Chapter 511: The Clash of Divine Wills

Snap, snap––

Dark clouds churned as black lightning roared and intertwined.

Thunder roared, ensnaring the heavens!

Bean-sized inky raindrops cascaded endlessly from above, blanketing the sky in an impenetrable fog!

Howling winds tilted the falling rain, reminiscent of the soul-freezing gales emerging from the depths of damnation!

Mo City, Fengdu.

A writhing mass of blood and flesh floated midair, entwined with myriad divine markings that clanged in unison, exuding an overwhelming divine aura.

Even the blood, like molten lava, slowly writhed across the flesh.

Its majestic divinity was beyond imagining—a unique force that inherently suppressed mortal life.

Li Che regarded the mass he had clutched from the Young Dragon Emperor with cold indifference; now, it was the sole trace of the emperor’s corpse.

Dragon Island was split in two. The Young Dragon Emperor rekindled his divine fire and restored his godly cultivation, only to be ruthlessly struck down by overpowering might—a heavenly guillotine severing his power in three brutal blows, cleaving flesh and extinguishing life!

From the very start, Li Che’s plan hinged on this moment. Like a resolute Chess Sage, he plunged into the fray, using himself as bait to force the Young Dragon Emperor to reignite his divine fire and choose a point of no return.

Boom––!!!

A scorching heat permeated as purple primal markings spread across Li Che’s mortal body like burning flames, turning the falling raindrops into steam that billowed like clouds.

With his cunning stratagem, he had slain a god!

In the final clash, Li Che unleashed every trick to battle the Young Dragon Emperor, feeling firsthand the horrifying might of a rekindled deity.

Admittedly, a prolonged war would have overwhelmed him.

The higher the level of battle, the more exhausting the endurance becomes.

Li Che eagerly wondered if he could successfully confine the god using Spiritual Confinement.

Of course, it was only an experiment; success would be ideal, but failure meant losing one Spiritual Confinement relic—though it would grant Li Che a new demonic artifact!

That addition would further enhance the ferocity of his ten-demonic killing formation.

It would become one of his trump cards.

Facing the imminent revival of the Third Prince and an all-out melee, Li Che had to push his inner strength to its limit.

With his flesh trembling, Li Che extended his fingers and activated Spiritual Confinement!

God…

Can he really be confined?!

It was a bold gambit—without the Dragon Soul of the Young Dragon Emperor, he had to rely solely on Spiritual Confinement. Only if it succeeded could he transform his demonic relic.

Rumbling––

In an instant, the inky rain stilled as if time itself had frozen.

Spiritual Confinement!

A deep, sonorous tone, reminiscent of an ancient high priest performing a primal summoning at an altar, flung open the gateway for the souls of the dead to return from the abyss!

Whoooosh––

A bone-chilling cold descended, freezing the heart.

The sound of dragging icy chains clattered, sending shivers down the spine—as if a monstrous presence were gnawing on broken bones.

Buzz––

Suddenly, Li Che heard the rush of flowing water.

Before his eyes, the scene shifted to reveal a surging river, its muddy yellow waters churning relentlessly with howling winds and a stifling chill that carried the reek of decay.

It was a river so yellow that it sent shivers down one’s spine!

Magnificent divine markings interlaced across its surface, their potent divinity making Li Che deeply uneasy.

This was the River of Death!

A great river of the Way?!

Li Che’s body trembled violently.

The river surged furiously, its muddy corpse-water churning into monstrous waves; amidst the torrent, skeletal remains glared fiercely, glowing faintly.

The stench was overwhelming, and a cold dread permeated everything!

Etched on these skeletal remains were divine markings—the remnants of a god’s once-majestic body, now corroded by decay.

‘Is this the hallucination of Spiritual Confinement? To confine a god… truly extraordinary and forbidden by the heavens!’

‘A god exists—especially one like the Young Dragon Emperor, whose immortal ancestral Dragon blood courses through him. Even in death, he remains a focal point of divine scrutiny. Attempting to confine such an existence is a monumental trial!’

