Chapter 379: The Ascendant Kunlun Mirror

Kunlun Mirror!

A Three Pure Ones Rank Celestial Weapon!

The highest-ranked celestial weapon Li Che had ever heard of!

Hidden in the Western Queen Mother Bizarre Temple—a weapon even the Great Realm Royal Family has long sought—and now

its trace…

has been discovered by Li Che!

In fact, Li Che had just planned to use a ray of aura to refine this Three Pure Ones Celestial Weapon, the Kunlun Mirror!

Since this weapon had never been found or mastered, it did not even earn a ranking on the Great Inspector’s Great Realm Celestial Weapon Ranking.

The Kunlun Mirror had not been listed at all.

A flash of unbridled excitement shone in Li Che’s eyes.

Three Pure Ones, the Qiankun Hao-ri Kunlun Mirror!

Such a weapon…

If he could master and refine it, his overall cultivation might undergo a monumental breakthrough!

In the Peach Garden, a gentle breeze stirred the trees, yet a trace of intense heat could be felt.

A searing ray of heat shot down from the heavens at a speed rivaling light,

piercing and melting through the lingering blazing aura of Yue Huanglong’s Spiritual Confinement.

It was the pure essence of Dao—a brilliance so extreme, so scorching, so sharp—

that even a single beam from an unmastered celestial weapon could annihilate a top-tier expert!

Li Che closed his eyes once more as his Chess Sage Dao Fruit pounded with excitement in his chest.

His entire spirit reformed within the Cosmic Chessboard, sensing the rising aura from that Spiritual Confinement Chess Piece; gradually, it ascended as if detaching from his flesh.

Blazing, dazzling, and resplendent!

The intense light shone like the noonday sun, capturing and refracting its radiance.

Terrifying rays of energy continued to cascade down.

This time, Li Che did not tear apart the brilliance to reveal the Kunlun Mirror’s true visage as before.

Instead, he chose to sit cross-legged beneath it, bathing in its glow and feeling the force of the Kunlun Mirror’s power wash over him.

The dazzling, scorching light seared him; Li Che felt his Heavenly Soul as if plunged into a forging furnace, its heat almost melting it away.

It was like having flesh and blood thrown onto a scorching hot griddle, crackling and popping relentlessly.

Li Che sensed that his Heavenly Soul might completely dissolve.

He simply couldn’t withstand it…

To endure the burning heat of the aura and the cleansing power of the Dao, with his current Heavenly Soul strength, was simply not enough.————

He was far too weak.

To refine it was utterly impossible.

The lingering ray on Yue Huanglong’s Spiritual Confinement Chess Piece could not support Li Che in completing the refinement.

Li Che couldn’t help but feel a headache forming.

It was like having a treasure mountain before him, yet he had no idea how to harvest it.

Even as he endured the scorching light, Li Che could vaguely feel the Kunlun Mirror’s rays softening and twisting, as if strands of yarn swaying in the wind.

His goal was to capture those light rays and pull them into the Cosmic Chessboard, then refine them gradually.

By refining these rays and linking with the Kunlun Mirror’s aura, he planned to draw the weapon into the Chessboard.

For Li Che, attempting to refine the Kunlun Mirror in one go was nothing short of fantasy.

The difficulty was immense and utterly unrealistic.

But if he could drag the Kunlun Mirror into his domain within the Chessboard and refine it slowly, his chances would be far greater.

Thus, Li Che made this attempt!

Inside his Mud Pellet inner vista,

the Fa Tian Xiang Di Luminous True Primate divine fetus trembled as if letting out a deafening roar, surging divine energy like a sweeping storm.

Moreover, numerous divine fetuses—once transformed from Golden Pills and infused with the captured Temple Spirit souls by Li Che’s Summon the Divine—vibrated at this moment, each exuding faint divine might.

This surge of divinity stirred like a colossal tidal wave rising from the depths of one’s soul, its perception radiating outward.

It steadily merged with Li Che’s Heavenly Soul, which floated beneath the radiant Hao-ri Kunlun Mirror.

The light rays fell like strands of yarn, swaying softly in the air.

Yet every sway felt like a razor’s edge slicing through Li Che’s perception.

