Chapter 157: Li Che Acquires the Spirit Monkey Mask, Witnessing the End of Huaguo Mountain

Chapter 157: Li Che Acquires the Spirit Monkey Mask, Witnessing the End of Huaguo Mountain

Li Che's eyes narrowed slightly.

His brow furrowed, and the Star Snatching Eye, an innate divine ability, activated subconsciously.

Star Snatching Eye, Infinite Analysis, Soul Siphoning Spirit Lighting, Penetrating Illusions, Returning to Truth, Evil Suppressing, Evil Exterminating! In Li Che's eyes, no evil could escape or hide, as everything was revealed by the Star Snatching Eye.

Li Che had never doubted the judgment of the Star Snatching Eye.

In his eyes, the peaceful Heart Monkey Temple in the midst of wind and snow suddenly became eerie and sinister.

This couldn't be a problem with his eyes.

It must be that the Heart Monkey Temple had some issue.

"Eerie and sinister, filled with deathly aura, this Heart Monkey Temple... is actually a ghost temple?"

Li Che furrowed his brows.

Or perhaps, there were ghosts within the Heart Monkey Temple?

Besides that...

"Could it be related to the Corpse God Sect?"

Li Che's heart stirred.

Considering this possibility, he knew it wouldn't be difficult to verify.

Within his chest, the Chess Saint's Dao fruit pulsed, and the next moment, his consciousness immersed itself into the Heaven and Earth Chessboard.

The chessboard's intricate web instantly enveloped heaven and earth, trapping the eerie Heart Monkey Temple within.

Then, Li Che's consciousness hovered within the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, gently tapping his fingers on the Seven Elements Corpse Curse Letter Seal, which had been refined to a great extent.

A Pure Heart Dao Fruit suddenly slammed into it, exploding instantly!

Then, a second one followed...

It was like an ancient bell being struck forcefully!

Invisible black ripples, like bell waves, emanated from Li Che's body, spreading and spreading...

Like a black tide, it surged towards the Heart Monkey Temple, visible in Li Che's peculiar gaze.

Under the Heaven and Earth Chessboard's control, the Heart Monkey Temple revealed one, two, three...

Countless Corpse Curse Seals burst forth with their aura.

Even Li Che couldn't help but stare in astonishment.

Li Che suddenly understood where the Corpse God Sect experts who had evacuated the city had gone.

So...

They had all hidden in this temple? Of course...

This Heart Monkey Temple might just be one of the Corpse God Sect's strongholds outside the city.

But, isn't this... a coincidence?

Li Che smiled.

Not only was he not scared, but he became even more excited.

His heart couldn't help but rub its hands together.

It was like finding a needle in a haystack, and he had stumbled upon it by accident.

Li Che slowly dispersed the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, withdrawing his consciousness, and the Star Snatching Eye, which had heated up his brow, returned to tranquility.

"Supervisor Gong, this Heart Monkey Temple... I heard it was once a branch of the glorious Heaven Reaching Temple?"

Li Che asked, shifting the topic to the Heart Monkey Temple.

Gong Yunli scoffed at his words, "The Heart Monkey Temple is just trying to bask in the glory of the Heaven Reaching Temple. During its heyday, the Heaven Reaching Temple was a colossal power that dominated the Six Paths Twelve Provinces, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the number one sect in the world..."

"Although the Heaven Reaching Temple declined and split due to the rebellion of the Mysterious Temples and other factors, it has now split into three major sects..."

"But in reality, the three sects only share a superficial connection with the Heaven Reaching Temple."

"The Heaven Reaching Temple was too strong, while the three sects are too weak."

"This comparison alone shows how severely the loss of the orthodoxy has affected them." Gong Yunli explained.

"Sects are different from the imperial court. Sects place great importance on the orthodoxy, and a thousand years of passing on the orthodoxy is not just talk."

Li Che nodded.

The Heaven Reaching Temple was a colossal power that dominated the Six Paths Twelve Provinces, but what was the Heart Monkey Temple? Merely a small sect under the jurisdiction of the Golden Light City in Yunzhou, governed by the Southern Dao.

Weakness had its own sorrows.

