Chapter 397: Voyage on the Grand Canal

Splash, splash.

A gentle breeze stirred the water on the bamboo raft, sending out brilliant ripples that spread far and wide.

The calm river burst into tiny ripples that danced up and down in the sunlight, as if crushed gold scattered across its surface.

Li Che, wearing his Underworld Yama Mask with jet-black hair fluttering in the breeze and his black robe clinging to his frame, couldn’t help but reveal a glimmer of both surprise and delight in his eyes.

A subtle sigh of relief escaped his heart.

On the bamboo raft sat the long-missed Boss accompanied by the equally long-missed Big Black Dog.

Man and dog lounged lazily on the river, drifting as lightly as a leaf on the water, savouring the gentle caress of the cool breeze.

The Boss exuded elegance as he sat on a small bamboo chair, legs crossed; clad in white, he casually held a rolled cigarette between his fingers, from which a thin, grey trail of smoke rose steadily like a drawn line.

Two wisps of smoke curled upward.

A soft breeze ruffled the Boss’s falling strands of hair as he nodded subtly towards Li Che.

Meanwhile, the Big Black Dog, sprawled on the raft, perked its head up.

The Boss took the cigarette into his mouth, drew a deep breath, and exhaled two surging streams of smoke that rolled like dragons before extinguishing the cigarette.

The raft drifted along the river until it halted right before Li Che.

Without hesitation, Li Che stepped onto the bamboo raft.

The Boss retrieved a fresh cigarette, using tweezers to pinch a bit of tobacco from his sachet, rolling it up before handing it to Li Che.

Li Che raised a finger and tipped his black-and-white Yama Mask onto his head like a cap.

Then he accepted the cigarette, feeling a heavy weight lift from his heart.

“Long time no see, Boss,”

Li Che greeted with a smile.

Recalling their journey to the Divine Capital, Li Che remembered how the Boss and Big Black Dog had helped eliminate a Titled Old Dragon King from the Dragon God lineage along the Grand Canal.

That Titled Old Dragon King was an apex powerhouse indeed.

Of course, Li Che wasn’t worried about the Boss and Big Black Dog lacking the strength to handle matters.

After dispatching the Old Dragon King, Li Che had expected the Boss to open a restaurant in the Divine Capital, yet he couldn’t find any sign of it there.

After several fruitless searches, Li Che became certain that the Boss hadn’t set up shop in the Divine Capital.

This, naturally, filled him with concern.

He worried that their involvement might have drawn some unsavory complications for the Boss and Big Black Dog.

He vividly recalled the dreadful power unleashed when Big Black Dog helped knock down the Golden King Tower’s Temple Spirit.

Their prolonged disappearance only deepened Li Che’s worry.

After all, they were old friends who had journeyed all the way from Jingguang City.

“It’s been a long time. How’s XiXi doing?”

The Boss took another cigarette into his mouth but didn’t light it, simply holding it there.

The two exchanged sparse words, their conversation meandering slowly.

Li Che only spoke occasionally, while most of the Boss’s remarks concerned news about XiXi.

Li Che briefly recounted what had happened with XiXi in the Divine Capital.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of the Boss’s lips.

Even the dog perked up, its ears tilting as if to eavesdrop on the discussion about XiXi.

However, Li Che noticed the dog’s expression seemed rather exhausted, as if drained.

Recalling how long the Boss and his dog had been away, undoubtedly for matters unknown to him, Li Che said no more.

He still had no clue about the origins of the Boss and his dog, but he was sure their strength must be extraordinary.

It now seemed they had reached the Divine Tribulation stage.

In fact, they might even be far beyond that level!

Because while drifting along the Grand Canal on the raft, not even the Grand Inspector had seemed to notice them during his conversation with Li Che earlier.

With someone of the Grand Inspector’s cultivation, it was impossible for him to overlook two powerful figures if he sensed them.

