Chapter 242: Silent Snow and the Awakening of Divine Mechanisms

Snow fell silently, drifting onto the ground, eaves, and tiles.

A layer of pristine white enveloped the still world.

Li Che opened his eyes, his jet-black hair spirited and untamed even in still air, a striking contrast against the white expanse.

The dark strands danced wildly, drawing immediate attention.

Soft, flowing light, like a murmuring stream, glided gently in his calm pupils, reminiscent of two wisp-like traces of submerged incense.

It was entirely different from the fierce surge he felt when the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit ascended to LV5.

With the transformation of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit, Li Che felt every fiber of his muscles, bones, blood, and inner organs change.

His surging blood was nearly boiling, like molten lava streaming through him.

This was the metamorphosis that resonated with his stage of transverse refinement.

And this time, the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit evolved on Shendiao Ridge, where he painstakingly completed the Fa Tian Xiang Di Luminous True Primate carving, and moments ago seamlessly incorporated the lingering semi-divine aura left by Elder Sun’s carving.

Thus, the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit leapt in power, directly soaring to LV5.

Li Che’s mood soared.

In truth, he hadn’t anticipated the Dao Fruit’s evolution in the Xianggong realm, yet after finishing the carving on Shendiao Ridge, a profound intuition stirred within him.

Sure enough, even without strictly following Elder Sun’s divine eagle engraving, Li Che could gradually refine the Xianggong transformation.

Now, it had merely accelerated the process.

Compared to the transformation of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit, the Xianggong Dao Fruit’s evolution felt less explosive; Li Che’s emotions were almost unmoved.

Perhaps it was simply a natural progression.

Still, anticipation and joy remained—though it could never match the blazing intensity of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit’s first LV5 metamorphosis.

Indeed…

Only the first time can ever be as magnificent.

With the Xianggong Dao Fruit’s first evolution, he gained the Nascent Divine Power 【Thousand Analysis Hand】, boosting his woodcarving techniques to the point of dissecting the essence of things and glimpsing the truth.

The second evolution unlocked the Divine Art 【Star Plucking Gaze】, which not only inherited the functions of 【Thousand Analysis Hand】 but also offered endless insights into the void, revealing truth beyond appearances.

Both abilities immensely aided Li Che.

They allowed him to understand and feel the world with new clarity.

Now, as the third evolution approached, what changes would it bring?

Seated quietly in the courtyard, Li Che watched the drifting snow as a gentle breeze stirred it.

The world was hushed, as if cleansing the soul with its serene silence.

After a long while,

Li Che slowly exhaled.

“Hoo—” he breathed, his lungs drawing in the soft, swirling air.

Every sound—from the breeze to the falling snow—melded into a quiet hush.

Only the pulsating drum of energy from his Dao Fruit echoed like thunder in his chest.

Li Che closed his eyes.

It felt as if he stood atop an ancient monastery on an endless peak, where a timeworn bell tolled desperately with the ebb and flow of tides, its sound resonating deep within his soul.

A familiar sensation washed over him.

When he finally opened his eyes, his spirit, having weathered a cosmic tumult, seemed to have bridged the gap between heaven and earth.

He arrived in a vast, primeval realm.

Every Dao Fruit experienced this space differently—the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit pulled him inexorably, while the Xianggong Dao Fruit induced a dizzying, whirlwind sensation.

His gaze swept across the scene.

The boundless, profound heavens and earth exuded mystery, majesty, and an overwhelming sense of ancient sorrow, quieting the soul.

All he could see was an endless vista, with ancient towering trees whose roots spread like entwined dragons and delicate damselflies.

A crack formed in the mud pellet resting between his brows as the Star Plucking Gaze manifested, shimmering brilliantly.

His hands transformed into a jade hue as the Thousand Analysis Hand activated, entering the embryonic stage of divine power.

Gigantic divine trees pierced the clouds, shattering them and sending ripples through the scattered, drifting mists.

From these trees hung countless Dao Fruits shimmering with iridescent, seven-colored light.

The robust Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit had grown massive, and the Xianggong Dao Fruit now swelled to a similar size.

Its weight bent the branches noticeably, curving them in striking arcs.

