Chapter 148: Divine Clashes at Zheng Lei Peak

You’re aiming to kill Li Qingshan!

Then I’ll snipe you!

It’s as simple as that!

Li Che’s thinking was simple and pure.

He was eager to see whether Wen Longshan’s arrow or his own Xiangong Barrett snipe would come faster!

Roaring forth, the Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet streaked like a flash of light, slicing through the night sky. Its glow gradually receded, as though swallowed by the darkness.

The Dragon Tooth goes first, with a roaring shockwave in its wake!

The rapidly spinning Dragon Tooth Bodhi, even from over ten miles away, shattered each rain droplet that fell from the sky, igniting bursts of misty spray.

Too fast!

Thunder boomed, yet its sound hadn’t reached the ears of Wen Longshan, whose bow was fully drawn…

That bullet, like a dragon opening its bloody jaws to reveal its fangs, had already reached within a hundred feet of him!

So fast!

Wen Longshan’s heart skipped a beat!

Even though it erupted from an incredibly distant place…

yet faster than his own arrow…

Even faster!

But!

Wen Longshan’s eyes flashed with brilliance as he distorted the air before him, like an eagle surveying the world from high above.

This was a divine secret technique—one he had mastered at a grandmaster level.

It was the divine vision technique that every master archer had to cultivate.

It greatly boosted the archer’s aim and precision.

He felt danger prickling his scalp as the hairs on his neck stood up.

Wen Longshan didn’t hesitate. He adjusted the direction of his fully drawn arrow and released it toward a silent target.

That arrow, cloaked in a layer of scarlet radiance, roared as it sped out!

Booming thunder!

Screech—!

A piercing sonic blast suddenly shattered the air!

The arrow, shrouded in crimson light, tore through the night like a meteor, slicing through the rain as it flew!

A terrifying sonic wave, like a resounding roar, cascaded and shattered.

This arrow is reaching its absolute limit!

That’s the artistry of a divine archer!

However…

Yet, the snipe from the Dragon Tooth Bodhi was even swifter!

The arrow burst apart thunderously after traveling nearly a hundred meters!

It clashed directly with the Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet!

The arrow and the Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet…

Colliding!

It was like two divine archers unfolding their battle formations, locked in a sniper duel!

In an instant, potent divine power and blood energy tore through, shattering the arrow’s resilient structure to pieces and splintering its tip.

It burst like dazzling golden fireworks unexpectedly exploding in the night.

In the distance.

City Lord Su Huai Li sat quietly under the eaves, with a brazier burning beside him, boiling melted snow water that churned continuously.

He watched the burst of fireworks, his eyes sparkling.

He picked up his cup and took a sip of hot tea.

Whoosh—!

Golden fireworks suddenly tore apart!

Another Dragon Tooth Bullet came barreling in, its deadly impact preceding the sonic boom!

It rent through the just-exploded fireworks and hurtled straight toward Wen Longshan’s brow!

Its aim: to gouge through his brow.

A head-crushing blow that promised annihilation!

……

……

Crack—!

A clap of thunder erupted, with lightning and thunder flashing like a menacing web sprawled across the sky!

It lit up the night like day!

Zheng Lei Peak.

Halfway up the mountain, Li Che’s family’s courtyard had its gates barred, with pea-sized raindrops incessantly falling from the sky.

They slammed into the ground, splintering into countless fragments.

Tonight, XiXi spent the night at Golden Light Peak, not brought back, since Nan Lihuo knew Zheng Lei Peak would be perilous tonight.

In unspoken agreement with Li Che, she was placed on Golden Light Peak.

Her senior, Sang Guanyin, stayed with her for protection.

Inside the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ya stayed with Lu Chi in Granny Mu’s sleeping room.

Lu Chi stood by the window with his hands behind him, radiating a maturity far beyond his age, his eyes deep and serious.

Curiously, Zhang Ya observed Lu Chi, as though meeting for the first time the chubby-headed boy who frequently crashed for meals.

“Little Chi, are you worried about your master?”

Zhang Ya replied warmly with a smile.

Lu Chi turned around, his furrowed brows easing to reveal an expression of emotions uncharacteristic for someone his age.