The more formidable a presence, the more their aura and physical form would instinctively clash—even if they claimed indifference.

It was inconceivable for someone to treat them like mere air.

In other words, the Grand Inspector must have been completely unaware of the Boss and his dog.

This was rather worrisome.

It suggested that the Boss and his dog possessed an exceptionally refined Breath Convergence technique.

Of course, it was also possible that their cultivation was so advanced—perhaps even surpassing that of a Divine Tribulation Grand Inspector—that he simply couldn’t detect them.

Li Che took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor in his heart.

After all, beings as powerful as the Boss and Big Black Dog had reasons to be cautious.

And what kind of force could make such titans wary? Could that presence also threaten XiXi?

Moreover, from where did the force that could challenge the Boss and Big Black Dog originate?

The mortal realm? The Bizarre Temple? Or perhaps… the Nether?

Or even the Three Realms spoken of by the Grand Inspector?

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Li Che felt his mind slowly settle.

Perhaps the Grand Inspector was right.

He needed to get stronger—to truly stand at the pinnacle of the Three Realms.

It might be incredibly difficult, but he had to try, if only to protect his wife and daughter.

If Li Che were an ordinary man, he might never be able to achieve it.

But he was no longer the simple woodcutter from Feilei City who once hauled wood for the Woodcarving Shop for a few copper coins.

Now he mastered a multitude of Dao Fruits, many having evolved to level 6.

With his full-on assault, he could even dispatch top-tier cultivators!

He was no longer ordinary.

The bond with his daughter made him extraordinary—and he refused to sink into mediocrity.

Li Che’s dream was a warm home with his family.

But without enough strength to back it up, that dream would shatter before long—possibly forever.

“That old man wasn’t wrong,”

the Boss interjected as Li Che fell into deep thought.

“You must stand at the pinnacle of the Three Realms to earn the right to protect XiXi,” the Boss stated coolly.

“Understood,” Li Che replied.

“Right now, you can’t even beat your own dog,” the Boss added nonchalantly.

Li Che was left speechless.

The Big Black Dog grinned sideways, baring sharp, gleaming teeth.

Li Che knew better than to retort; though he could unleash seven Divine Seed Martial Arts in an instant, combining techniques like Dao Induction and Dragon Elephant Furnace even capable of slaying the Azure Dragon, facing someone like Ji Mo Li—who had refined the forces of Nether Fire and other calamities at the half-step Divine Tribulation level—was a different matter entirely.

He had long abandoned any pride, for he could not even best his own dog.

It was simply too overwhelming.

Li Che exhaled slowly.

Splash, splash…

The solitary boat gently drifted along the Grand Canal, its speed unknowingly quickening, with the verdant mountains rushing by like fleeting streaks of light.

Winds and waves battered in unison, and for the first time, Li Che felt an unprecedented sense of ease as the nerves that had tightened since arriving in the Divine Capital gradually relaxed.

“Boss, I haven’t had your cooking in ages,”

Li Che remarked, glancing at the Boss.

A slight smile tugged at the Boss’s lips.

Then the dog abruptly sprang up, slapping the surface of the Grand Canal with its paw!

With a thunderous splash, a massive, plump fish—reminiscent of a hefty bull—leaped from the water, its scales gleaming vibrantly!

This beast, emanating formidable demonic energy and pulsating blood, was comparable to a top-tier Grandmaster-level demonic beast!

The fish roared and bared its razor-sharp teeth,

only to be knocked senseless by a swift paw slap from the dog.

As it fell, the dog casually produced its exquisite paw and began to expertly gut the fish.

After finishing, the Boss procured a green bamboo pole from somewhere, piercing the fish through to the bamboo raft.

Immediately, flames ignited beneath the fish.

The raft sped along the Grand Canal like a bolt of lightning,

while a rich aroma uncontrollably wafted about, enveloping Li Che’s senses.

