Chapter 618

Opening Heaven!

The final realm of the Martial Dao Profound Immortal!

For Li Che, this realm is crucial; if he can step into Opening Heaven, it may be equivalent to possessing Earth Immortal‑tier combat power.

In the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, that equals stepping into the most elite tier!

Although attaining Heaven Immortal remains difficult, it is no longer as hard to contend with as before; at least if he wishes to leave, he can do so easily.

Previously, confronting Heaven Immortal without the aid of Qi Tian Jia was not even a same‑tier confrontation.

The primal pressure of Heaven Immortal alone could strip him of all combat ability, though Li Che's current power is no longer weak.

Combined with the Eight Immortals of the Strange Gate, he can unleash power beyond his own rank, capable of dueling the Earth Immortal.

But it's not enough, far from enough!

Li Che wants to save his wife and protect his daughter; his cultivation is still insufficient, and only by standing on the true summit can he overlook everything.

But time is too tight.

To rescue his wife, he must reach a sufficiently powerful realm within three years; for an Immortal, three years is merely a nap's worth of time.

Li Che is under great pressure.

Hoo hoo hoo—

Chaotic winds howl and sweep continuously.

The Third Prince's wind‑fire wheel transforms into a black lotus platform, bearing Li Che's form; the Third Prince feels the prison‑lotus curse gradually peeling away inside him, his expression turning grim.

He does not disturb Li Che, but silently accelerates his speed.

Rushing to enter the Prison Lotus Land is certainly no easy task.

The three major divine camps must have long devised plans and preparations.

"Especially Hei Xu Mi..."

"This Eighth Generation God Tide should be led and sparked by Hei Xu Mi; Hei Xu Mi... will never let us return to the Prison Lotus Land easily, and will prevent Xixi from obtaining the insights and curse‑suppression methods of the past generations of Prison Lotus sons and daughters."

The Third Prince's eyes are deep, his arms crossed over his chest as he stands.

Two black lotus blossoms, under the shroud of the cosmic chessboard, blaze through the void at high speed, racing toward the Prison Lotus Land.

The Third Prince knows the location of the Prison Lotus Land, so Li Che handed the initiative over to him.

The Third Prince glanced at Li Che, aware that Li Che is in seclusion refining the God‑slaying Sword, and does not disturb him.

He even deliberately slows his pace, minimizing the impact during the rapid flight.

Buzz—

On the black lotus platform, the crimson God‑slaying Sword in Li Che's hand seems to begin a relentless tremor, erupting in blood‑red and gold, the two colors intertwining and surging, flickering unpredictably.

Li Che sits cross‑legged, his eyes profoundly deep, his chest rising and falling, the sudden insight of the Dragon‑Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit feeding back a wild surge.

His spirit flickers slightly, and thread‑like sword qi is instantly drawn from the God‑slaying Sword; this is the Immortal God‑slaying sword intent, which for Li Che is… barely better than nothing.

His primary goal, of course, is not the Immortal God‑slaying sword qi.

His mortal immortal body trembles, each cell as if dried out by endless ages, wildly devouring the Immortal God‑slaying sword intent.

Allowing the sword intent to coat him, it repeatedly clangs and slashes across his body.

Each cell seems to burst with an extreme brilliance, dazzlingly radiant!

Li Che's eyes flutter open slightly, feeling his flesh body's slow metamorphosis within this sword‑intent baptism.

However, using this power to achieve Opening Heaven is truly impossible.

Opening Heaven Profound Immortal, for Li Che, actually corresponds to Earth Immortal.

Li Che originally thought Heaven Immortal corresponded to Heaven Immortal, but upon comparison, Heaven Immortal directly matches the Heaven Immortal tier.

Thus, Li Che's attempt to strike Opening Heaven Profound Immortal is essentially the same as using Nirvana King cultivation to assault the Immortal deity tier.

Li Che is unsure whether he will succeed; he can only give his all to try.

"Come on!"

Between each breath, Li Che's flesh body erupts with an unprecedented terrifying roar.

He hardens his flesh body against the Immortal God‑slaying sword qi will, letting the sword qi wash over him, forging an even richer life‑death aura, causing his mortal immortal body's progress to continually climb!

