Chapter 106: Supreme Art of True Intention, Xixi's Terrifying Talent

Chapter 106: Supreme Art of True Intention, Xixi's Terrifying Talent

Echoing glory, gleaming divine spirit.

Rear Marshal of the Nine Provinces Island, Island Inspector, Summer Governor, Guardian of Transformation.

General Who Exorcises Demons and Slays Devils, Iron-faced Lord Zhongnan, Venerable Demon Sweeper.

This is Zhong Kui's Divine Edict.

When it comes to exorcising ghosts, Li Che feels that this divine deity is indeed very suitable.

Since he is free to express himself, it's a good opportunity to try and carve out the myriad divine beings that emerge in his mind...

Can it be like that day, carving the crimson silk that rages across the four seas like the Third Prince, increasing the maturity of the Immortal Artisanry Dao Fruit?

"Brother Li, you must remember to cultivate that volume of the Great Jing Celestial Seven Elements Thousand-Hand Divine Carving Technique. Although it's only the upper volume, if you want to pass the evaluation for the Second Rank Guest Scholar, you need to at least reach a minor level of mastery in the Thousand-Hand Divine Carving Technique!"

Shangguan Qinghong sees that Li Che has accepted the task and is about to leave in a hurry, so she hastily reminds him.

Li Che is stunned. This Divine Carving Technique... he hasn't studied it yet.

After all, with the mastery of the Immortal Artisanry Dao Fruit, Li Che feels that the Divine Carving Technique isn't that useful; it's just carving, right?

With the Immortal Artisanry Dao Fruit, his unparalleled skills are provided, so the help of the Divine Carving Technique should be minimal.

Shangguan Qinghong thinks for a moment and says, "The Divine Carving Technique shouldn't be simply viewed as a woodcarving skill. It was created by the Grand Inspector of the Capital Celestial Observatory Treasure Tower. It's not just the Divine Carving Technique; other professions' Divine Pill Technique, Divine Armament Technique, and so on were all created by the Grand Inspector..."

"Therefore, it holds an important position in the evaluation. Even if you can carve a Nine Stars Divine Nature Wooden Sculpture, if your level in the Divine Carving Technique doesn't pass the standard, you won't be able to pass the Second Rank Guest Scholar evaluation."

Hearing this, Li Che's heart can't help but take it seriously, and he plans to study it thoroughly.

After accepting the task, Li Che directly leaves the Celestial Surveillance Agency.

Leaving work early is indeed not a big issue. Mainly, as a Guest Scholar, Li Che doesn't have overly strict on-duty rules.

After accepting the task, Li Che goes to the workshop to carve a wooden sculpture, which is within reason.

First, he goes to the wood storage and retrieves a piece of red spirit wood needed to make the Zhong Kui wooden sculpture. Then, he returns to the workshop in the mansion.

Closing the door, Li Che places the spirit wood properly, and then his heart moves, and the Chess Sage Dao Fruit trembles. Instantly, the Heaven Earth Chessboard expands, covering the surrounding area.

If there are any abnormalities around, he can perceive it immediately.

Li Che doesn't start carving the wooden sculpture.

Instead, he begins his daily martial cultivation.

After becoming a Third Rank Guest Scholar, Li Che obtains resources, including a pill called "Great Jing Celestial Wrathful Azure Dragon Blood Martial Pill," which uses genuine Azure Dragon blood, not mixed blood.

Therefore, the pill's medicinal properties are extremely high, and Shangguan Qinghong even worries that his body might not be able to withstand it, so she asks him to crush the pill and consume it in three separate doses.

But Li Che's physical body is peerlessly tempered; how could he not withstand it? After swallowing a pill of the Wrathful Azure Dragon Blood Martial Pill, Li Che's stomach wall writhes, crushing the pill's coating, and releasing the vast medicinal properties.

Hu—

Suction—

In the courtyard, Li Che stands in the spring breeze, closing his eyes to experience it. In his mind, he goes over the divine art, 'Wrathful True Lord Three Blade Sword,' and in the next instant, he opens his eyes...

