Chapter 446: Devouring the Four Heavenly Kings, Li Che's Nurtured Monsters, and the Unblemished Pure

Chapter 446: Devouring the Four Heavenly Kings, Li Che's Nurtured Monsters, and the Unblemished Pure Heart's Final Transformation

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The howling wind bent the countless trees that spanned the forest, twisting them into grotesque shapes.

Two enormous pits appeared in the earth, gaping like wounds in the land.

Rain poured down, icy cold, falling in torrents from the thick, leaden clouds above.

Jin Taishui panted heavily, his breath ragged as he sprinted back, stopping at the edge of the pits. His pupils dilated, bloodshot, as he stared at the two figures within.

Zhou Peng's ugly face contorted as he grasped Yun'e's finger tightly.

But despite his hideous appearance, his expression was filled with peace and contentment. It was as if, by holding onto Yun'e's finger, he had grasped his entire world, and his heart was overflowing with joy.

Yun'e's body emanated a cold, moonlit aura, and her porcelain-like skin was covered in fine cracks, as if on the verge of shattering into countless fragments.

The cold rain poured down on them.

Jin Taishui knelt on the ground, his eyes filled with pain. After years of training in the Witch God Mountain, having crawled through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, he should have been numb to death.

After all, countless gifted children perished during each trial in the Witch God Mountain.

Yet, witnessing the deaths of Zhou Peng and Yun'e, Jin Taishui felt a heart-wrenching pain, as if his very bones were being scraped. They were his friends, and there were few of them.

Jin Taishui's mind flashed with memories of their adventures together—their journeys through the Guangling Dao, the official roads, and the Grand Canal.

They had played, taken risks, and explored together.

There were moments of joy and laughter, shared hardships, and displays of gallantry.

Kneeling on the ground, Jin Taishui felt only his own weakness and helplessness. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he wept, his face contorted in grief.

As strong as he was, he rarely cried.

Suddenly, the rain distorted, torn apart by a terrifying force.

Two figures appeared beside him, and Jin Taishui, sniffling, lifted his head. Through the rain that battered his face, he saw Li Che and Xixi.

Seeing Xixi, Jin Taishui's worried heart instantly relaxed.

Xixi held Li Che's hand, her expression filled with a hint of melancholy.

She turned her head towards the pit, looking at the two intertwined figures, and her heart felt heavy, as if an endless sadness was about to overwhelm her.

"Daddy..."

"Xixi... Yun'e sister is gone..."

Xixi's mood sank, and large tears rolled down her eyes, mixing with the rain.

It was unclear if it was rain or tears.

Li Che's ink-black robe fluttered in the wind, his dark, vigorous hair whipping in the storm. He ruffled Xixi's hair and turned his gaze to the two figures in the pit, their Temple God powers exhausted, their lives extinguished.

"No, they're just sleeping," Li Che said, gently rubbing Xixi's head with a smile.

Xixi blinked, looking up at Li Che. She was young, but not foolish.

Zhou Peng and Yun'e's life forces had vanished...

But Xixi didn't argue. Perhaps Daddy was trying to comfort her?

"It's okay, Daddy will wake them up," Li Che said with a smile.

Xixi was truly dumbfounded, but a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

Could the dead truly return to life?

Xixi thought of the mysterious Netherworld, where many powerful masters resided. Surely, they could make it happen?

Jin Taishui stood up, wiping away his tears. He didn't say much, but hearing Li Che and Xixi's conversation, he felt a tingling sensation throughout his body.

Li Che patted Xixi's head, then released her hand and took a step forward, appearing beside Zhou Peng and Yun'e.

Zhou Peng's ugly face bore a pig-like head with two curved fangs pointing upwards, exuding a fierce aura.

Yun'e, on the other hand, was even more stunning, both of them no longer resembling children but transformed into adults. This was the Temple God power that lay dormant deep within their souls.

"Reincarnated Temple Gods..."

Li Che's eyes flashed, and he exhaled softly.

In the next moment, his heart stirred.

Gathering their bodies, he vanished into the pit.

When he reappeared, he was already within Ink City.

