Chapter 252: Immortal in the Painting, Level 4 White Jade Capital, First Mission from the Netherworl

Chapter 252: Immortal in the Painting, Level 4 White Jade Capital, First Mission from the Netherworld

Rattle, rattle, rattle!

The falling snow drifted and landed on the rooftop, creating a rustling sound, accompanied by the gentle whooshing of the wind, all in quietness.

Inside the study.

Li Che's eyes opened and closed, filled with a dense, swirling ink-like darkness, as if a vortex was swirling within his pupils!

His thoughts stirred slightly, accompanied by the sound of his heart beating like a drum in his chest, resounding endlessly!

"Immortal in the Painting, Level 4 White Jade Capital, Second Transformation!"

Li Che's lips curved slightly.

Second Transformation Dao Fruit.

Divine Ability, Immortal in the Painting, White Jade Capital!

White Jade Capital?

The White Jade Capital in the Heavens, with twelve towers and five cities?!

Is this it?

But, what is the use of this divine ability?

Based on the name alone, Li Che had no clue, but now he understood that the effects of divine abilities might be more diverse than the divine ability prototype, but they might not be as practical as the prototype.

It still required careful development and research.

Inhale, exhale.

Long and slow, like a dragon's breath.

Li Che's gaze intensified, and the prompt in front of him instantly transformed into a swirling ink color.

[White Jade Capital (Divine Ability): There are immortals in the painting, the ink-painted White Jade Capital, where the ranks of immortals are listed, and mythical ascensions take place.]



[First Heaven: Ink City]



[The ink-painted city, separated from heaven and earth, isolated from the mortal world.]



[Second Heaven: ???]



...

A new divine ability!

Li Che's eyes sparkled, and he had acquired quite a few divine abilities, not just the ones transformed from Dao Fruits.

Star-Snatcher, Cloud Ascending, Divine Attraction, Boundless, and now White Jade Capital.

Moreover, the Star-Snatcher and Cloud Ascending divine abilities had reached the Second Heaven!

Overall, there was a significant improvement.

However, Li Che had a feeling that this newly acquired divine ability was somewhat unique.

"First Heaven Divine Ability... Ink City."

"The ink-painted city, separated from heaven and earth, isolated from the mortal world?"

Li Che murmured the introduction of the divine ability, and his heart stirred slightly.

Closing his eyes, the Dao Fruit trembled, and the grand divine sense flowed, slowly conveying the information Li Che sought, bit by bit.

After a long time, Li Che slowly opened his eyes.

"So that's how it is."

"A divine ability similar to a domain, capable of isolating senses and blocking detection, far more powerful than the Heaven Net Ground Web effect of the Sage of Chess's divine ability."

"Ink City can pull people into it, like entering a unique immortal realm."

"Most importantly..."

"Within Ink City, divine essence is isolated!"

Li Che's black hair fluttered, and his eyes suddenly lit up, like two dazzling lights.

Divine essence cultivators pulled into Ink City could only use their innate divine essence. Once their divine essence was depleted, they couldn't replenish it by absorbing divine essence from heaven and earth.

Perhaps they could rely on divine essence crystals, but the efficiency of absorbing divine essence from crystals was not high, suitable for cultivation, and using divine essence crystals in combat...

That was asking for death.

"If a Divine Embryo Realm cultivator is covered by Ink City..."

"As long as I can wear down their divine essence, I can use martial arts... to have a fair and just duel with them!"

Li Che's eyes sparkled.

Of course, the most important thing...

Being able to cover the enemy and bring them into the unique Ink City, combined with the Immortal in the Painting Dao Fruit, would make killing less noticeable and cause less commotion than before.

Previously, to kill You Liqing, various means had to be employed, first creating steam to block vision and divine sense detection, and only then could the Heaven Net Ground Web be used to cover and isolate.

Even the killing of You Liqing caused a significant commotion.

But now, Li Che's actions would not cause much disturbance.

He raised his hand and clenched his five fingers.

