Chapter 122: Hundred Feet of Purple Qi, the Innate Divine Child, and the Corpse Curse's Death Qi

Chapter 122: Hundred Feet of Purple Qi, the Innate Divine Child, and the Corpse Curse's Death Qi

Li Qingshan almost burst out laughing. He could already sense Zhu Hongdou's eagerness and longing.

It was rare for this woman to show such enthusiasm. Her appreciation for Xi Xi, her desire to accept Xi Xi as her true disciple, and her intention to pass on her legacy were almost written all over her face.

"Go and talk to Xi Xi's father."

Zhu Hongdou hugged her chest, pushing her chest forward, revealing a stunning curve, but she turned her head away, not even glancing at Li Qingshan.

She could almost guess the mischievous smile on Li Qingshan's face.

Not to mention why Li Qingshan dared to tease her, but although she was a Divine Appearance cultivator, her relationship with Li Qingshan was quite good. Back when she was still a Void Appearance cultivator, she had even teamed up with Li Qingshan to complete missions.

Now, as Li Qingshan was about to comprehend the Divine Appearance realm, he was about to reach a whole new level of existence, so their relationship was naturally free from the constraints and oppression that come with differences in cultivation levels.

"Elder Zhu, are you begging someone?"

"Is this the attitude one should have when begging someone?"

Li Qingshan started to show off. On his aged face, a brilliant smile bloomed like a chrysanthemum.

Zhu Hongdou glared at him, "Are you going to talk to him or not?"

"Rest assured, leave it to me, but... a three-year-old with Bone Tempering Mastery, and even cultivating an Essence. Such talent... this young girl... is indeed very promising."

"Look at Zhang Qingzheng. Despite his bitter face, like he's eaten bitter huanglian, he actually smiles more brilliantly than a chrysanthemum. It's just that his face is so bitter that it cancels out his smile."

Li Qingshan furrowed his brows, looking a bit hesitant as he spoke.

Zhu Hongdou's eyes narrowed, and suddenly... she became tense.

"Not to mention Zhang Qingzheng, look at Elder Xu Jiuling and Weng Wuyu. Their eyes are as sharp as a thief's."

Li Qingshan spoke calmly.

He knew that Xi Xi would not become his disciple. With such talent, she was destined to become an Elder's true disciple. He himself was not yet an Elder of the Eternal Origin Sect.

However, seeing the Elders eagerly waiting, ready to snatch her away, he found it quite amusing.

Zhu Hongdou was clearly anxious. Her dark eyebrows furrowed, and she stared at Li Qingshan, "My Red Cloud Peak is the perfect place for Xi Xi. Go and talk to her parents. After you break through to the Divine Appearance realm, I'll help you with the protection!"

Li Qingshan narrowed his eyes, "Hey, then it's settled."

He gave Zhu Hongdou a way to save face.

Even though many would not want him to succeed when he breaks through to the Divine Appearance realm, some might even try to disrupt or obstruct him.

However, he was breaking through at the Right Thunder Peak, located beside the Jin Guang Peak of the Eternal Origin Sect. Naturally, no one would dare to act so boldly.

When he breaks through, the Sect Master, Nan Lihuo, will personally protect him. Li Qingshan wouldn't mind having one more Divine Appearance expert.

Hearing Li Qingshan's agreement, Zhu Hongdou proudly raised her head. Her red dress was like a blooming flower as she returned to the Chancellor's Chair.

The Sect Master, Nan Lihuo, glanced at the two of them. He was aware of their little exchange, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as if he had thought of something, but it was barely noticeable.

...

...

A light drizzle shrouded the area, and spring rain fell gently.

The late spring chill brought a biting coldness that was especially noticeable at the foot of the mountain.

Many people had to put on extra layers to keep warm, shivering from the cold.

Xi Xi snuggled up to Zhang Ya, who caressed her head and asked what she wanted to eat for dinner.

Xi Xi tilted her head, listing various dishes.

Li Che watched his wife and daughter with a gentle gaze, and everything seemed peaceful and harmonious.

