Chapter 407: Thunderous Calamity Unleashed

Rumbling thunder—BOOM!!!

Lightning roared and the divine might of the heavens surged!

Countless intertwined bolts surged across the high skies, densely interwoven like roaring dragons and snarling serpents.

An overwhelming pressure descended upon the skies above Daocheng, shrouding everything in its grip!

Everyone felt a shudder run through their bodies, as if the terror were seeping into their very bones!

All looked skyward.

Their eyes brimmed with incredulity!

Watching the silhouette soaring upward from atop the almost peerless Mechanical Beast Little Yinglong King, their hearts were filled with awe!

Countless bolts erupted above his head as if the will of Heaven and Earth, enraged beyond measure, were about to descend and obliterate everything!

“Celestial Calamity of the Holy Hand?!”

“The divine tribulation of the Divine Condor Half-Saint?!”

“Li Che, no——” Was he really about to shatter the realm of the Divine Condor Half-Saint?!

Above Daocheng.

Monitor Hong Shifo’s eyes narrowed as he fell silent in horror.

It can’t be––

How could it come so fast?!

He had personally escorted Li Che to the Imperial Watch Headquarters in Divine Capital to complete the top-tier guest imperial assessment back when Li Che hadn’t even reached the Divine Condor Half-Saint realm.

And now, how much time has passed?!

Feng Zhiqi clutched his five fingers tight, his eyes sparkling as he couldn’t contain the overwhelming shock rising within him.

Because at this very moment, Li Che’s determination was beyond measure!

Due to the emergence of three great divine tribulation cultivators, the heavenly might swirled, with various calamities brewing, poised to crash down from the skies at any moment.

Li Che’s assault on the Holy Hand realm was tantamount to piercing the heavens itself, provoking the accumulated thunder tribulation to descend prematurely!

In effect, the disaster tribulations meant for the three great cultivators, which had been building up, were now being unleashed all at once.

Forcing the divine tribulation experts to confront calamity ahead of time!

CRACK! CRACK! BOOM!!!

Thunderclaps exploded, lightning flickered—like a torrent of wintry thunder suddenly breaking through dark clouds!

In an instant, countless spiderweb-like electric nets unfurled within the black clouds!

Li Che’s jet-black, vigorous hair whipped around as he stood atop Little Yinglong King, his fingers gripping the Divine Weapon Engraving Knife. With a gentle stroke, a cascade of wood shavings tumbled down.

Under his carving knife, a lifelike form of the Big Black Dog gradually emerged.

Li Che had already carved most of it, leaving only the finishing touches.

One could even glimpse, in passing, the terrifying image on the Divine Eagle Sculpture—a sight so fearsome it seemed to rival the very stars, where even the slightest movement could crack the earth and unleash magma like blood.

That was the true Devastator Hound of the apocalypse!

And this was the divine will embedded within the Holy Hand Divine Condor. Li Che had once dreamt of the true form of the Big Black Dog; back then, though he had sensed this divinity, his level was insufficient to fully express it through the Divine Condor.

Originally, Li Che had the chance to challenge the Divine Condor Half-Saint in Divine Capital, but he hesitated.

Moreover, upon learning that the united forces of the Great Jing Court were coming to subdue the sect, Li Che deduced that Xie Yunshen, the tactician and National Teacher in plain clothes, would surely dispatch the divine tribulation experts to counter Qianyuan Divine Sect.

So if he were to directly confront the divine tribulation experts––

by what means would Li Che counter them?

Now, Li Che’s Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit has reached LV6. His physical form is peerless, and his combat power is extraordinary.

Yet facing the realm of the divine tribulation cultivators is still extremely challenging—it’s a gap of life itself.

To become a person of tribulation, one must survive the triple calamities.

Only then can one fully harness the power of Heaven and Earth.

Because he wields the Shengtian Dao Domain, Li Che is acutely aware of the terror of celestial might. Against the divine tribulation experts, his chances were nearly nil.

