Chapter 513: The Resurgence of the Third Prince
by xennovelThunder roared as Jingguang City was engulfed in a dense, eerie mist. Amid the booming sound, colossal phantom shapes flickered in the pale, wavering light of the haze.
A terrifying pressure descended from the mist, an oppressive, supreme weight like a mountain crushing the spirit.
A dreadful aura of deity-like energy drifted downward, billowing like a vast, flowing banner that froze one’s blood.
It was the oppressive force of a higher level of life itself!
Yet, everyone seemed to be merely watching.
They were waiting for the revival of the Third Prince Temple Spirit. Reviving him wasn’t simple – it first required assembling the Divine Weapon Set, invoking the ancient bond among these divine artifacts to call forth his will.
Crucial moments in this process had to be seized.
Miss that moment, and the revival might fail – forcing them to wait for the next surge of divine tide to try again.
In fact, that might even be a favorable alternative.
Perhaps due to the ordeal of Qitian Temple Spirit’s revival, the powerful forces from the Pantheon plotted to quash the Third Prince Temple Spirit.
They intended to ensure his rebirth ended in death, with no hope of resurgence.
In the pantheon’s eyes, eradicating the Third Prince was even easier than overcoming Qitian, for he was dangerously volatile.
More arrogant even than the Young Dragon Emperor, whose blood was that of the ancestral Dragon Emperor.
Such pride made him an easy target.
When arms like Li Che’s calculatedly ended the Young Dragon Emperor, they forced the Third Prince to ignite his divine fire only to be cut down by the Heaven and Earth Blade!
To provoke the Third Prince into reigniting his divine fire, three conditions must be met.
First, he must complete his revival; second, there must be a catalyst to incite his fury; and third, overwhelming pressure must build upon that catalyst.
If all three are achieved, the Third Prince can be utterly stifled!
That is why, when XiXi reached out to touch the black lotus, no powerful force emerged to stop her.
The elite of the Pantheon were willing to watch XiXi carry out the summoning of the Third Prince without interference.
Li Che’s Star Plucking Gaze trembled at his brows as the Chess Sage Dao Fruit pounded in his chest.
For someone who mastered the Chess Sage Dao Fruit and relished in strategy, Li Che had long suspected the schemes of the Pantheon elites.
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
Li Che gripped the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade diagonally, his golden qi surging like a towering pillar, shattering the blood-clouds of the Bizarre Temple.
Every muscle and sinew trembled as his spine roared like a mighty dragon, declaring his indomitable martial aura!
A presence so overwhelming that all who came before him were destined to perish!
Boom!
With one powerful stomp, it was as if he descended from the very heavens, igniting earth-splitting quakes and mountain-shattering tremors!
Waves of qi surged outward from Li Che’s body, rolling and entwining for tens of miles, stretching over vast distances.
Like a true dragon entering the sea, his force burst forth to create colossal waves in the void!
Li Che’s eyes shone with golden light as the blade in his hand sang a dazzling, resounding hymn.
Those Supreme Beings perched atop the black-tiled eaves shuddered, their hearts gripped by a chilling dread as they felt the immense pressure.
“Die, intruders!”
With his back turned to his daughter, Li Che roared like rolling thunder.
His body was woven in black-gold lightning, vibrating with the force of thunder and crackling with electric currents!
Boom!
Boom!
Li Che’s qi surged, and everything within a hundred zhang seemed to be flattened as if hit by a raging typhoon.
The sheer dominance and might of his presence made even the elite of the Pantheon break into a cold sweat, terror-stricken!
This was the might of a human Martial Immortal!
Even the most supreme ones fell silent, and the gods hidden in the mist felt their hearts churn with awe.
Such roaring vigor, such unyielding spirit!
No wonder on Dragon Island he had once driven the Young Dragon Emperor – a scion with true ancestral blood – to the brink of reawakening his divine fire in a desperate battle!
It was undeniable – this human Martial Immortal was something else!
Some had even investigated Li Che precisely because of his Martial Immortal status.
Seven years – merely seven years.
From a feeble mortal with nothing to seven years of arduous martial training, he had soared to heights that allowed him to contend with the Supremes!
