Chapter 213: On the first day Xixi didn't come to the restaurant, I thought of her, wanting to fear the Jade Tower Guanghan Immortal

The night was hazy; a single dim yellow candle, yet it struggled to cast its light in the darkness.

The whole lane was silent.

So quiet it could be called secluded; the sound of fine spring rain striking the black tiles trembled like thunder.

So quiet that the sound of raindrops colliding as a cool breeze blew through the spring rain resembled a symphony of clashing weapons.

Li Che's dark robe was soaked with rain; the spring rain seemed to grow steadily heavier.

But the gradually thickening rain curtain that shrouded the world could not block the dim yellow light shining from the restaurant.

The familiar big black dog lay on the ground, its fur glossy and black, obviously well-fed lately.

It bared its teeth at Li Che, revealing a almost human-like smile.

Li Che silently gazed at the big black dog.

A chill rose unbidden from the soles of his feet, instantly spreading through his body, making every pore open and exhale a cool breath.

This big black dog……

How could it appear in Dao City?!

If he had seen this dog in Jinguang Fu City, Li Che wouldn't be surprised, but this is Dao City……

Could the restaurant have moved here too?

Li Che furrowed his brows; too many doubts welled up in his heart like thick fog, intertwining and never ceasing.

The other party……

Was it deliberately following him?

Such a thought involuntarily arose in Li Che's mind.

But thinking that, he felt it was a bit conceited.

After all, the world is vast; where others want to go…… what does it have to do with him?

It's impossible to say that since Li Che came to Dao City, the boss and the big black dog wouldn't come to Dao City, right?

Originally, Li Che had already noticed that this restaurant was unusual.

When he was in Jinguang Fu, Li Che still thought the other party appeared because of the Four Imperial Eight Arms Prison Lotus Wrath Third Prince Guiyi Miao.

He was merely guarding, watching that Guiyi Miao.

Now it seems……

His judgment was wrong.

His mind returned, his eyes sank; Li Che stared at the big black dog, which bared its teeth and laughed at him, then, not waiting for his reaction, rolled its eyes and lay down again.

A boring person.

Li Che seemed to read that thought from the big black dog's reaction.

He exhaled, tearing apart the fine spring rain.

Li Che finally stepped forward, walking toward the restaurant.

The same layout, the same door and dog.

Li Che pushed the door open; the curtain slapped the hanging bell, instantly producing a ding-ding-dang sound.

Li Che entered the restaurant; the interior still had some changes, seeming more spacious.

But not much had changed.

Li Che's qi and blood surged like a dragon, as if a furnace burned within him, shaking off the spring rain all over his body and evaporating it into vapor.

With a fresh, clean step, he entered the restaurant and found a chair to sit.

A white-clad boss stepped out from inside, his black hair hanging loose, his face bearing a hint of cool detachment.

Seeing Li Che, he nodded, as if greeting an old customer: 'You're here?'

Li Che looked at the white-clad youth and replied, 'I'm here.'

Outside the restaurant, the spring rain poured down, splashing and washing the lane's blue stone tiles to a glossy sheen that reflected the light.

Mist accompanied the spring rain, swirling in; the air was filled with the scent of spring.

Inside the restaurant, the curtains fluttered lightly, a gentle breeze swaying.

'What would you like to eat?'

The white-clad boss took off the apron hanging on the wall, putting it on as he softly asked Li Che.

'I don't know.'

'Boss, you decide.'

Sitting in the chair, Li Che leaned against the backrest, his whole body relaxing.

Let alone……

Being in the restaurant truly felt like returning home.

It gave Li Che a unique ease, his tense nerves seeming to be released.

After arriving in Dao City, Li Che was actually quite nervous, despite having many trump cards and the instantaneous translocation of the Flying Thunder Chess Saint.

But the pressure remained great, because Dao City and the prefectural city were still very different.

There were too many strong ones, and too many with ill intentions eyeing Xixi.

That Su Huaili surely informed the likes of You Liqing and the Ji Mo Li lineage's strong ones about the bet between Xixi and the Ji Hai Society.

