Chapter 236: The Divine Talisman Examination of the Elementary School Underachiever Xixi, the Divine Monkey in a Great Red Kasaya【See

In the courtyard, the raging airflow gradually subsided into silence.

The swiftly falling snow was completely melted, then turned into a torrential rain that fell across the courtyard, evaporated by Li Che's mighty and scorching qi and blood into mist.

The great mist was hazy, drifting softly.

Li Che's hair was black and vigorous, with electric currents surging in his pupils, bursting forth and dancing wildly between heaven and earth!

【Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Vajra (LV5, 0%)】

Success!

Electric currents intertwined and gathered into a line of text, appearing before Li Che's eyes, making his whole body tremble slightly.

Every inch of muscle seemed to be undergoing varying degrees of vibratory forging, bursting forth with extreme scorching heat like a branding iron!

Dao Fruit's third metamorphosis!

Level 5 Dragon Elephant Vajra!

Li Che's eyes shone brightly, as the mercury-like blood within his body circulated and pushed, emitting a deep, rumbling sound like a roaring river tide.

This is Li Che's first Dao Fruit to achieve the third metamorphosis!

His mood surged like the great tide of the Nine Dragons River, giving rise to a distinct, different feeling.

The first metamorphosis granted the【Ascending the Tower】, a means that, with the aid of temple deities' power, achieves an overall increase in combat strength.

The second metamorphosis granted the divine ability【Qi Blood Rosy Clouds】, an auxiliary type, infinitely variable, able to temper divine weapons, enhance their quality, and also transform into rosy clouds that lift the body to soar across the sky!

All are quite exceptional!

And what changes will the third metamorphosis bring?

Li Che truly felt a sense of anticipation.

In his pupils, electric currents intertwined and surged, like a divine whip lashing the surrounding ground of the courtyard.

"Whoosh——"

"Inhale——"

With each inhale and exhale, all sounds of airflow, falling snow, and wind and cloud between heaven and earth seemed to become as silent as death!

Within his chest, the Dao Fruit beat frenetically.

Each beat seemed like, atop an ancient divine mountain, observing the ancient temple's treasure bell that has endured three thousand years of rise and fall, being struck by a mighty martial artist's swinging fist!

The bursting bell wave spread like ripples across heaven and earth, permeating every cell of his flesh and blood throughout his body!

Boom——!!!

In an instant, his mind and spirit were jerked by an extraordinarily terrifying force!

Beside his ears exploded the roar of a divine dragon and the cry of a giant elephant!

His whole body was irresistibly pulled into a vast, desolate expanse of heaven and earth!

Vast, desolate land, ancient and profound!

Filled with mystery!

There stood an ancient divine tree, shooting up from the ground, with lush branches and leaves, spreading out as if to shade the boundless vast land!

Upon the ancient divine tree, branches like glazed glass unfurled, lush beyond compare, revealing multicolored glazed Dao Fruits hanging upon it.

Radiant brilliance sparkled, dazzling the eyes!

Among them, one Dao Fruit suddenly swelled in size!

It grew larger than the other Dao Fruits!

Li Che's entire blood seemed to be drawn by that Dao Fruit!

Rosy vapors burst forth—that was the Qi Blood Rosy Clouds, transforming into a Dragon Elephant phantom, radiating dazzling splendid golden light!

Li Che's gaze burned bright; this scene was not unfamiliar to him.

When the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit underwent its second metamorphosis, he had experienced these things!

Boom——!!!

A terrifying gale suddenly accompanied the slight swaying of the divine tree, the movement of its branches, and poured down with a roar!

It struck Li Che's body with fierce impact!

Heaven and earth suddenly raised a gale, the earth split and mountains collapsed, as if the roar of an ancient giant beast exploded deep within the soul!

Li Che only felt that the scene before his eyes changed once again.

As if hurled by a terrifying force toward the ten-thousand-zhang firmament!

Then……

During the process of falling.

He saw a golden divine dragon and a golden giant elephant!