After feasting on a dish worthy of a top-tier Grandmaster demonic beast—a sumptuous fish banquet—Li Che nearly devoured his own tongue.

It was simply exquisite!

In comparison, the dishes served in the royal kitchens at the Peach Festival were nothing more than peasant fare!

With the simplest ingredients, the Boss’s cooking produced unimaginable flavors.

“Next time, bring XiXi to the restaurant. It’s been ages since she enjoyed my cooking,”

the Boss said coolly.

Both Li Che and the dog let out a satisfied burp.

“No problem,” Li Che replied with a smile.

“Once we’re back in Daocheng, I’ll take XiXi out for a meal,”

he added,

but the Boss shot him a warning look.

“The next restaurant will be in Qitian City. Meet me and the dog there,”

the Boss stated, shaking his head indifferently.

Li Che froze mid-motion as he cleaned a fishbone from his teeth, his eyes widening in astonishment.

“Qitian City?!”

“That old man was right. You should visit Qitian City—not for the common folk’s sake but for XiXi,”

the Boss continued, “Qitian’s Temple Spirit revival can leave traces of divine intent, much like the Third Prince did. It should be enough to help XiXi suppress the curse of Yulian Fire during her Divine Transformation.”

At these words, Li Che’s eyes lit up.

“Alright!”

Trusting the Boss’s words implicitly, Li Che felt a surge of hope even though he wasn’t sure where the trust originated.

“We’re here—Qitian City. Goodbye, Qitian City. I’ve prepared a special dish for XiXi,”

the Boss said with a gentle laugh.

Then, with a tremendous force, Li Che was ejected from the bamboo raft onto the rippling surface of the Grand Canal.

Before long, darkness had completely swallowed the heavens and earth.

Above, a lone lantern of soft orange light hung from the bamboo raft, shining on a solitary figure in white and the Big Black Dog.

The raft drifted gently.

Unbeknownst to them, it sailed into the depths of darkness.

Li Che pulled his gaze back and looked up, a small smile warming his heart.

For before he knew it, he had drifted back into the boundaries of Daocheng.

Such speed! Thousands of miles vanished in what felt like no time at all.

Li Che exhaled deeply.

A restaurant in Qitian City, huh?

Though he couldn’t fathom why the Boss would open one there,

the Boss’s promise of special cuisine for XiXi was enough reason to pay a visit.

More importantly, Qitian’s Temple Spirit could help suppress the curse of Yulian Fire within XiXi—an absolute necessity.

Tiptoeing along the river’s surface,

the once calm water roiled into immense, raging waves.

Li Che readjusted his Yama Mask.

In the next instant, he surged skyward.

A tremor sparked at his brow as the Cosmic Chessboard erupted to the heavens.

Towering darkness roiled upward while inky rain splattered down in relentless torrents.

Mo City Shandu materialized on the Cosmic Chessboard.

Transformed into the image of Yama, Li Che appeared atop the city wall of Mo City.

With a deafening crash, Mo City landed on the banks of the Grand Canal.

The city gates swung open as members of the Qianyuan Divine Sect emerged from Mo City Shandu.

Meanwhile, XiXi, accompanied by Zhang Ya and under the protection of Lü Taibai, left the city. Li Che’s Painted Immortal Clone—donning the disguise of Ma Mian—remained behind as the crowd turned to look back at Mo City.

They saw the majestic fortress standing on the land, atop which figures like the Underworld Yama, Ogre, Ma Mian, Divine Monkey, Thunder Dragon, and Black and White Wuchang stood in varied poses.

Mysterious, awe-inspiring, formidable, and eerie—

Lü Taibai’s eyes sparkled.

How could a realm as enigmatic as the Underworld actually break out from the Divine Capital?

Yu’s exclamation filled the air.

Mo City burst into a cloud of ink-like smoke before vanishing completely.

In a similarly mysterious fashion, the Underworld disappeared from everyone’s sight.

