Chapter 146: A Million Chess Pieces Worth of Lotus Shells, Immortal Craftsmanship and Mushroom Cloud

Chapter 146: A Million Chess Pieces Worth of Lotus Shells, Immortal Craftsmanship and Mushroom Cloud Fireworks

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Countless golden fireworks exploded, creating a dazzling display that instantly engulfed the entire Golden Fragrance Manor.

The ground shook, and countless dust particles rose like dark clouds rolling in the sky.

Within the dark clouds, streaks of golden light flashed like angry electric snakes.

Sixteen Ox Demons stood tall, each holding an enhanced Immortal Craft Gatling.

The Spirit Wood Crows, replicated and drawn using the Painter of Immortals Dharmic Fruit, rained down relentlessly.

This firepower coverage was so intense that even if there were Primordial Image Realm cultivators among the Golden Fragrance Manor's group, they would have no chance of escape.

It was an all-encompassing attack!

The Painter of Immortals Dharmic Fruit gave Li Che an infinite number of Spirit Wood Crows. With a stroke of his brush, he could create these crows.

The consumption of Vital Energy and Divine Energy for each Spirit Wood Crow was minimal, and by the time he finished painting one, his Vital Energy and Divine Energy had already recovered.

The number of Spirit Wood Crows was only limited by Li Che's will.

He alone was an infinite arsenal!

As the creator of the Spirit Wood Crows, Li Che had personally developed and crafted them, ensuring their effectiveness.

The Painter of Immortals could replicate them almost perfectly, with the replicas being virtually indistinguishable from the originals.

With six enhanced Immortal Craft Gatlings firing simultaneously, the might was far more startling than a thousand arrows loosed at once.

Thick smoke billowed upwards, forming a slowly blooming mushroom cloud.

In an instant, the entire Golden Light City was shaken.

The sound of this commotion was akin to the rumble of thunder in the vast sky, and unless one was deaf, they would surely take notice.

Especially at the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion.

Many Flower Girls and Flower Masters trembled, rushing to the railing to witness the shocking sight—the place that had been like a nightmare to them... was now in ruins!

The sound of breaking through the air echoed incessantly, with debris flying in all directions.

The Primordial Image Realm experts from the Five Great Clans, the Divine Guard Army from the City Lord's Mansion, and various court forces, including the Temple Administration, quickly responded and rushed to the scene.

...

Inside the Golden Fragrance Manor.

Li Che stood tall, his robust body holding the Dragon Bone Gale Thunder Spear with one hand. The spear was wrapped in wind and thunder, emitting a sizzling sound.

He controlled the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, covering the entire manor, without concealing his aura.

He had no need to hide from these Beggar Gang trash... He had no fear of taking responsibility.

The Ox Demons were his doing, and he was proud of it.

The Beggar Gang's cultivation of Corpse Beauty Techniques, their collusion with the Corpse Deity Sect—they deserved to be wiped out!

In his chest, the Chess Sage Dharmic Fruit pulsed. The purpose of opening the Heaven and Earth Chessboard was to protect the pitiful girls in the courtyard who had been subjected to their training.

These girls were too fragile, even though some had been specifically trained in martial arts to cater to the customers' peculiar tastes.

But under the bombardment of the Spirit Wood Crows, they were as fragile as paper.

Li Che used the Heaven and Earth Chessboard to cover the area, precisely guiding the fire of the Spirit Wood Crows to avoid harming the girls.

Although they might be frightened, it was still better than being torn to pieces.

After three rounds of bombing, according to Li Che's perception through the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, the last trace of life force was extinguished.

Only then did the sixteen Ox Demons cease their barrage.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

With precise coordination, they ceased fire, holstered their weapons, and stood at attention.

Their unity was even more impressive than that of a meticulously trained army.

Li Che adjusted the hood on his head and, holding the spear with one hand, took a step forward, soaring into the sky like a cloud-riding eagle.

He maintained the Ascend Tower State, his black hair billowing like a cape, and his eyes shimmering with faint golden smoke.

He sheathed the Dragon Bone Gale Thunder Spear and raised both hands, aiming at the mushroom cloud below.