The rain poured down from the heavens, carrying the power to repair the damaged city. It wasn't that Ink City always rained; it was mainly because Li Che had been constantly stirring up trouble within its walls.

He frequently lured powerful individuals to battle within the city, resulting in its damage.

The ink-black rain enveloped the heavens and earth, and for a moment, the entire city seemed to lose its color, hidden behind the rain and mist, leaving only shades of black and white, symbolic of death.

Within Ink City, only Li Che remained alive; everyone else was dead.

The bodies of Yun'e and Zhou Peng fell to the ground.

As reincarnated Temple Gods, could they successfully be bound?

Li Che wasn't entirely sure, but it was worth a try. Although they were reincarnated Temple Gods, they were also children he had watched grow up.

When they first arrived in Jin Guangfu City and grew up alongside Xixi, Li Che had developed feelings for them.

He spread his fingers, and in that instant, countless gusts of wind howled and intertwined in the heavens and earth.

"Souls, return!"

Bind the Deities!

The deep voice resonated like a tribal elder's low chant during an ancient sacrificial ceremony, opening a portal between the Netherworld and the mortal realm, allowing the departed souls to pass through and be reborn.

As the binding power was unleashed, Li Che was surprised to find that this time, it was slightly different from before.

Boom!!!

The raging wind exploded with a burst of malevolent energy.

Li Che abruptly looked up, and to his astonishment, the space seemed to shatter, revealing a pitch-black city emerging from the depths of the fracture.

The city was ancient and towering, straddling the chaotic currents of space, seemingly eternal.

It was enveloped in an incredibly powerful divine essence, like a mirage's reflection, captivating Li Che's gaze.

His eyes fixed on the city gate, where four characters were inscribed.

【Jiu You Zhi Cheng】

Jiu You Zhi Cheng!

Li Che's heart trembled slightly. From the city, he seemed to see an enormous black lotus blooming, its dark flames burning with intertwining curses, capable of incinerating mountains, boiling seas, and destroying the heavens and earth!

It was a force that the heavens and earth could not tolerate!

In the distance, atop the city walls, Li Che glimpsed a cold, moonlit glow, as if something was about to soar and ascend towards the moon.

There stood a divine goddess, like an ancient deity from the Moon Palace in the vast emptiness of space, her beauty akin to the moon's radiance.

Li Che's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Beside the goddess was a towering figure in golden armor, with a hideous pig-headed face and a nine-toothed rake in hand.

The two stood atop the city wall.

Their gazes met, piercing through the fragmented fabric of time and space, colliding with Li Che's stare.

Buzz—

The city vanished.

Within Ink City, the winds and waves seemed to calm.

Li Che stood in the city, his brows deeply furrowed.

The City of the Nine Underworlds...

Deep within the Netherworld?

No, that city... seemed to have a significant connection with the Damnosa Lotus, and that blooming black lotus was none other than the Damnosa Lotus itself.

So, Yun'e and Zhou Peng's reincarnated Temple Deities originated from the City of the Nine Underworlds? Li Che's heart stirred slightly.

Both Temple Deities were from the Damnosa Lotus faction? And they both appeared by Xixi's side—was it a coincidence?

The connection between Xixi and the Damnosa Lotus was too intricate. Whether it was the Damnosa Lotus's curse or the Xixi-like figure in her soul, suspected to be her past life...

And after killing Ji Mali, there was also the monk named Jin Chan, who had been backing him.

Jin Chan...

Qitian, Jin Chan... Li Che's eyes flashed.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

It was as if the wailing of lost souls echoed, and slowly, streams of light wove together before him.

Yun'e and Zhou Peng, bound by the Temple God Will, emerged from the Netherworld.

Their cultivation was not high, so binding them was effortless for Li Che, causing him no strain.

However, Li Che sensed that the Temple Deities within them had disappeared.

Perhaps, their Temple Deities had remained in the City of the Nine Underworlds and couldn't return despite the successful binding.

Li Che wanted to summon the Temple Deities, but even though they appeared close, the distance was too great for his summoning power.

He sighed softly.

