Chapter 381: Fury of Divine Cataclysm

Everyone is doomed—each and every one will die!

It felt as though a demonic whisper caressed his ear, like a sudden, merciless, icy wind sweeping over him and freezing him entirely!

Scalding blood spewed onto the ground like searing lava, incinerating the frostbitten grass to reveal soft, glaringly red mud.

The gnarled roots of the peach trees writhed and tumbled in the soil like earth dragons slithering along.

Zhang Xuanlei’s eyes narrowed; despite the chill enshrouding his body, an indescribable surge of grief and rage overwhelmed him in an instant!

Grief, anger, and murderous intent flooded over him in torrents!

Zhang Xuanlei trembled all over as bolts of lightning lashed his body, his gaze fixed unblinkingly in one direction.

There—Zhang Xuanhe’s body had been cleaved in two by a single sword strike, collapsing to the ground where its life was utterly snuffed out!

Li Che—could he really have delivered such a fatal strike?

That thunderous sword cut was even more terrifying than his previously accumulated ‘Divine Might Sword Thunder’!

Zhang Xuanhe and the nearly peerless Mechanical Beast Twin-Winged Little Yinglong King were locked in a relentless duel, and he was already at a disadvantage.

Had a master of mechanisms commanded the nearly peerless Mechanical Beast, it could even rival the heights of the Four-Opening Martial Saint or the Ultimate Martial Saint.

Even if Zhang Xuanhe wielded the full power of the temple’s spirit fused with godlike martial energy, he might still fail to withstand the killing intent of a Four-Opening Ultimate Martial Saint.

Even so, Zhang Xuanhe was struggling to hold his ground, teetering on the brink of irreversible doom.

Yet, unexpectedly, the sword Li Che had originally aimed at Zhang Xuanlei suddenly shifted its target, slashing in a near-ambush at the Temple Spirit communicating within the shrine, intending to funnel more of its power to Zhang Xuanhe at minimal cost.

This left Zhang Xuanhe with no way to defend himself.

He was instantly slain by a single strike!

The thunderous force in that sword carried a hint of catastrophic doom—it resembled the ‘Divine Xiao Thunder’, one of the three calamities, yet Zhang Xuanlei couldn’t be certain.

After all, Li Che, who had just stepped into the Nascent God Realm of divine essence cultivation, could hardly unleash a calamity as terrible as the Divine Xiao Thunder!

This was the power of divine catastrophe—its unleashing was nothing short of a dimensional annihilation.

But regardless of the nature of that thunderous force, one fact was clear.

Zhang Xuanhe was dead!

He was dead indeed!

Pale-faced, Zhang Xuanlei’s eyes were awash with flashes of memories.

He recalled the time when he, Zhang Xuanhe, and Zhang Xuanyu had entered the Mountain Gate of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect, all naturally gifted with inherent elemental attributes and personally taken as disciples by Zhang Wuji, the Sect Leader.

They lived, grew, played, trained, and fought enemies side by side.

During their travels through the martial world, they slaughtered countless foes together.

They grew in sync over the years, each nurturing the other along the way.

Later, they finally had the chance to attend the Peach Festival; representing the Purple Mansion Divine Sect’s dragon lineage, they participated in the Young Dragon Championship and swept the top three spots.

Trained by Zhang Wuji for decades, they had now nearly reached the upper age limit for the Hero Championship.

Thus, the Sect Leader sent them to compete in the Hero Championship in hopes of seizing a divine peach.

The trio vowed to replicate their Young Dragon Championship triumph and clinch the top three once again.

But—

Even as their dream of sweeping the podium remained unfulfilled, Zhang Xuanhe was dead.

Zhang Xuanlei felt an explosive surge of anger threatening to burst his chest.

“Despicable!”

Lightning in his eyes turned a bloody red as he glared fiercely at Li Che—who stood with his arms folded, suspended in midair, shrouded in the combined powers of Fa Tian Xiang Di and nascent divine essence.

Zhang Xuanhe had been slain by Li Che’s ambush!

“You call me despicable?”

A wry smirk curled on Li Che’s lips.