On the high platform.

The other arena battles also came to an end, marking the conclusion of the first round of trials.

Zhang Qingzheng stood tall on the high platform, his scholar's robe fluttering in the wind.

"The final winners of the five arenas are Hai Chaosheng, Qin Fenghuo, Yuan Liang Gong, Jin Ao, and Li Nuanyi. All of them have received Grade A+ scores in the first round!"

"They are eligible for the true transmission reserve."

"After a short break, we will begin the second round. We will use the Insightful Divine Array to observe the true transmission's divine essence and purple qi. Scores will be based on the height of the purple qi column, with over fifty feet being Grade A+."

Zhang Qingzheng spoke calmly, but his voice resonated throughout the entire place, reaching everyone's ears.

The Insightful Divine Art of the Eternal Origin Sect was a unique divine art, a secret technique not passed down to outsiders. Its function was not limited to detecting divine essence; it had many other uses.

The Insightful Divine Array, formed by this art, could provide more accurate detection than Li Qingshan's individual use of the Insightful Divine Art.

After speaking, Zhang Qingzheng lightly tapped his feet and returned to the high platform, sitting steadily on the Chancellor's Chair with a sour face.

As the first round concluded, the surroundings instantly became lively, filled with whispered conversations.

Now, it was only the true transmission assessment for the top-grade spirit children. Later, there would be assessments for the lower-grade spirit children, determining the inner and outer disciples.

However, compared to the true transmission assessment, the process would be much simpler.

For any sect, the identity of a true transmission disciple was of utmost importance. Becoming a true transmission disciple meant receiving the sect's full support and becoming the future pillar of the sect.

Naturally, the assessment process was much stricter.

The Eternal Origin Sect's assessment was very fair. It considered both strength and divine essence talent. Even if one was not from the five great families or the five great sects, there was still a chance to stand out!

Below.

Li Che took Xi Xi from Zhang Ya's embrace. The little girl was still thinking about the dishes she hadn't mentioned, frowning in distress.

Li Che couldn't help but smile at this greedy little one. He raised his hand and used the Pure Heart divine essence to groom Xi Xi.

The first round was a martial arts competition, the second round was detection, and the third round... was it the Shrine God Resonance? Li Che turned to look at Lu Chi beside him, "Little Chi, can I ask you secretly? Is the third round of the true transmission assessment the Shrine God Resonance?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chi smiled and shook his head, "No, the Shrine God Resonance... requires a specific time and the use of the divine weapon, the Jail Lotus Flame Wind Golden Wheel.

"For now, let's break through the Deceptive Gate and create a path leading straight to the Mysterious Temple, a hundred zhang away..."

"As for the specific timing... it depends on the situation at the Mysterious Temple."

Upon hearing this, Li Che was momentarily stunned.

"But isn't the 'Shrine God Resonance' happening today?"

Lu Chi tilted his head slightly, "Most likely not. When I entered the Sect Gate, there was also the Shrine God Resonance, but it seems to have been postponed for about six months."

"Six months?" Li Che took a deep breath, "Is the delay that long?"

Before Lu Chi could respond, Shangguan Qinghong, who had been walking over from a distance, chimed in.

"It's not that long. The Shrine God Resonance is something many Divine Sects participate in. Some sects... for the sake of the Shrine God Resonance, might even arrange and wait for several years."

Shangguan Qinghong squeezed past Lu Chi and sat down on the chair, taking out a large handful of dried fruit and handing it to Xi Xi.

"Sister Qinghong!"

Xi Xi was overjoyed.

"Thank you, Xi Xi, for finding a spot for me." Shangguan Qinghong smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons, filled with happiness.

Although Shangguan Qinglei was her younger brother, she didn't show any affection and remained indifferent. Seeing Xi Xi beating up Shangguan Qinglei even brought her a peculiar joy.

"However..."

Shangguan Qinghong turned her gaze towards Li Che, her expression turning solemn.

"My good-for-nothing father... I know him well. He's extremely petty and dotes on Shangguan Qinglei. Since Xi Xi injured his precious son, he will definitely seek revenge."

