https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-281-Divine-Capture-Empress-Consort-Rides-the-Dragon-Both-Father-and-Daughter-are-Ancient-D/12949259/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-282-The-Beauty-of-the-Green-Mountains-Welcomed-by-the-Underworld-Part-2-/12949261/
Chapter 282: The Beauty of the Green Mountains, Welcomed by the Underworld (Part 1)
Chapter 282: The Beauty of the Green Mountains, Welcomed by the Underworld (Part 1)
Li Che set down his wine cup, and a peculiar light flashed in his eyes.
The clinking of cups and plates filled the air, the aroma of wine wafted, and delicacies tantalized the senses.
But at this moment, Li Che's attention was elsewhere.
His mind stirred, and he sank into the Celestial Earth Chessboard.
The Bound Spirit Chess Piece, transformed from the Yellow Sword Wine, quietly landed on the chessboard.
The Bound Spirit, when outside, could act independently, free from Li Che's control.
So Li Che had sent the Yellow Sword Wine and You Liqing, both Bound Spirits, to search for the Corpse God Sect's hidden forces around Heavenly Origin Dao City.
After all, the last time the Corpse God Sect's Demi-God Corpse had assisted the Empress Consort, it had caught Li Che's attention.
Li Che held no favor for the Corpse God Sect. Their evil deeds, the Demon Child, and other aspects of the sect deeply disgusted him.
Within the Celestial Earth Chessboard...
Li Che's Primordial Soul condensed and formed, slowly opening his eyes.
With a flick of his finger, a Pure Heart Divine Essence surged out, merging into the Bound Spirit Chess Piece of the Yellow Sword Wine.
Gradually, the Bound Spirit Chess Piece transformed and twisted, taking on the form of the Yellow Sword Wine.
The Bound Spirit could only be defeated ten times, losing its supply, before it would transform back into a chess piece and return to Li Che's Celestial Earth Chessboard, requiring a recharge.
This was Li Che's assessment after creating the Bound Spirit Chess Piece.
But until now, this was the first time a Bound Spirit had been defeated and transformed into a chess piece. Old Huang had indeed broadened Li Che's horizons.
The Yellow Sword Wine grabbed his disheveled hair, opened the spirit flask, and gulped down several mouthfuls of wine, cursing under his breath.
After a moment, the change, the Bound Spirit of the Yellow Sword Wine recovered.
"Speak, what happened?"
Li Che asked calmly.
The Yellow Sword Wine nodded and proceeded to explain the situation.
"I and Old You acted separately, searching for the Corpse God Sect's base outside of Heavenly Origin Dao City based on the Corpse God Seal's sensing..."
"At first, we had no clues, and even after a long search, we couldn't find it. So, Old You and I decided to expand our search range..."
"And after expanding the range... near Divine Crane Ridge, I encountered an ambush."
The Yellow Sword Wine patted his flask, covered in sword marks, his eyes narrowing slightly with a hint of ferocity.
"Where?"
Li Che's eyebrows furrowed.
"Divine Crane Ridge."
The Yellow Sword Wine took a sip of wine and said, "Outside Divine Crane Ridge, I encountered a Demi-God Corpse..."
"Not the one previously blocked by Old You, this one is more powerful and mysterious... I used the Sword Nine Sword Technique, and even after ten self-detonations, he blocked them all."
"Very strong, extremely strong... comparable to the top-tier Sea Qi Martial Saint. I, at this moment... am no match for him."
The Yellow Sword Wine spoke with frustration.
Li Che, upon hearing this, didn't react much to the fact that the Yellow Sword Wine had been defeated ten times.
After all, he couldn't die from those explosions.
Out of those ten times, at least nine were the Yellow Sword Wine using the Sword Nine Sword Technique to self-detonate.
However, the news the Yellow Sword Wine brought back made Li Che feel extremely heavy-hearted.
"Near Divine Crane Ridge... there's a powerful member of the Corpse God Sect, a Demi-God Corpse comparable to a two-opening Sea Qi Martial Saint?"
Li Che had indeed visited Divine Crane Ridge before.
But he hadn't sensed anything then.
The Yellow Sword Wine nodded. As a Bound Spirit, he was absolutely obedient and trustworthy to Li Che, with no secrets or disloyalty.
"The difference between a one-opening and a two-opening Martial Saint is significant. The gap between a Human Pill Martial Saint and a Sea Qi Martial Saint is like that between a Master and a Grand Master."
"When I dealt with the Su family, the one I feared the most was their elder, Su Leibao, a Sea Qi Martial Saint... which is also the main reason the Su family is the top clan in Heavenly Origin Dao City."
"The Yun, Zhou, and Zhong families, with their thousand-year heritage, are formidable. Still, their strongest fighters are only the three clan elders, all one-opening Martial Saints and one-transformation Divine Embryos..."
"Far inferior to the Su family."
"So, at that time, I earnestly requested Grand Elder Fang Hanshu to intervene..."
The Yellow Sword Wine sat on the Celestial Earth Chessboard and spoke.