Under the circumstances, this was the best they could do.

Yun'e and Zhou Peng opened their eyes. Zhou Peng's fat head and large ears returned to his original chubby appearance.

"Uncle Li... Lord..."

Yun'e opened her eyes, her long lashes trembling slightly. She had reverted to her youthful self, and her eyes, falling on Li Che, shone with a peculiar light.

Beside her, Zhou Peng rubbed his head, looking at himself in confusion, feeling a newfound lightness in his body.

It was as if the pressure from their Temple Deity reincarnations had vanished.

Messages slowly flowed into their minds, revealing their current situation.

Bound by the Temple God Will? Yun'e and Zhou Peng exchanged glances, both relieved.

Although they survived in a different form... it was good to be alive, and even better to be free from the influence of the Temple Deity's power, making their bodies lighter and their spirits happier.

It was as if they had finally become themselves again.

"No need to call me Lord; just call me Uncle Li."

Li Che smiled gently.

"Xixi is waiting for you outside. Go... Even though you've changed your life forms, you can still cultivate and become stronger. It might even be easier than before."

"But I can't bring back the Temple Deities within you... They've been drawn away by the City of the Nine Underworlds."

Li Che explained.

Yun'e nodded. "Uncle Li, it's okay. We understand."

"The City of the Nine Underworlds is located in the Damnosa Lotus Lake..."

"It belongs to the Damnosa Lotus faction..."

"My Temple Deity and Zhou Peng's are both from the Damnosa Lotus faction. Our rebirth is to fulfill the Damnosa Lotus's will and change its current situation."

Yun'e spoke softly, her moonlight divine pattern between her brows shimmering.

"As long as we return to the Damnosa Lotus City, we can bring the Temple Deity's power back into our bodies, achieving a great leap and breakthrough."

"The Temple Deity's power is greatly suppressed in the mortal world, even in the Diguique. Plus, with our weak cultivation, we can't release its power..."

"The Temple Deity is a fallen deity, so it can't exert the perfect power of a living deity. And when we bear the Temple Deity, its power is further diminished."

"Of course, if our cultivation progresses, we can bear the Temple Deity's power. Even if we can't bear it perfectly, we can still achieve a leap... and become a great help to Uncle Li."

Yun'e's eyes shone with a mix of admiration and anticipation.

She looked at Li Che with a brightness like a starry river in her eyes.

Zhou Peng, standing beside her, rubbed his head, feeling a bit dejected as he watched Yun'e.

After all, that admiring gaze wasn't for him.

Perhaps the hand he had grabbed in the pit was just a fleeting dream.

Li Che's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he soon relaxed, no longer dwelling on thoughts about the Temple Deities.

The emergence of the Weird Temple in the mortal world and its connection to the Diguique...

Created a unique link between the mortal world and the Diguique, altering the situation in the mortal world. The appearance of the Weird Temple and the overflow of divine essence even allowed many cultivators to improve, breaking through the shackles of cultivation and ushering in a golden age of cultivation.

But why did the gods fall and become Temple Deities? Too many mysteries swirled like thick fog, obscuring the truth.

Li Che stopped pondering these questions and turned to the two youngsters.

He waved them over.

"Let's go."

...

The rain poured relentlessly. Xixi and Jin Taishui stood at the edge of the pit, both in low spirits.

Two of their companions, who had come out to train together, had suddenly disappeared. Jin Taishui was fine, but Xixi was so sad she could barely breathe.

This was her first experience with such painful separation and loss.

But could Daddy really bring back Yun'e and Zhou Peng?

She looked around at the empty surroundings. In the sky above, blood-red clouds swirled, as if pouring down a cold, bloody rain.

This was the omen of a divine tribulation's fall.

She leaned against a tree, its leaves blocking some of the rain. Xixi's heart was heavy.

Jin Taishui stood quietly by Xixi's side, silent but supportive.

Suddenly, Xixi lifted her head, her primordial spirit clearly sensing the air's disturbance.

She looked up and saw Daddy leading Yun'e and Zhou Peng, appearing out of thin air, walking slowly through the bloody rain.

