Chapter 473: The Monkey God's Encounter in the Painting

Chapter 473: The Monkey God's Encounter in the Painting

The dim orange light cast a mysterious glow, creating a play of shadows on the ground.

The elongated shadows seemed to intertwine reality with fantasy.

Outside a restaurant.

An old monkey, dressed in plain clothes, slowly approached with his hands behind his back. His movements were not too loud, resembling an aged elder strolling through the alleys. He spotted a restaurant and decided to take a look.

However, inside the restaurant.

Numerous gazes were directed at the old monkey.

The owner, clad in white, stood out like a snowy mountain. His eyes, filled with complexity, landed on the old monkey.

"God Lord, it's been a while."

The old monkey grinned, revealing his fangs. Even as a deity, he maintained his monkey-like features, and his sharp teeth never disappeared.

"Great Sage, it's been a while."

The white-clad owner brushed off the cigarette ash from his fingertips, scattering it into the air.

A slight smile curled his lips as he stood up from his chair.

The two of them seemed like old friends, gazing at each other as if they had crossed time and space to meet again.

The old monkey's plain clothes fluttered in the night wind as he entered the restaurant.

"It's been a challenge for me, Old Monkey, to find this place in Qi Tian City. I didn't even notice it, and you're still as mysterious as ever."

"You're running a restaurant, aren't you? Why aren't you open for business? You keep it so mysterious that not many people even know about your restaurant. There won't be many customers coming."

The old monkey started grumbling, his words suddenly becoming more numerous.

Xixi sat in her chair, swinging her crystal-clear feet and batting her long eyelashes. Her mouth moved as she chewed, looking incredibly cute.

"Monkey... Monkey Brother!"

Xixi became excited, recognizing the old monkey.

This was the deity who had revived from the Wicked Temple in the owner's cigarette smoke!

It was none other than the Great Sage Monkey!

Her father had told Xixi stories about the Great Sage Monkey. Monkey Brother, you're truly amazing!

Xixi was thrilled, chewing faster with excitement.

The old monkey noticed Xixi's gaze, and a complex expression appeared in his eyes.

With just a glance, the old monkey was certain that this little girl was definitely the daughter of Hell Lotus.

However, compared to the once cold and ruthless girl, the daughter of Hell Lotus... had she grown up crooked?!

In this era of the Divine Wave, the leader of Hell Lotus...

Is this little kid the one?!

Hell Lotus might get beaten up by the Divine Camp!

The old monkey scratched his monkey fur, feeling a tingling sensation for a moment. Is this little girl really reliable?

Xixi ran up to the old monkey, tilting her head to look up at the skinny old monkey. She blinked her eyes, gulped, and swallowed the tea egg whole.

"Monkey Brother!"

Xixi smiled happily.

"Daddy told Xixi about Monkey Brother's story!"

The old monkey glanced at Xixi and then looked up at the white-clad owner, his eyes full of questions.

The owner extinguished his cigarette, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He didn't speak, maintaining an air of coolness.

It was as if he was saying that this time, during the Divine Wave, the daughter of Hell Lotus was just like this—innocent, romantic, and incredibly adorable.

Perhaps due to being overprotected, she seemed a bit naive and inexperienced, retaining the innocence and liveliness unique to children.

This...

Didn't seem like the daughter of Hell Lotus.

However, the old monkey narrowed his eyes, feeling a sense of joy.

Perhaps, a daughter of Hell Lotus like this wasn't so bad?

The old monkey reached out and ruffled Xixi's hair, a gentle expression appearing on his face.

But behind this gentleness, there was also confusion and puzzlement.

Why had the daughter of Hell Lotus undergone such a change?

What had brought about this transformation?

The star-crossed daughter of Hell Lotus actually had a living father, and she was so well-protected that she hadn't experienced the trials and tribulations of her destined path. She hadn't fallen into darkness yet...

It was as if an invisible hand was silently changing everything.

The once-clear path was now shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see the future ahead.

Where had the change occurred?

Suddenly, the old monkey thought of something, and his golden eyes flickered.

Was it the father of Hell Lotus's daughter? Had the living father of Hell Lotus altered the predetermined path?

"Great Sage, what would you like to eat?"

The owner interrupted the old monkey's thoughts.

The old monkey was taken aback and laughed, leading Xixi into the restaurant.

Ding-a-ling...

The restaurant door opened, and the wind chime rang out with a crisp sound.

"I'll have... fried rice."

...

...

Qi Tian Inner City.

The sky was overcast, shrouded in the Wiles Pavilion's gloom. Countless eerie mists swirled, obscuring everything.

The ground, shattered by the battle of deities, began to slowly heal. Collapsed houses seemed to rewind in time, as grains of sand floated up and stacked together, reconstructing complete buildings.

