Chapter 111

Qitian Temple?!

Li Che heard this name, his pupils suddenly constricted.

Thinking of the Mind Monkey Temple, an image involuntarily surfaced in his mind of that peerless divine monkey who overturned heaven and earth, stirred the firmament, and made all the celestial gods bow their heads.

Great Sage?!

Li Che drew a deep breath; every inch of his flesh seemed to tremble, merely a name, yet it made him feel as if even his soul were throbbing.

The Third Prince, the Three-Eyed True Lord, and now… Qitian…

The myths of two lifetimes overlapped, like dark clouds intertwining, bringing rolling electric serpents and roaring thunder, striking his mind.

After a long while, Li Che finally exhaled a breath.

"Qitian Temple… its lineage shattered, has it been destroyed?"

Li Che looked toward Shangguan Qinghong; this girl knew a great deal, like a treasure trove of knowledge.

If you don't understand, just ask her.

Shangguan Qinghong shook her head, nibbling melon seeds, and said: "In ancient times the Divine Sect, though declined and its lineage split, cannot be considered destroyed…"

"The 'Three Pure Ones' Guiyi Miao that Qitian Temple once suppressed still exists; the temple god riot that erupted five hundred years ago was too sudden, catching the already weakened Qitian Temple off guard…"

"The area occupied by that Guiyi Miao has become a dire land; the Guique expands a thousand li, with no inhabitants for ten thousand li, and that original Qitian Cheng likewise became a revelry ground for demons and Xiejwei."

"However, the three major lineages scattered from Qitian Temple all aspire to march back and retake Qitian Cheng—the Ruyi Sect, the Tiangang Pavilion, and our Jin Guangfu Cheng's Mind Monkey Temple all wish to regain mastery of Qitian Cheng."

"I think reviving Qitian Temple is an exaggeration; after all it's a thing of the past, basically it's for the inheritance of the temple god Qitian left behind by Qitian Temple, and that Three Pure Ones–level divine weapon."

Shangguan Qinghong shook her head and swayed, Qitian Temple has been collapsed for five hundred years; five hundred years… how long that is!

To call it a change from mulberry fields to seas is not an exaggeration.

After five hundred years, any sectarian sentiment has become fleeting clouds; what still makes their descendants remember is, for the most part, only profit.

"A Three Pure Ones–level divine weapon?" Li Che's body shuddered.

"The Ruyi Golden Hoop Rod?"

It slipped out unconsciously.

"Eh? You know it? You've heard of it?" Shangguan Qinghong was somewhat surprised, not expecting Li Che to utter that name, after all, information about Qitian Temple is too ancient, mostly recorded in ancient texts, and ordinary cultivators basically don't know it.

"That Three Pure Ones divine weapon is named the 'Qitian Hunyuan Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff'! It ranks seventh in the 'Dàjǐng Qintian Divine Weapon List' personally compiled by the Grand Inspector."

"Only seventh?"

Li Che immediately objected, "My Great Sage Grandfather's weapon, how can it be so low?"

Shangguan Qinghong covered her mouth and laughed: "Not so low either; the Grand Inspector directly stated in the preface of the Divine Weapon List that the top ten have no ranking of strength, mainly depending on the wielder's ability back then."

Li Che, hearing this, involuntarily nodded.

Suddenly, his heart stirred: "In other words… the Qitian Staff currently has no master?"

Shangguan Qinghong gave Li Che a strange look: "Exactly, the Qitian Guiyi Miao is located in Shizhou; nowadays Shizhou, due to the riot of a Three Pure Ones–level Guique, has basically become the domain of demons and Xiejwei, and that ancient Qitian Cheng is even occupied by a demon king comparable to a Divine Fetus realm."

"The Qitian Staff, along with the death of the Divine Tribulation cultivator of Qitian Temple back then, was hidden again within the Qitian Guique; unknown when it will reappear, so it has not yet been obtained."

"Brother Li, you wouldn't covet this staff, would you?"

Li Che, hearing this, his eyes flickered; ambition naturally existed…

"Your cultivation is too weak; not to speak of entering the ancient Qitian Cheng, even approaching it would likely be torn apart by demons and Xiejwei…"

"Moreover, a Three Pure Ones–level divine weapon, without sufficient cultivation, is not wielded but controlled by the weapon."

Shangguan Qinghong wanted to dissuade Li Che from abandoning such thoughts.

Li Che naturally had the confidence of his ambitions; he just needed some time to develop.

He smiled, and did not delve too deeply into this topic.

