Chapter 487: Contending for the Ju Xian Flag

Someone actually plans to beat him to it—

Snatch his Ju Xian Flag!

Li Che’s eyes narrowed as a foreboding chill sank in. Otherwise, he would have waited to finish watching XiXi’s ancestral ceremony before executing the flag heist.

He wasn’t in a rush. The Bizarre Temple was unlike the mortal realm—vast and immeasurable.

Its boundless expanse defied mortal imagination, like the difference between Earth and the Sun.

Thus, carving out a path through the Bizarre Temple to the Qitian Inner City demanded an inordinately long time.

Even if the route were cleared for rapid travel, it would still take time to reach the destination.

For that reason, Li Che was patient, awaiting the perfect moment to assess the situation and then strike for the flag.

However, he hadn’t expected that within the Bizarre Temple, another faction had already learned that the Ju Xian Flag was on loan and en route to Qitian City.

The Ju Xian Flag, capable of temporarily shielding even the Supreme and gods from the will of Heaven and Earth, and bestowing divine weaponry upon mortals, was an immensely precious artifact.

Thus, it was only natural that people fought over it.

Which faction could it be?

A powerful member of the Pantheon?

It was hard to tell, as the sprawling Bizarre Temple housed not only the Pantheon but also other formidable forces—such as the Dragon Clan, the Ancient Clan, and even groups like the Lie Shen Pavilion.

And that was only Li Che’s rudimentary understanding of the Bizarre Temple. There even existed the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Bizarre Temple, into which Qitian had plunged…

Inside, immortals who had endured countless ages resided—the truly terrifying and mighty ones.

“So—who could this faction be?”

Li Che slowly slid his hand downward, donning the Cute Elephant Mask that signified his identity as the Underworld Diting.

He assumed the Diting persona to shroud his Martial Immortal aura with demonic energy. Besides, he couldn’t yet shed his feeble Underworld Ghost Emperor disguise; he needed to keep up the act a while longer.

He aimed to block those Pantheon muscle-flexers stirring within Qitian Inner City.

Traveling as Diting and triggering the base demonic transformation of his Wan Yao Di Dao Fruit would merge his demonic energy with his life force, converting it into pure demonic power.

The activation of the Eight Mysterious Gates Immortal Seed also unleashed demonic energy!

This maneuver not only maximized his combat prowess but also masked his true identity—a clear case of killing two birds with one stone.

Through the hazy vision of the Cosmic Chessboard, he could only make out a chaotic scene within the Bizarre Temple, with powerful factions attempting to seize the Ju Xian Flag, though the details remained obscure.

Without a second thought, Li Che set off.

With a snap of his fingers, the disguised Li Che vanished into thin air.

Qitian City.

Fang Han Shu sat in the courtyard, poring over the Sage Book. But a closer look revealed a starlit brilliance flickering above his brow.

A chess piece levitated, then swelled and twisted, morphing into Li Che’s masked visage with the Cute Elephant Mask.

The bamboo hat shifted slightly.

Fang Han Shu gave a slight nod before closing his Sage Book.

Even though he wore a mask, as a master of Spiritual Confinement his senses were acute—he instantly recognized the intruder’s aura.

“Isn’t today the day of XiXi’s ancestral ceremony?”

Fang Han Shu’s eyes betrayed a hint of puzzled curiosity.

He was well aware of the event; even Lü Taibai had sent an invitation.

However, Fang Han Shu’s circumstances were unique. With Qitian Temple just rebuilt, his presence was indispensable.

Moreover, he was earnestly striving to break into the Supreme realm, which kept him from venturing to Daocheng.

Li Che had arrived using Feilei Shift.

“Indeed, it is the day of XiXi’s ancestral ceremony, but unexpected developments have thrown our plans into disarray,”

Li Che said coolly.

“Other forces discovered that the Xuanzhen Supreme had borrowed the Ju Xian Flag from the Emperor, and now plan to intercept it.”

As Li Che finished speaking, Fang Han Shu’s eyes flashed with a strange light.

“Other forces know about this?”

