Chapter 238: Let the Elder Witness the True Great Sage, Observing the Deity for Two Sexagenary Cycle

Chapter 238: Let the Elder Witness the True Great Sage, Observing the Deity for Two Sexagenary Cycles to Understand Divine Intent

A deafening sound reverberated through the reception hall.

A fierce wind blew, stirring up chaos, as if it was surging out from the divine fog, causing every Divine Carving Master observing this clash of divine intents to turn pale with shock.

Gongshu Jingjun abruptly stood up, his eyes flashing with intense light that radiated from his pupils.

Far away, the frail Sun Elder, who was on the verge of death, with one foot already in the grave, couldn't help but slightly open his drooping eyes. A strange color appeared in his cloudy gaze.

How...

How could this be?!

Yun Haiyang and Zhou Tian Shui, the two Divine Carving Masters, abruptly rose from their Chancellor's Chairs, their bodies emitting powerful divine aura, their consciousness surging.

They stared intently at the scene unfolding within the divine fog.

The Demon Ape, gripping a staff, had directly forced back the divine intents of the four Divine Carving Masters of the Two-Hearted Sage Temple Deity.

No...

How could the situation turn out like this?!

Su Huaiming, the Divine Carving Master from the Su Family, sat rigidly in his Chancellor's Chair, his face frozen in shock.

"What level of divine intent is this that it has provoked the divine intents of the four Divine Carving Masters of the Two-Hearted Sage Temple Deity to join forces... and to be so audacious as to challenge them all alone?"

Su Huaiming's heart trembled with shock.

Challenging four at once!

Su Huaiming had great confidence in his own divine carving intent.

He even believed it could suppress other divine carving intents, but only if he dealt with them one at a time.

However, before they could even link their divine carving intents to search for their respective targets, the divine intents of the four Divine Carvings had already taken action, attacking the divine intent within the statue carved by Li Che.

Almost as soon as this scene appeared, Su Huaiming knew...

The outcome was clear!

If it came to a clash of divine intents, his divine carving intent of the Two-Hearted Sage Temple Deity would undoubtedly be no match for the divine intent within the Demon Ape statue carved by Li Che.

After all, Su Huaiming couldn't confidently face four divine carving intents alone.

"Impossible!"

Su Huaiming's face turned gloomy.

He clenched his fist, his eyes coldly fixed on Li Che across the divine fog.

Li Che sat calmly in his Chancellor's Chair, appearing unperturbed, as if he had anticipated everything.

Good lad,

Su Huaiming raised his hand, curled his finger, and released a divine intent from his fingertip, striking the divine carving.

Boom!

Within the divine fog, Su Huaiming's divine intent of the Two-Hearted Sage, which had been forced back by the Demon Ape, suddenly lifted its head, its monk's robe fluttering as it swung its staff.

It charged towards the Demon Ape once more.

A long howl echoed through the air.

The Demon Ape's intent gripped the coiled golden staff, its eyes flashing with wild and crazy determination.

A furious roar!

It was vicious and insane, as if it were exploding in everyone's ears.

"Unite! What are you all waiting for?"

"Do you really want to let this boy's divine carving intent suppress us one by one, making us a laughingstock before you're satisfied?"

Su Huaiming shouted coldly.

Zhou Tian Shui and Yun Haiyang's eyes flickered, without much hesitation, they too released divine intents, stimulating the divine carving intents.

The aged Sun Elder smiled but did not react like the others, he simply sat back down in his chair.

Gongshu Jingjun did not stop Su Huaiming and the others because this was within the rules.

The divine intent of the divine carving could only be fully activated after stimulation, and Gongshu Jingjun naturally would not stop this rule-abiding action. Li Che could also stimulate the Demon Ape.

"Vain—All of you are vain!"

The Demon Ape's long howl shattered the air, and the four Divine Carving Masters of the Two-Hearted Sage also shouted.

In an instant, they transformed into four golden lights, like four golden dragons attacking again!

The Demon Ape swung the coiled golden staff with one hand, fierce, violent, and domineering.

The staff swung out, seemingly slow but actually reaching extreme speed!

A hurricane suddenly arose!

The divine fog seemed to split like the waters of a great river.

