Chapter 97: Stormwinds of Fate

Fierce winds roared as rain surged down.

High above, dark clouds piled up, plunging the world into endless darkness, while writhing electric serpents flashed sporadically, casting fleeting light on earth.

Xu You’s eyes narrowed as he spotted a figure at the doorway, its face concealed by an Ogre mask.

He reached for his sword but found himself completely drained of energy.

Ogre…

That very Ogre—the ruthless, bloodthirsty killer who threw Feilei City into turmoil and killed without a blink—stood before him!

Yet, Xu You felt no trace of fear.

Even when confronted by a terror reputed to quiet even the most wailing child.

His heart remained oddly unmoved, without any trace of panic.

Xu You knew all too well the Ogre’s brutal history—his countless victims and heinous acts.

Regardless of his ruthless methods, which of his deeds couldn’t be seen as those of a hero?

Even the murder of Zhao Xuanhai, a court-appointed divine enforcer, was justified in Xu You’s eyes since Zhao belonged to the Lingying Sect.

Xu You was fully aware of the true nature of the Lingying Sect.

Xu You exhaled slowly, his pale face tight as he clasped his fists in gratitude: “Thank you for saving my life.”

The Ogre merely shot him a cold glance. “City Lord Cao Guang has sacrificed the entire city at the Bizarre Temple to elevate it to the Nine Luminaries. Feilei City is finished—get out of here.”

“Take care.”

The shocking announcement struck Xu You like a bolt, freezing him in place.

He was so stunned that he didn’t even catch the Ogre’s “take care.”

“City Lord Cao Guang sacrificed the whole city?”

What has the world come to…?

Xu You unsheathed his sword, utterly lost in thought.

“Ogre… hero… elder…” he stuttered.

Just as a thought flashed through his mind, he opened his mouth to call out once more.

But the Ogre simply tapped his foot and vanished into the tempest. By the time Xu You emerged, his towering silhouette had melted into the storm.

Cold rain, mixed with drifting snowflakes, cascaded onto his shoulders.

Xu You panted gently, his heart thundering with shock.

In that instant, it was as if a grim realization dawned upon him.

The Xu Family had conspired with the City Lord’s Residence. City Lord Cao Guang’s plan to sacrifice the entire city was undoubtedly known to Old Xu and his father, Xu Nanming.

His body wavered under the assault of the biting rain, its chill seeping into his very soul.

“How can this be…?”

Such outrageous cruelty beyond all reason!

After what felt like an eternity, Xu You let out a long sigh.

He went back inside, his eyes falling on the lifeless bodies of his father, Xu Nanming, and Xu Helil…

Yet his expression remained devoid of grief.

Had it not been for the Ogre’s help, he might have been the one to perish.

“Are you even planning to… literally feast on my flesh?”

A wild, almost deranged smile suddenly crept across Xu You’s face.

As he felt his inner divine essence surge and boil, it almost seemed as if it were about to crystallize into a divine core.

“Is this a case of misfortune turning into blessing?”

Xu You lifted his hand, watching as lacing streaks of blood-red divine energy intertwined in his palm, slowly merging into his body.

It was the power of the Temple Spirit, albeit modest in amount…

But after all, it was the very energy of the Temple Spirit from the Bizarre Temple.

Could it be that Xu Helil planned to devour him in this manner to seize the Temple Spirit’s power?

“Why doesn’t Xu Helil bear it in his own body? Perhaps the side effects are too dire, and by consuming others he might avoid them?”

Xu You shook his head.

He glanced at the murky rain, noting that the Ogre’s figure had completely disappeared.

Contrary to the legends, the Ogre wasn’t as relentlessly savage as they said.

Recalling the Ogre’s warning, Xu You strapped on his sword and charged into the storm.

Old Xu was likely dead as well—the very pillar of the Xu Family had been lost.

The Ogre revealed that City Lord Cao Guang had relocated the Bizarre Temple into the city. If the citizens stayed, within days they’d be corrupted by the Temple Spirit’s energy, turning into malignant, perverse beings.

As a direct scion of the Xu Family, he was to assume leadership, steer the family, and guide them out of Feilei City.

As for the city’s inhabitants…

He’d rescue as many as he could. Once they left Feilei City, they’d become refugees, wandering between towns, where no one’s safety was guaranteed against the predatory ambitions of other powers.

Yet even so, it was better than losing their lives.

……

……

Li Qingshan, sporting a cat-face mask, swung his Goat-Horn Hammer repeatedly. The tiny hammerhead, caked with blood and bits of flesh, was washed clean by the rain.

