Chapter 239: The Divine Talisman Half-Saint and the Dragon Princess

Chapter 239: The Divine Talisman Half-Saint and the Dragon Princess

The divine energy was boiling, frantically converging, so dense that it even stirred up a raging wind!

The wooden sculpture, about the size of a palm, held in Elder Sun's embrace, seemed to glow at this moment.

It became the focus of the entire hall, attracting everyone's attention.

Su Huaiming, Zhou Tian Shui, Yun Haiyang, and other Divine Carving Masters had carefully prepared and carved the Temple Deity Divine Carving, and at this moment, the divine energy shattered and scattered.

It was all drawn and captured, making the reception hall seem like it was filled with a wave of divine energy.

Gongshu Jingjun dispersed his divine energy, causing the dense mist to disappear, and the array beneath the lotus platform was no longer activated.

His eyes held a complex and regretful gaze.

Elder Sun was an old acquaintance who had dedicated his life to Divine Carving Ridge. His greatest passion was observing temple deities, hoping to capture the divine intent within them and carve a statue with a divine intent of up to ninety percent.

But how difficult was that?

To reach such a level of skill, one could already be considered a Four Emperors rank Divine Carving Sage!

Throughout the entire Great Jing, such a master was extremely rare!

At the very least, in Heavenly Origin Dao City, there was no existence of a Divine Carving Sage of this caliber.

This was even more difficult to achieve than the birth of a Divine Embryo Great Deity, and each one was of national-level skill!

Gongshu Jingjun deeply regretted this, for Elder Sun, in his final breath of life, had touched upon the realm of a Four Emperors Divine Carving Sage.

Alas...

The flame of life also extinguished and ended at that moment!

Otherwise, even if Elder Sun couldn't advance to the level of a Four Emperors Divine Carving Sage, he would still have the confidence to take one more step forward from his current rank as a Five Elders Divine Carving Master.

What a pity, what a pity...

Gongshu Jingjun sighed, "Old Sun, farewell..."

In life, birth and death are inevitable.

Gongshu Jingjun's gaze fell upon the Two-Hearted Great Sage Temple Deity Divine Carving in Elder Sun's embrace.

Carved from the simplest materials, not even spirit wood, this divine carving was a true masterpiece!

At this moment, it was frantically absorbing the divine energy between heaven and earth.

Even Gongshu Jingjun, at first glance, almost thought he was facing the statue on the altar in the Mysterious Temple.

It was too similar!

Not only in appearance but also in the divine aura, it was even more alike!

A third-rate woodcarver sculpts the exterior.

A second-rate woodcarver sculpts the details.

A first-rate woodcarver sculpts the divine!

At this moment, the divine energy contained within this statue had surpassed that of any of Elder Sun's previous Temple Deity Divine Carvings. It was his masterpiece, created with his life's essence!

A masterpiece imbued with the essence of a sage!

And Elder Sun wanted Li Cheng to complete the final carving of this wooden sculpture...

At this moment, the eyes of all the woodcarving masters in the reception hall turned red.

As woodcarving masters, they understood what this statue, imbued with the essence of a sage, meant, and what completing the carving could bring!

This was Elder Sun's way of helping Li Cheng!

He wanted to pass on the essence of a sage's insight, which he had realized before his death, by hiding it within the wooden sculpture and conveying it to Li Cheng through the act of completing the carving!

This was the inheritance of a Divine Carving Sage!

Zhou Tian Shui and Yun Haiyang, the two Divine Carving Masters, instantly felt envious and their eyes turned red, even revealing a hint of greed!

No one could resist greed...

Except for Gongshu Jingjun.

Even the Divine Carving Ridge's own masters, at this moment, couldn't help but feel their hearts stir.

After all...

This was the essence of a master who had touched upon the level of a Four Emperors Divine Carving Sage!

Even if they could comprehend a mere thread of insight at this level, it would be enough to benefit them for a lifetime, enough to elevate a master stuck at the Six Ministries rank to the level of a Five Elders Divine Carving Master!

The value of a Four Emperors Divine Carving Sage... was immeasurable!

After all, there was not a single Divine Carving Sage in all of Heavenly Origin Dao City.

