Chapter 52: Shrouded in the Storm

Boom!

Dark clouds amassed, followed by a thunderclap as an electric snake suddenly flashed across the sky.

A heavy downpour fell from above, splattering onto the dark tiles and, guided by the curvature of the eaves, converging into a cascading curtain.

Li Che employed Dragon Elephant Vajra Bone Tempering to transform his appearance and consolidate his aura.

He walked along the Inner City’s slate pavement, drenched by rain and stirring up splashes with each step.

This was weather fit for murder.

With his eyes downcast and donning a conical hat, Li Che carried a sizable load on his back as he advanced deliberately.

A fire began to kindle within him.

Even after more than two months, that flame hadn’t died—instead, it burned ever fiercer.

That night, though he killed Zhao Chuanxiong, Guo Zhan, and eliminated three Blood Exchange experts from the Lingying Sect…

Li Che recalled that Si Mu Bai was determined to personally capture XiXi…

Had it not been for a powerful opponent intervening and seriously injuring him…

Li Che found it hard to imagine the peril of that night.

So, how could he ever forget?

How could the fire in his heart ever be extinguished?!

At that moment, his destination was Jinhuang Pavilion—where Si Mu Bai had been hiding in the Si Family compound for so long after his grievous injury, almost as if he had vanished completely.

Yet Li Che had been waiting, expecting him to break his solitude and come out.

Most young nobles, after reveling in decadence, find it hard to settle down for rigorous cultivation and endure prolonged isolation.

Sure enough, Li Che discovered that Si Mu Bai had booked an opulent private room at Jinhuang Pavilion half a day in advance and even secured its premier courtesan for company…

Does Si Mu Bai really struggle with solitude?

His daring exit from the Si compound indicated that his injuries must have improved.

Yet on the flip side, such a grand display—even booking a room in advance—seemed too ostentatious. Could it be a trap?

Li Che chose not to dwell on it.

Si Mu Bai intended to kill XiXi and use her as bait for the Prodigy. Now injured, he might not relent.

Previously, the Si Family’s ploy against the Xu Family had forced Xu’s Divine Cultivators back to the Divine Cultivation Institute. With the Xu Family now alert, it would be difficult for the Si Family to repeat their old trick.

In other words, staying in the laxly guarded Xu Ji Courtyard in the Outer City was far riskier than entering the comparatively secure Divine Cultivation Institute.

At least, the Divine Cultivation Institute promised short-term safety.

If the Lingying Sect were to erupt fully, danger would ensue—and by then, Li Che planned to rescue XiXi.

That was another reason, aside from nurturing her divine nature, for sending XiXi to the Divine Cultivation Institute.

Moreover, it would free him up…

Even if it were a trap set by Si Mu Bai using his own body as bait, Li Che was determined to give it a try.

If such a trap was indeed in place, Li Che believed it wasn’t meant for Ogre—Ogre likely lacked the stature for a Divine Cultivator to use his body as bait.

It was probably aimed at the Divine Cultivator who had injured Si Mu Bai.

If that were the case… even better. Li Che loved stirring up trouble in murky waters.

After missing his earlier chance to eliminate Si Mu Bai, his exit from the compound now presented his only opportunity.

Whether the chance was intentional or not, Li Che was determined to seize it.

…

…

The security at Jinhuang Pavilion was far more stringent than when Lei Chunlan had been killed—a patrol of Bone Tempered warriors, knives at their hips and swirling energies, formed a vast net.

However, Li Che’s improved Sleeping Dragon Elephant Breath Convergence rendered his presence nearly undetectable, his aura as still as a corpse.

Disguised as an ordinary man, he entered Jinhuang Pavilion, secured a spot in the main hall, and ordered food and drinks.

Jinhuang Pavilion was famed for its three specialties: its wine, its cuisine, and its courtesan.

With his pockets now heavy, Li Che spared no expense—and soon the wine and dishes were served.

Si Mu Bai probably hadn’t arrived yet; his early stealthy entry allowed him time to arrange his plans.

As he ate and drank, Li Che remained calm.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze ushered in an elderly man in a gray robe who took the seat opposite him.

“Young man, drinking alone is a lonely affair. Care to join an old man for a couple of drinks?”

The old man laughed as he spoke.

Li Che’s eyes narrowed slightly, momentarily taken aback.

After years of training, his memory had sharpened—this old man’s face was faintly familiar, as if he had seen him before.

He recalled the uneasy feeling on Long Street when he first acquired the Pure Heart Dao Fruit. Back then, he had seen this old man accompanied by a big-headed little boy sporting a Nezha-style braid.

Hmm? Even though the little boy was no longer there, the old man’s face remained vaguely etched in Li Che’s memory.

That sense of being watched, combined with today’s encounter…

Coincidence?

Clenching his wine cup, Li Che suddenly squeezed it hard.