Even Lü Taibai couldn’t help but exhale slowly at that sight.

XiXi clutched Zhang Ya’s hand, her eyes shining with excitement and reluctance.

“When will Father take XiXi to meet all the masters of the Underworld again?”

“Master Niu Niu, Divine Monkey, Thunder Dragon—Underworld Yama…”

XiXi counted on her fingers.

Zhang Ya gently ruffled XiXi’s hair.

But soon, XiXi’s sentimental mood was shattered by an exclamation.

Elder Zhao Fangzhou stared around in sheer horror.

“Sect Leader!”

“We—we’ve returned to Daocheng?!”

At that moment, Lü Taibai was struck by a start, his Heavenly and Earthly Soul surging as he looked around in disbelief.

“So fast!” he murmured.

Then a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.

“Let’s go! Hurry back to the Sect!”

“We’ve utterly fallen out with the Great Jing Court. National Teacher Xie Yunshen’s methods will only become more ruthless!”

“We must prepare the army of the Great Jing Court—it’s time to trample the Qianyuan Divine Sect!”

“Hurry and discuss matters with our Great Elder; we must seize Daocheng at once!”

XiXi’s eyes lit up as she tugged Zhang Ya’s hand, her little belly puffing with excitement.

“Sect Leader!”

“Are we rebelling now?!”

Outside the Divine Capital,

wind and thunder accompanied a torrential downpour, each raindrop splattering like shattered glass.

Perhaps due to the Grand Inspector’s patrol, a formidable Divine Tribulation cultivator had descended upon the world, stirring calamities everywhere.

Every drop of rain carried a sinister pressure capable even of disrupting the flow of blood and energy in top-tier Grandmasters.

Nie Yang clutched Li Chengzhou as Li Qingshan supported Granny Mu, their internal energies straining to ward off the tainted raindrops laden with tribulation.

Splashes echoed as mud was churned up beneath their feet.

The four dashed away with incredible speed.

They didn’t complain that the Underworld Yama hadn’t taken them along—after all, they belonged to the Qianyuan Divine Sect.

But they wondered why the Underworld Yama would even consider taking them when there was nothing tying him to them.

They weren’t without legs, after all!

In that desperate moment, it was already a stroke of luck that the Underworld Yama managed to take some of the Qianyuan Divine Sect along, all thanks to Li Che, the fearsome figure known as Ma Mian.

Li Qingshan’s heart ached; after all, he was an official of the Underworld too.

“Go!”

“It seems someone is chasing us!”

Suddenly, Nie Yang’s scalp tingled as the sword in his arms began to tremble and hum, its sword intent nearly erupting subconsciously.

This meant that those in pursuit were immensely powerful!

A terrifying, oppressive burst of energy exploded as if countless raindrops had frozen in mid-air.

Then, a figure crashed down before the four, the ground buckling deeply underfoot.

Nie Yang clenched his blazing Sun Sword, its sword intent surging wildly.

“It’s one of our own,” a calm voice echoed.

Stunned, Nie Yang saw a burly figure straighten up slowly, golden hair streaming, with eyes ablaze as if with flowing fire.

“Goldmane!”

Nie Yang exhaled in relief.

“You’re too slow. Let me take you,” Goldmane said, shaking his head.

With a flick of his fingers, energy coalesced into a golden lion that carried the four and began dashing through the dense forest.

They raced like lightning, far surpassing even Nie Yang’s full-speed sprint.

Goldmane, with his golden hair streaming and hands casually clasped behind him, trailed behind at a leisurely pace.

He guessed that his master would need him soon—after all, with the Qianyuan Divine Sect at odds with the Great Jing Court, there was no way the Great Jing Court would let the Qianyuan Divine Sect maintain a foothold on Lingnan Path.

It was as if a dagger was already lodged in their belly, waiting to tear them apart.

The Court would surely want to remove that dagger.

Yet Goldmane felt content.

