Chapter 116: Three-year-old Xixi, having perfected bone tempering, resonates with the temple deity

Li Che tidied up his harvest and did not continue to stay in the study.

Shangguan Qinghong had already said his goodbyes and gone home; evidently he felt that within the capital city, the aura of powerful divine-phase experts bursting forth in mutual combat had arisen, and he realized something major had occurred.

Old Chen somehow produced a long staff, set up a stool, sat in the courtyard, laid the staff across his legs, his fleshy cheeks trembling, his aura imposing.

Clearly, too, after sensing the anomaly in the capital, he wanted to protect the courtyard with his own strength.

Although Old Chen guessed that Li Che might have already surpassed him in blood and qi strength, he still chose to step forward.

"Is the carving finished?"

Seeing Li Che walk out of the study, Old Chen's brows relaxed and he exhaled.

Li Che nodded, glanced at the night sky where lightning flashed incessantly, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

That was divine-phase cultivators fighting each other, their might astonishing.

Shooting straight up three hundred zhang into the high sky, like immortals battling across the heavens, beyond imagination.

Void-phase cultivators can already soar into the air, hovering a few hundred meters is no problem, but upon stepping into true divine-phase, having achieved perception of the divine, they can wield divine power, soaring a thousand zhang is no issue.

Divine-phase cultivators have lifespans reaching hundreds of years, naturally accompanied by inhuman and formidable strength.

After Old Chen briefly told Li Che what he had discovered, he then opened the gourd and poured liquor into his throat.

"The capital…… isn't safe either; this world really has no place that's safe."

Old Chen shook his head.

Li Che fell into silence, and had to admit that what Old Chen said was indeed reasonable.

Not only in this era, but over the past thousand years, the Guiyi Miao have frequently appeared, always bringing natural disasters and human calamities, with demons running rampant.

Naturally, there would be no talk of peace.

"Old Chen, go to sleep early; I'll take the night watch."

Li Che said softly.

"More people, more strength, it's fine…… I can hold out." Old Chen laughed.

As Li Che moved, his bones and joints rang out, surging qi and blood blazed forth, his major tendons quivered, like a flood dragon roaring.

Blood Exchange, Three Transfers!

Old Chen: "……"

Sorry for the disturbance.

Old Chen silently picked up the wine jug and headed toward his room.

"Damn it, this kid Li Che actually achieved Blood Exchange Three Transfers; how long has he been training…… Old Chen felt he had personally witnessed Li Che rise from obscurity."

Back then, the workshop helper who carefully moved wooden carvings had unknowingly become an expert in Blood Exchange.

He, Chen Dabao, is no longer the strongest fighter in this household.

Li Che watched Old Chen leave, muttering curses under his breath, and couldn't help but let out a light chuckle.

Li Che sat on the stool, his gaze like pillars, toward the night sky.

Tonight, the entire Jinguang Fu.

It is destined that many will have sleepless nights.

……

……

The divine-phase experts fought, seemingly by mutual understanding not affecting the common folk.

There's a tendency of thunderous noise but little rain.

One night of peace and stability.

The morning star rose as promised.

The next day, Li Che took leave from the Qintian Jian, did not go to work, and stayed home to accompany his wife and daughter.

Xixi sat on the bluestone steps, holding the small Namo Gatling given to her by Ox Demon, slowly fingering it, treasuring it dearly.

"I really want to set off fireworks; when will Niu Niu Shifu come take Xixi to set off fireworks……"

The little girl went berserk, feeling she hadn't set off fireworks in a long time.

Even her little guns are about to rust.

Li Che stood nearby listening to Xixi's muttering, momentarily at a loss for words.

The little girl did not conceal the fact that she had obtained the Namo Gatling mechanism; in her view, her father, mother, and Grandfather Chen were people she could trust.

Now she also has to add Niu Niu Shifu, and…… half a Lu Chi, well, only half.

The spring breeze brushed past, and new buds sprouted tenderly.

All things burst forth with evident vitality.

The willows swayed, the air filled with a fresh, cleansing scent of new life.

Outside Tinghua Lane, a carriage approached.

In the courtyard, Li Che, who was just pulling Xiao Chou Xi to practice martial arts, immediately sensed it through the Heaven-Earth Chessboard, and his eyebrows involuntarily rose.

And when the carriage curtain was lifted, Lu Chi helped Mu Po Po alight from the carriage, Li Che was instantly startled.

An acquaintance—I never expected Li Qingshan to have actually abducted Mu Po Po.