The four Divine Carving Masters of the Two-Hearted Sage dispersed in four directions, each brandishing their golden staffs, their killing intent evident.

This was not just a clash of divine intents but a reenactment of an ancient myth, a life-and-death battle.

All the observing Wood Sculpture Masters were deeply shaken, their hearts trembling.

This time, the clash of divine intents between the Divine Carving Masters at Divine Carving Ridge was so intense!

Boom!

The Demon Ape roared, its eyes burning with golden flames, piercing through all illusions.

It swung its staff, and within a hundred zhang radius, the air seemed to be whipped into a turbulent storm.

It was as if a single swing of the staff had stirred up the boundless ocean.

The entire scene within the divine fog was in motion.

Gongshu Jingjun's eyes narrowed, and he raised his hand, releasing a surge of divine power to stabilize the divine fog, preventing the scene from completely collapsing.

The roaring winds howled, and a sharp sound pierced the ears.

A staff slammed into Su Huaiming's Two-Hearted Sage, its shadow dragging a scorching wave like a comet streaking across the sky.

Dong!

Su Huaiming's Two-Hearted Sage roared in response, and it was not weak either. Its staff pointed, its monk's robe fluttering, as if bathed in Buddha's light, with a serene Buddhist chant.

It struck like a golden dragon, fast as thunder.

In less than half a breath, the two staffs collided in midair.

The clashing divine intents caused a disturbance, and where the Demon Ape and the Sacred Monkey met, it seemed all divine power retreated, leaving only terrifying ripples.

Dang!

At the moment the two staffs collided, it was as if thunder roared in the hearts of all the Wood Sculpture Masters watching the battle.

The dazzling golden light was blinding, and the terrifying ripples formed concentric circles of energy, pushing back the vast sky.

Creak, creak...

The sound of bones and muscles rubbing against each other echoed, like the sound of flesh and blood unable to bear the burden.

Many were startled.

This was a collision of divine intents, not the sound of flesh and bones rubbing.

Then, everyone's gaze remained fixed on the divine fog.

And they saw...

Countless dazzling golden lights were instantly suppressed, the thunderous roar silenced, and the Sacred Monkey, draped in its monk's robe, flew high like a bullet, its robe torn to pieces, its monkey fur stained with blood.

The Demon Ape stood tall, its body becoming more ferocious, growing taller and taller.

It seemed to transform into a chaotic ancient ape.

Its sharp fangs bared, and each monkey hair, like steel needles, whipped through the air, leaving an empty void.

Boom!

The Demon Ape stomped heavily, punching the ground, its massive body surging upwards, each monkey hair like sharp blades.

As it rose, it traced a half-moon arc, its eyes blazing with heat.

It swung the coiled golden staff, aiming at Su Huaiming's Divine Carving, which had been struck by the Demon Ape.

The terrifying staff shadow, in the illusion-like realm created by the divine fog, pulled a terrifying explosion.

"Ahhhh!"

A heart-wrenching scream.

Su Huaiming's Two-Hearted Sage Divine Carving intent was struck by the staff, exploding.

Crack!

A faint sound of shattering echoed in everyone's ears.

In the reception hall, Su Huaiming's face turned pale in an instant. He stood up abruptly, his body swaying, and his breathing became rapid. His eyes flashed with intense emotions.

Defeat!

The divine intent of the divine carving he had crafted was actually shattered!

During the clash of divine intents...

The divine intent of the divine carving crafted by Li Che, that young man, had violently crushed his own!

Su Huaiming clenched his teeth, almost grinding his back teeth to pieces.

He looked at the statue of the Heart-Monarch of Dual Hearts placed on the meditation cushion. A crack had appeared on the statue's head, and a vast divine essence was spilling out from the divine carving.

Useless!

This divine carving was completely ruined, devoid of any value. Even just looking at it was unable to evoke any divine intent for cultivation support.

Now... it was just a piece of scrap!

"It's all because of that Bodhimanda Wood! The Bloodfire Divine Pattern Bodhi Wood... It's ultimately a fifth-rank divine wood, too good in quality, which allowed this kid to take advantage of it!"

Su Huaiming stood up and said coldly.

Of course, everyone knew that he was making excuses for his failure.

