Chapter 248: with translation of title, then ===GLOSSARY=== with list of named entities appearing in these lines, using exact English

Offer up your divine-seed martial arts.

Wind and rain howled, thunder surged.

Raindrops hit the eaves, bursting and spraying apart, shattered, yet they could not drown out Li Che's low voice.

Beside You Liqing, Qingniao, and Longtai, it sounded as if a deity were whispering.

You Liqing and Qingniao both cultivated divine-seed martial arts.

You Liqing even cultivated two, and successfully drew the divine-seed into the Eight Odd Gates, occupying two of them.

In his previously severely injured state, You Liqing directly detonated two major Odd Gate divine seeds, instantly elevating his power into an extremely powerful state.

He could even clash with the Five Elders' lower-tier mechanism beast, and even shatter one arm of the Diamond Ape.

Li Che had already coveted You Liqing's two divine-seed martial arts, while Qingniao also mastered one divine-seed martial art, though Qingniao's had just been completed and had not yet been drawn into the Odd Gates.

But the burst was not weak either.

At least, for Li Che, it also counts as a divine-seed martial art.

Originally Li Che could have sought it in the Cosmos Jade of You Liqing and Qingniao, but he had a sudden inspiration, after all, after binding the gods, You Liqing and the other bound gods would serve him without second thought, so he could obtain divine-seed martial arts through them.

Longtai's Bound God stared wide-eyed beside him.

My lord, what about me? I have one too!

You don't need mine?

Longtai flung his luxuriant beard wildly, excitement rising.

Coming back from death is a fortune, so Longtai naturally strives to cling to his lord's thigh.

However, Li Che merely glanced at him, shook his head slightly, and said, "You... don't need to, you've already been emptied."

That divine-seed martial art, the Blood Crocodile Split-Heaven Palm, was obtained from Longtai's Cosmos Jade, though unfortunately it is only a fragmented version.

Thus, Li Che had long understood the depth of Longtai's resources.

Naturally, he would not seek Longtai again.

Longtai was as if struck by lightning.

The first outward move earned him a lifetime of introversion.

You Liqing clasped his fists.

The junior officer cultivates two divine-nature martial arts: one is the Wrathful-Eyed Heavenly King Pupil, the other is the Ten-Foot Devil Python Spear.

The Wrathful-Eyed Heavenly King Pupil is what the junior officer cultivated from childhood; after breaking through the Three Flowers atop the Head, he further cultivated the Ten-Foot Devil Python Spear for over ten years, integrating it into one of the Eight Odd Gates.

But the junior officer has not yet learned to balance the two major Odd Gate divine seeds, so he cannot use them simultaneously; if he does, it will harm himself.

You Liqing hid nothing, recounting the entire situation and describing the problems he encountered in cultivating the divine-seed.

Li Che stood in the wind and rain, as You Liqing's description of the divine-seed martial arts continually entered his ears, which he captured in memory.

Li Che, in the courtyard, clenched his fists, circulated his inner qi and blood, and his bones and tendons resonated throughout his body.

Sudden wind and rain, thunder roared.

Li Che, aided by the feedback from the Dragon-Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit and according to You Liqing's oral instruction, quickly mastered the divine-seed martial arts.

You Liqing shared his insights on cultivating the divine-seed almost without reservation, in the courtyard he also initiated punches and kicks, practicing the divine-seed martial arts.

With Li Che's martial arts comprehension, practicing it once was basically enough to learn it, which could be called an introduction.

However, Li Che had not deeply cultivated it; according to You Liqing's description, after fully mastering the divine-seed Wrathful-Eyed Heavenly King Pupil.

He then began cultivating the Ten-Foot Devil Python Spear; with a grip of his fingers, the Eight Treasure Mystic Gold Thunder Dragon Staff immediately fell into his hand.

Using the staff as a spear, he danced in the wind and rain.

The temperature inside the courtyard suddenly rose, the vigorous qi and blood blazing like a furnace, spreading out and dispelling the severe cold!

The blood within, like molten mercury, pushed the mighty qi and blood through the meridians, as an innate true gang surged forth, coiling around the thunder dragon staff like a flood dragon.

The difficulty of divine-seed martial arts is somewhat greater than that of the Martial Sage's Ultimate Art!

Its power is also stronger, more miraculous; even the abilities of divine-seed martial arts can rival some unique divine secret techniques.

Although the difficulty is great, Li Che obtained the Dragon-Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit's horizontal cultivation boost, and his martial arts comprehension soared to an unimaginable degree at this moment.

The gods fade into obscurity, self and object forgotten in sitting meditation.

At this moment, Li Che seemed to merge with the wind and rain; his fist, palm, and staff movements made his whole body appear to blend with heaven and earth, achieving true unity of man and nature.

Boom—!!!

