Chapter 342: 344. Chapter 338: Mastering the Secret Art of the Divine Embryo to Command Heaven and Earth, a single branch of the Immo

344. Chapter 338: Mastering the Secret Art of the Divine Embryo to Command Heaven and Earth, a single branch of the Immortal Peach reveals the Immortals' banquet【Seeking Votes】

"Not enough?"

A deep voice, as if coming from the netherworld, rang in his ears, lingering and echoing, unforgettable.

Hoo—

Li Che exhaled slowly, and within the mud ball at his brow, a mighty divinity surged like crashing waves, but this divinity was all stored within the Law of Heaven and Earth, the Spiritual Bright True Ape Divine Embryo.

"Need more divinity… or rather, temple god divinity?"

Li Che slowly opened his eyes, and deep within his pupils, a faint golden light flickered.

The instant his eyes opened, Li Che felt his soul undergo a metamorphosis, easily linking with heaven and earth, and his perception of everything became exceedingly sharp.

Whether it was the gentle breeze brushing his face, the fine dust rolling on the ground, or the sounds and movements of melting snow outside, he captured and sensed them all with crystal clarity.

Even a slight shift of his mind could lock onto an area and scale it up or down proportionally, as if he had a magnifying glass and microscope at his disposal.

"This is the Heaven‑Earth Soul…"

"A human's soul, merged with the will of heaven and earth, differs greatly from the martial path's Tian‑Ren resonance."

"Tian‑Ren resonance is more a matter of neural sensation, becoming keen and sensitive, whereas the Heaven‑Earth Soul… is a transformation at the soul level."

Li Che felt a slight tremor in his heart.

Compared to a Martial Saint, whose transformation is at the flesh level, the Divine Embryo… is a soul‑level metamorphosis, both creating a vast gap from ordinary mortals.

Capturing divinity between heaven and earth became even easier and more effortless.

Moreover, Li Che could sense an obscure will of heaven and earth, and even perceive and grasp it!

Li Che knew… this was Dao Essence!

"Dao Essence is the crucial power for a Divine Embryo cultivator to break through the divine tribulation… As for me now, although I sensed Dao Essence long ago, I still have no ideas or direction for its cultivation…"

Li Che pondered, aware that his cultivation had indeed advanced far too quickly.

In six years, from nurturing nature to the Divine Embryo, even Lü Tai‑bai wouldn't have had time to prepare such training for him.

However, Li Che was not anxious, for entering the Divine Embryo does not mean cultivation has reached its end; the Divine Embryo still has four great transformations, requiring it to be fully nurtured, giving rise to the five viscera and six organs, the four limbs and hundred bones, and the head with its five senses…

The task is heavy and the road long.

Li Che scratched his head, feeling a slight headache.

"Temple god divinity… must go to the Guiyi Miao to summon a god."

"However, to satisfy the appetite of the Spiritual Bright True Ape Divine Embryo now, at least a Five‑Elder Rank temple god is needed; such Guiyi Miao are guarded by the Temple Garrison's heavy troops…"

Suddenly, Li Che narrowed his eyes, and a sharp, fierce glint flashed in his pupils.

"By the way, Shendu also has a Four Imperial Rank 【Seven‑Treasure Relic Ruyi Golden Heavenly King Tower Strange Temple】; this Golden Heavenly King Tower Temple has schemed against the Third Prince and also against Xixi… to this day, Xixi has never escaped danger; if Xixi were to strike the Divine Core Golden Core or the Divine Embryo, she would face the backlash of the Prison Lotus!"

"It really makes me more angry the more I think about it; find a chance to feed the temple god of this Four Imperial Rank Strange Temple to the monkeys!"

When Li Che thought of Xixi being endangered by this revered temple god, his mood turned sour.

He had no resistance at all to devouring this temple god.

"However, the gap between the Four Imperial Rank Strange Temple and the Five Elder Rank Strange Temple is considerable…"

"This Four Imperial Rank Heavenly King Tower in Shendu is certainly far more dangerous than the one of the Qian Yuan Divine Sect, and moreover… it has protective temple curses and corpse guards, etc."