Even battling a half-step tribulation expert, he only managed it by triggering the seven Qimen Divine Seeds.

Thus, Li Che chose a different path.

The greatest fear of divine tribulation experts is disaster tribulation. To avoid it, they must retreat into the Bizarre Temple and create a Minor Cavern of the Heavens for shelter.

Otherwise, directly facing three calamities and nine tribulations would crush them under the pressure of heavenly might, ending both life and cultivation!

And disaster tribulations exert a soul-crushing oppression on these experts.

Therefore, the best way to evade them is to cause the will of Heaven and Earth to invoke a disaster!

And Li Che was uniquely capable of doing so!

His Holy Hand tribulation had yet to be transferred!

RUMBLE——!!!

In an instant, the night sky was illuminated; above the dome, thunder rumbled as if a Thunder Dragon, harboring the fearsome power of divine tribulation lightning, had poked its head out from behind the dark clouds.

Its dragon whiskers, nose, mouth, eyes, and scales were all astonishingly lifelike—as if a true divine dragon had descended!

And aside from that––

Amid the dark clouds, raging flames and howling gusts of wind also tore through the sky!

Those were the tribulation wind and tribulation fire!

They weren’t part of Li Che’s Divine Condor Half-Saint tribulation; instead, they were the disaster tribulations gathered by the divine tribulation experts!

So––

Come on!

Face your fears head-on!

BOOM!!!

Zhao Beidou’s outstretched hand, with his five fingers like divine spears, seemed to tear the void apart, punching five enormous holes in the air!

The half-step Martial God phantom formed by the Tian Can Di Que combined technique expanded and twisted continuously, as if unable to withstand the seething power that was about to erupt!

That self-sacrificing move, facing imminent self-detonation, left Zhao Beidou—a divine tribulation expert who had lived for over a thousand years—momentarily stunned.

Yet for Zhao Beidou, even if Tian Can Di Que self-detonated, the threat to him wasn’t overly perilous; perhaps it would simply delay him a bit.

But it was of no major consequence.

One cold, white flame after another burst forth, swirling midair like blossoming pear flowers in winter.

Pear blossoms spread icy crystals so that, in an instant, the very air seemed to freeze.

The explosive power of the two elders of Tian Can Di Que was so overwhelmingly contained that it solidified in midair.

With a light palm-slap from Zhao Beidou, the heavenly pressure crashed down, shattering the frozen bodies of the two elders of Tian Can Di Que as if they were weightless.

Suddenly.

Having just subdued Tian Can Di Que, Zhao Beidou felt an immense, oppressive chill surge within him.

Every single glistening hair on his body stood on end.

“This is——”

He abruptly looked upward and saw, above the dome, a burst of disastrous power emerging—tribulation fire surging, twisting and burning the void, with cracks stretching like the gaping maw of an abyssal beast!

“Madman!”

Zhao Beidou’s face contorted in fury!

A terrifying will of Heaven and Earth locked onto him, winding around him like clattering chains.

Zhao Beidou spread his arms wide as an overwhelming divine aura erupted, attempting to shield him from that binding force!

Yet––

He simply couldn’t overcome it!

The disaster tribulation——

It came early!

“Divine Condor Half-Saint strikes with tribulation thunder—forcing the tribulation to retreat! Is this a bid to drive us divine tribulation experts back?”

Zhao Beidou’s expression grew grim.

His hair fluttered in the air as his face grew extremely solemn.

He never imagined that Daocheng would still have such a trump card.

Mainly because––

Under the overwhelming aura of the three emerging divine tribulation experts, the power of the Holy Hand tribulation thunder was at least twice as potent as the standard version!

Don’t think that the Holy Hand tribulation thunder is safe—any misstep could lead to certain death and the collapse of one’s cultivation!

There have been many cases of Divine Condor Half-Saint tribulation failures resulting in death!