If the Heart Monkey Temple wasn't colluding with the Corpse God Sect, then there was only one possibility: the Corpse God Sect had completely infiltrated and corrupted the weak Heart Monkey Temple.

Neither scenario was good news.

Li Che and Gong Yunli didn't chat further. The carriage procession broke through the wind and snow, slowly entering the massive temple grounds of the Heart Monkey Temple.

Li Che and Gong Yunli alighted from their carriages, and the wind and snow howled.

Gong Yangliancheng approached and joined Gong Yunli.

Li Che and the other woodcarving masters stood quietly in line, waiting for Gong Yangliancheng and Gong Yunli's arrangements.

To reach the Fire Eye Shocking Spirit Monkey Shrine, they needed the two of them to guide the way.

Besides the Four Emperies-level Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Wrathful Third Prince Mysterious Temple, Golden Light City also had two other Eight Extremes Mysterious Temples: the Fire Eye Shocking Spirit Monkey Shrine and the Iron Staff Joyful Head Monk Shrine.

All were Eight Extremes Mysterious Temples, suppressed by the imperial court, and now under the jurisdiction of the Temple Administration.

To enter these mysterious temples, one needed a Temple Entry Permit.

Gong Yunli had obtained the permits from the Temple Administration a few days ago.

However, the chief officer stationed at the Fire Eye Shocking Spirit Monkey Shrine had sent a message saying that the mysterious temple's strange gateway had been shaking for several days.

Therefore, the temple visitation had been postponed, but now, they finally had permission.

Gong Yangliancheng's expression turned solemn. After checking the list, he nodded.

"Everyone is here. Prepare yourselves; we are about to enter the mysterious temple to observe the temple god."

"This is a rare opportunity for all of you, so make the most of it."

Gong Yangliancheng, facing the third-rank guest scholars, didn't show the same sycophancy he had towards Deputy Supervisor Lin. Instead, he displayed a significant amount of official authority.

In the distance, two monks emerged from the Heart Monkey Temple, walking slowly.

They had white eyebrows and beards, and both were elderly.

"Master Xuan Li, Master Xuan Yuan..."

Gong Yangliancheng clasped his fists and bowed, greeting the two monks with a gentle smile.

"Master Xuan Li is the abbot of the Heart Monkey Temple. The Heart Monkey Temple's assistance in helping the Temple Administration govern the mysterious temple is greatly appreciated, and Master Xuan Li's help is indispensable."

Gong Yangliancheng introduced the two monks to the third-rank guest scholars.

The guest scholars immediately followed suit, bowing in respect.

The old monk joined his palms together, his eyes filled with kindness and a gentle smile. "All of you are masters of the art of wood carving. If you can gain something through observing the Temple God, then it will not be in vain for my Heart Monkey Temple and the Temple Administration to have worked together to suppress this Mysterious Temple."

Li Che, who was among the many Guest Scholars, also maintained a respectful demeanor.

However, Li Che's heart stirred, and he stimulated the Seven Elements Corpse Curse Mother and Child Seal, sensing the Divine Image Realm of the two Heart Monkey Temple masters to determine if they had any connection to the Corpse God Sect.

Hmm?

Just as Li Che stimulated his seal, the Seven Elements Corpse Curse Mother and Child Seal, which was suppressing the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, suddenly trembled violently.

Li Che's eyebrows shot up, and he directly brought out a dark golden Divine Nature Chess Piece of the Heavenly King.

He forcefully suppressed the Mother and Child Seal.

Through the Heaven and Earth Chessboard, Li Che also saw Masters Xuan Li and Xuan Yuan, the two Heart Monkey Temple masters...

Their bodies emanated a strong Death Qi and Corpse Qi, almost as if they were evil ghosts about to break free from hell.

Wow!

Li Che was taken aback, his heart exclaiming, "Wow!"

They were Corpse God Sect heretics disguised as monks! Li Che's heart stirred, but his expression remained calm, as over the years, he had mastered the art of maintaining an unreadable face, like a still well.

Ordinary people couldn't detect the Corpse Curse Seal, which was why the heretics of the Corpse God Sect could freely corrupt many of the higher-ups in Golden Light City without being discovered.

Even if they received the seal, it wouldn't be known, allowing them to hide their inner evil.

