Chapter 32: Sleeping Dragon Elephant, Ox Demon Slays the Eight Trigrams

As a father, Li Che understood that his own safety was tied to his wife and daughter's future.

So, to play it safe, he still went out disguised as an Ox Demon.

Because he made his own elastic clothing, he did not immediately activate the Vajra Transformation; although he wasn't 1.9 meters tall, he wouldn't be too conspicuous.

When, following memory along the familiar path, he arrived at his uncle's house.

Far off, he saw a familiar Eight Trigrams staff.

That figure, crouched on the ground with an Eight Trigrams staff on his back, was exactly the Bone-Tempering martial artist who, together with Zhao Chuanxiong, had surrounded and attacked Li Che when he killed Lady Liu.

"A Bone-Tempering martial artist… coming to do this?"

"As expected, they came for me."

His uncle's family practiced no martial arts; his cousin Li Zhengran was merely a pen-pusher, lacking even the strength to truss a chicken, let alone mobilize a Bone-Tempering martial artist.

Merely provoking a Meridian-Opening martial artist would be like using a cattle knife to kill a chicken.

Therefore, the other party's purpose is not simple.

Moreover, his uncle came to inform him of the request to stay at the Xu Ji Grand Courtyard, giving Li Che seventy percent confidence that they were coming for him.

"Seventy percent chance… this confidence is already too high; the Soul Infant Sect has never given up on Xixi, and their methods have become even more extreme."

"Do they intend to force my wife and daughter to move out of the Xu Ji Grand Courtyard through my death?"

"How ruthless."

Li Che closed his eyes, then opened them again; beneath the infant ox mask, killing intent surged like a flood.

However, the more his killing intent showed, the calmer he became.

In his chest, the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit beat violently, as if drawing in and swallowing all the aura on Li Che's body.

This is a minor transformation after the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit's maturity consumed divinity to reach 60%.

Besides releasing and stimulating the "Vajra Transformation", it also completely devours blood and aura, concealing cultivation and qi mechanism.

Li Che called this the "Sleeping Dragon Elephant", like a dragon and elephant at rest, with every movement causing no ripple.

With the "Sleeping Dragon Elephant" restraining his aura, Li Che walked through the snow tracelessly, as if merging into the wind and snow, toward the figure in the courtyard wearing a child's mask.

The wind and snow wailed, raging and howling.

That figure crouched on the ground, staring at the door crack with a half-smile, completely unaware of Li Che's silent approach.

When he realized something was wrong, Li Che had already appeared behind him, suddenly activating the "Vajra Transformation"; his flesh instantly swelled like an inflated balloon, bones colliding with a boom, major tendons twisting and creaking!

Amid the ringing echoes, he had already turned into a giant forged of refined iron!

The quasi-substantial qi and blood, like spawning flood dragons, spread crisscross; the inner strength of the serpentine qi even spewed out, merging into the qi and blood, coiling around Li Che's arm.

Without a word, Li Che's clenched fist came crashing down!

The terrifying power, at the moment his fist struck the flesh of the Girl's Mask martial artist, erupted explosively, skin splitting, flesh tearing, blood spraying!

The bones seemed to emit groans of being unable to bear the load, as if about to break.

The Eight Trigrams staff martial artist was dragged several meters through the snow, accompanied by surging air currents and swirling white snow mist, slamming hard into the earthen wall, causing the snow piled on the black tiles of the wall to flutter down.

"I found you……"

A hoarse voice came from the Ox Demon's mouth.

It echoed inside and outside the courtyard.

Inside the house, Li Zhengran was terrified to the extreme, silent as a cicada in winter, chill enveloping his whole body.

Outside, gods were fighting; they feared…… it would affect those inside.

"Cough cough……"

In the snow pile.

That figure staggered up, half his body split open and bleeding, dyed red, blood droplets continually falling from the hand gripping the Eight Trigrams staff.

The child's mask was covered in cracks, looking somewhat ferocious.

"Ox Demon……"

The Eight Trigrams staff martial artist coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with shock and anger.

Li Che looked at him indifferently, without further words.

Those words just now…… were already enough.

Killing someone needs no further explanation.

Just kill him.

This Eight Trigrams staff martial artist was already on Li Che's must-kill little notebook; besides him, Zhao Chuanxiong and the entire Soul Infant Sect…… were also on his list.

Now encountering him…… isn't this just a coincidence?

Then I'll send you on your way!

He twisted his thick neck, back muscles writhing to the spine, his vertebrae springing like an angry dragon shooting to the heavens, nine major tendons rising like nine great pythons.

With a step down, instantly the accumulated snow in the courtyard exploded.

Amid the hazy snow mist, a burly figure like a giant, wrapped in surging qi, tore through the mist and shot forth, appearing before the martial artist gripping the Eight Trigrams staff.

Raising his palm, the air currents shattered; clenching his five fingers, the air seemed to be pinched to explosion!

The fist formed by gripping came down upon his head.