When his Heavenly Soul was shattered by the relentless assault, Li Che’s Mud Pellet inner world erupted into a storm, and as numerous divine fetuses trembled, they suppressed the storm long enough for his Heavenly Soul to reassemble and attempt to pull in the light.

With each shattering, Li Che’s Heavenly Soul seemed to capture fragments of the light.

Bit by bit, through repeated destruction, they accumulated.

The entire Thousand-Year Peach Orchard was enveloped in an eerie silence.

Up to now, only Li Che had ascended its heights.

Every breath he took thundered like rolling clouds, and the winds howled among the peach trees.

Seated beneath one such tree, Li Che’s spirit soared up toward the nine heavens.

He yearned to seize the Hao-ri!

At the Thousand-Year Peach Orchard,

the rustling sound of peach trees shifting repeatedly echoed as they moved whenever a hero dashed by, startling them into repositioning.

Thus, the sound of trees moving resounded constantly.

Boom!!!

Suddenly, a terrifying collision erupted. Amidst the interweaving of aggressive auras and lightning arcs, a bloodstained figure appeared, his eyes flashing a deep crimson.

“Zhang Xuanlei, are you really going to annihilate everyone?!”

A low roar came from one of the heroes of the Seven Treasure Divine Sect, his eyes turning bloodshot.

“Your son is dead. So what, you think you can come here and pick a fight with Li Che? What trouble are you looking for?”

“Leave a thread for tomorrow—don’t think that because your Purple Mansion Divine Sect is the top sect of the Great Realm you can act with impunity!”

Ning Yun, the second hero of the Seven Treasure Divine Sect, bled continuously as severe injuries marred him.

Though Ning Yun’s strength was formidable, bolstered by his divine weapons, he only reached the initial peak of his Martial Saint stage—barely activating his Qi Sea—yet could unleash power of his Martial Saint’s second Qi Sea stage.

But then he encountered Zhang Xuanlei—

the lunatic of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect!

Driven by the death of his son, he had become ruthlessly savage, intent on a rampage.

Behind Zhang Xuanlei, a divine shrine dedicated to the Temple Spirit slowly rose. Unlike his son Zhang Yuanlong’s, his shrine was far more refined and exuded a denser divine aura—as if crafted by a master woodcarver.

“Die.”

Zhang Xuanlei coolly swept a glance at Ning Yun.

With a sudden thrust of his five fingers, his palm burst with thunderous energy as a spear-like bolt of lightning surged forth.

It instantly shattered the divine weapon Ning Yun held, pierced through his chest, obliterated his organs, and shattered his Martial Dao Pill!

Thud—

—

Ning Yun violently coughed up a mouthful of blood. He attempted to crush a peach to destroy it, but Zhang Xuanlei’s leaping fingers and the arcing lightning deprived him of that power.

“If you choose to cling to life, it means you lack the courage to let everything burn,”

Zhang Xuanlei stated coldly.

Ning Yun’s eyes widened in anger as his aura completely withered.

He was the fourth hero to fall at Zhang Xuanlei’s hand.

In this session of the Heroes’ Gathering, Zhang Xuanlei had begun his merciless slaughter without restraint.

Against any opponent, he threw caution to the wind!

“Five now—

the fifth peach began to levitate.

Zhang Xuanlei spread his arms wide and slowly exhaled a breath of foul air.

A moment later, a charged aura surged forth.

“Purple Mansion Divine Sect’s top hero Zhang Xuanlei, having gathered five Thousand-Year Peaches, is the second to ascend the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard.”

“First hero of Witch God Mountain, Goldmane, with five Thousand-Year Peaches, ascends third into the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard.”

“First hero of the Western Region Buddha Kingdom, the illustrious itinerant Jiakuo, with five Thousand-Year Peaches, ascends fourth into the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard.”

“And the first hero of True Martial Divine Sect, Shi Xuan, with five Thousand-Year Peaches, is the fifth to enter the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard—”

A sound like the tolling of ancient bells resounded continuously.

The peach trees’ leaves rustled relentlessly.

Nearly half a day after Li Che’s ascension, other heroes finally began to ascend.

And their ascensions nearly occurred simultaneously.

Thus, the announcement sounds echoed repeatedly.

