Chapter 376: The Sacred Monkey's Absence and Li Bansheng's Strategy, Unprecedented Changes in the Sa

Chapter 376: The Sacred Monkey's Absence and Li Bansheng's Strategy, Unprecedented Changes in the Sage of Chess Fruit

"Each hero, within the Peach Orchard, can only pluck one peach."

The Empress's voice echoed throughout the Second District of the Divine Capital, like a gust of wind, stirring up a commotion, causing the cultivators seated at the numerous banquet tables to subtly change their expressions.

A change!

The rules of this Hero Competition were different from previous ones, and the alterations were quite significant.

The previous Peach Banquet's Hero Competition was similar to the Dragonlet Competition in the last round, both being individual challenges.

It was a one-on-one battle, determining the winner through combat, and ultimately vying for the Nine Thousand Year Peach.

Although there might be slight variations in the rules, the overall direction remained focused on individual battles.

However, with the Empress announcing the rules for this Hero Competition, the heroes from various Divine Sects, aristocratic clans, and powerful forces like the princes of vassal states, all showed looks of astonishment.

Each hero needed to obtain five peaches within the Peach Orchard to advance to the second round and enter the orchard with Five Thousand Year Peaches!

According to the Empress, each hero could only pluck one peach in the orchard...

This meant that to get five peaches, they had to take them from other participating heroes!

With a hundred heroes, there were a total of a hundred Thousand Year Peaches in the first round, which could be evenly distributed among twenty heroes.

Each hero could obtain five peaches.

But this was the ideal scenario.

Peaches had a unique characteristic—they could be eaten.

If any hero felt they had no chance of advancing to the second round, they might choose to eat the peach...

The impact of this decision would be immense.

Moreover, during the battle between heroes, if one side's cultivator was about to lose, they might eat the peach before their defeat... This was also a possibility.

In short...

There were too many unexpected twists!

Under the grand tent in the Second District, the heroes from various forces couldn't help but change their expressions, their brows furrowing slightly.

They were contemplating the various scenarios that could unfold under these rules.

The Empress scanned the crowd and smiled gracefully.

"After advancing to the second round in the Peach Orchard, you will need to obtain five Five Thousand Year Peaches to enter the Seven Thousand Year Peach Orchard."

"However, from the Seven Thousand Year Peach Orchard to the Nine Thousand Year Peach Orchard, the rules will be more relaxed. You only need to gather three Seven Thousand Year Peaches to advance..."

The Empress's voice rang clear as she surveyed the entire hall, her words echoing in the ears of the audience as if they were surrounded by an invisible presence.

The Second and Third Districts of the Divine Capital seemed to fall into a momentary silence.

The Empress calmly scanned the hall.

"I wish all heroes good luck."

The Empress bowed slightly.

After explaining the rules, she turned and returned to her seat, led by the eunuch Lian Gonggong, who wore a purple robe.

Even Lian Gonggong was momentarily stunned by the rules, feeling a sense of bewilderment in his heart. He hadn't expected the rules of this Hero Competition to change so drastically.

Undoubtedly, with these rules...

The competition would become extremely fierce, and many unexpected events would occur.

Not only him, but even the Emperor and Empress might not fully grasp the eventual outcome of this Hero Competition.

Who would obtain the final Nine Thousand Year Peach?

No...

Lian Gonggong's heart suddenly trembled as he looked at the Empress with a smile on her face. His eyes were filled with intense astonishment.

Because...

According to the rules described by the Empress, was the Nine Thousand Year Peach Orchard the upper limit?

Since the Empress didn't mention it as the upper limit, did it mean that the heroes might have a chance to enter the Ten Thousand Year Peach Orchard?

Ten Thousand Year Peach Orchard! Lian Gonggong's heart skipped a beat! If this were true, it would be incredibly intriguing!

...

...

In the banquet area of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect.

Xi Xi nestled in Zhang Ya's embrace, happily eating delicious food, her eyes sparkling. As she ate, she looked at Li Che.