Li Che reined in his divinity, relaxed his lower body: "No rush for now; after all, I'll be staying in Shendu for a while, and at least before the Immortal Peach Grand Gathering ends, I still have a chance to act on this Heavenly King Tower…"

"To act on this Heavenly King Tower, I might need to find more Mo City's Jumin…"

"Better to bring several top‑grade Jue‑Dian Jumin."

Li Che smiled, and a hint of ambition stirred within him.

However, the difficulty was not small.

After all, even in Shendu, the capital of the Dàjǐng realm, top‑grade Jue‑Dian are exceedingly rare.

Besides the many sect masters of the divine sects who just arrived, which other top‑grade Jue‑Dian isn't a high‑ranking, influential figure?

They are all the foundation of the Dàjǐng court; to move against them carries huge risk.

Moreover, Li Che could not strike a top‑grade Jue‑Dian without cause…

After all, Li Che is not a blood‑thirsty person.

"The Sovereign of Mo City… indeed makes me stronger, even to the point where I might be overwhelmed by the power wielded by that Sovereign, forcing me to calm down; ability is meant to be used, not to dominate me."

The room was silent.

Li Che's spirit stirred slightly; with each breath, his heart steadied, his spirit condensed, and his whole being seemed to settle.

In his ears, a gentle breeze seemed to pass, rustling branches, shaking fruit, the sound of them colliding with leaves rang out.

Within his pupils, golden light like drifting smoke slowly surged forth.

……

【Name: Li Che】

【Bond: Li Nuanxi (daughter)】

【Dao Fruit: Immortal Craft (lv5, 70%), Dragon Elephant Vajra (lv6, 10%), Pure Heart (LV5, 93%), Chess Saint (LV5, 50%), Painting Immortal (lv5, 0%), Thunder Magnetic Body (lv3, 70%), Dream Celestial Master (lv3, 20%)】

【Divine Ability Prototype: Immortal Craft·Thousand Analysis Hand, Dragon Elephant Vajra·Ascending Tower, Pure Heart·Binding Spirit, Chess Saint·Great Avalanche, Painting Immortal·Ink Kill, Thunder Magnetic Body·Divine Sky, Dream Celestial Master·Dream Butterfly】

【Divine Abilities: Star Plucking, Rosy Rise, Divine Pull, Limitless, White Jade Capital】

【Dao Guidance: Dragon Elephant Fusion Furnace】

【Tip: For each year the bonded one grows safely, the Dao Tree can bear one Dao Fruit】

……

Dao Fruit information floated before his eyes.

The maturity levels of all Dao Fruits were displayed; Li Che's breath paused slightly, landing on the Pure Heart Dao Fruit.

He could see that the Pure Heart Dao Fruit had reached a maturity of 93%!

Indeed… the breakthrough of the Great Realm does significantly raise the maturity of the Immaculate Heart Dao Fruit, and of course… it may also be because after breaking through to the Divine Embryo, the Lingming True Ape Divine Embryo completely devoured that temple deity!

Li Che's mood couldn't help but surge.

If the Immaculate Heart Dao Fruit reaches lv6, it should also be able to awaken a Dao Guidance like the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit.

Dao Guidance, though not necessarily superior to Divine Power, actually provides Li Che with considerable help.

The Dragon Elephant Fusion Dao Guidance continuously strengthens Li Che's mortal body; after the Divine Nature inside evaporates, the whole person tends toward a perfect Pure Martial Body!

The Pure Martial Body becomes even tougher, able to bear more Qimen Divine Seed detonations.

So Li Che is truly looking forward to the Dao Guidance of the Immaculate Heart Dao Fruit.

Besides the Immaculate Heart Dao Fruit, the Immortal Craft and Chess Sage Dao Fruits, both at lv5, also see varying degrees of maturity increase.