"He might secretly look for an opportunity to retaliate."

Shangguan Qinghong warned Li Che.

"Xi Xi will definitely become a direct disciple, so he won't dare to do anything to her. But... you and Sister Ya should be more cautious."

At these words, Li Che narrowed his eyes and nodded in agreement.

"Zhao Zhengheng..."

Was he that petty?

Was Niu Mo's heart so small?

...

Time passed quickly, and half an hour wasn't too long.

After the break...

The black gong was once again struck by Zhu Hongdou from a distance, and the reverberating sound waves shook the spring rain and the whispers of the crowd.

The entire venue fell silent, and Zhang Qingzheng gracefully ascended the wooden platform again. Standing with a face like a bitter lotus, his dead fish eyes swept across the crowd, and he spoke indifferently, "All Supreme and Superior Spirit Children, come up to the platform."

The capital city governed thirteen cities, and there were only three Supreme Spirit Children, but the number of Superior Spirit Children exceeded fifty. As for Intermediate and Inferior Spirit Children, there were even more.

Only the Supreme and Superior Spirit Children were qualified to go up on the platform.

"Dad, Mom, Grandpa Chen, Mu Po, Sister Qinghong, Xi Xi is going!"

Xi Xi, with a dried fruit in her mouth, stood with her hands on her hips and her chubby chin raised, smiling.

Then, with a swagger, she walked towards the arena on her own.

None of the other Spirit Children dared to get too close to her.

After all, everyone had witnessed Xi Xi's brutal attack on Shangguan Qinglei with the mechanism, and it was truly terrifying. At this moment, seeing the three-year-old Xi Xi was like seeing a little devil.

Xi Xi didn't mind and climbed onto the high platform, standing alongside the Supreme Spirit Children.

"Xi Xi, come stand over here."

Gong Yuanliang waved at Xi Xi.

Xi Xi looked at Gong Yuanliang with confusion, "My aunt is a junior official at the Celestial Surveillance Agency, and your father is also from the Agency. We're family!"

Gong Yuanliang smiled brightly.

Xi Xi suddenly understood and skipped over to his side.

"Me, me! My grandpa, Gongyang Liancheng, is also a junior official at the Celestial Surveillance Agency! We're on the same side!"

Five-year-old Gongyang Xiu, a little older than Xi Xi, also joined them.

Xi Xi's eyes lit up, and after thinking for a moment, she took out a handful of sunflower seeds and gave three to each Gongyang Xiu and Gong Yuanliang.

Gongyang Xiu and Gong Yuanliang looked at the three seeds in their palms and fell silent.

Not far away, Hai Chaosheng, the genius of the Hai family, stood with his arms crossed, his expression cold and indifferent.

He also had connections with the Celestial Surveillance Agency; his uncle was an advisor there. But he didn't bother to approach them.

He, Hai Chaosheng, was the Hai family's treasured genius, the only one among the Supreme Spirit Children in this generation.

Shangguan Qinglei, who had been bombed by Xi Xi earlier, still had injuries on his body. Standing with Qin Fenghuo, he felt a lingering fear, keeping his distance from Xi Xi.

On the small high platform, various expressions could be seen.

Below the fifteen Supreme Spirit Children, the capital city and the thirteen cities had gathered nearly a hundred Superior Spirit Children in formation.

"Silence!"

Zhang Qingzheng, in his scholarly robe, spoke coldly.

His bitter face was stern, and his intimidating presence was even stronger than that of the Thunder God. All the children immediately quieted down, their fear evident.

"The detection begins. No one is allowed to use their Divine Nature. If anyone does, their qualification will be revoked!"

Zhang Qingzheng scanned the crowd as he spoke.

All the Spirit Children nodded repeatedly.

On the platform...

Li Qingshan suddenly straightened his back and narrowed his eyes.

The Sect Master, Nan Lihuo, looked at the other three elders, Zhu Hongdou, Xu Jiuling, and Weng Wuyu, and nodded.

The next moment, the three elders stood up, touching their foreheads, and their Divine Nature burst forth.

