Chapter 656: with translation of chapter title

The divine monkey shatters the five-colored stone, leaps into the azure heavens, seeking to open the sky.

Translation: Divine Monkey shatters the Five-Colored Stone, leaps into the Azure Firmament, seeking to open heaven!

Divine Monkey shatters the Five-Colored Stone, leaps into the Azure Firmament, seeking to open heaven.

Li Che, piloting the Hell Equal Heaven Armor, seemed at this moment to drive his own aura to the utmost.

Translation: Li Che, piloting the Hell Equal Heaven Armor, at this moment seemed to drive his own aura to the extreme.

Li Che, piloting the Hell Equal Heaven Armor, seemed at this moment to drive his own aura to the utmost.

We'll produce: Li Che, piloting the Hell Equal Heaven Armor, seemed at this moment to drive his own aura to the extreme.

He first used the Hell Equal Heaven Armor, taking the Heaven's Intent Saber that arose at this moment as a shattering target; Li Che then proceeded to open heaven.

Translation: He first used the Hell Equal Heaven Armor, taking the Heaven's Intent Saber that arose at this moment as a shattering target, Li Che then proceeded to open heaven!

He first used the Hell Equal Heaven Armor, taking the Heaven's Intent Saber that arose at this moment as a shattering target; Li Che then proceeded to open heaven.

We'll produce: He first used the Hell Equal Heaven Armor, taking the Heaven's Intent Saber that arose at this moment as a shattering target; Li Che then proceeded to open heaven.

Saying it's a mythic reenactment is not an overstatement; Equal Heaven truly sprang from stone, and the Colored Divine Stone crafted by Nuwa indeed bought Li Che some time.

Translation: Saying it's a mythic reenactment is not an exaggeration; Equal Heaven truly sprang from stone, and the Colored Divine Stone crafted by Nuwa indeed bought Li Che some time.

Saying it's a mythic reenactment is not an overstatement; Equal Heaven truly sprang from stone, and the Colored Divine Stone crafted by Nuwa indeed bought Li Che some time.

This time allowed Li Che to complete his transformation.

Translation: This time was just enough for Li Che to complete his transformation!

The Hell Equal Heaven Armor has fully transformed to its extreme, evolved into its complete form, representing the strongest state of the Hell Equal Heaven Armor.

Translation: The Hell Equal Heaven Armor fully transformed to the extreme, evolving into its complete form, which is the armor's strongest state.

Every mechanism divine seal was engraved with the eighth heaven-and-earth symbol.

Eight ancient heaven-and-earth symbols surrounded his body, as if behind the head of the Hell Equal-Heaven Armor, they turned into a rotating divine disc.

Li Che's qi and blood trembled, and within the cockpit of the Equal-Heaven Armor burst forth martial immortal qi and blood; on his back, the wondrous immortal martial apertures flung open, and the frenzied qi and blood surged forth like great rivers.

His physical body swelled with a boom, every inch of flesh and blood completely recovered at this moment!

Li Che gave a long whistle, his black hair flying wildly; within his eyes, golden streams of light intertwined and flickered.

His tendons and bones coiled like a lurking dragon, fierce and entwined; this is the strongest martial immortal physique, the state of a mystic immortal's fleshly body developed to the extreme!

In his chest, the Dragon-Elephant Vajra Dao fruit was also constantly trembling!

In the netherworld, Li Che went through one fierce battle after another; he had battled the Netherworld Dragon Emperor and the Netherworld Candle Dragon—two of the three primordial dragons, each wielding imperial-level undying heavenly battle power.

Although Li Che never slew them in battle, the combat experience he gained was real, and he obtained a significant increase in the maturity of his Dao fruits.

At this moment, Li Che converted these Dao fruit maturities into sudden enlightenment feedback.

These feedback surged into Li Che's glabella elixir field, as if instantly spreading and exploding, causing his martial arts talent to climb steadily at this moment.