Like a white tiger in the snow, amidst the raging wind, he fiercely struck down a tiger's claw!

The danger of death instantly enveloped the Eight Trigrams staff martial artist.

He could hardly imagine that, in just a short month, this vicious Ox Demon had grown to such an extent, his aura so terrifyingly mighty!

Bone-Tempering…… perfected!

A month ago he had just entered Bone-Tempering; now…… he had already perfected it!

What monster?!

But now he couldn't think more, and let out an angry roar!

Mobilizing all his strength, his internal force ignited; facing the tiger's lightning-fast punch, he had no choice but to block horizontally with his bagua staff!

Boom!!!

The Ox Demon's punch came down horizontally, heavily smashing onto the bagua staff!

The staff bent instantly, letting out a mournful cry!

Terrifying myriad-jin force surged forth, as if the air itself were shattered in an instant!

The wind, snow, and mist between them all spread out, like ripples on a water surface!

The loftily rising snow resembled a curtain lifting on a stage!

His jet-black, vigorous hair danced wildly; beneath the mask, his eyes shone bright as stars!

The bagua staff martial artist felt a chill, the terrifying force surging into his arms that gripped the staff, scattering his three-layer internal force, causing his hand bones to shatter, blood vessels to burst, and blood to flow freely.

However, Li Che remained relaxed, clenching his five fingers and slamming down hard.

In the recoil, the bagua staff sprang from the martial artist's hand, and another punch followed—this punch Li Che infused with the Xu Ji Eight-Link Bone-Shattering Spear he had just mastered after a morning of arduous training!

Fist like a spear!

Tearing through the raging airflow, it erupted with myriad-jin force, heavily smashing into the bagua staff martial artist's chest.

As if a muffled blast exploded, the airflow swallowed and the rib bones of this bagua staff martial artist shattered violently under the punch, accompanied by his organs and scorching blood, likewise torn apart, splattering across the snow curtain raised like a stage drape.

His flesh, like steel and iron bones, still radiated scorching heat.

Li Che lowered his fist, his eyes beneath the mask indifferent as he glanced; the bagua staff martial artist, a Tempered Bone martial artist, deprived of vital breath, was thus beaten to death by him in a brutal, outright manner.

Thus, a name was crossed off the death list.

A strong scent of blood permeated the small courtyard where the wind and snow wailed.

The uncle's family inside the house had already been terrified to the point of not daring to breathe.

Especially Li Zhengran, who saw the killer murdering through the crack in the door, felt his legs go weak, unable to stand, nearly collapsing.

Fortunately, that terrifying Ox Demon was not a person who loved killing.

Its appearance seemed merely to kill the Soul Infant Sect martial artist who bore a bagua staff and wore a child's mask.

Li Zhengran broke into a sweat, gathered courage, and peered again through the crack.

Yet outside, the wind and snow had calmed; the Ox Demon had vanished, leaving only a blood-stained corpse lying on the ground, its blood dyeing the Soul Infant wood carving red, appearing exceptionally eerie.

Li Zhengran dared not look again, shivering all over as he returned indoors; the uncle also dared not smoke, the family huddled together, not daring to breathe, very quiet.

Suddenly.

A rustling sound came from outside.

It was the creaking sound of soles stepping on soft snow.

"Uncle, it's me!"

Hearing the call from the courtyard, Uncle Li Liang instantly showed delight: "Ah Che has arrived!"

Li Zhengran, Liu Chunming, and the others also let out a sigh of relief.

Now Li Che is a woodcarver at Xu Ji Woodcarving Shop, a person of status; his appearance alone gives them a sense of reliance.

Opening the door, Li Che, dressed all in black and wearing a bamboo hat, stood outside with a solemn expression.

"Ah Che..." Cousin Li Zhengran swallowed, hurriedly speaking, describing what had just happened in a disjointed manner.

Li Che's face changed dramatically in horror: "An Ox Demon? The one the government has placed a five-hundred-tael bounty on?!"

"Quick! Pack up and leave at once!"

"This matter... is not something we can get involved in; hurry to the Xu Ji estate for greater safety."

"That deceased... was a Tempered Bone martial artist; a single punch could kill my terrifying martial artist—just how fearsome must the Ox Demon that killed him be? Let's run!"

Li Che's eyes flashed with a hint of exquisite terror, then he spoke in a deep voice.

Hearing this, the uncle's family instantly panicked: "A Tempered Bone martial artist?"

Isn't that the kind of master who can scale walls and rooftops?

Such a person actually died in their little courtyard... Hurry and slip away; we can't stay.

Fortunately, they had already packed their belongings.

Thus, after a simple tidy-up, they all followed Li Che away from this bloodstained courtyard.

The courtyard emptied, grew quiet.

The wailing wind and snow raged wildly between heaven and earth.

Fine snowflakes fluttered down in a soft rustle.

They fell upon the askew, crack-covered child's mask lying in the snow.

Alone, it murmured sorrowfully.

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(End of chapter)