Chapter 376: The Ferocious Rules of the Peach Contest

“Each hero in the Peach Garden may only pluck one peach.”

The Empress’ voice resounded throughout Divine Capital Second City, like a gust through a corridor, stirring subtle expressions among the cultivators seated at myriad banquet tables.

They had changed!

This year’s Heroic Contest rules were indeed different from before – and dramatically so.

In past Peach Contests, the hero battles resembled the previous Young Dragon Tournament, a series of one-on-one duels.

Face-to-face magical confrontations would decide who would ultimately claim the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach.

Although some minor rule tweaks occurred, the overall focus remained on individual magical duels.

But this time, as soon as the Empress announced the rules for the Heroic Contest…

The heroes from all the major Divine Sects, illustrious families, and princely lineages wore stunned expressions.

Every hero now needed to secure five peaches within the Peach Garden to advance to the second round – the garden nurturing Five-Thousand-Year Peaches!

And, according to the Empress, each hero was permitted to pick only one peach in the Peach Garden –

This meant that to accumulate five peaches, one had to seize peaches from fellow contestants!

With one hundred heroes, that meant there were one hundred Thousand-Year Peaches available in the first round, averaging out to be allocated among twenty heroes.

Each hero would ideally obtain five peaches.

But that was only the ideal scenario.

Peaches have one inherent trait – they can be devoured.

If any hero felt hopeless about advancing to the second round and chose to swallow his peach –

The consequences would be immense.

Moreover, during a duel, if one hero’s cultivation couldn’t match his opponent’s…

They might choose to swallow their peach just before facing defeat –

In short –

Too many unexpected twists were possible!

Under the ceilings of Divine Capital Second City’s pavilions, heroes from every major faction couldn’t help but grimace, their brows furrowing in thought.

They pondered all the potential outcomes under these new rules.

Meanwhile, the Empress surveyed the scene with a graceful smile.

“After advancing to the second-round Peach Garden, you must still secure five Five-Thousand-Year Peaches to move on to the third round –”

…entering the Seven-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard to pluck Seven-Thousand-Year Peaches.”

“However, from the Seven-Thousand-Year to the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard, the rules relax a bit – merely gathering three Seven-Thousand-Year Peaches is enough to advance…”

The Empress swept her gaze over the assembly, her voice crystal clear, echoing as if her presence enveloped everyone.

Divine Capital Second and Third Cities fell silent in an instant.

The Empress calmly cast one last sweeping look across the hall.

“I wish all heroes a victorious start.”

She curtseyed slightly.

After explaining the rules, she turned back to the table, flanked by Eunuch Lian from Purple-Clad Diao Si.

In truth, even Eunuch Lian was momentarily shocked by the new rules – a fleeting sense of bewilderment at how drastically this year’s Heroic Contest would change.

Undoubtedly, this meant…

The competition would be exceedingly brutal, and upheavals would be rampant.

Not only him – even the Emperor and Empress might be at a loss as to how events would ultimately unfold.

Who would be the one to claim the final Nine-Thousand-Year Peach?

No…

Eunuch Lian’s heart pounded as he looked toward the smiling Empress, his eyes wide with astonishment.

Because –

According to the Empress’ description, is the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard the upper limit?

Since she never stated that the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard was the cap, does that mean many heroes might even qualify for the Millennial Peach Garden?!

Millennial Peach Garden!

Eunuch Lian’s heart skipped a beat!

If that were so, it would make things truly interesting!

At the Great Feast of Qianyuan Divine Sect,

XiXi nestled in Zhang Ya’s arms, happily enjoying a delicious meal, her eyes sparkling as she glanced at Li Che.

“Dad, keep it up! XiXi is the champion of the Dragon Tournament – you must win too!”

With a mouthful of roast chicken, XiXi’s gaze shone with unprecedented determination and hope.

Li Che reached out and ruffled XiXi’s head.

