Chapter 284: Shadows Over the Cosmic Chessboard

Wood chips flew in all directions, scattering wildly.

At the edge of the upturned eaves, a crater had burst open, sending shattered black tiles sliding down.

Li Che’s dark hair whipped about as a strange glimmer flashed in his eyes at the sight of the broken corner, stirring his heart.

Tōng Yōu ·——·

The Cosmic Chessboard network enveloped him, drawing him into a ghostly state—like stepping into another realm. In that realm, did damaged things in reality also shatter?

The implications were extraordinary. If he launched an attack from this netherworld, would his enemy have any inkling of where the blow came from?

With a snap of his fingers, a black Spiritual Confinement Chess Piece drifted down, transforming into the towering figure of Bai Wuchang Xue Dufu.

Xue Dufu had long since absorbed countless Spiritual Confinement essences, growing into an unrivaled Grand Master—his combat prowess exponentially greater than before.

“My Lord, you’ve finally remembered me,”

Xue Dufu said excitedly, clasping his fists.

Li Che gave him a brief glance and nodded slightly.

“I might just use you for some practice. Are you ready?”

At these words, Xue Dufu’s eyes lit up.

“Come on, my Lord! Give it to me!”

Li Che:

“Enough. Save your tongue.”

In the next instant, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers against his brow.

The Cosmic Chessboard network spread throughout the courtyard.

“Tōng Yōu.”

Then, channeling divine might, the ghostly power surged forth.

The netherworld descended!

Everything around him changed once more—ruin, desolation, death, decay—

An array of ruinous energies permeated the air as if the entire world were filtered through a ghostly lens.

Xue Dufu stood rooted to the spot, his eyes wide as he scanned about, puzzled at where his Lord had gone.

Had he been deliberately left alone, as if paraded aside?

With a tiptoe step, Li Che moved silently within the netherworld, appearing at Xue Dufu’s side before snapping his finger against the latter’s brow.

Boom!

At the snap, even the air at his fingertips seemed to twist and explode, unleashing wave after wave of surging energy!

Xue Dufu’s body, like a sandbag struck by a terrifying force, was thrown back uncontrollably; clutching his forehead, terror flashed in his eyes as he frantically scanned his surroundings, still muttering something.

Yet Li Che couldn’t make out his words, as if separated by an entire world—touch could be felt, but no sound reached his ears.

Li Che was once again testing the power of his new divine ability, 【Tōng Yōu】, granted by his Chess Sage Dao Fruit.

It turned out that 【Tōng Yōu】 could replace ghostly energy with Spiritual Confinement Chess Pieces conjured from netherworld qi, making its explosive force even more terrifying.

Moreover, Tōng Yōu allowed him to enter a realm akin to an inner world; inside, Li Che could see others, while remaining unseen himself—a perfect technique for ambushes.

Of course, although a wonderful tactic for surprise attacks, if used against a Martial Saint or a Divine Nucleus Cultivator, their innate senses and spiritual affinities might still detect the assault in the final moment.

Still, for Li Che, it was more than enough.

After all, a well-planned ambush is the best kind of attack.

Yet he couldn’t linger in the netherworld too long; extended stay risked being assimilated by its aura, possibly condemning him to an inescapable descent.

A point to remain ever vigilant about.

Exiting the Tōng Yōu, Li Che reappeared in the courtyard as if from thin air.

Xue Dufu stared at him in horror.

“My Lord… you’ve grown even more mysterious and powerful!”

Ignoring Xue Dufu’s fervent, adoring gaze, Li Che lost himself in deep thought.

Tōng Yōu—the passage to the netherworld—was not a state that corrupted the entire world but only affected the area governed by the Chessboard. Even expanding the board’s domain to the extreme wouldn’t let one reach the netherworld.

It was like a forged metal cable; drawn too long, and its strength would inevitably weaken.

The same held true for the Cosmic Chessboard’s Tōng Yōu.

From the sidelines, Xue Dufu fidgeted. In a swift motion, as Li Che’s five fingers snapped once more, Xue Dufu transformed into a Spiritual Confinement Chess Piece, falling onto the Chessboard.

