Chapter 477: Transcendent Harvest

The ancient Qian Kun Jade, of the highest caliber, contains an endless inner space.

Li Che’s Martial Immortal spirit was immeasurably strong—in an instant, upon entering, he sensed the wealth of resources swept in by the Night Bat Demon God.

The sensation of being hit by overwhelming fortune was a feeling Li Che had nearly forgotten.

Yet this time, his Martial Immortal spirit felt nearly blinded by the dazzling resources stored in the Qian Kun Jade. If even a single unit of the Qitian Inner City’s Qitian Temple heritage were present, the Night Bat Demon God would hoard eight dou on his own!

Li Che drew in a deep breath. Even after breaking through to the Martial Immortal realm, the mind still needed honing; he hadn’t reached the state of indifference to praise or humiliation.

Beside him, the Night Bat Demon God grinned broadly. Although his combat prowess was average, his true talent lay in treasure hunting. Possessing an innate sensitivity to the rarities of the world, his ultrasound perception even resonated uniquely with Dao Essence Divine Crystals and Divine Crystals.

Moreover, his keen sense of smell allowed him to detect the scent of spirit herbs.

Thus, within Qitian Inner City, Li Che kept him away from battle, assigning him solely for treasure hunting—a role in which he was utterly in his element.

Determined to earn favor and admiration from his lord, and to later help ingest peer resources to bolster his cultivation, the Night Bat Demon God exerted himself with every ounce of effort.

Focusing intently, Li Che sat cross-legged, gripping the Qian Kun Jade, his mind stirring.

In an instant, streams of light intertwined as he began to account for the Night Bat Demon God’s spoils.

“One hundred and eighty Four Imperial Dao Essence Divine Crystals, eighteen Single-Leaf Dao Essence Divine Crystals, and three Double-Leaf Dao Essence Divine Crystals!”

Li Che exhaled deeply—what a haul!

For cultivators facing divine calamity, Dao Essence Divine Crystals were extremely valuable and precious.

Even though Li Che had now broken through to the Martial Immortal realm, the comprehension of Dao Essence was still essential. Opening the Golden Heavenly Gate meant grasping Martial Immortal Dao Essence, and the process of transcending heavenly tribulation was all about fusing that essence with the flesh.

Thus, whether you were a Martial Deity, a Martial Immortal, or facing a divine calamity, Dao Essence Divine Crystals were hard currency!

Strictly speaking, the Four Supreme Dao Essence Divine Crystals aren’t technically Dao Essence Divine Crystals—true Dao Essence Divine Crystals are graded by leaves.

Yet, one hundred and eighty pieces of the Four Supreme type nearly made Li Che’s head spin.

These were genuine, top-notch resources!

While the innate energy within Dao Essence Divine Crystals wasn’t the primordial Qi of heaven and earth and could not directly boost martial prowess, it greatly enhanced one’s perception of Dao Essence.

To ascend one’s realm, one must refine their understanding of Dao Essence!

Qitian Temple’s heritage truly was abundant.

After the Dao Essence Divine Crystals came the Divine Crystals. The moment Li Che’s mind stirred, the Divine Crystals surged forth, piling onto the ground of Mo City Fengdu.

They amassed like a small hill, leaving Li Che momentarily dumbfounded.

Whether it was the Four Supreme Divine Crystals—numbering over a thousand in total—or the one hundred and eighty lower-tier Three Pure Divine Crystals, the thirty-six mid-tier, and the three ultra-rare upper-tier Three Pure Divine Crystals, the enormous heap exuded a mighty aura of divinity.

The piled Divine Crystals radiated an overwhelming divine presence.

However, Li Che’s Martial Immortal form actively repelled the divine energy, so not a trace of its influence touched him.

That said, it didn’t mean Li Che could forgo Divine Crystals, as within his Mud Pellet inner realm, every Divine Seed still hungered for nourishment.

In truth, Li Che’s divine cultivation had long fallen behind his martial progress.

Though not obsessing over divine cultivation, he hadn’t completely abandoned it either—he practiced naturally.

Thus, to him, Divine Crystals were also exceedingly valuable.

Continuing his count only made Li Che even more delighted.

He found one bottle of mid-tier Three Pure Martial Pills, within which a core of vital energy lay; even a mere whiff made Li Che feel his body reviving.

