Chapter 195: Torrent of Devastation

Boom—!!!

A deafening roar erupted in an instant!

An overwhelming surge of vital energy burst forth like the breach of Jiulong River, its searing heat incinerating everything while vaporizing every drop of moisture within tens of meters!

It was as if hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of dragon-like streams of energy howled and surged out, their ferocious force shattering the air, igniting the sky in a blaze of fire!

That was Li Che’s fully unleashed punch, powered by his vital energy.

No holds barred!

Unleashing the full might he had just attained as a Grandmaster, his black robe twirled wildly, his jet-black hair billowed, and his burly frame radiated defined power. It was as if his Divine Guts burned alongside his vital energy, the punch obliterating even the Master-level Wanlong Fushen!

Boom!

A sonic boom shattered the air in a resounding cacophony!

It sounded as though something had been blasted to pieces!

Flesh dissolved, and a primordial spirit screamed!

A tangible mushroom cloud of vital energy rose, surging upward and flinging countless revived droplets far and wide!

The display was utterly terrifying.

Divine Guardian had never imagined that Ogre could unleash such an exquisitely devastating Wanlong Fushen.

Instinctively, he assumed that Old Prince Wang himself had arrived.

The Wanlong Fushen held by Ji Haihui was utterly different from that unleashed by Ogre—completely distinct forces!

Divine Guardian wasn’t weak either; combining the power of Divine Practitioner with hidden Grandmaster cultivation, he was a mere ordinary Grandmaster whose breakthroughs depended on his Primordial Spirit fortifying his martial prowess.

In terms of raw battle strength, he couldn’t even match Xue Dufu, but… after all, he was a Grandmaster, wielding power of that caliber.

Yet, facing Ogre’s terrifying Divine Guts, his efforts were like a firefly challenging the sun—crushed instantly without any chance to resist.

Divine Practitioner was best at keeping his distance, bombarding foes with divine techniques.

But Divine Guardian, banking on his hidden Grandmaster strength, had planned to use his Divine Secret Technique to swiftly close in on Ogre and then unleash a Grandmaster’s vital energy for an instant kill!

A noble plan, but reality was far more brutal.

Divine Guardian could not have fathomed that the underworld’s Ogre, cunning and devious by nature, would be capable of generating such a forceful Divine Guts—one that could even replicate a Master-level Wanlong Fushen!

In the very moment his focus faltered, it marked Divine Guardian’s doom.

His Golden Pill shattered while his Primordial Spirit wailed!

His flesh was blasted to pieces under that single punch, completely disintegrated by the ferocious vital energy!

Just one punch—

and he was slain in an instant.

Boom—!

The air collapsed instantly, as if a massive pit had blown open; a terrifying mix of destruction and blood mist churned within it, subsiding slowly over time.

An utterly devastating punch!

The roar of a dragon was so forceful, deafening and fearsomely violent.

Nearly a hundred meters away, six Black Armor Blood Guards were working together to counter Xue Dufu, trying to entangle him so that when Divine Guardian freed his hand, they could easily subdue and finish off the traitor!

Suddenly, a violent explosion sounded as an energy balloon charged with vital energy burst in an instant!

The resulting circumferential shockwave nearly blackened the vision of the six Black Armor Blood Guards!

Bang—!!!

The aftershock of his fierce fist shattered the mud and debris, ripping a channel out of the uneven, stone-paved road.

After witnessing the aftermath of the collision, the six Black Armor Blood Guards—

each felt their courage sink, their hearts plummeting as if frozen in time.

It was as though time itself had stopped!

Divine Guardian…

the Divine Guardian with hidden Grandmaster prowess… had been obliterated!

Flesh exploded into a blood mist, the stench of iron and death sending shudders through their souls!

And the emotionless Xue Dufu, bound by Li Che’s Spiritual Confinement shout,

now served as a cold, emotionless weapon of death!

While the six Black Armor Blood Guards watched in horrified silence at the destruction of Divine Guardian,

Xue Dufu’s Crescent Blade suddenly erupted with power.

Divine Guts enveloped the blade, its overwhelming force crashing down like the wrath of heaven; tangible energy burst forth from the blade in brutal, punishing strikes.

