Chapter 116: Xixi's Bone Tempering at Three Years Old, Temple Deity Resonance

Chapter 116: Xixi's Bone Tempering at Three Years Old, Temple Deity Resonance

After organizing his thoughts, Li Che did not remain in the study.

Shangguan Qinghong had already bid farewell and returned home, clearly sensing the intense atmosphere of Divine Form experts clashing within the capital city and realizing that something significant had occurred.

Old Chen, at some point, had taken out a long staff and was sitting in the courtyard with it across his knees. His face was filled with determination, and his aura was intimidating.

It was evident that he, too, had sensed the unusual changes in the capital city and wanted to protect the courtyard with his own strength.

Although Old Chen guessed that Li Che might have surpassed him in terms of qi and blood strength, he still chose to step forward.

"Finished with the sorting?"

Seeing Li Che emerge from the study, Old Chen relaxed his brows and exhaled.

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

Divine Form cultivators were battling, and the power they displayed was awe-inspiring.

They soared into the sky, reaching heights of three hundred zhang, like immortals fighting mid-air, surpassing imagination.

Even Phantom Realm cultivators could fly, effortlessly hovering hundreds of meters above the ground. Those who had truly entered the Divine Form realm could harness divine power and soar a thousand zhang without difficulty.

Divine Form cultivators lived for hundreds of years, naturally possessing inhuman and formidable strength.

Old Chen briefly explained the situation to Li Che before opening the gourd and pouring wine down his throat.

"Even the capital city isn't safe. In this world, there's nowhere truly safe."

Old Chen shook his head.

Li Che fell silent, acknowledging the truth in Old Chen's words.

Not only in this era but for thousands of years, strange temples had frequently appeared, bringing disasters and chaos, with demons and evil spirits running rampant.

Peace was a rarity.

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

Li Che said softly.

"The more people, the more strength. I can endure. I'll stay awake," Old Chen chuckled.

Li Che's body moved, his muscles and bones resonating, and his surging qi and blood erupted, causing his tendons to vibrate like roaring serpents.

Triple Blood Exchange!

Old Chen: "..."

Sorry for the interruption.

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

Damn it! Li Che has already mastered the Triple Blood Exchange. How long has he been practicing martial arts? Old Chen had witnessed Li Che's rise from obscurity.

The cautious statue mover he once knew had unknowingly become a master of blood exchange.

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

Li Che watched Old Chen leave, grumbling to himself, and couldn't help but chuckle.

He sat on the bench, his gaze fixed on the night sky.

Tonight, the entire Golden Light Prefecture...

...was destined to be a sleepless night for many.

...

The Divine Form cultivators seemed to have an unspoken agreement not to involve the common folk in their battles.

It was like a storm with little rain.

The night passed peacefully.

The Dawn Star rose as promised.

The next day, Li Che took leave from the Heaven-Enraged Bureau and did not go to work. Instead, he stayed home with his wife and daughter.

Xixi sat on the bluestone steps, holding the small Namah Amaterasu Gatling given to her by Ox Demon. She caressed it lovingly, cherishing it.

"I really want to set off fireworks. When will Ox Demon take me to set off fireworks?"

The little girl was in a daze, feeling like it had been ages since she last played with fireworks.

Her Ya Ya gun was about to rust.

Hearing Xixi's mumbling, Li Che was momentarily speechless.

The little girl had not hidden the fact that she had obtained the Namah Amaterasu Gatling mechanism. In her eyes, her father, mother, and Old Chen were all trustworthy people.

Now, she could add Ox Demon and...half of Lu Chi, yes, only half of him.

The spring breeze blew, and new buds sprouted.

All things exuded a vibrant vitality.

The willows swayed, and the air carried a refreshing scent of new life.

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

In the courtyard, Li Che was pulling Xixi to practice martial arts. He immediately sensed the carriage through the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, and his eyebrows rose.

When the carriage's curtain was lifted, and Lu Chi supported Mu Po as she descended, Li Che was surprised.

