Chapter 359: The Enigma of Celestial Tao Essence

Celestial Tao Essence!

Li Che sat upright in his chair, his eyes sparking with a brilliant electric gleam.

A dense murderous aura surged forth!

His mind settled into concentration.

He stared into his mental vision of the Cosmic Chessboard, where a white, serpentine energy—like a coiled dragon—was wholly suppressed by interwoven lines.

This was Tao Essence—a most elusive Tao Essence!

Celestial Tao Essence possessed a calculating power, almost like a curse, mysteriously manifesting within his body at an unexpected time.

It was as if fate, intrigued by something he had done, had led its master through countless clues to fixate on him—gradually nurturing this Celestial Tao Essence.

Like a cursed mark from distant heavens and earth, due to some karmic chain, it had descended upon his very body.

“Someone’s scheming against me!”

“Using some karmic clue to track me from afar—”

Within his chest, the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit trembled softly, its beats echoing like the low blare of a horn with each pulse.

It was as if…

it had found an opponent in chess, sparking a hint of interest.

Just like the Chess Sage who sat atop the clouds, slowly lifting his eyelids to regard a reckless challenger.

In the Chess Sage’s eyes, every player was just a clumsy amateur.

But daring to challenge him made you a worthy, if infuriating, opponent.

The white, suppressed Tao Essence on the Cosmic Chessboard seemed to lose its strength in an instant, softening as if about to be completely obliterated!

Li Che showed no mercy toward this sudden Celestial Tao Essence emerging inside his Mud Pellet realm.

A fierce, intense glare surged in his eyes.

Li Che valued his life above all else!

He was the head of his household—a pillar for his family!

With his wife Zhang Ya and daughter XiXi depending on him, he could not afford to falter. If he were to fall, what would become of a wife and daughter left unprotected?

How utterly helpless would they be?

If such a calamity were to occur, it would be due to Li Che’s own incompetence—and he would never allow that to happen.

Thus, Li Che treasured life, not only safeguarding his wife and daughter but his own as well!

The Celestial Tao Essence, entirely suppressed, was on the verge of collapse.

Li Che’s anger slowly subsided into calm.

With a flick of his fingers—

the white serpent of Celestial Tao Essence, long trapped on the Cosmic Chessboard, coiled around his fingers, entwining and consolidating tightly.

“Celestial Tao Essence——”

Suddenly, Li Che’s expression grew strange.

In an instant, he recalled the origin of this Tao Essence—it must have come from the Grand Inspector.

Sitting in his chair, he drained his tea in one gulp. His gaze fixed on the Celestial Tao Essence, remembering the time he had visited the Imperial Watch Headquarters to have the Grand Inspector calculate who among the Third Princes had slain his consort.

“The Third Prince even used the precious Imperial Order for princes. He summoned the Grand Inspector—so it seems the Grand Inspector truly has skills. This Celestial Tao Essence is the product of karmic retribution. Did he calculate that I killed Consort Ji?”

Li Che’s eyes flickered with realization.

Once again, his mind stirred; across the Cosmic Chessboard, a Feilei Chess Piece illuminated, gradually revealing the scene of the Third Prince, in a rain-soaked pavilion, crushing the Imperial Treasure Orb with his hands.

As the orb shattered, it revealed numerous divine marks interlaced with the Celestial Tao Essence, mutually attracting each other.

“Underworld Ogre—”

The Grand Inspector had indeed deduced who killed Consort Ji.

For Li Che had truly killed Consort Ji while wearing the Ogre Mask—and the Grand Inspector’s calculus pointing to the Ogre as the culprit was accurate.

It was an unexpected twist indeed.

It was like a flood overrunning the Dragon King’s Temple—

they were all on the same side, the Grand Inspector.

“Does this Celestial Tao Essence appearing on me mean that the Grand Inspector knows that the Ogre is actually me?”

Li Che narrowed his eyes.

Had the Grand Inspector already uncovered the truth? But—was it merely revealing the Ogre’s identity because of him?