“Truly a myth forged from five millennia of martial fortune on earth, the foremost figure of this era’s martial path. The Young Dragon Emperor’s death was no injustice!”
A divine voice murmured, echoing across all directions.
Li Che’s jet-black hair seemed to resonate with the Great Dao Immortal Pattern, clanging as it floated behind him.
He positioned himself before XiXi, providing her with boundless support.
A father should be the rock behind his daughter, empowering her to face countless challenges head-on!
XiXi pressed her palm against the hovering black lotus bud at the center of Jingguang City.
A magnificent surge of divine nature burst from within the black lotus, seeping into XiXi as if she were transforming into an enormous, swirling vortex of darkness.
The vortex roiled furiously, threatening to engulf everything!
In the background, the Young Dragon Emperor stood silently behind XiXi and Li Che, his presence so low-key that even his own light was completely overshadowed by the brilliance of the father and daughter.
But the Young Dragon Emperor didn’t mind; his goal was to remain inconspicuous until, at the critical moment, he unleashed a devastating blow that would shake everyone to the core!
XiXi trembled, flushed as if overwhelmed by heat, sweating profusely as wisps of white steam rose from her rosy skin.
With a stern glance, Li Che’s Star Plucking Gaze dimmed its brilliance.
He could sense the fragile bud quivering as if ready to shatter its containment and burst into full bloom!
Boom! A Supreme being on the black-tiled eaves narrowed his eyes, sensing something amiss as he stepped toward the central plaza of Jingguang City.
Under a blood-stained sky, mingled with interlaced crimson light, the Supreme felt an unbearably sharp gaze – Li Che’s – that froze his very soul.
Yet, he did not retreat.
Instead, driven by curiosity, he advanced toward the heart of the disturbance.
Boom!!!
“Stop! Or face death without mercy!”
Li Che’s gaze turned icy as he fixed his sight on the approaching elite clad in opulent robes, raising his Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade in warning.
This Supreme possessed a cultivation level of the Second Calamity, far surpassing figures like Xuan Zhen or Jia Lou.
He was an esteemed divine general from the Dark Heavenly Court, his overwhelming aura like a torrent of raging floodwaters. He had not disturbed XiXi’s summoning of the Third Prince; rather, he approached boldly, intent on crushing Li Che’s martial spirit!
Clearly, someone had instructed him. Thus, this Dark Heavenly Court divine general launched his assault!
“You’re asking for death!”
Li Che’s eyes were as cold as winter as he swept his gaze over the intruder; electricity seemed to dance in his golden pupils.
Clenching his five fingers, his body trembled as thirty-six thousand meridians erupted with golden light. His qi ascended like a mighty pillar, forming a qi manifestation!
In an instant, his qi-formed clone grew massively, intertwined with countless Great Dao Immortal Patterns, embodied in golden blood!
With a roar—
The Golden Long Spear, grasped by his qi clone, stabbed forward at a speed faster than sound, targeting the defiant Supreme general of the Dark Heavenly Court who dared to challenge Li Che’s declaration!
The Supreme’s eyes narrowed, his fingers flexing as intricate Daoist marks materialized with clanging resonance. A long blade appeared in his hand as he swung it fiercely!
“How arrogant! To dare counter my qi clone with blood and qi alone?!”
“Who exactly are you insulting?!”
The Dark Heavenly Court Supreme, cold and merciless, spat these words.
He had expected Li Che to strike, but was astonished that Li Che resorted only to releasing his qi clone – a blatant insult!
Was this truly Li Che’s retort?!
Bang!
Li Che’s golden qi clone collided with the Dark Heavenly Court Supreme general, erupting in a brilliant burst of floral sparks and intertwining divine chains that soared skywards like a radiant sun!
Countless eyes turned toward the collision, fixated on the epic clash.
From the Xie Yao Cave, Hei Xumi, the Dark Heavenly Court, Lie Shen Pavilion, and the Bizarre Temple Pantheon, all forces observed with rapt attention.
Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, the Supreme at the Second Calamity level was being overwhelmed by Li Che’s golden qi clone emanating from every pore!
Li Che glanced briefly, then raised his hand to tap his brow.
Within the confines of the Mud Pellet, the Pure Heart Dao Fruit thumped; the Seven Aperture Luminous Heart trembled.
