Chapter 445: Shattering Fury in Mo City

The terrifying explosion rocked Mo City as countless torrents of energy tore through the air, slicing space itself apart!

A blazing purple flame, like a celestial Qilin, trampled the void and merged into a single, mighty fist imprint – unrivaled in its supremacy!

Qilin Sealing Inscription!

Celestial Seed Martial Arts are an advanced branch of Divine Seed Martial Arts – so difficult to cultivate that even a typical Martial Saint, upon obtaining even a hint of cultivation methods, would likely spend half a lifetime to even begin.

And even after breaking through the initial stage, advancing to a modest success might cost one the rest of their life.

But Li Che’s true finishing move was not this Qilin Sealing Inscription!

It was the follow-up technique – a Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Sky-Cleaving Blade, modified from the Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Divine Blade by integrating the devastation of Primordial Sky-Cleaving Fury with the Divine Seed Martial Arts of Qimen Divine Seed!

That slash was Li Che’s ultimate killing move!

It was the stroke that shattered the dark clouds looming overhead, tore apart the sky, and allowed sunlight to bathe him in brilliance, a way to reclaim true light!

That slash cleaved through his inner demons!

In Li Che’s heart, Ji Mo Li was nothing less than a personal torment. Ji Haihui’s sudden appearance at Jin Guang Mansion, accompanied by a Grandmaster’s visit, had not only placed enormous pressure on the Jin Guang Branch but also weighed heavily on Li Che.

Even back then, Li Che knew that one day he would clash with Ji Mo Li, the power behind Ji Haihui, and sure enough, it happened during the Temple Spirit Resonance at the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple.

After Li Che slew Ji Haihui during the resonance, he faced the Martial Saint will awakened from the bloodline within Ji Mo Li.

That confrontation was when Li Che truly felt the overwhelming might of Ji Mo Li, when his inner demons were awakened.

The pressure Li Che experienced that day was immense – a feeble martial will formed purely of bloodline energy nearly overwhelmed him and almost shattered his resolve.

Boom——!!!

A razor-sharp blade gleamed as it flashed forth!

The Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade erupted in dazzling brilliance. Its speed was so extreme that it cut through the air as if cleaving through wind, splitting space with a resounding burst!

In an instant, it landed on Ji Mo Li’s body.

The Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Sky-Cleaving Blade!

It swept across thousands of mountains and rivers, an unstoppable strike in the blink of an eye!

Everything in Ji Mo Li’s perception vanished – the blade’s radiance, his six-fold desires, his divine essence, and even the light.

In the brief moment when the slashing blade tore through,

Ji Mo Li’s world was obliterated, brutally shattered by that overwhelming strike!

Such a strike…

Such a strike!

A pinnacle of blade techniques and martial art mastery!

Boom——!!!

All the elegant styles and myriad hues were stripped away, leaving only a terrifying ripple of blade energy – like a perfect circle – that descended upon Ji Mo Li’s body, an apparition neither fully human nor ghostly.

Ji Mo Li’s once-proud guard shattered like tattered rags under that single blow!

Within Mo City, nearly every shockwave slammed into the walls, sending ripples that cascaded in an inverted, rolling torrent!

Thud——!

“Ah——!!!”

As the blade fell, Ji Mo Li finally felt a surge of primal dread and terror, as if the combined wills of Blood Soul, Heavenly King Temple Spirit, and the Six-Desire Corpse God forces had at last converged!

After being stripped of his senses by that strike, his perceptions slowly returned.

A continuous chorus of shattering sound filled his ears – the snapping of powerful martial sinews, the tearing of top-level martial structural fabrics!

Thud——!!!

The cold blade sliced through hardened flesh and blood, cleaving space itself in a way that unleashed chaotic currents like splintered branches, dancing wildly!

Every hair on Ji Mo Li’s body stood on end as his very soul screamed in alarm.

“Li Che!!!”

Ji Mo Li’s flesh was torn asunder; the six Corpse God Eyes on his body oozed fresh blood.

The three Temple Spirits that had fused within him were thrown into chaos by Li Che’s Summon the Divine, detaching from his body and causing Ji Mo Li’s previously proud state to plummet rapidly.