They seemed like two terrifying giant beasts from the era when ancient gods and demons roamed, immensely huge!

The giant elephant propped up heaven and earth; with a swing of its long trunk, rivers and seas were stirred, and the waves struck by it exploded sky-high!

Within the river water, it exploded with a boom!

An enormous, terrifying crocodile emerged from the river water; this beast was truly huge, its terrifying waters churned, raising fierce winds and shooting torrents!

Like a torrential downpour had fallen!

Li Che watched with eyes gleaming and burning bright!

Yet he saw the crocodile and the golden elephant locked in combat; on the elephant's body, rosy vapors burst forth, and each swing of its trunk was like a divine whip that could shatter mountains!

But that crocodile was also extremely terrifying, its serrated teeth like the sharpest divine weapons in heaven and earth!

Its bites tore into the elephant's flesh, also rending gruesome bloodstains!

It was like a battle between two god‑demon giants!

Li Che's mind and spirit were shaken!

The next moment, the giant elephant raised its trunk and neighed!

In an instant, the dark leaden clouds split, countless thunderbolts surged, and a golden azure dragon poked its head out from behind the firmament.

Then it dove down, joining the battlefield!

Dragon and elephant encircled together!

The golden divine dragon coiled around the golden giant elephant!

Instantly, the golden giant elephant seemed to have gained an unimaginable boost!

The huge elephant's hoof rose fiercely, fell again, earth split, mountains collapsed, rivers and lands overturned, heaven caved in, earth sank!

The giant crocodile's skull was instantly shattered under the trampling, the gushing blood dyed the rivers and seas red!

Instantly——!!!

Li Che felt the scene vanish.

He then returned again to the vast expanse of heaven and earth, hovering before the divine tree!

Thump thump thump——

Intense pain incessantly struck Li Che's body, every inch of flesh trembling and quivering!

A tearing pain, as if bringing an unimaginable anguish!

Bone marrow, bones, meridians, blood, skin……

Every inch of his flesh radiated pain!

Transformation!

Transformation again!

With a long whistle, his black hair flew wildly; Li Che's spine, in an instant, seemed like a great dragon that could pierce heaven and earth!

Every inch of muscle was twisted into a braid, undergoing extremely subtle changes in muscle tissue!

As if his flesh were thrown into the melding, hammered a thousand times, reforged!

Drop after drop of crimson and crystal-clear blood beads rolled down from his scorching eyeballs.

In Li Che's eyes, flowing light flickered.

【Dao Fruit LV5, three transformations, divine ability first heaven (qi and blood rosy radiance) promoted, divine ability second heaven (dragon-elephant heavenly gang)】

Boom——!!!

Li Che felt his consciousness retreat from the vast expanse of heaven and earth.

His whole body's sinews and bones, however, were undergoing a deafening tremor, experiencing a tremendous transformation!

At every point where bones connect, intense friction was occurring!

Rebirth of body and bone!

Washing away impurities and purifying marrow!

Second time!

This is…… the second washing away of impurities and purifying of marrow!

Li Che suddenly lifted his head, blood beads flying, with a 'pat' they fell to the ground, shattering into pieces, shooting out sideways, like arrows or hidden weapons!

Li Che stood upright in the courtyard's center, the raging airflow constantly ravaging.

On his body, bulges repeatedly rose and fell swiftly, as if remodeling his mighty flesh.

Before his eyes, the flowing light changed again.

【Rosy Rise (divine ability): climbing the building with rosy rise, flesh and blood flying upward, earthly evil heavenly gang, finger snap explodes stars】

【First heaven: qi and blood rosy radiance】

【Second heaven: dragon-elephant unified form】

【Earthly evil elephant force, heavenly gang dragon form, dragon-elephant unified form, moving mountains and shifting seas】

The prompt of the new divine ability suddenly appeared before his eyes.

In Li Che's mind, the image would not fade away; the picture of dragon-elephant unified form trampling and killing the giant crocodile kept impacting his spirit.