“Could it be some mysterious faction? The ancient clan of the Bizarre Temple? Or perhaps one of the two great Pantheons?” That was his immediate thought.

Li Che adjusted his bamboo hat and replied, “I don’t know, nor do I care.”

“No matter which faction it is—if they dare try to seize my Ju Xian Flag, they won’t get away with it.”

His tone left no room for doubt.

Fang Han Shu almost laughed. Truly, his master lived up to his reputation—so domineering.

“Have you broken into the Supreme realm yet?” Li Che inquired eagerly.

Fang Han Shu smiled broadly. “Not quite, but nearly. With the initiation experiences left by my Patriarch, I feel it’s only a matter of time.”

Supreme.

For now, any additional Supreme power could buy precious time.

Fang Han Shu said no more as he swapped his scholarly robe for a black robe and hood identical to Li Che’s. With his fingers splayed, he retrieved a starry Lie Shen Assassin mask that glimmered like the galaxy and covered his face.

“When you act, can the Lie Shen Pavilion discern your identity from the mask?”

Li Che glanced curiously at the mask swirling with starlight.

After a brief hesitation, Fang Han Shu replied, “Probably not—”

“But one can never be sure. Every Lie Shen Assassin mask is carved by that mysterious Lie Shen Pavilion leader, and they might emit a unique aura.”

“However, it should normally remain undetected; otherwise, the Lie Shen Pavilion wouldn’t be continually framed as the scapegoat within the Bizarre Temple.”

Li Che smiled and urged Fang Han Shu to remove his mask. Grasping the mask firmly, his Painted Immortal Dao Fruit trembled,

then replicating two starry masks.

He layered the Lie Shen Assassin mask atop his original Diting mask.

Another mask was added on top.

Fang Han Shu didn’t object either. He took the replicated Painted Immortal starry Lie Shen Assassin mask.

Shortly after, Li Che transported Fang Han Shu to Mo City Shandu.

With a snap of his fingers,

a Feilei Chess Piece floated up, and Li Che sent it off once more.

A low hum resonated in his chest.

One of his Dao Fruits began to tremble slightly.

Li Che’s heart skipped a beat upon noticing that the trembling Dao Fruit was none other than the Temporal Spatial Golden Wheel Dao Fruit.

“Hmm? Why?”

Li Che paid close attention to this unexpected change, especially since it was the most recently acquired Dao Fruit.

He had always felt bewildered about how to cultivate his ninth Dao Fruit.

Yet for this Dao Fruit, Li Che harbored great hopes.

It touched on time and space—perhaps enabling him to return to his former homeland.

This was an instinct; his persistent yearning to go back was somehow linked to the deities that ruled this world. Two lifetimes intertwined, evoking a sense of familiarity and convergence.

Somehow, the Dao Fruit seemed to absorb a mysterious power bridging the Bizarre Temple and the mortal realm.

Via Feilei Shift, it was transported directly from the mortal realm to the Inner Bizarre Temple—

thus directly stimulating the Dao Fruit?

Understanding the cause, Li Che felt an unexpected surge of joy.

Before him, golden light cascaded and intertwined.

[Dao Fruit: Temporal Spatial Golden Wheel (1v1 60%)]

Its maturity spiked in one go!

Li Che’s eyes lit up. A few more traversals could max out the Dao Fruit’s maturity!

However, Li Che was aware that Dao Fruits were very particular—a means to increase proficiency that couldn’t last indefinitely.

Yet aside from the Inner Bizarre Temple, there existed the Nine Great Heavenly Weird Sanctuaries and the Ten Earthly Weird Sanctuaries!

Every passage through a different Bizarre Temple should allow him to harness temporal energy, feeding the Temporal Spatial Golden Wheel and fostering growth!

Without overthinking, Li Che completed the Feilei Chess Piece transfer he’d left with Eunuch Lian.

At the same moment, he maximized the Sleeping Dragon Elephant effect of his Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit.

Thus, the instant the transfer finished, Li Che’s aura leaked not a trace.

