Chapter 292: Cosmic Chessboard: The Onset of Annihilation

Dark, rolling clouds surged above the vault of heaven, blotting out starlight and severing the moon’s glow.

The fierce wind roared and howled.

In his ink-black robe, Li Che stood motionless as the night wind whipped around him. His eyes had turned completely black—seemingly piercing the netherworld, revealing a different face of reality.

“I’ve found it.”

The Cosmic Chessboard spread its net, nearly enveloping the tens of miles around Shendiao Ridge. Extending close to a thousand miles, it took great effort for Li Che to expand it so far.

Li Che’s abyssal, penetrating eyes locked onto the deathly, swirling vortex that tightened and spiraled.

Under the combined scrutiny of the Cosmic Chessboard and his penetrating vision, a trace was indeed discovered!

Stationed at the central position of the interwoven grid, surrounded by silence and with all spiritual restraints vanished, Li Che surveyed his surroundings with grim eyes.

Desolation reigned: with withered trees and a sky burnt blood-red as if fresh blood had splattered, transforming the heavens into a grim tableau.

“Is that… a Minor Cavern of the Heavens?”

Pensive, Li Che gazed at the sealed vortex exuding a faint deathly aura. Through the Chessboard’s sensing, he felt that behind the deadly swirl lay a vast world.

In reality, he couldn’t even see this obscure vortex. Only by observing the ruin of heaven and earth through his penetrating vision did he catch a glimpse of it.

No wonder…

No wonder Huang Jianjiu, You Liqing, and the Dragon Queen had searched around Shendiao Ridge for so long in vain.

It was hidden within a Minor Cavern of the Heavens.

Much like the Ancestral Patriarch’s Tiny Cosmic Niche inscribed on the Cosmic Dao Inscription Plaque.

Opening that cavern required none other than Lü Taibai’s personal touch; evidently, the Minor Cavern of this Corpse God Sect was similar.

Li Che terminated his penetrating state and, after marking a position on the Cosmic Chessboard, deactivated his sensing skill.

In an instant, he seemed to return fully to reality.

Huang Jianjiu, You Liqing, and the Dragon Queen—the three most formidable spiritual restraints under Li Che’s current might—turned to him with strange expressions.

Just moments ago, Li Che had seemingly vanished from the mortal world; no matter how they sensed or probed, he was undetectable, as if employing the very vanishing methods of the Corpse God Sect’s nefarious men.

“Master, how did you do that?”

“Master—you—”

You Liqing furrowed his brow, unable to contain his inquiry.

Before he could finish, Li Che simply nodded and said, “I’ve found it.”

As his words fell,

Huang Jianjiu’s Sword Casket trembled, radiating murderous intent.

You Liqing’s fingers swept in a swift arc with his Zhangba Snake Halberd while on the other side, the Dragon Queen let out a long roar and transformed into a vivid blue, skeletal-armored True Dragon soaring through the air.

A mighty roar!

At the moment the dragon’s roar shattered the stillness, Li Che lightly planted his toe. Circular ripples expanded instantly as he surged upward to land on the Dragon Queen’s back, who had metamorphosed into a ten-zhang divine dragon.

His fingers spread like five razor-sharp spears as they sliced through the turbulent currents. From his Qian Kun Jade he retrieved the adorable Ogre Mask and pressed it onto his face.

Li Che then raised his hand and tapped the brow area of the mask.

The Ogre Mask’s brow had already been slashed open by Li Che.

Once the cut widened, the Star Plucking Gaze instantly emerged, synchronizing with the Cosmic Chessboard. The only fissure once locked onto—the concealed entrance where the Corpse God Sect’s villains hid—was now crystal clear in his eyes!

Li Che wasn’t entirely sure what level of battle prowess the Corpse God Sect’s hidden enemies possessed.

But once he struck, the concealed strength of the Corpse God Sect would surely be unleashed.

Even if there lurked top-tier warriors within…

So what?