After all, by Tao’s reckoning, the fact that the Ogre killed Consort Ji was an unassailable truth.

With a flick of his five fingers, Li Che reabsorbed the feeble, delicate Celestial Tao Essence back into the Cosmic Chessboard,

nurturing it with his Pure Heart so that it would not be utterly extinguished.

If the Third Prince were to follow the divine marks emanating from the Imperial Treasure Orb toward him, unless Li Che released the white serpent’s binding, they couldn’t trace his identity or location.

But if the Third Prince, bolstered by divine marks, got too close, Li Che would be laid bare.

Raising a hand to his brow, the Cosmic Chessboard roared to life, expanding above the room, swirling to lock onto his aura.

Content, Li Che settled within the room to cultivate and fortify his power.

Blinking softly, Li Che snapped his fingers, unleashing a trail of luminescence.

Soon, the half-Saint Divine Eagle sculpture—his latest masterpiece carved to the pinnacle of half-Saint artistry, ‘Xuanwu Bearing the Heavy Double Pupil’—appeared in the room.

The moment it landed, the ground trembled and the divine aura in the room nearly doubled in intensity!

Yet it was suppressed by the barrier of the Cosmic Chessboard, hidden from the outside world.

Within his chest, his 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit, now evolved to LV6, trembled softly, sending invisible ripples that seemed to twist the air, the space, and the pervasive divine aura, rippling outward.

A wisp of pale white mist began to emanate from Li Che’s eyes.

He focused on the Divine Eagle. The half-Saint Divine Eagle, reaching half-Saint pinnacle standards, surprisingly showed nearly six red spots of flaws in his eyes.

Especially on the Grand Inspector’s revealed double pupil, there were about five red flaw marks!

In contrast, the crooked-mouthed Xuanwu Turtle only displayed one trivial blemish.

If these defects could be remedied, it might let this half-Saint Divine Eagle’s quality and rank make a leap!

“Holy-Hand Divine Eagle——”

“Can it succeed?!”

Even Li Che’s breathing grew heavy and uneven at that moment.

If successful, could Li Che become the Holy-Hand Divine Eagle Master?!

Holy-Hand Divine Eagle—

In the entire Great Realm, there were only four such existences!

They were even rarer than top-level pinnacle beings!

A Martial Saint who breaks through to the Four Openings, climbs the mountain paths, and upon reaching the pinnacle gazes upon the Heavenly Gate is deemed a top-level Martial Saint.

And one who can unlock the Heavenly Gate, unleashing a torrent of divine power, qualifies as a top-level Martial Saint!

In the Great Realm, the number of top-level Martial Saints at the pinnacle is certainly more than the fifteen guarding the Heavenly Gate—the Grand Inspector had named the strongest fifteen.

Those fifteen, stationed at the Heavenly Gate, if measured by their mastery of gate-opening, had opened at least half the portal.

For instance, Huang Mei, ranked among the top ten at the Heavenly Gate, had opened seventy percent of the portal and captured a Divine Xiao Thunder—aiming to break into the realm of one of the three calamities: Divine Xiao Thunder.

Likewise, Yue Huanglong, forcefully breaching the Heavenly Gate to step into the pinnacle realm, had only opened about ten percent.

Thus, Li Che was certain that there were far more than fifteen top-level pinnacle beings.

And clearly, the number of Holy-Hand Divine Eagle Masters was far less than the number of top-level pinnacle beings.

Moreover, the number of great beings in the Divine Register might even outnumber the top-level pinnacle ones.

Li Che gathered his focus and fixed his gaze on the Divine Eagle.

If he could carve out a masterpiece of a Holy-Hand Divine Eagle, it would mean more to him than ever before. Previously, his 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit at LV5 had already bestowed him with remarkable divine skills.

Given sufficient time—perhaps ten or twenty years—Li Che was confident he could reach the realm of Holy-Hand Divine Eagle Master.