However, it was true that there was a difference between divine carvings made from fifth-rank divine wood and those made from sixth-rank divine wood, but during the clash of divine intents...

The difference in the wood's quality had actually been significantly reduced.

Su Huaiming's face turned extremely ugly, and his anger was evident.

It was supposed to be a sure thing. The Divine Carving Ridge Elder Assessment should have been a guaranteed success, and he was certain to obtain the Elder position.

But he became the first one to be eliminated!

The divine intent of the divine carving crafted by Li Che was so domineering. It was already impressive that he could hold his own against four others, but he even managed to destroy Su Huaiming's divine carving's divine intent first!

Humiliation!

Su Huaiming took a deep look at Li Che, who was seated calmly on the Chancellor's Chair with a gentle smile on his face.

Su Huaiming memorized this face and this name...

With a resentful snort, Su Huaiming didn't linger in the reception hall. He swept his wide sleeves and strode out without bothering to pay attention to the remaining clashes of divine intents.

He no longer cared about who would win the clash of divine intents, who would persist until the end, or who would become the new Elder of Divine Carving Ridge.

After all, it wouldn't be him.

Naturally, Su Huaiming had no interest in staying.

Many wood carving masters in the surroundings gave Su Huaiming strange looks.

Among them were those who had previously praised Su Huaiming and were even planning to call him Elder Su...

But now, Su Huaiming was the first to be eliminated!

This...

This was a bit embarrassing.

Fortunately, they hadn't called him Elder Su.

Otherwise, it would have been so awkward that they would have had to dig their toes into the ground, and Su Huaiming might have held a grudge against them. After all, Su Huaiming, the Su Family's Divine Carving Master, was indeed highly skilled, but he was also known for his small-mindedness!

As if no one noticed his departure, everyone focused their minds and stared in amazement at the clash of divine intents within the divine fog.

The divine intent of the divine carving...

Could it be this powerful?

The divine fog churned!

Within the divine fog, which seemed to form its own realm, a scene was reflected.

One of the Heart-Monarch of Dual Hearts' divine intents had been shattered, but the other three were still roaring and howling.

The Demon Ape clenched the Azure Dragon Coiling Staff and let out a furious roar, stomping his feet as if causing an earthquake. Transparent ripples spread out ten and a hundred zhang! Countless divine fogs were pushed aside, and the Demon Ape soared into the sky like a thunderbolt.

With a swing of the staff, countless streams of air were all suppressed.

A loud bang! Zhou TianShui's Heart-Monarch of Dual Hearts' divine intent roared, his arms crossed, but he was still unable to resist. It was as if he had been split apart by a powerful force, and he exploded.

Unstoppable...

Completely unstoppable! The divine intents were not on the same level at all!

In front of this terrifying Demon Ape, each move was tyrannical and unparalleled, directly suppressing all the other divine intents, leaving them breathless.

Even the feeling of suppression was conveyed through the divine intent to their minds!

Boom, boom, boom!

The Demon Ape clenched his five fingers, as if grasping the air and the essence aura. With a swing of the staff, he smashed one of the Heart-Monarch of Dual Hearts' divine intents, and then he punched with his other hand!

His eyes glowed with golden fire, and his fist shone like a golden sun, dazzling and brilliant.

It was as if he was going to punch a huge hole in the sky!

Puff!

The condensed and unified, extremely masculine and yang fist directly crushed Zhou TianShui's divine intent.

Additionally, the Azure Dragon Coiling Staff that had been thrown aside was grabbed by the Demon Ape, who swept it, crushing the air currents and shattering Yun Haiyang's divine intent in the process!

In just one breath, he had consecutively shattered two Heart-Monarch of Dual Hearts' divine intents!

Crack!

Two consecutive shattering sounds! Zhou TianShui and Yun Haiyang, the two divine carving masters, trembled, their chests heaving with pent-up energy.

The two stared at their divine carvings in a daze, and saw cracks appear, divine essence spilling out, and their carvings were completely ruined.

Defeat...

However, their mental state was much better than Su Huaiming's.

They had come with the mindset of challenging Su Huaiming, and they had expected to lose to him. But they never imagined that a young man would suddenly appear.

