Chapter 106

His voice was grand and splendid, his awe-inspiring spirit pure and bright.

Later appointed Colonel of the Nine Provinces' islands, each island inspected, he commanded the summer forces and was the god who protects and transforms.

The Great General who banishes evil and slays ghosts, the Iron-Faced Divine Lord of Zhongnan, the Heavenly Venerable who sweeps away demonic vapors.

This is the sacred edict of Zhong Kui.

When it came to subduing ghosts, Li Che felt that this deity was indeed very suitable.

In any case, letting him freely express himself, it was a good opportunity to try carving the many deities that surged in his mind...

Could he, like that day, carve that scarlet silk-beating Third Prince who stirred the four seas, to further increase the maturity of the 【Immortal Craft】 Dao fruit.

Hey Li brother, you must remember to cultivate that scroll 'Great Jing Heavenly Seven Elements Thousand Hands Divine Eagle Technique'! Although it's only the upper volume, if you want to be promoted to second-class guest official, this Thousand Hands Divine Eagle Technique needs to reach minor accomplishment!

Seeing Li Che accept the mission and about to leave in a hurry, Shangguan Qinghong hastily urged him.

Li Che was stunned; this Divine Eagle Technique... he had not yet studied it.

After all, since he possessed the 【Immortal Craft】 Dao fruit, Li Che felt that the Divine Eagle Technique was of little use—wasn't it just carving?

Having the 【Immortal Craft】 Dao fruit, the skills it provides are unparalleled; the Divine Eagle Technique would likely be of little help to him.

Shangguan Qinghong thought for a moment and said: 'The Divine Eagle Technique cannot be simply regarded as a woodcarving skill; it was created by the Grand Director of the Eight Treasures Pavilion of the Shendu Heavenly Observatory. Not only the Divine Eagle Technique, but also other professions' Divine Alchemy Technique, Divine Weapon Technique, etc., were all created by the Grand Director...'

Therefore, it occupies an important position in the evaluation; even if you can carve the Nine Luminaries Divine wood carving, if your standard in this Divine Eagle Technique fails to pass, you cannot pass the second-class guest official evaluation.

Upon hearing this, Li Che couldn't help but take it seriously, planning to study it well.

After accepting the mission, Li Che directly left the Heavenly Observatory.

Leaving early and such actually posed no major hindrance; mainly, as a guest official, Li Che did not have overly strict duty regulations.

Li Che accepting the mission and going to the workshop to carve woodworks was also within reason.

First going to the timber store, Li Che obtained a piece of red spirit wood needed to make the Zhong Kui wooden statue, and then returned to the workshop courtyard in the prefectural city.

After closing the doors, Li Che placed the obtained spirit wood properly; then, with a thought, the 【Chess Sage】 Dao fruit trembled, and instantly the heaven-and-earth chessboard expanded, covering the surrounding area.

If there were any abnormality around, he could sense it immediately.

Li Che had not yet begun carving the woodwork.

Instead, he began his daily martial arts training.

After becoming a third-class guest official, among the resources Li Che obtained was a bottle of medicine called 'Great Jing Heavenly Furious Black Flood Dragon Blood Martial Pill', made from true furious black flood dragon blood, not mixed blood.

Therefore the medicine's potency is extremely high; even Shangguan Qinghong worried his body couldn't withstand it, and had him grind the medicine and take it in three doses.

But Li Che's body tempered through external training is unparalleled; how could he not withstand it?

After swallowing one pill of the Furious Black Flood Dragon Blood Martial Pill, Li Che's stomach walls writhed, the crushed pill's coating released, and the tremendous potency burst forth.

Exhale—

Inhale—

Within the courtyard, Li Che stood in the spring breeze, eyes closed, feeling it; in his mind he went through the divine martial art 'Furious True Monarch Three-Blade Sword', and in the next instant he opened his eyes, five fingers clenched...

The Nine Luminaries Divine Weapon, the Flowing Blood Piercing Shock Spear, instantly spewed from the Primordial Origin space, seized in his palm, and with a sudden tremor, the spear shaft roared like an angry flood dragon!

Thereafter, he gripped the spear with both hands, using the spear as a three-blade sword, performing the dance.