Li Che stared at one Dao Fruit, pulsating as though alive with every breath.

Inside, vivid streams of light danced, and he solely sensed the maddening heat from his brow’s Star Plucking Gaze—as if it were unleashing an intense radiance to evaporate everything!

It burned like incandescent filaments under billions of watts, exuding an unbelievably brilliant glow!

Involuntarily, Li Che raised his hand; his palms shimmered like polished jade, pure and refined.

He slowly stretched his hand toward the divine tree as if to pluck that Dao Fruit—the same tree that soared into the heavens, supporting the entire world.

It was as if he could pluck the stars from the sky!

BOOM!!!

At that moment, a gargantuan shockwave erupted from the tree, and Li Che’s heart trembled with its force.

His consciousness snapped back into his body as streams of light flowed past like tranquil streams.

【Dao Fruit: Xianggong (Iv5 0%)】

【Dao Fruit Iv5, Triple Evolution: Divine Art (Star Plucking) Evolution, Ascension to Divine Art Ascension Two (【Xiangong】 Wanxiang Seal)】

Before his eyes, the luminous mists gradually faded away.

Li Che’s hair fluttered wildly, his eyes shrouded in a hazy, lingering incense.

The Dao Fruit had evolved thrice!

The Divine Art, Star Plucking, had awakened; on the foundation of the first-level Star Plucking Gaze, a new ability—【Wanxiang Seal】—had emerged!

Divine Art Ascension Two, Wanxiang Seal!

His eyes sparkled as hints of the skill gently surfaced in his mind like a rushing torrent.

With a steely gaze, Li Che’s eyes widened in shock.

【Star Plucking (Divine Art): Pluck Stars with My Hands, Envelop Them in My Spirit, Purge All Impurities, and Command All Life】

【First Level: Star Plucking Gaze】

【Second Level: Wanxiang Seal】

【Wanxiang Celestial Craft: Imprint to Enliven, Transmute Frail Flesh, Ascend to Immortal Machinery】

As the awakening of Divine Art Ascension Two surged within him, epiphanies flooded his heart like a cascading waterfall.

Li Che’s eyes narrowed, a trace of astonishment evident.

Wanxiang Celestial Craft, imprinting life!

It resembled the soul-siphoning imprint of the Star Plucking Gaze, but this was an even greater evolution.

The subsequent phrases about frail flesh transmuting and the ascension of immortal machinery left Li Che momentarily dazed.

He simply shook his head, refusing to dwell on it further.

Seated again in the courtyard, as the delicate snow silently descended, Li Che’s eyes slowly closed, his spirit stirred by the recent transformation of his Xianggong Dao Fruit.

It activated his second-level Divine Art!

Wanxiang Seal!

BOOM!!!

When he opened his eyes, his pupils seemed to dance with golden marks.

In an instant, the transformation had reached its peak—divine techniques manifesting on both the first and second stage!

His surging blood, infused with divine power as if compressed into a bomb, exploded; a tidal wave of heat evaporated every flake of snow in the courtyard, sending currents of air to the edges, causing even the Cosmic Chessboard to tremble!

Drop by drop, his potent blood was unleashed by his every strike!

His hands moved with lightning speed, executing the seals of the Mechanism Nine Seals!

In that moment, aided by his second-level Divine Art Wanxiang Seal, the technique underwent subtle changes!

“All who face me, count your steps ahead!”

BOOM!

At that moment, Li Che could feel his body’s divine essence, blood, and innate power being drawn out!

It was as if nine crimson seals had materialized around him, slowly circulating around his now-massive, towering body—the very embodiment of Dragon Elephant Divine Might!

His eyes flashed like lightning as he surveyed the nine blood-red divine seals.

Each seal possessed unique and formidable properties, and if all nine ever converged within the Mechanism Seals, the result might be more terrifying than the original Technique of the Nine Seals!

Li Che’s eyes gleamed; the rank of the Mechanism Nine Seals as a supreme technique had been elevated by the Wanxiang Seal!

Beyond that,

Li Che suddenly executed another seal with a flash of his hands.

The nine blood-red marks fused gradually, as if by some miraculous craftsmanship, uniting to form a single, powerful emblem!

