Chapter 111: The Celestial Heaven Supreme Flexible Golden Rod, You Forced Me to Do This

Chapter 111: The Celestial Heaven Supreme Flexible Golden Rod, You Forced Me to Do This

The Heaven-Defying Temple?!

Upon hearing this name, Li Che's eyes narrowed abruptly.

In his mind, an image of a legendary divine monkey who turned the world upside down, stirred the sky, and made countless celestial beings bow their heads emerged.

The Great Sage?!

Li Che took a deep breath, and every inch of his body seemed to tremble. It was just a name, but it made him feel as if even his soul was quivering.

The Third Prince, the Three-Eyed True Monarch, and now... Celestial Heaven...

A myth spanning two lifetimes seemed to overlap like dark clouds, accompanied by rolling thunder snakes and roaring thunder, crashing in his mind.

After a long while, Li Che finally exhaled.

"The Heaven-Defying Temple... Has its Dao lineage collapsed and been destroyed?"

Li Che turned to Shangguan Qinghong. This young lady knew a lot, like a treasure trove of knowledge.

If he didn't understand something, he would ask her.

Shangguan Qinghong shook her head, cracking sunflower seeds as she spoke, "Although the Divine Sect was in decline and its Dao lineage split, it can't be considered completely destroyed..."

"The 'Three Pures' enigmatic temple that the Heaven-Defying Temple once suppressed is still there. The Temple God rebellion that broke out five hundred years ago was too sudden, catching the already weakened Heaven-Defying Temple off guard..."

"The area occupied by that enigmatic temple has now become a land of great peril. The enigmatic tower has expanded for a thousand li, and there's not a soul for a thousand li. The Celestial Heaven City has also become a place of revelry for demons and evil spirits."

"However, the three major Dao lineages that split from the Heaven-Defying Temple are all determined to reclaim the Celestial Heaven City. The Flexible Sect, the Heavenly Pole Tower, and our Golden Light City's Heart Monkey Temple all want to retake the Celestial Heaven City."

"I think it's an exaggeration to say that the Heaven-Defying Temple will be revived. After all, it's already in the past, and what's left is probably just the Temple God's inheritance and that Three Pures-level divine armament."

Shangguan Qinghong shook her head. The collapse of the Heaven-Defying Temple happened five hundred years ago. Five hundred years... How long is that? Calling it an eternity wouldn't be an overstatement.

After five hundred years, all Dao lineage and sentiment have become fleeting clouds. What remains to be cherished by their descendants is probably just the pursuit of benefits.

"A Three Pures-level divine armament?" Li Che's body trembled.

"The Flexible Golden Rod?"

He blurted out subconsciously.

"Huh? You know about it? Have you heard of it?" Shangguan Qinghong was a bit surprised. She hadn't expected Li Che to know this name, as information about the Heaven-Defying Temple was already ancient history, mostly recorded in ancient books, and ordinary cultivators were generally unaware of it.

"That Three Pures-level divine armament is called the 'Celestial Heaven Supreme Flexible Golden Rod'! It's ranked seventh in the Great Jing Celestial Armament Catalog personally arranged by the Director of the Grand Surveillance!"

"Only seventh?"

Li Che immediately felt dissatisfied. How could the weapon of my Great Sage be ranked so low!

Shangguan Qinghong suddenly covered her mouth and laughed, "It's not that low. The Director of the Grand Surveillance explicitly stated in the Armament Catalog that the top ten divine armaments have no distinction of strength or superiority. It mainly depends on the strength of the wielder at the time."

Hearing this, Li Che nodded.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, "So... the Celestial Heaven Rod doesn't have an owner yet?"

Shangguan Qinghong gave Li Che a strange look, "Yes, the Enigmatic Temple is located in Stone State. Due to the rebellion of the Three Pures-level enigmatic tower, Stone State has basically become a territory of demons and evil spirits. That Celestial Heaven Ancient City is also occupied by a demon king comparable to the Divine Embryo Realm..."

"After the Heaven-Defying Temple's Divine Tribulation cultivator perished, the Celestial Heaven Rod returned to the Enigmatic Tower and has yet to reappear. Therefore, it hasn't been acquired yet."

"Brother Li, are you coveting this rod?"

At these words, Li Che's eyes flashed. Of course, he had ambitions...

"Your cultivation is too weak right now. Forget about entering the Celestial Heaven Ancient City; even getting close might get you torn apart by demons and evil spirits..."

"Moreover, a Three Pures-level divine armament requires sufficient cultivation. If you don't have the necessary strength, you won't be controlling the armament; instead, you'll be controlled by it."

