Chapter 290: The Thunderous Transformation

Dao Fruit Thunder Magnetic Conduit has transformed again!

Level 3!

Nascent Divine Power – Thunder Magnetic Conduit: Divine Vault!

Boom—

It was as if countless arcs of lightning danced through the courtyard, twisting like dragons and serpents, roaring with savage fury, as though a thunderous pool had hurtled from the heavens to the earth.

It had been several months since he acquired the Dao Fruit Thunder Magnetic Conduit.

He absorbed winter thunder and spring thunder, and refined his body with numerous thunder talismans. Now, this semi-Saint calamity thunder enabled his Thunder Magnetic Conduit to mature and transform!

After all, this wasn’t Li Che’s first Dao Fruit. He was well-versed in their transformations.

Level 3 is a major threshold for any Dao Fruit.

Once crossed, it gives rise to Nascent Divine Power!

Techniques such as Immortal Craft: Qianxi Hand, Dragon Elephant Vajra: Ascend the Tower, and Pure Heart · Spiritual Confinement are all nascent divine powers derived from the initial transformation of a Dao Fruit.

In fact, Li Che never underestimated these nascent divine powers, as they played a key role in his ascent to his current height.

For instance, Qianxi Hand elevated his wood carving skills, enabling him to become a master in Feilei City and secure a stable life for his family.

Moreover, Ascend the Tower enhanced his combat prowess. In his weaker days, he could harness the power of the Temple Spirit during Feilei City’s catastrophic calamity to effortlessly dispatch many malcontents and keep his home safe.

Needless to say, Spiritual Confinement was even more significant…

The very foundation of the Underworld was built upon that nascent divine power.

With his emotions stirred, Li Che could feel the Thunder Magnetic Conduit within his chest trembling wildly. Every beat felt as if an invisible force was compressing it, unleashing bursts of thunder like crackling whips.

It danced furiously between heaven and earth!

【Nascent Divine Power (Thunder Magnetic Conduit: Divine Vault): Divine Vault True Method – Swift and Forceful, Adorned with Thunder, Untainted by Calamity】

Before him, flashes of lightning seemed to form animated, jittering text that appeared right before his eyes.

Calmly, with eyes opening and closing, Li Che began to carefully study the inscription.

At first, these nascent divine powers were not easy to decipher.

As the lightning in the courtyard slowly dissipated, every acupoint in Li Che’s flesh expanded, as if transforming into ravenous maws devouring the electric gleam.

Moments later, all the radiant lightning in the courtyard vanished.

Li Che slowly exhaled.

“Divine Thunder of the Nine Vaults, swift and forceful…”

“This is Thunder Dao.”

Li Che’s eyes sparkled.

“I wonder if this will aid my research into the Immortal Craft Super Electromagnetic Cannon…”

A sense of anticipation welled up within him.

Raising his palm, he noticed tiny electric currents racing between his fingers, crackling as if they were forming intricate divine talisman patterns.

Mo City!

Clenching his fist, Li Che focused his thoughts.

The Cosmic Chessboard materialized, revealing a dark city like a misty, ink-brushed landscape emerging slowly in the distance.

Black rain relentlessly pounded the ground, bursting into inky circles.

Li Che now appeared within Mo City, incessantly battered by pouring rain.

Ever since his last clash with Su Wenxi, which nearly demolished the entire city, Mo City had finally recovered.

When he fought the Dragon Queen previously, Mo City was still under repair and unusable.

But now there was no such problem.

Li Che sensed that the restored and reinforced Mo City was tougher and more impervious than before.

It could endure even greater destruction.

This divine facility, known as the Mo City of the Celestial Jade, had an unknown upper limit, even for its miraculous resilience.

After countless shattering and healing cycles, could it even halt the likes of the Martial Saint of Heaven or the Divine Nucleus Great God?

Could a single Mo City later restrain an entire deity?

Li Che couldn’t help but feel elated at Mo City’s rapid growth.

However, at this moment, Li Che was merely in the Mo Pool to test the nascent divine power 【Divine Vault】.

