Chapter 457: The Awakening of Qitian

Rumbling——

Above the heavenly dome, dark clouds churned and thunder roared incessantly!

Countless interlacing bolts of lightning spread like a spider’s web, with streaks of blue surging like dragons amid the stormy clouds.

The celestial omens had already caught many eyes. Everyone knew the dramatic changes in the heavens signified that the inheritance of Qitian City was about to be unveiled.

The Qitian Temple Spirit, dormant for five hundred years, was about to awaken!

A violent roar erupted, accompanied by a constant, ferocious growl.

Qitian City trembled violently, its very foundations unsettled as rolling, eerie mists spread up from beneath its paved stones.

They intertwined and surged relentlessly!

After rising skyward, it seemed to sever the heavens from the storm below!

Clatter, clatter——

The clanging of chains echoed as thick links collided, producing deafening roars.

In the courtyard.

Li Che sprang to his feet, his eyes flickering with intertwined golden flames.

“Qitian Inner City has been activated!”

Li Che took a deep breath, his heart stirring with anticipation.

In truth, it wasn’t just his heart that quivered; in his right arm the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff vibrated incessantly. The divine weapon, fused with his arm, could barely contain its excitement at this moment.

Beside it, within the Cosmic Chessboard, lay the fragmented Qi Tian Face.

Li Che had collected two pieces of the Qi Tian Face, and with only one piece remaining, even that incomplete mask trembled with energy.

It was the resurgence of the Qitian Temple Spirit’s aura.

Moreover, his Qimen Divine Seed pulsed with energy, the spiraling vortex of his vital energy seemingly quickened its pace!

This was the power unleashed when the martial art Shattering the Southern Sky advanced to the Transcendent True Martial Way—infusing the Qimen Divine Seed with martial brilliance!

Li Che hadn’t expected that so many things about him were connected to the Qitian Temple Spirit!

Roar——

A bloodcurdling bellow echoed from within Qitian City.

Amid the billowing mists that rose from the earth and blurred one’s vision, Li Che cast his gaze and saw what was happening within the inner city of Qitian.

The murky mists were illuminated by countless piercing lights that burst forth, outlining a figure bound by innumerable chains.

The figure, pinned to the ground, struggled desperately to break free, yet the chains proved too heavy…

The human-like figure could only lift its head and unleash a roar akin to a wild beast!

Li Che’s breath caught for a moment.

Could that be… the Qitian Temple Spirit?!

The Mud Pellet at his brow vibrated continuously, as if the Fa Tian Xiang Di Luminous True Primate Divine Transformation were about to burst forth!

“It’s begun…”

Li Che lowered his eyes and smiled softly.

Qitian City…

This once-glorious Divine Sect had resonated with Li Che ever since he first stepped into Jingguang City from the Jin Guang Mansion, having listened to the legends of Qitian City. From that moment, a deep, unbreakable bond was forged.

For Li Che, the very name Qitian carried an undeniable allure.

Since his rebirth into this world, even as he obtained dao fruits, grew stronger, and earned the power to protect his family, this unfamiliar realm still felt alien to him.

Having fled the perilous Feilei City with his wife and daughter to settle in Jingguang City, Li Che still felt a persistent strangeness about this world.

Thus, the appearance of Qitian was like a beam of light piercing the perpetual darkness for Li Che.

And that beam of light, almost unconsciously, became his chosen path.

In this lifetime, could Li Che ever return to his previous world?

He didn’t know, yet the name Qitian existed in his past. With the sudden emergence of various bizarre temples and familiar mythic names, his heart flared with eager anticipation.

Perhaps one of his secret reasons for his relentless cultivation was to glimpse that other world again.

But now, the path home remained utterly elusive.

Even though his current power was immense—capable of slaying demon clans of the utmost calamity—

Li Che understood that he was still far from the means to truly ‘go home.’

Roar——

The chained figure thrashed wildly, chains whipping in a frenzy, shattering the air and tearing apart the void!

