Chapter 88: A Fateful Morning in Feilei City

Early morning.

The winter sun, rarely breaking through dark clouds, cast a fine, gentle glow.

Under the eaves, frozen icicles from the winter rain began to slowly melt in the sunlight, shrinking to the size of little pinkies.

Ten miles outside Feilei City.

A stretch of bamboo forest.

Deep within the bamboo grove stood a bamboo house.

This was a residence Li Che had found outside the city—a quiet spot free from disturbances.

At least it would do for now.

Dressed in a sleek black outfit, Li Che’s frame was impressively defined by taut muscles and sinews that ran like those of a coiled serpent.

His qi and blood surged in waves of heat, rolling and churning through the bamboo courtyard.

It was as if his life-force had transformed into a living, writhing snake, hissing and constricting.

Inside, a tumult churned in his stomach as he crushed and assimilated the Python Blood Martial Pill, extracting its mighty medicinal power and refining it into qi and blood that coursed through his minor Zhou meridians.

With hooked fingers, he lashed out—and suddenly a wild gust arose as if a white tiger had roared into being behind him!

White Tiger Turbulent Wind Fist!

This martial technique, refined to its transformative stage by Li Che and further perfected by his innovations, had long become a top-tier skill with formidable power.

Every move exuded the domineering, lethal ferocity of a white tiger!

Another technique—the Xu Ji Eight-Link Bone-Shattering Spear—had likewise been honed by Li Che into a superior martial art!

The level 3 Dragon Elephant Vajra bestowed an enormous boost to his martial talent!

Not only could he refine a technique to peerless perfection, but he also possessed a unique insight into martial arts—able to grasp and replicate almost any technique in just one day!

This was the unprecedented level 3 talent for cross-training in martial arts!

A martial technique typically develops from the beginner’s phase, then into minor mastery, grand mastery, expert, and finally the transformative state—a measure of proficiency.

Once a technique reaches the initial stage of transformation, its power nears its peak; beyond that lies the true essence of martial dao.

Li Qingshan had explained this to Li Che.

To attain the true essence of martial dao, one’s skills must ascend to the ‘True Essence Absolute Technique’ level.

Although both White Tiger Turbulent Wind Fist and the refined Xu Ji Eight-Link Bone-Shattering Spear had reached superior heights, aspiring to the absolute realm of martial dao remained nearly impossible.

Moreover, divinely imbued techniques could never produce the true essence of martial dao; only pure qi and blood techniques could give rise to it.

His qi and blood gradually coalesced as the pulverized Martial Pill was slowly digested.

It transformed into a surging torrent of energy that fortified his organs and generated an inner force as fierce as that of a dragon.

Boom!

Every move in his martial practice accelerated the flow of his qi and blood, hastening the activation of the Martial Pill’s properties.

After unleashing the White Tiger Turbulent Wind Fist, Li Che clenched his fingers, silently tearing through the air as he expelled a long, blood-etched spear—the divine weapon of the Nine Luminaries, the Liuxue Stun Spear!

With the divine spear in hand, its sweeping motion sent gusts scattering as turbulent energy swirled around him!

Amid its whistling, a piercing roar echoed through the forest, unceasing and overwhelming!

Even without divine essence, a divine weapon’s hardness, resilience, and sharpness far surpassed those of ordinary arms.

As a blood serpent roared forth and eight successive cracking sounds filled the air, Li Che finally retracted the Liuxue Stun Spear.

‘The final Python Blood Martial Pill… is enough. My cultivation has reached the pinnacle of my qi channels; my inner energy surges like a mighty dragon. Only mastering the Xuanmai Technique remains to break through,’ he declared.

Li Che exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and swallowed the final Python Blood Martial Pill.

With that, every Martial Pill acquired from the Yang Family treasury was consumed—tens of thousands of taels’ worth of resources spent—to propel his cultivation to the summit of his qi channels.

As the medicinal properties of the last Martial Pill were entirely absorbed by his body…

The entire courtyard simmered with searing energy and rolling heat.

Li Che opened his eyes, his gaze sparkling brilliantly.