Ji Mo Li, as You Liqing's master, naturally could not tolerate his master's bloodline being treated as a slave.

So he would surely set his sights on Xixi.

Of course, this is Li Che thinking the worst.

But being in a strange land, walking on thin ice, one naturally cannot think optimistically and must not underestimate human evil and ugliness.

Besides that, the Corpse God Sect's demon child also fixed his gaze on Xixi, longing to make her his future sect leader's wife.

They set their sights on Li Che's daughter, starting from childhood to begin cultivating her as a wife……

Pah!

Just thinking about it makes me angry.

Leaning against the chair, Li Che exhaled a breath.

But in this restaurant, there is inexplicably a sense of peace of mind.

Although the restaurant's origins are unknown and everything seems mysterious, this sense of reassurance lets Li Che enjoy it quite a bit.

In his chest, the five Dao fruits lay still like a maiden, without any warning throb of danger.

This shows the restaurant is very safe; that's enough.

As for the Dao fruits, Li Che still trusts them; as long as there is even a hint of malice, he can sense it.

If the other party can even deceive the Dao fruits,

Li Che's resistance would probably not stir up much of a splash.

Better to conserve his strength and eat a few more bowls of rice at the restaurant, after all……

The boss's cooking skills are really good!

The aroma wafts, seeming to turn into substantive smoke drifting out from the back kitchen; although it's just simple noodle scent, it seeps into the heart and spleen, yet transforms into many unforgettable flavors.

It seems to evoke childhood memories, causing Li Che to involuntarily recall scenes from his past life.

That is a scene sealed in memory, somewhat distant.

Tall buildings and skyscrapers, carriages and horses flowing like water……

The bustling scene, like the moon in water, a flower in the mirror, dreamlike and illusory.

Compared to this world, it is far safer.

His eyelids drooped slightly.

Inside the restaurant, the boss came out carrying a bowl of noodles.

"I simply made a bowl of noodles; just make do with eating it."

The white-clad boss placed the bowl of noodles in front of Li Che.

The clear broth is refreshing, the noodles like dragon's beard, a perfectly fried egg fragrant all over, and scallions scattered like jade.

The sight makes one's index finger twitch; the rising steam makes Li Che unable to look away.

The white-clad boss took off his apron and sat opposite Li Che.

Watching Li Che with his appetite wide open, happily devouring the food.

A barely perceptible arc rose at the corner of his mouth.

He took out a rolling paper, pinched some tobacco from the sachet, lightly rolled it into a thin cigarette, and lightly tapped it on the table.

Then he held it at the corner of his mouth and lit it with a match.

"Hiss——"

"Exhale——"

Smoke rose, hazy and intoxicating.

"Xixi didn't come; just make do." the boss said softly.

Li Che's motion paused; he instantly felt the noodles in the bowl were no longer fragrant.

When Xixi comes, they prepare braised pork, sweet-and-sour fish, and fish in wine vat; but when Li Che comes, they just give him a bowl of clear soup noodles to get by?

How can there be such differential treatment?!

Although Xixi is very cute, she is also his Li Che's daughter.

Can Li Che not even get a bit of his daughter's glory?

"What? Can't make do? Then don't eat."

The boss narrowed his eyes, exhaling smoke, and said.

Li Che didn't respond; he sped up his noodle-eating, and with a few bites finished the noodles, drinking the broth down to the last drop.

"Haah~"

Li Che set down the bowl, leaned back in the chair, and contentedly exhaled a breath of warm air.

Comfortable.

Watching the boss smoke a cigarette, Li Che narrowed his eyes.

"Want a stick?"

Li Che said.

The boss held the cigarette between two fingers, glanced at Li Che, thought for a moment, and still carefully rolled a cigarette for Li Che and passed it over.

"Just one."

A cigarette after a meal, as blissful as an immortal.

Outside the restaurant.

The big black dog looked at the two people swallowing clouds and exhaling mist, then immediately disliked it and covered its nose.

It lay on the ground, gazing at the hazy night created by the torrential spring rain.

