Chapter 106: Essence Intent Ultimate Technique, Xi Xi's Terrifying Talent

Chapter 106: Essence Intent Ultimate Technique, Xi Xi's Terrifying Talent

Heroic Echo, Lustrous Aura.

Rear Marshal of Nine Provinces Island, Island Inspector, Summer Ruler, Guardian Deity.

Evil Exorcising and Ghost Slaying General, Zhongnan Iron-faced Venerable, Demon Scouring Heavenly Venerable.

This is the Zhong Kui Decree.

Speaking of exorcism, Li Che felt that this deity was indeed very suitable.

Since he was allowed to express freely, it was a good opportunity to try and carve the numerous deities that appeared in his mind...

Could he, like that day, carve the Trinity Prince in a scarlet silk robe, and increase the maturity of his Immortal Craft Dao Fruit?

"Oh, Li Ge, you must remember to cultivate the Great Jing Heavenly Seven Elements Thousand-Handed Divine Carving Technique. Although it's only the upper volume, if you want to be promoted to the Second Rank Guest Scholar, you must at least reach the Small Accomplishment stage in the Thousand-Handed Divine Carving Technique!"

Shangguan Qinghong, seeing Li Che taking on the task and hurrying to leave, reminded him hastily.

Li Che was stunned. He hadn't studied the Divine Carving Technique yet.

After all, with the possession of the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit, Li Che felt that the Divine Carving Technique wasn't that useful. It's just carving, right?

With the Immortal Craft Dao Fruit, the provided skills were unparalleled, and the Divine Carving Technique wouldn't be of much help to him.

Shangguan Qinghong thought for a moment and said, "The Divine Carving Technique shouldn't be seen as a simple wood carving skill. It was created by the Grand Supervisor of the Treasure Tower in the Divine Astronomical Bureau of the Divine Capital. It's not just the Divine Carving Technique; other professions' divine alchemy and divine armament techniques were also created by the Grand Supervisor..."

"Therefore, it holds a significant position in the assessment. Even if you can carve a Ninesuns Divine Sculpture, if your skill in the Divine Carving Technique doesn't pass the test, you won't be able to pass the Second Rank Guest Scholar assessment."

Hearing this, Li Che couldn't help but take it seriously. He decided to study it thoroughly.

After accepting the task, Li Che left the Divine Astronomical Bureau.

There wasn't much harm in leaving early, mainly because Li Che, as a Guest Scholar, didn't have strict on-duty rules.

It was reasonable for Li Che to accept the task and go to the workshop to carve a wooden sculpture.

First, he went to the wood storage and collected a piece of red spirit wood needed for the Zhong Kui wooden sculpture. Then he returned to the workshop courtyard in the capital city.

After closing the doors, Li Che carefully placed the spirit wood. Then, with a stir of his spirit, the Chess Sage Dao Fruit trembled, and his Heaven and Earth Chessboard expanded, covering the surrounding area.

If there were any abnormalities nearby, he would be the first to sense them.

Li Che didn't start carving the wooden sculpture.

Instead, he began his daily martial arts cultivation.

After becoming a Third Rank Guest Scholar, Li Che obtained a bottle of elixir among the resources, the Great Jing Celestial Wrath Blood Dragon Pill, made with genuine Wrathful Dragon blood, not mixed blood.

Therefore, the elixir's properties were extremely high, and Shangguan Qinghong even worried that his body couldn't withstand it, so he asked Li Che to crush the pill and take it in three doses.

But with Li Che's unparalleled physical body, how could he not endure it? After swallowing a pill of Wrathful Dragon Blood Pill, Li Che's stomach walls undulated, crushing the pill's coating and releasing the vast medicinal properties.

Inhale—

Exhale—

In the courtyard, Li Che stood in the spring breeze with his eyes closed, feeling the essence of the divine martial art, Wrathful Vajra King Three Blade Saber, in his mind. In the next moment, he opened his eyes and clenched his fingers...

The Nine Stars Divine Armament, the Blood-Drenched Shocking Spear, suddenly emerged from the Primordial Space, grasped in his palm. With a sudden shake, the spear shaft roared like a wrathful dragon!

