Chapter 92: A Storm of Divine Fury

Hero?

Granny Mu was momentarily stunned: “In this world… heroes don’t live long.”

The carriage, softened with plush cushions, offered no true comfort on the bumpy road, as Li Qingshan held Granny Mu’s hand despite her age—the skin on her hand far from the smooth, tender feel of youth.

Yet Li Qingshan clung to it as if he could never let go.

He idly toyed with his long, graceful fingers.

“Heroes truly don’t last long,” he mused.

“But that guy is different… if you overlook his methods, he can still be called a hero.”

Li Qingshan laughed.

Granny Mu instantly knew exactly who he meant.

She couldn’t help but recall the time when Xu Family Divine Cultivation Institute was attacked and, in her utter despair, she planned to perish along with those Yang Family scoundrels…

A towering figure had stepped forward, shattering the Yang Family’s plot to seize the Prodigy and saving the innocent children.

Ogre—a ruthless and grim figure who hardly resembled a gentleman… yet, in Granny Mu’s eyes, a hero indeed.

At least, to her, Ogre, who saved the children, was a hero!

“Ogre? He… dares meddle in the ‘Thousand Buddha Carved Feast’?”

Granny Mu frowned and couldn’t help but ask.

Cao Guang had spent years preparing for the Thousand Buddha Carved Feast—be it expanding the Lingying Sect, capturing Prodigies, or lavishly hiring master wooden carvers from all ethnic groups to craft Spirit Infant Wooden Carvings…

Years of scheming, all for one grand feast.

Granny Mu was no fool; she knew Cao Guang was clearly aiming to boost his own power.

He likely intended to harness the feast to borrow the Temple Spirit’s divine power for his own ascent.

Rituals were a common sight in this world.

In her youth, Granny Mu had journeyed across the land and witnessed countless rites.

River villages would sacrifice maidens or young girls along with various livestock to appease the River God.

Mountain villages, too, held rituals for their Mountain Lords and deities.

Even the desert’s sandcastles and the small nations around oases revered their own gods.

Rituals at the Bizarre Temple were even more numerous—even though its divine nature could spawn malevolent spirits and cursed corpses that wreaked havoc.

After all, the Bizarre Temple housed gods—dead gods who were still gods.

Many formidable cultivators had transcended their limits through worship, gaining power beyond themselves, indifferent to whether the gods were eccentric or sinister.

Granny Mu was well aware that Cao Guang, too, dabbled in such rites.

But what could she do?

She was powerless to intervene—a withered mortal with dwindling divine aura and depleted vitality, an old woman barely clinging to life without a forged divine foundation.

Noticing Granny Mu’s reminiscence, Li Qingshan smiled, “Why wouldn’t he dare?”

“You really think he’ll die? That kid’s knack for survival is damn impressive.”

Li Qingshan recalled Li Che’s Breath Convergence technique and the endless array of Tang Hidden Blades capable of taking down divine cultivators…

Even though the Thousand Buddha Carved Feast had been Cao Guang’s years-long project and his precautions were ample,

but…

Ogre might not easily perish.

Ogre’s brutal methods, with misdeeds spanning a thousand years, meant he wouldn’t simply die.

“Besides… isn’t there the old man?”

Granny Mu couldn’t help but chuckle at Li Qingshan, still as shamelessly arrogant as in his youth.

“Do you really know Ogre? Do you know his true face?”

Granny Mu asked curiously.

Who is Ogre?

She wondered, for Li Qingshan seemed to know Ogre’s real identity.

Suddenly, the neighing of steeds and the pounding of hooves on muddy ground grew more urgent, as sleet and rain lashed incessantly against the carriage.

Li Qingshan, casually leading Granny Mu, said nothing in reply.

Abruptly, he sat up straight, his eyes gleaming sharply.

“Here we go.”

He pulled aside the curtain and gazed toward the gloomy sky with a gentle smile.

Granny Mu was momentarily stunned.

In the very next moment,

she saw Li Qingshan step out by drawing back the carriage curtain; with a light tap of his toes, he seemed to float onto the head of a galloping steed, much to the coachman’s astonishment.

Even as the horse’s head bobbed with each stride and its drenched mane wildly flailed,

nothing could disturb the old man in blue.

A wild wind mixed with rain burst forth before the man atop the horse’s head, as if a grand performance had just begun.

Woo woo woo—

The heavens and earth seemed to echo with a heavy, mournful wail!

It was as if a ferocious beast were growling and roaring!

Countless raindrops exploded into a vast, white, churning wave.

Atop the crest stood a jet-black Horned Hammer!

Its prominent, sharp spike jutted out like a short spear, poised to pierce the sky!