RUMBLE——

—

And at this moment, it wasn’t just Zhao Beidou who was shaken.

The Ancestral Patriarch of Qianyuan Divine Sect Lü Qiankun and Gu Qianchi, the Patriarch of Bashu Sword Pavilion, were fiercely competing, both startled by the sudden eruption of heavenly might.

Both looked upward towards the dark clouds where tribulation fire, wind, and thunder emerged, their oppressive terror seeping into their hearts!

“What a fine fellow.”

In an instant, Lü Qiankun understood Li Che’s objective.

His eyes lit up slightly.

Truth be told, Lü Qiankun’s strength might even surpass that of Gu Qianchi and Zhao Beidou, but if Gu Qianchi truly restrained him and freed Zhao Beidou’s hands, an unbridled divine tribulation expert—at present, no one in Qianyuan Divine Sect could stand in their way.

Lü Taibai–– just a half-step tribulation expert; not to mention the difference in rank, Lü Taibai’s cultivation was unstable and naturally couldn’t hold Zhao Beidou off.

Divine Transformation and the realm of tribulation are differences of utmost magnitude—when it comes to divine essence, the gap can be an insurmountable barrier!

“Even the Ancestral Patriarch intends to obliterate everything together——”

“But obliterate it well!”

Lü Qiankun couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

Yet he didn’t mind; in fact, he almost shouted with approval. Admittedly, the plan was quite brilliant.

Although the risk was enormous, it required Li Che to endure the Holy Hand disaster tribulation without perishing.

Lü Qiankun squinted, glancing at Gu Qianchi’s furrowed brow.

In the tumult of the triple calamities, Gu Qianchi swiftly retracted the Wanren Calamity Wind he had been channeling, unwilling to let even a trace escape.

His expression turned grim, abandoning any attempt to confront Lü Qiankun.

For divine tribulation experts, avoiding the binding of Heaven and Earth’s will was crucial—attempting a reckless tribulation crossing without preparation would surely result in death!

“Ha ha ha——”

Lü Qiankun laughed heartily.

“Old Zhao, you old dog, and you fool Gu—enjoy this divine tribulation thoroughly!”

“I can slip away at any moment right outside my door!”

Lü Qiankun laughed boisterously, unfazed. With his five fingers spread wide, a wild gust howled as if a hurricane had swept in.

The mighty aura of Heaven surged as it charged toward Gu Qianchi!

Gu Qianchi’s face instantly darkened.

“Retreat!”

He wasn’t willing to grapple with Lü Qiankun any further—if tribulation thunder were to fall now, even if he survived, he’d be stripped to the bone and risk his entire future cultivation!

His shelter in the Minor Cavern of the Heavens was still within the Bashu Sword Pavilion’s gate. Here at the Divine Sect Mountain Gate, Lü Qiankun could always retreat, but he and Zhao Beidou had no such chance!

Zhao Beidou already began to turn away, and Gu Qianchi sought an escape.

Yet Lü Qiankun pressed on, not giving them a moment’s respite.

BOOM!!!

The two elders of Tian Can Di Que struggled and burst through Zhao Beidou’s White Abyss Calamity Fire, shrieking and roaring as the half-step Martial God phantom self-destructed toward Zhao Beidou!

Zhao Beidou fumed as the White Abyss Calamity Fire danced in his palm, its terrifying intent spreading. But feeling the overwhelming celestial might,

he had no choice but to clench his teeth and retract the fire.

At this critical juncture, unleashing the tribulation fire further might ensure he’d die far too quickly!

CRASH, CRASH…

Chains of Heaven and Earth bound his body and aura, and as Zhao Beidou’s divine energy erupted, one palm slamming down after subduing the elders of Tian Can Di Que, it clashed with Lü Qiankun’s assault as he attempted to break free.

The Ancestral Patriarch of Qianyuan Divine Sect suddenly rallied, battling two opponents at once with fierce resolve.

