Chapter 548: line with translation of chapter title

Igniting the Immortal Platform fire, the Profound Immortal Dao is accomplished!

Translation: "Igniting the Immortal Platform fire, the Profound Immortal Dao is accomplished!" But need to be natural. "Igniting the Immortal Platform fire, the Profound Immortal Dao is accomplished!" However original: "Ignite the Immortal Platform fire, Profound Immortal Dao achieved!" We'll translate: "Igniting the Immortal Platform fire, the Profound Immortal Dao is accomplished!" Keep concise.

After extensive preparations, Li Che finally achieved a breakthrough on the Martial Immortal path, crossing from the Human Immortal realm to the Profound Immortal realm.

Translation: "After many preparations, Li Che finally, on the Martial Immortal Way, achieved the leap from Human Immortal Realm to Profound Immortal Realm."

He transformed into a Profound Immortal, etching the Great Dao's immortal markings onto his flesh to form the Immortal Platform, with karmic fire as the flame to ignite the Immortal Platform fire!

Translation: "Transforming into a Profound Immortal, inscribing the Great Dao Immortal Patterns onto the flesh to form the Immortal Platform, with Karmic Fire as the flame, igniting the Immortal Platform fire!"

It was no easy task—Li Che paid a heavy price and put in tremendous effort.

Translation: "It can be said that this is not an easy matter; Li Che paid a considerable price and effort for it."

Furthermore, the difficulty of reaching the Profound Immortal realm surpassed Li Che's expectations; he never expected it would summon the Annihilating Purple Lightning, a terrifying destructive force nearly on par with an Immortal Tribulation.

Translation: "Yet the difficulty of breaking through to Profound Immortal also exceeded Li Che's expectations; he never imagined it would draw down the Annihilation Violet Lightning, a terrifying annihilating force almost comparable to an Immortal Calamity."

Fortunately, Li Che drew upon the power of heaven and earth's qi to resist and endure, ultimately surviving.

Translation: "Fortunately, Li Che borrowed the power of Heaven and Earth's Qi Luck, managed to resist and endure, and survived."

Otherwise, against a Celestial Immortal's power, Li Che truly had no hope of resisting it; even exhausting all his resources would barely hold it back.

Translation: "Otherwise, facing the power of a Heavenly Immortal level, Li Che truly had no confidence to block it; even exhausting all his reserves would hardly stop it."

He had once conversed with the Dragon-Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit, learning how the Martial Immortal path compares to the Divine path; a Celestial Immortal is essentially on par with the Immortal realm.

Translation: "He had once conversed with the Dragon Elephant Golden Vajra Fruit, learning the comparison between the Martial Immortal Way and the Divine Path; a Heavenly Immortal…… is equivalent to the Immortal Level."

For now, Li Che is still unable to withstand Immortal-level power.

Translation: "As of now, Li Che still lacks the ability to cope with Immortal-level power."

Whooo—

Whooo—

Li Che flung his fingers wide, karmic fire blazing in his palm; after more than forty days of tempering, he had fully consolidated and mastered the gains from his recent breakthrough.

Translation: "Li Che spread his five fingers, Karmic Fire burning in his palm; after over forty days of settling, he had thoroughly completed the organization and mastery of the cultivation he had just broken through."

"Divine Fire, Merging Dao, Slaying Dao, and Nirvana are the four realms of the Divine Spirit; the Profound Immortal equals the whole Divine Spirit realm and, strictly speaking, can be divided into these four stages, as this stage likewise involves comprehending and mastering the Dao."

Translation: "\"Divine Fire, Merging Dao, Cutting Dao, Nirvana—these are the Four Realms of Divine Spirits; Profound Immortal is comparable to the entire Realm of Divine Spirits; Profound Immortal is a great realm, and strictly speaking, it can also be divided into these four stages, for this stage likewise concerns the understanding and grasp of the Dao. \""

Li Che's eyes gleamed.

Translation: "Li Che's eyes flickered."

After the Divine Fire stage, the Merging Dao, Slaying Dao, and Nirvana stages follow essentially the same path, though they place greater emphasis on strengthening the flesh compared to the Divine path.

Translation: "Besides the Divine Fire Realm, the subsequent Merging Dao, Cutting Dao, and Nirvana basically follow the same path; however, compared to the Divine Path, they place greater emphasis on bolstering the fleshly body."

The Martial Immortal path differs from the Divine path chiefly in its focus on tempering the flesh.

Translation: "The greatest difference between the Martial Immortal Way and the Divine Path lies in the tempering of the fleshly body."

The Martial Immortal path believes more strongly in human resolve triumphing over heaven.

Translation: "The Martial Immortal Way places greater faith in human determination overcoming heaven."

Boom——!!

Translation: "Boom——!!!"

The great dragon on his back roared and thundered; immense immortal energy from the Eight Wondrous Gate Immortal Seeds surged forth, while Li Che cradled the karmic fire in his palm and slammed it down.

