Chapter 458: Whispers of the Temple Spirit

A rolling, ominous fog churned relentlessly, swallowing Qitian City so completely that not a glimmer of light could be seen; it seemed as if the entire city was shrouded in a thick mist.

Barely visible to the naked eye, the mysterious fog obscured every detail within its depths.

Even the cultivators gathered outside, leaping and scrambling in vain, wore expressions of deep dejection and helplessness in their eyes.

They all knew that they were among those who had personally squandered their chance.

But since it was already lost, there was no use dwelling on it; even if one participated in the Temple Spirit Resonance, it did not guarantee a chance at inheriting the legacy of Qitian Temple hidden within the inner city of Qitian City.

Everyone was familiar with the Temple Spirit Resonance and knew that its success rate was extremely low, with very few truly obtaining the inheritance.

Yet no one could completely rule out the possibility of being that fortunate one.

But now, having not even entered Qitian City, that chance was naturally gone.

However, the many Jianghu guests and powerful figures from various factions converging outside Qitian City were all growing increasingly curious.

Who, then, would be the one to successfully resonate with the Temple Spirit and claim the inheritance?

The legacy of a Temple Spirit Resonance from the Sanqing Bizarre Temple—could it truly shake the heavens?

Many recalled what the Grand Inspector had mentioned—that hidden within Qitian City was the Sanqing-level divine weapon, the Hunyuan Ruyi Golden Cudgel!

That single divine weapon from the sacred annals of Sanqing might well be enough to astound the world!

For a moment, every onlooker fixed their gaze on the fog-rolling Qitian City with a mix of wonder and anticipation.

Swish—

A gentle breeze swept over the grass, bending the blades, while leaves clung to branches tinkled like silver bells as they collided.

A Taoist temple sat quietly between heaven and earth, its presence exuding an air of timeless, ethereal connection.

Li Che counted on his fingers and lightly tapped three times on the head of the nimble little monkey in front of him.

“I know the Transformation Art,” the little monkey replied.

The little monkey stood dumbfounded.

Instinctively, it clutched its head as its bright, lively eyes swirled with countless dizzying circles.

The entire monkey seemed to be lost in a haze of confusion.

It cried out in pain—

Yet, strangely, a familiar sensation washed over it, making its nose tingle and causing tiny tears to fall as if it were about to weep.

Li Che looked at the little monkey silently, his heart stirred ever so slightly.

But when he looked again, the monkey had wiped away its tears, tilted its head, and hopped around Li Che—who still wore the Divine Monkey Mask.

“If you know the Transformation Art, then show me your skills!” Li Che commanded.

The little monkey dramatically unfurled its sleeves and, mimicking a learned scholar, took a few steps forward.

Li Che smiled; he knew that the Temple Spirit Resonance had already begun.

Temple Spirit Resonance depended on a harmonious connection with the Temple Spirit—be it in appearance or inner quality. Any semblance of resonance could trigger the inheritance.

“Watch closely,” he said.

Transformation Art—

Do you think Li Che is at a loss?

Of course not. For him, the Transformation Art was hardly challenging.

Boom—

Within his chest, the 【Painted Immortal】 Dao Fruit trembled continuously. In a single thought, Li Che could use its power to assume countless forms.

Ink splattered and fog billowed as Li Che morphed into myriad shapes—birds, beasts, insects, even buildings—

Each form unique, ever-changing!

Within the swirling ink mist, anything that could be drawn transformed at his whim.

This was Li Che’s exclusive Transformation Art.

“Is that enough?”

As the ink fog dissipated, Li Che reappeared wearing a Divine Monkey Mask—a clear message to the little monkey.

The little monkey’s eyes sparkled with delight; utterly dazzled, it clapped wildly in admiration. This was true divine art.

If one were to learn, it had to be this masterpiece!

“Incredible Transformation Art! I want to learn it!” the little monkey cheered.

It shouted happily.

