Chapter 385: Raging Battle at the Peach Orchard

Massive clouds spanned the sky, their edges gilded by the fading glow of the sunset, with vibrant, dreamlike hues swirling across the heavens.

The Divine Capital Second City and Third City loomed in the distance.

After a brief outburst of exclamations, a hushed silence fell; every breath stirred as eyes strained to watch the majestic cascade of the Tianhe curtain.

Everyone knew that the third round of the Heroes’ Contest would decide the top champion – the one who would pluck the freshest Nine-Thousand-Year Peach from the orchard, a highlight of the grand imperial celebration.

Compared to the Dragon Champion, the Heroes’ Champion was the true springboard to fame.

Every candidate for Hero Champion emerged from the elite under-fifty prodigies of the Great Realm’s Eleven Routes, destined to become the pillars of the Divine Sect.

There was even a chance in the future to stand at the Heavenly Gate alongside the figures from the Divine Register.

For any cultivator, acclaim was the ultimate dream and aspiration.

Securing the title of Hero Champion was a rare opportunity indeed.

Suddenly.

All the martial cultivators fixated on the Tianhe display burst into shouts of astonishment.

“Huh?!”

“What’s happening? Didn’t Goldmane eagerly await a clash with Li Bansheng? How did Li Bansheng sway him with just a few words?”

“They’ve even joined forces against Jialuo and Yuguanyin—”

“But why would Li Bansheng attack Yuguanyin? Yuguanyin is our great cultivator. He should team up with her, Goldmane, and Monk Jialuo for a proper battle!”

The voices rang out continuously, with some even assuming moral high ground to condemn Li Che’s move against Yuguanyin as a grievous mistake.

Yet the moment the words left their mouths, they were quickly hushed by others.

Li Qingshan, however, wasn’t one to back down and immediately started launching harsh curses.

“If you’re just here to watch, you might as well brawl till the bitter end! What’s wrong with our Great Realm heroes? How can they be cozying up with monks from the Western Lands to profit off the situation?”

“And why don’t you say that Yuguanyin should help Li Bansheng battle Goldmane on Witch God Mountain? Just because she’s a woman, does that mean she gets special treatment?”

Bent over with age and without a care for appearances, Li Qingshan continued his tirade.

Many martial practitioners’ faces flushed with anger and clenched their teeth in indignation.

Yet, knowing they were partly at fault, they paid Li Qingshan little mind and turned their gaze back to the Tianhe water screen.

Despite their grumbling, none wanted to miss a moment of the unfolding spectacle.

After all, by the third round the heroes were already formidable Martial Saints and Divine Nucleus masters.

Neither Goldmane nor Monk Jialuo could stand against them in a standard three-way duel; they could even contend with the top experts and the venerable gods.

Who in their right mind would want to miss such a celestial brawl?

Spare a moment for cursing, and why not take an extra second to admire the display on the Tianhe curtain?

The powerful attendees at Jade Plaza, gathered for the feast, watched the battle intently.

At the Lotus Pavilion’s banquet area.

National Teacher Xie Yunshen squinted his eyes, cup in hand, intently studying the Tianhe display.

“Li Che—”

“During your duel against the Three Heroes of the Zifu, that dazzling white light could not have been a coincidence—”

“You surely know we saw your situation in the Bizarre Temple. So, this white light was deliberately created by you to obscure the inspection and capture of the Tianhe Ruyi Hairpin. Although I don’t know how you did it, it clearly proves you’re hiding something!”

“Zhang Xuanlei sacrificed everything to the Temple Spirit, releasing a power that rivaled the peak. Your divine cultivation wasn’t enough – you must have used additional methods—”

“Did you resort to martial techniques?”

National Teacher Xie Yunshen’s eyes swirled with a fog of contemplation.

“You…”

“Could it be the Divine Monkey?!”

“Ogre… is that the Divine Monkey?!”

