Chapter 62: The Rise of the Woodcarving Master

A Master Woodcarver!

Staring at the woodcarving in his hand, which radiated a deep divine aura, Xu You was both astonished and delighted.

Once a carving possesses divine essence, its creator earns the title of Master Woodcarver—a status so revered that even the most illustrious noble families treat him like a VIP.

However, even Master Woodcarvers are ranked according to the strength of the divine essence imbued in their carvings.

Divine cultivators enhance a Master Woodcarver’s prestige by aligning his rank with the power levels of the Bizarre Temple, as set forth by the Imperial Court.

For instance, if a Master Woodcarver can consistently craft carvings imbued with divine essence, he is designated a ‘Ten Capital-Level’ Master Woodcarver.

Similarly, if his creations carry a divine quality equivalent to the ‘Nine Luminaries’ relics of the Bizarre Temple, he earns the title of ‘Nine Luminary-Level’ Master Woodcarver.

“Congratulations, congratulations… I knew you had it in you! I always said you’d become a Master Woodcarver!”

Xu You was overjoyed as he toyed with the woodcarving gifted by Li Che—a tool meant to cultivate the divine essence of the Xu Family 【Xuan Si Liu Jian】 technique—as a gleam of hope lit up his eyes.

“Now that you’ve become a Master Woodcarver, I can finally carry out the purge missions with peace of mind,”

Xu You smiled.

No one would dare harm the daughter of a Master Woodcarver. Even Xu Ji would go to great lengths to protect her, ensuring the woodcarver’s favor remains secured.

Currently, Xu Ji has only one elderly Master Woodcarver, and even maintaining Xu Helil’s cultivation has grown extremely challenging.

Thus, Li Che’s ascent to Master Woodcarver naturally attracted significant attention.

Li Che smiled as he decided to showcase his innate talent and woodcarving prowess on his own initiative…

Not only was the timing right, but he also wanted the Xu Family to take notice—securing XiXi’s safety in Feilei City from now on.

Of course, it was also a means to bolster Xu You’s bargaining chips.

Xu You was genuinely happy for Li Che; after exchanging a few more words with him, he hurried off.

He intended to inform the Xu Family of Li Che’s achievement so they would take him seriously.

……

……

The night was chilly, with snow falling thickly.

Watching Xu You vanish into the blizzard at the end of Long Street, Li Che exhaled softly.

Suddenly, through a blur of swirling snow, a figure was revealed.

Clad in a simple robe, Li Qingshan appeared with his hands clasped behind his back as he landed in the courtyard. Hunching slightly, he raised an eyebrow while watching Xu You’s departing silhouette.

“You sure know how to return favors—displaying your talent as a Master Woodcarver and then joining the Divine Sect. With that background, Xu You won’t have to worry about being bullied in Feilei City,”

Li Qingshan laughed.

“Honest folks are always easy targets; a solid background goes a long way in keeping bullies at bay.”

In the frigid air, Li Che exhaled a warm breath.

“You rarely show yourself, senior. But this time… have you managed to locate the main altar of the Lingying Sect?”

Li Che poured Li Qingshan a bowl of hot tea from the boiling furnace water.

Without hesitation, Li Qingshan accepted the tea and sat with Li Che under the eaves, drinking quickly.

“I’ve gathered a few clues. I originally thought that since the Lingying Sect was so intertwined with the Government, they would set their main altar at the City Lord’s Residence. But when I sneaked inside, I discovered otherwise…”

Li Qingshan sipped his tea, frowning as he spoke.

Hearing this, Li Che frowned and asked, “Not at the City Lord’s Residence?”

“That figures—the City Lord’s Residence is the official stronghold of the Great Jing Court. If the Lingying Sect got too bold and set up their altar there, it would be a slap in the face to the court. And once word spreads across Feilei City… well, the Temple Guardian Division of Jin Guang Mansion isn’t to be trifled with,” Li Qingshan scoffed.

“The Great Jing Court now cares most about its reputation. Even though its national fortunes may be waning, the dignity of a nation must always be preserved.” Li Qingshan reached out, caught a snowflake, and crushed it into powder.

“Li Che, you actually became a Master Woodcarver… Quite unexpected! It seems you, old Prodigy, have an exceptionally keen sense for divine essence,” he remarked with a grin.

“Perfect timing. Now that you’ve joined the Divine Sect, I can recommend you to ‘Woodcarving Ridge.’ There, you’ll establish a solid footing within the sect, and you’ll have a better chance of securing the divine woodcarvings necessary for XiXi’s further cultivation,”

Li Che took another sip of tea and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Within the Divine Sect… is divine woodcarving really that scarce?”

Li Qingshan shot him a look and grinned, “Within the sect’s sub-divisions, Ten Capital-Level woodcarvings aren’t in high demand. But the ‘Nine Luminary’ and ‘Eight Extremity’ grades? Those are hot commodities…”

Li Che nodded, clearly understanding.

