Chapter 126: I have a friend called Horse Face; Xixi's divinity is flawless and unhindered

Night wind howled.

On Golden Light Peak, the chill was sharp, and mist and clouds swirled like a sash without end.

Inside the Divine Temple Main Hall.

After Nan Lihuo placed the divine seal on Xixi's forehead, he rose up lightly, rolled up his sleeves and formed hand seals, his deep, resonant voice echoing continuously throughout the hall.

Xixi, small and slight, sat on the futon, feeling only that the divine seal between her brows suddenly turned scorching, as if flames were burning.

She felt a bit curious, restraining the impulse to touch it with her hand.

"You possess divinity; as your master, I will draw down the treasure pagoda's radiant light upon you. Xixi, relax; after the pagoda's light shines on you, I can transmit the Dharma to you."

"Disciples of all generations may receive the temple deity's gifts; what they obtain, whether object or method, depends on opportunity, talent, and affinity."

"Close your eyes."

Nan Lihuo said.

Xixi immediately obeyed and closed her eyes, unable to help feeling curious about what good thing the treasure pagoda would give her.

Hopefully something fun and tasty.

Suddenly, a warm radiance poured down and shone upon Xixi.

The Treasure Pagoda Temple Deity atop the altar trembled slightly, as countless streams of divinity surged from the treasure pagoda, floating in midair and forming a pure, brilliant treasure pagoda, as if forged of gold.

The treasure pagoda spun round and round, pouring down light from within.

Like thick dark clouds torn apart, brilliant post‑rain sunlight broke through the darkness, poured onto the world, gathering into beams that shone upon Xixi.

Xixi, eyes closed, felt only a wave of warmth.

So comfortable that Xixi felt……

As if she had returned to her father's embrace.

Time trickled by.

Unnoticed, the time of two incense sticks passed……

Bathing in the golden light, Xixi's sense of novelty faded, and she couldn't help but yawn.

The warm feeling, together with the quiet surroundings,

Xixi couldn't help but doze off.

Inside the hall.

Nan Lihuo frowned.

In the distance, Sang Guanyin and Liu Yangyuan also showed slight changes in expression.

"Why has it taken so long?"

The two felt something was strange.

They had both undergone the treasure pagoda's Dharma transmission, so they naturally knew the procedure.

Back then, each of them had merely bathed in the treasure pagoda's golden light for less than half an incense stick's time, completed the transmission, and obtained the Divine Appearance Method and the Divine Weapon.

Nan Lihuo's eyes narrowed; amid his solemnity, a hint of excitement and anticipation appeared.

Suddenly……

The Golden Treasure Pagoda trembled slightly, as if an ancient bronze bell had been struck.

In an instant.

All the divinity within the entire temple seemed to revive.

As if an ancient existence slowly opened its eyes and lowered its gaze.

"Innate divinity, flawless and unhindered."

"One may enter the Seven Treasures Relic Ruyi Golden Pagoda."

As if an ancient deity's eyes opened and closed, lips slightly parted, chanting divine tones.

Boom—!!

The next moment, the golden light shining on Xixi suddenly changed, erupting with an incomparably powerful suction.

The dozing Xixi jolted awake, discovering her body floating upward.

She instantly bared her teeth and claws in fright.

"Yin Yin Senior Sister, Sect Master… save me!"

Sang Guanyin's face was full of anxiety, her divinity bursting forth as she prepared to rush over.

However.

Nan Lihuo's eyes, however, sparkled; with a light point of his finger, he prevented Sang Guanyin's body from moving.

"Do not move; Xixi is in no danger."

"This is the opening of the divine void within the Golden Treasure Pagoda……"

"Those whose divinity is not pure may not enter."

"This is Xixi's great opportunity."

……

……

The night wind was biting.

Li Che was unaware of the events occurring on Golden Light Peak.

He had left many divinity pieces on Xixi; the moment she encountered danger, he would sense it.

Now, with no feedback, it meant Xixi was safe, and Li Che could relax and attend to his own affairs.

Li Che restrained his aura, donned a bamboo hat and a cute cow mask, and left the workshop courtyard silently.