On the ground lay two bodies, smashed by the hammer, completely lifeless.

The area in front of the City Lord’s Residence had turned to ruins, pockmarked with deep craters blooming like plum blossoms.

This was the destruction left after Li Qingshan dueled two elite fighters from the Corpse God Sect.

‘The iron corpses of the Corpse God Sect are as stinky as they are unyielding…’

A surge of true energy shook him, instantly cleaning the grime off his Goat-Horn Hammer, which he then slipped away with a quick motion of his sleeve.

The wild rush of his energy subsided as his qi and blood coalesced, bringing his whole being to a sudden, serene calm.

He slumped again into the guise of a small old man and, with a light tip of his feet, slipped into the Bizarre Temple.

After a brief pause, he shot out again, his cat-face mask barely concealing his astonishment.

‘The Temple Spirit’s statue has been shattered… Who dared? So ferocious! Thank goodness they didn’t attempt to breach the temple; otherwise, the curse of the Temple Spirit would have struck, and it would have been catastrophic.’

Li Qingshan frowned.

He moved swiftly toward the area where the residual energies of the Temple Spirits had converged.

When he beheld the floor strewn with fragments of corpses…

Even Li Qingshan looked grave. “How tragic… Is this City Lord Cao Guang’s corpse? They must have tried to channel the Temple Spirit into their body to undergo a transformation.”

‘Yet he was beaten to death, his body torn to pieces…’

‘And the other Temple Spirit… so vicious, so brutally fierce… it’s hardly ever seen.’

Li Qingshan murmured to himself.

‘But maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. Cao Guang’s plan has been shattered, and with the Temple Spirit sinking into a deeper slumber, the people of Feilei City have a chance to catch their breath…’

‘With the City Lord dead, word will quickly reach the Temple Guardian Division, and they’ll send men immediately.’

Li Qingshan stretched with a relaxed air.

The only lingering anomaly was the shattered Temple Spirit statue that had ripped apart Cao Guang…

What in the world kind of immortal was that?

So savage!

Terrifying.

‘By the way, has that kid Ogre arrived? I haven’t seen him—oh well…’

Li Qingshan trembled as bursts of true energy shattered the raindrops, and he raced toward the treasury of the City Lord’s Residence like an arrow off a bow.

Moments later…

‘Damn it, that kid was certainly here—he cleaned out everything without leaving a trace!’

‘And he didn’t leave even a scrap for the old man!’

……

……

Li Che watched Xu You covertly for a while.

Once assured of no immediate danger, he melted into the alley.

With a tight grip, a chess-piece anchor mark—previously noted on a carriage thundering along the highway outside—suddenly materialized in his hand.

Li Che then rejoined the carriage, having left Feilei City behind.

As his qi and blood circulated, drying his clothes and hair, he removed his mask and reclined in the soft carriage seat.

Gradually, his tense nerves relaxed as he inhaled the woody aroma filling the carriage, inviting a sense of languor.

This return trip from Feilei City had cleared many obstacles—rescuing Old Xu from a grisly fate, settling the Thousand Buddha Carved Feast debacle, and shattering the City Lord’s plan to sacrifice the whole city.

Yet, there were some lingering regrets.

For instance, the divine enforcer Zhang Xiangyang—when Li Che used the Chess Sage’s cosmic chessboard to track him, he casually inquired about his condition.

Unfortunately, his trail was lost, denying Li Che the opportunity to learn about Zhang Xiangyang’s Fear Inducing Radiance.

It wasn’t a significant loss; opportunities in the Capital would abound, and within the Divine Sect, methods were plentiful.

Beyond that, what lay ahead was a bounty of gains.

He had not only tested his ‘Ascending Tower’ state but also garnered generous contributions from many.

The Qian Kun Jade of Old Xu, Cao Guang, and Cao Qingyuan—three divine foundation cultivators—possessed many valuable items, with Cao Qingyuan even making off with treasures from the City Lord’s vault.

Now, it all belonged to Li Che.

Even Li Che, with his steadfast will, couldn’t help but feel his excitement surge.

“Let destiny hit me hard…”

Li Che pursed his lips and withdrew the Qian Kun Jade, a prized possession from Cao Qingyuan, cherished even above life.

The mid-grade Qian Kun Jade, of superb quality and larger than even Cao He’s, was promptly devoured and replaced by the Pure Heart Dao Fruit, leaving no room for the old.

He raised his hand, ripping open the space as though unzipping it.

