Chapter 326: Celestial Transformation

Boom, boom, boom—!

His heart pounded mightily, its beats echoing like resounding thunder.

In the courtyard, wild gusts whipped around, tossing Li Che’s inky robes and unbridled black hair, while his eyes flared as golden smoke coalesced.

Standing in the courtyard, Li Che radiated a fearsome presence—like a red-hot ember burning within a thousand-degree inferno, warping the air around him with its intense heat.

Its brilliance was blinding, rivaling billions of lamps; unchecked, it could tear through the night sky over Daocheng, illuminating the entire city.

The sixth Divine Seed has now been inducted into the Mysterious Gate—the six Divine Seeds of the Mysterious Gate!

In other words, the sixth node of his body’s meridians has been unlocked, supercharging his internal qi and blood flow. The power from Yuan Geng’s transmission grows ever mightier, heralding the emergence of the sixth bodily shackle.

Li Che has earned the right to shatter all six bodily shackles!

At this moment, the crushing weight of heaven and earth overwhelmed him; even as the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit edged toward transformation, nothing could distract him from the oppressive, terrifying pressure of the cosmos.

It was as if the very will of the heavens had turned malevolent.

Determined to erase this defiant existence from the mortal realm!

No one should be allowed to suppress someone capable of breaking the six bodily shackles! Yet, within his chest…

The 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit pulsed in time, while the Cosmic Chessboard loomed over the courtyard, completely isolating him from that ominous feeling and suppressing the newfound malevolence of the cosmos.

“Transformative True Martial Way… the power boost from these Mysterious Gate Divine Seeds is simply overwhelming,” he murmured.

Li Che’s mind surged as he felt the swirling qi along his spine—the Mysterious Gate seed far outmatched his other seeds, which were merely Master-level Divine Seed Martial Arts.

To evolve into the Transcendent True Martial Way, one must refine Divine Seed Martial Arts to a transcendent state!

Achieving a complete understanding of this martial path is no small feat.

“My Myriad Transformations of Dragon Elephant… perhaps it will eventually reach a transcendent state. And if my Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit transforms soon, it might even boost my martial aptitude to master transcendent martial arts!”

A flicker of anticipation stirred within him as the golden smoke sank like precious incense.

He abruptly looked upward—his dark hair whipping wildly, his eyes alight with surging electric currents like dragons and serpents dancing fiercely across the sky! 【Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Vajra (LV6 0%)}

LV6!

The Dao Fruit’s fourth transformation is complete!

Li Che’s breathing grew heavy; his whole body trembled as his emotions surged in response.

Moreover, the Dao Fruit pulsed violently, its power reshaping every muscle as if in a forge, purging impurities and forging an unyielding, searing strength.

Behind Li Che, the six Mysterious Gate Divine Seeds rotated slowly.

Their combined force felt like a surging tide, overloading his flesh. Li Che dared not unleash too much power, wary that his body might shatter under the strain of all six seeds igniting at once.

At the slightest thought, the six seeds retracted into the silent, dragon-roaring qi of his spine, withholding every trace of exerted energy. Li Che relaxed, his bones creaking like a crashing tide, while his inner tumult rippled beneath a lowered gaze.

This was his first Dao Fruit to achieve a fourfold transformation!

The first transformation awarded him 【Tower Ascension】, the second 【Vital Radiance】, and the third, the nascent Divine Art 【Dragon Elephant Heavenly Guts】—each of these nascent skills bolstering Li Che immensely.

They became the foundation for his battles beyond his current realm.

Without the divine arts granted by his Dao Fruit’s transformation, ascending to a Yama-like level and breaking through borders would be impossible, given the oppressive martial ranks.

Though this suppression is far weaker than that of divine nature, it still intensifies with each higher realm, making breakthroughs ever more challenging.

Martial Saint Fourfold: Human Core, Qi Sea, Mountain Path, and Heavenly Gate!

The gaps between realms are vast, especially between Heavenly Gate and Mountain Path. Even someone as formidable as Feng Zhiqi, having reached the summit of a mountain, cannot breach Heavenly Gate—rendering their counterattack feeble at the pinnacle.

By tempering his body with the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit, Li Che enabled his flesh to bear multiple Divine Seed Martial Arts with minimal side effects—allowing him to fight beyond his current limits!

Others like Lü Taibai, though adept in Transcendent Divine Seeds, avoid using the Mysterious Gate methods due to the immense burden imposed on their flesh.

