Chapter 51: New Beginnings at the Divine Cultivation Institute

Regarding letting XiXi join Xu Ji’s Divine Cultivation Institute in the Inner City, Li Che wasn’t as resistant as one might have expected.

The child is growing up; you can’t keep her locked away forever.

Besides, confining her isn’t good for her development.

Attending the Divine Cultivation Institute… it’s like enrolling a kid in a beginner’s class in a previous life.

“Ah Che, you agreed to this?”

Xu You’s face lit up with surprise upon seeing Li Che’s consent.

Old Chen, seated on a rattan chair nearby, nodded reluctantly. “The Outer City has become far harsher than before. The Lingying Sect is stirring, and there are hardly any Prodigies left in the Outer City – they’ve even started targeting ordinary children…”

“The Inner City is much safer, and although XiXi is still young, her spiritual aptitude is exceptional. It’ll do her well to start the Divine Essence Technique early.”

Old Chen had always avoided the Inner City in search of peace, but now he wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion.

Li Che called over Zhang Ya to share the plan.

“My husband, decide as you see fit… but XiXi is so little. I’m really worried about her.”

Zhang Ya looked visibly anxious.

After all, XiXi is only two and a half.

“Don’t worry—while Ah Che can’t attend the Institute, I can. I’ll keep a close watch to ensure XiXi’s safety.”

Xu You volunteered, naturally taking responsibility since it was his idea all along.

After all, it was his proposal, and XiXi’s well-being was his concern.

So, XiXi was set to attend the Divine Cultivation Institute.

The whole family sprang into action, though even Li Che felt a tinge of melancholy and some nervousness.

He had crafted a small wooden bookcase for XiXi, made from ultralight wood that felt almost weightless on her back.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ya busied herself sewing new clothes for XiXi, determined to dress her beautifully so that she wouldn’t lose face at the Institute.

Three days later.

A light rain fell as a biting chill swept the early spring air, which still clung to a stubborn coldness.

Xu You personally summoned the Xu Ji carriage and, together with Li Che, ushered XiXi aboard.

“Goodbye, Mom! Just wait until I kick the Institute’s butt!”

With the little wooden box Li Che had made for her strapped on, XiXi leaned out of the carriage window, waving goodbye to a tearful, pursed-lip Zhang Ya.

It was the first time XiXi had ever traveled far from her mother, and Zhang Ya was clearly reluctant to let her go.

As the carriage wheels splashed through puddles and gradually receded into the distance,

XiXi watched her mother’s figure shrink in her wide eyes; her little mouth tightened before she burst into heart-wrenching cries.

Li Che held her close to comfort her and pulled out a candied hawthorn. Her longing for her mother vanished in less than three seconds.

“Grandpa Chen said that now that XiXi is at the Institute, she should use her little fists to protect herself so no one can bully her!”

Clenching her tiny fists, while licking the candied hawthorn and still with fresh tears glistening, XiXi earnestly declared her resolve.

Li Che smiled as he ruffled her hair.

“If anyone messes with you, remember to tell Dad…”

“Dad is the best at talking people into submission.”

……

……

After seeing XiXi off at the entrance of the Divine Cultivation Institute, Li Che was barred from entering. After asking Xu You to take care of her, he headed to the private workshop Xu You had arranged for him in the Inner City.

The workshop was fully equipped, so Li Che could work there by day and pick up XiXi when classes ended at the Institute.

Though modest in size—after all, every inch of the Inner City was precious—the workshop featured a small courtyard with stone locks and wooden stakes for practicing martial arts during spare moments.

In the following days, Li Che settled into a routine: escorting XiXi to the Institute each morning, then working and practicing martial arts at the workshop until dusk, when he’d rush to pick her up.

Of course, in between he would don his cute Cute Cow Mask and a bamboo hat, venturing out into the drizzling cold to scout for experienced kids from the Lingying Sect.

Besides that, Li Che began quietly tracking and inquiring about Si Mu Bai.

“Locked up in the Si Family’s deep courtyard for over two months… it seems his injuries are no minor matter.”

Inside the workshop, Li Che wielded his carving knife on gathered wood, with shavings cascading to the floor like drifting snow.

