Chapter 60: The Awakening of the Divine Strategy

Feilei City, Inner City.

Workshop Courtyard.

Li Che sat cross-legged.

Cold air condensed the sky’s moisture, and as snowflakes drifted down onto his shoulder, they silently melted away.

He slowly opened his eyes as turbulent currents surged throughout the courtyard.

His bones clashed with resounding booms, and his qi and blood surged like an unleashed torrent, accompanied by muffled rumbles from beneath his skin!

“Blood Exchange Nine Moves… the true consummation of blood exchange…”

Li Che’s eyes burned fiercely as he exhaled a gust of qi sharp as a blade.

“And my inner strength…”

Li Che raised his hand; a surge of searing energy churned in his palm, and four black lotus blossoms bloomed along his arm.

“Prison Lotus Ghost-Subduing Inner Strength… Fourfold Heaven!”

His formidable inner strength surged like a rolling tide, merging with his qi and blood to amplify his power to staggering levels.

Blood Exchange Nine Moves combined with the Fourfold Heavenly qi…

Now, even without igniting Dragon Elephant Vajra, Li Che’s pure bodily training could unleash power nearly at the Tongmai level. If he activated Dragon Elephant Vajra for unmatched physical cultivation, he might reach the pinnacle of mid-level qi meridian cultivation!

The Tongmai realm is divided into several sub-levels: the Qi Meridian, the Xuan Meridian, and the Divine Meridian.

Qi Meridian cultivators can spar with those at the ‘Nurturing Nature Like a Lamp’ stage.

At the Xuan Meridian level, bodily cultivation becomes even more fearsome—enough to challenge divine cultivators at the ‘Nurturing Nature Like a Creek’ stage.

Divine Meridian warriors occupy the summit of the Tongmai stage. Their bodies and qi, as strong as fine steel, roar with each breath; they even use their qi and blood to nurture their spirit, rivaling divine cultivators at the ‘Nurturing Nature Like a River’ level.

Warriors surpassing the Divine Meridian are known as Masters—an extremely rare breed!

Though most divine cultivators use their divine essence to accelerate physical training, those at the ‘Nurturing Nature Like a River’ stage typically only reach the early Qi Meridian level.

Only a few attain the Xuan Meridian, and even fewer reach the Divine Meridian.

Even divine cultivators striving for the Divine Meridian must endure decades of relentless training. Having savored rapid progress, how could they ever settle into such grueling refinement?

“Besides his qi, blood, and inner strength…”

Li Che’s eyes sparkled as he acknowledged his greatest gain over the past six months.

Clenching his fist, he unleashed a torrent of divine essence from his palm—a weeping wail that resonated with every gesture.

Chin Ku Zhen Gui!

Li Che had completely mastered the Si Family’s “Nine Luminaries Chin Ku Zhen Gui Nurturing Record” and successfully stepped into the ‘Nurturing Nature Like a Lamp’ stage!

More importantly, Li Che also discovered a minor function of the Unsullied Heart.

That is, the Unsullied Heart can, like Dragon Elephant Vajra, condense and conceal the divine aura he has cultivated.

It disguises him as an ordinary person who has never cultivated divine essence.

“The Si Family Elder’s Divine Foundation Fragment… if I completely refine it, it might help me ascend to the ‘Nurturing Nature Like a River’ stage.”

“However, even with the Unsullied Heart’s aid, it will still take time.”

Li Che pondered, taking stock of his current overall strength.

The improvement was undoubtedly tremendous!

Now, if he were to face Si Mu Bai again, he could overwhelm him without any subterfuge!

He let out a long breath as chaotic winds shrieked around him.

After finishing his self-assessment in cultivation…

Li Che raised his head as snowflakes drifted down from above, landing on his cheeks and melting into a chilling sensation.

“Today… XiXi is three years old.”

He murmured softly.

Thump, thump, thump!

Abruptly, all of nature fell into silence.

Within Li Che’s chest, intense ripples surged as the Dao Fruit [Xian Gong], Unsullied Heart, and Dragon Elephant Vajra began to pulsate vigorously.

Before his eyes, a familiar scene gradually emerged!

The vast, deep earth, and a magnificent treasure tree shooting up into the sky, its leaves quivering and shimmering with radiant light!

A multicolored fruit, gleaming with iridescence, swiftly displayed snapshots of XiXi’s growth over the year.