Xiao Chou Xi knows Mu Po Po has arrived; she will surely be delighted, right?

Besides Mu Po Po, Li Qingshan followed behind with a lazy expression, also leapt down from the carriage, and together they walked over the bluestone of Tinghua Lane toward the courtyard.

Upon reaching the tightly shut gate, hearing Xixi's wailing from inside the courtyard because she didn't want to practice martial arts, Mu Po Po couldn't help but purse her lips and smile.

He gently knocked on the door.

"Xixi, go open the door."

Li Che said with a smile.

Xixi unwillingly dragged a short wooden stick in one hand, walking toward the courtyard gate, and tiptoed to lift the bolt.

Then she saw Mu Po Po standing outside the gate, her face full of kindness.

Xixi's eyes widened instantly: "Wow! Grandma——!"

She rubbed her big eyes with her chubby hand, then stared on.

She doubted whether she was seeing things or still dreaming.

But seeing that Mu Po Po hadn't turned into a fragrant roast duck confirmed she wasn't dreaming!

"Wow, Grandma's here, Daddy, Grandma came to find me!"

Xixi instantly threw away the short stick and flung herself into Mu Po Po's embrace.

In the Xu family's Divine Cultivation Courtyard, Mu Po Po had trained Xixi for a long time, and their relationship was very close.

Mu Po Po had no children of her own, treating these children as her own and doting on them deeply.

"Oh dear, little Xixi, let Grandma look—you've gotten thin! Isn't your father feeding you?"

Mu Po Po squatted down, stroking Xixi's cheeks; her wrinkles relaxed as she smiled, speaking with heartache.

Zhang Ya, who was practicing martial arts, also hurriedly stopped, came over, and warmly greeted.

Zhang Ya was overjoyed to meet an acquaintance from Fēiléichéng in the prefectural city, feeling like encountering an old friend far from home.

Li Qing Shan entered the courtyard with the big-headed Lü Chi, whose hair was tied in Nezha-style braids.

"Huh? This girl……"

Li Qing Shan glanced at Xixi; he had originally come to find Li Che, knowing Li Che's identity as a demon ox, so he had important matters to discuss with Li Che.

But he hadn't expected that just a glance at Xixi would yield an unexpected gain.

"Bone Tempering? Wait…… it seems she's about to complete Bone Tempering?! Completing Bone Tempering at three years old?!"

Even Li Qing Shan was startled.

No, how could it be so fast?

He had estimated that Xixi could complete Bone Tempering before seven, which would already be extraordinary talent.

Completing Bone Tempering at seven, combined with Divine Sect elixirs, could hope for Marrow Washing at nine, Opening Meridians at twelve, and Condensing Divine Foundation!

Achieving that would give hope of entering the Orthodox Lineage of the Divine Sect!

But now, Xixi, at three years old, is about to complete Bone Tempering……

This somewhat breaks Li Qing Shan's growth plan for Xixi.

As Li Che put it, it's like finishing senior high school curriculum in kindergarten……

Is this girl going to heaven?

Li Qing Shan drew a deep breath, his eyes showing solemnity, his brows unconsciously furrowing.

He wondered whether Xixi might be possessed by the Temple God, or even reborn as the Temple God.

This possibility actually exists, although the Temple God's reincarnation is extremely difficult—requiring an indestructible true spirit and a pregnant woman giving birth within a hundred-li radius where that true spirit resides.

This possibility actually does exist; although temple deity reincarnation is extremely difficult, it requires an immortal true spirit, and also that within a hundred‑li radius of where that immortal true spirit resides, a pregnant woman gives birth—only then will the situation of temple deity reincarnation appear.

"Probably impossible…… the Guiyi Miao outside Fēiléichéng is only a tenth-rank temple; its deity lacks such power."

Upon thinking this, Li Qing Shan relaxed his brows, merely gazing at Xixi with growing astonishment.

In other words, this girl Xixi……

No cheat, pure talent?

Li Che naturally sensed Li Qing Shan's shock; in fact, Li Che himself was quite startled.

According to Li Qing Shan's judgment of Xixi's talent, Bone Tempering would only be possible at seven, but now Xixi's growth…… is clearly over the limit.

According to Li Qingshan's judgment of Xixi's talent, she could only possibly forge her bones at age seven, but Xixi's growth…… is clearly over the standard.

Li Che felt…… a large possibility comes from his daily grooming of the Immaculate Heart divinity for Xixi and Zhang Ya mother and daughter.