But now, with his Dao Fruit evolving to LV6 and further elevating his talent, Li Che could immediately attempt to break into the realm of Divine Eagle Master…

“Before I begin carving—”

Li Che’s eyes flashed, and in an instant his aura transformed dramatically.

With each flick of his fingers, the space before him twisted, as if sliced by invisible, sharp blades.

In the next moment, a jet-black axe fell into Li Che’s grasp.

The moment his five fingers closed around it, brilliant golden scriptures burst across the dark axe head!

Dao-Inducing Ghost Axe!

BOOM!!!

The Ghost Axe was now in hand.

Li Che felt his essence, energy, and spirit shift; he became incomparably cold and resolute.

Ghost Axe Xiangong!

It rivaled the craftsmanship of heaven and earth!

Li Che sensed that the Ghost Axe in his hand had transformed into one of the most supreme divine engraving knives.

Its blade was both sharp and broad, curving in a streamlined, almost seamless arc.

The weight of the axe allowed him to leverage its power to cut through anything with ease!

SWOOSH!

Li Che gripped it tightly; the veins in his forearm bulged like roaring dragons, the muscles trembling as if echoing the sound of the heavens shattering.

Then, the Ghost Axe surged forward at an incredible speed, its afterimage slicing through the void with a resounding crack!

Its unparalleled sharpness left the space around it struggle to mend.

“It broke the void?!”

Gasping, Li Che realized that with just one swing, his entire arm’s Pure Martial energy was completely expended!

He needed to channel more of his fleshly energy into his arm.

Yet the result was a pleasant surprise!

“It actually broke the void?!”

Li Che was astounded.

Even though it only skimmed the surface of the void, using the Ghost Axe’s extreme sharpness to do so was a feat typically reserved for cultivators facing a divine calamity!

Otherwise, even someone like Lü Taibai or Huang Mei, top pinnacle beings who had harnessed Tao Essence catastrophe power, would have to strain to break through!

The air had no medium to leverage; brute force alone wasn’t enough—it required an instantaneous burst that pushed the limits of what air could bear!

“Such an axe—if used not for carving but to ambush an enemy, who could withstand its might?!”

Instantly, Li Che devised a plan for the Dao-Inducing Ghost Axe.

As he slowly restored his qi and blood, his trembling hand finally steadied.

Li Che began to grasp the Ghost Axe, commencing repairs on the Divine Eagle.

But as soon as the axe struck, he noticed it sliced through the incredibly tough, turtle-shell Spirit Wood flawlessly, sending wood shavings flying.

Since the Divine Eagle was already a finished masterpiece, his repair work was merely a delicate refinement—so subtle that hardly any wood chips fell.

The flaw on the crooked-mouthed Xuanwu Turtle was quickly mended by Li Che. With the Ghost Axe in hand, he felt as if aided by divine intervention—the ideas in his mind materialized, and before he knew it, the Ghost Axe had executed them.

That smooth, intuitive connection left Li Che utterly absorbed in refining the half-Saint Divine Eagle.

The Ghost Axe swirled around!

He was completely enraptured!

Its unique craftsmanship seemed to resonate perfectly with him at that very moment!

For seven continuous days, rain fell over the Divine Capital.

The entire city was enshrouded in a misty haze—a dreamy, post-rain ambiance reminiscent of the southern lands.

News of Consort Ji’s death and the massacre at Xiao Lingyin Temple was deliberately suppressed,

even though the investigations by Divine Capital Xuanwei and Golden Scale Imperial Guards under Governor Wang Kui of the Temple Guardian Division continued relentlessly.

Yet there were no leads.

Wang Kui was convinced that mysterious Underworld forces were behind it, but evidence was lacking.

The Ji Family was furious—after all, Consort Ji was killed in their mansion, and the impact was enormous.

Meanwhile, the slaughter at Xiao Lingyin Temple was completely hushed up, not a hint leaked.

With the Empress preparing for the Paotao Victory Banquet, both the Imperial Court and Xiao Lingyin Temple actively suppressed the news.