"Go, Daddy! Xi Xi became the champion of the Dragonlet Competition, and Daddy must win too!"

Xi Xi's mouth was stuffed with roast chicken, making her lips greasy, but her eyes shone with unprecedented determination and anticipation.

Li Che reached out and ruffled Xi Xi's hair.

He recalled the pain Xi Xi felt when she won the Nine Thousand Year Peach and gave it to Zhang Ya.

Li Che couldn't help but smile, "Xi Xi wants to eat that Nine Thousand Year Peach?"

"Then Daddy will win it for you."

Xi Xi's mouth, filled with roast chicken, suddenly lost its appeal. Her eyes lit up with excitement!

Her little body trembled with joy!

Xi Xi climbed onto the table, pouting with greasy lips, ready to give Li Che a big reward.

However, Li Che extended his hand in disgust, pressing down on Xi Xi's little head.

Xi Xi was both unhappy and delighted, wondering if Daddy found her too greasy.

The beloved and charming Xi Xi, the Emperor, couldn't possibly be greasy!

Xi Xi was determined to prove him wrong, so she crossed her arms and started headbutting him like a stubborn bull.

Lu Tai Bai's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Che, this time, the rules are not that simple. The Divine Sects, aristocratic clans, and princes... a total of a hundred heroes!"

"Advancing to the next round of the Peach Competition is not solely based on one-on-one battles. Instead, it's about the number of peaches you have. You'll have to seize and compete for them..."

"Additionally, it's possible for a Divine Sect to have five heroes in the main banquet of the Hero Competition. These five heroes can choose to support one of their own, gather five peaches, and send one of them to the Five Thousand Year Peach Orchard!"

Lu Tai Bai's brow furrowed.

Li Che also lost his enthusiasm for playing with Xi Xi.

"The rules of this Hero Competition are... chaotic."

"It's too chaotic. There's a chance for weaker heroes to advance, but stronger ones might not."

Lu Tai Bai explained.

Li Che thought about it carefully, "These rules are indeed interesting. Various unexpected events could occur..."

Lu Tai Bai nodded, "While these rules give weaker heroes some opportunities, the chances are slim...

"Because a competition is meant to determine a winner. Once weaker participants enter, their peaches will become targets for the stronger ones to seize..."

"The Hero Competition is the most competitive. Even among the heroes in the main banquet, there are those at the Tri-Flower Realm, and there are also powerful cultivators like the Golden Furred Dog, who have already reached the Three-Opening Martial Sage Realm.

"So, the Empress's change in rules will fully showcase the brutality of the Peach Banquet."

Li Che nodded in agreement.

Unexpected, unpredictable, and impossible to estimate, this was the situation at the Hero Competition.

Lu Tai Bai looked at Li Che, his eyes flashing, and finally chose to communicate telepathically, "Ah Che, among all the heroes at the Hero Competition, your martial prowess is quite formidable..."

"But you will undoubtedly become the target of everyone's attacks."

"Whether it's the Golden Furred Dog, the Western Lands of Buddhism, or the first hero of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect, Zhang Xuan Lei, and other powerful cultivators, once they enter the Thousand-Year Peach Orchard, their first target will be you!"

"So, the pressure on you is immense. Will your martial arts cultivation be exposed? If your cultivation is revealed, it's very likely that people will guess your identity, and if the Sacred Monkey's identity is exposed, the impact will be even greater."

Upon hearing this, Li Che smiled gently, "Rest assured, Sect Leader, I understand."

Holding the Golden Iron Divine Rod of Freedom, Li Che naturally couldn't expose his Sacred Monkey identity. If he did, he would truly become the target of everyone's attacks.

Without relying on his martial arts cultivation...

It was indeed a challenging task, and the difficulty was not small.

But...

Li Che had prepared his trump card for this.

...

...

Capital City Third District.

After the Empress announced the rules, all the cultivators in the entire district were plunged into a state of confusion.

Night fell, and darkness descended.