Then, holding the spear with both hands, he brandished it, and the spear shaft quivered like an angry dragon's cry!

As Li Che immersed himself in the technique, the spear he wielded became faster and faster, and countless surging air currents shot through the courtyard, scattering with the spear's movements.

"Huff!"

With a fierce thrust, he tore a slender blade of light over a meter long in mid-air. Li Che's body steamed with heat, and in the chilly spring air, a white mist formed.

"This Wrathful Vajra King Three Blade Saber... has reached Great Accomplishment!"

Li Che exhaled, a slight smile on his lips, and the nine large tendons on his back slowly calmed down.

In his dantian, the martial pill was refined by the powerful gastric juices, and the surging medicinal power rolled, transforming into qi and blood that propelled and impacted his limbs and bones, forming a strange internal energy with an extremely fast surging speed, rushing from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.

Bang! Bang!

Li Che's bones and tendons vibrated, as if his joints were colliding, like the friction of metal.

His bones and tendons were too strong. The Lion Elephant Vajra was slowly transforming his flesh, meridians, and bones, evolving towards the "Dragon Sinew Elephant Bone Vajra Body"!

Divine Vein... soon.

Closing his eyes, he sensed the internal energy, feeling his entire body transparent, and his meridians seemed to be connected as one. With a single thought, he could complete a small Zhoutian cycle!

"The Divine Vein Technique requires cultivating a martial art to the state of transformation, integrating the realm into daily practice, not just displaying it during battles. When every move and action contains divinity, you achieve the Divine Vein!"

Li Che's eyes flickered, and in the Divine Vein realm, the qi and blood would also undergo several changes as the realm merged.

The extent of the qi and blood changes determined the strength of the Divine Vein, as well as the power after breaking through to the Master level.

Therefore, the Divine Vein realm is highly valued in martial arts.

To reach the Master level, one must cultivate an Essence Intent Ultimate Technique to lead the transformed martial arts cultivated by the Divine Vein.

After comprehending the essence intent, merging it with qi and blood, and controlling it freely, one becomes a True Energy Master!

Li Che raised his hand, and internal energy sprayed out from his fingertips, possessing considerable destructive power.

This was the characteristic of the Profound Vein; internal energy could be released externally, although only within a one-zhang distance, but with considerable destructive power.

"With the help of high-quality dragon blood pills, I can reach Profound Vein Perfection in half a month and be qualified to break through to the Divine Vein!"

Li Che put away the Shocking Spear and stretched lazily, like an endless string of firecrackers.

With a stir of his spirit, the qi and blood were completely restrained, and his robust body gradually hid beneath the elastic clothing, only the faintly outlined figure indicating Li Che's extraordinary physique.

After practicing martial arts, Li Che began to cultivate the Divine Essence Method.

The Three-Eyed Wrathful True Monarch Divine Method, having reached the Initial Divine Foundation, after thoroughly stabilizing, automatically began to extract Divine Essence from the world to enhance himself.

Secondly, Wrathful Cry Exorcism...

Heart Astonishment Shocking Strength, Suspended Thought Flowing Sword, these three Divine Essence Arts, all reach a certain level of cultivation, and one can prepare to forge a Divine Foundation.

As for Chaotic Joy Confusing Deity, since Li Che did not put effort into it, the progress was a little slower.

However, there's no need to rush. Let's wait until the other three have reached the Divine Foundation stage before moving on.

After consolidating his Divine Cultivation for a while...

Li Che finally sat back down in the chair, made a cup of hot tea, and took out the book, "Great Jing Heavenly Seven Elements Thousand-Handed Divine Carving Technique (Volume One)."

Opening the pages, it was the message from the Grand Supervisor.

Then, he turned to the main text and began reading attentively.

As he read, Li Che couldn't help but immerse himself, his expression changing subtly, sometimes exclaiming in surprise and sometimes sighing.

Closing the book, Li Che closed his eyes.

"Divine Carving Technique... It's not just a wood carving skill, but a fusion of Divine Aura Technique and Divine Martial Art!"

