momentum was nothing short of earth-shattering!
It felled everything like a force of nature!
The monstrous roar of dragons filled the air. The Corpse God’s Will, beaten into a frenzy, bellowed in rage, only to be met by an even more savage retort from the true Divine Monkey form!
Boom!
A fist smashed down with the terrifying force of a collapsing universe onto the Corpse God’s Will!
It was as if thunder clashed with volcanic eruptions, and an all-consuming downpour of spring rain reversed its flow, battering the sky!
Smack!
One of the Corpse God’s Will’s heads was ripped off, its oily residue scattered as the heavenly thunder staff shattered another head like a spear through its last remnant!
All three of the Corpse God’s Will’s heads were severed!
The brutal, unrefined battle resembled a savage brawl between primal beasts!
It was nearly a one-sided massacre!
The Corpse God’s Will finally emerged, only to be pummeled and have its three heads obliterated!
It was then smashed and dispersed into the very air!
Countless dark mists exploded and scattered!
The terrifying oppressive force brought by the Corpse God’s Will was completely torn asunder!
Crash after crash…
Splatters of black oil rained down like a filthy, stinking deluge, drenching Su Huai Li in utter disarray.
In the next instant, Su Huai Li came to his senses, his scalp prickling in alarm!
This isn’t good!
Every inch of his body trembled as the stench of death enveloped him. ‘I’m doomed… I’m doomed!’
Stumbling backward, Su Huai Li roared, “General Long, save me!”
In fact,
At that exact moment, Long Tai had already recovered from his exhausted state after cleaving a fake Ogre, and had the strength and time to intervene.
But,
Faced with Su Huai Li’s screams and shouts,
Long Tai maintained his unhurried stance, still drawing his axe, neither too warm nor too cold.
Are the vermin of the Corpse God Sect trying to boss you around, General Long?!
From Su Huai Li’s ability to summon the Corpse God’s Will, Long Tai realized that this apprentice of the Prince Ping Luan had in fact pledged himself to the Corpse God Sect!
Otherwise, how could he have summoned the Corpse God’s Will?
Disgusting creature!
Although You Liqing had ordered him to protect Su Huai Li – that was a military command…
As a soldier, Long Tai had to obey orders. But his axe had just exhausted its all-out attack on the fake Ogre, and now it was embedded in the ground – it was only natural that he couldn’t pull it out immediately!
It would take time, and that was reasonable!
Li Che’s eyes turned cold and emotionless as his concentration deepened.
The moment Su Huai Li bellowed, Li Che struck!
Calm as a virgin, yet as sudden as a thunderclap!
Golden monkey hair blazed like flames in the wind. Every step of his Lingxu Baqi Steps radiated the true essence of the Martial Saint Technique!
Swift and ruthless!
In merely half a blink, Li Che appeared beside Su Huai Li, initiating the first transformation of Heaven and Earth Manifestation. His imposing, robust form pressed down with overwhelming might.
Clenching his fist, the Xuankin Eight-Treasure Thunder Dragon Staff fell into his hand instantly…
In that moment, he truly became the Divine Monkey!
Su Huai Li no longer held back – his entire body transformed into a dazzling silver!
Cursed Silver Corpse!
Divine Essence Golden Pill!
Boom!
Yet Li Che did not hold back an ounce – when he struck, he went all out!
Threefold Divine Guts surged around the thunder staff like a raging dragon, roaring with explosive ferocity!
The strike was incredibly savage!
Even Long Tai in the distance blinked, his rugged face momentarily reflecting grave seriousness!
That strike…
Had the explosive power of a primordial grandmaster’s ultimate move!
Impressive. Truly impressive!
Crash, crash––!
One strike after another fell in a deadly flurry!
It was like a whirlwind tossing massive boulders into a lake, sending titanic waves of white spray in all directions!
A chill gripped Su Huai Li as an icy dread spread through his heart, freezing him solid like a statue!
He felt utterly powerless, as if he couldn’t even lift a finger!
The weight of rank and the pressure of martial will…
Were on an entirely different level!
The gap was simply too vast!
“How can… it be this strong?”
Su Huai Li’s heartbeat pounded like the deafening roar of a colossal axe, while his Cursed Silver Corpse body felt as fragile as paper!
He couldn’t block it, not even a little!
Li Che’s cold gaze fixed on Su Huai Li as he swung his staff with lethal intent!
In Daocheng, Li Che had only two targets: Su Huai Li and the Demon Child of the Corpse God Sect!