As if blending into the night, he walked close to the wall, crossing the long street.

According to the address given by Li Qing Shan, Li Che drifted forward, stepping onto the Transformation Realm's Cloud Jade Ladder Cloud Stride, making his whole body move as if treading on flowing clouds and clear wind.

Extremely fast, yet utterly soundless, like a spread-winged goshawk racing and crisscrossing.

A small courtyard that had been agreed upon.

Li Che, light as a startled swan, leapt over the high wall and landed in the courtyard.

Just as he landed, his body's hairs stood on end with a muffled 'thrum-bang'; beneath his black robe, his physique seemed to instantly swell, countless tendons and muscles like coiling dragons roaring and bellowing.

An extremely domineering qi and blood swirled in the air.

Clenching his five fingers, the Liu Blood Piercing Startle Spear fell into his hand, exuding an eerily intense bloody odor.

Within the Chess Saint's Dao Fruit, only five temple god chess pieces remained; he had locked onto one, able to detonate the temple god chess piece at the moment he activated the Ascending Tower state.

To buy himself time to break free using the Flying Thunder chess piece to lure his escape.

The reason Li Che was so tense……

That was because there was a Divine Physician in the courtyard!

He was a youth wearing a green half-peacock mask, seated cross-legged at the stone table in the courtyard, holding a cup and saucer, sipping tea; on the stone table also sat a small stone stove, boiling water.

"Bold guts, but... since you've come, in my presence, if I don't let you go, how could you leave?"

A faint laugh issued from the mouth of the peacock-masked youth.

Although Li Che's heart remained wary, he relaxed, thinking they were comrades... probably his own people.

Unexpectedly, Li Qing Shan's companion... turned out to be a Divine Physician cultivator!

A true Divine Physician, not a False Physician!

Li Che's heart stirred; the Chess Saint's Dao Fruit throbbed slightly, instantly analyzing this person's aura.

"Deputy Supervisor of the Bureau of Astronomy... Lin Xiu!"

That time, during the Divine Sect's entrance examination, the high-ranking figures of all major powers in Jin Guang Prefecture had nearly all attended; nearly every aura had been recorded by Li Che using the Heaven-Earth Chessboard.

Furthermore, having inquired about each person's identity from Shangguan Qinghong, he now could confirm the other's identity through his divine perception.

Although Lin Xiu had slightly disguised his divine aura, the other party obviously did not care about concealment.

"Huh? Why aren't you afraid?"

Lin Xiu, wearing the half-peacock mask, narrowed his eyes and asked with a smile.

Li Che wore the cute ox mask and did not respond.

Li Qing Shan arrived, stooped, hiding an ox-horn sky-shattering hammer in his sleeve, wearing a cat-face mask, drifting over.

"Yo, you two came pretty early."

Li Qing Shan chuckled.

"Let me introduce, Cat Face."

Lin Xiu said.

"Alright, Peacock, this is the Ox Demon, the one who caused the Qin family's chickens to fly and dogs to jump."

Li Qing Shan introduced.

Li Che: "..."

"Cat Face, Peacock... you both presumably know each other's identities; are you just role-playing here?"

These two definitely have something wrong with them.

Li Che's disguise is genuine, but these two... feel like they're disguising just for fun.

Especially Li Qing Shan—once that ox-horn hammer comes out, even his underpants might be recognized.

As for Lin Xiu, the Divine Physician cultivator... he basically had no intention of seriously hiding his identity.

"Ox Demon..."

"Somewhat interesting, very cautious, with keen perception."

Lin Xiu laughed: "My aura-concealing technique—in Jin Guang Prefecture City, I dare say I'm second; no one claims first."

Li Qing Shan glanced at the Ox Demon; this Lin Xiu... just loves to boast.

In Li Qing Shan's mind, the Ox Demon's aura-concealing secret technique is truly unmatched.

"You're right." The Ox Demon agreed with Lin Xiu's words.

The Ox Demon never contends; if he contends, it's to kill.

"Target: the Shangguan family—the Shangguan family's patriarch, family head Shangguan Zheng Heng, three generations of Shangguan Lei Long and Shangguan Yun Long—all have received the Corpse God Sect's corpse curse seal."