When the nine seals fully merged, they transformed into two radiant, resplendent marks.

“Wanxiang”!

The Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals!

Li Che’s eyes blazed with triumph!

Divine Seed Martial Arts!

Moreover…

They had evolved into top-tier Divine Seed Martial Arts!

The upgraded technique of the Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals in conjunction with the heavenly mechanism reached an elite level!

At least, compared to the 【Blood Croc Cleave】 he had acquired from Long Tai, this newly elevated seal method was leagues ahead!

“Much like the Tianji Nine Seals, it is both martial and blessed with the inherent spirit of mechanisms!”

Li Che’s eyes sparkled as he recalled the unique trait of the Mechanism Nine Seals.

Now, with the aid of divine power, not only had he mastered the original technique, but he had also elevated it to a higher echelon, thus forging what he called the “Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals.”

“So, the Mechanism Beasts empowered by my Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals might just become even stronger?”

Li Che’s body trembled with the stimulation; his flesh swelled mighty as if he were a deity or demon incarnate.

In that instant, an inner desire surged—a yearning to cultivate this Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals technique.

For Li Che, a Divine Seed Martial Art was exactly what he needed to resolve his urgent dilemma.

After all, the 【Blood Croc Cleave】 was only an incomplete Divine Seed Martial Art; he still had no idea when he might complete it.

Now that a true Divine Seed Martial Art had appeared, Li Che couldn’t help but be excited.

A subtle smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Of course—

Mastery was one thing, but completely refining the Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals to integrate into the Eight Eccentric Doors was no easy task; it required further effort.

Li Che rose and, with two fingers pressed together, tore open the air to extract the previously crafted Xianggong mechanism from Qiankun Space.

There were the Xianggong Fire God Gatling, the Xianggong Fire God Barrett, and the Xianggong Fire God Cannon!

As for the electromagnetic cannon he planned to build using the 【Thunder Magnetic Conduit】 Dao Fruit as a base, it was still under research; however, the Fifth-Tier Lower Spirit Wood 【Wind Thunder Dragon Wood】 he acquired proved an excellent material, guaranteeing success in his experiments.

The Guanyin Lotus Main Battle Tank, the Avalanche Guanyin Lotus Bullet, and even the Black and White Extreme Avalanche Guanyin under research were all retrieved by Li Che.

These were all the aggressive mechanism devices Li Che had developed with his 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit.

“Now that the Xianggong Dao Fruit has evolved thrice, my understanding and insight into mechanisms has soared to an unprecedented height. I might finally have the true semi-divine comprehension.”

Li Che chuckled softly.

And that semi-divinity wasn’t limited to divine eagle, but also pertained to divine weapons and mechanisms—anything related to Xianggong could be refined through his insight!

“Hoo—”

In a single, deep breath, his muscular body gradually returned to normal size.

He snapped his fingers and, fused with his blood, divine power, and innate energy, the Mechanism Nine Divine Seals floated around him.

Now that his overall Xianggong proficiency had risen, Li Che intended to upgrade all his Xianggong mechanisms!

He would infuse every mechanism with the Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals!

But first, he needed to replace the wood material of his mechanisms; only higher-grade Spirit Wood could support the weight of the Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals, even the “Wanxiang” Seal itself!

With a flick of his fingers, the Fifth-Tier Lower Spirit Wood 【Bloodfire Bodhi Wood】 generously sponsored by Su Huai Ming appeared before Li Che.

This huge wooden block was exactly what he required to upgrade the material of his mechanisms!

Cold and crystalline, the world of glass-like ice shone under a clear, cool night.

In Tinglei Alley’s Private Workshop Courtyard,

Li Che’s gifted set of divine weapon carving knives danced agilely between his fingers.

Wood shavings fell like embers from burning wood!

After the third evolution of his Xianggong Dao Fruit, Li Che’s mind felt incredibly clear—a change at the level of innate talent, as if his blurry world had been sharpened by the perfect pair of glasses.

The Great Dao knew no edge; when the blade fell, no sound was heard!

The semi-divine aura of the divine eagle, absorbed from Elder Sun’s carving, was now fully mastered by Li Che.

