Chapter 69: The Commission and the Meridian Breakthrough

The hurried footsteps abruptly stopped outside the courtyard.

Rain mixed with light flurries cascaded from above. Li Che slipped a page of the Tongmai Technique into his Qiankun Space before turning his gaze toward the gate.

A soft knock echoed, prompting Li Che to rise and open the door.

Outside stood a towering figure wearing a conical hat, his aura blazing like intense fire so that mere proximity radiated scorching heat.

His jet-black hair whipped about, and his muscles bulged like a coiled python ready to strike.

He stood there, silently seething with rage as if on the verge of a roar.

The imposing figure knocked politely, which eased Li Che’s demeanor somewhat.

“And you are?”

“Master Li, I am Cao Qingyuan from the City Lord’s Residence,” he declared. His eyes burned with intensity as he swiftly scanned the courtyard; finding no sign of anyone, his thick brows arched in surprise.

“Cao Qingyuan…” Li Che was momentarily stunned.

Without delay, he clasped his fists in salute, “I am Li Che, a humble commoner paying respects to the Young City Lord.”

“Master Li, you are too kind. As a master woodcarver, you are an honored guest of our Residence… My father sent me here personally to invite you to display your artistry.”

Cao Qingyuan smiled in return; his manner was surprisingly courteous.

Yet despite his polite tone, Cao Qingyuan’s presence was intimidating, like facing an enraged deity that made Li Che’s hair stand on end.

It was the overflowing divine essence of [Fen Nu Mi Tuo] emanating from his divine foundation that kept Li Che constantly on edge.

Young City Lord of Feilei, Cao Qingyuan!

Cultivator of the Divine Foundation!

It was well known that Feilei City’s lord, Cao Guang, had a son who had reached the Divine Foundation stage—he was even counted among the Four Young Masters of Feilei. One of them was none other than Cao Qingyuan, his own son.

Yet once Cao Qingyuan had established his divine foundation, the title of Feilei’s Four Young Masters no longer did him justice.

“Young City Lord, my apologies. I’m at the critical stage of my Bone Tempering, on the verge of breaking through the Blood Exchange barrier; therefore, I may not be able to undertake your task.”

Li Che politely declined Cao Qingyuan’s request.

Unfazed, Cao Qingyuan smiled, “No matter, Master Li. Focus on your Blood Exchange now, but complete this wood sculpture within a month.”

“The design for the sculpture is right here, along with an advance payment of one hundred Gold Leaf pieces; the remaining four hundred will be delivered upon your completion.”

A Divine Foundation cultivator had come by, his demeanor gentle and without a strict deadline.

Li Che realized this was a subtle tactic meant to block any outright refusal.

Refusing further would appear ungrateful.

After a moment’s thought, Li Che decided not to decline, accepting the design and the one hundred Gold Leaf pieces.

Seeing this, Cao Qingyuan’s face broke into a smile. He adjusted his conical hat, cast a long look toward the Private Workshop, and then turned to leave.

Staring at the woodcarving design in his hand, Li Che squinted thoughtfully.

“Eighteen maidens holding lotuses, worshiping the [Fen Nu Mi Tuo] Mahakala…”

……

……

Cao Qingyuan returned to the City Lord’s Residence.

Removing his hat, he slowly stepped into the building.

Despite the daylight, the room remained in gloomy darkness. Rows of white candles were lit and arranged densely like steps, with a tiny rosewood carving set beside each one.

Illuminated by the candlelight, every miniature carving appeared to be oozing blood.

The ghostly flames danced, shifting in a chain between yellow and green.

Cao Qingyuan felt his heart clench; even a Divine Foundation cultivator must tread carefully in such a stifling aura.

“So, has Li Che taken the commission?”

A hoarse, somber voice emerged from deep within the mansion. Cao Qingyuan bowed respectfully, “Father, he has taken the job.”

“Well then, that’s good…”

“The Xu Family had already sold him to our Residence; now that he’s accepted the commission, it spares you the trouble of capturing him.”

“As long as he completes the carving, that will suffice…”

“Father, what if he takes the job yet fails to carve?”

The room fell silent.

After a brief pause, a quiet voice murmured, “He wouldn’t dare…”

“Also, for the Thousand Buddhas Carving Banquet, we’re short of three prodigies. The An Family has one, the Yang Family none, but the Xu Family’s Divine Cultivation Institute still has two…”

“The Xu Family has two?”