For a Martial Dao cultivator, the toughness of the flesh body is vital.

That is the foundation of one's own transformation!

After the eight metamorphoses of the Dragon‑Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit, the emanating Martial Dao essence continuously permeates the flesh body.

Sitting cross‑legged on the black lotus platform, Li Che's whole body glows—it is an ultimate, powerful flesh body.

The Third Prince, arms crossed, casts a glance, a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

What a enviable flesh body!

Being a flesh body forged from Prison Lotus roots, the Third Prince naturally feels a degree of envy toward this fresh, fiery flesh body.

Zzzzz—

Perhaps Li Che's towering life force vibrates, causing the heavens and earth to change hue.

The move to open Heaven seems to alert the cosmic will of the entire Primordial Thunder Heaven, stirring uneasy agitation.

Celestial anomalies surge forward!

Buzz—

The Third Prince, arms crossed, shifts his thoughts.

In an instant, the black lotus platform hovers and halts, no longer racing.

Li Che sits cross‑legged atop the platform, his eyes slowly opening; within his chest, the Thunder‑Magnetic Track Dao Fruit begins to bounce and clang.

It transforms into a Thunder‑Magnetic vortex, continuously devouring and drawing in the surrounding thunderous qi.

Crack crack—

Enormous lightning bolts instantly intertwined from all directions, as massive as a thunder serpent, vivid and lifelike!

Each bolt of thunder contains an immensely powerful primordial source of heaven and earth!

It is as if a vast amount of compressed celestial Qi has coalesced into a terrifying energy creature!

The Third Prince tiptoed, and the strange hue in his eyes grew ever deeper.

There was even a hint of surprise and astonishment.

"To draw such a massive amount of celestial Qi and its source..."

"Could this be... to challenge Immortality?"

Cultivating the Dao of Immortality...

Is it so crude?

Without any preparation at all?

Cultivating the Dao of Immortality, opening Heaven and drawing the primal source into oneself is not a simple matter.

The calamity of the primal source, formed from the will of heaven and earth, is even more terrifying—a true nine‑deaths‑one‑life cataclysm.

How many Nirvana Heavenly Kings have been utterly annihilated on the path of cultivating the Dao of Immortality?

"No, it should be the Immortality of the martial path..."

"That's interesting."

The Third Prince inhaled deeply, his body instantly launched outward, supporting the celestial chessboard and moving away from Li Che.

He seized the Prison Lotus Wind‑Fire Golden Light Wheel beneath Li Che.

Li Che fell straight down with a thud, landing in a valley of Primordial Thunder Heaven.

Li Che opened his eyes, glanced at the Third Prince, who crossed his arms and gave a slight nod.

"I will protect you as a guardian."

The Third Prince said.

Li Che nodded, his spirit stirred, and summoned Qi Tian out of the Haotian Tower.

Armor clanged, and dense divine seals of mechanisms burst forth with dazzling brilliance.

Qi Tian bore the Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff, his blazing eyes filled with surprise.

"Martial Way opening Heaven?"

"Has it come to this step so quickly?"

"Is it perhaps a bit too hasty?"

Qi Tian scratched his ear and cheek, unable to help asking—not out of doubt, but because it truly seemed too fast.

In fact, Li Che's rate of growth indeed exceeded his expectations and imagination, far faster than he had imagined.

But isn't that excessively fast!

"He must be fast..."

The Third Prince sighed softly.

Seeing this youth who emerged from a small mortal city and rose to such heights, the Third Prince felt a swirl of emotions.

Times forge heroes; Li Che's growth was actually for his daughter's safety—he must continually strengthen himself to protect her.

"He also harbors his own mysteries; otherwise, how could an ordinary person advance so quickly..."

The Third Prince said.

Qi Tian's blazing eyes flashed gold, he bore the Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff and nodded, "That's true... perhaps he is also a part of this scheme?"

With those words finished, Qi Tian and the Third Prince exchanged a glance.

Both their gazes erupted with radiant brilliance.

"You, I, and the three‑eyed one are merely pieces, a struggling piece in a mythic chess game."

