Chapter 113: The Net of Heaven and Earth, Killing the Demon Ox, and the Arrival of the Thunderstrike

Chapter 113: The Net of Heaven and Earth, Killing the Demon Ox, and the Arrival of the Thunderstrike Annihilator

Li Qingshan... is coming back?!

The headquarters of the Fishing Gang fell into silence.

The bearded and feline-eyed gang leader's expression turned solemn.

"The Vernal Equinox is approaching, and it's time for the Divine Sect Branch to open its mountain gate to recruit disciples. Li Qingshan should indeed be returning."

The gang leader exhaled and leaned back in his grandmaster's chair.

"No wonder the Divine Sect Branch hasn't made any moves recently. They were waiting for Li Qingshan's return. With his temperament, he'll be even harder to deal with than the Demon Ox. Since our Fishing Gang has been getting close to the Corpse Deity Sect recently, we'll definitely be targeted by this dog!"

Jing Wudao, the gang leader, grew solemn, deep in thought.

His anger towards the Demon Ox gradually cooled down. After all, the Demon Ox could only threaten the Fishing Gang's subordinate forces. He couldn't threaten the Fishing Gang's higher-ups.

But Li Qingshan was different.

This guy was a famous expert on the Divine Foundation List of Yunzhou. Although he had only reached the Perfection of Divine Foundation, the Divine Foundation he had cultivated was the 'Suspensive Thought Thunderstrike Annihilator' of the 'Six Ministries' level! Being able to cultivate the Six Ministries' Divine Foundation Law was a testament to his profound background and talent.

Coupled with his Grandmaster Perfection physical cultivation, even Illusory Form experts could be severely injured by him! Although Illusory Form was also considered a part of the Divine Form Realm, it was still far inferior to the true Divine Form stage. It wasn't impossible to resist the suppression of the Divine Foundation Realm.

There were quite a few Illusory Form experts who had fallen to Li Qingshan.

As for the true Divine Form experts, they dared not act rashly. After all, although the Divine Sect Branch's experts had entered the Four Imperial Anomalous Temple, they couldn't be considered non-existent.

Li Qingshan was a hitman sent by the Divine Sect Branch, specifically targeting the noble families of Golden Light City.

The main reason was that even if Li Qingshan attacked them, they wouldn't dare to fight back.

This was infuriating.

"Damn it!"

Jing Wudao cursed, feeling helpless.

He wasn't afraid of Li Qingshan. As a true Divine Form Realm expert, Li Qingshan was no match for him.

However, for the Fishing Gang, it would be difficult to defend against Li Qingshan if he started hammering away.

"Fortunately... Fortunately, the Demon Ox and Li Qingshan are not allies."

"Otherwise, if the Demon Ox found a Fishing Gang member who had received the Corpse Curse Seal, Li Qingshan would directly hammer them... Our Fishing Gang might be hammered to pieces."

Jing Wudao shook his head.

Deputy Gang Leader Liu Jinsong sat beside him, his brows furrowed. After all, the Fishing Gang's interests were their interests.

They stood together, and they fell together.

"Gang Leader, have you contacted a high-level expert from the Corpse Deity Sect? Why was the Demon Ox able to find someone who received the Corpse Curse Seal? If we don't figure this out, the threat of the Demon Ox won't be eliminated, and who would dare to easily trust the promises of the Corpse Deity Sect in the future?"

Liu Jinsong said solemnly.

"The Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Wrathful Third Prince's Anomalous Temple rioted, and the Divine Sect Branch, Temple Enforcement Command, Heaven-Enraged Bureau, and most of the Divine Form experts from Golden Light City went to investigate. This was the best opportunity for the Corpse Deity Sect to infiltrate Golden Light City, but then the Demon Ox appeared..."

Jing Wudao shook his head. "Do you think the Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Wrathful Third Prince's Anomalous Temple rioted for no reason? It's not even the fixed riot time yet. Most sudden riots are instigated by someone behind the scenes."