As for the lower-tier Three Pure Martial Pills, there were six in total, their vital energy surging—immensely beneficial for martial cultivation.

The only shortcoming was that many of these pills were tainted by divine energy, clearly intended for martial practitioners of the distracted kind.

Li Che’s gaze then fell upon Gu Changqing, who was engrossed in studying the Supreme Alchemy Furnace.

Even though the Supreme Alchemy Furnace had been dimmed by the Great Sage’s attack, it wasn’t completely destroyed—as the Great Sage had kept some restraint to compensate Li Che, bundling it with a replica of the Ju Xian Flag as a gift.

“Worry not, my lord. Recasting the Martial Pills is no big deal—it’s just a matter of removing the divine contamination,” Gu Changqing said with a light chuckle, unfazed by the challenge.

Li Che then tossed the Martial Pills to Gu Changqing for a second recasting.

After tallying the Martial Pills, Li Che also counted various fine treasures such as Divine Wooden Sculptures and Divine Weapons. Although plenty of excellent items were present, they didn’t appeal to him as much as Martial Pills and Dao Essence Divine Crystals did.

“What is this…”

Suddenly, Li Che’s eyes narrowed.

With a grab of his fingers, a potted plant—housed in a rectangular jade basin—appeared.

A surge of condensed vital energy and potent medicinal properties swirled together, almost materializing, as if shrouded by a haze of light and mist.

“Is this… a divine medicine?!” Li Che’s breath hitched.

“My lord, this is a divine medicine we scavenged from the palace during the fall of a renowned alchemy genius from Qitian Temple!” the Night Bat Demon God declared eagerly and respectfully.

Leveraging his Star Plucking Gaze, Li Che swept his vision over it to identify it.

……

【Divine Medicine (Lower-Tier Three Pure): Jade Bodhi Dragonblood Tree】

【Description: A jade Bodhi tree nourished by dragon blood that bears jade Bodhi fruits, imbued with the overwhelming primordial Qi of heaven and earth】

……

Li Che examined the little tree closely. About half a meter tall, it branched twice, its leaves resembling white jade though appearing withered. Three jade-hued fruits, the size of pigeon eggs, hung from its branches, exuding a rich fragrance.

Just the aroma sent his internal Qi into a bubbling frenzy!

“This lower-tier Three Pure divine medicine is extraordinarily precious—thousands of years old and unyielding. Its vital energy remains incredibly potent. Use it in alchemy to produce Jade Bodhi Martial Pills and fully harness its essence!”

“Alternatively, you might cultivate it as a subordinate, so the Jade Bodhi Dragonblood Tree can bear more fruit.” Gu Changqing added respectfully.

“Very well.”

Li Che trusted his Spiritual Confinement completely—doubts had long been set aside and fed to other confinements already.

Li Che then retrieved other spirit herbs. Unfortunately, none matched the caliber of this divine medicine.

Gu Changqing selected a number of spirit herbs to combine with the Jade Bodhi Dragonblood Fruit for the Martial Pill alchemy.

“It might take about ten days to refine the pills; they’ll be ready in ten days,” Gu Changqing explained.

He knew Li Che, as a Martial Immortal, desperately needed martial pills—resources being paramount for any Martial Immortal.

Although these days, true Martial Immortals were rare due to the surging divine energy, in ancient times they were formidable.

Every Martial Immortal was built upon countless resources. Now that his lord had ascended, amassing resources was inevitable.

In today’s world, pursuing the Martial Immortal path was even tougher, demanding ever more resources.

Gu Changqing couldn’t help but feel the gravity of the situation. As the esteemed alchemy expert under his lord, the duty of nurturing a Martial Immortal weighed heavily on him.

The Night Bat Demon God had scavenged so thoroughly that his haul brimmed with esoteric techniques and martial arts.

Li Che spent a considerable amount of time counting everything.

In summary, it was an unprecedented harvest. As for the various martial arts and secret techniques, Li Che chose not to keep them to himself—he planned to offer them as capital once XiXi succeeded as the sect leader, using them to quell any dissent within the sect.

Though young, XiXi’s age couldn’t hide the sheer abundance of resources she brought!

After finishing the inventory, Li Che stretched and then lightly tapped his toes.

In an instant, he appeared in an open space at Mo City Fengdu, where a torrential black rain fell steadily. His Martial Immortal Golden Body shimmered with golden light as his fingers flared with power.

