Chapter 235: Turmoil at the Bizarre Temple

Divine Eagle Ridge.

Snow fell in heavy drifts, the chill wind howling fiercely!

The Six-Eared Prison Lotus Divine Monkey, Er Xin Great Sage at the Bizarre Temple.

Within the Bizarre Temple.

Thick, swirling mists and searing, twisted streams of blood-fire distorted the air inside the Bizarre Temple, as if they were coiled, silent dragons roaring in pain.

“Roar——!!!”

Terrifying sound waves erupted, their shrill cries tearing through the heavens and echoing in everyone’s ears!

Amid the dim haze of the Bizarre Temple,

a streak of crimson light tore through the dense mist as the ground trembled. Countless grains of dirt and clumps of vegetation were ripped from the earth and cascaded like a waterfall!

Amid the shaking earth and quivering mountains, a monstrous humanoid figure exuding a potent aura of death and a boiling divine essence emerged, its bloated body covered in fine, spindly hair!

Mystical, intricate talismanic patterns had appeared all over its body!

A furious, savage roar erupted—a mix of madness, howling fury, and unbridled anger. The dreadful aura of death unleashed a whirlwind inside the Bizarre Temple, lashing out with relentless force!

Many of the dense forest trees were violently torn apart as if ravaged by a ferocious typhoon!

This was a Temple Protection Incantation Corpse!

Moreover, it was a Temple Protection Incantation Corpse infected by the divine essence of the Temple Spirit from the Five Elders’ Bizarre Temple, wielding a terrifying battle prowess of a lower Five Elders rank!

Opposite the Corpse stood

a burst of searing blood energy, as if three extraordinarily brilliant blossoms of blood energy were in full bloom above the Heavenly Dome, illuminating both shadow and light!

It was an unsurpassed Grand Master with three-bloom blood energy flourishing at the peak of his might. Clenching his fingers, he unleashed a torrent of air with a punch so powerful that it seemed to shatter a fearsome mythic beast high in the heavens!

The overwhelming force of the punch tore through the Temple Protection Corpse, sending it flying like a cannonball.

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!

The wind howled fiercely.

A figure strode forward; with a clenched fist, the divine essence of heaven and earth converged instantly, forming a bricklike barrier that suppressed the mighty Temple Protection Corpse.

Gongshu Jingjun moved effortlessly through the air, his command over divine essence seemingly boundless and at his fingertips.

In a locale as saturated with divine essence as the Bizarre Temple, the suppressing power of the Divine Nucleus Great God was even more formidable, easily surpassing that of militant cultivators.

“These accursed creatures, why have they suddenly grown so violent…?”

That punch sent the three-bloom Grand Master flying, his face creasing in dismay as his blood energy burst out like shooting stars. The surrounding divine essence was scattered, creating a more favorable arena for his techniques.

“Gongshu Lingzhu, your work at Divine Eagle Ridge just got a lot tougher…”

The man wearing the robes of the Temple Guardian Division was one of its high-ranking overseers.

He was also one of the three-bloom Grand Masters invited by Gongshu Jingjun for the Divine Eagle Ridge Elder Assessment.

In the distance, another fierce battle erupted; terrifying demonic auras and malevolent energies clashed amidst the cosmic struggle within the Bizarre Temple.

The scale was immense!

Yet it was precisely because these masters had blocked the rampaging Temple Protection Corpse and the demonic, sinister beings spawned by the divine essence of the Five Elders’ Bizarre Temple that the remaining woodcarving masters could continue their competition in peace.

Gongshu Jingjun clasped his fists with a wry smile and said apologetically, “Everyone, thank you for your efforts. I never expected the Er Xin Great Sage at the Bizarre Temple to suddenly revolt…”

“The divine essence in the air has grown much more scorching…”

“I was seriously worried the Bizarre Temple would erupt prematurely!”

Gongshu Jingjun exhaled slowly.

“This Bizarre Temple is too unique. The Grand Inspector of the Imperial Watch of Divine Capital personally calculated that it has a connection with Qitian Temple…”

“And now it’s on the brink of erupting. I planned to finish the woodcarving assessment at Divine Eagle Ridge before the outbreak!”

“But it seems the eruption… has come sooner than expected.”

Gongshu Jingjun remarked.

A Divine Nucleus Great God in such a stance received respectful bows from the assembled Grand Masters and the Breath Retention Transcendents.