Possessing the 【Dragon Elephant Golden Vajra】 Dao fruit, which enhanced his external training talent, Li Che comprehended martial arts extremely quickly; even divine martial arts, he grasped just as quickly.

The Furious True Monarch Three-Blade Sword, during this period, he treated it as his primary martial art to cultivate.

As Li Che immersed himself, the dancing spear grew ever faster; countless surging air currents shot through the courtyard, scattering as the spear moved.

Exhale—!

He suddenly thrust the spear, in midair tearing out a thin blade of light over a meter long; Li Che's whole body steamed with heat waves, in the chilly spring, white vapor rose.

This Furious True Monarch Three-Blade Sword... has reached great accomplishment!

Li Che exhaled a breath, the corners of his mouth slightly rose, and the nine large sinews writhing on his back gradually eased.

In his dantian, the martial pill was refined by the strong gastric juices; the surging medicinal power churned, turning into qi and blood that drove and impacted his limbs, forming a rapid surging mysterious internal qi that rushed from the crown of his head straight to the soles of his feet.

Crackle—pop!

Li Che's whole body's bones and joints cracked, as if bones collided, like metal rubbing.

His bones and sinews were too strong; the 【Dragon Elephant Golden Vajra】 was slowly transforming his flesh, meridians, and bones, evolving toward the 'Dragon Sinew Elephant Bone Vajra Body'!

Divine pulse... almost there.

Closing his eyes to sense the internal qi, he felt his whole body clear and unobstructed, the meridians as if connected as one; with a thought, he could run a small heavenly circuit!

The Divine Pulse method requires cultivating a martial art to the state of transformation, integrating the artistic conception into daily practice, not just showing transformation during sparring; achieving that every movement bears divinity constitutes the Divine Pulse!

Li Che's eyes opened and closed; in the Divine Pulse realm, his qi and blood would also undergo several changes as the artistic conception fused.

The extent of qi and blood changes determines the strength of the Divine Pulse, and also determines whether breaking into the master level will be strong or not.

Therefore, the Divine Pulse realm places great importance on martial arts.

A master must cultivate a single true intention supreme art, to oversee the transformed martial arts cultivated by his own Divine Pulse.

After comprehending the true intention, merging it into qi and blood, and being able to release and retract at will, one becomes a true qi master!

Li Che raised his hand; internal qi spewed from his fingertips, possessing extraordinary killing power.

This is the characteristic of the Mystic Pulse: internal qi can be released outward, although only within a zhang around the body, its killing power is not weak at all.

I now have high-quality flood dragon blood martial pills assisting me; in another half month, I will be able to reach the perfection of the Mystic Pulse, qualifying to impact the Divine Pulse...

Li Che put away the Piercing Shock Spear, stretched lazily, as if firecrackers were continuously exploding.

With a thought, his qi and blood fully retracted; his sturdy body also gradually hid beneath the elastic clothing, only the faintly outlined lines indicating Li Che's extraordinary physique.

After practicing martial arts, Li Che began to cultivate divine arts.

Upon reaching the Divine Foundation realm of the Three-Eyed Furious True Monarch method, after completely solidifying the wheel, it then begins to automatically draw divinity from heaven and earth to enhance oneself.

Next, the three divine arts 【Griefful Weeping Ghost Subduing】, 【Heartstartled Shock Strength】, 【Suspended Thought Flowing Sword】 have all reached the level of nurturing nature, allowing preparation to forge the Divine Foundation.

As for the 【Chaotic Joy Deluding Divine】, since Li Che did not devote energy to it, its progress was a bit slower.

However, there's no need to rush; wait until the other three sects have also forged their divine foundations before speaking.

After consolidating his recent divine cultivation.

Li Che then sat back in his chair, brewed a cup of hot tea, and took out that volume of the《Dàjǐng Imperial Observatory's Seven Origins Thousand-Hand Divine Condor Technique (Upper Volume)》.

Opening the page, it was a preface from the Grand Director.

He then turned to the main text and read it carefully.

As he read, Li Che couldn't help but become immersed; his expression subtly shifted, at times astonished, at times sighing.

Closing the book, Li Che shut his eyes.

"The Divine Condor Technique……is not merely a woodcarving skill; it is actually a fusion of divine secret art and divine martial arts!"

