Chapter 194: The Ascension of Divine Guts

Booming!

The roar of dragons and the snort of elephants shattered the silence of the small courtyard, echoing without end!

Boiling blood and qi surged several meters high, crashing into the barrier of the Cosmic Chessboard overhead before exploding and then sinking back down.

It formed a mushroom cloud, its cap bursting like an unfurling umbrella.

The heat shimmered, swirling and churning relentlessly!

It was as if exquisitely forged iron, heated to a searing red, hissed and billowed with scorching energy.

Li Che’s ink-black robe billowed as his raven hair crackled like dark thunder. Standing in the courtyard, he raised one hand, his fingers curled like hooks.

Torrents of boiling energy swirled around him, and each powerful heartbeat struck like a massive drum forged from ancient beast hide!

Huff!

Gulp!

Huff—!

Gulp—!

With eyes closed, Li Che stood firm as the blood-red lightning coiled in his palm—a first trace of Divine Guts, refined through the true essence of Myriad Transformations of Dragon Elephant.

The Divine Guts were impeccably condensed and domineering, surging like crackling electricity!

This was the first strand of Divine Guts Li Che had forged—a force far mightier than even a master’s true qi, its destructive power on another level.

Qi surged three feet high; the guts burst across three yards!

It wasn’t mere boast—it was like comparing a bicycle to a car in both speed and raw devastation.

Li Che could feel the untamed, ferocious power of his forged Divine Guts!

After all, he had refined them using the awakened essence of the Martial Saint Technique!

Every masterful technique, perfected to the highest realm, reveals its true essence; by refining one’s internal organs, Divine Guts are forged!

The quality and strength of a master’s art directly determined the potency of the Divine Guts.

Techniques are ranked in lower, middle, and upper tiers, and likewise, the Divine Guts they forge vary in strength.

The world has always been uneven—absolute fairness is a myth.

Such is the nature of martial cultivation, and likewise, divine cultivation.

Inevitably, one must abide by these rules; to become stronger, one must climb to the upper echelons.

Secure better resources, master superior martial arts, and refine a stronger true essence!

Bang, bang, bang!

The pounding of his heart resounded like thunder.

Li Che’s eyes shone brilliantly as every pore on his body glowed; his acupoints lit up as if they were sparkling beacons.

He appeared like a polished piece of agate, with streams of light weaving across his skin.

Even through the glowing skin, one could see his meridians, thick and pulsing like molten metal, roaring with life!

Li Che sensed the Divine Guts swirling about him like crimson lightning—far more powerful than the Dragon Elephant Silver Guts he had forged before!

Though both were strands of guts, they were in entirely different leagues.

For this blood-and-qi Divine Guts was forged by refining his vital organs with the true essence of Myriad Transformations of Dragon Elephant—it was the mark of a true Grandmaster!

It signified that Li Che had, at this very moment, truly stepped into the realm of Grandmasters!

Clenching his fist, a jade bottle materialized in his hand.

The rich medicinal aroma, stirred by his scalding blood and qi, began to rise and swirl.

Li Che suddenly crushed the jade bottle, revealing within it a translucent pill.

It was a gift from the Divine Guard Army’s leader, Huang Xi Long!

A Level 6 Lower Dragon Blood Martial Pill!

A Level 6 pill!

Exactly what Li Che needed at this moment!

Glug—

He opened his mouth and, with burning heat, the pill slid down his throat and plummeted into his stomach like a massive stone tossed into an abyss!

The Level 6 Lower Dragon Blood Martial Pill was extremely precious and exceedingly rare.

Even Xue Dufu, the Grandmaster Li Che had slain, did not possess such a martial pill.

These were martial elixirs refined from true dragon blood!

At this moment, as Li Che charged into the Grandmaster realm, he harnessed the pill’s power to fortify his qi and blood!

Focusing his mind, the Mud Pellet over his brow began to radiate a brilliant light.

His primordial spirit soared within him, his eyes opening wide as divine radiance cascaded about.

Li Che could sense every inch of his sinew, flesh, and meridians.

He even perceived the blood surging in his vessels, as vivid as thick, flowing mercury!

That was the gift of a well-refined primordial spirit!

Boom—!