However, only the first five ascensions were heralded.

After heroes Zhang Xuanlei, Goldmane, Jiakuo, and Shi Xuan gathered five peaches each to ascend into the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard,

the other heroes’ ascensions went unannounced.

But for these others, the pressure grew even more dire.

With five ascensions, only fifteen spots remained in the first round!

After the first five ascensions, Purple Mansion Divine Sect’s second hero Zhang Xuanhe and third hero Zhang Xuanyu, among others, battled their way to advance into the second round.

The ancient families of Divine Capital—the Ji, Yue, and Gong clans—also saw heroes rise, dividing the remaining spots.

As the available spots dwindled, the competition grew ever fiercer.

The peach trees began shifting faster, and the aftershocks of battle triggered their barriers repeatedly, protecting the trees.

The disciples of Ji Mo Li, the sons of the Dragon God’s lineage, and many top heroes of various Divine Sects split nearly twenty spots among themselves.

When the last hero, Liu Qing from Tian Dan Divine Sect, battered his way through his foes to claim an opponent’s peach,

all twenty heroes ascending into the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Gathering were revealed!

Liu Qing, tears in his eyes, kept stuffing Pill medicines into his mouth, never imagining he’d have another chance to collect five peaches…

His climb had been nothing short of grueling.

Yet the ordeal ignited a fierce resolve in him—no mountain was too high; he would scale it step by determined step!

He needed to show those who had once overpowered him the extent of his tenacity!

Crackle, crackle…

Liu Qing, casually munching on medicinal pills as if they were candy, felt how arduous his journey had been, wiped away tears, and continued his pill intake.

Buzzing—the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard.

Outside the Peach Garden, one figure after another appeared.

A massive bamboo fence blocked their way, preventing anyone from entering; the bamboo doors remained closed.

Zhang Xuanlei’s black Dao robe fluttered as intricate lightning patterns danced across his brow, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

“Senior Brother Xuanlei!”

Two figures rushed forward.

They joined Zhang Xuanlei—none other than Purple Mansion Divine Sect’s other two heroes, Zhang Xuanhe and Zhang Xuanyu, disciples of the ‘Xuan’ generation.

Upon seeing them, Zhang Xuanlei’s expression softened; he gave a slight nod.

Both having advanced to the second round, their presence lifted his spirits somewhat,

but remembering that the first ascender was Li Che—the father of Li Nuǎnxi who had killed his children—Zhang Xuanlei’s rage flared anew.

“We’ve finally nailed down the rules for the Heroes’ Gathering. Once inside the Peach Garden, the trees will create a maze and separate us, but we can prearrange by sharing our auras as proof to regroup quickly later.”

Zhang Xuanlei explained.

Zhang Xuanhe and Zhang Xuanyu readily agreed.

“After entering the second round, with the three of us, we can dominate the Peach Garden—”

“Let’s go find Li Che first. I want to kill him, and you two help me.”

Zhang Xuanlei said in a low, menacing tone.

“No problem,”

Zhang Xuanhe and Zhang Xuanyu did not refuse; having grown up with Zhang Yuanlong—who died at the hands of Li Nuǎnxi—they were deeply pained.

They naturally supported Zhang Xuanlei’s quest for revenge.

With the three of them united, no one could stand in their way.

Zhang Xuanlei’s gaze swept coldly over them before suddenly narrowing.

“Even the three top heroes of True Martial Divine Sect—”

“Shi Xuan, Shi Miao, and Shi Jingang, the three main heroes of True Martial Divine Sect!”

Zhang Xuanlei raised his eyebrows.

True Martial Divine Sect’s close ties with Li Che made it a significant concern if they forcibly protected him.

“Then there’s Ji Chen of the Ji Family, Yue Wanglou of the Yue Family, and Gong Suchang of the Gong Family—”

“Though these three come from ancient families, they’re not to be feared.”

Zhang Xuanlei’s cold gaze swept over them.

“What’s truly worrisome is the potential alliance of the Western Region Buddha Kingdom’s Jiakuo Master, Witch God Mountain’s Goldmane, and South Sea’s Jade Guanyin—if they join forces…”

“Everyone else isn’t a threat; they’re mere trash.”