In his palm, bolts of lightning danced wildly—captured by his Thunder Magnetic Conduit during his transcendent ordeal.

A subtle stirring in his mind ensued.

Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure!

Within his palm, the intertwined bolts of Martial Immortal tribulation lightning were violently compressed—a hundredfold pressure gradually transforming them into a multicolored thunder pellet.

Boom——

It felt as if the space around him was on the verge of collapse.

This multicolored thunder pellet harbored a fearsome burst of destructive force.

After all, Li Che had personally experienced the terror of Martial Immortal tribulation lightning—even his powerful Martial Immortal Golden Body had been shattered to pieces, pierced with transparent wounds and streaming blood.

Within his palm, a thunder pellet the size of a glass bead whirled incessantly, emitting an otherworldly, shifting iridescence.

Transcending a Martial Immortal tribulation wasn’t easy; Li Che processed all the captured tribulation lightning with Thunder Magnetic Extreme Pressure.

Under a hundredfold pressure, he managed to compress six multicolored thunder pellets.

“Six multicolored thunder pellets exploding simultaneously might fall short against a supreme foe, but for a venerable at the level of the Double Calamity and Triple Tribulation, even an immortal would be stripped of a layer of skin!”

With a deft motion, he retracted the pellets, sending his Painted Immortal Clone to investigate how best to integrate them into a mechanism, while he himself turned to practice Celestial Seed Martial Arts.

On this trip to Qitian City, he had achieved the Temple Spirit Resonance at Qitian Temple and received its heritage.

In total, he acquired two Celestial Seed Martial Arts and one peerless Celestial Martial Art!

These were “Inherent Divine Guts Immortal Martial Seventy-Two Transformations” and “Treading the Firmament,” while the peerless art was extracted from the Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff—the “Battle Victory Secret Technique!”

For now, Li Che had no plans to use sudden enlightenment for feedback; he intended instead to train on his own.

Under the enhancement of Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit, his martial talent was becoming remarkable, and he could manage to practice these arts with ease.

He planned to reserve the sudden enlightenment feedback for creating a new Celestial Seed Martial Art.

He aimed to amass the Eight Mysterious Gates Immortal Seed.

The explosive power of the Eight Mysterious Gates Immortal Seed Martial Arts was immense—when he first detonated them simultaneously, it gave Li Che the edge to battle divine calamity.

If he could refine them into a full-fledged art and detonate them again, he’d surely stand toe-to-toe with a supreme being. As for slaying a god…

Li Che exhaled softly.

He had no basis for comparing levels of divinity—comparing him to Qitian was difficult.

Moreover, fusing the Eight Mysterious Gates Immortal Seed wasn’t an easy task; Li Che planned to integrate them with the original tribulation energy from his Dao Fruit evolution.

Thus, the number of original tribulations in his Dao Fruit needed to increase…

The journey ahead was long and arduous!

Li Che continued practicing martial arts in Mo City Fengdu, entering the Dao Calamity space to refine his original tribulation and absorb its force.

Whether in the inner or outer Weird Sanctuaries or among the immortal gods scattered across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the pressure was immense.

That very pressure would serve as his drive.

Li Che had to become strong—only then could he secure a peaceful, nurturing environment for his daughter’s cultivation.

Only when parents are strong can they quietly watch their children grow.

……

……

Like a meteor blazing through the dark night, the Qitian Temple Spirit charged into the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Bizarre Temple. Its relentless spirit became legendary.

Most believed Qitian was destined to fall in that strange realm, and whether he could be resurrected remained uncertain.

Meanwhile, Qitian City regained its bustle.

It had become a battleground for the world’s strongest, with every major faction staking claim to residences within its walls. Even the demonic clans that once dominated Qitian City now yielded, following the fall of numerous demon lords.

Today, Qitian City had transformed into a fierce contest for control.

The Imperial Court, Western Lands of Buddhism, Witch God Mountain and other powerful organizations all had strong individuals vying to lead.

After all, Qitian City’s position was extremely strategic.

With the Inner City set in the mortal world and the Outer City nestled within the Bizarre Temple – even adjacent to the Earthly Bizarre Temple – its location was simply unparalleled.

Li Che, returning from Mo City Fengdu, immediately sensed the chaos stirring within Qitian City, where various strong figures struggled for control. A strange glimmer crossed his eyes.

“You truly think you deserve to seize control of Qitian City?”