So, even if they had the seal, what was the harm?

However, everything changed when Niu Mo appeared in Golden Light City.

Niu Mo could detect those heretics with the seal, which was a severe blow to them.

The two masters were unaware that Li Che had seen through their kind facade and discovered their true identities.

Li Che didn't expose them.

It would be unwise to do so at this moment, as he himself possessed the Thunderbolt Chess Piece and could leave whenever he wished.

But others might not be so lucky.

Even if they were Yang Lian Cheng and Gong Yunli, the Illusory Form cultivators...

They might also be detained.

Therefore, Li Che didn't plan to expose them. He left a Thunderbolt Chess Piece, marking a coordinate, intending to contact Li Qingshan later and find an opportunity...

To destroy this stronghold of the Corpse God Sect together!

Li Che had always felt deep hatred towards the Corpse God Sect.

He believed in killing them rather than letting them go.

Now that he had discovered the Corpse God Sect's stronghold, how could he let them off easily? Perhaps, even now, the Corpse God Sect was plotting to capture Xi Xi! Just thinking about it made Li Che want to tear the Corpse God Sect apart.

Masters Xuan Li and Xuan Yuan, with gentle smiles on their faces, watched as Yang Lian Cheng and Gong Yunli, leading the team of wood carving masters, headed towards the temple deep within the Heart Monkey Temple.

The two monks exchanged a glance, and the smile in their eyes faded away.

Master Xuan Li's body straightened abruptly, and his eyes no longer held any trace of age, radiating sharpness.

"It seems like my Thousand Mile Soul Communication Mirror just reacted..."

"Xuan Jiu might be nearby!"

Master Xuan Yuan's bald head glowed, and he rubbed it, surprised. "Xuan Jiu... Is he still alive?"

"How could he be dead? He was only injured by that old guy from the Heavenly Divination Bureau. It's not that easy to die... After all, he's a Half-step Incantation Silver Corpse."

Xuan Jiu had cultivated a Silver Aura and was a Half-step Incantation Silver Corpse.

Master Xuan Li felt that Xuan Jiu couldn't have died so easily.

"So, you suspect that Xuan Jiu is hiding his identity and blending in with the Third Rank Guest Scholars of the Heavenly Divination Bureau?"

Master Xuan Yuan furrowed his brows.

Master Xuan Li nodded, watching the team's silhouettes gradually becoming hazy in the heavy snow as they ventured deeper into the mountain path.

His eyes flashed with brilliance.

"This Xuan Jiu, he better not ruin our plans."

Master Xuan Yuan's eyebrows relaxed, "Perhaps Xuan Jiu intends to restore his Silver Aura by relying on the Temple Guarding Incantation Corpse in the Mysterious Temple. You can send him a message, telling him not to disrupt our plans."

Master Xuan Li nodded in agreement, finding the suggestion reasonable.

...

...

The fierce wind and snow at the peak of the mountain path made the journey challenging, but the group pressed on.

As cultivators and masters of wood carving, their strength wasn't weak, and they weren't affected by the harsh environment as they made their way.

After about half an incense stick's worth of time, Li Che and the others arrived at the Mysterious Temple.

The Fire Eye Shocking Spirit Monkey Mysterious Temple!

Located on the mountainside, it covered the entire area.

Here, Li Che even saw the remains of the old village.

It was clear that the Mysterious Temple had originally grown from the village, and now that the village was destroyed, the temple had expanded to its limits.

Thick gray mist swirled, accompanied by the wind and snow, making the temple appear as if it were situated in another time and space, shrouded in smoke.

The Divine Messengers of the Temple Administration had set up a fence around the perimeter.

They prohibited cultivators from entering the temple without the Temple Entry Permit.

The defense was far less stringent compared to the Four Sacred Anomaly Temples.

The Eight Extremes Strange Shrine had already developed the Strange Gateway, and Li Che curiously observed it. Initially, the Lord of Thunder City, Cao Guang, had planned to hold a Thousand Demon Feast to promote the temple's rank and create the Strange Gateway.

Unfortunately, Li Che had ruined their plan.