“Aunt Ya, master’s breakthrough into Divine Vision today is extremely dangerous.”

“Though it took place within the sect’s premises, back in his reckless youth, our master acted without caution—hurting too many and making too many enemies…”

“Many despise him even for attempting Divine Vision, waiting for any chance to see his breakthrough crumble.”

Lu Chi said helplessly.

Zhang Ya looked at the precocious Lu Chi, shaking her head: “Don’t worry, your husband should have come to help. If you don’t have faith in your master, then how can you trust my husband?”

Lu Chi was momentarily stunned.

Such is the nature of a love-struck mind.

However, with Ogre stepping in, it was indeed a great relief.

Zhang Ya also looked out the window, worry naturally clouding her gaze.

Belief is one thing, but worry is all too real.

A wife always can’t help but worry about the husband battling outside.

……

……

Over Zheng Lei Peak.

Electric serpents glided amid scorching currents that evaporated and reformed into raindrops, pouring down over the land.

Countless dense thunderclouds rolled in, an overwhelmingly colossal display.

Many people could already sense something different.

They realized that Li Qingshan was not aiming for the Sevenfold Divine Image at all.

Instead, he was set on forging the Six-Si Divine Image!

“Li Qingshan… how arrogant! You think you can forge the Six-Si Divine Image? What a fantasy!”

“Do you think that will work? If he succeeds, then in Jingguang City, we’ll all live in constant fear, always watching for the day a Goat-Horn Hammer might come crashing down on us!”

“He must be stopped! We cannot let Li Qingshan complete his breakthrough!”

……

Voices interwove through the darkness, echoing non-stop.

Their formidable divine perception communicated clearly, no matter how thunderous the downpour.

Crack—

Electric serpents glided, lighting up the heavens.

In a flash, several divine image cultivators, clad in black night attire and donning various masks, could be seen riding the currents, gliding in the night’s void.

Divine image cultivators can effortlessly float in air—an exclusive trait of their realm.

Illusory image cultivators can only temporarily levitate, unlike divine image practitioners, who treat the sky as solid ground.

They observed Zheng Lei Peak from afar, their eyes fixed on the temple atop the summit as if absorbing the very thunder of the heavens!

It was an awe-inspiring and fearsome spectacle!

Zhen Lei Zhu Xie!

Thunder, pure and righteous, makes vile spirits and demons vanish upon contact.

Moreover, the celestial thunder is magnificent and overpowering!

To understand divine image, one must first attune to its essence.

Although Zhen Lei Zhu Xie is one of the divine aspects of emotion, it defines the very character of divine image.

If your nature doesn’t align, forging the divine image is likely to fail.

For attuning to divine image, Li Qingshan had long walked the path of righteous retribution and steadfast integrity.

With his Goat-Horn Hammer, how many wrongdoers has he crushed, how many evils exiled?

This was the essence of Li Qingshan’s cultivation.

It was the divine image essence he needed to harmonize with!

Boom—

Numerous masked masters did not strike at once; their powerful divine perception surged as they levitated and advanced toward the summit.

Had Li Qingshan chosen to forge the Sevenfold Divine Image, they would have attacked right from the start.

Since the Sevenfold Divine Image would have been an unassailable breakthrough, his success would have needed their disruption.

But Li Qingshan embarked on forging the Six-Si Divine Image—that was a different story.

Don’t be deceived—it is only one step higher, yet the gap is frightfully vast.

In all of Jingguang City, only the few who reached the Yuan Xiang realm could truly attempt the Six-Si Divine Image.

And these few all came from remarkable lineages.

For instance, Nan Lihuo was taught by a master from Qianyuan Main Sect.

Take, for instance, Xie Jing, the governor of the Temple Guardian Division, backed by the Imperial Court with boundless resources—and not to mention the Monitor at the Imperial Watch.

Even the one from Shendiao Ridge was of impressive pedigree, armed with a rare divine relic that bolstered his physical form.

That is why the Six-Si Divine Image can be forged.

What do you, Li Qingshan, have?

A heart brimming with righteous retribution?

That won’t help fortify your flesh against the terrifying impact of the Six-Si Divine Image!