When it came to survival, Li Che considered himself unsurpassed!

If a top-tier warrior did appear and expose themselves,

it would undoubtedly draw the attention of the Qianyuan Divine Sect’s elite. Once noticed—

it would be more than enough to alert them and safeguard XiXi.

If Lü Taibai sensed it and rushed over, his full might as a Divine Nucleus Great God could likely obliterate the Corpse God Sect’s minions—or at the very least, inflict a serious blow!

It was a steady plan indeed.

Preemptively exposing hidden peril so that true masters would handle it.

With that resolve,

Li Che showed no further hesitation!

“Attack!”

“Watch where I strike.”

Beneath the Ogre Mask, Li Che’s form swelled and towered like a mountain, emanating an overwhelming aura. With a swift motion of his fingers,

a Divine Bow materialized in his hand.

A torrent of vitality burst forth, sketching the image of a blazing phoenix that soared behind his billowing black robe.

A blazing phoenix set the sky ablaze!

Divine Seed Martial Arts!

Blood-Weeping Divine Phoenix Life-and-Death Arrow!

The longbow was drawn to a full moon, an arrow perched upon it. Within its head lay the equivalent energy of a Great Avalanche composed of a hundred Divine Seed Chess Pieces. As the arrow charged, it creaked like rolling thunder.

Beneath the Ogre Mask, Li Che’s eyes brimmed with raging intent. To him, every scheme or ploy of the Corpse God Sect was a target to be eliminated!

Even if, for now, their villainous members of the Corpse God Sect hid around Shendiao Ridge without making a move.

Li Che understood that the Corpse God Sect and the Underworld were locked in a life-or-death feud. Just like his own family, they too might never relent.

XiXi had now become Lü Taibai’s personal disciple—a position of high honor. Those with ill intentions toward her and threats had already dwindled compared to before.

But the Corpse God Sect was certainly not among them. To the Sect, XiXi being Lü Taibai’s disciple only meant she was a prime target!

Determined to shield his daughter from the plots and schemes of the Corpse God Sect,

Li Che could only

preemptively act to snuff the crisis out at its cradle!

BOOM!

With a sudden release, his five fingers let go. The Divine Phoenix Life-and-Death Arrow, honed to its pinnacle by Li Che’s cultivation, transformed into a dazzling meteor, trailing an awe-inspiring tail!

Flames surged skyward, the arrow’s spinning tip radiating a penetrating force as if it could tear apart the very air!

A crimson phoenix of fire blossomed against the night!

Its wings spread wide as it let out a resounding, fierce cry!

Although its speed appeared sluggish, in an instant it spanned over a hundred zhang!

You Liqing grimaced. Well-versed in the inherent arrow technique of Blue Bird—the ace hidden lethal arrow of the divine archer—he knew its fearsome potency as a Divine Seed Martial Arts technique.

How incredible that the Master had only been learning it for such a short time, yet he could unleash such terrifying power!

The Master’s cultivation talent was truly astonishing!

Living—or dying—by Master’s hand, You Liqing felt no surprise.

BOOM!

The arrow blazed forth at breakneck speed, piercing into the void.

At the moment of impact, the arrow shattered. Within, the energy equivalent of a Great Avalanche from a hundred Divine Seed Chess Pieces roiled violently. Each piece clashed and sparked intense reactions!

An infinite burst of light, heat, and boundless energy erupted!

BOOM!

An invisible, circular shockwave and surge exploded mid-air!

The overwhelming force made it clear that Li Che did not intend to hold back. He craved the spectacle—a brilliance like the radiant midday sun shattering the calm of the night!

“Bloom, fireworks!”

Shendiao Ridge.

Within the ancient city at its foot,

a sprawling complex of Shendiao Ridge architecture stood. Many Divine Carvers worked furiously overnight on crafting Divine Wooden Sculptures.