Then, caught off guard by another hidden killing intent in Li Che’s explosive assault,

the space surrounding Ji Mo Li disintegrated as though ground to dust!

His six spinning hook-like eyes stared fixedly at Li Che.

“How could it be you!”

Underworld Yama…

It was Li Che!

Even Ma Mian was Li Che…

So, whose Underworld was it, really?!

In that moment, Ji Mo Li was dazed, confused, resigned to his fate, and questioning his very existence.

“It’s time for you to depart.”

In a calm tone, the words came from Li Che, whose half-moon arc slash had just passed.

The Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade swept out, carving a perfect crescent!

“You deserve death. I prepared for this moment for a long time. I have been growing ever since, awaiting this day.”

Li Che’s face remained unruffled as he executed a fierce strike!

Crack!

Bones shattered and muscles, tendons, and sinews tore apart!

Blood, flesh, and bone splattered in all directions!

Countless jets of inky blood exploded behind Ji Mo Li!

The will of the Six-Desire Corpse God emanating from his body roared in furious protest – yet even with that apex level of Corpse God power, it was of little help to him.

In truth, the force was never truly his; even when combined, it posed little threat to Li Che, not even close to the pressure once imposed by the Old Dragon God.

For the Old Dragon God’s cultivation in the realm of two tribulations was entirely self-cultivated.

Ji Mo Li, on the other hand, relied purely on shortcuts.

Whether it was the power of the three Heavenly King Temple Spirits or the Six Corpse God forces, it all belonged to borrowed strength.

Borrowed power can never perfectly merge.

And Li Che was the one capable of shattering such borrowed Temple Spirit power.

With a single Summon the Divine, he tore apart the tether on Ji Mo Li, ripping it to shreds!

The power within Ji Mo Li’s body dissipated in record time.

Ji Mo Li’s gaze cleared, and with a long sigh he murmured, “I was wrong…”

“My gravest mistake was not stepping in immediately at the Temple Spirit Resonance Conference in the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple when Hai Hui was being slain by you – to eradicate you and spur your rise, to let you become a force…”

“That day, I made the worst decision of my life.”

“I have been right all my life, except for that one mistake.”

Regret washed over Ji Mo Li’s face.

He stared at Li Che.

“There is no such thing as an Underworld… There is only one person. You, Li Che… are the Underworld itself, aren’t you?”

“Ogre is you, Ma Mian is you, Divine Monkey is you, Yama is you…”

Ji Mo Li had an inkling of the truth.

Perhaps when he first saw the face beneath the Underworld Yama mask, he had already guessed it.

But what good was a guess?

In truth, Li Che now possessed the strength to survive in this world.

To kill him would require at least a Level Two or Three Divine Calamity Advancement; even a top-tier martial cultivator at the one-tribulation three-destiny level would scarcely faze him – he was confident he could easily escape!

After all, he had the Feilei Shift granted by the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit and the Mo City Fengdu power of the 【Painted Immortal】 Dao Fruit!

Li Che’s face remained utterly calm.

He purposely revealed his face to unsettle Ji Mo Li, knowing that a shaken opponent was prone to mistakes – and he intended to seize that one misstep to vanquish his foe and shatter the darkness!

Rumbling——

After that fateful slash, Ji Mo Li was left with no strength to resist.

Li Che brandished the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade, his dark robe billowing fiercely as the sweeping blade light crisscrossed – a single gust of blue radiance interwoven like thousands of winds!

The Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Sky-Cleaving Blade!

At that moment, within Li Che’s chest, the 【Dragon Elephant Vajra】 Dao Fruit pulsed as though wildly expanding, its thunderous beats rippling endlessly.

In that instant, Li Che’s understanding of the martial way seemed to reach a sublime elevation.

Whether it was finally severing the mountain of inner struggles or tearing apart the oppressive dark clouds of inner demons,

he felt his mastery of the Sky-Cleaving Blade soaring to new heights!

Slash!

Slash!

Slash!!!

Li Che’s eyes now seemed to reflect an absolute clarity as his life force erupted in a manic burst, golden energy surging like crashing waves, revealing a staggering vision of boundless martial mountains and celestial gold pools!

