Chapter 143: Schemes in the Snow

“Ogre Cultivator!”

“Please wait.”

Nan Lihuo looked at the burly Ogre—whose build resembled a towering pagoda—raised his hand with a gentle smile, and called out.

Li Che had planned to leave.

He had important matters to attend to and feared Nan Lihuo might try to detain him.

After all, Nan Lihuo was a Nascent Soul cultivator; in the Divine Vision realm, the Illusory stage was half-hearted, so reaching the Nascent Soul stage meant becoming a full-fledged divine seer.

The oppressive force of rank was the apex of Divine Vision power.

Li Che stayed on high alert, never allowing himself any slack, his mind razor-sharp and ready to clutch the Feilei Chess Piece to escape at a moment’s notice.

The masked Ogre glared at Nan Lihuo.

Although his Ascending Stance had faded, the searing, molten aura of his blood still roared, warping the space around him.

Nan Lihuo also maintained his distance to show there was no malice, using his Divine Perception to transmit his thoughts and clarify his intentions.

“Ogre Cultivator, you and Ma Mian must be from the same organization, aren’t you?”

Nan Lihuo transmitted his query through his spirit.

“I don’t know, but if I call you both to act… what price must be paid?”

Nan Lihuo was well aware that the Ogre was on guard.

Based on what he knew, the Ogre was extraordinarily cautious and rarely put himself in harm’s way.

So Nan Lihuo got straight to the point, clearly stating why he wanted him to stay.

Li Che was taken aback—another cultivator hiring Ogre and Ma Mian?

After Li Qingshan, was Nan Lihuo now planning to hire Ogre and Ma Mian too?

Were they treating Ogre and Ma Mian like a hired assassin squad?

All sorts of hireings…

It sounded rather tempting!

Li Che even felt a flicker of interest…

What if they actually formed a hit squad?

After all, Ma Mian’s sniping is practically expert assassination.

And the Ogre… silently moving through darkness, striking and disappearing as soon as the deed was done.

Equally professional!

Killing and scavenging for corpses could earn you not just one commission, but two.

Li Che’s heart pounded as the idea of forming an organization took root.

Ogre, Ma Mian…

Imagine a hit squad named…

The Underworld?

“It depends on your needs.”

Coming back to his senses, Li Che lowered his voice and responded through Divine Perception.

Nan Lihuo’s eyes flickered with interest.

There was real potential here!

It appeared that Ogre and Ma Mian indeed belonged to the same organization.

But what kind of organization was it? Its overall might remained a mystery.

Did it even have a high-level Divine Fetus cultivator guarding it?

In the Divine Capital of the Great Jing Court, there was a top assassin organization called Lie Shen Pavilion—so mysterious that even masters of the Divine Fetus realm were said to have been hunted.

However, the actions of Lie Shen Pavilion were confined to Daocheng at the very least; even in major state capitals, sightings of their assassins were rare.

For that reason, Nan Lihuo had never encountered them.

Moreover, hiring a Lie Shen Pavilion assassin came at an exorbitant price, with steep premiums…

Could it be that Ogre and Ma Mian were from Lie Shen Pavilion?

Probably not…

But regardless, Nan Lihuo needed to show his sincerity.

“Lord Nan Lihuo, hiring us…what exactly is it you want to do?”

Seeing Nan Lihuo fall silent, Li Che spoke up.

Nan Lihuo raised his head, his divine presence pulsing in response.

“To kill.”

“Kill whom?”

“Divine Archer Wen Longshan.”

“…”

“And Jin Guang Mansion’s Prefect, Su Huai Li.”

“…”

Li Che grew silent.

He was rather baffled.

Could this be the gentle, refined leader of the Divine Sect Branch, Nan Lihuo?

Li Che had witnessed the earlier events in close detail.

Had it not been for City Lord Su Huai Li ordering Divine Archer Wen Longshan to act, Elder Xu Jiuying’s Corpse Curse Seal would have remained intact today, unable to be taken away by Corpse God Sect experts.

Nan Lihuo had clearly been humiliated by Su Huai Li, yet he had kept his temper in check.

At that moment, Li Che admired Nan Lihuo’s remarkable forbearance.

But patience was one thing; whether he was angry was another.

Li Che recalled from Li Qingshan that Nan Lihuo had long harbored a grudge, intent on killing Prefect Su Huai Li—an old feud between them.

Su Huai Li had openly shamed Nan Lihuo, practically forcing him to act.