Li Qingshan’s qi and martial cultivation was at the post-grandmaster stage—far from perfection—and, to these divine image practitioners, his odds of success were exceedingly low.

If his own attempt at the Six-Si Divine Image failed, it would spare them the trouble of stepping in.

……

……

Atop Zheng Lei Peak.

Thunder relentlessly struck, wreaking havoc around, igniting one burst of lightning-fire after another.

Countless shockwaves roared and surged, clearing away all the rain.

Only Li Qingshan, sitting cross-legged on his mat in his blue robe, moved frenetically in the storm.

Sitting in a lotus pose, his hands formed the treasure pagoda seal.

The mud pellet on his forehead began to glow softly.

As thunder interwove across the heavens, Li Qingshan suddenly opened his eyes, sprang to his feet, and faced the temple’s 【Xuan Si Lei Zhen Zhu Xie Vajra Statue】 head-on!

The statue’s armor clanged, and behind it, eagle-like wings flared open, unleashing an oppressive force!

Boom—!

Terrifying thunder roared.

In a split second.

Countless bolts converged above the temple, intertwining like a lightning rod that absorbed every spark of divine electricity.

They coalesced into a form of a deity!

Boom!

The deity of flashing thunder descended, erupting in dazzling brilliance that drew everyone’s attention.

It was as if a god slowly tore apart the heavens and emerged from a celestial palace.

A visage larger than any house—with lightning darting like lively whiskers—slowly emerged from behind the clouds.

Gales roared while raindrops fiercely lashed out.

The spectacle was utterly colossal.

Li Qingshan sat cross-legged, repeatedly forming the treasure pagoda seal as his blue robe whipped back, clinging tightly to his form.

His hair whipped wildly, and the Goat-Horn Hammer, stained from countless battles, lay discarded at his side.

It continued to draw in lightning, being forged and tempered by the thunder.

The leap from Divine Foundation to Divine Vision was monumental, its enhancement undeniable.

It was a transformation of quality, as if he had truly infused himself with divine power.

Converting the godly essence entirely into his own being.

The divine vision realm is much like sculpting.

Divine foundation is like wood for a sculptor, while the evolving divine perception becomes the chisel, slowly carving out the envisioned divine form.

Using the law of homotypic attraction, he draws in and assimilates the deity’s unique essence.

An illusory image is merely a rough hewn form—a temporary semblance of divinity without clarity or true sculptural perfection.

Only the perfected divine image represents a completed sculpture.

What follows in divine image cultivation is the careful refinement of that completed divine sculpture.

In honing it, one nurtures their inner nature.

Indeed, divine cultivation always hinges on nurturing one’s nature.

Boom—!

As Li Qingshan channeled his energy, it was as if the true form of the Thunder God descended, and suddenly, countless arcs of lightning burst across Zheng Lei Peak.

Li Qingshan suddenly opened his eyes and sprang to his feet.

Under the crushing weight of the divine aura, his back buckled under the overwhelming pressure.

But then he roared, gradually bracing against the pressure until his back was held straight!

The divine pressure of the Six-Si Divine Image was truly of the Six-Si level—terrifying, like a temple guardian in full wrath.

Li Qingshan struggled to straighten his back as his eyes burst forth with the fury of thunder.

Every fiber of his body cracked with sound.

His divine perception surged, flashing like a sharp blade.

He looked upward at the 【Xuan Si Lei Zhen Zhu Xie Vajra】 as the Six-Si divine pressure enveloped the heavens like a raging sea!

Yet an exhilarated Li Qingshan laughed heartily, “Hahaha!”

“Sevenfold Divine Image?”

“Have I really abandoned the illusory image and nurtured my Divine Foundation for years just to forge the Sevenfold Divine Image?”

“If that’s so, how am I any different from the common rabble?”

“All my life, I’ve devoted every ounce of effort to perfecting the Sevenfold Divine Image—wouldn’t that be…”

“Simply mediocre!”

Boom—

Anger laced his voice as Li Qingshan spread his arms wide, the vision within the mud pellet on his brow mirroring reality.

In an instant, a dazzling Divine Foundation, woven with countless bolts of lightning like a divine wheel, materialized behind him.