His breathing was heavy and labored.

Li Cheng's eyes widened in surprise as he heard the elder's final wish to entrust him with this unfinished divine carving, asking him to complete the final touches. Li Cheng's heart couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude.

This was truly a case of returning a favor...

Perhaps this was the true mindset of a Divine Carving Master.

Li Cheng had the assistance of the Immortal Engineering Dao Fruit, but Elder Sun... had no such aid. He relied solely on his own efforts for two sexagenary cycles, one hundred and twenty years, tirelessly observing temple deities day after day, year after year, to comprehend that trace of the temple deity's true divine intent!

Li Cheng's heart filled with a sense of respect.

This was respect for a true sage.

"A-Cheng..."

"Since Elder Sun wished for you to complete the carving of this statue before his passing, you should accept it..."

Gongshu Jingjun, the Ridge Lord of Divine Carving Ridge, spoke calmly.

A powerful divine sense swept through the hall, like oppressive dark clouds, causing each master who had revealed their greedy intentions to feel a slight chill in their hearts.

This was the divine pressure of a Divine Embryo Great Deity.

In an instant, it brought them back to their senses.

"Thank you, Ridge Lord, for your kindness."

Li Cheng bowed in gratitude to Gongshu Jingjun.

Then, he approached Elder Sun's lifeless body.

He bowed deeply, honoring the deceased.

Then, he gently took the unfinished divine carving.

This statue, carved from ordinary wood, had absorbed all the divine energy of the temple deity.

Li Cheng picked up the wooden sculpture, and within his chest, the Immortal Engineering Dao Fruit throbbed wildly, burning with an unprecedented intensity!

This feeling was like when he was weak and first obtained the Tang Clan Mechanical Beast Compilation. It was clearly something that could enhance the maturity of his Dao Fruit!

Li Cheng's gaze fell upon the statue, his eyes narrowing as he carefully examined the simple wooden carving.

Elder Sun had nearly completed ninety percent of the carving, leaving only ten percent for Li Cheng to finish, as a way of repaying Li Cheng for allowing him to glimpse the true divine intent of the temple deity.

But as Li Cheng's eyes scanned the statue, they narrowed slightly.

Because, at first glance, Li Cheng had already decided how to complete the statue, but upon closer inspection, he found that his initial plan had significant flaws.

In short...

Li Cheng was at a loss for where to start carving!

Because...

If he made a wrong move, it would be easy to... damage the divine intent of the divine carving.

The Divine Carving's Divine Will had diminished significantly!

Li Che took a deep breath, sensing the extraordinary nature of this statue.

"No wonder many Woodcarving Masters yearn for this statue. If one could perfectly continue carving it, even if the continued Divine Will is only seventy or eighty percent, it would still bring about a tremendous gain in experience!"

Li Che's eyes shone brightly.

If he could complete the carving, perhaps he could greatly enhance his Immortal Artisanry's maturity!

"Maybe it could directly elevate the Immortal Art Dao Fruit to the fifth level!"

With this thought, Li Che's regard for the statue grew.

However, Li Che didn't continue studying the wood carving but instead stored it in the Heaven Earth Jade space.

Instantly, the surrounding gazes filled with regret were cut off.

Zhou Tian Shui and Yun Haiyang, two Divine Carving Masters of the Fifth Rank, sighed deeply, wishing they could take one more look and see if they could gain any insights.

Although many Divine Carving Masters were tempted, Gongshu Jingjun spoke up, naturally deterring any other thoughts they might have had.

Even if they had ideas, no one dared to express them openly in front of Gongshu Jingjun.

However, the name Li Che...

...was now firmly etched in the memories of numerous Divine Carving Masters.

"Li Che..."

Many Divine Carving Masters murmured his name, the young man who had suddenly appeared and suppressed the Divine Carving Masters of the three thousand-year-old families: Su, Yun, and Zhou.

He indeed looked young, and because of his youth, no one believed Li Che could succeed. After all, Divine Carving was a skill that became more valuable with age. Experience and years of honing one's technique through countless carvings had already reached the level of divine mastery! Youth didn't offer much advantage in this field; sometimes, skills like these required the tempering of time.