Bang—!

A Black Armor Blood Guard was hit squarely by the blade, his chest caveing in abruptly as his armor shattered, slashing open and spraying blood!

The brutal force shattered bones and tendons, sending bursts of blood mist into the air.

In an instant, the aura of a blood-soaked Divine General was diminished as if a gigantic gash had been ripped open!

Xue Dufu, wearing his Niu Yi mask, bore fierce scars as if filled with an unyielding chill!

He had been reborn from death—just as Li Che had been resurrected by Spiritual Confinement. Everything about him belonged to Li Che; Li Che’s command was his life!

Kill!

Underneath his Niu Yi mask, Xue Dufu’s eyes flared with an intense blood-red light as he brandished his Crescent Blade with a wild gust!

The shattered formation of guards instantly destabilized.

The remaining five Black Armor Blood Guards felt the overwhelming pressure.

The formation of six, which could just hold off a Grandmaster, would shatter completely if a breach occurred—true imbalance!

In a one-on-one matchup, Xue Dufu could easily dispatch any Black Armor Blood Guard!

While a Grandmaster versus a Cultivator of similar rank might not have an absolute positional advantage like Divine Practitioner over a foundational cultivator, the gap in levels still crushed his foes!

With a sudden thrust, his Crescent Blade sent a tremor through the air, shattering droplets and splintering blood with a burst of water mist!

A razor-sharp slash, as luminous as a desert mirage, erupted!

The Lonely Desert Smoke Blade!

Xue Dufu’s signature move, his Grandmaster technique!

Thwack, thwack, thwack—!

In an instant, the sound of splintering bones and tearing sinews rang out!

The Black Armor Blood Guards were merciless too; without many words, they burned their true energy, momentarily elevating their flesh to that of a Furnace Grandmaster!

Though it caused Xue Dufu some trouble, the formation’s collapse was nothing more than a minor setback.

The violent slashes of the blade, the rampant carnage—mud and water flung in all directions!

Amid the roar of breaking flesh, one Black Armor Blood Guard after another was cut down on the spot!

The scalding, vaporizing blood-splattered rain fell on Xue Dufu’s icy frame, yet he showed no reaction whatsoever.

When the final Black Armor Blood Guard’s head was swept aside by Xue Dufu’s blade,

it flew upward in a ghastly arc, then crashed to the ground, fueled by wrath.

Xue Dufu, slanting his Crescent Blade, stood amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood,

a solitary figure in a pool of gore.

The battles on both fronts had drawn to a close.

Divine Guardian and all six Black Armor Blood Guards had perished.

No one escaped.

The world fell silent once more as the roar faded; the storm driven off by Xue Dufu’s Divine Guts returned, rain cascading and drenching the earth.

It pounded the muddy ground, splashing into rippling circles.

Yet nothing could wash away the blood aura of the six exhausted Black Armor Blood Guards.

In the distance,

the receding shockwave returned, rain pattering on Li Che’s Bamboo Hat, forming beaded drips along its edge.

Li Che, behind his Ogre Mask, maintained his fist-throwing stance; his brilliant Divine Guts streaked and flared like crimson lightning.

That punch was Li Che’s final burst of every ounce of bodily strength,

pushing his Dragon Elephant Vajra transformation to its peak—just a step away from unleashing a nascent divine technique.

Although the Divine Technique of Tower Ascension, bolstered by Temple Spirit’s divine force, was stronger when empowered, without it, it was merely a raw enhancement.

Battle is the ultimate crucible for practice.

Li Che’s punch shattered the Divine Guardian of Divine Practitioner’s realm—even if his Grandmaster level had exceeded Li Che’s expectations, that was all there was to it.

His fist slowly descended; behind him, seven radiant, peacock-spread divine foundations gradually retracted, all converging back into his Mud Pellet.

His entire body resonated as bones clashed and friction sparked violently.

A Grandmaster’s flesh was simply too formidable, and Li Che, having risen from his Furnace Grandmaster body, was built on a solid foundation—untamed and fierce!

With a sharp flick of his wrist, he brushed away all the blood mist.