Yet, Nan Lihuo had endured it all.

Su Huai Li was a City Lord commissioned by the Great Jing Court, while Nan Lihuo hailed from the Divine Sect Branch as its leader.

Strictly speaking, Su Huai Li held a higher ranking in Jin Guang City.

After all, although the Great Jing Court wasn’t at its peak anymore…

the Imperial Court still reigned as the foremost force within the realm.

However…

For a City Lord like Su Huai Li to back the Corpse God Sect…

Li Che felt that was more than enough reason to kill him.

A City Lord aiding a traitorous faction of the Great Jing Court—surely that wasn’t acceptable.

Right or wrong, regardless of hidden details,

Li Che felt nothing but disdain.

Such idle bystanders, suddenly stepping in, always incited murderous intent.

“Lord, you must be joking… what is Prefect Su Huai Li’s true strength?”

After a brief pause, Li Che asked through Divine Perception.

“At the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, he’s likely even refined his Nascent Spirit. As for stepping into the Divine Essence Realm, that seems unlikely…”

“Does your organization not have an intelligence branch? Are you unaware of Su Huai Li’s status?”

Nan Lihuo frowned and asked.

“We never planned to kill Su Huai Li, so we didn’t investigate thoroughly… besides, for a Nascent Soul expert, this mission isn’t easy to undertake.”

Li Che shook his head.

No wonder Nan Lihuo had to hold back; Su Huai Li’s strength was far greater than he had imagined!

Nan Lihuo’s eyes sparkled as he smiled, unfazed.

Assassins complete their tasks one mission at a time.

If they approach without proper intelligence, it’s understandable.

“Su Huai Li…”,

“He’s a junior disciple of Ji Mo Li.”

“A prodigy.”

Nan Lihuo said calmly through his transmitted thought.

His voice boomed like thunder, causing Li Che’s pupils behind the Ogre Mask to constrict.

Ji Mo Li?!

Wasn’t he the unrivaled King of Pacification from the Great Jing realm?

No…

How could a modest Jin Guang City house a disciple of the great Ji Mo Li?!

Could it be that Nan Lihuo also held a grudge against King of Pacification Ji Mo Li?!

“Then let’s hold off on killing Su Huai Li for now… how about we take out Divine Archer Wen Longshan?”

“Eight pieces of Eight Extremity Divine Essence Crystals!”

Nan Lihuo’s transmitted voice grew grave.

Wen Longshan, the Divine Archer, had been transferred from the state capital—a serious threat.

To kill Su Huai Li, it was necessary to first eliminate him.

Li Che had originally planned to grab the Feilei Chess Piece and make his getaway.

But he couldn’t ignore the ample offer being laid out.

“If we kill Su Huai Li… I can even throw in an extra Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystal!”

Nan Lihuo was clearly putting his all into this, a sign of his relentless murderous intent.

After all, the price of a Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystal even surpassed that of a low-grade Sevenfold Divine Weapon.

Moreover, the rarity of a Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystal made it an invaluable cultivation resource.

Once it appeared, it was immediately consumed in training.

To offer a Sevenfold Divine Weapon was one thing, but offering a Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystal was truly exceptional!

Li Che felt a stirring of desire.

A Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystal would allow him to fully consolidate his Seven-Pillar Divine Foundation, wouldn’t it?

For Li Che, whose innate divine vision was quite average, that Divine Essence Crystal was extremely tempting.

But desire always came with risk.

“Let’s first kill Wen Longshan; let’s build our trust with this test mission…”

Nan Lihuo said in a steady low tone.

Then, he raised his hand and sent a paper soaring, landing directly in the Ogre’s grasp.

“This contains the intelligence on Wen Longshan.”

“Do you accept the mission?”

Perhaps sensing the Ogre’s righteous spirit, Nan Lihuo added with a steely gaze,

“Prefect Su Huai Li… isn’t a good person. You can investigate for yourself.”

Li Che paused, not saying much more as his eyes fixed on the intelligence; it was evident Nan Lihuo had prepared meticulously and already bore deep murderous intent against both Su Huai Li and Wen Longshan.

Tonight’s events would surely stoke that murderous fire even more.

Prefect Su Huai Li was a disciple of Ji Mo Li…

His hidden reserves were vast—making him extremely difficult to kill!

Why did Nan Lihuo want to kill Su Huai Li?

Could a Divine Fetus master truly bear the full weight of his wrath?

Even with the might of the Imperial Court, would they really protect him?