The gazes of many Divine Carving Masters towards Li Che gradually changed.

The Divine Carving Masters who had accompanied Li Che in the carriage now had a hint of redness on their faces.

Li Che was now an Elder of Divine Carving Ridge, and as an Elder of Divine Carving Ridge, he was also an Elder of the Primordial Divine Sect, a true member of the Divine Sect! After an investigation and confirmation of his identity, his status would be greatly elevated.

Zhou Tian Shui and Yun Haiyang, two Fifth Rank Divine Carving Masters, approached, their eyes filled with respect as they looked at Li Che.

"Congratulations, Elder Li."

Zhou Tian Shui had already changed his address and was smiling as he exchanged greetings.

Yun Haiyang also joined them.

Li Che's attitude towards the two was relatively gentle. After all, he had interacted with both the Zhou and Yun families, and Zhou Peng and Yun E were from these two great families.

The Golden-Bodied Eight-Armed Vajra Rabbit Temple Deity that Li Che had previously obtained was also from a Temple Deity under the Yun family's jurisdiction.

"Oh? Is that little fatty Zhou Peng... close to Elder Li's daughter?"

Zhou Tian Shui's eyes lit up.

"I'm Zhou Peng's uncle, and I've watched him grow up. Haha, what a coincidence!"

Zhou Tian Shui stroked his beard and laughed.

He didn't know much about the affairs of the Golden-Bodied Temple, and as a technical talent, he never concerned himself with such matters. Regarding the Golden-Bodied Temple, he only knew that the Eight-Armed Vajra Rabbit Temple Deity was intriguing, and he wanted to carve it.

Zhou Tian Shui looked at Li Che, his eyes shining brightly: "How about this, I'll propose a marriage between my nephew and Elder Li's daughter on his behalf?"

"My nephew is a bit plump, but there's a reason for that..."

Li Che's smile froze for a moment.

Why bring up marriage out of the blue?

Li Che shook his head, refusing Zhou Tian Shui without hesitation.

"Ah, that's truly a pity... I was hoping to become in-laws with Elder Li. With his Divine Carving talent, there's a chance he could aspire to become a Four Emperors Divine Carving Sage in the future... In that case, my Zhou family would also benefit. Ahahaha!"

Zhou Tian Shui stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

Yun Haiyang, standing nearby, smiled and said, "So, Elder Li is the father that Yun E often mentions, Xixi's father?"

Yun Haiyang's enthusiasm grew as Yun E and Xixi had a close relationship, and he saw this as a good opportunity to win over Li Che.

The atmosphere in the reception hall became lively.

However, the liveliness didn't last long.

Gongshu Jingjun asked the people of Divine Carving Ridge to take away Elder Sun's body.

"Elder Sun never married and devoted his entire life to Divine Carving. His goal was to become a Four Emperors Divine Carving Sage... Even though he didn't succeed in the end, he still managed to grasp a thread of it... He didn't leave alone; he passed away contentedly."

Gongshu Jingjun looked at Li Che and spoke gently.

It was mainly because of Li Che's extraordinary skill.

"Elder Sun will be buried on a hillside ten li away from the Six-Ear Strange Temple... Elder Sun spent two cycles observing the Temple Deity, so he will be buried with the Temple Deity... That was his wish."

The Divine Carving Masters in the hall fell silent.

They all slightly lowered their heads.

They watched as Elder Sun's body was carried into the icy snowfield.

"Let's send Elder Sun off," Li Che said softly.

Gongshu Jingjun was momentarily stunned, then his face lit up with a brilliant smile.

"Then... thank you."

In the reception hall, the numerous Divine Carving Masters had no objections.

After witnessing Elder Sun's enlightenment, the Woodcarving Masters in the hall were also deeply moved.

They felt a sense of respect for Elder Sun, who had dedicated his entire life and passion to the cause of Divine Carving.

Everyone left the reception hall together.

Divine Carving Ridge was located in the deep mountains, where snowflakes flew fiercely, forming a thick layer of snow on the ground.

However, everyone present was a cultivator with considerable skill. The weakest among them had reached the Zongshi Realm, and their blood energy was scorching hot, naturally unaffected by the cold.

