Chapter 458: A Monkey with an Unrestrained Heart, Gathering the Last Piece of the Qitian Mask

Chapter 458: A Monkey with an Unrestrained Heart, Gathering the Last Piece of the Qitian Mask

Buzz...

The eerie mist swirled continuously, shrouding the entire Qitian City. From the outside, not even a glimmer of light could be seen, as if the entire city was enveloped in a thick fog.

The naked eye could not penetrate this mysterious mist, making it impossible to discern anything within.

Even the cultivators gathered outside, jumping and climbing, felt utterly helpless. Their eyes revealed a deep sense of dejection.

They all knew they had missed their chance.

However, there was no point in dwelling on what was lost. After all, even if they had participated in the Temple God's Resonance, there was no guarantee of success. They had merely lost the opportunity to enter the inner city of Qitian and compete for the inheritance left behind in the Qitian Temple.

People were familiar with the Temple God's Resonance and knew that the chances of success were slim. Only a few could truly obtain an inheritance through this resonance.

But no one could rule out the possibility of becoming that lucky one.

Now, with the Qitian City out of reach, they had also lost the chance to become that lucky person.

However, the various powerful figures from the Da Jing Jianghu and other major forces gathered outside the city were filled with curiosity.

Who would be able to resonate with the Temple God of Qitian and obtain the inheritance?

The resonance of the Temple God of the Three Purities Wicked Temple would likely shake the heavens and the earth!

Many recalled the Grand Inspector's words about the Three Purities-ranked divine weapon hidden within Qitian City—the Chaos-Controlling Golden Hoop Rod! This divine weapon alone was enough to astonish the entire world!

For a moment, everyone's gaze was fixed on the mist-covered Qitian City, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

...

...

The wind blew, bending the grass on the ground and causing the leaves hanging on the trees to rustle and collide, creating a tinkling sound like silver bells.

A Daoist temple quietly stood between heaven and earth, as if connected to the vastness of the world.

Li Che raised a finger and lightly tapped the little monkey's head three times.

"Transformation technique... I know it."

The little monkey froze.

Instinctively, he covered his head, and his lively eyes seemed to fill with countless swirling circles.

The entire monkey seemed lost in a daze.

It hurt...

But why did it feel so familiar? This feeling, for some reason, made the little monkey's nose tingle, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Li Che watched the monkey in front of him, his heart slightly stirred.

However, when he looked again, the little monkey had already wiped away his tears. Tilting his head, he hopped around Li Che, who was wearing the Divine Monkey Mask.

"Since you know the transformation technique, show me!"

The little monkey wildly waved his sleeves and tucked them behind him, mimicking the mannerisms of an old scholar as he took a few steps.

Li Che smiled, knowing that the Temple God's Resonance had begun.

The Temple God's Resonance focused on the compatibility with the Temple God, whether in appearance or inner essence. As long as there was compatibility, it could trigger the Temple God's Resonance and obtain the Temple God's inheritance.

"Okay, then watch closely."

Transformation technique...

Did Li Che know it?

Of course, he did. For him, the transformation technique was not difficult.

Boom!

The Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit in Li Che's chest cavity vibrated continuously, and with a single thought, he could use the Dao Fruit to transform his appearance and shape at will.

As ink splattered and the ink mist surged, Li Che transformed into various forms—birds, beasts, insects, houses...

Each transformation was unique, and his skills were unmatched!

As the ink mist surged, anything he could draw could be changed at will.

This was Li Che's unique transformation technique.

"Is that enough?"

Li Che dissipated the ink mist and transformed back into his original form, wearing the Divine Monkey Mask, and looked down at the little monkey.

The little monkey's eyes sparkled, dazzled by the various transformations. His mood improved, and he clapped his sleeves in applause.

This was the true art of the gods!

If he wanted to learn, he should learn this divine transformation technique!

The little monkey cheered.

Then, unable to contain his excitement, he pulled Li Che and led him into the Daoist temple.

One stone after another was levitated by an invisible force, and the little monkey hopped and jumped on them.