Ascend Tower—

Thousand Analysis Hands!

Boom!

In an instant, the smoke swirled wildly, as if countless angry souls, unwilling to accept their fate in the flames, had coalesced into twisted faces, bursting out from the dust.

However, they all passed through Li Che's body without causing any harm.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the next moment, the sound of breaking through the air echoed as countless Divine Energy was extracted from the mangled corpses.

These energies condensed into grayish-black chess pieces, rising and hovering densely before Li Che.

"These... are the raw materials for crafting the Avalanche Crows."

His black hair, hanging like a cloak, whipped fiercely.

Beneath the adorable Cute Bull Mask, Li Che's voice echoed softly.

As the echo lingered in the air, it was suddenly shattered by an enraged roar.

In the distance, the Primordial Image Realm ancestors of the Five Great Clans arrived, their powerful Divine Energy filling the sky.

The pressure of their cultivation base made it difficult for many cultivators to breathe, let alone move.

The five colossal Primordial Image figures, like divine beings, escorted the five ancestors as they swiftly crossed the sky.

After all, within the Golden Fragrance Manor... were the second-generation members of the Five Great Clans!

And among them were numerous Primordial Image Realm cultivators, the top-tier strength of their families!

The wind howled and raged.

The mushroom cloud continued to rise.

Although small, it was still adorable.

The Ox Demons lightly touched down, hovering like kites.

The powerful cultivators who had rushed to the scene all came to a halt, feeling a deep sense of threat and...

Terror!

How could there be so many Ox Demons?!

Aside from the one floating in the center, what were the sixteen Ox Demons standing on the high walls surrounding the Golden Fragrance Manor?

Had they stirred up an Ox Demon's nest?

Seventeen Ox Demons... which one was real, and which one was fake?

It was impossible to tell...

Even the powerful spiritual senses of Primordial Image Realm cultivators couldn't discern the difference!

Because, incredibly, the auras and Vital Energy of these Ox Demons were all perfectly synchronized!

Li Che calmly observed the approaching members of the Five Great Clans.

His eyes were deep and mysterious.

"Ox Demon... You've gone mad! Are you going to completely wipe out Golden Light City?"

"Madman, completely insane! A world-shaking demon!" Qin Di Kun, the head of the Qin family, had an extremely unpleasant expression, gritting his teeth and growling in anger.

"After destroying the Fish Gang, now you want to annihilate the Beggar Gang... Are you planning to wipe out the Black Dragon Gang next, followed by the four great families and five major sects, and finally, the Divine Sect as well?"

The old ancestor of the Hai family spoke coldly.

However...

The only response they received was the low laughter of the Ox Demon.

Under the mask, Li Che's face was filled with unbridled arrogance, completely unconcerned by the questioning and opinions of the elders from the four great families.

His low laughter seemed to carry a humiliating mockery, as if slapping their faces.

He clenched his five fingers.

All the Divine Chess Pieces were gathered by Li Che and stored within the Heaven and Earth Chessboard.

Then, his crazed eyes beneath the mask swept across the five elders of the great families.

Li Che raised his hand and pointed at each of the five elders from a distance, tapping each one.

"Among you... I know all your secrets."

"Don't let me smell the Corpse Qi on you."

The Ox Demon's voice, deep and restrained yet wild, echoed through the sky.

Although he was currently refining the Seven Elements Corpse Curse Mother Seal, his sensitivity to the Death Qi and Corpse Qi of the Corpse Deity Sect followers had weakened.

But he could still sense it.

The five elders' faces changed slightly, understanding the hidden meaning in the Ox Demon's words.

Bang—

A streak of light shot out at high speed, and an arrow arrived first, followed by rolling thunder that exploded with a deafening roar!

However, the arrow pierced through an Ox Demon statue, only causing a puff of black smoke.

The remaining sixteen Ox Demons simultaneously looked into the distance.

They saw a tall figure standing on the roof of a building with flying eaves and upturned corners in the direction of the City Lord's Manor.

The figure was holding a long bow, with eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Fake?"

Divine Archer Wen Longshan turned his mouth up in disdain, then pulled the bowstring taut again, and the sound of a collapsing world suddenly erupted.