Since Li Che obtained the Immaculate Heart Dao Fruit, he has never ceased grooming the mother and daughter's bodies.

The Immaculate Heart divinity is pure and flawless, harmless to the body.

Li Che pondered whether, through the flawless divinity, he could extend the mother and daughter's lifespans.

But he never expected it might have altered their talent.

Just like Zhang Ya, who had only recently learned the Opening Tendons stance; although he gave her some guidance, she progressed like a bamboo shoot, now nearing completion of Opening Tendons, not far from Bone Tempering.

Xixi's innate talent is good, Zhang Ya's talent is also good, possibly related to the grooming of the Immaculate Heart divinity.

Now, Zhang Ya, who was not born a Spirit Child, has even begun to sense divinity……

"This girl, what talent!"

Li Qing Shan pinched his beard, looking toward Li Che.

"The spring equinox has arrived; the Divine Sect branch's entrance examination will soon begin. This examination covers the thirteen cities under Golden Light Prefecture, including three supreme Spirit Children, over twenty superior Spirit Children, and hundreds of medium and lower Spirit Children."

"These Spirit Children, selected from tens of thousands of youths, have already rushed to Golden Light Prefecture City, preparing for the Divine Sect's mountain-opening entrance examination at the spring equinox."

Li Qing Shan smiled: "The three supreme Spirit Children were all selected by me; of course, supreme Spirit Children also have rankings. According to the thickness of the Purple Qi Divine Pillar, I have further ranked the three supreme Spirit Children……"

Li Qingshan chuckled: "The three supreme spirit children are all those I selected; of course, supreme spirit children also have rankings, and according to the thickness of the Purple‑Qi Divine Pillar, I have further ranked the three supreme spirit children……"

Li Qing Shan thought of something, gave Li Che a strange look, and added a remark.

Li Che's face darkened; does he care?

Would Li Che care to compete with three children?!

Don't you, Li Qing Shan, judge people so precisely!

Li Che pursed his lips.

Li Qing Shan continued: "I originally placed Xixi second; first is the Huang family scion from Elephant Ring City, named Huang Sixiang, endowed with innate divine strength unmatched, and his divinity talent is also extremely high."

Li Qingshan continued: "I originally placed Xixi second; first was a scion of the Huang family from Elephant Ring City, named Huang Sixiang, endowed with unmatched innate divine strength and exceptionally high divine aptitude."

Li Che narrowed his eyes: "What kind of level is that, higher than my Xixi's talent?"

Li Qingshan only felt that Li Che was truly arrogant.

Thus for names that appear, we must output the English term we used in translation. For those that have a given glossary entry, we must use that exact English. For others, we need to decide on an appropriate English translation (likely romanized pinyin capitalized). Since the glossary only gave four entries, we must still output others with their English forms (likely pinyin). The instruction says "Reuse the EXACT English already in the glossary above." That applies to those terms; for others we need to provide the English we used (which should be the standard translation). Since we are to translate faithfully, we should translate names by meaning unless they are person names. Person names should be pinyin. So we need to output pinyin for person names not in glossary.

Thus we need to extract all person names, place names, sect names, titles, techniques, items, beasts, realms.

Let's go line by line.

I'll create a list.

Li Che is a person and Xixi is a person (nickname); both are already in the glossary.

Li Qingshan is a person, and Li Che appears again.

Huang Sixiang is not the most talented; Jinguang Fu is a prefecture; there are thirteen cities; and they are top-tier spiritual children.

Prefecture city, not a specific name.

Prefecture city again; the five great clans.

Li Che fell silent; the principle was indeed this principle……

The five great clans again; Divine Physique Old Ancestor.

and 【129】 are just "……" ellipsis, no names.

……

Li Qingshan, Li Che, and a study.

The five great clans and the Divine Sect.

Li Che suddenly thought of something and asked curiously.

The five great clans, other cities, Fēiléichéng, small clans, and the Divine Foundation as a title.

"Therefore, these city‑state families will retain the geniuses of their clans, cultivate them as divine foundations, protect the family, and perpetuate the family's status within the city."

"If sent to the Divine Sect, without twenty or thirty years there will be no news, and their sense of belonging to the clan will also be weak; even if they become a divine foundation, they may not be willing to return to the clan to take charge……"

Li Qingshan sipped his hot tea and said leisurely.

Small clans, the Divine Sect, and the imperial court.

