Chapter 83: Thunder and Blood in the Alley
by xennovelWinter thunder roared, and icy snowflakes swirled in the rain.
Xu Family Compound.
Beneath tall walls and dark tiles in the courtyard, an elderly man in black sat dignifiedly in a high chair, his face slightly pale.
Below him, Xu Helil, Xu Beihu, and the head of the family, Xu Nanming, sat silently. The core members of the Xu Family were all present.
“Yang Jing was injured by a mighty fighter suspected to be from the Divine Sect, and the shock of his family’s massacre triggered a surge of 【Xin E Jing Gang】 divine foundation disturbance that drove him to madness…”
“When the Young City Lord was chatting with Yang Jing, I was there too… He suspects that the Ogre causing a storm in Feilei City might very well be Li Che!”
The old master of the Xu Family cleared his throat languidly and said.
Xu Helil and Xu Beihu had long harbored their suspicions, their expressions unchanged, but Family Head Xu Nanming looked utterly astonished.
“Li Che?”
“He… Is he really the Ogre?”
Xu Nanming could hardly believe it—after all, they still possessed Li Che’s information.
Li Che, a pure and down-to-earth native of Feilei City who lost his parents early and was raised by his uncle, seized his chance in his teens to work as a laborer at Xu Ji’s off-site woodcarving shop…
Three years ago, he passed the woodcarver’s test and became a woodcarver for Xu Ji, beginning his martial training…
“In just three short years, did that country bumpkin really become the ruthless Ogre capable of wiping out the entire roster of Yang Family experts?”
Xu Nanming’s mind buzzed in utter confusion.
“Chances are, it’s all too coincidental… Ever since the Lingying Sect started deploying that ‘Li Nuǎnxi’, their top experts have been dying—all falling at the hands of the Ogre…”
“Even if Li Che isn’t the Ogre, Li Nuǎnxi is still deeply connected to it.”
“To arrest or even eliminate the Ogre, Li Nuǎnxi is the key.”
The old master of the Xu Family began coughing violently.
His face flushed a deep red.
“Master… he’s truly formidable. Even without divine essence, his mortal body alone can rival a divine foundation—able to even suppress it…”
The old man shook his head.
“Young City Lord Cao Qingyuan has taken his men to Li Che’s residence.”
“Once it’s confirmed that Li Che is the Ogre… they’ll sell everyone in his compound to distance themselves.”
“Whoever Cao Qingyuan wants to capture, no one is to interfere—it’s none of our business.”
The old master’s eyes glittered.
“With Yang Jing finished and the Si Family’s old ghost gone, the divine foundation spoils from the ‘Thousand Buddha Carved Banquet’ are reduced by two… leaving only me and the old man of the An Family. The two of us can easily claim all that remains.”
“At this critical juncture, we must not give the City Lord’s Residence any excuse, or all our previous efforts will be for nothing.”
Xu Helil’s eyes flickered as he respectfully said, “As for the Ogre…”
The old master smiled faintly.
“Rest assured, that Ogre… is as good as dead.”
“Now, Yang Jing is like a mad dog—he bites whoever comes near. None of our divine foundations will dare approach…”
“But when he clashes with the Ogre, the area gets sealed off. The Ogre won’t even be able to escape.”
“That would ruin so many advantages for the City Lord’s Residence…”
“Somebody no longer wants to see the Ogre survive.”
The old master of the Xu Family gazed at the swirling sleet.
“Today, the Ogre must die.”
……
……
Li Che was well aware of the formidable and stubborn nature of divine foundations.
He had never underestimated them; though eager to challenge divine foundations, he would never choose to perish needlessly.
He had long set an ambush in an alley, meticulously arranging every mechanical hidden weapon he had gathered to create a battleground of his own!
His 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit had reached LV3, its maturity impressive.
Combined with his Thousand Analysis Hand, Li Che’s control over mechanical hidden weapons had reached top-notch levels.
Originally, Li Che had designed this trap layout for the divine foundation cultivators of the Lingying Sect. But when Yang Family Elder personally scouted the site, Li Che showed no mercy.
He drew out his ‘Nanmu Gatling’ to send him to meet the Buddha!
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat…
Flames spewed forth!
Six metallic tubes spun at high speed, blasting out fire like a resplendent flame lotus blooming in the Ogre’s hand!
Each Muduya ignited, emitting a piercing scream as it whistled through the air, evaporating and distorting the rain and snow before crashing into the massive mound of flesh ensnared by a thousand spider silks!
Floating behind Yang Jing was a divine foundation millstone; his eyes were bloodshot as 【Xin E Jing Gang】 divine essence surged and spread relentlessly.
Like crashing waves, the first Muduya erupted mid-air under the impact of his potent divine essence, unleashing a barrage of flames and shockwaves.
But there were too many…
Too many Muduya, far too many.
Out of respect for the divine foundation cultivators, Li Che unleashed all six thousand shots without holding back—a full-scale barrage!
The acrid scent of burning gunpowder permeated the alley’s air.