In an instant, the entire Sect Gate was enveloped by a peculiar energy, as if countless Divine Nature pillars were rising, forming a mushroom-like canopy.

The canopy was a hundred feet high, semi-transparent, seemingly intangible, yet it blocked out the falling spring rain.

Xi Xi, in awe, looked up at the mushroom canopy, exclaiming, "Wow!"

"This is the Divine Sect Insightful Divine Array, a formation that only a Divine Array Master can set up... It's very powerful."

Gong Yuanliang, seeing Xi Xi's amazement, explained.

"I know! My grandpa is an incredibly powerful Divine Array Master!" Gongyang Xiu immediately replied.

Gong Yuanliang glanced at him, "My aunt is even more powerful!"

"My grandpa is the best!"

"My aunt is the greatest!"

"My grandpa can fly to the heavens and burrow into the earth!"

"My aunt can eat..."

Xi Xi quickly tried to change the subject, taking out a handful of sunflower seeds and giving three to each Gongyang Xiu and Gong Yuanliang.

"Everyone, stop arguing. Eat some sunflower seeds to calm down, or the referee grandpa will give you a stinky face!" Xi Xi said.

Thinking of Zhang Qingzheng's sour face, Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu stopped arguing and silently started eating sunflower seeds.

Below the high platform.

Li Che watched silently as Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu stood next to Xi Xi, his eyes narrowing.

It was as if he saw their black hair gradually turning yellow.

"Are they the younger generations of the Gongyang and Gong families?"

Li Che let out a breath.

He didn't delve further into the matter, as although Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu showed signs of yellowing hair, it wasn't completely yellow yet, and thus still acceptable.

Li Che had important matters to attend to, so he lifted his head and looked towards the mushroom umbrella canopy.

"Divine Array Formation..."

A formation based on the Insightful Divine Art...

A Divine Array Formation, a formation that only a Divine Array Master could arrange.

Similar to woodcarving masters, they are special professions developed from the Divine Nature.

This was Li Che's first time witnessing a Divine Array Master's arrangement, and as his gaze swept over, he noticed seven adorable wooden sculptures of children on the mountain's foot, around the Divine Sect Jin Guang Peak. The sculptures were either crying, laughing, happy, or angry, and they served as the chessboard for the Divine Array Formation.

Li Che was curious about the Divine Array Formation, but as he had never studied it before, he couldn't delve into research.

He focused his mind, and under the coverage of the Divine Array Formation, all cultivators restrained their Divine Nature, not daring to release it, as it would affect the assessment.

Li Che recalled what Li Qingshan had said about this being the best time to detect the Corpse Curse Seal.

Even the Divine Seers from the five great families, their Divine Nature was also restrained, not daring to release it. Even if they were to detect or probe, they wouldn't be discovered.

This was to ensure the safety of Li Che, the detector.

Li Qingshan had asked him if his detection method required the use of the Divine Nature, and after Li Che confirmed it didn't, he came up with this plan.

His heart moved, and in his chest, the Dao Fruit of the Chess Sage trembled slightly!

Li Che closed his eyes.

In an instant, the "Eight Extreme Corpse Curse Seal" suppressed in the center of the Heaven and Earth Chessboard suddenly trembled violently, and the dark Death Qi formed concentric ripples, spreading out with a boom.

Li Che's eyes snapped open, and in his eyes, it was as if he could see the chessboard network spreading out.

The Death Qi of the Eight Extreme Corpse Curse Seal surged, like a line of river current, rolling and surging towards all directions.

It swept past each of the seated figures.

Silently, like a gentle spring breeze, it didn't attract anyone's attention.

However, in Li Che's eyes...

In an instant, one after another, the responses of the Corpse Curse Seals appeared on the chessboard, like blooming hellish Death Mandalas.

First one, then two, three, four...

It was as if an invisible person was placing chess pieces in mid-air, splashing Death Qi like flowers.

Gradually...

More!

Hmm? So many?!

Li Che's eyes narrowed, and his gaze intensified.

...

...