Furthermore, Eunuch Lian’s modest strength hadn’t drawn the attention of either side, so Li Che’s sudden appearance was like a ghost emerging from behind him, then dissolving into darkness.

Ripples stirred weakly in the void.

Inner Bizarre Temple.

A vast mountain path lay before him, shrouded in swirling, mysterious mists on the ground. The sky was a deep blood-red, as if streaked with spilled blood.

It wasn’t Li Che’s first journey into the Bizarre Temple. Previously, even during Temple Spirit Resonance, he had ventured inside, and Qitian Inner City itself resided within the sanctuary.

Thus, Li Che was accustomed to the Bizarre Temple, and no discomfort troubled him.

Yet the overwhelming divine aura within the sanctuary made the true Martial Immortal feel slightly uneasy.

Fortunately, a subtle tremor at his brow—as if his Mud Pellet stirred—brought cheers from the Divine Transformation entities, easing his unease.

Snow fell across the mountain path.

Inside the Bizarre Temple, aside from the potent divine and misty intertwinings, it wasn’t much different from the mortal realm—seasons cycled, and day and night alternated.

It was as if a reflection of the mortal world existed, with the only difference being the strange mist.

The mysterious mist, if too dense, could unleash a terrifying and overwhelming divine presence, surging like a tidal wave; within it, one might even hear the eerie voices of spectral creatures.

It was as if unique and bizarre lifeforms thrived within the mist.

The mountain road, perfectly blanketed by snow, underscored how the Bizarre Temple differed: the stability of Heaven and Earth was far stronger, impervious to the fragility of the outside world.

Then, with a deafening rumble, battle erupted. Stones and sand whipped through the air as countless snowflakes burst apart, dissolving into ascending mist.

The more the clash intensified, the thicker the mist became.

“Surrender the Ju Xian Xuan Flag, and you may live. Otherwise—I’ll kill you and seize the flag!”

A callous voice emanated from a black-robed warrior who had halted the convoy escorting the Ju Xian Xuan Flag to Qitian Inner City. His expression was cold, and murderous intent shimmered in his eyes.

“We are carrying out Xuanzhen Supreme’s orders to escort the Ju Xian Flag to Qitian Inner City, to help him break through and completely seize the city!”

“This is the unified will of the three great Pantheons and even the gods themselves!”

“You Lie Shen Pavilion assassins, lowly wolves lurking in darkness—how dare you offend the deities?!”

The black-robed Venerable’s tone was as relentless as crashing waves.

Lie Shen Pavilion?

Hidden in the darkness, Li Che paused, momentarily dazed.

He and Fang Han Shu hadn’t even acted yet!

So how had Lie Shen Pavilion already made an appearance?

Li Che’s gaze hardened as he looked into the distance: six figures wearing starry masks charged skyward like columns of light, their divine aura and life force twisting into beams that pierced the clouds, distorted by the dense mist above.

The six of them completely encircled the convoy escorting the Ju Xian Flag, their positions locking every angle.

At that moment, the black-robed Venerable’s face twisted in anger.

Lie Shen Pavilion?

Could it truly be the Lie Shen Pavilion?!

Within the Bizarre Temple, many forces operate under the name of Lie Shen Pavilion to commit nefarious acts.

Much like himself, who had once used the Lie Shen Pavilion’s name for shady dealings.

But…

Regardless of whether they were actual Lie Shen assassins, who was leaking this information?

That was the crucial point!

Only a few knew that borrowing the Ju Xian Flag from the Emperor was a secret. So why would Lie Shen assassins appear so early to block the way?

If they were really Lie Shen Pavilion, how did they know?

Moreover, how was the path through the Bizarre Temple leading to Qitian City—just opened by a Supreme force—exposed for all to know?!

“Enough talk—hand over the Ju Xian Flag!”

A cold shout rang out!

An explosive burst followed!

Six figures transformed into silver streaks, launching at the convoy with unreserved ferocity.

They attacked the vehicle with lethal precision.

The beast pulling the wagon roared in fury as if startled, and the Zitan Wood Box it dragged became a target!