Clenching his fist once more,

Countless arcs of lightning burst forth.

Nascent Divine Power…

Divine Vault!

In an instant, Li Che was bathed in dazzling light, as brilliant thunderbolts erupted around him, intertwining to form a thunderous armor upon his body.

Adorned with thunder, untouched by calamity!

Feeling the weight of his thunder armor, Li Che levitated, exuding an aura reminiscent of a deity ruling over thunder, his heart pounding in awe.

Within his chest, the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit pounded fiercely.

In the next heartbeat, Li Che’s body visibly swelled, his flesh expanding, muscles straining, transforming him into a towering figure over two meters tall.

His twisted muscles resembled coiled ropes, bulging across his frame, as hundreds of divine seeds transformed into inherent divine guts surged forth.

Like a raging mountain of energy, his blood and qi ran wild, terrifying like a wrathful dragon roaring to the skies!

Clad in thunder armor forged by Divine Vault, Li Che unleashed his martial arts within the Mo Pool.

Clutching the Xuankin Eight-Treasure Thunder Dragon Staff, the long staff tore through the void, making his spine quiver as if a colossal dragon were roaring, bursting through the heavens and earth!

The rain in Mo City exploded all around him.

His jet-black hair whipped wildly like a divine whip, and as he activated the nascent divine power 【Divine Vault】, even each strand was adorned with fine lightning!

Grasping his treasured staff, he began to cultivate the Divine Seed Martial Arts within Mo City.

Having reached the Master’s Realm, his Divine Seed penetrated into the mysterious 【Zhang Mo Mang Spear】. Instantly, countless inherent divine guts fused with his qi and blood, summoning an enormous golden demon serpent that coiled behind him.

With a casual shake of his long staff, the massive serpent stretched as though yawning!

Bang—!

Countless droplets burst, and atop the demon serpent, it seemed to be cloaked in the power of Divine Vault as crackling arcs of lightning danced wildly!

Demon Serpent, Transcended Thunder Demon Serpent!

Li Che could feel that his Divine Seed Martial Arts had been significantly empowered.

“The power of Divine Vault, similar to Ascend the Tower… rather, it is a state where the stored force of the Thunder Magnetic Conduit bursts forth with all its stored thunder!”

“This power… is indeed formidable!”

Moreover…

Li Che’s eyes glimmered as he acknowledged his profound understanding of diverse divine powers.

Divine Vault’s power…

It wasn’t just an added force.

In truth, Li Che wasn’t overly impressed with such mere augmentation.

If that were all, then this nascent divine power would be rather inconsequential to him.

After all, even with his unparalleled cultivation and the bolstering effects of Divine Vault and his thunder armor, the boost in power was modest at best.

Even blended into his Divine Seed Martial Arts, it merely added an extra element of thunder with a slight anti-evil characteristic.

Not much of an upgrade, really.

But…

Li Che knew that the true application of Divine Vault was as an auxiliary force!

Li Che floated down gracefully.

Without lingering in Mo City, his focus shifted as he left the Mo City and returned to the courtyard of Tinglei Alley.

There, he entered the inner chamber and retrieved the Xuan Huang Talisman Paper, along with the talisman brush and ink he had previously prepared for forging talismans.

Casually, he drew a six-tiered Thunder Divine Talisman.

Then, using a Painted Immortal Dao Fruit, he replicated it. The replicated talisman, however, lacked true divine essence and the effect of an authentic divine talisman.

But…

Li Che pinched the replicated Thunder Divine Talisman made from the Painted Immortal Dao Fruit between his fingers.

Inside, his Thunder Magnetic Conduit surged into action.

The power of Divine Vault unleashed, filling the talisman with surging arcs of lightning until it brimmed with stored thunder energy.

“My, impressive…”

“A Painted Immortal Dao Fruit, replicated divine talisman, and the power of the Thunder Magnetic Conduit – all combining to fill it with thunderous energy!”

“In other words… as long as my divine essence is sufficient, I can produce an inexhaustible supply of Thunder Divine Talismans!”

