Chapter 113: The Net of Heaven and Earth, Killing the Devil Ox, and the Arrival of Lei Zhenzhuxie

Chapter 113: The Net of Heaven and Earth, Killing the Devil Ox, and the Arrival of Lei Zhenzhuxie

Li Qingshan... is coming back?!

The headquarters of the Fishermen's Gang fell into a moment of silence.

The gang leader with his curly beard and leopard-like eyes, his face turned solemn, filled with gravity.

"Spring is approaching, and it's time for the Divine Sect's branch to open its doors and recruit disciples. Li Qingshan should indeed be returning."

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

"No wonder the Divine Sect's branch hasn't made any moves recently. They were waiting for Li Qingshan's return. It's understandable. With Li Qingshan's return, given his temperament, he'll be easier to deal with than the Devil Ox. We've been getting close to the Corpse Deity Sect recently... and this dog will surely keep an eye on us!"

The gang leader, Jing Wudao, grew more serious, deep in thought.

His anger towards the Devil Ox gradually calmed down. After all, the Devil Ox could only threaten their subordinates, not the higher-ups of the Fishermen's Gang.

But Li Qingshan was different.

This guy was a famous expert on the Divine Foundation Records in Yunzhou. Although he had only reached the completion of his Divine Foundation, the Divine Foundation he had cultivated was the 'Suspended Thought Thunderous Evil Destruction' Divine Foundation!

Being able to cultivate the Six Ministries Divine Foundation Technique reflected his profound background and natural talent.

Combined with his Grandmaster-level physical cultivation, even Illusory Form Cultivators could be severely injured by him! Although Illusory Form was also considered a Divine Image Realm, it was still inferior to the true Divine Image Realm. The suppression of the Divine Foundation Realm was not absolute.

Many Illusory Form Cultivators had fallen to Li Qingshan.

And the true Divine Image Cultivators dared not take action lightly. After all, although the experts from the Divine Sect's branch had entered the Four Great Strange Temple, they couldn't afford to have no one in the Divine Sect's branch.

Li Qingshan was a henchman sent by the Divine Sect's branch to specifically target the Golden Light City and its subordinate sects.

Mainly, after Li Qingshan beat them, they didn't dare to fight back.

This was very frustrating.

"Damn it!"

Jing Wudao shouted in anger, feeling helpless.

He wasn't afraid of Li Qingshan. As a true initial stage Divine Image Cultivator, Li Qingshan was no match for him.

But for the Fishermen's Gang, if Li Qingshan started hammering away, it would be difficult to defend against.

"Fortunately, fortunately, the Devil Ox and Li Qingshan aren't in cahoots."

"Otherwise, if the Devil Ox had obtained the Corpse Curse Seal and was targeting our Fishermen's Gang cultivators, Li Qingshan would directly hammer them... Our gang might end up being hammered to pieces."

Jing Wudao shook his head.

The deputy gang leader, Liu Jinsong, sat beside him, his brows furrowed as well. After all, the gang's interests were at stake.

They all shared the same fate.

"Gang leader, have you contacted any experts from the Corpse Deity Sect? Why was the Devil Ox able to find someone who obtained the Corpse Curse Seal? If this isn't clarified, the threat of the Devil Ox won't be eliminated. In the future, who would believe the promises made by the Corpse Deity Sect?"

Liu Jinsong spoke with a heavy tone.

"The Eight-Armed Lotus Wrathful Third Prince Strange Temple's Enigmatic Tower has erupted in a riot. Experts from the Divine Sect's branch, Temple Guard Service, Heavenly Surveillance Agency, and most of the Divine Image Cultivators from Golden Light City have gone to investigate. This should have been the best opportunity for the Corpse Deity Sect to infiltrate Golden Light City... But the appearance of the Devil Ox..."

Jing Wudao shook his head, "Do you think the Eight-Armed Lotus Wrathful Third Prince Strange Temple rioted for no reason? It's not even the fixed time for the riot, and there are so many sudden occurrences. Most of the sudden occurrences are because someone is behind it, establishing their Dao lineage!"

"The Corpse Deity Sect has infiltrated Golden Light City with experts."

"This is a Four Great Strange Temple..."

"There are too many people with ulterior motives."