They had come to assist for a reward; this unexpected twist was within acceptable limits.

“Gongshu Lingzhu… our only worry isn’t much else, but that the rising Corpse King of the lower Five Elders might revive.”

The high-ranking overseer of the Temple Guardian Division, his blood energy roaring like flames within the Bizarre Temple, said gravely.

The Corpse King within the Temple Protection Incantation…

Every Bizarre Temple harbors a Corpse King. Except for the Tidu Bizarre Temple, where even a Bizarre Temple never forms, there’s no question of a Corpse King.

In all other Weird Sanctuaries, a Corpse King emerges, its power both terrifying and overwhelming.

The Temple Protection Corpse-king of the Five Elders’ Bizarre Temple could probably only be countered by a Divine Nucleus or a Martial Saint.

“If the Corpse King awakens, everyone retreat—I will personally suppress it.”

Gongshu Jingjun said in a low tone.

We can’t risk these men fighting for Divine Eagle Ridge!

Even though the combatants were top-tier experts from Daocheng, the danger of being killed by the Corpse King still loomed.

Hearing Gongshu Jingjun’s words, a collective sense of relief spread among them.

Soon, voices began to exchange theories.

They wondered why the Five Elders’ Bizarre Temple had suddenly erupted.

Gongshu Jingjun’s face grew even more solemn…

Before this Divine Eagle Ridge Elder Assessment, he had even met with the Monitor of the Imperial Watch to finalize the predicted timing.

Only after the Monitor’s seclusion was the date confirmed.

And sure enough, unexpected disturbances ensued.

“The will of the Temple Protection Corpse is governed by the Temple Spirit… meaning something must have influenced the Temple Spirit.”

Gongshu Jingjun stood with his arms behind his back, overlooking the vast Bizarre Temple and the Bizarre Temple at its heart.

On the boundless earth, a lone temple stood defiant.

Dense, churning mists swirled around it, and demonic entities, sinister beings, and life-draining Temple Protection Corpses appeared intermittently…

To Gongshu Jingjun, the Bizarre Temple was nothing less than a corrupted paradise.

For many divine cultivators, this was the perfect training ground—as long as they could withstand the threats, they could absorb abundant divine energy to boost their strength.

No cultivator aiming for higher realms could resist the lure of the Bizarre Temple.

Yet the stronger one becomes…

the more one must revere the Bizarre Temple!

It’s as if…

Gongshu Jingjun looked upward at the pitch-black, impenetrable dome overhead—a darkness so deep it seemed to swallow light itself.

Cramped, oppressive, and suffocating…

as if some immense terror hovered above them in a form unseen and unfathomable.

Silently, it watched them.

……

……

The winds roared and the mists were torn asunder.

A man in an ink-black robe flapped in the wind.

Li Che’s dark hair whipped in the gust as he hefted a Spirit Wood block, emerging from the mists and stepping onto the jade steps before the Bizarre Temple.

The woodcarving masters Su Huai Ming, Yun Haiyang, and Zhou Tianshui fixed their eyes on Li Che.

Of course, most of their attention was on the searing, divine Spirit Wood clutched in his hand!

“This is… a fifth-tier lower Spirit Wood?”

“How is that possible?!”

“This kid’s luck is incredible—finding a fifth-tier lower Spirit Wood?”

The three exchanged glances, their faces filled with astonishment.

“Judging by its hue, divine aura, and grain, this is the Blood-Fire Divine Pattern Bodhi Wood of fifth tier lower rank! It must be over ten thousand years old!”

Su Huai Ming’s eyes gleamed as he recognized the wood species instantly.

“If I had this piece of fifth-tier Spirit Wood, the Divine Eagle Ridge Elder Assessment would be a done deal—there’d be no rival!”

With that thought in mind, Su Huai Ming shot a burning look at Li Che, who had ascended the jade steps.

“Young man, would you sell me this piece of fifth-tier Blood-Fire Divine Pattern Bodhi Wood?”

Su Huai Ming asked.

“I’m willing to pay ten Five-Elders Divine Crystals for it!”

Li Che, having just stepped onto the jade steps, was taken aback by Su Huai Ming’s candid offer.

Ten Five-Elders Divine Crystals for the Bodhi Wood was quite the grand deal!

Frankly, Li Che felt that ten crystals wasn’t an excessive price for this Bodhi Wood.

Different environments can drastically affect a product’s value.