The swiftly rising martial arts talent let Li Che's comprehension of immortal martial wondrous gates grow even deeper.

Now, Li Che's eight great immortal martial wondrous gates have only condensed seven; one great immortal martial wondrous gate remains, yet to achieve the transformation from immortal seed to immortal martial.

That is the immortal seed wondrous gate opened by the Ancestral Dragon Slaughter Technique.

However, Li Che, having gained insight from battling the Dragon Emperor and Candle Dragon, at this moment fed back, as if simulating the slaughter methods of the two ancestral dragons, gradually merging into the Ancestral Dragon Slaughter Technique, causing the technique to begin approaching perfection.

The Ancestral Dragon Slaughter Technique received the verbal and personal instruction of the Netherworld Dragon Emperor; Li Che, after personally fighting him, finally gained insight, achieving perfect transformation!

Boom——!!!

Li Che raised his head and gave a long whistle, as if the Hell Equal-Heaven Armor were whistling upward.

Behind the Hell Equal-Heaven Armor, each ancient heaven-and-earth symbol burst forth, as if blooming in sync with each wondrous gate aperture.

The immortal seed wondrous gate opened by the Ancestral Dragon Slaughter Technique also formally transformed into an immortal martial wondrous gate!

This martial arts secret technique was thoroughly deduced by Li Che to the extreme.

The 'Eight' of the Eight Nine Mystic Technique is now perfected!

Boom boom boom!

Eight pillars of qi and blood light shot into the heaven of the Divine Craft, as if stirring the Divine Craft's heaven-and-earth will, causing it to tremble.

Within the Divine Craft Heaven, many great immortals and immortal artisans still trapped in Li Che's—this Divine Roc Great Immortal's—superb divine roc technique all gasped, marveling at Li Che's terrifying battle power.

The Hell Equal-Heaven Armor suddenly surged and rose, reaching heights of hundreds of meters, thousands of meters, tens of thousands of meters!

Countless cloud vaults drifted around his waist.

He grasped the Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff, which was like a divine needle that fixes heaven and earth, and aimed it far at the firmament.

When the Heaven's Will Blade fell, Li Che struck it apart with a staff; the powerful martial immortal aura, bolstered by the Hell Equal-Heaven Armor, doubled and surged.

Hellfire rolled and burned; Li Che, like a god-demon, slaughtered his way into the firmament.

Hum——

A scorching oven spanned heaven and earth.

That is the Myriad Transformations Dragon-Elephant Furnace!

Within it poured out the origin of the Prison Lotus Earth; the surging origin trembled, merging into the Myriad Transformations Dragon-Elephant Furnace, actually causing this furnace to have an effect like suppressing heaven and earth!

Then Li Che grasped the Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff, clad in the Equal-Heaven Armor, and slaughtered upstream.

As the staff struck, countless phantasms layered and layered, actually shattering the obstructive force condensed from heaven-and-earth will; one after another, thunderbolt flood dragons were shattered and exploded in the firmament.

But even more terrifying, countless heaven-and-earth will condensed into numerous heavenly soldiers and generals of heaven-and-earth will, like an army charging forward, roaring as they came to kill.

Li Che's Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff suddenly transformed, as if becoming a long blade, and he abruptly slashed out.

The blade light of the Thousand Mountains Lone Walk Slash-Void Sword swept out vast and boundless; thousands of mountains and myriad waters were all cut down in that single stroke!

The heavenly soldiers and generals were all cut down.

Li Che seemed, at this moment, to be practicing and verifying his lifetime's supreme martial arts!

His own wondrous immortal martial manifested, step by step killing up to before the Heaven's Will Blade.

Then Li Che condensed the Heaven-and-Earth Eight Symbols Blade, and slashed upstream!

He actually cleaved open the origin sea of the Divine Craft Heaven, tearing open a huge breach; countless origin of the Divine Craft Heaven poured down in a torrential flow, like rushing river water.

Li Che stomped his foot, and his whole body shot up like a cannonball, colliding upstream into the origin sea of the Divine Craft Heaven.