But it couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the cultivators. Compared to the Dragonlet Competition, the Hero Competition was even more captivating and drew more attention from the wanderers.

After all, the heroes were far more powerful than the dragonlets.

Even the strongest dragonlets seemed like children playing around.

The heroes of the Hero Competition were different. To represent their sects at the Peach Banquet, these heroes had to be at least Great Masters of the Cynosure Tri-Flower Realm or Divine Embryo Cultivators of the Embryonic Breath Transformation Realm.

So, the spectacle and intensity were bound to be higher.

However, with the Empress's announcement of the Hero Competition rules, everyone was stunned.

It was completely different from what they had expected.

Especially the gambling houses that had set up betting odds, they were completely blindsided.

All their preparations for one-on-one duels were rendered useless in an instant.

Even the subsequent betting odds couldn't be determined.

However, the gambling houses reacted swiftly.

Within half an incense stick's time after the Empress's announcement, they adjusted their bets.

They opened bets on who would advance from the first round in the Thousand-Year Peach Orchard to the second round in the Five Thousand-Year Peach Orchard.

Bets were placed on who would make it to the second round.

In an instant, all seven cities of the Capital City, starting from the Second City, were in a frenzy. Almost every cultivator couldn't resist placing a bet.

Of course, most bets were on Zhang Xuan Lei, Zhang Xuan He, and other top heroes of the Purple Mansion Divine Sect.

There were also bets on the first and second heroes of the Yue, Ji, and Gongshu aristocratic clans.

Most bets were still based on cultivation levels.

Li Che's exceptional performance at the pre-banquet feast, where he defeated Ji Mo Li's hero, Zhang Yuantiger, had not gone unnoticed.

So, Li Che did have some backers.

However, aside from supporters of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect, there were also bets from Li Qingshan, Nie Yang, and others who trusted him.

Li Qingshan even took out all his assets and bet on Li Che.

He had complete faith in Li Che.

Seeing Li Qingshan's bold bet, Nie Yang didn't hesitate either. He took out all his Divine Essence Crystals and bet on Li Che advancing to the second round.

Since there were few bets on Li Che, if he succeeded, Li Qingshan and Nie Yang would reap a substantial reward.

"They don't think highly of Elder Li at all?"

Nie Yang, holding his sword, was puzzled.

Li Qingshan pulled Mu Popo to a prime viewing spot on the city tower in the Capital City Third District and watched, letting out a cold laugh, "Isn't that perfect?"

"Our trust will soon bring us a great harvest!"

As a Netherworld Enforcer, Li Qingshan knew Li Che's identity, so...

He had absolute faith in Li Che.

His bet was not about earning those vast resources.

It was a heavy bet on his trusted teammate!

...

...

The night was dark and pitch-black.

Cumulus clouds piled up and rolled, like ink swirling in water.

Drops of spring rain fell, pattering on the greenhouse, creating a dull sound. In the thick night, a white haze formed.

The frenzy didn't last long.

Almost immediately after the Empress announced the rules, bets of all sizes were placed.

After a brief rest of half an incense stick's time...

Lian Gong Gong, in his purple robe, stood with his palms crossed in front of him on the ruins of the Jade Square.

His sharp gaze swept across the entire venue, and he spoke in a piercing voice.

"The second event of the Peach Banquet, the Hero Competition, begins!"

"Heroes from all over the world, channel the Western Mother's Divinity from your Peach Branches!"

Lian Gong Gong's voice was high-pitched, as if tearing through the night.

The moment he finished speaking, the heroes seated at the banquet table couldn't contain themselves.

They all took out their peach branches entwined with the Western Mother's Divinity.

They channeled their spirits into the branches, and instantly, a stream of divine energy shot out, like a coiling python, flying through the air, breaking through the spring rain, and coiling above the Jade Square.

Nearly a hundred streams of the Western Mother's Divinity, almost transforming into a hundred intertwined divine pythons!

The Empress stood up, raising her hand. Her slender, fair fingers lightly removed a jade hairpin from her phoenix hairpin.