It’s like on the peak of Mount Tai in another world—a bottle of mineral water might fetch several times its usual price.

Outside this realm, the Blood-Fire Divine Pattern Bodhi Wood would be priced around eight Five-Elders Divine Crystals, so Su Huai Ming’s offer, with an extra two-crystal premium, was rather stingy.

Is Li Che short on crystals or something?

Li Che looked calmly at Su Huai Ming.

Su Huai Ming frowned, “Not selling?”

Li Che smiled gently, “It’s not that I won’t… I will sell it.”

“I just worry Master Su can’t afford it.”

Su Huai Ming narrowed his eyes and said quietly, “Name your price.”

Li Che replied evenly, “One hundred crystals.”

Su Huai Ming’s eyes shrank in surprise.

Both Zhou Tianshui and Yun Haiyang had intended to speak up, but once they heard Li Che’s price, their mouths fell silent.

One hundred Five-Elders Divine Crystals?!

This young man really dares to name such a price!

Su Huai Ming couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.

“Young man… selling like that would only waste the value of the wood. Why not honor the Su Family? Give Master Su Huai Ming some face?”

Li Che’s gentle gaze met Su Huai Ming’s as he replied sincerely, “So much for Master’s face—the price is one hundred Five-Elders Divine Crystals.”

Taken aback, Su Huai Ming was too embarrassed to retort.

“Young man, you overestimate the power of a fifth-tier Spirit Wood, thinking it can bridge the gap in experience and skill?”

Furious, Su Huai Ming swept his sleeve and strode into the Bizarre Temple with his prized Dragon Blood Divine Nan Wood in hand.

Yun Haiyang and Zhou Tianshui exchanged amazed glances towards Li Che.

They breathed a sigh of relief—had Li Che’s Spirit Wood fallen into Su Huai Ming’s hands, their chances would be nil.

Their glances softened as they looked at Li Che, though they still thought he was overly greedy.

Li Che sighed in regret, thinking that sudden wealth had been within reach.

“Aren’t you really not interested, sir?”

Li Che looked back at Su Huai Ming’s departing figure and finally asked.

Only after Su Huai Ming’s cold snort did his figure vanish into the Bizarre Temple.

“A fifth-tier Spirit Wood… a second-grade official from the Imperial Watch can barely even cut wood…”

“Once you butcher this wood, it will be utterly worthless!”

Li Che shook his head, “I gave you the chance… but you refused.”

Yun Haiyang and Zhou Tianshui could only think that this young man was extremely audacious.

Without further words, the three stepped into the Bizarre Temple together.

Inside, Li Che’s heart pounded furiously, and within his internal realm the raging Luminous True Primate roared in anger, causing his amassed divine energy to boil relentlessly.

He activated his Pure Heart Dao Fruit, whose tremors finally managed to calm the Luminous True Primate’s divine visage.

Inside the Bizarre Temple, a total of 9,999 white candles were lit. They were arranged in nine rows, encircling the temple walls.

This bathed the entire temple in a radiant, crystalline light.

The Bizarre Temple was vast—only slightly smaller than the Golden Heavenly King’s Divine Hall Li Che had seen before.

The altar was positioned along the temple’s central axis at the rear.

There, a solemn Divine Monkey clad in a kasaya robe sat with a dignified countenance. Its face, covered in gangly monkey hair with a rugged jawline and wild fangs, exuded both a ferocious and untamed spirit.

Every single hair on the monkey seemed to glimmer as it sat atop a black lotus pedestal!

Upon entering the Bizarre Temple, Li Che’s eyes immediately fixed on the image of the temple’s Divine Monkey.

Er Xin Great Sage?!

Li Che’s gaze then settled on the couplet hanging on both sides of the altar.

The inscription read: “Er Xin Disturbs the Great Universe, Unity Makes True Solitude Impossible.”

Above the altar, an additional horizontal scroll declared, “Who Can Tell What is True or False?”

Li Che took a deep breath, his heart trembling.

Within the Cosmic Chessboard, the Qi Tian Face trembled ever so slightly, and Li Che suppressed it with his Pure Heart divine energy.

Had anyone else been in his position without the Pure Heart’s containment, the mythic weapon Qi Tian Face and the Luminous True Primate’s divine visage would have been unleashed!

“Six-Eared Ape?”

Li Che narrowed his eyes.