Even though the method of Mysterious Gate Divine Seeds exists, Li Che knew that no one in this martial world had ever mastered the Eight Mysterious Gates. Even reaching six, as he has, left him feeling on the brink.

Imagine the power unleashed when all eight are activated! And with each additional gate, the difficulty rises exponentially! “Hoo—”

“Sigh—”

With each breath, Li Che began to rhythmically test his self-created martial art—Myriad Transformations of Dragon Elephant—which aligned perfectly with his Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit.

He channeled the reactive power from his Dao Fruit into every limb, like unblocking magma from clogged veins, allowing it to branch out in flowing streams.

All sounds fell silent; only the rush of his blood and the thunder of his heart remained, each beat sending invisible ripples through his flesh and skin.

Every cell in his body pulsed with a cleansing surge! “It’s here.”

Li Che slowly exhaled, as if releasing the breath of a great whale.

Then, his mind trembled as a terrifying force dragged him into a vortex—ancient dragons bellowed and primeval beasts roared in a dizzying, shifting tableau of chaos.

A wild, untamed aura surged at him in an instant!

He gazed upward to behold an immense, ancient tree that stabbed the sky, its towering branches shattering clouds, while its glistening, glazed leaves shimmered brilliantly.

Its vast canopy, spanning the heavens, dazzled all who beheld it.

Li Che’s eyes were drawn to a Dao Fruit aglow with a mingling of qi and blood.

A burst of radiant mist swirled, coalescing into images of divine dragons and colossal elephants, dazzling in light. “Again, in this wild cosmos—let’s call it the Dao Tree Space…”

Li Che murmured softly.

It wasn’t his first time here, but each visit made him feel ever more insignificant.

Even though Li Che had reached the Martial Saint level, in this place he felt as small as a single mortal before nature’s might.

Boom—

Curious and expectant, Li Che wondered what divine art his Dao Fruit’s next transformation would bestow. Perhaps another divine art?

The second transformation granted Divine Art Ascension One, the third Divine Art Ascension Two… Might there be even a third tier?

But these were mere speculations; only the Dao Fruit’s feedback would reveal the truth. His gut hinted at possible change!

Boom—!

Suddenly, a wild gust erupted between heaven and earth.

A swirling tornado rocked the Dao Tree, causing its suspended, multicolored, glazed Dao Fruits to shimmer with dazzling brilliance. Li Che suddenly noticed that the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit appeared to be cracking, as if its outer peel was peeling away.

His eyes narrowed as he observed the peel expanding mid-air! Suspended in space, Li Che blinked in shock…

Then he saw countless strands of qi and blood intertwine to form a razor-sharp, blood-red long knife, slashing fiercely across the peel. The crimson arc shimmered as though the heavens themselves rumbled!

Was this… carving?

Li Che’s gaze brightened as he watched the blood-red knife etch intricate patterns on the peel…

Indeed, with every sweeping stroke, the blade’s impact caused the peel to transform a thousand times within an instant.

Before his eyes, the peel morphed into the majestic patterns of divine dragons and colossal elephants. The divine dragon wound through the sky like an ancient beast, while the giant elephant stood proud like a mountain.

Their images exuded magnificent power!

Mesmerized, Li Che felt as if real dragons and elephants had come to life, their forms etching themselves into the very depths of his soul. His gaze remained fixed on the transformed peel.

The peel coalesced into a structure with three legs, resembling a colossal furnace!

The furnace suspended in midair, its qi blazing like raging fire.

It seemed as if ancient scriptures were emerging on its surface, only to be consumed by the flames. Li Che’s curiosity burned fiercely, but before he could investigate further,

the vision vanished in an instant!

Li Che felt as if his consciousness were devoured, swallowed whole by the vastness of the Dao Tree Space!

A scorching, excruciating heat surged through him, as if intent on incinerating every organ—agonizing pain spread throughout his body!

His skin, blood, meridians, bones, and marrow all throbbed with searing pain!

It was as if he were being burned alive—every inch of his skin seared and crackled: crunch, crunch, crunch—

He even sensed his flesh dissolving, as if oils were dripping away!

In the courtyard, Li Che clenched his fists as fierce winds tore at him; his black hair danced wildly, and his spine twisted like a coiled dragon, emitting cracking sounds.

Yet Li Che endured the burning agony of transformation! His eyes locked onto the emerging golden light.

【Dao Fruit LV6 Fourfold Transformation: Divine Art (Radiant Rise) Advancement, Dao Induction (Dragon Elephant Furnace)】 Boom—!!!

The prompt radiated from his eyes!