Rumble——

A heat flow surged forth, cleansing his flesh; thus Li Che's originally robust flesh, at this moment, saw qi and blood arise, propelling like thunder!

Li Che opened his eyes, clenched his five fingers; instantly the terrifying airflow was gripped and torn apart by him, bursting open, white streaks raging in the courtyard!

Vaguely, it seemed as if a golden divine dragon appeared out of thin air, coiling around his body, encircling his distant finger, wrapping his neck, and rubbing along his trembling spine of sinews and bones!

Li Che only felt his stature as if endlessly being raised higher and higher!

Within his sinews and bones, power madly swelled, making his meridians tremble, his bones wail, and his marrow boil!

"My strength……"

"Tenfold, hundredfold, thousandfold increase!"

"Compared to when he just obtained the Dragon-Elephant Diamond Dao Fruit, the increase is even more terrifying!"

"Pure strength climbing!"

Li Che only felt his heart overflowing with joy; his clenched fist thrust out sideways, the myriad transformations of dragon-elephant, this martial sage's absolute art, seemed at this moment to undergo a fervent transformation!

In Li Che's dantian, the corporeal great elixir beat violently!

Upon the red corporeal great elixir, as he activated the second heaven of divine ability 【Dragon-Elephant Unified Form】, in that instant.

Indeed, a golden pattern appeared and floated upon the corporeal great elixir!

That was the golden giant elephant with a golden divine dragon coiled around his body!

Dragon-elephant unified form, the martial great elixir manifested thereby!

"The myriad transformations of dragon-elephant, this martial sage's absolute art…… is transforming toward divine-seed martial arts!"

"It seems to have given birth to divine intent!"

Dragon Elephant Divine Intent!

Slowly pushing my self-created martial art, Myriad Transformations Dragon Elephant, to the level of Divine Seed Martial Arts...

Once it fully becomes Divine Seed Martial Arts, the Divine Seed can open one of the human body's eight extraordinary gates...

Li Che's eyes shone brightly, his mood excellent.

Li Che thrust his fists and palms outward, his whole body dancing wildly in the courtyard; air currents continually exploded around him, and the torrential rain falling down was, one after another, struck by his powerful qi and blood, hanging upside down from the heavens.

Hissing scorching air currents continually struck his figure!

Faintly, a phantom of a giant elephant entwined with a divine dragon appeared in the human world!

Whooo—

Li Che opened his mouth, exhaling a stream of air that shot forth like a blade, as if slicing the air apart.

He spread his arms, his bones emitting crackling explosive sounds!

His five viscera trembled, as strands of divine gang spread forth one after another.

The five kinds of divine gang twisted together like a braid into a single five-elements divine gang!

Like a flood dragon, they danced wildly around his body—one, two, three...

Thirty-six strands!

Bang——!!!

Li Che stood upright; the thirty-six wildly dancing five-elements divine gangs signified that he had now officially reached the pinnacle of a Divine Gang Grand Master!

The Dao Fruit's three transformations, plus the medicinal potency of the martial elixir!

Li Che successfully completed the condensation of the final six strands of five-elements divine gang!

Upon his skin, the body's three hundred sixty apertures burst forth brilliant radiance, golden light shining ten thousand zhang!

Pop——

Accompanied by the first crisp sound!

As if a tough layer of membrane was pierced!

One aperture penetrated!

Then came the second sound, third, fourth...

Sound waves piled up like tides!

Like firecrackers all going off together!

Three hundred sixty apertures, each aperture penetrated!

Closing his eyes, faintly, his martial will seemed to connect with heaven and earth.

Countless air currents intertwined, pouring in from the crown of his head and then released from his feet.

Heaven and man as one...

Li Che lifted his head, his black hair dancing wildly.

He only felt that he himself seemed to sense the spirituality possessed by heaven and earth!

Heaven and earth seemed to breathe in and out.

The earth trembled incessantly.

The wild winds swirling between the firmaments were like a single breath in and out!