On the high platform.

Nan Lihuo's white robe fluttered in the wind, and his black hair danced with the spring breeze. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, and his brows furrowed slightly.

His gaze swept across, but he didn't detect any abnormalities.

Vaguely, he felt as if he had sensed a probing power.

However, he couldn't perceive the source of the probing!

"Who dares to spy on me?"

Who is so bold?

Nan Lihuo's brows furrowed, and the divine pattern between his brows twisted, emitting a light.

"Who is it?"

His gaze became sharp, and his terrifying divine sense burst forth silently, without causing any disturbance to the divine array. Even the nearby Divine Seers couldn't detect it, and Li Qingshan was completely unaware.

His divine sense expanded and spread out in a fan-shaped sweep, searching for the source of the probing power.

But he didn't yield any results.

"No one?"

Nan Lihuo leaned back in his grandmaster's chair, and his gaze suddenly fell on Li Qingshan's face, deep in thought.

...

...

Zhang Qingzheng's Confucian robe tightened around his body. When the three elders pointed out the Divine Nature and activated the Insightful Divine Array, he took a step forward, his eyes flashed with a dense purple light.

"Innate Divinity, I shall observe!"

"Hmph!"

Zhang Qingzheng's hair danced in the wind, and his bitter yellow face twitched. The next moment, he pointed at the hundred or so Supreme and Superior Spirit Children.

Boom!

On the high platform, all the Spirit Children held their breath. It was completely different from when Li Qingshan had probed their Divine Nature.

Xi Xi felt that something inside her body seemed to break out!

She was attracted to the mushroom umbrella canopy, unable to suppress it!

Dense purple smoke rose from Xi Xi's crown, like a small snake.

Not only her, but Gong Yuanliang and Gongyang Xiu beside her, as well as Hai Chaosheng, Qin Fenghuo, Huang Sixiang, and others in the distance, all had purple smoke rising from their foreheads.

This was the manifestation of their Spirit Child talent, the Innate Divinity.

Below the wooden platform.

In an instant, the quiet crowd fell silent, leaving only the sound of everyone holding their breath.

Even the Divine Seers from the great families couldn't help but look over.

Although detecting talent wasn't a competition, witnessing the manifestation of Spirit Child talent still brought a different kind of impact.

After all, even the Divine Seers were once Spirit Children and had their talents detected...

Thus, they were curious and couldn't help but compare.

Parent's Area.

Zhang Ya tensed up, her body taut as she gripped Li Che's arm, breathing heavily, her eyes fixed on Xixi on the wooden platform.

Old Chen's body also leaned forward involuntarily, his eyes wide, with beads of nervous sweat forming on his forehead.

His precious Xixi... Just how talented was she?

Old Chen had watched Xixi grow up, and he had long considered her as his own granddaughter. Naturally, he hoped that Xixi would have exceptional talent, and this anticipation made him anxious and tense.

"Husband..."

Zhang Ya unconsciously called out to the person she trusted most.

At this moment, Li Che's eyes were dark, his gaze sweeping across the chessboard, but he was also scanning the surroundings, his expression grave.

This seriousness seemed to mirror the concern a parent would have for their child's innate talent.

It was a normal reaction for parents.

As for Xixi's innate talent, Li Che wasn't worried at all.

Every day, using the Divine Art of the Pure Heart to cultivate her innate divinity, Xixi's innate talent had surpassed even that of Li Qingshan's! However, Li Che had no idea just how much higher it was.

"Qinghong, who is that?"

Li Che suddenly asked Shangguan Qinghong, who stood beside him.

Shangguan Qinghong was taken aback, not expecting Li Che to ask about someone at this critical moment of Xixi's innate talent assessment.

Instinctively, she followed Li Che's gaze.

"Elder of the Tide Watching Pavilion... Xiao Baihe, a master of the Perfect Void Form!"

Shangguan Qinghong seemed to have been instructed to satisfy Li Che's curiosity, so she promptly introduced the person to him.

"And that one?"

"Another elder of the Tide Watching Pavilion... Zhao Kuyu, a master of the Perfect Void Form..."