"In truth, we were meant to become sacrificial pieces in this Divine Tide, to fall off the board entirely, but... Li Che's emergence revived us."

Qi Tian tilted his neck; his armor flashed with dazzling light, and an invisible pressure rolled outward.

He lifted his head, staring at the vault where terrifying celestial Qi kept gathering, squinting his eyes.

"Now, old Sun wants to see who... is scheming!"

…

…

Boom—

Roaring thunder surged, howling and raging, intertwining wildly!

The vault of Primordial Thunder Heaven seemed to plunge into fury, countless massive bolts of thunder filling the vast sky!

Li Che sat cross‑legged in the valley, the entire valley appearing as a sea of thunder!

The massive celestial Qi poured out like a breached river, uncontrolled and overwhelming, as if destroying heaven and earth!

Li Che's jet‑black, sinewy hair flailed wildly, his face covered by a white jade Kṣitigarbha mask.

In his chest, the Thunder Magnetic Circuit Dao Fruit's pulsation reached its peak.

The mighty Martial Immortal Will, sensing the thunderous Qi permeating the surroundings, instantly broke free of limits; every pore of his body seemed to expand, allowing the celestial Qi to surge in.

The God‑Slaying Sword's sword Qi he grasped washed over his flesh, while celestial thunder Qi surged in madly.

"Open Heaven, cleave a portion of the celestial will, and draw the primal source into oneself!"

Li Che felt a sudden insight.

The threads of primordial source hidden within this celestial Qi are precisely the energy the Immortal tier desperately needs!

In fact, among Li Che's many Dao Fruits, the Dragon‑Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit and the Thunder Magnetic Circuit Body Dao Fruit can both be applied to the martial path.

Infusing the power of thunder endows the flesh with thunder attributes, making the body far more robust!

Boom—

Heavenly thunder raged angrily, drawing the thunder essence gathered from the essence of heaven and earth, containing primordial qi.

Its power is terrifying to the extreme; even if Li Che possesses the Lightning Magnetic Orb Dao Fruit, he must still be extremely cautious.

Otherwise, if he is careless, he could be severely wounded by the thunder essence.

However, Li Che's fleshly body is now formidable; he lets this thunder essence surge into his body, filling every corner of his flesh.

Closing his eyes, he sits in silent meditation within a valley where winds and clouds surge, turbulent currents rage, and thunder roars.

Li Che seems to have turned into thunder itself, as if wholly forged from thunder, yet at this moment his mind is utterly tranquil.

In his chest, two Dao Fruits roar—the Dragon Elephant Vajra and the Lightning Magnetic Orb Dao Fruit—furiously bellowing, shattering the azure firmament.

Li Che looks back on this life after embarking on cultivation in this world; the years flow through his heart like a fleeting glance.

Martial cultivation is like a series of scrolls, slowly revealed as a peerless artist splashes ink.

Tempering the body and refining the five viscera, a master condensing true intent, a Divine Gang Grand Master, a Martial Sage opening the human elixir, opening the qi sea, opening the mountain path, opening the heaven gate…

Thereafter, he steps into the Martial Immortal realm!

All along the way, the Martial Immortal path has been like a gentle stream, continually unfolding in his heart.

A snap of the fingers—eleven years have passed, leaving no trace!

From the first emergence of true qi upon entering martial cultivation, there was the excitement and joy of being able to provide for his humble family.

Over a decade of slaughter, exhausting effort in protection and battle.

Over a decade of walking on thin ice, Li Che's blood and sweat poured into martial cultivation now boil forth at this moment.

On a dead‑end road, he forged his own path!

In this world, martial arts have waned, inferior to the path of divinity; the gods have fallen, divinity surges like a tide, stirring a craze for divine cultivation!

Martial arts have been compressed to the point of having no living space; not to mention the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, even in the mortal realm, reaching the Martial God realm is already the limit.

And the Martial God path is an entirely new way forged by merging martial arts with divinity.

To Li Che, such martial arts are not pure enough; they amount to destroying his own path.

Therefore he chose to walk the Martial Immortal path.

But Martial Immortal Opens Heaven…

This is equivalent to divinity proving the Dao and achieving immortality; the difficulty is even greater!