Li Che’s eyes shone brightly.

With a single sensing, he knew that his level 3 Thunder Magnetic Conduit contained enough Divine Vault power to replicate perhaps a thousand talismans without difficulty.

This…

Li Che mused, his gaze sparkling, “I wonder how many copies of the level 5 Little Divine Thunder Shock Talisman I can replicate using Divine Vault power?”

“Doesn’t that mean… in the art of Thunder Dao and divine talismans, I’m essentially a semi-Saint?”

Who says that a semi-Saint, born of shortcuts, isn’t still a semi-Saint?!

For a moment, Li Che’s anticipation grew as he thought of the little Thunder Talismans painted by the Sect Master’s Wife.

After studying Divine Vault power for a while, Li Che retracted his interwoven thunder armor.

Then, after a brief session of martial arts practice, he took out one after another of the low-level divine essence crystals of the Five Elders to help his Painted Immortal clones cultivate.

Li Che’s divine cultivation had broken through to the Divine Essence Golden Pill realm, and he had surged straight into the Golden Body Transcendence. Now, to breakthrough Breath Retention Transformation, he needed not only insights but also abundant divine essence accumulation.

The process of gathering divine essence was essentially absorbing the divine energy from divine essence crystals, a methodical process requiring resource investment.

Li Che could feel his Mud Pellet’s stored energies from the Three Pure Ones’ 【Fa Tian Xiang Di Luminous True Primate Golden Pill】 and the Four Emperors’ 【Six-Desire Exorcism Pure Yang Golden Pill】, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed.

He had once considered himself quite prosperous.

Yet, with the emergence of these two divine devourers, accumulating divine essence through crystals now seemed rather tight.

Maintaining the cultivation of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires clones was manageable.

But sustaining the Three Pure Ones’ and Four Emperors’ Golden Pills now required the divine essence crystals of the middle Five Elders…

“Poverty makes me strive even harder,”

Li Che muttered.

Fortunately, he had become the sole Divine Eagle Half-Saint in the Qianyuan Divine Sect, as well as throughout the entire Qianyuan Dao City.

This skyrocketed his worth, making resource accumulation for cultivation far easier.

“I still need to get stronger… at the very least, at the Pan Tao Feast, I want to pluck a Pan Tao for my wife. The taste isn’t important, longevity is what matters.”

Li Che’s eyes softened with gentle warmth.

His wife, Zhang Ya, was indeed an ordinary person with limited talent; even though he continually used the Pure Heart Dao Fruit’s divine essence to enhance her abilities, progress was slow.

That was due to her inherently poor foundation.

Although the day of life and death in the pursuit of immortality was still far off, Li Che believed that any longevity-enhancing artifact he could acquire was worth obtaining.

Li Che was confident that attaining immortality was well within his reach.

With his daughter growing steadily, his future would only see more Dao Fruits…

What if he eventually cultivated a 【Longevity】 Dao Fruit?

Of course, only after such a Dao Fruit emerged could he really contemplate those details.

After tidying up, the atmosphere in Liu Xiang Alley was bustling.

Yet in Tinglei Alley, no one paid any attention.

Nobody knew that Li Che had arrived in Tinglei Alley.

The night was deep and the spring rain misty.

Li Che brushed off his Elder Robe with a smile, raised his oil-paper umbrella, glanced at his Painted Immortal clones diligently cultivating with divine essence crystals, and stepped out of the Private Workshop Courtyard.

The rain slanted and fell like droplets of colored glass under the dim light.

A Restaurant nestled in a narrow alley, and besides Li Che, no other guests had arrived.

Big Black Dog lay at the door and glared at Li Che, baring its teeth in anger.

Last time, someone had dared to grope Old Dog’s head and not take responsibility!

The Boss sat in a chair with his legs crossed, a rolled cigarette between his fingers, poring over a menu while blowing smoke rings.

“Boss, there’s a celebration today. Prepare a three-dish-and-one-soup meal; I’ll have a few drinks with my wife when I get home,” Li Che said with a smile.