Qi and blood boiled, scorching heat waves rose several zhang high, fiercely striking the area opened by the Heaven-Earth Chessboard's net.

Li Che stood in the courtyard, his bare flesh with muscles piled up, resembling a solid strip lying across, like a branding iron heated to an incandescent red.

His black hair flicked like ink-colored lightning, striking the airflow and the fierce wind.

Countless boiling heat streams twisted around his body, his five viscera trembling, each undergoing powerful throbbing; the five viscera, having integrated the true intent of the Five Gates of Martial Sage's Ultimate Art, had already been tempered to an unimaginable strength.

Exhale!

Inhale!

Through You Liqing and Qingniao's oral instruction and explanation, Li Che quickly grasped three divine-seed martial arts.

Compared to slowly pondering a divine-seed manual on his own, this is far faster—it's like receiving hands-on transmission of experience, naturally making it much quicker.

Moreover, divine-seed martial arts also have proficiency tiers... to achieve infusion into the Eight Odd Gates, one must master divine-seed martial arts to a master level.

For instance, the Blood Crocodile Split-Heaven Palm cannot be integrated into the Odd Gates, because it is incomplete; even if cultivated to the utmost, it is only a perfected form.

With the increase of the Pure Heart Dao Fruit, the power of the incipient form of divine ability Bound God also rises.

Now, the number of gods Li Che can bind has greatly increased; moreover, after binding, each bound god retains nearly ninety percent of its former strength.

Like You Liqing, although slightly weakened, the loss of that one-tenth of strength is virtually negligible.

Moreover, I now have mastered so many divine-seed martial arts, integrating them into my own created martial art, the Myriad Transformations Dragon-Elephant, by incorporating the Dragon-Elephant Heavenly Gang, which also counts as a kind of divine-seed martial art.

There is also the Myriad Phenomena Nine Divine Mechanism Seal, which likewise belongs to a divine-seed martial art.

That is to say, the Divine Seed Martial Arts I now master have reached the six gates!

Only two gates shy of the eight gates...

Li Che stood still in the wind and rain, his eyes opening and closing, his emotions slightly surging.

Eight divine seeds fused into the Eight Odd Gates, each seed capable of generating one hundred and eight strands of innate true gang.

Furthermore, the stimulation of the Eight Odd Gates on the human body's limits...

If the divine seed Eight Odd Gates were all opened, Li Che felt that even without relying on the Golden Mighty Ape, he could easily blast You Liqing apart.

His blazing gaze fell upon the gold-armored God-Subduing You Liqing.

Come!

Let's fight a battle.

Li Che clenched his fist, and the Thunder Dragon Staff suddenly rose.

You Liqing heard the words, his eyes flashing golden: "My lord, pardon my offense!"

Boom——!!!

The gilded twelve-foot serpent spear coiled, then thrust fiercely at Li Che.

……

……

Crack-crack!

Winter thunder rumbled; after the leaden clouds, a flash of electric serpent flicked and vanished.

Violent wind and rain howled down from the high sky, mixed with a few snowflakes.

You Liqing died.

This piece of news…… simply cannot be suppressed.

A supreme grandmaster who ignited the three flowers atop his head, provoked the Odd Gates to spawn divine seeds, and refined six thousand five hundred sixty-one strands of returning primal gang, a strong one only a step away from the Martial Saint realm……

Every move of his was under the watch of experts from all sides; even a minor injury would have a huge impact, let alone his death.

The garrison of the Divine Guard Army of the Western Camp west of Qianyuan Dao City.

Rainwater accumulated on the ground, forming a thick layer; armored figures kept stepping down, shattering the mirror-like pooled water.

The commander's tent of the great general became a terrifying pit ruin dozens of zhang in diameter, the earth and stone at its edge seeming to have been melted into crystal by scorching heat and blood.

The corpses of You Liqing, Long Tai, and Qingniao were placed at a distance in the ruins, covered with white cloth.

The air was filled with a rich sense of grief and anger.

Gusting wind and sudden rain, lightning flashing!

Raindrops poured, linking the city in threads.

A disheveled figure appeared at the edge of the ruins, carrying a sword case, swaying unsteadily.

Clanging sounds rang out; the guardsmen of the Divine Guard Army had already placed their hands on their weapons.

Qianyuan Divine Sect, Huang Jiujiu!

Pairs of eyes warily fixed on Huang Jiujiu.

However, the deputy commander of the Western Camp, Han Qizhong, an old general sent from the Dao Lord's Manor, also a respected elder of the Western Camp, waved his hand.

Originally, Han Qizhong should have been the Western Camp's great general, but You Liqing descended from above, his cultivation formidable, plus his background as a disciple of the Pacification King.

Han Qizhong did not contend either, glad to be a supporting leaf.

Mainly because You Liqing's strength was indeed formidable; upon arriving at the Western Camp, he carved his way out step by step.