Jing Wudao's leopard-like eyes flashed with brilliance.

He exhaled, feeling like the topic had drifted, and brought it back on track.

"This Devil Ox, a clownish thing, the Corpse Deity Sect has specifically sent an Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoy from the state capital of Yunzhou. He's a true Divine Image Cultivator and has brought a Divine Armament that specifically counters spatial movement techniques, along with Divine Talismans that specialize in sealing spatial movement."

"As long as the Devil Ox dares to show up again, he won't be able to escape!"

Jing Wudao slammed his palm on the table.

"Damn it, who's going to deal with this Devil Ox?"

Upon hearing this, the deputy gang leader, Liu Jinsong, and Lei Laoliu finally relaxed their brows.

The situation was under control.

An Eight Extremes Corpse God Envoy had personally arrived, and he had brought a Divine Armament that countered spatial movement techniques.

Everyone...

Finally, they could share the beef!

...

...

Li Che finished his work and was in the workshop, crafting 'Dragon Tooth Bodhi' bullets.

This was a delicate task. Previously, it took him over half a month, from Flying Thunder City to the city, to carve just one bullet.

Now, with Li Che's Immortal Artisan Dao Fruit having improved significantly, and with the experience of crafting the first bullet, his speed had increased, but it still couldn't be considered fast.

After carefully carving, Li Che finally relaxed.

"The second 'Dragon Tooth Bodhi' is complete. The Immortal Artisan Barrage can finally be used again, and my gun has bullets again!"

Li Che was in a good mood and carefully stored the 'Dragon Tooth Bodhi' that resembled a work of art.

Stretching, Li Che left the workshop.

Upon seeing Li Che, Shangguan Qinghong's eyes lit up, "Big Brother Li, can I come to your place for dinner today? I want to eat Sister-in-law's cooking!"

Ever since Shangguan Qinghong had spoken her heart out, wanting Li Che to be her father, this girl had a tendency to break the pot and smash it, truly treating Li Che as her father.

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

"You didn't come to mooch off us today?" Li Che said, exasperated.

"I'll pay for the meal."

Shangguan Qinghong couldn't stop laughing. She knew Li Che was joking because, for them, gold and silver were mundane possessions, not worth much.

After a quick tidy-up, Li Che left the Celestial Surveillance Department with Shangguan Qinghong, who was like a shadow.

As soon as they stepped off the green stone stairs, they saw Liu He and Hai Chuan Ying, both tipsy.

"Hey, Brother Li, are you off work and heading home? Why don't you come with us to Yun Fang Fang today? I've invited you so many times, and you never come..." Liu He, upon seeing Li Che, immediately invited him enthusiastically.

Listening to music in a brothel, isn't that a standard for Celestial Surveillance Department's guest scholars?

Only Li Che was this eccentric.

He went home every day after work, and the women at Yun Fang Fang would eat him alive.

"Haha, another day, another day." Li Che responded with a fist bump and a smile.

The two shook their heads. Li Che kept postponing, and no one knew when he would actually go.

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

Liu He and Hai Chuan Ying left with smiles.

Li Che shook his head. These two were truly carefree.

"The typical third-rank guest scholars of the Celestial Surveillance Department. After staying in the department for a long time, they become this carefree. Listening to music in brothels, drinking, and small gatherings, they are very laid-back. After all, they don't have any ambitions or hopes of advancing to the second-rank guest scholar level."

"To advance to the second-rank guest scholar, one needs to cultivate the 'Great Jing Heavenly Seven Elements Divine Carving Technique' to the Great Achievement level... This is not an easy task. Divine essence secret techniques and martial arts all need to reach the Great Achievement level, which is very difficult."

"They know they have no hope, so they start to enjoy life and focus more on enjoying themselves and divine essence cultivation."

Shangguan Qinghong observed Liu He and the others' state and scoffed.

"Brother Li, you should go to Yun Fang Fang less often. That place is not clean, and it's full of mixed characters..."

Li Che smiled.

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

The two walked past the long street and returned to Ting Hua Alley.

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

Li Che had not yet eliminated the Black Snake Gang, mainly because he started by clearing out other forces from the Fishermen's Gang first, confusing everyone into thinking that the Devil Ox was him, Li Che.