“One is actually Li Che’s daughter, and the other is a big-headed prodigy… haha, it’s a buy-one-get-one deal…”

“Did the Xu Family agree?”

“The city prodigies have already been marked by the Divine Sect… The Xu and An Families can’t hold onto them, so they’re better used as bargaining chips.”

“Since the Xu, An, and Yang Families all wish to reap benefits, they withdrew from Feilei City. Hence, they had no choice but to agree…”

“A bunch of fools coexisting with the Temple Spirit—what an honor indeed!”

The husky voice echoed with a note of disdainful chuckling.

At once, Cao Qingyuan fell silent.

“Now that Zhao Xuanhai is dead, who will be assigned to handle it?”

“Zhang Xiangyang or Zhou Ruoguan?”

After a long pause, Cao Qingyuan frowned and asked.

The silence in the room was broken.

The husky voice resonated once again.

“The Yang Family.”

……

……

Li Qingshan allotted Li Che three days to break through his meridians.

In reality, he was granted even more time.

Inside the Private Workshop.

Li Che first used the [Chess Sage] Dao Fruit to arrange a spirit chessboard around him, assessing his surroundings, and then began his breakthrough in opening his meridians.

The ‘Qianyuan Divine Sect Minor Zhou Tian Tongmai Technique’ bestowed by Li Qingshan was actually quite straightforward; no wonder the allotted time was generous—mostly theory, after all.

Ultimately, execution depended on the cultivator’s own skill. With the [Dragon Elephant Vajra] Dao Fruit and a rock-solid foundation, the arduous process felt almost inevitable.

Snowflakes cascaded overhead, only to be twisted and flung aside by an unseen force.

Li Che fell and sat down in the courtyard as an invisible current spiraled continuously around him.

The Qi from his blood mingled with his inner strength, circulating through his organs and the eight extraordinary meridians to form the established minor Zhou Tian inner energy network of the Qianyuan Divine Sect, linking all six directions.

The power of his four-tier inner strength, combined with the Qi from his breakthrough, formed his ‘inner Qi.’

This inner Qi enveloped his heart. With every powerful contraction and expansion, it burst forth beneath his skin, coursing through the intricate minor Zhou Tian network that wove through his organs!

Li Che opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flickering across them.

He rose to his feet, every joint and muscle resonating as his Qi and blood flowed with greater speed and power, forming an even more formidable force.

Exhale—

Inhale!

With every breath, the wind and snow swirled around him, as if his Qi were merging with the entire world.

“Meridians complete!”

……

……

Three days passed in an instant.

After his breakthrough, Li Che used the extra time to master the divine secret technique [Mitra Golden Robe], achieving a minor level of success.

Zhao Xuanhai’s Divine Chess Piece had been significantly transformed by Li Che. Now, within his inner formation, the [Fen Nu Mi Tuo] divine essence flowed like a gentle stream, nourishing his being.

Glancing at the sky, it was a rare clear day—no snow had fallen.

Though the air remained bitterly cold, a hint of gentle sunshine made it somewhat pleasant.

Li Che changed into his elastic outfit, donned his conical hat, and sat beneath the eaves, steadily carving out a Cute Cow Mask with his carving knife.

Once the mask was in place, he verified his hidden weapons—the Toxic Sleeve Crossbow, Guanyin Poison Lotus, Bodhi Blood Tears, among others—and took stock of the 6,000 Muduya stored in the Qiankun arsenal. Only then did Li Che, reassured, gracefully depart the Private Workshop.

In the past, Li Che would never dare to leave the city, much less stray far from XiXi—he always worried.

But now, as the ‘Feilei Chess Sage,’ knowing that the Divine Chess Piece was with XiXi allowed him to travel with peace of mind. After all, if anything ever happened to her, he would sense it immediately and rush over.

With his daughter’s safety secured, the old man could finally venture off without worry.

The ‘Sleeping Dragon Elephant’ Breath Convergence ability grew even more potent.

It nearly obliterated his presence entirely.

Effortlessly, he exited the Inner City and soon passed through the more lightly defended Outer City.

Just as he left the Outer City…

A stooped, diminutive figure emerged silently.

Li Che glanced over to find the newcomer equally dressed in black, with a cat-faced mask.

“Senior Qingshan?” he murmured from beneath his Cute Cow Mask.

“It’s me,” came the reply from under the cat-faced mask.

Li Che: “…”

“So, why are you wearing a mask now?”

“Everyone wears masks…”

“Is this some sort of Mask Alliance?”

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