Now, aided by Dao Fruit [Xian Gong], Li Che was determined to craft the finest ‘Ten Capital’ woodcarvings with all his might.

However, when it came to Nine Luminary-Level divine woodcarvings, Li Che was completely at a loss…

It was as if he lacked that crucial opportunity.

Li Qingshan looked at Li Che with a deep sigh, “Being a Master Woodcarver is a coveted profession. Achieving that status means your own path to divine power is secured… but advancing to higher ranks is extremely perilous.”

“Beyond the Ten Capital-Level, every subsequent rank is nearly as challenging as scaling the heavens on your own. You must capture the matching divine essence from the temple deities within the Bizarre Temple and infuse it into your carvings to progress. That’s why the rankings mirror those of the Bizarre Temple.”

As if struck by a thought, Li Qingshan fell silent for a moment.

“Li Che, have you ever been to the Bizarre Temple?”

Bizarre Temple?

Li Che shook his head.

He had heard of it, but had never been.

After the great upheaval, Bizarre Temples began appearing like mushrooms after rain, shrouded in eeriness and malice, and bringing chaos to the world.

They even played a significant role in the rise and fall of entire nations.

“In a few days, I’ll come find you and take you on a trip to the Ten Capital Bizarre Temple outside the city. There, the ‘Temple God Statue’ awaits—observing it and capturing the deity’s divine rank is key to a Master Woodcarver’s advancement,”

“Make your move before the Bizarre Temple upgrades to Nine Luminary status. Once that happens, it’ll be off limits.”

“Exactly… and it’ll also let me tap into your Lateral Refining Strength…”

Li Qingshan drained his bowl of tea and, savoring the leaves, remarked.

Glancing at a pensive Li Che, Li Qingshan shook his head with a grin and vanished silently, leaving not even a flurry of snow disturbed.

“Bizarre Temple, huh?”

Li Che exhaled a hot breath, watching Li Qingshan disappear into the snowy storm.

A glimmer of anticipation sparkled in his eyes.

It was a feeling of…

the excitement of about to experience the world’s true marvels.

……

……

Feilei Inner City, Xu Ji Courtyard.

Lights shone brightly, dispelling the cold.

At the head of it all, Xu Family’s current patriarch, Xu Nanming, sat in the Grand Counselor’s chair, carefully admiring a woodcarving.

Moments later, a peculiar gleam flashed in his eyes.

Below, Xu You pursed his lips, his expression alive with excitement.

“Is that really a ‘Ten Capital’ divine woodcarving? That means Master Li…has truly ascended to Master Woodcarver status?”

“Only twenty-two, right? Incredible…simply incredible!”

Xu Nanming exhaled deeply.

A twenty-two-year-old Master Woodcarver who had only been working with wood for three years—achieving such mastery in so little time was nothing short of a marvel!

“A daughter is a treasure, and so is her father… this pair is truly priceless.”

After returning the “Three Immortals Riding the Ox and Contemplating the Sword Statue” to Xu You, Xu Nanming waved him off to leave.

“Father, Master Li is now a Master Woodcarver. Our Xu Family must protect XiXi’s safety, so as not to let him down,” Xu You said earnestly as he departed.

“You may leave,” Xu Nanming said dismissively with a wave of his hand.

“Your son takes his leave,” Xu You declared. In that moment, his joy vanished, leaving his expression somber as he walked away.

After Xu You departed, Xu Nanming respectfully clasped his fists toward the dark rear of the building.

A faint, aged voice drifted out from the darkness.

“Ahem, ahem… It seems the Qianyuan Divine Sect has sent representatives ahead to Feilei City. I wonder who they might be… With the downfall of the Si Family, the Divine Sect’s influence is already evident. And Li Nuǎnxi, that top-tier Prodigy—our Xu Ji won’t be able to hold onto her; sooner or later she’ll end up with the Divine Sect. As for Master Woodcarver Li Che… we can’t keep him either.”

“Achieving Master Woodcarver status in three years! His future ceiling might even reach Nine Luminary—or even Eight Extremity levels!”

“Alas, this man is destined to soar and will not remain with Xu Ji…”

“With major changes looming over Feilei City, why should we continue supporting a Master Woodcarver of such caliber in Xu Ji?”

The old, hoarse voice carried a note of wan disinterest.

“Tell Xu Helil to go tomorrow with the right attitude and acquire a ‘Ten Capital’ divine woodcarving. If Li Che accepts the order, fine; if not…”

“Then hand it over to the City Lord’s Residence. The City Lord is pressuring the three major noble clans and needs to recruit more woodcarvers…”

“A nascent ‘Ten Capital’ Master Woodcarver—the City Lord…”

“That would surely be more satisfying.”

The old, hoarse voice echoed softly in the darkness.

At these words, Xu Nanming felt a chill run down his spine, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

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