The prefecture city's great clan, the idea of one path and one Divine Sect, one state and one branch sect, the Qianyuan Divine Sect branch, Jinguang Fu, clans, inside the Divine Sect branch, and the upper echelons.

The prefecture city clan, Divine Physique overseeing, Divine Physique again, and old ancestor.

Orthodox sect.

After Li Qingshan finished speaking, he poured himself a cup of tea and muttered: "You brat, now that you're well‑off, why don't you get some better tea leaves? Stingy."

Imperial Observatory, Third Rank Guest Official, Junior Superintendent Gong Yunli, Deputy Superintendent Lin Zheng.

Li Che, Third Rank Guest Official, and Superintendent.

"Senior, in the prefectural city here, how many supreme spirit children are there?" Li Che asked, frowning.

The five great clans and the Five Great Sects.

Divine Sect entrance examination.

: none.

Li Qingshan took a sip of tea, and his voice suddenly sank.

Li Che stared, frowned, took a sip of tea, and asked: "Why?"

As parents, they naturally worry about their children's schooling.

Xixi again and the Divine Sect.

The slots are limited; the more geniuses there are, the less attention their own daughter receives, and the fewer benefits she gains.

: none.

Ox Demon (title) and the Corpse God Sect.

Li Qingshan waved his hand, sealing the study so that their conversation would not leak out.

Eight-Armed Prison Lotus Furious Third Prince (title) and Guiyi Miao.

: none.

Third Prince Temple, Divine Physique realm, the Divine Sect again, Jinguang Fu again, the branch's foundation, and Guiyi Miao again.

"The Divine Sect has always lived off temples; a single Guiyi Miao is both a risk and an opportunity."

Entrance examination; the Divine Sect will send three Divine Physique cultivators; Divine Weapon: Prison Lotus Wind Fire Gold Light Wheel; tear open the mysterious gate; send the spiritual children to a point a hundred zhang before the Third Prince Divine Temple.

Li Qingshan's words fell, like a thunderbolt!

It boomed down beside Li Che's ear, and his eyes involuntarily narrowed.

Even Li Che, who is adept at disguising himself, could not help but lose his composure.

"Huh? Send these tender spirit children to a point a hundred zhang before the Third Prince's Temple?"

Li Che looked at Li Qingshan and couldn't help raising his voice.

: none.

What's the difference between that and dumping a heap of fragrant fatty meat in front of a dog?

Four Divine Guardians Guiyi Miao.

Li Che's expression changed; the examination actually includes this item—too dangerous!

That is practically putting Xixi in an extremely dangerous place.

If even a slight uncontrollable mishap occurs, for those weak‑spirited children it would be a catastrophe!

Li Che did not smile; he looked solemnly at Li Qingshan.

Li Qingshan restrained his smile, took a sip of tea, and said slowly: "I know you, kid, are worried about Xixi's safety; although this does carry some risk, the greater factor is actually opportunity."

Many spiritual children; three hundred zhang before Guiyi Miao; the temple deity; divinity; the Third Prince as a title; resonance of the temple deity; the temple deity's divinity law; the temple deity's gift.

Divine secret techniques, divine martial arts, divine weapons, and divine crystals.

: none.

Temple deity resonance; inner door, core true transmission, outer door.

Li Che's brow remained furrowed; he still felt it was too dangerous.

Four Divine Guardians Guiyi Miao.

It's like letting a bunch of kids stand before a nuclear warhead and asking who can set it off.

Actually the main danger still comes from the temple-guarding corpse soldiers; the Divine Sect activating the Hell Lotus Wind-Fire Golden Light Wheel is precisely why—those are the Four Divine Sovereigns' divine weapons, and although there is only one, it can produce tremendous protective effect.

The Wind Fire Golden Light Wheel possesses an extremely strong temple deity aura, causing the temple-guarding corpse soldiers to become obedient.

Li Qing Shan looked at the still solemn Li Che, suddenly realizing that this kid was overly worried about his daughter's safety.

This is both a risk and an opportunity; if you obtain the fate of the Four Divine Sovereigns' Guiyi Miao, you should know how far Xixi's future path can go! At least reaching the Divine Aspect will be effortless, even the Divine Origin Realm poses no great problem.

Li Qing Shan sat upright with proper posture, then rose solemnly.

Has there ever been such an action before?

Li Che fell silent for a moment, then asked.