Now, this idea had been thoroughly dispelled.

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

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

Li Che paused slightly, his brows furrowing. In his perception, the number of spies the Black Snake Gang had planted today was ten times more, and there were also hidden strong auras.

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

"Wow! Sister Qinghong!"

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Xi Xi, who had been practicing her martial arts, immediately ran over joyfully, using the excuse that she didn't need to train anymore. Old Chen couldn't help but declare a break and sat down to drink.

Shangguan Qinghong screamed in response to Xi Xi, and the two, big and small, kept stomping their feet in the courtyard.

"Qinghong is here? I just need to cook one more dish, and we can have dinner." Zhang Ya came out of the house and gently smiled at Shangguan Qinghong, who had come to mooch a meal.

She had always been a very gentle woman.

Moreover, she could see that her husband, Li Che, had very little interest in this young girl, Shangguan Qinghong, and even... he treated her like his own daughter.

Additionally, after hearing about Shangguan Qinghong's background during dinner, Zhang Ya's maternal love overflowed, and she couldn't hold back anymore.

Shangguan Qinghong came from one of the five great clans in the city, the Shangguan Clan, a very prestigious family. Her father was the head of the Shangguan Clan, and at nearly a hundred years old, he forced a maid to bear him a child.

After Shangguan Qinghong was born, neither mother nor daughter received any importance and instead faced various difficulties.

Shangguan Zhenheng had no feelings for them at all and even disliked them. When Shangguan Qinghong was six years old, her mother died of illness, leaving Shangguan Qinghong alone and almost thrown out of the Shangguan Clan, to become a street urchin.

Fortunately, she was noticed by Lin Xiu, the deputy of the Celestial Surveillance Department, who took her as his disciple, and she slowly gained status within the Shangguan Clan as she grew up.

Zhang Ya treated Shangguan Qinghong very dearly, and she didn't mind Shangguan Qinghong mooching meals at all.

The reason Shangguan Qinghong dared to mooch meals so shamelessly was that she relied on Zhang Ya's affection for her and Xi Xi's love for playing with her.

After the meal, Shangguan Qinghong stayed in the courtyard to play with Xi Xi.

Li Che entered his study.

The oil lamp flickered, its light dancing.

Incipient Divine Ability, Bind Spirit!

Countless divine essences piled up, forming the figure of Cen Da, merging into Li Che's self-carved Suspended Thought Willow Wood Body, casting a shadow under the lamp's light, like a wooden sculpture.

With the bound spirit merged into the Suspended Thought Willow Wood Body, it became almost identical to Li Che.

It was almost like a wooden doppelganger that could deceive even the real Li Che.

After finishing all this, Li Che pinched his fingers together and tore open the air.

He put on a hat, a cute ox mask, and a black robe, and with a white divine essence chess piece in his hand, he...

In an instant, he vanished into the study.

...

...

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

Golden Light City, outside the official road.

Several simple horse-drawn carriages were galloping along the official road.

The coachman swiftly whipped the reins, and the spirited horses charged forward, galloping on the spacious official road.

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

Mu Baba was reading a secret letter sent from the city to him.

"The Devil Ox has caused trouble again, slaughtering the White Wave Hall, a subordinate force of the Fishermen's Gang. The hall master and deputy hall master were all killed, their bodies torn to pieces, an extremely cruel act."

"According to the intelligence, the hall master and deputy hall master had been cursed with the Corpse Curse Seal. The hall master was even a Corpse Deity, practicing the Corpse Cultivation Technique, and had killed and devoured the flesh of thirty-six innocent women..."

"Bastard!"

Mu Baba couldn't help but curse out loud.

"Fortunately, there's the hero, the Devil Ox!"

"This city... it's still so chaotic!"

Li Qingshan, lying on her lap, slightly opened his eyes and smirked, "Chaos is normal... With the Four Strange Temples of the Four Directions located outside Golden Light City, peace will never come to Golden Light City."

"Among the four prefectures of Yunzhou, the Corpse Deity Sect chose to infiltrate Golden Light City first. Why? Not only because the families and sects in Golden Light City are most likely to harbor ambitions, but also because of the existence of this Four Strange Temple."

"To establish a divine sect relying on a strange temple... What kind of ambition is this?"