Translation: "The Spine Dragon roared and bellowed; amidst the Eight Mystic Gates Immortal Seeds, vast and mighty Immortal Qi surged forth wildly; Li Che held aloft the Karmic Fire in his palm and fiercely struck downward."

The divine platform woven from the Three Thousand Great Dao chains shot up instantly, hoisting Li Che's body as if to launch into the skies.

Translation: "The Divine Platform, formed by the interweaving of the Three Thousand Great Divine Chains, instantly rose, lifting Li Che's body as if to charge into the heavens."

With his Martial Immortal breakthrough complete, Li Che's next aim was naturally the Divine path.

Translation: "With the breakthrough in the Martial Immortal Way completed, Li Che's next goal naturally became the Divine Path."

Since both his Martial Immortal and Divine paths are intimately linked to his flesh.

Translation: "Because Li Che's Martial Immortal Way and Divine Path are both closely related to his fleshly body."

Qi and blood reversed, as if igniting flames; divinity returned, with mighty surging waves.

Translation: "Qi and blood reversed, as if igniting flames; Divine Nature returned, surging mightily!"

Like a spark igniting on a dry‑grass plain, in an instant flames burst forth, shooting straight up, blazing crimson, spreading at a terrifying speed.

Translation: "Like a single spark igniting on a wasteland of dry grass, in an instant the flame burst forth, shooting straight up, presenting a crimson hue, spreading at an terrifying speed."

Having just finished summarizing his cultivation in the Xuan Immortal realm, Li Che now chose to charge into the Divine Spirit realm.

Translation: "Having just concluded his Profound Immortal Realm cultivation, Li Che at this moment chose to assault the Realm of Divine Spirits!"

Boom——!!!

Translation: "Boom——!!!"

Upon the divine platform, countless divine essences seemed to ignite in an instant.

Translation: "Upon the Divine Platform, it seemed as if countless Divine Natures were ignited in an instant."

Crimson flames blazed fiercely on the divine platform.

Translation: "Crimson flames blazed upon the Divine Platform."

Li Che spread his arms, the space between his brows turning into a vortex that continuously gathered divinity and channeled it to the divine platform formed by the three thousand Dao chains, sustaining the divine fire's continual burning.

Translation: "Li Che spread his arms, his Glabella seeming to turn into a vortex, continually gathering Divine Nature and then channeling it onto the Divine Platform condensed from the Three Thousand Great Divine Chains, sustaining the continuous burning of the Divine Fire."

Thereafter, Li Che lifted the divine platform ablaze with divine fire and entered the mysterious realm.

Translation: "Thereafter, Li Che lifted his whole body, supporting the Divine Platform ablaze with Divine Fire, and entered the Mysterious Gate."

Within the mysterious realm, the Heaven‑Earth Will's restriction on divine spirits is far less than in the mundane world.

Translation: "Within the Mysterious Gate, the restriction of Heaven and Earth's Will upon Divine Spirits is not as great as in the mundane world."

If he broke through in the mundane world, he would surely provoke the Heaven‑Earth Will's punishment; Li Che had already been punished once when he reached Xuan Immortal, and triggering it again would risk enraging it into drastic action.

Translation: "If he were to break through in the mundane world, he would surely provoke the sanction of Heaven and Earth's Will; Li Che, when breaking through to Profound Immortal, had already been sanctioned once, and if he again provoked Heaven and Earth's Will, he feared it would become enraged and unleash some great move."

So, better not to provoke the Heaven‑Earth Will, lest he invite unnecessary trouble.

Translation: "So, better not to dance on the nose of Heaven and Earth's Will, lest he invite unnecessary trouble."

Rush——

Translation: "Rattle—"

As the divine fire burned, Dao long rivers appeared one after another around the platform, seemingly linked to it, and a mighty will began to tremble faintly.

Translation: "As the Divine Fire burned, one after another Great Dao Long River appeared around the Divine Platform, seemingly connected to it; faintly, a mighty will seemed to begin vibrating."

Li Che sat cross‑legged on the divine platform, his eyes snapping open.

Translation: "Li Che sat cross-legged on the Divine Platform, his eyes suddenly opening wide."

A dense, mysterious mist rolled in, hazy and sweeping from all sides of the realm's ground, instantly enveloping and shrouding the area where Li Che stood.

Translation: "An extremely dense Mysterious Mist rolled in, swelling from all sides of the Mysterious Gate's earth, instantly enveloping and shrouding the area where Li Che was."

Accompanying the surging Dao long rivers, the mysterious mist grew denser, like the vast fog formed from steam rising off the rivers' surface.

Translation: "Accompanying the surge of the Great Dao Long River, the Mysterious Mist grew ever denser; these mists were like the great fog formed from vapor rising off the surface of the Great Dao Long River."

Faintly within the great fog, blurry figures emerged one after another, walking slowly forth.

Translation: "Faintly, within the great mist, one blurred figure after another slowly walked forth."

From those figures, Li Che sensed the aura of an immortal will.

Translation: "From those figures, Li Che sensed the aura of Immortal Will."

"Indeed… breaking through to the Divine Spirit is different from breaking through to Xuan Immortal."