Now that Li Che—the youngest Elder in Shendiao Ridge’s history—had ascended to become a Half-Saint of Shendiao, orders for Divine Wooden Sculptures in the Qianyuan Divine Sect had multiplied several times over.

What’s more, those placing orders for Li Che’s divine carvings thrilled Gongshu Jingjun immensely.

One candle’s light illuminated the dark Study.

Gongshu Jingjun was screening order messages from various Daochengs in Lingnan Path.

Orders from these Daochengs were always exceptional; their sole aim was a commissioned piece—a Divine Wooden Sculpture crafted by Li Che, the Half-Saint of Shendiao.

Most of these orders came from Divine Nucleus Cultivators. They needed to observe the divine aura in Li Che’s carving to accelerate their own transformation.

Thus, they spared no expense.

Suddenly,

Gongshu Jingjun’s eyes snapped toward the Heavenly Dome outside Shendiao Ridge. In the hazy night, a scarlet phoenix-like figure soared high, spanning the sky.

Such grandeur was utterly overwhelming!

It burst forth with a resounding impact, the dazzling Inherent Divine Guts enveloping it. As if a single arrow could pierce through mountain peaks, the force threatened to bring down the very heavens.

That single arrow was…

Exquisitely executed!

Yet when it erupted, the Divine Phoenix soared skyward, crashing into a spot in the heavens.

In the next moment, space itself seemed gouged out, forming an enormous void and a vast, swirling vortex.

From which a dense miasma of death and decay surged out in rolling waves!

The void around the vortex appeared to be shattering apart!

It blocked out the sky and corroded everything in its path!

But that black vortex was only a fleeting glimpse.

Immediately, a titanic explosion began, sending shockwaves and turbulent winds rippling through the entire Shendiao Ridge area!

Accompanied by an exquisitely brilliant mushroom cloud that gradually ascended, radiating stunning light and heat!

“This explosion—this mushroom cloud… the Underworld!”

Gongshu Jingjun’s eyes darkened.

But the mere thought of that terrifying vortex of death made his expression change instantly.

In an instant, he vanished, while on the other side Tang Xiejia shot out like a cannonball from the clustered buildings, suspended mid-air.

“Corpse God Sect!”

Such a concentrated aura of death and decay!

And the shattering vortex beyond…

Is that a Minor Cavern of the Heavens?!

The Corpse God Sect had inadvertently established a Minor Cavern near Shendiao Ridge!

It had been discovered by the Underworld—

and an assault had been launched on the Corpse God Sect’s cavern!

Two top experts in Shendiao Ridge exchanged glances, their eyes filled with dread that refused to subside.

“Is this some sort of tactic from the Temple Guardian Sect? It bears an uncanny resemblance to the Ancestral Patriarch’s cavern opened via Cosmic Dao Inscription!”

“The Underworld—how did they manage to discover it so quickly? Their Corpse God Sect hideout is concealed in the void, beyond our reach!”

“Yet the Underworld not only found it, they launched an assault with pinpoint accuracy!”

“The magnitude of this display—it’s as if the Underworld intends to expose every hidden force of the Corpse God Sect!”

Gongshu Jingjun’s voice turned somber as he deduced the Underworld’s intention from the radiant, sun-like mushroom cloud bursting between heaven and earth.

Tang Xiejia’s black hair streamed as his burly frame trembled slightly, blood coursing beneath his skin.

Without further words, both of them, struck with grim astonishment yet unhesitating, raced against the roaring shockwave and ferocious winds toward the direction of the rising cloud!

That glaring mushroom cloud in the dark was simply too conspicuous!

Meanwhile, without the concealment of the Cosmic Chessboard, Li Che’s dazzling brilliance nearly transformed the night into day—the intense light and heat tore through the clouds as if scattering them.

In Daocheng of Qianyuan,

most cultivators witnessed the brilliant mushroom cloud cleaving the night!

Rising a hundred zhang high with swirling smoke, radiant light, and searing heat, it was unmistakable!