A burst of overwhelming divinity erupted from the hairpin, causing the void to tremble with ripples!

Almost everyone's attention was drawn.

"That's... the Divine Armament ranked tenth on the Three Pure Divine Armament List, obtained from the Western Mother's Mysterious Temple, the Heavenly River Divine Hairpin!"

Lu Tai Bai spoke in a deep voice.

Li Che was slightly startled, and his eyes narrowed.

The Mixed Yuan Qitian Golden Hoop Rod was ranked seventh on the Three Pure Divine Armament List...

This was the second divine armament Li Che had seen from the list!

"This hairpin can only be wielded by the Empress, and to become the Empress, one must meet the criteria of wielding this hairpin..."

Lu Tai Bai, knowing many secrets, introduced the hairpin to Li Che.

Li Che's gaze was intense, and it wasn't just him; a Three Pure Ones Rank divine armament had caught the attention of many powerful cultivators.

Lu Tai Bai took a sip of wine, his eyes openly revealing his envy.

"The Immortal Mother's Mysterious Temple, being a Three Pure Ones Rank temple... contains four divine armaments of the Three Pure Ones Rank. The Great Jing Court is hosting the Peach Banquet, resonating with the temple's deity to obtain the inheritance of the temple's deity and the Three Pure Divine Armament!"

"This Heavenly River Divine Hairpin is a sword, and in addition, the Great Jing Court also acquired the Three Pure Water Divine Bowl..."

"As for the other two, the Gather Immortals Flag and Kunlun Mirror, they are the goals of the Emperor and Empress's Peach Banquet. They want to obtain them through the resonance with the temple's deity."

Lu Tai Bai took a sip of wine and shared some secrets with Li Che.

"In fact, if it weren't for the allure of the peaches, many forces would have come with the intention of trying to obtain these two Three Pure Divine Armaments... Without their help in completing the resonance with the temple's deity, why would these forces travel so far to attend?"

As Lu Tai Bai shared these secrets with Li Che, the Empress held the Heavenly River Divine Hairpin, and with a sweep of her hand, a void rift appeared.

The void rippled, and another void fissure emerged.

The temple deity's divinity seemed to be sucked into the fissure, flowing into it.

Li Che's mind stirred, and he felt his body begin to blur.

Then, like a flying thunder chess piece, he disappeared.

It wasn't just Li Che; all the cultivators who had offered the temple deity's divinity vanished.

They seemed to have evaporated into thin air.

The Empress's face revealed a faint smile.

Her slender fingers opened, and she gently tossed the Heavenly River Divine Hairpin.

It was as if she had drawn a river in the sky.

The water of the Heavenly River poured down like a waterfall from the White Jade Square, creating a massive screen.

On the screen, the falling water of the Heavenly River reflected the images of many heroes within the Thousand-Year Peach Orchard.

In an instant, the entire city, inside and out, fell silent.

Everyone's gaze became fervent, and their breathing quickened.

They stared intently at the images reflected by the waterfall-like Heavenly River.

...

...

As soon as the transmission through the temple deity's divinity was complete, Li Che opened his eyes.

Mysterious fog enveloped the area, and before him was a vast and ancient landscape. He couldn't see the end of it, and the rolling fog constantly churned over the boundless land.

It was as if ghosts and evil spirits lurked within the fog, giving Li Che, now a Divine Embryo cultivator, an overwhelming sense of oppression through his Heaven-Earth Soul.

"The Three Pure Ones Rank Mysterious Temple... is already located deep within the Mysterious Palace."

"There is indeed a terrifying sense of horror."

Li Che exhaled, without hesitation, his gaze fell upon a black stone tablet at the entrance, with the words "Peach Orchard" written in an ancient script, unrecognizable but still understandable.

As soon as Li Che entered the orchard, he had only taken a few steps when a "swoosh" sound accompanied him. He turned back, only to find the entrance to the orchard had disappeared.