Yes, or rather, it's not just the Primordial Origin Divine Sect; every sect that relies on the Guiyi Miao has such a process, and the Primordial Origin Divine Sect is no exception. Lu Chi, you haven't seen this? He was one of the top three spiritual children in terms of temple-deity compatibility in the previous operation. Moreover, for this opening of the Four Divine Sovereigns' Mysterious Gate, the Lingnan Circuit's Primordial Origin Orthodox Sect will also send a cultivator to take charge.

After all, this matter involves the Guiyi Miao of the Four Divine Sovereigns, and the Primordial Origin Orthodox Sect will not ignore it, so this is even more of an opportunity favored by the Primordial Origin Orthodox Sect.

Li Qing Shan narrowed his eyes, lightly tapping the table with his finger: 'You little rascal, loving and worrying about your daughter is natural, but a child must eventually go out and experience the world; this is the child's opportunity, you cannot keep her from going just because you worry about safety—children also need tempering.'

Li Che, hearing this, finally relaxed his brow.

This is not an isolated case; many Divine Sects, before the Primordial Origin Divine Sect split into branches, had conducted such actions. Since there is a precedent, one can feel much more at ease.

Li Che indeed cannot keep Xixi completely confined at home; this world possesses powerful divine cultivation.

Everyone is striving, everyone is striving to cross over.

Li Che needs to take responsibility for his daughter's growth.

Will the Divine Sect's Primordial Origin Orthodox Sect also send a cultivator to preside? If Xixi performs well, is there a chance to be noticed and enter the Primordial Origin Orthodox Sect?

Li Che asked.

Li Qing Shan shook his head: 'There is a possibility, but entering the Primordial Origin Orthodox Sect follows its own process; if Xixi can forge a Divine Foundation before the age of twelve, she will have a chance to enter the Primordial Origin Orthodox Sect.'

But this competition is too fierce; throughout the Lingnan Circuit, countless spiritual children have painstakingly trained for years, all striving to enter the orthodox sect.

Because only by entering the Primordial Origin Orthodox Sect does one have the opportunity to cultivate the Three Pure Law.

Three Pure Law!

Li Che's body shuddered violently, and he instantly understood the difficulty of competing for the Primordial Origin Orthodox Sect.

That difficulty is comparable to a high school student from a small county in his previous life striving to get into the nation's top two universities.

Li Che's lips and tongue felt dry, not—

He had already begun to feel the educational anxiety of being a parent.

'As long as safety is guaranteed…' Li Che sighed.

But his heart had already started to race.

Xixi entering the Guiyi Miao of the Four Divine Sovereigns—should he follow her?

Just right…

Leave a seed in the Guiyi Miao……set up an anchor point for the Flying Thunder Chess Sage.

Li Qing Shan didn't know what Li Che was thinking at the moment; he laughed: 'That certainly is guaranteed, for spiritual children are the future of the Divine Sect's branches—how could they be neglected? Safety comes first, but… nothing is absolute.'

Li Qing Shan's expression turned solemn.

You also know that spiritual children are the future of the branch sects, which the branch sects value greatly; the Corpse God Sect will also value them, and what the Divine Sect guards against has never been just the temple deity, but more so the Corpse God Sect and other motivated individuals.

Corpse God Sect?!

Li Che's eyes suddenly turned icy cold.

The threat posed by the Corpse God Sect far exceeds that of the temple deity; this force originating from Jizhou has nearly thrown the Dàjǐng Dynasty's one circuit into turmoil, occupying three prefectures! The threat is enormous—even the Divine Sect dare not underestimate it.

Their methods are vicious; in the temple deity's resonance, spiritual children who perform outstandingly may even become their targets for plunder, and if they cannot be plundered, they will choose to destroy them.

Li Qing Shan exhaled; the Corpse God Sect also needs talents to form its reserve strength.

And one of the ways they obtain talents is through plunder!

Although bewitchment is a method the Corpse God Sect excels at, spiritual children cultivated from a young age naturally possess greater loyalty.

Li Che narrowed his eyes, killing intent surging and flickering in the depths of his gaze.

He suddenly looked at Li Qing Shan: 'Senior, you abruptly shifted the topic to the Corpse God Sect, stirring up hatred—there must be a purpose, right?'

Li Qing Shan gave a hehe laugh, his spine suddenly straightening, rubbing his fingers, eyes narrowed and flashing with sharp light; the words that follow are the main reason he came today to seek Li Che.

'To ensure Xixi can safely participate in the temple deity's resonance.'

'Niu Mo, there is a great wealthy collaboration……I don't know if you're interested?'

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(End of chapter)