In the residences of the Dao Master Residence, Temple Guardian Division, Imperial Watch, and many great families, powerful experts had already sensed this massive surge.

Warriors and Divine Nucleus Cultivators alike showed subtle changes in expression, their minds soaring as they gazed at the mushroom cloud.

“Is that—Shendiao Ridge?”

“This mushroom cloud—it looks like the handiwork of the Underworld. Have those ominous entities struck again? Who are they targeting this time?”

“Shendiao Ridge—could it be that the Underworld now intends to interfere with the mysterious affairs of the Two-Hearted Great Sage’s Bizarre Temple, competing for that Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff?!”

“That doesn’t seem to be the case. The Underworld is clearly out for blood. As soon as this mushroom cloud appears, they’ll be unleashing their full might!”

The experts of QianyuanDaocheng were now well acquainted with the Underworld’s methods. Their mushroom cloud explosion was the most supreme act of lethal force.

Even from tens of miles away, one could feel the destructive shockwaves and annihilative power!

The Underworld’s mushroom cloud now seemed even more potent than before!

Its force was such that even a grandmaster at the Breath Retention Transformation level would be gravely injured if hit head-on!

Even a Divine Nucleus Cultivator who had undergone a divine transformation might not withstand a direct blast!

With a whooshing sound tearing through the sky, experts in QianyuanDaocheng surged forth, racing toward Shendiao Ridge.

For warriors and those in the Divine Nucleus realm, tens of miles was a trivial distance when moving at full speed.

In Liu Xiang Alley,

Li Qingshan’s eyes reflected the unyielding mushroom cloud as it lingered in the night. He chuckled and slowly donned his Cat Face Mask, then leapt out of the courtyard in one smooth motion.

In Qianyuan Divine Sect,

At Taibai Peak on Grand Plaza,

Lü Taibai was instructing as he guided XiXi—who danced through the air atop Wind-Fire Golden Wheels—with his Yang Divine Sword firmly in hand.

He was very pleased with his personal disciple, XiXi.

It wasn’t just her youth and potential—it was her innate talent and character.

Her noble character was paramount to Lü Taibai,

and the divine weaponry fused within her merely served as an embellishment.

“The Purple-Flame Serpent Spear Fire-Tipped Spear—and that God-Slaying Gold Brick. No wonder my disciple’s physical strength has improved so rapidly; by fusing her inner divine weapon the refinement of her body is accelerated.”

“But acquiring so many divine weapons wasn’t easy. This little girl has an uncanny affinity with the Third Prince and the Temple Spirit.”

“I hope this is a blessing, not a curse.”

Lü Taibai gazed at the exuberant XiXi, who danced on her Wind-Fire Golden Wheels, eyes gleaming with sharp resolve.

“Wow!”

“Look at those fireworks!”

“Master Niu Niu set them off!”

XiXi suddenly levitated; the two golden wheels beneath her spun furiously, carrying her as she watched the distant fireworks—the mushroom cloud bursting magnificently—with overwhelming delight, clapping and cheering.

Lü Taibai also took note. His silver hair fluttered as his brow creased slightly.

Massive torrents of heavenly soul mist streamed out.

Soon, from that mushroom cloud tens of miles away, he sensed a profound aura of death and decay!

“Baiting death.”

In that instant, Lü Taibai understood why the Underworld had detonated the fireworks.

Sword light swirled, enveloping XiXi’s form as he descended from Taibai Peak and surged straight into the Elders’ Court.

Grand Elder Fang Han Shu was perusing Confucian classics when he noticed Lü Taibai arriving with XiXi.

“Han Shu, watch over XiXi’s safety for me,” Lü Taibai said.

“I’ve sensed the aura of the Corpse God Realm. I’ll go take a look—”

Corpse God Realm?!

Fang Han Shu’s eyes darkened. He immediately closed his book and respectfully nodded, “Master, rest assured. The Young Master is with me. No one will harm him unless I fall.”