Li Che’s heart trembled as a single thought revealed the truth of the matter.

Glancing upward, he saw the vast, surging yellow river—more a boundless ocean than a mere stream, magnificent in its stormy splendor.

The roiling corpse-water, with its repulsive hue, made the heavens themselves seem bloodstained, alive with an invasive force of ruin and desolation.

Clatter-clatter––

Suddenly, Li Che noted a distant point: drawn by Spiritual Confinement, there lay a ruin that resembled the devastated remnants of Dragon Island—an isolated, decrepit isle adrift in the river.

It was strewn with rubble and shattered remnants of walls.

Amid the ruins, a solitary figure radiated a faint glow, sitting calmly as if a lost divine dragon were slumbering, each breath causing subtle tremors.

That was the Young Dragon Emperor!

Through the resonance of Spiritual Confinement, Li Che had discerned the presence of the Young Dragon Emperor atop the raging River of Death.

The crumbling Bizarre Temple had collapsed into ruins, with the shattered soul of the Young Dragon Emperor lingering within.

Clatter-clatter––

Within the River of Death, orderly chains and divine markings entwined as the current surged; every droplet seemed imbued with a dreadful, mighty corrosive force.

It was as if this were the final resting ground of the gods, a sepulcher for their deathly souls!

Li Che drew a deep breath and observed from afar.

Taking a step forward, he felt the yellow, muddy water begin to gnaw at his flesh.

Even Li Che’s peerless Martial Immortal Golden Body, perfected to its utmost, struggled under the corrosive force of the River of Death.

It was the power of divine order!

If one could not withstand the force of divine order…

This time, Spiritual Confinement might very well fail!

Yet within his chest, the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit pounded relentlessly.

In the very next moment, Li Che abruptly opened his eyes.

Dao Fruit Sixth Transformation—The Journey of the Great Way!

Dao Boat!

Buzz––

Li Che’s entire golden aura erupted, coalescing into a massive ship that crashed into the river and withstood its corrosive tide.

His Ink Robe billowed as his jet-black hair whipped like entwined bolts of lightning.

With a decisive step, he firmly set foot upon the Dao Boat.

Bam––

The muddy waters of the River of Death exploded!

In an instant, the Dao Boat shattered through layers of divine chains and markings, dashing like a speedboat along the torrential river.

Arriving at the ruins of the Bizarre Temple, Li Che stepped onto the desolate ground heavy with death.

There, he saw the disoriented Young Dragon Emperor, nearly devoid of consciousness, standing amid the decay.

Chains were entangled around his form.

Li Che slowly advanced, his gaze cool and detached.

His fingers spread wide…

The Young Dragon Emperor’s Spiritual Confinement gradually bowed in submission.

Just as the curse had foretold…

“Kneel before me!”

……

……

Boom––!!!

It was as if the waters of the River of Death exploded, corroding the void and threatening to spill into reality.

When Li Che opened his eyes, he found himself still standing atop the Dominator Tower in Mo City, Fengdu—amid raging winds and time that had resumed its flow.

Looking down, he saw

the void of Mo City suddenly torn asunder!

A massive fissure had formed, from which surging, deadly water poured out!

A Dao Boat spanned the gap, interwoven with purple divine markings that exuded an otherworldly aura, repelling all traces of death.

From within, the figure of the Young Dragon Emperor’s Spiritual Confinement plummeted, shattering the chains of order.

Boom––!!!

The Young Dragon Emperor’s Spiritual Confinement tumbled out from the fractured crevice, crashing onto the ground.

In an instant, the earth was indented deeply.

The ground of Mo City, Fengdu had been eroded into an enormous pit, with the Young Dragon Emperor prostrated within.

Slowly, the aura of the Young Dragon Emperor began to recover.

Resonant clangs echoed—the chime of his golden scale armor as his body trembled violently, with layers of divine aura and refined markings swirling around him.