“You three were ganging up on me—I never said you were shameless—yet you now dare call me despicable?”

Li Che chuckled coldly.

“I know you cherish your brothers, so I’ll send you along to meet him. Brothers should walk together.”

A ruthless killing intent erupted from Li Che like a raging storm.

And thus…

the slaughter had just begun!

Zhang Xuanlei had to die. In Li Che’s eyes, he was already on the must-kill list.

If he lived, he would pose an enormous threat—after all, if not for XiXi having slain Zhang Yuanlong, and had the battle taken place elsewhere, Zhang Xuanlei would have attacked XiXi without hesitation.

Moreover, Zhang Xuanlei’s extraordinary talent gave him every chance to break into the Ultimate Tier in the future.

Such a powerful foe seeking vengeance against XiXi would keep Li Che awake at night, worrying endlessly about his daughter’s safety.

Thus, Li Che had to finish this threat once and for all—eliminate this hero whose very existence jeopardized his daughter’s security.

Zhang Xuanlei must die!

Li Che was contemplating how best to slay Zhang Xuanlei; after all, if they clashed and Zhang Xuanlei managed to retreat via his spiritual bond with Xi Wangmu, it wouldn’t be easy for Li Che to finish him off.

After all, the Sect Leader of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect occupied the top rank in the Divine Register!

Truly unfathomable!

Yet Zhang Xuanlei, harboring his own desire to kill Li Che, combined forces with his two comrades—enlisting Zhang Xuanyu to use the Divine Secret Technique to form the Xuanyu Divine Domain, severing all ties with the Bizarre Temple and the Temple Spirit force of Xi Wangmu.

Within that divine domain, escape via Xi Wangmu’s spiritual power was impossible!

For Li Che, this was simply perfect!

It was a self-imposed trap!

In Li Che’s eyes, the three truly were entrapping themselves.

Provided he could ensure the kill on all three.

In Divine Capital Second City, the sun shone with blinding brilliance.

It was as if the very space had been torn apart.

A cascading celestial river tumbled down like a waterfall, reflecting countless dazzling hues!

Yet throughout Jade Plaza, an eerie silence reigned.

Everyone watched in awe as, in the blink of an eye, Li Che turned the tide while facing the ferocious onslaught from both Zhang Xuanlei and Zhang Xuanhe!

“So many nascent souls? What kind of secret technique is this?”

“To have cultivated so many nascent souls—it must be the Lv Xuan Sword Immortal’s nascent soul technique, from that notorious Five Elders’ Bizarre Temple in Daocheng!”

“Over a dozen nascent souls—a spectrum resembling the seven emotions and six desires.”

Several discerning experts identified the origins of the nascent souls Li Che manifested behind him.

Their eyes flashed with astonishment—what kind of creature was this?!

For ordinary cultivators, forging even a single nascent soul was extremely arduous—yet Li Che had condensed so many!

No wonder with just one Nascent God Transformation, he could unleash battle power rivaling that of the peak stage Nascent God Transformation Two!

In the pre-banquet skirmish, he had crushed formidable foes like Zhou Chiguo and the warriors of Xiao Lingyin Temple!

It turned out that Li Che hadn’t even played his trump card yet!

But before anyone could recover from the shock,

they saw Li Che unleash a slashing beam—a sudden, unexpected pivot that ambushed and cut down Zhang Xuanhe!

Everyone was stunned.

Had he then…

pulled off a counter-kill?!

Make no mistake, Zhang Xuanhe was no weakling; accomplished in divine martial arts and bolstered by the power of the Temple Spirit, his body was extraordinarily resilient. Yet that one sword left him no time to react, extinguishing his life instantly!

“Divine Xiao Snow Thunder—”

A sigh echoed mournfully across Jade Plaza.

It sent shivers down everyone’s spine.

Seated in the Purple Mansion Divine Sect’s banquet area, Zhang Wuji himself spoke.

“Even a trace of Divine Xiao Thunder power belongs to the three-calamity level—a peril so extreme that one misstep means eternal damnation. Li Bansheng’s control of it…”

“Incredible…extraordinary.”

