Chapter 321: The Plot to Kill a Son, Unlocking the Odd Gate

Chapter 321: The Plot to Kill a Son, Unlocking the Odd Gate

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The entire Prison Lotus Small Heavenly Realm was engulfed in a deathly silence, with only the raging flames emitting a faint whooshing sound.

Whether it was Lu Tai Bai or the Three-Eyed True Monarch, who stood with his arms crossed and eyes wide, neither made a sound.

Only Xi Xi's steady breathing broke the silence, rising and falling in the stillness.

Lu Tai Bai's gaze was complex as he looked at Li Che, who had turned into charcoal, his life force completely extinguished.

Could it be...

Is he really dead? Did he die for his daughter?

Lu Tai Bai had seen it all, but his eyes only flickered slightly, and at this moment, he didn't fully believe that Li Che was dead.

Additionally, his intuition as the Divine Embryo Great God told him that Li Che was not dead.

He couldn't understand why.

The test set by the Three-Eyed True Monarch required Li Che to have a firm mind and unwavering will, which meant that Li Che had actually passed the test.

If the test was successful, why did he die? Lu Tai Bai suddenly realized that the appearance of the Prison Lotus Small Heavenly Realm was due to a trace of Dao essence left in Xi Xi's body in advance.

It was related to the Divine Essence Law of the Eight-Armed Three-Faced Prison Lotus Invincibility that Xi Xi was cultivating. When she reached the Divine Form Realm, this extremely subtle strand of Dao essence was triggered.

This strand of Dao essence was so subtle that even Lu Tai Bai hadn't sensed it.

No, Lu Tai Bai narrowed his eyes, or perhaps this strand of Dao essence... might be hidden within the Divine Armament!

The Purple Flame Spear? The Golden Brick?

Or could it be the Prison Lotus Windfire Golden Light Wheel? Xi Xi possessed a Windfire Golden Light Wheel, which she obtained from the Enigmatic Tower of the Eight-Armed Three-Faced Prison Lotus Fury Three-Eyed True Monarch Odd Temple. Therefore, it was also possible that a strand of Dao essence was hidden within it.

Or perhaps...

Lu Tai Bai looked at the Three-Eyed True Monarch, thinking that the Three-Eyed True Monarch might have already awakened, and this divine intent had followed the Divine Armament, hiding within Xi Xi's body...

Lu Tai Bai turned his gaze to the Third Prince, who was hugging his chest and looking up at the sky where the Prison Lotus flames were raging. In his eyes, a hint of disappointment appeared.

However, this hint of disappointment gradually faded away.

"Rest assured, this father... will not die."

"How could a father who truly loves and protects his daughter die?"

As if sensing Lu Tai Bai's gaze, the Third Prince spoke softly.

"What exists at this moment is merely a trace of divine intent from Ji. If you use that sword, you can extinguish it, but there's no need..."

"Ji's arrival is not for rebirth..."

"But to save this little girl."

"Before this little girl cultivated the Eight-Armed Three-Faced Prison Lotus Invincibility, she also cultivated another Divine Essence Law, the Utmost Sorrow Windfire Third Prince."

The Third Prince spoke with his arms crossed.

It was unclear whether he was speaking to Lu Tai Bai or to Li Che, who had turned into charcoal.

Upon hearing this, Lu Tai Bai's eyes narrowed slightly.

As Xi Xi's master, he had naturally investigated this matter.

However, after Xi Xi switched to cultivating the Three Pure Ones Divine Essence Law, she had completely covered up this Divine Essence Law.

"The problem does not lie in this Divine Essence Law, but in the place where this Divine Essence Law was taught to Xi Xi, or rather, the existence that taught it."

The Third Prince smiled.

"This Prison Lotus Small Heavenly Realm... appeared too early."

The Third Prince descended gracefully onto the white jade staircase, sat down with his legs crossed, and leaned back, as if in a state of nonchalance.

Lu Tai Bai's eyes narrowed slightly.

Indeed...

The information was overwhelming!

What did it mean that the Prison Lotus Small Heavenly Realm appeared too early?