He recalled the pain when XiXi once tenderly handed over the hard-won Nine-Thousand-Year Peach to Zhang Ya.

He couldn’t help but smile, “So XiXi wants that Nine-Thousand-Year Peach?”

“Then Dad will win one just for you!”

At these words, XiXi’s roast chicken lost its appeal as her eyes lit up brilliantly!

Her little body trembled with excitement!

“You’re the best, Dad!”

XiXi leapt up from the table, puckering her chubby lips as if to give Li Che a grand reward.

But Li Che, with an amused shake of his head, gently pressed her little head.

This made XiXi both displeased and delighted – was Dad dismissing her for being too ‘greasy’?

After all, the beloved and radiant XiXi could never be greasy!

Defiantly, XiXi folded her arms and pushed her head forward like a stubborn calf.

Nearby, Lü Taibai’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Ah Che, this round’s rules aren’t as simple. The one hundred heroes come from all major Divine Sects, princely families, and eminent clans!”

“Advancement to the next Peach Garden isn’t based on one-on-one duels, but rather on the number of peaches you gather – you must seize them by force and contest every opportunity!”

“Moreover, it’s even possible that one Divine Sect might have five heroes in the contest – and those five could opt to offer one, collectively gathering five peaches to send one of them to the Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard!”

Lü Taibai’s brow furrowed slightly.

Li Che no longer felt like joking around with XiXi.

“The essence of this Heroic Contest rule is pure chaos.”

“It’s so unpredictable; the weak might fall into a lower-tier Peach Garden while even the strong could fail to advance.”

Lü Taibai explained.

After some thought, Li Che nodded in understanding, “The rules are indeed interesting – any number of surprises could occur…”

Lü Taibai nodded, “Although these rules give the underdogs a chance, opportunities remain scarce…”

“For once you enter the Contest, your peach becomes a target for the strong.”

“The Heroic Contest creates divisions even among the top contenders; some lower-tier heroes might find themselves up against formidable figures like Goldmane, who’ve already reached the Three-Star Martial Saint realm.”

“So the changes made by the Empress will expose the ruthlessness of the Peach Contest entirely…”

Li Che nodded in agreement.

The outcome was utterly unpredictable – a wild scenario indeed.

Lü Taibai looked at Li Che, his eyes gleaming, and finally transmitted a thought, “Ah Che, among all these heroes you’re far from weak—”

“But you are likely to become the focus of everyone’s attack—”

“Be it Goldmane, the masters from the Western Regions, or Zhang Xuanlei from Purple Mansion Divine Sect, once they enter the Thousand-Year Peach Orchard, you might just be their prime target!”

“So your pressure will be immense—if your martial cultivation is exposed, it might reveal your true identity. If the Divine Monkey’s identity is exposed, the repercussions would be even greater.”

Li Che smiled gently, “Sect Leader, rest assured. I have it all under control.”

Holding his Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff, Li Che knew he must never reveal the Divine Monkey identity – that would truly make him the target of all.

Without relying solely on martial cultivation—

Not only is the challenge steep, but the difficulty is also formidable.

Yet—

Li Che was ready with his ace in the hole.

Divine Capital Third City.

After the Empress announced the rules, cultivators throughout Divine Capital Third City were left in a daze.

Night fell; darkness descended.

Yet nothing could dampen the passionate spirit of the martial world. Compared to the Young Dragon Tournament, the duels in the Heroic Contest were even more enticing, grabbing everyone’s attention.

After all, heroes, unlike dragons, possessed far greater overall strength.

The young guns in the Young Dragon Tournament, no matter how powerful, always felt like mere skirmishes.

But the heroes of the Contest were different. To represent their sects in the Peach Contest, one had to be either a Grandmaster on the Three-Flower Stage or a Divine Nucleus Cultivator in the Breath Retention Transformation stage.

Thus, the contest’s spectacle and intensity were unmatched.

But now, with the Empress’ rules, everyone was utterly flummoxed.