Li Che’s flesh and blood transformed as if in a searing furnace, purging impurities and heralding a complete rebirth!

It was like an elixir refined to its purest essence within a crucible!

Soon, countless rounded blood beads formed and vibrated, breaking free from his flesh as if guided by an unseen force, floating instead of falling.

Yet, what shook Li Che most was the prompt that appeared—despite the agonizing pain, it filled him with wonder!

Was this… Dao Induction?! It wasn’t even a divine art!

Originally, the divine art from the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit’s transformation was Radiant Rise—Tower Ascension, Radiant Rise, flesh ascension, Earth-Shattering Giant Star Burst—and it even evolved into a two-tier divine art!

Li Che had expected his Dao Fruit’s transformation to simply extend the divine art into a third tier like Radiant Rise Threefold.

But now, that rare chance had been triggered: Dao Induction…

Dao Induction! What is Dao Induction?!

How does it differ from divine art?!

Li Che’s mind trembled as scorching currents surged through his flesh, washing away stray qi and blood which coalesced into a swirling mist. In his Human Core, his inner furnace trembled as cracks began to form.

The overwhelming essence of martial cultivation boiled within his core, and a third crack emerged!

He sensed his transformation was far from over—stimulated by the Dao Fruit, fresh qi and blood erupted, brimming with newfound power and vitality!

All that energy surged into his Human Core, transforming into Martial Saint Yuan Geng and forging new cracks in his core!

It was a lucky break—a transformation!

A transformation!

Under normal circumstances, forging new cracks would take ages—but now, fueled by the Dao Fruit’s feedback, his core’s advancement accelerated!

Boom, boom, boom—

Like colossal waves crashing, the pain in his flesh was undeniable, yet the transformation was equally real. As the third and then the fourth crack appeared…

New cracks began to spread across his Human Core!

Li Che felt his Martial Saint Yuan Geng grow denser and more potent, surging with power as his flesh continued its relentless transformation.

Calming his mind, Li Che watched as the prompt reappeared before his eyes.

【Dao Induction (Dragon Elephant Furnace): Dao Fruit Peel Transformation to Induce Dao, Pure Martial Dragon Elephant, All Methods Converge】—the true prompt of Dao Induction manifested.

Li Che’s heart stirred in surprise as the phrase ‘Pure Martial Dragon Elephant, All Methods Converge’ flashed before his eyes.

Images of Dao Induction flowed through his mind like a waterfall, and soon his expression turned peculiarly thoughtful.

“Pure Martial…”

“Dragon Elephant Furnace… is a pure martial technique!”

A pure martial art that shuns all divine nature—a technique purely of the martial realm.

Yet Li Che couldn’t help but wonder: can pure martial truly surpass martial arts that blend in divine nature?

In truth, modern martial cultivation is inseparable from divine nature—the infusion of divine essence rapidly elevates a warrior’s flesh far beyond the era before the Bizarre Temple emerged.

It has even made the rise of Martial Saints far simpler!

Li Che had studied numerous ancient texts held within the Qianyuan Divine Sect detailing martial cultivation.

Those texts spoke of Grandmasters, Martial Saints, and more; now, Grandmasters and Martial Saints are vastly different from the days of pure martial, and the transformation of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit into a pure martial art was nothing short of extraordinary.

This revelation caught Li Che completely off guard.

He had never imagined that his life would intersect with pure martial methods—his body’s tempering had always been intertwined with divine nature. “Pure Martial Dragon Elephant… but can pure martial really be stronger?”

That doubt weighed heavily on his mind.

Fall behind, and you’re discarded—divine martial will supplant pure martial precisely because the latter lags behind.

In the pure martial age, there might have been only one or two Martial Saints; now, in the divine martial era, even apex fighters like fourfold Martial Saints have emerged, though still rare, far surpassing the pure martial days.

Even Lü Taibai stands as a pinnacle under the Heavenly Gate! ‘Pure Martial… perhaps I should consult Elder about pure martial matters,’ he thought.

While enduring the feedback from the Dao Fruit’s transformation, Li Che began contemplating his next steps. Pure martial strength wasn’t his concern.

Rather, he focused on the strength of this newfound Dao Induction—above divine art, it had to be formidable.

Crunch—!!!

A thunderous crack rang out like a flash of lightning. Li Che’s thoughts froze.

A brief inner vision confirmed it: a fifth crack had appeared on his Human Core!

With the Dao Fruit’s transformation, along with the opening of the sixth Mysterious Gate Divine Seed, Li Che’s martial cultivation surged further—his confidence bolstered by the rapid rise of his strength.