‘With my body foundation solidified, even without activating Angry Gaze Vajra, I could easily defeat an ordinary Xuanmai fighter…’

‘It seems I can now begin forging the Three-Eyed Fuming True Lord Divine Foundation…’

……

……

Forging a divine foundation wasn’t achieved by mere passion alone.

According to the Temple Spirit’s divine foundation method, plenty of preparations were needed.

It was more akin to a ritual.

Li Che compared it with the heart-stirring divine foundation method he had received from the Yang Family Patriarch; although the required items differed, the rituals were essentially the same.

And the most crucial element was to prepare three divine objects—be it a wood carving, a jade carving, or even a scroll.

However, wood carvings were preferred, ideally crafted from spiritual wood.

Among the Yang Family Patriarch’s treasures was a wooden stump made of spiritual wood known as ‘Linghua Liu.’ Although it was in the same category as ‘Blood and Flesh Red,’ its value was quite different—the ‘Linghua Liu’ was large yet significantly cheaper.

For the design of the wood carving, detailed diagrams were provided in the divine foundation method.

Being a master woodcarver himself, Li Che found this no trouble at all, while the other three sacrificial animals and five livestock required merely time to arrange.

After consolidating his qi and blood to exhibit his perfected Bone Tempering cultivation, Li Che changed into a pristine black outfit that exuded gentility and warmth. Gripping his Feilei Chess Piece, he returned to the predetermined anchor point—the study in his courtyard.

Today was a major day in Feilei City.

On the day City Lord Cao Guang hosted a banquet at Jinhuang Pavilion for the Divine Sect’s envoy, every prominent family in Feilei City brought their children with prodigious potential for evaluation.

In past years, aside from the Divine Sect recruiting these prodigies, even the imperial court of the Great Jing Court would enroll them.

However, with the spreading calamity of the Bizarre Temple incident, the court abandoned recruiting prodigious children, leaving it to the families to nurture on their own, while the Divine Sect continued sending envoys.

Although some elite families might conceal their prized prodigies, most ordinary households hoped their children would join the Divine Sect and change their destiny.

The Divine Sect’s standing in the eyes of the Great Jing public was extraordinarily prestigious.

Yet, how many prodigies Feilei City would produce this year remained uncertain.

Inside, his wife Zhang Ya was braiding XiXi’s hair.

After a brief wait, Li Che, accompanied by his well-dressed wife Zhang Ya, left with XiXi.

Li Qingshan and Lu Chi had already headed to Jinhuang Pavilion. As representatives of the Divine Sect, they couldn’t accompany Li Che’s family.

Old Chen wasn’t idle either—carrying his large wine gourd, he trailed behind, planning to join in the merriment.

Out of the alley, Uncle’s family, who had also relocated to the Inner City, were already waiting in the biting wind.

Uncle still wore his scholar’s robe with a cotton lining, puffing on dry tobacco.

Cousin Li Zhengran’s family waited nearby. Li Che’s nephew, Li Chengzhou, was already three; compared to XiXi, he was more composed, fair, and exuded a hint of youthful handsomeness.

Upon seeing Li Che’s family, Cousin Li Zhengran immediately broke into a smile—thanks to Li Che’s influence, his family was faring quite well in the Inner City.

The moment XiXi stepped out of the alley, she broke free from Li Che’s hand and ran to Li Chengzhou’s side.

‘Little Chengzhou!’

XiXi fondly took Li Chengzhou’s hand.

Li Chengzhou’s fair face instantly flushed red, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

‘You look so adorable, little brother,’ XiXi cooed as she stared at him.

In an instinctive attempt to hide, Li Chengzhou struggled and edged toward cousin-in-law Liu Chunming’s side.

‘Don’t be scared, little Chengzhou, sister is here to play with you,’ Liu Chunming quickly comforted him.

XiXi paid no mind, cheerfully bouncing closer.

Li Che paused, silently at a loss for words.

This kid… already fixated on good looks at such a young age?

You weren’t like this with Lu Da Tou, though.

Li Che pursed his lips and suddenly was taken aback.

Wait a minute… after all precautions—could Yellow-Haired really be my daughter?!

All along, the Inner City residents—who had rarely ventured out after the Yang Family massacre—were now appearing with their children, all heading for Jinhuang Pavilion.