Since the Heavenly Divination Bureau had brought wood carving masters to observe the Temple God before, and they had the Temple Entry Permit, the Temple Administration's leader only performed a simple check before allowing them to pass.

The leader held an incense burner and lit three incense sticks.

He carried the incense burner and walked forward.

The dense mist at the Strange Gateway seemed to part like a curtain, revealing a wide path leading straight to the tall temple.

The temple was intricately carved and painted, with upturned eaves and black tiles covered in thick snow, giving it a slightly dilapidated appearance. On the walls were various images of monkeys in different poses.

It was just as Li Che had seen it for the first time.

A powerful suction force suddenly erupted from within the temple, but Li Che, who had now reached the level of a Furnace Grandmaster, was no longer the inexperienced youth he had been during his first encounter with the Mysterious Temple.

Not to mention his current physical prowess, which had reached the level of a Furnace Grandmaster.

The powerful divine perception he had cultivated through the Seven Rounds of Divine Foundation alone was enough to effortlessly free him from the temple's strange allure.

"The Strange Gateway is the most dangerous part of the Mysterious Temple. It's generally believed to be the temple's self-defense mechanism..."

"Once the Strange Gateway is breached, the deceptive mist will part, revealing the true temple."

The leader of the Temple Administration team, holding an incense burner, spoke calmly.

"The Strange Gateway is very dangerous. If you haven't conquered the Mysterious Temple and are drawn in, you'll be pulled into the temple deity's illusory realm and easily become trapped. Moreover, you'll face attacks from the Temple Guarding Incantation Corpses..."

"The Temple Guarding Incantation Corpses of the Eight Extremes Strange Shrine can rival the Corpse God Sect's Incantation Copper Corpses."

"The Corpse God Sect's Incantation Corpse Art seems to have originated from the Temple Guarding Incantation Corpses of the Mysterious Temple."

After a brief introduction, the group walked through about a kilometer of deceptive mist, reaching the temple.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the path ends here. From now on, you'll have to enter the Mysterious Temple on your own."

"Observing the temple deity... it's up to you to find the right balance."

"If your divine perception or divine nature can't handle it, just know when to retreat."

"Otherwise, if your consciousness is controlled by the temple deity, you'll become a Temple Guarding Incantation Corpse, and it'll be too late to regret."

The leader of the Temple Administration team, Qi Yanghao, placed the incense burner with three lit incense sticks at the entrance of the Mysterious Temple.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please enter."

"You must leave before the three incense sticks burn out!"

Qi Yanghao, the leader of the Temple Administration team, spoke in a solemn tone.

The various Third Rank Guest Scholars all became solemn, indicating their understanding, and each responded in acknowledgment.

Li Che followed suit and responded as well.

Then, like the other Third Rank Guest Scholars, he stepped over the incense burner and entered the Mysterious Temple.

Qi Yanghao, with his hands crossed over his chest and a sword hanging at his waist, stood silently in front of the temple.

When the three incense sticks burned out, he would be the first to pick up the incense burner and retreat.

At that moment...

The Strange Gateway would close, and if these Third Rank Guest Scholars wanted to leave the temple, they would have to rely on their own abilities.

The first rule of guarding the Mysterious Temple was to avoid engaging with the Temple Guarding Incantation Corpses and Temple Guarding Demonic Beasts as much as possible.

Once they engaged too much, it would be easy to awaken the temple deity and trigger a riot in the Mysterious Temple! As for the lives of these Third Rank Guest Scholars...

He wouldn't care, as he had already set a time limit.

If these scholars were greedy and wanted to observe the temple deity for longer, they would have to pay the price for their greed.

...

...

Li Che and the other Third Rank Guest Scholars entered the Mysterious Temple.

Compared to the Spirit Infant Shrine outside Thunder City, this Spirit Monkey Shrine was much larger.

White candles were lit all around, providing simple illumination and dispelling the darkness within the temple.

However, this Spirit Monkey Shrine wasn't actually that big.

With so many scholars entering, it became a bit crowded.

In this small temple, on the altar, there were three statues.

One was a tall statue of the temple deity, and the other two were slightly smaller.

But without exception, they all took the form of a monkey.

The temple deity statue, wearing armor, had golden eyes that seemed to glow with firestream, and it sat cross-legged on a lotus platform.