Zhang Wuji sighed.

A hero of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect had fallen.

Truly a pity.

Those around erupted in shocked murmurs, stunned by Zhang Wuji’s words.

Divine Xiao Thunder?

Li Bansheng indeed wielded such power?

Up atop Jade Plaza,

XiXi, whose face had been flushed with grief and anger, suddenly brightened with excitement.

The clanging of the Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel beneath her feet echoed as sparks flew, carrying her to the outskirts of Jade Plaza. With hands on her hips, she glared proudly at the young dragons of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect.

The two young dragons, Zhang Yunhuang and Zhang Yunhu, wore ashen expressions but were seething with sorrow and rage.

Especially Zhang Yunhu—the burly one—who glared furiously at the smug XiXi, cursing furiously.

“Despicable and cunning! Ambushing for a kill—what kind of skill is that?!”

Hearing this, XiXi’s eyebrows shot up, her twin braided pigtails tied with red cords seemingly bristling.

Standing confidently with her hands on her hips and chest out,

“A three-versus-one situation that ends in a counter-kill—are we even fighting spells?!”

“Hmph!”

XiXi’s childish voice burst out,

leaving Zhang Yunhuang and Zhang Yunhu speechless.

After all, the three heroes from the Purple Mansion Divine Sect ambushing Li Che were undeniably the more underhanded party.

But the children’s bickering barely registered with anyone.

All eyes were fixed on the three-parted celestial water curtain.

More importantly, they focused on the fierce clash between Li Che and the three heroes of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect.

Li Che had killed Zhang Xuanhe—

Did that mean Li Che might survive?!

In the Peach Grove, a wild wind howled.

Zhang Xuanyu staggered, her face as pale as paper.

In the flash of battle, the outcome was suddenly sealed—Zhang Xuanhe had indeed been cut down by Li Che’s sword!

Zhang Xuanyu was quickly overcome with tears,

her heart feeling as though it were being sliced by a knife.

How could this be?

How could the three of them, fighting together, end up in such ruin!

“Second Senior Brother!”

Zhang Xuanyu shrieked, her eyes bloodshot and her divine essence surging wildly!

Her fingers moved continuously in intricate hand seals as the Sixfold Water Dragon roared to life. Behind her, the shrine trembled as divine energy was steadily drawn out and flowed into her body, empowering her even as it corroded her flesh.

“I will kill you!”

Zhang Xuanyu’s scream cracked,

and within the water prison, the six-headed water dragon formation suddenly swelled to ten.

Rumbling continuously…

Raindrops fell in an orderly fashion within the water prison.

The rain pelted down toward Li Che with fierce speed, though it was held at bay by his Fa Tian Xiang Di.

Li Che could clearly sense that within those crystalline droplets lay a terrifying corrosive power, ready to erode away the divine energy within Fa Tian Xiang Di.

The six-headed water dragon maintained the water prison, sealing off the area to prevent Li Che from absorbing the divine energy and fleeing.

Meanwhile, ten more water dragons lunged at Li Che!

They bore an overwhelming murderous aura!

Facing ten wildly charging water dragons, Li Che’s five fingers flexed as his Fa Tian Xiang Di roared mightily,

and one resounding slap burst forth.

The terrifying force shattered the surrounding air, sending shockwaves in all directions!

One water dragon was smashed, exploding into countless droplets that splattered onto the ground. Yet the resulting droplets, like tiny glass beads, ricocheted on the concrete before reforming into water dragons that lunged at Li Che, clawing at Fa Tian Xiang Di as they corroded its divine energy.

Behind Li Che, nascent souls manifesting the seven emotions and six desires as well as the Lv Xuan Sword Immortal’s nascent soul hovered.

The Sword Immortal’s phantom appeared, his cold gaze sweeping the battlefield.

With a flick of his finger, sword aura cascaded and exploded, cleaving the lurching water dragon in mid-leap.

Li Che’s steely gaze shifted as he looked toward Zhang Xuanyu, who sat with every inch of her body enshrouded in the shrine’s divine energy. It was as if her spirit had been shattered by Zhang Xuanhe’s death.