Li Che's Primordial Soul fell silent...
Divine Crane Ridge.
Located outside of Heavenly Origin Dao City, Divine Crane Ridge was indeed far from the city, filled with many uncertain factors and dangers.
"Because of the Two-Heart Great Sage Strange Temple? For the Divine Armament [Mindful Golden Iron Rod]?"
Li Che couldn't help but consider this possibility.
The current question was whether this Demi-God Corpse of the Corpse God Sect was hiding within Divine Crane Ridge or...
Had the Corpse God Sect ambushed and surrounded Divine Crane Ridge?
But this seemed unlikely. It was probably just a coincidence that the Demi-God Corpse was hiding near Divine Crane Ridge, as the area around it was filled with deep mountains with scarce human activity.
If the Corpse God Sect were making such a big move, the Heavenly Origin Sect would surely have noticed.
Li Che slowly closed his eyes and allowed the Yellow Sword Wine to continue recovering.
He then exited the Celestial Earth Chessboard.
Opening his eyes, he looked at the banquet table, where the Ridge Lord Gongshu Jingjun and Grand Elder Tang Xiejia were seated.
This meant that if the Demi-God Corpse of the Corpse God Sect was hiding its identity, it couldn't be Gongshu Jingjun or Tang Xiejia.
The other elders were also present at this banquet celebrating Xi Xi becoming a Young Master of the Sect.
The Demi-God Corpse that had defeated the Yellow Sword Wine ten times...
"It seems I should find an opportunity to send the Yellow Sword Wine to warn the Heavenly Origin Sect and Divine Crane Ridge."
Putting down his wine cup, Li Che rubbed his forehead.
The Corpse God Sect...
Truly, their spirits lingered on.
The Corpse God Sect's base was not in Lingnan Dao but in Jiangnan Dao Jizhou, the place where the Empress Consort faced off against the Corpse God Sect.
However, more and more experts from the Corpse God Sect had been appearing around the Heavenly Origin Sect lately.
"There's an undercurrent brewing," Li Che sighed.
His eyes flashed with emotion, and his heart was stirred.
The Grand Inspector of the Heaven Divination Bureau in the Divine Capital had announced that whoever obtained the Divine Armament [Mindful Golden Iron Rod] of the Six-Eared Two-Hearted Great Sage would be able to ascend the city walls of Heaven Reaching City and obtain the legendary Willful Staff.
Moreover, Li Che's previous participation in the Divine Crane Ridge event had inadvertently revealed the Mindful Golden Iron Rod.
"Perhaps it's precisely because of this that the Corpse God Sect's experts have been frequently mobilized?"
Hiding his thoughts deep within, Li Che knew that the frequent appearance of the Corpse God Sect outside Divine Crane Ridge was something he couldn't discuss openly, but it was a perfect opportunity for Bound Spirit Huang Jian Jiu.
Li Che continued to drink with the elders.
The banquet lasted until late, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable affair.
Zhang Ya was completely drunk, her small face flushed, and she nestled in Li Che's embrace. She was overjoyed, proud of her husband's abilities and her daughter's status as the Young Lady of the Heavenly Origin Sect.
She had never dared to imagine such a life back when they lived in a dilapidated house in Flying Thunder City, where the wind whistled through the cracks.
Who could have guessed that they would reach such heights?
Even she, Zhang Ya, had unexpectedly gained the title of Honorary Elder...
Li Che picked up Zhang Ya by the waist and carried her like a koala.
"Sect Master, Sect Lady... I'll take Xiao Ya back first. Xi Xi, you must focus on your cultivation with the Sect Master and not play around. Next time, your father will examine your progress, and he won't be pleased if you fall behind."
Li Che turned to Xi Xi and reminded her.
Xi Xi immediately crossed her arms and puffed out her little belly.
"Don't worry, Father. I'm working hard to get stronger. Once I do, I'll be able to suppress you!"
Xi Xi boldly declared.
Her words elicited laughter from everyone at the table.
Li Che couldn't help but find it amusing as well, for while his displayed cultivation level wasn't high, Xi Xi knew he was hiding his true strength.
So, Xi Xi's target was clear—to surpass him.
"Good, then I'll wait for you to get stronger. I'll be watching."
Li Che bid farewell to Xi Xi, carrying Zhang Ya and heading towards the carriage.
At another table, Nie Yang, with his basic understanding as a carriage driver, refrained from drinking.
Seeing Li Che carrying Zhang Ya into the carriage, Nie Yang immediately followed with Li Chengzhou.
Upon returning to the alley, Li Che, with Zhang Ya still hanging on him, turned to Nie Yang and said, "Old Nie, the banquet isn't over yet. Take Chengzhou to continue eating and drinking, and have some fun."
Nie Yang didn't respond but merely bowed to Li Che before leaving with the cold and sword-wielding Li Chengzhou.
Li Che carried Zhang Ya back to their courtyard.
The moonlight was cold and serene, like a veil of silk falling upon the mortal realm, casting a faint glow over Li Che and Zhang Ya.