Shangguan Qinghong wanted to dissuade Li Che from this idea.

Li Che had ambitions, but he still needed time to develop.

He smiled and didn't delve too deeply into this topic.

Shangguan Qinghong sighed, "Every time I read the ancient books and learn about the Heaven-Defying Temple's heyday, when it dominated the world and divided the empire with the court, I'm amazed by its power and dominance as the greatest Divine Sect. But in the end, it couldn't escape the passage of time..."

"In the blink of an eye, it fell apart. Now, it can only be a relic of the past, remembered in history books."

"So, this world... is too dangerous. No one can guarantee their safety. During the heyday of the Heaven-Defying Temple, there were even 'Divine Tribulation' masters beyond the Divine Embryo Realm residing in the temple!"

"Yet, it still fell apart and turned to dust."

Shangguan Qinghong sighed, feeling sentimental as she continued cracking sunflower seeds.

Li Che couldn't help but feel the same way. Indeed... this world was too dangerous.

Moreover, the most important thing was that the dead Temple Gods in those enigmatic temples seemed to overlap with the myth in his mind.

"I'm too weak now. Thinking about these things is meaningless. I should just live each day to the fullest."

"I just want to be with my wife and daughter and live a good life in this world."

Li Che spoke softly.

Shangguan Qinghong's eyes shimmered, and her heart seemed to be moved by Li Che's words. Her long eyelashes trembled as she glanced at him and bit her red lips.

"Brother Li..." Shangguan Qinghong called out.

Li Che looked at her with confusion.

"If only you were my father," Shangguan Qinghong said, her lips pressed together, her voice unusually dejected.

Li Che was stunned, then fell silent.

This young lady, on their first meeting, had been all about the arranged marriage, coveting his body.

Now, she actually wanted to be his daughter?

Women... were so fickle!

After saying this, Shangguan Qinghong seemed to snap out of her daze, feeling a little embarrassed. Her pretty face turned red like a heated iron block, and she stuffed a handful of sunflower seeds into Li Che's hand before turning and hurrying away.

...

...

The Devil Ox had appeared!

Qin Haonan, who had been keeping an eye on Li Che from the Liu Xiang Pavilion while drinking, was completely dumbfounded when he heard this news.

"The Devil Ox? It's appeared?"

He stared at the gray-faced undercover agent who brought the news, disbelief flooding his eyes.

Qin Haonan had also suspected Li Che of being the Devil Ox, mainly based on Zhang Xiangyang's hint, so subconsciously, he had assumed that Li Che fit the Devil Ox's identity too well.

Although there was a gap in their strengths, the power Li Che had displayed was not at all on par with the Devil Ox. However, as a member of the Qin family, Qin Haonan was well aware that judging by surface strength alone was unreliable.

Some esoteric breath-concealing techniques could hide one's cultivation.

So, Qin Haonan had never dismissed his suspicions about Li Che.

But today, when the gray-faced undercover agent brought news of Li Che entering the Celestial Surveillance Agency, Qin Haonan had to admit one fact.

"It seems Li Che really isn't the Devil Ox..."

Qin Haonan plopped down on a chair, poured himself a cup of wine, and drained it in one go.

Who in the world was the Devil Ox who had killed Yuqing?

And who had killed Qin Yuqing from such a distance, a Grandmaster at the Divine Foundation Realm, causing such a nightmare and unease?

"The old ancestor also went to that Tang family remnant, who insisted it wasn't his doing. With no grudges or enmity, it's indeed unlikely for such a being to openly kill a woman."

"Could it really be Cao Guang... Cao Guang isn't dead?"

Qin Haonan felt a headache. In such a large city, with the Qin family's influence, how could they not find a person?

"Million Gamblers' Den... colluding with the Corpse Deity Sect?"

As the gray-faced undercover agent continued his report, Qin Haonan narrowed his eyes, but his expression didn't change much.

After all, the Golden Light City appeared peaceful on the surface.

But in reality, dark undercurrents were already stirring within.

For the great clans and wealthy families in the city, accepting the infiltration of the Corpse Deity Sect's influence was easier than imagined because the benefits they received were tangible.

Moreover, the temptation to break through cultivation bottlenecks was simply too great.

The Corpse Deity Sect possessed extraordinary power, and although the court had always suppressed them, the rebellion of Prince Magi Liping had been stalled, allowing the Corpse Deity Sect's influence to grow.

Not only in Golden Light City, but in all the cities of Yunzhou, the Corpse Deity Sect's influence seemed to be seeping in.