After inspecting the finished components with his eyes closed for a moment, he gathered them up, satisfied.

Since Si Mu Bai wasn’t venturing out, Li Che wasn’t in any rush to hunt—patience was key.

Breaking into the Si Family mansion to kill Si Mu Bai? Li Che wasn’t foolish enough to court death.

He would wait for Si Mu Bai to step out before seizing any opportunity.

Moreover, he couldn’t afford a prolonged skirmish; after all, the Inner City was teeming with formidable foes and rapid reinforcements.

After neatly storing his crafted parts, he noted that the maturity of his Dao Fruit [Xian Gong] was steadily increasing. Li Che’s craftsmanship was improving, gradually turning his designs into reality.

He was now refining the 【Muduya】, planning to boost its prowess.

Li Che was also studying a new mechanism, 【Bodhi Blood Tears】, though its complexity meant it would take time. The key material was a prized pine called “Blood and Flesh Red,” a type of sacred wood that was hard to come by.

He placed an order in the market, asking an old acquaintance to search for it. At the rate of one tael per gold leaf, the supplier agreed—but finding it would still depend on fate.

Inner City, Nanming Alley.

Inside the private workshop.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Li Che’s every breath sent wood shavings swirling like waves across the floor and piling up in the corners.

In his chest, a sound like an ancient bell reverberated without cease.

“Hoo—”

“Hoo—”

His qi and blood surged from beneath his skin like a coiling dragon, releasing invisible shockwaves that radiated outward.

That serpentine force wound around his body, twisting and turning, moving his qi and blood in one, two, three… six rotations!

His strength compounded, rotation after rotation…

Boom!!!

When his eyes snapped open, as sharp as a finely honed sword slicing through the air…

Li Che stood up, clenching his fist and slamming it down with force.

In the courtyard, a wild, furious wind roared.

It was as if a white tiger had burst forth, manifesting divine might into a spectral form that surged more than half a meter before dissipating!

Transcendence… White Tiger Turbulent Wind Fist!

At last, he had mastered a transcendent combat technique!

Li Che lowered his fist, his eyes gleaming as he exhaled a breath of foul air, his qi and blood retracting as sweat beaded on his skin.

“Qi and blood, six rotations—Blood Exchange complete… though this is only the mid-level Blood-Transfusion Technique.”

Yet Li Che wasn’t satisfied; he needed the Nine-Rotation Blood-Transfusion Technique.

【Dao Fruit: Xiangong (lv3 10%) / Dragon Elephant Vajra (lv2 20%) / Unsullied Heart (LV1 7%)】

He glanced at the Dao Fruit.

All components had grown—over just a month, that was no small feat.

The maturity of Xiangong had risen to 10%, thanks to the refined 【Muduya】 Li Che had crafted, much to his delight.

With the six-rotation Blood Exchange complete, the maturity of Dragon Elephant Vajra surged to 20%, making his refining even more formidable.

In a flash, he activated ‘Vajra Transformation.’ Li Che’s entire body contorted as his bones shifted and his skin began to change.

In an instant, the sprightly young man transformed into a robust, ordinary middle-aged man.

Upon reaching lv2, the active power of the 【Dragon Elephant Vajra】 Dao Fruit evolved, allowing him to remodel his flesh and bones as if sculpting them.

Before, activating Vajra Transformation only caused his body to swell rapidly, turning him into a burly, muscle-bound Ogre.

Now, he could adjust every part of his body at will, entirely under his control.

Rumble!

Over Feilei City, vast, dark clouds rolled in like an invading force.

They loomed oppressively, making the sky feel claustrophobic.

Li Che hadn’t altered his own appearance, still bearing the robust look of a middle-aged man.

He donned his bamboo hat, stowed the freshly carved Cute Cow Mask in his arms, and entered the workshop. Using a black cloth, he wrapped the refined 【Muduya】 and packed it into his backpack.

After putting on an upgraded black elastic outfit, he looked up at the ominous clouded sky.

“It’s going to rain.”

“Better leave early and return early…”

“And I still have to pick up XiXi from the Institute.”

P.S.: Please keep reading! The next few days are crucial—charge on!