Chapter 116: Xi Xi, the Three-Year-Old Prodigy of Bone Tempering Mastery, and the Temple God's Reson

Chapter 116: Xi Xi, the Three-Year-Old Prodigy of Bone Tempering Mastery, and the Temple God's Resonance

After Li Che had organized his harvest, he did not remain in the study.

Shangguan Qinghong had already taken her leave and returned home, clearly sensing the atmosphere of powerful Divine Seer Cultivators engaging in mutual combat within the capital, and thus understanding that something significant had occurred.

Old Chen, at some point, had taken out a long staff and, sitting in the courtyard with a bench beneath him, laid the staff across his legs. His face was filled with bulging muscles, and his intimidating aura was palpable.

It was evident that he, too, had sensed the abnormality within the capital and wanted to protect the courtyard with his own strength.

Although Old Chen suspected that Li Che's current blood and energy might have already surpassed his own, he still chose to step forward.

"Finished with the carving?"

Seeing Li Che emerge from the study, Old Chen's eyebrows relaxed, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Li Che nodded and glanced at the night sky, where thunder rumbled incessantly. His eyes narrowed slightly.

It was the Divine Seer Cultivators battling each other, and the might of their confrontation was astonishing.

They soared into the sky, reaching a height of three hundred zhang, as if celestial beings were dueling in mid-air, surpassing imagination.

Even Illusory Visionary Cultivators could fly through the air, floating hundreds of meters with ease, and those who had truly stepped into the realm of Divine Seers, with their mastery of divine observation, could soar a thousand zhang without issue.

Divine Seer Cultivators boasted lifespans of several hundred years, naturally possessing inhuman and formidable strength.

Old Chen briefly explained to Li Che the situation he had discovered before uncorking the gourd and pouring wine down his throat.

"The capital... isn't safe either. In this world, there truly is no safe place."

Old Chen shook his head.

Li Che fell silent, acknowledging that Old Chen's words held some truth.

Not only in this era but for over a thousand years, strange temples had frequently appeared, bringing natural disasters and calamities, allowing demons and evil spirits to run rampant.

Peace was a rarity.

"Old Chen, go to sleep early. I'll keep watch tonight."

Li Che spoke softly.

"With more people, we have more strength. I can endure..." Old Chen smiled.

Li Che's figure moved, his muscles and bones resonating as surging blood energy burst forth, his tendons trembling like roaring serpents.

Triple Blood Replacement!

Old Chen: "..."

Sorry for the interruption.

Old Chen silently picked up the wine jar and headed towards his room.

Damn it! Li Che, that kid, had already undergone Triple Blood Replacement. How long had he been practicing martial arts... Old Chen had witnessed Li Che's rise from insignificance.

The once cautious sculpture mover was now a master of blood replacement.

He, Chen Dabao, was no longer the strongest in the family.

Li Che watched Old Chen leave, grumbling under his breath, and couldn't help but chuckle.

He sat on the bench, his gaze fixed like a pillar, staring at the night sky.

On this night, the entire Jin Guang City...

...

...

The Divine Seer Cultivators' battle seemed to have an unspoken agreement not to affect the common people.

It was like thunder with little rain.

The night passed peacefully.

The morning star rose as expected.

The next day, Li Che took leave from the Celestial Surveillance Agency and did not go to work. Instead, he stayed home with his wife and daughter.

Xi Xi sat on the blue stone steps, holding the small Deva Engineering Gatling gun that Niu Niu had given her, caressing it lovingly.

"I really want to set off fireworks. When will Teacher Niu Niu take Xi Xi to set off fireworks...?"

The little girl was lost in thought, feeling that it had been a long time since she last set off fireworks.

Her wooden raven was about to rust.

Hearing Xi Xi's muttering, Li Che was momentarily speechless.

The little girl did not hide the fact that she had obtained the Deva Engineering Gatling gun mechanism. In her eyes, her father, mother, and Old Chen were all people she could trust.

Now, she could also add Teacher Niu Niu and... half of Lu Chi. Yes, only half.

The spring breeze blew, and new shoots sprouted.

All things exuded a vibrant vitality.

The swaying willow branches filled the air with a refreshing, cleansing scent of new life.

In the alley outside, a horse-drawn carriage approached.

In the courtyard, Li Che was pulling Xi Xi to practice martial arts when he immediately sensed the arrival through the Heavenly Chessboard. His eyebrows rose slightly.