The Nine Stars Divine Armament, the Blood-Bathed Shock Lance, suddenly shoots out from the Primordial Space, and he grabs it in his palm. With a violent shake, the lance's body roars like a furious dragon!

Then, holding the lance with both hands, he wields it as a three-blade sword, swinging it.

With the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit's peerless tempering, Li Che's martial arts insights are extremely fast, even in the realm of divine arts.

Wrathful True Lord Three Blade Sword, during this period, he has been cultivating it as his primary martial art.

As Li Che immerses himself, the swinging lance becomes faster and faster, and countless surging air currents shoot through the courtyard, spreading out with the lance's movement.

"Hu—!"

With a fierce thrust, he rips out a slender blade of light over a meter long in mid-air, and Li Che's body steams, shrouded in white mist amidst the crisp spring air.

"This Wrathful True Lord Three Blade Sword... has reached perfection!"

Li Che exhales, his lips curling up slightly, and the nine thick tendons writhing on his spine slowly calm down.

In his dantian, the martial pill is refined by the powerful stomach acid, and the surging pill energy rolls, transforming into a fast-moving, mysterious inner energy that surges from the crown of his head to his palms.

Pipa—

Li Che's body vibrates with his tendons, as if his joints are colliding with each other, like metal rubbing.

His tendons are too strong, and the Dragon Elephant Vajra is slowly transforming his flesh, meridians, and bones, advancing towards "Dragon Tendons, Elephant Bones, Vajra!"

Divine Meridian... soon.

With closed eyes, he perceives the inner energy, feeling his entire body transparent, as if his meridians are interconnected. In a moment, he can circulate a small Zhoutian!

"The Divine Meridian Technique requires cultivating a martial art to the Profound Realm, integrating the realm into daily cultivation, not just displaying it during battles. When every move and action carries divinity, one achieves the Divine Meridian!"

Li Che's eyes flicker, and in the Divine Meridian Realm, the inner energy will change several times as the realm merges.

The more the inner energy changes, the stronger the Divine Meridian, and the stronger the breakthrough into the Grandmaster stage will be.

Therefore, the Divine Meridian Realm is highly valued in martial arts.

Grandmaster stage requires cultivating a Supreme Art to command the Profound Realm martial arts cultivated by one's Divine Meridian.

After comprehending the true intention, when the inner energy can be freely controlled, one becomes a True Qi Grandmaster!

Li Che raises his hand, and inner energy bursts out from his fingertips, possessing considerable destructive power.

This is the feature of the Mystic Vein, as inner energy can be released and expanded externally, although it only reaches one zhang (about 3.3 meters) in radius.

"With high-quality Azure Dragon blood pills assisting me, in half a month, I will reach the completion of the Mystic Vein, gaining the qualification to breakthrough to the Divine Meridian!"

Li Che puts away the shock lance, stretches lazily, like an endless string of firecrackers exploding.

With a thought, his inner energy is completely restrained, and his robust physique gradually hides under the elastic clothing, leaving only faint outlines indicating Li Che's extraordinary physique.

After practicing martial arts, Li Che starts cultivating the divine art.

Upon reaching the Divine Foundation Realm, the Three-Eyed Wrathful Vajra's Dharmic Gate automatically extracts divinity from the world, enhancing oneself.

Secondly, the 'Wrathful Gaze Exorcist'

、【Heart-Shaking Astonishment】, and 【Suspensive Thought Flowing Sword】, these three Divine Arts have reached a certain level of Nature Cultivation, allowing him to prepare for the establishment of the Divine Foundation.

As for 【Chaos of Joy and Confusion】, since Li Che did not put in effort, the progress was a bit slower.

However, there is no need to rush. After establishing the Divine Foundation in the other three, he can then focus on this one.

After consolidating his Divine Cultivation for a while, Li Che sat back down in his chair, brewed a cup of hot tea, and took out the book "Great Jing Celestial Seven Elemental Thousand-Hand Divine Carving Technique (Volume 1)".

Opening the pages, it was a message from the Chief Inspector.

Then, he turned to the main text and began to read carefully.

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

Closing the book, Li Che closed his eyes.