“To ascend into the third round from the second, you must collect five peaches—”

“All second-round ascenders are strong, so once inside the Peach Garden we must immediately regroup, join forces, and swiftly break through one by one to seize the peaches!”

Zhang Xuanlei’s eyes flashed with lightning.

“When the three of us ascend together into the third round—from the third Peach Garden to the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard—we’ll need three peaches. If necessary, give me your peaches, and I’ll ensure our advancement.”

“In short, if the three of us stick together, we’ll control three of the four available spots. With three peaches in our grasp, we’ll secure the title of champion of the Heroes’ Gathering.”

Zhang Xuanlei analyzed coldly.

Both Zhang Xuanhe and Zhang Xuanyu’s eyes shone with anticipation.

While others fought solo, the three heroes of True Martial Divine Sect had no such worries.

“By the way, what about Li Che? He was the first to ascend the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard. Where is he? I didn’t see him outside the fence. Where did he go?”

Zhang Xuanyu furrowed his brow and asked.

“Perhaps he gained the advantage of being the first to ascend, and is now familiarizing himself with the terrain in the Peach Garden…

But it doesn’t matter much. Once we enter the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard, we’ll find him—and kill him!”

Zhang Xuanlei’s murderous intent was palpable.

Boom!!!

His words finished.

A surge of immortal aura erupted, and the bamboo door of the fence burst open.

Once opened, countless streams of celestial energy flowed in.

“The second round of the Heroes’ Gathering begins!”

The Empress’s clear voice suddenly rang out.

Immediately, everyone felt the pull of divine essence as they were drawn into the Peach Garden.

A pounding heartbeat, like thunder, exploded in Li Che’s ears.

Li Che felt his head spin as his Mud Pellet inner realm boiled with countless divine energies, swirling like tumultuous rapids!

His Heavenly Soul shattered repeatedly—he lost count of the times.

Yet his exquisitely attuned Dao Induction kept reassembling the scattered pieces of his Heavenly Soul in an instant!

Moreover, Li Che discovered a benefit:

Each time his Heavenly Soul shattered, the pace at which Lv Xuan Sword Immortal’s Golden Pill refined and consumed the divine essence of the Golden King Tower Temple Spirit accelerated!

Boom!!!

A majestic divine surge roared and shook Li Che’s Mud Pellet inner world, as if heralded by a sword’s song!

Lv Xuan Sword Immortal Golden Pill…

The fetal aura evolved—a transformation from Golden Pill to divine fetus!

However, since Li Che was in the Bizarre Temple at this moment, the will of heaven and earth was suppressed, and he evaded the calamities of heaven.

Inside the Bizarre Temple, even the tribulations of top cultivators were nullified—let alone Li Che’s own divine fetus fate.

Fa Tian Xiang Di, the Six Emotions of Desire, and Lv Xuan Sword Immortal!

The three divine fetuses transformed simultaneously!

Boom—a guttural roar echoed inside, as if an earth-shattering sound had burst forth!

Li Che only felt his Heavenly Soul trembling violently, as if the fusion of the three divine fetuses induced a dizzying, cataclysmic delusion—

as if his Heavenly Soul now held the power to move mountains and shift seas!

“My spirit… is growing ever stronger. The fusion of these three divine fetuses has elevated my spirit

beyond any single divine transformation!”

“Now I can claim the Three Divine Transformation!”

“But I am an anomaly—others may transform one divine fetus three times, but I undergo transformations with three divine fetuses simultaneously.”

Boom, boom, boom—the exquisite Dao Induction pulsated within his inner vista, unleashing pure, unstained divine energy, causing the three divine fetuses to harmonize almost perfectly.

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. After countless shatterings of his Heavenly Soul by the Kunlun Mirror’s searing rays, the dizziness faded.

At this moment, as the Heavenly Soul fused with the three divine fetuses, Li Che’s spirit became clear and powerful!

A slight stirring of his consciousness.

[Dao Fruit: Pure Heart (lv6 30%) Chess Sage (lv5 95%)]

Li Che’s eyes sparkled.

The maturity of the Pure Heart Dao Fruit, boosted by Lv Xuan Sword Immortal’s transformation into a divine fetus and the subsequent fusion of his three divine fetuses, surged by 10%, lifting Li Che’s spirits.