Gongshu Jingjun flicked his finger, and a large pit opened up in the snow-covered ground between the hills ten li away from the Strange Temple.

No specific date was chosen, as it wasn't necessary. Elder Sun was alone, and such formalities were unnecessary.

Elder Sun had previously requested Gongshu Jingjun to bury him here, so Gongshu Jingjun granted his wish.

Elder Sun's body was placed in a coffin carved by Gongshu Jingjun from Spirit Wood, even though Elder Sun had said he didn't need a coffin. But Gongshu Jingjun couldn't agree to that.

In the end, he prepared a coffin for him.

The ground was covered in mud and snow, like a blanket of white.

Amidst the raging winds and snow, the burial site gradually became a flat expanse, concealed by the accumulating snow, erasing all traces of its existence.

He came quietly, cultivated quietly, and then...

He was buried quietly.

In the midst of the tempestuous winds and snow, all traces of him were wiped away.

He had come and gone through the mortal realm without causing a stir.

He did not create any ripples.

Perhaps, this was also a form of peace.

...

...

Whoosh—

The cold wind blew, and the snowstorm raged.

Snowflakes, like goose feathers, fell in abundance, resembling willow catkins and winter flowers dancing in the air, enveloping the entire Qianyuan Dao City in a blanket of pristine white.

At the Wangchun Tower, the main building, shattered black tiles slid off, flying eaves broke, and wood chips flew everywhere. The explosive and scorching energy surged and boiled, melting the falling snow in mid-air.

Inside the building, it was quiet.

The Fourth Elder, Ji Heishan, silently observed You Liqing, who had a small talisman stuck to his forehead, causing him to fall. Ji Heishan wiped away the tea stains on the corner of his mouth and revealed a strange expression in his eyes.

"It's her..."

This talisman made him think of a person.

Dragon Queen Consort, Ao Yu Xin, was filled with rage, her beautiful face contorted with anger.

You Liqing was the prince's disciple, yet he was treated so cruelly! The perpetrator was simply too brazen!

Boom!

The terrifying and scorching energy erupted, distorting the air as if it were frozen in place. Like a volcano, it erupted into a towering pillar of fire after reaching its peak!

Ji Heishan was just about to stop her.

But how could he stop a woman who had lost her temper? Especially one with an extremely volatile temper, who had just endured the pain of losing her child.

Ao Qingqing, seeing Ji Heishan sigh, was gently pushed, and the two of them instantly transformed into streams of light, exiting the Wangchun Tower.

Within a ten-zhang radius around the entire Wangchun Tower, all the falling snow had disappeared without a trace.

It was as if the snow had evaporated into water, and the water had turned into vapor!

Boom!

In the vast sky, it was as if winter thunder was exploding within the leaden clouds!

A bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the sky!

Dragon roars reverberated, echoing throughout the entire Qianyuan Dao City!

Vaguely, a terrifying and scorching crimson energy rose, transforming into an enormous dragon-shaped phantom, winding and coiling, gazing down at the slowly drifting talisman cloud.

The Dragon Queen Consort ascended, her luxurious robes fluttering in the wind.

Her eyebrows furrowed, and a puzzled look appeared in her eyes.

Where was the person?

Her gaze fell on the talisman cloud, but she couldn't see any human figures.

Suddenly.

She was startled.

On the edge of the talisman cloud, she saw a small palm waving, and then two tiny figures, hand in hand, sitting on the edge of the talisman cloud.

The Sect Lady held Xixi, and the two of them sat on the edge of the talisman cloud, swinging their legs.

Two... little girls?!

Together, they didn't even add up to a fraction of her age!

The Dragon Queen Consort's deep blue eyes, like a mirror, locked onto Xixi.

"It's you!"

The queen's eyes flashed with a sharp glint.

This little girl, who her son wanted to marry as a concubine, was someone she remembered vividly.

Now, this little girl had appeared here...

Xixi sat high in the sky, unafraid of heights, and even... a little excited.

Because she had just witnessed the Sect Lady using the effect of the Immortal Binding Divine Charm!

She could immobilize someone in mid-air...

This talisman didn't just immobilize the enemy.

It had immobilized Xixi's heart!