"The divine secret art is of the Seven Origins rank; it is the Divine Condor Technique……"

"And the divine martial arts are of supreme secret quality, named the 'Thousand-Hand Divine Condor'!"

"Both the divine secret art and the divine martial arts must reach the same level; only when mastery reaches proficiency does it meet the standard……"

"Having searched in vain with iron shoes, it comes effortlessly……"

Li Che had always wanted to find a true intent supreme art; now……it was literally fed to his mouth.

Only with a true intent supreme art does one have a chance to assault the Martial Dao Master realm!

Within his chest, the【Dragon Elephant Vajra】seemed to sense his emotions, throbbing vigorously.

In his mind, the details of the divine martial art of the《Thousand-Hand Divine Condor》flowed through.

After a moment, Li Che opened his eyes.

"As expected of a true intent supreme art; I went through it three times in my mind, yet still couldn't get started……I guess I need to go over it a few more times!"

Li Che was somewhat astonished; even for a superior martial art, after simulating it three times in his mind, he could basically get started.

After all, the horizontal training talent bolstered by the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit is indeed not insignificant.

Li Che stopped carving as well, focusing all his mind on training the supreme art.

……

……

The spring breeze brushed, the willows swayed gently.

Under the wind's sweep, time seemed to roll past like swift gravel.

In half a month, Li Che's life became very regular.

During the day he would go to the Imperial Observatory for work one shift, then leave for the workshop courtyard, carving the 'Furious-Eyed Zhongkui Guardian Statue', while training the supreme art and contemplating the divine secret art.

Unfortunately, Li Che's talent in the divine secret art……was actually mediocre; only after half a month did he barely manage to get started.

Meanwhile, the《Thousand-Hand Divine Condor》supreme art was mastered on the second day of training.

Spring rain drizzled; early spring is the rainy season, nonstop rain, unshakable sorrow.

Inside the workshop courtyard.

Li Che's qi and blood surged; in an instant he flung out an arm, countless phantom layers overlapping densely, making it impossible to tell which hand was real and which was illusory.

Bang——!

Five fingers clenched, he struck down fiercely; instantly like a palm striking a leather drum surface, it burst forth a deafening roar, the air beneath his palm seeming to sink several inches into an invisible depression!

The force contained in this palm, if it struck a person's body, would shatter the five viscera and six bowels of an ordinary profound-pulse martial artist!

Even a divine-pulse martial artist would likely be unable to withstand it, at least suffering grave injury.

However, the difficulty lies in actually landing this palm on an opponent, for the opponent is hardly a wooden dummy standing still to be struck.

"Whoosh——"

Rolling qi and blood roared like a furnace; countless arm phantoms layered and converged onto his body, like the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara retracting its palms, mysterious and illusory.

Li Che's eyes gleamed as he exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi.

"The supreme art Thousand-Hand Divine Condor……has achieved minor completion!"

"However, from now on it will only get harder; reaching the major completion level is the key, its destructive power even rivaling that of a superior martial art cultivated to perfection."

Within the courtyard, the turbulent airflow gradually returned to calm.

Only then did Li Che sit in the chair and begin carving on the workbench.

After half a month, the Zhongkui statue was finally about to be completed; not that he was unwilling to work quickly, but rather……

When carving coincided with the Zhongkui image nearly overlapping in his mind, each cut would become extremely difficult.

When he carved the Third Prince before, it went so smoothly; Li Che felt it had to do with the affinity with the divine nature of the river deity in a tributary of the Nine Dragon River……

However, this 'Furious-Eyed Zhongkui Guardian Statue', which is nearly up to the Nine Luminaries level, is already considered finished; only minor details remain to be polished.

When the final shaving removed the fine wood shavings.

The divine essence between heaven and earth immediately began to gather incessantly.

The tenth-grade spiritual wood, the red-blood sandalwood-made blood-red Zhongkui statue, actually began to faintly glow……

Around, the mournful gale howled without cease, as if a 'wa-ya-ya' angry sound reverberated; there seemed to be a leopard-headed, ring-eyed, iron-faced, bearded mighty phantom flickering in and out of existence.

Li Che, satisfied, stepped back two paces.