The Young Dragon Emperor stood within the abyss, amidst interlocking black thunders, as inky rain rained down furiously, splashing and enveloping the ground in mist.

His cerulean hair danced wildly, and his divine aura pulsed as his closed eyes slowly began to open.

In an instant, twin divine beams burst forth, slicing through the darkness.

Whoosh––

The Young Dragon Emperor’s gaze, sharp as divine spears, pierced the void and rent the heavens apart, his terrifying aura and soul force raging like a storm!

The very fabric of the void rippled, everything warping into unstoppable waves.

“I… am not dead?!”

“Have I defied the heavenly guillotine of mortal will and survived?”

The Young Dragon Emperor murmured.

The fierceness in his eyes faded into bewilderment.

In the next moment, consciousness returned, with countless thoughts flooding his mind…

Soon, the Young Dragon Emperor fell silent.

He had, after all, died.

But…

It was a mortal—one he had never favored—who had resurrected him!

Revived him once more!

Suddenly, the Young Dragon Emperor raised his head, a formidable divine aura surging forth like a banner as he unleashed a chaotic wave in all directions!

He defied fate, fixing his gaze on the elongated silhouette atop the Dominator Tower.

Li Che looked down, their roles seemingly reversed—Li Che now appearing as a true ancient deity, overseeing the Young Dragon Emperor.

Their gazes collided in midair, as if made of solid matter.

In the ensuing struggle, the Young Dragon Emperor’s fierce gaze crumbled and collapsed.

Breaking eye contact, he let his cerulean hair whip as he bowed his noble head, his divine pride reduced to dust in the face of death.

Buzz––

The space twisted.

It was like a bold stroke of ink on a blank sheet.

Li Che’s body contorted and reappeared before the Young Dragon Emperor.

He observed with impassive eyes.

The Young Dragon Emperor drew a deep breath…

“Greetings, Lord.”

Unable to bear Li Che’s icy, indifferent gaze, the Young Dragon Emperor was pulled back from the abyss by Li Che, granted a second chance at life.

As a god—one who had fully rekindled his divine fire and was destined to be utterly destroyed, to fall into the depths of the afterlife—he was saved by Li Che…

In the end, the Young Dragon Emperor chose submission.

Having stared death in the face, he lost the courage to meet it again.

And the moment he surrendered, an indelible Spiritual Confinement mark was seared into his soul!

Seeing the subservient Young Dragon Emperor, a smile finally broke across Li Che’s face—days of scheming had yielded enormous rewards!

If the Young Dragon Emperor submitted, Li Che wouldn’t necessarily have to refine him as one of his ten demonic relics.

After all, the Young Dragon Emperor was not a beast-man but a true Dragon—a descendant of the ancestral Dragon with genuine Dragon blood.

Incompatible with demonic beasts, though possible, Li Che clearly had a better option.

For instance, the Supreme of the Three Tribulations from the Xie Yao Cave, or… a god!

That would be a true demonic god!

They would undoubtedly be more fitting as one of the ten demonic relics!

“Open your Qiankun Space and see if it harbors sufficiently rich resources,” Li Che ordered.

The Young Dragon Emperor, without hesitation, tore open his Qiankun Space.

Li Che’s mind swept into it, accompanied by a regretful sigh.

‘Of course—a freshly resurrected god isn’t likely to possess much. I must have overestimated him…’

Had the Young Dragon Emperor revived long ago or reigned over the Four Seas Dragon Clan within the Bizarre Temple, he might have amassed substantial treasures.

But having just revived and hit by calamity, the Young Dragon Emperor was utterly penniless.

The Four Seas Dragon Clan, an ancient lineage within the Bizarre Temple, naturally held many treasures—but they had already been claimed by other revived gods.

The Young Dragon Emperor had not yet unified the Four Seas Dragon Clan, leaving him impoverished.

He even appeared embarrassed by it.

“Lord, though my resources are scant, my spirit remains that of a god. If you have any doubts, do ask,” the Young Dragon Emperor said politely despite his discomfort.