Its roars shook the heavens and earth, ringing on relentlessly.

Li Che exhaled deeply, his gaze hardening with determination.

Qitian—could it truly be the light that guides him back home?

He spread his fingers wide; in the next instant his five digits struck through space like divine spears.

He retrieved the Divine Monkey Mask and pressed it onto his face.

Golden monkey hair seemed to revive, growing vividly and swaying gently in the breeze!

Resonance of the Qitian Temple Spirit!

Underworld Divine Monkey, it’s showtime!

……

……

Meanwhile…

Both inside and outside Qitian City, transformative changes were unfolding.

Eerie mists roared into existence, engulfing the already mist-shrouded Qitian City. Combined with the demonic qi of countless fiendish deities, it transformed the city into a veritable den of demons.

Outside Qitian City, numerous human cultivators from all over the land widened their eyes in astonishment.

Yet within the city, a thick, ominous mist roiled vehemently.

This mist enveloped the entire city, concealing every detail within its depths.

Even the three city gates, each guarded by a demon deity, became obscured in the haze.

Cultivators who had failed against the demon lords and were barred from entering Qitian City wore expressions of regret.

They had no further chances…

What a pity!

The resonance of Qitian City’s Temple Spirit had begun, dooming them to miss their chance.

After a moment of hesitation, they lost any opportunity to enter Qitian City for the Temple Spirit Resonance, severing their fate with Qitian Temple forever.

Some cultivators who failed to breach the city’s defenses wallowed in bitter remorse.

As the eerie mists from Bizarre Temple expanded, the cultivators amassed outside Qitian City had no choice but to retreat far away.

For once ensnared by these mists, no one knew what calamity might occur inside.

Even those at the peak of divine calamity wished to avoid being drawn in.

Inside Qitian City,

At the very moment the city shook and the mists surged, everyone reacted.

Leading the Great Jing Court, along with many cultivators headed by Ye Pengju, showed signs of alarm.

Forces from Purple Mansion Divine Sect, South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove, and many ancient clan elders rose to their feet.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——

Through the drifting mists, numerous figures left their courtyards and set foot on the vast Long Street of Qitian City, resembling an expansive plaza.

Each person radiated divine brilliance as they traversed the mists, advancing toward the inner city.

Though their cultivation levels were formidable, the vastness of Qitian City was traversed in mere moments by these strong individuals.

Beneath the towering walls of Qitian City’s inner sanctum, multitudes gathered.

There were cultivators from the Great Jing Court, from Da Li Wangting, as well as those from Witch God Mountain and monks from the Western Lands of Buddhism. Additionally, a horde of demon clans roamed.

Leading them was the Black Bull Demon God Supreme Supreme with twelve demon lords in tow. Their overwhelming aura burst forth like an unparalleled demon, freezing the surrounding void and inducing near suffocation.

On the side of the Great Jing Court, figures such as Ye Pengju and Wang Kui had broken through to the Divine Martial God realm, all fighting fiercely in the hope of seizing the Qitian Inheritance.

However, they were not the true foundation of the Great Jing Court; its real backbone was an elder who had survived through generations—a former emperor who had reached the level of three calamities, Lü Wenchang!

From Purple Mansion Divine Sect came its leader, Zhang Wuji, who had clearly reached the divine calamity realm—with an aura so potent it overshadowed even Ye Pengju and Wang Kui.

Also present were the ancestral patriarchs of South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove, Seven Treasure Divine Sect, Haoran Academy, and others.

Besides the Divine Sects, there were also representatives from the ancient clans of Gongshu, Ji, Yue, as well as the Huang Family from Xiling Road and the Fang Family from Jiangnan Dao…

The arrivals from Witch God Mountain were figures cloaked in white robes—the color of snow from the perpetual snows of the mountain.

Since Witch God Mountain was itself an eternal snow peak, those from there naturally cherished the hue of snow.

The leader among them possessed an unfathomable aura. In his initial breach of the city gate, with merely a single outstretched finger, he pinned the Jade-Horned Rhino Demon God of the city on the wall, nearly killing him with one thrust.