Xixi couldn't help but take out the pink Immortal Artisanry Gatling and use Yaya to create a fireworks display!

Explosions were the most beautiful art!

"It's me, it's me!"

Xixi exclaimed excitedly.

Xixi pointed at the Dragon Queen Consort, kicking her feet, and said, "Master! It's her! It's her who bullied Xixi and bullied Elder Grandpa!"

The Sect Lady Xuan Qisha's gaze fell on the Dragon Queen Consort.

Feeling the terrifying dragon blood, the Sect Lady, with her meticulously made-up face, couldn't help but reveal a cold smile.

"Rest assured, I brought you here to let you vent your anger!"

At this moment, the Dragon Queen Consort's gaze finally fell on Xuan Qisha.

In her deep blue eyes, a puzzled look appeared.

She seemed to not know who this little girl was.

Even more, she didn't sense any energy or divine essence from this little girl, making it impossible to gauge her strength.

However, an extremely powerful threat made the Dragon Queen Consort's hair stand on end, and fine dragon scales appeared on her pale skin, spreading out!

"Who are you?!"

The Dragon Queen Consort, Ao Yu Xin, opened her red lips and spoke in a deep voice.

...

...

Ji Heishan, who had escorted Ao Qingqing out of the Wangchun Tower, had his sleeves fluttering in the wind, caught in the raging air currents, constantly drifting.

He looked up at the girl-like figure, and a bitter smile appeared in his eyes.

"It's over. This time, I'm going to suffer."

Boom!

A powerful energy reverberated.

Long Tai and Qingniao, the two Primordial Great Grandmasters, intertwined their energies, enveloping You Liqing, who had a miniature talisman stuck to him, immobilizing his energy and divine essence, unable to move.

"Elder Ji, please help General You break the talisman!"

Long Tai clenched his fist and said solemnly.

He genuinely cared about You Liqing, as their relationship was closer than brothers.

Qingniao, standing nearby, also lowered her bow and silently clenched her fist.

Ji Heishan stroked his beard and shook his head, "It's not that I can't break the talisman, but I can't afford to break it..."

"The one who cast this talisman, I can't offend them."

"Don't worry, General You won't die, and there won't be any danger to his life. These two talismans, one seals his energy, and the other binds his divine essence, but neither harms his life force."

"If they really wanted to kill General You, General You... has already departed."

Ji Heishan stroked his beard and said.

Long Tai and Qingniao's hair stood on end.

Instinctively, they looked up and saw the two little girls on the talisman cloud...

"These two yellow-haired girls are so strong?

Long Tai whistled.

Ji Heishan immediately turned serious. "Be careful with your words, or I won't dare to send you flowers on your memorial day."

Long Tai's face darkened.

"That's not just some little girl..."

Ji Heishan raised his head, his face twitching.

"She is..."

"The wife of the Great Deity, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Origin Sect..."

The words hung in the air.

A deathly silence fell.

Long Tai's eyes narrowed, and he sucked in a sharp breath, nearly choking himself.

Beside him, Qingniao's long legs trembled.

On the ground, You Liqing, who had been trying to struggle free from the divine charm, thought for a moment and decided it wasn't worth the effort.

The wife of the Sect Master of the Heavenly Origin Sect...

A Divine Talisman Half-Saint!

One...

Half-Saint!

...

...

The wind howled, qi and blood surged wildly, and the dragon's might was vast and mighty!

The Dragon Empress Consort floated in mid-air, her deep blue eyes fixed on the Sect Master's wife beside Xixi.

"Who are you?!"

The Dragon Empress Consort asked in a deep voice.

The Sect Master's wife's face was cold. "Daring to bully my disciple, do you not know who I am?"

"I was in seclusion for only sixty years, and so few people still know my name?"

"Moreover, a mere little eel dares to bully my disciple?!"

What audacious words!

"My son wants to marry her, so she should accompany my son. What's wrong with that?"

The Empress Consort said calmly.

The Sect Master's wife was so angry she laughed. "You old eel, why don't you go accompany your dead son?"

The Dragon Empress Consort furrowed her beautiful brows, and the two horns on her forehead suddenly burst with electric sparks!

In the next moment,

A terrifying surge of qi and blood rolled out like a tidal wave.