Breathing deeply, he savored the gentle caress of a spring breeze laced with the fragrance of willows.

Li Che felt a surge of exhilaration. His Chess Sage Dao Fruit had reached level 5, and the resulting transformation was immense.

First and foremost, the power of the Cosmic Chessboard was comprehensively enhanced.

Whether it was perception, investigation, or the ability to shield one’s qi and influence reality, everything was far stronger than before.

“Now, can the Chessboard detect those sinister cultists of the Corpse God Sect lurking around Shendiao Ridge?”

Li Che’s eyes flickered as a subtle thought stirred.

He wasn’t in any rush. He had already sent Dragon Queen to contact the Corpse God Sect. Once their location was confirmed, Li Che would strike.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Li Che felt the inner vibrations of the scenery within his brow’s Mud Pellet space intensify.

“I’m about to break through—…”

His eyes shone with determination.

At long last, his divine cultivation was on the verge of a breakthrough.

All his Seven-Emotion Divine Visions had long been complete, and with the aid of the Six-Desire Exorcism from Lv Xuan Sword Immortal Temple Spirit, the Six-Desire Sword Divine Vision was now absorbing divine crystals, edging him towards the Primordial Transformation.

Now that everything was in balance, Li Che could see the divine essence coalesce into a Golden Pill, ready to propel him into the Divine Essence Realm!

But forging a Divine Essence Golden Pill was no simple matter.

With his spirit stirred, a divine method suddenly materialized in his mind.

It was the Divine Method of Celestial Phenomena and Earthly Spirits.

Following the divine trajectory, a surging tide of divine essence burst forth from within his Mud Pellet space,

like thousands of heaps of snow erupting at once!

Within the inner space,

the Luminous True Primate Divine Vision pounded his chest and roared toward the sky!

An overwhelming surge of divine essence flooded out as Li Che produced a Five-Elder Divine Crystal, absorbing its wild, frantic energy!

Drawing on his powerful primordial spirit, Li Che immersed himself in the inner realm, channeling divine might.

The divine power was so colossal that it burst forth from the body of the Divine Vision of Celestial Phenomena, shrouding everything in a mist of divine energy.

As Li Che refined and regulated his primordial spirit, the divine mist slowly condensed into droplets—as if forged by countless strikes into individual beads of divine essence.

They floated around the Luminous True Primate’s form.

Gradually, Li Che’s mighty primordial spirit once again rallied these droplets, coalescing them around the Primate until a gigantic sphere of divine essence fully enveloped it!

The Divine Method of Celestial Phenomena wasn’t counted among the Seven-Emotion Divine Visions since it stood distinctly apart.

Suddenly, one of the two streams of black and white energies that had developed from the Chess Sage Dao Fruit’s evolution—the white aura—burst forth and merged with the divine Golden Pill Li Che was refining.

Boom!!!

A resounding roar and shockwave shattered the silence, causing the divine essence sphere encasing the primate to tremble violently, as ripples spread out in concentric circles.

Gradually, that white energy seeped into the Primate’s body.

Time ticked by, slowly and inexorably.

In the quiet of the courtyard, an almost tangible stillness prevailed.

Li Che’s dark hair swirled wildly as his ink-black robe flapped; he collapsed onto the ground like an ancient pine, deeply absorbed in thought.

It was impossible to tell how long had passed.

Li Che’s dark hair, now inverted, framed his face as he opened his eyes, with the black and white energies swirling in his pupils.

Behind him, an exquisitely brilliant, golden divine pill spun slowly upward, radiating its glow.

A unique aura of divine pressure befitting a Divine Practitioner swept over the courtyard!

For Li Che’s cultivation of divine power was at the Three Pure Ones level!

Thus, his divine Golden Pill was of Three Pure Ones caliber—exquisite and flawless!

Overhead, the previously clear sky was suddenly choked by dark clouds.

Li Che glanced upward, furrowing his brow; with a snap of his fingers, he vanished from the courtyard.

Unexpectedly, his forged Three Pure Ones Golden Pill had triggered a cataclysmic omen.