Wandering within the origin sea, a wondrous immortal martial aperture burst open, frantically drawing in the origin of the Divine Craft Heaven.

The origin, in fact, has a corresponding Dao tribulation aura.

Like the origin of the Divine Craft Heaven, it is of the same root and source as the Dao tribulation aura of the Primordial Wither-Flourish Branch; thereafter, the two perfectly merge together.

Among Li Che's eight wondrous immortal martial, the one that integrates the Primordial Wither-Flourish Branch is the Tear-Blood Immortal Phoenix Wither-Flourish Arrow.

His five fingers spread, as if condensing into a long bow, like the apparition of a phoenix spreading its wings behind him, crisscrossing; countless origins of the Divine Craft Heaven instantly frenziedly gathered, like a funnel vortex, all converging into Li Che's wondrous immortal martial aperture.

Hum hum hum——

The origin of the Divine Craft Heaven slowly seemed to condense, carve, and cast into arrow after arrow, altogether nine Primordial Wither-Flourish Arrows!

Then gradually it reached the limit, after which Li Che's wondrous immortal martial aperture could no longer bear it.

Li Che then did not continue to draw in.

However, Li Che now can be considered to have successfully opened heaven, becoming a martial dao mystic immortal who has opened three heavens!

Li Che drifted down, his martial dao qi and blood throughout his body seemed to ignite into flames, blazing fiercely, rising steadily upward!

His entire state had reached an unprecedented peak condition!

"Opening three heavens! Success!"

Li Che slowly drifted down from the source sea of the God‑craft Heaven.

Thus, the Primordial Thunder Heaven, Prison Lotus Earth, and God‑craft Heaven—the three major realm heavens—have all been successfully opened by him.

Li Che's mystic immortal aura rose again.

In fact, a martial dao mystic immortal who has opened three heavens fully displays profound mystery.

Li Che now already possesses the battle strength to fight against the heavenly immortals, and can even do so without falling behind in the slightest.

However, when facing an emperor‑level heavenly immortal, there still exists a gap!

"Opening heaven…"

"Continue opening heaven, pushing all the wondrous gate immortal martial arts to perfection, in the most perfect state, to charge toward becoming a heavenly immortal!"

Li Che's eyes shone brightly.

Li Che now seems to have become the will of heaven and earth of the God‑craft Heaven, his will almost able to reach every corner of the God‑craft Heaven; this is the notable improvement after successfully opening heaven.

Nüwa transformed into a divine stone, suppressing the netherworld's mouth, as if gazing at Li Che.

Li Che clasped his fists in salute, again thanking Nüwa.

One could say Nüwa gave him tremendous help; without this help, Li Che's opening of heaven this time would likely have been extremely arduous.

Firstly, if the Hell's Heaven‑matching Armor wishes to upgrade to perfection, it will inevitably suffer annihilation by the Blade of Heavenly Will from the world's will.

Now, the Heaven‑matching Armor has been upgraded to perfection; Nezha's Third Prince's battle armor has also been successfully crafted, and the source sea of the God‑craft Heaven has been successfully opened—Li Che can say he has gained an unexpected delight.

One can prepare to depart; there is no need to linger any longer in the God‑craft Heaven.

Standing upon the vast expanse of the lofty heavens.

Li Che's each inhale and exhale resembled thunder.

His eyes flowed with golden luster.

【Dao Fruit: Dragon‑Elephant Vajra (lv10, 40%)】

Li Che glanced at the Dao Fruit's maturity, discovering that after opening the third heaven, its increase was quite noticeable.

The renewed increase in martial dao battle strength brought a further advancement of the Eight‑Transformation Dao Fruit.

"That is to say, if I continue to open heaven, perhaps I could push the Dragon‑Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit… to breakthrough to the Nine Transformations?"

Li Che narrowed his eyes.

But he knew it was absolutely not that simple.