National Teacher suddenly looked upward. His hair, streaked with black and white, shimmered in the glow of the sunset as he gulped down the wine in his cup.

Then, with a stern glance, he eyed Lu Chi, who was stretching his neck in excitement at the battle playing out on the Tianhe screen.

He was nothing more than a child.

The heavens and earth fell silent; aside from the howling winds and roaring shockwaves, all was quiet!

The battle within the Seven-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard erupted far beyond anyone’s expectations.

Instead of the anticipated brutal duel, the two suddenly cooperated, dragging in two onlookers into the fray.

Everyone assumed the third round would not soon turn into a chaotic four-way brawl, yet that is exactly what unfolded.

Well, it wasn’t pure chaos – both sides still had clear objectives.

For instance, Goldmane’s eyes burned crimson as he focused on relentlessly assaulting Monk Jialuo, while the spectral Golden Lion King roared, shattering the air with his mighty presence.

Meanwhile, Li Che hovered effortlessly with his arms crossed. Dressed in a fluttering dark robe and with his jet-black hair streaming, he appeared completely at ease.

But Li Che had already made his move.

Above Yuguanyin’s head, the nearly peerless Mechanical Beast – the Little Yinglong King – suddenly unfurled its massive wings, blotting out the sun.

Its razor-sharp tail, with rotating mechanism seals glittering, shone like a blazing sun!

A hundred thousand intricate components and mechanism seals activated in unison, each performing its designated role.

Even Yuguanyin, facing the threat of a nearly peerless Mechanical Beast, couldn’t help but marvel at the exquisite craftsmanship.

But Yuguanyin’s awe was fleeting, replaced almost immediately by deep frustration.

“So you claim that using a mechanism doesn’t count as fighting women?!”

Yuguanyin’s hair flew wildly as she lashed out with the purple bamboo in her hand like a divine whip, striking the tail of the charging Little Yinglong King with full force!

The Little Yinglong King, though only a near-peerless Mechanical Beast, possessed combat prowess on par with top-tier Martial Saints.

Amid clashing sounds, the mechanism seals flared brilliantly. One sweeping strike, as clean as a divine blade slicing the sky, shattered air with explosive force.

Shattering shockwaves erupted, as if flames danced along its tail!

The furious dragon tail unleashed a power akin to the terrifying force of a Martial Saint’s blade fury!

It was like a blue dragon tearing through shattered clouds, its glare filled with ferocious disdain as it descended upon the world!

Smack—

A crimson dot flared on Yuguanyin’s forehead, resembling a ripe red date – a blood drop of intense hue.

In an instant, the blood drop burst, and overwhelming divine energy radiated from her Mud Pellet core.

A shroud of pale, ethereal silk seemed to envelop her entire form.

The Little Yinglong King’s fearsome tail slammed into the veil, unleashing a deafening, earth-shattering roar.

The ethereal veil fluttered as if brushed by a passing gust, neutralizing the assault from the Little Yinglong King.

Boom—

The peach tree behind Yuguanyin suddenly glowed with a brilliant radiance.

This light cascaded down, causing the ground behind the peach tree to explode into a colossal crater.

The veil transmitted the force of the Little Yinglong King’s strike like a shockwave, leaving it untarnished by any energy.

“Divine Weapon—”

Li Che’s eyes glittered.

These heroes from the Divine Sect were truly extraordinary. Take Zhang Xuanlei’s Black Peachwood Sword, for example – a divine weapon known as the Thunder Strike Peachwood Seven-Star Sword, one of the top weapons of the Five Elders.

And the white veil Yuguanyin deployed now was a defensive-grade divine weapon—

of the Four-Yu level!

With his arms folded and his brow aglow with splintering blood and golden light, Li Che scrutinized the secrets of that white veil.

Yuguanyin tumbled, leaping down from a peach tree branch. Barefoot on the frosty grass, each step sent shimmering droplets flying.

“Li Bansheng!”