The black-robed Venerable bellowed. Behind him, the calamity wheels of the Two Calamity Three Tribulation realm materialized with a roar, channeling a torrent of divine energy onto his body!

With a single spear in hand, he charged at the six Lie Shen assassins, taking them on one against six!

Even outnumbered, he held his own. Among the six Lie Shen assassins, only two were of the higher Two Calamity Three Tribulation realm, while the remaining four were of the lower Two Calamity One Tribulation realm.

The battle erupted instantly; the two higher-tier assassins converged on the black-robed Venerable.

Meanwhile, the four lower-tier assassins targeted the Zitan Wood Box.

The beast pulling the wagon—an enraged One Calamity Demon God—charged forward, but it wasn’t a match for the four lower-tier assassins.

The Lie Shen Pavilion had deployed such a fearsome formation, clearly intent on seizing the Ju Xian Flag!

In the darkness, Li Che watched coldly.

Undetected, he didn’t care; watching the mighty clash and reaping benefits from the chaos was his specialty.

Besides, these Lie Shen assassins seemed unaware that the Emperor had entrusted the real Ju Xian Flag to Eunuch Lian. That Zitan Wood Box—might still hold surprises.

Eunuch Lian had long been surrounded by enemies and had been taken down in one blow.

Of course he wasn’t dead. As a master of Spiritual Confinement with an undying body, he was only faking death.

Boom!!

At this level of confrontation, even the void within the Bizarre Temple trembled, as if on the verge of shattering.

The terrifying shockwaves not only tore through space but also splintered the barren ground into crisscrossed furrows, as if the scorching heat from deep within the earth was surging upward in billowing plumes!

The black-robed Venerable’s cloak burst open, revealing a suit of divine armor, like that of a celestial general. His furious eyes glared as he brandished his spear, unleashing torrents of calamity energy like coiled dragons!

Sandstorms and debris erupted around him!

Fighting one-on-two and dueling two equals, the pressure was immense. Coupled with his haste, he suffered serious injuries.

Scalding blood spilled from his mouth, dropping onto his divine armor, each bead glistening like a precious gemstone as it dented the ground.

“You’re asking for death!”

“Attacking Yulian is a consensus among all factions. Your actions are sabotaging the joint plans of the Pantheon!”

The divine general let out a mighty roar, his armor clashing as he expanded his chestplate.

Behind him, the calamity wheel cracked open with a resounding snap!

Its membrane turned a deep blue-purple, as if his flesh was stretched to its limits!

The ground shattered as the fearsome aura of the Two Calamity Venerable wove together—forming an invisible battlefield of destruction. The calamity energy roared like a rampaging sea serpent!

Rocks flew and sand whirled as the void trembled, the earth cracking into deep pits, even engulfing Eunuch Lian’s body!

The already heavily injured Two Calamity Venerable was too slow to respond, his anger bursting forth as his body was torn apart!

Blood and flesh exploded,

swirling into a thick, bloody mist like an unending fog.

In the distance, the remaining five venerables stood frozen in shock.

The attack had been too swift, catching everyone off guard!

Had the Great Jing Emperor—or rather Xuanzhen Supreme—saved a surprise backup?

No… something was off!

“They’re not Lie Shen Pavilion! They’re the heartless monks of Hei Xumi!”

A celestial general from the Dark Heavenly Court roared in fury!

Li Che remained a silent observer, not in any hurry to act.

That Two Calamity Three Tribulation celestial general, with a sorrowful gaze, had barely managed to secure the Ju Xian Flag from the Great Jing Emperor, planning to retreat to Qitian Inner City to finally vanquish the feeble Underworld Ghost Emperor!

Yet, he was ambushed by Hei Xumi’s heartless monks. Now, there was no escape—their encircling of the Bizarre Temple left him no choice but to be silenced!

And these Hei Xumi monks would surely pin the blame on Lie Shen Pavilion!

Damn it!

So infuriating!

“Xuanzhen Supreme—I’ve done all I can!”