Such celestial disturbances were beyond the shielding capacity of the Cosmic Chessboard.

So Li Che decided to change his location.

With a flick of his fingers, he materialized in a bizarre temple.

Flickering candlelight danced in the dim gloom.

This was the Bizarre Temple where he had previously left his Feilei Chess Piece as the Two-Hearted Great Sage’s signature mark.

Inside, everything was unnervingly quiet; the Two-Hearted Saint Divine Eagle stood solemnly upon the altar.

Li Che’s sudden appearance stirred quite a commotion.

Moving through the Bizarre Temple on Shendiao Ridge, he noticed that the dark clouds that once gathered over Daocheng now loomed over Shendiao Ridge.

Crack, crack!!!

Flashes of blue lightning roiled as thunder roared!

After a brief moment of gathering,

thunderbolts rained down upon the Bizarre Temple of the Two-Hearted Great Sage!

Shendiao Ridge.

In the Reception Hall, a boiling stove churned and steamed while vivid green tea leaves tumbled incessantly.

Gongshu Jingjun and Tang Xiejia sat sipping tea, engaged in light conversation.

“In just about ten days this month, the bet between Ah Che and the Sect Master’s Wife will expire. I wonder how prepared Ah Che is?”

Gongshu Jingjun cradled her tea cup, stirring the tea as she sipped thoughtfully.

Tang Xiejia, a burly man, wasn’t fussed about tea etiquette—downing his brew in one gulp.

“It’s not easy to become a half-Saint of the Divine Eagle. Since the last half-Saint charged out of Qitian Temple’s Bizarre Temple barely escaping with his life, our Qianyuan Divine Sect on Shendiao Ridge hasn’t seen a half-Saint in perhaps five hundred years, hasn’t it?”

Tang Xiejia’s words prompted a slight sigh from Gongshu Jingjun.

“There was a time when our Qianyuan Divine Sect’s Divine Eagle business was famed—the Guangling Heavenly Pill, Qingyun Mystic Talisman, Dragon Abyss Divine Treasure, and then the Lingnan Divine Eagle—”

“But now, the Lingnan Divine Eagle has been completely suppressed by Xiaolingyin Temple of Xiling Dao.”

“Xiaolingyin Temple, backed by the Wanfo Mountain range and rich in Spirit Wood resources, not only fosters several half-Saint Divine Eagles but even hosts a Divine Eagle Saint for protection—”

“Nowadays, aspiring Divine Nucleus Cultivators seeking either half-Saint or Saint-level Divine Eagles all flock to Xiaolingyin Temple. Our Qianyuan Divine Sect’s Divine Eagle business can’t even handle these orders anymore.”

Gongshu Jingjun took a sip of bitter tea, its taste mirroring the sorrow in her heart as the leader of Shendiao Ridge.

Suddenly,

a clap of thunder caused both Gongshu Jingjun and Tang Xiejia to exchange wary glances.

In an instant, the two of them stood suspended in midair, as they beheld dark clouds teeming with electric serpents, surging toward the Bizarre Temple of the Two-Hearted Great Sage.

“Celestial omens? It seems there’s a cataclysm in the offing. This calamity—”

“What’s happening at the Two-Hearted Great Sage’s Bizarre Temple?”

“Could it be that the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff is about to be revealed?”

Gongshu Jingjun frowned.

Tang Xiejia squinted and remarked, “Look—doesn’t this omen resemble the minor tribulation one might face during a breakthrough to the Golden Body Transcendence stage?”

Gongshu Jingjun couldn’t help but smile wryly at his comment.

“Who in their right mind would risk breaking through in an Bizarre Temple?”

Outside Shendiao Ridge,

the space twisted, as if scarred by a blade; a deep, dark qi oozed slowly from the widening crevice.

The rift opened up, forming a doorway.

One after another, figures as if carved from black jade, their surfaces adorned with eerie patterns, stepped out.

They were the Half-God Corpses of the Corpse God Sect.

Their scarlet eyes rotated as they fixed their gaze on Shendiao Ridge, where thick, oppressive clouds and intertwining lightning could be seen.