In that instant, Li Che’s qi clone, fused with Great Dao Immortal Patterns and the purple, primordial Dragon Elephant majesty, transformed into a towering mountain of purple-gold that descended with all its might!
Meanwhile, Li Che’s true body gripped the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade and, with a sweep of his fingers, clenched it tightly.
Boom!
A Qimen Immortal Seed shattered the silence – it was the Fang Transforming Dragon Elephant Furnace!
Li Che’s qi clone unleashed the furnace; intertwining purple flames and celestial patterns cascaded like ordered chains. With a single, sweeping motion, the inferno exploded like a colossal punch!
Thump!
Only a mere collision – yet that aggressive Supreme from the Second Calamity level was thrown violently, his body ablaze as though engulfed in searing flames!
The Supreme’s eyes widened in fury. Make no mistake – his combat prowess was not far behind that of the Young Dragon Emperor, who had been suppressed on Dragon Island by the will of heaven.
This was why the Supreme dared to strike first. In addition to backing from powerful patrons, he sought to test Li Che’s mettle!
It was no wonder that Li Che had once driven the Young Dragon Emperor to his limits – his techniques were indeed exceptional!
The golden qi clone, now fused into a formidable avatar, brandished a long spear to block the path, its aura awe-inspiring.
Li Che glanced briefly, unshaken – after all, it was just his qi clone formed from his bursting golden fury.
Augmented by a Qimen Immortal Seed, his unleashed combat power reached its peak.
Yet his opponent was truly formidable. Even if Li Che, Fang Han Shu, Xuan Zhen, and Jia Lou combined their strength, they would find it hard to overcome this foe.
The gap between them was vast – only a narrow chance separated their destinies!
Thus, Li Che found few ways to handle the Second Calamity Supreme.
Unless the hidden Young Dragon Emperor made a decisive, overwhelming move.
That might swiftly vanquish the Supreme, but such an act would also expose the Young Dragon Emperor’s identity. A hidden divine force of that caliber would then lose its value as a trump card.
Li Che was unwilling to squander his hidden divine backup for the sake of one Second Calamity Supreme!
Yet Li Che still wished to establish his dominance – to slay his enemy outright!
Boom—
From afar, atop the black-tiled eaves, Supreme beings watched with impassive expressions as Li Che dealt with the threat.
As the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple successfully completed the Great Four Transmutations into the Sanqing, the eerie mist roiled; even the cultivators outside, undaunted by death, swarmed in.
Their target was not the Third Prince Temple Spirit per se, but the countless divine crystals, Dao Essence Divine Crystals, and rare treasures left behind by the Temple Spirit during its earlier glory!
These were the coveted prizes for cultivators of modest power.
Across extremes – from the Supremes to the divine – all coveted these resources!
Boom! The mist churned and the Bizarre Temple trembled as a mighty divine storm arose, accompanied by roars of fury.
Amid swirling deathly qi and the necrotic energy, the Temple Protection Incantation Constructs reformed and were reborn. They connected with the netherworld, drawing forth fierce, cursed guardians to protect the Bizarre Temple!
Those who entered the Bizarre Temple soon clashed with these cursed guardians.
For the elites this posed little threat, but for lower-level cultivators, it was catastrophic.
Even some Second Calamity Venerables began to feel overwhelmed.
Compared to the might of these guardians, even Qitian City seemed feeble!
The silence over Jingguang City was shattered by bloodcurdling cries. Many cultivators were stained with blood or even slain by the temple guardians, their bodies transformed into part of the cursed throng by a myriad of divine techniques and brilliant, illusory methods!
Su Da, graceful and enchanting, entered the Bizarre Temple accompanied by Third Prince Lü Litong.
Her eyes burst with white light as a massive white fox-like divine apparition sprawled behind her, its nine tails swirling wildly, forcing even the most daunting temple guardians to retreat in awe.
“These are the fallen elites from the last divine tide, who died around the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple. Their corpses were absorbed by the temple and transformed into the guardians of the Third Prince!”
Su Da’s voice dripped with captivating allure.
“Surely, Imperial Consort Su, there’s no need to drag me in too, right?”