Li Che spread his hands, and instantly the thunder-magnetic orbit began to turn...

His whole body rose into the void, as if completely linked with the heaven-earth magnetic field, drawing in from the crown of his head and sprouting from his feet, endless and ceaselessly cycling!

This is... the unity of heaven and man.

Li Che opened his eyes, deep, complex, excited, and sighing.

Zizzle...

The three hundred sixty apertures all rotated like whirlpools at once!

The divine gang poured forth from them, all flowing into the fleshly great elixir within his dantian!

The great elixir seemed to turn into a furnace, refining the five-elements divine gang to the utmost, washing away the insubstantial and making it extraordinarily tough.

Slowly...

A strand of true gang far stronger than Long Tai's innate true gang slowly flowed out.

Li Che raised his hand; the innate true gang between his five fingers surged and raged like an electric current!

At times it turned into a dragon, at times into an elephant, at times like electricity!

Five days of time, five days of settling.

Li Che finally achieved the three transformations of the Dao Fruit, making tremendous progress, giving his martial cultivation a full boost.

He restrained his breath and floated down to the ground.

The heat dissipated, the heavy snow returned, drifting down to cover a thick layer.

The painting immortal Dao Fruit trembled; one after another, painting immortal avatars were summoned by Li Che, each receiving the Six Offices' divine crystals from him, each going to cultivate the deity's true form.

Then they went on to polish and manufacture the mechanism parts needed for the Blood Yang Nine Divine Gold Giant Ape, stamping in mechanism seals one by one, refining precision, etc.

On the other side, they also had the painting immortal avatars study the just-obtained《Divine Talisman Sect Talisman Manual》, researching the way of divine talismans.

The falling snow was silent and still.

Striking the paulownia courtyard, it made a soft sound.

Li Che only felt that life was busy and fulfilling.

The light slowly sank, and the glow that leaked through the leaden clouds began to gradually dim.

Li Che knew that night was approaching.

He stretched, his cultivation broke through, and his whole body felt refreshed and clear.

Leaving the independent workshop, he walked along the blue-stone lane of Listening Thunder Alley covered in thick snow, arriving before the restaurant that emitted a dim yellow glow.

The big black dog, as always, lay faithfully at the shop's entrance.

Its glossy black fur shimmered in the orange-yellow light.

He glanced at Li Che, seeing only Li Che alone, the big black dog snorted and turned its head.

After Li Che had the restaurant pack his pre-ordered dishes, he chatted a few words with the boss.

Not bringing Xixi, the boss seemed unwilling to pay attention to him.

Li Che didn't mind either; after placing a gold leaf, he turned and left.

Before leaving, Li Che approached the big black dog, then suddenly reached out and angrily rubbed its head.

After rubbing it, he immediately gripped the Flying Thunder chess piece and vanished from the spot.

"Woof——!!!"

The explosive bark shattered the countless snow, causing it to burst and melt.

The big black dog sprang up from the ground, its limbs striking the floor, activating full-step, yet Li Che was nowhere to be found.

The big black dog kept baring its teeth in anger!

Li Che returned home in Liuxiang Lane.

Pure snow drifted down from the high sky, then was scattered by his qi and blood.

Zhang Ya was earnestly practicing martial arts in the courtyard; after her blood exchange, her training became more diligent, because Xixi was so well-behaved, Zhang Ya felt she, as a mother, also needed to perk up.

Only by striving to become stronger could she accompany her husband and daughter longer.

Chen Lao went to work; Mu Po sat under the eaves, on the rocking chair Li Che made for her, covered with a thick blanket, a charcoal brazier beside her burned, releasing warmth.

Everything appeared quite warm and cozy.

After Li Che returned, he accompanied Zhang Ya in practicing martial arts for a while, then gave her some simple pointers.

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

The soft ground covered in snow creaked underfoot.

The visitor was a youth in gray robes.

In Li Che's perception via the Heaven-Earth Chessboard, this youth's strength could only be considered ordinary, merely a divine appearance.