“This phenomenon—it seems the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff is about to emerge,”

one of them declared, “The Cult Leader has ordered that we secure this staff at all costs, for only then can we unearth that—”

“Divine Eagle of Qitian!”

At the forefront was a Half-God Corpse whose body bore two eerie floral patterns.

Behind him, two more Half-God Corpses, each with a single eerie pattern on their black jade bodies.

“Also, it appears the Underworld has been tracking our movements recently—though the Underworld is clueless about the boundaries of our Corpse God Sect. Hidden deep within the Corpse Realm, we remain utterly undetectable.”

“The Underworld can only fume in frustration,”

a calm voice resonated.

“It must be that day when I beat Huang Jianjiu ten times—perhaps I’ve stirred the wrong kind of attention.”

The Two-Flower Half God Corpse remarked coolly.

“No matter. The Underworld need not meddle; their methods are too twisted—even if Huang Jianjiu dies ten times, he still revives.”

“This Underworld, emerging from who knows where, is far more sinister than our Corpse God Sect,”

the Two-Flower Half God Corpse said with cold, indifferent eyes.

“The Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff is beyond the sole claim of Qianyuan Divine Sect; the Great Jing Court certainly won’t allow it—especially now that it’s plagued with internal and external woes and desperately needs Qitian Temple’s legacy to survive.”

“Meanwhile, Lü Taibai has just taken in Li Nuǎnxi with his secret teachings, raising her to be the new Junior Sect Master, entrusted with the Sect’s destiny and the ancestral cultivation of Qianyuan Patriarch,”

the voice continued, “This has become a major handicap for the Divine Sect.”

“Furthermore, on the bounty list of Lie Shen Pavilion in Daocheng, killing Li Nuǎnxi would yield a reward of one Four-Yu Divine Crystal—it’s unbelievable that a mere Junior Sect Master could be worth that much.”

“I just can’t help but want to pull out the mask of the Lie Shen Pavilion Star Killer,”

the Half-God Corpse licked his lips eagerly.

The guise of a Lie Shen Pavilion killer could assume a thousand forms; unless one died and had their mask stripped off, no one would ever know the true identity behind it.

The Star Mask of Lie Shen Pavilion was crafted by their Head Overseer—a divine weapon master who refined the legendary Five-Elder Divine Weapons, capable of suppressing even the deathly aura exuded by a Half-God Corpse.

Rumor had it that the King of Hunters Mask was of even higher caliber.

Alas, given his current status, he would never obtain the King of Hunters Mask.

“The Lie Shen Pavilion’s King-Level Assassin—…”

the Half-God Corpse’s eyes flashed; even if one possessed the aura-altering King of Hunters Mask,

in reality they were just individuals standing at the pinnacle.

“Enough. Let’s not alert the enemy—Li Nuǎnxi is third on the bounty list, and ambition always stokes action.”

“This will certainly cause some trouble for Lü Taibai. With the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff in play, we might get our chance,”

the voice concluded.

Li Che, using his Feilei Chess Piece, teleported to the Bizarre Temple of the Two-Hearted Great Sage.

This move had clearly attracted the attention of many factions.

At that moment, his heart was utterly immersed in the exhilaration of forging his Divine Essence Golden Pill.

The Divine essence exuding from the Divine Vision of Celestial Phenomena coalesced, liquefied, gathered into a massive divine sphere, and then solidified into his Divine Essence Golden Pill!

Boom!

A bolt of lightning twisted and struck down onto the temple roof of the Two-Hearted Great Sage in an instant.

Countless eerie mists erupted like ripples, expanding outward.

Inside the Bizarre Temple,

Li Che’s golden pill shimmered behind him as his 【Thunder Magnetic Conduit】 activated, transforming him into a being of lightning as he collided with the thunder.

The terrifying shockwave battered his flesh relentlessly.

This Divine Essence Golden Pill tribulation was just the right opportunity to temper his Thunder Magnetic Conduit!

Li Che was ecstatic—he hadn’t expected this trial to be a path for refining his Thunder Magnetic Conduit as well.