Translation: "\"Indeed…… breaking into the Divine Spirits is different from breaking into Profound Immortal……\""

"Breaking through Xuan Immortal draws the Heaven‑Earth Will's attention, while breaking through to Divine Spirit draws the attention of the immortal sovereigns at the ends of each Dao—these immortals do not want me to succeed."

Translation: "\"Breaking through to Profound Immortal draws the attention of Heaven and Earth's Will; but breaking into the Divine Spirits provokes the notice of the sovereigns at the ends of each Great Dao—Immortal Divine Spirits who do not wish my breakthrough to succeed. \""

The mysterious mist pressed in like walls on all sides, continually approaching and compressing, as if trying to completely suppress Li Che.

Translation: "The Mysterious Mist pressed in like four walls, continually approaching and compressing, as if seeking to completely suppress Li Che."

The great mist was hazy, and divine energy surged.

Translation: "The great mist was hazy, Divine Nature surging."

Li Che stood upon the flaming divine platform, his eyes clear, his whole body's divinity boiling, as he began to comprehend his own Dao.

Translation: "Li Che stood upon the Divine Platform ablaze with fire, his eyes clear, his whole body's Divine Nature boiling, as he began to comprehend his own Great Dao."

In fact, Li Che had mastered eight Dao tribulations, each of which could serve as a path for him to ignite his divine fire.

Translation: "In fact, Li Che had mastered eight Dao Tribulations; each of these eight Dao Tribulations could serve as a path for him to ignite the Divine Fire."

And Li Che chose the fire tribulation, walking the path of the fire Dao long river!

Translation: "And Li Che chose the Fire Tribulation, walking the path of the Fire Great Dao Long River!"

The flame‑filled long river surged, mighty and rushing into the heavens; Li Che's divine platform, under the blazing karmic fire, was like a searchlight on a departing ship, cutting through the mist and lighting the way along the river.

Translation: "The Flame Long River surged, mighty and rushing into the heavens; Li Che's Divine Platform, beneath the burning Karmic Fire, resembled a searchlight on a departing ship, cutting through the mist and illuminating the road above the river."

Boom——!!!

Translation: "Boom——!!!"

Li Che felt his divine spirit separate from his flesh, walking upon the Dao long river; the mysterious mist was torn apart, the confusion shattered.

Translation: "Li Che felt his Divine Spirit Thought detach from his fleshly body, walking upon the Great Dao Long River; the Mysterious Mist was torn apart, the mystic mist scattered!"

But at the edge of the mist, a colossal figure slowly emerged.

Translation: "But at the end of the mist, a colossal entity slowly emerged into view."

Then came a sense of confronting Heaven and Earth directly.

Translation: "Then, there arose a sense of facing Heaven and Earth directly."

Whoosh——!!!

Translation: "Whooo——!!!"

Scorching flames surged forward; when the mist cleared, Li Che saw a figure clad in blazing fire armor, seated cross‑legged at the end of the Dao long river, towering immensely, head touching the heavens, body upon the river, like a mountain seated there.

Translation: "Scorching flames assailed him; once the mist cleared, Li Che saw a figure clad head‑to‑toe in blazing flame armor, seated cross‑legged at the end of the Flame Long River, towering beyond compare, head touching the heavens, body upon the river, like a mountain entrenched there."

Perhaps as Li Che's divine spirit drew near, that supreme being slowly opened its eyes.

Translation: "Perhaps as Li Che's Divine Spirit Thought drew near, that supreme being slowly opened its eyes."

Within its eyes, ancient rotating runes gleamed brightly!

Translation: "Within its eyes, ancient runes spun, glowing brightly!"

Li Che's divine spirit floated upon the Dao long river, his heart feeling no shock or surprise.

Translation: "Li Che's Divine Spirit Thought drifted above the Great Dao Long River, his heart utterly untouched by shock or astonishment."

"The immortal of the fire Dao…"

Translation: "\"The Immortal of the Fire Great Dao……\""

"Indeed, as the Overseer said, in the mortal world almost every Dao has been tread to its end, with immortals presiding, able to cover the sky with a single hand."

Translation: "\"Indeed, the Grand Overseer said, in the mortal world, nearly every Dao has been tread to exhaustion, with Immortals seated in command, covering the sky with a single hand. \""

"If you follow the Dao long river to its end, you can see these immortals; with them blocking the way, you can never behold a new sky."

Translation: "\"When the Great Dao Long River reaches its end, one can see those Immortals; with these Immortals blocking the way, one can never behold a new sky. \""

This is a kind of despair of walking the divine path.

Li Che suddenly understood why the divine tides surged repeatedly, and why the existence of the Prison Lotus Maiden attracted so many powerful beings' attention.

Names: Li Che (Li Che). Also perhaps 'Prison Lotus Maiden' is a title? It's a description, not a proper name, though it could be considered a title; it's not a person's name but a description 'Girl of the Prison Lotus'. Not a proper name; we would likely treat it as generic. 'Divine Tide' is a term. 'Strong ones' is generic.