It was a familiar face; he hadn't expected Li Qingshan to have really taken Mu Po away.

Xixi would surely be delighted to see Mu Po, right?

Following Mu Po, Li Qingshan, with a lazy expression, also jumped down from the carriage and walked towards the courtyard through the bluestone-paved alley.

As they reached the closed courtyard gate, they heard Xixi's wailing from inside because she didn't want to practice martial arts. Mu Po couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

She gently knocked on the door.

"Xixi, go open the door," Li Che said with a smile.

Xixi reluctantly dragged her short wooden stick as she walked towards the gate, tiptoeing to unlatch the door.

Outside the gate stood Mu Po, her face filled with kindness.

Xixi's eyes widened in surprise: "Wow! Grandma!"

She rubbed her chubby hand over her eyes and continued to stare, wondering if she was hallucinating or dreaming.

Only when she realized that Mu Po hadn't transformed into a roasted duck did she confirm that she wasn't dreaming!

"Wow, Grandma's here! Dad, Grandma's here!"

Xixi immediately threw down her stick and jumped into Mu Po's embrace.

Within the Xu family's Divine Cultivation Academy, Mu PoPo had been guiding Xixi in her cultivation for a long time, and their relationship was extremely close.

Mu PoPo, who never had children of her own, treated these children as her own, showering them with love.

"Oh dear, little Xixi, let me see," Mu PoPo crouched down, caressing Xixi's face, her wrinkled face full of life as she spoke with a loving expression.

Zhang Ya, who was practicing martial arts, also hurriedly stopped and came over, greeting them warmly.

Zhang Ya was delighted to meet a familiar face from Thunder City in the capital city, feeling like she had encountered an old friend in a foreign land.

Li Qingshan entered the courtyard with a big-headed Lu Chi, whose hair was tied in a Nezha braid.

"Hmm? This young girl..."

Li Qingshan glanced at Xixi. He had originally come to find Li Che, knowing his identity as the Demon Ox. Thus, he had important matters to discuss with him.

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

"Bone Tempering? Wait... It seems like she's almost at the completion of Bone Tempering! A three-year-old completing Bone Tempering?"

Even Li Qingshan was taken aback.

No, how could it be so fast? He knew that Xixi, as an exceptional Spirit Child, had excellent talent, but he never imagined it would reach this level.

He had estimated that Xixi would be able to complete Bone Tempering by the age of seven, which was already considered an exceptional talent.

Completing Bone Tempering at seven years old, coupled with the Divine Sect's pills, she could potentially undergo Blood Exchange at nine and step into Pulse Opening at twelve, solidifying her Divine Foundation! Once she achieved this, she would have the hope of entering the Divine Sect Orthodoxy.

But now, Xixi was about to complete Bone Tempering at three years old...

This somewhat disrupted Li Qingshan's expectations for Xixi's growth.

According to Li Che's words, it was as if a kindergarten student had completed a high school curriculum...

Was this young girl going to soar to the heavens?

Li Qingshan took a deep breath, his eyes revealing a solemn expression, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.

He wondered if Xixi might be possessed by a Temple Deity or even reborn as one.

This possibility was indeed real, although the reincarnation of a Temple Deity was extremely difficult. It required the undying true spirit, and for the true spirit to not be extinguished, and for a pregnant woman to give birth within a hundred li of the true spirit's location. Only then would the reincarnation of a Temple Deity occur.

Could Xixi be one of them?

"It's probably impossible... The Strange Temple outside Thunder City is just one of the ten towns. That Temple Deity doesn't possess such ability."

With this thought, Li Qingshan's brows relaxed, but his gaze at Xixi became even more astonished.

In other words, this young girl...

Had no external assistance and relied solely on her talent?

Li Che, of course, sensed Li Qingshan's astonishment. In fact, he was also quite surprised.

According to Li Qingshan's assessment of Xixi's talent, she should only be able to complete Bone Tempering at seven years old. But now, Xixi's growth... was clearly beyond the norm.