By the time they reached Jinhuang Pavilion, crowds had inexplicably filled the area outside.

Li Qingshan had long arranged for Lu Chi to wait outside; upon spotting Li Che’s group, he ushered them into Jinhuang Pavilion and seated them at an Eight Immortals feast table draped in red cloth.

‘Why are there so many people?’ Li Che remarked in slight astonishment.

‘The number of children in Feilei City… seems far greater than I had imagined,’ came the reply.

Li Che had thought that after the incidents with the Lingying Sect, the number of children in Feilei City would have plummeted.

Lu Chi, watching XiXi holding Li Chengzhou’s hand, frowned slightly—it seemed he had never experienced such attention.

Hearing Li Che’s words, Lu Chi flicked his Nezha-style braid and said, ‘Don’t be fooled by the numerous children here; genuine prodigies are scarce…’

‘The Lingying Sect cares only for true prodigies—not just any child. They won’t entertain mediocrity.’

Lu Chi’s words were refreshingly straightforward.

As everyone sat down to feast—a banquet funded by City Lord Cao Guang, essentially free—it delighted Li Che immensely.

Although he had amassed vast riches from the Yang Family, he still relished the thrill of getting things for free.

The banquet was over halfway through.

After City Lord Cao Guang gave a brief speech, Li Qingshan casually stood, his eyes sweeping over Jinhuang Pavilion and the bustling crowd outside.

He noticed numerous wide-eyed, curious children.

Some even brought infants still swaddled, hoping to try their luck.

Unfazed by the scene, Li Qingshan calmly stated, ‘Next year, on the Vernal Equinox in February, the Qianyuan Divine Sect will open its mountain gate to recruit prodigies. Any child aged three or above from the cities under Jin Guang Mansion, upon verification as a prodigy, will be accepted into our Divine Sect.’

‘Next February, during the Vernal Equinox, the sect’s entrance exam—for both outsiders and insiders—will be held in Jin Guang Mansion City.’

Li Qingshan’s soft voice echoed throughout Jinhuang Pavilion and outside, reaching nearly every ear.

In an instant, the crowd erupted into commotion.

‘Of course, aside from prodigies, those with commendable martial foundations may also earn a chance to partake in the entrance exam in the capital.’

Li Qingshan added another remark.

The atmosphere below grew even more fervent, though Li Qingshan merely shook his head.

He glanced at City Lord Cao Guang—whose face was filled with smiles yet remained unfazed—and continued beaming.

‘Any child aged three or above may enter Jinhuang Pavilion. I will scrutinize each and determine whether they are true prodigies with solid foundations; those who don’t qualify need not enter,’ he declared.

After Li Qingshan finished speaking…

City Lord Cao Guang waved his hand, and soon, Inspector Zhang Xiangyang went off to arrange for the qualifying children to be ushered into Jinhuang Pavilion.

The surroundings then fell silent.

‘I shall use the Divine Sect’s Divination of Essence—those possessing prodigious divine essence will burst forth with purple light: one streak for lower grade, three for middle, six for upper, and nine for a supreme prodigy…’ he explained.

‘Parents, please note: the Divine Sect’s selection of prodigies will be fair and just.’

Li Qingshan stated calmly.

As his words faded, City Lord Cao Guang’s expression shifted subtly—the smile on his face frozen into a hint of gloom.

Clearly, Li Qingshan was doing this on purpose. Traditionally, the Divine Sect’s envoys discreetly used Divination of Essence to select prodigies, but Li Qingshan was making a fuss, seemingly intent on catching Cao Guang off guard.

After all, most of Feilei City’s prodigious children had been snatched by the Lingying Sect.

The remainder were not true prodigies.

After scanning with Divination of Essence, only one or two prodigies appeared—putting Feilei City at risk of embarrassment.

Yet, Li Qingshan paid no mind to Cao Guang’s expression.

‘If you dare to act, you have no right to complain about your nerve,’ he implied.

‘Everyone, just watch,’ he proclaimed.

With his words finished, Li Qingshan formed intricate hand seals, and his eyes began to shimmer with a purple glow.

A surging torrent of energy swept forth, permeating every corner of Jinhuang Pavilion.