Because the existence of the Hell Lotus Maiden represents the infiltrating, dimensional-reducing power of the will of Heaven and Earth, even an Immortal would feel threatened before such dimensional-reducing will of Heaven and Earth.

And the stirred divine tide came to an end with the Hell Lotus Maiden slaying an Immortal.

The fall of an Immortal signifies the opening of a path, meaning that a new Immortal quota has been freed up.

Although all the Immortal Gods are worried about the threat of the Hell Lotus Maiden, they also anticipate that she will eliminate other Immortals, so that the freed Immortal position can become a Nirvana cultivated under their command.

Li Che fell into thought.

The Divine Dao is very complex; the rise and fall of the nine divine tides actually involve too many entangled interests, and the underlying interest chain is like a spiderweb, intricate and complicated.

Some Immortals do not wish to become victims beneath the blade of the Heaven and Earth Executioner represented by the Hell Lotus Maiden, yet they hope that other Immortals, or rather the Immortals of the opposing camp, will become souls slain by the Heaven and Earth Executioner's blade.

Boom——!!!

The Immortal seated at the end of the Grand Dao River suddenly opened his eyes; within his boiling gaze, it seemed as if magma were flowing and burning.

In the next instant, countless magma streams spread out like threads, intertwining above the Grand Dao River, slowly condensing into a figure.

Like a miniature version of a figure, entwined with the Immortal's aura, this is the incarnation of the Immortal's will!

Li Che's eyes showed neither joy nor sorrow; he had long anticipated that his assault on the Divine Spirit realm would surely provoke Immortals to act covertly.

Once it was confirmed that it was Li Che assaulting the Divine Spirit level, the Immortals would move to block him, severing his Divine Spirit path!

However……

Come on!

Li Che had long prepared himself for the moment of facing Divine Spirit power head-on.

Boom!

As if forged entirely of flame, the Immortal's will gazed coldly at Li Che.

"If you wish to advance further upon the Fire Divine Dao, you must defeat the incarnation of the deity."

The voice rumbled and vibrated, representing the Immortal who governs fire; his icy tone carried a hint of sneer and a hint of mocking amusement at the spectacle.

Li Che remained calm and fearless, his divinity boiling and surging; clenching his five fingers, a flame magic ape instantly appeared behind him.

It was indeed the Spirit‑Clear True Ape of Heaven‑Earth Embodiment; its roaring flames covered his body, every tendon and bone trembling, with magma‑like fire flowing through his meridians!

Li Che infused the power of the Primordial Fire Tribulation into his Divine Dao power.

Boom!

The will of the flame deity trembled, as if making a hand seal; instantly seventy‑two fire pillars erupted from the Grand Dao River beneath Li Che's feet, and upon the flames hovered a hazy manifestation of Heaven and Earth's will, coalescing into the ancient "Fire" glyph that transformed into a coiling dragon locking onto Li Che.

It sealed off a three‑hundred‑zhang space around him, with flame magma flowing along the ancient runic strokes, and even the void trembled incessantly!

Li Che's Divine Spirit thought, incarnated as the Spirit‑Clear True Ape, suddenly let out a long, sky‑reaching howl.

As if employing pure divine‑flesh power, his right foot stamped down, causing the flame river to tremble; the divinity erupting from his Divine Spirit thought coalesced into a huge flame magic ape, which roared and howled, slamming into the magma coiling dragon and shattering that prison outright!

Facing directly the incarnation of that Immortal's will.

Originally, Li Che thought that the Immortal Divine Spirit stationed in the Grand Dao River would employ some novel means to block him and prevent his breakthrough into a Divine Spirit.

But he never expected that it would actually be a descent of the Immortal's will incarnation, using the same‑level Divine Fire Realm power to obstruct him and try to crush him.

This made Li Che involuntarily let out a cold snort, utterly unafraid.

After all, his flesh had now become a holy body; even after transforming into Divine Dao, his body did not weaken but remained immensely strong, bearing even more tremendous divine power!

After all, having transformed from a Mystic Immortal into Divine Dao, the surging divinity contained within Li Che far surpasses any Divine Fire!

Li Che clenched his five fingers, releasing countless streams of divinity accompanied by a resounding dragon roar; a golden great dragon burst forth from his fist, howling as it swept horizontally and charged forward!

That was the Ancestral Dragon Slaughter Technique!

Learned from the Young Dragon Emperor, since this move is both martial art and divine secret technique, Li Che, now embodying Divine Dao, executes it just perfectly!

The battle held little suspense; although Li Che displayed Divine Dao power, the enhancement gained after breaking through to Martial Dao Mystic Immortal was truly enormous.

That Immortal thought, though strong, was limited to the pinnacle of the Divine Fire Realm, posing no threat to Li Che as he stands now.

After three clashes, Li Che simply wiped it out outright.

By this point, Li Che can truly be said to have stepped into the Divine Spirit realm; his divinity swelled, the Grand Dao River danced wildly behind him, and divine patterns slowly wove into order‑binding chains, clinking incessantly.