Inside the Bizarre Temple, Su Huai Ming, Zhou Tianshui, and Yun Haiyang had already set aside their Spirit Wood, palms together in deference to the temple spirit, before taking out their carving tools.

Chisels, axes, gouges, hammers…

All made from top-grade materials—this entire set was on par with the Six Divisions Divine Weapons.

They were clearly no strangers to entering this Bizarre Temple, their experience vast.

Su Huai Ming held no goodwill toward Li Che; he was determined, with burning anger, to carve a divine statue that would utterly shatter Li Che’s lofty aspirations at Divine Eagle Ridge!

Observe the Temple Spirit!

Discern the Divine Will!

Carve the Divine Eagle!

The three veteran woodcarvers sat cross-legged as a storm began to brew within the Bizarre Temple!

While Yun Haiyang and Zhou Tianshui’s Spirit Wood wasn’t as formidable as Su Huai Ming’s, they too poured their every effort into the carving, straining every nerve to compensate for the material gap!

Their mighty primordial spirits erupted in a dazzling display,

as golden light burst forth, illuminating the entire Bizarre Temple!

Su Huai Ming’s cultivation was no less than astounding—a Divine Practitioner who had perfected his Golden Body Transcendence.

He had spent his life honing his Divine Eagle techniques, so he hadn’t dedicated much time to cultivation.

Yet, with the Su Family’s abundant resources, he had reached the pinnacle of Golden Body Transcendence.

It was this very cultivation that enabled him to become a top-tier master of the Six Divisions.

At that moment, Su Huai Ming’s eyes shone as his primordial spirit’s radiance swept past Li Che in a glance.

A bitter smile crossed his face as he mentally marked the infuriating young man a death warrant!

A mere second-grade official from the Imperial Watch!

Who would dare refuse his offer? Once the Divine Eagle Ridge Elder Assessment was over, the Su Family would act—and this kid would be the first to go.

As the treasured Divine Eagle Master of the Su Family, he could not afford even a hint of resentment.

Hmm?

Seated cross-legged, Li Che suddenly felt a subtle stirring of his mind.

Within the Cosmic Chessboard, a chess piece suddenly burst with a dense surge of black energy!

The entire Cosmic Chessboard enveloping the Bizarre Temple—this chess piece…

was none other than the Su Family’s Divine Eagle Master by its very side?

He… is planning to kill me?!

All because he couldn’t afford Divine Crystals, he harbored such murderous intent to finish me off once we left the Bizarre Temple?!

Human hearts can indeed harbor such treachery!

Li Che exhaled deeply.

His honest nature had always forced him to tread like on thin ice—inevitably, he had stepped into a trap…

You can’t walk by the river without wetting your shoes.

“Su Huai Ming…”

Li Che’s gaze hardened as if opening a book of life and death, etching the name into his mind.

He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again.

Gathering his resolve, Li Che chose no longer to heed Su Huai Ming’s murderous intent.

Right now, his most important task was to complete the Divine Eagle Ridge Elder Assessment, so that he could enter the Divine Sect Mountain Gate and finally see his daughter, XiXi.

Moreover, Li Che had another goal once inside the Divine Sect—to root out the sinister elements of the Corpse God Sect hidden within.

The Corpse God Sect…

They would forever remain Li Che’s number one enemy!

With XiXi’s burgeoning talent, the enemy would undoubtedly set their sights on her, and the would-be Corpse God lurking within had already marked her as a target.

Li Che must exterminate the Corpse God Sect that threatened XiXi!

“Once I refine the Seal of the Corpse God…”

“I will hunt you down.”

Li Che suddenly opened his eyes wide, his gaze fixed on the robed Divine Monkey statue presiding over the temple.

A low, humming vibration began.

Li Che was studying the temple spirit, but as his Divine Perception expanded, everything changed.

The three woodcarving masters vanished, as did the Spirit Wood and the 9,999 candle flames.

The altar was gone.

The Temple Spirit had disappeared.

Li Che’s vision gradually cleared.

He heard the sound of water and the chattering of monkeys.

Before him, he now saw a landscape of lush nature, blooming flowers, and melodious birdsong.

Glancing sideways, he noticed a black stone tablet covered in moss.

The tablet was inscribed in erratic cinnabar ink with three characters:

“Huaguoshan.”

Huaguoshan?!

Li Che was stunned.