Like a dream of fluttering butterflies carrying him through time, he recalled Big XiXi suffering injustice. In that moment, Li Che’s only thought was to become stronger!

Within the Cosmic Chessboard, the suppressive forces of the Golden King Tower, Temple Spirit, and Summon the Divine power flowed, drawing power as they merged into the Mud Pellet’s myriad Golden Pills through the refinement of the Temple Spirit—thereby fortifying Li Che’s flesh.

This was why, in this era, Divine Martial cultivators advanced far quicker than pure martial practitioners.

The emergence of the Bizarre Temple and the pervasive spread of divine nature felt like an evolutionary leap—enhancing both lifespan and physical strength.

Vroom, vroom—!!!

Invisible ripples spread from Li Che, bursting outward like layered, folded carpets of energy!

Li Che clenched his fists and pushed outward in the courtyard, initiating his first trial of Dao Induction using 【Dragon Elephant Furnace】!

With a single decisive gesture, his eyes narrowed as every muscle coiled tightly, and the qi within his arms burst forth as if violently wrung out like a soaked towel!

Before him, streaks of glowing light began to materialize.

【Dragon Elephant Furnace: Pure Martial Purity (70%)}—a resounding explosion!

Like a tidal surge, his muscles channeled energy as though forged in extreme heat, his flesh tempered into an unyielding strength reminiscent of dark, refined iron!

“So powerful!”

“My body… my body…”

In that instant, Li Che felt his flesh attain an unprecedented resilience—tempered by relentless trials like the purest dark iron!

Stronger than ever before! Boom!

Martial Saint Yuan Geng erupted in a wild outburst, merging with surging blood in a cataclysmic clash! Boom—!!!

Countless bursts of qi and Yuan Geng, searing and molten like magma deep within the earth, blazed with terrifying heat, transforming into a colossal, blood-red furnace!

The surface of that furnace was etched with patterns of a dragon and an elephant—as if carved into it after the Dao Fruit’s peel fell away. The three-legged, blood-red furnace enveloped Li Che in its inferno.

And as the furnace relentlessly refined his flesh, strands of divine nature were burned out, twisted, and expelled from his body.

Within his inner world, torn flesh revealed a brilliant golden divine eye.

It swirled like a vortex, devouring every trace of divine nature squeezed from his body.

Inside the Golden Pill of Luminous True Primate, the Luminous True Primate roared as it inhaled every bit of divine nature cleanly! Yet the Dragon Elephant Furnace continued its relentless tempering of Li Che’s flesh.

It was as if his entire journey in martial cultivation—from his first steps—had been forged through divine nature until his body became a pure martial form. Truly, a defiant and unprecedented method!

Li Che was utterly astonished; this Dao Induction… it was uncanny!

He knew that martial cultivation was a slow process, with divine nature slowly infusing his body, even seeping into his bones.

To revert to pure martial… one would have to sever that divine nature, essentially self-destructing.

Otherwise, one would be forever separated from pure martial.

Pure martial must remain uncontaminated by divine nature—it must be nurtured from an early age, chosen only from those with poor divine talent but exceptional martial foundations.

Now, having achieved the status of Martial Saint, Li Che was nearing the pinnacle of Divine Martial. Switching to pure martial was nearly impossible—even self-dissipation would be a herculean task.

It’s like trying to restore a well-marinated piece of meat to its original freshness—yet, the Dragon Elephant Furnace managed to do it!

Still, Li Che harbored a lingering doubt.

Originally, the divine art emerging from the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit was 【Tower Ascension】—powered by the Temple Spirit’s Divine Chess Piece that amplified his flesh.

But now, this Dao Induction was entirely contrary to the effects of Tower Ascension, steering him towards pure martial—a reminder of the true mantra: ‘Boiling Divine Nature, Flesh Ascension, Perfect Transmutation—Behold the Gods’.

“Perhaps only pure martial flesh combined with Tower Ascension can perfectly harness divine nature—the ultimate transmutation?” Li Che pondered.

Lost in thought…

Boom—!!!

Once again, glowing light surged before Li Che’s eyes.

【Dragon Elephant Furnace: Pure Martial Purity (80%)}

In a matter of moments, 10% of his divine nature had been refined—an overwhelming force completely absorbed by the Divine Nature Golden Pill. ‘So the cap is 100%—absolute pure martial… but the challenge will be immense,’ he mused.

Li Che sat cross-legged in the enormous, scorching Dragon Elephant Furnace, its heat as fierce as the rising sun.