“I never expected this female Taoist to be so formidable. The source of this water dragon energy is that shrine—the limitless divine force it exudes renders mere water dragons powerless.”

“We must first kill this female Taoist.”

Li Che’s jet-black hair whipped in the wind.

With all five fingers outstretched, he targeted the distant Twin-Winged Little Yinglong King. In that moment, the water dragon’s red, agate-like eyes flashed with an intense, dazzling radiance.

Like countless stacked blades, its twin wings suddenly slammed together!

A thunderous, booming shock echoed, reverberating through the Peach Grove. Even many cultivators fighting in other parts of the grove paused to listen, their hearts gripped by an overwhelming dread.

The colossal form of the Little Yinglong King, enveloped by a fearsome aura, boasted tens of thousands of intricate mechanism seals that twinkled as divine energy was rapidly expended from its mid-tier divine crystals.

Yet it charged toward Zhang Xuanlei at breakneck speed.

Zhang Xuanlei let out a long roar, his jet-black robe billowing, as his five fingers coalesced energy into a formidable lightning sword forged from interwoven bolts.

The terrifying divine energy whirled into a storm, the shrine embedded in his body as he swung his sword. In an instant, countless lightning bolts scattered and burst forth into a dense array of sword light, hammering the Little Yinglong King like a torrential tempest.

The nearly peerless Mechanical Beast was suppressed in a flash by Zhang Xuanlei’s overwhelming might!

But the Little Yinglong King, under Li Che’s control, fearlessly charged on—a testament to the difference between machines and true cultivators.

They knew no pain and felt no fear in the face of injury!

Boom!!!

The Little Yinglong King fixated on the innumerable lightning-sword edges like a tail of slicing blades, then abruptly raised them, gathering radiant brilliance before viciously striking downward!

Zhang Xuanlei’s body became entwined in lightning as he raised his hand.

“Divine Technique: Palm Thunder!”

Suddenly,

the luster of countless lightning-sword edges dimmed.

“Hm?”

Far off, suspended in midair, Li Che tore through the air with his bare hands and produced a long, heavy Nameless Xiangong Super Electromagnetic Cannon crafted from Xuan Fire, Black Wind, and Thunder Wood. At that sight, his heart skipped a beat.

Boom!

Zhang Xuanlei’s eyes turned a bloody red as intertwining electric currents replaced his gaze. The shrine seemed to embed itself onto his back, and torrents of temple divine energy, like unleashed rivers, violently flowed into his flesh.

His five fingers spread slowly as if summoning a divine vision. In Li Che’s combined perception gleaned from three fused nascent souls forming the Heaven and Earth Soul, it was as if a divine eye gradually opened, its gaze unleashing an unyielding will capable of piercing the heavens!

Amidst an endless, leaden sky, a flash of lightning suddenly appeared!

Yet in an instant, the boundless darkness was torn asunder, replaced by a resplendent golden light and a thundering explosion!

Where the golden radiance swept, vast dust and smoke vanished in an instant!

“This divine technique is the crystallization of the rules governing Heaven and Earth as mastered by the Temple Spirit—a manifestation of the divine authority wielded by gods, containing ancient, unsurpassed mysteries!”

A deep, cold voice boomed from Zhang Xuanlei’s mouth!

As his words echoed and detonated throughout the Peach Grove, his uplifted hand battered down toward the nearly peerless Mechanical Beast Twin-Winged Little Yinglong King.

A terrifying bolt of lightning erupted from Zhang Xuanlei’s palm.

It clashed with the radiant light hurled forth by the Little Yinglong King, whose mechanism seals glowed as they spun like a tail of slicing blades.

At the point of impact, over a hundred feet in diameter, the surrounding air was transformed into churning tides, with countless gusts swirling into creases.

Accompanied by a cataclysmic explosion!

A wild wind howled, a tangle of lightning slashed and roared, and the explosive sound erupted as the Little Yinglong King’s tail shattered into countless meteor-like fragments that pounded the bent frostgrass, reducing vast patches of it to nothing.