“I’m not thirsty for the Third Prince Temple Spirit’s legacy. Is it too late for me to leave now?”
Third Prince Lü Litong wore a mournful, despondent expression, his despair evident.
When confronted by terror, one soon realizes how laughable one’s own preparations are.
He tried to escape—
But escape was impossible. This sister Su—this bewitching woman—would not let him go!
Lü Litong clearly sensed Su Da’s ill intent, yet his meager strength rendered him utterly helpless.
Even his most loyal companion, Han Sixi, couldn’t thwart the enchantress.
The stench of blood spread through every corner of Jingguang City.
The struggle over destiny was always accompanied by death and slaughter – a conflict as brutal as it was inevitable.
Within the newly ascended Sanqing Bizarre Temple, its treasures, divine marvels, and resources were fresh beyond compare. Even the forces of the Pantheon craved them.
If they could share in these resources, perhaps a legendary breakthrough was possible!
In the era of rising and falling divine tides, divine resources reigned supreme. And the resources intrinsic to the Bizarre Temple were the most coveted of all!
Yet, amidst all the frantic resource struggles, the scene at Jingguang City’s central plaza – XiXi awakening the Third Prince Temple Spirit and Li Che standing firm against the Supremes – captured all eyes.
Suddenly, several Supremes ceased breathing, their hearts gripped by a violent, overwhelming killing intent!
Li Che trembled violently; beneath his feet, immense threads of Great Dao Immortal Patterns interwove around his body, surging from his crown in a dazzling spectacle!
Having reached 80% of his Martial Immortal Golden Body, his presence was utterly domineering – rivaling that of a godly physique!
He rubbed his fingers across a Feilei Chess Piece.
In a flash, Li Che vanished, only to reappear behind the aggressively striking Second Calamity Supreme.
That Supreme had dared provoke Li Che – and Li Che would show him no mercy!
The Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade swirled, countless slashes like mountains appearing in rapid succession, intimidating all as he strode alone!
Slash!
A brilliant flash emanated from Li Che’s back as his golden qi surged like a roaring river!
Thump!
The enraged Second Calamity Supreme bellowed. Li Che instantly materialized at his side, faster than the enemy could react.
He roared, and the blade in his hand swept with divine might. The aura of deities surged forth, yet to Li Che – armed with the Seven Aperture Luminous Heart – it posed no threat.
His perfected Celestial Seed Martial Art transformed into a terrifying slash that rent the fabric of space, cracks spreading like a maelstrom!
In an instant, the Second Calamity Supreme’s body was slashed open, blood spurting as if he were being dismembered!
How could someone so formidable be so vulnerable?!
His flesh, his qi – it was as if he were a living deity!
Thump! The blade struck again. The Supreme’s flesh exploded into shards, his blood scattering through the air as Li Che gathered every fragment with a mere spread of his fingers.
Then, the dual-edged blade, still humming from the explosion, swung upward in a reverse arc, shattering the Supreme’s Calamity Wheel – rupturing the half-formed Divine Platform in a deafening blast!
Countless divine essences poured out like a reversed waterfall, dispersed by Li Che’s surging qi.
A fallen Second Calamity Supreme’s oppressive aura then swept over the area like a storm, sapping the strength of onlookers while hopeless despair swirled in the heavens!
Li Che’s purple-gold hair fluttered as he surveyed the scene with a cool detachment.
His gaze passed over the remaining Dark Heavenly Court Supremes, then lifted to those hidden divine entities behind them in the Bizarre Temple.
Who among the deities dispatched by the Dark Heavenly Court would reveal themselves next?!
“So strong…”
“No wonder he forced the Young Dragon Emperor to his knees! This human Martial Immortal is unparalleled in ferocity. Has he truly reached the pinnacle of the Martial Immortal and Immortal realms?”
“He is fearsomely strong – a Second Calamity Supreme hardly even stands a chance. He might even rival a Third Calamity Supreme!”
Many Supremes broke into a cold sweat, their hearts weighed down by dread.
Li Che’s display of martial power posed a genuine threat, shaking even the most powerful among them.
“So what?”
“In the end, he is only one man – and we are here to kill the Third Prince at all costs. He cannot stop us!”