Li Qingshan sighed.

"The appearance of the Four Strange Temple in Golden Light City is both a blessing and a curse."

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

"It seems... No matter where we go, there's no peace."

"Where is there peace in this world?"

Li Qingshan sat up and hugged Mu Baba, "But rest assured, as long as I'm here, you'll have peace."

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

Mu Baba stared at Li Qingshan with a dazed look, then her eyes dimmed slightly, "I'm old, and my hope of reaching the Divine Foundation Realm is gone. You're different from me... Your future can reach the Divine Image Realm and even higher."

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

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

Li Qingshan gazed out the window, utterly stunned.

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

"Don't worry, I'll accompany you to watch the sunset until 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 for me. I know the power of one person is limited, and you can't change the impurities in this world. But I hope you can hold on to the initial heart you had when you entered the jianghu with a horse."

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

"Just like what the Devil 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!"

"You're the one I admired when I first entered the jianghu!"

The next moment, Li Qingshan leaped out of the carriage and appeared on top of it. As the carriage galloped forward, the raging wind blew, and he stood there like a spear, hands behind his back. His clothes fluttered wildly!

He looked at the coachman, who stopped whipping 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 Spring Equinox season."

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

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

Li Qingshan laughed, his gaze shifting to the Golden Light City below, shrouded in the dark night.

His gaze moved further, towards the terrifying Four Strange Temple in the distant Nine Dragons River, as if warping time and space, sitting in the middle of the river. He retracted his gaze, and with a light tap of his foot, he soared like a hawk, and in the process, a cat face mask was instantly placed over his face.

A horned hammer slid out from his wide sleeve and into his palm, and as he gripped it, arcs of lightning danced.

He, Li Qingshan, had returned.

Although he couldn't eliminate all the impurities in the city, he would do his best.

That Devil Ox kid was trying his best to be a hero.

He, Li Qingshan, had also once been a young man with a sword, entering the jianghu on horseback, dreaming of being a hero.

He couldn't lose his courage now that he was old, could he?

...

...

The night was dark and windy.

Whoosh!

The air currents surged as Li Che harnessed the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit, perfectly concealing his presence as if blending into the air and sky.

In the dark night, he strode forward, wearing a cow mask, his tall figure moving with the swaying of the landscape on both sides.

The territory of the Black Snake Gang.

The night wind howled, and the willow branches swayed rapidly.

As the only remaining subordinate force of the Fishermen's Gang, the Black Snake Gang was now extremely cautious in its defense, with teams of skilled martial artists patrolling in shifts.

As soon as the Devil Ox appeared, they would give a warning signal, allowing the experts within the Black Snake Gang to escape.

Standing on the roof, stepping on the black tiles.

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

He raised his hand and pointed at his brow.

In an instant...

Where he stood became the center of a celestial chessboard, and the chessboard expanded, covering the map, forming a chessboard image with crisscrossing black lines.

On it, black chess pieces glowed on the intersecting points, each representing a killing intent aimed at the Devil Ox.

(End of Chapter)

At this moment, the "Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal" suppressed within the chessboard couldn't contain its tremors.

A circle of death energy formed concentric ripples, constantly 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 Ox Mask, Li Che's eyes narrowed. The Black Snake Gang's base and its surroundings were not only filled with numerous powerful cultivators but also of exceptional quality!

Among them was an Eight Extremes Corpse Curse Seal, slightly trembling, and under the impact of the death energy, it began to vibrate.

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

"Huff—" Li Che, hidden behind the mask, exhaled deeply.

An ambush.

The Black Snake Gang had become the bait, attracting him to take the bait.

After all, the Fishermen's Gang didn't have much power left, and the Black Snake Gang, as a force keeping an eye on Xi Xi, had been lying in wait because of Xi Xi's significant connection with the Devil Ox.

But it was also because of Xi Xi's relationship with the Devil Ox.

So, the Fishermen's Gang believed that the Devil Ox would definitely take action against the Black Snake Gang! Liu Jinsong and Lei Laoliu, the two deputy leaders of the Fishermen's Gang, were currently hiding in the Black Snake Gang's stronghold, suppressing their aura and using secret techniques to conceal their divine essence.