In a moment, he brought Li Che to the center of the temple.

The little monkey found a meditation cushion and sat down gracefully, and Li Che followed suit, imitating the little monkey's posture and sitting on a meditation cushion.

Dong!

The sound of a bell reverberated, echoing through the vast temple.

Li Che closed his eyes and opened them again, only to see a divine sculpture in the center of the temple. On the altar was a statue of an old Daoist with a flowing robe, kind eyes, and an ethereal aura.

The sculpture was so lifelike that even Li Che, with his divine carving skills, could not replicate such perfection.

The divine sculpture opened its eyes and looked at Li Che.

"You mischievous monkey."

The next moment, Li Che felt his head being lightly tapped three times by a whisk. Even with his current Wu Xian Jin Shen, he felt his brain shaking uncontrollably, as if it had turned into a mess.

At the same time, a message seemed to flow like a clear stream in his mind.

Li Che felt the stars in the sky moving, and the constellations shifting.

Everything seemed to become clearer, from the rustling of leaves and swaying of grass to the rolling of pebbles on the ground. His perception of everything became exceptionally sharp.

The information that flowed into his mind gradually wove together to form a martial arts technique.

Li Che's mind calmed, and his gaze swept over the "Tian Gang Xian Wu Qi Shi Er Bian" (Heavenly Pole Immortal Martial Arts Seventy-Two Transformations).

Martial arts inheritance!

Li Che's eyes lit up. Had he obtained a Qitian inheritance?

He was surprised, never expecting that by satisfying the little monkey's desire for change, he would gain such an inheritance.

The Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit in his chest cavity was stimulated, and Li Che entered a state of martial arts genius. He analyzed this martial art briefly.

"Xian Species Martial Arts!" Li Che exhaled.

Based on his analysis, he had already sensed the rank of this acquired martial art, which was on the same level as the Xian Species Martial Art, Golden Deer Sealing Seal, that Xi Xi was rewarded with when she entered school age.

A great start! However, without delving into the study of this martial art, Li Che only felt that the scene before him was once again transforming.

The eerie mist intertwined, and a small monkey sitting in meditation in a Daoist temple, listening to the Daoist teachings, was finally returning after mastering the skills from his master.

With one step, he tumbled through the clouds, instantly traversing a vast distance in an instant.

Waterfalls erupted, intertwining like a dream.

Countless monkeys on the mountains rejoiced, their demonic energy surging into the sky, wreaking havoc and intertwining! Li Che suppressed the Divine Monkey mask on his face and looked ahead, only to see one terrifying demon after another standing tall, their demonic energy wreaking havoc and intertwining.

Some demons were like mountains, some were as fierce as fighting bulls, and some were like giant birds covering the sky...

The demonic energy almost swept through heaven and earth, covering the entire sky! Even Li Che was caught off guard by this sudden change, his face slightly flushed from the impact.

These towering demons made Li Che's heart fill with curiosity, but these doubts soon vanished.

He thought of the temple name, Heaven-Striking Temple, and the Demon Saint of Hell Lotus, Fighting War Demon Saint Qi Tian...

Naturally, there was the name of a Demon Saint!

After mastering the skills from his master, he returned to the mountains as a powerful Demon Saint!

The little monkey's demeanor had changed dramatically, no longer resembling his previous naive self in loose Daoist robes.

Now, he had mastered the skills, possessing powerful divine abilities!

The demonic energy surged into the sky, wreaking havoc and intertwining.

The Demon Saint, Handsome Monkey King, had a slightly ferocious look on his face, exuding dominance and ferocity, with rolling demonic energy.

He sat on the Demon Saint's throne, his posture unconstrained, one leg dangling, the other slumped, carefree and unrestrained.

Behind him stood towering demons, their terrifying demonic energy following his gaze, falling upon Li Che, who wore the Divine Monkey mask.

Li Che suddenly understood why the demon race was so confident in resonating with the Temple God and obtaining Qi Tian's inheritance.

It turned out that everything had been waiting here!

Demon Saint Qi Tian!