Just a glance was enough to make it seem as if the temple deity's spirit had come to life from the wooden carving.

Li Che found a spot and sat cross-legged like the other scholars, gazing up and releasing his divine perception to observe the temple deity.

By observing the divine essence contained in the temple deity statue, he could simulate the carving in his mind, thereby enhancing his own carving skills.

One of the scholars raised his hand and performed the Great Jing Chen Seven Yuan Thousand Hands Divine Carving Art in mid-air.

The atmosphere immediately became lively as everyone focused on observing the temple deity.

Li Che only watched for a while before he understood the theory of observing the temple deity.

It was about comprehending and capturing the essence of the temple deity.

The wooden carving of the temple deity... who had carved it?

It was said to have appeared alongside the Mysterious Temple.

It contained a unique carving technique.

The profession of woodcarving master existed because woodcarving masters imitated the temple deity's wooden carving, capturing and imitating its essence, allowing spiritual children and divine children to accelerate the cultivation of their divine nature.

It was because of this that the world had developed the path of divine nature cultivation, branching out from the original path of blood qi martial arts.

With the Star Snatching Eye, Li Che could easily imitate the carving technique of the temple deity monkey with just a glance.

This imitation was effortless for him.

However, things like the Great Avalanche Bodhimanda Lotus Bomb, the Lotus of Guan Yin Main Battle Tank, and other techniques that required both technical and developmental skills, even with the Star Snatching Eye, still required step-by-step research and trial and error.

The surroundings gradually became quiet.

"Huff—"

"Suck—"

The atmosphere became extremely quiet.

Everyone seemed to have fallen into a state of contemplation, their minds drawn away.

Only Li Che's thoughts remained lively and active.

He scanned the surroundings, confirming that everyone had fallen into silence.

Li Che stood up, dusted off his ink-colored robe, raised his hand, and touched his brow.

He lightly drew a line downward.

"Star Snatching Eye!"

Infinite Analysis, Soul Siphoning Spirit Lighting! His brow split open, and his flesh seemed to tear in two directions.

One eyeball rolled, and a faint golden smoke escaped from his pupil.

As the Thousand Analysis Hand ascended to become the Star Snatching Eye, he absorbed the divine essence of the temple deity without even needing to personally climb onto the altar and touch it.

All he needed to do was gaze at the temple deity's eyes with the Star Snatching Eye.

Hum—

Radiant light projected outward and landed on the Fire Eye Miraculous Ape.

The next moment, Li Che saw the temple deity statue come to life.

The ape's fire eyes suddenly swept over, and a spiritual monkey's cry seemed to echo through heaven and earth! Li Che's vision blurred.

Suddenly, it seemed as if everything around had changed.

As if his consciousness had shifted from the outside world to the Heaven and Earth Chessboard!

In an instant.

The heavens and earth transformed.

...

...

Boom!

Outside the Mysterious Temple.

The incense burner stood silently, with three incense sticks burning quietly, their smoke rising straight up.

Suddenly.

Qi Yanghao abruptly opened his eyes, his hands clasped across his chest, and his gaze sharp.

He stared at the column of smoke rising from the incense sticks.

But he discovered that the rising smoke first swayed to the left and then twisted towards the right.

As if it had been torn apart by air currents blowing from both sides!

Qi Yanghao's hair stood on end, and he turned to look at both sides, only to see the Strange Gateway's dense mist slowly closing!

Qi Yanghao could even see the Temple Guarding Incantation Corpse and various illusions within the Strange Gateway, which were enough to confuse one's mind!

"Something's wrong!"

"Why is the Strange Gateway closing early?!"

"Shouldn't it wait until the incense sticks burn out?"

Qi Yanghao was horrified.

His heart trembled!

The Mysterious Temple was in an uproar!

A riot without any warning!

It was known that in previous years, the Third Rank Guest Scholars of the Heavenly Divination Bureau would follow this procedure when entering the temple!

"This is bad!"

Qi Yanghao hurriedly rushed to the incense burner.

He shouted at the numerous Guest Scholars still inside the Mysterious Temple, immersed in their contemplation of the Temple Deity.