Everyone looked around in astonishment.

However…

Inside Jinhuang Pavilion, only a scant four bursts of purple light emerged.

How could there be so few?

Out of the several hundred, nearly a thousand children present, only four manifested purple light?

Although Cao Guang was aware of the result, he subconsciously glanced toward the four points from which the purple light emanated.

As luck would have it, all four bursts converged on one table.

At that sight, his expression completely changed.

First, he saw XiXi surrounded by nine vibrant streaks of purple light.

A supreme prodigy?

Could it be a supreme prodigy?!

Cao Guang had always assumed that XiXi was merely upper-grade—he had been gravely mistaken!

Had he known that Li Che’s daughter, Li Nuǎnxi, was a supreme prodigy, he surely would have acted before Li Qingshan arrived!

A supreme prodigy… the finest offering for sacrifice!

Beside Li Nuǎnxi, another burst of dazzling brilliance—with strength comparable to nine streaks of purple light—had erupted.

Another supreme prodigy?!

Cao Guang’s face darkened; how had he overlooked two supreme prodigies right under his nose?

However, his gaze soon shifted.

Cao Guang’s eyes froze for a moment…

For under the wavering nine-streak purple glow was none other than Li Che, devouring his meal heartily.

This twenty-two-year-old old man…

And he could also be called a prodigy?!

……

……

The atmosphere of the scene had an uncanny quality.

Many noticed the shimmering purple light surrounding Li Che.

‘Did the Divination of Essence malfunction? How can Master Li also exhibit the purple glow reserved for prodigies—and with nine streaks no less…?’

‘Exactly, isn’t prodigy divine essence supposed to be innate from birth?’

‘Once a person matures, his innate divine essence is quickly assimilated by the energy drawn from the heavens and earth—disqualifying him from being a prodigy.’

‘Could it be that Master Li, having just become a master woodcarver, now has a newly awakened divine essence?’

……

Murmurs filled the air incessantly.

Li Che’s expression revealed a touch of helpless resignation.

His identity as a twenty-two-year-old prodigy had ultimately been exposed.

Li Qingshan hadn’t mentioned such a segment, after all.

In answer to the many questions, Li Qingshan confidently stated that the Divine Sect’s Divination of Essence could never err.

That meant Li Che indeed possessed prodigious divine essence.

The Xu Family Patriarch, along with Xu Helil and other members of the Xu Family, gave Li Che—a twenty-two-year-old prodigy—a strange, scrutinizing look, as if his situation was as challenging as that of a twenty-two-year-old virgin!

Yet, they were merely astonished—their minds still filled with doubts.

Most of their attention, however, remained fixed on Li Nuǎnxi.

A supreme prodigy, indeed…

The Xu Family had clearly misjudged!

If only they had known that XiXi was a supreme prodigy…

The Xu Family Patriarch’s breath quickened as his gaze grew intensely fervent.

The gap between a supreme prodigy and an upper-grade one was practically worlds apart.

Besides Li Che and XiXi, the other two bursts of purple light from the Divination of Essence emanated from Lu Chi and Li Chengzhou.

Lu Chi shone as an upper-grade prodigy, while Li Chengzhou exhibited only a single streak—just lower grade, yet still recognized as a prodigy.

He was one of those overlooked under the watchful eyes of the City Lord.

This prompted City Lord Cao Guang to cast an extra glance, astonished that Li Chengzhou was even related to Li Che.

For a moment, Cao Guang felt nothing but dark omens in his heart.

‘Those of you who come up, possessing prodigious divine essence, will surely enter our Divine Sect. Next February, during the Vernal Equinox in Jin Guang Mansion City, the sect entrance exam will be held. As prodigies, you are destined for the Divine Sect—the exam mainly serves to assign your positions as disciples,’ he declared.

‘As for those with merely adequate martial foundations, only by standing out during the exam can they avoid elimination.’

Li Qingshan gathered the selected prodigies together and briefly spoke.

Then, as Qian Kun Jade trembled, one by one, jade pendants floated out and descended upon the chosen prodigies.

Li Che accepted one with a beaming smile.

Li Qingshan glanced at him but said no more—those prodigies selected through his Divination of Essence were to be acknowledged, even if it brought tears.