The first day Xixi didn't come to the restaurant, he missed her.

……

……

The next day, dawn.

Lead-colored clouds rolled across the sky, brewing spring rain.

Individual raindrops fell from the sky, striking the cheeks, splashing into droplets, making the skin feel the chill of spring.

Willow branches sway lightly, catkins drift.

After getting up, Li Che directly used the Flying Thunder Chess Piece to shift to the independent workshop's scattered courtyard in Listening Thunder Alley, Wai Cheng.

He checked whether the Picture Immortal clones were slacking, then refined his martial arts, circulating qi and blood, condensing Divine Gang.

Upon waking, his essence, qi, and spirit were full; his five viscera and six bowels roused from deep sleep, his condition superb—exactly the perfect time for tempering.

After a round of tempering, Li Che's Divine Gang count reached seven strands.

Of course, it was the Myriad Transformations Dragon Elephant Divine Gang reaching seven strands; the Myriad Dragons Subduing Spirit and Grand Primordial Equal Heaven Divine Gang were naturally fewer than the first Myriad Transformations Dragon Elephant he had cultivated.

If one speaks of the three Divine Gang twisted into one, Li Che now barely has a single strand of Triune Divine Gang.

Scorching heat waves surged like a flood dragon, twisting without cease, ravaging the courtyard.

Li Che's skin flushed red, every pore bursting, the raging heat waves.

His pupil-light flashed like lightning, five fingers striking the void.

Li Che stood in the courtyard, the Profound Gold Eight Treasure Thunder Dragon Staff in his hand pointing down, sending out ripples that layered the air.

Light glowed at his mud pellet, his primordial spirit opened its eyes, divine light flowing, racing through his flesh and meridians; he felt his tendons and bones growing ever tougher, his bones seemingly radiating brilliant golden light.

The writhing and strengthening of his five viscera and six bowels appeared point by point in his mind.

Among them, the transformation of the heart, lungs, and kidneys was especially violent.

He refined a vast amount of essence and qi, rolling like a great river's tide.

Feeling unparalleled vigor and flourishing, Li Che couldn't help but let out a long whistle.

High and soaring like a dragon!

Overbearing and fierce like a tiger!

Li Che seemed to sense something; his pupil-light shone brilliant like gold, he stepped forward, his aura surging, the void seeming to be pierced.

His form instantly leapt into the air, flashing a distance of three or four zhang, continuously shifting position, up to four times!

On the fifth attempt, nearly formed, countless afterimages overlapped continuously, finally vanishing without trace.

Li Che stood still in the courtyard.

Hands behind his back, his dark robe fluttering.

He raised his head and exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi: 'Soon, the Soaring Void Eight Qi Steps—just about to reach the Master Realm.'

'Because I have mastered the Myriad Transformations Dragon Elephant, Myriad Dragons Subduing Spirit, and Grand Primordial Equal Heaven Staff of the Master Realm—three Martial Sage Absolute Learnings—and then further cultivate those Martial Sage Absolute Learnings, the difficulty actually lessens, giving a feeling of irresistible force like splitting bamboo.'

'This is probably the mutual commonality among martial arts.'

Li Che was in high spirits.

Because he understood that the remaining two Martial Sage Absolute Learnings, upon reaching the Master level, condensing Martial Sage True Intent and refining Divine Gang, were merely a matter of time.

He changed into clean clothes, Li Che left the courtyard, locked the door, and walked along the lane.

He arrived at the restaurant, where the boss was wrapping dumplings.

'Yo, boss, you made these dumplings yourself?'

'They're for Xixi.'

The boss glanced at Li Che and said lightly.

'Wait.'

Afterwards, the white‑clad boss rose, entered the kitchen, and began boiling the dumplings.

Moments later, the boiled dumplings were packaged and handed to Li Che.

Li Che smiled, thanked the boss, left a gold leaf as payment, turned and left the lane, directly using the Flying Thunder Chess Piece to return to the courtyard in Lingering Fragrance Alley.