"Divine Aura Technique, which is of the Seven Virtues rank, is the Divine Carving Technique..."

"And the Divine Martial Art is an Ultimate Technique, known as 'Thousand-Handed Divine Carving'!"

"Both the Divine Aura Technique and the Divine Martial Art require the same level of mastery to be considered proficient..."

"After searching far and wide, success comes without effort..."

Li Che had always wanted to find an Ultimate Technique, and now... it was right in front of him.

With the Ultimate Technique, he finally had a chance to break through to the Martial Arts Master realm! In his chest, the Lion Elephant Vajra seemed to sense his emotions, and its heart began to thump.

Details of the Divine Martial Art, Thousand-Handed Divine Carving, flowed through his mind.

A moment later, Li Che opened his eyes.

"It's indeed an Ultimate Technique. I've gone through it three times in my mind, but I still can't grasp the entry point... Looks like I'll need to go through it a few more times!"

Li Che was amazed. Even for a high-level martial art, after simulating it three times in his mind, he could usually grasp the basics.

After all, the Lion Elephant Vajra's Dao Fruit enhancement and his innate talent for horizontal cultivation were indeed remarkable.

Li Che stopped carving and devoted himself entirely to cultivating the Ultimate Technique.

...

...

The spring breeze blew gently, and the willows swayed gracefully.

Time seemed to flow like sand, quickly passing by with the wind's caress.

Half a month later, Li Che's days became incredibly structured.

Every day, he would go to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau for an hour, then leave for the workshop courtyard, where he would carve the Wrathful Eye Zhongkui Exorcism Statue, cultivate the Ultimate Technique, and comprehend the Divine Aura Technique.

Unfortunately, Li Che's talent in the Divine Aura Technique... was indeed average. After half a month, he barely managed to grasp the basics.

On the other hand, the Ultimate Technique, Thousand-Handed Divine Carving, was mastered on the second day of cultivation.

The spring rain fell incessantly, and the early spring was a rainy season. The unceasing rain couldn't wash away the lingering worries.

In the workshop courtyard...

Li Che's energy surged, and in an instant, he swung out an arm, creating countless afterimages, layer upon layer, dense and intricate, making it hard to distinguish between real and fake hands.

Boom!

His five fingers came together, and he fiercely struck down, creating a deafening boom as if the air beneath his palm had sunk several inches!

The force contained in this strike was enough to shatter the internal organs of an ordinary Profound Pulse martial artist. Even a Divine Pulse martial artist might not withstand it and would likely suffer severe injuries.

However, the challenge was hitting the target with this strike, as the opponent wasn't a stationary wooden sculpture, standing still to be hit.

"Huff..."

The surging energy within him roared like a furnace, and the countless arm afterimages gradually retracted into his body, resembling the Thousand-Handed Guanyin retracting her palms, a mysterious and enchanting sight.

Li Che's eyes gleamed, and he exhaled a breath of turbid air.

"The Ultimate Technique, Thousand-Handed Divine Carving... has reached a small success!"

"However, it will only get harder from now on. The key is to reach the Grand Mastery level, where its lethality is no weaker than a high-level martial art cultivated to the Transformation realm."

In the courtyard, the surging air currents gradually calmed.

Li Che sat in the chair and began carving on the worktable.

After half a month, the Zhongkui statue was finally nearing completion, not because he was unwilling to work faster, but...

When carving a statue that almost overlapped with the Zhongkui image in his mind, each knife stroke became incredibly challenging.

Li Che recalled that when carving the Trinity Prince, the smoothness of his strokes seemed to be related to the resonance with the divine essence of the temple deity in the tributary of the Nine-Dragons River.

However, this almost nine-stars-level "Wrathful Eye Zhongkui Exorcism Statue" was nearly finished, with only some final touches and polishing remaining.

As the last stroke shaved off the last bits of wood, the divine essence between heaven and earth began to gather.

The ten-stage Spirit Wood, a blood-red Zhongkui statue made from Red Blood Spirit Sandalwood, began to glow faintly...