During this half month of traveling, Li Che, besides cultivating and nurturing a Golden Core to strike the Divine Embryo, also practiced carving and mechanism crafting diligently to pass the Special Rank Guest Minister Examination of the Shendu Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

The half-step peerless Mechanical Beast Twin-winged Little Ying Dragon King is overly complex; Li Che is still studying it slowly, but progress is improving, naturally raising the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit's maturity.

Additionally, the Thunder Magnetic Track Dao Fruit has also improved; Su Dao Ling has completed the Minor Divine Sky Five Thunder Talisman, and Li Che can use Divine Talismans daily to cleanse and forge his physique.

Overall, the Dao Fruits' overall maturity is steadily increasing.

Slowly standing up, Li Che's body surface faintly emanated golden blood mist, hazy as if a golden robe.

It resembled the Divine Martial Art Maitreya Golden Robe that Li Che practiced when he was weak, but now it is formed purely by his qi and blood mist.

It shows that Li Che's qi-blood strength is terrifyingly extreme; each drop of blood becomes immensely heavy and condensed.

In front of him, golden light glittered.

Dragon Elephant Fusion: Pure Martial Purity (88%)

Li Che's eyebrows twitched slightly; the mortal body's Pure Martial Purity unexpectedly rose by 1%. Why is that?

The Divine Embryo breakthrough can even feedback to the mortal body level?

Li Che had originally worried that the Divine Embryo breakthrough, with a flood of Divine Nature, would pull down his own Pure Martial Purity.

Now it seems his worry was somewhat unnecessary.

With a flicker of mind, a black vortex appeared behind him.

Then Li Che vanished inside the house, and upon reappearing, he was already inside Ink City!

Pitter-patter.

In Ink City, rain fell—inky water striking the bluish stone ground that resembled an ink painting, instantly blurring and turning into transparent colors, specks and dots.

Li Che snapped his fingers.

At once a plump figure floated into view, landing on the eaves‑crowned rooftop of the building.

"Old Yue, I pay my respects, Lord!"

Yue Huanglong appeared and immediately shouted.

However, Li Che said nothing; his entire qi and blood erupted, golden blood mist booming outward around him, as if forming a massive blood garment, while his Divine Nature was also activated, booming and shaking.

After breaking through the Divine Embryo, Li Che received its feedback and suddenly comprehended a Divine Embryo secret technique.

It was the legendary Heaven‑Earth Manifestation.

Boom—!!!

The overwhelming Divine Nature surged from Li Che's third‑eye mud ball!

Then countless Divine Nature expanded around him, coalescing into an enormous Dharma Form, its silhouette identical to Li Che's, albeit slightly hazy, entirely formed from Divine Nature.

Li Che's mind flickered, and the Dharma Form kept expanding, expanding…

Until it reached a hundred zhang and then halted; this is the highest height Li Che can summon.

The Heaven‑Earth Manifestation can also shrink to an extremely small size.

The hundred‑zhang Dharma Form clenched its five fingers and threw a punch, as if a giant's punch, and its power correspondingly surged.

Such a massive Dharma Form punch is terrifyingly powerful.

The inertia driven by mass and quantity, combined with the impact of Divine Nature's explosion…

The Martial Saint who just opened the Human Pill would be severely wounded by this punch, perhaps even cut to death.

Perhaps only a Qi Sea Martial Saint could barely withstand it.

"How strong… this is the Divine Embryo secret technique of the Three Pure ranks… Heaven‑Earth Manifestation!"

Li Che's eyes flashed.

However, this move has little effect on Yue Huanglong; even without burning fat, he possesses top‑tier peak strength, and can easily block the newly born Heaven‑Earth Manifestation's power.

In terms of Divine Nature cultivation and combat power, the Heaven‑Earth Manifestation Divine Nature secret technique Li Che just obtained, though extremely powerful and comparable to a second‑stage Martial Saint's burst, is only that.

It does not, like the Qimen Divine Seed of the martial path, continuously detonate to break the human body's limiting shackles and unleash terrifying combat power.