Radiant beams and lightning arcs, twisting like serpentine dragons!

Li Qingshan’s fingers snapped open and shut as the Goat-Horn Hammer quivered; with a swift whoosh, it soared before he firmly grasped it.

With a resounding smack, lightning whipped from the hammer, enveloping his body in an instant.

He threw his head back and roared!

An outraged Thunder God swung forth a colossal hammer, forged from innumerable lightning arcs, across the heavens.

Li Qingshan, in unison, raised his own hammer!

Thud—!

The hammer struck down.

The Divine Foundation shuddered, shedding fragments like wood torn by a chisel into splintered debris.

Divine Image—

Breakthrough!

……

……

“It has begun,” he declared.

Atop Golden Light Peak.

Nan Lihuo rolled up his wide sleeves and strode along the temple steps, feeling the sudden vortex sweeping through the Divine Sect Mountain Gate, his white hair flying wildly.

He gazed toward Zheng Lei Peak.

One could see that colossal Thunder God, as if a real deity had come down to bestow his grace upon mortals.

“Six-Si Divine Image… it may be daunting, but not trying would be utterly unthinkable,” he mused.

“Oh Li Qingshan, you’re certainly not one to sit still,” he remarked.

“I support you,” declared the elder.

Nan Lihuo smiled.

With a tap of his toe on the temple, he shot into the air, floating upward.

It was as if he was riding the wind, ascending to the heavens.

His fingers clenched as a sword awash in golden light landed in his hand—a blade seemingly forged entirely of gold, etched with ancient, mysterious runes.

Sizzling sounds accompanied the golden thunder, interwoven with a faint, menacing aura across its surface.

It was the supreme technique, the “Xuan Lei Jin Guang Sha Sword”!

Moreover, unlike XiXi’s beginner steps with the Xuan Lei Jin Guang Sha Sword, Nan Lihuo’s mastery had long reached grandmaster stature, distilling true essence and nearly attaining the realm of supreme technique!

“All you riffraff, stop prying; if you’ve got the nerve… come and attack directly!”

Nan Lihuo smiled.

His body trembled as golden flames burst from him!

Golden Furnace Fire Glazed Body!

It was the supreme divine secret technique he had taught XiXi!

Bang—!

In an instant, Nan Lihuo burst forth like a ball of golden fire, dashing away swiftly!

Those divine image cultivators, hidden in darkness and clad in night attire with masks, paled.

Yet, they didn’t seem overly concerned.

Sure enough, the moment Nan Lihuo struck, an intense miasma of death and decay surged forth!

A figure cloaked in silver-bronze light quickly materialized.

It collided with Nan Lihuo!

“Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy, tell me… which faction within the capital do you serve?”

Nan Lihuo stared at the Corpse God Envoy who had materialized via his Time-Space Corpse Technique.

The appearance of the Corpse God Envoy did not surprise Nan Lihuo.

After all, how many Corpse God Sect masters had Li Qingshan’s Goat-Horn Hammer killed?

Not to mention, together with Ogre and Ma Mian from a mysterious organization, it had nearly shattered the Corpse God Sect’s layout in Jingguang City.

What choice did the Corpse God Sect have but to hate him?

If Li Qingshan were to forge the Six-Si Divine Image and achieve post-divine image strength…

then the Corpse God Sect would be in deep trouble.

It was only natural that they sent the Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy to thwart Li Qingshan’s breakthrough.

“Nan Lihuo… guess what?”

The Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy, wrapped in a white robe, murmured in a ghostly tone.

His voice, evidently modified, lost any trace of his true tone.

Nan Lihuo squinted.

He watched as the Sevenfold Corpse God Envoy emerged from a swirling black vortex, his formidable presence nearly reminiscent of a cursed silver corpse.

Behind him, two more vortices churned, and gradually, two more Sevenfold Corpse God Envoys emerged!

Three Sevenfold Corpse God Envoys!

Their focus on Li Qingshan was unmistakably full throttle!

Nan Lihuo’s Golden Furnace Fire Glazed Body blazed fiercely.

Golden flames roiled in his eyes.

In the distance.

A haunting, erhu-like melody echoed.