He roared with laughter, “Come on, don’t run away!”

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!!

Explosions erupted in constant succession as Lü Qiankun’s hair flew wildly and his ancient robe billowed.

Gu Qianchi and Zhao Beidou wore grim expressions!

While contending with Lü Qiankun’s relentless assault, they had to keep an eye on the brewing tribulation thunder above.

At the moment Li Che faced the onset of the Divine Condor Half-Saint tribulation,

both tribulation fire and wind crashed down!

The tribulation fire intertwined and transformed into an enormous sparrow—a sparrow that spread its wings, distorting the very heavens with a cry that rendered everything silent.

Meanwhile, the tribulation wind morphed into a colossal fierce tiger that roared as if descending like a tempest!

And tribulation thunder cascaded, intertwining into a divine dragon that rocked the skies!

“The tribulation has arrived!”

Zhao Beidou and Gu Qianchi abandoned confrontation with Lü Qiankun, desperately retreating away from Daocheng.

An immense flame sparrow, moving with uncanny speed, seemed to suddenly appear before Zhao Beidou.

Zhao Beidou struck out with his five fingers, colliding with the flame sparrow. Yet with a deep, muffled groan,

the flesh on his fingers began to visibly evaporate before his eyes!

Just a mere touch had already inflicted injury!

Further contact risked complete annihilation by the flame sparrow!

Zhao Beidou and Gu Qianchi surged their divine energy, shattering space, but the disaster tribulation relentlessly shadowed them!

Thunderous roars echoed through Heaven and Earth, as if chasing through the void, growing ever distant.

Elsewhere.

Lü Qiankun inhaled deeply, unhurried; after all, he was at his own doorstep—what was there to fear?

He turned his gaze to the slender figure seated atop the Mechanical Beast’s back, floating high in the sky.

“A little fellow with guts,”

Lü Qiankun’s mustached gaze shone with admiration.

In the distance, Lü Taibai, his face streaked with blood, sped over exclaiming, “Ancestral Patriarch!”

Lü Taibai was excited.

But Lü Qiankun remarked with thinly veiled disdain, “Hurry and stabilize your cultivation; spend a little extra time in the Bizarre Temple to bolster your strength.”

“If not for the assistance of the Underworld forces this time, my inheritance would have been lost!”

Lü Taibai immediately fell silent.

“Storms are coming. The Bizarre Temple is about to change drastically. Soon, the mortal world will be thrown into chaos—

Just as Qitian Temple once fell, the Divine Sect is on the brink of a reshuffle. The future of Qianyuan hangs in the balance. As the sect leader, you must be extra cautious.”

Lü Qiankun shook his head.

Then he watched the terrifying tribulation approaching in the heavens.

It was a fearsome Wind-Thunder Divine Tiger, leaping down from the ninth firmament, where countless winds raged and intertwined.

The rupturing void gave Lü Taibai a sensation of impending doom as Lü Qiankun took a deep breath and transformed into a streak of light, colliding into the Qian Kun Plaque.

The plaque’s glow receded, not betraying a shred of its magnificence.

Lü Taibai quickly cradled the plaque and slowly exhaled.

The terrifying Wind-Thunder Divine Tiger charged at the plaque, forcing Lü Taibai’s silver hair and robe to lean back.

A gust of wind and thunder slammed into him.

Losing its target, the Wind-Thunder Divine Tiger howled and vanished.

Lü Taibai opened his eyes, only to find his back soaked with sweat.

The calamity of divine tribulation—

It was truly terrifying.

At the very thought, Lü Taibai couldn’t help but glance at Li Che with concern.

Li Che was——

Throwing himself into the fray, drawing the tribulation away from his comrades——

But could Li Che withstand the Holy Hand tribulation?!

“Sect Leader!”

“Kill!”

“Slaughter them!”

Suddenly, a voice thundered in Lü Taibai’s ears.

It was Li Che’s transmission.