How to walk this path—although Li Che harbors a heart that seeks to open heaven, he knows it is no easy feat!

The only thing Li Che can place his hope in is the Dao Fruit!

But…

Throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, as the divine tide rises, there is a hidden hand behind the scenes pulling the strings, stirring up clouds and rain.

This makes Li Che seem to have lost the ability to believe in anything under heaven.

"Dao Fruit… can it be trusted?"

Li Che's eyes opened and closed as he felt the message leaping from the Dao Fruit within his chest.

The Dao Fruit… is the embodiment of the bond between him and his daughter.

It is also the reason Li Che could climb out of the mire and stand at his present height.

So, even if the Dao Fruit truly harbors schemes behind it…

Li Che will still accept it!

Everything is false; only one's own strength is real.

When he becomes strong enough, he can begin to tear apart all falsehood!

Eleven years of walking on thin ice, tempering between life and death, have finally brought his martial cultivation to the pinnacle of this world!

Now…

He will open heaven!

"Martial Immortal Opens Heaven!"

Li Che opened his mouth, as if turbid qi burst forth; the next instant, his mind and spirit surged violently.

Within the Slay God Sword, the undying Slay God sword intent was completely exhausted, and then a terrifying thought burst forth from within!

That was the Heaven-Piercing God Emperor's sword qi will!

Just as when he first refined the Slay God Sword!

A terrifying sword light, as if suddenly cleaved from the firmament above, tore the heavens and earth asunder with a colossal rift!

Countless sword qi, like boiling water, bubbled and steamed with hot currents.

Li Che raised his gaze.

He saw the Heaven-Piercing God Emperor's sword qi stride out from that rift.

Slaughter, the boundless origin of slaughter, surged like a tide!

The Heaven-Piercing God Emperor's eyes were cold and harsh, filled with killing intent.

"Fellow Daoist, prepare for slaughter!"

To refine the Slay God Sword, it is obvious one must master the origin of slaughter!

And how to master that origin of slaughter comes from the Heaven-Piercing God Emperor's endowment and nurture!

"Fellow Daoist…"

Li Che slowly rose to his feet, his eyes opening and closing with a resonant clang, his battle spirit overflowing.

He involuntarily recalled the Heaven-Piercing God Emperor's call of 'Fellow Daoist.'

"As it turns out, the Heaven-Piercing God Emperor had long foreseen that the will he descended with was none other than the sword qi will hidden within the Slay God Sword; although this sword qi will was extracted, the Slay God Sword still can manifest his sword intent."

It is clear that this strand of the Slay God Sword's Heaven-Piercing God Emperor sword qi will is likely the special power he left behind!

Hum—

Li Che suddenly rose, took a step—just an instant, a step spanned sideways, appearing at the side of the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor's Sword Qi Will.

Five fingers clenched, terrifying thunder essence, as he thrust out a punch, suddenly surged and rolled like a stirred vast sea!

Bang—

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor's Sword Qi Will stared at Li Che, when Li Che's punch shattered the god emperor's Sword Qi Will.

Instantly countless sword qi exploded, surging without cease, turning into a bewildering mist that rumbled over Li Che, permeating his body, seeping into every inch of his flesh!

At the same time, a long-absent Dao fruit throbbed in Li Che's chest.

It was precisely the Dream Heavenly Master Dao Fruit.

Li Che only felt that everything before his eyes began to blur.

He who had been preparing to open heaven in the Primordial Thunder Heaven Mountain Valley actually found himself appearing in a familiar city.

Flying snow fluttered down, silently settling on the black tiles, emitting a muffled puff-puff sound.

"Fēiléichéng?"

Li Che murmured.

This is precisely where his dream began; his family indeed began to grow starting from Fēiléichéng.

Xixi was born in this city; his family relied on each other for life in this city.

This is the place that bears Li Che's profound memories.

However, unnoticed, eleven years passed; this very important city, which only briefly lingered in memory, already had a blurred impression.

Now, it actually reappeared.

"An illusion?"

Li Che murmured, but quickly he realized he was wrong.

It was not an illusion; everything around was too real, utterly unlike an illusion.

