Chapter 518: Celestial Havoc on the Battlefield

The icy wind pierced like a sharpened blade, carrying a stifling, lingering stench of blood. Gleaming droplets of blood clattered like delicate crimson jewels.

Shattered flesh and scattered bone chunks filled the air with a macabre symphony of desolation and death!

A scene that stole your very breath!

The South Sea Dragon King—a mighty divine being with a formidable mortal form—had been brutally shattered mid-air, his flesh and blood splattered all over the ground!

Amidst the barrage of blood and gore, chaos reigned!

Li Che, once a Mortal Martial Immortal, had transformed onto the divine path. His divine aura now roared with power, his murderous intent more ferocious and terrifying than ever!

He crushed the Great Jing Emperor’s Fate-Blessed Golden Dragon, decimated the undying bloodline incarnation of the Threefold Golden Toad, sent the resurrecting Qingqiu Divine Fox of the Xie Yao Cave fleeing, and finally joined forces with the Young Dragon Emperor to blow apart a Dragon King!

It was pure, unbridled bloodlust!

Utter madness!

In a single stroke, Li Che had changed the entire tide of battle!

Now, Li Che strode through the carnage, each step stirring ripples in space as if he were treading on water.

The impact of the spectacle was overwhelming!

Behind Ha Shen even cold sweat began to break out, wetting his garments. Blood rain swirled around Li Che like falling cherry blossoms—beautiful yet laced with the terror of death and ruthless slaughter!

The aura radiating from Li Che was utterly fearsome, so immense in its divinity that even the assembled deities trembled!

Could mortal Martial Immortal blood transmutation truly amplify divine aura several fold?

It was unthinkable!

Ha Shen understood in his heart that Li Che was special—a unique existence even among Martial Immortals, with an unshakably solid foundation and overwhelmingly potent martial blood!

Buzz—buzz—buzz—

The Grand Inspector sat serenely atop the Xuan Turtle, his face half-hidden by the drifting celestial aura. His eyes shone like scattered stars as a sigh escaped him.

He seemed to be enveloped by the energies of heaven and earth. On the mortal plane, he would be peerless, but within the Bizarre Temple, his ability to command mortal wills was limited.

He could only ever match the deities.

Gazing at Li Che emerging from the blood-soaked storm, the Grand Inspector grew bewildered. Perhaps… the fate of the Daughter of Yulian had never changed, but in this life, someone had taken on her destiny and borne her burdens of slaughter!

Boom—!!!

Li Che’s gaze fixed upon Ha Shen. ‘Humph, Ha Shen has been dispatched; now it’s his turn to depart,’ he thought.

Every deity would have to perish.

Clenching his fist, his eyes blazing, Li Che surged forward in an instant, transforming into a streak of light too swift for the naked eye!

Ha Shen’s hairs bristled!

For he wasn’t just facing Li Che alone.

There was the Grand Inspector and the Young Dragon Emperor ready to spring into action…

Three divine warriors unleashing their power simultaneously—surely, Ha Shen would be torn apart!

Ha Shen was overcome with shock and fury. How had things suddenly spiraled out of control?!

Could a mere mortal truly upend the heavens?

This time, along with Su Da and the Great Jing Emperor, a total of ten divine warriors had come forth!

In the early surge of the divine tide, a ten-deity formation—what a monstrous array of power!

Within the Bizarre Temple, they could trample anything in their path!

Yet, could such an array really falter?

Ha Shen realized there was no escape—only a full-force, do-or-die battle!

His cheeks inflated in fury as intricate Daoist Marks of the Great Way coalesced around him like chains of order. Above his head, divine flames roared, illuminating the vast river of the Dao!

“Ha—!!!”

He roared, unleashing a torrent of raw energy from his mouth.

This was Ha Shen’s ultimate Daoist secret technique, expended with every ounce of his strength!

It almost ignited his divine essence to its limit, the divine altar barely containing the blazing force before fissures began to appear!

Boom—!!!