In an instant, the tail of the Little Yinglong King broke off, as if letting out an agonized shriek!

A peculiar glimmer flashed in Li Che’s eyes.

What a powerful Palm Thunder!

Powered by the overwhelming divine force of the Temple Spirit, the Palm Thunder erupted,

like an ancient ruler of thunder from the very bowels of Heaven and Earth!

Li Che’s heart trembled slightly as he sensed a whiff of divine prowess!

Yet he quickly composed himself.

His fingers caressed the Nameless Xiangong Super Electromagnetic Cannon—

loading a sleek, solid electromagnetic slug.

He aimed directly at Zhang Xuanyu.

Zhang Xuanlei’s eyes hardened as he glanced at Li Che. Slowly, he raised his hand, the shrine nearly embedding into his flesh, as torrents of divine energy were inexorably drawn from his body.

He raised his hand and aimed at Li Che!

“Die!!!”

Meanwhile, Li Che braced the electromagnetic cannon and activated the Thunder Magnetic Conduit in his body!

He seemed to be transformed into a burst of lightning brilliance—dazzling beyond measure!

Countless charges of electric energy surged into the cannon.

Then, as he pulled the trigger!

Zzzzz!!!

A magnificent golden explosion blossomed like a flower, interwoven with golden electromagnetic mist.

Searing and scorching, countless golden bolts crisscrossed as a streak of golden light darted out like a dragonfly skimming water.

Even space seemed to twist and rupture!

Zhang Xuanlei roared as he unleashed his Palm Thunder—but it was fiercely blocked by the Little Yinglong King.

Meanwhile, Li Che’s electromagnetic cannon erupted; all Zhang Xuanlei saw was the golden flower blooming, without even a hint of sound.

On the ground, Zhang Xuanyu sat with a ghastly pallor as an aura of murderous intent, chilling to the soul, descended upon her.

Her body stiffened as if frozen.

In her final moments, using all her strength, she shifted the shrine—previously hovering behind her—to the front of her body, channeling immeasurable divine energy within.

She chose to sacrifice her body to the Temple Spirit!

To shield—

to shield at all costs!!!

A slender, teardrop-shaped bullet, interlaced with countless rapidly orbiting bolts of lightning, silently tore through the air as if drawing shimmering lines.

Even the void warped at the bullet’s leading edge, twisting and buckling like endless folds.

Finally, those layered creases were abruptly pierced!

The bullet’s terrifying penetrating force surged forth uncontrollably!

Water dragons exploded apart!

Countless droplets were silently pierced through!

An utterly devastating killing blow!

It was like autumn leaves gracefully falling into decay.

It was like shattered glass.

Zhang Xuanyu’s eyes widened, still reflecting the sorrow and pain over Zhang Xuanhe’s death, when in the next moment, death descended upon her body.

With cracking sounds, the shrine splintered open, leaving a fist-sized cavity.

At the same time, a fist-sized hole burst through the center of Zhang Xuanyu’s brow. The electromagnetic slug’s terrifying penetration was utterly unstoppable.

Even if she marshaled all her divine domain power to resist, her body was still torn apart.

The slug entered her body and, in a flash, shifted from extreme motion to absolute stillness. In that moment of calm, its unleashed force exploded forth.

It ground everything within Zhang Xuanyu’s body to smithereens!

Her seven orifices gushed blood.

Zhang Xuanyu felt her soul extinguish.

The divine light in her eyes dimmed forever.

Her head drooped; the sound of her jade hairpin cracking resounded as her silky hair spread out, engulfing her body.

The entire divine domain began to tremble and then collapsed in a thunderous ruin. Zhang Xuanlei’s body turned rigid; in the next moment, agony completely consumed both his body and consciousness.

“Ah—!!!”

“Xuanyu!!!”

He was dead.

Dead again!

Zhang Xuanyu was also dead!

Zhang Xuanlei’s pain was indescribable, his inner anguish piercing his bones. He suddenly raised his hand and, without restraint, unleashed another Palm Thunder!

The Twin-Winged Little Yinglong King was battered repeatedly, its countless fragments splintering apart.