"Kid, if you want to enter my Flower Fruit Mountain, where are you from? Are you really a demon?"

"Show me some demonic energy!"

Hearing this, Li Che smiled lightly.

"Okay."

Within his chest, the Long Xiang Jin Gang Dao Guo trembled.

The next moment, demonic energy roared out, and Li Che's entire aura underwent a dramatic transformation. In an instant, he transformed into the Night Bat Demon God, then the Heavenly Crane Demon God, and then into numerous demons whose energy had been absorbed by the Long Xiang Jin Gang Dao Guo.

"I can be a demon, too."

...

...

Heaven City.

Three hundred zhang in front of the inner city.

Lu Taibai, Lu Qiankun, Fang Hanshu, and others stopped in their tracks, their eyes fixed on Li Che, who wore the Divine Monkey mask, amidst the eerie mist.

Additionally, many who had participated in the Temple God's resonance but failed were also expelled, landing three hundred zhang outside the inner city.

Looking at the open inner gate, everyone's faces showed helplessness.

Most of the Divine Sect cultivators withdrew reluctantly, but surprisingly, many persisted and continued to move forward through the eerie mist, inching closer to the inner city entrance.

Lu Taibai and the others were somewhat helpless. Although failing to resonate with the Temple God wasn't a terrible thing, it was still disappointing.

However, if they could resonate with the Temple God, it would be a good thing.

Lu Taibai's silver hair fluttered, and his face still carried a hint of discontent. He couldn't even withstand the Temple God's resonance for a moment, and it was truly heartbreaking.

He looked towards the Da Jing Imperial Court, where Ye Pengju, Wang Kui, and others seemed to resonate with the Temple God, slowly moving forward.

Additionally, the Western Buddhist Kingdom, the Da Li Imperial Court, and the ten thousand great rivers' demon race had all resonated with the Temple God, slowly advancing three hundred zhang away.

"Why..."

Lu Taibai was heartbroken.

Fang Hanshu flipped through a page of the Holy Sage Book, glanced at him, and said calmly, "It's not hard to guess."

"The Fighting War Demon Saint of Hell Lotus, Qi Tian, has four elements in total, which I told you about... Ye Pengju, Wang Kui, and the officials of the Da Li Imperial Court resonate with the element of officials, which is Qi Tian's element."

"The Western Buddhist Kingdom resonates with Fighting War, and the ten thousand great rivers' demon race resonates with the Demon Saint..."

"If there's resonance, there will be harmony."

"One person will take on some of the harmony, and even at the final hundred zhang distance, there will still be competition."

"Unless there's someone who can resonate and harmonize with the four elements of the Qi Tian Temple God..."

"Is there such a person?"

Fang Hanshu shook his head. How could there be a cultivator who resonates with the four major camps when they are already in opposition?

Being a demon, a Buddhist, related to the Hell Lotus, and connected to the Dark Heavenly Court...

What kind of eccentric person would that be? Fang Hanshu couldn't even imagine it.

However, his heart skipped a beat.

Fang Hanshu's gaze fell upon Li Che, who wore the Divine Monkey mask.

He whispered, "Even the Netherworld... probably couldn't achieve this, right?"

His tone, however, lacked the previous certainty and carried a hint of doubt.

The main reason... was that the impact of the Netherworld on him was too overwhelming.

This force was indeed difficult to see through.

"That's... demonic energy?!"

Suddenly.

Lu Taibai exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the Divine Monkey, only to be surprised to find that the Divine Monkey...

Suddenly erupted with extremely dense demonic energy!

...

...

Boom!

Demonic energy burst forth from the physical body, shaking the Long Xiang Jin Gang Dao Guo, forcing out every inch of demonic energy, as if the heavens and earth had turned dark.

The Handsome Monkey King, seated on the throne, was stunned for a moment, then his hands intertwined in front of him, and he waved them like butterfly flowers.

"So, you're my demon race colleague! What a pleasure!"

The Handsome Monkey King immediately leaped down from the throne, grabbed Li Che, who released demonic energy, and walked to the throne, his body transformed into a peerless demon.