A terrifying gust exploded forth, the shockwave battering the void as though struck by a colossal cannonball, surging in tumultuous waves!

With eyes like hardened steel and radiant divine light flashing about him, Li Che smashed his fist down without hesitation!

There were no air blasts or sonic booms—only pure, unadulterated divine might!

It coalesced into a blazing, scarlet furnace where countless fragments of divine energy burned ferociously, toppling all in its path.

Behind Li Che, an immense mass of divine energy swelled, forming the colossal shape of a Demon Monkey—hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of feet tall!

A ten-thousand-foot Demon Monkey—Fa Tian Xiang Di!

Thud—!!!

In that very moment, the entire Jingguang City vibrated violently.

Li Che’s transmuted Divine Secret Technique, Fa Tian Xiang Di, exploded to its utmost limit, his peerless mortal form striking like collapsing mountains!

Ha Shen’s secret technique erupted with a deafening ‘Ha!’ that shattered all sound, leaving not even a trace of sonic energy!

The reverberating shockwaves pulverized all in their path, slamming into Ha Shen’s frame with terrifying force.

Buildings crumbled and shattered, debris bursting like a torrential flood. Ha Shen’s body was hammered like a barrage of cannonballs, bones and sinew fracturing as enormous rubble tore through the ground. Dust and the stench of burnt flesh filled the air as divine blood vaporized into a crimson mist!

Li Che floated amid the colossal Fa Tian Xiang Di, his aura reminiscent of an unrivaled Demon Monkey’s roar that shook the very heavens!

Boom—!

Countless shards of stone burst into the air!

Ha Shen let out a long, piercing roar as his divine radiance soared upward from the ruins. With several thunderous strides in his silver armor, he seemed poised to shatter the very void!

Intertwined Daoist Marks of the Great Way formed a vast net aimed at restraining Li Che for a moment!

Ha Shen trembled inwardly. Though Li Che’s unleashed power hadn’t reached the transcendent Dao level, the sheer volume of pure, high-quality divine energy left him struggling to contain its crushing force. It was like facing the mighty pride of an ancient, indomitable bloodline!

He simply couldn’t overcome it!

Yet, it was all fate—Li Che had earned every blow!

For Li Che had sacrificed his future as a Martial Immortal to tread the divine path…

And on the divine path, he would never reach the pinnacle!

Unless one was a pre-immortal deity like Qitian or the Third Prince himself—in which case, achieving the divine was innate. Otherwise, mortals could never aspire to divine immortality…

There was simply no chance, for every immortal deity was like an insurmountable mountain blocking Li Che’s path!

Ha Shen no longer wished to fight Li Che.

For he was drenched in blood, staining even the void red around him!

In the distance…

The Threefold Golden Toad and the trio of Dragon Kings of the South Sea were also visibly shaken.

Their forces, meant to suppress the Third Prince, were now faltering!

Their plan was undoubtedly doomed to fail!

The Threefold Golden Toad, now assuming a mortal form, looked ghastly. The loss of his undying bloodline incarnation inflicted a bitter backlash!

“You’re finished… all of you!”

The Third Prince stood ensconced within black fire-lilies, a cold laugh dancing on his lips!

His laughter was void of emotion—only icy malice filled it!

Boom—!!!

The scales of the South Sea Dragon King began to shatter, his draconic blood clouding the air as he was flung back by corrosive, black flames. Flesh was singed to a charred, stifling odor!

Roar—!!!

The Divine Dragon King bellowed in anguish!

Their scarlet eyes and the death of the South Sea Dragon King spurred them; they realized that this siege on the Third Prince—to rekindle his divine flame and annihilate him with the Divine Executioner’s Blade—might be crumbling entirely!

The Threefold Golden Toad’s face was one of utter desolation.

His heart trembled—his plan had failed. Perhaps it was time to retreat. Although he longed to enter the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, he now clung to his life, unwilling to offer it up.

Suddenly…

The eyes of the Threefold Golden Toad bulged as a spark of determination lit within him.