All his mechanisms, including the Guanyin Lotus Main Battle Tank, were comprehensively upgraded at the material level!

Some trivial parts still used the original Spirit Wood, but critical components like the cannon chambers and barrels, which needed to withstand tremendous energy, were replaced with higher-grade materials.

It was never technique that hindered the Xianggong, but rather the raw materials!

By infusing the Bloodfire Bodhi Wood into these mechanisms, Li Che spent a whole night completing their comprehensive upgrade!

As night faded, the eastern sky started showing the first light—a gloomy, leaden dawn, as if veiled by oppressive clouds.

Li Che exhaled deeply; his bones creaked with each movement.

In the courtyard, one newly upgraded Xianggong mechanism after another was arranged meticulously.

His eyes swept over the first piece:

It was the 【Xiangong Bloodfire Bodhi Gatling】—a Bodhi-wood barrel entwined with six strands of Bloodfire Bodhi, pulsating with a red glow, emanating an aura of terrifying might just by its presence.

【Xiangong·Bloodfire Bodhi Gatling】, 【Xiangong·Bloodfire Bodhi Barrett】, and 【Xiangong·Bloodfire Bodhi Cannon】!

The three core fire mechanisms had been upgraded into the Fire Xiangong Trio!

“Frail flesh transmuted, Immortal Machinery ascended—this is no longer a dream.”

Li Che’s lips curved into a radiant smile.

The Fire Xiangong Trio had been his companion from weakness to strength; he would never abandon them, planning to continuously upgrade them.

Li Che attempted to infuse the three devices with the Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals, though for now only two Wanxiang Seals could be embedded.

Yet even this brought a monumental boost to their overall might.

Grasping the Bloodfire Bodhi Gatling, Li Che felt as if flesh and blood merged into one—an experience akin to the union between heaven and man.

He didn’t even need to aim; every shot flew true!

That was the power upgrade granted by the Wanxiang Seal!

In truth, the Wanxiang Seal’s true role was to synergize with his Mechanism Beasts!

Li Che’s eyes flickered as he snapped his fingers.

Based on Tang Sanjia’s notes on the Tang Clan’s Mechanism Beasts, the upper-six-level mechanism beast, the Blood-Yang Nine Divine Vajra Ape, began assembling as its myriad parts floated forth.

Countless components spread all over the ground.

With a swift gesture, he manipulated them by wind alone.

Scrolls unfurled in midair.

In an instant, numerous Painted Immortal clones of Li Che emerged from the scrolls.

Their eyes gleamed as each Li Che clone smiled gently before joining the assembly effort.

Although the components were exceedingly complex and numerous, any tiny error could render the Mechanism Beast inoperable.

Yet these Painted Immortal clones and Li Che shared a silent understanding.

Now, with his Xianggong Dao Fruit at IV5 and his semi-divine innate talent, assembling Mechanism Beasts was effortless.

Perhaps when his Dao Fruit was at IV4, Li Che would have struggled—but that effort was now a distant memory.

Now, everything fell perfectly into place!

Within two hours, aided by ten Painted Immortal clones, a five-meter-tall Vajra Ape slowly reared up in the courtyard.

Li Che snapped his fingers sharply.

Immediately, the Painted Immortal clones burst into black ink-like mist and vanished.

Using the Thunder Magnetic Conduit, Li Che effortlessly levitated his body.

His gaze fixed on the Blood-Yang Nine Divine Vajra Ape before him.

Raising his hand, he pressed a mark onto his brow’s mud pellet!

The Star Plucking Gaze flared open fiercely!

His body swelled instantly as his blood, divine power, and innate might surged into the Mechanism Beast, colliding with its massive frame.

On the Mechanism Beast, numerous mechanism seals began to glow.

They absorbed his blood, divine power, and innate force!

Li Che’s eyes blazed like golden flames as he forcefully unleashed the Wanxiang Nine Divine Seals with both hands!

“All who dare face me…”

BOOM!!!

Li Che’s entire body surged with explosive energy that coalesced into five divine seals. With a brutal slap from his outstretched fingers,

the first seal crashed into the Mechanism Beast’s brow.

At once, an invisible shockwave exploded outward!