Inside the Qianyuan Courtyard,

Lü Taibai and Shi Jian, the leader of the True Martial Divine Sect, sat under the eaves, drinking tea.

Rain pattered crisply on the black tiles, while the charcoal stove bubbled with hot water. Emerald tea leaves danced in the boiling water as if performing a graceful dance.

The two chatted leisurely.

“Has Elder Li not yet emerged?”

Shi Jian occasionally glanced toward the back courtyard of Qianyuan Courtyard, an itch stirring within him.

He wanted to ask about the Mechanism Gatling but was told by Lü Taibai that it depended on what Li Che said, so he persisted in visiting.

Yet, Li Che had been in seclusion for so many days without emerging.

This made Shi Jian rather anxious.

“Sect Leader Shi, I know you’re anxious, but don’t worry—Elder Li just passed the special guest official assessment set by the Grand Inspector. I heard he received guidance and made progress. He needs time to absorb it. That’s perfectly natural…”

“If—by any chance—Elder Li were to gain further insight, advancing a step on the Divine Eagle, our Qianyuan Divine Sect would ascend immediately!”

Lü Taibai joked.

Shi Jian downed a cup of scalding tea in one gulp, reassuring himself not to rush matters.

Their gazes drifted to the courtyard.

Suddenly, a low hum sounded.

A single Paotao branch began to radiate divine essence.

Then, XiXi appeared with her hands on her hips and her small belly noticeably protruding. Her eyes sparkled and her twin pigtails seemed ready to summon thunder!

“Master and Sect Leader!”

Lü Taibai couldn’t help but cast a fond, amused glance at her.

XiXi’s proud nostrils seemed to reach for the sky!

“Emperor XiXi has done it! She has successfully gathered the eighteen manifestations of Xi Wangmu’s divine essence, earning an invitation as a Paotao Young Dragon for the main banquet!”

XiXi, hands on her hips with her feet rhythmically tapping, was clearly elated and excited.

Originally, with her strength, achieving a winning streak wasn’t hard at all.

Yet, XiXi wasn’t willing.

For like her father, after a seven-match winning streak, she would immediately lose the chance to remain in the preliminary banquet.

She loved the delicious treats of the preliminaries—the delicate tea, the paotao, the spirit fruits, and more.

Though the opponents were weak and victories came easily, the rewards in the preliminaries paled in comparison.

But XiXi didn’t mind—she simply didn’t want to miss a single meal!

Thus, by deliberately stalling the rules and losing one match to Jin Taisui, breaking her seven-match streak, XiXi could happily re-enter the preliminary rounds, defeat her opponents, and savor the delicacies!

During this period, she even faced a few formidable adversaries. After triumphing, she acquired both the Black Phoenix Spirit Paotao and the Dragon Blood Paotao.

XiXi, being considerate, didn’t keep the loot to herself; she took some home in the courtyard for Zhang Ya to taste.

Even though they were merely ten-year-old paotaos, when XiXi presented her prized spoils to Zhang Ya as if offering a treasure,

Zhang Ya felt like the happiest mother in the world.

After deliberately losing a match to stall, XiXi eventually amassed the required eighteen manifestations of Xi Wangmu’s divine essence

for the main banquet.

Thanks to stalling the rules, she got to participate in eleven extra preliminary rounds!

Her little belly even grew a bit larger!

After the main banquet, XiXi no longer needed to continue in the preliminaries and finally got some well-deserved rest.

She dashed over to Zhang Ya’s side, squatting under the eaves to watch the spring rain with Granny Mu in the rocking chair.

Now and then, she would sneak off to the back courtyard, peering out with a mischievous look, waiting to see when her father would emerge.

The rain slanted, splattering on the tiles of the pavilion, exploding into tiny drops.

A hazy white veil formed, shrouding the luxurious gardens of the Third Prince’s mansion.

Meanwhile, water roiled uncontrollably in the boiling furnace.

The Third Prince, dressed in a pale golden serpent robe, sat poised on a carved stone chair. In front of him lay a pile of letters.