"Divine Ability, Ink City."

Whoosh!

The surroundings seemed to be filled with dense ink-like dragons swirling and rising, like thick ink poured into a water tank, spreading and forming dragon shapes, constantly twisting and turning.

Slowly, the ink-like dragon shape in front of him dissipated.

Li Che found himself surrounded by an extremely dense ink-like wall, swirling like black mist.

Looking down, he saw a piece of bluestone under his feet.

It was an ordinary bluestone in the ancient city, and Li Che's ink-colored robe fluttered as he slowly squatted down, spreading his five fingers and pressing them onto the bluestone under his feet.

Instantly, invisible ink-colored waves slowly expanded in all directions, like a giant wave creating a tide, rolling and spreading, followed by an explosion of thick ink.

It transformed into walls, city gates, high-rising buildings with flying eaves, and a city with crisscrossing paths!

The entire city was covered in a faint ink color!

Silence and tranquility, completely isolated from the outside world and separated from heaven and earth.

Li Che stood up, his black hair fluttering, and scanned the entire city. The city was lifeless, like a dead city, devoid of any signs of life, and a faint ink fragrance drifted in the air.

Walking slowly through the city, he memorized every location.

Once an opponent entered the city, they would have nowhere to hide from his perception because the entire city was under his control. It was as if he had activated a god's eye view, allowing him to see everything within the city.

Moreover, the exploration was clearer and more convenient than the Heaven Net Ground Web.

However, it was limited to opponents within Ink City.

There were still limitations, but if used well, it would indeed be more convenient for Netherworld affairs.

"However, if the opponent brought into the city is too strong, they might be able to forcefully break through the city walls and escape."

Li Che's brows furrowed.

But soon, they relaxed.

"Ink City... it seems the Netherworld has gained a foothold."

With a loud bang, the thick ink exploded like mist.

Li Che's figure returned to reality, sitting upright in the study chair, and everything around him was calm and quiet.

Another Dao Fruit was obtained, transformed, and its maturity level increased to Level 4, awakening a divine ability.

Li Che held back a sigh.

His eyes shone, and a light screen appeared before him.

...

[Name: Li Che]



[Bonds: Li Nuoxi (Level 5, 2%), Dragon Ox Vajra (Level 5, 8%), Pure Heart (Level 4, 86%), Sage of Chess (Level 4, 76%), Immortal in the Painting (Level 4, 0%), Thunder Magnetic Body (Level 2, 1%)]



[Divine Ability Prototypes: Immortal Craftsman's Thousand Analysis Hand, Dragon Ox Vajra's Ascending the Tower, Pure Heart's Bound Spirit, Sage of Chess's Great Snowfall, Immortal in the Painting's Ink Death]



[Divine Abilities: Star-Snatcher, Cloud Ascending, Divine Attraction, Boundless, White Jade Capital]



[Prompt: For every peaceful year of growth in bonds, the Dao Tree can bear one Dao Fruit.]



...

Looking at the maturity levels of the Dao Fruits, each was different.

The Pure Heart and Sage of Chess Dao Fruits were close to Level 5, but now their growth was becoming increasingly slow.

In the realm of Thunder Magnetic Body, Li Che had only reached level 2, but he had discovered a way to accelerate the maturation of his Dao Fruit.

He meticulously crafted the eight types of Six Ministries Thunder Talismans recorded in the Mystic Symbol Divine Sect's Talisman Ledger, ensuring that the thunder baptism required for his Thunder Magnetic Body would no longer be a concern.

"Of course, in addition to that, I'll need to gather the baptisms of Spring Thunder, Summer Thunder, and Autumn Thunder."

Li Che pondered.

With these preparations, the path to enhancing his Thunder Magnetic Body seemed quite promising.

Just as Li Che was deep in thought...

Study Room.

Suddenly, a powerful surge of energy erupted.

A vast wave of death and corpse energy rippled through the room, both grand and pure, as if it had undergone a process of refinement and cleansing.