The faces of the five elders from the great families turned pale.

That was the Seven Elements Divine Archer from the Prefecture City, who was close to the City Lord Su Huaili! Each of his arrows contained extremely terrifying power!

However, they all missed!

Because the Ox Demons he shot through all exploded into black mist.

Fake, all of them were fake...

Li Che looked at Wen Longshan calmly, and a faint killing intent flashed through his eyes.

On the Ox Demon's little notebook...

Your name is written.

The next moment.

He clenched his five fingers, and a Flying Thunder Chess Piece appeared.

In the eyes of many powerful cultivators, the Ox Demon directly disappeared and teleported away.

As for the remaining Ox Demons...

They all exploded with a series of "Bang Bang Bang," turning into rolling black mist.

"He ran away?"

"Just like that... he escaped?"

How elusive was this Ox Demon?!

Qin Di Kun, the elder of the Qin family, was horrified. Such an opponent... was simply a nightmare, making it difficult to eat or sleep in peace!

On the roof of the City Lord's Manor.

The divine bow that Wen Longshan had drawn also slowly lowered.

"Ox Demon?"

He muttered to himself.

From which organization did he come?

To be so brazen...

It was truly bizarre for him to have created over a dozen clones with identical auras and vital energy. And there was also that Horse Face who could snipe from dozens of miles away...

What force was this organization?

Wen Longshan put away his long bow, took a step forward, and returned to the leisure pavilion in the courtyard. He broke the velvet rope that tied his hair, letting it fall loose.

He only tied his hair when he was about to shoot arrows.

City Lord Su Huaili was drinking tea and reading a book on the side.

"When did you develop such an interest in shooting arrows to kill this evil Ox Demon?"

Su Huaili said calmly.

"I just found it interesting."

"Unfortunately, I couldn't find his true body. This evil Ox Demon... has very bizarre methods, which is quite intriguing."

Wen Longshan said with a smile.

"The Ox Demon's aura is very strong. He should have stepped into the Grandmaster Realm, with extremely vigorous vital energy, and he has used some kind of secret technique..."

"As for his Divine Foundation cultivation, it's quite ordinary..."

Wen Longshan took a sip of the emerald green winter tea, pondered for a moment, and said with a smile, "If I were to find his true body..."

"At most, it would take two arrows to take his life."

Su Huaili chuckled lightly, "So, you think highly of this evil Ox Demon, believing he's worthy of your second arrow."

"Hold on to your arrow. In a few days, you should be able to shoot to your heart's content."

Wen Longshan raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Is it because Li Qingshan is about to break through to the Divine Image Realm?"

Su Huaili nodded.

"Li Qingshan is extremely skilled in martial arts with his one-handed Ram Horn Piercing Heaven Hammer. He's currently in the latter stages of the Grandmaster Realm, with a formidable physical body... But he cultivates the Thunderous Execution of Evil, and hates evil with a passion..."

"He has basically offended all the major forces in Golden Light City, as you know, the bigger the force, the easier it is to hide corruption. Li Qingshan has purged many corrupt officials."

"These officials who have been purged naturally don't want to see him break through to the Divine Image Realm... If he's this arrogant before entering the Divine Image Realm, what will he be like after entering it?"

"Won't he turn Golden Light City upside down?"

"Li Qingshan doesn't accumulate his Illusory Form and wants to directly enter the Divine Image Realm. He's one of the top ten figures on the Divine Foundation Chart of Yunzhou. Once he enters the Divine Image Realm, he'll undoubtedly be in the middle stage, a formidable opponent."

Su Huaili spoke calmly.

"But in my eyes, he's just an ant that I can crush at will."

"I don't want Li Qingshan to successfully condense his Divine Image... I just want to spite Nan Lihuo."

Suddenly, Su Huaili burst into laughter.

"Let's see how long this old fox can endure."

Wen Longshan glanced at Su Huaili, but he didn't know what grudge existed between Nan Lihuo and Su Huaili.

However, since he had been transferred to Golden Light City by Su Huaili, it was natural for him not to ask about such matters.