Sweat beaded on Yuguanyin’s fair skin.

Having stubbornly withstood the Little Yinglong King’s sweeping strike with her Guanyin Veil, Yuguanyin’s heart pounded with shock!

Damn it, he’s a near-peerless Mechanical Beast!

Li Bansheng truly lived up to his title as the Divine Condor Half-Saint – to think he could command such a mechanism!

“It’s a misunderstanding!”

Yuguanyin screamed.

Under Li Che’s mental control, the Little Yinglong King’s wings beat furiously, its gust shattering the air as it charged at Yuguanyin without hesitation.

Empty chatter is worthless when blood is on the line.

Of course, Yuguanyin could have opted out by pledging allegiance to Xi Wangmu’s divine power – but since she didn’t back down, it meant she wasn’t willing to forfeit her bid for Hero Champion.

So—

Silence.

Time for a whipping before more words!

The Little Yinglong King opened its mechanism mouth, its eyes like blazing red agate, unleashing an intense burst of light.

Then—

Countless energies coalesced in its maw and in the next instant, a beam like a shockwave shot forth!

Bang!!!

With thrusts of thunder magnetic energy, the ground shattered into pieces, torrents of heat and intertwining electric arcs erupting!

This was the roar of the Little Yinglong King armed with a Super Electromagnetic Cannon.

Li Che had installed the Nameless Xiangong Super Electromagnetic Cannon into the mechanical beast’s mouth. The upgrade set it apart from the Tang Clan’s constructs.

However, the cannon’s power was noticeably reduced, lacking the amplification of a Thunder Magnetic Conduit.

Its power was diminished by roughly 30–40%,

but it was still more than enough!

Combined with its piercing force, even the peak experts would find it troublesome.

A storm of dust billowed!

Frosty grass on the ground scattered like arrows.

Yuguanyin coughed as she staggered out of the dust, her complexion paling.

“Li Bansheng!!!”

Yuguanyin gritted her teeth; letting her words out now might be fatal!

“Goldmane, look at him!”

“Is this what you call sincerity?!”

“He’s even craftier than Monk Jialuo!”

The white Guanyin Veil fluttered endlessly, its milky glow shimmering as Yuguanyin seethed in silent rage.

Li Che’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Yuguanyin shrouded in the veil, a peculiar expression crossing his features.

“Truly a Four-Yu Divine Weapon. Its defense is impeccable—if XiXi had this veil, she’d have an extra layer of protection,”

muttered Li Che.

Defensive divine weapons were indeed rare gems.

XiXi’s arsenal mostly comprised offensive armaments.

Aside from the auxiliary Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel, he had none of a defensive nature.

No wonder Li Che was quite taken with Yuguanyin’s white veil.

“Fine stuff,”

he murmured in admiration.

Yuguanyin lifted her head, her flowing black hair framing a cool and ethereal beauty, as anger suddenly flared in her eyes.

Li Che’s gaze—what was that look?!

Was he admiring her Guanyin Veil?!

Yuguanyin quickly composed herself: “Li Bansheng, this Guanyin Veil is one of the sacred divine weapons of the Nanhai Bamboo Grove. Its defense is unmatched. Don’t waste your effort – you won’t break it.”

“And if I do break it?” Li Che, still controlling the Little Yinglong King’s mind, paused its attack and asked with a smile.

Yuguanyin’s eyes flashed: Break it, and you win me over!

“If I break your veil, then you lend it to me for a while,” Li Che said, arms crossed with an honest grin.

He meant it as a loan – nothing more than a few extra years.

Li Che never preached by force.

He’d only borrow it to serve as XiXi’s defensive divine weapon, which XiXi would likely outgrow in a dozen or two years.

Then, he’d naturally return it.

Yuguanyin’s eyes narrowed, and the blood droplet on her brow deepened to an even richer scarlet.

“So… Li Bansheng has his eyes on my Guanyin Veil,”

she whispered, drawing a deep breath. Under her white silk robe, her chest heaved with fury as anger radiated from her brow.