The Third Prince, with his hair tied in a topknot and wearing a black bellyband, had a mischievous air about him.

He still looked like a child, with his legs swinging back and forth.

The Third Prince turned his gaze to Xi Xi, a hint of envy in his eyes.

"This little girl... after cultivating the Eight-Armed Three-Faced Prison Lotus Invincibility, must transform into the Prison Lotus body. In fact, when she was condensing the Divine Embryo, the Prison Lotus Small Heavenly Realm should have appeared."

"Ji also set it up this way, and his divine intent should have awakened at that time..."

"But, the Prison Lotus Small Heavenly Realm appeared prematurely, triggered in advance."

"Just as the little girl was sculpting her Divine Form, she wanted to introduce it into the cinnabar field interior, but it appeared prematurely..."

"With the little girl's current physical body, when introducing such a Divine Form into her body, her body would definitely explode. It's not a Prison Lotus body, and it cannot withstand such a Divine Form..."

The Third Prince finished speaking.

Lu Tai Bai let out a sigh.

So that was it...

No wonder Xi Xi experienced abnormalities when she first tried to guide the Divine Form into her interior.

But who was it that triggered the Prison Lotus Dao essence in advance?

And why?

What was the purpose? Combining the Third Prince's previous words, Lu Tai Bai vaguely guessed the reason.

"When she received Ji's inheritance, this moment was destined to come."

"However, when the little girl reaches the Divine Embryo Realm, she can make up for it through martial arts. Therefore, Ji set it up so that the Prison Lotus Small Heavenly Realm would trigger when the little girl reaches the Divine Embryo Realm, but it was too early..."

"So, unless the little girl obtains the Prison Lotus Dao essence and integrates it into her Divine Form, there is no other way. Otherwise, she will be left with only one path: to have her physical body destroyed by the power of the Prison Lotus Dao essence, and die in an explosion."

The Third Prince crossed his legs, and on his body was a black bellyband with a blood-colored lotus painted on it.

He lay down on the white jade staircase, looking up at the raging Prison Lotus flames in the sky above the Prison Lotus Small Heavenly Realm.

He seemed to be watching clouds drifting and shifting in the sky.

There was a sense of relaxation, as if he had let go of everything.

"There are parents in this world who are willing to sacrifice for their children, instead of using external forces to suppress their children..."

"It's an eye-opener."

"I'm a little envious."

The Third Prince felt like he was missing a blade of grass in his mouth.

If he had a blade of grass to chew on while watching the clouds in the sky, and envied someone else's parents, it would be incredibly pleasant.

"The one who triggered the Prison Lotus Dao essence within the little girl in advance... was aimed at Ji."

"To completely destroy this strand of Ji's conscious will."

"Only I can control the power of the Prison Lotus."

"Because..."

"I... am the Prison Lotus itself!"

...

...

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The charcoal began to fall off, and the charred remains of Li Che, who was covered by the Heaven-Crossing Face, scattered amidst the wind of the Prison Lotus flames.

As the charcoal-like substance fell from Li Che's face, it shattered into pieces with a loud crack.

The sound reverberated in the silent space, thunderous in its intensity.

Lu Tai Bai's gaze snapped towards Li Che, and he saw the charcoal falling from Li Che's face.

Revealing the normal, fair skin beneath.

As one piece of charcoal fell, it triggered a chain reaction, and the remaining charcoal fragments followed suit, shattering upon impact.

Lu Tai Bai breathed a sigh of relief.

Although his intuition told him that Li Che wasn't dead and wouldn't die, seeing Li Che recover from the charcoal state filled him with relief.

Li Che maintained his hand posture, holding the black glazed Prison Lotus, but the Prison Lotus' Dao essence had been restrained and didn't harm Li Che's body.

"Hmm?"

The Third Prince's lazy posture changed abruptly as he sat up, his eyes revealing a peculiar expression.

A smile spread across his lips.

"Did you finish the fight so quickly?"

But his eyes also held a hint of confusion.

If the fight was over, why wasn't Li Che awake?

The Third Prince looked at Lu Tai Bai, who shrugged.