His Divine Perception swept over, and with a clenched fist, a Qian Kun Jade shot forth, caught swiftly by Li Che’s grip.

Observing the cracks marring the Qian Kun Jade, hinting at its imminent shattering under immense force, Li Che exhaled deeply.

“Looks like I’ll have to be more restrained in the future. A headshot or total obliteration would suffice. If I keep this up, even my opponents’ contributions might get shattered.”

Underneath his Cute Cow Mask, Li Che’s eyes sparkled with focused determination as he reflected.

If the Qian Kun Jade were to explode, its inner space would tear apart all his treasured items—and those were all his!

Li Che would truly feel the loss.

He stowed away Divine Guardian’s Qian Kun Jade. In the distance, as if sensing his movements, Xue Dufu of the Black Armor Blood Guards switched his Crescent Blade to a hatchet at once.

He, the master’s most favored bull, looked exceedingly smug.

Li Che ignored him, raised a hand, and tapped his Mud Pellet on his brow.

Instantly,

flesh tore apart as the Star Plucking Gaze illuminated with streaming light!

“Spiritual Confinement.”

“Oh soul,”

“Return.”

Boom—!

The surge swept over the blood mist of Divine Guardian’s obliteration; dense divine energy coalesced into divine chess pieces—no fewer than a hundred Divine Practitioner Chess Pieces.

Soon, a strand of black light flickered and then transformed into the shape of Divine Guardian.

Still fused with shadows—only now even darker.

He no longer looked like someone who had risen from death through Spiritual Confinement.

Li Che’s gaze swept indifferently over the Spiritual Confinement resurrection of Divine Guardian.

Dusky black energy roiled relentlessly.

Behind him, Xue Dufu also watched expectantly.

As if waiting for Divine Guardian to struggle like Huang Xi Long, so that… the master could reward Niu Yi with a hearty feast!

Li Che did entertain that thought.

Keeping a Spiritual Confinement companion felt akin to nurturing—a rather useful support, indeed.

After all, unlike a Painted Immortal Clone, these spirits didn’t drain his Divine Perception to operate; they acted on their own.

They were independent entities.

That was a fundamental difference from the Painted Immortal Clones.

The latter were essentially splinters of his vital energy and divinity.

However, much to Xue Dufu’s disappointment…

Divine Guardian had not the slightest intention of resisting. Too compliant to the point of absurdity.

“Greetings… my lord.”

Divine Guardian clasped his fists, offering a respectful yet fervent salute in the dark.

His fervor even left Li Che momentarily stunned.

Could it be that the Wanlong Fushen of his final moments had mistaken him for King Ping Luan Ji Mo Li?

That would explain the complete absence of resistance and instant submission.

Of course, it might also have been because Li Che, now a Grandmaster in his own right, could utterly suppress Divine Guardian’s capabilities.

Li Che nodded. With Divine Guardian so deferential, he decided not to add him to Niu Yi’s feast.

He moved over to where the six Black Armor Blood Guards lay.

These guards, with formidable Divine Vision and advanced rear-stage cultivation, might have even subdued Xue Dufu if he hadn’t been enhanced.

Taking a deep breath, Li Che forged hundreds of Divine Vision Chess Pieces to his satisfaction before initiating Spiritual Confinement.

The six Black Armor Blood Guards’ grim faces appeared, slightly crooked, emerging from their corpses.

Dressed in black armor, they removed their Zhanma Dao from their lifeless bodies; the dark aura enveloped the blades and merged with them in an instant.

“Greetings, my lord!”

The six Black Armor Blood Guards saluted in unison, their voices full of passion and respect—a uniform display that spoke of rigorous training.

Li Che was pleased.

He raised his hand and clenched his fist.

In an instant, the six guards twisted into a vortex, being absorbed into a white Unsullied Heart Divine Chess Piece.

Li Che planned to eventually place this Unsullied Heart Divine Chess Piece beside XiXi,

so they could protect her up close.

Even in death, a formation of six half-step Grandmaster-level guards could hold off a Grandmaster for a while.

Moreover, since they were already dead, they were even more professional than the truly undead—undaunted by death, ready to fight to the bitter end!