Xixi was squatting under the eaves, brushing her teeth together with Chen Lao.

That was the toothbrush Li Che had made for them.

When Li Che returned, Xixi's nose twitched immediately, foam still at the corner of her mouth; she lifted her head, eyes bright: 'Dad, that familiar smell!'

'Did the dog come too?!'

Xixi immediately guessed where this dish came from.

But her focus was on that lazy, gluttonous big black dog.

The boss's carefully prepared dumplings could not resist the dog's temptation.

'Train hard; when you become the personal disciple of the Sect Master Great God, Dad will take you to the boss's shop to eat and meet the dog.'

Li Che set down the dumpling breakfast, ruffled Xixi's hair, and said.

Upon hearing that, Xixi's eyes burst with fierce fighting spirit.

To see the dog, she must become the personal disciple of the Sect Master Great God!

A child's fighting spirit arises just like that—mysteriously.

After breakfast, Li Che then gave pointers to Xixi, Zhang Ya, and Chen Lao and the others, having them practice martial arts in the courtyard.

After a while of instruction, Li Qing Shan finally woke up, stretched, and was grabbed by Li Che to help with work.

Li Che showed no courtesy, practically making Li Qing Shan angry.

Seeing Li Che wave goodbye and leave, Li Qing Shan realized Li Che wanted him to go play again, without bringing a cat face!

Li Qing Shan had already inquired.

Recently, in the outer city of Gianyuan Dao City, many murder cases have occurred.

Many second‑ and third‑rate gangs were wiped out, and those slain gang members turned out to be evil followers of the Corpse God Sect.

Li Qing Shan almost immediately guessed who was responsible.

No wonder it's the Ox Demon, ever‑consistent in his hatred of evil.

Li Qing Shan gave a wry smile and shook his head.

'Old man, I too must redouble my efforts; upon reaching Grand Master, I can keep pace with the main force!'

Li Qingshan's fighting spirit also ignited.

His Eight Flood Dragons Roiling the River was about to reach master level; once he condensed the grandmaster's true intent, he could assault the grandmaster level.

At that time, he could exchange with the Divine Sect for the top-tier martial saint secret art, the 'Eight Part Heavenly Dragon Hoisting Heaven Hammer'!

His cat face...

Will no longer be the underworld's laggard!

: "……" Just ellipsis. So translation: "……" (just the ellipsis). Keep as is.

: "……" Same.

Li Che changed into the robe of a second-class guest minister of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau.

He arrived at the Eight Treasure Heavy Eaves Imperial Astronomy Bureau Treasure Tower beneath the white jade arch bridge spanning the city's great river.

Shangguan Qinghong had already, under Sangyu's leadership, become familiar with the Imperial Astronomy Bureau's affairs; thus, Sangyu became a hands-off manager, throwing all the work onto Shangguan Qinghong.

The first-floor hall was vast; Shangguan Qinghong held a cleansing divine talisman, using divinity to activate it, cleaning the dust in the hall so that the arranged goods would not be stained.

Besides Shangguan Qinghong, there were also several other newly appointed clerks of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau.

The Imperial Astronomy Bureau is divided by rank into Director, Vice Director, Junior Director, Secretary, and Clerk.

Shangguan Qinghong, in the Imperial Astronomy Bureau of Golden Light Prefecture, had already risen to the position of Secretary.

But upon arriving in Dao City, he could only revert to being a clerk.

Yet Li Che's status as a second-class guest minister in the Dao City Imperial Astronomy Bureau could rival that of a Junior Director.

"Che Ge!"

Shangguan Qinghong saw Li Che and immediately waved excitedly.

The clerks cleaning with her all curiously looked over, and upon seeing Li Che's second-class guest minister robe, they were astonished.

Li Che waved at Shangguan Qinghong, and the two chatted for a while.

"Go call Vice Director Lu Yao for me."

Li Che said with a smile.

Upon hearing that, Shangguan Qinghong immediately went forward, clatter-clatter-clatter up the stairs.

Moments later, Lu Yao descended the stairs with Shangguan Qinghong, followed by Tang Ren, whose aura had greatly expanded.