This was a clear testament to his formidable power.

It could be said that too many strong figures had gathered before the inner city of Qitian.

The space before the inner city seemed warped and blurred.

All the mighty ones within Qitian had converged here, all for the long-awaited Qitian Temple Spirit Resonance and the true inheritance of Qitian Temple!

Lü Taibai, Lü Qiankun, and Fang Han Shu had also arrived. They represented the Divine Sect.

Among the many Divine Sects, Qianyuan Divine Sect had dispatched three formidable figures—a lineup that was top-tier for any Divine Sect.

Suddenly,

The Black Bull Demon God Supreme Supreme narrowed his eyes. His coppery, bell-like eyes swept the area as he demanded, “Where is the Underworld?”

In fact, it wasn’t just him.

All the powerful figures from every faction were curious about who the Underworld would send.

Those who dared traverse Qitian City were led by the Underworld Ogre, yet despite the city’s tremors and the activation of the inner sanctum, none of the Underworld’s representatives had appeared.

Who, then, would they dispatch?

The Underworld Ogre? Yama? Or the Ghost Emperor?

Logically, only these three from the Underworld could contest.

Then suddenly,

Everyone sensed a slight tremor within the mists of Qitian City.

It was as if an unseen force had stirred them.

Instinctively,

Nearly everyone turned their gaze to one direction within Qitian City.

There, on Long Street,

A tall, slender figure approached slowly.

With hands raised, one clutched a golden Treasure Stick that hung from his neck over his shoulder in a relaxed, side-slung manner.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——

With this man’s arrival, the mists in Qitian City began to churn oddly—as if influenced by an invisible force!

At that moment, all eyes fixed on the steadily advancing figure from the far end of the Long Street!

His head slightly raised, the gleaming Divine Monkey Mask with its wild, golden features of thunder and lightning captured everyone’s attention.

Everyone was stunned, but once the shock passed, expressions of understanding and inevitability emerged.

The one from the Underworld…

It wasn’t the Ogre, nor Yama or the Ghost Emperor.

It was the Divine Monkey!

Sure enough… it was the Divine Monkey!

The very Divine Monkey armed with the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff!

But with the prowess of the Divine Monkey,

Could he really contend with the divine calamity strongmen present?!

Facing countless staring eyes,

The Divine Monkey remained unhurried and resolute as he made his grand entrance, drawing all eyes upon him.

……

……

Under the dim orange lights of a restaurant,

XiXi sat on a chair, greedily devouring a steaming large meat bun, her cheeks puffed as juice dripped from her mouth.

“Daddy will probably join the Temple Spirit Resonance too, right?”

XiXi blinked, her words muffled by the bun as she spoke.

Curious about how her father acted during such a resonance, she recalled the tense moments during the Third Prince Temple Spirit Resonance in Jingguang Mansion when her anxiety was soothed by his constant support.

That experience had left an indelible impression on her—even though the memory of nearly being enchanted to cut her bones in deference to a deity still haunted her.

Thus, although XiXi did not regard Temple Spirit Resonance too fondly, she couldn’t deny its many benefits:

the Yulian Fenghuo Jingguang Wheel, the God-Slaying Gold Brick in hand, and the divine cultivation techniques etched in her mind…

These were all inheritances of the Temple Spirit!

So XiXi hoped that her father would gain much from this resonance.

She understood why he had been stationed at the Boss’s restaurant—to focus entirely on the Temple Spirit Resonance.

And XiXi was being good, enjoying the food and not hindering him in any way!

“Good luck, Daddy!”

XiXi raised her meat bun in a toast.

Her small feet playfully crossed, swaying contentedly.

The Boss sipped a pot of hot tea while seated,

and the Dog Master lay on the floor; his sleek black fur glowed softly under the dim light.

While the tremors from Qitian City’s Temple Spirit Resonance were cataclysmic,

the restaurant exuded an air of serene isolation from the tumultuous world outside.