In the distance, a figure hurled the hammer, clenching his fist before melting away into the rain.

The old man raised his hand.

The Horned Hammer shot through the air and was caught firmly in his grasp.

An overwhelming divine aura erupted from the hammer, as if it had transformed into a peerless, furious beast charging at the heavens!

In an instant, it seemed as if even the rain had halted.

“Horned Hammer… it grants me only a tenth of divine aura, but that’s enough,” he declared.

“To deal with those miscreants… more than enough.”

Li Qingshan gripped the Horned Hammer as his blue robes billowed and his hunched shoulders gradually straightened.

Filled with renewed vigor, he stretched languidly toward the heavens and earth.

Back in the carriage, Granny Mu sat, her eyes wide with astonishment.

In that instant, the hunched figure reminded her of the days when a white steed once thundered across the martial world.

She recalled the sight of a spirited, mighty young man in blue.

That year…

Youth brimmed with ambition, and beauties shone like jade.

……

……

Feilei City.

City Lord’s Residence, beneath an octagonal, double-eaved roof.

Wind and rain battered the shrouded landscape; distant, cold mountains wrapped in mist evoked the delicate strokes of an ink-washed painting.

Cao Guang had donned a pristine, resplendent brocade robe—adorned with gold and silver—as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back atop the city tower.

His eyes were deep and mysterious, as if hiding deadly blades.

A blurred figure appeared, exuding a volatile aura and carrying a knife radiating formidable energy—none other than Cao Guang’s son, Cao Qingyuan.

“Have you found your Second Uncle’s corpse yet?”

Cao Guang, gazing at the raging rain, remarked softly.

Cao Qingyuan’s face turned icy, and a flash of sorrow crossed his eyes as he shook his head, “I haven’t found him. The relentless overnight rain washed away too many traces—I only recovered a few pieces of shattered flesh…”

“Shattered flesh…”

Cao Guang’s lips trembled as his face twitched.

It was confirmed…

How ruthless!

Li Qingshan!

Horned Hammer… Li Qingshan!

Cao He must have fallen victim to Li Qingshan’s lethal blow—instantly shattered by the hammer, reduced to scattered bits of flesh.

Rumors from the City told of Li Qingshan with his Horned Hammer—ruthless and violent, his foes either blasted apart or pounded flat…

Cao He… not a scrap of bone remains.

“Second Uncle…”

Cao Qingyuan was overcome with sorrow.

But then, Cao Guang turned around—his gaze icy, his face marked by rolling, lightning-like serpents amid dark clouds, even appearing grotesque.

“Why lament? Has the Thousand Buddha Carved Feast been prepared already? You think Li Qingshan, having stayed in Feilei City for so long, would suddenly vanish—and why?”

“He’s giving us a chance to perform the ritual. He’ll definitely return—once the ritual is complete, he’ll come back to strike!”

Cao Guang’s face turned icily cold as he spat out words that sent shivers down Cao Qingyuan’s spine.

“He… is faking his departure?”

“He knows that being in the city means I won’t perform the ritual; and although he has master-level cultivation, relying solely on his vitality, he can’t hammer me to death.”

Cao Guang said coldly.

“That’s why he must have siphoned divine aura from the Divine Sect’s mountain gate… He’s set to gather aura outside the city, giving us the perfect chance for our ritual…”

As he spoke, Cao Guang closed his eyes, his body trembling slightly.

“If I don’t perform the ritual, the Li Qingshan endowed with divine aura… I wouldn’t stand a chance against his blows. I’d be shattered—then it’s all over.”

“He’s forcing me…”

“Openly or covertly… he’s forcing me!”

Cao Guang’s words struck Cao Qingyuan like thunder, making him tremble and step back involuntarily.

“Does he not realize that if we perform the ritual, the Temple Spirit will be fully awakened…”

“Does he dare face the fully awakened Temple Spirit of the Bizarre Temple?!”

Cao Qingyuan’s voice rose a few decibels.

Cao Guang exhaled, his tone slightly bitter, “Perhaps… he never regarded us at all…”

“Has he always aimed to crush the Temple Spirit?”

Cao Qingyuan paused.

“He is… truly arrogant?”

Cao Guang suddenly smiled bitterly, his eyes filled with grim ferocity, as if reopening a long-forgotten scar.

“This hardly qualifies as arrogance… I’ve seen someone even more brazen than Li Qingshan…”

He shook his head.

Cao Guang’s thoughts returned as he glanced at Cao Qingyuan.

“I’d already guessed his intention. Since Li Qingshan is mad, I’ll go along with his madness.”

“We perform the ritual today. Once a major rite is complete and if my cultivation breakthroughs occur… Li Qingshan might not be able to touch me.”