Ripple after ripple expanded like concentric circles!

Without pausing, Li Che embedded a second seal—the “Soldier” seal—with a savage force as his fingers spread wide, pounding it relentlessly!

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—it was as if deities were pounding the heavens, their hammers assaulting the earth!

Wave after wave of shock rippled outward!

Five Wanxiang Seals in quick succession were driven deep into the Mechanism Beast’s core.

Li Che’s entire body surged with energy until a sixth divine seal formed.

“Count!”

For a Mechanism Beast bearing six seals, it belonged to the Five Elders’ class!

A Mechanism Beast bearing seven divine seals was considered peerless!

At this moment, Li Che’s ambition to create an unparalleled Mechanism Beast was still far off!

This upper-six-level Vajra Ape couldn’t even bear six seals.

But Li Che’s divine power and surging energy swirled into the beast, enshrouding it in a blood mist and raising its limits!

The sixth seal, the Count Seal, was finally pounded into the Mechanism Beast!

“Activate!”

Li Che roared, his eyes burning fiercely.

He looked upon the colossal beast with a trembling heart!

As his toes lightly tapped the air, shockwaves rippled out, and Li Che’s body blasted backward. Using the Thunder Magnetic Conduit, he soared effortlessly away like a fish in water!

After a ten-zhang retreat,

the silent Vajra Ape’s eyes suddenly flared with blinding light, gradually growing more brilliant and dazzling!

Clashing sounds, like metal on metal, erupted as the mechanisms collided.

In an awe-inspiring display, streams of light burst forth from the Blood-Yang Nine Divine Vajra Ape’s eyes!

“Roar—!!!!”

The Blood-Yang Nine Divine Vajra Ape threw its head back mightily,

its jaws revealing razor-sharp, Spirit Wood-carved, mechanism-engraved teeth!

A terrifying roar, like a shockwave, battered the skies!

It seemed to shatter the very clouds!

Crunch, crunch!

The vast heavens darkened as rolling black clouds responded to the mighty roar of the Blood-Yang Nine Divine Vajra Ape.

Thunder rumbled; lightning danced like dragons!

Finally, the IV5 Five Elders-class Mechanism Beast was completed!

Li Che hovered in midair, his dark robe fluttering in the wind.

He gazed slowly toward the western edge of Daocheng.

“You Liqing.”

Li Che clasped his hands behind his back, his black hair whipping wildly beneath dark thunderclouds and his robe billowing in the night.

Arcs of lightning danced in his eyes, as memories of his arrival in Daocheng flashed by—

back then, when he bombarded the Corpse God Sect’s Demon Child outside the city.

You Liqing had sensed the pursuit—as if descended from the heavens—flaring with an intensity that nearly left Li Che breathless.

Later, when Li Che slew City Lord Su Huai Li, You Liqing, like a divine being, landed a blow that injured him.

Li Che, normally unshaken, rarely got hurt.

That was the first time.

Slowly, he exhaled.

“I heard you were injured—”

“Really, I’m…”

“So concerned.”

A low hum ended the conversation.

Li Che flicked a Fifth-Tier Martial Pill, swallowing it; it dropped into his stomach with a heavy thud.

Clasping his arms, the body suspended under stormy clouds swelled visibly with robust energy.

His blood and energy surged rapidly!

The First Inherent Divine Guts, like a slicing blade, fiercely whipped through him!

When his massive body reached 2.3 meters and his black hair fell to his waist,

behind him, the Painted Immortal Dao Fruit pulsed with energy,

and one Painted Immortal clone after another emerged, all with arms folded in the air.

Li Che’s eyes flashed like lightning as he retrieved the adorable Cute Cow Mask and donned it on his face—

bringing with it joyful, cute, and charming vibes.

The cuter the mask, the fiercer the kill.

Fingers clenched!

A cold, piercing shock disrupted the dreamlike silence.

The wind shook the sea-like curtains of the painted eaves, where ice veins flowed like molten mercury.

In the West Camp of the Daocheng,

oil lamps burned with dark smoke, their flames ravenous in the howling wind.

Inside the General’s Tent,

boiling water steamed in the fire furnace, warming the camp as if in spring.