"Broken through?"

Li Che glanced at Tang Ren, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, why not break through? The temple god resonance in Golden Light Prefecture has ended; he should break through as well, and it's a good time to see if he can get lucky and be taken as a personal disciple by the sect master deity."

Lu Yao snorted laughingly.

It's obvious that Lu Yao resents Tang Ren for gaining nothing at the temple god resonance assembly.

Li Che smiled and said nothing more.

In his heart, he felt a bit concerned, striving to let Xixi also find a chance to break through.

Furthermore, if Xixi could forge a divine foundation, she would also be more competitive in the upcoming sect master's personal disciple assessment.

Although Jiao Shaoxiu said the sect master's personal disciple assessment wouldn't focus too much on cultivation and combat strength, but rather on affinity.

But who would believe that?

If one's strength is stronger, one's confidence will naturally be greater.

Li Che also didn't dilly-dally, informing Lu Yao of his purpose.

"Do you want to go to the Guiyi Miao to observe the temple god?"

"Indeed, I heard you want to attempt the elder assessment of the Divine Eagle Ridge? Indeed, you need to observe more temple gods to improve your woodcarving skill."

Lu Yao nodded.

"In Dao City, unlike Golden Light Prefecture City, there are many guest ministers, and they often preside over the temple god to observe it."

"If you want to go, I'll arrange it for you right away."

"You are a second-class guest minister; the highest you can enter is the Six Offices Guiyi Miao, but given your cultivation is indeed low, you can only go to the Seven Elements Guiyi Miao……"

Lu Yao said with a smile.

In Dao City, there are ten Six Offices Guiyi Miao in total, and the Seven Elements and Eight Extremes Guiyi Miao are even more numerous.

However, all are under the jurisdiction of the Temple Suppression Office; ordinary people cannot easily set foot in the Guiyi Miao.

Even accomplished jianghu wanderers cannot easily set foot; they need to go through an application.

Li Che's eyes flickered; the temple god he summoned with the Startling Divine Foundation's Fire Eye Mystic Shocking Spirit Ape was an Eight Extremes ranked temple god.

The Seven Elements Guiyi Miao would suffice.

The lofty Six Offices Guiyi Miao, Li Che also dared not lightly summon the temple god……

Moreover, the danger of the Six Offices Guiyi Miao far exceeds others; for example, Jiao Shaoxiu, this outer sect great elder of the Divine Sect, suffered grave injury when he ventured into a Six Offices Guiyi Miao.

His primordial spirit golden body shattered, falling from the divine primordial spirit golden body transformation to the primordial spirit transformation realm.

Therefore, for stability, Li Che could even apply for the Eight Extremes Guiyi Miao.

But after thinking, he decided otherwise; first test the waters with the Seven Elements Guiyi Miao.

"Seven Elements Guiyi Miao……"

Lu Yao pondered for a moment.

Afterward, he listed several Seven Elements Guiyi Miao within Dao City for Li Che.

"Let's go with this one……【Hundred-Turn Worry Dream Osmanthus Spirit Rabbit】 Guiyi Miao."

"Oh?"

"This Guiyi Miao lies within the Yun clan's jurisdiction; the Yun clan is a millennium-old aristocratic family of Dao City, and Yun E comes from this colossal entity."

Lu Yao nodded.

Afterwards, Lu Yao brought Li Che to the

After waiting less than half an hour, they had gathered five Imperial Observatory guest officials: one second-rank guest official, four third-rank guest officials; plus Li Che, making six people.

The numbers are sufficient; let us set out.

Sangyu was pulled over again.

Lu Yao had matters to attend to, so he had Sangyu come help.

Sangyu also has another identity: he is the younger brother of Sang Guanyin, who followed Nan Lihuo from Dao City to cultivate in Golden Light Prefecture City.

Speaking of talent, Sang Guanyin truly falls short of her younger brother.

But Sangyu is a completely obedient younger brother who listens to his sister; therefore, towards Li Che, the father of his own older sister's precious little junior sister, he remains very polite.