The celestial general of the Heavenly Court spat out dense, scorching blood mist. One colossal palm strike shattered the void, splintering countless cracks across his head.

An unseen Buddhist light instantly washed over him.

The divine armor on his body splintered into fine cracks, leaking divine energy, vital essence, and blood.

Boom!

Under the overwhelming pressure, the celestial general’s body collapsed, his flesh exploding into fragments. The overwhelming stench of blood shrouded the field like a thick fog.

The power of the Heavenly and Earthly Soul roared skyward, only to be snuffed out by two Lie Shen assassins emanating cold Buddhist light—until nothing remained.

In the Bizarre Temple, things were different from the mortal realm.

Had one fallen in the mortal world, the will of Heaven and Earth would mourn, manifesting strange phenomena.

But here in the Bizarre Temple, a fall barely caused a ripple—the only change was a denser, deeper red in the sky’s mist.

After the celestial general fell, the beast guarding the convoy was slain as well.

Coupled with Eunuch Lian’s feigned death, the entire Ju Xian Flag convoy was utterly wiped out.

The two One Calamity divine experts were no match for such a swarm.

Whoosh! The six figures converged at the side of the Zitan Wood Box.

Countless eyes were fixed upon it.

Those wearing Lie Shen Assassin masks raised their hands, palms joined, softly chanting.

It was as if they were showing compassion and offering absolution to the freshly slain.

Then one of the Two Calamity Three Tribulation monks stepped toward the Zitan Wood Box, his fingers outstretched to claim what was undoubtedly holding the Ju Xian Flag.

But as soon as his hand touched it, the Zitan Wood Box exploded!

A burst of golden aura followed in a dazzling display!

“Divine Talisman Killing Array!”

Before anyone could react,

all the powerful figures present were enveloped in it. One of the Two Calamity Three Tribulation assassins even lost half his body, his flesh decaying into nothing!

Divine energy, flesh, and sinew melted away!

It was a killing array wrought by ancient poisons!

Another Two Calamity Three Tribulation expert rushed forward, unleashing his divine weapon to counter the array powered by the Great Jing Emperor’s fortunes!

“What a formidable Great Jing Emperor!”

“To use the fortunes of the Great Jing Realm’s mountains and rivers to set up a Divine Talisman Killing Array!”

The Two Calamity Three Tribulation Venerable who had lost half his body looked on in sheer dismay.

“Something’s not right—no, this isn’t right!”

“Quick, check if the Ju Xian Flag is hidden within!”

The mutilated Venerable roared in anger.

With the overwhelming divine energy sweeping away, he discovered that the Zitan Wood Box had shattered into six pieces, forming six Divine Talismans that weaved the killing array!

Yet, not a trace of the Ju Xian Flag remained!

“Where is the Ju Xian Flag? The Emperor, having promised Xuanzhen Supreme, must have mobilized it—

“Perhaps that slain eunuch carries it on his person!”

The mutilated Venerable, suffering a grievous loss, could not endure any further.

He immediately lunged toward the spot where Eunuch Lian had feigned death.

Hidden in the shadows, Li Che’s eyes narrowed as his fingers curled into a fist.

At the very moment the Venerable neared Eunuch Lian’s body, Li Che executed Feilei Shift with full force.

He leapt from the darkness, unleashing a terrifying surge of demonic energy that soared skyward. His spine writhed like a monstrous, enraged dragon letting out a deafening roar!

Five pieces of the Eight Mysterious Gates Immortal Seed detonated with a thunderous force!

Martial Immortal Will—

Unleashed!

In an instant, the void around him twisted as demonic energy fused with his life force and erupted like an exploding bomb, blasting out waves of light!

The Yin-Yang Demon Blade landed in his hand, its surface pulsating as if countless pores had flared open, emitting an ecstatic shriek!

The great blade trembled, its radiance interwoven into a chaotic display of slashing light!

The Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Sky-Cleaving Blade!

The Battle Victory Secret Technique!

Boom!!!

Hidden power exploded, and dazzling slashes poured forth like a waterfall, erupting behind the Venerable who had intended to inspect Eunuch Lian’s body!