For after being bested by Li Che, he had assumed the Boss’s side. Though he might eventually find himself at odds with Witch God Mountain, it now appeared that the Qianyuan Divine Sect was set to clash with the Great Jing Court.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

This made the alliance between the Qianyuan Divine Sect and Witch God Mountain all the more natural.

Goldmane felt his status was no longer so awkward.

Mo City Shandu.

Li Che removed his Yama Mask.

Now, the only living soul in Shandu was him—no need for disguise.

Stepping off onto the flat ground of Mo City, rainwater splattered and merged into ripples, adding a touch of Jiangnan charm to the city.

His ink-gray robe fluttered as Li Che strolled through the city with villagers emerging from their homes to gaze at him in reverence, as if he were a lord who commanded death and rebirth over his domain.

With two fingers, he split the air;

in that moment, a dense stench of blood permeated the surroundings.

Three dismembered, decaying corpses tumbled to the ground—once the lifeless commanders of the Divine Capital’s Xuanwei, the fallen leaders: the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger.

They had been the Emperor’s trusted lieutenants—a loss that dealt a significant blow to his forces.

“This is only the beginning—”

“Tian Dan Divine Sect’s Gu Changqing, Seven Treasure Divine Sect’s Ning Caishen, Haoran Academy’s Bai Buyi, Dragon and Tiger Divine Sect’s Zhao Chunqiu, Bashu Sword Pavilion’s Gu Cheng—”

“Ji Mo Li, Xie Yunshen, Tian Can Di Que—”

“And… the Emperor!”

“Their names are inscribed in the Life and Death Book. One day, we shall claim their lives!”

Li Che’s eyes flashed with a ferocious intensity.

He memorized every name!

Scanning the horizon, he cried out, “Souls, return!

“Spiritual Confinement!”

Li Che’s cold command reverberated.

In an instant, as if echoing from the nethermost depths, three manifestations of Spiritual Confinement appeared.

The faces of the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger were etched with struggle, before suddenly, as if in epiphany, their hearts trembled uncontrollably in awe.

Their expressions, like those bound by other Spiritual Confinements who had glimpsed the true nature of the Underworld, turned to pure terror.

So it turns out… the Underworld is nothing more than one man’s realm!

One man is the Underworld!

“Greetings, my lord!”

Amid the covetous, yearning stares of the surrounding Spiritual Confinements, the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird chose to submit without hesitation.

Li Che felt a subtle satisfaction—he had assumed that these three, utterly bound by loyalty to the Emperor, might resist his plan to transform them into mere Spiritual Confinements.

But to his surprise, they submitted without a shred of guilt towards the Emperor.

“My lord—we were chosen by the Emperor as children and rigorously trained as death warriors, enduring countless tortures and the seizure of our souls. Now, death is but a release…”

The Azure Dragon clasped his fists and spoke.

Li Che chuckled, “Now that you are Spiritual Confinements, your servitude to the late Emperor is indistinguishable.”

“No… it’s different. We feel a freedom and unbridled liberty like never before!”

A burst of brilliant excitement and joy suddenly exploded in the Azure Dragon’s eyes.

All except that Li Che could still constrain them; yet his limitations did nothing to curb the feeling of liberation and exhilaration.

“It’s a pity that Xuanwu hasn’t appeared. If he did, all four of us could stand together against even a half-step Martial God!”

The Azure Dragon exclaimed.

Li Che was momentarily at a loss for words.

“However, we know the cultivation method of Xuanwu, which can be passed on to—any one of our Spiritual Confinement brethren; let him transform into Xuanwu and join us,”

the Azure Dragon added, bowing his head.

At this, Li Che’s eyes widened in surprise as he signaled for the Azure Dragon to choose freely.

The Azure Dragon began scrutinizing his fellow Spiritual Confinements intently.

Finally, he selected Long Tai to be the new Xuanwu.