Huang Jiujiu was drenched by the violent rain, walked to the edge of the ruins, his expression exceedingly complex.

He and You Liqing had clashed many times, making them enemies.

He and You Liqing had contended for so many years, yet now he heard the news of You Liqing's death.

How could he just die……

Huang Jiujiu sighed, took out the wine gourd at his waist covered in sword marks, and removed the filter.

Glug-glug……

The turbid liquor, mixed with rainwater, splashed all around his person.

Go well.

The world has lost a rival; how lonely it must be.

After Huang Jiujiu offered a toast, he then gulped a mouthful, staggering away in the wind and snow.

Han Qizhong wore armor, his whitening beard and hair also bearing a touch of solemnity.

In the distance.

The sound of breaking space rolled like thunder.

The great general of the Eastern Camp, Yuan Wují.

The great general of the Southern Camp, She Longdao.

The great general of the Northern Camp, Dai Qingxiao.

Also, the youthful Dao Lord commanding the Divine Guard Army of the Dao Lord's Manor, Yue Wuzheng……

One strong expert after another tore through the sky; even the violent rain curtain could not impede their figures.

The Dragon Queen Consort, her face full of ferocity, came accompanied by Yue Wuzheng, landing around the pit ruins.

The consort's graceful figure swayed; she took a few steps before finally reaching beside You Liqing's corpse.

Can it be ascertained who did this?

Yue Wuzheng did not look at the consort; after exchanging glances with several great generals of the Dao City Divine Guard Army, he turned his gaze to Han Qizhong.

With You Liqing's death, Han Qizhong would naturally be promoted to great general, but Han Qizhong is already quite old; in fact, Han Qizhong is preparing to enjoy his twilight years.

Never would I have thought that someone like You Liqing, a disciple of the Prince Pacifying Rebellion... a figure destined to enter the Martial Saint realm... would actually die...

"Probably... the Netherworld."

Han Qizhong hesitated for a moment, then said.

"Netherworld?"

"According to the descriptions of several commanders, the great fog rolled, yet it seemed as if an intangible force had isolated investigation, battle fluctuations were not transmitted at all, and all kinds of sounds were isolated."

"Only the Netherworld wields such power..."

"Back then, the Netherworld killed Su Huaili with this method, and now... the same old trick, killing General You."

Han Qizhong, being experienced, quickly analyzed the situation.

"Netherworld..." the Young Dao Master Yue Weizheng's eyes flickered, and he murmured the name of this mysterious force.

Reckless actions...

Now, they even dare to kill You Liqing...

This Netherworld made Yue Weizheng feel threatened involuntarily.

Such a reckless force is what the authorities despise most.

Compared to the Hunter God Hall, this makes Yue Weizheng even more wary.

At least, the Hunter God Hall still observes rules, and its actions leave traces.

But this Netherworld...

Before, they killed the Corpse God Sect's evil people who had been given the Corpse Curse Seal and were hidden within Qianyuan Dao City.

Now, even You Liqing has been killed...

Such an uncontrollable factor.

The City Lord's Mansion... can no longer turn a blind eye.

In the distance.

The Dragon Queen Consort rose to her feet; on her peerless face, all expression had long been gone, leaving only coldness.

"Netherworld... it seems so..."

"Su Huaili died at the hands of the Netherworld, and You Liqing probably also died at the hands of the Netherworld... My son is in Jinguang Prefecture and has also been targeted by the Netherworld, seemingly killed by Netherworld forces."

"Now it seems the truth is clear; my son's death must be the work of the Netherworld!"

The Dragon Queen Consort jerked her head up; on her lovely face, icy coldness surged.

"Netherworld——!!!"

"I want...... to exterminate the Netherworld!"

"Everyone!"

"All!"

The Dragon Queen Consort is utterly dead-hearted.

The two most important men in her life died one after another.

She has nothing left to lose.

She now...

She only wants revenge!

Revenge without restraint!

Qianyuan Dao City.

Listening Thunder Alley.

Independent workshop courtyard.

Lightning snakes roamed above the firmament, wind and thunder surged, and the rain poured down.

Li Che returned under the eaves, sat cross-legged, and changed into a clean, neat black robe.

His qi and blood coiled like an angry dragon, faint electric arcs crackled, tempering his flesh and cells.

The Electromagnetic Orbital Body had evolved to level 2, Li Che's control over the electromagnetic field became even more adept.

Moreover...

Li Che raised his hand, amidst a zizz— of countless electric arcs, a substantive lightning ball condensed in his palm.

The surging current filled with violent qi, rampantly lashing the air.

"The lightning ball, condensed from heavenly thunder power, gathers my qi and blood power and divine power; its power is not trivial...... it almost absolutely suppresses evil spirits."

"Magnificent heavenly thunder, specially to exterminate Xiejwei!"