The Boss shot Li Che a brief look and replied calmly, “Alright.”

Instead of a meager bowl of noodles, the Boss quickly prepared a simple three-dish-and-one-soup meal.

Moments later, although the dish was simple, its rich aroma made Li Che’s stomach rumble like thunder.

Li Che collected the dishes and then retrieved a jar of Huang Jianjiu brewed by the Drunken Goose Tavern Boss’s Wife, pouring a glass for the Boss.

The Boss frowned slightly but sat down opposite Li Che.

After a sip, the Boss barely shook his head and commented, “This wine is mediocre. The storage methods and environment were poorly chosen. The brewing passion was there, but the execution fell short.”

Li Che merely smiled and said, “Just drink it casually.”

After his remark, the Boss didn’t discuss the wine further, instead engaging in conversation with Li Che.

“Boss, have you heard about Pan Tao?”

“I heard one can extend life by a full sixty years with it. Is it true? And does it have any side effects?”

Li Che poured another glass generously.

Pan Tao is also edible, so asking the Boss about food was certainly sensible.

The Boss replied coolly, “It definitely can extend life.”

“As for the taste, you ask Big Black Dog—he’s eaten plenty.”

Li Che’s gaze shifted to Big Black Dog immediately.

Big Black Dog licked its lips.

Li Che instantly understood; evidently, the Pan Tao… must taste amazing!

“Looks like I need to find an opportunity to get one for a taste—for both XiXi and my wife.”

Li Che smiled.

Having made his request, he put away his wine cup and left a gold ingot on the table, bowing respectfully to the Boss.

With his long sleeves billowing, he stepped into the rain.

…

…

Instead of heading to Liu Xiang Alley, Li Che went straight back to the Disciple City of the Qianyuan Divine Sect.

The Elders’ Court in the Disciple City was equally lively.

News of Li Che’s ascension as the Divine Eagle Half-Saint had long spread throughout the city, drawing frequent congratulatory visits from many outer Elders of the Qianyuan Divine Sect.

However, since everyone assumed Li Che was in the Liu Xiang Alley courtyard, the Disciple City remained surprisingly peaceful.

Drifting in, Li Che arrived at Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s courtyard and found Zhang Ya sweating under the spring rain as she diligently practiced under his guidance.

When Li Che appeared with his billowing sleeves, Zhang Ya finally halted her movements.

“Husband!”

Zhang Ya’s eyes brightened; in that moment, she bore an uncanny resemblance to the image XiXi had when they first met.

Undoubtedly, mother and daughter looked alike.

Sitting under the eaves, Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s eyes flickered with an unusual light at the sight of Li Che.

Li Che had become a Divine Eagle Half-Saint…

He was visibly dazed. After all, when Li Che was first seen in Jingguang City, he was merely a third-tier official of the Imperial Watch.

He even doubted his potential when he once mentioned taking the Elder Exam of the Divine Eagle in the Qianyuan Divine Sect’s Shendiao Ridge, yet Li Che not only became an Elder but also ascended to the level of Divine Eagle Half-Saint!

“Elder Jiao Shaoqiu,”

Li Che greeted warmly with a smile.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu’s eyes shone as he nodded.

“I’m here to take my wife home,” Li Che said, and after exchanging greetings with Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, he and Zhang Ya left.

Strolling with an umbrella in hand alongside his wife along the streets of the Disciple City, a touch of romance colored the night.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard of Liu Xiang Alley, Granny Mu had been taken away by Li Qingshan, and Old Chen had already set off in his cart.

The courtyard was quiet with only the couple present.

After bathing, Zhang Ya waited eagerly as Li Che used his qi and blood to dry her hair, then presented the simple three-dish-and-one-soup meal bought from the Boss on the table.

Zhang Ya watched Li Che with longing in her eyes.

Li Che poured a glass for his wife as well.

Zhang Ya beamed sweetly, clinking her cup softly against his.

“Congratulations on your ascension as Divine Eagle Half-Saint, Husband!”

“Our little home is flourishing because of you!”

“Happy Birthday, my love.”