As the carriage curtain was lifted, Lu Chi helped Mu Po down from the carriage, surprising Li Che.

It was a familiar face; he hadn't expected Li Qingshan to actually take Mu Po away.

Xi Xi, upon seeing Mu Po's arrival, would surely be delighted, right?

In addition to Mu Po, Li Qingshan, looking relaxed and lazy, followed behind. They both stepped down from the carriage and walked across the blue stone pavement of Tinghua Alley, heading towards the courtyard.

As they reached the closed courtyard gate, they heard Xi Xi's wailing from inside, protesting against practicing martial arts. Mu Po couldn't help but cover her lips with a smile.

She gently knocked on the door.

"Xi Xi, go open the door."

Li Che said with a smile.

Reluctantly, Xi Xi dragged a short wooden stick as she walked towards the gate, and after tiptoeing to open it, she saw Mu Po standing outside, her face filled with kindness.

Xi Xi's eyes widened in surprise: "Wow! Grandma—!"

She rubbed her big eyes with her chubby hand, staring in disbelief.

She wondered if she was hallucinating.

But when she realized that Mu Po hadn't turned into a roasted duck, she confirmed that she wasn't dreaming!

"Wow, Grandma's here! Daddy, Grandma's here to see me!"

Xi Xi immediately dropped the short stick and jumped into Mu Po's embrace.

In the Xu family's Divine Cultivation Institute, Mu Po Po had been guiding Xi Xi in her cultivation for quite some time, and their relationship was exceptionally close. Mu Po Po, having never had children of her own, treated these kids as her own, showering them with love.

"Oh dear, little Xi Xi, let me see. You've lost weight. Isn't your father feeding you?" Mu Po Po squatted down, caressing Xi Xi's face, her wrinkled face full of concern as she spoke with affection.

Zhang Ya, who was practicing martial arts, quickly stopped and approached them, greeting Mu Po Po enthusiastically.

Zhang Ya was overjoyed to meet a familiar face from Flying Thunder City in the Capital City. It felt like encountering an old friend in a foreign land.

Li Qingshan entered the courtyard with Lu Chi, a boy with a Nezha braid, following behind.

"Hmm? This girl..." Li Qingshan glanced at Xi Xi. He had originally come to find Li Che, knowing about his identity as the Ox Demon. He had some important matters to discuss with Li Che.

However, he never expected that a mere glance at Xi Xi would yield such a surprising discovery.

"Bone Tempering? Wait... It seems she's almost reached Bone Tempering Mastery! A three-year-old achieving Bone Tempering Mastery?"

Even Li Qingshan was taken aback.

No, how could it be so fast? He knew that Xi Xi was an exceptional Spirit Child, but he didn't expect her talent to be this remarkable. He had estimated that Xi Xi would be able to achieve Bone Tempering by the age of seven, which was already considered an exceptional talent.

Achieving Bone Tempering at seven, combined with the Divine Sect's pills, she could potentially undergo Blood Exchange at nine and step into Pulse Connection at twelve, forging her Divine Foundation! Once she accomplished this, she would have a chance to enter the Main Lineage of the Divine Sect!

But now, Xi Xi was almost at Bone Tempering Mastery at the age of three...

This somewhat shattered Li Qingshan's expectations for Xi Xi.

According to Li Che, it was like a kindergarten kid completing a high school curriculum...

Was this girl going to soar to the heavens? Li Qingshan took a deep breath, his eyes revealing a hint of gravity, and his eyebrows furrowed unconsciously.

He wondered if Xi Xi might have been possessed by a Temple God, or even reborn as one.

This possibility was real, although Temple God reincarnation was extremely difficult. A trace of true spirit remained unharmed, and only when a pregnant woman gave birth within a hundred li of the true spirit's location would a Temple God reincarnation occur.

Could Xi Xi be one?

"It's unlikely... The Strange Temple outside Flying Thunder City is only ten towns away, and that Temple God doesn't possess such ability."

With this thought, Li Qingshan's eyebrows relaxed, but his gaze towards Xi Xi became even more astonished.

In other words, this girl...

Had no external help, relying solely on her innate talent.

Li Che noticed Li Qingshan's shock, and in fact, he was also quite surprised.

Based on Li Qingshan's assessment, Xi Xi should only be able to achieve Bone Tempering at seven, but her growth... was clearly surpassing expectations.

Why?

Li Che felt... that it was highly likely due to the Pure Heart Divine Essence he had been using to groom Xi Xi and Zhang Ya.