"The Corpse Deity Sect's infiltrators in Golden Light City also went to the Third Prince's Temple."

"This is a Four Imperial Anomalous Temple..."

"Too many people have ulterior motives. Think about it, the reason why the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect is ranked among the eleven sects of Great Jing is because of the Four Imperial Anomalous Temple they control in Lingnan Dao..."

"It's not really suppression. They coexist with the Anomalous Temple and establish their Dao traditions based on it!"

Jing Wudao's feline eyes flashed with brilliance.

He exhaled, feeling like he had strayed from the topic, so he steered the conversation back.

"This Demon Ox, a clownish fellow, won't last long. The Corpse Deity Sect has specifically sent an Eight Extremes Corpse Deity Envoy from Yunzhou City, a true Divine Form Realm expert. He brought a divine armament specifically designed to counter teleportation secret techniques, along with divine talismans that seal the void..."

"As long as the Demon Ox dares to act again, he'll have nowhere to escape!"

Jing Wudao slammed his palm on the table.

"Damn it, who can put an end to this Demon Ox?"

Upon hearing this, Deputy Gang Leader Liu Jinsong and Lei Laqi slowly relaxed their brows.

With an Eight Extremes Corpse Deity Envoy personally taking action and a divine armament to counter teleportation, everyone...

could finally sit at the table and share the beef!

...

...

Li Che had finished his cultivation and was now in the workshop, crafting 'Dragon Fang Bodhi' bullets.

This thing was truly difficult to make. Previously, it had taken him a lot of time to craft a single bullet. From Thunder City to the capital city, it had taken more than half a month to carve just one.

Now, Li Che's Immortal Craft fruit had improved significantly, and with the experience of crafting the first bullet, his speed had increased. Still, it couldn't be considered fast.

After carefully polishing for a while, Li Che finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"The second 'Dragon Fang Bodhi' bullet is complete. The Namu Divine Art Barrett can be used again, and my gun has bullets once more!"

Li Che was in a good mood as he carefully stored the 'Dragon Fang Bodhi' bullets, which resembled exquisite crafts.

Stretching lazily, Li Che left the workshop.

When Shangguan Qinghong saw Li Che come out, her eyes lit up. "Brother Li, can I go to your place for dinner today? I want to eat your wife's cooking!"

Ever since Shangguan Qinghong had spoken her heart out and expressed her desire for Li Che to be her father, this girl had been acting like a broken jar, treating Li Che as her father.

Li Che brought her to his home for a meal, and after tasting Zhang Ya's cooking, this young girl's face immediately thickened. She started visiting Li Che's home every day after work, rushing home faster than Li Che himself.

"When are you not coming to freeload a meal?" Li Che asked, exasperated.

"I'll pay for the food."

Shangguan Qinghong couldn't stop laughing; she knew Li Che was joking, as for them, gold and silver were just trivial matters.

After tidying up, Li Che left the Heaven-Enraged Bureau with Shangguan Qinghong, who was like a shadow.

As soon as they stepped down the green stone staircase, they saw Liu He and Hai Chuanying, both reeking of alcohol.

"Oh, Brother Li, you're off work and heading home? Why don't you join us at the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion today? I've invited you so many times, but you never go..." Liu He warmly invited Li Che upon seeing him.

Entertainment and song, isn't that the standard for third-rank guest officials like us at the Heaven-Enraged Bureau?

Except for Li Che, who was an odd one.

Every day after work, he would rush home as if the women at the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion were going to eat him.

"Hahaha, another day, another day," Li Che responded with a smile and a fist bump to Liu He, and nodded to Hai Chuanying.

Both shook their heads, not knowing when Li Che would ever make time for the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion.

"Then I'll wait for you, Brother Li... Don't go back on your word."

Liu He and Hai Chuanying left, laughing.

Li Che shook his head; these two were really carefree.

"A typical third-rank guest official at the Heaven-Enraged Bureau, after staying there for a long time, becomes so carefree and at ease. Entertainment and song, drinking and small gatherings, it's all about living a laid-back life. After all, they don't have much ambition or hope to strive for the second-rank guest official level."