Nevertheless, Li Che himself feels his Divine Nature talent is average, so he does not demand too much.

Moreover, Heaven‑Earth Manifestation belongs to a technique that delivers dual blows of force and Divine Nature.

There remains ample room for manipulation and development.

Li Che is slowly adapting and studying.

……

……

The news that Consort Ji, accompanied by the young prince, sought to propose marriage to the Young Master of the Qianyuan Divine Sect and was harshly rejected spread rapidly.

It started from the Ninth City of Shendu and reached the interior of the Dàjǐng Imperial Palace Temple.

It was heard that Consort Ji was rejected by the Young Master's biological father, who gave no chance at all, not even a face to the young prince proposing marriage.

For a moment, many women behind the high officials and nobles couldn't help but laugh.

Naturally they laughed at Consort Ji's eager face being met with a cold butt, rushing to propose marriage only to be turned down.

However, some said Consort Ji lacked sincerity, using an almost abandoned young prince to propose marriage, which is tantamount to extorting the Qianyuan Divine Sect, insulting and looking down upon it.

The Qian Yuan Divine Sect's strength is certainly not weak; that Patriarch Tai Bai is even a top-tier supreme expert listed on both the Divine Rankings and the Heavenly Gate Pass rankings.

Its most precious direct disciple is even the young sect master of the Qian Yuan Divine Sect… Consort Ji actually wants to rope in a little prince to get something for nothing—she's dreaming too big.

"If Consort Ji brings the Third Prince to propose marriage, it might actually work—the Third Prince has a shot at the crown prince position, so what qualifications does that little prince have?"

"Anyone can see Consort Ji only cares about the Third Prince; that little prince is abandoned, whether by the Emperor or by her."

"Absurd! Do you really think the Qian Yuan Divine Sect is just one of those meek, lower-three-city clans in Shendu that have to kowtow to the Ji family's face for everything?"

……

All kinds of sounds reverberated without end.

In just half a day, the news had spread throughout the nine cities of Shendu.

Shendu's Second City.

Consort Ji didn't go to stay at Lü Chi's manor; she returned to the Ji family with a dark expression.

Although she is a married-out daughter, she still has a place in the Ji family, for she is extremely favored in the eyes of the Da Jing Emperor.

Ancient clans have deep foundations, but being situated in Shendu, they naturally forge close ties with the imperial clan; for a clan to endure, maintaining good relations with every dynasty's imperial family is essential.

Of course, if a dynasty heads toward its end, these ancient clans will naturally turn their backs and seek new patrons to support, helping to establish a new dynasty and imperial family.

Shendu has three great ancient clans: the Ji, Yue, and Gongshu families.

Of course, this does not mean the entire Da Jing only has three great ancient clans; the Huang family of Xiling Dao and the Fang family of Jiangnan Dao are also ancient clans, having been passed down for myriad years, standing between heaven and earth.

However, since these two great clans are far from Shendu, their presence is not as strong.

The Ji family mansion occupies a vast area in Shendu's Second City, where every inch of land is precious—second only to the imperial palace and divine hall in the First City—and it embodies wealth, strength, and status.

Clang——!

Many precious porcelain items were smashed to pieces, shards flying everywhere.

Consort Ji's beautiful face was filled with anger; she tore off her veil, her voluptuous chest heaving with rage.

She was angry not only at Li Che, a lowborn fellow who dared refuse her marriage proposal, but also at Lü Chi, that unfilial wretch!

She had kindly arranged a marriage proposal for Lü Chi, rarely putting thought into arranging something for her son, yet this Lü Chi dared to scold her in front of so many people.

Even the Emperor has never scolded her, yet this unfilial Lü Chi dares to do so!

"Good… good…"

"You think having the State Preceptor's backing makes your wings hard, huh?!"

Consort Ji took a deep breath, vented her inner anger, then summoned the maidservants to tidy up.

In her view, the only reason Lü Chi dares to defy her is that he has gained the State Preceptor's support, giving him confidence.