With the divine tribulation retreating and no divine tribulation expert in sight, Qianyuan Divine Sect now held the advantage over the Imperial Court!

Lü Taibai hefted the Qian Kun Plaque, his eyes lighting up.

The Taibai Sword in his sleeve trembled, and the God Extermination Wind Calamity Sword resonated with a fearsome hum.

He roared a long battle cry.

His silver hair flew as murderous intent raged boundlessly!

In an instant, Lü Taibai locked onto Ning Caishen, Gu Cheng, and Zhao Chunqiu—who had been gravely wounded by self-detonating the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and Baihu—and the scene plunged back into chaos!

Xie Yunshen’s troops had retreated onto the Xuan Tie Lingmu Warship, their faces ashen.

He had no choice but to shout the order to withdraw!

For Ji Mo Li had already issued the command through the revived body of Ji Li Hai, ordering the warship to turn around and retreat.

They planned to withdraw to a distance of eight hundred li!

Xie Yunshen didn’t persist any longer.

He looked up toward Li Che, who had just completed the carving that summoned the tribulation thunder from the Divine Condor—

“What a bold move! With one move, Li Che defused the threat of two major tribulations!”

Xie Yunshen couldn’t help but admire him.

RUMBLE, rumble, rumble!!!

“Ancestral Patriarch, help me!”

A piercing, lamenting howl!

Before Zhao Chunqiu could even escape, Lü Taibai caught up; in just a few strikes, the already mortally wounded Zhao Chunqiu was blown apart midair!

Splat, splat—

Fresh blood splattered as a bloody mist filled the air!

Elsewhere,

Ning Caishen, the Sect Leader of Seven Treasure Divine Sect, and Gu Cheng, the Sect Leader of Bashu Sword Pavilion, decisively unleashed their trump cards—divine weapons and secret techniques—to transform into streaks of light. Taking advantage of Zhao Chunqiu’s demise, they made their escape.

Meanwhile, the Dragon God Prince and the three Dragon God Clan offspring, who together formed a half-step Dragon God, ceased their clash with Fang Han Shu. Choosing instead to retreat aboard one warship after another, they scrambled hastily across the Grand Canal.

The elite warriors of the Dragon God Clan dove into the canal, their dragon silhouettes darting away at lightning speed.

Thunder roared relentlessly throughout the day!

Lü Taibai, carrying the Qian Kun Plaque, watched the retreating Imperial forces and casually gripped the Taibai Sword.

He laughed aloud to the skies, “In this battle, we’ve beheaded the top three elites!”

“Congratulations!”

“A great victory indeed!”

High above, a colossal black hound emerged from the firmament—a dread-inducing oppressive force that seemed to make the void buckle under its weight.

Mountains crumbled and rivers shattered, as if the very landscape were made of molten, bloody lava!

That fearsome specter—a demonic hound seemingly crawling out of hell—appeared amid the chaos. With one long howl, the terrifying Divine Condor Half-Saint tribulation finally reached its end.

Li Che cradled the Big Black Dog Divine Condor in one hand as he settled atop the almost peerless Mechanical Beast Little Yinglong King.

Though countless bolts of lightning danced around him, they were utterly devoured by Li Che’s Thunder Magnetic Conduit Dao Fruit.

Arcs of sizzling lightning flickered around him.

Although the oppressive dark clouds still loomed, after the outpouring, the divine pressure had somewhat dissipated. Yet the disaster tribulations of the two divine tribulation experts had not yet subsided. Clearly, Zhao Beidou and Gu Qianchi—despite tearing through and crashing into the void—had not evaded the tribulation thunder.

To escape tribulation, one must create a Minor Cavern of the Heavens or retreat into the Bizarre Temple.

Simply plunging into the void isn’t enough––

for the void itself is part of this world!

Li Che slowly opened his eyes, his gaze resting on the Big Black Dog Divine Condor. A warm satisfaction flickered in his eyes; the lifelike form nearly made him think a stray dog had appeared.