"To strive for the second-rank guest official position, one needs to master the 'Great Jing Heaven-Enraged Seven Elements Divine Carving Technique' to a high level... This is not an easy task, as both divine aura techniques and martial arts need to reach the grandmaster level, which is extremely difficult."

"Knowing they have no hope, they start to enjoy life and focus more on enjoying themselves and divine aura cultivation."

Shangguan Qinghong saw through Liu He's state and scoffed.

"Brother Li, you should avoid the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion; that place is not clean, and it's full of mixed people..."

Li Che smiled.

Would he, Li Che, be that kind of person?

The two passed through the long street and returned to Tinghua Alley.

The spies planted by the Black Snake Gang were still there, and their numbers seemed to be increasing.

Li Che hadn't eliminated the Black Snake Gang mainly because he wanted to start by clearing out the other forces within the Fishing Gang first, to confuse everyone and dispel the idea that he, Li Che, was the Ox Demon.

By now, this idea had been thoroughly dispelled.

If Li Che wanted, he could wipe out the Black Snake Gang at any time.

After all, the Black Snake Gang wasn't much stronger than the White Wave Hall.

Li Che's steps paused, and his eyebrows furrowed. In his perception, the number of spies the Black Snake Gang had planted today had increased tenfold, and there was also the hidden aura of a powerful individual.

Li Che's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he returned to the alley courtyard without making a sound.

"Wow, Sister Qinghong!"

Xixi, who was practicing her punches in the courtyard, immediately ran over joyfully, using the excuse of not needing to practice martial arts anymore!

Old Chen couldn't help but declare a rest and sat down to drink.

Shangguan Qinghong responded to Xixi with a scream, and the two of them kept stomping in the courtyard.

"Qinghong is here? I'll cook one more dish, and we can have dinner." Zhang Ya came out of the house and saw Shangguan Qinghong, who had come to freeload a meal. She smiled gently.

She had always been a very gentle woman.

Moreover, she could tell that her husband had little interest in Shangguan Qinghong, and even... treated her like a daughter.

Additionally, after hearing about Shangguan Qinghong's background at the dinner table, Zhang Ya's motherly love overflowed, and she couldn't hold it back.

Shangguan Qinghong was from one of the five great families in the capital city, the Shangguan family, with an excellent family background. Her father was the head of the Shangguan family, a nearly hundred-year-old man who forced a maid to give birth to Shangguan Qinghong when he was a hundred years old.

After giving birth to Shangguan Qinghong, the mother and daughter did not receive much attention and were instead subjected to various difficulties.

Shangguan Zhenheng had no affection for them and even some disgust. When Shangguan Qinghong was six years old, her mother died of illness, leaving her alone and almost expelled from the Shangguan family, ending up on the streets.

Fortunately, she was noticed by Deputy Inspector Lin Xiu of the Heaven-Enraged Bureau and accepted as a disciple, which gave her status within the Shangguan family, and she slowly grew up.

Zhang Ya was very affectionate towards Shangguan Qinghong and didn't mind her freeloading meals.

Shangguan Qinghong dared to freeload meals because she knew Zhang Ya cared for her, and Xixi loved playing with her.

After dinner, Shangguan Qinghong stayed in the courtyard to play with Xixi.

Li Che entered the study.

He lit the oil lamp, and the flickering lamp's flame danced.

After locking the study door, Li Che's pupils emitted a faint white smoke.

A divine aura technique, Constrain Spirit!

Divine auras piled up to form a figure of Lin Da, merging into Li Che's self-carved Suspensive Thinking Willow Body, casting a shadow in the lamplight, carving the wood sculpture.

With the constrained spirit integrated into the willow body, it became almost identical to Li Che.

It was almost a lifelike wooden replica.

After completing this, Li Che pressed his fingers together and tore through the air.