Then, his expression returning to normal, he resumed drinking with the old man.

“Old man, have some food,” Li Che said warmly as he reached out.

“Young man, I should have come sooner. Last time, when I helped fend off that Chin Ku Zhen Gui, I ended up getting marked. I even made a run to the Bizarre Temple outside the city to beat the fool who targeted me—though I only left him disabled, not killed, and got entangled with the awakened temple spirit for a while.”

The old man set his cup down, grinned, and picked up a piece of stir-fried pork with vinegar before speaking.

“Bizarre Temple? Temple spirit?”

Technical terms… Li Che couldn’t understand.

Yet his heart skipped a beat.

Could this old man be the Divine Cultivator who intervened that fateful night?!

“Young man, I admit I misjudged you at first… Your technique for concealing your energy has merit.”

“But don’t blame me—I was using Divination of Essence, which focuses on divine nature rather than mere energy…” the old man muttered.

Suddenly, his deep gaze fixed on Li Che.

“Consolidating your aura and concealing your bones for a surprise burst might take down a few mindless brutes, but if you aspire to be a great hero—to eradicate all the evils of this city—it won’t be enough.”

“Stand down, young man.”

“Today’s bait is too grand. Even with your perfected Bone Tempering, if you can’t control it—even if you have Blood Exchange potential—it won’t work.”

“Afterward, I will seek you out and offer you an opportunity… As for this city, it’s on the brink of collapse. Everything that needs purging will be cleared, and those who must leave will depart.”

After speaking, the old man fell silent and sipped his drink.

Li Che’s heart pounded like a drum!

“Senior, Si Mu Bai intends to kill my daughter. I… just want to protect her,” he said hoarsely.

His gravelly tone underscored his resolve.

His meaning was clear: he wanted to stir the pot—to kill Si Mu Bai.

At these words, the old man lifted his eyes and laughed.

“Do you know who I left disabled?”

Li Che shook his head slightly.

The old man chuckled, took a sip of wine, and whispered,

“That old relic of the Si Family who forged their divine foundation…”

“You are brave, Senior. I must take my leave.”

“Someday, I’ll come and clear everything in anticipation of your return,” the old man remarked.

With resolve, Li Che stood up, clasped his fists in farewell, and left.

Watching Li Che depart with a large black cloth slung over his back, the old man stroked his beard and smiled.

“This young man has promise.”

…

…

A torrential downpour unleashed from the heavens.

In the alleys and long streets of the Inner City.

Li Che stood erect and silent as columns of rain fell like a barrage of arrows. He watched an opulent carriage emblazoned with the Si Family flag slowly pull up to the entrance of Jinhuang Pavilion.

He observed a pallid Si Mu Bai being escorted inside by two formidable warriors whose energies nearly materialized outside their bodies.

Li Che’s expression turned cold and detached.

The mysterious old man had once told him that he had crippled the Si Family’s divine foundation. For the Si Family…

It was as if the heavens were collapsing!

Now, with Si Mu Bai serving as bait… who was he luring?

Most likely, it was those eager to devour the Si Family’s power!

In short, the mysterious old man had warned him: this game of luring prey was no longer one in which he should meddle.

“Crippling doesn’t mean killing… In other words, with Si Mu Bai as bait, could it be that the Si Family’s divine foundation, lurking in the background, plans to settle their scores before its final collapse?”

“So there’s a high possibility of a battle over the divine foundation?!”

“A battle over the divine foundation… that truly is not to be trifled with.”

“But… I’m not one to fight over a divine foundation.”

“Forget about the raging storm and devious schemes…”

“I’m only interested in Si Mu Bai.”

Li Che murmured softly.

“Who is that mysterious old man? Could he be a powerful force from the Lingying Sect? Most likely not… then he must be from the Imperial Court or even the Divine Sect!”

“However, regardless of which powerful faction he belongs to…”

“He said my cultivation has reached the pinnacle of Bone Tempering… meaning he might not see through my Dragon Elephant Vajra Breath Convergence. If that’s the case… I can still take this bait.”

Just like Zhao Chuanxiong, who feasted with delight.

“Feasting on bait is Ogre’s specialty.”

Li Che murmured that even if he couldn’t fully absorb it…

he would at least see Si Mu Bai meet his end.

Boom!!!

As his murmurs faded, he suddenly looked up…

Inside Jinhuang Pavilion, a colossal burst of divine energy erupted—countless particles surged into waves that sent raindrops, plummeting from the sky, reversing their course back upward!

They crackled in mid-air, evaporating like beans in a hot pan.

Various miraculous manifestations of divine energy erupted, engulfing the entire Jinhuang Pavilion!

It had begun…

Li Che watched silently.

All his aura retracted as he pressed himself against a wall in an alley, blending into the darkness as the torrential rain washed over him…

as if he had vanished from this world.

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