The Level 6 martial pill was suddenly pulverized by the overwhelming force of his stomach walls; its casing shattered as potent medicinal energy burst forth!

Li Che’s heart pounded like a colossal vortex, drawing in every drop of medicinal power!

Each drawn breath resonated like the deep call of a giant whale!

It felt as if his heart had become a blazing furnace, its internal fire so fierce that it threatened to incinerate him entirely!

‘Divine Guts Grandmaster…’

‘A total of thirty-six strands of Divine Guts can be refined—each strand splits into ten threads, with each thread opening an acupoint… connecting 360 acupoints in all!’

‘They weave together into one vast Divine Guts net, unifying the acupoints and harmonizing the entire body. With each breath, it channels the cosmos—this is the pinnacle of a Divine Guts Grandmaster, the unity of Heaven and Man!’

Li Che’s eyes shone with renewed intensity.

Ji Haihui’s Qian Kun Jade held no value.

Although the Little Prince was young and weakly cultivated, his reserves of Divine Crystals were bountiful—ten Sixfold Divine Essence Crystals and as many as a hundred Sevenfold Divine Essence Crystals.

In terms of wealth, he truly deserved the title of Little Prince.

However, when it came to divine weapons—apart from that inferior Four Royal Divine Weapon and the Yulian Yin Divine Sword enshrined in the Cosmic Chessboard…

there were no other high-quality divine weapons.

There were, however, plenty of cultivation manuals.

Some even detailed the divisions within the Grandmaster realm.

The Grandmaster realm was divided into three stages: Divine Guts, Unity of Heaven and Man, and the Top Three Flowers!

Even formidable cultivators like Xue Dufu and Zhu Chaoyang were merely Grandmasters of the Divine Guts stage.

And now, the single strand of Divine Guts Li Che had forged marked his official entry into the Divine Guts Grandmaster realm!

Buzz—!

The torrential energy roiled like a vortex as his heart absorbed every drop of blood, as if storing limitless power!

It burst forth in a dazzling display, as if unleashed after reaching its absolute peak!

In an instant, it was like a trampled puddle, with water jets erupting like arrows, battering his limbs and bones!

Hiss, hiss, hiss—

Li Che stood, absorbing the massive transformation brought about by his martial advancement!

In truth, after a Dao Fruit’s transformative wash, his mortal body was already extraordinarily strong; yet the breakthrough of a higher realm was equally monumental.

Impurities in his muscles were washed away; his sinews were tempered repeatedly into resolute strength; even his nerves seemed fortified, sharpening his senses.

And as that heightened perception surged within him,

Li Che’s eyes ignited like blazing embers, each gaze fierce as beams of light capable of piercing the darkness.

In his left eye, a divine dragon writhed; in his right, an ancient giant elephant trumpeted!

Boom—!

Waves of heat materialized into ethereal images of a dragon and an elephant—massive, majestic, and supremely domineering…

Li Che’s eyes shone as his robe whipped around him, emanating a martial will so immense it seemed to press the very air into rippling waves—a presence as solid as a mountain!

Every gesture exuded absolute strength and virile yang, as if he embodied the very spirit of Dragon Elephant martial might!

Martial Will!

The unique martial will of a Grandmaster…

An essence refined to perfection.

Li Che felt his Martial Will enhance his primordial spirit, making it far stronger.

Originally, his primordial spirit had been premature.

Only upon reaching the Primordial Form in divine cultivation could one refine their primordial spirit; back then, his was as frail as it is now.

Only after forming a Divine Essence Golden Pill could one gradually infuse divine energy to empower the spirit—entering the First Realm of Primordial Spirit Transformation.

And now, his Martial Will was further aiding in refining his primordial spirit!

Li Che suddenly understood why a solitary Martial Grandmaster or Divine Practitioner struggled when facing foes proficient in both arts at equal levels.

Martial Will that feeds and elevates the primordial spirit indeed accelerates one’s growth.

His heart pounded ferociously, its beat unceasing like a roaring furnace.

But as the Dragon Elephant Vajra of the Dao Fruit trembled, Li Che’s immense aura began to gradually subside.

With two fingers pressed together, he tore through the air.

A cute Cow Mask was pressed onto his face by Li Che.