"Wake up!"

"Retreat!"

However, those Guest Scholars seemed completely immersed in a peculiar illusion.

His shouts had no effect at all!

"Damn... What's going on?"

Qi Yanghao's face turned grim.

But he couldn't afford to care.

He didn't even have time to grab the incense burner; he directly took off, his vital energy bursting forth as he sprinted towards the Strange Gateway, which was about to close like a curtain.

Whoosh—

At the very last moment, when the two Strange Gateways were like two huge waves crashing together, Qi Yanghao finally rushed out.

In the distance.

Gong Yang Liancheng and Gong Yunli's faces changed, and they hurried over.

"What happened?!"

Gong Yang Liancheng's face was ashen.

After landing, Qi Yanghao stood up, brushed off the dust from his robes, and placed one hand on the sword hanging at his waist.

His eyes were cold and piercing.

"What else could have happened?"

"The Mysterious Temple..."

"Is rioting."

...

...

Shouts, flames, and explosions filled the air!

Li Che opened his eyes and saw a scene of ruins, with a palace collapsing into pieces and countless stones flying and falling apart.

On the ground, countless monkey corpses lay scattered, filling the heavens and earth with a thick, bloody stench.

Li Che uncontrollably looked up and saw a figure in the sky, wearing a golden cape that billowed in the wind, with two long feathers fluttering on its head. The figure was clad in a Profound Spirit Divine Armor, holding a golden divine weapon staff, and its might was overwhelming, as if the heavens and earth were turning over for it.

Opposite this figure, there was a dense, rolling black cloud, and on top of it, countless figures stood, their auras shaking the heavens, oppressing and suffocating!

They were too far apart.

He couldn't hear their conversation.

He could only hear the desolate laughter from the heavens and earth, shaking the skies.

His heart was filled with sadness and endless sorrow...

Li Che just looked up for a moment.

He wanted to look longer.

But he couldn't, not because he was incapable...

But because the perspective he was currently occupying began to turn, rushing away like lightning.

It was as if he was embodying the will of the powerful divine monkey facing an endless array of strange and powerful monkeys, holding a golden staff.

To survive...

A sense of anguish spread, his eyes blurred, and the scene shattered.

Countless flames rose, turning into teardrops of fire!

It was as if a crying spiritual monkey was leaping and running through the mountains and fields.

"Qitian—"

"Qitian!!!"

By his ear.

Countless voices of spiritual monkeys, filled with passion, excitement, and roars, exploded in Li Che's ears in an instant!

Bang...

Countless perspectives shattered.

Li Che felt a stinging pain.

The spirit monkey he was possessing, its perspective spinning, finally slammed into the ground.

He had escaped to the foot of the mountain.

He struggled, staggering towards a standing...

A stone tablet, scorched and covered in cracks.

He struggled to raise his hand, and his blood-stained palm slapped the stone tablet.

Slowly, he rubbed and pulled, leaving a bloodstain...

As if it were a mark of belonging engraved deep within the spirit monkey's soul.

All because, on the stone tablet, three words were written.

"Flower Fruit Mountain."

Drip, drip...

Tears like flames fell from the fire-eyes.

"But from now on."

"There is no more Flower Fruit Mountain."

"No more Qitian."

...

...

The scene shattered.

Li Che's third eye, the Star Snatching Eye, radiated endless heat.

His eyes opened and closed slowly, gradually revealing a tear-stained face.

He didn't know when he had started crying.

Li Che was still in a daze.

He wiped his wet face.

He felt like he hadn't fully recovered from the scene he had just witnessed.

What was that?

The Temple Deity's obsession? But he didn't intend to watch the Temple Deity's obsession...

He only wanted to absorb the Temple Deity's essence chess piece.

Why?

Why could he see the Temple Deity's lingering obsession?

Was it because of the Star Snatching divine ability?

Li Che didn't know, couldn't understand, and didn't want to think about it.

Suddenly.

In his chest, the Qi Sheng Dao Fruit beat rapidly!

His consciousness sank into the Heaven and Earth Chessboard.

And he saw...

On the crisscrossing lines of the Heaven and Earth Chessboard.

Floating quietly...

A Monkey Spirit Mask.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end