Su Huaili closed the book and suddenly thought of something. "By the way, the young master will be arriving soon. You should go out of the city to escort him."

"The young master's secret mission to Golden Light City is to attempt to obtain the inheritance of the Eight-Armed Wrathful Third Prince and acquire the Four Sacred Armament set from the Temple Deity."

"If that's the case, the young master's Divine Embryo has great potential, and he will surely become a powerful Pacifying Tyrant-level existence in the future."

The young master?

Wen Longshan's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly became solemn.

"Is it that five-year-old young master? Traveling such a long distance... Is it worth it?"

Wen Longshan took a deep breath.

Su Huaili shook his head, "Longshan, you still don't understand the importance of this Four Sacred Anomaly Temple..."

"The Eight-Armed Wrathful Third Prince Enigmatic Temple... It's not the same as the ordinary Four Sacred Anomaly Temples. It's like the Three-Eyed True Lord Temple in Lingnan Dao City..."

"It's an Anomaly Temple that serves as the foundation for a Divine Sect!"

"The teacher values this Enigmatic Temple highly."

"Otherwise... Why would the teacher send me to this insignificant Southern Lihuo City?"

...

...

The dust and smoke were swept away by the raging wind, suddenly dispersing.

The Supreme Commander of the Temple Administration, Zhang Lianhao, clad in a black and red robe, landed in the courtyard. The leaders of the Divine Guard Army, the elders of the Five Great Clans, and other powerful cultivators descended one after another.

The mushroom-like rising smoke and dust were blown away by the divine energy-driven gale they created.

The scene within the Golden Fragrance Manor was revealed.

Zhang Lianhao's face twitched as he saw the ground densely covered with corpses and bones.

The high-ranking members of the Beggar Gang, the second generations of the Five Great Clans, and numerous high-ranking officials of Golden Light City...

All of them had become broken and mangled corpses and bones!

"So cruel..."

"A demon, this Ox Demon is truly a world-shaking evil beast!"

"This is truly a lawless rogue, treating the Temple Administration and the Divine Guard Army as nothing!"

...

The elders of the Five Great Clans looked at the broken and mangled corpses of their second-generation descendants, their anger burning within them.

Zhang Lianhao's hair stood on end. This Ox Demon... had become stronger at an alarming rate.

Previously, when killing the Fish Gang's subordinate forces, they could only be dealt with one at a time. But now, the Ox Demon had directly attacked the headquarters of the Beggar Gang...

Zhang Lianhao remained silent, but suddenly, his heart stirred.

He unleashed the power beneath his feet, launching himself into the cratered courtyard, inhaling the pungent smell of gunpowder in the air.

He suddenly saw young girls with exposed clothing, looking delicate and terrified, cautiously emerging from the houses, trembling with fear.

These girls looked at the courtyard filled with corpses and bones.

Suddenly, their fear dissipated, and they began to cry, some clapping their hands in madness, some covering their mouths, and others kneeling and wailing...

Zhang Lianhao felt a sense of bewilderment.

His hand resting on the handle of the standard divine armament saber at his waist was at a loss.

Was this the Beggar Gang's dark secret? Zhang Lianhao's face turned slightly red, and anger welled up within him.

However, he also felt powerless because the Temple Administration's primary focus was on the Enigmatic Temple.

The Beggar Gang... was clearly colluding with the City Lord's Manor.

"S-sorry..."

Looking at the girls with exposed clothing.

Zhang Lianhao, a forty-year-old virgin, couldn't help but feel ashamed and remorseful.

At the same time, he couldn't help but admire the Ox Demon...

He thought about the reputation the Ox Demon had earned in Flying Thunder City.

A lone hero... the Ox Demon?

It seemed... the rumors were true.

He envied the Ox Demon's freedom.

He turned and ran into the conference hall.

There, he saw the Beggar Gang's leader, Hong Suxi, who had been shot and killed, and... the beheaded Octagonal Corpse Deity Envoy!

Zhang Lianhao drew out his saber, his anger boiling.

"The Beggar Gang colludes with the heretic Corpse Deity Sect! Their crime deserves punishment!"

...

...

Falling Flower Lane, the workshop's courtyard.