Li Che's eyes shone brightly, his aura reaching an ultimate, magnificent magnitude.

Feeling the transformation of his incarnation into a Divine Spirit.

Boom——!!!

The regulatory power formed by the interweaving of Grand Dao divine patterns was imposed upon him, yet in the dark there lay a restriction—the limitation brought by the Immortals.

At the end of the Grand Dao sits a supreme being, drawing in and swallowing the essence of the entire Grand Dao, blocking the path that anyone could walk, giving no opportunity to others.

Li Che sat cross‑legged upon the Grand Dao River, feeling his flesh undergo metamorphosis—as the divine patterns merged into his flesh and blood, endowing it with a mighty Divine Spirit aura.

"Now I too can truly be said to have stepped into the Divine Spirit level; my divinity has undergone a great transformation, grown much stronger! And the cultivation of the Divine Spirit realm… consists of refining the Grand Dao divine patterns to a higher degree, the Grand Dao Order Divine Chains; when these chains are laid upon the Grand Dao River, one can walk upon the river—that is the key to advancing along the Grand Dao River."

"Like the Young Dragon Emperor, who rekindled his divine fire to restore his cultivation, the Grand Dao Order Divine Chains he commands number a thousand—already the pinnacle of Divine Fire!"

"And I… have once seen three thousand Grand Dao Divine Chains; naturally I must master three thousand, to ignite the ultimate Divine Fire."

"The more Grand Dao Divine Chains one masters, the greater the workload in the Merging Dao realm, yet it likewise signifies a deep and strong foundation."

Li Che's gaze burned brightly as he gradually came to understand the cultivation of the Divine Spirit level.

Rumble——

Li Che's surroundings were filled with mighty divinity like a hazy mist; his flesh bore Divine Spirit pressure, a power capable of making ordinary folk collapse and kneel upon the ground.

"Now I… finally have the qualification to ascend to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths and reunite with Xixi."

Li Che's eyes sparkled, surging with anticipation.

After preparing for so long, he has reached the utmost extent he can currently attain.

If Li Che wishes to continue improving himself, the mundane world and the mortal realm's strange quarters can hardly satisfy him anymore.

The main reason is the lack of an opponent strong enough to exert pressure on Li Che.

Whether it was the Dragon-Elephant Golden Body Dao Fruit or the Immaculate Mind Dao Fruit, both required an opponent to impart sufficient powerful pressure.

Li Che had always been clear that pressure was the ladder of his progress, the foundation of his self-improvement.

Of course, it was also because there were too many people in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths waiting for him to seek out.

Not only Xixi, but also the Temple Deity Qitian...

Originally, the Temple Deity Qitian had done so to buy time for Xixi, thus directly charging into the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, even encountering relentless pursuit by powerful divine spirits of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths along the way.

Li Che had always been a person who distinguished gratitude from grudges.

Boom—

The mortal realm's mystic gates trembled incessantly.

Li Che transformed into a divine path, divine fire blazing behind him, every pore of his body seeming to reflect the grand Dao's divine patterns, bursting forth with splendid radiance.

The radiance surged upward, and under the refraction of the mystic mist, it seemed to reflect a colossal figure a hundred zhang tall.

Li Che gave a light smile, and one after another, qi fortune golden lotuses blossomed, floating around him, instantly transforming into qi fortune golden robes that draped over his body.

The divine power was suppressed, and his whole self returned to normal.

Li Che took a step, directly shuttling out of the mystic gate and appearing in the mortal world.

Shielded by the qi fortune golden robes formed from the eighteen-grade qi fortune golden lotus, Li Che's aura was not targeted in the slightest by the will of the mundane world.

Li Che lifted his head, stretched his body, and yawned, as if heaven and earth were trembling.

As if a golden divine dragon were unfurling between heaven and earth.

"Comfortable."

Li Che exhaled a breath.

The next moment, a sound of breaking space echoed.

Upon hearing the news, the Grand Overseer, along with Lü Taibai, Xuan Qisha, and others who had been waiting afar, all rushed over.

"Congratulations, Li Wuxian, on completing your great breakthrough."

The Grand Overseer's eyes shone with surprise and depth.

"It's merely igniting the divine fire and breaking through to become a divine spirit; it's nothing major."

Li Che lightly laughed.

The Grand Overseer tilted his head back and gave a light laugh, yet in his heart he did not believe it at all.

Breaking through to a divine spirit with divine fire causes such a commotion?

Even the Annihilating Purple Lightning appeared—this is the tribulation lightning that makes even immortals' scalps tingle upon encountering it...

If not for the qi fortune golden lotus, Li Che would have already been reduced to flying ashes under that Annihilating Purple Lightning.

However, Li Che saying it this way, the Grand Overseer certainly wouldn't bother to correct anything.

Li Che chatted casually with everyone for a while.

The Grand Overseer, meanwhile, gazed at the Witch God Mountain that had turned into a thunder pool and let out a sigh.