A faint transmission echoed in his ear.

It was that damn old fox!

Its cold gaze swept the void, searching for the fleeing Qingqiu Divine Fox.

Knowing that this old fox had arrived in Jingguang City means it must have a plan—it couldn’t possibly show up completely unprepared!

At that moment, the transmission sent the Threefold Golden Toad gnashing his teeth.

Should he trust the old fox?!

Rumbling—!!!

A terrifying explosion of sound reverberated as blood mist soared into the heavens!

Ha Shen, drenched in blood, continued to spurt crimson droplets into the void as his body shattered. His bones broke, his flesh splintered—it was as if his very being exploded, unleashing catastrophic ruin and an endless cascade of dust and divine blood vapor!

A colossal Demon Monkey roared mightily as Li Che’s divine aura surged mightily, his power as immense as if carved from mountains, his Demon Monkey form unleashing Fa Tian Xiang Di with unyielding ease!

This divine secret technique displayed its true, awe-inspiring might!

Bang—!!!

Ha Shen, the true deity of the Dark Heavenly Court, saw his divine flame dim as his silver armor shattered, his flesh exploded, and a red haze of blood filled the air!

Overwhelmed by powerful divine thoughts, Ha Shen roared in despair and fury.

In a final bid, he sought to transform into the Bizarre Temple, to slumber and await the next divine tide to rise and resurrect him as the Temple Spirit!

Yet, like the fate that had befallen Ha God before him, Li Che’s unsullied divine prowess—manifested through his pure heart Daoist technique—had forcibly summoned divine thought and pinned him down upon the Cosmic Chessboard!

Ha Shen, too, fell from grace!

Between heaven and earth, blood churned and rain soaked the lands!

The brutal spectacle was overwhelmingly fierce, shaking even the sturdiest of souls!

“Damn your mother! You damned fox!”

The Threefold Golden Toad’s dead, glassy eyes bulged as he sprang upward with a shriek, divine light erupting from his mouth that shattered space as he leaped in a desperate bid to flee!

If that fox was stalling him, then so be it!

The deities of the Xie Yao Cave did not share such deep trust among themselves!

Li Che had killed Ha Shen and then took down another deity. His eyes blazed with divine radiance as his murderous intent surged—a surge that promised a massacre!

Today, every deity that threatened his daughter would perish!

Boom—!!!

Li Che strode forward. The Demon Monkey form of Fa Tian Xiang Di roared, its massive arms lashing out to strike the fleeing Threefold Golden Toad as he attempted to vanish into the void!

‘You hopping toad, you think you can escape?!’

Li Che’s murderous intent burned as his dark hair swirled with divine power, tinged with a savage, blood-crazed hue.

His clenched fist, adorned with intricate divine seals, unleashed torrents of martial blood and divine energy, coalescing into a gargantuan scarlet Qilin!

The Qilin’s presence shattered the void!

Once a master of Celestial Seed Martial Arts, Li Che—no longer a Martial Immortal but now one who commanded divine energy—harnessed a power truly formidable!

The divine Qilin strode forth like a mythic beast leaping from legend, delivering a devastating kick!

The void itself splintered under the Qilin’s onslaught as the enraged Threefold Golden Toad roared, his massive form colliding with the beast!

The Threefold Golden Toad, as an undying descendant, clearly proved stronger than Ha Shen!

The divine Qilin was blasted aside as Li Che brandished the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade, unleashing his divine-transmuted Celestial Seed Martial Arts once more!

Amidst the swirling vortex of divine blood and energy, a maelstrom of divine power raged, as if a labyrinth of mountains had risen and roiled!

Then, the mountains collapsed like a cascade of brilliant blade-light!

Transforming into his true form, the Threefold Toad fought back with three distinct silhouettes, striving to counter Li Che’s Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Sky-Cleaving Blade!

Even though Li Che was no longer a Martial Immortal, aside from the dissipated immortal qi, the power of the Primordial Dao Calamity still resonated within his divine martial techniques!