Likewise, the Chess Sage Dao Fruit also improved quickly, energized by the aura captured by Li Che after numerous refinements of his Heavenly Soul.

It seemed possible—

perhaps the Chess Sage Dao Fruit might achieve a fourth transformation. Who knows if the fourth form could help me control this Kunlun Mirror?

A wild ambition stirred in Li Che’s heart.

But it was merely ambition—a thought, nothing more.

The Three Pure Ones Rank Kunlun Mirror…

Li Che felt that drawing it into the Cosmic Chessboard was no trivial matter.

He lifted his head, his jet-black hair fluttering.

His eyes shone brightly.

At the same time,

Li Che’s gaze drifted toward the distance, where within the Peach Garden, curling white mist began to billow.

This signified that the second round of the Heroes’ Gathering had begun!

“Keep capturing them!”

Yet Li Che paid no mind to the start of the Heroes’ Gathering.

A brilliant glow emanated from his brow Mud Pellet.

The unified Heavenly Soul soared upward like a rolling tide beneath the radiant Hao-ri Kunlun Mirror,

as he continued to capture the incoming rays of energy!

Time was running short for him.

He had to capture as many as possible…

In Divine Capital Second City,

the night gradually receded; the spring rain had ceased, the dark clouds dispersed, revealing a sky tinged with fish-belly white.

Unknowingly, an entire night had passed.

The Heroes’ Gathering in the Peach Garden had lasted all night.

And throughout the night, everyone remained tense, eyes fixed on the scene on the Celestial River’s water screen.

Inside the grand pavilion, some were enraged, some sorrowful, others doomed to bitter fury.

The heroes eliminated in the first round were whisked back by divine energy, dizzy and dejected.

For instance, heroes like Yang Ziyun who fell in the Bizarre Temple could not return.

In the Peach Garden, Zhang Xuanlei massacred heroes—four in a row—provoking the wrath of the sect leaders.

Yet fearing the power of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect, the various sects, like Xuanfu Divine Sect, could only jointly restrict its resources.

“The second round has begun!”

“Zhang Xuanlei, Zhang Xuanhe, and Zhang Xuanyu—three heroes of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect—have stealthily entered the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard and are already regrouping.”

“They’ve gathered five Thousand-Year Peaches each. This round is likely to become their playground of carnage!”

“Three against one—one peach per group; gather fifteen peaches and all three will instantly ascend into the third round. Afterwards, teammates will turn into opponents, but that will be a third-round matter.”

An uproar echoed.

Through the Celestial River’s water screen, top heroes from Divine Capital Second City and martial experts from Divine Capital Third City clearly saw the various alliances forming among the heroes.

“The heroes from the three great families of Divine Capital have teamed up—Ji Chen, Yue Wanglou, and Gong Suchang—”

“Gu Bajian of Bashu Sword Pavilion, Lu Shiyi of Haoran Academy, and Ning Cai of Seven Treasure Divine Sect have united!”

“Ao Yuan, Zhou Chiguo, and the top hero of Dragon and Tiger Divine Sect, Zhao Jun, have formed another camp.”

“Goldmane of Witch God Mountain, Jiakuo of the Western Region Buddha Kingdom, and Jade Guanyin of South Sea Purple Bamboo Forest—this formation is so powerful that perhaps only the three top heroes of Purple Mansion Divine Sect can match them!”

“It appears six temporary alliances have emerged—”

Suddenly, someone wondered aloud,

“By the way, who are the two lone wolves still fighting on their own?”

“Li Che of Qianyuan Divine Sect and Liu Qing of Tian Dan Divine Sect—”

“Li Bansheng—ascended too early. Being the first to ascend actually deprived him of teaming up.”

“And Liu Qing of Tian Dan Divine Sect… he’s simply too weak.”

Various discussions echoed non-stop.

Suddenly, the chatter ceased abruptly.

Every breath grew heavy.

Then the water flowing from the Celestial River’s screen revealed a scene.

In the image, Li Che was seated beneath a peach tree, his body interwoven with divine energy as he trained.

Many sighed, filled with regret.