In an instant, Yang Family Elder Deng was engulfed by sparks as explosive fireworks ignited flames that not even the rain and snow could quench!
It was like a mushroom cloud rising from the ground; tremors and shockwaves shattered countless raindrops, while thick black smoke billowed upward!
“Wooooo…”
After the final Muduya was fired,
the metallic tubes of the ‘Nanmu Gatling’ in the Ogre’s hand burst into a sizzling red, slowly coming to a halt like a heated branding iron, hissing as they released steam.
Li Che holstered his Nanmu Gatling as the Ogre, his eyes visible beneath his mask, calmly observed the hulking, flesh-mountain figure at the distant alley entrance.
“As expected… six thousand rounds just weren’t enough.”
Or perhaps, in essence,
the explosive power of the Muduya was simply insufficient.
Even though the numbers were high, their quality fell short—limiting the damage inflicted.
Yet, the effect was not entirely negligible.
Winter thunder rumbled while electric serpents slithered.
It was as if a fierce storm howled by, sweeping away dust and smoke to reveal the flesh-mangled, charred body of the flesh mountain.
Tick… tick…
Blood dripped onto the ground, shattering on impact.
Yang Jing’s hair flew wildly as he gasped for breath.
“This truly leaves me… astonished!”
“I’m so astonished—ah!!!”
Yang Jing suddenly looked up; his face, shattered by the Muduya blasts, wore a mask of madness. Behind him, the radiant divine foundation millstone loomed, while cascading divine essence enveloped him like a delicate veil.
It was that very veil of divine essence that shielded him from the relentless barrage of six thousand Muduya.
Yet his injuries were severe—not only was his body battered and bloodied, but even his organs and spine were visibly damaged!
Such brutal wounds only stoked Yang Jing’s anger and fury. A proud divine foundation cultivator, reduced to this state by his own pursuit of self-cultivation!
A potent surge of 【Xin E Jing Gang】 divine essence erupted from his divine foundation like a tidal wave, transforming into streams that filled the entire alley!
Yang Jing intended to use sheer hierarchical might to completely crush the Ogre before him…
For against self-cultivation, divine foundations were the most effective—and the most dominant—weapon!
Hierarchical suppression!
The Ogre had long laid traps in this alley… but for Yang Jing, it was his own home turf!
In such a confined space, the oppressive force of divine hierarchy was inescapable, forcing the Ogre to confront it head-on!
In the realm of self-cultivation facing divine foundations…
the lower must confront the higher!
For me…
Kneel!
Yang Jing let out a long, furious roar, his body drenched in blood, as the hulking, bloodied Ogre—smeared by six thousand Muduya—began to stagger forward and then charge!
All thousand spider silks were torn asunder!
It was like a terrifying mound of flesh collapsing, crushing everything in its rolling path!
The ground trembled and mountains shook, accompanied by a horrifying divine essence that screamed and shrieked so relentlessly it nearly burst eardrums!
In Yang Jing’s eyes, the Ogre remained rooted to the spot, immobilized under the crushing weight of divine hierarchy…
All he had to do was stride over and twist off the Ogre’s head to avenge the entire Yang Family!
Winter thunder and sleet cascaded from the sky, but before they could strike the flesh mountain, they evaporated and warped into rising heat.
The Ogre’s blood-red eyes flickered with a maniacal, sinister grin!
But then, in the next moment…
His grin froze.
Because under the overwhelming pressure of divine foundation essence he unleashed, the Ogre…
seemed utterly unaffected by the hierarchical force as it defiantly raised its hand.
A finely crafted iron longbow materialized in its hand; it drew the bow and pulled the string…
In an instant!
The wailing sound of ghostly cries echoed through the alley!
Divine 【Chin Ku Zhen Gui】!
But that wasn’t what truly provoked Yang Jing.
The main trigger was the dazzling burst of golden light erupting from the Ogre, as if it had donned a coat of gold, reminiscent of an enraged Buddha’s roar!
Divine 【Fen Nu Mi Tuo】!
Mitrā Golden Garment!
Wait a minute!
Two divine essences!
And both at the ‘Yangxing Ruhe’ level?!
What the hell?!
Yang Jing’s hair stood on end, his body shuddering with shock, as if his formerly chaotic, maddened will had been jolted back to clarity by the unbelievable spectacle!
“Impossible!”
“Have they truly reached the ‘Yangxing Ruhe’ realm with two divine essences?”
“No way!”
Yang Jing let out a deep, thunderous roar of astonishment!
He couldn’t tell if it was the effect of his 【Xin E Jing Gang】 divine essence or simply his own shock.
The Ogre’s bow was drawn to a full moon; on its arrow, divine essence coalesced as winds and thunder intertwined…
It was the Si Family’s divine martial technique—Chenkū Baigui Fenglei Arrow!
Clad in Mitrā Golden Garment, his strength was suddenly enhanced, and under the boost of 【Fen Nu Mi Tuo】 divine power, his might erupted from the coiled muscles along his back!