The slender legs of the Blue Bird knelt as she tenderly cleaned You Liqing’s wounds.

Long Tai, towering and broad, hefted an alligator-headed axe, standing guard before the tent.

BOOM! Rumbles echoed!

Thunder roiled; dense clouds of leaden mist roiled as serpentine bolts danced!

As the fierce winds howled, the swirling snow melted under the electric glare, gathering within the clouds, ready to unleash a torrential deluge upon the world.

“The heavens are against us—this winter’s thunder heralds a storm,”

mumbled Long Tai, squinting upward.

He retreated into the tent, exhaling heavily.

His gaze fell upon You Liqing, seated on the couch, battered and with blood-soaked wounds, his vitality waning.

Long Tai couldn’t help but shake his head in dismay.

“General, why must you suffer?”

“The Princess got herself into trouble; why should you bear the brunt? If your Divine Seed were to explode, your path as a Martial Saint would be halved!”

An indignant Long Tai seethed on behalf of You Liqing.

The Blue Bird, quietly cleaning nearby, said nothing.

“That Dragon Queen… at this hour, not even sparing a moment to see you—it’s as if unless you withstood the Xuan Qisha Locking Talisman, the Princess would have been brutally skinned!”

“That Dragon Girl—always as indifferent as ever! Dragons and snakes, both cold-blooded!”

Long Tai cursed bitterly.

He was truly dissatisfied!

“She’s my master’s wife; saving her was my duty…”

You Liqing’s tone was indifferent:

“Master’s wife, my foot! Don’t think I don’t know your intentions, General!”

Long Tai, normally straightforward, was now seething with anger.

“General, you’re just after the Princess’s body!”

Inside the tent, the atmosphere suddenly turned icy.

The Blue Bird paused mid-action, cleaning You Liqing’s body.

You Liqing cleared his throat, glaring coldly at Long Tai.

“Quiet down,” he ordered.

“Watch your tongue!”

You Liqing’s voice was edged with steely coldness.

Long Tai felt as if their combined stares could devour him, his back shivering as he retreated.

“I only say this—General, you met the Princess long before the Prince did, after all…”

“Enough!”

You Liqing thundered.

The Blue Bird stood up, her long legs graceful as she flung a soaked towel onto Long Tai’s face.

“You handle the cleaning,” she instructed.

Then, she grasped the divine bow from beside her and strode out of the tent.

Long Tai, holding the towel, grumbled:

“This woman… always so odd. Either she cleans herself or refuses to—shouldn’t you have done it from the start?”

Long Tai muttered, then left the tent without further delay.

Outside the tent, the cold wind brushed past.

The Blue Bird stood afar, arms folded, her divine bow on her back and her face as cold as ice.

Long Tai tugged his neck and slowly stepped to the tent’s entrance with his alligator-headed axe in hand.

Suddenly,

his steps halted abruptly. The frozen ground, compacted by deep snow, collapsed under his uncontrolled footstep.

He glanced upward sharply.

His wild, dark hair whipped about as his eyes narrowed—

and he saw a dense fog, rising around the tent as if it had appeared without warning.

It was like snowflakes dissolving in scalding blood, rising as a dense, rolling mist that enveloped the general’s tent.

Thwack!

The Blue Bird had already taken down her divine bow with a creak; a mighty First Inherent Divine Guts twined around an arrow, drawn back to a full moon!

Her blood, like coiling dragons, surged over her lithe yet powerful form, every sinew taut.

Her eyes glittered with unparalleled vigilance.

Long Tai’s skin prickled; every hair on him stood on end.

Clutching his axe with one hand, his wide eyes, bloodshot and terrified, betrayed the horror in his gaze as he glared at the swirling fog around the tent!

“Enemy attack…”

“Enemy attack—!!!”

Then…

his voice burst like rolling thunder against the dense fog around the tent,

only to be deflected by an unseen barrier, stifled into silence.

The sounds of wind, thunder, and a crackling bonfire all vanished.

Heaven and earth were suddenly hushed—every sound extinguished.

Long Tai’s body stiffened instantly.

“This feeling—”

“This sensation!”

“It’s as if we’ve entered the Underworld!”