But, in the end, it was only a Divine Condor.

Yet even capturing a trace of Dog Master’s divine will transformed this Divine Condor into a Holy Hand Divine Condor.

In that faint glimpse, Li Che seemed to see the terrifying demonic hound—a beast whose roars could shake Heaven and Earth and rend the stars!

“This trace of divine will might prove to be remarkably effective,”

he mused.

“I’ll save it for XiXi. When she goes out to cultivate, it’ll be a perfect trump card.”

Li Che smiled softly, gathering the Holy Hand Divine Condor.

Then, as Li Che descended gracefully, the Underworld Yama and his retinue had long vanished, and the Imperial armies planning to subdue Daocheng had withdrawn.

When Li Che landed atop Daocheng’s city tower, thunderous cheers erupted—as if the roaring waves of the Grand Canal had battered the shores!

Having just broken through to the Holy Hand realm, Li Che had truly turned the tide.

After all, the formidable heavenly pressure brought by the two divine tribulations had rendered even half-step tribulation and half-step Martial God experts nearly paralyzed—let alone the many cultivators within Daocheng.

Even powerhouses like Feng Zhiqi and Monitor Hong Shifo were left with barely any strength under the weight of this tribulation!

Standing shoulder to shoulder, Fang Han Shu and Lü Taibai sported smiles from ear to ear.

“Congratulations, Li Saint! At long last, Qianyuan Divine Sect has produced another Divine Condor Half-Saint—a truly joyous occasion!”

Even the usually composed Fang Han Shu couldn’t help but smile at that moment.

Li Che returned the gesture with a respectful bow. Although Fang Han Shu’s depths were well hidden, Li Che was astonished to see that he possessed a torrent of might rivaling a half-step tribulation expert, reaching the realm of the Holy Scholar.

For Fang Han Shu, a venerable scholar and grand elder, even now, Li Che couldn’t fully fathom him.

Perhaps transferring that boundless might to reach the realm of the Holy Scholar wasn’t even his limit?

Scholars—like Li Che, who also knew how to hold something back.

Li Che always kept a trump card: the Huang Mei Great Master, planted deep within the enemy’s ranks. With it, he could always remain fully aware of his foes’ dispositions.

He also had placed the Huang Mei Great Master alongside Ji Mo Li, ready to trigger a deadly ambush at any moment.

“Why is Ji Mo Li’s clone so powerful?”

Li Che asked in puzzlement.

Fang Han Shu’s eyes flashed as he replied in a low voice, “Do you know about the matter of Nan Lihuo?”

Nan Lihuo, the Sect Leader of the Jin Guang Branch—surely Li Che must know him.

Fang Han Shu sighed. Recollecting his return to the Divine Sect Mountain Gate with Li Che and Lü Taibai, he began to explain his analysis.

“Ji Mo Li likely cooperated with the Corpse God Sect…

“Nan Lihuo’s family was utterly slaughtered. Because he studied at Qianyuan Divine Sect, his life was spared,

but his hometown—where tens of thousands perished, their life essence completely drained—was left in ruins.”

Fang Han Shu’s eyes darkened as an aura of vast righteousness surged within him.

“During my travels, I once read ancient texts in a mysterious temple that recorded Ji Mo Li’s reincarnation techniques.”

17

“Ji Mo Li’s true form should now lie within the blood pool in Jizhou. The Ji Mo Li who was just slain by Underworld Yama was merely a splinter formed from that pool—a projection created from the lives of tens of thousands.”

“To truly kill him, one must slay him four times—each of his blood-connected progenies must be utterly cut down to prevent his reincarnation.”

Li Che took a deep breath.

“Damn it.”

“Over in Jizhou, the area has essentially fallen under Ji Mo Li’s control. Whether he is truly locked in combat with the six great Corpse Gods of the Corpse God Sect, or if they have forged a collaboration, remains uncertain. But it seems they are cooperating.”