Shangguan Qinghong then felt moved: "Whenever I read ancient texts, learning that Qitian Temple at its peak covered the world, splitting the realm with the court, how mighty and domineering it was—the foremost of the Divine Sect—yet it ultimately could not escape the passage of time, and would also face great upheaval."

"In a moment it fell apart; now it can only be an object of nostalgia in the histories."

"So this world… is too dangerous; no one can guarantee safe survival, and at Qitian Temple's height there were even experts surpassing the Divine Fetus realm—'Divine Tribulation' powerhouses—stationed within!"

"Yet it still crumbled, reduced to a speck of dust."

Shangguan Qinghong sighed, feeling melancholy as she nibbled melon seeds.

Li Che also couldn't help but feel moved; indeed… this world is truly too dangerous.

Moreover, most importantly, the temple gods who died in those Guiyi Miaos seem to overlap with the myths in his mind.

This increasingly caused him to feel an inexplicable anxiety in his heart.

"I am currently too weak; thinking about these things is meaningless; it's enough to live each day well."

"I only want to accompany my wife and daughter, living well in this world."

Li Che spoke softly.

Shangguan Qinghong's eyes shimmered; it seemed as if Li Che's words had moved her, her long lashes trembled, she glanced at Li Che and pursed her red lips.

"Brother Li…"

Shangguan Qinghong called out.

Li Che looked over doubtfully.

"If only you were my father." Shangguan Qinghong pressed her lips, her voice unusually a little despondent.

Li Che stared, then became somewhat speechless.

Shangguan Qinghong, upon first meeting, was entirely intent on a marriage interview, eyeing his body.

Now Shangguan Qinghong actually wants to be his daughter?

Women… truly fickle!

After Shangguan Qinghong finished speaking, she seemed to come to her senses, feeling somewhat embarrassed; her pretty face instantly flushed red like a heated iron, she stuffed a handful of melon seeds into Li Che's hand, turned and fled.

……

……

The Ox Demon has appeared!

When Qin Hao'nan, who was still drinking in Liuxiang Pavilion and keeping watch on Li Che, heard this news, he was completely dumbfounded.

"The Ox Demon? It has appeared?"

He stared at the gray-faced informant who brought the news, and disbelief welled up in his eyes.

Qin Hao'nan actually also believed Li Che was the Ox Demon, mainly based on Zhang Xiangyang's hint, so he subconsciously felt that Li Che fit the Ox Demon identity too well.

Although there was a gap in strength, the power Li Che displayed did not match the Ox Demon at all; however, as a member of the Qin family, Qin Hao'nan naturally knew that judging solely by surface strength was unreliable.

Some obscure breath-concealing techniques can hide one's cultivation.

Thus Qin Hao'nan never dispelled his suspicion of Li Che.

But when the gray-faced informant brought today's news, Qin Hao'nan also personally saw Li Che enter the Directorate of Astronomy.

He could not help but admit a fact.

"It seems Li Che really isn't the Ox Demon..."

Qin Hao'nan plopped down onto a chair, poured himself a cup of wine, and drank it in one gulp.

Who the hell is that Ox Demon?

Who killed Yuqing... and who is it again?

That person, from dozens of li away, shot and killed Qin Yuqing, a Divine Foundation master, simply causing heartache and anxiety.

"Even the elder ancestor went to that Tang clan remnant's place, but that Tang clan remnant insists it wasn't him, with no grudge or enmity; someone of his stature would hardly openly shoot a woman."

"Could it really be Cao Guang... Cao Guang isn't dead?"

Qin Hao'nan felt an immense headache; in such a vast prefectural capital, with the Qin family's influence, how could they fail to find a single person?

"The Million Gambling Hall... colluding with the Corpse God Sect?"

As the gray-faced informant continued his report, Qin Hao'nan suddenly narrowed his eyes, though his expression hardly changed.

After all, the Jin Guang prefectural capital appears calm on the surface.

But in reality, undercurrents have already been surging beneath the interior.

For the infiltration of the Corpse God Sect's power, the major clans and wealthy families of the prefectural capital find it easier to accept than imagined, because the benefits they gain are tangible.

Moreover, the temptation to break through cultivation bottlenecks is truly enormous.

The power wielded by the Corpse God Sect is extraordinarily formidable; although the court has continually suppressed it, Prince Ji Moli's rebellion was thwarted, allowing the Sect's influence to grow even more rampant.

Not only Jin Guang Prefecture, but it seems every prefecture in Yúnzhōu also has Corpse God Sect influence seeping in.

The Corpse God Sect's influence has already moved beyond its original base, beginning to erode the territory of the Da Jing dynasty bit by bit.

They even aspire to emulate the once-flourishing Qiti Temple of three thousand years ago, seeking to occupy the six paths and twelve provinces of the world and share the realm with the court!