In that split second, the Venerable hadn’t even registered what hit him. In the darkness, an aura of unyielding killing intent had been concealed!

“Who?”

The Venerable lifted his head in shock, catching sight of a Lie Shen Assassin wearing a starry mask…

But—

He sensed an overwhelming surge of demonic energy!

Xie Yao Cave!!!

The Venerable roared in fury as his entire body was swallowed by brilliant slashes!

In an ultimate display of ferocity, demonic energy surged, compressing the vast mountains and rivers into a single, lethal blade that eradicated every trace of color!

The roaring blade light thundered with demonic energies, echoing in every corner of Heaven and Earth!

Countless cracks appeared in the space as the blade tore through, shaking the ground into enormous chasms, even engulfing Eunuch Lian’s body!

The already heavily injured Two Calamity Venerable could not recover and, in a fury, his flesh was shattered completely!

Blood and mist swirled in a chaotic frenzy!

In the distance, the remaining five venerables stood dumbfounded.

The assault had been too swift—completely catching them unprepared!

That Great Jing Emperor—or rather Xuanzhen Supreme—had a backup after all?!

No… that couldn’t be!

“They’re Lie Shen Pavilion!”

“Damn it, this demonic energy—this is Xie Yao Cave, not Lie Shen Pavilion!”

“It’s like the mantis catching the cicada while the oriole watches from behind!”

A torrent of blood mist roared as a massive figure, burdened with a demonic blade whose surface throbbed with energy, stepped out from the carnage.

His starry mask shone brilliantly!

Lie Shen Pavilion?! No one would believe you’re a Lie Shen assassin!

Both sides wore Lie Shen Assassin starry masks, yet everyone knew—

None of them were true Lie Shen assassins!

They were all after the Ju Xian Flag!

The world’s biggest scapegoat faction—if you believe it, you’re a fool!

Crash!!

Eunuch Lian stood respectfully behind Li Che as he produced a hidden jade box and handed it over to him.

Only after Li Che collected the fragmented remains of the slain Venerable did he accept the jade box from Eunuch Lian.

Upon opening it, an overwhelming divine aura surged forth.

A flag barely the size of a palm shot out from the box—a Ju Xian Xuan Flag made of black cloth, inscribed with ancient celestial script.

Feeling the other Ju Xian Flag trembling on the Cosmic Chessboard, Li Che’s spirits soared.

“It’s the Ju Xian Flag!”

“The Ju Xian Xuan Flag! The Great Jing Emperor truly did borrow it out!”

“Too bad we targeted the wrong one! How sneaky, Great Jing Emperor!”

The remaining five venerables erupted in fury.

They scrambled, only to have someone snatch victory away!

“Kill them!”

“Seize the flag!”

How could the venerables tolerate this? They knew they had no choice but to rely on sheer might to wrest the Ju Xian Flag away!

“When did the foolish, rash demon clan of Xie Yao become so sly?!”

“Did the Great Jing Emperor collude with Xie Yao Cave? No—this cunning act is likely the plotting of Qing Qiu, the awakened deity of Xie Yao Cave!”

The venerables were incensed, but in that moment, there was no time to ponder further.

And neither had Li Che, for at the very moment the Ju Xian Xuan Flag materialized, his long-dormant Pure Heart Dao Fruit began to vibrate wildly once again—just as it did when first entering the Peach Garden.

It throbbed with an insatiable thirst—

Li Che’s heart pounded so fiercely he barely cared about the others.

With a snap of his fingers,

a black chess piece burst forth into the air, rapidly twisting and growing.

“Eliminate them—leave none alive.”

“No problem, leave it to me.”

Fang Han Shu, donned in a starry Lie Shen mask, floated effortlessly amidst a cascade of cosmic brilliance, his long sleeves billowing as he surveyed the scene from above.

The five venerables, maintaining their forward assault stances, suddenly froze.

Because—

an almost tangible force froze the very air, sending chills down the spines of all five venerables.

“Half-Step Supreme?!”

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