Li Che smiled softly.

The Great Sage had charged into the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Bizarre Temple—though his aim was to buy time for Yulian, it was ultimately all for XiXi!

How could Li Che allow the Great Sage’s rear to be set ablaze?

Qitian City falling into others’ hands was simply unacceptable.

Chuckling, Li Che murmured.

The winds whipped over the city as spring’s warmth began to stir; the willows burst forth with tender branches, as though fully revived.

Li Che returned to the courtyard of Qitian Outer City, originally the domain of the Underworld Ogre.

Now back, he went to see his daughter.

Donning a black robe crafted by his wife—adorned with embroidered golden lotuses—Li Che stepped out of the courtyard. His aura, that of a Martial Immortal, swept powerfully by.

Being the residence of Underworld members, the courtyard had many onlookers.

The Cosmic Chessboard soared skyward, masking all perception. Li Che strode down a narrow alley and soon reached a restaurant.

“Daddy!”

XiXi ran over excitedly and leaped into Li Che’s embrace.

The Boss, puffing on a rolled cigarette, glanced at Li Che with an odd twinkle in his eye—he seemed to have seen through Li Che, recognizing him as the Underworld Ghost Emperor who had just broken through to the Martial Immortal realm.

But the Boss said little; he simply rose to pull aside the curtain and entered the kitchen to prepare some food.

After sharing a hearty meal with XiXi, Li Che sat contentedly in front of the restaurant. Both he and the Boss enjoyed their rolled cigarettes, exhaling lazy clouds as they relaxed.

“Boss, are you one of the divine beings from the Yulian Camp?”

Li Che suddenly turned to the Boss and asked bluntly.

The sycophants clustered around XiXi’s side lowered their tails and eyes accordingly.

“If you say so, then so be it,” the Boss replied coolly as he brushed cigarette ash aside.

Li Che felt a tinge of theatricality—what a bizarre way to answer.

But since the Boss wouldn’t readily admit it, Li Che wasn’t overly concerned. “After all, Qitian City was originally left by the Great Sage. With the Qitian Bizarre Temple still here, I won’t let someone else dominate this temple.”

“So, Daddy, are you going to act?” XiXi piped up curiously as she leaned in, clutching a plate of egg-fried rice and munching away with wide, curious eyes.

“Monkey, go battle the divine beings—make sure we hold the rear! Otherwise, if Monkey comes back to an empty home, what will we do?”

XiXi said earnestly.

“Daddy, go speak with Master Ghost Emperor so he can subdue everything in Qitian City!”

……

……

In the days that followed, Qitian City grew ever more chaotic.

Various factions carved out territories in the Qitian Inner City, each staking their claim amid constant clashes. Their forces collided, and the chaos deepened.

Some even headed toward complete disorder.

Within a month, more and more people flocked to Qitian City—perhaps drawn by its collapsing order or the fact that it was the birthplace of the first Martial Immortal of the era, a true pilgrimage site for martial practitioners.

Thus, the nature of Qitian City grew increasingly complex with fugitives, wrongdoers, martial immortals of the Underworld, and eminent experts from various factions converging upon it.

Fortunately, the vast size of Qitian City accommodated them all. Instead, its prosperity soared, and diverse businesses sprouted like mushrooms after rain.

After leaving the Boss’s restaurant, Li Che spent the month there, enjoying sheer leisure with his daughter—by day refining the Battle Victory Secret Technique and advancing Celestial Seed Martial Arts, and by night feasting to dispel the fatigue and emptiness of a day’s training.

Meanwhile, though Li Che vowed to back the Great Sage’s rear, he felt no urgency to seize back control of Qitian City. He was waiting for someone.

He chuckled softly.

The summer cicadas sang loudly, then gave way to the quiet of the deep night under a high, bright moon.

Li Che’s ebony robe fluttered as if merging with the darkness as he made his way to the courtyard where Lü Taibai and the others waited.

Inside the courtyard he spotted Fang Han Shu, who sat absorbed in the Sage Book.

Lü Taibai, Lü Qiankun, Xuan Jiu Zhuan and the others had gathered there too.

Their gazes swept the courtyard until they settled on Li Che in his ebony robe.

“Ah Che, you’ve finally arrived…”

Lü Taibai’s eyes shone with complexity. He wasn’t sure of Li Che’s intentions; all he knew was that the Underworld had seized the spotlight.