The Corpse Deity Sect had expanded beyond its original base, slowly eroding the territory of the Great Jing Dynasty.

They even wanted to emulate the once-thriving Heaven-Defying Temple from three thousand years ago, occupying the six realms and twelve provinces of the world, and sharing the realm with the court! The great clans and the court had never been of one mind, and perhaps during the Great Jing Dynasty's heyday, the clans in various provinces and cities would not dare to act out of line, but now, as the mighty tiger began to decline, they would have different thoughts.

"You mean... the Ten Districts Corpse God Envoy of the Corpse Deity Sect was killed? A Ten Districts Corpse God Envoy, who possesses a Cursed Corpse body, cannot be killed by anyone below the Grandmaster realm, and it's even harder to kill a Cursed Corpse at the Divine Foundation Realm!"

"This Devil Ox... actually managed to do it?!"

Qin Haonan's heart trembled.

The Cursed Corpse was notoriously foul-smelling and tough, capable of withstanding attacks from Grandmasters and escaping.

Yet, a Ten Districts Corpse God Envoy had been beaten to death.

"How ruthless, the Million Gamblers' Den, with dozens of Vein Warriors all torn to pieces?"

Qin Haonan listened to the description of the Million Gamblers' Den massacre and couldn't help but sigh.

Now, he was even more certain that the Devil Ox and Li Che had nothing to do with each other.

Putting aside the fact that Li Che wasn't present as proof, his observations of Li Che over these days showed a simple and honest man, a woodcarving master who lived a frugal life.

How could he be the Devil Ox, a ruthless killer who tore people to pieces?

Qin Haonan stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the Celestial Surveillance Agency's treasure tower standing atop the cliff.

"Let's go!"

In the end, Qin Haonan chose to abandon his surveillance of Li Che.

Such an honest and straightforward person.

There was no point in wasting time watching him.

...

...

The news of the Million Gamblers' Den being slaughtered by the Devil Ox quickly faded away over the next few days.

Although it occasionally became a topic of conversation in teahouses, most commoners returned to their normal lives. They had no connection to such brutal matters.

The Divine Guard Army of the city issued a first-class wanted order for the Devil Ox, offering a reward of five hundred taels of silver for information leading to the Devil Ox and two thousand taels silver for the Devil Ox's head!

Spring was in full bloom, bringing a gentle breeze and willow trees.

Li Che passed by the notice board, looking at the wanted order for the Devil Ox, his expression unchanged.

"The Million Gamblers' Den colluded with the Corpse Deity Sect, and the Devil Ox avenged the people... yet he's still on the wanted list. The Corpse Deity Sect is beyond your control... but you won't let the Devil Ox handle it?"

Li Che's gaze was deep and profound.

Without further delay, he strode past the notice board, bathed in the spring breeze, and arrived at the workshop courtyard he had purchased in the city.

Closing the door and securing the bolt, the Chess Sage's Dao Fruit trembled, and the heavenly chessboard suddenly appeared before him, covering the entire courtyard.

A bright light flashed, and in the center of the heavenly chessboard, there was a 'Corpse Curse Seal', emitting an intense and extreme corpse aura.

"Octagonal Corpse Curse Seal..."

Li Che's gaze turned cold. If it weren't for the mention by that Corpse God Envoy, he wouldn't have known that this Corpse Curse Seal was of such a high level.

Obviously, the powerful member of the Corpse Deity Sect that Cao Guang contacted in the city must also hold a high position.

Cao Guang wanted to make a good deal, and the powerful member of the Corpse Deity Sect must also possess the Octagonal Corpse Curse Seal.

Initially, Li Che was puzzled as to why one of the three major gangs, the Fishermen's Gang, would target him.

Now it seems that it has a lot to do with this Corpse Curse Seal. The other party obviously didn't sense the Corpse Curse Seal because Li Che had sealed it with the heavenly chessboard.

The Black Snake Gang, sent by the other party to keep watch, must have suspected that Cao Guang intended to use the Octagonal Corpse Curse Seal on Xi Xi.

So, they were after Xi Xi.

To find out who took the Octagonal Corpse Curse Seal...

"Corpse Deity Sect, Corpse Curse Seal..."

Li Che's gaze turned indifferent, filled with murderous intent.

"You're looking for me... but I'm also looking for you..."

He raised his hand and pointed at the Corpse Curse Seal.

Suddenly, it was as if a pitch-black corpse aura was released, spreading in concentric circles, and the corpse aura wave surged towards the entire chessboard.