It was hard to imagine that the two who had clashed violently earlier could now share such calm, congenial smiles.

Only the allure of Spiritual Confinement could be so captivating.

Li Che indeed had many questions—chiefly about the divine realm versus the Martial Immortal realm—but this was neither the time nor place for idle chatter.

After successfully confining the Young Dragon Emperor,

Li Che clenched his fist; a vibrating Feilei Chess Piece discharged, and he vanished from Mo City, Fengdu.

The Young Dragon Emperor’s golden armor gleamed as he clasped his fists in respect.

He bowed before Li Che as a god!

……

……

Buzz––

Space warped as a dying white chess piece floated upward, expanding abruptly until it assumed Li Che’s form.

His Ink Robe fluttered as Li Che’s gaze swept over all.

He had returned to the ruined Dragon Island—where the ancestral Dragon had been cleaved in two by the heavenly guillotine!

At that moment, the world fell silent, and the surviving might from all directions looked on in horror.

When Li Che reappeared, every gaze fixed upon him was filled with deep, complex emotion.

“What a madman!”

“He truly dares… forcing the Young Dragon Emperor to reignite his divine fire and choose mutual destruction. Doesn’t he fear being killed by the enemy himself?”

“Had it not been for that mysterious teleportation technique, he might have been slain by the Young Dragon Emperor!”

……

The mighty warriors from the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple and the Bizarre Temple murmured.

And Li Che had bet correctly—the most illustrious god among the Four Seas Dragon Clan, whose veins carried the pure ancestral Dragon blood of the Dragon Emperor, the Young Dragon Emperor…

was overwhelmingly defeated!

Exploiting the Young Dragon Emperor’s nature, status, temper, and arrogance, Li Che forced him into self-immolation!

What a master of psychological warfare!

With Li Che’s reappearance, even heaven and earth fell silent.

Amid swirling dust, the shredded flesh of the Young Dragon Emperor was completely erased by heavenly will—the rekindled god’s existence obliterated.

Yet Li Che had secretly secured the Young Dragon Emperor’s Spiritual Confinement, leaving him utterly satisfied.

His gaze swept over until it landed on the golden Dragon Spear impaled in the ruins of Dragon Island!

This was a top-tier Three Pure Divine Weapon.

Li Che raised his hand; with a single, forceful move, the ground trembled, cracks interlaced, as the Dragon Spear was uprooted, roaring like a golden dragon.

It fell into Li Che’s grasp.

“What a fine spear,” he praised, marveling at the Golden Dragon Spear.

Holding it at an angle, Li Che’s Ink Robe billowed as he turned his gaze toward the direction of the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple and the Bizarre Temple.

In the distance, beyond the mysterious mists of the Bizarre Temple, several blurred figures emerged, their piercing stares as if ready to rend the heavens apart.

Those were the mighty gods of the Pantheon!

Compared to the forces once arrayed against Qitian’s resurrection, they were far stronger.

Li Che’s hold on the Young Dragon Emperor’s golden Dragon Spear resonated with clanging tones…

Stimulated by the divine auras of others.

Undoubtedly, there were gods from the Pantheon within the Bizarre Temple; what was once mere speculation was now confirmed.

Rumbling––

The mists of the Bizarre Temple trembled.

The Jiulong River surged with terrifying momentum.

Faintly, one could see mighty divine silhouettes emerging one after another, entwined in divine aura, making the Jiulong River appear on the verge of explosion.

“What an incredible Martial Immortal in the mortal realm—scheming to trap and slay a god!”

“The Young Dragon Emperor met a tragic end; his pride led him to refuse mortal humiliation, inciting divine fire that consumed him.”

“If it were any of us, none of us would have suffered so!”

“Within the Bizarre Temple, our divine might can flourish. Without the rekindled divine fire, a mortal Martial Immortal might never stir up a tempest.”

“The Temple Spirit of the Yulian Camp must be eradicated at the onset of revival, or else—as with Qitian—they will surge into the heavens and become an immortal nuisance!”