His qi blazed like fuel sustaining the furnace, hammering his flesh into a pure martial form as he sat immersed in its fiery crucible.

Like a golden pill forged in a cauldron, his body radiated brilliance as he ingested one precious Martial Pill after another.

With a deep gulp—

The pills tumbled into his stomach, crushed by powerful digestive force, their potent medicinal effects transforming into pure essence that surged into every part of his body.

And on his Human Core, Li Che left nothing in reserve, forging new cracks relentlessly!

…

Snow began to fall in thick, graceful flakes.

The intense heat in the courtyard had vanished, and the colossal qi furnace was no more. With the heat gone, the snow no longer melted—gently drifting down. Unnoticed, ten days passed.

During those ten days, Li Che remained in the courtyard, studying the newly acquired power of Dao Induction.

The Dragon Elephant Furnace consumed his qi and Martial Saint Yuan Geng, relentlessly refining his divine nature and transforming his flesh into a pure martial form. Yet, once he reached 85% purity, further progress slowed remarkably.

Feeling his qi and Martial Saint Yuan Geng replenishing, Li Che slowly opened his eyes.

Vroom—!!!

An incredibly clear perception burst forth from him, radiating from his very being. Across his Human Core, eight cracks now spanned wide!

Remember, Li Che had only recently attained Martial Saint status—yet his Human Core bore eight cracks already, each one hastening the release of its core essence and amplifying his Martial Saint Yuan Geng.

Forging a crack requires an overflow of core essence; eight cracks meant Li Che had pushed his limits in the Human Core stage.

One more crack—nine in total—and he would breach into the Qi Sea, or so it seemed…

Now, Li Che was but one crack away from the second phase of being a Martial Saint—a mere step from reaching the Qi Sea realm.

In the courtyard, Li Che slowly opened his eyes once more.

After ten days of stillness, his muscles and bones felt as if they were frozen.

With the simple act of opening his eyes, the entire courtyard erupted in blinding radiance—like a blazing inferno.

Li Che lifted his head, his eyes burning like twin flames reminiscent of mighty furnaces. Under his gaze, the bond between heaven and man was instantly activated.

Suddenly, ethereal ribbons of smoke and light wove themselves through the sky like delicate trails over crumbling ruins.

These intertwined, countless ribbons converged toward the heavens as Li Che reached out, as if to grasp them.

But the ribbons passed right through his flesh, elusive and untouchable. “What is this…” he wondered.

Deep within his chest, the newly transformed LV6 Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit pulsed fiercely—a roar as if it might burst apart!

Li Che exhaled, his eyes now flashing with intensifying golden light. At last, he understood what these ribbons were.

“This is…”

“Dao Essence?!” – from Qianyuan Divine Sect.

Atop an icy, glazed mountain peak.

A bamboo tower, encased in frost and snow, stood amid the swirling blizzard—housing the treasured scriptures of Qianyuan Divine Sect.

Most of Qianyuan Divine Sect’s texts were stored here, and Elder Fang Han Shu—a former top scholar of the Great Jing Court—was responsible for safeguarding this simple library.

Crackle, crackle.

A charcoal stove boiled water, its cauldron bubbling vigorously as verdant tea leaves danced gracefully amidst the steam. The eaves of the bamboo tower were laden with thick snow.

Beneath the eaves,

Fang Han Shu sat on a bamboo chair, holding a tome of sage writings and studying intently.

Inside Taibai Hall, XiXi—who had secluded herself for ten days—had completed the divine feedback of her Eight-Armed Three-Faced Yulian Invincible Divine Vision. Now, seated on a small bamboo chair with the tome in hand, her features etched with concentration as she recited the ancient texts.

Jin Taisui sat quietly behind her, also absorbed in a book.

Fang Han Shu, with one hand holding his sage tome and the other pouring hot tea, blew off the steam and sipped deeply, nodding like a venerable sage while chewing on a tea leaf.

Suddenly,

Fang Han Shu paused, clutching his teacup; his long beard fluttered in the wind as he glanced beyond the bamboo fence encircling the courtyard.

There, amid the swirling snow and bitter wind, a figure in a Golden Lotus Ink Robe emerged slowly.

Fang Han Shu seemed momentarily dazed… in a vague glimpse,

he noticed that the visitor bore upon his back an enormous, blazing qi furnace—such pure, intense qi that it seemed to draw in the very will of heaven. The tea in his cup rippled in response.

It mirrored the stirring in Fang Han Shu’s heart. ‘Entering the Dao through martial might?’