The aristocratic clans and the court were never of one mind; perhaps during Da Jing's heyday, the clans of various prefectures dared not make any moves, and would sincerely submit.

But when the mighty tiger begins to wane, all parties will start to harbor other thoughts.

"You mean... the Corpse God Sect's Ten Capital Corpse God Envoy was killed? The Ten Capital Corpse God Envoy possesses an iron‑clad corpse body; below the Divine Foundation level, it cannot be killed, and even a Divine Foundation cultivator would find it hard to slay an iron‑clad corpse!"

"This Ox Demon... actually managed to do that?!"

Qin Hao'nan's heart shuddered.

The iron‑clad corpse is infamous for being foul and hard; even against a Divine Foundation martial artist, it can withstand injury and flee.

As a result, a Ten Capital Corpse God Envoy was actually beaten to death.

"How ruthless, the Million Gambling Hall—dozens of Qi Pulse martial artists all reduced to minced flesh?"

Hearing the description of the Million Gambling Hall massacre, Qin Hao'nan involuntarily exhaled a breath.

Now he became even more certain that the Ox Demon and Li Che had nothing to do with each other.

Leaving aside the lack of an alibi, just from these days of observing Li Che—this man lives a simple life, follows a fixed routine, a woodcarving master who cherishes his family.

How could he be the Ox Demon, a terrifying butcher who slaughters and minces people to the extreme?

Qin Hao'nan rose, walked to the window, and gazed upon the Astronomy Directorate's Treasure Tower standing atop the cliff.

"Let's go!"

Qin Hao'nan ultimately chose to abandon surveillance of Li Che.

Such an honest, upright person.

Just don't waste time watching him.

……

……

The news of the Million Gambling Hall being slaughtered by the Ox Demon's henchmen quickly subsided over the next few days.

Although it occasionally became fodder for teahouse storytellers, most ordinary folk returned to their normal lives, and they never came into contact with such heinous acts.

The prefectural capital's Divine Guard issued a first‑class wanted order for the criminal Ox Demon: reporting his whereabouts yields five hundred taels of silver, and beheading him earns a reward of two thousand taels!

Spring was in full bloom, bringing with it the gentle breeze of willows.

▲￠o

Li Che passed the notice board, saw the wanted order for the Ox Demon posted there, and his expression hardly changed.

"That Million Gambling Hall is colluding with the Corpse God Sect, and the Ox Demon is merely eliminating harm for the people... yet he still ends up on the wanted list; the Corpse God Sect you can't control... and you won't even let the Ox Demon handle it?"

Li Che's eyes were deep and profound.

Without lingering, he stepped over the notice board, bathed in the undulating spring breeze, and arrived at the workshop courtyard he had purchased in the prefectural capital.

He closed the door and bolted it.

"【Chess Sage】" The Dao fruit trembled, and the heavenly‑earth chessboard instantly appeared before him, spreading across the entire courtyard.

Light flickered, and at the exact center of the heavenly‑earth chessboard lay a "Corpse Curse Seal," exuding an intensely potent corpse aura.

"Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal……"

Li Che's eyes were icy cold; if not for that Corpse God Envoy mentioning it, he wouldn't have known that this Corpse Curse Seal is of such a high grade.

Obviously, the Corpse God Sect expert that Cao Guang contacts in the prefectural city certainly holds a high position as well.

Since they use the Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal as a connection, Cao Guang wants to curry favor, and the Corpse God Sect expert surely also possesses the Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal.

Originally Li Che wondered why the Fishery Gang, one of the three major gangs, would target him.

Now it seems related to this Corpse Curse Seal; the other side obviously isn't sensing the Corpse Curse Seal, because Li Che has been blocking with the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, so they cannot perceive it.

That side likely sent their Black Snake Gang to tail him, guessing that Cao Guang originally intended to stamp this Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal onto Xixi.

So, they are targeting Xixi.

Wanting to find out who took the Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal……

"Corpse God Sect, Corpse Curse Seal……"

Li Che's gaze was indifferent, filled with unreserved killing intent.

"You're looking for me…… but I'm also looking for you……"

He raised his hand and tapped onto the Corpse Curse Seal.

Instantly, as if ink‑black corpse qi were released, concentric waves of corpse qi spread out, diffusing across the entire chessboard.

After repeated diffusion, two black chess pieces emanating corpse qi suddenly appeared on the board.

Li Che lifted his head and gazed toward the outside of the courtyard.

"Black Snake Gang……"

Those two martial bearers of the Corpse Curse Seal were precisely the men sent from outside the workshop courtyard by the Black Snake Gang to tail him.