The howling winds around him wailed incessantly, as if echoing a "Wah-ya-ya" angry cry, and a majestic shadow of a leopard-headed, iron-faced, and curly-bearded figure flickered in and out of existence.

Li Che stepped back, satisfied, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the divine essence wood carving, which was gradually merging with the image in his mind.

"Evil Exorcising and Ghost Slaying General, Wrathful Gaze Exorcist, Unassailable by Ten Thousand Ghosts!"

Li Che brushed off the wood shavings, his vision returning to normal, and he smiled with satisfaction.

With a thought, his Dao Fruit glowed:

Divine Craft (LV3, 78%)



Wow!

A single wave directly increased the maturity by 10%, which confirmed his initial thoughts.

Carving a statue that overlapped with the image of a deity in his memory did indeed enhance the maturity of the Dao Fruit.

This was great news...

Looking at the Divine Craft Dao Fruit, which was getting closer and closer to level 4, Li Che's heart couldn't help but flutter.

What changes would level 4 Divine Craft bring? In fact, Li Che was also aware that he had formed a bond with Xi Xi, and as his daughter grew up safely, he would receive a Dao Fruit.

The number of Dao Fruits would only increase, and he knew he couldn't focus on cultivating all of them.

He would have to choose a few Dao Fruits to specialize in as his primary cultivation direction.

After storing the Zhongkui statue in the Primordial Space, Li Che changed into a clean set of black clothes and left the workshop courtyard.

As soon as he stepped out, Li Che felt a sense of being watched.

"Qin Manor, Qin Haonan..."

"And Temple Enforcement Command, Deputy Guards Hong Yong and Shi Lei."

Li Che remained calm, but his heart was at peace.

These three... had been watching him for over half a month.

After he met Chief Officer Zhang Lianhao at the Temple Enforcement Command, two Divine Enforcers began to tail his movements the next day.

However, they didn't know that under Li Che's Heaven and Earth Chessboard, while they were tailing him, Li Che was watching them from a higher vantage point.

Confirming that they were merely tailing him, Li Che didn't take any action.

It just so happened that for the past half month, his schedule had been very regular, which would help to ease the concerns of the Qin family and the Temple Enforcement Command.

In the Capital City, Li Che mainly focused on being kind to others, adhering to the principle of not provoking unless provoked.

He simply wanted to wait peacefully for Xi Xi to take the Divine Sect's entry examination, nothing more.

Returning to the small courtyard, the sky was growing dark.

Li Che paused for a moment. Outside the courtyard, apart from Qin Haonan and the Divine Enforcers from the Temple Enforcement Command, there were many other pairs of eyes scanning the surroundings.

These were from the local gangs in the street where the Listening Flower Alley was located.

The Capital City was much larger than Thunder City. Even in Thunder City, there were some gangs collecting protection fees from merchants and exploiting the people.

Let alone the Capital City, where gangs were everywhere, with a few major ones that couldn't be underestimated.

The Capital City had three major gangs: the Fishing Gang, the Black Serpent Gang, and the Beggar Gang.

For example, the Fishing Gang, due to the Golden Light City being built along the Nine-Dragons River, with its tributary running through the city, had abundant water resources.

Therefore, many people engaged in fishing, making the Fishing Gang quite powerful.

However, the gang tailing his courtyard was not a major gang like the Fishing Gang. It was called the Black Snake Gang, which had a Divine Foundation cultivator as its leader.

This gang had planted many people outside the Listening Flower Alley, disguised as various vendors and customers. Many small stalls had changed their faces.

Li Che didn't know whose tool this Black Snake Gang was, as for the major forces in the Capital City, gangs were like commodities, always changing hands.

In fact, Li Che was a bit puzzled because Qin Haonan from the Qin family was already personally tailing him, so there was no need for another gang to do so.

After some thought, Li Che wondered:

"Could it be the Golden Crack Sect?"

As one of the five major sects in the Capital City, the Golden Crack Sect was slightly lower in status compared to the Divine Sect Branch, which was backed by the Eternal Origin Divine Sect, a true behemoth.

The only forces in the Capital City that could rival the Divine Sect Branch were the Temple Enforcement Command and the Heaven-Enraged Bureau.