Especially the gambling dens – their carefully laid bets on one-on-one duels were suddenly rendered useless.

The betting houses, having planned for every detail, were completely thrown off.

Their prearranged wagers on one-on-one magical duels became worthless in an instant.

They couldn’t even place post-match bets on the unfolding situation.

However, the gambling dens reacted quickly.

Within moments of the Empress’ announcement, they adjusted their bets.

They opened bets for advancement from the first-round Thousand-Year Peach Orchard to the second-round Five-Thousand-Year Peach Orchard.

They wagered on who had the highest chance of reaching the second round.

Suddenly, all seven cities of Divine Capital from the Second City onward erupted in wild celebration as nearly every cultivator placed a bet.

Of course, most wagers still favoring heroes such as Zhang Xuanlei, Zhang Xuanhe, and the top contenders from Purple Mansion Divine Sect.

Then there were the first and second heroes from the Yue, Ji, and Gongshu families.

Most people based their bets purely on cultivation strength.

Li Che’s impressive performance during the preliminary banquet – having defeated Zhou Chiguo, the hero under Ji Mo Li – earned him a fair share of bets.

So Li Che was far from unnoticed; many were betting on him.

Besides the supporters from Qianyuan Divine Sect, there were also bets placed by Li Qingshan and Nie Yang, trusted insiders who firmly believed in him.

Li Qingshan even smirked coldly as he risked his entire fortune on Li Che.

For Li Qingshan, his unreserved trust in Li Che was absolute.

Seeing Li Qingshan’s daring gamble, Nie Yang didn’t hesitate either, staking all his accumulated Divine Crystals on Li Che advancing to the second round.

With so few betting on him, success would yield a handsome reward for both Li Qingshan and Nie Yang.

“They really don’t believe in Elder Li?”

Nie Yang clutched his sword in disbelief.

Li Qingshan, accompanied by Granny Mu, watched from an elevated position atop the city wall in Divine Capital Third City and sneered, “Isn’t that perfect?”

“Our trust will soon yield a bountiful harvest!”

Being Underworld Cat Face, Li Qingshan knew Li Che’s true identity, and his trust was absolute.

For Li Qingshan,

Betting wasn’t about amassing riches –

It was about the weight of trust in a comrade!

Night fell, thick as ink.

Clouds of lead rolled, like ink dancing on water.

Raindrops pattered on the pavilions, their dull sound echoing as they drummed on the roof, raising a hazy white mist in the dark night.

The revelry didn’t last long.

Almost immediately after the Empress’ announcement, bets of all sizes were placed.

After a brief intermission,

Eunuch Lian, in a flourish of purple robes with his hands clasped before him, appeared gracefully at the ruined Jade Plaza.

His gaze swept the crowd as a sharp voice slowly emerged.

“The second round of the Peach Contest – the Heroic Contest – begins!”

“Heroes from all corners of the world, channel the divine aura of Xi Wangmu through your Peach Branches!”

Eunuch Lian’s voice boomed, slicing through the night like a burst of rain.

As soon as his words fell, the heroes at the banquet scrambled,

each drawing forth their Peach Branches imbued with Xi Wangmu’s aura.

In a flash, a burst of divine power shot forth from the branches like serpentine dragons, tearing through the spring rain and soaring above Jade Plaza.

Dozens of streams of Xi Wangmu’s divine aura intertwined into a hundred-headed, serpentine form!

The Empress stood and raised her graceful, pale fingers, delicately removing a jade hairpin from her phoenix hairpin.

An overwhelming surge of divine power erupted from the jade hairpin,

stirring the void as ripples shuddered through it.

Every gaze was fixed on it.

“That is – the Three-Qing Divine Weapon ‘Tianhe Ruyi Hairpin’ from Xi Wangmu’s Bizarre Temple, rated tenth in the Divine Weapons Chart by the Grand Inspector!”

Lü Taibai’s voice rumbled.

Li Che’s eyes narrowed in acknowledgment.