The surrounding terrifying Demon Saints' auras seemed to soften.

The waterfall roared, its spray creating a deafening sound.

The entire Flower Fruit Mountain was filled with demonic energy, and countless monkeys on the mountains rejoiced, running around the mountain ridges, picking fruits and presenting them in stone bowls.

The bonfire roared, a wild boar skewered with wooden branches, roasting over the flames until it turned golden, its juices dripping onto the fire, causing sparks to fly.

The red-faced monkey, serving wine to each of the demon saints.

Li Che, pulled by the Monkey King, sat in a chair, drinking wine and eating fruits and vegetables, feeling rather content.

These demons were simple and pure, celebrating in their own unique way.

Initially, Li Che had no fondness for demons, but now, his heart softened towards them.

Of course, the demons Li Che faced were those resonating with the Temple God, not the ones from the Wicked Demon Cave.

The demons from the Wicked Demon Cave, who targeted his daughter and wanted to take her away, were intolerable. Li Che would show them no mercy.

Where killing was necessary, he would kill.

In the past, with insufficient cultivation, facing powerful enemies, or those who threatened or coveted his daughter, Li Che had no choice but to endure and wait for the right moment to strike.

But now, Li Che had the strength and courage to settle scores immediately.

Time passed as they partied with the demons.

Li Che didn't know how much monkey wine he had drunk, but he was unusually drunk, feeling dizzy and lightheaded.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself riding the clouds, accompanied by the Monkey King.

Perhaps it was no longer appropriate to call him the Monkey King, as he now wore a crooked black gauze hat and colorful robes, looking somewhat comical.

"Do you think I became an official in the Celestial Court?" the Monkey King asked with a toothy grin.

After a few hops, he squinted and said, "Being an official in the Celestial Court is great! My monkeys on Huaguo Mountain can finally live in peace. After all, their king is an official in heaven!"

"They have connections and support. Even when they fight with other mountain demons, mentioning their king adds to their prestige. They live a carefree and happy life!"

The Monkey King smiled as he spoke.

Holding a peach, he took a few bites and then threw it away, glancing at Li Che with a sideways look. "Are you an official?"

Li Che felt a moment of dizziness.

Was he an official?

He looked into the Monkey King's eyes and smiled lightly, shaking his head.

"No."

He was not bound by any official duties, free and unconstrained.

The Monkey King's eyes showed no disappointment, but instead, a hint of relief.

"It's good not to be an official. What's so great about being an official? You have to wear a hat and follow all sorts of rules. It's not comfortable at all."

The Monkey King shook his head.

"I'm a bit envious of you."

Buzz...

As he finished speaking, Li Che's vision blurred again, and he knew his resonance with the Temple God had increased significantly.

Li Che had been hesitant about the idea of becoming an official.

He didn't know how to respond.

In truth, Li Che could have claimed to be an official, as he held the position of Special Guest Advisor in the Imperial Observatory, which was considered a semi-official role.

But in the end, Li Che chose to say he wasn't an official.

And it was clear that his answer was correct.

Qitian, he had no desire to be an official.

The scene before him kept changing. The Monkey King was securely established as an official in the Celestial Court, providing protection for his monkeys through his official position.

Then, with the opening of the Peach Banquet, the Monkey King, not invited, sneaked into the Peach Garden, ate all the peaches, and even humiliated a fairy.

Biting into a peach, the Monkey King threw it to the ground and burped. He glanced at Li Che with a sideways look.

"Brother, have you ever stolen a whole garden of peaches? I bet you haven't done that!"

However, Li Che's expression became strange as he replied, "I have stolen peaches."

It was the truth, and he spoke with confidence.

He almost wanted to cross his arms and puff out his chest like Xixi.

The Monkey King burst into laughter, certain that Li Che had indeed stolen peaches.

His laughter echoed through the clouds. The Monkey King took off his black gauze hat, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. "If being an official can't protect my monkeys and only brings shame, I'd rather not be an official!"

