Chapter 265: Thunder, Tempest, and Divine Wrath

Crack! Crack! —!

Like a clap of thunder splitting the sky, lightning flashed and rolled like spring thunder, as the storm unleashed itself from clouds swollen with spring rain, accumulated after a bitter winter under monsoonal heat.

In that instant, the lightning burst forth like countless savage webs stretched across the stormy clouds.

Dao Master Residence – Garden Corridor.

The torrential spring rain pounded the black-tiled eaves with resounding claps, creating a crisp, rhythmic melody.

It fashioned a delicate spring tune.

But at this moment, Yue Weizheng had no mood to appreciate the freshly washed tune of rain.

He stared at Lu Chi in astonishment.

Watching Lu Chi speak so calmly made his expression twitch involuntarily.

Even as a cultivator of divine birth and transformation, he couldn’t help but grimace now.

Mo Lao clutched his folded oil-paper umbrella, standing quietly aside; upon hearing Lu Chi’s orders, a strange light flashed in his eyes.

This was the very first task Lu Chi had given him on their journey.

He had followed the decree of Imperial Tutor Xie Yunshen to assist and protect Lu Chi, the little favored prince, all the way from Divine Capital to Daocheng.

He was well acquainted with Lu Chi’s temperament.

“Here.”

Mo Lao replied gently, without objection.

But Yue Weizheng’s eyes narrowed. Despite being on friendly terms with the Dragon Queen, he couldn’t hide his disapproval.

At that moment, he hurriedly spoke, “Your Highness…”

“The Princess is merely the consort of King Ping Luan’s Ji Mo Li…”

Yue Weizheng frowned.

Lu Chi tilted his head, utterly devoid of emotion as if fear was unknown to him: “Ji Mo Li isn’t even in Daocheng.”

Yue Weizheng froze.

He recalled hearing that when Lu Chi was at Jingguang Prefecture, during the inheritance ceremony at Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple, the seven emotions and six desires were severed…

Such a revelation rendered him utterly speechless.

Only the Sect Master of Qianyuan Divine Sect, Lü Taibai, could probably stand against Ji Mo Li’s cultivation in all of Daocheng.

But the most fearsome aspect of Ji Mo Li was undoubtedly his army!

Apart from his four elite Black-Armored Guards, there were also three thousand heavy-armored cavalry, each rumored to be a Divine Guts Grandmaster cultivated at the cost of several counties’ resources!

A single charge from them would make even a Martial Saint think twice!

“Ji Mo Li isn’t in Daocheng, so why should I fear him?”

“I’m merely planning to slap the Princess; I’m not going to kill her.”

“And besides, this Princess… having offended the Underworld, she can’t possibly leave Daocheng alive. I must strike her sooner rather than later.”

“She fills me with an inexplicable disgust.”

Lu Chi stated coolly.

He wasn’t planning to hit her just because the Dragon Queen had called XiXi a whore.

Yue Weizheng was left utterly speechless.

How could Lu Chi be so confident when dealing with the Underworld?

The Underworld was indeed mysterious, ruthless, and elusive, but even they might not get a chance to kill the Princess, right?

Lu Chi couldn’t be bothered to talk any further with Yue Weizheng.

He glanced at Mo Lao and gave a slight nod.

Mo Lao smiled, and in the next moment, his feet lifted gracefully.

He vanished from his spot.

When he reappeared, he was standing before the Dragon Queen—who now held a ruler as she sternly admonished her subordinate.

The Dragon Queen’s eyes narrowed for a moment, as if the roaring winds, pounding rain, and the crisp clapping of the black tiles had all vanished in an instant!

Possessing nearly Martial Saint-level cultivation, the Dragon Queen of the Dragon Clan boasted an extraordinarily resilient body, an unmatched natural gift, and an indomitable will.

But right now, she felt an overwhelming heaviness in her heart, as if even her thoughts had slowed to a crawl.

An ominous aura of authority pressed down on her, plunging her into momentary darkness.

Divine Birth!

And it was definitely not a mere divine transformation!

Incomprehensibly profound!

The Princess’s heart sank, a mix of shock and anger surging within her!

“You—”

The graceful figure of the Princess was frozen in place by the terrifying pressure, utterly powerless to even twitch a finger.