……

In the Great Realm, Divine Capital,

in the Second City of the Divine Capital, within the eight-cornered, double-eaved Imperial Watch Tower,

on the ninth floor of the Treasure Tower,

the entire floor expanded into an infinite expanse. A Xuan Turtle lay on the ground, its shell framing a Grand Inspector in a billowing robe, seated calmly as his features blurred by the twisted space.

At the entrance of the ninth floor stood Yue Taofu and Fang Shangzhen, deputy inspectors, their expressions mixed with surprise as they watched the Emperor appear.

Suddenly,

a figure in a bright yellow robe, crowned with a golden diadem and adorned with divine dragon and phoenix tattoos, strode forward. An overwhelming aura of authority made Yue Taofu and Fang Shangzhen’s faces change subtly.

“Your Majesty.”

Yue Taofu and Fang Shangzhen shrank back in startled unison, their eyes fixed on the Emperor who had appeared on the ninth floor of the Imperial Watch Tower.

The Emperor, dignified and imposing, his face obscured though exuding a presence unlike before, stood with his arms folded. Golden boots thundered as he strode, causing the space to ripple.

“Your Majesty, without the Grand Inspector’s permission, you must not intrude.”

Fang Shangzhen, though awed by the Emperor’s imposing aura, stepped forward to block him.

“How dare you.”

The Emperor replied in a voice as resounding as a great bell.

A terrifying, primordial force crashed upon Fang Shangzhen’s heart, turning her pale as if about to be splintered by its might.

Then, as if dispelling all fear, a gentle divine power enveloped her back.

She knew it was the Grand Inspector’s strength.

“Your Majesty, if you wish to enter, then step forward.”

The Grand Inspector’s voice wafted from within the Ninth City.

The Emperor’s yellow robe billowed as he strode into the pavilion on the ninth floor, as though stepping through a gateway into an expansive realm akin to being above a sea of clouds, where the heavens and earth merged.

The Grand Inspector, seated atop his Xuan Turtle, watched the Emperor calmly.

The Emperor’s face radiated divine might and sanguine vigor, while the Grand Inspector’s visage was distorted by the warped space…

“Grand Inspector… you predicted that whoever seized the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff would throw my Great Jing Court into chaos, plunging my realm into disorder?”

“Today, I have come in person, Grand Inspector. Consider this: with my current cultivation and power, who could possibly unsettle my Great Jing Court!”

Standing with arms crossed and coldly declaring, the Emperor’s words fell with bone-chilling finality.

At that moment, the Emperor suddenly spread his arms, unleashing a terrifying aura that burst forth.

The Grand Inspector, seated on the Xuan Turtle, with a twisted face and impassive eyes, seemed to be watching a farcical play.

……

……

Donning the Divine Monkey Mask and bearing the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff, Li Che strolled from the end of Qitian City’s misty Long Street.

In the spotlight of ten thousand gazes, he made his dazzling entrance.

It was as if the long-cherished light of his childhood had suddenly burst into reality.

Behind the mask, Li Che’s demeanor had changed drastically.

Yet there was an exceptional air about him too—reminding him of the day in Jingguang Mansion when XiXi experienced the Temple Spirit Resonance for the first time.

That day marked the beginning of XiXi’s transformation, the start of her growth.

The inheritance of the Third Prince Temple Spirit had bound her fate with the pantheon of deities in Bizarre Temple.

Blessing or curse, Li Che could not tell.

And now, he was about to face the Temple Spirit Resonance head on.

Li Che wasn’t sure if this Qitian was linked to the one from his past life, but if fate had granted him this chance, he wasn’t one to refuse.

“Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff…”

Many eyes were fixed on the golden divine weapon brandished by the Divine Monkey.

Tales of the Grand Inspector’s predictions were well known—stories of fierce battles over the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff. In the end, the weapon had surprisingly ended up in the hands of the Underworld’s Divine Monkey.

Most had assumed the Underworld would entrust the Staff to a mightier being for this Temple Spirit Resonance.