"Could it be that Lü Chi also hopes to covet the crown prince position?"

Consort Ji's face was full of cold intent.

Both the Third Prince and Lü Chi are her sons, but she favors the Third Prince most.

Mainly because Lü Chi's talent is too low and weak, and he was sent away at a young age, Consort Ji really doesn't have much feeling for him.

The Third Prince perfectly inherited the strengths of the Da Jing Emperor and her, Ji Yan; his martial prowess and divine talent are extremely high, and since she raised him from childhood, she naturally likes him greatly.

"Crown Prince? Lü Chi wants to pursue the crown prince position? What foundation does he have? No talent, no cultivation… how could such a waste become crown prince?"

Consort Ji's long eyelashes trembled slightly as she closed her eyes.

Afterward, she recalled the youth seated atop the Yellow Dragon Mystic Wood treasure boat.

He coldly rejected her, leaving no room, not caring at all.

"Li Che!"

Consort Ji opened her eyes; this mere mud-legged fellow from Fēiléichéng, relying on luck to obtain the temple god's inheritance, has climbed to his current height.

But without the protection of Patriarch Tai Bai and the backing of the Qian Yuan Divine Sect, who would dare to refuse her?

This incident has caused Consort Ji to lose all face.

Since becoming the most favored consort of the Da Jing Emperor, her status in the harem is exalted, second only to the Empress; even with the Ji family's backing, her status has roughly matched the Empress's. This loss is the first she's suffered, making it hard for Consort Ji to forget.

"With Patriarch Tai Bai protecting you, it's not easy to act…"

Consort Ji is not stupid either; with Patriarch Tai Bai's top-tier protection, moving against Li Che is not easy, and if done forcibly, it would easily spark a conflict that would be hard to resolve.

The Empress's Peach Blossom Victory Assembly is of great importance; it represents not only the Empress's will but also that of the entire court, so even she dare not undertake destructive acts.

The importance of the Peach Blossom Victory Assembly goes without saying; Consort Ji is also envious, for she is merely a consort and lacks the status to preside over this assembly.

If she could preside over the Peach Blossom Victory Assembly, it would mean a major breakthrough in her status.

Consort Ji naturally pays close attention to the Peach Blossom Victory Assembly, and naturally understands the importance of this grand banquet.

The court has gathered the masters of the major divine sects and their geniuses in Shendu; if any mishap truly occurs, it will only intensify the conflict between the court and the divine sects.

Therefore, Consort Ji is unwilling to touch this omen; she still hopes to someday replace the Empress and take charge of the Peach Blossom Victory Assembly.

This time she suffered a setback, she is indeed angry, but it's fine; a woman's mind is small, and one matter can be held onto for a long time.

Sooner or later she will be able to take revenge.

Li Che and Li Nuanxi are actually nothing to fear.

Mainly it's the Patriarch of the Qian Yuan Divine Sect, Lü Tai Bai, a top-tier supreme expert second only to the vassal king Ji Mo Li…

Thinking of Ji Mo Li, Consort Ji's voluptuous body couldn't help but tremble.

After a long while, she finally regained composure, slowly exhaling a breath.

"According to the data, this Li Che's family has a significant connection with the newly risen powerful force, the Netherworld, in Qian Yuan Dao City…"

"The Su family of Qian Yuan Dao City… seems to have been wiped out by the Netherworld, the entire main line died cleanly, not even sparing infants in swaddling clothes…"

"Tsk tsk tsk, how ruthless the Netherworld is."

"The Su family…"

"Someone, go to the Third Prince's manor and have Su Yunji come to see this palace."

……

……

Li Che returned from Ink City, slowly opened his eyes, brushed away the ink‑colored raindrops clinging to his body, and his whole being seemed to be suffused with a lingering rich scent of ink.

Li Che has also taken a keen interest in researching the divine secret technique Heaven‑Reflecting Earth.

After all, he will soon represent the Qian Yuan Divine Sect in the Heroes' Tournament to vie for that thousand‑year peach.