There would be no mercy – if it’s time to kill, then kill!
Li Che, treading on thin ice all his life, knew full well the consequences of hesitation.
He had killed so many before – how could he show mercy in front of Su Huai Li?
Even if Su Huai Li was of high status, an apprentice of Prince Ping Luan’s,
Executing Su Huai Li in front of so many would stir up more trouble!
But so what?
Leaving Su Huai Li alive would only let him plot behind XiXi’s back, causing even greater harm!
Li Che even suspected that Su Huai Li had guessed the Ogre’s true identity – perhaps deducing that Li Che was the Ogre…
That suspicion arose the moment Li Che’s true Divine Monkey face was revealed after his Ogre mask shattered.
It was all due to the stark contrast between the Ogre he had imagined and what he saw.
For someone like Su Huai Li, even a hint of doubt was enough to create endless problems.
At the very least, Li Che’s identity would face Su Huai Li’s relentless testing.
In that case…
Su Huai Li must die!
Boom!!!
A crushing blow rained down.
Su Huai Li’s clothes and long hair flew backward in unison, his silver visage trembling uncontrollably – utterly defenseless!
“I’m not ready to die!”
Bang!
A piercing, agonized scream burst from Su Huai Li, his eyes burning with the fury of near-bloodshed. Yet the shattering Xuankin Thunder Dragon Staff showed no sign of slowing.
In an instant!
A titanic force descended suddenly!
Su Huai Li didn’t even hear the sound of his own bones shattering as his sinews exploded.
His entire Cursed Silver Corpse head was blown apart by a devastating blow, blood and flesh reduced to fragments!
Thick, dense blood mist erupted on the spot!
Even though his Cursed Copper Corpse body bore some silver, most of it was still a dark, murky red – and when it burst, a blood-red fog filled the air!
The overpowering stench of blood mingled with raging winds!
The headless corpse of Su Huai Li was then brutally pounded by Li Che’s unstoppable, domineering might.
The wooden floor of the grand pavilion shuddered under the impact, groaning under the weight!
A massive hole was blasted into the floor.
Subsequently, Su Huai Li’s body, like crumbling sludge, was driven through nine stories of the building, crashing onto the ground and forming a deep pit!
Utter devastation – unstoppable!
Wood chips flew, and shockwaves roared!
The dust and rubble stirred up from the broken ground formed small mushroom clouds that shrouded every level of the pavilion.
Everyone who had already fled the pavilion looked on in horror…
Witnessing the collapse of the once-grand structure…
It swayed and then crumbled with a thunderous crash, splintering into oblivion as dust and howling winds filled the rain-soaked night!
Long Tai swung his long-handled crocodile head axe and fell to the ground, his innate primordial energy swirling around him as he tore through the air!
“That was one hell of a kill—”
“So brutal!”
Long Tai almost burst out in praise, but when he caught sight of a golden-armored divine general in the sky – like a golden spear cleaving the air, dismantling the vast cloud of debris and clearing away the ruined pavilion – he immediately retracted his compliment.
Even if Su Huai Li had pledged himself to the Corpse God Sect,
He was still the junior disciple of the great general…
A junior disciple killed – and yet Long Tai was applauding? No wonder he might be punished and sent to scrub latrines!
Boom!
The ruins erupted once more!
A mighty wave of force roared as the rubble dispersed in all directions…
Dust piled up, debris scattered!
At the center of the deep pit, the clanging radiance of golden armor blazed as a massive surge of energy burst forth, spreading its impact far and wide.
You Liqing’s eyes burned with lethal intent as a suffocating wave of power seemed to drag the heavens down.
Yet in the midst of the rubble, only a headless, mangled Cursed Silver Corpse remained –
Su Huai Li was as dead as death itself.
Surrounded by an almost tangible aura of killing intent, You Liqing’s presence became as solid as if incarnate – as if the very heavens had changed. Terrifying thunderbolts seemed ready to fall.
“Underworld…”
“Even if my junior disciple had pledged to the Corpse God Sect, he’s not someone you can just kill!”
You Liqing’s magnificent primordial spirit soared in radiance, his golden divine body shimmering brilliantly.
As his divine perception swept across, even the storm seemed to slow!
Ten feet, a hundred feet, a thousand feet –!!!
But…
Nothing!
There was no trace of the Underworld’s Ogre anywhere!
All the vicious underworld beings had seemingly retreated in perfect order in an instant!