Moreover, Li Che witnessed a peach tree that seemed to have sprouted legs, running swiftly through the orchard.

The entire orchard seemed to have transformed into a large maze.

"Is this the first round of the Thousand-Year Peach Orchard?"

"The Peach Orchard Maze..."

Li Che's gaze revealed a peculiar expression.

Everyone's speculations...

Seemed to be wrong.

Originally, the Empress had stated that each hero could only pick one peach, leading everyone to assume that once inside the orchard, there would be fierce and brutal battles.

But now, due to the existence of the maze...

To engage in battles, one would first have to find their opponents.

"So, this test is about... investigative abilities."

"It's a competition to see who can find the other heroes first, defeat them, obtain their peaches, and collect five peaches to exit the maze."

Li Che pondered, forming a new hypothesis about the rules.

"The Immortal Mother's Peach Orchard... should be the first time anyone has set foot in it."

"Everyone's knowledge about the peach orchard is too limited."

Li Che's ink-black robe fluttered, and his gaze flickered.

He took a step, his foot sinking into the soft ground covered with verdant frost grass.

As he took a few more steps, the peach trees seemed to mimic a girl lifting her skirt, tiptoeing and then running, changing directions and completely erasing his path.

Li Che's gaze showed contemplation, and in the next moment, he lifted his hand and touched his brow.

Hum—

Invisible ripples, like folds, spread out!

Within the spiritual landscape of the Niwan Palace, the Heaven-Earth Soul of the Law Heaven-Earth True Monkey Divine Embryo vibrated, connecting with the Dao and forming the Heaven-Earth Soul.

It was as if the spiritual embryo had leaped out from the brow, transforming into a Yin spirit to observe its surroundings.

Li Che released the Heaven-Earth Soul, continuously rising higher.

However...

Li Che's expression soon changed, as his Heaven-Earth Soul, upon reaching its limit, sensed an extremely powerful oppressive force pressing down.

The higher it rose, and the more it expanded...

The pressure increased!

Even the Heaven-Earth Soul of a Divine Embryo cultivator was suppressed within a ten-zhang range.

Ten zhang in all directions!

"Suppressing the perception of the Heaven-Earth Soul... How can I search with my eyes closed?"

Li Che's brows furrowed.

This situation was indeed unexpected.

...

Li Che smiled. "Let's go find a ripe peach first."

Li Che stretched lazily, his ink-black robe billowing as he began to stride swiftly through the peach orchard.

Each Hero was allowed to pick one ripe peach, and finding this particular peach was the primary and crucial task.

Not every peach tree bore ripe peaches.

However, searching for the peach was evidently much easier than finding the Heroes who had fallen into the immense Peach Orchard.

In just a moment, Li Che's eyes flashed, and he detected an intensely rich aroma of peaches.

A blood-red peach hung on a peach tree.

It was so luscious it seemed ready to drip, like a drop of deep crimson.

"A thousand-year-old Chi Dragon Blood Peach!"

"It's good for replenishing vital energy."

Li Che smiled, and with a light step on the frost-covered grass, the ground slightly indented, and he shot forward like an arrow, swift as a black lightning bolt! However, just as Li Che was about to pluck the Chi Dragon Blood Peach hanging on the peach tree, a terrifying surge of vital energy struck like lightning, accompanied by an astonishing screech that exploded. A streak of crimson flame erupted, almost like a laser beam."

Li Che's Niwan within trembled slightly.

Having left a Flying Thunder Chess Piece outside, Li Che was aware that the others were watching through the image of the Heavenly River curtain.

So, Li Che didn't use his martial arts cultivation.

A massive Heaven and Earth Mimicry suddenly appeared, and a huge Heaven and Earth Mimicry Ape emerged, blocking the spraying flames in an instant, and with a palm strike, it grabbed the ambushing demonic creature, lifting it up.

Li Che's hands were behind his back, and his Niwan shone like an ebony eye.

He looked at the captured crimson snake.

The Star Snatching Eye activated.

