Chapter 458: The Unruly Monkey in His Heart, Gathering the Final Piece of the Qitian Mask [Seeking M

Chapter 458: The Unruly Monkey in His Heart, Gathering the Final Piece of the Qitian Mask [Seeking Monthly Votes]



Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...

The mysterious mist swirled incessantly, shrouding the entire Qitian City. From the outside, not a glimmer of light could be seen, as if the city were enveloped by a dense fog.

With the naked eye, it was impossible to see through this enigmatic mist or discern anything within it.

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

They all knew they were among those who had personally missed their chance.

However, with the opportunity gone, there was no point in dwelling on it. After all, even if they had participated in the temple deity resonance, there was no guarantee of success, and they had merely lost the chance to enter the inner city of Qitian and compete for the inheritance left behind in the Qitian Temple.

People were no strangers to temple deity resonance and knew that the chances of success were slim. Only a few could obtain an inheritance through this method.

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

Now, having failed to enter Qitian City, they had naturally lost the chance to be that fortunate one.

However, the various Jianghu experts and powerful figures from major forces gathered outside Qitian City were filled with curiosity.

Who would be able to resonate with the Qitian temple deity and obtain the inheritance?

The resonance of a deity from the Three Qing Strange Temple was likely to shake the heavens and the earth!

Many thought of what the Great Inspector had said about the Three Qing ranked divine weapon hidden within Qitian City—the Hunyuan Ruyi Jingu Staff! This divine weapon alone was enough to astonish the world!

For a moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on the mist-shrouded Qitian City, their gazes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

...

...

Whoosh!

The gentle breeze blew, bending the grass on the ground and causing the leaves hanging on the trees to shimmer and rustle, emitting a sound like a silver bell.

A quiet temple stood between heaven and earth, seemingly connected to the vast expanse, serene and spacious.

Li Che curled his fingers and lightly tapped the head of the lively little monkey in front of him three times.

"Metamorphosis Art... I know it."

The little monkey froze.

Instinctively, it covered its head, and its lively eyes seemed to fill with countless expanding circles.

The entire monkey seemed to be 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, ready to fall.

Li Che looked at the little monkey before him, his heart slightly stirred.

However, when he looked again, the little monkey had already wiped away its tears. Tilting its head, it jumped and hopped around Li Che, who was wearing the Monkey King Mask.

"Since you know the Metamorphosis Art, show me a transformation!"

The little monkey rolled up its wide sleeves and tucked them behind its back, imitating the mannerisms of an old scholar. It took a few steps forward.

Li Che smiled, knowing that the temple deity resonance had begun.

Temple deity resonance emphasized the compatibility with the temple deity, whether in appearance or inner essence. As long as there was compatibility, one could trigger the temple deity resonance and obtain the deity's inheritance.

"Alright, then watch closely."

Metamorphosis Art...

Did Li Che know it?

Of course, he did. For him, the Metamorphosis Art was not particularly difficult.

Boom!

The Huazhongxian Dao Fruit in Li Che's chest vibrated continuously, and with a single thought, he could use the Huazhongxian Dao Fruit to transform his appearance and posture in various ways.

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

Each transformation was unique and unparalleled!

Within the surging ink mist, he could change into anything he could draw at will.

This was Li Che's unique Metamorphosis Art.

"Is that enough?"

Li Che dissipated the ink mist and transformed back into his appearance with the Monkey King Mask, looking down at the little monkey.

The little monkey's eyes sparkled, dazzled by the transformations. Its mood soared, and it waved its wide sleeves, clapping and cheering.

This was the true art of the immortals.

If he wanted to learn, he should learn this immortal art!

"Yes, yes, amazing Metamorphosis Art! I want to learn it!" the little monkey exclaimed.

Then, without hesitation, it pulled Li Che and led him into the temple.

One by one, stones were levitated by an invisible force, and the little monkey hopped and jumped on them.

In a moment, it had brought Li Che into the temple.

The little monkey found a meditation cushion and sat on it gracefully. Li Che followed its example and sat cross-legged on another cushion.