The Guiyi Miao of the Hundred-Turn Worry Dream Gui Ling Rabbit actually, besides its divine nature, also has a Six Ministries level one, which is likewise under the suppression and control of the Yun family.

It seems to be called……【Desire-Fear Jade Tower Broad Cold Immortal】 Guiyi Miao; the Yun family has been studying this Guiyi Miao for a thousand years.

The rise of the Yun family…… is related to the fact that, back then, they produced a person whose resonance degree with the deity of that【Desire-Fear Jade Tower Broad Cold Immortal】 Guiyi Miao reached ninety-nine percent.

It is precisely this ancestor that gave rise to the present Qianyuan Dao City millennium-old clan, the Yun family, as well as the Yun family's Divine Embryo elder ancestor.

Sangyu and Li Che rode together in the carriage, laughing as he introduced.

Li Che's eyes flickered slightly as he recalled the terrifying deity hidden within Yun E's body……

He then fell silent.

The spring rain poured down heavily; the carriage broke through the wind and went forward.

The wheels spun at high speed, throwing up splashing water in all directions.

Soon the carriage moored, and the party arrived before a Guiyi Miao.

The Temple Warden Office and the Yun family's experts were stationed outside, pulling up the cordon and blocking any path into the Guiyi Miao's area.

This Guiyi Miao is located within the city; around it swirls turbulent ghostly mist, and at times one can sense faintly visible faces within the mist.

Howls, ghostly wails, and roars……

Various sounds swirl incessantly, seizing the heart and soul.

Merely approaching it already gives one a strong sensation of dizziness, as if about to fall into a deep slumber.

The Imperial Observatory Envoy, bringing the Imperial Observatory guest officials to come observe the deity.

After Sangyu got off the carriage, the Temple Warden Office's divine messengers came to block him.

In a distant pavilion.

Two figures sat facing each other.

One figure wore the robes of the Temple Warden Office's Grand Supervisor; his aura was immensely strong, as if merging with heaven and earth, and his surrounding divine spirit was resplendent, utterly terrifying.

Sangyu clasped his fists in salute and spoke loudly.

This person is the Grand Supervisor of the Dao City Temple Warden Office, Wu Gang; his cultivation is extraordinarily strong, being a Heaven-Man Unity grand master.

He not only oversees this Seven Elements Guiyi Miao of the Hundred-Turn Worry Dream Gui Ling Rabbit, but also simultaneously oversees the Six Ministries Guiyi Miao of the Desire-Fear Jade Tower Broad Cold Immortal.

In fact, every Six Ministries Guiyi Miao has a Heaven-Man Unity grand master level expert overseeing it.

There's no way around it; once a Six Ministries Guiyi Miao riots, it is too dangerous.

As for even stronger ones, they must oversee the Five Elders and Four Sovereigns Guiyi Miao.

Beside Wu Gang was an elderly man with flowing robes; his divine spirit was immensely strong, and merely a glance made Li Che feel a sense of oppression.

On the way, Sangyu introduced this old man to Li Che: he is the Yun family's elder overseeing the Guiyi Miao, a Golden Body True Person who has undergone Golden Body Metamorphosis, Yun Taishan.

The powerful divine spirit swept over the carriage, inspecting the six Imperial Observatory guest officials.

Only after sweeping over them three or four times in succession did he consent to let them pass.

The inspection was very strict, but given that it concerns a Guiyi Miao, being stricter poses no problem.

"Go in; you have only three hours to observe the deity. When the time is up…… you will be driven out."

Sangyu said.

The six Imperial Observatory guest officials then stepped forward, passing through the torn ghostly gate's ghostly mist; along the way, it seemed they could hear the howls of ghostly creatures and demonic beasts issuing from within the ghostly gate!

A small temple stood there, quite dilapidated; even spiderwebs filled the corners, with dead spiders hanging from them.

Li Che's gaze swept over and landed upon the deity on the altar.

It was a deity with a rabbit's head and a human body.