Li Che fell silent.

No wonder Nan Lihuo had to hold back; he was forced to endure the overwhelming power behind Su Huai Li.

Li Che needed an answer.

“One last question: since Su Huai Li is a disciple of the King of Pacification, why do you want to kill him?”

“And why is he forcing you to act?”

Li Che adjusted his bamboo hat and lifted his charming Cute Cow Mask as he regarded Nan Lihuo from several dozen feet away.

The two exchanged thoughts rapidly through Divine Perception in the midst of the snowy wind.

Nan Lihuo hesitated upon hearing the question, his normally straight back seeming slightly stooped—as if recalling an excruciating memory.

It was as if a painful secret weighed on him.

“You’d better not know…”

“I have my reasons.”

That answer was vague, yet Li Che could feel the deep emotion behind it.

It seemed Nan Lihuo truly understood the consequences and feared the ensuing chaos.

Such troublesome matters, Li Che thought, were best left unknown as he glanced at the intelligence on Wen Longshan.

After a moment’s pause, he tucked the intelligence away.

“Agreed.”

“For now, we kill Wen Longshan first.”

“As for Prefect Su Huai Li… that can wait.”

When his words fell silent,

the Ogre snapped his fingers and a white chess piece shot out, landing in Nan Lihuo’s hand.

“Decide when to crush it.”

“For eight pieces of Eight Extremity Divine Essence Crystals—if they don’t secure the kill, the cost will be halved.”

“I will act simultaneously with Ma Mian.”

“And a deposit of two pieces.”

The Ogre stated calmly.

Nan Lihuo laughed, tossed two Eight Extremity Divine Essence Crystals to Li Che, and clasped his hands, “It’s a deal.”

Suddenly, he looked toward the Ogre, who, amid the swirling snow, seemed to be gradually fading away.

Using Divine Perception, he inquired,

“May I ask, from which organization do you and Ma Mian hail?”

“Is it… Lie Shen Pavilion?”

However, the Ogre let out a low chuckle,

and without replying through Divine Perception,

he spoke in a low, resonant tone that echoed across the snowy plain:

“The Underworld.”

Nan Lihuo stood rooted as the snowstorm suddenly intensified; when he looked again, the Ogre had vanished without a trace.

Even with his mighty Divine Perception locked on him,

Nan Lihuo couldn’t fathom how the Ogre had disappeared.

It was as if he had simply vanished into thin air.

The Underworld?

Nan Lihuo frowned—he had never heard that name before…

yet just hearing it sent an inexplicable chill through him, as though death itself were watching.

Nan Lihuo exhaled slowly and didn’t dwell on it.

His eyes swept over the ruined remains of Flowing Sword Peak.

A wave of relief washed over him.

With the Corpse God Sect experts hidden within the Mountain Gate eliminated, much of the lurking threat had dissipated.

“Su Huai Li…”

Nan Lihuo’s eyes shimmered.

Tonight, Su Huai Li would make his move—something he hadn’t anticipated.

After all, though King of Pacification Ji Mo Li was battling the Corpse God Sect, Prefect Su Huai Li—a mere junior disciple—had sided with their experts…

Su Huai Li must be planning to use this incident to goad Nan Lihuo into action.

Otherwise…

the consequences would be dire.

…

…

Outside Jin Guang City, in Luohua Alley,

inside the Private Workshop,

Li Che, clutching the Feilei Chess Piece, returned to the Courtyard.

Inside, the sounds of breath rose and fell like rolling thunder.

Scanning the area, he noticed seven incarnations of the Painted Immortal sitting in meditation in a room, diligently nurturing their Divine Essence.

Their intense focus made Li Che break out in a cold sweat.

It felt like witnessing a ruthless capitalist’s efficiency.

Glancing around, he chose not to disturb the seven, each absorbed in their strenuous cultivation.

He settled cross-legged on a bamboo chair in the courtyard.

A thick layer of snow blanketed the area, lending it a pure white appearance.

In the guise of the Ogre, Li Che sat upright. Lifting his hand, he produced an Upper-Grade Qian Kun Jade—a prized treasure collected by an elder of the Divine Vision realm!

It was the reward from the close-quarters brawl after he failed to dispatch Elder Xu Jiuying.

The melee had essentially been a ploy to retrieve the target’s corpse in advance.

With a snap of his finger, he absorbed the Qian Kun Jade into his Qiankun Space.

Beneath Li Che’s Ogre Mask, cosmic lines interwove.