"If he doesn't wake up, it's no longer related to Ji's test.

"Ji is using his rarely lucid will, perhaps... the only will he has to be lucid, to save this little girl."

"Setting up a test, is that a problem?"

Lu Tai Bai now understood the meaning behind the Third Prince's words.

His gaze became complex, and his emotions stirred.

He couldn't help but think of his own master when he saw the Third Prince, who was willing to risk his life for his disciple by entering the Prison Lotus Small Heavenly Realm.

The Third Prince's gaze softened, and he looked at Lu Tai Bai with a gentle expression.

"There are two wills: one born from death and another remnant from life."

The Third Prince spoke softly.

"The will born from death may be manipulated by some force..."

"You may not be able to distinguish which will is born from death and which is a remnant from life."

"Because... they themselves can't tell the difference."

"They can't tell the difference..."

The Third Prince's voice carried a hint of melancholy.

Boom!!!

Lu Tai Bai opened his mouth in surprise.

He wanted to ask something more, but his gaze turned towards Li Che.

Because...

Li Che, who had been sitting with his eyes closed as if in a deep slumber, slowly opened his eyes.

...

...

Li Che felt the Dream Heavenly Master Dao Fruit in his chest throbbing intensely.

However, he couldn't focus on that now.

When he had completely turned into charcoal, his mind had become serene.

Seeing his daughter calm down under his reassurance, he felt a sense of contentment.

Perhaps this was the last time he would comfort his daughter as a father.

Before his eyes, scenes flashed by like a horse galloping through flowers.

He saw himself in the midst of a snowy landscape, holding a fish, returning to his dilapidated hut in the Flying Thunder City. He held his newborn daughter, her skin soft and pink, and felt a surge of emotion and responsibility as the connection between their bloodlines seemed to electrify his entire being.

Li Che watched his daughter grow up safely under his protection, and he felt happy, joyful, and accomplished.

One year, two years, three years...

Until now, at six years old.

Unknowingly, the little girl had grown up.

Li Che's lips curved upwards involuntarily.

Looking at his six-year-old daughter, healthy and robust, he felt a surge of pride and accomplishment.

My daughter has grown up so well! She's grown up safely, without any illnesses or disasters, plump and energetic.

How could parents not be proud of raising such a cute little treasure?

As Li Che indulged in these fleeting scenes, the vision before him suddenly changed.

A golden temple appeared in his sight.

Hmm?

Li Che was slightly taken aback. This temple...

Seemed somewhat familiar! Memories from a long time ago, yet also from a recent period, flooded his mind.

The enigmatic temple, radiating countless golden filaments, spanned across a vast expanse.

Li Che recalled the time when he had brought his daughter, Xi Xi, to the Jin Guang Mansion City to participate in the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect's disciple assessment.

Xi Xi was accepted as the Sect Master's true disciple by Nan Li Huo, gaining the opportunity to choose a chance from the golden temple on the peak of Jin Guang Peak.

At that time, the opportunity was too great for his daughter to handle, so Li Che secretly took some for himself.

"Seven Treasures Bodhimanda Golden Tower!"

Li Che narrowed his eyes, puzzled.

Why...

Did he see this Seven Treasures Bodhimanda Golden Tower?

"My current state... the Dream Heavenly Master Dao Fruit is throbbing, as if absorbing some kind of energy."

"Perhaps I'm currently in a dream?"

"The Third Prince's test, I endured the Prison Lotus without letting it fall into Xi Xi's third eye, turning into charcoal... was it all just a dream?"

Li Che's eyes sparkled, and he felt like he had grasped something hidden within.

The Third Prince had said that the cultivation method Xi Xi was practicing, which carved out her divine form, was incompatible with her current physical realm. This led to the Prison Lotus' Dao essence being drawn to her, and if she couldn't bear its power, her body would explode. Even if her body was later reconstructed by the Dao essence's power, her soul would be influenced, and she would no longer be his daughter, Li Che's daughter.

Li Che's heart trembled slightly, and he thought of the grown-up Xi Xi he had seen when he obtained the Dream Heavenly Master Dao Fruit and entered the restaurant owner's dream.