Without a moment’s hesitation, it tugged Li Che and led him toward the Taoist temple.

Invisible forces lifted stone after stone, and the little monkey bounced atop them as it guided the way.

Before long, they arrived inside the temple.

The little monkey found a cushion and sat down leisurely; Li Che, imitating its posture, settled cross-legged on another cushion.

The deep, resonant sound of a bell echoed around, majestic and haunting.

Li Che closed his eyes; when he opened them again, his gaze was fixed on the altar at the temple’s center, where a divine eagle sculpture had mysteriously appeared.

It depicted an old Taoist, his robe billowing, his kindly eyes full of celestial grace.

Carved with lifelike precision, it was so perfect that even Li Che, with all his skill, could not hope to replicate such artistry in divine eagle craftsmanship.

The divine eagle opened its eyes and fixed its gaze on Li Che.

“You insolent monkey,” it spoke.

In the next moment, Li Che felt a Dust Whip gently tap his head three times. Even with his Martial Immortal Golden Body, he could feel his brain quiver as if turning to mush.

At the same time, a message, as clear as a mountain stream, surged into his mind.

Li Che suddenly sensed the celestial constellations turning overhead, the stars revolving in their courses.

Everything grew startlingly clear—even the rustle of leaves, the sway of the grass, and the roll of gravel on the ground were vividly perceptible.

The influx of information gradually merged into a martial technique.

Li Che’s eyes flickered as he scanned through the classic ‘Inherent Divine Guts Immortal Martial Seventy-Two Transformations’.

A martial inheritance!

His eyes brightened—had he just acquired a Qitian legacy?

The unexpected reward for fulfilling the little monkey’s wish filled him with surprise.

Within his chest, the 【Dragon Elephant Vajra】 Dao Fruit was activated, propelling Li Che into a dazed state as he briefly analyzed the martial art.

“Celestial Seed Martial Art!” Li Che exclaimed as he exhaled.

Based on his analysis, he recognized that this martial art was of the same caliber as the Celestial Seed Martial Art (Qilin Sealing Inscription) that XiXi had been rewarded with in her early childhood.

A stunning stroke of luck!

Yet, without delving too deeply, Li Che noticed the scene before him shift again as the flickering fog returned.

Back at the temple, the little monkey, having absorbed the Taoist teachings and practiced diligently, completed its training.

In a single stride, it leaped, performing flips that spanned vast distances in an instant.

Water cascaded like a shimmering curtain, intertwining dreamily.

Across the hills, a chorus of monkeys cheered; demonic energy ravaged and intertwined in wild abandon!

Li Che, clutching his Divine Monkey Mask, looked up to see monstrous demons looming ominously, their fierce aura spreading unchecked.

Some were as massive as mountains, others as brutal as raging bulls, and some resembled great birds spreading their wings to blot out the sky—

The demonic energy seemed to wash over the world, blanketing the heavens.

Even Li Che’s face flushed at the sudden, overwhelming transition.

The sight of these towering demons stirred doubts in his heart, though those doubts vanished quickly.

For he recalled the reverberating call of ‘Qitian Temple, Demon King of Battle in the Lotus Prison, Qitian’!

Surely, a demon saint by that name!

After mastering the arts and returning to the mountains, could one become such a demon saint?

It seemed so.

The little monkey, no longer the naive disciple in a loose robe, now carried itself with the poise of a skilled and mighty demon saint.

Having truly mastered the art, it now wielded divine abilities as a formidable demon saint!

Demonic energy raged and intertwined across the land.

The Demon Saint, once the Beautiful Monkey King, now wore a fiercer expression—exuding authority and brutality as demonic energy roiled around him.

He sat upon his demon saint throne in a casual yet formidable manner, his posture unconstrained, one leg dangling carelessly while the other rested in defiance.

Behind him, terrifying demons unleashing their fearsome aura converged, their gazes fixed on Li Che, still masked in the Divine Monkey guise.