The ‘Hunyuan Qitai Ruyi Gold-Band Staff’ from the Great Jing Court’s Divine Weapons Chart, ranked seventh –

It was the second Three-Qing Divine Weapon Li Che had ever seen!

“Only the Empress may wield this Ruyi Hairpin, and one must meet strict conditions to do so.”

Lü Taibai, privy to many secrets, explained to Li Che.

Li Che’s gaze burned with intensity. Not just him – any Three-Qing Divine Weapon attracted the eyes of many powerful figures.

Lü Taibai took a sip of wine, his eyes unabashedly filled with envy.

“Xi Wangmu’s Bizarre Temple, as a Three-Qing-level temple, houses four great Three-Qing Divine Weapons. The Great Jing Court’s Peach Contest is tied to the Temple Spirit Resonance, a means to inherit the legacy of Xi Wangmu’s temple and its Three-Qing Divine Weapons!”

“This Tianhe Ruyi Hairpin is one such weapon. Moreover, the Great Jing Court also has the ‘Three-Qing Pure Water Divine Bowl’ among four Divine Weapons…”

“And the other two – the ‘Gathering Immortal Flag’ and the ‘Kunlun Mirror’ – are the very prizes for which the Emperor and Empress host the Peach Contest, hoping to acquire them through Temple Spirit Resonance.”

Lü Taibai sipped his wine and shared more secrets with Li Che.

“In fact, if it weren’t for the allure of peaches, few would travel such distances to vie for these Divine Weapons and aid the Great Jing Court in perfecting their Temple Spirit Resonance.”

While Lü Taibai revealed these details to Li Che,

the Empress, holding the Tianhe Ruyi Hairpin, swept her hand gracefully.

A ripple stirred the void as if a tear in space had appeared.

Stream upon stream of temple divine aura poured in through the crack.

Li Che felt a twinge in his spirit as his form began to blur.

Then, as if shifting like a Feilei Chess Piece, he vanished without a trace.

Not only Li Che –

all cultivators who had invoked Xi Wangmu’s temple divine aura simply disappeared, as if evaporated into thin air.

A faint smile played on the Empress’ lips.

Her slender fingers spread, and the Tianhe Ruyi Hairpin was lightly tossed.

It traced a celestial arc like a river of stars.

Water from the celestial river cascaded down onto Jade Plaza like a waterfall.

Soon, it formed an immense curtain.

Within that curtain, the falling celestial river revealed images of many heroes appearing in the Thousand-Year Peach Orchard.

For a moment,

silence reigned throughout the entire city.

Every eye grew fervent, breaths quickened,

and everyone stared intently at the scene illuminated by the cascading river.

The moment the temple divine aura from Xi Wangmu’s magic completed its transmission,

Li Che opened his eyes.

A mysterious mist spread out before him – an endless, barren expanse, with swirling mists roiling over the land.

It was as if ghosts and malevolence lurked within, instilling an overwhelming sense of oppression in Li Che’s soul, now that he had become a Divine Nucleus Cultivator.

“The Three-Qing-level Bizarre Temple – has it already been established in the depths of Bizarre Temple?”

“There’s an eerie sense of terror that chills the bone.”

Li Che exhaled and, without hesitation, fixed his gaze on the Peach Garden enclosed by a bamboo fence.

A black stele at its entrance, crudely carved with the characters for ‘Peach Garden’ in an ancient script – a glance at it was enough to know its meaning.

After a few steps into the Peach Garden, accompanied by a rustling sound, Li Che turned back

only to see that the garden’s entrance had vanished.

He even witnessed a peach tree seemingly sprouting legs, dashing through the garden.

The entire Peach Garden had transformed into a sprawling labyrinth.

“Is this the first-round Thousand-Year Peach Orchard?”

“A Peach Maze…”

A strange look crossed Li Che’s eyes.

All assumptions –

were proven wrong.

Originally, when the Empress stated that each hero could pluck only one peach, everyone assumed that entering the Peach Garden would mean brutal, merciless combat.