"The Witch God Mountain is gone; the former mortal realm… the Great Witch God and I, old man, were two people capable of linking the will of heaven and earth, the chosen ones, but now only I remain."

The Grand Overseer felt a touch of sorrow, yet also a great deal of pressure.

His pressure naturally came from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

To the divine spirits and immortals of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the mundane world and the mortal realm's mystic gates hold immense mysteries, and are even more like a vast place for proving the Dao.

Because the mundane world possesses a complete will of heaven and earth!

Li Che, however, could not understand the Grand Overseer's sorrow and pressure, for he was about to enter the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths to reunite with his daughter.

Not lingering long on the plains, as the Witch God Mountain collapsed, the interior of the Great Li Kingdom also began to fragment and fall into great chaos.

As for the ultimate outcome, Li Che did not care.

Because these are matters that the God of Fortune should attend to.

The God of Fortune is the one Li Che seeks, the one who can master the fortune of heaven and earth, the new sovereign of the mortal realm!

Buzz—

Li Che and the Grand Overseer, among others, departed together.

Soon, they traversed space and returned to the Shendu of Dàjǐng; although Dàjǐng now existed in name only, its national title had not been changed.

In fact, after taking over the Shendu, the God of Fortune had secretly spread a new national title, namely 'Prison'!

The Great Prison Dynasty is the new national title!

This is a dynasty that encompasses the original Dàjǐng, the Western Regions' Buddhist lands, the Great Li Kingdom, and other vast expanses of heaven and earth.

Li Che had no objection to this, leaving the God of Fortune to toss and turn as he pleased. After all, the God of Fortune is Li Che's bound deity; whatever he does will not harm him, and will even be done for his sake.

Having returned to the Shendu, Li Che entered the Yunxiao Hall directly and found his wife, Zhang Ya.

Zhang Ya was cultivating in the Yunxiao Hall, sitting cross-legged, refining two divine weapons of the Queen Mother of the West.

With the aid of these two divine weapons, Zhang Ya's cultivation was rapidly swelling and increasing.

In a short time, she had already risen to the Divine Tribulation realm!

Even Li Che was astonished by this.

"My lord, the lady's cultivation method belongs to the earthly way of weapon fusion, placing all cultivation upon the divine weapons!"

"Although the ceiling is limited, the speed of increase is extremely fast; this weapon fusion method differs somewhat from the young lord's weapon fusion body refinement… it is more pure."

Su Daji transformed into a lovely maiden to dispel Li Che's doubts.

"Weapon fusion… does that mean Xiao Ya's future cultivation will be tied to the divine weapons?"

"As long as one fuses sufficiently powerful divine weapons, can one raise one's cultivation?"

!

Li Che fell into thought.

Yes, the Soldier-Merging Method is exactly like that, the ceiling is very low, in this lifetime one cannot break through to immortality; this is the limit and flaw of the Soldier-Merging Method… Little Su Da has already laid her cards bare before the matriarch, and it was the matriarch who actively chose to cultivate this method.

Su Da poked with her two fingers, a little frightened, saying, worried that Li Che would blame her.

When Zhang Ya made her decision, Li Che was assaulting the Mystic Immortal realm, so Su Da did not go to disturb him.

"Husband~don't blame Little Su Da, it's my own choice!" Zhang Ya said in a soft, coquettish voice, taking hold of Li Che's arm and hurriedly speaking.

I know my own talent; even if my husband constantly gives me talent baptism, the future ceiling is also limited, wanting to catch up with my husband and Xixi is even more difficult…

So, I chose the Soldier-Merging Method; although it's hard to enter immortality, the advancement is fast… Moreover, in this world, how many cultivators can reach the height of immortality?

Zhang Ya pressed her lips, her eyes bright, with no regret.

She had a very clear self-positioning awareness.

Li Che lightly sighed: "Forget it, let the Soldier-Merging Method be the Soldier-Merging Method… In the future, husband will help you; whatever Soldier-Merging Method cannot break through immortality, since techniques are human-made, we can just modify it later, right?"

Li Che affectionately rubbed his wife's nose bridge.

"Little Ya."

Li Che suddenly shouted.

Zhang Ya's gaze flickered, her long eyelashes trembled slightly.

"Get ready…"

"We're going to look for our daughter."

Li Che said softly.

Zhang Ya's breath suddenly became rapid, the arm holding Li Che's arm suddenly burst forth with strength!

The aura of the fused divine weapons on her body began to undulate uncontrollably, the majestic divine nature continuously surging forth.

Li Che smiled, his immaculate heart divine nature turned once, suppressing Zhang Ya's undulating aura.

Receiving her husband's affirmation, Zhang Ya instantly cheered up, her eye sockets becoming moist.

Although not much time has passed, Zhang Ya's longing for her daughter is too profound.

Last time, from the Jade Emperor's Heavenly Strange Temple, he obtained the divine weapon Nine Dragons Myriad Calamities Qi; according to the rules, Li Che still needs to obtain a second divine weapon before he can enter the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

And as the forty-nine days approach, Li Che should also begin preparations.