Laughing, the Monkey King left the Celestial Court and returned to his demon cave.

Li Che quietly followed, led by the resonance with the Temple God.

He saw the Monkey King being questioned by the Celestial Court. In a fit of anger, the Monkey King struck and killed the questioning celestial being.

Li Che, in a daze, felt as if he was reliving the moment when he and Xixi killed the court officials in the Divine Capital.

The scene seemed to overlap.

The Monkey King fought for his monkeys, and Li Che... fought for his daughter.

It was as if both of them had an unruly monkey in their hearts.

Buzz...

In his right hand, the Willful Golden Iron Staff trembled, and misty fog continuously surged from it.

Li Che's face showed a hint of realization.

The scene changed again.

He saw the Monkey King facing a golden Buddha, as vast as the sky, towering to an unseen height, seemingly fused with the heavens and earth.

The Monkey King's golden armor was shattered, yet he remained defiant.

As Li Che watched this scene, a sense of familiarity washed over him.

He didn't move much, but the resonance with the Temple God on his body was clearly increasing rapidly.

It was as if...

His body had long resonated with the Monkey King's actions.

He, too, had been defiant, unyielding, and faced formidable foes.

However, the Monkey King's defiance and unyielding spirit were for the sake of his monkeys on Huaguo Mountain.

But Li Che's determination was for his daughter and family.

Yet, their unwavering resolve and similar state of mind...

Perhaps, this was the most harmonious resonance.

In his right hand, the Willful Golden Iron Staff continued to tremble, emitting misty fog.

Li Che's face revealed a sense of enlightenment.

"So, I've been resonating with the Temple God all along, in Jin Guang City, in the Dao City, and in the Divine Capital... My actions have been in resonance with the Temple God."

"So, I've been resonating with Qitian for a long time..."

Li Che smiled lightly.

Suddenly, Li Che's smile began to slowly fade from his face.

The eerie mist churned, and the scene changed.

The Monkey King had been defeated and suppressed beneath the mountains. For the sake of his monkey subjects, he made a pact with the Buddhist sect, agreeing to escort a reincarnated monk on his journey westward...

Along the way, the once mighty Monkey King, now reduced to a mere cultivator, slew one familiar demon saint after another, carving a bloody path.

But his heart grew increasingly numb.

After accomplishing his mission, the Monkey King found himself with a golden hoop on his head, bathed in the radiant light of the Buddha, and his once wild and carefree demeanor was gone.

His monk's robe fluttered in the wind as he stood atop a barren mountain peak, his figure adorned with the golden hoop, resembling a monk in deep meditation.

This was the scorched and desolate Flower Fruit Mountain, now reduced to ruins, charred earth, and black smoke coiling like a dragon.

A broken spirit stone lay shattered on the ground, its once vibrant rainbow glow now dimmed, as if it had lost its essence.

However, as the Buddha's light shone upon it, the stone's rainbow radiance faded further, as if it had completely lost its brilliance.

Just like the Monkey King at this moment.

He sat cross-legged on the desolate peak, holding a stone that had lost its spiritual essence.

He was born from this stone, which had granted him his spiritual nature, but now that nature was gone...

Facing the vast expanse of scorched earth, he thought of the monkeys he had once protected, now reduced to ashes.

He opened his mouth to let out a roar, but not even a single tear could be squeezed out.

He sat there, his back gradually hunching.

"Are you a Buddha?"

"If it means protecting what you hold dear, would you become a Buddha?"

A hoarse roar escaped his lips, followed by a calm voice.

The resonance seemed to reach its limit, unable to rise any further.

It was as if waiting for Li Che's answer.

A life-and-death answer.

If Li Che answered incorrectly, the resonance would instantly vanish.

But if he answered correctly, the resonance would surge again, completing the Temple God's resonance.

Li Che adjusted the Monkey God mask on his face.

The mask was broken, shattered into three pieces, two of which he had collected.

Listening to the Monkey King's calm acceptance of his path to Buddhahood, Li Che no longer felt the need to ask questions.