Zhang Ya blinked, her smile radiant.

Then she produced a jet-black battle jacket embroidered with a black lotus—a garment she had sewn with care knowing Li Che’s love for dark tones.

At the moment her words reached him, Li Che paused as the birthday reality sunk in.

Birthday…

Before he knew it, he had been in this world for twenty-five years.

His eyes softened further, “We’ve grown old together… What’s a birthday when you’re not XiXi?”

Li Che couldn’t help but smile as he accepted his wife’s gift, cherishing every stitch that spoke of her care.

Every thread reaffirmed love—the very essence that made life truly wonderful.

Seeing his graceful wife, Li Che understood even more the significance of protecting their little home.

…

…

Li Che celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday in the loving company of his wife.

It was his first proper birthday since arriving in this world, a pleasantly unexpected surprise.

Meanwhile, news of Li Che’s breakthrough to Divine Eagle Half-Saint quickly spread. While congratulatory visits from aristocratic families dissipated, the Divine Sect’s own members rarely intruded.

Apart from the sensational news of Li Che’s ascension, another bombshell had reached Qianyuan Dao City.

It was reported that in the eerie Bizarre Temple on Shendiao Ridge, a message had circulated regarding the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff.

Lü Taibai personally declared that only cultivators at the Martial Saint or Divine Nucleus stages could step into the Bizarre Temple to search for it, and anyone above would be slain by his sword.

The news spread like a tidal wave.

Because of a remark by the Grand Inspector of Divine Capital’s Imperial Watch, the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff had become the center of attention. Various factions sought this divine weapon—in hopes of displaying it atop Qitian City’s walls alongside the Hunyuan Ruyi Staff!

However, to enter the Bizarre Temple and search for the divine weapon, one would have to wait until the temple’s turmoil settled and the eerie mist receded.

As for when that would happen, the overseer of the Temple Guardian Division, Feng Zhiqi, explained:

“Typically, after an upheaval at the Bizarre Temple, the recovery period is three years, though within one year the eerie mist returns to normal. Then everyone can enter to search for the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff.”

Feng Zhiqi’s words stirred considerable excitement, igniting thoughts in many hearts.

“This time, the Bizarre Temple of the Two-Hearted Great Sage in the Divine Sect and Shendiao Ridge will be open not only to Martial Saints but also to Grandmasters. In this period, all can improve their cultivation to meet the standard set by Sect Master Lü Taibai.”

Eventually, the clamor would subside.

After half a month, the buzz surrounding Li Che’s ascension as Divine Eagle Half-Saint and the open Bizarre Temple fell quiet.

In Tinglei Alley, Li Che was busy studying mechanisms, planning to build the 【Namo Immortal Craft Super Electromagnetic Cannon】, though progress was slow.

The cannon’s destructive power, he lamented, was much weaker than he expected.

Not only could it barely challenge a Martial Saint, but even a Grandmaster of the top three floral realms might remain unscathed.

Li Che felt regretful, as if his research had hit a bottleneck.

Even with his continuously rotating 【Immortal Craft】 Dao Fruit, he felt stymied—a human trait indeed.

The cannon was roughly formed, but how to boost its power was a major puzzle for him and his myriad clones.

However, Li Che already had a vague idea.

It depended on the little level-5 Little Divine Thunder Shock Talisman that the Sect Master’s Wife promised to draw for him.

Whoosh—

A piercing sound rent the air.

A hunched figure wearing a Cat Face Mask leapt skillfully into the courtyard.

It was none other than Li Qingshan.

Li Qingshan held the Life and Death Book; his eyes shone brilliantly beneath the mask.

His aura had grown significantly stronger—clearly, his cultivation had advanced remarkably as he had persistently trained.

Li Che slowly opened his eyes and looked at Li Qingshan.

“How is it?”

Li Qingshan adjusted the Cat Face Mask on his head to reveal his face, smiling, “The bounty list at Lie Shen Pavilion has been updated…”

“XiXi’s rank remains third, but you asked me to check your ranking. Since your breakthrough to Divine Eagle Half-Saint, you’ve risen dramatically.”