The divine carving he had crafted was actually able to hold its own against four others and suppress the divine intents of four Heart-Monarch of Dual Hearts temple deities!

Truly...

Exaggerated! Zhou TianShui exhaled, feeling completely defeated.

After all, the opponent had won against four others... There was no reason for them to feel unconvinced.

C

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O

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The elderly Sun, seated in his chair, was like a withered tree, his eyes opening and closing.

"Good!"

He burst into hearty laughter.

Such a young man, inheriting the position of Elder, was also willing.

"Let me see... What height has your Demon Ape Divine Intent reached?"

Elder Sun stood up from his chair.

Gongshu Jingjun was startled, and his gaze turned towards him.

"Elder Sun..."

However, Elder Sun merely waved his hand.

"Ridge Master, I've devoted my life to Divine Carving Ridge, a lifetime of carving wood sculptures. Alas... My talent is limited, and I've never been able to take that step, but I'm still a Fifth Rank Divine Carving Master."

"I can sense the intense Divine Intent from this Divine Carving!"

"My heart is thrilled... yet also itchy!"

Elder Sun's bent figure straightened slowly.

He gazed into the Divine Fog, where a terrifying figure like a mountain about to collapse, held a golden staff, and step by step, approached the Divine Carving he had carved.

In Elder Sun's eyes, a rare glint of heat appeared.

"Ridge Master, let me see..."

"Can I, before I die, witness the Divine Carving's ultimate technique?"

Boom!

Elder Sun tapped his brow, and the next moment, a mighty Divine Intent erupted from his aged body.

It poured into the carved Second Heart Monarch of Dual Hearts Divine Carving.

Elder Sun, as the Divine Carving Ridge's Carving Elder, often observed the Strange Temple's Temple Deity.

Hence, compared to Su Huaiming, Zhou Tian Shui, and Yun Haiyang, his foundation was the richest!

Observing the Divine Intent...

It was the most intense!

He seemed to be pouring all the Divine Intent he had observed for two years into the Divine Carving.

Making the originally lifelike Divine Carving, at this moment, seemed to come to life!

"Great Sage... Descend!"

Elder Sun chanted softly.

Boom!

Within the Divine Fog.

It was as if two ancient beasts were awakening from silence, with a terrifying aura erupting, the Divine Fog was boiling and restless.

The entire reception hall seemed enveloped by a stifling pressure.

A terrifying rank pressure, like mountains collapsing, emerged from the Divine Fog, rolling waves of power crashing down.

"This..."

"What's happening?"

"Elder Sun... Why is your Divine Carving so powerful?"

"Turns out, this is Elder Sun's true strength? Three years ago, Su Master's Divine Intent was a bit inferior, was it because Elder Sun didn't hold back against Su Master?"

The surrounding Divine Carving Masters were all stunned!

One by one, they were horrified, their skin crawling, and they were shocked beyond words.

Yun Family's Yun Haiyang and Zhou Family's Zhou Tian Shui were even more paralyzed in the Chancellor's Chair.

They stared in awe.

...

...

Heavy snow raged, hand-sized snowflakes swirling in the sky.

Inside Divine Carving Ridge's reception hall, it was eerily quiet.

Two massive Divine Carvings sat on meditation cushions, trembling slightly, as if thousands of rays of light burst from the two Divine Carvings.

Within the Divine Fog.

Boom!

A terrifying roar echoed, and Elder Sun's Divine Carving, at this moment, suddenly expanded, his robe tearing open, revealing a muscular body.

He transformed into a ferocious Demon Ape!

His body grew taller, and beneath his fur, muscles bulged, layer upon layer, filled with explosive power...

Grasping the golden staff, he was nearly identical to Li Che's Divine Carving, the Divine Intent clashing.

At this moment...

Zhou Tian Shui and Yun Haiyang were truly terrified.

Turns out...

They had only seen the Temple Deity's appearance.

But Elder Sun and Li Che... saw the Temple Deity's true emotions!

At this moment, the two finally understood.

After all, they hadn't even seen through the Temple Deity's second form, let alone talk about winning this Divine Intent clash.

Within the Divine Fog...

Two enormous apes stood, wielding golden staffs, like giants standing on the earth, mountains beneath their feet, gazing at each other from afar.