The Monitor, known for his street performances, had come to join the commotion.

……

……

At Two Sleeves Peak.

Zhang Qingzheng, his scholarly robe billowing, reached out abruptly as a majestic deity, clad in countless radiant white lights and a commanding aura, descended.

Behold Divine Image, the God of Culture!

Taking a step forward, Zhang Qingzheng drifted as though merging into the divine form itself.

A roughly three-foot-long ruler fell into his hand, which he waved dramatically.

Smack—!

It exploded with thunderous clamor!

“You lowlifes, get lost!”

Zhang Qingzheng, hair and beard flying, his face contorted in anger, slammed the ruler hard toward the void.

In an instant, those divine image cultivators concealed in the dark manifested themselves!

They were waiting for the moment to see if Li Qingshan could achieve his breakthrough.

But Zhang Qingzheng denied them any chance to witness his performance!

Boom—!

“You’re all asking for death!”

A long spear, as red as a flaming branding iron, was hurled ferociously, twisting through the sky like a fire dragon!

Brutally fierce—one strike meant death!

Countless red flames swept in, revealing a divine image in burning fire and scarlet armor!

Zhu Hongdou!

Fiery Emperor Yan’s Divine Image!

“You’re all asking for death!”

Her fiery red hair cascaded like burning flames.

Zhu Hongdou glared fiercely, as if the Fire God had descended, brimming with fighting spirit and lethal intent!

And that wasn’t all.

A slender young man, wearing a half-peacock mask and standing with his hands behind him, appeared in the void.

Despite his mask, everyone recognized him as Lin Xiu, the Deputy Monitor of the Imperial Watch!

Lin Xiu hadn’t come alone; he had also brought along another deputy from the Imperial Watch.

A slender figure clad in a goat mask, completely concealing his identity.

But trailing behind Lin Xiu, his identity was well known.

That night…

In Jingguang City, nearly all the divine image practitioners converged around Zheng Lei Peak.

……

……

“How dare you!”

Wen Longshan seethed with fury!

A piercing shriek!

Wen Longshan’s eyes distorted the air; to him, that sparking firework and the subsequent roaring Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet seemed like a writhing mass of miniature twisted serpents.

Once it pierced him, myriad serpents would spread, rending his flesh!

Wen Longshan stomped his toe on the roof, causing the black tiles on the pavilion to shatter and fly off in all directions.

In his rapid retreat, a powerful surge of qi and blood burst forth!

He bent his bow, drew it to full tension, and fired!

In the span of a single breath, he went from drawing to releasing his arrow!

Eighty meters away!

The arrow infused with divine essence clashed with the Dragon Tooth Bodhi yet again; as the first burst still lingered, a second, even more brilliant display erupted in the night!

After firing an arrow, Wen Longshan’s agile form bounded from the pavilion roof in a swift move.

He leapt onto the adjoining black-tiled roofs, tiptoeing swiftly along the beams.

Running and firing arrows simultaneously!

Screech—

Screech— screech—

Every arrow boasted immense force!

Yet the Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet was silent, like a venomous snake hidden in the dark, occasionally striking out with deadly fangs!

Bang, bang, bang!

Arrow after arrow, Wen Longshan felt unprecedented pressure mounting!

His nerves were stretched to the extreme, his divine perception at its limit.

Moreover, his Eagle Eye Technique scanned every corner, locking onto the slightest movement in the dark!

Even the faintest ripple in the air made him worry that another bullet might suddenly burst forth!

He grew serious, constantly running and shifting his body, refusing to stand still like a target for enemy volleys!

But the Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet was fearsomely accurate—wherever he went, his enemy could track him!

Sweat steadily formed on Wen Longshan’s forehead.

Drawing and shooting, drawing and shooting…

The numbness in his arms didn’t hold him back!

His adversary was like a chess master, watching him from high above.

Each Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet was like a chess piece maneuvered by his enemy.

They were dropped relentlessly from above!

With a smack, one fell onto the board!

That was the mark of his impending doom!

His Eagle Eye Technique…

was utterly overwhelmed!

It was as if they existed on entirely different planes.

He remained on the first level, while his foe had ascended to the celestial stratum!