His blade strikes grew ever swifter!

Indeed…

So fast that merely the velocity of the blade alone seemed to burst space asunder!

It was as if he had truly grasped the essence of the Sky-Cleaving Blade!

In Li Che’s understanding, Divine Seed Martial Arts were intrinsically linked to one’s true intent, but Celestial Seed Martial Arts – like the Qilin Sealing Inscription – involved a transcendent comprehension unique to that realm.

And in that moment, he had finally grasped the true essence of the Sky-Cleaving Blade!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——

After suffering a slash, Ji Mo Li’s speed became utterly unsustainable.

He could only feel an endless, roaring storm raging before him, as if a deity commanding the storm had swept in with terrifying force!

Ji Mo Li gave up.

Countless slashes reduced his body to scattered, mutilated fragments!

His consciousness was completely obliterated!

He utterly vanished into the expanse of heaven and earth!

And from his body, the six Corpse Gods burst forth, twisting into hideous forms – their bodies filled with innumerable blood souls, writhing and contorting, the remnants of countless devoured souls and slain spirits.

Undoubtedly, the blood and souls of those people had been nourished to power the Corpse God Sect over the years by Ji Mo Li.

It was precisely with Ji Mo Li’s help that the Corpses of the Corpse God Sect had grown so formidable.

Li Che’s eyes turned icy cold as golden smoke swirled around him.

The Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade trembled, unleashing a dazzling, resounding blade chant!

Slash!

Slash again!

Six-Desire Corpse Gods?

Before his eyes, they were no more than drifting ashes!

Shredded to mere dust!

Boom——!!!

Even as the six Corpse Gods howled, they were ruthlessly dismembered by Li Che’s fearsome Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Sky-Cleaving Blade!

Rumbling——!!!

A terrifying blue storm erupted from the spot where Ji Mo Li had stood, radiating outward over Mo City like a crushing shockwave – the surrounding buildings collapsing into a fan-shaped ruin, reduced to fine, gritty dust…

The violent blade energy intertwined and surged, transforming the air into a howling, raging tempest that swept away the city’s dust!

An absolute silence prevailed.

Mo City had become a desolate vacuum.

After nearly two deep breaths,

the sound of crumbling, shattering debris filled the air——

The demolished structures of Mo City, the cracked earth below, finally caught the attention of the Mo Rain – a torrential downpour thundered angrily, washing over the ruined city.

Li Che stood unmoving as his jet-black hair whipped wildly about.

His chest heaved powerfully while a sweeping aura of golden energy completely enveloped him.

The stark black-and-white Underworld Yama mask re-covered his face, imbuing his aura with mystery and depth.

Shattering the Yama mask had been a tactic meant to unsettle Ji Mo Li – a somewhat dirty stratagem.

Now that his tactic had worked, Li Che calmly donned his mask once more.

On the ground, Ji Mo Li’s corpse had long since been reduced to dust-like fragments.

Likewise, all six of the Six-Desire Corpse Gods had been shattered by Li Che, their disfigured forms turning into a pool of blood.

Above those Six-Desire Corpse Gods, six seals appeared – the Corpse God Seals!

All six spun slowly, radiating an overwhelming, pure Six-Desire divine essence, with hints of Buddhist light interwoven among them.

Li Che’s gaze fell upon the six Corpse God Seals as his eyes gradually narrowed.

He spread his five fingers, as if transforming them into divine spears that lunged toward the seals.

These Corpse God Seals… carried the aura of an evil Buddha.

Hummm——

A chilling, austere Buddhist light suddenly exploded forth, coiling around Li Che’s hand like venomous serpents.

But Li Che quickly shifted his action – channeling it into a domineering punch that crashed down with a roar, scattering the six seals far away.

Buzz, buzz, buzz——

The six seals emitted brilliant light, slowly merging to form the vague silhouette of a monk.

Fuzzy and ethereal, yet those eyes seemed to pierce through time as they fixed on Li Che, as if deciphering the true face concealed beneath his Yama mask.

But the shroud of the Cosmic Chessboard around Li Che rendered his aura inscrutable.

That pair of eyes could not fully see through his mystique.