The Nine‑Transformation Dao Fruit will certainly be an extremely difficult obstacle, inevitably encountering powerful karmic forces that will block and hinder his further progress.

After all, many Dao Fruit masters have never achieved the Nine Transformations.

The Nine‑Transformation Dragon‑Elephant Vajra…

This is like a seed that suddenly took root in Li Che's heart, sprouting and growing, almost becoming an obsession of his.

"Dao Fruit master, have you truly not achieved the Nine Transformations?"

Li Che did not know, nor did he want to guess.

He shook his head, casting aside this obsession, and inexplicably a feeling of lingering fear arose in his heart.

"Is this the influence brought by the Nine‑Transformation Dao Fruit?"

"I merely had this thought, as if it were producing an effect on me."

Li Che exhaled a breath, suppressing the emotions in his heart.

Nüwa once again transformed into a divine stone, suppressing the netherworld's mouth; she no longer paid attention to Li Che, perhaps having said all that needed to be said and done all that needed to be done.

The road ahead now relies on Li Che himself.

Perhaps it was Nüwa's slight pity for her own reincarnated self, or perhaps she was unwilling for her reincarnated self to meet its end in this manner.

After Li Che clasped his fists in salute, he then bid farewell to Nüwa.

He stepped forward, the heaven‑and‑earth chessboard expanded, and flying stars shifted directly into the transmission passage.

Boom—

Not long after Li Che departed.

A terrifying aura suddenly descended, as if the void were being torn and cut apart.

Buddha light shone down, bathing everything.

The Three‑World Tathagata, bathed in Buddha light within the cracked void, clasped his hands together, projected a phantom, and gazed directly at Nüwa.

"Nüwa… do you truly intend to stand opposed to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?"

"In this lifetime, have you chosen a side, supporting the Prison Lotus?"

The Three‑World Tathagata spoke in a deep voice, his tone rumbling, as if carrying the purifying sound of sympathy for heaven and pity for mankind.

Crack.

The divine stone shattered, Nüwa's form seated cross‑legged atop the pyramid, while the netherworld's mouth below continually swirled.

"If I say that my reincarnated self happened to become the mother of the Prison Lotus's daughter by mere coincidence, I do not know whether the Tathagata would believe it."

Nüwa said.

"Coincidence?"

"Between heaven and earth, where could there be such a perfect coincidence?"

"How could the immense karmic burden carried by the Prison Lotus's daughter go unnoticed by Nüwa's abilities?"

"Therefore, her reincarnated self must be able to avoid this karmic burden."

However, the reincarnation of Nüwa Huang actually became the mother of the Hell Lotus Maiden.

Even if it is only a reincarnation, it still tilts Nüwa Huang's neutral balance, making her lean toward the Hell Lotus Camp.

"The poor monk does not believe; this karma is too great, Nüwa Huang cannot possibly be unaware of it."

"Is someone tampering in the dark?"

"Who could dare to meddle with Nüwa Huang's Majesty? As the supreme existence of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the solitary being that suppresses the Netherworld Mouth, who could evade Nüwa Huang's perception, obscure karma, and force her to act?"

The Three Worlds Tathagata said in a deep voice. Yes, this person……

It could only be Nüwa Huang herself.

Nüwa Huang couldn't be bothered to say more to the Three Worlds Tathagata; they couldn't agree, not even half a sentence.

She was willing to break open the Divine Stone Mountain and say a word to the Three Worlds Tathagata, which was already giving face to this Imperial-level Heavenly Immortal of Black Sumeru.

But the other side doesn't believe; what else could she say?

"To speak frankly, why don't you believe?"

"There really is someone…… influencing me."

Nüwa Huang's eyes were deep and profound.

But who exactly is influencing her? Even she herself could not see it clearly.

"Who could it be?"

"Eternal Heaven Emperor, could it be you?"

……

……

Li Che and the Three Worlds Tathagata just missed each other.

Fortunately, with Nüwa Huang's help, he completed the opening of Divine Craft Heaven much earlier.