“How dare you!”

She erupted in furious outrage!

Fixing her glare on Lu Chi in the distance, anger welled up in her eyes!

Confused and dazed, she wondered: how had she managed to enrage this prince?

Though Lu Chi was a prince, she was the consort of King Ping Luan—linked by marriage to the Ji Mo Li alliance within the Dragon Clan.

Surely, Ji Mo Li would protect her pride!

Then how dare Lu Chi let his subordinates smear his reputation!

Mo Lao’s white hair fluttered as he looked at the Dragon Queen with a cool, emotionless gaze.

To him, a half-Martial Saint Dragoness posed no threat whatsoever…

“Enough.”

“If you wronged the prince and earned this slap, you must have said something you shouldn’t have.”

Mo Lao said flatly, “Accept it.”

His words barely faded when

he shot forth his hand with fingers splayed wide.

Smack—!!!

A terrifying surge of blood energy exploded onto the Princess’s face, leaving a red mark in an instant, with a streak of fresh blood trickling from her lip.

Her head jerked to the side, as shock, bewilderment, and fury contorted her eyes!

A myriad of emotions flashed across her face!

What exactly did she say that shouldn’t have been uttered?

“Whore?”

Could it really be just that one word?

Had the prince set his sights on Li Nuǎnxi, that whore?!

The Princess, no fool that she was, suppressed her inner rage knowing that in Daocheng, her backing was slim.

Though she was a Princess, the Dao Master wouldn’t intervene on her behalf and risk offending a powerful cultivator.

Thus, this humiliation, this loss…

Had to be endured!

It was the second time!

The first time, Sect Master’s Wife Xuan Qisha had, in front of the whole city of cultivators, struck her down with a Divine Talisman, nearly mortally wounding her.

For a person to be savagely slapped just because of one word, this was beyond belief!

The Dragon Queen’s fingers clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, almost merging with her flesh.

Mo Lao looked at the Dragon Queen with a hint of surprise.

Wasn’t the Dragon Clan known for its hot temper and reckless nature?

Wasn’t this Princess usually so clear-headed and composed?

Yet, having already tasted defeat once, she had grown wiser.

Mo Lao, seeing that the Dragon Queen did not resist, didn’t bother to act; with his cultivation, his strength was meant to dominate, and without Lu Chi’s command, he wouldn’t target a cultivator from the Dragon Clan who wasn’t even a Martial Saint.

In a flash, he rejoined Lu Chi’s side.

Mo Lao then suddenly looked up to see Lu Chi’s brow, where the Lotus of the Underworld pattern twitched.

Soon, a rotund, endearing figure stepped out from the torrential spring rain.

The wind and rain seemed to pull aside like curtains, and with a flash of spring thunder, an unidentifiable pressure began to radiate.

“Dao Master of Qianyuan… Yue Huanglong.”

Mo Lao’s face grew serious as he stepped closer to Lu Chi and introduced in a low tone.

Lu Chi suddenly brightened, nodding his large head as he clasped his fists in greeting.

“Your Highness, welcome. Come, come—shouldn’t we prepare the courtyard properly for Your Highness? We mustn’t keep you waiting.”

Yue Huanglong grinned goofily, showing no trace of an imposing aura.

Yet Mo Lao remained tense.

After all, Dao Master Yue Huanglong was notorious for his deceptive smile.

How could one so formidable, who had stood against both the Great Jing Court and the powerful Lü Taibai of Qianyuan Divine Sect for so many years, be taken lightly?

Lu Chi greeted Yue Huanglong coolly, and the latter floated down lightly, not a drop of rain clinging to him.

He fondly took Lu Chi by the arm and, with a goofy smile, led him through the corridor deep into the residence.

Meanwhile, no one paid any attention to the Princess.

……

……

ROAR—!!!

A ferocious roar shattered the air as a massive sword light descended, and countless incantations seemed to burst forth from the giant sword, once extracted from a semi-divine corpse guarding the temple.

Huang Jianjiu’s Spiritual Confinement tightened as Sword Immortal Sword Intent burst forth; a dazzling explosion of sword light swept over, forming tens of thousands of gleaming arcs!

Having done it once before, Huang Jianjiu was even more adept now.