He frowned, raised his hand to cover his chest; there, the jumping sound of the Dream Heavenly Master Dao Fruit let him faintly grasp something.

If following the Slaughter God Sword Intent left by the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor, what he has fallen into now is a true timeline tableau constructed by Sword Qi Will.

He needs to slaughter, to exterminate the entire Fēiléichéng, in order to conform to the Slaughter Sword Intent.

But originally he should have lost his memory, under the guidance of the Slaughter God Sword Intent, slowly walking the path of slaughter, killing everyone in Fēiléichéng, erasing all vitality.

Only thus can he comprehend and master the Slaughter Sword Intent.

This is the trial given by the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor, and the Dream Heavenly Master Dao Fruit… directly laid bare this trial before him.

Rumble—

Heavenly thunder rolled, ferociousness spreading across the firmament.

Li Che rose from his courtyard; upon understanding everything, he knew how to break the situation.

He raised his hand, and the Slaughter God Sword automatically floated forth.

This is a sword of slaughter, as if it sensed the slaughter aura on Li Che's body.

Click-clack—

The rain poured down like pillars.

Li Che strolled down the long street, holding the Slaughter God Sword at an angle; behind him, blood flowed and twisted, dyeing the entire Fēiléichéng red.

He walked out from his own courtyard, killing everything within his sight.

The Slaughter God Sword frantically devoured the will of slaughter, and in the process of slaughter, it was Li Che's process of mastering this sword.

"All slaughtered."

Li Che raised his head; lightning flashed, illuminating the black rainy night, revealing the image of Li Che gripping his long sword, his body stained with blood.

Without the Dream Heavenly Master Dao Fruit, Li Che might not be able to tell whether this is real or illusory.

He would be terrified by the blood staining his body, and his heart of slaughter might waver.

"But why hasn't it ended yet?"

Li Che murmured.

He had slaughtered all living beings within his sight in Fēiléichéng, yet why could he not break the illusion and leave?

Could it be that this illusion is not an illusion, and everything is actually real?

The sword tip pressed against the blue-brick ground; as Li Che walked, it gradually scraped, emitting a chilling, bone-piercing sound.

He returned to his family's dilapidated courtyard.

"Husband… husband! What have you done?!"

A shrill and terrified voice echoed from within the house.

His wife Zhang Ya's face was pallid, wearing coarse clothing, holding in her arms the wailing daughter Xixi.

Mother and daughter leaned against the door panel; Zhang Ya's legs were shaking, trembling nonstop, looking at Li Che in terror.

And Li Che, reflected in Zhang Ya's dark pupils, saw the present scene.

In the image, himself drenched from head to toe by rain, his face full of ferocity and brutality, like a demon crawling out of hell, his clothes stained with blood as if fished from a blood pool.

A glance of his eyes swept toward Zhang Ya, his face full of ferocity and killing intent.

He was step by step approaching his wife and daughter.

"Husband…"

Zhang Ya was terrified and desperate, holding her daughter and wailing loudly, as if begging for mercy.

"Kill!"

The icy sword blade slowly rose; the sharp sword light, as if to sever the wife and daughter's heads in the rain's wash.

Hum—

Li Che's eyes were cold.

The sword light swept by, each plump raindrop was sliced apart, and the final blade tip, exhaling cold, hovered above the head of his kneeling wife Zhang Ya.

In his arms, Xixi tore her throat open, wailing in a howl of crying.

Li Che's gaze was indifferent, his grip on the sword tight, feeling an uncontrollable force urging him to wield the blade to cut down his wife and daughter.

"Slaughter... No matter how much slaughter, I cannot swing the sword at my wife and daughter..."

"They are the beloved family I have always protected; how could I commit slaughter against them?"

Li Che spoke softly.

The rolling thunder of heaven, the roaring wash of the storm, all seemed to fade and recede from his ears.

The wife and daughter kneeling on the ground, faces full of terror, suddenly retreated completely.

Zhang Ya's face transformed into the sword‑qi will visage of the Heaven‑Piercing Divine Emperor, with a hint of regret, she shook her head and slowly rose.

"Why don't you kill?"