Knowing he still had his Seven-Emotion Divine Visions and Six-Desire Divine Visions to refine into Golden Pills to help trigger tribulations—

and endure over a dozen thunder strikes—

he was absolutely overjoyed!

However, Li Che was cautious; not every Divine Essence Golden Pill could trigger such tribulations…

There was only one tribulation lightning—once it struck, it vanished without a trace.

Li Che scanned the maturity level of his Thunder Magnetic Conduit.

[Dao Fruit: Thunder Magnetic Conduit (Iv2 30%)]

The increase was substantial!

Its speed was far quicker than imagined—like harnessing a spring thunder to forge one’s body.

If he won the bet with the Sect Master’s Wife, combined with the thunderous might of the Xiao Shenxiao Five-Thunder Assassination Talisman, his Thunder Magnetic Conduit would soon reach Iv3 and trigger its transformation, unveiling his divine technique.

At that thought, Li Che’s heart soared, his mood brightened immensely despite the tribulation.

Time passed slowly by.

In the ensuing days, Li Che wholly dedicated himself to solidifying his divine cultivation.

After the Divine Vision of Celestial Phenomena had forged his Divine Essence Golden Pill, a wisp of white qi began to coil around it.

As time went on, Li Che forged a second Divine Essence Golden Pill, transmuting the Six-Desire Exorcism from Lv Xuan Sword Immortal Temple Spirit into another Golden Pill.

Simultaneously, dark qi coiled around the Lv Xuan Sword Immortal Golden Pill.

His wish fulfilled, Li Che took another thunder strike—his Thunder Magnetic Conduit’s maturity leaped by another 10%, reaching 40%!

Two Prime Golden Pills had formed, entwined by dark and white qi—one black, one white—hovering in the space of his Mud Pellet.

Under the influence of these two terrifying Golden Pill auras, the myriad Temple Spirit formations trembled continuously.

Over the next three days,

Li Che devoted himself entirely to condensing his Seven-Emotion Golden Pills and Six-Desire Golden Pills.

Regrettably, the idea of channeling one tribulation lightning per divine Golden Pill ultimately proved unworkable.

Only after the Seven-Emotion Divine Visions had condensed into seven Divine Essence Golden Pills did Li Che begin to sense the force of the tribulation.

Similarly, only when the Six-Desire Divine Visions condensed into six Divine Essence Golden Pills could he similarly feel the tribulation’s power.

[Dao Fruit: Thunder Magnetic Conduit (Iv2 60%)]

Li Che slowly withdrew his gaze from the indicator of the Thunder Magnetic Conduit.

His entire body radiated warm energy as potent divine qi surged forth.

Daocheng.

On Tinglei Alley in the Private Workshop Courtyard.

Gentle spring rain fell, lightly soaking the heavens, dribbling steadily onto the black tiles and the eaves, producing a crisp, clear sound.

As the light dimmed behind layers of clouds, its brilliance gradually faded, losing its resplendence.

Sitting cross-legged in the courtyard, Li Che slowly opened his eyes as the Mud Pellet on his brow glowed softly.

He exhaled deeply.

Rising to his feet, his primordial spirit trembled.

At that moment, a gigantic golden Divine Ape slammed its massive fists against its chest and stood up, its terrifying divine pressure rippling out to shake the void.

“Golden Body Transcendence!”

A smile curled at the corner of Li Che’s lips.

Having refined his primordial spirit long ago, upon entering the Divine Essence Realm he leaped past the Primordial Transformation stage straight into Golden Body Transcendence,

saving an enormous amount of time.

Inside his inner realm,

his Golden Pill floated like suspended stars, with the Divine Ape Golden Pill shining brilliantly, encircled by no fewer than seven Seven-Emotion Golden Pills.

They orbited the Divine Ape Golden Pill like planets around a blazing star!

Elsewhere, the Lv Xuan Sword Immortal Golden Pill similarly levitated, accompanied by six Six-Desire Golden Pills.

Together, they formed a unique and enchanting pattern!