Li Che still longs for the thousand‑year peach; at least, before a method of immortality is discovered, any longevity‑enhancing treasure is extremely precious.

Moreover, the peach is even more important to his wife Zhang Ya.

Zhang Ya's innate talent is ultimately too poor; even with the pure‑hearted divine baptism, her rate of improvement remains too slow.

The longevity effect of the thousand‑year peach is truly enticing; at the very least, preparing one for his wife is certainly the right move.

As for Xixi's Young Dragon Tournament, according to Lu Taibai, the difficulty will be far greater than imagined, since Xixi is still rather young.

Although he has broken through to the Divine Aspect, the major divine sects, feudal princes' heirs, the Shendu ancient families' prodigies, and so on, all possess excellent resources from birth, making it hard to contend.

Therefore, Xixi's side may not be 100% certain of obtaining the thousand‑year peach, so Li Che must give his all in the Heroes' Tournament to secure it.

"Now everyone knows I've broken through the Divine Embryo and recognizes me as a refined Divine Embryo cultivator, so I will mainly deal with matters using Divine Embryo methods... If that truly fails, I will then reveal a hint of my martial cultivation."

Li Che weighed this in his mind.

Although he intends to make a high‑profile appearance in Shendu, everything that must be hidden should be concealed completely.

To claim the top spot in the Peach Heroes' Tournament, he must strike unexpectedly.

Moreover, six years of cultivation to nurture the nature into the Divine Embryo already yields results dazzling enough to be high‑profile.

Buzz—!

The celestial board of Heaven and Earth settles within his brow.

Li Che finished a day's cultivation, pushed open the gate and stepped out; the courtyard was bustling.

Crowds of prodigious youths dispatched by the many families of Qian Yuan Dao City gathered, along with the Young Dragon disciples of the Qian Yuan Divine Sect, and so on.

Xixi was among them, and Li Che spotted her at a glance.

"Daddy!"

Seeing Li Che emerge from the gate, Xixi excitedly waved the leaf‑bearing branch she was holding.

It was a peach tree branch.

Li Che's eyes twitched slightly.

Then Lu Taibai, clad in white with a bulging satchel, floated over like an immortal.

"This peach tree branch was sent by the Empress Dowager, taken from the Queen Mother of the West's Guiyi Miao at the Sanqing rank, and possesses a unique temple‑god divinity."

"After taking the branch and channeling your own divinity into it, you can activate the branch and gain eligibility to attend the pre‑feast of the Peach Banquet Tournament."

"It also grants you the right to observe the pre‑feast of the peach banquet."

Lu Taibai smiled and then handed a peach tree branch to Li Che.

"Give it a try."

"This peach branch is linked to the Queen Mother of the West's Guiyi Miao; when your divinity is input, it will automatically assess your true age and assign the appropriate pre‑feast opponents."

"For example, Xixi is only six; during the pre‑feast she will be matched against opponents from the Young Dragon Tournament, and the winner's small banquet prepared by the Queen Mother of the West's Guiyi Miao is naturally suitable for such children."

A hint of nostalgia flickered in Lu Taibai's eyes: "Believe me, the Peach Banquet Tournament organized by the court has always drawn the great divine sects, largely because of these winners' small banquets."

"It not only trains disciples and offers chances to obtain… without posing great danger."

"Of course, the fragrant peach itself is also a major lure for the strong."

Li Che took the peach branch, and a faint fragrance drifted.

His gaze fell upon it, as if it were a freshly snapped twig from the peach tree.

A divinity of exceedingly high rank, capable of shaking the soul, swirled within that peach branch.

Li Che could clearly feel that within the peach branch lay roughly three distinct strands of divinity, each crisp and distinct.

"Three strands of divinity?"

Li Che looked at Lu Taibai.

Lu Taibai's robe fluttered as he laughed: "Yes, each peach branch contains three strands of the Queen Mother of the West's divinity; each entry into the Guiyi Miao consumes one strand."