Li Che suddenly understood why the demon clan was so confident in achieving the Temple Spirit Resonance and inheriting Qitian legacy.

It was all waiting to be claimed right here!

Demon Saint Qitian!

“Kid, if you want to enter my Huaguoshan, where did your demonic aura come from? Are you truly a demon?”

“Show us some demonic energy!”

At these words, Li Che smiled lightly.

“Alright.”

Within his chest, the 【Wan Yao Di】 Dao Fruit roared to life.

In the next moment, demonic energy bellowed out as Li Che’s aura transformed dramatically—first into the Night Bat Demon God, then the White Crane Demon God, and even into countless demon clans previously nourished by the Wan Yao Di Dao Fruit.

“I, too, can be a demon.”

Qitian City.

The inner city stretched three hundred zhang.

Lü Taibai, Lü Qiankun, Fang Han Shu, and others halted, their eyes fixed on Li Che, still donning the Divine Monkey Mask, amid the hazy fog.

Meanwhile, many who had failed in the Temple Spirit Resonance were expelled to a point three hundred zhang outside the inner city.

Gazing upon the open inner gate, helpless expressions spread across their faces.

Most Divine Sect cultivators withdrew in resignation, though surprisingly many persisted, inching ever closer toward the inner city entrance through the swirling fog.

Lü Taibai and the others felt a mix of regret and acceptance—failing to resonate was not the worst outcome.

But if one could achieve the Temple Spirit Resonance, it would be a great boon.

Lü Taibai’s silver hair fluttered as he frowned; he couldn’t believe he had given up on the Resonance in a single moment—it left him bitterly aggrieved.

He glanced toward the Great Jing Court where Ye Pengju, Wang Kui, and others seemed to have tapped into the Resonance, slowly advancing forward.

In addition, demons from the Western Lands of Buddhism, officials of the Da Li Wangting, and the ten-thousand-strong demon clan of the Great Rivers had all achieved the Temple Spirit Resonance, moving steadily at three hundred zhang.

“Why…”

Lü Taibai seethed with frustration.

Fang Han Shu turned a page of his Sacred Sage book, gave him a glance, and said coolly, “It isn’t hard to guess.”

“The four elements of Qitian—Demon King of Battle in the Lotus Prison Qitian—were once explained to you: Ye Pengju, Wang Kui, and the officials of Da Li Wangting resonated with the ‘official’ aspect of Qitian.”

“Likewise, the Western Lands of Buddhism resonated with Battle, while the ten-thousand-strong Great Rivers demon clan naturally resonated with Demon Saint—”

“Where there is resonance, there will be a response.”

“Each person receives a share of the resonance. Even after reaching a hundred zhang, competition remains.”

“Unless someone appears who embodies all four key elements of Qitian Temple Spirit—”

“Does such a person even exist?”

Fang Han Shu shook his head; with rival factions so opposed, how could a cultivator embody all four camps?

Demon, Buddha, involvement of the Lotus Prison, and association with the Dark Heavenly Court—

What oddity could that be?

Fang Han Shu could not fathom it.

Yet a chill ran down his spine.

His gaze fell upon Li Che, still wearing the Divine Monkey Mask.

He murmured softly,

“Even the Underworld probably can’t manage it, can they?”

His tone, once resolute, now carried a trace of doubt.

The shock from the Underworld was simply too overwhelming to decipher.

That force was completely inscrutable.

“Is that… demonic energy?!”

Suddenly,

Lü Taibai cried out in surprise, pointing in the direction of the divine monkey, only to discover an overwhelming surge of demonic energy emanating from it!

With a thunderous roar, demonic energy burst from its body. The Wan Yao Di Dao Fruit trembled, squeezing out every ounce of demonic aura,

Making the heavens and earth seem to darken.

The Beautiful Monkey King sat in stunned silence for a moment before interlacing his hands and flicking them in a graceful, butterfly-like gesture.