Grasping the ever-present purple bamboo, she declared, “Very well, Li Bansheng. Come and see if you can break my Guanyin Veil. If you do, I’ll gladly give it to you.”

But Li Che shook his head, his tone solemn: “We agreed on a loan. If I break your divine weapon, that simply means you hand it over – you’d be broken by me, not killed.”

“I’d feel so embarrassed,”

Yuguanyin retorted, her face darkening. Yet even as unusual thoughts crossed her mind, she dismissed them quickly.

Just then, as Li Che’s focus shifted, the Little Yinglong King resumed its ferocious assault, its tail whipping through the air, shattering it with a force that rippled outwards!

Yuguanyin didn’t dodge; she gripped the purple bamboo tightly and swung it like a spear. Countless leaves of bamboo whistled out.

Smack!

The purple bamboo struck the Little Yinglong King’s tail—

And the fearsome sweeping blow of the mechanical beast faltered.

Or rather—

The divine connection between the Little Yinglong King’s mechanism seals and its Divine Crystal was severed!

Li Che’s expression turned to genuine astonishment for the first time.

“That purple bamboo—”

“Could cut off divine connections?”

Li Che was stunned.

Yet within a couple of heartbeats, the connection between the Little Yinglong King and its seals restored.

“Even a brief disruption of divine connection is impressive,”

he mused.

“This purple bamboo is something else—”

“It isn’t a divine weapon, but rather one of the marvels of nature!”

Li Che’s Star Plucking Gaze shone brightly.

If incorporated into his mechanisms, it could further enhance the destructive power of his Mechanical Beast.

Against divine cultivators, that would be a fatal advantage!

As Li Che mulled over these thoughts, Yuguanyin suddenly moved. She grabbed the purple bamboo with one hand, kicked off barefoot, and sprinted over the frost-laden ground at breakneck speed.

Her white silk fluttered about her like a bridal gown in motion.

But her eyes blazed with relentless fury, divine energy surging so fast that it seemed as though white clouds were forming beneath her feet.

It was as if an enraged Guanyin herself was riding the clouds!

Her target was Li Che!

The Little Yinglong King reconnected with divine energy and roared in fury, its wings flapping as it sped forward.

Yet it couldn’t quite catch up with the purple bamboo-dragging Yuguanyin.

Her aim was clearly Li Che – to use the purple bamboo to sever his divine connection and subdue him completely!

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of feet were closed as Yuguanyin dashed forward on the clouds.

Her white silk and flowing hair danced gracefully, with a flash of scarlet on her brow intensifying.

Li Che stood with arms crossed, his dark robe flapping as his Mud Pellet burst with overwhelming divine energy.

Then, with a roar that echoed like the very voice of the heavens, his Heavenly Phenomenon erupted, enveloping him as he glared fixedly at the charging Yuguanyin.

Facing the terrifying divine onslaught of Li Che, Yuguanyin felt a crushing pressure descend on her – the aura of a deity, intimidating and absolute.

Li Che’s divine might was fearsome indeed!

As if a legion of deities rose behind him, their presence looming large, Yuguanyin’s heart sank as if dropping into an abyss.

A cold sweat broke out on her face. In an instant, she was frozen in place.

Boom!

She watched in horror as Li Che’s black axe, forged by Dao Induction, swung down hard at her Guanyin Veil!

It was as if endless mountains, pressed down by unimaginable force, came crashing upon her!

Yuguanyin’s white silk clung to her form, outlining her graceful figure.

But the Guanyin Veil suddenly quivered, transforming into a wispy barrier that blocked the blow.

Instinctively, Yuguanyin loosened her grip on the purple bamboo.

Her body staggered as the oppressive pressure sank into her like a stone.

Yet the true shock came when Li Che’s divine aura – as if fifteen Divine Nucleus presences were emerging behind him – unleashed a terror that made her feel utterly insignificant.