Lü Taibai trusted Fang Han Shu more than anyone else in Qianyuan Divine Sect—not even his own spouse.

Once secured by Fang Han Shu’s assurance, Lü Taibai smiled gently, uncoiled his sword light, and shot off into the horizon, spanning tens of miles in nearly an instant.

XiXi looked on enviously, “I wish I could see the fireworks too——”

But she knew it was nearly impossible.

Worried that the Corpse God Sect might use a diversion to seize XiXi, Lü Taibai had sent her to Grand Elder Fang Han Shu for protection.

Fang Han Shu beckoned to her, “Young Master, come on. Perfect timing—let me teach you to read.”

“Enjoy the fireworks while studying the classics. It’s quite delightful.”

XiXi covered her little head in despair.

XiXi’s fate had sunk into a demonic pit!

Daddy, save me!

BOOM!

A terrifying, searing explosion raged, its shockwave and scorching blast forming an immensely fearsome tempest!

A colossal mushroom cloud spanned the heavens and earth.

Li Che, behind his Ogre Mask and billowing black robe, with a physique as massive as a tower and muscles quivering, emanated golden smoke from his eyes.

In the distance,

at the center of the explosion, the intense heat twisted space. A ceaseless, spiraling black vortex belched out ice-cold death and decay, as if the chill had been drained from an eternal mountain of snow.

No longer concealing itself, the black vortex revealed cracks in the air, behind which sat one figure after another, suddenly opening their eyes wide.

“Who did this?!”

A deep, ominous voice boomed.

In the Corpse God Realm—

they had been exposed and forced out in such a manner!

“Underworld——!!!”

Within the dying vortex of death, in the Corpse God Realm, pairs of glaring crimson eyes opened as they beheld Li Che—standing with the blue-boned armored True Dragon underfoot—and Huang Jianjiu in full golden armor alongside You Liqing.

They were exposed!

The hidden powerhouses of the Corpse God Sect turned pale with terror!

Soon, space contorted and an utterly terrifying presence strode forth from the little cavern of the Corpse God Realm—an overwhelming force emerging from the vortex of death and decay!

“Baiting death!”

BOOM!

For a moment, the entire world fell silent.

Beneath his Ogre Mask, Li Che’s eyes shrank sharply, his body trembling under the surging qi and sweat prickling his skin.

Could a mere human voice be so utterly terrifying?!

With a single scolding, the roaring explosion, the thunderous fireworks, the collapsing blast, and the chaotic shockwaves all vanished!

A terrifying, overwhelming will descended upon the world—a force so immense it could paralyze even a single finger!

It was like an immense mountain slamming down upon Li Che’s heart!

Even Huang Jianjiu and You Liqing, both breakthrough warriors in the Martial Saint realm, suddenly found it extremely difficult to mobilize their inner power.

The imposing figure that strode forth from the Minor Cavern seemed to direct its indomitable will straight against the Ogre!

Within Li Che’s Mud Pellet inner vision, the slumbering Ape God inside his Golden Pill roared, unleashing invisible divine fluctuations to help him break the crushing pressure!

The Dragon Queen, in her skeletal-dragon form beneath Li Che, wavered, nearly losing control and almost plummeting from the heavens!

It was terrifying!

That will—

That presence—

Li Che’s eyes cleared, his focus unwavering. Such an entity was clearly beyond his ability to withstand!

It was… too powerful!

Li Che’s brow burned as Dao Fruits thumped violently in his chest, the looming crisis nearly solidifying into a tidal wave battering his heart.

He hadn’t felt such oppressive pressure or imminent danger in a long time!

“Is that the Two-Flower Half-God Corpse? No! It’s far more than that!”

“This Half-God Corpse is nothing like the one Li Che had clashed with alongside Huang Jianjiu!”

“Is that a Fourth-Rank Corpse God Envoy?!”

“It seems… they’ve forced out someone incredible!”