Why?

Li Che thought... there was a high possibility that it was due to the Pure Heart Sacred Energy he had been cultivating for Xixi and Zhang Ya every day.

Ever since Li Che obtained the Pure Heart Diamond Fruit, he had been consistently cultivating the mother and daughter's bodies.

The Pure Heart Sacred Energy was pure and flawless, causing no harm to the body.

Li Che wondered if it was possible to extend their lifespan through this pure and flawless Sacred Energy.

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

Just like Zhang Ya, who had learned the Open Meridian Stance not long ago. Although Li Che had guided her, her progress was swift and smooth, and she was now close to completing Open Meridian, not far from Bone Tempering.

Xixi's talent was already excellent, and Zhang Ya's talent was also good, which might be related to the cultivation of the Pure Heart Sacred Energy.

Now, Zhang Ya, who was not born as a Spirit Child, had even begun to sense Sacred Energy...

"This young girl has such great talent!"

Li Qingshan stroked his beard and looked at Li Che.

"The Vernal Equinox season has arrived, and the Divine Sect Branch's entrance examination is about to begin. This examination encompasses thirteen cities under the Golden Light Prefecture, including three Superior Spirit Children, over twenty Superior Spirit Children, and hundreds of Middle-grade and lower Spirit Children."

"These Spirit Children, who have emerged from tens of thousands of children, have all arrived at the Golden Light City to prepare for the Divine Sect's entrance examination during the Vernal Equinox."

Li Qingshan smiled, "The three Superior Spirit Children were selected by me. Of course, there are differences among Superior Spirit Children. Based on the thickness of the purple qi divine pillar, I have further ranked the three Superior Spirit Children..."

"Hmm, except for you, the 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 jealous? Why would he, Li Che, be jealous of competing with three children?!

Li Che scoffed.

Li Qingshan continued, "I originally ranked Xixi second. The first is Huang Si Xiang, a descendant of the Huang family from Xianghuan City. He is born with unparalleled divine strength and extremely high Sacred Energy talent."

Li Che narrowed his eyes, "What level of talent does he have compared to my Xixi?"

Li Qingshan felt that Li Che was truly arrogant.

"This Huang Si Xiang is not the most talented. Don't forget, these are just the Superior Spirit Children from the thirteen cities under the Golden Light Prefecture..."

Li Che raised his eyebrows, "Is the capital city not included?"

"Of course. The capital city has five great clans, and it's easier for clan descendants to become Spirit Children. They are nurtured with treasures from a young age, so Superior Spirit Children are not uncommon. After all, they have the advantage of their birth.

Li Che remained silent, the logic was indeed sound...

The five great clans had countless powerful individuals, and with the bloodline inheritance of the Divine Sage Patriarch, coupled with the nurturing of heavenly treasures and earth treasures even before birth, they did indeed have a head start.

...

...

Li Qingshan and Li Che went to the study together, brewing hot tea and chatting as they drank.

"The five great clans... are willing to send their genius disciples to the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect?"

Li Che suddenly thought of something and asked curiously.

"The five great clans are different from the other cities' disciples. For example, in Thunder City, having a Divine Foundation is already the limit, and once the Divine Foundation passes away, it marks the beginning of the clan's decline."

"Therefore, the families in these cities will keep their geniuses and nurture them as Divine Foundations, protecting the clan and maintaining their status within the city."

"If they send them to the Divine Sect, it will take two or three decades to hear from them, and their sense of belonging to the clan won't be strong either. Even if they become Divine Foundations, they might not be willing to return to their clans..."

Li Qingshan sipped his hot tea and spoke leisurely.

"So, these smaller clans would rather 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. With one path leading to the Divine Sect and one branch in each state, the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect's branch is located in Golden Light Prefecture. Therefore, many of the great clans in Golden Light Prefecture have members in the branch sect, and even many high-ranking officials come from these clans."