"Divine Carving Technique... is not just a woodcarving skill, but a fusion of Divine Secret Technique and Divine Martial Arts!"

"Divine Secret Technique, of the Seven Elemental Rank, is for the Divine Carving Technique..."

"And the Divine Martial Art, a Supreme Art, is named 'Thousand-Hand Divine Carving'!"

"Both the Divine Secret Technique and the Divine Martial Art must reach the same level of proficiency to be considered proficient..."

"After searching high and low, it comes effortlessly..."

Li Che had always wanted to find a True Intention Supreme Art, and now it was right in front of him.

With the Supreme Art, he would have a chance to break through to the Martial Dao Grandmaster realm! In his chest, the Dragon Elephant Vajra seemed to sense his emotions, and its heart began to thump vigorously.

In his mind, the details of the Divine Martial Art, "Thousand-Hand Divine Carving", flowed by.

A moment later, Li Che opened his eyes.

"It's indeed a Supreme Art. I've gone through it three times in my mind, yet I still couldn't grasp it!"

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

After all, the Dragon Elephant Vajra's Path Fruit had enhanced his innate talent for horizontal cultivation.

Li Che stopped carving and devoted himself to cultivating the Supreme Art.

...

...

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

Time seemed to flow like sand as the wind blew, and half a month passed.

Li Che's days became very regular.

Every day, he would go to the Celestial Surveillance Agency to work for an hour, then leave and head to the workshop courtyard to carve the "Wrathful Zhong Kui Exorcist Statue" while also cultivating the Supreme Art and comprehending the Divine Secret Technique.

Unfortunately, Li Che's talent in the Divine Secret Technique was quite average. After half a month, he barely managed to grasp it.

However, the Supreme Art, "Thousand-Hand Divine Carving", was mastered on the second day of cultivation.

The spring rain fell incessantly, and early spring was the rainy season. The unceasing rain seemed to carry the weight of unending sorrow.

In the workshop courtyard, Li Che's vital energy surged, and in an instant, he swung out an arm, creating countless afterimages that overlapped and intertwined, making it difficult to distinguish which hand was real and which was an illusion.

Boom—!

With his five fingers clenched together, he fiercely struck down, creating a deafening boom as if his palm had struck the surface of a large drum, causing the air beneath it to seemingly sink several inches.

The force contained in this strike was such that if it landed on a person's body, a typical Mystic Vein martial artist's internal organs would be shattered. Even a Divine Vein martial artist might not be able to withstand it and would likely suffer severe injuries.

However, the challenge was in landing this strike on an opponent, as they wouldn't just stand still and let him hit them.

"Huff—"

The surging vital energy seemed to roar like a furnace, and the countless arm afterimages gradually retracted into his body, resembling the Thousand-Hand Guanyin retracting her palms, a truly mystical sight.

Li Che's eyes shone brightly, and he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

"The Supreme Art of Thousand-Hand Divine Carving... has been partially mastered!"

"However, it will only get more difficult from now on. Reaching the level of perfection is the key, and its lethality is no less than that of a high-level martial art cultivated to the Profound Realm."

In the courtyard, the surging airflow gradually calmed down.

Li Che sat in his chair and began carving on the desk.

After half a month, the Zhong Kui statue was finally completed, not because he didn't want to work faster, but...

When carving the nearly overlapping image of Zhong Kui in his mind, each knife stroke became extremely difficult.

When he carved the Three-Eyed Vajra statue, the smoothness of his carving seemed to be related to the resonance with the Temple Deity in the Nine Dragons River, a talent in carving that almost reached the level of the Nine Luminaries.

The "Wrathful Zhong Kui Exorcist Statue" was nearly complete, with only some minor details left to polish.

As the last knife stroke removed the fine wood shavings, the Divine Nature between heaven and earth began to gather.

The tenth-level Spirit Wood, a Blood-Red Lingtan Wood, glowed faintly as the Zhong Kui statue, crafted from it, seemed to emanate a faint light.

The howling winds around the statue seemed to echo with a "Wah-yah-yah" sound, as if a towering shadow with a leopard head and circular eyes, an iron-faced, twisted-beard figure, flickered in and out of existence.