Countless wind waves surged around her, and with one step, she seemed to release an extremely powerful force from her voluptuous body!

The void rippled like a wave.

Then, the Dragon Empress Consort's graceful figure left a series of afterimages, with countless thunderbolts intertwining around her, the sound of dragon roars rising to the sky!

Her speed was incredible!

She was like a bolt of lightning, the air around her tearing apart, and snowflakes disintegrating!

Boom—!!

Countless snowflakes melted into vapor, which was then frozen into droplets by the cold air.

The Dragon Empress Consort's black hair whipped wildly, her long hair carrying vapor and mist, her deep blue eyes blazing with overwhelming killing intent and ferocity!

Several translucent water droplets orbited around her!

They rotated back and forth, like stars in the sky following their celestial paths!

When they collided, the droplets even made a popping sound!

In the blink of an eye, the Dragon Empress Consort floated in front of the Sect Master's wife and Xixi, her fierce and dominant aura overwhelming them like a mountain collapsing and the sea surging, as if a massive wave was rising behind her!

She looked straight at Xixi and the Sect Master's wife, who were sitting on a cloud of talismans.

Behind her, a dragon-shaped shadow appeared.

Like a dragon from a fairy tale, it looked down on the two young princesses.

...

...

In the snowstorm, Li Cheng, who was walking back, his brows slightly furrowed.

His mind stirred, and he instantly sensed the situation with Xixi.

Although he didn't feel any danger signals from the Flying Thunder Chess Piece, indicating that Xixi was not in mortal danger,

The powerful aura transmitted through the chess piece still caught Li Cheng's attention.

Li Cheng's mind stirred again, and the scene on the Heaven and Earth Chessboard appeared.

It showed the sky above Heavenly Origin Dao City.

There,

The Dragon Empress Consort floated in the air, her dragon might vast and her dragon shadow coiling, her qi and blood surging like a river!

It was suffocating!

On the other side of the Dragon Empress Consort,

Xixi and the Sect Master's wife sat on a cloud of talismans, leaving Li Cheng stunned.

Li Cheng had been immersed in carving, and since Xixi hadn't sent any warning, he hadn't checked. He only knew that Elder Jiao had taken Xixi to see the Sect Master's wife...

So, this little girl... is the Sect Master's wife?

Li Cheng's expression was extremely strange.

But after the strangeness, an endless coldness and killing intent emerged.

Killing intent...

Naturally, it was directed at the Dragon Empress Consort.

But the killing intent lasted only a few seconds before slowly dissipating.

...

...

Under the deep blue eyes of the Dragon Empress Consort, a hint of surprise gradually spread.

Her graceful figure, enveloped in the qi and blood of the dragon race, exuded boundless might, but she could not advance any further!

The air around her seemed to solidify, becoming so tough that it was hard to break or tear!

How is this possible?!

Is it a talisman?!

She narrowed her eyes, her powerful divine perception spreading out, sensing that there seemed to be a divine talisman slowly burning in the world, but she couldn't pinpoint its exact location!

This little girl... who exactly is she?!

The Dragon Empress Consort still couldn't guess who this person was!

Her hair whipped wildly, and beneath her fair skin, dragon sinews seemed to twitch, conveying an extremely terrifying and vast surge of qi and blood.

Feeling the increasing pressure in the air as the talisman burned,

She let out a deafening dragon roar!

She tried to break through the solidified air barrier and the inexplicable oppressive force that was gradually building up in her heart!

Swish, swish!

Boiling qi and blood scorched the air, melting and evaporating the snow, turning it into mist, and intertwining with thunder!

The Dragon Empress Consort struggled and slammed against the barrier, like a mighty dragon writhing and twisting its body.

However...

She couldn't move it an inch.

Then, the girl holding Xixi's hand slowly stood up.

She stood on the talisman cloud and gently stomped her foot.

Instantly,

A glowing talisman slowly floated out from the girl's spine!

The girl extended her two cute fingers, pinching the miniature talisman that had floated out of her spine.

She looked at the Dragon Empress Consort, who was struggling in front of her, with disdain.

"Stupid eel."

"Do you know what a Divine Talisman Half-Saint represents?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end