She was cold and indifferent, devoid of emotions, like a scorching fire lotus.

Li Che exhaled.

His gaze fell on the entrance of the golden temple.

In the Golden Palace, Xi Xi had obtained the Purple Flame Spear and the Ultimate Sorrow Windfire Third Prince, a divine essence technique.

"I was wondering why the Purple Flame Spear, a Four Emperors Divine Armament, would appear in the Seven Treasures Bodhimanda Golden Tower," Li Che thought.

He felt he might have understood something. His expression turned solemn as he strode forward and forcefully pushed open the door of the Golden Tower.

The door swung open with a loud boom.

Inside, he saw Xi Xi enveloped in a golden light. She looked young and innocent, floating in mid-air with a carefree smile on her face.

At this age, Xi Xi seemed to have no worries at all, making her adorably squeezable.

Li Che's eyes softened at the sight.

Then, his gaze shifted to the massive Golden Divine Eagle statue towering almost to the top of the Golden Palace. The statue was awe-inspiring, clad in golden armor, with each piece gleaming like gold. It wore a cloud helmet, its face showing anger. In its left hand, it held a halberd, and in its right, a tower. The tower was golden, with seven layers, adorned with carved Buddha images. The Buddhas' serene expressions radiated a dazzling golden light, emitting a divine aura.

Li Che's eyes fixed on the statue, and his gaze eventually settled on the seven-layered tower.

This tower...

Was the true temple deity!

The Seven Treasures Bodhimanda Golden Tower emanated boundless divine light. Within the light, the carved Buddhas seemed to come to life, stepping out of the tower with various postures, their golden glow making them seem ever-present.

The divine light shone upon all.

But Li Che felt no warmth from it.

He slowly closed his eyes, and the Heaven and Earth Chessboard seemed to appear from his third eye.

The Thunderbolt Chess Piece left on Xi Xi's body vaguely transmitted the scene outside to Li Che.

Even though he was in a dream, he clearly heard the conversation between Lu Tai Bai and the Third Prince.

"So that's how it is..."

Li Che exhaled slowly.

So...

The root of the problem was here.

Why was the Prison Lotus Dao Essence activated prematurely...

So... it was here all along!

Li Che's eyes snapped open.

This was a scheme by the Eight-Armed Prison Lotus Furious Third Prince Temple Deity!

It was a scheme between temple deities!

The Golden Tower on top of the Golden Light Peak had always been there, waiting for someone worthy to obtain the Purple Flame Spear. It was all for this moment...

To erase the rare awakened consciousness of the Third Prince Temple Deity!

Xi Xi's acquisition of the Purple Flame Spear was part of the scheme, or rather, an extremely crucial part. The force that stimulated the Prison Lotus Dao Essence was hidden within it.

A power of this level, even Li Che couldn't detect.

But when Xi Xi broke through the Divine Form Realm... this force was triggered, activating the Prison Lotus Dao Essence, pushing Xi Xi to the brink of a life-and-death choice, and awakening the Third Prince's conscious will.

Li Che's fingers clenched, and his forehead veins bulged.

If Xi Xi accepted the Prison Lotus Dao Essence, her physical body would be destroyed, and the Third Prince's conscious will would be re-submerged, possibly even eradicated by the will of the deceased temple deity.

If Xi Xi refused, and the Third Prince helped her...

The awakened temple deity's will, controlling the power of the Prison Lotus, would complete Xi Xi's Divine Form Realm induction...

Ultimately, this will would exhaust the power of the Prison Lotus and be completely extinguished.

"How cruel..."

"And you dare to call yourself a father?"

Li Che suddenly understood why the Third Prince's obsession was so deep.

The Third Prince Temple Deity had known of Li Che's love for Xi Xi during the Temple Deity Resonance Test. The test he set up already had an answer.

He...

Just wanted to witness a fatherly love he could never have.

Li Che didn't know if the Third Prince in this world had the same memories as in his previous life.

But no matter what, what he saw and experienced...

Made him feel a surge of sympathy and pity for this child.