"A burst of innate true gang comparable to that of Long Tai, a grand master of heaven-man unity......"

Li Che was very satisfied; this is still only level 2 of the Electromagnetic Orbital Body, with great room for improvement.

Yet to evolve into the embryonic form of a divine ability and the divine ability itself...

With a stir of heart and mind.

【Dao Fruit: Immortal in the Painting (lv3, 85%)】

"The Immortal in the Painting Dao Fruit is also about to reach level 4...... it can evolve into a divine ability, which is quite anticipated."

【Dao Fruit: Pure Heart (lv4, 80%)】

【Dao Fruit: Chess Sage (lv4, 75%)】

The maturity of the other two Dao Fruits has also increased considerably, steadily improving.

Li Che was very satisfied.

Between one breath and the next, his thoughts calmed, and the mist that filled the house was washed clean.

Li Che sat cross-legged under the eaves where the rain curtain hung, quietly listening to the sound of rain striking the courtyard.

The sky faintly showed a fish-belly white.

The rain seemed to have eased up a little.

Li Che took out the cosmos jade of You Liqing and Qingniao; as for Longtai's cosmos jade… it had already been emptied by him.

With a stir of his mind, he tore through the obstruction of the cosmos jade.

Huh?

Li Che glanced at the two people's cosmos jade, and couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised.

A powerful cultivator like You Liqing, who has reached the pinnacle of three flowers and divine embryo fetal breath transformation, surely would have an abundantly rich collection; however…

Beyond Li Che's expectations, You Liqing was even… than imagined…

still much poorer.

Li Che flicked his finger.

The detained gods of You Liqing, Qingniao, and Longtai appeared, performing their rites respectfully.

"Fifth-tier Divine Nature Crystals… only seven? Old You, you're a regiment commander after all—how do you live so tight-fisted?"

Li Che said.

You Liqing: "……"

This master of mine seems a bit like a dog?!

He killed me, bound my god, and even to my face criticized my penniless wealth…

Is he human?

"Sorry, my lord, for disappointing you; usually… I would bestow some upon my subordinates."

You Liqing said.

"Even fifth-tier Martial Pills are only two… you're far poorer than the Su family's Divine Eagle Grandmaster Su Huaiming."

Li Che muttered.

You Liqing: "……"

Enough, my lord, stop poking at my heart!

However, You Liqing's martial arts collection is indeed rich; those two divine seed martial arts are also recorded therein. Li Che glanced through them briefly, and found them still more complex than receiving personal instruction from You Liqing.

"Divine weapons… Golden Eight-Zhang Python Spear, a lower-tier divine weapon of the Five Elders…"

"Aren't you a disciple of Ji Moli? How can you be so unexpectedly poor?" Li Che said.

You Liqing fell silent for a moment.

"This lower-tier divine weapon of the Five Elders was bestowed by our teacher… together with the cultivation of the divine seed martial art 【Eight-Zhang Demon Python Spear】."

"Our teacher imparted two divine seed martial arts to each of us disciples, requiring us to channel the divine seed martial arts into the extraordinary gates before we can attempt to break through to Martial Saint."

Upon hearing that, Li Che narrowed his eyes and rose.

"Pacification King Ji Moli…"

One of the five great vassal kings of Dàjǐng, Dàjǐng's foremost powerhouse standing at the very peak.

Even the sect masters of the major divine sects regard him with dread.

"Su Huaili is too weak, still not meeting the standard for cultivating divine seed martial arts, but my three senior brothers have all reached the standard."

"But what divine seed martial arts they possess—mysteriously imparted by our teacher—I do not know."

"In fact, everyone only knows my divine seed as the Fury-Eyed Heavenly King's Pupil, but the Eight-Zhang Demon Python Spear is known to very few."

You Liqing said in a low voice.

Upon hearing that, Li Che nodded, still wanting to ask something.

The detained god of Qingniao beside him suddenly asked, "General, the city slaughter you spoke of, the extermination of clans, the killing of people… are they true?"

Li Che felt Qingniao's intense emotional fluctuations.

He hadn't spoken yet, but watched with interest; he was also curious about these gossip.

You Liqing fell silent, seeming somewhat… unwilling to face Qingniao directly.

"Speak."

Li Che said lightly.

"It was the prince's order; although I did not personally strike, I led the troops…" You Liqing said.

Qingniao's detained god trembled, his face deathly pale: "General's hands—have they been stained with blood?"

You Liqing shook his head: "I merely never stood in the way."

"Not only the city of your birth."

"Over these years… the prince, under the pretense of exterminating the Corpse God Sect heretics, has slaughtered not just one city, and the number of those killed… is unknown."

The words having been spoken.

Heaven and earth fell silent, only the sound of falling rain remained, clear and piercing.

Li Che furrowed his brows: "A Pacification King so… so brutal"