He couldn’t help but recall the staggering visions he had witnessed in the Fire-Eyed Astonished Spirit Ape Bizarre Temple.

In those visions…

Countless demonic soldiers, the capture of a Divine Monkey…

Huaguoshan turned to ashes in a blaze of fire.

The Astonished Spirit Ape howled to the sky, crying and wailing.

“There will be no Huaguoshan in this world again.”

And yet, now Li Che saw Huaguoshan once more.

Only this time, it was a realm of chirping birds, flowing waterfalls, and groves laden with peach trees brimming with fruit and fragrance.

“Ah, how wonderful.”

Suddenly, a voice rang out from beside Li Che.

Li Che’s hairs stood on end.

He spun around sharply.

There stood a slight, robed Divine Monkey by his side, gazing at the peach paradise with eyes filled entirely with envy.

“I regret it…”

“But there’s no turning back.”

The robed Divine Monkey whispered softly.

An eerie calm settled as a gentle breeze stirred the wild grass, rustling softly.

The robed Divine Monkey suddenly slumped, looking haggard and dejected, completely out of place in the vibrant mountain.

It then looked toward Li Che with brilliant, golden eyes that seemed to reach across Li Che’s inner realm, glimpsing the ruined Qi Tian Face lying quietly in the Cosmic Chessboard.

It saw that shattered, incomplete mythic weapon.

“Come back,” it murmured.

……

……

Boom——!!!

Back in the Fire-Eyed Astonished Spirit Ape Bizarre Temple,

the Bizarre Temple suddenly trembled!

The mists churned, growing dense and violent, as if a boulder had been thrown into a vast lake, igniting a thousand crashing waves!

Just outside the Bizarre Temple, Gongshu Jingjun—the Divine Eagle Ridge Elder—showed a slight change in expression as he observed the scene.

Whoosh——!!!

A frigid surge seemed to penetrate his bones from head to toe!

A torrent of divine energy erupted like a fierce wave, radiating in concentric ripples that surged powerfully outward.

Thud!

With a single, mighty step, a powerful primordial spirit swept over him.

He seemed like a radiant, colossal sun, ascending skywards with an unstoppable wave of divine power!

Thunderous explosions of energy reverberated outside the Bizarre Temple!

Within the tumult of swirling mists,

a shadowy shape of a dozing Demon Ape, burdened with a gigantic club, could be vaguely seen!

“Corpse King!”

The rustling of plain clothes and the flailing of jet-black hair filled the air.

Divine energy blazed and primordial spirit surged!

Gongshu Jingjun’s eyes radiated grave concern.

Beside him, the Divine Eagle Ridge Elder he had invited from the Temple Guardian Division and the three three-bloom Grand Masters from Qianyuan Divine Sect had all charged forward.

They met the swirling mists head-on!

Suddenly…

The mists were torn apart.

Amid the chaos of the Bizarre Temple, the gigantic club wielded by the Demon Ape Corpse King pierced through the mists, revealing a corner of its form!

In an instant, even Gongshu Jingjun’s breathing grew rapid!

“This is…”

“Er Xin Great Sage’s divine weapon—a Five-Elders Superior Weapon, the Whimsical Golden Iron Divine Rod!”

Such a weapon would never unsettle a cultivator of Gongshu Jingjun’s divine realm—not because of its weaponry, but because…

The Grand Inspector of the Imperial Watch of Divine Capital once divined:

Whoever obtains the Whimsical Golden Iron Divine Rod

will ascend Qitian City,

and from within the endless mists…

find that fabled Ruyi Stick!

Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz——

The mists churned once more as the quaking thunder resounded.

The endlessly shifting Whimsical Golden Iron Divine Rod once again vanished into the mists.

Gongshu Jingjun looked downward.

Around him, the powerful cultivators he had invited exchanged glances…

“It seems the Grand Inspector’s prediction was off.”

“The Whimsical Golden Iron Divine Rod…”

“is about to emerge ahead of schedule?”

……

……

Come back.

The melancholy words of the robed Divine Monkey echoed in Li Che’s ears.

In an instant, all images faded away.

The idyllic Huaguoshan of clear mountains, flowing waters, and blossoming flowers vanished.

Even the haggard, robed old monkey disappeared.

Li Che opened his eyes.

Candle flames flickered, and the sound of chipping echoed — the woodcarving masters were at work.

Li Che raised his hand to his brow.