Dong!

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

Li Che closed his eyes and opened them again, only to suddenly turn his gaze towards the center of the temple. There, on the altar, a divine statue had appeared.

It was a carved statue of an old Daoist with a flowing robe, kind eyes, and an air of immortality.

The statue was so lifelike that even Li Che, with his current divine carving skills, could not replicate such a masterpiece.

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

"You mischievous monkey."

The next moment, Li Che felt his head being tapped three times with a feather duster. Even with his Martial Immortal Golden Body, he felt his brain shaking incessantly, as if it had turned into mush.

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

Li Che felt as if the starry sky above was spinning, and the stars were shifting.

Everything seemed to become clearer—the rustling of leaves, the swaying of grass, and even the rolling of pebbles on the ground were all vividly perceived by him.

The information that flowed into his mind gradually wove itself into a martial arts technique.

Li Che's mind calmed, and his gaze swept over the Tian Gang Immortal Arts Seventy-Two Transformations.

A martial arts inheritance!

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

He was a bit surprised, not expecting that by fulfilling the little monkey's wish for metamorphosis, he would gain such an inheritance.

The Long Xiang Jin Gang Dao Fruit in his chest was stimulated, and Li Che's entire being entered a hazy state of martial arts genius. He performed a simple analysis of this martial art.

"Immortal Seed 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 Immortal Seed Martial Art, Kirin Town Void Seal that Xixi had obtained when she transitioned from her toddler years to school age.

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

The eerie mist intertwined with the hazy fog, and a small monkey, sitting in meditation in a Taoist temple, listening to the teachings of the Tao and seeking apprenticeship, finally returned after mastering the art.

With a single step, he tumbled through the air like clouds, instantly traversing vast distances in an instant.

Waterfalls erupted, intertwining like a dream.

Countless monkeys on the mountains rejoiced and leaped about, their demonic energy surging into the sky, wreaking havoc in a chaotic blend. Li Che pressed down on the Monkey King mask on his face and looked ahead, only to see one terrifying demon after another standing tall, their demonic energy wreaking havoc in a chaotic blend.

Some demons resembled mountains, some were as fierce as fighting bulls, and some spread their wings like a great roc, obscuring the sky...

The demonic energy almost swept through the heavens 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 filled Li Che's heart with curiosity, but these questions soon vanished.

He thought of the title of the Qitian Temple, the Fighting Prison Lotus Demon Saint Qitian...

Naturally, there is the name of a Demon Saint! After successfully apprenticing and learning the art, he returned to the mountains and became a Demon Saint?

That must be the case.

The little monkey's demeanor had changed drastically, no longer resembling his previous naive self in loose Taoist robes, seeking apprenticeship.

Now, having mastered the art and possessing divine powers, he was a powerful Demon Saint!

Demonic energy surged into the sky, wreaking havoc in a chaotic blend.

The Demon Saint, Monkey King, had a slightly ferocious expression, exuding dominance and ferocity, with demonic energy swirling around him.

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

And behind the Monkey King stood the towering demons, their terrifying demonic energy following his gaze as it fell upon Li Che, who wore the Monkey King mask.

Li Che suddenly understood why the demon race was so confident in their ability to resonate with the temple deity and obtain the Qitian inheritance.

It turned out that everything was waiting here!

Demon Saint Qitian!

"Little one, if you want to enter my Huaguo Mountain, where are you from? Are you really a demon?"

"Show me some demonic energy!"

Li Che smiled lightly at the words.

"Okay."

Within his chest, the Ten Thousand Demon Emperor Dao Fruit 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 Deity, then the Heavenly Crane Demon Deity, and finally, he took on the forms of various demon races whose energy had been absorbed by the Ten Thousand Demon Emperor Dao Fruit.

"I, too, can be a demon."

...

...

Qitian City.

Three hundred zhang in front of the inner city.

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

Additionally, many who had attempted the temple deity resonance but failed were expelled, landing three hundred zhang outside the inner city.