He put on a hood, a cute bull mask, and a black robe, gripping a white divine aura chess piece with his five fingers.

The figure vanished in an instant within the study room.

...

...

The night sky was oppressive, with dark clouds rolling and colliding, occasionally revealing flashes of lightning.

Outside the capital city of Golden Light Prefecture, on the official road.

Several simple horse-drawn carriages galloped along the road.

The coachman swiftly whipped the reins, and the spirited horses breathed heavily as they raced across the wide official road.

Li Qingshan lay on Mu Baba's lap, allowing her to gently caress his head.

Mu Baba read aloud a secret letter sent from the capital city.

"The Demon Ox has caused trouble again, slaughtering the White Wave Hall, a subordinate force of the Fishing Gang. The hall master and vice master were all killed, their bodies torn to pieces, an extremely cruel sight."

"According to intelligence, the hall master and vice master had been marked with the Corpse Curse Seal. The hall master even worshipped the Corpse Deity, practicing corpse cultivation, and slaughtered thirty-six innocent women, devouring their flesh and blood..."

"Beast!"

Mu Baba couldn't help but curse aloud.

"Fortunately, the Demon Ox is a hero!"

"How can this capital city still be so chaotic!"

Li Qingshan, resting on her lap, slightly opened his eyes and coldly smiled, "Chaos is normal... With the Four Imperial Anomalous Temple located outside the Golden Light Prefecture, peace is not destined for this place."

"Among the four prefectures of Yunzhou, the Corpse Deity Sect chose to infiltrate the Golden Light Prefecture first, not only because the families and sects here are most likely to harbor ambitions, but also due to the existence of this Four Imperial Anomalous Temple."

"To establish a divine sect relying on the temple, what an ambition!"

Li Qingshan sighed.

"The Four Imperial Anomalous Temple appearing in the Golden Light Prefecture is both a blessing and a curse."

Mu Baba's expression changed several times, and in the end, she shook her head helplessly.

"So... it's the same everywhere, no peace."

"Where in the world is there peace?"

Li Qingshan sat up and embraced Mu Baba, "But rest assured, with me here, you'll have peace."

"Even if there's no peace, I'll hammer out peace for you."

Mu Baba stared at Li Qingshan with a dazed look, then her eyes dimmed slightly, "I'm old, with no hope for divine foundation. You're different from me... Your future can enter the Divine Form Realm and even pursue higher realms."

"As for me, I'm probably going to die."

"So, I just want to spend peaceful days with you..."

Li Qingshan gazed out the window, feeling dazed.

After a long while, he kissed Mu Baba's forehead.

"Don't worry, I'll accompany you to watch the sunset to the end."

Suddenly, Mu Baba struggled out of his embrace and stared at Li Qingshan, "No, it's not necessary."

"You are Li Qingshan, you don't need to change specifically for me. I know that one person's strength is limited, unable to change the world's impurities, but I hope you can uphold the initial heart you had when you entered the jianghu with your horse."

"I hope you can be free of regrets! Use your hammer... and hammer those disgusting fellows to death for me!"

"Just like what the Demon Ox is doing now."

Li Qingshan was stunned.

Then, he burst into laughter and playfully gave Mu Baba a big kiss.

"You're indeed the woman I, Li Qingshan, have been thinking about for so long!"

"No wonder I took a liking to you the moment I entered the jianghu!"

The next moment, Li Qingshan leaped out of the carriage and appeared on top of it. As the carriage raced on, the howling wind stirred, and he stood like a spear, hands behind his back, his robe fluttering in the wind.

He looked at the coachman, who halted the reins.

"Peak Master," the coachman said respectfully.

"Safely deliver these Spirit Children into the city and arrange their accommodations, waiting for the sect assessment during the Vernal Equinox."

"Once we enter the city, Lu Chi will come to meet you."

The coachman clenched his fist, "Yes, sir."

Li Qingshan laughed, his gaze shifting towards the Golden Light Prefecture capital city under the dark night sky.