Jet-black hair danced in the breeze.

Li Che’s eyes sparkled brilliantly.

Unnoticed…

Another year had passed.

A year of guarding and longing had finally come to fruition today.

XiXi is three years old; the fourth Dao Fruit…

It’s here!

……

【Your daughter, three years old, lively and clever, safe and sound – has obtained the Dao Fruit ‘Chess Saint’】

……

Before his eyes, hints gradually emerged, interlaced with shimmering flashes.

The fourth Dao Fruit!

After [Xian Gong], [Dragon Elephant Vajra], and [Unsullied Heart], the fourth Dao Fruit was greatly anticipated by Li Che.

Even though he already had three precious Dao Fruits, he never objected to having more.

Each Dao Fruit provided tremendous support, be it in daily life, martial endeavors, or divine cultivation.

But what role the fourth Dao Fruit would serve remained a complete mystery.

Thus, it filled Li Che with the thrill of cracking open a mystery box.

But the moment the fourth Dao Fruit’s name appeared, Li Che was taken aback.

“Chess… Chess Saint?”

Li Che’s brows furrowed, and the joy on his face seemed to momentarily freeze.

Li Che…

wasn’t really good at chess.

He might handle Gomoku, but for other chess games, he only knew the rules at most.

【Chess Saint (Dao Fruit): Heaven and Earth as Chess, Divine Essence as Pieces, Celestial Origin, and Moves at Will】

A subtle shift in his spirit caused the description of the 【Chess Saint】 Dao Fruit to gradually appear before him.

“Heaven and Earth as chess, divine essence… pieces?”

“The origin of heaven, moves at will?”

Li Che felt a wave of perplexity, as if the explanation still left him unclear about the underlying principles.

Sure enough, matters related to chess were always steeped in mystique.

Yet Li Che did grasp a hint: “Divine essence forming pieces…”

At that moment, his spirit stirred as the Unsullied Heart Dao Fruit pulsated—bursting forth pure, white divine essence that encircled his palm.

The divine essence from Unsullied Heart possessed no other attributes—only pure, unblemished divinity.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

The divine essence swirled and slowly coalesced into a white chess piece right before Li Che’s eyes.

It emitted a soft, pure glow as it floated in his palm.

Curiosity shone in Li Che’s eyes; in the next moment, he raised his hand and grasped the chess piece.

In an instant!

It was as if a drop of water fell onto a mirror-like lake, creating ripples that spread outward.

Li Che felt his spiritual perception soar; in an instant, an almost perfect high-definition map of half of Feilei City unfolded in his mind.

Crisscrossing lines interwove to form a chessboard pattern that enveloped half of Feilei City!

Li Che’s eyes narrowed slightly…

With such a view, it was as if he had tapped into a satellite system, surveying half the city!

Although the people and their actions within the city appeared blurry, if he was willing to sacrifice some divine essence, the details would gradually come into focus.

“You call this… Chess Saint?”

“Is it the Gaode Chess Saint?”

Li Che was genuinely surprised by the effects of this fourth Dao Fruit…

He glanced at the hand clutching it.

Suddenly, with a flick of his finger, the chess piece—condensed from the pure divine essence of Unsullied Heart—shot out several dozen meters from the courtyard and landed at the gate.

The 【Chess Saint】 Dao Fruit trembled slightly.

In the next moment…

Li Che felt his vision blur, and when it cleared, he discovered that he had shifted from the center of the courtyard to the spot where the floating chess piece hovered by the gate.

“Moves at will…”

Li Che stood silently at the gate, with snow cascading from the sky, as invisible divine essence shredded the space around him.

He toyed with the divine chess piece balanced between his fingers.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“Chess Saint – what defines a Chess Saint? To master every element on the board is to be the true saint of the game, with all pieces falling under my gaze.”

“Heaven and Earth as a chessboard, with divine essence forming the pieces…”

If XiXi were to carry this chess piece with her…

“My heart roams free; every move falls as I wish.”

Doesn’t that mean if any threat appears within the range of his perceptive chessboard around XiXi…

he could, whenever he wished, instantly appear by her side?

From now on…

If danger arises, it will be crushed—and if it comes from that yellow-haired one… I’ll kill him!

He would never have to worry about XiXi’s safety again!

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