Looking at the opened inner gate, everyone's faces showed a helpless expression.

Most of the Qianyuan God Sect cultivators resignedly withdrew, but unexpectedly, many persisted and continued to move forward through the eerie mist, inching closer to the inner city entrance.

Lv Taibai and the others were somewhat helpless. Although they couldn't resonate with the temple deity, it wasn't a terrible thing.

However, if they could resonate with the temple deity, it would naturally be a good thing.

Lv Taibai's silver hair flew, and his face still showed a hint of discontent. He couldn't even withstand the temple deity's resonance for a moment, which made him feel utterly dejected.

He looked towards the direction of the Great Jing Court, where Ye Pengju, Wang Kui, and others seemed to resonate with the temple deity, slowly moving forward.

Additionally, the Western Buddhist Land, the Great Li King's Court, and the ten thousand great rivers of the demon race had all resonated with the temple deity and were slowly advancing three hundred zhang away.

"Why...?"

Lv Taibai was filled with dejection.

Fang Hanshu flipped through a page of a sacred book and glanced at him, saying indifferently, "It's not hard to guess."

"The Fighting Prison Lotus Demon Saint Qitian has four elements in total. I've told you about Ye Pengju, Wang Kui, and the officials of the Great Li King's Court. They resonate with the official, which is the Qitian element."

"The Western Buddhist Land resonates with Fighting Prison, and the ten thousand great rivers of the demon race naturally resonate with the Demon Saint..."

"With resonance, there will be harmony."

"One person will divide some resonance, and even at the final hundred zhang distance, there will still be competition."

"Unless there is someone who can resonate and harmonize with the four elements of the Qitian Temple deity..."

"Does such a person exist?"

Fang Hanshu shook his head. How could there be a cultivator who resonates with the four major factions when the factions are already at odds with each other?

Being a demon, a Buddhist, and involving the Prison Lotus, as well as having connections with the Meng Celestial Court...

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

However, his heart skipped a beat.

Fang Hanshu's gaze fell on Li Che, who wore the Monkey King mask.

He whispered.

"Even the Underworld... should not be able to do this, right?"

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

Mainly... the impact the Underworld had on him was too strong.

This force was somewhat incomprehensible.

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

Suddenly.

Lv Taibai exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the Monkey King, only to be surprised to find that the Monkey King's body...

Suddenly erupted with extremely dense demonic energy!

...

...

Boom—

Demonic energy burst forth from his body, shaking the Ten Thousand Demon Emperor Dao Fruit, forcing out every inch of demonic energy, as if the heavens and earth had become dark.

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

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

The Monkey King immediately jumped down from the throne, grabbed Li Che, who was releasing demonic energy, and walked to the throne, his body resembling a peerless demon.

The surrounding Demon Saints with terrifying auras seemed to have become much gentler.

Waterfalls roared, splashing and thundering.

The entire Huaguo Mountain was filled with demonic energy, and countless monkeys on the mountain peaks rejoiced and leaped about, picking fruits and presenting them in stone bowls.

The bonfire soared into the sky, roasting a wild boar that had been skewered with wooden branches. Its golden-brown skin glistened as juices dripped onto the flames, sparking a shower of embers.

Red-faced monkeys poured wine for each of the revered demon saints.

The air was thick with the rich aroma of the wine.

Li Che, pulled by the Monkey King, sat in a chair, drinking the fine wine and enjoying the fruits and vegetables. His mood was rather pleasant.

These demons were simple and sincere, celebrating a pure and wild festival of their own.

Initially, Li Che had little regard for the demons, but now, his heart softened towards them.

Of course, the demons he was currently witnessing were those of the temple deity's resonance, not the ones he faced in the Demon Cave.

The demons from the Demon Cave, who targeted and tried to take his daughter, were unforgivable. Li Che would show them no mercy.

If someone needed to be killed, he would do it.

In the past, with insufficient cultivation, he had to endure threats and those who coveted his daughter, waiting for the right moment to strike.

But now, Li Che had the confidence and ability to settle scores immediately.