Li Che stepped back, satisfied.

His eyes gleamed as he looked at the Divine Nature wooden sculpture, its shape gradually overlapping with the image in his mind, causing him to feel a bit dazed.

"Exorcising Demons and Slaying Devils, Wrathful Zhong Kui Exorcist, unassailable by ghosts!"

Li Che brushed off the wood shavings, his eyes returning to normal, a smile on his face, pleased with the result.

A thought crossed his mind.

【Path Fruit: Divine Artistry (LV3, 78%)】

Impressive! A single surge increased the maturity by 10%, confirming his previous thoughts.

Carving while envisioning the image of a deity in his mind indeed enhanced the Path Fruit's maturity.

What wonderful news!

As he watched the Path Fruit's level rise closer to LV4, Li Che's heart couldn't help but stir.

The LV4 Divine Artistry... What changes would it bring? In fact, Li Che knew that as he and Xi Xi formed a bond, with each year of her safe growth, he would gain a Path Fruit.

The number of Path Fruits would only increase, and he couldn't possibly nurture every one equally.

He must choose a few specialized Path Fruits as his primary direction for growth.

Placing the Zhong Kui statue in the Primordial Space, Li Che changed into a clean set of black clothes before leaving the workshop courtyard.

As he stepped out, Li Che felt a gaze upon him.

"Qin Family, Qin Haonan..."

"And the Temple Service... Divine Enforcers Hong Yong and Shi Lei."

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

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

Initially, after meeting with the Senior Enforcer Zhang Lianhao from the Temple Guard Service, Li Che noticed two Divine Enforcers tailing him the very next day.

However, what they didn't know was that under Li Che's Heaven Earth Chessboard, as they tailed him, he was keeping an eye on them from an even higher level.

Upon confirming that they were merely tailing him, Li Che chose not to make a move.

It was just over half a month, and his itinerary had been extremely regular, which was also a way to dispel the thoughts of the Qin Family and the Temple Guard Service.

In the Prefecture City, Li Che primarily maintained a harmonious relationship with others, adhering to the principle of non-aggression.

He only wished for peace and tranquility as he waited for Xixi to participate in the Divine Sect's entrance examination, nothing more.

As he returned to the small courtyard, the sky gradually darkened.

Li Che paused, and outside the courtyard, in addition to Qin Haonan and the surveillance of the Temple Guard Service's Divine Enforcers, there were numerous gazes scanning the surrounding alleys.

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

The Prefecture City was significantly larger than Thunderstrike City, and even within Thunderstrike City, there were gangs that collected protection fees from businesses and exploited the common people.

The Prefecture City had three major gangs: the Fishermen's Gang, the Black Dragon Gang, and the Beggar Gang.

For instance, the Fishermen's Gang was quite powerful due to the city's reliance on the Nine Dragons River and its tributaries, which provided abundant water resources.

Consequently, there were many people engaged in the fishing industry, making the Fishermen's Gang a formidable force.

The gang tailing Li Che's small courtyard, however, was not a major gang like the Fishermen's Gang. They called themselves the Black Snake Gang, and within the gang, there was a Divine Foundation Realm cultivator.

This gang had stationed numerous members around Flower Listening Lane, disguised as various merchants and customers. Many small stalls had even changed owners.

Li Che didn't know who this Black Snake Gang belonged to, as gangs in the Prefecture City were often like commodities, frequently changing hands among the major powers.

In reality, Li Che was also puzzled because Qin Haonan from the Qin Family had already been tailing him personally, so there was no need for another gang to be sent to watch him.

After some contemplation, Li Che wondered, "Could it be the Golden Rift Sect?"

As one of the five major sects in the Prefecture City, the Golden Rift Sect held a slightly lower status than the Divine Sect's branch sect. After all, the branch sect had the backing of the Primordial Orthodox Sect, making it a truly formidable force.

In the Prefecture City, only the Temple Guard Service and the Celestial Surveillance Agency could rival the branch sect.

The Golden Rift Sect was merely on par with the five great clans.