The Underworld Ghost Emperor had, amid a sea of onlookers and with countless obstacles, broken through to Martial Immortal.

Now, with the Underworld firmly headquartering a Ghost Emperor in the mortal realm, no one could easily challenge him.

Li Che said he was taking XiXi to see an old friend. Lü Taibai and the others didn’t mind, and XiXi, having not seen them for a long while, was naturally safer at the Boss’s place—plus her cultivation had improved rapidly with the Boss’s culinary help, and even Dog Master would occasionally instruct her in combat.

Thus, XiXi’s cultivation progress remained uninterrupted.

This time, Lü Taibai had summoned Li Che to discuss some matters.

“We should head back to Qianyuan Divine Sect…”

Lü Taibai said.

“Over at Jin Guang Mansion, all eyes are on the Eight-Armed Yulian Furious Third Prince Bizarre Temple. Every faction fears that the Third Prince might resurrect ahead of the Qitian Temple Spirit, so preparations must begin early.”

“We too have to hurry back to set things in order and restore order,” Li Che nodded.

Indeed, all factions were moving quickly—and understandably so. The premature resurrection of the Qitian Temple Spirit had truly rattled the divine pantheons behind each faction.

To avoid repeating past mistakes, preparations had to start sooner rather than later.

Closing the Sage Book with a tinge of regret, Fang Han Shu glanced at Lü Taibai. “Old Lü, I’m not returning. I need to remain in Qitian City to restore Qitian Temple.”

Lü Taibai was taken aback.

Shortly after, Fang Han Shu revealed some mysteries—disclosing the secret that the Fang Family Patriarch was also the ancestral teacher of Qitian Temple—and informed Lü Taibai that he had received the Fang Family Patriarch’s inheritance.

Boom——

Fang Han Shu unleashed his inner aura. The Calamity Wheel of tribulation loomed—he had reached the level of one calamity and three tribulations in merely a month, his cultivation surging remarkably after refining the Jade Talisman bestowed by his Patriarch.

Lü Taibai felt as if struck by lightning—did this mean that within their small Qianyuan Divine Sect group, his cultivation was the weakest?

Li Che, who couldn’t match the Divine Mechanism Beasts or the formidable Lü Qiankun from the ancestral line, now found that even Fang Han Shu surpassed him.

It was nearly laughable that Lü Taibai, who had barely broken through to Divine Calamity, was only slightly more advanced than little XiXi, a seven-year-old!

Li Che cast a glance at Xuan Jiu Zhuan, saying nothing, while news from Xie Yunshen stated that the army had reached the gate of Qingyun Dao Xu Divine Sect—it wouldn’t be long before they began their campaign against the Xuanfu Divine Sect…

Lü Qiankun and the sorrowful Lü Taibai eventually departed.

Jin Guang Mansion had become the epicenter of turmoil. They too had to return and take charge, for it wasn’t just the Eight-Armed Yulian Furious Third Prince Bizarre Temple stirring the storm.

There was also the Mysterious Manifestation True Lord of Mei Mountain at Qianyuan Divine Sect’s mountain gate, another focal point for many factions.

Thus, they all had to head back. Although various factions kept a low profile, the difference between having divine tribulation stationed or not was enormous.

……

……

For a long while, the chaotic order in Qitian City persisted.

Every faction moved—dispatching strong individuals to seize control.

Qitian Inner City had been occupied by the supremes dispatched by the divine pantheons: from the Black Xumi behind Western Lands of Buddhism, the Dark Heavenly Court backing Great Jing Court, to the Ghostly Demon Den supporting the demon clans of Ten Thousand Great Rivers…

Because Qitian Inner City’s location in the Bizarre Temple was exposed, it was locked down by the three major divine factions, leaving only Qitian Outer City as the prize.

Supremes couldn’t step into the Outer City, but with the mysterious fog of the Bizarre Temple shrouding it, they were stopped—though that didn’t hinder the arrival of the venerables of the Double Calamity.

Thus, various factions, in joint alignment with their divine pantheons, sent forth the venerables of the Double Calamity.

The struggle in Qitian Outer City reached a fever pitch, with no one willing to yield, clashing incessantly.

Yet, these clashes had little to do with Li Che.

Li Che waited for Fang Han Shu to complete the transformation of the ancestral legacy of Qitian Temple’s founder, Fang Xinyuan. Once that was done, Li Che planned to decisively settle the ownership of the Outer City.