The celebration with the demons seemed to go on for an eternity.

Li Che lost count of how many monkey wines he had drunk; he was uncharacteristically drunk, feeling the world spin around him.

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

Well, it wasn't exactly the Monkey King anymore. He wore a crooked black gauze hat and a colorful robe, looking somewhat comical.

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

He then hopped a few times and narrowed his eyes, "Being an official in the Celestial Court would be great. My monkeys in Huaguo Mountain would finally have peace. After all, their king would be an official in heaven!"

The Monkey King laughed as he spoke.

Holding a peach, he took a few bites before tossing it aside. He glanced at Li Che, "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 faintly, shaking his head.

"No."

He was not bound by any official duties, free as a bird.

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

"It's good not to be an official. What's so great about being one? You have to wear a hat all day and be so formal; it's not comfortable at all."

The Monkey King shook his head.

"I'm even a bit envious of you."

Buzz...

As the words left his mouth, Li Che felt a surge of dizziness, knowing that his resonance with the temple deity had increased significantly.

Li Che had been hesitant about the topic of being 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 in the Imperial Observatory, which was considered a semi-official role.

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

And it seemed he had made the right choice.

Qitian had no desire to be an official.

The scene before him kept changing; the Monkey King was now an official in the Celestial Court, providing protection to the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain through his position.

Then, with the Pantao Festival about to begin, the Monkey King, not invited, sneaked into the Pantao Garden and devoured all the peaches, even humiliating the celestial maidens.

Taking a bite of a peach, the Monkey King threw it to the ground and burped. He glanced at Li Che, "Brother, have you ever stolen a whole garden of Pantao? I bet you haven't done that!"

However, Li Che's expression turned peculiar as he replied, "I have."

His words were as solid as a rock, full of confidence.

He almost crossed his arms and puffed out his chest like Xixi, defiant and proud.

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

His laughter echoed through the clouds as he removed the black gauze hat, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it, "If being an official can't protect my monkeys and only brings shame, then I don't need this petty officialdom!"

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

Li Che quietly followed, or rather, the temple deity's resonance compelled him to follow.

He witnessed the Monkey King being questioned by a celestial deity and, in a fit of rage, striking the deity with his staff, killing him.

Li Che felt a sense of deja vu, as if he were back in Shen Du, killing the court officials with Xixi...

The scene seemed to overlap.

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

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

Buzz...

In his right hand, the Sui Xin Jintie Shen Gan continued to vibrate, emitting a constant stream of strange mist.

Li Che's heart trembled slightly, and countless wisps of strange mist enveloped him.

The scene shifted again.

He saw the Monkey King facing a golden Buddha, vast as the sky, towering beyond sight, as if merging with the heavens and earth.

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

Watching this scene, Li Che felt a sense of familiarity wash over him.

His body hardly moved, but the resonance with the temple deity was clearly increasing rapidly.

It was as if...

His body had long been resonating with the temple deity, mirroring the Monkey King's actions.

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

However.

The Monkey King's defiance, his unyielding spirit, and his determination were all for the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain.

Li Che's, on the other hand, were for his daughter and his family.

But with the same determination and mindset...

Perhaps, this was the most harmonious resonance.

In his right hand, the Sui Xin Jintie Shen Gan continued to vibrate, spewing out strange mist.

Li Che's face suddenly lit up with realization.

"So, I've been resonating with the temple deity all along, in Jin Guang Fu City, in the Dao City, and in Shen Du... My actions have been in harmony with the temple deity."

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

Li Che smiled softly.

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

The eerie mist churned, and the scene spun.

The Monkey King had been defeated and suppressed beneath the mountains. For the sake of his monkey kin, he had made a pact with the Buddhist order, assisting a reincarnated monk on his journey westward...

Along the way, the once-mighty Monkey King, now a fallen demon saint, slaughtered one demon saint after another, carving a bloody path.

But the Monkey King's heart grew increasingly numb.