【Demon (Wulao Lower Rank): Chi Fire Tri-Flower Python】

【Introduction: A demon born from the strange temple's divine essence, living in the Peach Orchard, growing with the peaches. When the peaches mature, the demon eats them, gaining transformation.】

Li Che's eyes revealed a peculiar expression.

"A Chi Fire Tri-Flower Python born with the peach, waiting for the peach to mature and then picking it... Wulao Lower Rank, equivalent to a Tri-Flower Grand Master, is not weak."

"So, every ripe peach is accompanied by a demon?"

Li Che took a deep breath.

He looked at the snake captured by Heaven and Earth Mimicry.

His eyes flashed.

Suddenly, his heart stirred.

"The rules say that each Hero can only pick one peach, but there's never been a restriction on these demons."

With a thought, the Heaven and Earth Mimicry Ape lifted the snake and struck it repeatedly, knocking it unconscious. Li Che then tore open the Heaven and Earth space and threw the snake inside.

The demon born with the peach is full of treasures...

Li Che naturally wouldn't waste it.

Without the Chi Fire Tri-Flower Python that had guarded the peach for a thousand years, Li Che unceremoniously picked the peach it had been guarding.

A rich aroma filled the air, and the freshly picked peach had an even stronger fragrance.

Holding the peach, Li Che took a whiff, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"The first peach..."

"The rule-testing is done; it's time to speed up and advance to the second round..."

For Li Che, the allure of a thousand-year-old peach wasn't strong enough.

Raising his hand, Li Che touched his Niwan.

The Heaven and Earth Mimicry Ape dissipated, and golden light flickered, making Li Che, standing in the center of Heaven and Earth Mimicry, appear slightly blurred.

And in that blur...

In his chest...

The Chess Sage Fruit thumped wildly!

Boom, boom, boom!

The terrifying thumping sound was like thunder.

The Heavenly Chessboard!

The next moment, Li Che's body became the Tian Yuan position, and countless intersecting lines were drawn.

Then, as Li Che's five fingers spread and pushed, the Heavenly Chessboard soared into the sky.

It enveloped the entire Peach Orchard.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

Li Che closed his eyes slightly.

After summoning the Heavenly Chessboard, it spun and expanded, instantly covering the entire thousand-year-old Peach Orchard.

Each peach tree seemed to tiptoe, and in his perception, they became incredibly clear.

As expected, Li Che sensed the Heroes' silhouettes speeding through the Peach Orchard maze.

These figures chose to run fast, constantly crashing and colliding in the maze, relying on speed for efficiency.

With their perception blocked, they could only use this old method.

At this moment, Li Che locked onto these figures, like headless flies, crashing and colliding in the Peach Orchard maze.

However...

Just as Li Che locked onto a Hero.

Li Che's expression changed dramatically.

He had never had such a drastic change in expression...

In his chest...

The usually quiet Chess Sage Fruit seemed to sense something and went wild, as if it wanted to burst out of his chest!

Thump, thump, thump—

Each thump seemed to want to expel Li Che's soul.

It was as if countless soul shadows were dissipating and expanding!

This Fruit had never behaved so strangely!

Since obtaining the Chess Sage Fruit, Li Che had never experienced such a peculiar feeling!

What was happening? Li Che's expression became solemn, facing the unknown with caution.

The unknown, even for Li Che, was something to be wary of.

The change in the Chess Sage Fruit was an unprecedented situation, a type of unknown.

Suddenly, the Chess Sage Fruit thumped wildly...

The Heavenly Chessboard, hovering over the Peach Orchard, seemed to radiate countless rays of light into every corner...

Slowly...

Amidst the deafening thumping sound.

Li Che vaguely caught an incredibly faint voice.

"Save me..."

"Save me..."

And in that moment, the voice echoed in Li Che's ears.

In his chest, the Chess Sage Fruit's thumping abruptly stopped.

An intense desire...

From the Chess Sage Fruit...

Like a bursting river, it surged forth!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end