He donned a Bamboo Hat and draped himself in a Black Robe.

With a shudder, Li Che’s body vanished from the courtyard.

……

……

Crack, crack!

Lightning flashed and thunder roared; winter thunder boomed.

A torrent of wind-driven rain and swirling snow cascaded down.

Clang, clang!

On Long Street, the Divine Guard Army, clad in armor and armed with weapons, rushed to clear the broad road until it lay deserted.

Divine Guardian and City Lord Su Huai Li, with white cloth binding their arms, led the procession as white paper money fluttered in the wind, casting an atmosphere of melancholy.

Behind them, six Black Armor Blood Guards – their faces etched with sorrow – carried the coffin, each step heavy enough to fracture the very ground.

Even though onlookers were separated by the Divine Guard Army, many still watched the spectacle with morbid curiosity.

The funeral procession spanned across Jingguang City.

All major powers had caught wind of the news and, out of a sense of propriety, arrived to offer their condolences.

Although Ji Haihui was dead, as the son of King Ping Luan Ji Mo Li, proper formalities had to be observed.

After all…

King Ping Luan Ji Mo Li was still alive.

Appearances aside, respect for Buddha was paramount.

Within Jin Guang Mansion, not only the Five Major Families but also numerous lesser clans dispatched representatives to pay their respects.

The rain lashed against the black-tiled eaves, coalescing into droplets that cascaded noisily to the ground.

Imperial Watch Tower.

Lu Yao stood by the swaying balustrade, alongside Monitor Hu Yingyue who gently drew her erhu.

Listening to the mournful strains of the erhu, Lu Yao couldn’t help but feel a deep empathy.

‘Who exactly killed Ji Haihui?’ he asked.

He hadn’t expected that not only he, but nearly everyone, was at a loss.

Even Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, who wielded the Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel and commanded the Temple Spirit Resonance, was clueless about who had killed Ji Haihui or shattered the Martial Will.

In the entire Jin Guang Mansion, few could have managed such a feat…

‘If you can’t guess, then don’t bother. Even if you guess correctly, it doesn’t benefit you…’

‘King Ping Luan Ji Mo Li’s reputation had never been great—laden with enemies. Perhaps a powerful foe disguised among them killed Ji Haihui…’

The Monitor chuckled.

Lu Yao said nothing in response, for that possibility existed.

As he watched paper money flutter to the wet ground and the mournful procession depart Jingguang City,

he couldn’t help but recall the haughty, domineering entrance Little Prince Ji Haihui once made into Jingguang City.

Now, he had met such a desolate fate.

For a moment, Monitor Hu Yingyue seemed inspired; her erhu’s lament grew even more sorrowful, her emotions overflowing.

Lu Yao rolled his eyes, turned away from the tiresome erhu, and departed.

Monitor Hu Yingyue gave him a sidelong glance with a gentle smile.

Youngsters never appreciate the erhu – they mistake the pipa for a treasure.

……

……

Little Prince Ji Haihui’s funeral then left Jin Guang Mansion.

At that moment, many forces took notice.

Atop Golden Light Peak,

Nan Lihuo stood with his arms folded, his white hair billowing, eyes aglow with fire—though even that wasn’t enough.

Though Ji Haihui was dead, it wasn’t by his hand.

Moreover, Ji Haihui’s death would surely enrage Ji Mo Li, leaving him little time.

Nan Lihuo exhaled deeply, his gaze somber.

He planned to kill City Lord Su Huai Li.

Having conspired earlier with Ogre and Ma Mian to assassinate Su Huai Li, now, even if Grandmasters or Divine Practitioners could be slain in the Underworld,

a mere City Lord like Su Huai Li was no challenge.

Thus, Nan Lihuo intended to complete Su Huai Li’s assassination in the coming days.

‘Underworld…’

‘Killing Su Huai Li… should be no problem.’

Nan Lihuo’s eyes grew heavy.

Time was short; as he closed his eyes, a terrifying vision flashed before him.

His face flushed scarlet as he exhaled slowly.

Leaning forward, he plunged into the storm, barreling toward Zheng Lei Peak.

He longed to contact Ogre and Ma Mian from the Underworld.

But now, reaching the Underworld…

contacting Li Qingshan was the easiest route.