"As long as they are within ten zhang of me, the Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal will reveal anyone bearing a Corpse Curse Seal……"

"In my eyes, members of the Corpse God Sect have nowhere to hide."

Li Che's eyes were icy cold.

As for the Corpse God Sect, he felt no goodwill—only killing intent.

After all, they coveted his daughter and launched the heinous, inhumane Thousand Infant Sacrifice—an act of immeasurable wickedness……

He deserves to die!

Kill him now!

He will show no hesitation.

The Temple Guard Office and Divine Guard Army are playing a long game for big catches, but Li Che couldn't be bothered with those matters.

It is the Corpse God Sect that lacks martial virtue, intending to use the Corpse Curse Seal implanted in Li Zhengran's body, spreading it by infection, to deal with Xixi.

Then what about Li Che……

What martial virtue does he still need to uphold?

"It's you who forced me first……"

Li Che's eyes surged with madness and brutality.

With a casual sweep, the Heaven and Earth Chessboard expanded, covering the surroundings and sealing off the courtyard.

Li Che rose to his feet, his qi and blood suddenly boiling, his black hair flying wildly, his bones crackling!

"Exhale——!"

"Inhale——!"

Li Che opened his mouth, inhaling and exhaling, stirring the airflow in the courtyard, accompanied by a mournful howl like a sweeping dragon!

Rumble……

By his ears, the sound of surging blood flowed incessantly!

Now Li Che's qi and blood are immensely mighty, his profound meridians at peak, his breath penetrating the heavenly spirit and soles, his whole body seeming completely linked with heaven and earth!

Li Che seemed to have entered a state of self‑forgetting, his inner qi surging and circulating, forming the Zhou Tian cycle, as if every aperture on his body were being pierced open.

His spirit seemed to drift outward, sensing every change of the flesh, the expansion and contraction of skin pores, the throbbing of the viscera.

Every scene seemed reflected in his spirit!

As if aided by the gods!

Boom——!

Suddenly, Li Che stepped forward, his fingers hooked like claws, gathering five strands of silk‑like energy into a fist and thrusting it out, behind him a variegated tiger seemed to roar.

This is the White Tiger Chaotic Wind Fist, which he has refined into a supreme martial art!

The White Tiger seemed lifelike, condensed from the inner qi bursting forth from his body!

Roar!

The White Tiger raised its head and roared; instantly, it appeared vividly alive, as if endowed with essence and spirit, becoming a true living being!

This is the pinnacle conception of the White Tiger Chaotic Wind Fist!

A Divine Pulse martial artist need only master a technique to perfection and fuse it with his essence, energy, and spirit.

For Li Che, who possesses the Dragon Elephant Golden Vigor talent that enhances bodily cultivation, this step is hardly a problem!

Within his flesh and blood, it was as if a tiger's roar rang out, his bones and tendons bursting with explosive cracks, the speed of his inner qi circulation growing ever faster, and the erupting force greatly amplified.

His five senses and six consciousnesses were fully heightened, vaguely as if about to burst out of his flesh, forming a perception akin to divine awareness.

Within the courtyard, Li Che finished his practice and stood still, his whole body like a great ferocious tiger crouched; as his eyes opened, qi and blood burst from his entire body, becoming almost substantive, blooming like a lotus.

Hell Lotus!

Great Jing Temple Guard Hell Lotus Divine Pulse Method!

This is the Divine Pulse cultivation method Li Che obtained from Cao Guang!

Now, having taken a solid step forward, martial arts stepping into the Divine Pulse, he can aspire to the master realm!

Li Che, however, never stopped.

The sword finger tore the air apart, the piercing spear spat out what he clenched, and as it danced, the spear's shadow gleamed like a blade's light.

An air surge like moving mountains and overturning seas suddenly howled up within the courtyard.

The Three‑Eye Fury True Monarch's Three‑Blade Sword — this divine martial art — Li Che's mastery grew ever more familiar, completely solidified and perfected.

Sheathing his blade and standing firm, the countless blade lights slowly faded away, and the wood chips cut from the ground lay shattered.

"Divine meridian — achieved!"

……

……

As one of the three major gangs of Jīnguāng Prefecture City, the Fishermen's Gang wields enormous influence; along the banks of the Nine Dragon River, almost all of it is their territory.

The prefecture city is huge, its populace vast; many people from surrounding towns and lower‑level cities come to the Fishermen's Gang on the Nine Dragon River banks seeking work.

Because it lies near the great river, the fish in the river are plentiful; hauling the nets and baskets of fish and other aquatic products, and selling manual labor, creates many jobs, so a great number of laborers come here to work.