In an instant, images began flashing before his eyes.

Dense black smoke billowed as if racing at breakneck speed.

Li Che was rendered speechless.

“Teleportation is still in progress… and its speed is really slow.”

Compared to the instantaneous shift of the Feilei Chess Piece, this was excruciatingly sluggish.

Engaging Elder Xu Jiuying in melee wasn’t as simple as pocketing a Qian Kun Jade; each powerful strike forced his Unsullied Heart Divine Essence into the enemy’s body.

Through the sub-imprint aura of the Sevenfold Corpse Curse Seal, he searched for the Mother Seal!

Li Che had planned to recover the Mother Seal suppressing the Sevenfold Corpse Curse Seal, but he hadn’t expected Elder Xu Jiuying to have an escape maneuver.

By a twist of fate, the Unsullied Heart Divine Essence that seeped into the Corpse Curse Seal instead condensed into the Feilei Chess Piece.

It became…

a locator!

Not only could Li Che use the Feilei Chess Piece to track the escape route of Elder Xu Jiuying’s Corpse Curse Seal, but he could also monitor his condition.

Escape?

The one Li Che aimed to kill wouldn’t be allowed an easy getaway.

This vile renegade of the Corpse God Sect, who had threatened XiXi—if left alive, how could Li Che ever rest?

Quietly, Li Che sat in the courtyard.

He waited for Elder Xu Jiuying’s teleportation to complete.

Yet he couldn’t help noting that compared to the blink-and-you-miss-it shift of the Feilei Chess Piece, the Corpse God Sect’s teleportation was agonizingly slow.

Li Che felt genuine anxiety for them.

His mind hovered over the Cosmic Chessboard as he sensed every move of Elder Xu Jiuying’s teleportation.

Meanwhile, Li Che multitasked.

He reviewed the battle with Elder Xu Jiuying—a cultivator of the Divine Vision stage.

Although the fight had been his initiative, it offered him clear insight into his own strength.

“If I trigger the Angry Gaze Vajra State of the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit combined with my Ascending Stance to hold off a grandmaster-level fighter, my mortal body is simply too strong—a Furnace Master, truly unrivaled in physical strength.”

“But Elder Xu Jiuying relies on his extraordinarily resilient Corpse Curse body; with his late-stage cultivation, I just can’t kill him.”

“The matured Corpse Curse body is stubborn and nearly impenetrable.”

“Even firing four Dragon Tooth Bullets in a sniper-like fashion wouldn’t break him…”

Li Che mused as snowflakes piled thickly on his bamboo hat.

“However… if I really play my trump card… I might just manage to kill him.”

Overall, Li Che had gained a clear understanding of his own strength.

It was roughly at the level of a True Divine Vision cultivator from the early to mid stages.

Provided his opponent didn’t keep his distance and used Divine Secret Technique to pummel him.

In terms of Divine Essence, Li Che still lagged behind.

But his exceptional mortal strength—bolstered by a Furnace Master’s physique, his Divine Meridian Nine Transformations, and his Ascending Stance—meant that once up close, his solid Divine Vision defense could counter explosive strikes.

However, against a lower-level Divine Vision cultivator…

within ten decisive moves, it would be a sure kill!

Yet when facing someone in late Divine Vision or Nascent Soul stage…

it’d be better to take a detour.

The consolidated Divine Vision of late-stage cultivators was on par with the strength of a Corpse Curse body; once the crushing rank pressure descended, not even Li Che’s consolidated Seven-Pillar Divine Foundation could completely ignore it.

Exactly!

Li Che’s ability to ignore the rank pressure from Elder Xu Jiuying’s Divine Vision stemmed from a special exemption he earned after solidifying his Seven-Pillar Divine Foundation.

An exemption from oppressive rank pressure.

It wasn’t thanks to the Temple Spirit’s Divine Essence.

This exemption allowed Li Che to battle at higher levels; despite only being at the Divine Foundation stage, without it he would be at a severe disadvantage…

Even a Furnace Master’s physical might would be reduced by at least thirty to forty percent.

“With strength like this… I, as Ogre, can afford to be even more reckless.”

A wry smile played beneath Li Che’s Cute Cow Mask.

Suddenly,

Li Che’s eyes flickered.

“Hmm? The teleportation is finally complete… though it took quite a while.”

In the courtyard, Li Che rose, his body surging with blood and energy that made the snow vanish in an instant.

He adjusted his bamboo hat.

Escape alive? After wronging my daughter… you still expect to live?