After spreading several times, two black chess pieces emitting a corpse aura appeared on the chessboard.

Li Che raised his head and looked outside the courtyard.

"Black Snake Gang..."

The two martial artists with the Corpse Curse Seal were from the Black Snake Gang, who were keeping watch outside the workshop courtyard.

"As long as they are within ten zhang of me, the Octagonal Corpse Curse Seal can reveal those who possess it..."

"No one from the Corpse Deity Sect can escape my sight."

Li Che's gaze turned cold.

He had no good feelings towards the Corpse Deity Sect, only murderous intent.

After all, they coveted his daughter and committed the heinous act of the Thousand Infants Rite.

They deserved to be killed!

They must be killed!

He would show no mercy.

The Temple Guard Service and the Divine Guard Army were playing the long game, but Li Che couldn't be bothered with such things.

The Corpse Deity Sect had no martial morality, intending to infect Li Zhengran with the Corpse Curse Seal and harm Xi Xi through such despicable means.

So, what martial morality should he, Li Che, uphold?

"It was you who forced me to this..."

Li Che's eyes filled with madness and violence.

With a casual sweep of his hand, the heavenly chessboard expanded, covering the surroundings and shielding the courtyard.

Li Che stood up, and his blood and energy surged, his black hair flying wildly, and his bones resonating with a loud sound!

"Huff—"

"Suck—"

Li Che opened his mouth, inhaling and exhaling, stirring the airflow in the courtyard, accompanied by a wailing howl, like a long dragon sweeping through!

Rustling...

By his ears, the sound of blood rushing and flowing incessantly!

At this moment, Li Che's blood and energy were so powerful, his Xuan Pulse had reached its peak, and his energy connected his head to his feet. His entire being seemed to be completely linked to the heavens!

Li Che seemed to have entered a state of self-forgetfulness, his inner energy surging and flowing within his body, forming a cycle, as if opening up his body's acupoints one by one.

His spirit seemed to soar, perceiving every change in his physical body, the contraction and expansion of his skin and pores, and the trembling and writhing of his internal organs.

Each scene seemed to be reflected in his spirit!

It was as if he had divine assistance!

Suddenly, Li Che took a step forward, his five fingers curled like hooks, gathering five strands of energy into a powerful strike, and he roared, with a colorful tiger seeming to roar from behind him.

This was the White Tiger Chaotic Wind Fist, which Li Che had improved to the Supreme Vehicle!

The white tiger seemed lifelike, formed by the inner energy that surged out of his body!

Roar!

The white tiger roared towards the sky, and suddenly, it came to life, as if infused with spirit, becoming a true living being!

This was the profound realm of the White Tiger Chaotic Wind Fist!

A Divine Pulse Warrior needed to cultivate a martial art to the profound realm and integrate it into their spirit.

For Li Che, who possessed the Dragon Elephant Vajra talent, this was not a problem!

It was as if a tiger roared within his flesh and blood, and his bones resonated with a loud sound. The speed of his inner energy circulation increased, and the power of his strikes greatly enhanced.

His five senses and six perceptions were fully enhanced, and he seemed to be on the verge of breaking out of his flesh, forming a perception similar to divine perception.

In the courtyard, Li Che stood still, his entire body resembling a fierce tiger crouching. As he opened his eyes, energy burst forth from his body, almost becoming a tangible force, like a blooming lotus.

Prison Lotus!

This was the Grand Jing Temple Guard's Prison Lotus Divine Vein Cultivation Technique that Li Che had obtained!

Now, he had taken a solid step forward, entering the Divine Vein realm, and could aspire to the Grandmaster realm!

But Li Che did not stop.

The sword pointed and tore through the air, the piercing spear in Li Che's grasp danced like a blade's gleam!

A wave of energy akin to toppling mountains and overturning seas suddenly roared within the courtyard.

The Three-Eyed Wrathful Vajra's Three-Blade Saber, this divine martial art, was mastered by Li Che, who became increasingly adept, thoroughly solidifying his great achievement.

Sheathing his sword and standing, countless sword gleams slowly dissipated around him, and the wood chips on the ground were scattered.

"Divine Vein, it's done!"

...

...

The Fishermen's Gang was one of the three major gangs in Golden Light City, with an immense sphere of influence along the Nine Dragons River.

The city was vast, with numerous citizens, and many people from the outlying towns and lower-tier cities would come to the Nine Dragons River to seek employment with the Fishermen's Gang.

Due to its proximity to the great river, the fish in the river were plump, and there was plenty of work in transporting and selling the fish caught, so many people came to work here.