“Although he ranks among the top ten divine cultivators, most of his divine aura remains with the Temple Spirit at the Bizarre Temple in the Divine Sect’s branch—less than a tenth is retrievable.”

“A mere tenth of divine aura… what’s there to fear?”

A dominating, furious divine aura slowly twisted out of Cao Guang, instantly filling the entire pavilion!

“Moreover… now that I know his intention, how could I not prepare a little surprise?”

“Li Qingshan—born with divine strength… possessing a master-level mortal body.”

“I must say… I like him the most.”

Cao Guang grinned eerily, his smile predatory as if he might devour a man.

Cao Qingyuan was overcome by a chill.

Suddenly, a thunderous sound—as if Cao Guang were capturing souls—rang in their ears.

“Spread the word…”

“Thousand Buddha Carved Feast.”

“Begin the ritual!”

……

……

The slanting wind and rain pounded the carriage relentlessly.

It pattered like hailstones falling from the sky.

Inside the warm carriage, XiXi, after the initial excitement, dozed off in Zhang Ya’s arms amid the monotonous, jolting journey.

The burning charcoal stove warmed the carriage, banishing the chill brought by the rain and snow.

Lu Chi, sporting a naze braid, glared wide-eyed.

Li Che gently draped blankets over the sleeping pair and then turned to look at Lu Chi.

“Take care of them,”

Li Che said.

Lu Chi instantly understood what Li Che intended to do.

“It’s dangerous…” Lu Chi whispered anxiously.

“My master must have had that legendary Horned Hammer delivered—if he wields it and strikes fiercely, one swing is enough.”

“Don’t try to be a hero!”

Li Che gave Lu Chi a quirky look, “Hero? I’ve never wanted to be one…”

“Then you…” Lu Chi began, but

Li Che smacked his bald head, silencing him.

“Alright, I just have some personal matters to attend to. If danger really comes, I’ll vanish faster than your master—even if he dies, I won’t.”

Lu Chi was speechless, silently thanking him on his master’s behalf.

“My master is truly formidable…”

He muttered in reluctant admiration.

Li Che gently lifted the curtain and smiled, “Senior Qingshan is really impressive…”

“But when it comes to escaping for your life, I outdo him.”

With that, Li Che left the carriage.

Outside, wind and rain whimpered as dark clouds were swept across the sky.

Slanted rain mixed with ice and snow pattered incessantly on the bamboo hat.

Li Che opened his umbrella and stepped onto the carriage, when the escort Qian He immediately tugged the reins.

“Master Li… the weather isn’t good today. I don’t know why suddenly the wind and rain have come in such force.”

Qian He pulled at the reins; his clothes were already soaked.

But as a Blood Exchange warrior, he didn’t mind the chill.

“Master Li, with a storm like this, you shouldn’t go out—you’ll catch your death in the rain.”

Li Che replied with a smile, “No matter—I’m heading to that carriage to carve some divine wooden sculptures to sell in the City. They say living in the city isn’t easy, so with a family to support, better be prepared.”

“And while I’m at it, I might hone my wood carving skills—after all, joining the Qianyuan Divine Sect depends on that craft.”

Upon hearing this, Qian He immediately felt deep respect.

Indeed, Master Li’s success wasn’t merely luck—talent, hard work, and effort were indispensable.

With his own vitality cultivation, Li Che effortlessly leapt onto another carriage.

“Escort Qian, when I’m crafting my divine wooden sculptures, I prefer not to be disturbed. If anything urgent arises, contact Master Chen.”

Li Che said this solemnly.

Qian He quickly nodded.

Then Li Che disappeared into the lumber-filled carriage.

Instantly, the outside world grew silent as the roaring wind and rain were shut out.

Li Che exhaled a breath of turbid air.

He didn’t immediately activate the Feilei Chess Piece anchoring points left in Feilei City to return there.

Instead, he leaned back on the soft carriage seat, his sword slicing through the air.

The Qian Kun Jade he had gained from killing Cao He the previous night slipped from his grasp.

With a tap of his finger, the divine aura within the jade was instantly crushed, revealing all that it contained to Li Che.

Compared to Yang Family cultivator Yang Jing and the ‘Horseface’ Cao He, his riches were pitiful.

The Qian Kun Jade held mostly ordinary weapons and only a few hundred taels of silver; with no more than ten Gold Leaves, such wealth was downright shabby for a divine cultivator.

Yet in martial arts, there was an unexpected surprise.

The “Dajing Temple’s Supreme Xuanmai Technique”!

This… is the Supreme Xuanmai Technique!

Li Che’s eyes sparkled; his cultivation of vitality had already reached the pinnacle of the Qi Meridians.

Alas, he still lacked the Xuanmai Technique.