I, as Ogre…

have no tolerance for loose ends.

Buzz—

The air rippled and the falling snow distorted.

Then, the Ogre’s figure vanished.

Inside the building,

the seven incarnations of Painted Immortal Li Che exploded outward!

The seven states of Divine Essence reassembled!

…

…

Outside Jin Guang City, about forty li away,

amidst winding mountain ridges,

in the inky black night,

a mass of dense black smoke surged forth. Initially just a dot, it multiplied until coalescing into a swirling vortex.

A shadow shot out from within, landing on the ground with tremendous impact and startling the forest’s crows into flight!

The shadow slowly straightened; the thick smoke, heavy with the stench of corpses and death, contaminated nearby trees, causing their leaves to wither instantly.

“Damn it!”

“Nan Lihuo, Ogre, Ma Mian!”

A deep voice emerged from the shadow, its eyes blazing blood-red.

Elder Xu Jiuying’s soul was hidden within the Mother Seal of the Sevenfold Corpse Curse Seal—a secret that had allowed him to remain undetected within the Corpse God Sect for so long.

All the corpse and death energies were alternately released and reabsorbed by the Corpse Curse Seal.

In daily life, the power of the Corpse Curse body was stored within the seal; aside from a slight decline in vitality, the decaying body went unnoticed.

Moreover, his reputation for nurturing a sword with his own blood masked any suspicions.

Thus, even cultivators like Nan Lihuo, nearing their Divine Essence breakthrough, would have a hard time uncovering his secret.

But the Ogre had seen through it all!

“Damn it… it was just a slip-up; that Sevenfold Corpse Curse Sub-Seal has exposed my identity.”

Elder Xu Jiuying roared in fury as his soul, seething with anger, lost all control.

Suddenly,

in the darkness, white mist began to cascade out of the forest.

Gradually, a figure in a white robe emerged.

The figure’s face was hidden behind a faceless white mask adorned with a crimson ‘8’.

It was an Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoy!

Every Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoy had attained the Divine Vision stage!

“Elder Xu Jiuying, I have come to guide you—to help you reincarnate by borrowing a corpse.”

A somber voice emanated from the Envoy.

“But before that, we must recover your Sevenfold Corpse Curse Seal. And since you lost the sub-seal, to balance the scales, the sect will only grant you a meager Small-Scale Corpse Curse body for your revival.”

The Envoy’s voice faded.

Within the black mist, Elder Xu Jiuying’s furious voice exploded.

“Small-Scale? How can it be only small-scale?!”

“Be content; if not for your uniquely exposed identity at this crucial moment, you might have been granted a Corpse Iron body.”

A cool voice echoed from the Envoy.

“You do know Li Qingshan is about to break into Divine Vision soon… once you expose yourself and derail his breakthrough, the price will be astronomical… hmm? Who—”

Mid-sentence, the Corpse God Envoy bellowed abruptly.

Yet, his body erupted with corpse energy; beneath his white robe, a bronze glow revealed him as a matured Cursed Iron Corpse cultivator!

“Elder Xu Jiuying, thanks to you, we’ve lured a fat fish.”

A hoarse voice echoed from behind the Envoy.

Swathed in black mist, Elder Xu Jiuying’s blood-red eyes narrowed in terror before he was struck with shock!

He saw, behind the Corpse God Envoy, that all too familiar… Cute Cow Mask!

Again?!

This Ogre… how can he be so ghost-like?!

Boom—!

The air suddenly exploded, a powerful gust radiating outward like rippling radioactive waves.

The Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoy reacted swiftly, but after merely raising his arm to block, it, along with his arm, was crushed against his face mask—sending him flying and shattering several ancient trees.

His robes tore apart, revealing a bronze-matured Cursed Iron Corpse body.

Yet the mask remained unscathed.

“Ogre!”

“Elder Xu Jiuying… you traitor?!”

“You damned bastard of three families!”

The Corpse God Envoy’s voice dripped with icy contempt.

Fishing?

Elder Xu Jiuying had been fishing, of all things!

“But for a mere Ogre to try and devour me?”

The Envoy’s tone turned colder as his divine presence surged, revealing the visage of a deity with countless eyes.

The Biluo Thousand-Eyed Corpse God!

A terrifying aura of oppression spread like crashing waves, forcing the trees within ten meters to sway violently!

Black smoke engulfed Elder Xu Jiuying so completely that he nearly lost his mind.

“It wasn’t me!”

“I didn’t do it!”