Yuguanyin’s eyes narrowed in terror as she realized the full extent of his divine might.

Then, with a deafening crack, Li Che’s black axe split the Guanyin Veil as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter!

Yuguanyin was stunned.

The Guanyin Veil—

It was broken?

In a single, horrifying heartbeat, Yuguanyin recovered.

For after the Guanyin Veil was torn apart, Li Che was now but three feet away from her.

With a cool glance and a burst of Heavenly Phenomenon, Yuguanyin felt the full weight of his divine might strike her like a cannonball, blood spraying as she was violently blasted backward.

She crashed to the ground, her silk scattering, utterly dazed.

She knew Li Che had held back.

Had he not, she wouldn’t have been able to even call upon Xi Wangmu’s divine power to retreat.

A wave of dread, a flutter of panic, and a torrent of terror swept over her.

What kind of demon was this?!

How could he be so strong?!

That black axe—what on earth was it?!

It had effortlessly sliced through the Guanyin Veil she once cherished, a sacred weapon bestowed by the sect leader – a relic of immense significance, his words echoing that not even a Divine Nucleus Great God of the Four Spirits could have shattered this veil.

And with the forbidden purple bamboo, she was destined to dominate the Heroes’ Contest.

And then—

She was defeated.

Both the purple bamboo and the Guanyin Veil were lost.

Yuguanyin’s body trembled as she staggered to her feet, despairing as she looked at the reclaimed Guanyin Veil and purple bamboo in Li Che’s hand.

She sighed deeply.

The sect leader had forewarned that entering the Peach Festival would bring a trial – perhaps this was hers.

“Li Bansheng is formidable—I surrender,”

Yuguanyin murmured wearily.

The battle had taught her that relying too much on external power was unwise. Though her sect leader had once warned her, she failed to heed it until now.

Had Li Che decided to kill her, she’d already be dead.

Wiping the blood from her lips and as the crimson on her white silk faded with the ebbing divine energy, she clasped her hands in a bow toward Li Che before decisively retreating from the Peach Grove.

She was adamant—

Li Che would never go easy on a woman. If she refused to surrender, more blows would surely follow.

Watching Yuguanyin’s resolute retreat, Li Che smiled.

A woman who knew when to save her own skin.

Had she attacked again, he wouldn’t have hesitated to strike back—

He scooped up the Guanyin Veil that had been cleaved apart by the Ghost Axe, its split seam now perfectly mended by his Dao Induction Ghost Axe.

A quick glance later, his gaze shifted toward the distant clash between Monk Jialuo and Goldmane.

Monk Jialuo and Goldmane fought at a distance, deliberately keeping away from the duel between Yuguanyin and Li Che.

It was clear that Monk Jialuo was playing his part in ensuring Li Che wouldn’t interfere.

After Li Che struck Yuguanyin and Goldmane retaliated, anger stirred in Monk Jialuo’s heart.

Does Goldmane really think he’s got him cornered?

If that’s so, then Monk Jialuo should first crush Goldmane, then contend with the victor between Yuguanyin and Li Che for the title of Hero Champion!

Yet, Monk Jialuo had clearly underestimated Goldmane’s strength.

The Golden Lion King’s combat power was terrifying, his body an epitome of raw might.

Boom!!!

As if transformed into the Golden Lion King, Goldmane’s golden mane whipped furiously. A long howl and reverberating sound waves shattered stone as his lion-like roar cascaded like rolling waves.

In a sweeping motion, his massive, formidable leg struck Monk Jialuo’s Eight-Ring Cudgel, sending shockwaves through the ground.

The earth beneath them rippled as if turned to water, soft mud and broken frost-grass surging tens of yards high.

“You damned beast!”

Monk Jialuo retreated a step; his cloth shoes splintering as he slammed his foot down.

He hurled his Golden Cudgel upward, the eight rings buzzing in unison!