“You are now ranked fifth on the bounty list!”

“Someone has offered a bounty for a lower-level Four-Emperor Divine Essence Crystal for your head!”

Li Qingshan let out a low laugh as he briefed Li Che.

“Ranked fifth… the sole Divine Eagle Half-Saint of the Qianyuan Divine Sect is outscored by XiXi on the bounty list?”

“But naturally, XiXi isn’t just Lü Taibai’s direct disciple; she’s also the young Sect Leader of the Qianyuan Divine Sect, so a higher bounty is understandable.”

Li Che nodded, his eyes twinkling, “Ranked fifth… there must be assassins from Lie Shen Pavilion itching to move.”

“Likely, the same group targeting me is also after those who hunt XiXi,”

Li Qingshan remarked with a smile.

Li Che smirked.

Li Qingshan looked at him oddly, “Ah Che… what are you planning?”

Li Che stretched, his bones creaking, “Of course, I intend to protect my daughter at all costs.”

He continued, “Anyone who dares scheme against me will later turn their attention to my daughter—they all must die.”

Li Qingshan took a deep breath.

Could he possibly act as bait?

Venturing alone into danger just to eliminate all Lie Shen Pavilion assassins who threatened XiXi?!

“Oh, and one more thing…”

After a moment’s thought, Li Qingshan said, “Because you became the first Divine Eagle Half-Saint in centuries in the Qianyuan Divine Sect at just twenty-five, a Divine Eagle Half-Saint from Xiao Lingyin Temple in Xiling Road has come to challenge you.”

“Clearly, that challenger is coming straight for you. Your rise has affected Xiao Lingyin Temple’s divine eagle business — they want to defeat you in a display of divine eagle prowess, to suppress your booming reputation so that their operations in Lingnan Path can flourish and to undermine Qianyuan Divine Sect’s half-Saint achievements.”

“After all, the peak of the Qianyuan Divine Sect was achieved through the fame of the Divine Eagle…”

Li Che rolled his eyes, “I just won’t compete with him, that’s all.”

Li Qingshan was both amused and exasperated by Li Che’s nonchalance.

Seeing that Li Che was truly disinterested in the topic, Li Qingshan said no more.

Still, when the time came for Li Che to refuse the challenge from Xiao Lingyin Temple’s Divine Eagle Half-Saint, it might not be so easy.

Buzz—buzz—buzz—

Three dark silhouettes flashed into the courtyard.

It was the Spiritual Confinement manifestations of Huang Jianjiu, You Liqing, and Dragon Queen Ao Yuxin.

These three Spiritual Confinements had been dispatched by Li Che to stalk beyond Shendiao Ridge and search for traces of the Corpse God Sect.

Li Che was particularly intrigued by the covert moves of the Corpse God Sect—after all, their threat was genuine.

These past half-months had kept Li Che busy with mundane matters as the Divine Eagle Half-Saint.

He hadn’t ventured into Shendiao Ridge for investigation recently.

But tonight, he planned to stroll around with his level 5 Cosmic Chessboard to probe for hidden Corpse God Sect bases around Shendiao Ridge.

Huang Jianjiu scratched his head, “I’ve almost scoured every corner around Shendiao Ridge—those wicked members of the Corpse God Sect are utterly elusive. Even when You Liqing and I stimulated them with the Seal of the Corpse God, there was no reaction.”

At these words, Li Che furrowed his brows, sensing something odd.

“Where on earth could the Corpse God Sect be hiding?”

You Liqing gripped his Zhangba Snake Halberd, his golden armor gleaming as he looked at Li Che with a solemn expression.

“Master, although we haven’t found any traces of the Corpse God Sect, I do have some surprising news,”

A nearby Dragon Queen leaned close to You Liqing and added, “Master, I too have some unexpected news!”

Li Che paused, looking between the two.

His gaze fell on the Dragon Queen, and in a solemn tone he said, “You speak first.”

The Dragon Queen, clearly excited to claim credit, cried out, “I sensed the aura of my seventh brother!”