"The great clans in the capital city have a Divine Sage Patriarch, whose lifespan is three to four times that of a Divine Foundation. A single patriarch can support the clan for many years, so naturally, they are willing to send their disciples out."

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

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

"Didn't you join the Heaven-Enraged Bureau as a third-class guest minister? Why not ask that big-breasted, brainless young minister, Gong Yunli, to get some good tea from Minister Lin Zheng's tea room?"

Li Che fell silent. He was only a third-class guest minister, not the chief minister!

"Senior, how many superior spirit children are there in the capital city?" Li Che asked with a frown.

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 Heavenly Origin Divine Sect's entrance examination, held once every four years, is fierce..."

"Especially this year."

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

Li Che was stunned, frowning as he took a sip of tea. "Why?"

As a parent, he was naturally very concerned about his child's education.

Xixi's entrance into the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect was as tense as competing for a spot in the city's top primary school.

The number of spots was limited, and the more geniuses there were, the less attention and benefits his daughter would receive.

Li Che naturally wanted to find out more.

"You've been freely showing off your Demon Ox identity in the city, but haven't you found it strange? You've killed so many members of the Corpse Deity Sect, yet you're not curious why they dare to be so rampant?"

Li Qingshan waved his hand, sealing the study to ensure their conversation wouldn't be overheard.

"Because of the... Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Wrathful Third Prince Anomalous Temple?"

Li Che took a deep breath.

"Yes, the Third Prince's temple tremors have drawn in many Divine Form Realm experts, and even more from the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect, after all, Golden Light Prefecture is the base of the branch sect. The temple tremors are both man-made and self-initiated..."

"The Heavenly Origin Divine Sect has always relied on temples for their survival, and an anomalous temple is both a risk and an opportunity."

"This time, one of the entrance examination items is... The Heavenly Origin Divine Sect will dispatch three Divine Form Realm cultivators and use the divine weapon, the Hell Lotus Fire and Light Wheel, to tear open the Deceptive Tower and send the spirit children to within a hundred zhang of the Third Prince's temple..."

Li Qingshan's words landed like thunder, crashing into Li Che's ears. Unconsciously, his eyes narrowed.

Even Li Che, skilled at disguises, couldn't help but lose his composure.

"What? Sending these tender spirit children to within a hundred zhang of the Third Prince's temple?"

Li Che looked at Li Qingshan, unable to keep his voice from rising.

This was ridiculous...

It was like placing a pile of fragrant, fatty meat in front of a dog!

Li Qingshan couldn't help but laugh out loud. Li Che's reaction was indeed exaggerated, but it was only human nature, after all, that was the extremely dangerous Four Imperial Anomalous Temple.

Li Che's expression changed, and there was such a dangerous item in the examination!

It was like placing Xixi in an extremely dangerous situation.

If even a tiny uncontrollable change occurred, it would be a devastating disaster for the weak spirit children!

Li Che didn't laugh, gazing solemnly at Li Qingshan.

Li Qingshan suppressed his laughter, took a sip of tea, and said leisurely, "I know you're worried about Xixi's safety, but although this matter has some risks, it's also a great opportunity."

"Sending many spirit children to within three hundred zhang of the anomalous temple is to test their compatibility with the temple deity through the temple deity's trials. You know that the Third Prince is depicted as a child, and if they can resonate with the temple deity, they can cultivate the temple deity's sacred energy law and also receive the temple deity's gifts."

"For example, sacred energy secret techniques, sacred energy martial arts, divine weapons, sacred energy crystals, and so on..."

Li Qingshan spoke in a deep voice.

"Moreover, the strength of the Temple Deity's resonance is the key to the assessment. It determines the children's status within the Divine Sect, whether they will enter the inner sect, the core true transmission, or the outer sect."

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

After all, it was the Four Imperial Anomalous 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 Guardian Corpse. The reason the Divine Sect activates the Hell Lotus Fire and Light Wheel is because it's one of the Four Imperial Divine Armaments. Although there's only one, it can provide an extremely powerful protective effect."