Xixi looked at Yun'e and Zhou Peng. Yun'e winked playfully at Xixi, her fair and beautiful face radiating gentleness and joy.

Perhaps it was the joy of their reunion that made Yun'e a little more lively than usual.

On the other side, Zhou Peng imitated Xixi's pose, puffing out his little belly and then breaking into a wide smile.

Xixi couldn't wait any longer and stood up.

The joy in her eyes was almost uncontrollable, as if it was about to overflow.

She dashed into the rain, running at breakneck speed.

...

...

Li Che did not abandon the four little ones and directly entered Ink City to sort out the gains from the battle.

Instead, he accompanied the four little ones who were overjoyed.

The group entered the ruined Lo Cloud City, which was half-destroyed, and found a place to shelter from the rain, also waiting for Lu Taibai and the others to arrive.

About half an hour later.

A sword light stretched across the night sky, tearing through the bloody rain.

Above the sword, Lu Taibai was floating gracefully, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Lu Qiankun's beard and hair fluttered in the wind, and his aged eyes were deep and profound, "A Divine Tribulation has fallen."

"This is an unusual phenomenon of a Divine Tribulation's demise."

Fang Hanchu stood on the flying sword, his scholar's robe fluttering, stroking his beautiful beard, "Corpse God Sect... Black Armored Guards..."

He immediately noticed the corpses in the ruins of Lo Cloud City.

"The air still carries the lingering aura of a Shrine God..."

"We're too late."

Fang Hanchu sighed.

He hoped that nothing sad had happened.

"Sect Master, over here."

Li Che, who was covered by the expanding Heavenly Chessboard, had sensed the auras of Lu Taibai and Lu Qiankun long ago, so he immediately called out to them.

Lu Taibai, who had now broken through to the Divine Tribulation, had undergone the transformation of the Heavenly Soul into the Heavenly Dao Soul, making his sensing ability even more powerful, extremely meticulous, and even capable of discerning the essence and truth of things.

The Taibai Sword transformed into a silver glow and returned to his sleeve.

The three of them descended into Lo Cloud City and quickly located the direction of Li Che and the others, hurrying over.

"Sect Master, Master!"

Xixi was feasting in the restaurant and was delighted to see Lu Taibai.

Lu Taibai looked at the unharmed Xixi, and his eyes instantly softened, his heart relaxing.

Reunions always bring joy.

Even when Xixi saw Fang Hanchu, the master of the Demon Cave, she no longer felt the fear she once did, but instead, felt a sense of joy.

"Ji Mali is dead."

Fang Hanchu looked at Li Che and spoke his guess.

Judging from the corpses left by the Corpse God Sect and the Black Armored Guards, Fang Hanchu naturally guessed that the fallen Divine Tribulation was Ji Mali.

If Lu Taibai could break through to the Divine Tribulation, then Ji Mali... if he used unscrupulous means, breaking through to the Divine Tribulation was not difficult.

Moreover, with the Divine Tide approaching, the divine essence fluctuations in the world had become much stronger, making it easier to break through the Divine Tribulation than before.

Li Che was not surprised that Fang Hanchu could guess this, as he was well aware of Fang Hanchu's true identity.

"Yes, Ji Mali broke through to the Divine Tribulation and wanted to slaughter this city, gather Blood Souls, and prepare for the journey to Heaven-Attaining City. He also wanted to kill Xixi, so I came here and asked the Netherworld powers for help, dealing with Ji Mali."

Li Che said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Lu Taibai and Fang Hanchu were not overly surprised.

After all, the mysteries and power of the Netherworld had long surpassed the past, and now there was also the Netherworld Ghost Emperor. Ji Mali had just broken through the Divine Tribulation...

Indeed, there was not much suspense.

Lu Taibai rubbed Xixi's head with a sense of relief, exhaling.

"Slaughtering the city..."

"Ji Mali is truly insane!"

"The Pacification King? How ridiculous."

...

...

With the protection of Lu Taibai and the others.

Li Che could also rest assured and enter Ink City to summarize their gains.