His mind stirred, and the Heavens and Earth Chessboard unfolded, enveloping the entire study.

As the death and corpse energy surged, it collided with the chessboard, instantly kicking up a cloud of dust.

You Liqing's Bound Spirit seemed to let out a low growl.

Gradually, an overwhelming pressure emanated from his body.

Countless streams of death and corpse energy converged and flowed into You Liqing's Bound Spirit.

Li Che realized that You Liqing's Bound Spirit had successfully refined and transformed the Corpse God Seal.

The efficiency was impressive, and it was partly due to You Liqing's endurance of the pain.

Li Che's gaze swept across the room, and in the corner, a tall figure clad in golden armor stood up slowly, the clanking of the armor echoing through the room. The figure exuded a dense aura of death and corpse energy.

"My lord, this subordinate has completed the refinement," You Liqing said, bowing his fist.

Li Che stood up and focused his attention on You Liqing's Bound Spirit. He could sense that within the Niwan of the spirit, a Corpse God Seal was swirling.

"Excellent," Li Che praised.

Spreading his five fingers, Li Che transformed You Liqing's Bound Spirit into a pitch-black chess piece, which he held in the palm of his hand.

"The sense of perception is amazing. If you detect any trace of the Corpse Incantation Seal's energy, please alert and inform me," Li Che instructed.

The next moment, this Bound Spirit chess piece returned to the Heavens and Earth Chessboard.

Li Che knew that finding the hidden evil member of the Corpse God Cult within the Divine Sect using this method would not be an easy task.

The Heavenly Origin Divine Sect was not easily infiltrated by the Corpse God Cult, and the only successful infiltration would have been deeply concealed.

Additionally...

Li Che couldn't directly stimulate the Corpse God Seal without drawing the attention of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect's Grand Master and the Heaven and Earth Plaque at the mountain gate, which contained the Dao Yun.

It would be challenging to actively search for the hidden evil member, but if they ever encountered them, the Corpse God Seal would surely react, making it possible to locate them.

Stretching lazily, Li Che concluded his carving for the day.

Stepping out of the study, the snow fell silently, and the cold intensified.

The black-tiled roof was covered in snow, which fell with a soft patter.

Li Che walked through the long corridor and returned to his room. The boiling water, flowing through metal pipes, kept the room at a perfectly comfortable temperature.

Zhang Ya and Xi Xi were sound asleep.

Li Che glanced at his deeply slumbering wife and daughter, a faint smile curving his lips.

He had grown stronger, and his ability to protect his family had increased.

Lying gently on the bed, he listened to the rustling snow outside.

The family embraced each other in sleep.

...

...

Heavenly Origin Dao City.

Inner City.

Fragrant Lane, a small courtyard.

This was the courtyard where Li Che's family had lived before moving into the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect's mountain gate, and it had been temporarily vacant since then.

However, Li Qingshan had not accompanied Li Che's family into the mountain gate, so he was temporarily residing in this courtyard.

His blue robe billowed in the misty snow, and in the vast courtyard, Li Qingshan gripped the Horned Heaven-splitting Hammer, releasing the Thunderbolt Divine Essence as he practiced his martial arts!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

As Li Qingshan wielded the hammer, the air currents in the courtyard intensified, and a divine aura trembled and jumped, resembling a blood-colored lightning bolt that snaked through his arms.

The scorching qi and blood surged, melting the falling snow into rain, splashing down and filling the courtyard.

Amid the thick fog, currents of electricity weaved and intertwined.

Li Qingshan's once stooped body now stood tall and straight, his eyes flashing with lightning, his black hair flying, and his aura was grand.

Behind him, a Thunderbolt Evil Eradicating Divine Form suddenly appeared, roaring with anger, its arms spread wide, and electricity booming!

His fingers danced in rapid succession, and after stimulating his divine essence, Li Qingshan's qi and blood surged, as if a dragon were lashing out through the snow.

"One Dragon!"