Yet, unexpectedly, the Underworld had kept it with the Divine Monkey to compete.

The five-hundred-year suppression of the Qitian Temple Spirit Resonance led to a contest vastly different from the Third Prince Temple Spirit Resonance in Jingguang Mansion.

Power was indeed a crucial factor.

Even the violent, chained figure revealed a glimpse of what was at stake.

As the mists roiled with creaks, the long-sealed gateway below the inner city walls slowly opened, spewing forth surging mists like a shockwave!

In an instant, the dense mists before the city gate surged higher—twisting as if forming a weird, otherworldly realm, filled with disorienting force.

The once wide-open gateway of the inner city now took on an elusive form.

Three Hundred Zhang!

Everyone was forced back outside this three hundred Zhang zone before the Bizarre Temple!

Within this region lay the trial grounds of the Temple Spirit Resonance. If one could resonate, they were granted passage within three hundred Zhang.

If the Temple Spirit failed to resonate, entry was denied.

Every Bizarre Temple adhered to this requirement.

XiXi’s trial at the Third Prince Bizarre Temple had been of the same nature.

Before the Bizarre Temple, within these three hundred Zhang, mists swayed ominously.

Even the Black Bull Demon God Supreme Supreme of the two calamity realm appeared minuscule behind the overwhelming mists.

The mists churned as if watched over by a dreadful presence.

A low humming sound emanated from the inner city.

Boom——

In an instant, it was as if an ancient divine bell from the snowy mountaintops had tolled, triggering cascading avalanches and surging tidal waves.

Everyone, including Li Che, felt their surroundings blur.

Those around—human and demon alike—seemed to vanish, swallowed by the mists.

Everyone knew.

This sprawling Sanqing Bizarre Temple, imbued with mists,

had officially begun its Temple Spirit Resonance!

……

……

As Lü Taibai’s hair fluttered wildly and his heart surged with emotion, the mists around him blurred. He knew the Temple Spirit Resonance had begun. With a resolute step, he charged into the mists.

Not every Bizarre Temple offered the chance for a Temple Spirit Resonance trial.

It required a rare opportunity—usually found only in recently awakened temples—an opportunity that every cultivator would cherish, for inheriting the Temple Spirit was a monumental boon.

“Qitian Temple…”

“Will Qianyuan Divine Sect become the next Qitian Temple?”

Lü Taibai shook his head wryly.

“Not even close… If it weren’t for the Underworld’s assistance, Qianyuan Divine Sect would have already been attacked by the Imperial Court, its mountain-like sect shattered, its dao lost.”

“Therefore, I must give it a try, take a gamble…”

Lü Taibai took a deep breath and collided headlong into the mists.

Yet, no sooner had he entered than the scene transformed dramatically.

Under the clear, cold light of the moon, a little monkey clad in human robes tilted its head, gazing at Lü Taibai with clear, ethereal eyes filled with longing for knowledge.

“Do you know the Transformation Technique?”

The little monkey asked.

Lü Taibai was taken aback.

A plain sword cultivator like him, whose only art was swinging his blade, knew nothing of transformation.

So, true to his straightforward nature, he simply shook his head.

The little monkey’s eyes immediately filled with regret.

“If you don’t know the Transformation Technique, how can we resonate?”

The little monkey said.

In the next moment, the little monkey’s body trembled and expanded visibly, causing the very earth to shake. The Daoist Hall exploded into ruins.

As its tail whipped furiously, it transformed into a colossal, chaotic ape towering ten thousand zhang—a behemoth like a demon!

With a long howl, wild winds surged and the space cracked with every furious roar!

Lü Taibai felt everything before him vanish.

The mists churned.

Blinking, Lü Taibai found himself disoriented.

He glanced around. Several cultivators had also materialized, stuck at the three hundred zhang mark of the Bizarre Temple, unable to advance even an inch.