He swiftly concealed a Feilei Chess Piece within a streak of sword light, sending out tens of thousands of flashes—something even two semi-divine temple corpse guardians would never expect: hidden within his sword light were impurities!

Bang bang—!!!

After the Feilei Chess Piece was teleported via his sword light,

Huang Jianjiu, having unleashed his full strength in a burst of one sword strike, saw his entire Spiritual Confinement body explode, dissolving into black mist.

Elsewhere, You Liqing, who had just breached Martial Saint realm, was matched against a semi-divine corpse guardian far beyond his level by Li Che.

Even if he unleashed his divine seed, gave his all, or roared with demonic serpents twisting through the sky…

He was still obliterated by a single sword strike.

You Liqing’s Spiritual Confinement simply dissolved into black mist within the Bizarre Temple.

The two ten-meter-tall semi-divine temple corpse guardians, resembling fearsome temple guardians, exchanged glances; their bloodshot eyes revealed a hint of bewilderment.

Where were the enemies?

Had they been shattered to pieces?

How could they be defeated so effortlessly?

Rumbling—

In the distance, the thick strange mist was torn apart forcefully!

Thundering roars accompanied by fierce blood energy and Martial Saint aura surged turbulently within the Bizarre Temple!

Feng Zhiqi, immense and imposing with blood energy like a coiled dragon, transformed the entire Bizarre Temple into a blinding white haze in that moment.

And this was not the white of drifting snowy mists but the searing brilliance and heat of blood energy at its peak!

It was the full display of a Martial Saint unleashing his might!

Feng Zhiqi roared in anger; how could someone intrude into the guarded temple of the bizarre sanctuary without detection? How could he not be furious?

The strange mist shattered around Feng Zhiqi as his Martial Saint aura blasted it apart, like a razor-sharp blade cleaving through!

The earth-shaking sharpness, fused with his indomitable martial intent, surged like the tidal bore of the Jiulong River, rolling and surging!

Before anyone arrived, the entire scene transformed in an instant!

Yet, as soon as Feng Zhiqi appeared, his brows furrowed.

The eyes of the two temple corpse guardians turned bloodshot as they fixed on a new target in an instant!

Amid clashing sounds, the whole Bizarre Temple trembled; a giant sword was drawn, and the ground split as countless intertwined cracks appeared.

The two temple corpse guardians charged ferociously!

Like a roaring tsunami and violent gales, a fierce current raged like a cascading waterfall!

Boom—!!!

A terrifying collision exploded in an instant.

Li Che had just set foot inside the Bizarre Temple and, glancing back,

saw a towering mushroom cloud of blood energy rising over a hundred feet high amid the Bizarre Temple, glaring with unbearable brightness…

A formidable martial will merged with the heavens and earth, unleashing unprecedented energy and dominance!

Yet, no matter how wild the battle outside, it did nothing to disturb the calm within the Bizarre Temple.

Ascending the jade steps, Li Che, clad in a dark robe and wearing an Ogre Mask, exuded an imposing aura like a mountain tower.

Inside the Bizarre Temple, dim candlelight from rows of white candles illuminated the space just enough.

This temple, a Five Elder-level Bizarre Temple, was as grand as the one Li Che had visited before—the Two-Hearted Great Sage’s Bizarre Temple—or even the Golden Heavenly King Divine Hall.

The altar was positioned along the central axis of the temple.

Scanning the area, Li Che’s eyes fell on a man in a Taoist robe with hands clasped behind his back, carrying a sheathed treasured sword.

The man, with a handsome beard and piercing eyes that sparkled with vitality, exuded an overwhelming sword intent that seemed to conjure six swords in one glance.

“Six-Desire Exorcism Lv Xuan Sword Immortal Temple Spirit…”

The eyes behind Li Che’s Ogre Mask shimmered with golden smoke and electricity.

His gaze settled on the altar where the temple spirit statue silently observed him.

A thought stirred.

Clenching his fist, the latent six-wheeled divine foundation unfurled behind him like a peacock’s display.

The Six-Wheeled Six-Desire Divine Foundation radiated with dazzling brilliance!

The Seven Emotions had forged divine vision, yet the Six Desires remained as the divine foundation!