After a long while, Li Qingshan concluded his practice, his qi and blood surging and shaking.

"This Eightfold Dragon Heaven Hammer, one of the Martial Saint's ultimate techniques, is indeed much more challenging than the Dragon Ox Vajra, the Grand Master's ultimate technique."

"However, my talent seems to have improved..."

Li Qingshan stroked his beard and smiled, narrowing his eyes.

Successfully condensing one dragon meant that he had made progress in this Martial Saint's ultimate technique.

Glancing at the sky, Li Qingshan's eyes flashed.

"After immersing myself for so long, the time since the Netherworld's last attack on You Liqing has finally passed."

Li Qingshan stood with his hands behind his back, his blue robe fluttering in the wind.

He recalled the day in the courtyard when the Netherworld Thunder Dragon had shown appreciation for him.

He raised his hand, and three black chess pieces floated in the air.

These three chess pieces represented the strength of Grand Masters of Divine Aura...

Now, they were all under the command of Cat Face.

"Behind me... stands the Netherworld."

"Evil suppression and eradication!"

"The evil in the mortal realm, in my eyes, is like dust..."

"It's time to sweep away the dust and restore clarity to the world."

Li Qingshan exhaled a breath of turbid air.

The next moment, he changed into a black robe and carefully placed a delicate Cat Face mask over his face.

Whoosh!

He shot forward, shattering the snow and merging with the darkness.

...

...

The darkness was profound, and white snow fell silently.

Cat Face, in his black robe, glided silently through the night, his qi and blood, and divine essence, all completely suppressed.

This was due to the Thunderbolt Chess Piece he held in his palm.

This Thunderbolt Chess Piece was a gift from a senior Netherworld Thunder Dragon, not only serving as a life-saving teleportation tool but also capable of suppressing his qi and blood and concealing his aura.

It was a top-tier concealment technique in the mortal realm.

Li Qingshan finally understood the secret behind the Bull Demon's exceptional concealment ability—it was this very chess piece.

Passing through the inner city and stepping into the outer city streets, Li Qingshan moved stealthily, his entire being filled with excitement.

Concealment had once been Li Qingshan's greatest weakness, even earning him ridicule from Nan Lihuo. But now, he had overcome this flaw.

The Tyrant Whale Gang, one of the three major factions in the outer city, was a subsidiary of the Mystic Whale Gang. It was a rapidly rising faction in recent years, with a wide range of businesses, but was suspected to be connected to the Corpse God Cult.

Li Qingshan, wearing a Cat Face mask, had been investigating the Tyrant Whale Gang and had gathered information about them. The Mystic Whale Gang, as one of the three major factions, was not something he could provoke alone. The Mystic Whale Gang had a Grandmaster of Divine Aura sitting in power, but the Tyrant Whale Gang, as a subordinate force, only had one leader who was a Grandmaster of Divine Aura.

With such a level of power and evil intentions, Li Qingshan was confident in his ability to take them down. He sneaked into the Tyrant Whale Gang's headquarters, avoiding detection with his strong ability to suppress his presence.

The leader of the Tyrant Whale Gang, Zhang He, was sitting in a high-backed chair, his massive muscles rippling beneath his skin as he listened to reports from his subordinates. He had retired from the Divine Guard Army and had given up many things to become the leader of the Tyrant Whale Gang, which controlled over 800 followers. He had also broken through to the Grandmaster of Divine Aura realm.

As he listened to the reports, Zhang He's expression suddenly froze. He sensed a dangerous aura and immediately became alert. He knew that in the Primordial Dao City, it was easy to rise to power but difficult to maintain it. There were many strong cultivators, and one could be killed at any moment.

Just then, a voice came from the darkness, "Tyrant Whale Gang leader Zhang He, you are guilty of heinous crimes, including colluding with the Corpse God Cult and brutally killing an entire family. You must be punished!"