"That Divine Physician ancestor can't move; wanting to kill a Divine Physician isn't that easy."

"Therefore, tonight's mission and plan is to eliminate the three besides the Shangguan family's ancestor."

"The five great clans all have those bearing the corpse curse seal, but we cannot act recklessly; moving against one clan... requires slow planning, gradual scheming."

"Shangguan Zheng Heng is easy to kill; this man is lustful, often staying overnight at the Yun Fang Pavilion, so we can simply enter the Yun Fang Pavilion and kill him."

"But Lei Long and Yun Long are not easy to eliminate; these two usually stay within the Shangguan family manor..."

"But today they have returned from the 'Sand Scorpion Forest'; this is the perfect moment to strike."

Li Qing Shan spoke softly, his fingers dipped in tea, lightly rubbing and drawing on the stone table.

Finally, he flicked off the water droplets.

"As long as we force Lei Long and Yun Long to unleash the corpse curse technique, it will cement their collusion with the Corpse God Sect, and that Shangguan family Divine Physician ancestor will only be able to grit his teeth and swallow it."

"Of course, the premise is that your detection and judgment, Ox Demon, are correct—Shangguan Lei Long and Yun Long have indeed received the corpse curse seal!"

Lin Xiu, wearing the peacock mask, glanced lightly at the Ox Demon.

This operation involves one Divine Physician, one who can hammer-kill a Void Physician with a perfected Divine Foundation, and one... the Ox Demon who can kill a blood-depleted Void Physician.

The Divine Physician holds the fort, Li Qing Shan does the killing, and the Ox Demon provides judgment.

The three have a clear division of labor.

But Lin Xiu doubted Niu Mo's analytical ability; after all…… how did Niu Mo sense the other party's Corpse Curse Mark?

Does Niu Mo also have a Corpse Curse Mark?

Although Niu Mo was brought by Li Qingshan, Lin Xiu still harbored doubts.

However, Niu Mo's battle record is verifiable; all the Corpse God Sect followers of the Fishermen's Gang who had been given Corpse Curse Marks were rooted out and killed by Niu Mo.

This caused panic among the Fishermen's Gang, ultimately leading to the decline and collapse of one of the major powers in the prefectural city, which was then divided among the various forces.

This is sufficient to show that Niu Mo's abilities are indeed not insignificant.

Li Qingshan glanced at Li Che, then smiled and said: "Kong Que, trust me this once."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu closed her eyes again and remained silent.

He and Li Qingshan were contemporaries, but unlike Li Qingshan, who sought to step into the Divine Aspect in one go, he had already completed the crossing and condensation of the Illusory Aspect and Divine Aspect early on.

But he had once roamed the martial world with Li Qingshan, trampling the jianghu and settling grudges with satisfaction.

The trust that should exist still does.

He does not trust Niu Mo, but he will not distrust Li Qingshan.

The atmosphere seemed to stagnate somewhat.

"May I ask boldly, how should the spoils of killing be divided?"

Niu Mo's deep, muffled voice broke the silence.

This…… is very important.

First settle the money, then the cooperation can proceed smoothly.

Lin Xiu stared, "Spoils?"

She then snorted softly and said lightly: "The spoils are not important to me, but I cannot work for nothing, so let's split them evenly."

Li Qingshan spread his hands: "Old me summoned you to cause trouble; it wouldn't be right to take more, so let's split evenly."

As the head of the Shangguan family, Shangguan ZhengHeng surely has good things; as for Shangguan LeiLong and Shangguan YunLong, being Illusory Aspect cultivators, their wealth is also not poor.

One prefectural-city aristocratic family head and two Illusory Aspect cultivators may not bring all their wealth, but they certainly won't have little.

To Lin Xiu, this is nothing much, but to Li Qingshan, it could be considered considerable.

Even split?

Li Che's mind stirred: "I have a friend on my side…… whose archery is top-notch; in special circumstances he can act and fire an arrow; if he acts, he takes a share of the spoils, if not, then nothing…… how about that?"