The Threefold Toad seethed with frustration—Li Che was as intractable as the Third Prince!

How could such a person possibly exist in the mortal realm?! It was simply absurd!

The Threefold Toad’s heart sank into a valley of despair.

For without his interference, the combined might of the triple Dragon Kings and that sacrificial Golden Treasure Pagoda—energized by the life force of a Towering Arhat—might have been enough to restrain the Third Prince.

Sure enough…

When the Threefold Toad finally turned his head…

He saw the Third Prince, enshrouded in black flames, astride the neck of the East Sea Dragon King, tearing off a chunk of dragon meat as if savoring the tastiest treat.

It was as if he felt the Threefold Golden Toad’s gaze upon him.

The Third Prince bared a mouthful of bloodied fangs, a ghastly grin twisting his face!

Boom—!!!

The Demon Monkey form of Fa Tian Xiang Di slammed a crushing blow that sent the Threefold Golden Toad reeling. Daoist Marks trembled, divine flames wavered as if about to be snuffed out!

“Damn fox! I’ve been stalling as best I can! Hurry up and act!”

The Threefold Golden Toad gritted his teeth and unleashed a surge of divine thought into the void.

He truly had done his utmost to stall…

A passive delay was still a form of delay!

Elsewhere…

The Third Prince had completely turned the tables!

For under Li Che’s command, the Young Dragon Emperor darted forward to assist the Third Prince in slaying the dragon!

The Third Prince glared in amazement as the Young Dragon Emperor, his expression one of disbelief, arrived to aid him…

“So you came to help, huh?”

“Originally, I spared your life solely to one day feast upon your flesh and blood—a means to restore my power as an undying first-generation descendant. With your primordial lineage, I could recover rapidly!”

The Third Prince muttered under his breath.

The Young Dragon Emperor’s face was as dark as night. Did he really come to lend a hand?

Had Li Che not been his master, he would never have assisted the Third Prince!

“Hmph!”

The Young Dragon Emperor snorted coldly. With a flourish, the Golden Great Dragon Spear was readied as he invoked the Ancestral Dragon’s Decimation Technique, tearing through the void to strike the West Sea Dragon King!

The three-headed Dragon King, already at his limit while trying to stop the Third Prince, now found his reserves of dragon blood dwindling as all his energy ebbed away…

Coupled with the oppressive aura of the Young Dragon Emperor’s ancestral bloodline, they lost every ounce of countering ability.

Smack!

A massive dragon head, emitting a mournful wail, faced the Young Dragon Emperor with indescribable sorrow and disbelief!

“Oh, Young Dragon Emperor…”

The West Sea Dragon King wailed in despair, his essence fading as dragon blood continuously sprayed forth.

The Young Dragon Emperor’s eyes had turned cold and merciless…

He was no longer the Young Dragon Emperor of the ancestral race—now, he was the fiercest champion under his master!

Even the North Sea and East Sea Dragon Kings couldn’t hold out, falling one after the other under the assault of the Third Prince and the Young Dragon Emperor!

The Third Prince absorbed the Dragon Kings’ blood, channeling the tremendous energy back into his divine form!

His aura swelled with every passing moment!

“It’s been ages since I’ve fought such a satisfying revival battle!”

The Third Prince stretched languidly, his mighty divine presence shaking the mortal realm itself!

With one swift palm, he smashed the sacrificial Golden Treasure Pagoda—once activated by the Towering Arhat’s life force—reducing it to fragments!

The Threefold Golden Toad, suppressed by Li Che’s Fa Tian Xiang Di, continued to spurt blood, watching in despair as the three Dragon Kings fell, and the pagoda was shattered beyond repair!

“Damn fox! Why are you stalling? Isn’t this delay enough?!”

The Threefold Golden Toad roared in agony, his hair whipping furiously as he raised his head in a final, defiant howl!

What?!

His words caused Li Che’s eyes to narrow as the Cosmic Chessboard flared open, seeking the whereabouts of Su Da.