With a slight motion of his divine perception, Li Che plunged into it.

There were over a dozen gold bars, heaps of gold leaves, stacks of silver ingots, and, moreover, banknotes, property bonds, and land deeds.

Good heavens—this was essentially the whole treasurer’s treasury of Feilei City!

It even surpassed the wealth of the long-established Yang Family, all while Cao Guang had spent a fortune hiring master woodcarvers.

These were mere worldly treasures, which, together with previous gains, ensured a lavish life in the Capital.

Li Che continued to tally his spoils until his eyes were suddenly drawn to something.

“Eh?”

In a flash, a half-human-sized yellow wooden block crashed into the carriage.

Creak, creak…

The weight was so immense that the carriage groaned under the strain, teetering on the brink of collapse.

Instantly, the carriage’s speed dropped.

Li Che quickly stowed the wooden block away into Qiankun Space.

“What a find… Lingmu!”

“Seven-stage Lingmu…”

Li Che’s breath quickened, his eyes gleaming—this was a huge chunk of seven-stage Lingmu!

Its worth was beyond measure!

A mere touch moments ago, his Thousand Analysis Hand had revealed everything about this wood.

……

【Lingmu (Seven-Stage, Low Grade): Dragon Tooth Yew】

【Origin: Yellow hard lingmu—tough as refined steel, texture like a dragon’s tooth, resilient and fine with even grains; challenging to carve and demanding caution.】

……

What a find!

Dragon Tooth Yew! A wood harder than refined iron!

Li Che marveled—could the City Lord’s Residence really possess such a treasure? This single lingmu block might be worth more than the entire city’s revenue.

Where did Cao Guang acquire something so exquisite?

“Seven-stage lingmu… even the finest woodcarvers might be hesitant to touch it; ordinary carving knives would be futile—it likely demands blades of divine quality, right?”

Li Che inhaled deeply—this block was surely something Cao Qingyuan prized highly.

In the Capital, its value would be astronomical. Infused with divine energy, if carved into a sacred sculpture, it could potentially fuel Cao Qingyuan’s cultivation for a lifetime.

Beyond that, many nine- and ten-stage lingmu were relatively common, and several even contained the “Blood and Flesh Red” needed to create Bodhi Blood Tears.

As a master woodcarver, Li Che was immensely gratified by this haul.

It made it all worthwhile—even if it meant sealing Cao Qingyuan’s fate.

Li Che continued his inventory, with few additional surprises.

Two vials of pills, each holding a low-grade nine-stage “Dajing Qin Tian Nu Xuan Jiao Blood Martial Pill,” likely procured wholesale from the Imperial Watch.

For Li Che, it was a decent acquisition—ensuring a steady supply of cultivation pills.

Indeed, taking stock of his gains seemed to wash away his exhaustion.

Li Che joyfully counted a variety of martial cultivation techniques—though not of the highest grade, their abundance brought him delight.

It was like counting banknotes—even a modest five-dollar bill could lift his spirits, as every bit counted.

“This is…?”

Suddenly, a gold-leather manuscript materialized in Li Che’s hand.

‘Dajing Town Temple’s Supreme Prison Lotus Channeling Shenmai Technique!’

Li Che’s smile broke free, uncontainable.

‘Xuanmai Technique, Shenmai Technique… now I’ve got them all!’

Tucking the manuscript away, Li Che felt a stirring in his mind as another treasure was summoned from Qiankun Space.

……

【Divine Weapon (Eight Extremes, Low Grade): Xuanlei Jiao Nu Bow】

【Craft: Forged from century-old Xuan Iron, hammered a thousand times, blended with Xuanlei Jiao’s blood and the divine essence of anger, and tempered in fierce flames—capable of channeling ‘Anger’s Divine Essence’; a formidable bow from which arrows fly like thunderous dragons!】

【Wielded by: Cultivators of the Anger’s Divine Essence Law at the initial Divine Foundation or higher】

……

‘An Eight Extremes Divine Weapon? No wonder a city lord possesses such deep legacy. With the Imperial Court behind him, it truly stands apart.’

Li Che marveled in awe.

His Liuxue Stun Spear was only a nine-luminary high-grade weapon, yet Cao Guang actually treasured an Eight Extremes-level Divine Weapon!

‘Then why didn’t he use his Divine Weapon earlier?’

‘Oh… he didn’t get to use it; he was trapped and doomed.’

Li Che gripped the pitch-black Xuanlei Jiao Nu Bow, its surface alive with flickering electric arcs as if from a bottomless abyss, poised to draw out the divine essence within his inner formation.