Stung by the overwhelming crisis, Li Che’s mind sharpened in clarity.

With a flick of his fingers, a Feilei Chess Piece materialized in his palm.

Yet, the terrifying being stepping forth from the vortex, with crimson eyes sweeping over his pale, jade-like hand, unleashed jagged black patterns that shook the very fabric of space!

Space itself was sealed!

It was meant to restrict Li Che’s escape!

But the instant he sensed it, Li Che’s mind shifted and he entered a penetrating state, as if the world itself was rotating anew.

In that realm, he sped away, instantly creating distance and vanishing from sight.

BOOM!

At the moment Li Che slipped into the nether, his original position was utterly overwhelmed by the terrifying torrent of death and decay—transforming into a gigantic palm that crushed the void and shattered the currents.

Huang Jianjiu, You Liqing, and the Dragon Queen—three experts nearing the Martial Saint realm—could not withstand it and were blasted into three wisps of black smoke, vanishing without a trace.

“Gone?!”

“How could they possibly escape?!”

“I clearly… sealed the space!”

“Damn you, Underworld—how did they locate the Corpse God Realm’s anchor point?!”

“Damn it!”

The immensely powerful Corpse God Sect master roared in fury, his face a mask of humiliation.

Behind him, the entrance to the Corpse God Realm—a portal exposed by the Great Avalanche Lotus Pellet—spurted forth streams of death and decay.

The villains of the Temple Guardian Sect, hidden in the void to cultivate deathly energy, roused in confusion.

“Everyone retreat quickly! I must collect the Corpse God Realm and move it elsewhere!”

A deep, rumbling voice erupted from the very master who had forced Li Che’s escape.

During the relocation of the Corpse God Realm, its internal structure would become extremely unstable and turbulent. Thus, everyone had to be expelled before the relocation could proceed.

The furious four-ranked Corpse God Envoy’s masked eyes burned with anger.

He still couldn’t fathom why the Corpse God Realm had been exposed!

The Corpse God Sect in QianyuanDaocheng had been discreet enough!

Yet his opponents could still trace the hidden location of the Temple Guardian Sect’s layout at Shendiao Ridge!

Within the Corpse God Realm,

two Two-Flower Half-God Corpses darted out, soon followed by three One-Flower Half-God Corpses—the entire setup of the Corpse God Sect in QianyuanDaocheng!

After seizing the Corpse God Realm,

“Move!”

Ignoring the disappearing trace of the Ogre,

the furious Fourth-Rank Corpse God Envoy bellowed, his red eyes blazing coldly behind his mask.

Then, his semi-corpse minions exploded in all directions, morphing into dark, streaming light as they dashed off!

Two Two-Flower Half-God Corpses, three One-Flower Half-God Corpses,

plus numerous Cursed Jade Corpses and Cursed Golden Corpses—

The lineup was formidable. The Corpse God Sect clearly valued this deployment!

“The Corpse God Sect—”

“They even dispatched a quasi-Corpse God?”

Then, from between heaven and earth,

a faint, emotionless voice sounded, cold and indifferent:

“From what I gather in Jizhou, Ji Mo Li has no idea what he’s doing—allowing the Temple Guardian Sect a spare force to dispatch a quasi-Corpse God to our Qianyuan Divine Sect?”

“Or could it be that Ji Mo Li colluded with the Corpse God Sect to intentionally let you loose?”

That cold, callous tone seemed to freeze even the roaring mushroom cloud in time.

The Fourth-Rank Temple Guardian Envoy’s hair bristled; his jade-like skin mottled with expanding dark patterns, as an eerie shadow twisted behind him. An overwhelming Corpse God’s Will swept over like a tidal wave!

Then, in an instant, a beam of sword light descended!

Like divine thunder crashing from the heights, it sliced through the dark night at an unimaginable speed.

One sword strike cleaved through, parting yin and yang, day and night!