He had once believed that Su Da had escaped, but it appeared she had not given up!

Su Da, master of the spatial Dao, was as elusive as ever—so Li Che aimed to subdue the deities present first. Yet, little did he know, that fox was still scheming malevolence!

However…

After the Threefold Golden Toad’s shout, Jingguang City fell eerily silent, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Li Che’s cold gaze fell upon the Third Prince tilting his head, the Young Dragon Emperor clutching his Golden Great Dragon Spear, and the Grand Inspector perched upon the Xuan Turtle—all eyes fixed on the unfolding scene…

The Threefold Golden Toad raised his head, maintaining his defiant howl, his face now slick with sweat.

No movement!

That damn fox… he truly was deceiving him, selling him out!

He had warned that fox could never be trusted!

The fox’s talent lay in deception!

The Threefold Golden Toad was filled with sorrow and despair as his eyes roamed the scene, seeing Li Che standing amid Fa Tian Xiang Di, the Third Prince casually gnawing on dragon meat, and the Young Dragon Emperor brandishing his spear…

They were surrounded!

Boom—!!!

A terrifying assault erupted, engulfing the Threefold Golden Toad in an instant!

His mortal shell was shattered completely—even endowed with undying Toad blood, it was powerless!

After all, Li Che, the Third Prince, and the Young Dragon Emperor were all far superior to his imperial toad lineage!

The Threefold Golden Toad was blasted to pieces, blood and flesh splattering, imbued with the essence of Daoist Marks!

Amid the ruptured gore, the undying blood pulsed and writhed, unleashing a torrent of divine energy that bizarrely summoned forth a newfound Bizarre Temple that sprang up from nowhere!

Within that Bizarre Temple stood a massive Golden Toad Temple Spirit!

Li Che’s eyes swept over it as he prepared to invoke his Unsullied Heart Summoning technique to absorb the toad’s divine essence, annihilating it so that the Bizarre Temple would never see a second life.

Li Che realized that, in this situation, his summoning wouldn’t attract the attention of any formidable entities.

Perhaps they had only just transformed into Temple Spirits and had yet to connect with the will of heaven and earth within the Bizarre Temple.

Li Che’s summoning was purely an exploit—

Deities might fall, but they could be reborn as Temple Spirits for a second chance at life.

Yet Li Che possessed the means to snuff out a Temple Spirit for good!

However—

Just as Li Che was about to invoke his summoning, a mysterious chant resonated through the void—a chant as ancient as divine curses, pulsing with eerie vibrations!

“Ah—!!!”

A single droplet of golden blood, exuding a fearsome pressure, appeared within the Bizarre Temple of the Threefold Golden Toad.

“Damn fox!!!”

The Threefold Golden Toad’s recently dormant divine thought suddenly flared awake, unleashing an enraged, despairing roar!

In the very next moment—

The Bizarre Temple began to collapse, crumbling utterly. The Threefold Golden Toad’s divine thought extinguished. The Divine Eagle Sculpture shattered—the entire area of the Bizarre Temple transformed into a black hole!

Li Che, who was about to invoke his summoning, immediately ceased his actions.

His face grew uncharacteristically grim!

“This is…”

Young Dragon Emperor gripped his Golden Great Dragon Spear, his expression somber and awed.

“That Qingqiu Divine Fox is ruthless—she was manipulating the Threefold Golden Toad, forcing him to stall, essentially sacrificing him to his death!”

“Once the Threefold Golden Toad dies, through an ancient forbidden technique, she will shatter the Bizarre Temple and, utilizing undying blood, summon forth immortality!”

The Young Dragon Emperor, ever knowledgeable, explained the situation.

“After the black hole forms… it might even link the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!”

“Only the Qingqiu Divine Fox could execute such a spatial forbidden technique!”

The Young Dragon Emperor’s tone was grave.

The Third Prince, shrouded in black flames, narrowed his eyes and declared, “It isn’t a possibility—it is exactly because of this black hole that all the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are linked!”