Of course, before that, Li Che needs to settle some worldly affairs.

In the Cloudtop Hall.

Li Che sat upright on the high seat, ghostly mist hazy, golden flowing light intertwining, his whole person appearing very hazy and powerful.

He flicked his finger.

One bead after another of chess pieces shot out, twisting and expanding in midair, slowly weaving and transforming into one silhouette after another.

Xie Yunshen wore plain clothes, held a feather fan and silk headscarf, clasped his fists in salute, full of fervor: "My lord!"

Besides that, there were the Great Witch God and many other bound gods.

Li Che intended to leave most of the bound gods in the mundane world.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as the Young Dragon Emperor who possesses the primordial immortal bloodline, and Su Da, a bound god dedicated to serving Zhang Ya, plus several special bound gods, like Gu Yin Xuan, the poison saint who specializes in poison research, Gu Chang Qing, the elixir saint, and other functional bound gods, as well as the essence-absorbing Dao crystal, the meatball Huang Jiu Jiu that is transforming into a divine spirit, Li Che intends to take them all with him.

Because upon entering the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, Li Che's connection with the mundane world will be severed.

These bound gods entering the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths would be of little help to Li Che, so leaving them in the mortal world to stabilize the mortal foundation is best.

The mortal world's fortune condensing into an eighteenth-grade fortune golden lotus, for Li Che, this is a retreat.

Moreover, Li Che had also promised the Grand Supervisor that after gathering the mortal world's fortune, he would not let the mortal world fall into chaos.

The world's long division must unite, long union must divide—this is a great trend.

But…

The many bound gods revere only Li Che as supreme; Li Che ordered them to stabilize the mortal world, which they can naturally do.

After Li Che announced this decision, the many bound gods had no objections.

Of course, they also dared not have objections.

"Old Xie."

"Subordinate is here!"

Xie Yunshen clasped his fists, his expression solemn.

"The mortal world's fortune is now set, but conquering the realm is easy, defending it is hard."

"Guard the mortal realm's rivers and mountains for me, stabilize the fortune."

Li Che slowly rose from the high platform, a terrifying aura sweeping, unique pressure upon the bound gods, like mountains spreading throughout the entire palace.

Like a supreme god king, looking down upon his subordinate deities.

Perhaps this counts as the first strict-sense gathering of the netherworld's gods.

Xie Yunshen's eyes blazed with fervor: "My lord, rest assured, even if I am torn apart, I will not let the mortal realm's mountains and rivers be torn apart!"

The other bound gods, the divine masters of the three major divine factions, the Ha-Ha two divine generals, the Tuota Luohan and other powerful spirits, also earnestly upheld Li Che's will.

"Afterward, you shall each return to your divine factions, sit in command there, and maintain normal operation."

Li Che began arranging mortal affairs.

The gods listened attentively; after all matters were arranged, Li Che then dispelled his aura and sat down again.

"My lord… Dàjǐng has become the past; now, may we establish a new dynasty, the Great Prison?"

Xie Yunshen clasped his fists and inquired.

Li Che's eyes, misty and divine, deep as a starry sky, glanced at Xie Yunshen and gave a light smile: "As you wish."

"Dismissed."

Inside the Cloudtop Hall, the many bound gods all clasped their fists, performing a solemn great salute.

For Li Che, they willingly performed the salute, not only because they had become his bound gods, but also because Li Che had granted them a second life.

Although most of them were killed by Li Che's own hand.

But even if they were not killed by Li Che, they would still die in the future; yet now, having become shackled gods, they possess an indestructible nature, even able to achieve immortality and pursue breakthroughs to higher realms.

Whoosh—

After the numerous shackled gods performed their respectful rites.

They all turned into streams of light, shooting out from the palace gates and rushing to various places in the mortal world.

For example, the divine masters of the three major god factions and many other powerful spirits entered the mysterious gates of the mortal world, their forms vague, shrouded and concealed by strange mist.

Li Che stood in the palace gates, hands behind his back, his black robe fluttering like a black lotus blossoming.

Watching the numerous shackled gods disperse, Li Che involuntarily exhaled a breath.

I wonder how much these shackled gods will have grown by the time we meet again.

Without Li Che's restrictions, these shackled gods might grow wildly like weeds.

"I wonder… whether these shackled gods will devour each other in order to grow."

Li Che's eyes narrowed slightly.

However, he did not ponder this question much.

Li Che took Zhang Ya and left Shendu.

Almost in an instant, they arrived at Qianyuan Dao City.

In Qianyuan Dao City, a heavy rain fell.

The rainwater drained, soaking the blue stone slabs of the Qianyuan Divine Sect, while the white jade archway at the mountain's base still stood tall.

The patriarch of Qianyuan, Lü Qiankun, was in seclusion there.

Li Che glanced, flicked his finger, and a wisp of insight burst forth, merging into the small cave heaven.

As for how high Lü Qiankun can rise in the future, it depends on his fortune.