Zhang Ya's face was flushed, her drunken eyes hazy. The strength of the spirit wine was not to be underestimated, and her martial cultivation couldn't suppress its effects. Overjoyed, she had indulged in drinking, and now she was thoroughly drunk.
Li Che placed his drunken wife on the bed and activated the Pure Heart Fruit, using its divine essence to nurture Zhang Ya's physical body.
He also activated the Dragon Elephant Vajra Fruit, harnessing its power to cleanse her body.
He helped her transform her muscles and bones and, in the process, imparted his understanding of martial arts to his wife.
Catching up to Li Che and Xi Xi's pace might be a challenge for Zhang Ya.
However, Li Che's wish was for his family to be well, and he wanted to watch his daughter grow strong, but he couldn't neglect his wife either.
Zhang Ya, still warm, had a flushed face, and a smile played on her lips as she slept. She seemed to be dreaming of something wonderful.
After wiping her body and tucking her in, Li Che left the room.
"Is Xiao Ya drunk?"
A soft voice drifted from a distance.
Li Che, dressed in a black robe, turned to see Bathing Granny sitting in a rocking chair, wrapped in a thin blanket, her face full of wrinkles.
"Xiao Ya is a simple girl... You must treat her well."
"Ah Che, your identity and status are different now, and the temptations you face will only increase. I hope you'll stay true to yourself and take care of your family."
Bathing Granny looked at Li Che with a bitter expression.
The moonlight shimmered on her, making her seem peaceful.
Li Che's heart instantly calmed.
He walked over and sat next to Bathing Granny on the wooden floor, where the moonlight fell gently like flowing water along the edge of the black tiles.
Li Che smiled and chatted with Bathing Granny.
Bathing Granny had watched Xi Xi grow up. In the past, at the Xu family's Spirit Infant Institute, when the Spirit Infant Instructors had come to take Xi Xi and many other spirit infants away, Bathing Granny had fought to the death, even risking her life to protect them. This act had left a deep impression on Li Che, who felt both touched and admiring.
Death could be the ultimate test of a person.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Bathing Granny coughed lightly, shattering the tranquility of the moonlight.
Leaning back in her chair, Bathing Granny's eyes held a hint of depth. "Ah Che..."
"You and I both came from Flying Thunder City, and it's wonderful to see you reach such heights... I'm truly happy. Xi Xi has you as her father and now Great Master Lu Tai Bai as her teacher; her future is secure."
"I'm so happy to see her grow up."
Li Che stood up and walked behind Bathing Granny, rubbing her temples.
White hair, dry and brittle, skin wrinkled with age...
According to Li Qingshan, when Bathing Granny was young, she was a peerless beauty in Feilei City. But time passed, and her beauty faded with age. Even heroes would eventually grow old and feeble.
Li Che's fingers gently massaged Bathing Granny's temple, and the power of his Pure Heart slowly flowed out from his fingertips, soaking into her dry and withered body.
It was a withering caused by the exhaustion of life. Birth, aging, sickness, and death were the rules of heaven and earth. If one cultivated their divine nature and martial arts, and achieved success, they could break these rules and extend their lifespan.
However, according to Li Che's understanding, there was no immortality in this world. Even Martial Saints, the strongest of warriors, could only live for two to three hundred years. Only by cultivating a Divine Embryo could one extend their lifespan several times over.
But even Divine Embryos had a limited lifespan. To further extend it, one had to break through the divine tribulation, facing the trials of three calamities and nine tribulations, and only then could they extend their lifespan.
But when life reached its end, it was like an oil lamp running out of fuel, and even gods could not save them.
Bathing Granny, at this moment, seemed to be facing such a situation.
Li Che wasn't sure if a natural death could be reversed through Spirit Binding Resurrection.
He had never tried it before.
Bathing Granny lay with her eyes closed, enjoying Li Che's massage, feeling her whole body relax under his touch.
"So comfortable..."
Bathing Granny opened her eyes and looked at Li Che, "Ah Che... Granny has a favor to ask of you..."
"Granny, please speak. Xi Xi grew up under your care, and there's no need for formalities between us," Li Che said with a gentle smile.
"After I'm gone, can you take care of Li Qingshan for me?"
"You're now an Elder of the Heavenly Dao Sect, your status is different from before. As for Li Qingshan... that old fellow, he's still the same as before, like a mischievous child. Recently, he's been up to something, sneaking around like a thief."
"Granny doesn't know what he's doing..."
"If he's really doing something bad, or if he's provoked someone he shouldn't have..."
Bathing Granny looked at Li Che, a plea in her eyes.
"Can you do this for Granny's sake... and protect Li Qingshan's life?"
Li Che was stunned by her request.
"Don't worry, Granny. You still have many years ahead of you."
Li Che smiled.
"As for Elder Li Qingshan, Granny, rest assured..."
"With me here, he won't die."
Bathing Granny laughed, her face full of wrinkles, but Li Che's promise gave her an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
Li Che was different from Li Qingshan. No matter how many times Li Qingshan assured her, she still couldn't feel at ease.
(End of Chapter)
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