The letters, smeared and scribbled over with drawings, were all about Underworld matters.

Based on calculations from the Imperial Treasure Orb, the Grand Inspector had revealed who truly killed Consort Ji.

The Third Prince never doubted the Grand Inspector’s ability.

Dubbed the world’s greatest diviner, the Grand Inspector, with his awe-inspiring heavy-pupiled gaze, could pierce through destiny to see what lay hidden from ordinary eyes.

He was a true power that had touched upon Tao Essence.

No one would dare question the Grand Inspector.

“Underworld Ogre—”

Third Prince Lü Litong gritted his teeth, his eyes turning icy.

The murderous intent in his body surged—vengeance for a slain mother was an unending grudge!

Outside the pavilion, the rain twisted in the wind.

Then a figure in purple appeared—none other than Han Sixi, the fifteenth top-level pinnacle expert guarding the Heavenly Gate.

“Your Highness,”

Han Sixi bowed slightly before saying, “It seems that the young prince has possibly received support and guidance from National Teacher Xie Yunshen.”

Third Prince Lü Litong’s gaze fell on the Underworld dossier, and when Han Sixi mentioned news about Lu Chi, he showed no care whatsoever.

“That little Lu Chi—getting the support of National Teacher? How could he think that with such backing he’d become crown prince?”

Third Prince Lü Litong sneered.

“Father would never choose a son whose martial and divine talents are mediocre to inherit the crown prince title.”

In his eyes, Lu Chi posed no threat whatsoever.

Even if Lu Chi were supported by National Teacher Xie Yunshen, a mere commoner tool pushed forward by the Emperor Jing—

National Teacher Xie was nothing more than an implement for the Great Realm, a tool of the Temple Guardian Division.

Unlike the Grand Inspector, who possessed limitless cultivation, or the top official of the Temple Guardian Division, National Teacher Xie was simply too weak. Sometimes, to vie for the crown, sheer intellect just isn’t enough.

“Diao Si, all this time I’ve been reviewing information and dossiers about the Underworld Ogre—”

“That Underworld Ogre first emerged in Feilei City, displaying power at a level that seemed only to approach that of a preliminary master. By the time he reappeared in Jingguang City, his strength had soared. No one truly knows whether he was always this formidable or if he gradually enhanced his power—”

“If he improved his skills during the journey from Feilei City to Jingguang City—”

The Third Prince’s gaze turned somber.

“That would indeed point to one person—someone very much matching the Ogre’s identity!”

“Moreover, given that my consort once quarreled with Lu Chi—”

The Third Prince rose from the pavilion and stepped to its edge, feeling the raindrops carried by the chilly spring wind.

He slowly exhaled.

“Then Li Che—”

“must be the Ogre!”

Silence fell within the pavilion.

Han Sixi kept his head bowed, emotionless, as if unbothered by this guess.

In truth, many had speculated the same.

But speculation was just that…

Li Che’s status was no longer that of a mere laborer from Feilei City.

He was now an Elder of Qianyuan Divine Sect and a special guest official of the Imperial Watch Headquarters!

“Diao Si—rumor has it you once joined your father’s Golden Scale Imperial Guards?”

“Indeed.”

“Then, Diao Si, can you infiltrate Qianyuan Courtyard?”

The Third Prince looked up at the drenching rain and said.

Han Sixi raised his head, his eyes dimly declaring, “Your Highness—perhaps you underestimate Lü Taibai.”

“Although I once served in the Imperial Guards, I can’t hide the perceptiveness of a top-level pinnacle expert recognized by the Double List.”

Han Sixi was well aware of his own limits.

He even wondered if the Third Prince truly understood what it meant to be one of the Double List top-level pinnacle experts?

After all, that was a position within the Divine Sect itself!

Only the truly supreme, those who could even challenge powerhouses like Ji Mo Li, could claim such status!

“Then there’s no need for infiltration—just coming close will do. The Heavenly Gate’s Celestial Seal, as calculated by the Grand Inspector, can sense any karmic Tao Essence within a hundred zhang radius!”