“The Daughter of Yulian has received the inheritance of the Third Prince Temple Spirit. For the Third Prince to fully revive, she must guide him…”

“This mortal Martial Immortal Li Che surely knows this, and aims to clear the path for his daughter…”

“Pitiful as ever, the heart of a parent knows no bounds, yet some things remain unchangeable.”

“A mortal Martial Immortal can only rule in the mortal realm; to slay a god here is already a legendary feat.”

“But once within the Bizarre Temple, his might becomes negligible.”

……

Ethereal, majestic voices resounded from the Bizarre Temple.

They were not overtaken by fear or retreat following the Young Dragon Emperor’s demise.

After all, Li Che had slain the Young Dragon Emperor by harnessing the laws of heavenly will; in a true contest of strength, Li Che was no match for a genuine god.

And if Li Che were to face countless gods within the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple and the Bizarre Temple, how many could he possibly hold back?

The mighty warriors emerging from Jin Guang Mansion all fixed their gaze upon Li Che, who stood in the ruins of Dragon Island, burdened with oppressing thoughts…

Indeed, there was only one mortal Martial Immortal.

And he could only reign supreme in the mortal realm.

Li Che naturally heard these words, his face an impassive, still well.

The Martial Immortal’s will swept forth like a storm, its force ever expanding.

The turbulent mists of the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple engulfed half of Jin Guang Mansion City, even tearing through the mists to reveal imposing figures ascending its tower, grinning in anticipation.

Li Che slowly exhaled.

Truly, slaying a single Young Dragon Emperor was not enough to instill terror among the gods.

“They’ll eventually quake if enough are slain.”

Li Che stretched.

Within his chest, the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit pounded violently.

Before him, golden light whirled rapidly, gradually condensing into cues.

【Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Vajra (LV8 5%)】

Slaying the Young Dragon Emperor and turning against a god granted a 5% maturity boost.

Surely, after six transformations, maturing the Dao Fruit was growing increasingly difficult.

Yet from his battle with the Young Dragon Emperor, Li Che’s gains were significant.

【Dao Fruit: Unsullied Heart (LV7 70%), Chess Sage (LV7 20%), Temporal Spatial Golden Wheel (LV2 90%)】

Many Dao Fruits experienced notable growth.

Resisting divine might with his Seven Aperture Luminous Heart, his Unsullied Heart surged remarkably.

Additionally, both the Chess Sage Dao Fruit and the newly broken Temporal Spatial Golden Wheel Dao Fruit saw significant improvements.

His eyes shone with renewed brilliance.

【Eight-Nine Profound Skill: Martial Immortal Golden Body (75%)】

The Martial Immortal Golden Body advanced significantly in battle, fueled by unleashed primal immortal aura and refined divine markings tempering his physique.

“The maturity of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit has surged—reaching LV8 feedback… My Qimen Immortal Seed is still two short… missing two Qimen Immortal Seed Martial Arts!”

Li Che furrowed his brow.

He needed martial secrets, so he abandoned the Tian Gang Seventy-Two Transformations inherited from the Qitian legacy.

Standing on Dragon Island, Li Che watched the mysterious mist swirl.

It continued to devour Jin Guang Mansion City and would finish its feast in a day or two…

Li Che’s gaze darkened.

He slowly exhaled and settled into meditation—merely as a Painted Immortal Clone.

Li Che’s true self had already entered Mo City, Fengdu.

At that moment, XiXi had somehow approached the Young Dragon Emperor, chatting amiably with him.

XiXi’s transformation was now complete.

Having reached the pinnacle of martial arts and even touched the divine transformation stage…

It was clear that the methods of Divine Weapon Refinement were nothing short of astounding, compensating for a lifetime of hardship.

“Father!”

XiXi’s face flushed a deep red.

After the Qiankun Ring returned to position, the Divine Weapon Refinement continued to alter her body.

A potent divine aura surged relentlessly.