After all, when summarizing their gains, Li Che's thoughts would be more concentrated, and he was worried that something might happen outside that he wouldn't be able to protect them in time, like the mysterious monk behind Ji Mali, the evil monk Jin Chan from the Western Buddhist Lands who had manipulated Ji Mali to carry out the slaughter and gather Blood Souls.

So, at this moment, he could finally relax and summarize their overall gains.

In Ink City, the wind and rain were howling.

Li Che's qi and blood roared, evaporating and forming a windy and rainy void.

He came to Ji Mali's corpse, which had been cut into thousands of pieces by the Thousand Mountains Solo Sky-cutting Saber.

Thinking of the endless wails that erupted after killing Ji Mali, how many lives must have been sacrificed, and how many Blood Souls must have been offered to create such a spectacle?

Ji Mali, his death was well-deserved!

A person like him did not deserve to be reborn or gain immortality.

Li Che didn't want to let Ji Mali be Bound Deity and reborn.

But...

A good Bound Deity should not be missed, and a bad Bound Deity should not be wasted.

A bad Bound Deity also has its uses.

Spreading his five fingers, he aimed at Ji Mali's already cold corpse...

A moment later, Ji Mali's Bound Deity emerged from the Nine Nethers.

Ji Mali opened his eyes, looking dazed, and his face still carried the resentment and anger from when Li Che had slashed him...

Suddenly, he calmed down, and the information flowing through his mind made him fall silent.

"You..."

Ji Mali looked at Li Che and opened his mouth.

However, Li Che only looked at him indifferently, standing above him, looking down.

Surrender?

Or... resist?

After a moment of hesitation, Ji Mali gritted his teeth and chose to surrender.

"Tear open the Sky Wheel, and open it to me."

Li Che said indifferently.

Ji Mali, who had chosen to surrender, could not resist Li Che's command.

After the Sky Wheel was torn open, Li Che took a glance and his breath instantly condensed, his eyes flashing with a look of sudden wealth.

Then, without hesitation, he collected all the good things within the Sky Wheel.

There were ten Lower God Divine Essence Crystals of the Three Purities, and next were the Dao Essence Divine Crystals, with five Four Sovereigns Dao Essence Divine Crystals!

This Ji Mali... his wealth was so abundant?

Unfortunately, they were only Four Sovereigns Dao Essence Divine Crystals and not the true divine crystals of the Three Purities or higher.

According to the saying, only the Dao Essence Divine Crystals of the Three Purities and above are considered true divine crystals, and the Four Sovereigns Dao Essence Divine Crystals do not count.

"That's it, thank you."

"You can continue on your way."

Li Che was satisfied.

Ji Mali: "..."

Then, he felt an unquestionable force slamming down on him.

Ji Mali's entire armor seemed about to explode.

He was thrown into the crowd of Bound Deities.

To face the upcoming challenge in Heaven-Attaining City, it was easy to guess that there would be countless strong opponents in this journey.

So, Li Che directly fed Ji Mali's Bound Deity to Gu Yinyin.

"Old Yin, how much further is it to the One Tribulation Three Tribulations Realm...?"

After Gu Yinyin finished devouring it without hesitation, Li Che asked.

"Master, it's estimated that it will take another God Tribulation of the same level as Ji Mali's One Tribulation One Tribulation Realm."

Gu Yinyin was satisfied, feeling the growth of his power, and his mood was excellent.

Li Che nodded.

Without saying more, he let Gu Yinyin continue his research on poison.

With the master's reward, Gu Yinyin was filled with fighting spirit and enthusiasm, feeling that this time, his poison research could kill a hundred times more!

After sending Gu Yinyin away, Li Che sat cross-legged and began to study the three Divine Artifacts obtained from Ji Mali.

The Immortal Lotus Immortal Sky Brocade was given to Xixi, but there were still three Divine Artifacts containing Temple God Will.

These were the Qing Yun Shen Jian, Hun Yuan San Qiang, and Zi Jin Diao, belonging to the three Temple Gods of the Three Great Kings. Together with the Bi Yu Pi Pa that Li Che had obtained earlier, the Divine Artifacts of the Four Great Kings were now complete.