Li Che knew that tonight’s exploration could be pivotal for a breakthrough in his divine cultivation.

However, as he frowned at the temple spirit, he wondered how to merge the six-wheeled divine foundation into one, to carve it into the temple spirit.

Six-Desire Exorcism Lv Xuan Sword Immortal…

But can one divide into six?

Li Che pondered for a moment, at a loss, and felt a surge of disappointment.

He couldn’t directly apply his divine power of Summon the Divine on the temple spirit.

After all, it was a Five Elder-level Bizarre Temple; whether Summon the Divine would work was uncertain, and even if he summoned the temple spirit, he wasn’t sure he could control it with his Cosmic Chessboard.

Thus, that road was a dead end.

“Summon the Divine failed…”

“Then perhaps I should try the second-tier heavenly divine power, Ming Shen, acquired after the third metamorphosis of the Pure Heart Dao Fruit?”

Li Che’s eyes, visible under his Ogre Mask, flickered with light.

He brushed off the mist from his dark robe and sat cross-legged before the altar.

Raising a hand, he pointed to his forehead.

Flesh tore and the Star Plucking Gaze emerged.

Divine power… Ming Shen!

The second-tier heavenly divine power!

Inside his chest, the Pure Heart Dao Fruit thumped violently.

Thud, thud, thud, thud—

Like rolling thunder, Li Che’s ears rang as he felt his soul nearly forced out of his body by overwhelming power.

In a flash…

Everything inside the Bizarre Temple seemed to change.

The originally gloomy and Bizarre Temple suddenly blazed with intense brightness, turning it entirely white.

Only the silhouette of the temple spirit atop the altar remained.

The temple spirit, resembling a living Sword Immortal, appeared to awaken as its eyes shone with lively humor while gazing at him.

Then the temple spirit rose, briskly stepping down from the altar with celestial grace.

In a few strides, it stood right in front of Li Che, whose presence seemed almost astral.

Raising a hand, it pointed at his forehead.

In an instant,

It was as if the cry of a crane echoed as the scene before his eyes transformed, swept by swirling winds and raging tides.

Looking down, Li Che saw a city beneath him—a sea of fire, countless interwoven bones, and rivers of blood.

Riding a crane high above the clouds, one could see a vast city buried in bones.

Ahead, a Taoist in a flowing robe, his hair and beard whipping in the wind,

Looked upon the scene below with sorrowful compassion.

The sword in his pouch trembled, as if eager to slash away the turbulent emotions within him, one strike after another.

Li Che frowned. With Ming Shen activated, what scene was this meant to reveal?

Suddenly,

Li Che’s eyes widened in astonishment.

He saw the name on the city gate of a city engulfed in flames and strewn with bodies.

“Nanli City.”

Li Che was stunned.

Nanli City…

Nanli Fire?

Was it mere coincidence?

Or… was this the vision of the tragedies once faced by Nanli Fire, as shown by the Sword Immortal?

Li Che understood the deep-seated hatred and anger burning in Nanli Fire’s heart—a desire to kill Ji Mo Li, who reigned at the pinnacle of Great Jing’s might!

Such a blood-soaked vendetta, so extreme as to be nearly unthinkable…

Nanli Fire knew it was all Ji Mo Li’s doing; his hatred was unquenchable.

Suddenly,

Li Che felt a piercing stab in his heart.

He looked down.

There, atop a city tower, stood a massive, devilish figure in dark armor with a blazing red cape swirling in the tempest—its presence demonic.

Beside this imposing figure were four burly men, each towering at three meters tall, clad in armor and exuding a Martial Saint aura that churned like rolling dragon shadows, tearing through the wind and flames!

These four figures circled the hulking dark-armored man; one held a pipa, another a treasured sword, one clutched a jet-black demonic serpent, and the last bore a glazed treasure umbrella—all with grim, blue faces and sharp fangs!

The Four Heavenly Kings?!

Li Che’s heart sank.

They stood atop the walls of the fire-devoured Nanli City.

Overlooking the city of bones and blood, they remained calm and unruffled.

It was as if they had nonchalantly tossed a log of fire into a perfectly refined pill furnace.

Almost as if

They envisioned an entire city as a furnace with thousands of citizens as medicinal ingredients…

To concoct the ultimate elixir.