"If you win, you not only partake in the small banquet but also strip the opponent of that strand, accumulating it back into your peach branch."

"When the divinity within the peach branch reaches the eighteenth Dao, it can directly ascend to the main feast of the Peach Banquet Tournament… Under such rules, unless your luck is extraordinarily divine, a weak cultivator cannot force entry into the main feast."

"The threshold rules of the Peach Banquet Tournament are reasonable, after all… the delicacies of the grand feast and the peaches are extremely rare, with limited portions, unable to be prepared in abundance."

"And the great divine sects, the major Dao City families, as well as the feudal princes' heirs and the Shendu families' youths, together probably number over a thousand…"

"With so many participants, it's impossible for everyone to attend; a threshold is inevitable."

Li Che pondered; indeed, it was rather interesting.

Primarily, Li Che wanted to taste what the so‑called small banquet was like; Lu Taibai said the more victories, the richer the small banquet, and Li Che was curious to see how abundant it could be.

Of course, he didn't want to miss the delicacies of the grand feast either.

His spirit stirred, and the mud‑marble at his brow quivered as the Divine Embryo trembled slightly.

A strand of divinity was drawn out, coiling and merging into the peach branch; faintly, Li Che seemed to form an inexplicable connection with it.

Buzz buzz buzz—

Faintly, Li Che seemed to see an extremely magnificent palace, its golden and jade brilliance radiant, light streaming, sunrise clouds blazing!

Myriad celestial qi swirled, tables and mats were arranged in perfect order.

It seemed as if a host of immortals were attending a banquet, a grand celestial court gathering!

Suddenly, Li Che noticed the divinity on the peach branch slowly intertwining, forming a line of ancient characters.

【Attendee of the pre‑feast: Li Che】

West Queen Mother Divinity: Three Strands

Qualification verification passed, eligible to sit at the Heroic Banquet

Three days later, the pre‑banquet begins

These three lines of text surfaced in Li Che's mind, almost making him think his Dao Tree was feeding back Dao Fruit information!

"Like... maybe..."

Li Che took a deep breath.

Why does this hint method resemble his own Dao Tree so much?

A fierce, extreme curiosity welled up in Li Che's heart.

This West Queen Mother Guiyi Miao... what is its origin?

Could it be related to the bond Dao Tree bound to his daughter?

Or perhaps it's merely a similarity in pattern?

His mind withdrew, and he looked at Lu Taibai.

"Divine nature introduced? You should understand what's happening now, right?"

"If you choose to compete, the strand of divine nature that contains spatial Dao essence within the Peach Tree branch will activate, pulling you into the West Queen Mother Guiyi Miao area, where it will randomly match you with an opponent."

"If you win, you can strip the opponent of the West Queen Mother Divinity... Of course, you could also use this West Queen Mother Divinity for cultivation; its rank is extremely high, not inferior to the divine nature in a Four Sovereign lower‑tier Divine Crystal... but it's unnecessary—its quantity is too small, and the effect may not even match that of a Divine Crystal."

"The point is, it's embarrassing."

Lu Taibai smiled.

Li Che couldn't help but grin; it truly was embarrassing, mainly because of the divine significance represented by the Peach branch.

Absorbing divine nature for cultivation is equivalent to forgoing the small banquet and missing the chance to obtain an opportunity.

"Three days later the small banquet will begin; Xixi will participate in the first round, so you probably won't be able to watch the banquet... However, as the head of the Divine Sect, I still have viewing rights; basically I can attend every banquet."

Lu Taibai smiled again.

Hearing this, Li Che begged Lu Taibai to pay more attention to Xixi.

Lu Taibai rolled his eyes: "Xixi is my most prized direct disciple; do I still need you to ask me to watch over her? I have to watch her anyway..."

After speaking, Lu Taibai walked toward Xixi, preparing to give her special training for the pre‑banquet.

"Unfortunately, Xixi hasn't broken through to Grand Master yet; if she could, she'd even have a decent chance to rank in the top three at the main banquet."