Zhang Xuanlei leaped violently, fixating his burning red eyes at Li Che. Tears of blood streamed as he roared, “I want you dead!”

Zhang Xuanlei howled; he completely emptied his heart and soul, dedicating everything to the Temple Spirit!

With a roar, it seemed that from within the shrine, an enormous hand emerged to clutch Zhang Xuanlei’s head.

Countless bolts of blood-red lightning cascaded down, fusing into his body with a sizzling sound.

Then, with a final, desperate surge, Zhang Xuanlei hurled his last Palm Thunder at Li Che.

He stared intently at that golden Palm Thunder…

But that thunder was once again blocked by the surging Twin-Winged Little Yinglong King.

With a deafening blast—

the Little Yinglong King’s body exploded, its myriad components scattering into the air.

At last, with steam rising and its red, agate-like eyes dimming,

it crashed to the ground, sending up vast clouds of dust.

Zhang Xuanlei watched as Li Che, who still bore the mechanism on his body and looked pale and unsteady, remained completely untouched behind the mechanical beast’s shield.

The final spark of hope in his heart was utterly extinguished.

“Die—just die—

Let the gods… tear you apart!”

“Xuanhe, Xuanyu, Yuanlong—”

“I will avenge you all!”

“Ah!!!”

An agonizing, horrific wail erupted from Zhang Xuanlei’s throat,

and soon after, all his will was lost, plunging him into unending chaos as if entirely controlled by the Temple Spirit’s power!

Crimson lightning, as if granted new life, ensnared Zhang Xuanlei’s body,

his hair transformed to a deep scarlet, his form reshaped relentlessly by the thunder.

Behind him, flesh bulged as the shrine pulsed like a beating heart. With every breath, that swollen mass burst open, forming two colossal, blood-red wings!

Even the crimson seal on his brow tore apart violently, revealing a cold, murderous eye.

Black sclera and scarlet pupils!

They rotated continuously, filled with a ravenous desire for domination over this realm!

Li Che hovered in the air, clutching the scorching Nameless Xiangong Super Electromagnetic Cannon, his eyes flickering with an odd light as he stared at the deformed Zhang Xuanlei.

“Just like his son Zhang Yuanlong, he’s completely abandoned humanity—devoting everything to the Temple Spirit and allowing it to possess his body.”

“Even if the Temple Spirit’s will eventually wanes, Zhang Xuanlei is finished.”

Li Che’s Star Plucking Gaze swept over him, reading the state of a being who was neither fully human nor divine.

“Truly, like father, so is the son.”

“Zhang Yuanlong learned it all from you.”

Li Che shook his head.

So what did Zhang Yuanlong’s death have to do with his daughter XiXi?

“Mortal—”

In a low, hoarse, almost inhuman voice, Zhang Xuanlei spoke.

He looked upward, his fiery red hair billowing, and his eyes, filled with violent intent, fixed on Li Che.

“I am the ancient god of thunder who rules the Heavens.”

“Mortal—”

Zhang Xuanlei glared at Li Che as the chains of the shrine behind him swayed like seaweed in midair,

as if sensing something. With a greedy stare, he looked at Li Che like he was eyeing a most delectable cake!

“There is something irresistibly attractive about you—your flesh and blood are far more enticing than this carcass. You were born to be a god!”

His hoarse voice grated like stones scraping together, sharp and ear-piercing.

Zhang Xuanlei fixed his gaze on Li Che as if drooling.

This grotesque, repulsive sight made Li Che furrow his brows.

Li Che understood why the Temple Spirit had suddenly grown so excited;

because its Thunder Magnetic Conduit Dao Fruit exerted an overwhelming allure on the Temple Spirit.

“Mortal—”

“I offer you a chance to sacrifice yourself—come, feed your essence to the gods and you shall gain power beyond mortal limits, transforming into divine might!”

Zhang Xuanlei spread his arms wide, grinning greedily.

Li Che exhaled slowly.

At that moment, Zhang Xuanlei was completely possessed by the Temple Spirit; the power he displayed was nearly at the Four-Opening Martial Saint level,

though he hadn’t yet touched the pinnacle of the Ultimate Tier.