The Golden Crack Sect was only on par with the five major families.

Li Che felt that the only major force he had provoked in the Capital City was the Qin family...

The Golden Crack Sect was also somewhat involved, as the rumors about Qin Yuqing and the Grand Elder of the Golden Crack Sect were unclear...

So, investigating him was understandable.

Gangs were merely tools in the hands of the major figures of the Capital City, like sickles reaping the people's livelihood.

Li Che's perception was constantly probing. These gangs might be wary of his status as a Guest Scholar of the Heaven-Enraged Bureau and Xi Xi's status as a prospective disciple of the Divine Sect.

They only dared to secretly investigate and monitor, with no intention of making a move.

He returned to the courtyard without showing any signs of concern.

Xi Xi was practicing her boxing, her blood and qi surging, her Divine Essence fluctuating. Her small body possessed immense power.

Li Che was taken aback. "Oh, this little girl... has already entered the Bone Tempering stage? How old is she again? Without any elixirs, she reached Bone Tempering at three years old? And her Divine Essence has already reached the Streamlike Cultivation level..."

This martial and Divine Essence talent...

If I hadn't achieved Dao Fruit, I might have been overshadowed by her!

No wonder she's my daughter!

A smile appeared on Li Che's lips.

Old Chen, who was smoking a pipe and guiding Xi Xi, had already fallen silent. "I've seen many things in my life, but this... this is a freak."

Lu Chi also came over, watching Xi Xi in the Bone Tempering stage. He kept touching his big head, his mouth pouting.

Is this what an exceptional Spirit Child looks like?

No, even an exceptional Spirit Child wouldn't progress this fast.

Lu Chi is nine now. What was he doing at three?

Oh, he was still nursing.

At that time, he hadn't even gathered enough to form a cup of Streamlike Cultivation...

It's just that, comparing people can be frustrating.

Fortunately, the one overshadowing him is Xi Xi.

Seeing Lu Chi, Li Che smiled, knowing that the little guy had come every day to support his family after learning that he had been taken away for investigation by the Temple Enforcement Command.

Thinking of the gang tailing them, Li Che casually asked about the Golden Crack Sect.

"Golden Crack Sect? They absolutely wouldn't dare to touch you. You were recommended by the teacher, and even if the Grand Elder Jin Xuan had ten lives, he wouldn't dare to move against you..."

"Let's not even talk about the Divine Sect's power. Just the teacher, with that Horn Hammer of his, almost smashed Jin Xuan's head in. That guy is like a rat seeing a cat whenever he sees the teacher..." Lu Chi said, rubbing his big head with a smile.

Li Che was taken aback. If that's the case, the Black Snake Gang wasn't arranged by the Golden Crack Sect?

Then, who is the force tailing them?

Li Che frowned, feeling a bit confused. Qin Haonan was personally tailing him, so it probably wasn't him. Even in Li Che's perception on the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, he had seen Qin Haonan investigate this gang...

So, who arranged for this gang?

Li Che's eyes darkened, and he began to take the matter more seriously.

Zhang Ya had already prepared the meal and brought it out to the courtyard, where the family gathered for dinner.

Xi Xi, perhaps due to reaching the Bone Tempering stage, had a much larger appetite, holding a big bowl and eating non-stop.

Li Che and Old Chen clinked glasses, enjoying their drinks.

The warm spring breeze blew gently, comfortable and soothing.

Suddenly, Li Che's expression changed, his brows furrowing.

Because, outside the door, his Elder Sister was walking quickly toward them, her face full of worry.

"Big Sister, what's wrong?"

When Zhang Ya opened the door, she saw that her Elder Sister Liu Chunming didn't look too good.

Liu Chunming looked straight at Li Che, her lips pressed together. "Ache, your Elder Brother... hasn't returned home for two days and two nights..."

Li Che put down his wine cup, his brows furrowing.

Elder Brother Li Zheng Ran?

The Divine Chess Piece he placed on Li Zheng Ran didn't indicate any life-threatening danger.

No life-threatening danger...

Why hasn't Elder Brother returned home for two days and two nights?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end