According to Li Qingshan, to bestow the technique he’d need to join the Divine Sect—meaning Li Che would have to wait until the Spring Equinox next February.

But now…

what an unexpected windfall.

“Dajing Town Temple’s Meridian Martial Technique… it appears that this ‘Horseface’ really hails from the Imperial Court’s City Lord’s Residence, whose divine cultivators are only a few.”

Li Che had deduced the person’s identity,

but he wasn’t surprised—it only confirmed his suspicions.

He didn’t immediately practice the Xuanmai Technique.

After receiving his Qiankun Space, Li Che resumed taking inventory.

Regarding divine techniques, he had only the “Dajing Town Temple Nine Luminaries of Furious Amitabha Divine Foundation Technique,” which, for someone like him with an established divine foundation, was rather mediocre.

“This is…”

Suddenly, Li Che’s mind stirred.

A Black Jade Pure Bottle materialized in his hand.

“A Martial Pill? And only one?”

Li Che raised his eyebrows.

His Thousand Analysis Hand activated, turning his palm a jade hue.

He poured out the pill; as it landed, a potent medicinal scent mixed with a sharp, fishy odor instantly filled the carriage.

At the same time, information about the pill emerged.

His Thousand Analysis Hand quickly deciphered it.

……

[Martial Pill (Lower Ninth Rank): Dajing Qintian Fury Xuanjiao Martial Pill]

[Craft: Using the miscellaneous blood of an Eighth-Stage Demon Creature’s Fury Xuanjiao, blended with ten herbs and refined by the exclusive formula of the Imperial Watch alchemists over two hours to create a pill—one furnace yields nine pills. Its potency is extremely high; it smells fetid yet tastes mildly sweet.]

[Usage: For Qi-Pulse warriors and above]

……

Li Che’s breathing quickened, and his eyes gleamed.

“A pill from the Dajing Qintian Bureau?!”

He suddenly understood why Cao He’s Qian Kun Jade contained so little wealth—it was utterly inconsistent with that of an old-school divine cultivator.

It now seemed that most of his riches had been spent on purchasing this pill.

A lower ninth rank pill is worth more than a thousand gold!

Moreover, coming from the Imperial Watch, its quality was ensured. Though Dajing was no longer at its zenith, the name still guaranteed excellence.

Whether it was their pills, talismans, or divine wooden sculptures, they were unrivaled in Dajing.

It was said that the Imperial Watch housed some of the most talented wooden carving masters of the Dajing Dynasty.

And after the once-glorious Tang Mechanical Family fell, most of their master artificers were absorbed into the Imperial Watch.

Li Che’s eyes flickered, “The Imperial Watch…”

It seemed that the City even had a branch of the Imperial Watch.

“I wonder… does the City branch of the Imperial Watch have a complete and detailed manual of Tang Mechanical Techniques?”

Li Che pondered.

Looking at the pill in his hand, he furrowed his brow—he’d once thought his wealth would ensure endless comfort, but it now seemed he’d been too presumptuous.

“To enjoy pill freedom, I need to make more money.”

“City Lord’s Residence…”

Li Che’s eyes glimmered slightly; fortunately, his path to riches was neither too near nor too far.

With a flick of his hand, he stored the pill into the Black Jade Pure Bottle and returned it to his Qiankun Space.

A finger flick later, a Cute Cow Mask slid into his hand and he donned it over his face.

His fingers clenched tightly.

In an instant, the air seemed to ripple.

When Li Che opened his eyes, he was back in the Study of the Courtyard in the Inner City.

The study lay silent and empty.

It exuded an aura of desolate emptiness.

Seated on a wooden chair beneath his adorable Cute Cow Mask, his eyes gleamed with sharp brilliance.

Then he donned his stretchy black robe and grabbed the bamboo hat hanging by the door.

With a bang,

the door burst open.

Howling wind and driving rain stormed in, whipping Li Che’s black robe into a frenzy.

With a thud, his frame swelled, forcing his robe to puff out as sinewy muscles jutted from his back, sending countless raindrops into a misty spray.

Dark clouds mingled as electric serpents writhed in the sky.

Li Che looked up as rain and snow pelted his mask.

Feeling the unique aura of the entire city, his gaze hardened.

“Has the Thousand Buddha Carved Feast begun?”

“But…”

Li Che’s body tensed as the Dragon Elephant Vajra surged, drawing in all his vitality—comparable in strength to the famed Turtle Breath Technique.

Bang—!

With a light tap on the blue brick floor, a burst of water splashed silently.

His entire form shot off toward Xu Ji Courtyard in the Inner City.

It’s the last day of the month! Please vote, follow, and support the chapter—aim for quality, and thank you all! Old Li sends his gratitude!