Li Che returned silently, and the falling snowflakes landed on his shoulders, only to be instantly evaporated by his surging vital energy.

Standing in the courtyard with his hands hanging by his sides, Li Che closed his eyes, calming the surging murderous intent in his heart.

The Beggar Gang...

Was no more.

He had captured all the high-ranking members in one fell swoop. Within the Golden Fragrance Manor, the Beggar Gang's Divine Image Sect Leader, Hong Suxi, the Illusory Form Deputy Leaders, and the Nine Bag Elders were all taken down together.

Their evil deeds deserved no mercy!

"This Hong Suxi... practiced the Corpse Beauty Technique, the Eight Extremes Corpse Beauty Technique, sacrificing three hundred and sixty-five young girls..."

Li Che felt that the darkness of this world was deeper than he had imagined.

The Spirit Infant Sect in Flying Thunder City, the Corpse Beauty Technique in Golden Light City...

And behind it all, the source of these evil secret techniques, the Corpse Deity Sect!

"Old Chen's worries are now resolved."

"The freedom in my heart has been unleashed."

Li Che stretched, his bones and muscles creaking.

His mind sank, and he entered the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, where countless divine energy chess pieces floated within.

These were the divine energies of the cultivators he had killed with his firepower.

For him, the effect of using these divine energies for cultivation was not as good as that of the divine energy crystals.

But Li Che did not waste them and collected them all.

"I'll put them to use..."

"The Snowstorm Crow Bullets can be developed, and I can also research even more powerful artillery shells..."

Li Che raised his hand, and a hidden weapon, the Lotus of Guan Yin, appeared in his palm.

This hidden weapon was no longer very useful to Li Che at his current level.

It was even less effective than the Thousand Spider Silk, which, with good materials, could be a powerful killing tool.

However, even if the Lotus of Guan Yin had millions of wooden needles, it would be difficult to injure a Grandmaster or an Illusory Form cultivator.

It had become rather useless, and it needed an upgrade and improvement!

The Divine Dharmic Fruit in his chest began to tremble slightly.

Li Che began to think about the upgrade direction for the Lotus of Guan Yin, focusing on improving its firepower coverage.

"Should I incorporate the divine ability prototype, Chess Sage's Great Snowstorm, into the Lotus of Guan Yin?"

"The Lotus of Guan Yin originally contained millions of fine wooden needles, so by the same logic... I can replace them with divine energy chess pieces."

(End of Chapter)"Conceal a hundred Divine Chess Pieces, conceal a thousand Divine Chess Pieces, and then throw them out... using the body of the Lotus of Guanyin to explode..."

The power of the Avalanche contained within the Divine Chess Pieces...

It would probably create a massive fireworks display!

"So, I still need to create a launching device to work with the Namu Immortal Craft Avalanche Lotus Shell..."

Li Che fell into deep thought, considering the difficulty and feasibility of the task.

"The strength of the explosion from the Divine Chess Pieces using the Avalanche method is related to the strength of the Divine Energy itself. There's a lot to research here."

"But I don't need to worry about that."

"At most, it's just a matter of adjusting the yield of the Divine Chess Pieces..."

Li Che sat cross-legged on the snow-covered courtyard ground.

He raised his hand, and a piece of wood shot towards him. He gripped it in his hand, and a carving knife slid out, while True Qi swept over it, drying the moisture from the wood.

Shhh...

Li Che began carving with utmost concentration.

Then, with a thought, he tried to compress a Divine Chess Piece into one of the wooden needles that made up the Lotus of Guanyin.

However, it wasn't easy.

Li Che compromised and enlarged some of the wooden needles to make them more capable of holding the Divine Chess Pieces.

After several modifications, Li Che gradually completed the first generation of the Guanyin Lotus Bomb! Since it was his first attempt, Li Che only loaded around sixty Divine Chess Pieces into it.

Moreover, these were all Divine Foundation Realm Divine Chess Pieces.

"The yield of sixty pieces isn't too impressive... the yield of a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand Divine Chess Pieces..."

"Or even... the yield of a million Divine Chess Pieces..."