Fang Han Shu said calmly.

“Teaming up with the rebellious Corpse God Sect—what is Ji Mo Li planning?”

The trio conversed as they returned to the Divine Sect Mountain Gate.

Inside Daocheng, Feng Zhiqi and Zhao Fangzhou were tasked with overseeing the city’s affairs. With Feng Zhiqi commanding the four great generals of the Divine Guard Army, Daocheng’s situation was effectively under control.

In fact, this resounding victory greatly boosted morale. Many aristocratic families, once complacent, now chose to send their own forces to join the Divine Guard Army.

Daocheng’s defenses had improved by leaps and bounds.

And above all, this was due to the thoroughly satisfying victory!

Even though they suffered top-tier casualties in Daocheng—even the city lord Yue Huanglong was slain—

it was precisely that indomitable, fearless spirit that set a shining example for Daocheng’s mightiest cultivators.

The entire city seemed to merge with the Divine Sect, radiating an unprecedented cohesion.

Qianyuan Divine Sect.

Outer Gate, Disciples’ City.

Elders’ Court.

Li Che, Fang Han Shu, and Lü Taibai returned together.

Goldmane, ever the silent guardian, broke into a broad smile, “Congratulations, Master, on breaking through to the Divine Condor Half-Saint realm!”

Truly, Goldmane’s delight was heartfelt.

After all, the Holy Hand Divine Condor is a strategic asset—a vital cultivation resource for someone of his caliber.

Even on Witch God Mountain, the Divine Condor Half-Saint is among the rarest of beings.

Li Che nodded, while XiXi leaped from the rooftop, sparks flying, as she hurried toward Li Che, who scooped her up and ruffled her hair.

“Sect Leader, Master! Great Elder of the Demon Den!”

Obediently, XiXi greeted Lü Taibai and Fang Han Shu.

Having just celebrated her seventh birthday, XiXi’s bright eyes gleamed with dreams of setting out to cultivate.

Li Che ruffled her hair and then addressed Lü Taibai and Fang Han Shu, “Sect Leader, we can’t afford any complacency. Xie Yunshen’s army hasn’t yet withdrawn; they’ve encamped along the banks of the Grand Canal eight hundred li away—”

“Moreover, those two divine tribulation experts should be safe for now. With our trump card exposed, Xie Yunshen will soon summon even more formidable opponents to target Qianyuan.”

Li Che said gravely.

Based on the perceptions from the Cosmic Chessboard and the Feilei Chess Piece attached to Huang Mei Great Master,

he had sensed the Imperial Court’s intentions as they set up camp.

Lü Taibai squinted his eyes.

“Xie Yunshen—the schemer who never gives up his ambition to subdue the sect! And his target is you, A-che!”

Li Che merely nodded at the remark.

Emperor Jing must have also deduced that he had obtained the Gathering Celestial Yellow Flag at the Peach Festival, which fueled Xie Yunshen’s determination to subdue the sect.

“In the short term, Xie Yunshen will likely confront Qianyuan Divine Sect head-on—” maybe he dares not mobilize his forces lightly.”

“But they already have two divine tribulation experts guarding them. Now that A-che has successfully crossed tribulation, he can no longer use the Holy Hand tribulation to force them back,”

Lü Taibai exhaled deeply.

“I’ll choose seclusion. My martial path now must push toward the half-step Martial God realm—venturing even to the Heavenly Gate!”

‘If my martial cultivation reaches the half-step Martial God realm, I’d be on par with Ji Mo Li. Even if he were to reincarnate from the blood pool in Jizhou, I could stop him single-handedly,’

Lü Taibai’s eyes grew profound.

Now, both Lü Taibai and Fang Han Shu no longer regarded Li Che as a junior—his status as a Divine Condor Half-Saint within the sect allowed him to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

After a brief conversation, Lü Taibai and Fang Han Shu departed separately.