Li Che’s fingers tightened fiercely as he sensed the dark-armored figure on the city tower raise its head abruptly.

As if it had sensed something, that gaze descended, dark enough to dim the heavens.

Li Che felt his vision pricked by its intensity.

That figure…

Li Che knew it all too well—from the time in the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple, when Ji Haihui was slain.

The martial will imbued in Ji Haihui’s bloodline had spread across great distances.

“Ji Mo Li…”

“Is that all it takes to call himself King Ping Luan?!”

Li Che murmured, his body trembling as surging blood energy exploded uncontrollably, burning with fervent anger.

After a long moment, a deep exhale escaped him.

He knew these were visions of the past, a replay of times long gone.

Yet, Li Che suddenly felt a nagging doubt: why…

Why did activating Ming Shen reveal such images?

Had the Sword Immortal temple spirit deliberately shown him this?

Or was it the Sword Immortal’s decree—eliminating evil and annihilating the wicked?

Before he could ponder further, all the visions shattered in a burst.

Only the image of a Taoist riding a crane, with Li Che trailing behind, remained—charging straight into the heavens.

A hearty laugh rang out from a Taoist, brimming with sword intent that pierced the heavens and earth.

“Eradicate the injustices of this fleeting world and ascend to the heavens with me.”

……

“Roam the north by day, twilight over the south; with serpent-hard courage tucked in one’s sleeve.”

……

“When the sword rises, stars scatter for a thousand miles; when thunder follows, rainstorms dare not compare.”

……

With a three-foot sword at his back, he dared to display his defiance toward the unjust.

One phrase after another rang like the eternal chimes of immortals, as countless clashing swords echoed through the heavens, dancing like dragons.

Somehow, Li Che felt as though the Mud Pellet was pulsating, as if it had grasped a profound revelation.

Finally…

All that reached Li Che’s ears was a lonely sigh, like a resounding vow—thunderous and resolute.

“Only after bearing the weight of all lives can one truly ascend to immortality…”

Boom—!!!

Countless fragments of light shattered.

Li Che opened his eyes again, finding himself still seated on the ground as everything in the Bizarre Temple returned to its former state.

Inside his chest,

the Pure Heart Dao Fruit continued its steady pulse.

Clearly…

the Ming Shen divine power had not yet run its course.

Ming Shen, the very nature of the temple spirit?

The Ming of the temple spirit was embodied in that resolute vow… “Only after bearing the weight of all lives can one truly ascend to immortality?”

In an instant,

Li Che’s eyes hardened.

He saw countless sword auras surging up inside the Bizarre Temple, howling and clashing as torrents of wind and storm intertwined.

All the burning white candles in the temple were extinguished in that moment by the fierce assault of sword energy!

Then Li Che noticed as a tremendous divine aura erupted from the temple spirit statue and coalesced into the form of a radiant Sword Immortal temple spirit, glowing with white light before him.

It seemed as if he heard the Sword Immortal’s laugh, as though greeting the vast sea of time.

Then, stepping forward, it even stepped into the inner realm of Li Che’s Mud Pellet.

In that moment, he finally grasped a divine cultivation method.

『Four Sovereigns and Six-Desire Exorcism Pure Yang Divine Tribulation Technique』

Moreover, there was also a top-tier divine seed martial art.

『Six-Desire Exorcism Pure Yang Sword Technique』

And within the inner realm of the Mud Pellet!

Lu Xuan Sword Immortal temple spirit sat serenely, while the Six-Wheeled Six-Desire Divine Foundation floated; its scattered remnants, swept away by his sword aura, coalesced into a surging torrent of divine energy.

The Six-Wheeled Divine Foundation transformed into six divine swords!

And they were completely filled by the overwhelming divine aura of the temple spirit!

The six divine swords thus became six manifestations of divine vision!

Under the full embrace of the temple spirit’s aura, the quality of the six divine vision swords reached the pinnacle of divine vision, the primordial phase!

This saved Li Che countless hardships, even sparing him several Divine Crystals.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The Six-Desire Divine Vision Sword sped across, its sword light carving chaotic patterns before finally suspending behind Lu Xuan Sword Immortal temple spirit, bursting forth like a riot of blooming flowers, with the sword tips fanning outward.