Within his inner realm, the Pure Heart divine energy seemed unable to fully restrain the Luminous True Primate.

“Are you…”

“ready to come out?”

Glancing at the Temple Spirit on the altar,

Li Che relaxed his hand, withdrawing his Pure Heart divine energy.

“In that case…”

Li Che gripped a Divine Dagger and brought it down onto the Blood-Fire Divine Pattern Bodhi Wood.

He gently slashed it.

“Then come forth…”

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

……

……

At the Divine Talisman Pavilion of Qianyuan Divine Sect,

outside the pavilion, heavy snow moaned as it fell, accompanied by sounds resembling ghostly wails.

The Sect Leader’s wife, a diminutive woman who looked like a venerable crone, strolled barefoot between the warm pavilions, her arms crossed.

The heat emanating from her powerful qi dispelled the bitter cold.

Clearly, her martial prowess was formidable.

“Let’s trace it one more time. Rest assured, this is a test. If you truly lack a talent for divine talismans, I’ll take pity on you for Jiao Shaoqiu’s sake and protect you for now.”

“That wretched little Loach from the Dragon God clan dares to challenge me?”

“Perfect… I’m short one ingredient for my divine talisman ink: Dragon Blood.”

The Sect Leader’s wife, though small, held a vast reservoir of energy.

Smiling warmly to comfort XiXi,

she noticed that XiXi felt somewhat ashamed after her poor academic performance was exposed.

XiXi didn’t care much for writing or drawing—what she loved was the pink Gatling gun of Master Niu Niu for setting off fireworks!

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, having known XiXi for a long time, understood her nature well.

He stroked his beard with a smile.

“XiXi, even if you want to launch fireworks… you need a divine talisman to maximize its effect.”

“For example, if you set off fireworks without hitting your target, no matter how fast your mechanical barrage, they’ll never reach them…”

“But if you master the divine talismans ‘Ding Feng Bo’ or ‘Kun Xian Fu’, everything changes…”

At these words, XiXi’s eyes brightened immediately.

Indeed, setting off fireworks was joyful,

but missing the target and being nothing more than an empty display was immensely frustrating!

Explosions are an art form!

Yet explosions without impact are nothing but dead art.

“Divine talismans… are they really that powerful?”

XiXi blinked her large eyes.

The next moment, she leaned over the desk and spread out her calligraphy copybook.

But then…

As XiXi unfolded the copybook, her eyes suddenly lit up…

She felt as if some knowledge had forcefully and arrogantly been jammed into her mind!

“Huh?”

“Why am I so smart all of a sudden!”

With her chubby little arm, XiXi grabbed the wolf-hair brush hanging on the brush rack and dipped it in thick ink.

It was as if a wash of ink spread through her mind.

XiXi began to trace the characters in the copybook.

Amazed, she stared at her hand in disbelief…

“Wow! My hand—it seems so skilled, moving on its own!”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu stood there, dumbfounded.

XiXi…

Does she still have that talent and potential?!

How could a girl who couldn’t even fully write her own name now flawlessly replicate the calligraphy of the Sect Leader’s wife’s talisman copybook?!

The petite Sect Leader’s wife approached XiXi silently from behind.

Seeing XiXi’s brush skillfully reproducing the talisman characters sent a jolt of astonishment through her eyes.

This little girl was only five?

The brushwork—such talent, a natural scholar!

It was as if a spirit of artistry possessed her!

She was born to be a Divine Talisman Master!

In an instant, the entire Divine Talisman Pavilion seemed illuminated with dazzling brilliance.

Bound by the Seven-Thousand Words, her future was once pitch dark, with no glimpse of light.

But now…

Heaven had sent her a ray of hope.

Her legacy… had finally found its bearer!

The Sect Leader’s wife’s eyes shone with a light like the first break of dawn that tears through the endless night.

Brighter and brighter!

“Excellent!”

This chapter, laden with Seven-Thousand Words and subtle foreshadowing, was a Herculean task to write—my hair is falling out and my back is numb. Please, award votes, recommendations, and keep reading. Let’s push through! Old Li will continue to deliver more tomorrow!

Everyone, speak up!

Everyone, speak up!

This afternoon I have matters to attend to—my medicine is finished, my cough lingers, and my back aches. I’ll visit the hospital; updates will be delayed until tonight. Keep your monthly votes ready and wait for Old Li to return. Tonight, after two chapters, please vote again!