He would oust Fang Han Shu, the descendant of Qitian Temple’s founder, and rebuild Qitian Temple!

After all, Qitian City was always the rightful property of Qitian Temple.

Only through its heir, Fang Han Shu, could legitimacy be restored!

So Li Che eagerly awaited Fang Han Shu’s triumphant return.

As for Qitian Inner City…

It had been occupied by the supremes of the three divine pantheons—for the time being, Li Che couldn’t reclaim it.

Still, in his heart, Li Che vowed to one day take back Qitian Inner City.

Just as XiXi wished for the Great Sage’s return to have a home.

As spring gave way to summer, once the blazing heat subsided, Li Che brought Zhang Ya, Li Qingshan, Granny Mu, and the others from Daocheng to reside in Qitian City. Its overwhelming divine energy made it ideal for cultivation.

When Li Che brought Zhang Ya to see XiXi, tears of joy streamed from the little girl as she threw herself into Zhang Ya’s embrace, acting coyly.

Zhang Ya, stroking XiXi’s head, felt deeply moved.

Now that the family had reunited in Qitian Outer City, life felt all the more fulfilling and orderly.

With a regular routine, the days passed quietly.

By day, Li Che trained in Mo City Fengdu, striving to perfect every Celestial Seed Martial Art to its utmost pinnacle.

Then, aside from martial practice, he refined his divine energy. The Divine Crystals scavenged by the Night Bat Demon God were diligently fused into his Mud Pellet inner realm, gradually converting into accumulations of divine cultivation.

Though the progress was rapid, compared to his martial prowess it was ordinary.

Martial cultivation, divine refinement, mechanisms, Divine Eagle Sculptures, fine food, and rolled cigarettes…

Li Che’s days in Qitian Outer City were incredibly fulfilling and joyous.

At last, the final desperate cry of the summer cicadas was drowned out by the autumn winds, which withered the trees and reddened the maple leaves.

As the leaves fell and the northern chill arrived like a rampaging beast, crystalline snowflakes danced in the air.

In Qitian Outer City, at the Three-Open Courtyard—once the domain of the Underworld Ogre—various powerful factions had even deployed specialists with divine tribulation to keep an eye on the area.

But Li Che didn’t mind. Seated in the courtyard and meditating, the Cosmic Chessboard materialized overhead, blocking all external perceptions.

Invisible forces took shape around him, warping air and space.

Countless strands of vital energy were drawn from the air, twisting into fine threads that coiled around him and were instantly absorbed by his flesh.

“Training in the Martial Immortal realm demands the Qi of heaven and earth, demanding endless resources… it’s truly like a glutton.” Li Che’s jet-black hair whipped wildly as he struck them with force.

Across his back, seven vortices shimmered with golden blood energy of terrifying potency, roaring within him!

Four of them glowed dimly; the other four shone brilliantly, far surpassing the first set.

Now, Li Che’s special formation yielded four Divine Seeds and four Celestial Seeds.

The martial arts of the Qilin Town Seal, Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Divine Blade, Blood-Weeping Celestial Phoenix Withered Arrow, and Qitian Treading the Firmament had fused to form four unique Celestial Seeds.

Meanwhile, he hadn’t converted the Battle Victory Secret Technique or the Inherent Divine Guts Immortal Martial Seventy-Two Transformations into a Celestial Seed…

This was mainly because his tribulation energy was insufficient. With only the power of the Four Great Tribulations, he had created four Celestial Seeds. If each were to fuse with a portion of the original tribulation energy from his Dao Fruit’s evolution, then nothing less than perfection would suffice.

A deep calm slowly returned as his mighty blood energy subsided and his Martial Immortal Golden Body steadied.

Gradually, his eyes opened. His dark hair fell softly over his shoulders.

The entire courtyard fell into profound silence.

Absolute quiet reigned.

Li Che’s spirit stirred slightly. He raised his head proudly, his indomitable Martial Immortal spirit dispelling all doubts.

Then, in the courtyard, the wind ceased and the snow fell.

Pure white snowflakes, like exquisite works of art meticulously carved by masterful hands, floated from the sky.

One landed just above Li Che’s brow, sending a cool chill deep into his heart.

Li Che exhaled slowly.

“In the blink of an eye…”

“XiXi is eight years old now.”