One pair of eyes glowing with golden flames, the other pair shining with golden light!

Roar!

The two raging apes roared, dragging their staffs, their battle intent surging, as they clashed together!

The Divine Intents clashed!

Bang!

It was as if a falling star had slammed into the ground!

A dazzling light burst forth, and all the Divine Carving Masters' gazes were uncontrollably drawn, witnessing the terrifying wave of power, spreading out like concentric circles!"

The surging energy sea was like a howling hurricane, sweeping through the surroundings!

It was a scene of annihilation, like two Divine Carving Masters, replicating an ancient era's two raging apes' simple yet intense battle!

Staffs clashed, fists collided!

Destroying heaven and earth, dust and smoke rose like a dragon, surging into the sky!

This scene was awe-inspiring, like a replay of the Temple Deity's experiences through the Divine Carving's Divine Intent, allowing the separated Divine Carving Masters to witness this earth-shaking battle between the Demon Apes!

Overwhelmingly powerful!

The originally robed Second Heart-Monarch of Dual Hearts Divine Intent, was now like child's play.

Turns out... this was the truth!

This was the true emotion of the Temple Deity Divine Carving!

The numerous Divine Carving Masters felt it was worth this trip.

Compared to three years ago, Su Huaiming and Elder Sun's Divine Intent clash... that was like child's play.

It was as if Elder Sun was playing with a child!

If Elder Sun had used the Second Heart-Monarch of Dual Hearts' second form Divine Intent, Su Huaiming wouldn't have lost.

Instead, he would have been utterly defeated!

"Good, good, good!"

Elder Sun's entire body trembled, his eyes wide, staring at the Divine Intent clash within the Divine Fog.

He seemed to sense the Temple Deity's excitement, joy, and... happiness!

Perhaps...

At this moment, this was the emotion the Temple Deity had always sought!

And this emotion was what the Temple Deity statue had always contained!

Elder Sun's body trembled uncontrollably.

But...

He was still lacking.

Elder Sun's eyes showed bloodshot veins, and his shaking body couldn't hide the ferocity in his eyes.

His nearly depleted energy burst forth, as he gritted his teeth, struggling to support his body.

"Just a bit more..."

"Just a bit more, and I can sense it."

Sun Elder heaved heavy breaths.

Gongshu Jingjun sat upright in the Chancellor's Chair, his fingers flicked, and the divine fog surged as he maintained his divine essence.

He glanced at Sun Elder, whose face was flushed red, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if the last bit of life force was burning within him.

Gongshu Jingjun sighed deeply.

He had spent two cycles observing the Temple Deity, wanting to carve the most perfect Temple Deity statue.

But even after two cycles, Gongshu Jingjun still felt a sense of inadequacy.

He always felt something was missing...

Gongshu Jingjun's gaze shifted to Li Che.

He thought of the divine essence drawn from the strange fog.

So he transmitted his voice to Li Che, "Can you let the old man... leave without regrets?"

Li Che sat upright in the Chancellor's Chair, his posture straight and tall. Hearing Gongshu Jingjun's request, he was stunned for a moment.

He also looked at Sun Elder, whose entire body trembled, his face flushed, as if all his remaining life force was being consumed.

Li Che exhaled.

Then, he nodded.

He no longer continued to watch Sun Elder...

The next moment, Li Che raised his hand to his brow.

In the Niwan Inner Scene Space, the divine essence surged like a vast ocean, constantly rising and falling in waves.

And in the divine essence tide, the Law of Heaven and Earth-Imitating Divine Clarity True Ape sat cross-legged on the Divine Foundation.

Suddenly, the True Ape opened his eyes, and his gaze became exceptionally clear, as if wisdom was flowing within! Li Che opened his eyes, and his divine essence instantly clashed with the divine carving.

Equal to Heaven...

Descend!

Let the old man take a look...

The true Great Sage!

Within the divine fog.

The intense clash between the two raging demon apes was so fierce that they suddenly shook and exploded.

The Heart-Monarch of Dual Hearts Demon Ape was suddenly grabbed and thrown, and he flew out with a bang.

Meanwhile, Li Che-carved Demon Ape's eyes opened and closed, and his gaze became exceptionally clear, as if divine intent had descended upon him.