"May I ask if this is the residence of Master Li Che?"

The youth knocked on the door and said.

Li Che had Zhang Ya continue practicing martial arts, while he stepped out and asked doubtfully, "Who are you?"

"I am a woodcarver of the God Eagle Ridge of the Qian Yuan Divine Sect; Elder Jiaoshou Qiu recommended you, and I have come by my teacher's order to inform you that the elder examination of God Eagle Ridge will begin."

Upon hearing this, Li Che's eyes lit up instantly.

"The elder examination of God Eagle Ridge?"

"But it has finally begun!"

Li Che warmly received the youth, causing the youth to be a bit startled; after all, in the youth's view, Li Che's joy seemed unwarranted, given Li Che's age and experience, participating in this elder examination... was purely a matter of participation.

"This is the letter; tomorrow, God Eagle Ridge will gather many woodcarving masters before the Divine Sect's mountain gate to set out together, so Master Li, please don't be late tomorrow."

The youth handed Li Che a letter sealed with red wax.

After receiving it, Li Che said thanks.

The youth didn't linger, saying he still had to deliver letters to other woodcarving masters, and then departed, trudging through the wind and snow.

Zhang Ya came over, her long eyelashes fluttering.

"Husband... if you become an elder of God Eagle Ridge, could we then move to live inside the Divine Sect?"

Zhang Ya asked.

Li Che nodded.

Zhang Ya's eyes lit up, but soon her brows furrowed: "But I've heard the elder examination of God Eagle Ridge is extremely difficult... Husband, can you do it?"

Upon hearing this, Li Che immediately laughed.

He swept her up at the waist: "Little vixen, whether your husband can or not... you don't know?"

Zhang Ya instantly blushed, pounding his chest a few times with her little fists: "Mu Po is here!"

……

……

Let alone, Li Che indeed attaches great importance to the elder examination of God Eagle Ridge.

Not only because passing would make him an elder of God Eagle Ridge and grant him residency within the Divine Sect's mountain gate, but also because... God Eagle Ridge surely possesses the resources he needs.

Although Li Che knows the competition for this Divine Sect elder identity is fierce and the examination difficulty will exceed imagination.

But Li Che now truly isn't afraid.

The confidence brought by the advancement of the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit, plus his own cultivation breakthrough, has elevated his woodcarving skill.

Li Che is supremely confident.

The next day.

Dawn.

The temperature rose a bit; the originally drifting snow began to melt, turning into a pattering rain, with raindrops still mixed with a few snowflakes.

Li Che got up early; after Zhang Ya paid the price for her reckless words yesterday, she lay limp on the bed, her black hair spread, only able to cheer Li Che with her gaze.

Li Che smiled.

He changed into a clean black robe and stepped out of the courtyard of Liuxiang Lane.

Chen Lao drove the carriage and waited outside early in the morning.

"Get on the carriage."

Chen Lao wore a bamboo hat and a raincoat, blocking the rain and snow, and said with a smile.

"A Che, believe you can do it; once you become an elder of Divine Eagle Ridge, you will be able to see Xixi every day inside the Divine Sect's mountain gate."

Chen Lao's expression turned solemn.

He really felt a bit of heartache for Xixi.

The last time they met, Xixi's sensibility made Chen Lao feel heartache for a long time.

I don't know if Xixi, inside the Divine Sect, is being bullied by other fellow disciples; if she had parents by her side, she would have more confidence.

Li Che did not refuse, he slipped into the carriage, and Chen Lao then drove toward the Qianyuan Divine Sect's mountain gate.

The large flat area in front of the mountain gate.

Beneath the plaque of the Qiankun Dao Yin, one carriage after another had already been parked.

After Chen Lao sent Li Che to his destination, he drove the carriage away.

Meanwhile, the youth seen yesterday also walked over and led Li Che onto an ordinary carriage.

Inside the carriage, several elderly figures were already seated.

These elders are all guest wood carving masters from the major clans of Qianyuan Dao City.