Li Che looked toward Li Qingshan.

Li Qingshan's eyebrows under his cat-face mask twitched slightly.

"Your friend?"

Li Che nodded heavily: "Yes."

"Top-notch archery, capable of threatening Illusory Aspect cultivators…… able to wound them."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu's eyes behind her Peacock mask brightened: "Is that the mysterious divine archer who shot Qin Yuqing of the Qin family?"

Niu Mo nodded.

Li Qingshan tapped his finger lightly on the stone table: "If so, then your friend will serve as the final fallback…… to guard against any accidents."

"By the way, Niu Mo, what is your friend's name?"

Niu Mo pressed down his bamboo hat: "He is called……"

"Ma Mian."

……

……

"Shangguan ZhengHeng, licentious and decadent, abducting women, acting with tyrannical brutality."

"He has abducted hundreds of wives, hidden them in private residences, and every day dead women are carried out from those private quarters……"

"Suspected of cultivating the Corpse God Sect's Six Desires Divinity……"

Lin Xiu held a sheet of paper on which were written Shangguan ZhengHeng's crimes.

"The evil deeds Shangguan ZhengHeng has done over the years are truly numerous…… this person is practically a walking pile driver."

Lin Xiu's eyes were icy cold, devoid of any emotion.

Shangguan QingHong is his disciple, Shangguan ZhengHeng is her biological father, yet he intends to show no mercy.

Because Shangguan QingHong has also been plotting to assassinate this father of hers.

Unfortunately, Shangguan QingHong's cultivation is truly not high.

He handed the indictment to Niu Mo.

Niu Mo glanced at it; under his Cute Ox mask, the numerous crimes of Shangguan ZhengHeng were reflected, he closed his eyes, and passed the indictment to Li Qingshan.

Opening his eyes again, Niu Mo's gaze was icy cold, devoid of any emotion.

"He should die."

A surge of violent emotion rose from Niu Mo's body, causing Lin Xiu to glance at him again.

Thinking of Niu Mo's character of hatred for evil as if it were an enemy, Lin Xiu smiled; if he were not so hateful of evil, he would not have single-handedly captured and slaughtered the Corpse God Sect followers in the Fishermen's Gang.

Li Qingshan didn't even look, flicking the indictment back into Lin Xiu's hand.

"What does the Seek-and-Subdue Temple Office want the indictment for?"

"Just kill him!"

"In a life-or-death crisis, if one has practiced Corpse Curse Technique, they will surely not be able to resist using it, adding a means of self-preservation; then wouldn't there be evidence?"

"Furthermore, I, old man, trust Niu Mo; this kid…… can oppose and slaughter those Fishermen's Gang followers who have been given Corpse Curse Marks, and he has never missed a hunt, so naturally…… he won't make a mistake!"

"I, old man, trust him."

"Action!"

As the words fell, the three people in the small courtyard instantly shot away, each employing a breath-concealing technique, silently merging into the darkness.

Li Che activated the sleeping dragon elephant of the Dragon Elephant Golden Strength, concealing his aura to the utmost, moving completely in darkness, his five senses and six perceptions utterly undetectable.

Lin Xiu: "Huh?!"

I can't sense them anymore?!

They're gone!

The Ox Demon… is gone!

Although Lin Xiu was a Divine Appearance cultivator, at this moment his heart couldn't help but be startled a bit.

I never expected the Ox Demon's breath-concealing technique to be this powerful; at least, his own breath-concealing divine talisman seems somewhat inferior.

"Fortunately, Li Qingshan has a breath-concealing method as steady as a night lamp to fall back on."

Lin Xiu gave a light chuckle.

"You also know my breath-concealing method is the bottom line… hurry up and give me a breath-concealing divine talisman!"

Li Qingshan sighed wistfully.

……

……

Yun Fang Fang.

As the most extravagant pleasure den in the prefectural capital, for Shangguan Zheng Heng, as the head of the Shangguan clan, one of the five great families, the amount of silver Yun Fang Fang could spend in a single night was nothing to him.