……

……

After Su Huai Li accompanied him for ten miles, he left.

‘Little Prince, farewell.’

Su Huai Li, clad in white with a sorrowful expression, clasped his fists in salute.

Divine Guardian and the six Black Armor Blood Guards ignored him and departed without a word.

Endless paper money scattered, endless sorrow answered.

Watching the funeral procession fade into the rain, Su Huai Li slowly straightened up as the grief on his face faded away.

Deep in his eyes, a flicker of unease appeared.

He raised a hand to his chest, his face pale and his breathing uneven, “Such an intense, unsettling feeling…”

‘Who exactly killed Ji Haihui…’

‘Corpse God Sect? Lie Shen Pavilion? Who on earth?’

Su Huai Li’s eyes began to redden as bloodshot veins formed a web.

‘Master never believed in me, never thought I could rise. I was exiled here… I have nothing left!’

‘Why am I always seen as inferior to my senior brothers and sisters?’

‘Why?’

The fiery red in Su Huai Li’s eyes intensified as divine energy roiled inside him like hissing venom.

Gradually, he regained his composure and slowly lowered the hand from his chest.

He cast a long, sorrowful glance back at the disappearing funeral procession led by Divine Guardian.

Su Huai Li knew that neither Ji Haihui nor Divine Guardian had ever truly cared for him.

Though he was Ji Mo Li’s junior, being sent to Jingguang Mansion was akin to being abandoned.

‘Everyone despises me…’

Su Huai Li lifted his head, letting the cold rain wash over his face.

The death of Ji Haihui – deep down, he was strangely relieved.

Yet he could not show it; after all, Ji Haihui was his master’s son.

He had to mourn.

‘Master, oh Master, have you ever cared for me?’

……

……

Cloaked in darkness, Divine Guardian was shrouded in inky blackness as thick as spilled ink.

The six Black Armor Blood Guards carrying the coffin bore expressions of genuine sorrow.

Their unwavering loyalty to the late Prince filled them with true grief.

The funeral procession marched on in silence.

Divine Guardian ceased scattering paper money—for every ten miles, a sprinkling sufficed.

They did not resort to jade-horse carriages to transport the coffin but carried it themselves.

The six Black Armor Blood Guards were top-tier Grandmasters, nearly at half-step of the Grandmaster realm, elite among the Blood Guards.

Thus, even while carrying the coffin, their pace did not slacken.

Their earnest sincerity shone through.

After what felt like an eternity, dark clouds thickened overhead as thunder roared and intertwined, unleashing relentless fury.

Suddenly,

Divine Guardian halted and looked off into the distance, where wind and rain violently merged.

In that tilted expanse,

someone stood.

A powerful aura of qi lay dormant, like a terrifying concealed dragon, as if every refined organ was ready to blaze forth.

Grandmaster!

Zhu Chaoyang!

The Governor of the Daocheng Temple Guardian Division, Zhu Chaoyang.

Beside him stood a figure—none other than Tie Shancai.

Divine Guardian’s eyes flashed with lethal intensity.

‘Governor Zhu, what is the meaning of this?’

‘Obstructing the Little Prince’s funeral procession, disturbing his homecoming… Aren’t you afraid of inciting his father’s wrath?’

Divine Guardian’s voice was low as his Divine Essence Golden Pill stirred within the glowing Mud Pellet on his brow.

But Zhu Chaoyang waved him off, “Don’t overthink it. It’s just that this brat insisted on watching…”

Divine Guardian’s gaze shifted to Tie Shancai, a spark of apprehension in his eyes.

Tie Shancai – how could he not recognize him?

The son of the Emperor’s Princess and a major figure in the Divine Capital’s Temple Guardian Division.

His status was as high as that of a Little Prince.

Both were heirs of noble blood.

Divine Guardian frowned as his eyes settled on Tie Shancai.

‘Now that the Little Prince is gone, you…’

However, Tie Shancai merely waved his hand and, with youthful audacity, moved to the coffin.

The six Black Armor Blood Guards surged with energy.

Zhu Chaoyang raised his hand, his overwhelming Martial Will pressing down fiercely.

Divine Guardian’s face changed as he finally waved his hand aside.