He also absorbed Xue Dufu and the Divine Guardian into his arsenal.

Li Che stretched leisurely as bones creaked—his Grandmaster physique still needed time to adjust.

Surveying the chaotic battlefield strewn with corpses and soaked in thick blood,

he paid it little mind.

His eyes fixed on a coffin lid.

With a light step, his toe touched the ground; instantly, mud and puddles rippled outward in concentric circles.

In a flash, Li Che sped away, like a leaf in a storm,

putting his expert corpse-covering skills to the test.

With a flick of his fingers,

two chess pieces—one black, one white—swirled together and shot off.

“Black and White Collapse.”

Silence fell over the land.

In the space of a single breath, Li Che’s quiet voice resounded.

Then, an unnoticeable explosion followed; the dark and white brilliance twisted into a mass that erupted with dazzling light—blinding in its intensity!

It was as if a massive bowl had been placed over the corpses of Ji Haihui and the Black Armor Blood Guards…

Boom—!!!

A fierce gust of wind roared and swept through!

Countless torrents of wind and rain were swallowed and erased, leaving the surrounding space immaculately clean.

Moments later, an explosion birthed a deluge, as the rain was sucked back in!

And when all light and heat vanished without a trace,

only a vast, gaping pit remained—seemingly dug deep into the earth.

The corpses of Ji Haihui and the Black Armor Blood Guards…

all had vanished without a trace.

Crunch, crunch, crunch…

The refilled rainwater in the pit evaporated instantly from its crystalline surface, transforming into thick vapor that shot skyward.

Only—

silence remained; nothing but desolation.

…

…

Crunch, crunch!

Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and a violent storm raged!

The air itself burst open as scorching vital energy roiled like dragons and serpents. A figure rocketed down rapidly,

landing on a chaotic, mud-caked stretch of ground.

Zhu Chaoyang, dressed in ragged clothes with vital energy surging around him, isolated himself from the rain.

In his hand he carried a figure—none other than Tie Shancai.

After Li Che deactivated the Cosmic Chessboard, that terrifying, scorching aura of destruction surged upward in an instant.

Zhu Chaoyang and Tie Shancai, who were not far apart, instantly sensed it.

Under Tie Shancai’s strong insistence, Zhu Chaoyang had ultimately relented and rushed over with him.

One elder and one junior stood at the edge of a ten-meter-deep pit, both inhaling sharply.

“Ji Haihui… not a bone left?”

“Who… could be so ruthless as to annihilate even Ji Haihui’s funeral procession?”

Tie Shancai’s eyes widened; even someone as fearless as him couldn’t help but clasp his legs in trepidation.

“Divine Guardian… a Divine Practitioner… felt that this scorching vital energy concealed hidden Grandmaster power…”

Zhu Chaoyang, having once served in the Temple Guardian Division, observed meticulously.

He did not focus on the utterly annihilated corpses of Ji Haihui,

but circled around until he discovered a small piece of shattered flesh.

Clutching the fragment, Zhu Chaoyang’s complexion shifted—an expression of horror and shock.

“Divine Practitioner with Grandmaster power?”

“Such strength… couldn’t even withstand a second attack?!”

At some point, Tie Shancai gripped a small Banana Iron Fan; his small face now etched with gravitas.

He had every reason to be afraid—Ji Haihui, someone his age, had been reduced to scattered bones…

“Could it be that a Grandmaster in the ‘Unity of Heaven and Man’ realm struck?”

“Such a top-tier expert is probably one of only a handful in all of Yunzhou. Look around Daocheng—only the best exist!”

“And he appears in Jingguang City?”

Tie Shancai took a deep breath.

Zhu Chaoyang nodded gravely, “Even if he’s not a ‘Unity of Heaven and Man’ Grandmaster, his level isn’t far off… maybe even a strong cultivator with both martial and divine breakthroughs, whose flesh has reached peak potential!”

“Aren’t your Temple Guardian Division experts in investigations? Can they determine whose hand this was?”

Tie Shancai asked.

“If you can tell, I’ll know to keep my distance ahead of time.”