‘Arrow techniques… I’ve studied the Hundred Ghosts Crying Wind Thunder Arrow, but its divine nature isn’t quite compatible. Perhaps I must seek another archery skill.’

With that thought, Li Che put away the bow.

He continued his inventory, tallying the Qian Kun Jade from the Xu patriarch and Cao Qingyuan, which didn’t bring much more gain.

Though Cao Qingyuan was a Divine Foundation cultivator, his ‘spare change’ was scant, making him one of the poorest in that realm Li Che had seen.

However, Li Che discovered a pile of letters hidden within his Qian Kun Jade.

A casual glance turned solemn as he read through them.

‘Jingguang Prefecture… Qin Family? Jin Lie Men?’

‘Cao Qingyuan actually has a mother in the Capital? Moreover, she’s a young lady from a renowned Capital family?’

‘Jin Lie Men? Apart from the Divine Sect Branch, does the Capital have other factional forces?’

Li Che’s heart trembled slightly as he examined the letters closely.

Most letters were from Cao Qingyuan’s mother, and some written by him that were never sent.

Reading through them, he noted that every word from Cao Qingyuan’s mother brimmed with concern.

‘If I killed Cao Qingyuan, would his mother come after me for retribution?’

‘But since Cao Qingyuan was slain by the Ogre, it doesn’t concern me, Li Che…’

Li Che exhaled, stowed the letters, and resumed his inventory.

Old Xu was more affluent, roughly on par with the Yang Family Elder, albeit lacking any Divine Weapons.

There were several vials of Python Blood Martial Pills, totaling over thirty, a generous quantity.

‘Jiu Yao Xuan Si Liu Jian Shen Ji Fa’, ‘Xuan Si Yu Jian Shu’, ‘Xuan Si Liu Mu Shen’…

Li Che’s eyes sparkled as he examined these three martial manuals.

The long-coveted ‘Si Zhi Divine Essence’ Divine Basis Method was finally in his grasp.

Following ‘Anger’s Divine Foundation’ and ‘Shock’s Divine Foundation,’ he could now establish another divine foundation.

‘Hm? Feilei’s four major families—the An Family fleeing with their 【Hundred Turns of Sorrowful Dreams】 Divine Basis Method—yet the Si Family’s method… I don’t have that.’

Then, Li Che suddenly recalled that he hadn’t yet mastered the 【Chin Ku Zhen Gui】 Divine Foundation Method.

It appeared that assembling the full Seven Emotions Divine Foundation was still a herculean task.

‘No matter, pull yourself together—the Capital teems with families of every rank…’

Li Che gave a silent cheer for the Ogre.

After finishing his count, Li Che took a piece of wood, grasped his carving knife, and began sculpting—each stroke calming his otherwise restless, exuberant heart.

……

……

In the days that followed, the journey took on a more tranquil pace.

Since he had coordinated with a merchant caravan, and Qian He, the responsible escort with a notable reputation, had secured the trade route—making it far safer than the typical wild paths.

The journey was tedious and uneventful.

Li Che didn’t mind, for he had too many tasks to keep him busy.

After all, he had amassed an overwhelming number of divine chess pieces—the divine essences of both Cao Guang and Cao Qingyuan were of the Anger type, which his 【Three-Eyed Raging True Lord Divine Foundation】, given its advanced stage, voraciously absorbed to strengthen his core.

Furthermore, Li Che was delving into the Xuanmai Technique from the Dajing authority.

Once his qi and blood reached their pinnacle, he intended to break through.

Each day, he would refine his divine essence while aboard the carriage, and once off, train in martial arts with XiXi and Zhang Ya, honing his physique.

Zhang Ya’s martial training had reached a level where her Skin Polishing was nearly perfected; Li Che estimated that she might achieve complete Skin Polishing and even unlock Tendon Burst before even arriving in the Capital.

Little XiXi appeared utterly undaunted by monotony, always discovering fresh curiosities each day.

Qian He and many of the caravan members were incredibly fond of XiXi, enchanted by her lively, adorable spirit.

‘Jingguang Prefecture is located in Yunzhou, which governs four prefectures. The Qianyuan Divine Sect’s orthodox branch is stationed along the Lingnan Path, and Jingguang Prefecture is managed by a sect branch.’

‘Within Jingguang Prefecture, there are numerous factions, yet the most famous are the Five Divine Image Families and the five major capital sects!’

Bonfires leaped, their flames soaring high.

During breaks, the group gathered around bonfires, conversing as they journeyed.