There was also a Corpse God Envoy from the Corpse Deity Sect, whose aura was extremely intimidating, even from a great distance.

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

A Divine Image Cultivator, two Illusory Form Cultivators... this formation was no small matter, and it was enough to give face!

"You guys are really something."

Li Che chuckled.

With the Flying Thunder Chess Sage by his side, he could come and go as he pleased, and even if he was the bait, he could still easily devour it.

He was a professional at baiting! Ever since his debut, he had been on the path of baiting.

Fishing?

Li Che loved fishing the most.

The Fishermen's Gang didn't believe in evil; they must have guessed that the Devil Ox possessed the Teleportation Technique, so they had laid an ambush ahead of time.

Or perhaps they had already confidently mastered the means to counter the Teleportation Technique.

But the Devil Ox's teleportation...

It wasn't an ordinary teleportation technique.

Although Li Che had mastered the Flying Thunder Chess Sage's teleportation technique, he still felt it wasn't worth taking such a significant risk. He didn't need to charge headlong into an ambush.

In life, it's always wise to be cautious.

Li Che, wearing the Devil Ox Mask, was carefree, crazy, and fearless, with no taboos...

But he wasn't reckless.

A low, sinister laugh emanated from beneath the Cute Ox Mask.

"Grandpa Ox isn't here to play with you."

Moreover, killing didn't necessarily require close combat.

A gentle breeze blew, swirling around.

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

"Eh?!"

Suddenly, Li Che let out a soft exclamation.

Within the heavenly chessboard, a familiar aura burst in, like a lightning snake rampaging across the land, swiftly moving and dominating the scene.

So reckless... a complete mess!

...

...

Inside the house, the lights were bright.

The leader of the Black Snake Gang sat upright in his chair, his face solemn. Beside him stood a large, finely crafted iron broadsword, gripped in his hand.

With the sword across his lap, he sat majestically in the grandmaster's chair, his eyes shining with calm determination.

However, his hand gripping the sword couldn't stop sweating, and his bulging veins trembled, revealing his inner tension.

Although he had transformed into a Cursed Iron Corpse with the help of the Corpse Curse Seal, his physical strength rivaled that of a Grandmaster.

His Divine Foundation had also been forcibly elevated to completion thanks to the Fishermen's Gang leader's dedicated cultivation, serving as a promise to keep him alive.

But he still felt a bit terrified.

After all, the name Devil Ox was now renowned within Golden Light City.

Seven of the Fishermen's Gang's subordinate gangs had been slaughtered...

All by the Devil Ox!

Dismembered corpses, blown-off heads, rivers of blood...

Facing such a vicious and cruel opponent, how could the leader of the Black Snake Gang not be afraid?

Who in their right mind wouldn't fear death?

"With my physical body transformed into a Cursed Iron Corpse, I'm comparable to a Grandmaster... The Devil Ox can't kill me instantly!"

"As long as I survive, the ambush will take action, and the Devil Ox won't be able to escape!"

The leader of the Black Snake Gang encouraged himself.

"Will the Devil Ox come?"

He was certain that the Devil Ox would come.

According to Zhang Xiangyang's intelligence, the Devil Ox was Xi Xi's protector.

With the Black Snake Gang keeping an eye on Xi Xi, how could the Devil Ox let them off?!"

"As long as I hold on..."

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

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

The leader of the Black Snake Gang thought of the surrounding ambush and took a deep breath, causing the wind to howl fiercely.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of galloping hooves in his ears.

He jerked his head up, and his pupils contracted.

Had the Devil Ox arrived?!

However, when the leader of the Black Snake Gang heard the thunderous roar...

Thunder...

Had already descended from the sky.

In the pitch-black night sky, it was as if the Thunder God had struck down with a mighty hammer, forging a sudden burst of thunder.

With thunder, he tore through the darkness!

The head of the Black Snake Gang, who had refined his body into a Cursed Iron Corpse, was struck by the hammer and exploded with a dull boom.

A deep pit instantly formed behind him, and radiating cracks spread across the ground.

A horned hammer, entirely azure, smashed into the center of the pit, and as dust flew, arcs of lightning crackled and danced.

The Devil Ox hadn't even crouched down.

But...

The Ox had arrived.

End of Chapter

Chapter end