Lu Taibai said.

Li Che's eyes flickered: "No rush, Xixi is still young; let nature take its course, pulling seedlings up harms them."

Lu Taibai nodded; he naturally understood this reasoning.

Nevertheless, the special training still needs to be properly organized.

If Lu Taibai's disciple can't even enter the main banquet, the loss isn't just his face but the face of the Qian Yuan Divine Sect and even that of the ancestral master.

"Father, rest assured! Xixi will definitely work hard and will never disgrace your face!"

"Xixi will strive, winning the Peach for her mother!"

Xixi stood on a Prison Lotus Wind‑Fire Golden Light Wheel, floating mid‑air, hands on hips, her small belly puffed out, spirit soaring.

Li Che's face instantly broke into a satisfied smile.

What a sensible Xixi.

Lu Taibai rolled his eyes; if Xixi loses, isn't it his face that's disgraced? What does Father Li Che have to do with it? No one cares whether Li Che's face is lost.

Zhang Ya's eyes were full of emotion as she clasped Li Che's arm: "Sir, our Xixi is truly sensible."

"When I'm angry at you, it's really anger—did motherly love evaporate in an instant?" Li Che turned his head and added.

Zhang Ya blushed instantly, her small hand patting Li Che.

Li Che burst into laughter, pulling Zhang Ya out to stroll around Shendu.

He was left dumbfounded, watching his parents display affection as they left, while Xixi received Lu Taibai's special training in the courtyard.

…

…

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Shendu's Fourth City, Qian Yuan Courtyard.

Inside a house with carved beams and painted rafters.

Li Che sat cross‑legged, the celestial chessboard rose to the heavens, and a net unfolded.

In his palm he clenched a Four Sovereign Divine Crystal.

Within the inner scene of the forehead mud ball, perhaps as the Law‑Heaven‑Phenomena‑Earth Spiritual Bright True Ape Golden Core transformed into a divine embryo, it seemed to trigger a special stimulus response.

The Seven Emotions and Six Desires Golden Core, along with that Lu Xuan Sword Immortal Golden Core, were constantly active; the speed at which they absorbed the divine nature from the Divine Crystal multiplied many times at once.

One Four Sovereign lower‑tier Divine Crystal was almost completely absorbed in about a day.

For three consecutive days, Li Che managed to absorb three Four Sovereign lower‑tier Divine Crystals with extremely high efficiency.

This speed... was truly unprecedented.

It should be noted that the former Li Che, even when his absorption speed was fast, would slow down as the number of Divine Crystals increased.

In the past, refining three Four Sovereign Divine Crystals would take Li Che at least a month and a half.

This situation now truly surprised Li Che.

It was like lazy employees suddenly becoming industriously competitive...

【Dao Fruit: Pure Heart (lv5, 96%)】

Three Four Sovereign lower‑tier Divine Crystals were consecutively drained!

The enhancement effect was extremely evident.

Li Che's breathing became slightly hurried.

He pressed his two fingers together, tearing open the cosmic space.

He took out the Four Sovereign Supreme Divine Crystal obtained from Yue Huanglong's cherished trove.

Majestic divinity instantly filled the interior and exterior of the house.

However, just as Li Che gripped that Four Sovereign Supreme Divine Crystal, intending to strike in one go to impact his Dao Fruit transformation,

His mind and spirit suddenly twitched slightly.

"Xixi's opponent for the first preliminary banquet… has been matched!"

……

……

Primordial Origin Courtyard.

The wind and snow rustled, the great wind wailed.

Xixi, Lü Qingxuan, Yang Yi, Zhou Peng, Yun'e and other prodigies listed on the Primordial Origin Divine Sect's prodigy roster were all sitting cross-legged in the center of the courtyard.

They gripped Flat Peach branches in their hands.

On the Flat Peach branches, strands of the Queen Mother of the West's divinity swayed ceaselessly like a deep-blue, substantive breeze.

? Co

Suddenly.

Xixi opened her eyes, her pupils shining brightly!