Below was the charred remains of Huaguo Mountain, a desolate landscape of scorched earth and black smoke resembling a coiling dragon.

A broken spiritual stone lay scattered on the ground, shimmering with a seven-colored glow.

However, as the pervasive Buddha's light passed over it, the stone's colorful radiance dimmed, as if it had completely lost its brilliance.

Just like the current state of the Monkey King.

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

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

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

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

He sat motionless on the peak, his back slowly bending.

"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.

At this moment, the resonance seemed to halt, unable to rise even a fraction.

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

A life-and-death response.

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

But if he answered correctly, the resonance would surge again, completing the full resonance with the temple deity.

Li Che pressed down on the divine monkey mask on his face.

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

Listening to the Monkey King's calm acceptance of his impending Buddhahood, there was no longer any trace of his former carefree questioning.

He exhaled slowly.

"I am not a Buddha," Li Che said calmly.

"Even if it means protecting my daughter, even if I have to compromise, my daughter... she will only be proud of a father who is a great hero, one who can stride on rainbow clouds and clear all obstacles for her. Not 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-like heavenly master's fruit throbbed in his chest.

In his hand, seven-colored lights intertwined, slowly forming a dream-like scroll.

Within the scroll was Xixi, Li Che's daughter.

Each scene depicted Xixi's joy and pride in her father.

The Monkey King stared, watching the little girl jumping around, as if seeing the countless monkeys who had once roamed the mountains, cheering and celebrating for him.

The mountains were desolate, covered in scorched earth.

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

Li Che's lips curved upwards. "I think so too. Thank you."

Every boy has a Qitian in their heart. He was once unfettered and carefree, but as he grew older, got married, and had a daughter, he unconsciously suppressed the Qitian within, letting it fade into silence, no longer wild and unrestrained.

But the fading of Qitian did not mean its disappearance.

It was like a burning flame.

As long as it didn't die out, the Qitian who once shattered the southern sky, revolted against the heavenly cauldron, and treaded upon the clouds, would always be there!

One day, he would reignite and return with his unfettered spirit!

Each person has their own understanding of Qitian, and this was Li Che's interpretation.

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 laugh escaped his lips.

"Thank you, little brother."

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

"It's time to return."

Boom, boom, boom—

The sound of a mighty heartbeat reverberated, like a long-dormant dark furnace suddenly igniting with a terrifying flame that could boil the seas and scorch the mountains! The next moment, he threw back his head and laughed, and dark clouds rolled in from all directions.

It was as if his laughter had shattered the sky!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The eerie mist swelled, sweeping around like a storm.

Clatter, clatter...

The sound of rattling chains echoed from within the inner city, as if an incredibly terrifying being was struggling, trying to break free from its restraints and return to its unfettered state.

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

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

Lu Tai Bai, Fang Hanshu, and the others were startled, all looking up in astonishment.

"The temple deity is rioting!"

"Has the temple deity's resonance reached a conclusion?!"

"So soon?!"

Fang Hanshu's eyes flashed with an unusual light.

He stared intently at the three-hundred-zhang passage shrouded in eerie mist, only to realize that the divine monkey's silhouette had appeared at the entrance to the inner city, he knew not when.

But there was no time to think.

Fang Hanshu was drawn to something else.

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 trembled, and its charred surface began to peel away, accompanied by a scraping sound.

After the peeling, a dazzling golden light burst forth.

A rekindled flame ignited within!

Lu Tai Bai, Fang Hanshu, Lu Qiankun, and the many temple deity resonance failures, who could only observe from three hundred zhang away, took a deep breath.

"That is..."

"The Qitian Temple Deity's Divine Weapon!"

"The Hunyuan Ruyi Jingu Staff!"

...

...

Li Che opened his eyes, holding the Suixin Jintie Divine Staff, standing before the pitch-black entrance to the inner city.

This was the gateway to the inner city of Qitian.

After three hundred zhang of temple deity resonance, he had reached the end.

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

Because...

Before him, a broken mask floated, emitting a faint glow.

That was...

The last piece of Qitian's face!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end