Long Tai’s cultivation had barely reached the Martial Saint realm—hardly matching the top-tier status of the others.

But as the Azure Dragon explained, the method of Xuanwu cultivation quickly elevates one’s level—a kind of rapid growth technique.

Li Che was very intrigued by this method of rapid cultivation and immediately endorsed Long Tai’s training.

After all, Spiritual Confinements could improve by devouring one another…

Li Che had no fear of any head-start cultivation methods.

For Spiritual Confinements, there is never any fear of being quickly nurtured!

Once he secured three top-tier Spiritual Confinements, Li Che sat cross-legged in Mo City to take stock of his Qian Kun Jade.

After the inventory, his gains were disappointingly modest…

These brainless, loyal death warriors were models of integrity—far surpassing that sly character Han Sixi.

However, Li Che harbored no ill will; their integrity wasn’t their fault—it was the Emperor’s fault for exploiting them, using the Azure Dragon and his fellows as mere beasts of burden.

Li Che sat in the central square of Mo City.

With a deep, drawn breath, the winds swirled dramatically around him, as torrents of golden blood erupted into a mist that intertwined with the world!

Splash, splash, splash—

A four-thousand-foot pool of golden blood energy suddenly manifested as a surreal spectacle overhead.

Amidst the clashing golden waves, sparks flew!

Li Che flung his eyes open and exhaled a searing, scorching breath of spirit energy.

“The energy of the nine-thousand-year Dragon Blood Paotao has been completely refined!”

“But I must go all out!”

Li Che spread his fingers, retrieving the Millennial Paotao he had plucked from the Millennial Peach Grove—a paotao he had hastened from under the influence of Kunlun Death Light.

Its rich aroma filled the air relentlessly.

Without hesitation, Li Che bit into it.

Even though this accelerated paotao was a bit crispier than naturally ripened ones, its juicy burst and overwhelming energy exploded in his mouth like a bomb, surging wildly into his stomach.

Immediately, the four-thousand-foot pool of blood energy roiled with enormous ripples!

Boom!

The Millennial Paotao sank deep inside!

Come on!

Li Che suddenly stood upright as golden blood energy burst forth; with a clenched fist, he launched a punch!

His hair, now streaked with a golden gleam, whipped wildly, shattering the air with thunderous cracks!

His eyes burned fiercely like raging flames!

His arms spread wide as surges of energy burst outward, driving the rain over Mo City to soar into the clouds!

The golden blood transformed into a colossal, roaring Golden Blood Dragon, its form so vivid it seemed real above the pool of energy!

Soon, a gigantic golden Demon Elephant appeared, trampling across the pool and sending arcs of blood energy skyward!

Li Che’s overwhelming Martial Will radiated as he summoned the symphony of Dragon and Elephant, staining Mo City in hues of deep ink and gold!

Standing in the midst of the ink-dark city, Li Che appeared almost translucent, as if transformed into a being of pure gold.

His invincible Pure Martial form began to tremble with energy, accompanied by a training session that blazed around him.

Then, the Dragon Elephant Furnace crystallized!

Encasing Li Che as if he were being tempered in a fiery crucible!

The terrifying energy of the Millennial Paotao surged mightily as Li Che, channeling it through the Dragon Elephant Furnace, refined it—expanding his pool of blood energy in the process!

Every expansion measured in hundreds of feet!

The furnace roared in grandeur as Dragon and Elephant harmonized.

Li Che’s body floated within the crucible,

engulfed by the flames of golden blood!

Above Mo City, his pool of blood energy kept expanding.

Li Che flung his eyes open wide.

His Martial Will surged,

seeking the path to scale the pinnacle of martial cultivation within his blood energy pool!

But…

Before that could be achieved!

Within the furnace, Li Che nearly became a pure, golden silhouette!

With a long, resounding roar—like an exquisitely sharpened spear—he burst forth!

The ten-thousand-foot pool of blood energy… ignited!