"Can I make it so that in this world, I can see that giant firework, deeply engraved in my soul, capable of seizing the creations of heaven and earth?"

Li Che couldn't help but think of that towering mushroom cloud.

His body trembled slightly with excitement.

Suddenly, his mind moved.

A flash of light appeared before his eyes.

[Dao Fruit: Immortal Craftsmanship (LV3, 90%)]



The maturity of the Immortal Craftsmanship Dao Fruit had suddenly increased from 86% to 90%!

Was it because he had improved the Lotus of Guanyin?

Or was it because of the magnificent idea in his mind?

Perhaps it was both, but it undoubtedly excited Li Che.

"I wonder what kind of transformation will occur when the Dao Fruit reaches LV4?"

Li Che was filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Li Che glanced at the sky and took out the Heaven and Earth Jade of the Beggar Gang Leader and the Corpse Deity Envoy. Killing and searching the corpses had become second nature to Li Che.

After experiencing a sudden wealth gain, and considering that the Beggar Gang Leader had exhausted his resources in his pursuit of the Corpse Beauty Technique, leaving him poorer than ordinary Divine Foundation Realm cultivators, Li Che was not too concerned about the loot.

The Octagonal Corpse Deity Envoy had not gained much either.

Unfazed by these gains, Li Che's heart was already stirred by greater ambitions.

Li Che sat cross-legged in the courtyard, and his Pure Mind Spirit condensed into painting paper. He began to create design sketches on the paper.

The Guanyin Lotus Bomb was ready, but... the launching device still needed further development.

The first generation of the Lotus of Guanyin Main Battle Tank?

Li Che's eyes shone...

He thought of the Divine Archer Wen Longshan, who stood atop the City Lord's Mansion and shot a terrifying arrow that split the heavens.

Divine Archer?

I'll give you a taste of the firepower of the Lotus of Guanyin Main Battle Tank!

Let's see who's stronger...

My Avalanche Lotus Bomb or your arrows! Within range, Guanyin is the truth! Snow fell from the sky.

Li Che, who had just annihilated the Beggar Gang.

To realize his grand ambition of watching fireworks.

He began working enthusiastically in the courtyard.

...

...

Old Chen had been waiting anxiously on Zhen Lei Peak.

He kept smoking his pipe, his heart filled with unease.

Lu Chi was cultivating in the courtyard, watching Old Chen pacing back and forth with apprehension.

"Grandpa Chen, you're disturbing my cultivation. Can't you go back to your own courtyard to pace?"

Lu Chi said with a hint of helplessness.

His teacher, Li Qingshan, was in seclusion, and Lu Chi knew that his teacher had reached a critical moment. He wanted to work hard on his cultivation to improve his strength and not hold his teacher back.

"I'm just worried... Have you heard any news about the Beggar Gang?"

Old Chen asked.

Lu Chi rolled his eyes and patted the dust off his body. "Alright, I'll go and find out for you."

A moment later.

Lu Chi sprinted back.

Chen Dabao was sitting on the doorstep, smoking. When he saw Lu Chi running, he immediately jumped up.

"Did you find out anything?"

Old Chen took a deep breath and asked anxiously.

Lu Chi's face turned red, and his small body was emitting steam.

He was excited and agitated.

"I found out!"

"The Ox Demon took action against the Beggar Gang this morning..."

"The commotion was said to be massive, alarming the Temple Administration, the Divine Guard Army, and the five great clans' Divine Image Sect Leaders..."

"Behind the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion, in the Golden Fragrance Manor, the upper echelons of the Beggar Gang, the younger generations of the clans, and some officials were all annihilated!"

"The Beggar Gang Leader, the Deputy Leader, and the Nine Bag Elders are all dead... The entire Beggar Gang has fallen apart."

"Old Chen... Your wish has come true."

"The Beggar Gang... is no more!"

Old Chen was stunned.

He sat down on the ground, and his hand holding the pipe was trembling.

No...

He thought the Ox Demon would just rescue the girls held captive in the courtyard and kill a few evil members of the Beggar Gang, causing a stir and exposing their misdeeds.

But...

The Ox Demon had directly wiped out the Beggar Gang?

End of Chapter

Chapter end