"The Fire and Light Wheel possesses an extremely dense Temple Deity aura, which will calm the Temple Guardian Corpse."

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

"This is both a risk and an opportunity. If she can obtain the Four Imperial Temple Deity's opportunity, you should know how far Xixi's future path can go! At the very least, reaching the Divine Sage stage will be a breeze, and even the Divine Essence Realm won't be a big issue."

Li Qingshan sat up straight, his expression solemn.

"Has there been such an action before?"

Li Che remained silent for a moment before asking.

"Yes, or rather, it's not just the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect. Every Divine Sect that relies on the Anomalous Temple will have this process. The Heavenly Origin Divine Sect won't be an exception. Didn't you see Lu Chi? He was one of the top three Spirit Children in terms of Temple Deity compatibility during the last action. Additionally, this time, when the Four Imperial Deceptive Tower is opened, the Lingnan Circuit's Heavenly Origin Orthodox Sect will also send a cultivator to oversee the process."

"After all, this matter involves the Four Imperial Anomalous Temple, so the Heavenly Origin Orthodox Sect won't ignore it. Therefore, this is also an opportunity for the Heavenly Origin Orthodox Sect to take notice."

Li Qingshan narrowed his eyes and lightly tapped the table, "You care for and worry about your daughter, which is understandable. But in the end, children need to venture out and seize their opportunities. You can't hold her back just because of safety concerns; they need to experience the world."

Upon hearing this, Li Che finally relaxed his brows.

This wasn't an isolated incident; many Divine Sects, including the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect before its branching, had carried out similar actions. With precedents, he could rest assured.

Li Che couldn't keep Xixi locked up at home in a world where powerful Divine Nature cultivation existed.

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

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

"Will the Heavenly Origin Orthodox Sect also send cultivators to preside over the event? If Xixi performs well, will she have a chance to be noticed and enter the Heavenly Origin Orthodox Sect?"

Li Che asked.

Li Qingshan shook his head, "There's a possibility, but the Heavenly Origin Orthodox Sect has its own procedures. If Xixi can cultivate the Divine Foundation before the age of twelve, she'll have a chance to enter the Heavenly Origin Orthodox Sect."

"But the competition is fierce. In the entire Lingnan Circuit, countless Spirit Children have been diligently cultivating for years, all striving to enter the Orthodox Sect!"

"Because only by entering the Heavenly Origin Orthodox Sect can one cultivate the Three Purities Law!"

Three Purities Law! Li Che's body trembled, instantly understanding the difficulty of entering the Heavenly Origin Orthodox Sect.

The difficulty was comparable to high school students from small counties in his previous life competing for the top two universities in the country!

Li Che's lips felt dry, it wasn't...

He had already begun to feel the anxiety of a parent.

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

But his mind had already started to race.

Should he follow Xixi into the Four Imperial Anomalous Temple?

Perfect...

To leave a mark in the Anomalous Temple, setting up an anchor for the Thunderstrike Chess Sage.

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

Li Qingshan's expression turned solemn.

"As you know, the Spirit Children are the future of the branch sects, which highly value them. The Corpse Deity Sect also values them, and the Divine Sect has always been more concerned about the Corpse Deity Sect and other scheming forces than the Temple Deity."

Corpse Deity Sect?!

Li Che's eyes suddenly turned icy cold.

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

"Their methods are vicious. Even Spirit Children who perform well during the Temple Deity resonance may become their targets for abduction. If they can't abduct them, they'll choose to destroy them."

Li Qingshan exhaled, knowing that the Corpse Deity Sect also needed geniuses to build up their reserves.

One of their ways to obtain geniuses was through abduction!

While seduction was the Corpse Deity Sect's specialty, Spirit Children cultivated from a young age would naturally be more loyal.

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

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

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

"To ensure Xixi's safety during the Temple Deity resonance."

"The Demon Ox, there's a lucrative collaboration opportunity... I wonder if you're interested?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end