“I can already smell the stench of immortality…”

Li Che’s heart sank.

Immortality?

Could it be that undying deities were about to cross over?!

But the will of heaven and earth would never allow it!

Not even undying deities could emerge from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths into the mortal realm, let alone the Bizarre Temple!

The Third Prince’s eyes narrowed as a black lotus-shaped divine mark flamed fiercely on his brow. With a tap of his foot, he leapt toward the looming black hole.

From within the black hole surged a terrifying, overwhelming divine presence—the sound of rushing water echoed.

Water?

Li Che’s heart skipped—a river was not water!

It was a great, heavenly river—a torrent of the Dao!

Rushing and roaring…

As if a vast river were emerging from the other end of the black hole; perhaps the collapse of the Bizarre Temple had formed a transient black hole, and when coupled with the evaporated blood of the immortal Toad, it seemed to bear the very rules of heaven and earth—briefly allowing the will of immortality to descend!

For unlike the Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple, Qitian Temple was once established beyond the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. That is why undying deities could cross over with impunity, albeit at a diminished power and at a terrible cost.

And this Third Prince’s Bizarre Temple, far removed from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, would make it nearly impossible for immortals to act.

But now, that most arduous condition had been met!

For with the collapse of the Threefold Golden Toad’s Bizarre Temple, the evaporation of undying blood had fulfilled that harsh prerequisite!

Buzz—buzz—buzz—

From beyond the black hole emerged a majestic figure, shrouded in starlight. The darkness of the black hole was broken by countless sparkling stars, diffusing dreamlike radiance.

The oppressive pressure that descended from the black hole left one gasping for breath!

Yet even the slightest emanation of this aura seemed to unsettle the will of heaven and earth in the mortal realm!

Immortality!

Li Che’s hair bristled as an overwhelming sense of dread filled him. Every Dao Fruit in his chest stilled its pulsation in that fateful moment.

An immense, almost tangible gaze radiated from the black hole, scanning the void as if it might collapse under its own weight!

Incomparable power!

It was as if the very embodiment of the will of heaven and earth—a force beyond resistance—had descended!

The Third Prince’s black flames quavered under the pressure, yet he stood defiantly, arms crossed with six arms wildly clutching various divine weapons—the momentum of black fire surging!

Not even faced with immortality did he show a hint of retreat or fear!

“Nezha Third Prince…”

A low voice echoed from the black hole.

“Daughter of Yulian… this time, the Daughter of Yulian amidst the divine tide… there is a problem!”

The voice, synthesized almost electronically, was ethereal and otherworldly—as if coming from beyond the sky, yet echoing in one’s very ear.

“What could be wrong? Daughter of Yulian… must she always harbor deep hatred, always slay all mortals until blood and ruin are all that remain?”

The Third Prince replied coldly, murderous intent brimming as he faced an undying being without the slightest sign of retreat.

His eyes burned with fierce light—as if a titanic black flame lotus encircled him.

He fixed his gaze upon the figure in the black hole. Even though the void spanned two realms, the Third Prince knew that the undying being would find it exceedingly difficult to descend.

“Undying Toad, you old toad! If I were in my prime, would you dare bounce about before me?!”

The Third Prince sneered disdainfully.

“After countless divine tides, only those who survive truly win… Third Prince, what meaning do your words hold? No matter where you come from, you are but a fallen Temple Spirit—a divinity that has once died. Were it not for the will of heaven and earth keeping you from complete obliteration, you would have long since vanished!”

A calm voice rippled, undisturbed by any trace of emotion.

“Each divine tide unfolds as fated. There should be no unexpected changes, no deviations, for if so, none could predict the outcome.”

The Undying Toad stood at the far end of the black hole, innumerable stars swirling about him.

He began in a deep, resonant tone, his profound gaze passing over the Third Prince.

It fell upon XiXi, who was in the midst of battling the transformation of her divine embryo against the Yulian Curse.

Li Che’s heart jolted, his divine aura cascading like an inverted waterfall as he stepped forward to block the undying being, his fist brandishing the Thunder Demon Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade before him.