“If he dares play the martyr, then he must die – and his daughter must die too! This is the Bizarre Temple, not some mortal realm!”
The voices of the Supremes rang out with steely determination, echoing through the heavens.
Li Che seemed oblivious to their words, flicking away crimson droplets from his blade.
In the blink of an eye, he shifted through space to appear beside XiXi, his flowing Ink Robe fluttering like that of a war deity – unstoppable and invincible.
At that moment, XiXi was too lost in her transformation to understand what was happening.
She fell into an altered state, as the divine energy erupted from the black lotus continuously flowed into her. Her own divine pattern at her brow seemingly came to life.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!!!
Suddenly, Li Che’s eyes narrowed as his gaze swept over the trembling aura around XiXi. A Divine Essence Golden Pill emerged from her back, where an astonishing, swirling golden pill spun with countless divine energies flowing upon it.
Woven within were traces of Great Dao Immortal Patterns!
It was merely at the Divine Essence Golden Pill stage, yet as it transformed toward the Divine Transformation realm, those patterns were already manifest!
Even Li Che couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath.
Could it be… the Child of Heaven? The Child of Fortune?
Although XiXi, the Daughter of Yulian, was fated, she had also been graced by destiny – her cultivation would surge at an astonishing rate!
Crack, bang, clatter…
The Divine Essence Golden Pill seemed to have reached perfection. Divine energy, like ethereal smoke, swirled around it.
Countless gazes fixated on the golden pill as it burst forth from within XiXi’s Mud Pellet!
Winds howled as if a storm was brewing; streaks of divine light emerged, interwoven with multitudinous strands of energy, draping the golden pill in a celestial display!
And that black lotus bud which XiXi had touched began to pulsate – as if with every breath it swelled and was about to burst open, summoning the dormant Third Prince Temple Spirit from his slumber!
Once awakened, there would be no stopping the ensuing chaos!
Li Che’s eyes swept over the scene, his heart trembling slightly. After all, these elites of the Pantheon had experienced the Temple Spirit’s revival – they knew that a freshly awakened spirit was at its most vulnerable state.
It was in that very moment that they would be forced to confront their despair and reignite their divine fire!
Boom! The mist roared as a tremendous divine pressure erupted.
The once-quiet Jingguang City suddenly fell silent. Even the cultivators battling the temple guardians for treasures within the Bizarre Temple stopped their blood-curdling cries.
They all gazed toward the center of Jingguang City in absolute terror.
For one by one, streams of tangible divine pressure descended from the mist above the Capital like interlaced, solid strands!
Su Da’s graceful form, clad in her palace dress, swayed with every step.
Her fox-like eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity.
“Sure enough – a deity has arrived!”
“Let me see which of these awakened gods dare attack the Third Prince!”
Su Da drew a deep breath.
Behind her, white light intertwined like nine luminous strands billowing in the air.
Meanwhile, Lü Litong trembled all over in despair, fear and hopelessness etched on his face.
“Imperial Consort Su, please let me go! I am useless here. I was wrong – I should never have come to Jingguang City seeking opportunity!”
Lü Litong struggled to endure the stifling, terror-laden atmosphere of Jingguang City until he finally began to break down.
“Shut up,” Su Da said coolly.
Then her gaze shifted to the swirling mist.
There – the mist convulsed violently, as if a tempest tore it apart, ripping it open like a stage curtain being drawn aside. Colossal divine light pulsed forth, as if the heavens themselves had birthed a blinding radiance.
It was a sea of blazing flames!
Illuminating the pitch-black void of the Bizarre Temple, the flickering light revealed a sliver of clarity – a sanctified divine glow that carved out an immaculate, empty space!
Orderly flames!
Divine fire of the gods!
Boom!!!
Terrifying flames danced in the skies above Jingguang City, and slowly the silhouettes of figures began to emerge!
Even those Supremes perched upon the black-tiled eaves – even the mightiest among the Third Calamity Supremes – could not help but feel awe and reverence!
Genuine, awakened deities – divine fire ablaze – not the resurrected Temple Spirits of old!
Boom!
Celestial chains, woven from the Great Dao Immortal Pattern, surged like an ocean. They intertwined into tangible divine chains – some blood-red, some deep blue, some gilded in resplendent hues – a dazzling spectacle!