Tie Shancai grinned, tapping the coffin lightly before stepping forward; his slight frame made him seem to float above it.

He stared intently at the corpse of Ji Haihui, now silent and still after the rites.

Tie Shancai’s eyes locked onto the bloodstain at Ji Haihui’s brow.

Then, his mouth opened and three-colored flames burst forth from his nose, mouth, and eyes.

The flames flared and vanished in a heartbeat; after devouring their own fire, Tie Shancai stepped away from the coffin.

“Let’s go. Let’s go,” he commanded, turning and leaving.

Zhu Chaoyang clasped his fists in apology toward Divine Guardian and the six Black Armor Blood Guards as he hurried after Tie Shancai.

The funeral procession continued its solemn path.

Zhu Chaoyang stood with Tie Shancai in the storm.

Only after the procession had disappeared did Tie Shancai lift his head, his eyes burning with determination.

“I felt my flames… I sensed them,” he murmured.

“Ji Haihui was killed by the Purple-Flame Serpent Spear Fire-Tipped Spear!”

Zhu Chaoyang paused, his expression softening slightly.

“Among those little brats… someone must have gotten hold of the Purple-Flame Serpent Spear Fire-Tipped Spear!”

Tie Shancai’s eyes burned with confident fire.

“I wasn’t mistaken!”

“Absolutely not!”

“And…I suspect that this Purple-Flame Serpent Spear Fire-Tipped Spear ended up in Li Nuǎnxi’s hands.”

……

……

A heavy, oppressive atmosphere settled as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled.

Divine Guardian seethed in silence, forced to endure the situation. If Ji Haihui were still alive, this indignity would never be suffering.

But with Tie Shancai’s special status, they were forced to endure his dominance.

After all, without the Little Prince, Tie Shancai reigned supreme.

Even Grandmaster Zhu Chaoyang had no choice but to defer to Tie Shancai.

Though displeased, he still offered proper respect.

A fierce storm erupted, with lightning flashing and rain lashing down!

The relentless downpour formed a web of lines as if streaming in unison!

Divine Guardian suddenly halted, his heavy step splattering the muddy water into fragments.

The six Black Armor Blood Guards carrying the coffin exchanged puzzled glances.

Stopped again?

Yet Divine Guardian raised his head, his eyes under the dark shadow filled with an intensity never seen before.

There was even a hint of incredulity in his gaze.

“There is murderous intent,” he declared.

Immediately after his words fell silent, Divine Guardian’s form shot off as a black streak, vanishing as if merging with the falling rain.

The six Black Armor Blood Guards shivered, their armor resonating with clanging metal.

They set the Little Prince’s coffin down.

All six raised their hands, gripping their Zhanma Dao.

The rain ceased.

They narrowed their eyes and looked up at the sky…

They were astonished to see innumerable raindrops halted by an invisible barrier, all stopped outside.

Interlaced lines appeared, forming a gigantic chessboard!

A chessboard?!

Clang!

For a brief instant, the chessboard appeared before dissolving back into the cosmos.

Then, the torrential rain resumed its descent!

Every raindrop became a streak of piercing arrows, pelting down relentlessly!

The six Black Armor Blood Guards fixed their gaze as their armor trembled and their inner qi and blood roared.

These half-step Grandmaster-level warriors, though they had not fully refined their true essence to forge Divine Guts, still wielded a powerful blend of qi and blood.

The boiling energy around them heated the air until puddles of water twisted into glaring white waves.

And in the distance,

a hulking figure slowly emerged.

Whoosh—!

Smoke was torn asunder in an instant.

Revealing a grim, deathly visage.

Darkness and decay exuded from him, as if he had been hauled back from hell.

A savage aura clung about him, permeating the space with violent, brooding energy.

Wearing a fearsome Bull Head Mask marked with a jagged claw scar,

Divine Guardian immediately recognized the intruder!

His whole body trembled as his aura fluctuated in a brief, shock-filled pulse.

“Xue Dufu?!”

Indeed.

Once on Long Street, Bull Head Mask Niu Yi had slain the Divine Practitioner Huang Xi Long of the Divine Guard Army. Now, here he was…

What did this portend?

The underworld fiends had surely arrived!

Ogre, Ma Mian, and… Divine Monkey!