His eyes bright, he gazed at the divine wood carving whose shape gradually overlapped with that in his mind, feeling somewhat dazed.

"Great General Who Exorcises Evil and Slays Ghosts, Furious-Eyed Guardian Against Ghosts, Ten Thousand Ghosts Shall Not Invade!"

Li Che brushed the wood shavings from his body, his gaze returned, his smile full and content, quite pleased.

A stir of heart and mind.

【Dao Fruit: Immortal Artisan (LV3, 78%)】

Not bad!

One wave directly increased the maturity by 10%, which indeed confirmed his original idea.

When carving overlapping with the deity image in one's own memory, it can indeed additionally increase the maturity of the Dao fruit.

Good news……

Looking at the Dao fruit of the 【Immortal Artisan】, which is getting closer and closer to LV4 level.

Li Che's emotions couldn't help but surge.

What further transformation does the LV4 Immortal Artisan hold?

In fact, Li Che also knows that he and Xixi are bound by a bond; as his daughter grows up safely one year older, he can obtain a Dao fruit.

The number of Dao fruits will only keep increasing; the more there are, the more certain he cannot bestow them all evenly.

He must certainly select a few specialized Dao fruits as the main direction of improvement.

After storing the Zhong Kui deity image in the Qiankun space, Li Che changed into a clean set of black clothes and left the workshop courtyard.

As soon as he stepped out of the workshop courtyard, Li Che felt a sense of being watched.

"The Qin clan, Qin Hunan……"

"And the Temple Warden Office… divine officers Hong Yong and Shi Lei."

Li Che remained expressionless, but his heart was very calm.

These three…… have been watching him for over half a month.

After initially meeting Chief Officer Zhang Lianhao at the Temple Warden Office and leaving, the next day two divine officers began tailing his movements.

But they don't know that, under Li Che's heaven-and-earth chessboard, they are tailing Li Che, while Li Che is watching them from a higher level.

Having confirmed that the other side was merely surveilling, Li Che therefore did not provoke trouble.

Coincidentally, his schedule over the past half month has been very regular, which also helps dispel the thoughts of the Qin clan and the Temple Warden Office.

In the prefectural city, Li Che still adheres to the principle of being kind to others: if they do not offend him, he will not offend them.

He only wishes to peacefully await Xixi's participation in the Divine Sect's entrance examination, nothing more.

Returning to the small courtyard, the sky grew dark.

Li Che's steps paused; outside the small courtyard, besides the surveillance of Qin Hunan and the Temple Warden Office divine officers, many gazes swept over from the surrounding alleys.

They were the local gang of the street market where Listening Flower Alley is located.

The prefectural city is far larger than Fēiléichéng; even in Fēiléichéng there are some gangs that extort protection fees from merchants and squeeze the people's fat and ointment.

Let alone the prefectural city, gangs abound, among which several are quite powerful, and they are not to be underestimated.

The prefectural city has three major gangs: the Fish Gang, the Black Flood Gang, and the Beggars' Gang.

For example, the Fish Gang, because Guangfu City was built relying on the Nine Dragon River, and its tributaries run straight through the prefectural city, making water industry resources extremely abundant.

Consequently, there are not few people engaged in fishing, so the Fish Gang naturally holds great power.

The gang surveilling his own small courtyard, however, is not such a big gang as the Fish Gang; it is openly called the Black Snake Gang, and within the gang there is a Divine Foundation expert holding the fort.

This gang has planted many people outside Listening Flower Alley, disguising themselves as various vendors and customers; many small stalls have changed their appearance.

Li Che does not know whose blade this Black Snake Gang is, because for the major powers of the prefectural city, gangs are like commodities, constantly changing hands.

Actually, Li Che also has some doubts, because Qin Hunan of the Qin clan is already personally tailing him; there would be no need to dispatch a gang to surveil him.

After Li Che pondered for a while.

"Could it be the Golden Split Sect?"

The Golden Split Sect, as one of the five major sects of the prefectural city, is somewhat lower in status than the branch of the Divine Sect, after all the Divine Sect branch relies on the Primordial Origin Orthodox Tradition and is truly a colossal entity.

Those who can rub shoulders with the Divine Sect branch in the prefectural city…… are only the Temple Warden Office and the Imperial Observatory.