But now, because of the Peach Maze, to engage in battle one had to first find an opponent.

“So this tests one’s—exploration skills?”

“It comes down to who finds an opponent first, defeats them, and seizes their peach. Gather five peaches and you escape the maze?”

Li Che pondered, forming a new theory about the rules.

“Xi Wangmu’s Peach Garden… was meant to be everyone’s first foray.”

“None of us know much about the Peach Garden.”

The sound of Li Che’s black robe fluttering filled the air as his eyes flickered with determination.

Then he stepped forward, his feet treading on soft ground overgrown with pale frost grass, its whiteness as if drained of all nourishment by the peaches.

After a few steps, the peach trees swayed like little girls lifting their skirts, tiptoeing as they secretly changed course to erase Li Che’s footprints.

Li Che’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. In the next moment, he raised his hand and tapped his brow.

Invisible ripples, like folds of a hidden wave, began to spread!

Within the Mud Pellet’s inner vision, the Fa Tian Xiang Di Luminous True Primate’s Divine Nucleus trembled, connecting with the will of heaven and earth to form its spirit!

It was as if his primordial spirit leapt forth from between his brows, transforming into a sweeping divine presence.

Li Che unleashed his Heaven and Earth Soul, expanding it continuously.

With it, he sought to locate his opponents.

But…

Li Che’s expression changed as he sensed a crushing pressure when his Heaven and Earth Soul had just formed.

The higher and wider it spread, the greater the pressure!

Even a Divine Nucleus Cultivator’s Heaven and Earth Soul was suppressed within a ten-zhang radius!

Up, down, left, and right – all limited to ten zhang!

“With such pressure, isn’t it like groping blindly?”

Li Che furrowed his brow.

This was truly unexpected.

If he couldn’t find any other heroes, while others gathered five peaches and advanced, he might just remain stuck in place!

“There must be a way to break through—

It’s impossible to search in darkness.”

Suppressing his impulses, Li Che refrained from using his Pure Martial Arts’ telepathic senses and continued to guide his Heaven and Earth Soul.

He directed it toward one particular direction, unleashing it fully!

The initial ten-zhang range suddenly stretched to a hundred!

Faintly, at the edge of this expanded range, Li Che detected a vague silhouette!

Yet, the moment he sensed it, he released his Heaven and Earth Soul.

Because the overwhelming pressure that struck down was like a backlash, threatening to shatter his Heaven and Earth Soul!

“I see now… using the limits of one’s Heaven and Earth Soul at its breaking point to locate an opponent.”

Li Che smiled.

“First, I must find a ripe peach.”

Li Che stretched, his black robe billowing as he swiftly dashed through the Peach Grove.

Every hero was allowed to pluck one ripe peach – and securing that peach was crucial.

Not every peach tree bore ripe fruit, however.

But finding a peach was far easier than hunting for heroes lost in an enormous Peach Garden.

In an instant, Li Che’s eyes flashed as he caught the rich aroma of peaches.

A blood-red peach hung on a tree.

Vibrant and dewy, as if ready to drip bright, crimson blood.

“A Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Peach!”

“Perfect for replenishing qi and blood.”

Li Che smiled, positioning his feet on the frost-covered ground which slightly indented, and then shot forward like an arrow – a bolt of black lightning!

But just as Li Che reached to pluck the Dragon Blood Peach, a terrifying shock of qi struck like lightning, accompanied by a shriek as a crimson flame burst forth like a laser beam.

Li Che’s inner vision trembled.

Because others had left Feilei Chess Pieces outside, Li Che knew that people were watching the cascading panorama of the Tianhe Waterfall.

Thus, Li Che refrained from using his martial prowess.

Out surged the Fa Tian Xiang Di eruption – a colossal demonic primate appeared and, intercepting the flame burst, slapped the attacking beast to the ground.

Li Che, hands behind his back, his Mud Pellet at his brow glowing like a golden date, looked at the seized red serpent.