Of course, they are all guest officials of minor clans.

Like the Su, Yun, Zhong, and Zhou families—these top millennium clans' wood carving master guest officials each have luxurious carriages for transport.

Seems they sensed a newcomer; these figures opened their cloudy eyes and glanced over.

Seeing Li Che's extremely youthful face, they were momentarily stunned.

"Young man, are you also going to participate in the Divine Eagle Ridge elder examination?"

One of the elders spoke.

Li Che gave a warm smile and nodded slightly.

Looking at the honest and simple Li Che, several elders stroked their beards and laughed.

"Truly a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, at such a young age, daring to try anything..."

"The Divine Eagle Ridge elder examination is extremely difficult; without the level of a Seven Yuan Wood Carving Master, there is basically no chance."

"We old fellows have wasted a whole sixty years before finally raising our level to that of a Seven Yuan Wood Carving Master, only then daring to give it a try."

"You young man... your courage is commendable."

The elders laughed, but their tone unconsciously carried a hint of prejudice.

Wood carving technique requires time to forge and frequent visits to the Guiyi Miao to observe the shrine gods in order to cultivate it.

Li Che, so young...

How much time can he spend polishing his technique? It will surely be restless.

Li Che gave an honest and simple smile, nodding slightly.

Then, leaning back in the chair, he closed his eyes to rest.

The carriage soon began to sway.

The carriage Li Che was in carried four people; its wheels crushed the accumulated snow, broke through the rain and snow, and headed toward Divine Eagle Ridge.

The journey was dull.

Because the carriage cabin was somewhat crowded, he and the three elderly wood carving masters had nothing in common to talk about.

Whenever the others spoke, it was just giving advice; Li Che found it boring and thus ignored them.

Li Che closed his eyes for a brief rest, nurturing his spirit.

In the Heaven Earth Chessboard, he felt a divine chess piece tremble slightly.

That was the Flying Thunder Chess Piece he had left on Xixi.

At this moment, it actually showed an abnormality.

Li Che's brows furrowed slightly, a flash of sternness flickered in the depths of his eyes.

His mind sank into the Heaven Earth Chessboard; through it, he projected Xixi's current scene.

…

…

Qianyuan Divine Sect.

Outer Sect.

The manor where Shao Qiu Jiao resides.

The children's laughter and joy echoed endlessly, a fiery atmosphere as if scattering the sleet falling from the heavens.

Xixi, Zhou Peng, Yun E, Zhong Liu Xiu, and Tie Shan Cai, among other prodigies, all gathered in Shao Qiu Jiao's small courtyard.

Perhaps because Xixi is here, her good friends all ran over.

Besides them, there are also the spirit children who came together from Guangfu City.

Hai Chao Sheng, Gong Yuan Liang, Gong Yang Xiu, Huang Si Xiang, and other spirit children.

Everyone is diligently cultivating in Shao Qiu Jiao's courtyard, but after all they are children, so they still engage in roughhousing and play.

"Come on! You all come up together!"

"Divine Emperor Xixi lets you use one hand!"

Xixi's chubby little face, her tiny stature, standing in the wind and snow on the flat ground, one hand behind her back, the other hand beckoning Hai Chao Sheng, Gong Yuan Liang, Gong Yang Xiu, and Huang Si Xiang.

Hai Chao Sheng's eyes blazed, his fighting spirit surged.

Strong qi and blood surged within his body; he clenched his five fingers, then stepped on countless flying snowflakes, rushing toward Xixi.

Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu coordinated seamlessly, Huang Si Xiang also found an opportunity and launched an attack from another angle.

They held nothing back, for they fully understood Xixi's strength.

Zhou Peng ate an apple in the distance, Tie Shan Cai boredly rested his head on his arms, while Yun E and Zhong Liu Xiu were sparring.

Jiao Shaqiu sat on the chair, swaying, the wind and snow light and drifting.

From time to time he would offer a word of guidance, correcting the children's qi and blood circulation and force exertion techniques.