The undying gaze, heavy as mountains, bore down upon him!

Boom—!!!

Divine energy around Li Che erupted like colliding mountains, the force of his body’s sinews shattering like cascading cannon fire.

“Old toad, what are you playing at?! If you’re so confident, step forward and fight me!”

The Third Prince swung his Fire-Tipped Spear, unleashing a torrent of intertwining fire dragons that extinguished the undying gaze!

“Daughter of Yulian… something is amiss. So young, yet lacking in the necessary bloodlust, vengeance, and wrath. How can she bear the mantle of the executioner of heaven and earth? If she does not embrace the Yulian Curse, how will she grow stronger? How will she enhance herself by consuming blood, hatred, and fury?”

The Undying Toad’s voice was laced with cold brutality.

“Fate is unalterable, destined from the start. The way of heaven and earth has its own order! How can the Daughter of Yulian ever break free from these rules?”

Boom—!!!

Countless forces of cosmic order surged forth from the black hole.

Daoist Marks rang out, thousands? tens of thousands? They were uncountable, like a network of meridians composing a titanic figure.

The form was completely overwhelmed by divine energy, indistinct—merely a movement, as if the sun and moon were in symphony, trembling incessantly!

It was as if a great star beyond the black hole trembled, resonating with a deep echo!

“Heh, you really dare not overstep your bounds, only able to form a mere divine facsimile.”

“Trash!”

The Third Prince’s Fire-Tipped Spear swung again, his eight arms whirling behind him, stepping on the Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel as he charged forward.

Clashing with the just-formed undying facsimile, the two powers unmistakably exceeded the realm of divine fire and deity—the limit of what even the Bizarre Temple could bear!

The entire Bizarre Temple trembled violently, with furious mists boiling and surging!

Where they clashed, enormous, jagged fissures crisscrossed each other like writhing black dragons!

Buzz—buzz—buzz—

Suddenly.

Li Che’s face changed abruptly!

He stared fiercely in the direction from where countless remnants of the Golden Treasure Pagoda shot up, interlaced with divine marks, which soon coalesced into a brilliant Buddha Bell. The bell floated in the air, its resonant chime sending shockwaves far and wide!

Behind the Buddha Bell, the void split open, transforming in turn into an enormous black hole!

“What?!”

Li Che’s gaze narrowed as a crushing pressure erupted from the Buddha Bell!

The Grand Inspector, astride the Xuan Turtle, looked grimly and said, “This is… an Undying Artifact!”

“Within the Seven-Layer Golden Treasure Pagoda wielded by the Towering Arhat was concealed an Undying Artifact! It was deliberately shattered to be deployed now—to use the Artifact to ruptivate the void and open a channel for the descent of undying will!”

The Grand Inspector’s tone was heavy as he explained the situation!

Ta-da—ta-da—ta-da—!!!

The Buddha chime resonated, its sound haunting and profound!

The Grand Inspector exhaled a long breath; even the drifting celestial aura around him seemed fragile, on the brink of snapping.

“Who would have thought… the forces of the Bizarre Temple Pantheon valued the Daughter of Yulian so highly that they would let an Undying deity, regardless of the cost, descend with its will!”

“Is it because this time the Daughter of Yulian has changed in a way unlike before? The undying deities have no need for such changes—because any deviation spells unpredictable consequences!”

“They intervene solely to correct this change—to restore the Daughter of Yulian to the proper path!”

The Grand Inspector’s voice was laden with sorrow.

Beneath him, the Xuan Turtle trembled uncontrollably.

Buzz—!!!

The Buddha chime’s resonance, as immense as raging waves, filled the void.

Then, from behind the Buddha Bell’s black hole, countless beams of Buddha light surged upward, gradually coalescing into a pair of golden cicada eyes!

It was…

Golden Cicada?!

Li Che’s eyes contracted as he recalled the priest who had once incited Ji Mo Li to massacre an entire city.