The couple entered the sect; the sect remained as before, halfway up the mountain being the outer gate, where Outer Gate Elder Jiao Shaochiu led a group of newly recruited divine children, teaching them and guiding them on the sect's cultivation precepts.

Li Chengzhou held his sword, his face stern as several cute little girl divine children clung to him.

Now his status in the Qianyuan Divine Sect was no longer ordinary; having received Li Che's guidance, his status soared.

Li Che escorted Zhang Ya as raindrops fell from high above, scattering around the couple.

"Chengzhou… you're looking more and more like a senior brother."

Zhang Ya leaned against Li Che's embrace, laughing as she spoke.

She had also watched Chengzhou grow up, her eyes filled with a hint of indulgence.

"Husband, let's go see Shiqing."

Zhang Ya felt somewhat reluctant to leave Shiqing.

Li Che naturally would not refuse, taking Zhang Ya to the Li residence that had been moved to the outer gate of the sect.

The several-month-old Li Shiqing was crawling back and forth in the spacious area under the eaves.

The uncle and aunt surrounded little Li Shiqing, fearing she might bump into something.

Suddenly, little Li Shiqing lifted her cute, delicate face, her big eyes blinking as she looked toward where Li Che and Zhang Ya stood, waving her tiny hands and feet.

The uncle and aunt saw nothing, thinking the little girl had just had a fit.

However, Li Che soon manifested his form, surprising the old couple delightedly.

Li Zhengran and Liu Chunming, upon hearing the news, also rushed over immediately.

Li Che did not let them spread the news, merely gathering with family for a small reunion.

Holding little Li Shiqing, Li Che felt a bit dazed, as if holding Xixi nine years ago; but in a flash, time had flown like a white colt passing a gap, and Xixi was already nine, grown into a big girl, separated from her parents and entered the unfamiliar Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Li Shiqing narrowed her eyes, obediently lying on Li Che's shoulder, gripping tightly, clearly enjoying it.

Li Che gently stroked the little girl, his pure-heart divine nature cleansing her flesh.

"Little girl, you too should grow up safe and sound like your sister Xixi."

Li Che chuckled lightly, uttering a beautiful blessing.

Then he clenched his fingers, supreme ferocious energy intertwining in his palm, not leaking the slightest bit, slowly condensing into a black bead, strung on a red cord and hung around Li Shiqing's neck.

Li Shiqing immediately curiously lifted the bead, her big eyes reflecting it, as if she could see the supreme ferocious beast, Mighty Zhu Huai, hidden within.

That great black ox also widened its eyes, locking gazes with the little girl.

Li Shiqing immediately squealed with joy.

Li Che did not intend to take that supreme ferocious beast, Mighty Zhu Huai, with him, but left it as a trump card to protect Li Shiqing.

Although Li Che had instructed Xie Yunshen, Li Shiqing was naturally absolutely safe in the mortal world, yet nothing is absolute.

As Li Shiqing grew, her soul could gradually come into contact with Mighty Zhu Huai, eventually fully connecting.

Besides that, Li Che also left some inheritance in Li Shiqing's soul.

The Eighty-Nine Mysterious Technique martial art was inscribed by Li Che into Li Shiqing's soul, along with his self-created martial art Myriad Transformations Dragon-Elephant Furnace and the second condensed Heaven-Earth ancient talisman…

This was to let the little girl inherit his martial immortal's robe and bowl.

As for how far the little girl can cultivate, Li Che does not know.

Perhaps one day in the future, this little girl… will come running to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Cousin-in-law Liu Chunming seemed to sense Li Che and Zhang Ya's feelings of parting.

"A-Che, Xiao Ya… are you leaving?"

Cousin-in-law Liu Chunming could not help but say.

Zhang Ya nodded, pursed her lips, and took Li Shiqing from Li Che's embrace.

"You will surely find Xixi!"

"Your family will surely reunite!"

Liu Chunming said seriously.

Li Che and Zhang Ya exchanged a smile, their eyes soft.

"Then I'll first thank the aunt-in-law's kind words."

This meal was personally cooked by the elder aunt and sister-in-law Liu Chunming; as the Li mansion grew, they hadn't cooked in a long time.

After the meal, Li Che took Zhang Ya and left.

The couple's figures blurred and vanished into the wind and rain.

Afterwards, Lü Taibai, Xuan Qisha, and other high-ranking members of the Divine Sect learned the news and rushed over.

Li Che shielded everyone's perception, said no farewells to the Qianyuan Divine Sect folk, and thus avoided much sorrow of parting.

The heavy rain poured down, washing over the world.

Lü Taibai clasped his fists in a bow toward the hazy rain curtain.

"Mountains high, waters long."

"See you again in the jianghu!"

Lü Taibai embraced the sect leader's wife beside him, whose curse had been lifted and who had gradually grown up; her eyes shimmered with anticipation.

"There's nothing in this world he cannot do."

"He will surely find Xixi."

Lü Taibai's lips curled up.

Perhaps, the thing he is most proud and honored by in this life…

…is taking Xixi as his disciple, and…

…once having sheltered Li Che.

(End of chapter)