Activating his Star Plucking Gaze.

【Demon (Lower Five Elder): Fire Three-Flower Python】

【Description: A demonic beast spawned from the corruption of Xi Wangmu’s temple divine aura in Bizarre Temple, coexisting with the peach trees. As peaches ripen, these demonic creatures consume them to transform.】

Li Che’s eyes revealed a trace of peculiarity.

“Born alongside the peaches – the Fire Three-Flower Python, a lower Five Elder equivalent to a Three-Flower Grandmaster, is not to be underestimated.”

“In other words, with every matured peach comes a demonic adversary?”

Li Che drew a deep breath.

He stared at the red snake seized by the Fa Tian Xiang Di demonic primate.

His eyes flickered as he recalled the Dragon Blood Wine his boss once brewed.

This demonic beast would make for an excellent ingredient.

Murmuring to himself, Li Che observed, “The rules set by the Empress state that each hero may pluck only one peach, yet no restrictions are imposed on these demonic creatures.”

With that thought, the Fa Tian Xiang Di demonic primate clutched the snake, patting it until it was stunned, and Li Che tore open his Qiankun Space, hurling the snake inside.

A beast born alongside the peaches – every part of it was valuable…

Li Che wasn’t one to waste such treasures.

Clearing away the troublesome Fire Three-Flower Python, Li Che promptly plucked the peach that had been guarded for a thousand years by the serpent.

The rich aroma of the freshly picked peach filled the air, even more intense than before.

Grasping the peach, Li Che took a whiff and a smile played on his lips.

“The first peach…,”

“The trial of the rules is complete. It’s time to accelerate, to advance to the second round –”

For Li Che, the allure of a thousand-year peach was simply not enough.

Raising his hand, Li Che tapped his Mud Pellet.

The Fa Tian Xiang Di demonic primate dispersed its golden light all around, rendering Li Che’s form blurry.

In that blurred moment,

the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit began to pulsate fiercely in his chest!

Boom, boom, boom!

The thunderous beating was like bolts of lightning shattering the air.

Cosmic Chessboard!

Next,

with Li Che as the cosmic center, countless intersecting lines emerged.

Then, as Li Che spread his five fingers, the Cosmic Chessboard surged upward into the Heavenly Dome,

enveloping the entire Thousand-Year Peach Orchard.

Buzzing, Li Che closed his eyes briefly.

Once deployed, the Cosmic Chessboard expanded, covering the entire garden.

Every peach, as if tiptoeing on delicate feet, became vividly clear in his perception.

Sure enough, Li Che detected the swift movements of various heroes dashing through the Peach Maze.

These figures resorted to the oldest trick – running furiously and colliding with opponents in the maze…

since without advanced perception, this was their only option.

At this moment, Li Che had locked onto numerous frantic heroes wandering like headless flies in the maze.

However…

Just as Li Che targeted one of the heroes, his expression suddenly shifted drastically.

He had never experienced such a drastic change before –

Inside his chest, the usually serene 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit began to beat frantically as if trying to burst out of his chest!

Each thud felt as though it might dislodge his very soul.

It was as if countless ghostly silhouettes were dispersing and expanding!

This abnormal reaction of the Dao Fruit had never happened before!

Since obtaining the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit, Li Che had never felt anything like this!

What was happening?

Li Che’s face grew more solemn than ever.

For the unknown, even he felt a sense of trepidation.

The unusual fluctuations of the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit were entirely unforeseen.

The 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit pounded and the Cosmic Chessboard reigned over the Peach Garden, as countless glimmers of brilliance radiated into every corner.

Slowly, in the deafening rhythm,

Li Che faintly caught a very weak voice.

A soft plea gradually coalesced into clarity.

“Help me—

Save me—”

And the moment that voice echoed in Li Che’s ear,

the beating of the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit abruptly ceased.

A surge of overwhelming desire and greed –

burst forth from the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit like a dam breaking!