“So, it’s my demon clan colleague! Pleasure to meet you!”

The Beautiful Monkey King leapt from his throne, grabbed Li Che—whose demonic energy now made him resemble an unparalleled demon—and marched toward the throne.

Surrounding him, the once fearsome demon saints softened their gazes considerably.

Water cascaded down in roaring waterfalls.

Throughout Huaguoshan, demonic energy surged as scores of demon monkeys scurried between the hills, joyfully gathering fruits and offering them in stone bowls.

Bonfires blazed. A wild boar, freshly slain and skewered with wooden branches, roasted to a perfect golden hue as its juices sizzled onto the flames.

Even red-faced monkeys poured out fine wine for the assembled demon saints.

The rich aroma of the wine mingled with the festive air.

Li Che, led by the Beautiful Monkey King, sat down to drink fine wine and feast on fruits and vegetables, his mood pleasantly uplifted.

The demons here were refreshingly simple and joyous, celebrating a pure, unadulterated carnival of their kind.

Though Li Che had once regarded the demons with disdain, his heart had softened toward them.

After all, he was facing the demons of the Temple Spirit Resonance—not those from the sinister Guai Yao Cave.

The demons from Guai Yao Cave, intent on taking his daughter, were utterly unforgivable. Li Che had no mercy for them.

Those enemies were to be slain without hesitation.

In the past, lacking sufficient cultivation, Li Che had to compromise when facing strong adversaries threatening his daughter—waiting until nightfall to act.

Now, with deep-seated grievances, he had the confidence and skill to strike instantly.

The demons’ revelry went on for an indeterminate time.

Li Che, having downed countless monkey wines, eventually succumbed to a rare drunken stupor—everything spinning around him.

When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself riding on clouds, accompanied by the Beautiful Monkey King.

It couldn’t really be called the Beautiful Monkey King now— for he wore a skewed black cap and a colorful robe, looking rather comical.

“Tell me, do you think I’ve become a high official in the Heavenly Court?” the Beautiful Monkey King chuckled.

He bounced a few times, squinting his eyes as he added, “Being a high official in the Heavenly Court is great—my monkeys in Huaguoshan are finally secure. After all, their king is now a high official in the heavens!”

“They’ve got connections and support. Even if they fight demons from other mountains, having their king on their side adds face and lets them live carefree!”

The Beautiful Monkey King laughed heartily.

He bit a couple of bites from a peach he held before tossing it aside, then glanced sidelong at Li Che, “So, are you an official?”

For a moment, Li Che was lost in thought.

Is he an official?

He met the Monkey King’s gaze and smiled softly, shaking his head.

“No.”

He wasn’t bound by the restrictions of an official position—he was free.

The Beautiful Monkey King’s eyes did not betray disappointment; instead, they showed relief.

“Being an official isn’t so great anyway—always having to wear a cap, following rigid protocols… It just doesn’t feel right.”

The Beautiful Monkey King shook his head.

“I must admit, I’m a bit envious of you.”

As the murmurs faded, Li Che’s vision grew hazy again. He knew his resonance had increased considerably. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer about being an official.

In truth, Li Che could have claimed an official title—after all, he held the special status of a top guest official from the Imperial Watch, which was nearly akin to an official post.

But in the end, he chose to say he wasn’t an official.

And clearly, that was the right answer.

Qitian—he had no desire to be confined by officialdom.

The scenes shifted rapidly. Up in the Heavenly Court, the Beautiful Monkey King dutifully served as an official, providing protection and positions for the monkeys of Huaguoshan.

Soon after, with the grand Peach Banquet underway, the Beautiful Monkey King, having not been invited, slipped away to Huaguoshan,

Stealing every last peach and even humiliating a celestial maiden in the process.

He chomped on a peach before tossing it to the ground with a burp, then glanced at Li Che.

“Brother, have you ever stolen peaches from an entire garden? Surely you haven’t done such a thing before?”