It bore a pure white rabbit's head, while below was the figure of a woman clad in ancient attire.

Rather strange.

The rabbit deity's eyes were blood-red to an extreme; although a sculpture, it seemed extraordinarily psychic, and anyone who met its gaze felt their mind and spirit sink.

One after another, plump rabbits leapt from the rabbit deity's body, densely filling the entire Guiyi Miao.

Then, as if swallowing their forms, those plump rabbits' mouths constantly writhed, gnawing at everything—be it ground, pillars, or their flesh and blood……

Li Che raised his hand and tapped his brow.

Plucking Star Pupil!

Golden light spread out in rippling waves.

All returns to clarity; to peer into the void is to return to the true!

Illusions, dreams……

The deity's divinity is extremely rich, filling every corner of the Guiyi Miao.

Looking at his fellow officials, the second-rank guest official had already broken free from the dream, and also gave Li Che, who had escaped the dream, a few glances of surprise.

This second-rank guest official, however, is a Prime Appearance realm cultivator; only by projecting his divine appearance did he barely manage to escape, and he never imagined that Li Che, a mere God Foundation realm lowly cultivator, would actually be on par with him.

Li Che smiled, nodded, found a corner, and sat cross-legged.

He began to observe the rabbit deity; through the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit, he stripped away all the carving techniques of this deity's sculpture, then proceeded to simulate and reproduce the carving in his mind.

Three hours quickly passed.

"Ha—!!!"

A sound like thunder came from outside the Guiyi Miao.

It let the cultivator still trapped in the dream wake up.

There was a third-rank guest official who, from the moment he entered the temple, had been dreaming continuously, dreaming that he was being gnawed by rabbits over and over, cold sweat dripping, his face pallid.

Li Che stood up, stretched, and then took a deep look at the temple god rabbit on the altar.

With a flick of his finger, a flying thunder chess piece silently fell beneath the altar.

Li Che did not linger, leaving the Guiyi Miao together with the others.

The spring rain continued to drizzle.

In the leisure pavilion.

The Temple Pacification Office's Grand Supervisor, Wu Gang, sat opposite the Yun family elder, Yun Taishan, drinking tea.

"Nothing unusual, right?"

"Probably not."

The two nodded, exchanged a smile, but their smiles carried vigilance and wariness.

……

……

Late at night, all was quiet.

Splash-splash, the torrential rain struck the black tiles, bursting into mist that blurred the vision.

Leaden clouds rolled, and spring thunder suddenly rang.

The lightning's illumination let Li Che in the independent workshop courtyard of Thunder Listening Lane slowly open his eyes.

The water droplets splashing down from the black tile eaves linked together into a curtain.

Li Che sat cross-legged, bathed in the raindrops falling at high speed, their impact scattering and kicking up a fierce wind.

Li Che's eyes were clear and bright.

The niwan at his brow faintly glowed.

Upon the flawless mind-spirit foundation of the Heaven-Earth, Spirit-Mighty True Ape Method, golden divinity continually seeped bit by bit from the Heavenly Equal Face on the heaven-and-earth chessboard into the foundation.

It outlined the form of a true ape.

Now, the progress is about ninety percent complete.

"Soon."

Li Che exhaled.

He couldn't help but anticipate how formidable the divine visage condensed from the Three Purities Method would be.

"What a pity; if he had succeeded in condensing it in one go, he could have tested the True Ape Staff Technique on the little rabbit tonight."

Li Che lifted his spread five fingers.

The next moment, he clenched them tightly.

The raging airflow seemed to be torn apart by the suddenly retracting five fingers.

After he had completely grasped the flying thunder chess piece.

Li Che's dark robe billowed, his black hair wildly swirling.

He had already appeared within the Guiyi Miao of the Hundred-Turn Worry-Dream Osmanthus Spirit Rabbit.

Li Che smiled as he gazed at the temple deity, a faint light flickering in his eyes.

Even, Li Che couldn't help but hum a little tune in delight.

"Little rabbit, be good, open the door……"

On the altar.

The rabbit temple deity suddenly trembled in fear.