Zhu Chaoyang shook his head, “All I know is he’s incredibly strong…”

“His vital energy, his flesh, even his Divine Guts—he left Divine Guardian utterly defenseless.”

“Terrifying…”

“Divine Monkey of the Underworld? Doesn’t seem like it… The Underworld probably doesn’t house anyone this powerful.”

“Perhaps it was that master who, at the Temple Spirit Resonance Conference, killed Ji Haihui and shattered the Martial Saint’s will!”

Zhu Chaoyang said.

Tie Shancai exhaled, “Thank goodness… thank goodness we examined the corpse beforehand.”

The two exchanged a glance.

Suddenly, the wind and rain around them grew chill.

Then Zhu Chaoyang hoisted Tie Shancai and dashed off without a backward glance.

…

…

After Zhu Chaoyang and Tie Shancai departed,

from the direction of Jingguang City, a shadowy figure seemed to sense something and burst forth through the sky.

A powerful divine force warped the swirling clouds; the figure soared through the air with incredible speed.

Boom, boom, boom—

Countless droplets erupted as Divine Practitioner’s formidable Primordial Spirit, radiating with the brilliance of a blazing sun, repelled the rain and air currents.

Jiao Shaoqiu and the Grandmaster chauffeur following him landed at the edge of the pit.

Soon after, Lu Yao, Wang Kuyu, and the inspector from the Imperial Watch who played the erhu arrived.

Lu Yao and Wang Kuyu exchanged glances with the inspector, surprise flickering in their eyes.

“What a tragedy… so tragic.”

Monitor Hu Yingyue set up a small stool, and amidst the storm, began playing a mournful tune on his erhu.

In contrast, Elder Jiao Shaoqiu paid no heed; his withered, time-worn face bore a sharp glare.

“The Little Prince’s funeral procession… completely annihilated, not a bone remains. All wiped from existence.”

“Whoever did this… was exceedingly ruthless and vicious…”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu sighed.

“How could it come to this?”

It was too tragic.

If King Ping Luan Ji Mo Li heard of this, he’d surely be enraged.

But in truth… they weren’t to blame.

After all, Ji Mo Li hadn’t sent any strong guards to escort his son.

Knowing his son would be in danger, his defensive forces were pitifully weak.

Yet, with one Divine Practitioner, one Grandmaster with Divine Guts, and six Black Armor Blood Guards—plus the Martial Saint’s will inherent in Ji Haihui’s body and the Dragon God bloodline…

no faction would dare risk a direct confrontation with Ji Haihui or harm a child.

“They left no trace at all…”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu shook his head.

He looked at the Grandmaster chauffeur beside him and inquired, “Did you notice anything?”

The Grandmaster silently wiped mud off a fragment of bone, then handed it to him.

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu took it; within the Mud Pellet on his brow, divine energy burst forth…

Closing his eyes briefly, he felt a shiver of terror as divine power surged.

In the next moment, he flung the bone fragment into dust.

His face was awash with shock and disbelief.

“Wanlong Fushen?”

“The one who killed Divine Guardian… used a punch empowered by a supremely domineering Wanlong Fushen technique!”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu used his Fear Inducing Radiance divine secret technique to barely catch a fleeting image from the fragment.

But that exquisite Wanlong Fushen punch seemed as if it would shatter his Divine Perception.

“Who could master such an extraordinary Wanlong Fushen? Could it be… one of Ji Mo Li’s sons…

a silent hit ordered to secure an unbroken line of succession?”

…

…

A wild wind howled as rain battered the courtyard.

Black tiles trembled and echoed with dull sounds.

Li Che gripped a Feilei Chess Piece with his five fingers and returned to a small courtyard in Luohua Alley.

Inside, the courtyard remained tranquil.

Rain pelted from the central dome, water streaming over the courtyard floor.

Li Che removed his Ogre Mask, shed his black robe, pulled out a bamboo chair, and sat down, his muscles finally relaxing.

He had deliberately left behind a fragment of Divine Guardian’s bone.

With his Primordial Spirit already active and the Cosmic Chessboard in place, how could he miss such a small clue?

But he had intentionally left that bone behind to mislead any investigation.