Creak, creak…
The longbow nearly snapped under the strain!
At the tip of that Chenkū Baigui Fenglei Arrow, a tear-shaped wooden carving—crafted from ‘meat-blood red’ spirit wood and ranked seventh in Tang’s Mechanism Chronicle—was bound in divine essence. This mechanism was known as ‘Bodhi Blood Tears’!
Two divine essences entwined, combined with the seventh-ranked mechanism!
This was Li Che’s… full offensive!
Aiming to shatter the very foundation of divine power!
Like a clenched fist, he suddenly released!
In an instant, the bowstring snapped, accompanied by countless wails and the roar of wind and thunder!
One arrow pierced through the rain and snow, slicing cleanly as ripples danced in the air; wind and thunder intertwined as if breaking through an ethereal barrier!
“Useless! The Yangxing Ruhe divine essence… it can’t break through my divine foundation essence!”
“Impossible… Huh? Ah?!”
Pfft!
The Chenkū Baigui Fenglei Arrow slammed into the divine cloak draped over the outskirts of the flesh mountain, yet…
In the next moment, although the arrow failed to pierce the divine cloak, the teardrop-shaped, blood-colored bead attached to its tip…
silently breached the divine foundation cultivator’s cloak.
With a soft ‘pfft’ sound…
it pierced through the thick, fatty flesh of the mound and seeped into its very body!
The horrifying penetrating force was undeniable!
Even Li Che himself was taken aback.
“Such penetration…”
The eyes beneath Li Che’s Ogre mask grew ever brighter!
Yet that penetrating force was merely a byproduct of Bodhi Blood Tears. Its true terror lay in its explosive potential!
Boom—!
A dull thud resounded!
Suddenly, from within Yang Jing’s body, Bodhi Blood Tears exploded, scattering tens of thousands of incredibly thin needles. Each strand seemed alive, coiling like tiny shrimps in an instant and dragging clumps of flesh along!
In the next moment, Li Che saw that Yang Jing, the divine foundation cultivator, had been riddled with hundreds of blood holes, each one leaking drop after drop of large, uncontrolled blood beads!
Drip, drip…
Like blood-red beads of broken tears!
In an instant, it was as if every drop of blood in Yang Jing’s body had been completely drained out.
No matter how formidable a martial artist one may be, if their blood is drained…
they simply wouldn’t be able to hold on.
Dizziness, exhaustion, and blurred consciousness…
Thud…
Yang Jing collapsed to his knees.
Li Che then raised his longbow once more, drawing it and unleashing a continuous barrage!
Another volley of Chenkū Baigui Fenglei Arrows!
Arrow after arrow rained down onto Yang Jing’s massive head.
Finally…
With a resounding boom…
the huge head shattered under the onslaught of wind and thunder!
It exploded into fragments!
The divine foundation millstone floating behind the flesh mountain…
Crack, crack…
was riddled with fractures.
It burst apart into pieces!
Most of it dissipated back into the void, leaving only a single divine foundation fragment falling into thick pools of blood.
After unleashing several more steady and cautious arrows at the corpse,
the burly Ogre began striding forward with heavy steps.
After nonchalantly recovering the divine foundation fragment,
he continued overturning the corpse…
claiming the rewards of his efforts.
……
……
City Lord’s Residence.
Inside, City Lord Cao Guang cradled a ‘Three-Eyed Angry True Lord Spirit Infant Statue’—eerily reminiscent of the Spirit Infant Temple God found in the Bizarre Temple—as he hungrily absorbed the divine essence contained within.
Above his brows, a faint black stream of energy seemed to be gathering, bulging and then settling intermittently.
As if something were about to break free.
Suddenly,
City Lord Cao Guang abruptly opened his eyes wide, and after carefully setting down the replica statue, he vanished in a flash, reappearing atop the black-tiled roof at the peak of the City Lord’s Residence.
The rain and snow twisted and parted above his head.
His eyes flickered incessantly as he sensed the divine essence sealing off the alley, a deep inky surprise welling up in his gaze.
“How could the aura of the Yang Family divine foundation vanish so quickly…”
“Gone?!”
……
……
Li Family Courtyard.
The wind and snow raged.
Cao Qingyuan, with a knife slung over his shoulder, was followed by the lone divine guard Zhang Xiangyang and several Black Yamen constables. The group formed a line as they crossed the alley to reach Li Che’s courtyard in the Inner City.
The courtyard door was tightly closed, yet the excited laughter of children playing inside could be heard.
Cao Qingyuan paused, clearly not expecting such calm and harmony within Li Che’s home.
This… wasn’t quite what he had imagined.
Frowning slightly,
Cao Qingyuan raised his hand and knocked on the door.
A moment passed.
In the creak of the door,
Li Che, dressed in neat, clean black attire, opened the door with a cultured, affable smile.
Support us with your first order and monthly votes! Everyone, please don’t forget to subscribe—first orders are crucial for future recommendations. Old Li earnestly pleads!