Then, with both hands clapping fiercely, a blood-red Great Buddha emerged, fierce and monstrous, as if countless lost souls reached out from its feet, pleading for mercy.

Every single wailing soul there was painfully real!

Having just defeated Yuguanyin and stepping atop the Little Yinglong King, Li Che beheld the scene.

His brows furrowed slightly.

“Evil Buddha?!”

He recalled the evil Buddhas of Xiao Lingyin Temple.

A wave of disgust welled within him.

Monk Jialuo’s eyes flashed like molten gold, his body turning a fierce shade of red as if soaked in blood, his monk robe torn apart to reveal muscles like forged iron!

Boom!

Behind Monk Jialuo, the Great Buddha glared, an aura of terror emanating as countless anguished souls wailed and surged like crashing tides.

The Great Buddha seized the Eight-Ring Cudgel and lashed out at the Golden Lion King with savage force.

Goldmane narrowed his eyes, a spark of disdain glinting in them.

The Lion King’s claws lashed out repeatedly against the cudgel, their collisions echoing relentlessly!

“You’re so weak, you bald oaf. Is that all you’ve got? Get lost!”

Goldmane’s eyes burst with sudden golden light.

For he had sensed Li Che, who stood atop the Little Yinglong King, approaching quickly.

In an instant, panic seized Goldmane’s heart!

Why so soon?!

The advancement was rapid; battles were swift—

What speed is this?!

Goldmane roared and shed all restraint. His body swelled as if a mountain had erupted from his back!

A torrent of fierce blood surged like crashing waves.

A mountain tore through the blood, reaching the peak where the Golden Lion King, entirely forged from gold, stood proudly!

With a deafening roar, the Martial Peak was unleashed!

Transformed into the Golden Lion King, Goldmane delivered a claw strike imbued with the will to shatter all foes—

Boom!

Within a hundred yards, the air exploded as if ignited!

Wave after wave of shock energy blasted outward, their sound rivaling even the wails of the countless souls beneath the blood-red Great Buddha!

Monk Jialuo, encased by the Great Buddha’s aura, felt his mind shatter like being pummeled by a giant bell; his body turned to mush as his very brain turned to paste amid the deafening roar.

A top-tier Martial Saint!

A peak-level gladiator!

Boom!!!

The ferocious claw of the Golden Lion King obliterated everything, his martial will utterly terrifying.

He flung aside the Golden Eight-Ring Cudgel – the very cudgel that Monk Jialuo, revered by countless wailing souls as a sacred icon, had prided himself on!

Boom!

Monk Jialuo, spouting blood, exploded into clouds of red mist mid-air, as if cannonballs were flying about, cratering the ground in a series of gigantic pits.

Like dozens of skips on a lake.

In the end, some of the fragments flew as far as ten miles before slamming into the trunk of a massive peach tree.

His bones shattered, his body went limp like rotting clay, his arms and legs twisted and broken,

and he collapsed, coughing up blood, his head drooping completely.

Barely clinging to life.

Li Che, standing atop the Little Yinglong King, glanced at the dying Monk Jialuo and smirked.

Then his gaze fell upon Goldmane, whose terrifying aura and warped martial will seemed to twist the very air.

His expression softened slightly as he regarded the foolish oaf.

“Are you done?”

The roaring winds battered around as Goldmane, transformed into the Golden Lion King standing five meters tall, exuded an overwhelming presence with his terrifyingly powerful physique.

“What can a useless, bald oaf do to me?”

Goldmane slowly turned his head, his proud gaze fixed ahead as his soft mane rippled in the wind.

Those eyes, gleaming with brilliant gold, burned as if trailing blazing flames directly at Li Che.

“Come! For our pure and unblemished wager!”

He roared, his maw agape!

A shattering lion’s roar erupted like a shockwave, reverberating between every peach tree in the orchard,

ending in a surge of terrifying battle intent!

“Fight!”

“Battle!”