“I intend to have you hold the Celestial Seal derived from the Grand Inspector’s calculations and approach Qianyuan Courtyard, to see if its reaction can be triggered—”

“If it reacts, then it means that Li Che is indeed the Ogre.”

The Third Prince’s pale golden serpent robe fluttered in the wind.

“And if it’s confirmed that Li Che is the Ogre, what will your next move be?”

“After all, Li Che has become the thirteenth special guest official of the Imperial Watch—”

Han Sixi furrowed his brows and asked doubtfully.

The Third Prince slowly turned, his face a mix of determination and suppressed fury.

“I will remember him—memorize him deeply!”

“And wait for the right moment to exact my revenge!”

“I must avenge the death of my mother. Since I’ve already presented a filial image to the Grand Inspector, if I shrink back at the sight of my foe due to his status, the Grand Inspector will surely be disappointed!”

The Third Prince grinned coldly.

“I…”

“I will not let the Grand Inspector down. He must see my resolve!”

“So once it’s confirmed that Li Che is the Ogre, he will lose the mysterious power granted by the Underworld—”

“He has a wife, a daughter, and friends—”

“If Li Che is the Ogre, then the death of King Ping Luan’s son, Ji Haihui, must be tied to him— I could then band together with both the Ji Family and King Ping Luan.”

“After all, this is my domain in Divine Capital—”

“I will gradually destroy him!”

At that moment, as the final slash of the axe grazed the heavy double pupil of the Grand Inspector’s Divine Eagle, the whole room blazed with an almost blinding radiance!

In the dim glow, a phantom of a double pupil emerged, expanding continuously!

Meanwhile, Li Che, clutching the ebony, gold-engraved Ghost Axe, saw the once indistinct phantom in his heavy pupils become startlingly clear!

“Celestial Heavy Pupil!”

Li Che’s eyes grew strange, the twin pupils merging into one.

The Divine Eagle, carved from turtle-shell Spirit Wood, seemed to come alive, surrounded by distinctive white mist.

That white mist was the Tao Essence!

Coincidentally, Li Che was quite familiar with this Essence.

For on his Cosmic Chessboard, he was actively suppressing a wisp of it.

Celestial Tao Essence!

After perfecting all the flaws of his half-Saint Divine Eagle, the heavy pupil on the sculpture surged as if transforming into a divine secret technique that shattered the barrier between half-Saint and Holy-Hand!

Like a gentle stream, it flowed into Li Che’s mind, forming a divine secret technique.

This was the Grand Inspector’s gift to him!

“So this was the Grand Inspector’s main purpose in allowing me to carve—it was to pass on this divine secret technique!” Li Che’s heart trembled slightly.

If his Fa Tian Xiang Di technique combined with this mighty Heavy Pupil Secret, he would become even more formidable!

“But why would the Grand Inspector choose to pass this on to me?”

Slowly, the heavy pupil effect faded, and a thin, nearly transparent layer of divine aura adhered to Li Che’s irises.

Soon, the wild winds in the room died down.

Li Che exhaled slowly,

a trace of regret flickering in his eyes.

“Is this my first carved Holy-Hand Divine Eagle? Then why didn’t it trigger the Holy-Hand Calamity?”

Li Che frowned.

But he soon understood.

This Holy-Hand Divine Eagle wasn’t entirely carved in one go. The second phase—its continuation—was entirely different from his first attempt.

Thus, the will of Heaven did not regard this continuation as his first Holy-Hand Divine Eagle.

It was considered a re-carved work!

“That means—I just need to fully complete a Holy-Hand Divine Eagle masterpiece to trigger the Holy-Hand Calamity

and truly become the Divine Eagle Master!”

Li Che suddenly laughed.

His mood lifted instantly!

In essence, with the Dao-Inducing Ghost Axe in hand, he was already on his way to becoming the Divine Eagle Master, but he needed one masterpiece for Heaven’s acknowledgment.