‘This is the lower-grade Qian Kun Jade, imbued with the cosmos. It can conceal or retrieve items at will, though it requires a certain activation time. It serves as your identity token as Divine Sect prodigies—once inside Jin Guang Mansion, you may use it to participate in the entrance exam,’ he explained.

Li Qingshan stated.

‘In addition, there is a bottle of Yangxing Dan containing ten pills in total; one pill is to be taken every five days to accelerate cultivation, and a Yuan Gui Martial Pill to fortify one’s foundation and nourish qi and blood.’

At this, Li Che’s eyes lit up—prodigies even enjoyed such benefits?

He happily scanned the contents of the Qian Kun Jade.

His smile deepened even further.

Those around him stared oddly, yet Li Che remained completely unruffled.

He had earned these items through his own merit—what was there to be ashamed of?

As for those with merely adequate martial foundations, Li Qingshan was far less generous; after issuing the identity tokens, the candidates were sent on their way.

After all, none among these children had that extraordinary talent to catch Li Qingshan’s eye.

The banquet dispersed.

Numerous woodcarvers from Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop, who were once his colleagues, gathered around.

‘Congratulations, Master Li! Both father and daughter have been recognized as prodigies!’

‘Master Li, congratulations! Henceforth, entering the Divine Sect means soaring to great heights!’

‘Truly, a pair of dual geniuses—a father and daughter, both supreme prodigies—a remarkable tale indeed!’

Li Che greeted the woodcarvers with a bright smile.

Then, with a grand gesture, he announced that tonight at Jinhuang Pavilion, a hundred tables would be set for a banquet in honor of his daughter!

No red envelopes required—the event was open to all guests.

A celebration for Li Nuǎnxi’s entry into the Divine Sect!

……

……

Night fell.

At the City Lord’s residence, beneath the octagonal, double-eaved halls.

Cao Guang stood with his arms folded, gazing at the brilliantly lit, lively Jinhuang Pavilion; the night swallowed the light, leaving his expression dark and uncertain.

Moments later.

Soft footsteps echoed from behind him.

It was Cao Qingyuan and Cao He.

‘Li Che’s daughter… she actually is a supreme prodigy! We misjudged her… we trusted the Xu Family’s assessment too much,’ they remarked.

‘Naturally, it’s hard to distinguish a supreme prodigy from an upper-grade one without the Divine Sect’s Divination of Essence—relying solely on experience can easily be misleading.’

Cao Guang exhaled a long breath.

Second Young Master Cao He squinted, his aged face hardening as he asked, ‘Shall I step in and personally seize Li Nuǎnxi?’

‘I know Li Qingshan is around, but I only kidnap prodigies—if it fails, I retreat,’ he added.

Cao Guang felt a stirring; the allure of a supreme prodigy was simply too great.

As for Li Che—the twenty-two-year-old prodigy—Cao Guang still harbored doubts.

Which man can remain in his prime for so long?

Thus, his temptation lay more with Li Nuǎnxi.

Yet, he restrained himself.

‘Forget it. With Li Qingshan present—even if his divine essence wanes, he is still a martial dao master… there’s no need to provoke him,’ he concluded.

‘Li Qingshan won’t linger in Feilei City; he must travel to other cities to recruit prodigies.’

‘And Li Che’s family will undoubtedly follow,’ he added.

‘Let’s not complicate matters further. The success of the Qianfo Carving Banquet is paramount. Once they leave, missing out on a supreme prodigy is of no consequence.’

‘Qingyuan, what is the status of your task?’

Cao Qingyuan, folding his hands respectfully, replied, ‘Father, I have successfully brought back two mid-grade prodigies from the neighboring city. The prodigy blood and bones are now assembled…’

‘Excellent. Now that the prodigy blood and bones are gathered, once Li Qingshan—this big nuisance—leaves Feilei City, the Qianfo Carving Banquet can commence its ritual…’

In the darkness, Cao Guang’s eyes gleamed with a cold, piercing light.

With his words finished.

Amidst the octagonal, double-eaved pavilions.

Heavy breaths, mingled with greed, ambition, and expectation, rose and fell in succession.

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