The Fishermen's Gang is the dominant power in this region; even the Black Flood Gang and the Beggars' Gang cannot rival it here.

The powers of the prefecture city have always been stratified: above the Fishermen's Gang lie the five great clans and five great sects; above those are the Temple Warden Bureau, the Bureau of Astronomy, the City Lord's Manor, and the Divine Sect's branch; higher still is the Divine Sect's orthodox lineage.

And beneath the Fishermen's Gang, there are likewise many smaller powers.

For example, the Black Snake Gang and the Million‑Dollar Gambling House, among others, are subordinate to the Fishermen's Gang.

The White Wave Hall is the Fishermen's Gang's authority on the docks; it is not weaker than the Million‑Dollar Gambling House, and is even somewhat stronger.

At this moment, inside the manor where the White Wave Hall's chief and many stewards reside.

A shrill, miserable howl rang out, and a thick stench of blood spread and permeated the air.

Moments later, a stooped middle‑aged man emerged from the inner room, his five fingers clutching a woman's hair, dragging her out from the inner hall; her flesh had been gnawed clean, and she had long since lost breath.

After throwing the woman's corpse to the ground, the middle‑aged man took out a cloth and wiped the fresh blood from his hands.

"Old Mo, toss this woman's corpse into the Nine Dragon River to feed the fish."

The stooped middle‑aged man spoke with a smile, revealing a mouth full of crimson teeth.

One steward clasped his fists, said nothing, and simply dragged the female corpse away.

"The Corpse God Sect's corpse‑nurturing art is truly wondrous; I am now a step closer to the Grandmaster realm, and once I break through, I can squeeze into the Fishermen's Gang's upper echelons and have a say."

The stooped man sat in the grand chair, lifted the cup of freshly brewed hot tea, and took a light sip.

The two deputy hall masters below began to offer congratulations.

"Chief, lately… many under the Fishermen's Gang have died; the day before yesterday, the Hall Master of the Sands Hall was nailed to death inside his house, and over a dozen qi‑pulse experts of the Sands Hall, up and down, were all torn to pieces…"

"Yesterday, the master of the Long Sea Tower had his head crushed…"

"We… should we perhaps restrain ourselves?"

The deputy hall master said, trembling slightly.

The White Wave Hall chief took a sip of tea, chewed the leaves to freshen his breath, and sneered: "The Bull Demon — it's all that Bull Demon's doing… the self‑styled hero Bull Demon!"

"A dog‑like thing, relying on its ghostly movement, runs amok…"

"According to intelligence, when this Bull Demon first appeared in Fēiléichéng, he already proclaimed himself a hero…"

"In a small town he can still play the hero, but in the prefecture city, wanting to be a hero — what good could come of it?"

"In this age, if I don't kill these petty folk, they'll just run into someone else; can that Bull Demon slaughter everyone? The world's evil is countless; he can't stand it — can he exterminate it all?"

"What's wrong with me eating a person?!"

"If I don't eat, plenty of others will!"

The White Wave Hall chief broke into a cold laugh.

"He slaughters people at will and thinks he's a hero? Even the Divine Guard Army and the Temple Warden Bureau don't acknowledge him; on the notice board, his bounty now exceeds that of the great bandit Gao Yang!"

The deputy hall master shivered ever more: "Chief, speaking of which…"

"But…"

The White Wave Hall chief narrowed his eyes: "What's there to fear? Do you really think the Fishermen's Gang is vegetarian? After killing so many of its subordinate powers' experts, its grandmasters have long had their eyes on him…"

"The Divine Guard Army and the Temple Warden Bureau's strong ones have also been pursuing him all along."

"If that Bull Demon dares to come kill me, I only need to risk my life to entangle him, and he won't be able to escape!"

The White Wave Hall chief had just eaten a woman; his corpse‑nurturing art had broken through, and he felt nearly invincible.

He was in the kind of breakthrough‑expansion phase where anyone could go fifty‑fifty.

His words brimmed with confidence and arrogance.

Yet as he spoke, he received no reply from the nearby deputy hall master, and he stared blankly for a moment.

He turned his head…

But he discovered that he seemed to have suddenly grown taller, able to look down on the deputy hall master's crown.

His eyes rolled, and he saw another stooped body whose head had been twisted off, blood spurting from the neck.

Wasn't that his own body?

"Ah—!"

The White Wave Hall chief wanted to scream, but found he could make no sound; heaven and earth seemed to roar and collapse, instantly turning pitch black.

Before he lost consciousness completely.

All he saw was a cute cow‑mask.

"Bull Demon?"

"Bull Demon!!!"

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