The Golden Split Sect is merely on par with the five great clans.

Li Che felt that the powers he had provoked upon coming to the prefectural city were merely the Qin clan……

The Golden Split Sect also counts as half, after all, in the rumors, the relationship between Qin Yuqing and the sect's grand elder is unclear……

Therefore, investigating himself…… is also understandable.

Gangs are nothing more than knives in the hands of the prefectural city's great clan magnates, sickles reaping the city's people's fat and ointment.

Li Che's perception constantly probes; these gangs perhaps are wary of his status as a Guest Minister of the Imperial Observatory, as well as Xixi's status as a preparatory disciple of the Divine Sect.

They only dare to covertly investigate, responsible for surveillance, and basically have no intention to take action.

He returned to the courtyard without changing his expression.

Xixi was practicing her fists, her qi and blood surging, her divinity fluctuating; her tiny frame actually possessed tremendous strength.

Li Che blinked, "Yo ho, this little lass…… has she undergone Bone Tempering?!"

How old is she even?

Without having taken any medicinal pills, she stepped into Bone Tempering at three years old?

Moreover, her divinity has reached the level of nurturing nature like a stream……

This martial arts talent and divinity talent……

As a father, if I didn't have a Dao fruit, I would truly be pressed down by the little one!

Indeed, she is my Li Che's daughter!

Li Che's lips curled into a smile.

Beside him, Chen Lao, who had been guiding Xixi while holding a dry cigarette, had already fallen into silence; this old man, who has lived a life of drifting, has…… seen a freak.

Lv Chi also came running over, looking at the Bone Tempering Xixi, he kept rubbing his big head and pouting his lips.

Is this what a supreme spirit child is like?

No…… even a supreme spirit child doesn't have this speed.

Lv Chi is now nine years old; what was he doing when he was three?

Oh, he was still nursing then.

Back then, let alone nurturing nature like a stream, his nurturing nature hadn't even coalesced into a bowl……

Can only say, comparing people makes people furious.

Fortunately, it's Xixi who's suppressing him.

Li Che saw Lü Chi smile, knowing this little guy had come every day to their home after learning that Li Che had been taken away by the Town Temple Office for investigation, just to show his support for the family.

Li Che thought of the gang surveilling them and took the chance to ask about the Golden Split Sect.

"Golden Split Sect? They definitely wouldn't dare mess with you; you're recommended back by the teacher, they wouldn't even dare with ten guts from that Golden Split Sect grand elder Jin Xuan..."

"Not to mention the divine sect's might, just the teacher—back then with a single ram's horn hammer, he nearly blew that Jin Xuan's head apart; this guy sees the teacher like a mouse sees a cat." Lü Chi rubbed his own head, laughing as he said.

Li Che startled, given that, the Black Snake Gang wasn't arranged by the Golden Split Sect?

That outside surveilling force... which side is it?

Li Che frowned, really a bit chaotic; the Qin family has Qin Hunan personally surveilling, probably not him; even Li Che, in his Heaven-Earth Chessboard perception, saw Qin Hunan having investigated this gang...

So, who brought this gang in?

Li Che's eyes dimmed a little, but his heart began to take it more seriously.

Zhang Ya had already prepared the food, just brought it out and set it in the courtyard; the family ate dinner together.

Xixi perhaps because she had stepped into bone-tempering, her food intake became huge; a small one holding a big bowl, shoveling nonstop.

Li Che and Old Chen clinked cups and drank, very content.

A warm spring breeze blew, comfortable and gentle.

Suddenly, Li Che's expression shifted slightly, his brow furrowed.

Because, the sister-in-law outside the door stepped forward, walking quickly.

Her face was full of worry.

"Big sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

Zhang Ya opened the door and saw that the sister-in-law Liu Chunming's expression was not good.

Liu Chunming immediately looked at Li Che, pursed her lips: "Ah Che, your cousin... hasn't returned home for two days and two nights..."

Li Che put down his wine cup, brow furrowed.

Cousin Li Zhengran?

The divine chess piece he left on Li Zhengran's body gave no feedback of mortal danger.

No mortal danger...

Then why hasn't the cousin returned home for two days and two nights?

Asking for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and reading support! Old Li thanks!

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(End of chapter)