"Six Ears!"

A deep voice thundered within the divine essence tide.

The thrown Demon Ape landed heavily on the ground, kneeling on one knee, and as he raised his head, the madness in his eyes seemed to slowly subside with the sound of "Six Ears."

"Six Ears... regrets it!"

"Regrets and becomes a Buddha."

The True Ape slowly raised his head, and his beard and hair fluttered in the wind as he sighed.

The next moment, his five fingers clenched!

Boom!

The terrifying divine intent continued to expand, and the divine fog churned endlessly, as if it couldn't bear the weight.

Boom!

The True Ape took a step forward, and his palm, like a giant hand, slammed into the ground!

Instantly, countless Guanyin Lotus Pellets exploded, and the entire illusionary space seemed to have countless earth dragons simultaneously flipping over, causing sand, dirt, and stones to surge like a tide, rising a hundred feet high!

And the Demon Ape, whose eyes were now filled with raging madness, suddenly shook and exploded.

He roared!

But the True Ape, with his imposing stature, suddenly appeared before the Demon Ape!

A punch slammed down!

The blinding explosion of light obscured everything, and the entire divine fog was covered, making it impossible to see even a glimmer of light.

In the end, everyone...

Through the divine fog, they could only vaguely see a terrifying demon ape pulling another demon ape, slowly disappearing into the explosion of light.

Crack!

A sound like thunder rolling in the sky echoed.

All the divine carving masters immersed in the divine fog scene suddenly snapped out of their trance.

But they saw that Sun Elder's divine carving had exploded, shattering into countless pieces, scattering across the ground.

Meanwhile, Li Che's carved divine carving was already sitting cross-legged on the meditation cushion.

It was over.

At this moment, every divine carving master in their hearts understood that the final Elder position in Divine Crane Ridge would ultimately belong to someone else.

"Pfft!"

Sun Elder coughed up blood, his mouth and nose bleeding.

"Hahaha!"

"I understand, I understand... After observing the Temple Deity for two cycles, one hundred and twenty years... I finally know today... the Great Sage regrets and becomes a Buddha!"

Sun Elder breathed heavily, his divine essence starting to dissipate rapidly between heaven and earth.

His breath was like a mountain collapsing, rapidly weakening.

He slumped in the Chancellor's Chair, his entire body bent and withered, like a tree that had all its moisture sucked out.

The fire of life seemed like it could be extinguished by a gust of cold wind.

Li Che stood up from the Chancellor's Chair, his gaze complicated as he looked at the elderly divine carving master.

"Thank you, young friend."

Sun Elder fell silent, looking at Li Che with gratitude.

The old man coughed incessantly.

He took a piece of ordinary wood, devoid of any spiritual essence.

Then, he picked up a carving knife and began carving the ordinary wood.

Scrape, scrape, scrape—

The hall fell into complete silence.

All the wood carving masters watched silently, only hearing the sound of the knife tearing through the wood and the old man's incessant coughing.

His trembling hands held the knife steady.

On the wood, a Six-Eared Hell Lotus Sacred Monkey slowly emerged.

The old man leaned back in his chair, breathing heavily, his chest heaving like a bellows.

He suddenly lifted his head and looked at Li Che.

"To hear the Way in the morning, one can die content in the evening."

"I've observed the Temple Deity for one hundred and twenty years, and today I finally understand the Temple Deity's divine intent."

"Today, I finally glimpse a chance to enter the Four Heavenly Rank Divine Carving Sage realm..."

A hint of regret flashed in the old man's eyes.

"Thank you, Li Master, for fulfilling my wish..."

"This statue is my gift to you..."

"Can you help me complete it?"

Hearing this, Li Che hesitated for a moment.

"Okay."

Li Che didn't hesitate further and nodded.

However, the old man didn't respond to Li Che.

Holding the Six-Eared Hell Lotus Sacred Monkey statue, he was already lifeless.

At the same time, between heaven and earth...

Su Huaiming, Zhou Tianhe, and Yun Haiyang's shattered Temple Deity divine carvings, which had scattered divine essence...

Crazily surged towards...

The ordinary wood divine carving, which had no spiritual essence, was now filled with it.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end