At this moment, Li Che had gathered all four Divine Artifacts of the Four Great Kings.

Taking out the Bi Yu Pi Pa, the four Divine Artifacts were perfectly aligned.

Boom—!!!

The Temple God's Divine Essence swelled like a balloon being blown up, constantly growing and instantly becoming taut.

Four colossal white, blue, green, and red Temple God shadows stretched across the surroundings, towering at a hundred zhang tall! Their wrathful gazes could be felt.

"Four Great Kings..."

Li Che smiled lightly.

This was the foundation of Ji Mali's rise.

In fact, if Ji Mali had managed to gather the four Temple Gods and fuse them into himself, along with the fusion of the six Corpse Gods, it might have allowed his cultivation to break through directly to the height of the One Tribulation Three Tribulations Realm.

If that were the case, Li Che might have felt some pressure when facing an opponent of the One Tribulation Three Tribulations Realm.

"Four Great Kings Temple God Will..."

Li Che smiled lightly.

Spreading his five fingers...

Summoning God!

As his divine ability was displayed, the four Temple God Wills trembled violently, emitting angry roars. They were slowly compressed by the Summoning God's power into four pearls that gathered the Temple God's Divine Essence.

Li Che tapped his toes, and his entire body vanished in an instant.

When he reappeared, he was already at the top of the tallest rectangular building in Ink City Fendu.

Sitting cross-legged on top, Li Che's heart stirred slightly.

This battle with Ji Mali, who had exhausted all his trump cards, brought Li Che tremendous gains.

First was the improvement in his martial arts.

With his mastery of the Dao Tribulation's power, the fusion of Primordial Cut Void Fury and the True Martial Thousand Mountains Solo Sky-cutting Saber became even more harmonious.

The Thousand Mountains Solo Sky-cutting Saber that he had refined seemed to show signs of transforming into a fairy-type martial art under Li Che's near-enlightenment comprehension!

If it truly transformed into a fairy-type, it would be fantastic news for Li Che.

This meant that two of his Eight Odd Gates Divine Seeds could be transformed into fairy-types.

However, this martial arts comprehension was not Li Che's greatest gain this time.

The most significant gain was the severing of his heart knot. Ji Mali... was a dark cloud hanging over Li Che's family, but now that cloud had been dispelled, leaving a sense of freedom and joy, like a fish leaping into the sea.

It was like breaking free from shackles and returning to freedom! Li Che felt like he had undergone a tremendous transformation in his soul.

Even though Li Che knew that Ji Mali was just a stepping stone on his life's journey, and that he would become stronger and face even more powerful opponents and terrifying pressures in the future, the fear from his weaker days was the real culprit that clouded his soul.

Now, he felt like he had torn through the haze to see the boundless blue sky, a soul-stirring transformation.

Li Che sat cross-legged on the Dominating Tower, a rectangular building that he named as such, a symbol of the Ink City Lord.

Closing his eyes, his soul immersed itself.

Within the Niwan Inner Scene.

The Seven Aperture Crystal Heart seemed to sense his soul's transformation, jumping incessantly. With each beat, a surge of divine essence would rush forth like a tidal wave.

The entire world seemed to quiet down.

The sounds of rain, wind, water, rolling pebbles, and bursting water droplets all disappeared.

"Huff—"

"Suck—"

Li Che opened his mouth, inhaling and exhaling.

The beating of the Seven Aperture Crystal Heart grew louder, like the tolling of a bell at dawn and dusk!

Then, the Pure Heart Dao Fruit in his chest began to throb and boom in sync.

It was as if a divine bell atop a snowy mountain temple had been struck by a god, its reverberations echoing across the vast heavens and earth.

Boom—

Li Che suddenly opened his eyes.

Between his eyes, light intertwined.

The world became clear, and fortune arrived after adversity! In front of him, the intertwining threads of light condensed into a text prompt.

[Dao Fruit: Pure Heart (lv7, 0%)]



Feeling the solitude of the world, only the soul is eternal!

Slaying the heart demon, the heart remains untainted!

Pure Heart!

Five Degenerations!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end