The Third Prince had already made his choice. He didn't choose the first option, which would destroy Xi Xi's physical body and have her soul imprinted with the Prison Lotus, reshaping her body with its help.

Instead, he chose the second option.

He chose...

To kill himself.

Li Che pursed his lips.

He thought of the time he had shouted, "Get out!"...

And felt a sense of "I deserve to die."

"No..."

Li Che immediately refuted his own thought.

Ignorance is bliss.

The real culprit...

Was the Seven Treasures Bodhimanda Golden Tower and the Golden King in front of him.

Li Che suddenly understood.

Why he appeared in the dream created by the Third Prince Temple Deity.

But why could the Third Prince create this dream?

Was this really a dream?

But...

It didn't matter.

Li Che's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

He took a step forward and instantly appeared beside Xi Xi.

He extended his hand and tightly gripped the golden light...

Bang!!!

The golden light shattered under his grasp!

And the Golden King statue held the Seven Treasures Bodhimanda Golden Tower.

It slowly opened its eyes.

The floating faces of the tower's Buddhas gazed down at Li Che.

...

...

Jin Guang Mansion.

Amidst the heavy snowfall, a vast expanse of white, icy air enveloped the numerous peaks, resembling a large-scale ink wash landscape painting.

On Jin Guang Peak, within the Golden Palace.

Nan Li Huo sat in the temple, cross-legged on a meditation cushion, with his eyes closed and white hair billowing.

Suddenly, Nan Li Huo's face twitched, and he opened his eyes wide, revealing a look of surprise as he stared at the Seven Treasures Bodhimanda Golden Tower statue on the altar.

This Golden Palace was the transformed Enigmatic Tower, with the Enigmatic Tower's essence transformed into the Divine Tower.

The Divine Tower couldn't be opened on its own; only Nan Li Huo could open it.

Although this was a damaged Enigmatic Tower, it was one of the few under the control of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect's branch.

And today...

Nan Li Huo felt a chill.

It was a bone-chilling cold.

It seemed to emanate from the tower's statue, an overwhelming divine essence flowing out like a mighty tide.

Nan Li Huo abruptly stood up from his meditation cushion.

His cloth shoes rubbed against the ground, and an invisible force pushed him, finally slamming him against the temple's entrance.

It was known that Nan Li Huo had successfully stepped into the Divine Essence Realm.

As a Divine Essence cultivator, he was pushed to the temple's entrance by his divine nature.

What was going on?

A loud rumbling sound echoed.

The majestic divine nature suddenly spread from Jin Guang Peak, forming concentric ripples that swept towards all directions of Jin Guang Mansion.

Even in winter, the Jiulong River, which never froze over with thick ice, suddenly erupted, and its waters roared violently!

The towering waves rose continuously, as if a deity was in extreme fury!

Inside the temple.

Nan Li Huo felt as if his Divine Essence Golden Core was completely grasped and suppressed.

He couldn't stimulate even a bit of it; it was a terrifying rank pressure!

Unable to resist, it was an unquestionable rank pressure.

After that...

He saw that on the Heavenly King Tower, countless Buddha lights burst forth.

The Buddha statues on the divine eagle-adorned treasure towers seemed to come to life, chanting sutras, almost causing Nan Li Huo's head to explode with the sound of their chanting!

And the Divine Tower entrance that Nan Li Huo had not summoned forth.

It appeared directly!

The Divine Tower entrance expanded, eventually seeming to envelop the entire Jin Guang Peak.

Nan Li Huo was dumbfounded.

"This... what is this...?"

"The Enigmatic Tower is rioting?!"

...

...

"It seems I haven't finished beating them up..."

In the Prison Lotus Heavenly Realm.

The Prison Lotus Flame coiled like a giant python in mid-air, scorching hot, burning and distorting the void.

The Third Prince opened his eyes slowly and glanced at Li Che, whose eyes seemed to reflect the scene, knowing that Li Che should also understand his situation.

This was...

Giving him feedback!

The Third Prince smiled but did not watch the scene through Li Che's eyes, which resembled a chessboard with crisscrossing black and white lines.

He didn't want to look.

He stretched lazily.