Li Che felt that the only power he had provoked in the Prefecture City was the Qin Family...

The Golden Rift Sect could be considered half of that, as rumors suggested an ambiguous relationship between Qin Yuqing and the Golden Rift Sect's Grand Elder.

Therefore, it was understandable for them to investigate him.

Gangs were merely tools in the hands of the influential figures of the great clans in the Prefecture City, reaping the benefits from the common people.

Li Che's Divine Perception constantly scanned these gangs, and they might have been wary of his status as a Guest Scholar of the Celestial Surveillance Agency and Xixi's status as a prospective disciple of the Divine Sect.

They only dared to investigate discreetly, monitoring without any intention of taking action.

Unobtrusively, Li Che returned to the courtyard.

Xixi was practicing her punches, her vital energy surging and her divinity fluctuating. Despite her small stature, she exuded immense power.

Li Che was taken aback, "Hey, this little girl... has tempered her bones?!"

She was only a few years old, and without consuming any pills, she had already reached the Tempered Bones stage at the age of three!

Moreover, her divinity had also reached the Cultivation Nature Like Stream Divine Energy stage...

Such innate talent in both martial arts and divinity...

If I didn't have the Dao Fruit, I might have been outdone by my own daughter!

Indeed, she is my Li Che's daughter!

A smile curved on Li Che's lips.

Beside him, Old Chen, who was smoking a pipe while guiding Xixi, had already fallen into silence. "What a monster... I've never seen anything like this in my life."

Lu Chi also came over, watching Xixi's progress. He couldn't help but touch his own head and pouted.

Was this what a top-grade Spirit Child was like?

No, even a top-grade Spirit Child wouldn't progress at this speed.

Lu Chi was now nine years old. What was he doing when he was three?

Oh, he was still drinking milk.

Back then, not only had he not reached the Cultivation Nature Like Stream stage, but he hadn't even gathered enough energy to form a cup.

It could only be said that some people were just naturally superior to others.

Fortunately, the one who outshone him was Xixi.

Li Che saw Lu Chi's smile and understood that the little guy had come to their home every day because he had heard about Li Che being taken away by the Temple Guard Service for investigation. He wanted to show his support to the family.

Thinking about the gang tailing them, Li Che took the opportunity to ask about the Golden Rift Sect.

"The Golden Rift Sect wouldn't dare to harm you. After all, you were recommended by the teacher, and even if the Golden Rift Sect's Grand Elder Jin Xuan had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to..."

"Not to mention the Divine Sect's branch sect, but the teacher alone, with just a sheep horn hammer, almost smashed that Jin Xuan's head. That guy is like a mouse in front of the teacher..." Lu Chi said, touching his head and laughing.

Li Che was startled. If that was the case, then the Black Snake Gang wasn't arranged by the Golden Rift Sect? Then, who was the force tailing them outside?

Li Che frowned, feeling a bit confused. Qin Haonan from the Qin Family was personally tailing him, so it was unlikely to be him. Moreover, Li Che had even seen Qin Haonan investigating this gang through his Heaven Earth Chessboard...

So, who arranged this gang?

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

Just then, Zhang Ya came out with the dinner, setting it up in the courtyard.

Perhaps due to reaching the Tempered Bones stage, Xixi's appetite had increased significantly. She held a large bowl in her small hands and ate vigorously.

Li Che and Old Chen clinked their cups and drank, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

A warm spring breeze blew by, bringing comfort and gentleness.

Suddenly, Li Che's expression changed slightly, and his eyebrows furrowed.

Because, outside the door, his sister-in-law, Liu Chunming, was approaching with quick steps, her face filled with worry.

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

After Zhang Ya opened the door, she saw Liu Chunming's expression, which wasn't good.

Liu Chunming looked directly at Li Che and said, "Ah Che, your cousin... has been missing for two days and two nights..."

Li Che put down his wine cup and frowned.

His cousin, Li Zhengran? The divine chess piece he had left on Li Zhengran hadn't indicated any danger to his life.

If there was no danger to his life...

Then why had his cousin been missing for two days and two nights?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end