Zhang He stood up, his eyes fixed on the figure emerging from the shadows. Li Qingshan, wearing a Cat Face mask, walked out, his eyes gleaming with a cold light. He threw out three chess pieces, which transformed into three twisted black shadows that moved swiftly.

Zhang He charged forward, his massive body radiating powerful energy, but Li Qingshan was unfazed. He threw out a Horned Heaven-splitting Hammer, which smashed into Zhang He, sending him flying backward.

As Zhang He tried to escape, Li Qingshan gave chase, his hammer smashing through the air, creating a shockwave that destroyed everything in its path. Zhang He's body was covered in wounds, and he knew he was no match for Li Qingshan.

Just as Li Qingshan was about to deliver the final blow, Zhang He's body erupted in a brilliant silver light, and he shouted, "Corpse Silver!"

Li Qingshan's eyes flashed with excitement, and he charged forward, his hammer at the ready.

Meanwhile, at the Dao Master's residence, the Dragon Queen Consort, Ao Yu, was sitting in a pavilion with her younger sister, Ao Qingqing. Ao Yu told Ao Qingqing that the leader of the Primordial Dao City, the Divine Sect Master, had come out of seclusion and would soon be holding a test to select his final disciple.

Ao Qingqing was one of the candidates, and Ao Yu encouraged her to focus on her cultivation and try to awaken her bloodline's power, which would give her an advantage in the competition. Ao Qingqing nodded, determined to succeed.

Ao Yu continued, "There are many strong competitors, including the disciples on the Divine Sect's Dragonling Spectrum, such as Lu Qingxuan, who has obtained 70% of the temple's divine power."

"And Yang Yi, who is second on the Dragon Embryo List, is only nine years old, but he has already achieved the feat of shooting down a God-like cultivator with his arrows..."

"And Li Nuanxi, who is third on the Dragon Embryo List..."

As the Dragon Queen Consort spoke this name, her eyes narrowed, and a hidden killing intent surged within her.

That little girl...

She was the one who caused the Sect Master's wife to use the Locking Spirit Talisman, forcing You Liqing to sacrifice himself to block the attack, resulting in severe injuries...

This gave the Netherworld an opportunity to strike, and they eventually killed You Liqing! She is the root of all this!

That little girl! The Dragon Queen Consort's mind was clouded with bloodlust, and the killing intent within her was difficult to suppress.

Suddenly, the Queen Consort's eyes narrowed, and a chilling killing intent burst forth. With the leisure pavilion at its center, the surrounding ten-mile radius seemed to freeze under the oppressive atmosphere.

"The Netherworld..."

"They've finally appeared!"

The Dragon Queen Consort's pupils dilated, and her deep blue eyes reflected the flowing light.

She stood up, and her graceful figure shot out, shattering the wind and snow, disappearing into the leisure pavilion.

Only the little Dragon Girl, Ao Qingqing, remained standing in a daze.

...

...

Listening Thunder Lane.

Independent Workshop Courtyard.

Deep in the night, the wind howled, the sky was high, and a blizzard raged!

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

Li Che's body expanded, resembling a towering mountain, with muscles bulging and veins popping, as if emitting a deafening thunderclap!

His fingers clenched, and the Eight Treasures Xuan Stick glowed with golden light, while strands of innate true essence raged and danced around the thunder dragon stick.

With each heavy step, the air seemed to shatter instantly! The long stick spun rapidly, and as it struck, the air seemed to rip apart.

Divine Seed, Ten Span Serpent Spear! This was one of the Divine Seed martial arts techniques Li Che had obtained from You Liqing.

Mastering Divine Seed martial arts was no easy feat, even with Li Che's Dragon Elephant Vajra cultivation and his innate understanding of horizontal refinement. After all, despite Li Che's exceptional talent, it had taken him a full sixty years to cultivate two Divine Seed martial arts techniques.

"Huff—"

"Suck—"

With each breath, Li Che's body trembled, his large muscles gradually calming, and his spirit slowly settling.

The courtyard was filled with a powerful aura, and Li Che devoured it all.