However, from Li Che’s right arm, a faint tremor erupted and a sonorous sound rang out relentlessly, like a temple bell on a snowy mountaintop during an avalanche.

The Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff in his grasp seemed to sense an inexplicable energy, trembling violently.

The monk’s robe flared like burning fire as the six Corpse God Seals’ light converged into intricate divine patterns.

“Amitabha…”

“Ji Mo Li is dead.”

“What a pity…”

A voice laden with compassion resonated, as if countless ancient buddhas were chanting in unison.

Li Che’s eyes swept over that hypocritical monk’s phantom.

There was not a trace of pity in his voice – pity, perhaps, only because without Ji Mo Li there would be no more mass slaughter or assembly of blood souls, right?

“So you’re the one who incited Ji Mo Li to massacre the city, you bald brute?”

A hoarse voice resounded from beneath the Underworld Yama mask.

Li Che’s eyes, visible through his mask, burned with cold severity.

This bald brute might well be the true mastermind behind the Corpse God Sect!

Ji Mo Li was merely a collaborator with the Corpse God Sect.

The monk’s blurred features only left his eyes conspicuous, as fiery light gathered into a divine pattern.

“It wasn’t that I incited him. Ji Mo Li harbored ambitions, so he chose to follow his own desires.

I merely imparted a method, teaching him the way to rise. His early life was too bitter…”

“He longed to ascend, to stand at the summit, to upend the order. His ambition moved me, so I helped him.”

The monk’s tone remained full of pity.

Suddenly,

the monk’s eyes fell upon Li Che’s arm, as if sensing the tremor from the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff…

The blurry monk phantom suddenly laughed, a laugh so distinct it sent shivers down the spine.

“Qi Tian… long time no see.”

A soft laugh escaped, devoid of any real amusement.

“Underworld… fate has been sealed. Since you have slain Ji Mo Li, the collecting of blood souls will only transfer from one person to another.”

“By killing Ji Mo Li, you have accepted both the cause and the burden of those consequences…”

“People will always crave power – even the mightiest will yearn for it someday because power is endless, boundless!”

“Amitabha… I await you, poor monk.”

“Qi Tian, Qi Tian…”

“It won’t be long before we meet again.”

After the monk finished speaking, his gaze shifted to XiXi, who stood on the city wall in the distance.

“Daughter of the Prison Lotus…”

“Your secret won’t remain hidden for much longer.”

“I, too, await you.”

Boom——

The two golden flames in the monk phantom’s eyes slowly solidified,

transforming into two divine markings…

The Golden Cicada Seal!

Under that cicada emblem, the figure fixed its gaze on Li Che.

“Amitabha, benefactor, remember my dharma name.”

“I am…”

“Golden Cicada.”

A flawless vision appeared!

With those words spoken,

the Buddhist light within the six Corpse God Seals vanished in an instant.

Then, the phantom of Golden Cicada the monk disappeared completely.

But the six Corpse God Seals suddenly surged toward Li Che at incredible speed, racing chaotically into his inner Mud Pellet realm.

Li Che’s five fingers clenched, preparing once more to subdue these seals.

Yet, the six seals seemed to dissipate like smoke, losing all tangible form, leaving only their divine intent.

They struck against the Mud Pellet embedded in Li Che’s brow.

And then…

They failed to penetrate.

For Li Che’s entire body, armored in golden-hued bone and an iridescent skin, radiated resplendent brilliance.

Martial Immortal Golden Body!

Perfect and unblemished!

The Corpse God Seals were completely blocked by his Martial Immortal Golden Body.

It was rather embarrassing.

Li Che’s brow furrowed as his mind stirred; then the Cosmic Chessboard descended in a roar, suppressing the six Corpse God Seals within its confines.

Within his inner Mud Pellet realm, the Six-Desire Lv Xuan Sword Immortal’s Divine Seed was pulsating, as if releasing an intense yearning.

Those Six-Desire Corpse God Seals… if cleansed of deathly energy, would be perfect for the transformation and breakthrough of the Six-Desire Lv Xuan Sword Immortal’s Divine Seed.

Li Che had previously used Corpse God Seals to boost his own strength several times.

That is why he did not shatter these six seals representing the six desires.