Boom!
Two divine generals, adorned in resplendent, multicolored armor with divine fire blazing on their backs like forged halos, stepped forth from the mist.
Their presence was calm and emotionless, exuding an unearthly detachment.
“Hmph—”
“Ha, such brilliant divine fire and resplendent armor. Look at those eyes that flash like lightning.
From his very breath, it was as if shockwaves erupted, shaking the void itself.”
Li Che’s gaze fixed as his Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade rang out in response to the divine aura that now filled the air.
Even he, amidst the burst of divine energy from the two manifest deities, felt an immense pressure as the sound of shattering waves erupted around him.
High-ranking Supremes from the Dark Heavenly Court atop the black-tiled eaves clasped their fists in respectful greeting.
“Greetings, esteemed Deities!”
Even the Third Calamity Supremes bowed their noble heads in deference.
The oppressive force of divine presence struck at the very soul – a natural suppression that left even those who dared to fight trembling, their courage fading away.
Su Da’s white fox-like tail swished as she inhaled deeply.
“So it is the true deities of the Dark Heavenly Court – the two eminent Divine Generals!”
Lü Litong’s body went slack, unable to even muster a twitch.
Li Che gripped the resounding Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade, his expression steely and cold.
Behind him, the Young Dragon Emperor lurked beneath his black robe and hood, his five fingers clenching, restless and eager.
But Li Che raised his blade and subdued him with a subtle motion.
He turned his gaze in another direction.
The black lotus bud, along with the floating Divine Essence Golden Pill where XiXi had been, occupied the center –
while in the remaining four directions, the mist was being torn asunder.
Divine aura poured out like a waterfall.
Except for the deities of the Dark Heavenly Court –
Li Che fixed his cold gaze on one direction.
There, radiant Buddhist light bathed the scene, golden omens shining as if the mist evaporated by its brilliance.
Blinding golden divine fire consumed the darkness, entwined with ever-crossing chains of order.
As the radiant divine fire dimmed, Li Che slowly beheld a seven-tiered golden treasure pagoda, emerging, suspended, amid the parted mist!
The moment the seven-tiered golden pagoda appeared, Li Che’s heart trembled.
He saw the black lotus bud at the center of Jingguang City begin to rotate slowly, its petals descending one by one.
“Ah—no!”
XiXi retracted her hand from the bud.
She forcefully pressed down her arms and cried out in despair!
Qi, divine energy, and divine light surged violently from her, blasting into the skies above Jingguang City and sending ripples through the mist!
Li Che instantly realized that XiXi was now shattering into the Divine Transformation realm!
At that moment, the Divine Essence Golden Pill that had floated by her side cracked with a resounding snap.
Then, the golden pill burst open – birthing the Divine Transformation!
Three heads and six arms, divine energy surging like tidal waves!
The black lotus’s petals spread wide, divine energy rolling over like relentless waves, battering Jingguang City as if ravaged by a mighty tide!
And atop the lotus platform,
A figure sat serenely.
Entirely shrouded in black – with black hair, a black bellyband, and flames of darkness burning fiercely!
Three heads and eight arms, a visage twisted in terror and awe.
The black flames whirled around, coalescing into a miniature black flame lotus.
Li Che had seen this figure before – during the Temple Spirit Resonance when XiXi was in the grip of a maddened temple spirit, urging her to sever bones and return flesh to its origin.
Facing that trial, Li Che had encountered the Third Prince.
And now, once more, he confronted him.
Eight-Armed Yulian Furious Third Prince!
In this era of surging divine tides, he had risen again from the slumber of death!
Countless divine energies pervaded the heavens and earth.
It was as if an all-consuming divine tide had reached its zenith!
At the moment when the tide was about to crash down, the Third Prince suddenly opened his dark, intense eyes.
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
The sound of a heart pounding, as if a peerless deity were beating the war drums of the cosmos!
Atop the black lotus platform,
The Third Prince slowly rose. His three-headed, eight-armed form gradually retracted – until, in the end, he resembled a young brat with hands on his hips and two pigtails!
Killing intent radiated, defiant as he looked down at heaven and earth!
“Heh, heh…”
“This world…”
“I have returned!”