Otherwise, he would inevitably run into the Three Worlds Tathagata face to face.

Even with Nüwa Huang's assistance, the Three Worlds Tathagata would surely cause him considerable trouble, possibly even affecting his success rate in opening heaven.

This Lord of the Dao Fruit has already harbored suspicions in his heart, forming many ideas about Li Che.

And now, in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, besides the Three Worlds Tathagata, there are also Fixed Light Buddha, Human Emperor Hong, Taiyi Immortal, and other Imperial-level Heavenly Immortals, who harbor murderous intent toward him!

If they all gather together, Nüwa Huang alone might not be able to stop them.

Therefore, Nüwa Huang's early assistance indeed gave Li Che considerable help, creating a time gap against those Imperial-level Heavenly Immortals.

The spatial conduit flowed swiftly, transmitting the power of transmission.

Li Che stood within the Heaven-Earth Chessboard and was swiftly transmitted away.

Among them, the transmission conduit passed through the position of Primordial Heaven; faintly, Li Che seemed to see the spot where his wife Zhang Ya suppressed four Heavenly Immortals, and his eyes involuntarily showed a hint of complex color.

Soon, Li Che felt it was soon!

He was nearly able to begin rescuing his wife Zhang Ya!

Boom—!!!

The spatial conduit flowed swiftly, and Li Che returned to the Boundless Sea.

After crossing the Boundless Sea, one enters the Primordial Thunder Heaven.

Li Che directly opened heaven in Primordial Thunder Heaven, entering its origin; the Eight Mystic Gates Immortal Martial Aperture opened—this was the Immortal Martial Aperture he had just opened, the Immortal Martial Mystic Aperture of the Ancestral Dragon Slaughter Technique.

When practicing the Immortal Seed Mystic Gate, the Ancestral Dragon Slaughter Technique merged with this Primordial Shattered Star Thunder Dao Calamity, which is of the Thunder attribute.

Previously, because this Ancestral Dragon Slaughter Technique could not transform into Immortal Martial, Li Che could not absorb the thunder origin of Primordial Thunder Heaven into the aperture.

Now, he proceeds to swallow the origin of Primordial Thunder Heaven into the aperture!

Rumble——

Slowly, within the Immortal Martial Mystic Aperture, a Shattered Star Thunder Ancestral Dragon condensed!

Upon the divine rhythm, it bears some resemblance to the Dragon Emperor and the Candle Dragon.

Li Che's eyes flickered; he sensed the intention transmitted from the Shattered Star Thunder Ancestral Dragon, which needs a dragon soul—if it could devour the dragon soul, the Shattered Star Thunder Ancestral Dragon could obtain true Ancestral Dragon combat power!

"Nowadays, the Ancestral Dragons are all in the Netherworld……"

To slay an Ancestral Dragon, for Li Che now, is actually not an easy task.

Li Che did not think further about these.

He took a step forward and walked out from the origin sea of Primordial Thunder Heaven.

After the slumbering dragon-elephant of the Dragon-Elephant Vajra and the Heaven-Earth Chessboard concealed his aura, Li Che directly moved toward the Boundless Sea.

In no time.

He then arrived upon the Boundless Sea where the waves had calmed.

A massive whirlpool swirled, roaring and shaking, earth-shattering.

That is the position of the Netherworld Mouth.

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor sat enthroned there, his beard and hair flying; countless sword qi dripped down around him, four divine swords lay across, intertwining to form a sword formation, truly suppressing and sealing the Netherworld Mouth, so that the death origin within the Netherworld Mouth never leaked the slightest bit.

However, the departure of the Death Sovereign greatly lightened the burden on the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor's shoulders.

Suddenly.

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor opened his eyes; his pupils were sharp, like swords shooting forth.

Li Che dispelled his concealment, wearing the Ox Demon Mask, his stalwart figure stepping out from the void.

"Many thanks, fellow Daoist, for your assistance."

Li Che clasped his fists.

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor gazed at Li Che in astonishment.