“Ma Mian!”

“Ma Mian——!!!”

Wen Longshan’s heart pounded furiously — as a Sevenfold Divine Archer of the Zhou City Divine Guard Army,

he felt an unprecedented pressure!

The pressure of a simple archery duel!

Bang—!

Another burst of fireworks erupted!

And this time, beneath the distortion of his eyes…

That Dragon Tooth Bodhi was just…

only ten meters away!

Wen Longshan roared in low fury as the last three feathered arrows fell into his hand.

Drawing his bow to full tension, his eyes gradually turned blood-red.

“I am a Divine Archer, after all!”

“I’ve located you!”

Veins on his neck bulged like coiled dragons as a terrifying surge of vitality erupted from him!

Three arrows whistled away, three crimson trails slicing through the sonic boom, accompanied by thunderous explosions!

Bang—!

Another burst of fireworks erupted, scorching and searing, as the clashing of the Dragon Tooth Bodhi against the metallic arrowheads resounded fiercely!

This burst of fireworks…

was a mere three meters from Wen Longshan!

Crimson flames assaulted him, burning his flesh!

But Wen Longshan remained unfazed.

In the next moment.

His eyes narrowed.

In one breath, his body suddenly shifted.

But it was still too slow!

Silently, the Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet tore through the swirling fireworks just three meters away, striking his left chest!

Screeching—

An ear-splitting friction sound echoed!

It was the sound of the Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet grinding against his Eight Extremes Defensive Divine Armor!

The terrifying, razor-sharp piercing force made Wen Longshan’s eyes narrow.

Bang—!

Yet another Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullet burst through the lingering fireworks!

It struck his standard Dragon Tooth Bullet.

With the impact of two bullets colliding!

A weak spot in his armor was viciously ripped open!

A cloud of blood erupted on Wen Longshan’s chest.

The first Dragon Tooth Bodhi pierced straight through his chest, emerging on the other side, while the second detonated inside him, unleashing a frenzy of Bodhi Silks.

It sought to carve out his flesh!

Wen Longshan, gripping his Divine Bow with one hand, stood on the roof.

The Dragon Tooth Bodhi couldn’t tear away his flesh.

For Wen Longshan’s resilient flesh, as tough as steel, clung to the winding Bodhi Silks, stopping them from tearing into him.

As a Divine Archer, he prized the honing of his body—his divine power was immense, and his martial prowess was no slouch.

He just wouldn’t give in when it came to his archery.

But now it appeared…

he had been defeated.

The remnants of exploding fireworks still hung in the air.

Wen Longshan stood motionless, soaked by the torrential rain.

He felt his pierced chest and looked at the Divine Long Bow clenched in his hand.

His face twisted in agony!

How could he lose?!

……

……

Outside Jingguang City.

On the branches of towering trees, rain pelted down, drumming a gentle, pattering sound.

Ma Mian half-squatted on a branch, his bamboo hat slightly pressed down.

The Xiangong Barrett in his hand released billows of scorching smoke from its barrel.

Around Ma Mian, hovering were one after another 【Painted Immortal】 Dragon Tooth Bodhi Bullets.

A whistling sound echoed.

The arrow from within the city, launched by Wen Longshan, tore through flowing light and split the rain.

It spanned more than ten miles.

Finally, when its strength waned, it followed a parabolic arc and impaled the ground 500 meters from Ma Mian.

The arrowhead dug into the earth.

Li Che, holding the Xiangong Barrett, took a step.

Cloud Yao’s Nimbus Leap.

He appeared silently atop the arrow that was embedded in the ground.

With a flick of his fingers.

The feathered tail of the arrow began to tremble like a loyal dog’s wagging tail.

……

……

Back at Zheng Lei Peak!

Li Qingshan’s once wild, graying hair now became sleek, his aged self replaced in an instant by the visage of a youth!

Behind him…

That enormous Divine Foundation behind him appeared to be in constant explosive flux!

The divine form once traced upon the foundation…

Along with fragments of the crumbling Divine Foundation.

A true 【Xuan Si Lei Zhen Zhu Xie Vajra Divine Image】!

It was completely forged amid the interlacing, serpent-like lightning arcs!

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