Ever since obtaining the Pure Heart Dao Fruit, Li Che had been using it to groom the mother and daughter's bodies without interruption.

The Pure Heart Divine Essence was pure and flawless, causing no harm to the body.

Li Che wondered if it could help the mother and daughter extend their lifespan.

But he never expected that it might have altered their innate talent.

Just like Zhang Ya, who had learned the Sinew Opening posture not long ago. Although Li Che had guided her, her progress was swift and smooth, and she was now close to Sinew Opening Mastery, not far from Bone Tempering.

Xi Xi's innate talent was already excellent, and Zhang Ya's talent was also good. It was likely related to the Pure Heart Divine Essence.

Now, Zhang Ya, who wasn't even a Spirit Child, had begun to sense the Divine Essence...

"What excellent talent this girl has!"

Li Qingshan stroked his beard, looking at Li Che.

"The Spring Equinox has arrived, and the Branch Sect's entrance exam is about to begin. This exam covers thirteen cities under the Capital City, including three Top-Grade Spirit Children, over twenty Superior Spirit Children, and numerous Middle-Grade and lower Spirit Children."

"These Spirit Children, selected from tens of thousands of children, have already arrived at the Capital City to prepare for the Branch Sect's entrance exam during the Spring Equinox."

Li Qingshan smiled, "I personally selected the three Top-Grade Spirit Children, but among them, there are differences. Based on the thickness of the purple aura pillar, I further ranked the three Top-Grade Spirit Children..."

"Except for you, old Spirit Child!"

Li Qingshan thought of something and gave Li Che a strange look, hinting at him.

Li Che's face darkened. Was he envious? He, Li Che, would never be envious of three children! Don't be so accurate, Li Qingshan! Li Che pouted.

Li Qingshan continued, "I originally ranked Xi Xi second. The first is from Xiang Huan City, a Huang family disciple named Huang Sixiang. He has unmatched innate strength and a high Divine Essence talent."

Li Che narrowed his eyes, "What level of talent? Higher than my Xi Xi?"

Li Qingshan felt that Li Che was truly arrogant.

"This Huang Sixiang isn't even the best. These are just the Top-Grade Spirit Children from the thirteen cities..."

Li Che's eyebrows raised, "Not including the Capital City?"

"Of course. The Capital City has five great clans. Spirit Children are more likely to be born there, nurtured with treasures from a young age. They have an advantage from birth."

Li Che was silent, and it was indeed a logical concern.

The Five Great Clans had numerous powerful individuals, the bloodline inheritance of the Divine Appearance Ancestor, and they nurtured their geniuses with heavenly treasures even before they were born, giving them a head start.

...

...

Li Qingshan and Li Che went to the study together, where they brewed hot tea and chatted while drinking.

"The Five Great Clans... are willing to send their genius disciples to the Divine Sect?"

Li Che suddenly thought of something and asked curiously.

"The Five Great Clans are different from the other city's disciples. For example, in Flying Thunder City, the small clans already consider it a great achievement to have a Divine Foundation guarding them. Once the Divine Foundation passes away, it marks the beginning of the clan's decline."

"Therefore, these city clans will keep their geniuses and nurture them to become Divine Foundations, protecting the clan and maintaining their status in the city."

"If they send them to the Divine Sect, it will take two or three decades to hear from them, and they won't feel a strong sense of belonging to the clan. Even if they become Divine Foundations, they might not be willing to return to the clan to guard it..." Li Qingshan said as he sipped his tea.

"So, these small clans will hide their disciples, unwilling to send them to the Divine Sect or the court."

"But it's different for the great clans in the capital city. There's a Divine Sect in every city, and a branch sect in every state. The Jin Guang Sect's branch sect is located in Jin Guang City, so many of the city's great clans have members in the branch sect, and even many of the higher-ups are from these clans."

"The great clans in the capital city have Divine Appearances guarding them, and their lifespans are three to four times that of a Divine Foundation. A single ancestor can support a clan for many years, so naturally, the disciples are willing to be sent out."

"If a disciple can enter the main sect, the clan's foundation will rise with it."

After Li Qingshan finished speaking, he poured himself a cup of tea and muttered, "You little rascal, with your newfound wealth, why don't you get some decent tea? It's embarrassing."

"Didn't you become a third-grade guest minister in the Celestial Surveillance Agency? Ask that big-breasted and brainless young eunuch, Gong Yunli, to get some good tea from the tea room supervised by Deputy Lin Zheng."