What ease!

Li Che stretched, his joints cracking as the oppressive flow of qi and blood within him roared like a surging river—the Pure Martial Qi Pool churning mightily!

Behind him, it was as if a furnace had materialized, its flames ascending like a blazing sun!

Originally, Li Che had planned to immediately plunge into Mo City upon his return, to relay the enlightenment from slaying Huang Mei and acquiring the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit.

He intended to elevate his numerous Divine Seed Martial Arts to the realm of perfection, achieving a true martial transformation!

After all, the enlightenment from an LV6 Dao Fruit was far superior to previous gains.

Though the chance to draw out a Seventh Qimen Divine Seed was slim,

Li Che could still transform his already drawn divine seeds into perfected states.

Hmm?!

Inside the room, qi and blood surged, the energy currents wild and vigorous.

Li Che’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

Suddenly, his eyes displayed a chessboard of interlacing lines.

That was the Cosmic Chessboard.

And on it, that now all but shattered, feeble Celestial Tao Essence trembled uncontrollably.

“So it has finally returned.”

Li Che exhaled carefully.

He gingerly removed the golden lotus black robe, intricately tattooed by his wife,

and donned a sleek black compression shirt.

In the next moment, with a flick of his fingers, the Qiankun Space tore open.

A cute Ogre Mask was slowly pressed onto his face.

Dark clouds loomed high above.

The rain fell in fine streams, as if melting away the frost of a long winter.

Han Sixi stood with his hands behind him, clad in purple as it fluttered in the wind.

He seemed to merge with the darkness, moving like a shadow in the night.

This was the art of Shadow Melding!

Perfected to its utmost degree!

It was a top-level divine secret technique he had cultivated in the Golden Scale Imperial Guards.

It was also an essential technique for the Prince’s attendant from Diao Si.

In the Fourth City, the blue stone pavement was damp, accumulating a thin layer of water. As he walked upon it, not a single ripple disturbed its surface.

Han Sixi, a top-level expert at Heavenly Gate’s fifteenth checkpoint, held immense confidence in his abilities.

Even if he faced Lü Taibai—though he might not win, he could retreat unscathed.

For Lü Taibai to kill him would not be an easy feat.

“Your Highness intends to toy with him, but Li Che’s status is far different from before. His influence is immense—

Your Highness must not jeopardize your bid for the crown prince title because of him.”

As a force tied to the Third Prince, Han Sixi also wanted to capitalize on Dragon’s Might so that he might one day ascend to a position just below the supreme master of Diao Si!

“If Li Che does anything to threaten your chance at the crown, he should be dealt with immediately.”

“Alas, Lü Taibai is in the way.”

In his purple robes, Han Sixi’s aura blended seamlessly with the world; his presence was like the very essence of spring water.

He paused.

Gazing into the distance, at the misty Qianyuan Courtyard about a hundred zhang away—the limit of what the Celestial Seal could sense—

his purple sleeves billowed as he slowly raised his hand.

Four divine seals materialized, hovering and flickering in his palm.

They were the four marks interwoven by the Celestial Seal of the Underworld Ogre.

But then…

After one breath after another, the entire world fell silent.

Only the continuous sound of raindrops stirring the puddles could be heard.

The divine seal… showed no reaction.

“Huh?!”

“No response?”

“Then Li Che—is not the Ogre?”

Han Sixi was silent.

Suddenly, he sensed the light in the world vanish as darkness swallowed everything, blotting out the sun.

He instinctively raised his head,

only to find that above him had appeared a jet-black city gate and battlements, like dark clouds descending upon the world,

oppressively claustrophobic.

On the gate, the golden characters “Shandu” were inscribed!

Atop the Shandu ramparts,

a towering figure stood with fingers raised—a manifestation of the Celestial Tao Essence twisted into a white serpent coiling in his grasp.

Beneath that cute Ogre Mask,

a pair of deep-set, overlapping eyes shimmered.

“You’re—”

“here to find the Ogre?”