Ha, ha, ha, ha……

Waves roared and the Mo Rain dripped steadily.

This battle had finally reached its end.

Underworld Yama stood unmoving, his gaze icy and severe.

Upon the city wall, XiXi’s face brimmed with excitement, almost on the verge of cheering!

She had just witnessed a fight of such tremendous and unyielding power!

Such an epic battle held XiXi spellbound, stirring a deep yearning in her heart.

Although XiXi didn’t see the moment when the Underworld Yama mask shattered to reveal a true face, she didn’t care.

As for the final phantom of the monk emerging from the interwoven Corpse God Seals,

it filled XiXi with an unending disgust,

a revulsion that seemed to emanate from her very soul.

“Big Sister, do you despise that bald brute?”

XiXi tilted her head.

Then she clenched her tiny fist and puffed out her little belly, “Don’t worry – once Emperor XiXi grows stronger, I’ll help you beat him to death!”

“Hmph.”

A soft laugh whispered from deep within her mind.

XiXi’s eyes instantly lit up!

Hey!

Big Sister, you heard that, right!

……

……

Li Che ignored the playful commotion from XiXi, lost in his own world.

His fingers spread wide, and suddenly the air erupted with a tremendous explosive sound.

A streak of the indomitable Undying Prison Lotus Hun Tian Ling roared as it hurtled toward Li Che.

Grasping the Hun Tian Ling, a surge of overwhelming malice burst out from it – as if swept by countless blood souls, it underwent a terrifying transformation.

Beneath his mask, Li Che’s brows furrowed slightly.

“That Ji Mo Li… to seize the Hun Tian Ling, he slaughtered an entire city?! Using the blood souls of a whole city to forge that divine weapon?!”

Li Che’s tone was grim – truly despicable!

Gazing through the Hun Tian Ling, he saw countless images of a city being decimated, rivers of blood, and mountains of corpses…

It was unthinkably cruel!

The Hun Tian Ling trembled subtly.

Through the Hun Tian Ling, Li Che realized that once the divine weapon fell into the hands of the Corpse God Sect, it inevitably ended up with Ji Mo Li, who then used it in the Blood Pool for sacrificial forging.

Even though he did not see it with his own eyes, Li Che could clearly feel the raw anger and injustice emanating from the Hun Tian Ling!

It had never felt so aggrieved!

Exhaling deeply, Li Che flicked his finger, and the Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame erupted, its purple Dao Calamity fire burning and warping as it began to incinerate the Hun Tian Ling.

Inside his inner Mud Pellet realm, thump, thump, thump——

The Seven Aperture Luminous Heart began to vibrate violently, as circles of Pure Heart divine essence fused with the purple flames, forcefully washing over!

They began purifying the blood soul energy clinging to the Hun Tian Ling.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle——

Endless black smoke billowed, surging tumultuously within Mo City!

It was as if endless cries of anguish and mournful howls resonated through the ruins.

Countless lost souls swirled like a raging storm, relentless in their torrent!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——

A gust of wind stirred, as if dispelling the soft weeping of countless departed souls.

The blackness on the Hun Tian Ling gradually faded, and the uncontrolled malice diminished.

At last, the Hun Tian Ling transformed completely into a brilliant scarlet – trembling like a crimson dragon!

All traces of blood soul remnants and lifeless energy were washed away as Li Che exhaled softly, then clenched his hand, relishing the slick, fish-like texture of the Hun Tian Ling which brought a wry smile to his face.

In an instant, he hurled the Hun Tian Ling toward the direction where XiXi stood.

XiXi, perched atop the city wall, stared wide-eyed.

“Wow!”

She cried out in delighted astonishment.

Soon, the Prison Lotus Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel beneath her, the Fire-Tipped Spear in her arm, and the Great Divine Gold Brick all materialized automatically, bursting forth with resplendent divine power…

They drew the indomitable Undying Prison Lotus Hun Tian Ling toward them!

In an instant, the Hun Tian Ling coiled around XiXi as if willingly being absorbed by her.

It seemed almost sentient – like a lively serpent transforming into a brilliant red belt, wrapping around her waist and even tying a neat bow.

XiXi tittered, feeling a tickle – as if the Hun Tian Ling was playfully scratching her.