The pressure, as heavy as mountains, pressed down on Divine Guardian, filling him with murderous intent.

Underworld—!!!

The Little Prince was dead, yet the Underworld would not let go.

They had ambushed them en route.

Were they planning to trap everyone within Jingguang City?!

Xue Dufu appeared, wearing the Bull Head Mask.

His hulking form swayed violently!

Countless raindrops exploded upon impact like blurred splashes of watercolor!

The hatchet at his waist transformed in a flash into a Crescent Blade…

Wielding it single-handedly, he slashed the ground, unleashing a power so terrifying that the earth erupted in mud and debris!

The Crescent Blade swung with a thunderous roar, as if mountains were collapsing!

Fifteen intertwined strands of dark blood Divine Guts coiled around Xue Dufu, lashing out like furious serpents!

In that moment, the sheer might displayed by Xue Dufu left the six Black Armor Blood Guards trembling, blood spewing from their wounds.

Meanwhile,

the concealed Divine Guardian did not strike Xue Dufu.

Instead, he transformed into a swift, snake-like silhouette and dashed toward a distant figure.

He melted into the shadows of falling raindrops, closing in rapidly!

“Ogre!”

“Ogre—!”

Divine Guardian recognized the black-robed figure standing in the storm.

Beneath a Bamboo Hat, a cute Cow Mask tilted up slightly.

It was none other than Ogre from the Underworld!

Ogre…

Die!

Divine Guardian’s murderous intent surged—how dare this Ogre bring Xue Dufu to ambush them alone?

Though Xue Dufu was a Grandmaster, six Black Armor Blood Guards could only hold him for a fleeting moment.

Yet he… could easily dispatch Ogre!

Unleashing overwhelming divine energy, Divine Guardian sprang from a raindrop’s shadow, appearing behind Ogre.

In the next instant, his body trembled as a strand of Divine Guts burst from his palm.

This master of concealment, now a Divine Guts Grandmaster, managed to forge even a single strand at that lofty level.

But he was still a Grandmaster!

Yet compared to Ogre’s Divine Guts, his own was as insignificant as a firefly against the brightness of the full moon!

However, the terror of near-death sent him momentarily reeling. His Divine Essence Golden Pill leaped from the glowing Mud Pellet on his brow!

But it was only a single strand of Divine Guts!

No matter how brilliant it shone, it was just one strand!

His Divine Essence trembled with overwhelming force, like raging torrents crashing in a deluge!

Divine energy fused with his martial Divine Guts!

In an instant, it transformed into a dazzling dagger, aimed to slice through Ogre’s neck and sever his bull head!

Had this blow befallen Xue Dufu, his end would have been certain!

However…

Ogre remained unafraid, his resolve unwavering, his eyes alight with ferocious excitement!

Facing Divine Guardian’s lethal fusion of divine energy and perfected Divine Guts,

Ogre twisted his waist,

sidestepped,

and threw a punch!

Ogre’s hooked fist unleashed an arc of shimmering Divine Guts, like streaking lightning!

The cute Cow Mask split at the brow with a crack, revealing an eye that glimmered with divine brilliance as energy surged within!

In that instant, divine power surged wildly!

Behind Ogre, seven rotating, mill-like divine bases unfurled like the vibrant display of a peacock!

On these bases, intricately carved divine dragons seemed to come alive, slithering amid the roar of myriad dragons!

Wanlong Fushen!

A punch was thrown!

The heavens burst forth in dazzling light, as if countless dragons had hoisted the blazing sun into view!

Divine Guardian trembled uncontrollably, frozen in astonishment.

‘This fist technique…’

‘This fist technique!!!’

‘Old King… Are you trying to kill me?’

For a fleeting moment, Divine Guardian seemed to glimpse a towering figure.

‘Is Old King coming to kill me?’

Divine Guardian, as if his soul were ripped away, murmured in dismay.

Before his words could finish,

his Divine Essence Golden Pill, battered by the onslaught of Divine Guts, shattered as his primordial spirit screamed in agony and vanished…

All his flesh and blood—

in a single blow—

vaporized into nothingness.

Eight-thousand words. Please vote for me, recommend my work, and support my continuing journey! During my naked run, I beg everyone to keep following to keep me alive!