The luxurious floating private box overlooked the gently flowing Nine Dragon River nearby, where moonlight was shattered and spread across ten thousand hectares, sparkling with rippling light.

He, afraid of the woman busy beneath him, lazily leaned against the soft fur chair.

His pupils flickered slightly, a fierce light welling up in the depths of his eyes.

"Li Che……"

"That mud-leg who got lucky actually produced a prodigy; truly enviable, old man!"

"The true transmission of the Qing Lei into the Divine Sect should have been a sure thing, yet it's been muddled by a three-year-old little girl!"

He closed his eyes, and Shangguan Zheng Heng exhaled a breath.

"Unreasonable—how could that mud-leg Li Che produce a prodigy? Just a mere marrow-exchange martial artist, a mere trashy nurturer, how could he produce a prodigy?"

"It must be because of a good womb…"

Shangguan Zheng Heng's eyes dimmed as he thought of Li Che's wife.

Li Che's talent is ordinary; producing a prodigy likely comes down to the womb.

"Looks like… I need to find an opportunity…"

He stretched, draped himself in luxurious thin robes; although over a hundred years old, he still appeared youthful.

He walked to the window, where the night breeze from the river swept in, bringing coolness.

Shangguan Zheng Heng stood with hands behind his back, beard and hair fluttering, his eyes flashing with flowing light.

Soon, he would become one of the top-tier existences standing at the pinnacle of Jin Guang Prefecture.

He is currently only at the Illusory Appearance realm, with the Divine Appearance realm above him pressing down.

Only if he achieves true Divine Appearance can he do as he pleases.

Rules are often made for the weak; Shangguan Zheng Heng is still too bound by them—even as head of the Shangguan clan, he cannot act freely due to insufficient strength.

He thought thus.

Shangguan Zheng Heng suddenly felt a faint sense of alarm.

Yet on the inner tributary of the Nine Dragon River, amidst many flower-boats, a small skiff swayed gently.

It was roughly a hundred zhang away.

Yet on that lone skiff, a slender, graceful figure suddenly rose and lifted a divine crossbow.

……

……

On the rooftop.

Li Che wore the Ox Demon mask, blending into the darkness, his eyes growing ever colder, devoid of emotional fluctuation.

The heaven-and-earth chessboard expanded.

His position had long been locked on.

Tonight he came to act, determined to kill Shangguan Zheng Heng; this person had once released pressure on Xixi beneath the arena, a grudge he had already remembered.

And today he has yet another reason to be certain to kill Shangguan Zheng Heng.

This person actually dares to covet Ya Ya!

Anyone who dares to move his family must die!

He was waiting for Lin Xiu and Li Qingshan to make their move; as for him… he would strike from behind, ensuring Shangguan Zheng Heng dies completely.

Killing people, the Ox Demon is serious.

Huh?

However, Li Che did not wait for Lin Xiu and Li Qingshan to act.

And the concealed Lin Xiu and Li Qingshan also paused their actions.

Beneath their masks, their eyes were both deep; looking up, they saw the lone skiff swaying by the riverbank, and the divine crossbow mounted upon it, aimed at Shangguan Zheng Heng.

A towering killing intent and hatred erupted from the boat.

As it turned out.

Not only they wanted to kill Shangguan Zheng Heng.

Others were also plotting an assassination!

Li Che sensed the familiar aura manifesting in the spreading heaven-and-earth chessboard, but his expression turned slightly weird.

"This aura..."

Lin Xiu's eyes beneath the peacock mask suddenly narrowed, and she let out a soft sigh: "This girl..."

The Divine Crossbow is crafted from spirit wood, wrapped entirely in divine talismans, making it a divine-talisman crossbow of terrifying killing power.

The Divine Crossbow is deployed within the Divine Guard Army, classified as a heavy-weapon tool, specifically used to shoot down martial masters.

But now, by further wrapping divine talismans onto the Divine Crossbow and using specially made bolts, it becomes a divine-talisman crossbow, its power increased by several ranks.

A graceful figure, wearing a squirrel mask, with dark eyes beneath the mask full of hatred, stared at Shangguan Zhengheng standing by the window of the Cloud Fragrant Boat private booth!