He patted the dust off his body, though there was none, as if he had done this many years ago when no one was around to stop him.

Back then, he liked to walk on the grass with a blade of grass in his mouth, and there was always a butterfly following him. Every time he tried to shoo it away, it wouldn't leave, but that didn't affect his carefree mood at the time.

When his body felt hot, he liked to play in places with water.

He would hold a blade of grass in his mouth, jump into the river, and the fiery heat within him would gradually subside.

But later, while he was playing in the water, a dragon appeared and stared at him, saying it wanted to devour him to obtain his true dragon bone.

He had no choice but to kill the dragon and sprinkle some salt on it.

It tasted delicious.

After that...

Things got out of hand.

It was his deceased memory attacking him, and he didn't want to recall it.

His mouth curled up, pretending to hold a blade of grass.

He slowly approached Xi Xi.

The jet-black Prison Lotus still hovered above Li Che's palm.

He seemed to be holding grass.

He was carefree, like a young troublemaker.

He glanced at Xi Xi and laughed, "Little girl... you have a good father."

"Remember, help me beat up that useless father of yours later."

The Third Prince narrowed his eyes and extended his hand, covering the jet-black Prison Lotus.

He gently pressed it down.

"A clear and sober will... often cannot be retained."

"Monkey, True Monarch... sigh."

"I can only let this little girl meet you."

"Tired... so tired..."

"Liberated."

Boom! The Prison Lotus trembled violently, as if countless flames were spreading.

But the Prison Lotus's divine essence was completely absorbed by the Third Prince's clear and sober will.

After that, the Third Prince's temple god seemed like a paper figure...

Like a cigarette paper lit by the boss.

In the midst of golden sparks, it burned bit by bit.

When the Prison Lotus was completely pressed into Xi Xi's third eye...

The Third Prince's temple god also pulled the eight-armed, three-faced Prison Lotus invincible divine form that Xi Xi had carved into Xi Xi's third eye.

After doing all this...

The Third Prince's temple god had completely turned into sparks.

Between heaven and earth, countless ashes and sparks seemed to be blown by the wind.

They transformed into a swaying black lotus, with black lotus roots beside it, resembling a human form.

The ashes were blown away by the wind.

They completely disappeared between heaven and earth.

Lu Tai Bai stood far away, staring blankly.

After a long time, he let out a long sigh.

He clasped his fists and bowed.

...

...

After Li Che crushed the golden light orb.

The Seven Treasures Buddha Reliquary Golden Tower seemed to be stimulated and revived.

The Golden Heavenly King also glared down.

Boom!!! The Golden Palace was filled with countless golden divine essences pouring down.

The golden light orb became more intense, even containing countless voices of Buddha within it.

"Western Buddhist Land? Evil Buddha?"

Li Che felt the light that illuminated the four directions but had no temperature, giving him a chilling sensation that made his hair stand on end.

But at this moment, Li Che slightly closed his eyes.

The Golden Heavenly King glared, his hundred-zhang tall body seeming to touch the top of the temple, and he took a mighty step forward! Boom!!!

Terrifying divine essence poured down like a waterfall, exploding!

"Worthless child..."

Li Che, who had kept his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

Buzz!

His flesh exploded, revealing countless dragon-like muscles, his triangular back muscles trembled, and his thick tendons vibrated, causing his entire body to start swelling violently!

His jet-black hair fell to his waist.

His eyes glowed with golden light, and he stared coldly at the towering Golden Heavenly King.

His back muscles violently vibrated, and the five Divine Seed Mystic Gates Zhishan transformed into blood-red vortices, exploding!

It was like five turbine shocks!

Li Che's body, like a divine demon, soared into the sky!

His thunderous roar echoed.

"Me!"

"Worthless!"

"You!"

"Ma!!!

The second update, don't curse, I just saw so many people cursing, and I'm a bit stunned. Isn't it clear which side the Third Prince is on? This is a long-buried plot twist, and I'm posting at this time. I'll continue writing tomorrow, everyone please vote with your monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. It's been a month since I last received a recommendation for Old Li, and I can't hold on much longer! Thank you all!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end