It was threatening, but not overwhelmingly so.

Mainly—

Li Che could feel the Thunder Magnetic Conduit in his chest beating wildly, its frenetic rhythm exuding a greedy aura.

Just as the Temple Spirit craved Li Che, he too craved it.

With that in mind,

“Let’s stretch our muscles a bit.”

Li Che flexed his fingers and sheathed the electromagnetic cannon.

He looked at Zhang Xuanlei, his eyes gleaming as he said, “You are the Temple Spirit of the Dark Heavenly Court?”

Zhang Xuanlei’s eyes narrowed and his fleshly wings flapped as he ascended toward the Heavenly Dome. Countless lightning bolts danced around him.

“Dark Heavenly Court—mortal—so you know my origins?”

Zhang Xuanlei’s sharp fingernails flexed as he laughed, “It seems you, mortal, finally grasp the terror of the divine. Do you wish to sacrifice yourself to the gods?”

Li Che smiled lightly.

Stretching languidly, his gaze swept across the Peach Grove.

He tapped his brow with his hand.

The Cosmic Chessboard floated above the Peach Grove, its interlacing lines expanding continuously.

“Temple Spirit of the Dark Heavenly Court—have you ever seen true light?”

His voice fell silent.

Li Che suddenly threw his arms wide; his jet-black hair streaming and his black robe fluttering!

At that moment!

The Cosmic Chessboard soared high overhead.

On it, a beam of radiant energy was abruptly drawn out.

It was the resplendent light of the Qiankun Haori Kunlun Mirror, a divine weapon of the Three Pure Ones!

The radiant light cascaded downward as if tearing through the Peach Grove’s branches and leaves.

Endless brilliance charged forward,

growing ever brighter!

It shone with dazzling intensity!

Soon, that infinity of light enveloped everything, blinding all onlookers so no details could be seen.

Divine Capital Second City.

The celestial water curtain trembled with a clamor.

Then, a collective murmur rose from the crowd as they beheld the battle between Li Che and Zhang Xuanlei, who had sacrificed himself entirely to the Temple Spirit.

But the scene was obscured by an overwhelming pure white radiance.

Nothing could be seen clearly.

Not even Lü Taibai or Zhang Wuji could discern the events through the blinding light.

“What is this?”

Lü Taibai furrowed his brow.

Even the Emperor and Empress appeared both surprised and perplexed.

“What kind of light is this?!”

The dazzling radiance shone brilliantly, like the brilliant rays of the sun cascading down!

Though its killing power was minimal, for Li Che had only drawn forth a mere wisp, directly triggering a cataclysmic burst of incandescent brilliance—

a ruse Li Che used to hide his true intentions.

Glimpsing through the Feilei Chess Piece on XiXi, Li Che sensed the prying eyes over Jade Plaza.

And his next act would need to sever that scrutiny.

So—

Let the sunshine reign!

Spreading his arms wide, he unleashed boundless radiance.

Zhang Xuanlei, who had wholly sacrificed himself to the Temple Spirit, felt his vision obscured by a blinding white light, unable to see a thing.

Even his sensory perceptions were blocked!

“Is this…Kun…Huh?!”

“Mortal! How dare you!”

Zhang Xuanlei roared, his back’s fleshy wings slamming down as torrents of temple divine energy roiled and burst forth in a cascade of blood-red lightning!

However—

A towering, fearsome figure suddenly appeared behind Zhang Xuanlei. Muscles bulged with taut blue veins as his massive body loomed like a mountain, exuding oppressive might.

Golden blood surged within him; even the nascent Divine Seeds on his back churned in a vortex,

propelling an immensely terrifying force—like the roar of an enraged dragon engine.

Li Che glanced coolly.

His five fingers converged like divine spears, and with a burst, a cacophony of cannon fire shattered the air!

Then, with one crushing punch, as if a whip had lashed out, his fist collided with Zhang Xuanlei’s skull. The impact rippled outward in transparent, undulating waves, and Zhang Xuanlei’s head was brutally driven into his own torso, shattering into countless fragments.