It seemed he had not expected that Li Che would actually walk out alive from the Netherworld.

"How did you do that?"

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor asked curiously.

"I walked out of the Netherworld Mouth near Nüwa Sovereign; Nüwa Sovereign lent a hand, and I managed to escape."

Li Che satisfied the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor's curiosity with a simple explanation.

You walked out of the Netherworld Mouth near Nüwa Sovereign?

That is understandable.

"Nüwa Sovereign helped you? That's rare…… Nüwa Sovereign hardly cares about anyone; although she is the Imperial-rank Heavenly Immortal Leader of the Strange Demon Lair, even if all the demons in the Strange Demon Lair died, she wouldn't react at all, after all…… snakes are cold-blooded."

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor exclaimed in surprise.

However, Li Che did not continue explaining.

Because it's indeed hard to explain; one can't really say that Nüwa Sovereign seemed to acknowledge being his wife, right?

Can a reincarnated body have such great influence?

Li Che also felt a murmur of doubt in his heart.

Whoosh—

The void trembled.

A black shadow shot forth, it was Dog Grandpa striding with elegant steps.

Dog Grandpa blocked the Death Sovereign; looking back, it seems there aren't many problems.

"Have you obtained the Hellfire Divine Tree?"

Dog Grandpa opened his mouth to speak human words, asking.

Li Che smiled and nodded.

Dog Grandpa's dog eyes widened in surprise; how easy?

Dog Grandpa clearly knew how difficult it was to obtain the Hellfire Divine Tree; he had prepared himself, expecting Li Che to spend a long time grinding away in the Hell Abyss.

Li Che rubbed Dog Grandpa's head, not explaining too much.

Dog Grandpa obviously had no intention of pressing further; he snuggled into Li Che's embrace, lazily finding a comfortable pose.

Li Che clasped his fists in farewell to the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor.

"Fellow Daoist, these four divine swords belong to you; keep them safe."

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor's sword qi surged around; he flicked a finger.

Instantly, the embodiments of the Slay-God, Slaughter-God, Trap-God, and Absolute-God four divine swords came roaring forth.

Earlier, the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor borrowed these four swords, forming the Slay-God Sword Formation to suppress the Death Sovereign.

Now, the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor intends to return them to Li Che.

Upon hearing this, Li Che swept out four chess pieces; the Detain-God chess pieces transformed into four Detain-Gods.

The Slay-God Immortal, Slaughter-God Immortal, Trap-God Immortal, and Absolute-God Immortal received the four divine swords.

Their expressions complex, they bowed to the Heaven-Reaching God Emperor.

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor looked at his four disciples, knowing they had each died once before.

"Although they have been resurrected, after all…… things are no longer as they were."

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor sighed emotionally.

He flicked his sleeve and waved his hand.

"Go; our master-disciple affinity is exhausted; from now on, assist Fellow Daoist Li Che well—perhaps in this divine tide you may truly make your name known throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."

"Master, take care!"

The Four Immortals spoke in unison.

Following Li Che's steps, they were carried along by the Heaven-Earth Chessboard and moved away.

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor closed his eyes, waiting for Li Che and the others to depart completely.

Only then did he open his eyes.

The void tore open.

Rolling demonic aura surged forth, and the figure of the Taiyi Immortal appeared, planting his feet within it.

"Taiyi, why don't you intervene?"

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor asked.

The Taiyi Immortal shook his head and exhaled: "I can't hold him back."

"Besides, with you here, I can't hold him back even more."

"This divine tide…… might have to end prematurely."

The Taiyi Immortal's eyes were complex.

He stepped back, the void closed, and his entire person instantly vanished.

On the Boundless Sea, waves rolled; although noisy, there was a kind of boundless loneliness.

The Heaven-Reaching God Emperor lifted his head; his hair fluttered continually under the hanging sword qi.

"The Prison Lotus of this divine tide……"

"We shall begin the counteroffensive."

(End of Chapter)