Nie Yang, meanwhile, had his arms crossed over his chest, and in his embrace he held that bronze sword whose hilt was bound with torn cloth.

Not far from him.

Li Chengzhou gripped a heavy sword with one hand, holding the sword aloft, its tip raised.

The sword tip hung level, trembling incessantly.

"Hold on! There's still a quarter of an hour!"

Nie Yang spoke coldly and solemnly.

With a crack, a whip-like strand of qi lashed Li Chengzhou's arm, causing his arm, which was about to drop, to jerk upward again.

Li Chengzhou drenched in sweat, bean-sized beads of sweat rolling down his forehead without cease.

"Your divine talent falls short of theirs, and your martial talent is also lacking greatly… All you can rely on is perseverance; if you wish to catch up to your sister Xixi, you can only do so through relentless, day‑after‑day hard training!"

"A sword cultivator must endure the bitterest hardships to truly be a sword cultivator!"

Nie Yang instructed in a deep voice.

Jiao Shaqiu's eyes were cloudy as he watched Nie Yang teach the disciples, yet he did not speak.

Nie Yang is a grand master of the Sword Dao; in swordsmanship Jiao Shaqiu is inferior to him, so he dare not speak rashly.

Suddenly…

Jiao Shaqiu's cloudy eyes suddenly narrowed.

The sword cradled in Nie Yang's arms, which he was using to point out Li Chengzhou, trembled incessantly.

"Crack!"

Nie Yang grabbed the hilt firmly.

"Grand Elder."

Nie Yang looked toward Jiao Shaqiu, his gaze becoming exceedingly grave.

The many children who had been sparring on the open ground suddenly felt an overwhelming, terrifying pressure descending from heaven and earth.

It was as if a ferocious, terrifying beast had bared its razor‑sharp fangs at the children.

Xixi's expression shifted slightly; the violet‑flame serpent spear in her left hand quivered faintly, and the gold brick in her right hand also hummed.

The imprisoned lotus wind‑fire golden light wheel hidden in the sole of her foot likewise trembled continuously.

"Xixi, fall back."

Jiao Shaqiu said in a low voice.

After his words fell,

Jiao Shaqiu's aged yet ramrod‑straight back stepped in front of Xixi; he spread his arms, blocking her behind him.

On the other side, Nie Yang, clutching his sword, also fell in beside Jiao Shaqiu.

He shielded all the children behind him.

The two raised their heads.

Between heaven and earth, the wind and snow rose violently, the raging currents rampaging!

Yet behold, the wind and snow, like a great curtain, were suddenly torn apart!

Two figures drifted in.

One wore the ancient robes of the Qianyuan Divine Sect, his face suffused with a kindly red glow.

Jiao Shaqiu frowned.

Gazing at this old man whose robes billowed and whose great sleeves whipped wildly in the wind and snow, his eyes narrowed.

"Inner Sect Fourth Elder… Jiheshan?!"

However, Jiao Shaqiu's pupils quickly contracted.

His gaze, as if fixed, slowly turned toward the figure striding forth beside Jiheshan, equally tearing through the wind and snow.

A buxom beauty with deep‑blue eyes and skin fairer than snow.

The beauty bore two pale gold horns on her forehead.

On her exquisite face lay a hint of repressed, roiling sorrow and wrath; her azure eyes brimmed with an intense, unyielding grief and anguish…

Her fair skin would from time to time shimmer with fine dragon scales.

A stifling, terrifying qi and blood surged within her like thunderbolts!

Nie Yang beside Jiao Shaqiu trembled all over, drawing a deep breath.

His five fingers had already clenched the incessantly trembling sword hilt.

A terrifying sword intent burst forth from his person like the turning of the blazing sun!

Jiao Shaqiu's great sleeves whipped wildly, blown by the gale, and he was flung hard backward, pressed tightly against his back.

He stared at the beauty, slowly exhaling a breath.

"The Dragon God clan…"

"The Pacification King's consort!"