Li Che remained silent. He was only a third-grade guest minister, not the supervising minister!

"Senior, how many Top Spiritual Children are there in the capital city?" Li Che asked with a furrowed brow.

Li Qingshan shook his head. "I don't know. The Five Great Clans are keeping it tightly under wraps, and many have even sent their disciples to the Five Great Sects for cultivation ahead of time."

"The competition for the once-in-four-years Divine Sect entrance exam is fierce..."

"Especially this year."

Li Qingshan took a sip of tea, and his voice suddenly became grave.

Li Che was stunned and sipped his tea, furrowing his brows. "Why?"

As parents, they were naturally very concerned about their child's education.

Xi Xi's entrance into the Divine Sect was as nerve-wracking as competing for a spot in a top primary school.

There were only so many spots, and the more geniuses there were, the less attention and benefits their daughter would receive.

Li Che naturally wanted to find out more.

"You've been flaunting your Ox Demon identity in the city, but haven't you found it strange? After killing so many Corpse Deity Sect members, don't you wonder why the Corpse Deity Sect dares to be so rampant?"

Li Qingshan waved his hand and sealed the study to ensure their conversation remained private.

"Because... the Strange Temple of the Wrathful Third Prince?"

Li Che took a deep breath.

"Yes, the Third Prince's Temple has been shaken, and many high-level experts with the Divine Appearance realm have entered the Strange Temple to suppress it. Even more so from the Divine Sect, as Jin Guang City is the base of the branch sect. Of course, the shaking of the Strange Temple is both man-made and self-initiated..."

"The Divine Sect has always relied on temples. A Strange Temple is both an opportunity and a challenge."

"This time, there's an item in the entrance exam... The Divine Sect will send three Divine Appearance Cultivators and use the Divine Armament, the Prison Lotus Fire and Light Wheel, to tear open the Enigmatic Gate and send the Spirit Children to within a hundred zhang of the Third Prince's Temple..."

As Li Qingshan's words fell, they were like thunder, crashing into Li Che's ears, causing him to unconsciously shrink back.

Even Li Che, who was skilled at disguising his emotions, couldn't help but lose his composure.

"Huh? They're sending these delicate Spirit Children to within a hundred zhang of the Third Prince's Temple?"

Li Che looked at Li Qingshan, unable to control the rising pitch of his voice.

This was like...

Offering a pile of fragrant, fatty meat to a dog!

Li Qingshan couldn't help but laugh out loud. Li Che's reaction was indeed exaggerated, but it was only natural. After all, the Strange Temple was incredibly dangerous.

Li Che's expression changed, and he was shocked to learn that there was such a dangerous item in the exam.

It was like placing Xi Xi in an extremely dangerous situation.

If something uncontrollable happened, it would be a disaster for the weak Spirit Children!

Li Che didn't laugh; instead, he looked at Li Qingshan with a serious expression.

Li Qingshan suppressed his laughter, took a sip of tea, and said slowly, "I know you're worried about Xi Xi's safety, but although this matter has certain risks, the greater opportunity lies in the chance it presents."

"Sending many Spirit Children to within three hundred zhang of the Strange Temple is to have them undergo the temple deity's test to examine their compatibility with the temple deity's divine essence. As you know, the Third Prince is depicted as a child, and if they can resonate with the temple deity, they can not only cultivate the temple deity's divine essence law but also receive gifts from the temple deity."

"For example, divine essence secret techniques, divine essence martial arts, divine armaments, divine essence crystals, and so on..."

Li Qingshan's voice was grave.

"Moreover, the strength of the Temple Deity Resonance is the key to the assessment and evaluation. It determines the children's status within the Divine Sect, whether they will be accepted into the Inner Sect, the core True Transmission, or remain in the Outer Sect."

Li Che's eyebrows remained furrowed, still feeling that it was too dangerous.

After all, this was the Four Great Strange Temple.

It was like asking a group of children to stand before a nuclear warhead and see who could activate it.

"The main danger actually comes from the Temple Guard Corpse Zombies. The Divine Sect's activation of the Prison Lotus Wrathful Third Prince's Divine Engineering Gatling is for this reason. It's one of the Four Great Divine Armaments, and although there's only one, it can provide an extremely powerful protective effect."

"The Divine Engineering Gatling possesses an extremely dense Temple Deity Qi, which will calm the Temple Guard Corpse Zombies."

Li Qingshan noticed that Li Che was still looking very serious. Suddenly, he realized that this young man was overly concerned about his daughter's safety.