“The Seventh Dragon of the Dragon God Clan… Ao Lie!”

“He has come to Qianyuan Dao City!”

“And Qingqing is his daughter.”

Mentioning Ao Qingqing, even the slightest trace of pain flickered on the Dragon Queen’s face despite being under Spiritual Confinement.

Dragon Son?!

“In the Dragon God Clan, there are nine Dragon Sons. Each rivals a Martial Saint; the foremost, the Dragon Prince, is immensely powerful, ranking among the top nine Martial Saint barriers…”

You Liqing spoke gravely.

He was well-acquainted with the Dragon God Clan.

Li Che squinted, pondering Ao Qingqing’s father—one of the Dragon Sons of the Dragon God Clan.

He had arrived in Qianyuan Dao City, and quietly too.

Looking at You Liqing, Li Che asked, “What have you found?”

You Liqing took a deep breath, his golden armor clashing as he spoke, “Master, I have picked up traces of Ji Li Shou’s aura! Though he concealed it upon arriving in Qianyuan Dao City, he couldn’t hide from me!”

Li Che’s expression grew grave.

“The fourth son of King Ping Luan, Ji Li Shou!”

He thought of the Dragon Queen, You Liqing, Su Huai Li, and others he had slain.

But if they had come for revenge…

Why would they hide their aura and sneak into Qianyuan Dao City?

“What is their objective in infiltrating the city? Does Sect Master Taibai know about this?!”

“Regardless, the two of you keep trailing them and observe quietly,” Li Che instructed.

You Liqing and the Dragon Queen crossed their fists and, in the next moment, vanished as streaks of black light.

Meanwhile, Li Qingshan, hearing the news, was visibly shaken.

Whether it was Ji Li Shou or Dragon Son Ao Lie, their identities were no small matter…

“Perhaps they have come not only to confront the Underworld but also for that Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff.”

Li Che mused thoughtfully.

“To take on my Cat Face of the Underworld?” Li Qingshan’s body tensed as a strong premonition rose.

His Cat Face might soon make another appearance!

“Ogre, I need my Cat Face to spread the word about them secretly entering the city…”

Li Qingshan narrowed his eyes in mischief, clearly adept at such mischief.

If they intruded with impure intentions, he would ensure they wouldn’t succeed.

Li Che’s eyes twinkled, but he shook his head slightly.

“They remain unaware that we know of their arrival… In fact, while they act in the open, we hide in the shadows. The advantage is ours.”

“Let’s watch them for a while, assess their movements and objectives, then decide.”

Li Qingshan’s heart raced with the imminent prospect of his Cat Face debut.

Li Che stood and was about to seize a Feilei Chess Piece to move towards Shendiao Ridge, to hide his aura and scout for the hidden villains of the Corpse God Sect.

Suddenly,

A sensation tugged at Li Che’s heart.

He clutched the Feilei Chess Piece and, in an instant, teleported from Tinglei Alley to the courtyard of Liu Xiang Alley.

Accompanied by the sound of knocking on the door,

Li Che slowly walked out of the study and opened the courtyard door.

Before his eyes stood a figure with a head of purple hair, a towering, muscular frame two meters tall, carrying a giant sword.

With one glance, Li Che immediately recognized the visitor’s identity.

“Fourth direct disciple of the Sect Master, Senior Brother of Lao Liu XiXi, and Prince of the Da Li Wangting… Chikuang!”

Chikuang’s purple hair flowed wildly as his gaze rested on Li Che.

He respectfully clasped his fists and bowed.

“Elder Li,”

“Master’s Wife sent me to call you over…”

“The level of the 【Little Divine Thunder Shock Talisman】 of the middle Five Elders has been reached!”

Final update: Later that afternoon, after taking his child to the hospital for a change of bandages (the doctor mentioned potential scarring and numbness), a makeshift doctor was consulted. After some busy work, Li Che returned home to write this update. Expect another update later tonight. Please support with monthly votes, recommendations, and by following—Old Li works hard to update. Sincere thanks!