Some even let out low, somber shouts.

“Li Bansheng—run for your life!”

“It’s over! Li Bansheng is still training—he’s clueless!”

“Truly, being the first to ascend isn’t all it’s cracked up to be—it feels like being isolated.”

Sighs filled the air.

Because, through the Celestial River’s water screen, everyone saw far beyond the Peach Garden.

The three heroes of Purple Mansion Divine Sect—Zhang Xuanlei, Zhang Xuanhe, and Zhang Xuanyu—seemed to have locked onto Li Che’s position,

rushing and closing in madly!

The Qianyuan Divine Sect’s main stage.

XiXi’s face was etched with anxiety as she stood at the edge of the ruins in Jade Plaza, craning her neck to view the Celestial River’s water screen.

“Ah! They’re so shameless—teaming up like that!”

“They’ve picked on Father, who’s alone! I’m so angry—XiXi is furious!”

XiXi’s chest swelled like a balloon with rage.

She stomped and gritted her teeth until her face flushed crimson.

She longed to rush into the Peach Garden to aid her father and fight alongside him.

In the end, XiXi could only weep in helpless anger.

“Father, run—get out of here!”

In the main assembly area,

Lü Taibai’s brows furrowed; even his drinking slowed as a heavy seriousness filled his eyes.

“It’s dangerous now. With the three top heroes of Purple Mansion Divine Sect united—”

Li Che, unless he exposed his Martial Dao prowess, would find it impossible to rely on divine energy alone.

“A Che, what will you do?”

Boom!!!

It was as if the heavens themselves poured down searing light; even the unified Heavenly Soul forged by three divine fetuses could barely withstand the Kunlun Mirror’s scorching radiance!

Compared to before, his Heavenly Soul had held on slightly longer, but now, with one forceful pull, three streams of the Kunlun Mirror’s radiant energy were drawn

into the Cosmic Chessboard.

His Heavenly Soul looked as if it had been slashed to pieces by countless blazing sword strikes, riddled with wounds, like a slab of butter scorched and marred with cuts.

It teetered on the brink of collapse.

Then, suddenly.

Seated beneath a peach tree, Li Che’s dark, vigorous hair whipped about, his black robe billowing.

His eyes snapped open, now alight with brilliant radiance—as if the noon sun were captured within his gaze.

“So they’ve finally come—

and three at once?”

The Cosmic Chessboard trembled slightly, its interwoven lines spanning the sky, and Li Che clearly sensed three powerful auras brimming with murderous intent.

Even though they were thousands of feet away and shielded by many peach trees, their target was unmistakable.

They raced toward Li Che’s meditating form.

“They simply can’t wait any longer.”

Li Che exhaled slowly.

An invisible qi surged like a tidal wave, sweeping wildly under the peach tree as fierce winds roared and frost-covered grass bent in its path!

In but a few heartbeats.

Three figures marched forward, each step unleashing overwhelming divine energy, their aura flashing as if space contracted with every stride.

Like bolts of lightning in a storm, their pressure rolled in, as dark as an approaching cloud.

The sight made the peach trees sway violently, and even several automatic safeguards on the trees were triggered.

Zhang Xuanlei landed, his eyes sparking with crackling lightning.

At that moment, frost-laden grass ignited under the electric shock, vast patches withering away.

His jet-black hair whipped in the cold wind as his black Dao robe fluttered.

Zhang Xuanlei’s broad sleeves flared as he stood firm, his eyes alive with surging electricity, fixated coldly on Li Che.

Beside him, Zhang Xuanhe and Zhang Xuanyu, the two heroes from Purple Mansion Divine Sect, stood on each side.

Zhang Xuanlei’s icy gaze slowly turned malevolent.

Behind him—

a tremendous divine energy roared, coalescing into a shrine.

With clattering chains, the shrine floated up as three chains coiled around Zhang Xuanlei’s spine, as if employing some mysterious Martial Dao technique.

“Li Che—

I’ve finally found you!”

Beneath the peach tree.

Li Che rose, brushing the frosted grass and dust off his robes.

He regarded the shrine behind Zhang Xuanlei for a long while before speaking softly:

“What a pity… you’re too late. I’ve grown even a bit stronger.”