"This is both a risk and an opportunity. If a child obtains the Four Great Temple Deity's opportunity, you should know how far Xi Xi's future path can go! At the very least, reaching the Divine Seer realm will be a breeze, and even the Divine Essence Realm won't be much of a problem."

Li Qingshan sat upright, his expression solemn.

"Has there been such an action before?"

Li Che remained silent for a moment before asking, "Yes, or rather, not only the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect, but every Divine Sect that relies on the Strange Temple will have such a process. The Heavenly Origin Divine Sect won't be an exception. Lu Chi, whom you've met, was one of the top three Spirit Children in terms of Temple Deity compatibility during the last action."

"Since this matter involves the Four Great Strange Temple, the Heavenly Origin Main Lineage won't ignore it either. So, this is an opportunity that the Heavenly Origin Main Lineage values."

Li Qingshan narrowed his eyes and lightly tapped the table with his fingers. "You care and worry about your daughter, which is understandable. But children need to venture out and seize their opportunities. You can't hold them back due to safety concerns. They need to undergo trials and tribulations."

Upon hearing this, Li Che finally relaxed his furrowed brows.

This wasn't an isolated incident; many Divine Sects, including the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect before its split, had undertaken such actions. With precedents, he could feel more at ease.

Li Che couldn't keep Xi Xi locked up at home in this world where Divine Essence cultivation was so prevalent.

Everyone was competing, vying for the chance to cross over.

Li Che needed to take responsibility for his daughter's growth.

"If Xi Xi performs well, will she have the opportunity to be noticed and enter the Heavenly Origin Main Lineage?" Li Che asked.

Li Qingshan shook his head. "It's possible, but the Heavenly Origin Main Lineage has its own set of procedures. If Xi Xi can forge her Divine Foundation before the age of twelve, she'll have a chance to enter the Heavenly Origin Main Lineage."

"But the competition is fierce. Countless Spirit Children in the Lingnan Circuit have been diligently cultivating for years, all striving to enter the Main Lineage!"

"Because only by entering the Heavenly Origin Main Lineage can one cultivate the Three Purity Art!"

Three Purity Art! Li Che's body trembled, instantly understanding the difficulty of entering the Heavenly Origin Main Lineage.

The difficulty was akin to a high school student from a small county town trying to get into one of the top two universities in the country!

Li Che's lips quivered, feeling...

He was already experiencing the anxiety of a parent.

"As long as there's safety, it's fine," Li Che sighed.

But his mind was already active.

Should he follow Xi Xi into the Strange Temple?

Perfect...

He could plant the anchor of the Flying Thunder Chess Saint in the Strange Temple.

Li Qingshan was unaware of Li Che's thoughts. He smiled and said, "Of course, there will be safety measures. Spirit Children are the future of the Divine Sect's branches, how could they be neglected? Safety is always the top priority, but... nothing is absolute."

Li Qingshan's expression turned solemn.

"You know that Spirit Children are the future of the branches, and the branches value them greatly. The Corpse Deity Sect will also value them, and what the Divine Sect guards against is not just the Temple Deity, but more so the Corpse Deity Sect and other scheming individuals!"

Corpse Deity Sect!

Li Che's eyes turned icy cold.

"The threat posed by the Corpse Deity Sect far surpasses that of the Temple Deity. This power from Ji Zhou has nearly shaken the entire Great Jing Dynasty, occupying three states! The threat is immense, and even the Divine Sect doesn't dare underestimate them."

"Their methods are sinister. Even Spirit Children who perform exceptionally well during Temple Deity Resonance may become their targets for abduction. If they can't abduct them... they will destroy them."

Li Qingshan exhaled. The Corpse Deity Sect also needed geniuses to form their reserve forces.

One of the ways they obtained geniuses was through abduction! While the Corpse Deity Sect was adept at using guile, Spirit Children cultivated from a young age naturally had greater loyalty.

Li Che narrowed his eyes, a murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

He suddenly turned to Li Qingshan, "Senior, you suddenly shifted the topic to the Corpse Deity Sect and brought up hatred. There must be a purpose to this, right?"

Li Qingshan chuckled, straightening his back and rubbing his fingers together, his eyes flashing with brilliance. The following words were the main reason he had sought out Li Che today.

"To ensure Xi Xi's safety during the Temple Deity Resonance."

"There's a highly lucrative collaboration... I'm not sure if you're interested."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end