His eyes moved, looking towards the distant Four Imperial Anomalous Temple in the raging Nine Dragon River, as if twisting time and space, sitting in the river's heart.

He retracted his gaze, and with a light tap of his foot, his body soared like a kite, and during the flight, he covered his face with a Cat Face Mask.

With a flick of his wide sleeve, a Horn Hammer slid into his palm, and as he gripped it, arcs of lightning danced.

Indeed.

Li Qingshan had returned.

Unable to completely eradicate the city's impurities, he would nonetheless exert his utmost effort.

That Demon Ox kid was striving to be a hero.

Li Qingshan, too, had once been a youth who entered the jianghu with a sword and a horse, dreaming big.

He couldn't lose his courage in old age, could he?

...

...

The night was dark and windy.

Whoosh!

The air currents surged and swirled, and Li Che, with the Lion Elephant Vajra Fruit, perfectly restrained his blood and energy, as if blending into the air of heaven and earth.

He strode through the long night, wearing a Cute Bull Mask, his tall figure wrapped in a black robe, and as he moved, the scenery on both sides rapidly retreated.

Black Snake Gang's territory.

The howling wind wailed in the darkness, and the willow branches swayed rapidly.

As the only remaining force under the Fishing Gang, the Black Snake Gang was now extremely cautious in its defense, with teams of skilled fighters patrolling in groups.

As soon as the Demon Ox appeared, they would give a warning, allowing the experts of the Black Snake Gang to escape quickly.

Standing on the rooftop, treading on the black tiles.

Li Che's tall figure, shrouded in a black robe, looked indifferently at the brightly lit Black Snake Gang's territory.

He raised his hand and pointed at his brow.

In an instant...

With the place where he stood as the star position on the chessboard, the Heaven and Earth Chessboard expanded and spread out, illuminating the map, and the crisscrossing black lines outlined the chessboard scene.

On it, at the crisscrossing positions, one chess piece after another emitted a dark aura, targeting Li Qingshan, the Demon Ox, with murderous intent.

At the same time, the "Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal" suppressed within the chessboard trembled incessantly.

A circle of death qi formed concentric ripples, continuously expanding!

Then, on the chessboard, one after another, the Corpse Curse Seals appeared, revealing their shadows!

"Hmm?"

"This... is the Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal?!"

Beneath the Cute Bull Mask, Li Che's eyes narrowed, and the strong cultivators around the Black Snake Gang's base were not only numerous but also of exceptional quality!

Among them, one Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal slightly trembled, and under the impact of death qi, it emerged.

"The Corpse Deity Sect's Eight Extremes Corpse Deity Envoy!"

Hu— Beneath the mask, Li Che took a deep breath.

An ambush.

The Black Snake Gang had become the bait, luring him in.

After all, the Fishing Gang had few remaining forces, and the Black Snake Gang, as a tailing force for Xixi, had been constantly monitoring her due to her significant connection with the Demon Ox.

But it was also because of Xixi's relationship with the Demon Ox.

So, the Fishing Gang believed that the Demon Ox would definitely take action against the Black Snake Gang!

Liu Jinsong and Lei Lao, the two vice leaders of the Fishing Gang, were currently hiding in the Black Snake Gang's base, concealing their presence with secret techniques to shield their divine energy.

There was also a Corpse Deity Envoy from the Corpse Deity Sect, whose aura was extremely terrifying, and despite the distance, the intimidation was overwhelming.

They were all quietly waiting for the Demon Ox to take the bait.

One Divine Form cultivator, two Phantom Realm cultivators... this formation was not to be underestimated.

Indeed, it was a formidable display of respect.

"You guys are really something."

Li Che chuckled.

With the Thunderstrike Chess Sage by his side, he could come and go as he pleased, and even if it was a trap, he could easily deal with it.

When it came to taking the bait, the Demon Ox was a professional!

Since his debut, he had always been on the path of taking the bait.

Fishing?

Li Che loved fishing the most.