"I've made some progress in this Divine Seed martial art. It's mainly thanks to You Liqing's guidance and the True Man's pointers that I've been able to advance so quickly."

Putting away his treasure stick, Li Che sat cross-legged amidst the howling wind, his black hair wild and untamed.

He took out a Five Elders Divine Essence Crystal and slowly began absorbing its essence.

Suddenly, Li Che paused, his gaze sharpening.

His mind sank into the Heavens and Earth Chessboard.

With a flick of his finger, a beam of light shot out, revealing a scene within the chessboard.

In the scene, Li Qingshan wore a cat-faced mask, suppressing evil and slaying demons.

These were tasks that Li Che would have undertaken himself.

However, with Li Qingshan taking his place, Li Che was relieved of the burden.

But...

The Thunderbolt Chess Piece reminded Li Che that Li Qingshan was currently facing a great danger.

"Danger?"

"What danger could Li Qingshan, who possesses the Thunderbolt Chess Piece, possibly face?"

Li Che's gaze intensified.

The next moment, his seated body rose to stand.

Buzz, boom—

A circle of blood-red energy exploded around him.

His two fingers tore through the air.

He retrieved a straw hat, a black robe, and a cute cow mask, covering his face.

...

...

Zhang He's Curse Silver Corpse exploded, and despite the siege of four God-like Grandmasters, he was eventually overwhelmed and beheaded.

His head was chopped off, and thick, pitch-black blood sprayed out.

Li Qingshan, with his cat-faced mask, swept his cold gaze over the scene, and the sheep-horn hammer in his hand suddenly crackled with intertwined lightning, speeding out in a frenzy.

He smashed the heads of the Tyrant Whale Gang members, their brains splattering with blood.

"Kill them all, leave none alive."

Li Qingshan adjusted his cat-faced mask.

He raised his hand, grabbing the sheep-horn hammer that spun like a returning boomerang, blood dripping down.

He spoke to the three Chess Pieces, who had transformed into God-like Grandmasters, "Capture them."

These three God-like Grandmasters were from the Hunter Pavilion, expert killers.

At Li Qingshan's command, the three of them transformed into black shadows and darted out.

However, as the three God-like Grandmasters moved, a heavy sound echoed.

Li Qingshan's eyes narrowed, and he felt an overwhelming pressure, like a tsunami, crashing down from the sky, enveloping the entire Tyrant Whale Gang stronghold.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed by some terrifying force.

He looked around the stronghold, and in the surrounding walls, figures appeared, like sharp spears standing erect.

The oppressive pressure was like a tidal wave, nearly suffocating him. It was as if a peaceful deer grazing in the forest had caught the attention of a bloodthirsty hunter.

"The Netherworld... Cat Face?"

"The Netherworld has a Cat Face?"

"It's all the Netherworld's doing..."

"We've been waiting."

"This time, let's see how you escape our net."

A cold, hoarse voice echoed from the figures on the surrounding walls.

Boom!

In the sky, leaden clouds rolled, and electric snakes writhed, illuminating endless white light.

Li Qingshan felt dizzy, and as he looked through the winter thunder's light, he saw a figure wrapped in a black robe, wearing a Three Flowers mask. The powerful aura was restrained, freezing the air.

The figure was draped in black jade, emitting a hidden death aura and corpse energy.

Floating around him were figures with terrifying and oppressive divine essence, their bodies adorned with fluttering divine essence talismans!

In the distance, a beautiful figure approached, accompanied by a blood-red dragon shadow and rolling killing intent. She's fast!"

A Three Flowers Rakshasa-level killer from the Hunter Pavilion? A Curse Jade Corpse from the Corpse God Cult? A Five Elders Lower Rank Divine Talisman Master from the Su Family?!

And...

The Dragon Queen Consort?! What kind of lineup is this?! Is the Cat Face's first mission going to end in a lifetime of regret?

What has the Cat Face done to deserve this?!

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end