Li Che ruffled XiXi’s head, then turned his gaze to the Young Dragon Emperor.

“Show me the martial art you are most proud of.”

Li Che asked simply and directly.

He was missing two Immortal Seed Martial Arts.

Why not learn them from a god, as the Young Dragon Emperor had suggested? Though materially impoverished, he was rich in spirit!

The Young Dragon Emperor replied gravely, “My Lord, I possess an ancestral Dragon Slaughtering Technique passed down deep in my bloodline—surpassing standard Immortal Seed Martial Arts and rivaling the pinnacle of Immortal Martial Arts. Would you like to learn it?”

“But if you wish to learn, it won’t be easy. The Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple is nearly finished consuming Jin Guang Mansion, and the expansion of the Four Emperors into the Three Purities is almost complete…”

“If you study now, in just a day or two, it’s unlikely you’ll master it…”

The Young Dragon Emperor explained.

Li Che’s Ink Robe fluttered as he gave the Young Dragon Emperor a cool glance and chuckled.

“You just have to practice—the mastery is my problem. As a god, how do you understand the martial talent of a Martial Immortal?”

Divine cultivation and martial cultivation are two entirely different paths.

Hearing this, the Young Dragon Emperor fell silent and began to demonstrate his martial art in Mo City, Fengdu.

“Watch closely, my Lord!”

“This Ancestral Dragon Slaughtering Technique is the ultimate martial art of one of the Three Ancestor Dragons!”

The Young Dragon Emperor roared as his golden armor clanged; Li Che tossed him the golden Dragon Spear, which he grasped before launching into a furious display!

Whoosh––

It was as if a golden dragon had emerged amid swirling storms, its five clawed ferocity tearing through the heavens!

Immense shockwaves swept across Mo City as dazzling golden light erupted!

“The Ancestral Dragon Slaughtering Technique comprises four forms, each corresponding to one of the Four Seas!”

The Young Dragon Emperor explained while performing, the intricate technique unfolding before Li Che’s eyes.

The method was undeniably complex.

XiXi only watched briefly before her mind grew light and foggy—as if something unclean had taken root within.

Even supreme cultivators like Xuan Zhen and Jia Lou were left awestruck, witnessing the celestial dance in silent admiration.

Li Che’s eyes sparkled as he raised a hand and touched his brow.

The flesh on either side parted, and the Star Plucking Gaze burst forth with brilliant light.

Within his chest, the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit pounded violently; at LV8, it suddenly surged forth with transformative feedback!

In that moment, Li Che felt as if a golden dragon was dancing within his eyes!

The Young Dragon Emperor never believed that Li Che would master his Ancestral Dragon Slaughtering Technique!

Previously, during their duel, he had employed it himself—but Li Che had shattered it with his Instant Victory Martial Technique empowered by celestial energy!

The Instant Victory Martial Technique was by no means inferior to the Ancestral Dragon Slaughtering Technique!

Suddenly, a tremor passed through the Young Dragon Emperor!

He saw Li Che’s fingers clench as the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade rang out as it fell into his hand.

A burst of golden aura erupted, with six swirling vortices of golden blood converging from his back—while the seventh Qimen Divine Seed slowly transformed into a Qimen Immortal Seed!

The twin blades swung in unison, striking out!

In a flash, Li Che became a streak of golden light, plunging into Mo City.

Simultaneously, he and the Young Dragon Emperor practiced the Ancestral Dragon Slaughtering Technique!

Spears moved, blades swung!

Spear shadows and blade gleams!

Mo City erupted in turmoil as the entire city trembled as if two golden dragons were dancing together!

The Young Dragon Emperor clenched the golden Dragon Spear; even as a god, in that moment, he could only watch in horror!

Is this what it means to possess the martial talent of a Martial Immortal?

He had been performing the Ancestral Dragon Slaughtering Technique!

Could he possibly master it with just a glance?!

It was nothing short of a miracle!

Such divine miracles…

In the end… who truly was a god?!