Xie Yunshen’s army remained camped outside Daocheng, hanging over everyone’s heads like a knife.

In the courtyard, a hush fell.

Li Che sat under the eaves, lost in thought.

He raised his hand and pressed it to his forehead.

The Cosmic Chessboard soared into the clouds, expanding instantly, enveloping all of Heaven and Earth.

Continuously expanding, it shrouded the vast expanse, even the roaring Grand Canal soon fell under its blanket.

Before long, he spotted Xie Yunshen’s army encamped outside Daocheng.

In the midst of a frozen, bleak landscape, the camp lay silent.

Warships of Xuan Tie Lingmu Warship docked, and the troops on board, though low in morale, had to set up their encampments and construct wooden forts, preparing for a prolonged standoff.

“Setting up camp, then.”

“That makes it simple.”

Li Che exhaled, feeling a significant ease sweep over him.

His only concern was if Xie Yunshen, harnessing the power of his two divine tribulation experts, made a comeback to assault Qianyuan Divine Sect once more.

But a fixed camp meant that Xie Yunshen would need time to summon reinforcements. That very delay granted Li Che a golden opportunity to grow stronger.

Under the eaves,

Li Che’s eyes snapped open, golden flames flickering as the air twisted.

A slight smile tugged at his lips.

After all, everyone forgot—

the Underworld is notorious for its assassinations.

In the courtyard, Goldmane, Jin Taisui, and the others suddenly felt a chill seep through their bones.

The sky glowed faintly with the first light of dawn, and amidst leaden clouds, large, feather-like snowflakes danced down.

Li Che patted the hesitant XiXi.

“Daddy knows you want to go cultivate. Don’t worry—Daddy promises that once your seventh birthday is over, you’ll be allowed to set out. It’s a promise you can count on.”

XiXi’s big eyes sparkled as she nodded excitedly.

After a brief, affectionate moment with his worried wife Zhang Ya,

Li Che turned and entered the Study.

The Painted Immortal Clone was summoned.

In the blink of an eye, Li Che vanished, entering Mo City.

Mo City. Shandu!

Splat, splat—

Raven-black rain poured down.

Scorching, searing blood and qi surged in a torrent as if a blazing sun were slowly rising over Shandu.

Li Che stood in the expansive streets of Mo City.

His gaze swept coldly over the scene.

Masses of shattered flesh lay piled on the streets.

The corpses of Tian Dan Divine Sect’s Sect Leader Gu Changqing, Haoran Academy’s Bai Buyi, and the top-tier elites of Dragon and Tiger Divine Sect Zhao Chunqiu were heaped in three large piles.

They were the bodies of three top-tier, peerless cultivators slain in the fierce battle.

At the moment of their death, Li Che did not forget to harvest their flesh and blood.

Splat, splat—

Mounds of rotten flesh lay on the ground, beaten by the cold, inky rain.

Li Che’s ink-black robe, adorned with golden lotus embroidery, billowed.

His jet-black hair flailed like a bolt of lightning.

He slowly unfolded his arms, his back facing the ground strewn with gore.

His fingers splayed wide.

Like souls from the nether, they emitted a mournful, tragic wail as if yearning for rebirth.

“Return, soul——”

“Spiritual Confinement!”

As his words faded,

the howling of the cold wind echoed through Heaven and Earth, as if the clattering of frozen chains collided incessantly.

One after another, dark shadows entwined by chains arose from the mass of corpses behind Li Che, contorting and standing as though filled with a maddening presence.

The fallen foes would become our strength!

Isn’t it true that the more allies we defeat, the greater our force becomes?

Li Che’s eyes flickered with inky light as he observed.

[Dao Fruit: Painted Immortal (LV6 0%)]

Inky liquid flowed lightly, as if someone were gently painting on a blank sheet of paper, accompanied by a soft rustling sound.

Painting mountains, painting waters, painting the cosmos!