The cicada pattern was nearly identical to that priest’s—and that priest had once appeared himself to negotiate with Li Che, earning the name Golden Cicada!

But…

Li Che barely had time to think further!

Li Che’s heart trembled violently as an immeasurable fury erupted!

He whipped his head toward the direction where XiXi was seated in meditation!

The Cosmic Chessboard pierced the void, and within it, the white fox with nine wildly thrashing tails appeared, its four claws slashing wildly as it dashed toward XiXi!

“Looking for death?”

Li Che’s hand gripped tightly, triggering his Feilei Shift as he teleported in an instant to stand beside XiXi.

A torrent of divine energy cascaded like a waterfall, erupting from his crown like a blood pillar that shattered the heavens with boundless divine light!

At that moment, the white fox stilled and transformed into Su Da’s likeness, her slender eyes narrowing as she fixed a seductive smile upon Li Che.

“Li Wuxian—oh no, you’re no longer a Martial Immortal… I must say, your performance as a father is truly moving. It inspires deep admiration!”

“For your daughter to reach such heights, it’s even more astonishing!”

“Truly, you are a great father in her eyes.”

Su Da’s voice dripped with a bewitching allure—the characteristic charm of that demonic fox.

“But alas… you cannot defy fate; heroes rarely live long.”

“The more you try to alter the destined fate of the Daughter of Yulian, the deeper you push her into peril. For the undying deities do not tolerate such deviations!”

“Undying beings live immeasurable spans—they cannot abide anything unexpected!”

A tinkling laugh escaped Su Da.

In the next moment,

Su Da flipped her hand and, with a graceful motion, tore open her delicate palm. Out of the split flesh burst forth a magnificent Bronze Lotus Lamp.

She personally detached the burning divine flame from her back. As it fell into the lotus lamp, the lamp blazed with overwhelming splendor!

Li Che immediately felt an immense, oppressive pressure descend upon him!

An Undying Artifact!

The Bronze Lotus Lamp wielded by Su Da was clearly an Undying Artifact. Li Che could already feel the surging, oppressive might of undying power emanating from it!

The lotus lamp hovered in the void as space itself tore apart under its radiance, as if the light had birthed darkness—an enormous black hole forming behind the lamp, suspended above Li Che and his daughter!

Within the black hole, a lithe figure cloaked in undying aura emerged, seemingly suspended in the void. Its eyes, deep and star-studded, shone with an otherworldly brilliance!

Undying!

Another undying being had appeared!

Who could it be?!

Li Che’s entire being surged with divine might. Roaring with fury, he defied the oppressive undying pressure!

Within his chest, his Unsullied Heart Dao Fruit pulsed vigorously, as if countless beams of white light clung to his eyes—

A last stand to help him withstand the ferocious might erupting from the Bronze Lotus Lamp!

Boom—!!!

A deafening roar resounded in his ears!

All of creation seemed to fall silent. The oppressive undying power was repelled; the weight lifted. It was as if the boundless pressure had burst into the skies, shifting like the rotation of stars!

Before him, a tapestry of radiant light danced and flickered.

[Dao Fruit: Unsullied Heart (lv8 0%)]

…

Meanwhile,

Standing in the void, Su Da—who had just invoked the Undying Artifact Lotus Lamp—watched Li Che, who was now dazed and pinned under the oppressive weight of the Lotus Lamp’s revival aura. For a brief moment, astonishment mixed with disbelief…

But in the very next moment, her face paled dramatically.

Her graceful form swayed as she coughed up a massive mouthful of blood.

Before anyone could fathom what had happened, a massive pitch-black dog appeared before her. With a mighty paw, it struck her waist hard, sending her hurtling out like a projectile and crashing against the ground of Jingguang City.

The enormous black dog, without so much as glancing at the flung Su Da, sauntered forward alongside the robed figure.

The white figure led the black dog.

They advanced toward the Lotus Lamp.

The black dog, facing the Lotus Lamp, bared its diminutive paw and struck it forcefully!