Glancing toward the city tower where XiXi stood, Li Che did not bother reclaiming the other three divine weapons left behind after Ji Mo Li’s demise.

Instead, he exchanged identities with Ma Mian at XiXi’s side.

Then, he took XiXi’s hand and left Mo City behind.

……

……

Ha, ha, ha, ha——

The rain subsided.

The world became cold and silent.

In Luoyun City, half the city had become ruins; the walls nearly collapsed entirely, with no intact structures in sight.

In the howling wind, there was nothing but death both inside and outside the city!

When Li Che, with XiXi by his side, exited Mo City and returned to the mortal world, since Ji Mo Li had not been restrained within Mo City, the heavens above instantly erupted with terrifying thunder, followed by a torrent of blood rains – the ominous sign of a divine calamity falling.

Survivors in Luoyun City looked up, bewildered.

Even those cultivators among them did not quite understand the significance of the phenomena unfolding in the sky.

After all, witnessing the fall of a Divine Calamity of such magnitude was a spectacle few ever saw in a lifetime.

And around Luoyun City, many cultivators from Jiangnan Dao Haoran Academy had apparently sensed the atmosphere of an epic battle and arrived in droves.

They were left dumbfounded, with hair standing on end in utter shock…

A Divine Calamity had fallen!

Incredible – a Divine Calamity had fallen…

But who had fallen?

The Ancestral Patriarch of Jiangnan Dao Haoran Academy?

Or perhaps the progenitor of the Fang family from the Eternal House of Jiangnan?

Yet some, catching sight of the scattered bodies of the Black Armor Guards, speculated… that the fallen Divine Calamity might have been Ji Mo Li!

XiXi, lost in a daze, then turned her head and saw Li Che holding her hand.

So it wasn’t a dream!

“Father!”

XiXi leaped into Li Che’s arms, pouting.

Li Che ruffled her hair affectionately.

Then suddenly, as if remembering something, XiXi’s eyes sprang open and she tugged at Li Che’s hand, racing off toward the distance.

“Father, hurry! Yun’e and Zhou Peng!”

Worry etched across XiXi’s face.

……

……

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh……

The wind swept through the Dense Forest, stirring a moderate gust.

Amidst the wintry sleet, a chilly air descended softly.

In the Dense Forest, two large pits had formed.

From the Deep Pit, swirling dust and diffuse divine energy rose up…

Zhou Peng underwent a complete transformation of his Temple Spirit – his plump head and pig-like ears flapped as he slowly opened his eyes, each movement drenched in excruciating pain.

His body was covered in fine cracks.

He could barely muster the strength to even twitch a finger.

The Temple Spirit’s power had been utterly depleted; he knew that his life in this incarnation was drawing to a close.

This rebirth had ultimately ended in failure.

He let out a weary snort.

Then, as if remembering something, his eyes rolled and he glanced toward the distance.

There, too, was a Deep Pit – but due to its depression, Zhou Peng could not clearly see how Yun’e fared within.

A trace of pain and panic flashed in Zhou Peng’s eyes.

With his cracked body, he forced himself to move, every action a tearing agony that engulfed him.

Blood dripped steadily.

He began crawling toward the other Deep Pit, leaving a trail of crimson on the ground.

The rain pelted his face, making it even harder for him to keep his eyes open.

Yet, despite the searing pain tearing through his brain, attempting to snuff out his consciousness, Zhou Peng continued his climb.

He kept crawling on.

At last, he reached the rim of the deep pit and peered into the other.

There, lying quietly within the pit, as if embraced by the pure glow of Moonlight, was Yun’e – unmoving.

For the first time, a tender expression softened Zhou Peng’s hideous visage.

He managed a crooked smile.

Then, with a twist, he tumbled from the edge of the pit.

Covered in mud and utterly filthy,

he finally reached Yun’e’s side, motionless as if life had fled.

Yet after a long while…

Zhou Peng reached out tremblingly,

gently grasping one of Yun’e’s fingers, now devoid of all color.

A low voice, filled with a semblance of satisfaction, echoed from the depths of the pit before finally fading into silence.

“Hehe…”

“In this life…”

“I have caught you.”