The Fishing Gang didn't believe in evil; they should have guessed that the Demon Ox possessed the Translocation Technique, so they had set up an ambush in advance.

Or perhaps they had already mastered a method to counter the Translocation Technique.

But the Demon Ox's Translocation...

Was not an ordinary technique.

Although Li Che had mastered the Thunderstrike Chess Sage's Translocation Technique, he still felt it unnecessary to take such a huge risk and stubbornly charge into an ambush.

In life, it was always better to be cautious.

Wearing the Demon Ox Mask, Li Che was reckless, crazy, arrogant, and fearless...

But he wasn't stubborn.

Beneath the Cute Bull Mask, a low, sinister laughter echoed.

"Old Ox, I'm not playing with you guys anymore."

Moreover, killing didn't necessarily require close combat.

The gentle breeze howled fiercely.

With a light tap of his toes, his burly figure shattered the fluttering cold wind and silently merged into the shadows.

"Eh?!"

Suddenly, Li Che let out a soft exclamation.

Within the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, a familiar energy intruded, like a thunderous snake rampaging across the land, moving swiftly, forcefully, and domineeringly.

So reckless... utterly chaotic!

...

...

Inside the room, the lights were on.

The leader of the Black Snake Gang sat upright in his chair, his face solemn. By his side, a finely crafted iron greatsword stood tall, gripped in his hand.

Sitting cross-legged with the sword in hand, the leader of the Black Snake Gang's gaze shone brightly, and he remained calm and composed.

However, his sword-wielding hand couldn't stop sweating, and the protruding veins trembled incessantly, revealing his inner tension.

Although he had used the Corpse Curse Seal to achieve the Cursed Iron Corpse, his physical body rivaled that of a grandmaster.

The Divine Foundation had also been forcefully elevated to perfection due to the Fishing Gang leader's dedicated cultivation, serving as a promise of his survival.

But he still felt a sense of dread.

After all...

The name Demon Ox was indeed renowned within the Golden Light City.

Seven of the Fishing Gang's subordinate gangs had been massacred...

All by the Demon Ox!

Dismembered corpses, shattered heads, rivers of blood...

Facing such a ruthless and vicious opponent.

How could the leader of the Black Snake Gang not be afraid?

Who the hell wasn't afraid of death?

"I've cultivated my physical body to the level of the Cursed Iron Corpse, comparable to a grandmaster... The Demon Ox can't possibly kill me instantly!"

"As long as I survive, the ambush will strike, and the Demon Ox will have nowhere to escape!"

The leader of the Black Snake Gang encouraged himself in his mind.

"Will the Demon Ox come?"

He would definitely come.

The leader of the Black Snake Gang was clear that, according to Zhang Xiangyang's intelligence, the Demon Ox was Xixi's protector.

With the Black Snake Gang having tailed Xixi for so long, how could the Demon Ox possibly let them off?!"

"As long as I hold out..."

"As long as I don't get killed instantly..."

"If the Demon Ox comes, he'll die!"

The leader of the Black Snake Gang thought of the surrounding ambush forces, and his breathing quickened, causing the fierce wind to howl.

Suddenly.

He heard the sound of thunder in his ears.

He jerked his head up, his pupils constricting.

The Demon Ox had arrived?!

However...

When the leader of the Black Snake Gang heard the thunderous roar.

The thunder...

Had already reached his front!

In the pitch-black night sky, it was as if the Thunder God had struck a bolt of lightning from high above.

With thunder, the darkness was torn apart!

The head of the Black Snake Gang, which had been tempered into a Cursed Iron Corpse, was smashed and exploded by the lightning!

A dull thud...

The ground beneath the Black Snake Gang leader instantly caved in, forming a deep pit with crisscrossing cracks spreading out.

A pure blue horned hammer struck the center of the pit, and amidst the swirling dust, arcs of lightning crackled.

The Demon Ox hadn't even crouched.

But...

The Ox had arrived.

No recommendations, running naked, seeking monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and followers, to stabilize Old Li's heart! Old Li thanks you!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end