With silver hair billowing, Lü Taibai sighed, “I can’t resonate at all…”

Fang Han Shu, holding his Sage Book, calmly remarked, “The Battle-Crazed Yulian Demon Saint of Qitian Temple was said to require four elements…”

“Battle means Black Xumi, Yulian represents the Yulian Sect, Demon Saint is for the Guaiyao Cave, and Qitian belongs to the Dark Heavenly Court.”

“What element have you clung to, Lü Taibai?”

“You haven’t even taken up a simple stick or donned a Monkey Mask. How do you expect to resonate?”

Fang Han Shu shot him a disdainful glance and continued.

Lü Taibai bristled, “Old Fang, didn’t you fail to resonate instantly as well?”

“I left voluntarily – I don’t meddle with the four elements. And that monkey… he detests books, so of course he won’t resonate.”

“That’s why I opted to watch the show early.”

“Temple Spirit Resonance is a chance granted only to the prepared. Our goal is to enter the inner city after the resonance, seize the Qitian Temple inheritance, and discover the entrance to Bizarre Temple.”

Fang Han Shu patted his Sage Book and said slowly.

Lü Taibai fell silent.

He glanced around. Many figures had plunged into the mists; though the view was hazy, they could clearly see them advancing toward the dark, gaping inner city gate.

Some, upon taking a step forward, became entangled—undeniably those who failed the Temple Spirit Resonance trial.

Others moved smoothly ahead.

Lü Taibai noticed a monk from the Western Lands of Buddhism intoning some sutras; a golden cicada formed by the Buddhist light on his back buzzed incessantly. Yet the monk advanced steadily toward the Qitian Inner City.

Clearly, he had resonated.

Lü Taibai also saw the Black Bull Demon God Supreme Supreme, his face hidden behind a Monkey Mask, carrying a massive staff as the ground trembled beneath his steps.

“That is the divine weapon Jia Hai Purple Golden Beam, one of the top-tier stick-class weapons from Dragon Island,” explained Fang Han Shu.

Undoubtedly, this was also preparation to resonate with the Qitian Temple Spirit.

Lü Taibai was dumbfounded—why did everyone seem to have it so easy?!

Yet most still failed to resonate, tumbling out, regaining consciousness. Even Lü Qiankun, the ancestral patriarch, failed.

Lü Taibai and Lü Qiankun exchanged a glance and sighed.

“It appears that our Qianyuan Divine Sect’s chance to resonate with the Qitian Temple Spirit is slim.”

Lü Qiankun murmured softly.

Then, as if recalling something, Lü Taibai’s gaze fixed on the back of the Divine Monkey bearing the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff.

After all, he knew the true identity of the Divine Monkey.

The Divine Monkey was Li Che!

“No! We still have a chance!”

Fang Han Shu also ceased reading his Sage Book, his eyes fixed on the retreating figure of the Divine Monkey.

However, after stepping into the mists, the Divine Monkey stood still as if stalled in the Temple Spirit Resonance.

But was he truly stalling?

Lü Taibai’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Because…

Strands of demonic qi began to emanate from the Divine Monkey.

……

……

Li Che, now wearing the Qi Tian Face and carrying the Freewill Gold-Iron Divine Staff,

saw the realm around him vanish into a haze; the figures of humans and demons alike disappeared.

Alone, he strolled into the churning mists.

The fog burst apart at his touch.

Suddenly, clarity returned to his vision.

He found himself before a Daoist Hall.

At the hall’s steps sat a little monkey, looking disgruntled—perhaps sensing Li Che’s presence.

The little monkey hopped up, its black robe fluttering, while Li Che’s golden eyes burned like molten fire as he calmly regarded the small, ragged figure before him.

The little monkey tilted its head, its tail swishing.

“Do you know the Transformation Technique?”

Beneath the Divine Monkey Mask, a sly smile spread across Li Che’s lips.

He raised his hand and tapped the little monkey’s head three times.

“I do.”

Second Update: I ran a bit behind schedule and couldn’t finish before midnight. Apologies—please vote, recommend, and follow! Old Li will continue tomorrow. Thanks!