"If you slay your wife and daughter, your slaughter‑sword intent will be complete, allowing you to fully refine the God‑Slaying Sword and grasp this blade in your hand."

Li Che gazed calmly at the visage of the Heaven‑Piercing Divine Emperor.

A cold, cruel smile lifted at the corner of his lips.

"My wife and daughter are the only light in my heart; even if I fall into the Nine Abyss, sink deep into the furnace of Hell, I could never swing my sword at them!"

"In this world, only my wife and daughter may not be killed; everything else... may be killed!"

Li Che said.

In the next instant, his grip on the sword tightened fiercely, and he struck down hard.

No sword light could be seen, as if he had cleaved endless darkness.

Puff!

The Heaven‑Piercing Divine Emperor's head was instantly sliced off by Li Che!

Then, the entire Fēiléichéng was slaughtered clean by him.

Buzz—

Li Che suddenly opened his eyes, sword qi coursing through his body, as if he had undergone a baptism of sword qi; every inch of flesh rang with a resonant clang.

Illusion was shattered, emerging from void back to reality.

His spirit instantly linked with the God‑Slaying Sword; he formally refined the divine blade and took command of it.

Countless sword qi and sword intent surged into his body!

His mortal body instantly fractured into countless wounds, his immortal body of life and death trembling, countless breaths of life and death swirling.

Thunder spirit energy rushed madly through the wounds into his body.

It seemed like an internal and external shock, washing and tempering the flesh; the process was unimaginably intense!

Puff puff puff!

Thunder spirit energy surged wildly, forging Li Che's flesh together with the God‑Slaying Sword's intent!

Countless blood mists exploded, bones clanged resonantly.

The extreme metamorphosis caused Li Che's entire skeleton to roar, his immortal body of life and death constantly transforming!

Boom—

Within Prime Thunder Heaven, countless thunder spirit energies swirled like inverted tornadoes, surging wildly.

They aimed to tear Li Che's body open and explode it!

Perhaps Li Che's will to open the heavens completely enraged the cosmic will of Prime Thunder Heaven.

It was the thunder power of the entire world.

It even reached the very origin of heaven and earth!

A dense black cloud crashed down with a roar.

Even the Third Prince and Qi Tian, straining to block it, could not conceal the phenomenon of this moment!

"Open Heaven!"

Martial Path Open Heaven!

Qi Tian and the Third Prince gasped, both confirming Li Che's purpose at this moment.

It truly was madness!

Li Che slowly rose from the ground, his whole being seeming to become an immense vortex.

He allowed a massive influx of thunder spirit energy into his body.

Then, with a thought, amid the frantic pulsations of the Thunder Magnetic Track Fruit, he channeled all that thunder spirit energy into the Thunder Magnetic Track Body Dao Fruit.

The Dao Fruit's maturation accelerated at an extremely frantic pace.

Carrying the thunder spirit energy of a celestial realm!

【Dao Fruit: Thunder Magnetic Track Body (lv9, 50%)】

…

【Dao Fruit: Thunder Magnetic Track Body (lv9, 80%)】

【Dao Fruit: Thunder Magnetic Track Body (lv9, 90%)】

…

Metamorphosis and advancement continued unabated.

Boom—

Countless massive bolts of thunder, imbued with myriad annihilating auras, rained down, striking Li Che's body!

Thick blood mist kept exploding.

The aura of life and death, like a black-and-white flood dragon python coiled.

Li Che let no bolt of lightning pass; he endured them all, devouring each.

Suddenly.

Finally, a deafening explosion rang out!

Like the sound of heaven and earth being torn apart at the dawn of creation.

All the countless winds and thunder disappeared.

Li Che lifted his head, his black robes fluttering, his dark, vigorous hair whipping like a cape.

He looked up to the nine heavens above the Primordial Thunder Heaven.

There……

An extremely sharp halberd materialized!

It was none other than the Heaven's Will Halberd that had once slain the boss!

At the same time.

Before Li Che, golden streams of light intertwined.

It reflected a line of text.

【Dao Fruit: Thunder-Magnetic Orbital (lv10, 0%)】

Eight Transformations of the Dao Fruit!

Primordial Thunder Opens Heaven!

(End of Chapter)