You Liqing’s divine perception swept over the entire Inner City – nothing was hidden.
It even infuriated several powerful figures.
In the end, You Liqing had to retract his divine gaze, clenching his fist in uncontrollable anger.
“Nothing… I can’t find it…”
You Liqing exhaled.
What a mysterious Underworld.
“If it’s not inside the Inner City, then it must be in the Outer City… Such mastery of relocation is as elusive as Su Huai Li claimed.”
“Underworld Ogre, Ma Mian, Divine Monkey, Black and White Wuchang…”
“In the Underworld, if they let you die by three in the middle of the night, who would dare stay until dawn?”
You Liqing slowly closed his eyes, his inner anger subsiding into a deep, contemplative calm.
Whoosh, whoosh––
The sound of slicing through the air echoed as a graceful silhouette descended. Clad in a blue light armor on the upper body and leather trousers on the lower, she flaunted extraordinarily long legs.
A blue longbow, as elegant as a soaring phoenix, was firmly gripped in the hands of the female divine archer.
It was none other than the renowned primordial grandmaster divine archer.
Long Tai carefully approached, carrying his long-handled crocodile head axe.
“General,”
They spoke in unison.
Long Tai’s heart was heavy. After all, ever since he learned that Su Huai Li was a twisted disciple of the Corpse God Sect, he had been holding back.
He still feared that You Liqing might take out his anger on him.
Instinctively, he touched his waist, and as soon as he did, Long Tai’s face transformed through a series of shock, surprise, and fiery anger!
“Wha—where’s my Qian Kun Jade?!”
Long Tai clutched his head in disbelief.
Su Huai Li had claimed that the Ogre was treacherous and utterly unscrupulous, devoid of martial honor…
Yet Long Tai hadn’t minded it before – after facing the Ogre once, he believed that the Ogre still had some semblance of honor.
But now…
The Ogre, at the same time as exchanging blows with him, had even pocketed his Qian Kun Jade!
It was as if the heavens had collapsed!
Long Tai’s composure immediately shattered. Even for a primordial grandmaster,
It was like a tycoon losing his entire fortune… a heart-shattering blow!
Like a college student swindled of every cent of living expenses online – the sky was falling!
“Damn that Ogre! No honor, not a shred of honor! Pathetic scum!”
Long Tai’s eyes turned red as he cursed.
He had once admired the Ogre, but now he could admire nothing!
You Liqing’s cold gaze swept over, and even the cold, impassive female divine archer couldn’t help but crack a slight smile.
“General, you must stand up for me!” Long Tai’s eyes welled with tears.
You Liqing clenched his fist. With Long Tai’s pathetic act, the sorrow over Su Huai Li’s death faded away.
“Get lost!”
You Liqing knew Long Tai was merely playing the victim.
But he was too tired to care about Long Tai’s half-hearted antics now.
After all, Su Huai Li was dead—and more crucially, he had indeed pledged himself to the Corpse God Sect!
The master was battling the Corpse Gods at the front lines. For Su Huai Li, an apprentice of the master, to join the Corpse God Sect was a betrayal warranting death!
As You Liqing had said, if Su Huai Li had committed faults, he should be captured and judged by the master rather than being summarily executed by the Underworld!
“Issue a Wanted Notice for the Divine Guard Army – arrest every underworld menace within Daocheng, Inner City, and Outer City!”
“That Ogre, having taken a hit from my punch earlier, must be seriously injured – search the entire city!”
You Liqing collected Su Huai Li’s corpse and turned to leave, hands behind his back.
The torrential spring rain crashed down, washing away the dust and blood of the ruins.
The primordial grandmaster divine archer, Blue Bird, shot a glance at Long Tai before gracefully departing on her long legs.
Long Tai, however, was a wreck.
You Liqing thought Long Tai was feigning his misery – but Long Tai…
He was truly suffering!
…
…
Rain pelted against the black tiles, clattering like dancing beans, echoing ceaselessly.
Li Che gripped his Feilei Chess Piece and returned to the courtyard of Tinglei Alley.
As soon as he arrived, he stood at the centre of the courtyard. Countless raindrops burst into a haze, each droplet exploding into a misty watercolor.
The Cosmic Chessboard enveloped the courtyard, cutting off all perception and detection.
A trickle of blood escaped from Li Che’s mouth as his expression hardened. On his shoulder, a fist of raw energy, like a raging dragon emerging from the sea, battering and tearing at flesh and bone!