After stretching and cracking his joints with satisfying snaps, Li Che realized that these days of focused cultivation had completely transformed his divine essence.

A momentary lapse in martial focus would be enough for him to pop a Golden Pill into his mouth, causing his qi and blood to burst forth as the lingering spring rain dripped down, and begin refining his Divine Seed.

After practicing for a long while, night finally descended, signaling the end of his training.

He changed into a clean, refreshing black robe, left the courtyard with his hands behind his back, and stepped into the spring rain.

Following the soaked alley all the way to its end, night had deepened; yet amidst the rain, a small restaurant’s yellowish light faintly glowed.

After his earlier exploits clearing a path through the temple with Big Black Dog’s help, the faithful yet lazy hound now lounged contentedly by the restaurant’s door.

Seeing Li Che, Big Black Dog’s eyes flickered with a trace of disappointment. With a soft snort, the dog turned its head,

“Out of sight, out of mind,” seemed to be the unspoken truth.

Li Che’s lips twitched into a smile as he regarded Big Black Dog, his eyes gleaming.

“Boss, pack some food—I’ll take it to XiXi,” he said.

These past few days had been consumed by training; after all, breaking through to the Divine Essence Golden Pill required considerable effort from Li Che.

Unlike the effortless flow of martial arts, divine aptitude was never so easy.

The white-robed Boss at the door, previously indifferent to Li Che’s presence as he casually smoked and crossed his legs, finally stubbed out his cigarette and headed into the kitchen upon hearing Li Che’s words.

Li Che was long accustomed to such double standards.

‘What’s wrong now—father getting some of his daughter’s shine?’

After the Boss had packed the prepared meal into the Qian Kun Jade,

Li Che smiled and left the restaurant.

As he passed by Big Black Dog, Li Che’s step suddenly pounded with extra force,

like a luminous droplet falling into a dark, stagnant pond, rippling circles of light across the surface.

Tōng Yōu!

Everything around him shifted instantly as Li Che slipped into the netherworld.

To his mild surprise, the restaurant’s dim light remained unchanged, not succumbing to the decay typical of the netherworld.

It was quite unlike his own courtyard.

But Li Che paid little mind to such details; he approached Big Black Dog, chuckled, and with his fingers outstretched, gave the dog’s head a playful pat!

“Woof!”

The sound of barking exploded as countless spring raindrops burst into a fine mist!

“Who’s there? Trying to ambush ol’ Dogg?”

“Hahaha!”

Li Che couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

Watching Big Black Dog grow increasingly agitated yet unable to spot the culprit,

Li Che was in high spirits.

Of course, he didn’t push his luck too far. Rising to his feet, he glanced at the Boss, who sat dazed with his legs crossed, smiled, and departed through the netherworld.

However, unbeknownst to Li Che,

the Boss’s eyes subtly shifted, as if slowly tracking the direction of his fading silhouette.

Li Che returned to the Divine Sect Mountain Gate.

Accompanied by Zhang Ya, now an Honorary Outer Sect Elder, under the shelter of an oil-paper umbrella, they strolled along a rain-soaked mountain path exuding the fragrance of spring.

The stone path, slick with rain and shimmering with green moss, lay before them.

Zhang Ya was visibly cheerful as she linked arms with Li Che.

“My dear, have you heard? It seems XiXi has now been placed third on Lie Shen Pavilion’s bounty list…”

Her tone shifted as she added, “So many Lie Shen Pavilion assassins are now fixated on XiXi, intent on claiming the reward.”

Gazing at the mountain vista, Zhang Ya’s mood suddenly darkened.

“That’s why we can’t take XiXi home—leaving him in the care of the Sect Master is the safest bet,”

Li Che murmured softly, to which Zhang Ya merely nodded, a slight frown betraying her unhappiness.

Li Che consoled her briefly and promised to take her more often to see XiXi at the Sect Master’s White Peak.

White Peak stood opposite the eerie Four-Yu Temple of Manifest Divine Spirit,

like two outstretched fingers separated by a narrow gap.

Through drifting clouds, one could even see spring plums blooming in abundance around the Bizarre Temple.