The Fa Tian Xiang Di Luminous True Primate divine vision stood apart from the Seven-Emotion divine vision.

Now, this Six-Desire Exorcism Lv Xuan Sword Immortal divine vision had also emerged separately—its own manifestation of Six-Desire divine vision!

Countless clashing sword lights resounded mightily, radiant and peerless!

The Six-Desire divine vision now stood in stark contrast to Li Che’s original concept of the Six-Desire Corpse Divine Vision!

But Li Che’s focus was not yet dampened; the Ming Shen divine power still raged on.

Its intent lingered persistently.

The overwhelming divine aura of the Sword Immortal temple spirit spread out, and with it came the essence of sword intent, sword energy, and the deep comprehension of the sword—a light sword entirely formed from the temple spirit’s divine energy within the inner realm of the Mud Pellet.

Li Che’s Star Plucking Gaze trembled; he instantly deciphered the message within the light sword.

【Sword Immortal Sword Intent Seed】!

His mind merged with the light sword.

He even sensed a majestic vow shaking the core of his being.

“Only after bearing the weight of all lives can one become immortal…”

Mighty as the vow was, it seemed to bind the Sword Immortal Sword Intent Seed with chains of destiny…

Rendering Li Che temporarily unable to control or drive it!

It was as if he must fulfill that vow to break free of the bonds.

Li Che’s eyes flickered.

“So this is the true activation method for Ming Shen? A brutally direct way to grasp the temple spirit’s divine legacy?”

“Huang Jianjiu only received a wisp of Sword Immortal Sword Intent, yet broke through into the Sword Saint realm solely through his sword intent…”

“If this Sword Immortal Sword Intent Seed, imbued with all of Lu Xuan Sword Immortal temple spirit’s sword intent, were to be used to empower one of my Eight Extraordinary Doors, imagine the devastation!”

“Alas, the sword intent seed is sealed by that vow—it clearly won’t be easy to break these chains.”

“Ming Shen seems more like accepting an entrustment from the temple spirit…”

Li Che couldn’t help but recall the visions during his Ming Shen activation.

A city turned into a furnace, mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, an obliteration of all life…

Unimaginable sin!

Perhaps the Sword Immortal temple spirit’s vow was tied to the city’s ruin?

Li Che’s heart stirred slightly…

Or perhaps, it was a vision unveiled by the greatest evil around him?

“So if I want to harness all the Sword Immortal Sword Intent Seeds, must I eradicate the sin of the mortal world?”

“Is it a trial meant for me?”

Li Che mused deeply.

Buzzing—buzzing—buzzing—

Just as Li Che sank into thought,

the entire Six-Desire Exorcism Lv Xuan Sword Immortal Bizarre Temple trembled suddenly.

In an instant, a rippling, terrifying shockwave spread in all directions!

A brilliantly resplendent sword chant exploded out from the Bizarre Temple.

A beam of sword light blazed upward, piercing the clouds!

It was as if a straight, unyielding column of light tore through the invisible barrier, soaring into the skies above the Bizarre Temple!

The thick strange mist immediately grew hazy and indistinct!

Boom—!!!

In the skies above the Bizarre Temple, endless dark clouds appeared to be punctured by a gaping hole!

Rippled, folded clouds spread outward!

Inside the Bizarre Temple,

two ten-meter-tall semi-divine temple corpse guardians, wielding massive swords, suddenly halted mid-swing while clashing with a bloated guardian battling Feng Zhiqi.

Feng Zhiqi too ceased his strike and abruptly retreated as torrents of strange mist were blasted away like a landslide.

Feng Zhiqi’s massive frame pulsed with his Martial Saint aura as it roiled wildly on his body.

He stared at that pillar of sword energy, shooting upward from the Bizarre Temple into the clouds, his eyes narrowing in utter shock!

“This is…”

“Someone is resonating with the Sword Immortal temple spirit…”

“And the level of resonance…”

“Is a perfect ten?!”

“How is that possible?!”

……

……

Seven-thousand Words – I hit a wall. I’m so damn frustrated with this scene, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through. Please vote, recommend, and follow. My thanks to everyone! Now, off to sleep.