Within that fragment lay the lingering resonance of the Wanlong Fushen punch—it could only trace back to a perfected, emotion-imbued Wanlong Fushen!

Erasing all traces would not be the wisest move. The most secure strategy was to leave subtle clues, guiding the investigation elsewhere.

Who would suspect that Divine Guardian died from an exquisitely executed Wanlong Fushen punch…

and that it was none other than Li Che who delivered it?

After all, who would connect a humble, honest wood-carving master from the Imperial Watch to King Ping Luan’s Wanlong Fushen?

Li Che pondered, replaying the nearly crushing battle in his mind.

Yet his heart did not swell with pride or belittle his foe.

In this world, the mighty always remain so—there’s always someone stronger!

But Li Che was undeniably no longer weak.

“I’ve barely crossed the threshold of Grandmaster. I’ve only just consolidated my first divine core. Yet it qualifies me as a Grandmaster.”

Li Che’s lips curled into a slow smile.

Transitioning from Furnace Grandmaster to full Grandmaster was indeed a metamorphosis.

Strength, explosiveness, and vital energy had all undergone a complete upheaval.

Yet, the mightiest force lay in martial willpower.

Solidifying that into a tangible form was the true, dominant source of a Grandmaster’s strength.

However, cultivators like Divine Guardian—who deduced his Grandmaster prowess from the reversal of his Primordial Spirit—had exceedingly fragile martial wills.

Unlike Xue Dufu, whose martial will burned fiercely even in the face of severed arms and spilled blood!

“I’ve just barely crossed over, but I haven’t yet refined my fleshly core to store my Divine Guts. In my body, Divine Guts reside in the fleshly core; with a single thought, they can permeate every channel…”

Li Che contemplated the cultivation methods of a Grandmaster.

The Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit pulsed with life.

Li Che rose and walked into the courtyard. Rain fell freely as he allowed himself to be soaked.

Crackle, crackle, crackle…

A shiver ran through him as the rain steamed away.

He stretched out his arm, clenched his fist, and threw a punch!

His fist moved like a spear—neither too fast nor too slow, devoid of the brutal haste of a skirmish, but graceful and expressive.

Like a master calligrapher placing a decisive stroke in a game of chess.

The rain was drawn in, and divine energy interlaced around him. Within a span of ten meters, the airflow and raindrops were sucked in and compressed into his clenched palm.

Splash—

A water sphere, condensed to its limit and enveloped by blasting gusts, whirled in Li Che’s palm!

Inside him, blood surged through his dantian—blood, tendons, skin, bone marrow… all his vital essence gathered as if nourishing a nascent, fleshy growth.

Roar—!!!

The cry of a dragon, the pounding of his heart, a torrent of essential blood surged as if the will of a dragon roared!

Martial will and the Dragon Elephant Vajra

were both merging within this emerging fleshly core!

It was his fleshly core.

A single fleshly core was the foundation of a Grandmaster!

Whether a Divine Guts Grandmaster, a Heavenly Unity innate Grandmaster, or the supreme Grandmaster atop the Three Blossoms…

none could do without a fleshly core!

Just like the divine golden pill of a Divine Practitioner, it was an exceedingly precious treasure!

It was the very root of cultivation!

Li Che’s fleshly core was barely taking shape. Once he completed the division of his five organs for the Martial Saint technique, using their distinct styles to forge his Divine Guts and merge them into his dantian,

then he would truly stand as a Grandmaster!

Standing in the rain, Li Che held a water sphere that had grown stronger from the courtyard winds.

A wry smile tugged at his lips as he snapped his fingers.

That water sphere shot high into the sky, burst fiercely, and transformed into a torrential, dominating downpour that cascaded!

Amid the torrential, frenzied rain, Li Che’s ink-black robe flew dramatically, his hair dancing wildly.

His eyes flashed like electric currents,

and divine light streamed from his gaze, dancing like shooting currents.

[Dao Fruit: Unsullied Heart (lv4 0%)]

Seven thousand words. Please vote for monthly tickets, recommend, and support continued reading! Everyone’s off playing Black Wukong? After all these words, Old Li… I sincerely envy him!