Li Che’s expression turned strange as he replied,

“I have actually.”

With unmistakable confidence, as if mimicking XiXi’s proud stance—hands on hips and chest puffed out.

The Beautiful Monkey King burst into laughter, certain that Li Che truly had indulged in such mischief.

His laughter soared into the clouds. Removing his black cap, he stomped on it, “If being an official means my monkeys don’t get protection and I lose face, then I’ll pass on this tiny bureaucratic post!”

Laughing uproariously, the Beautiful Monkey King left the Heavenly Court and returned to his demon lair.

Li Che quietly trailed behind him—indeed, the Temple Spirit Resonance compelled him to follow.

He witnessed the Beautiful Monkey King, enraged by heavenly retribution, striking down a celestial messenger with a single cudgel blow.

In his haze, Li Che recalled a distant memory from the Divine Capital when he had, with XiXi by his side, slain a court official…

The images overlapped continuously.

The Beautiful Monkey King fought for his monkey subjects, while Li Che fought for his daughter.

It was as if both carried a wild, unbridled spirit within them!

Buzz—buzz—buzz…

The Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff in his arm vibrated incessantly.

Li Che’s heart trembled as tendrils of mysterious fog began to enshroud him.

Then the scene shifted again.

He saw the Beautiful Monkey King face a colossal golden Buddha, immense as the sky and seemingly fused with the cosmos.

Though his golden armor was shattered, his defiance remained unbowed.

Li Che felt an uncanny sense of familiarity as he watched.

Without moving much, his Temple Spirit Resonance surged rapidly, as if—

The actions on his body had long echoed those of the Beautiful Monkey King.

He too had once been defiant, unyielding, and had faced enemies that seemed insurmountable.

But the Beautiful Monkey King’s rebellion, his indomitable spirit, was all for his monkeys.

And Li Che’s determination was for his daughter and family.

Yet both shared the same steadfast resolve—

Perhaps that was the ultimate resonance.

In his right hand, the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff quivered, from which fog spewed forth continuously.

Li Che’s face suddenly lit up with realization.

“So all this time, I have been resonating with the Temple Spirit—in Jingguang City, in Daocheng, in the Divine Capital—every action of mine has been in tune with it.”

“It turns out I began resonating with Qitian a long time ago—”

Li Che smiled softly.

Then the smile slowly faded from his face.

Amid the churning fog, the scene shifted once more.

The Beautiful Monkey King had been defeated, crushed beneath a mountain; for the sake of his monkeys, he had struck a deal with the Buddhists. Escorting a reincarnated monk on a westward journey, the once-mighty demon saint carved a bloody path through familiar demon saints.

Yet with success, the Beautiful Monkey King’s heart grew numb.

After his feat, a tight Golden Manacle—a symbol of heavenly oppression—appeared atop his head, his expression no longer wild and free.

His robe tattered, he stood like a monk on a charred mountaintop—once a blazing Huaguoshan, now ruined, scorched, and choked by black smoke.

A shattered spirit stone lay scattered, its iridescent glow dimmed, as though it had lost all brilliance.

Just like the Beautiful Monkey King now.

He sat on the barren peak, cradling a stone that had once imbued him with life but now lay devoid of its luster—

Facing a wasteland of scorched earth.

He opened his mouth to roar, but not a single tear could be forced out.

There he sat, slumped on the mountaintop, his back bending under the weight of his burden.

“Are you a Buddha?”

“If you must protect what you cherish, would you become a Buddha?”

The Beautiful Monkey King rasped, his voice now calm yet strained.

At that moment, the resonance hit a standstill, refusing to rise any further.

It was as if he awaited Li Che’s answer—a choice between life and death.

If Li Che answered wrongly, the resonance would vanish completely.

But if his answer was right, the resonance would break through once more, completing the Temple Spirit Resonance.

Li Che pressed down his Divine Monkey Mask.