Shangguan Qinghong seemed to have a wealth of information about everyone, and she could name anyone Li Che pointed out.

As the two of them quietly exchanged questions and answers, all eyes were drawn to the high platform.

With the activation of the Insightful Divine Array, the innate talents of the Superior and Extreme Spirit Children began to surge forth.

The first to transform into purple smoke were the fifteen Extreme Spirit Children, and after a few breaths, the talents of the Superior Spirit Children followed, rising as purple smoke columns.

The smoke columns ascended, as if drawn by the mushroom canopy, resembling purple bamboo shoots after a spring rain, climbing higher with each segment!

However, all eyes were fixed on the fifteen Extreme Spirit Children.

Even among the Extreme Spirit Children, there were differences in talent.

Leading the pack was Hai Chao Sheng!

His purple smoke column grew at an astonishing speed, soaring upward, surpassing ten feet in just a moment.

Close behind him was Gongyang Xiu, followed by Huang Sixiang...

Xixi's face turned red, and she blinked her big eyes, watching the purple smoke column rising from her head.

She ranked sixth among the fifteen Extreme Spirit Children, placing her in the upper-middle tier.

Hai Chao Sheng watched his purple smoke column grow the fastest, a smug smile forming on his lips. Indeed, he was superior to everyone, including Xixi, Huang Sixiang, and Gongyang Xiu.

But that was all!

Hai Chao Sheng was a genius cherished by his Divine Seer Ancestor.

When the purple columns of the Extreme Spirit Children reached nearly fifty feet, their ascent began to slow down.

Some Extreme Spirit Children couldn't continue, stalling below fifty feet, unable to surpass it.

Hai Chao Sheng's purple qi column directly broke through fifty feet, advancing relentlessly.

Following closely behind, the purple qi columns of Huang Sixiang, Gongyang Xiu, Gong Yuanliang, and Shangguan Qinglei also broke through the fifty-foot mark, earning them Grade A+ scores.

However, the exact height would depend on their final stopping point.

Qin Fenghuo's purple qi column stopped at fifty-five feet.

Gong Yuanliang reached sixty feet, and Huang Sixiang reached sixty-nine feet.

Gongyang Xiu's purple qi column also stopped growing, halting at seventy-two feet, still some distance from the hundred-foot canopy.

Hai Chao Sheng's face into a serious expression.

Because, not far from him, another purple qi column was rising slowly but steadily.

Xixi? How could this be?

Xixi's purple qi column had started off slowly, even slower than Gongyang Xiu and Gong Yuanliang. How could she catch up?

The other Extreme Spirit Children also noticed this, their eyes widening in surprise.

Two purple qi columns stood out, towering like cranes among chickens.

They continued to rise, showing no signs of stopping.

Hai Chao Sheng's purple qi column maintained its lead, ahead by about five feet.

Suddenly, Hai Chao Sheng's face froze.

His purple qi column had stalled...

Stuck at ninety-one feet, unable to continue.

He turned, his eyes fixed on Xixi, on her purple qi column.

Slowly, slowly...

Xixi's purple qi column, at a leisurely pace, like a snail's crawl, surpassed Hai Chao Sheng's column, climbing past ninety-one feet.

"Huh?"

Xixi's eyes lit up, and a smile blossomed on her face.

She stood tall, hands on her hips, chest out.

Xixi, the great emperor, reigns supreme!

Even the villainous ministers would kneel before her!

Even Li Che, who was detecting the Corpse Seal, couldn't help but shift his gaze at this moment.

On the high platform, Zhu Hongdou had completely stood up, her eyes fixed on Xixi's purple column.

Even the Sect Master, Nan Lihuo, watched with wide eyes.

Rise, rise, rise...

Under everyone's gaze.

Xixi's purple qi column slowly reached the hundred-foot canopy.

The Sect Master, Nan Lihuo, rose to his feet.

"A hundred-foot innate talent..."

"A Supreme Divine Child!"

PS: Monday, seeking a wave of fresh recommendations!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end