Qian He, a native of the Capital, sipped his drink while briefing everyone on the city’s condition.

‘May I ask, Qian, which are the five major families?’ Old Chen inquired after toasting with him.

Li Che, cradling XiXi, listened intently.

‘The Qin, Gong, Hai, Shangguan, and Gongyang families comprise the Five Divine Image Families of the Capital, each with an ancestral divine patriarch once eminent in the Qianyuan Divine Sect. They are not to be underestimated!’

‘As for the five major sects, they are intricately connected to these five families.’

Qian He guzzled his drink and devoured meat, explaining as he ate.

Li Che, ruffling XiXi’s head, narrowed his eyes. “Qian, isn’t Jingguang Prefecture under the Divine Sect branch? How are there other sect forces?”

Qian He laughed heartily, “Master Li, many have asked that. The Divine Sect branch is indeed powerful, but the orthodox Divine Sect is based on the Lingnan Path—that’s where its true power lies. The prefectural branches exist mostly as a facade…”

‘A prefecture is no small domain. The Divine Sect branch can’t consume it all, so they allocate parts to other forces—only then can there be mutually beneficial harmony.’

‘Moreover, behind these sects, the Imperial Court certainly plays its part, all to counterbalance the Divine Sect.’

Qian He, having traveled extensively, was privy to many hidden tidbits.

As they conversed along the way, Li Che formed a solid impression of Jingguang Prefecture—it appeared that the Divine Sect branch did not monopolize power.

The Qin Family, Jin Lie Men, and even the Corpse God Sect…

Especially the Corpse God Sect.

Li Che exhaled; Jingguang Prefecture was not particularly safe for his family.

The carriage jostled continuously, yet as they approached the Capital, the road gradually smoothed out.

On the highway, more carriages lined up.

Occasionally, multiple merchant caravans could be seen crossing paths.

Inside the carriage…

Li Che sat meditatively with closed eyes, his qi and blood flowing outward like a garment, while inside, as in a blazing furnace, he refined the final traces of power from the Dajing Qin Tian Nu Xuan Jiao Blood Martial Pill.

Boom—!

When the pill’s energy had been fully assimilated.

The Xuanmai Technique kicked in as his qi and blood surged through his meridians, forming an even more complex network than that of Xiao Zhou’s.

Li Che suddenly opened his eyes wide as the elastic layer around him swelled, resembling a balloon.

Waves of qi and blood erupted, and the once-adherent energy cloak unfolded like blooming lotus petals.

Prison Lotus Xuanmai…

He exhaled a cloud of murky breath.

Inside Li Che, his qi and blood settled into calm as his Superior Prison Lotus Xuanmai Technique reached its peak…

The refined inner qi from the Xuanmai became remarkably resilient!

Just as Li Che was about to immerse himself in the sensation of his reinvigorated inner qi…

Suddenly, the previously calm caravan became agitated—the neighing of spirited horses echoed relentlessly, and the carriage began to jolt.

Li Che pulled back the curtain and stepped onto the carriage’s front.

The drivers and escorts were diligently soothing the horses.

‘Master Li, normally, just ahead is the most terrifying Bizarre Temple outside Jingguang Prefecture—hence the horses get spooked, but once they pass that stretch, all is calm.’

Seeing Li Che leave the carriage, Qian He quickly laughed and said…

At his words, Li Che felt a stir in his heart.

He lifted his gaze.

In the distance, majestic mountains rose, with rivers surging and meandering through them, all leading toward the Capital.

Amid the vast river, countless streams forked apart.

Atop it, a towering temple soared, its presence dimming the very sun and moon, and draining the world of its color!

Li Che merely stole a glance from afar, yet he felt the 【Chess Sage】 Dao Fruit in his chest vibrate intensely.

The eight Temple Spirit divine chess pieces, condensed from the Feilei Bizarre Temple, trembled wildly within it.

Li Che pressed on his tiptoes, arms outstretched, as qi and blood exploded from him; like a falcon, he darted along the riverbank for several miles.

Finally, he came to a stand upon a rocky outcrop.

He stood, overlooking the roaring river, fixated on the Bizarre Temple rising from the water below!

Suddenly, his hand turned a jade color.

It gently plunged into the churning river.

The river, laden with divine essence, slapped his palm, erupting in a cascade of droplets.

Yet, his Thousand Analysis Hand relayed information right before his eyes.

【Bizarre Temple (Four Emperors)】

【Bizarre Temple of the Eight-Armed Prison Lotus and Raging Third Prince】

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