The mask, now shattered into three pieces, had been reduced to two fragments that he kept.

Listening to the composed words of the Buddha-embraced Beautiful Monkey King, who no longer pestered him with questions,

Li Che exhaled slowly and said, “I am not a Buddha.”

“Even if I must compromise for my daughter’s sake, she will only ever want her father to be a great hero—a man who can sweep aside all obstacles on a cascade of colorful clouds, not a Buddha who, under the guise of her benefit, feels no true love.”

“So, I refuse to become a Buddha.”

Li Che raised his hand as the Dream Celestial Dao Fruit in his chest pounded conspicuously; in his hand, it seemed as if strands of multicolored light wove together, slowly transforming into a dreamlike scroll.

On that scroll, there was XiXi.

Every scene depicted XiXi—Li Che’s daughter, the source of his pride and inspiration.

For a moment, the Monkey King looked on, as if remembering the times when monkeys across the mountains cheered for him.

But the mountains were desolate now, nothing but scorched earth.

“Your daughter is truly adorable,” the Monkey King remarked.

Li Che’s lips curled into a smile, “I think so too. Thank you.”

Every boy holds a Qitian in his heart—a rebel who once roamed wild but, with age and responsibility, settles down with family.

Yet even when Qitian becomes silent, he does not vanish.

Like a simmering flame, as long as it lives, the once mighty Qitian—who shattered the heavens, walked through celestial forges, and trod upon the highest clouds—will never truly fade.

One day, he will rise again in all his unbridled glory!

Everyone envisions their own version of Qitian, and that is how Li Che sees his true Qitian.

The Monkey King, seated atop the mountaintop, seemed to understand something as he placed a hand over his heart and let out a deep, resonant chuckle.

“Thank you, little brother,” he said.

“I once disappointed them, but I can no longer let them down—

“It’s time to return.”

The sound of his powerful heartbeat echoed like the roaring of a long-dormant furnace suddenly unleashing a terrifying, all-consuming flame!

In the next moment, as he laughed uproariously, dark clouds rolled in, shattered by the force of his laughter!

A raging storm of fog swept in all around.

Clanging chains trembled incessantly from within the inner city, as if some overwhelming force was struggling to break free and return to wild abandon!

Accompanied by earth-shattering, piercing laughter that seemed ready to rip apart the heavens and shatter the skies,

the entire Qitian City trembled!

Three hundred zhang away,

Lü Taibai, Fang Han Shu, and the others were taken aback, gazing upward in alarm.

“The Temple Spirit is revolting!”

“Has the Temple Spirit Resonance reached its fruition?!”

“So soon?!”

Fang Han Shu’s eyes flashed with a strange luster.

He fixed his gaze on the three-hundred-zhang corridor choked with eerie fog, only to notice that the Divine Monkey had, before anyone knew it, appeared at the gate of Qitian Inner City.

But there was no time to ponder further.

Fang Han Shu’s attention was drawn to the top of the inner wall.

There, countless wisps of fog were as if brutally sliced in half by a terrifying long blade.

When the fog fully dispersed, a solitary black stone pillar atop the city tower trembled. Slowly, its charred surface began to peel away with a crackling sound.

As it fell away, dazzling golden light burst forth.

From within, flames were rekindled, burning fiercely!

Lü Taibai, Fang Han Shu, Lü Qiankun, and numerous failed Temple Spirit Resonance cultivators outside the three-hundred-zhang mark took a deep breath.

“That is…”

“Qitian Temple Spirit Divine Weapon!”

“The Hunyuan Ruyi Golden Cudgel!”

Li Che opened his eyes. He stood before the pitch-black gate holding his Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff.

This was the gateway to Qitian Inner City.

After a three-hundred-zhang long Temple Spirit Resonance, he had reached its end.

Yet Li Che stood motionless.

Because—

Floating before him was a broken mask that glowed faintly.

It was—

The final piece of the Qitian Face!