He exhaled slowly.

"I'm not a Buddha," Li Che said calmly.

"Even if it means compromising for my daughter's sake, I won't become a Buddha. My daughter... she only wants to see her father as a great hero, one who can ride on rainbow clouds and clear all obstacles for her. She doesn't want a father who compromises with reality, using her as an excuse, and who has no emotions for her."

"So, I refuse to become a Buddha."

Li Che raised his hand, and the Dream Celestial Master's Dao Fruit throbbed in his chest.

In his hand, a rainbow-colored light began to weave together, slowly transforming into a dream-like scroll.

Within the scroll, there was Xi Xi.

Every scene depicted Xi Xi, Li Che's daughter, cheering for her father with pride.

The Monkey King stared in amazement at the lively little girl, as if seeing the countless monkeys that once roamed the mountains, cheering and jumping for joy for him.

The mountains were now desolate, covered in scorched earth.

"Your daughter is adorable," the Monkey King said.

Li Che's lips curled into a smile, "I think so too, thank you."

In the heart of every boy, there is a Qitian, a free-spirited figure. But as they grow older, settle down, start a family, and have children, that free-spirited nature is gradually reined in.

However, the suppression of Qitian doesn't mean its disappearance.

It's like a flame.

As long as it doesn't die out, the Qitian who once shattered the southern sky, overturned the immortal furnace, and stepped on the rainbow bridge will always be there!

One day, he will return in his unfettered form, reigniting his flame!

Everyone has their own interpretation of Qitian, and this is Li Che's understanding of him.

The Monkey King sat cross-legged atop the mountain peak, as if understanding something. He raised his hand and placed it over his heart, and a deep laughter escaped his lips.

"Thank you, little brother."

"I once let them down, but I can't let them down again..."

"It's time to return."

Boom, boom, boom—

The sound of a mighty heartbeat reverberated, like a dormant dark furnace suddenly igniting into a terrifying flame that could burn mountains and boil the sea! The next moment, he threw back his head and laughed, and the heavens and earth responded with rolling black clouds.

It was as if his laughter shattered the sky!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The eerie mist swelled, sweeping through the surroundings like a storm.

Clatter, clatter...

The sound of rattling chains echoed from within the inner city, as if an all-powerful being was struggling, trying to break free from its restraints and return to its wild nature.

Accompanying the earth-shattering laughter was a sharp, piercing sound, as if tearing through the sky and breaking through the cloud barriers.

The entire Qitian City seemed to tremble! Three hundred zhang away.

Lu Taibai, Fang Hanshu, and the others were startled, their eyes widening in surprise.

"The Temple God is rioting!"

"Has the Temple God's resonance reached a conclusion?!"

"So soon?!"

Fang Hanshu's eyes flashed with an unusual light.

He stared intently at the misty three-hundred-zhang passageway, only to realize that the shadow of the Monkey God had already appeared before the gate of Qitian's inner city, though he wasn't sure when.

But there was no time to think further.

Fang Hanshu's attention was drawn elsewhere.

He looked up at the top of the inner city's walls.

There, the eerie mist seemed to be cleaved in two by a terrifying long sword.

As the mist dissipated, a black pillar standing atop the city wall began to tremble, and the charred surface slowly peeled away with a crackling sound.

Once the charred layer fell away, dazzling golden light burst forth.

A rekindled flame ignited within!

Lu Taibai, Fang Hanshu, Lu Qiankun, and the numerous cultivators who had failed the Temple God's resonance, all standing three hundred zhang away, took a deep breath.

"That is..."

"The Qitian Temple God's divine weapon!"

"The Chaos-Subduing Golden Hoop Staff!"

...

...

Li Che opened his eyes, holding the Willful Golden Iron Staff, standing before the pitch-black gate.

This was the gate leading to Qitian's inner city.

After three hundred zhang of Temple God's resonance, he had reached the end.

However, Li Che remained still, not moving from his spot.

Because...

In front of him, a broken mask floated, emitting a faint glow.

That was...

The final piece of Qitian's face!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end