In that moment, the Fourth-Rank Temple Guardian Envoy, engulfed in swirling sword light, let out a muffled groan—heavily wounded!

Lü Taibai then stepped down. Countless resounding sword auras erupted from his feet as if he were performing acrobatic leaps, slicing through the heavens as he advanced!

BOOM!

Roaring sword light, incandescent and magnificent, shattered countless clouds. Streams of light converged and raged across the night sky, forming a massive torrent of sword energy like a cascading heavenly river!

Then—

the quasi-Corpse God of the Corpse God Sect, blood and void swirling within his formidable mortal body, was riddled with countless sword slashes.

In one strike,

Lü Taibai’s blade cleaved asunder a prominent quasi-Corpse God!

The disparity was staggering!

They were not even on the same level!

Lü Taibai—a peerless and flawless entity, simultaneously ranked among the divine legends and the guardians of Tianmen—was terrifying indeed. The Qianyuan Divine Sect might not have many powerful experts, yet he alone upheld its grand legacy!

Even more shocking was the sheer number of experts the Corpse God Sect had deployed outside Shendiao Ridge!

They had stealthily arranged so many formidable figures without a sound…

If there were no backup, it would have been impossible to infiltrate a Divine Sect’s inner sanctum unnoticed.

Many felt a shiver of dread.

One of the Four-Rank Corpse God Envoys—a quasi-Corpse God-level existence!

Though he couldn’t compare with Lü Taibai, who had ascended to the divine annals, he was on par with a Martial Saint-level expert!

Such beings would inevitably have experts tailing them one-on-one—it was unthinkable for them to slip into the heart of a Divine Sect unnoticed.

Many dared not even imagine.

Deep in QianyuanDaocheng,

experts from the Temple Guardian Division, the Divine Guard Army, and the elite of the Divine Sect soared through the void to encircle the Corpse God Sect’s villains.

Coupled with the efforts of Gongshu Jingjun and Tang Xiejia,

the villains of the Temple Guardian Sect had no intention of fighting. As soon as one grasped a Temple Guardian Pearl, siphoning away death and decay to vanish into the dense forests of Shendiao Ridge, they fled immediately.

Li Che, behind his Ogre Mask, receded from the nether,

and with a flick of a Feilei Chess Piece, he disappeared, reappearing at the Bizarre Temple of the Two-Hearted Great Sage.

He exhaled slowly.

“A quasi-Corpse God? Comparable to a Martial Saint-level warrior from Tianmen? Truly terrifying! But Master Taibai—he is far more fearsome!”

“Even among those who open the heavens, there are gradations. A Martial Saint in Tianmen is on a higher echelon.”

With a single sword strike, he decimated an opponent that made Li Che’s hair stand on end—an enemy he dared not contend with one-on-one.

It could only be described as terrifying.

That XiXi being under such a formidable master truly eased Li Che’s concerns—but he could not help feeling the pressure.

Using the Cosmic Chessboard, he kept watch over the situation outside,

sensing as those clinging to the Temple Guardian Pearl slunk into the forest to escape, yet unable to evade the Chessboard’s lock!

No one would be allowed to flee!

But just as Li Che was about to sense the fleeing villains of the Corpse God Sect,

his eyes narrowed slightly.

In the next moment, as if he had snatched up a Feilei Chess Piece, it plopped onto the Cosmic Chessboard.

In an instant, he shifted to the spot where the chess piece had fallen,

synchronizing with his Sleeping Dragon Elephant skill, vanishing from the world as though absorbed by heaven and earth.

Lifting his head,

he observed as the dismembered remains of the quasi-Corpse God—shattered by Lü Taibai’s sword—rained down like torrential drenching.

In his sweeping gaze, he felt regret at having not found the Qian Kun Jade.

But then—

amid the splattering white jade and flesh, his keen eyes caught a glimpse of a transparent, fist-sized pearl with a swirling deathly vortex within.

It seemed that the Corpse God Realm—

was concealed within that very pearl.