Upon arriving at White Peak,

a sword light suddenly lashed out, scorching heat instantly evaporating the falling rain.

XiXi clutched a radiant longsword—it seemed as if a white lotus had bloomed all around her,

radiating an intense, twisting heat that distorted the air!

It was the Yulian Yin Divine Sword!

Li Che’s eyes immediately caught sight of the Yang Divine Sword in XiXi’s hand.

Meanwhile, the Yin Divine Sword, previously suppressed by the Cosmic Chessboard, trembled as if about to break free,

as though seeking reunion with its yang counterpart.

But Li Che suppressed it mercilessly.

He planned to hand over the Yin Divine Sword to XiXi later; at present, giving it to her wouldn’t be wise given the numerous divine weapons she already bore.

Not far from XiXi, Lü Taibai, clad in white with silver hair billowing and eyes as serene as water, was instructing her on sword techniques.

“Parents—!!!”

At the sight of Li Che, XiXi’s eyes lit up, and she cried out sweetly.

Jin Taisui stood quietly off to the side, behaving remarkably well.

Having pledged to serve XiXi, Jin Taisui kept his word—in this, he was far more reliable than Ji Haihui.

Noticing XiXi had tossed her sword aside, she scampered over to Li Che.

Leaping up like a cannonball, her chubby little arms spread wide like tiny wings—and not to mention that adorably plump belly—

she looked just like a little flying pig, prompting Li Che to have Zhang Ya hold her while he announced that he had picked up food from the Boss.

XiXi’s eyes sparkled with delight.

Li Che called out for Lü Taibai to join them for the meal.

Lü Taibai smiled lightly; he was in no mood to object as everyone sat down at the stone table in the pavilion.

“You and my wife had a bet—tomorrow is the final deadline. My wife is meticulous; since you’re in cahoots with her, quitting now isn’t an option,”

Lü Taibai said between mouthfuls.

The flavor of the food lit up his eyes—at his level, few dishes could truly excite him.

Li Che smiled and said, “Everything’s ready. Tomorrow, all will be revealed.”

“And if the Sect Master’s Wife loses, the Sect Master will have to properly console her—”

Lü Taibai chuckled confidently upon hearing Li Che’s self-assured tone.

The Martial Eagle Half-Saint… it’s not so easily achieved.

He wasn’t entirely sure where Li Che’s confidence stemmed from.

But if Li Che could ascend to Martial Eagle Half-Saint, it would be excellent news for the Qianyuan Divine Sect.

“Master, did you hear? Lie Shen Pavilion has bumped XiXi to third on the bounty list—”

Li Che poured a cup of fine wine from Huang Jianjiu’s reserve.

Lü Taibai swirled the wine in his cup and said, “I heard that Lie Shen Pavilion’s King-Level Assassin is targeting XiXi.”

Li Che’s face darkened.

He needed to gauge Lü Taibai’s stance to ascertain just how formidable Lie Shen Pavilion’s threat was.

Lü Taibai confirmed his information before downing his cup and remarked oddly, “Who told you that a King-Level Assassin is after XiXi?”

Li Che replied, “It’s just a rumor from the streets.”

Lü Taibai cast a long, penetrating look at Li Che,

then shook his head softly.

“Don’t worry—I haven’t heard of a King-Level Assassin targeting XiXi in Qianyuan…”

Lü Taibai’s tone was resolute.

Li Che was momentarily taken aback.

Is he that confident?

Overconfidence could prove dangerous if something happened to XiXi; regret would follow.

According to intelligence from Li Qingshan, King-Level Assassins—beings of either Divine Nucleus Four God Shift or Martial Saint Four-Kai realms—

if they were intent on targeting, even a small lapse from Lü Taibai might lead to unforeseen incidents.

“Rest assured—unless King-Level Assassins from other Daocheng regions infiltrate Qianyuan, our local King-Level Assassins will not make a move on XiXi.”

Lü Taibai set his wine cup aside.

His silver hair billowed as he looked at Li Che.

A voice resonated directly in Li Che’s ear:

“Because—our Qianyuan King-Level Assassin,”

“is me.”