The Fishermen's Gang was the dominant force in this area, and even the Black Dragon Gang and the Beggar Gang couldn't compare to them in this region.

The power structure in the city was always hierarchical, with the Five Great Clans and Five Great Sects above the Fishermen's Gang, and above them were the Temple Guard Service, the Celestial Surveillance Agency, the City Lord Mansion, and the Divine Sect Branch. Above them was the Divine Sect itself!

Below the Fishermen's Gang, there were also numerous smaller forces.

For example, the Black Snake Gang, Million Gamblers' Den, and others were all under the Fishermen's Gang's influence.

White Wave Hall was the Fishermen's Gang's governing force at the wharf, no weaker than Million Gamblers' Den and even slightly stronger.

At this moment, in the courtyard where the White Wave Hall's hall master and many executives were gathered.

A shrill and miserable scream pierced the air, filling the courtyard with a thick, bloody stench.

After a moment, a hunched middle-aged man emerged from the inner room, gripping a woman's hair in his five fingers and dragging her out from the inner hall. The woman's body had been completely devoured, and she was already lifeless.

After dragging the woman out, the middle-aged man threw her to the ground and took out a cloth to wipe the fresh blood from his hands.

"Old Mo, throw this woman's corpse into the Nine Dragons River to feed the fish."

The hunched middle-aged man laughed, revealing a mouthful of scarlet teeth.

An executive bowed and silently dragged the woman's corpse away without a word.

"The Corpse Deity Sect's Corpse Cultivation Technique is indeed miraculous. I'm one step closer to the Grandmaster realm. Once I break through to Grandmaster, I'll be able to squeeze into the Fishermen's Gang's upper echelon."

The hunched man sat in a grandmaster's chair, picked up a cup of hot tea, and took a sip.

The two deputy hall masters below him began to congratulate him.

"By the way, Hall Master, recently... many people from the Fishermen's Gang's subordinate forces have died. The other day, the Sand Flow Hall's hall master was nailed to death in his house, and over ten high-level cultivators from Sand Flow Hall were all found in pieces."

"Yesterday, the Long Sea Hall's hall master had his head crushed..."

"Should we... should we be more careful?"

One of the deputy hall masters spoke with a trembling voice.

The White Wave Hall's hall master took a sip of tea, chewed on a tea leaf, and coldly smiled, "Devil Ox, it's all that Devil Ox... claiming to be a hero!"

"A dog-like thing, relying on his elusive movements to kill indiscriminately..."

"According to intelligence, when this Devil Ox appeared in Flying Thunder City, he already claimed to be a hero..."

"He may be able to act like a hero in a small town, but what kind of result will he get trying to be a hero in the city?"

"In this era, if I don't kill these commoners, they'll encounter other people. Can this Devil Ox kill everyone? There are countless evils in this era; can he eliminate them all?"

"What's wrong with me eating a person?!"

"If I don't eat, there are plenty of others who will!"

The White Wave Hall's hall master coldly smiled.

"He's killing indiscriminately, and he really thinks he's a hero? The Divine Guard Army and the Temple Guard Service don't recognize him, and his bounty on the notice board is even higher than that of the river bandit Gao Yang!"

The deputy hall master trembled even more, "Hall Master, that's how it is..."

"But..."

The White Wave Hall's hall master narrowed his eyes, "What's there to fear? Do you think the Fishermen's Gang is vegetarian? Killing so many high-level cultivators from the Fishermen's Gang's subordinate forces, the grandmasters of the Fishermen's Gang have already set their sights on him..."

"The strong cultivators from the Divine Guard Army and the Temple Guard Service have been chasing him all along."

"If this Devil Ox dares to come and kill me, I just need to fight to the death with him, and he'll have nowhere to escape!"

The White Wave Hall's hall master had just consumed a woman, and with his breakthrough in Corpse Cultivation Technique, he felt almost invincible.

He was in that kind of breakthrough period where he felt he could take on anyone.

His words were full of confidence and arrogance.

But as he spoke, he didn't get a response from the deputy hall master beside him, and he was stunned for a moment.

Turning his head...

He seemed to have suddenly grown taller, able to look down on the deputy hall master's head.

His eyes rolled, and he saw another hunched body with its head torn off, blood spurting from its neck.

Wasn't this his body?

Ah—!

The White Wave Hall's hall master wanted to scream, but he couldn't make a sound, and the world seemed to collapse, instantly becoming pitch-black.

Before he completely lost consciousness.

He only saw a cute ox mask.

Devil Ox!

Devil Ox!!!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end