"You damned thing! Die——!"

Beneath the mask came a low growl full of hatred!

Fingers splayed open, divinity burst forth, fiercely slapping onto the Divine Crossbow, as if awakening an evil dragon lurking in the river!

In an instant, the Divine Crossbow mounted on the boat emitted a heaven-shaking, earth-splitting crack.

Ke!

Sound waves exploded!

The bolt roared, parting the air, surging forth in a violent burst.

The calm river surface instantly churned with waves, as if the water were split down the middle; the Divine Crossbow's bolt howled forth, and not a single ripple of water stirred to either side.

The divine talismans burned, divinity burst forth, and the bolt's speed grew ever faster.

In the vast sky it dragged out a qi trace a hundred zhang long, as if splitting the river surface in two.

Almost in an instant, it closed to within three feet of Shangguan Zhengheng.

The surging divine talisman divinity continually strengthened the Divine Crossbow's explosion and penetration.

This was a lethal strike long in the making!

However, Shangguan Zhengheng's eyes narrowed; his figure, standing before the pavilion windowsill, suddenly flashed a bronze hue.

"Assassination? You think I dare to leave the night gate alone for no reason?"

Vast qi and blood erupted violently from his body, his fingers like hooks, tearing through the cold wind as he slammed forward.

Pushing off with his feet, he grabbed the bolt whose divine talismans had burned out and its crossbow force spent, his whole body glowing bronze as he surged forth, kicking up the river water like a pillar, actually crossing the great river hundreds of zhang to chase after that boat.

Terrifying sound waves burst forth, as if an ancient bronze bell thousands of years old were struck heavily.

With the Divine Crossbow augmented by divine talismans, even an ordinary illusory-form cultivator could easily be pierced through the body and suffer grave injury.

Yet, a trace of corpse qi black seal flashed across Shangguan Zhengheng's brow; he stepped forward and, with arms like iron-bound coiled dragon muscle, fiercely seized the dragon-like bolt.

The power bursting from the divine talismans was completely suppressed by the illusory-form aura emanating from his body.

The pavilion exploded in multiple places, and under the ravaging, turbulent airflow, wood chips flew and stones shot forth.

Shangguan Zhengheng's black hair flew upward, his eyes filled with a savage grin and murderous intent.

"A woman?"

Gazing at the graceful figure beneath the squirrel mask on the boat, Shangguan Zhengheng let out a greedy howl.

Boom——!

Pushing off with his feet, he grabbed the bolt whose divine talismans had burned out and its crossbow force spent, his whole body glowing bronze as he surged forth, kicking up the river water like a pillar, actually crossing the great river hundreds of zhang to chase after that boat.

To him, the river surface was as flat as solid ground.

On the boat.

The female assassin wearing the squirrel mask was obviously startled.

"A cursed bronze corpse?!"

Without hesitation, the female assassin struck the boat's rail with a palm; the divine talismans there activated, causing the boat to explode with water flow, shooting forward like a speedboat.

Even the divine-talisman crossbow could not kill Shangguan Zhengheng.

We must find another opportunity!

"Trying to run?"

Shangguan Zhengheng's eyes flashed red, his whole body flowing with bronze, his muscles roaring as he clenched his fist and twisted his thick waist.

That spear-like bolt was hurled forth by him.

It shot toward the boat at extreme speed.

However......

Yet, after hurling the bolt, Shangguan Zhengheng's pupils suddenly contracted; he found that his wildly dancing hairs all dropped down, unable to lift even a bit.

As if a mountain were collapsing, a terrifying pressure bore down......

It slammed terrifyingly onto his body.

The mighty, rampaging Shangguan Zhengheng, who had been striding across the waves, abruptly halted his motion, as if turned into a statue, frozen upon the river surface.

"Perfect, I've come out myself."

Shangguan Zhengheng felt that the illusory form within him had congealed, rendering him unable to move or release.

That was the pressure of a divine-rank aura!

It came from the divine form!

Sweat beads dripped from Shangguan Zhengheng's forehead.

"Divine form…… divine form!"

"Which divine form wants to kill me?!"

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