He roared.

Yet, with a resounding ‘Boom’, the Ogre’s body expanded, growing even more burly and robust, with bulging blue veins pulsating.

Black hair sprouted rapidly, cascading to his waist.

Closing his eyes and then reopening them, golden smoke oozed from beneath his mask.

“Let’s end this quickly.”

“Perfect… let’s test it out.”

The Ogre, entering his Ascending Stance, said calmly.

Test it?

How dare a lowly Ogre use me as a guinea pig?!

That’s outrageous!

The Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoy sneered, “Even if you and Ma Mian attack with hidden weapons, you couldn’t kill Elder Xu Jiuying. So what makes you so confident you can kill me?”

Li Che only gave him a sidelong glance.

With a snap of his finger,

the Cosmic Chessboard instantly enveloped a ten-meter radius, concealing all traces of energy.

The sudden change left both the Corpse God Envoy and Elder Xu Jiuying aghast.

That Ogre…

That Ogre!

In the next moment, both the Envoy and Elder Xu Jiuying saw in the Ogre’s upturned palm a dark golden chess piece hovering.

A fierce and terrifying aura of Temple Spirit Divine Essence erupted from the small dark golden chess piece, unleashing a torrent of oppressive force like a landslide!

That was the overwhelming pressure of the Temple Spirit…

The Heavenly King!

Both the Corpse God Envoy and Elder Xu Jiuying paled in terror!

“It’s you—indeed, it’s you!”

Elder Xu Jiuying cried out in despair, realizing that it was indeed the Ogre who had severed the link between his Corpse Curse’s mother seal and sub-seal!

And that Heavenly King Temple Spirit power…

could only be summoned by Nan Lihuo from atop Jin Guang’s main peak!

Ogre… Nan Lihuo… what a scheme!

Elder Xu Jiuying wept bitterly between anguished laughter!

But the Ogre ignored him, clenching his fingers and crushing the dark golden Heavenly King Divine Chess Piece!

A burst of dark golden Temple Spirit Divine Essence erupted like smoke.

The Ogre sucked it in deeply—but only absorbed a third of it!

That was all!

In an instant, as the Cosmic Chessboard enveloped a ten-meter radius, the ground shattered and collapsed several feet, as if overwhelmed by oppressive force.

On the Ogre’s colossal body, countless knife-like wounds appeared, erupting in bursts of bloody mist!

It seemed his body was barely able to bear the force of the Temple Spirit Divine Essence!

Streams of Temple Spirit Divine Essence surged forth, coalescing on his massive form…

forging a suit of golden armor!

His black hair whipped wildly; his skin took on a reddish-purple hue, and he donned golden divine armor!

Magnificent and imposing!

The Golden Heavenly King Ascending Stance appeared, as if beholding a deity!

“Using an Ogre’s cleaver… to kill you.”

The Ogre murmured, his voice echoing across the heavens.

Fear flickered in the eyes beneath the Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoy’s mask!

Escape…

but it was too late.

Boom—Boom—!

The heavens and earth trembled; the entire mountain range quaked as radioactive, spiderweb-like fissures spread.

Many rocks melted and were quickly blown by the cold winter wind into crystalline forms.

When everything finally settled down…

silent snowflakes drifted from the night sky onto an open area cleared of trees.

A massive pit lay in the open.

Inside the pit…

only the corpsified remains of the Corpse God Sect’s Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoy could be seen—a body twisted to mud after being handled.

And as for Elder Xu Jiuying’s soul…

it had long since been scattered.

In the silent ruins,

moments later,

one shadow, two shadows, three…

no fewer than six figures, ensnared by twisted energies of corpse and death, emerged from the swirling black vortex and stood at the edge of the ruins.

They silently watched as the Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoy had been crushed into a mutilated, muddy heap by a monstrous beast.

Then, in the still silence of the ruins, a faint voice echoed:

“Grandmaster?!”

Some readers remarked that the fight scene felt watered-down—but perhaps the author, pouring his emotions into it, made the battle one of the hardest parts to write.

Also, in the setting the Divine Sect is just a faction and the Capital merely a branch; the Great Jing Court remains the largest entity within the Imperial Court—don’t mix them up. The author followed his outline, so some details were omitted. Don’t jump to conclusions; read slowly.

Finally, recommendations peaked; at midnight tonight, please cast your votes. The success of recommendations will determine the quality of the next chapter. I beg you all for your monthly votes—please, follow the story! Old Li is on his knees!