Li Che's ink-black shirt fluttered in the wind, his black hair wild and vigorous. His skin glowed with powerful blood energy, flowing and intertwining, erupting from all 36,000 pores.

His skin radiated a golden hue, and his muscles and bones seemed cast in gold, trembling with immense power.

Li Che's physical body was incredibly strong, with his Wu Xian Jin Shen (Martial Immortal Golden Body) enhanced to a 20% level, resulting in a significant boost.

However, Li Che knew that his Wu Xian Jin Shen had hit a bottleneck. Once he merged Wu Xian Jin Shen with Wu Xian Daoyun (Martial Immortal Daoyun), his golden body would experience another surge in power!

Boom!

His black hair danced wildly as he sat cross-legged in the courtyard, resembling an ancient deity. He absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, refining his physical body!

Pure martial cultivation was different from Shen Wu (Divine Deed). It required the rejection of the highly alluring divine nature.

Once tainted by divine nature, it would invade the body, providing a tremendous boost and transformation in a short time.

However, it would also sever the path of Wu Xian (Martial Immortal) cultivation, limiting its potential.

Qi Tian had told Li Che that the future potential of Wu Xian cultivation was limitless, but it was extremely challenging. As one's realm increased, the allure of divine nature would become more intense.

In the vast expanse of time, there have been those who have ventured onto the path of the Martial Immortal, and some have truly achieved the transformation from Martial Saint to Martial Immortal.

However, on the path after becoming a Martial Immortal, they failed to reach the end, as the allure of divinity consumed them like a demon.

Li Che sat cross-legged, his mind in turmoil, his third eye between his eyebrows shimmering like a vortex.

That was where all his divine essence gathered.

He was not solely focused on pure martial arts; he also cultivated his divine essence, but with the help of the Dao Fruit, he completely isolated the two powers.

Pure martial arts are cultivated purely, and divine essence is cultivated purely.

Ten Divine Embryos—this was something unimaginable for those cultivating divine essence.

But this was the path of divine essence that Li Che was currently cultivating. However, where this path would lead, even Li Che himself didn't know.

The Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit provided Li Che with immense assistance, allowing him to soar above others in martial talent. The path of pure martial arts, unattainable by mortals, became incredibly smooth and effortless for him.

But the path of divine essence...

Although Li Che had the help of the Immaculate Heart Dao Fruit, this path was indeed challenging.

Originally, Li Che could have progressed with ease due to his powerful physical body. If he had chosen to cultivate divine martial arts, his progress would have been rapid and explosive!

However, Li Che decided to pursue the path of pure martial arts with his physical body, so...

This path was destined to be difficult, but it raised his upper limit.

Li Che didn't know just how formidable the top-tier powers in the Divine Camp were, but in his understanding, even the Great Sage Equaling Heaven felt apprehensive about them, which meant they must be extremely terrifying.

Moreover, even the Great Sage Equaling Heaven and the Furious Third Prince had fallen and become Temple Gods due to these opponents, so Li Che understood their strength.

Therefore, Li Che wanted to take a path with a higher ceiling, one that would allow him to stand at a higher peak.

"Huff—"

"Suck—"

With each breath, Li Che's entire body trembled and resonated.

In the courtyard, chaotic winds raged, and dark ink-colored mist rose, as Li Che spread his arms. His flesh and bones, which had been shimmering with golden light, suddenly turned dark, dimming instantly.

The Painting Immortal Dao Fruit in his chest cavity trembled violently, emitting a thunderous roar like a heavenly rumble.

Each beat seemed to explode with a thunderous roar.

Every inch of his skin seemed to have ink droplets dripping down, striking the membrane and then exploding, forming swirling ink-colored currents!

Li Che's eyes opened and closed, revealing a dark ink color.

The sound of the Dao Fruit's intense beating gradually faded.

It was as if an unparalleled painter sat cross-legged in the river of time, holding a wolf-hair brush, dipping it into thick ink, and gently gliding it across the scroll, leaving behind traces of ink.

The ink-washed painting was ethereal and transcendent.

The Painting Immortal Dao Fruit, level 7!

Fifth Transformation!

This wasn't Li Che's first experience with the fifth transformation of the Dao Fruit, and his mind had long since calmed, free from any dust.

Of course, it was also because he had witnessed a battle between gods and knew that he was still far from being a true powerhouse.

Even the fifth transformation of the Dao Fruit was merely a means to enhance his strength, and Li Che wouldn't immerse himself in it.

After all, he would face many powerful opponents in the future.

To protect his daughter, to keep all the noise and chaos at bay, and to quietly watch his daughter grow and quietly harvest the Dao Fruit,

He needed to become even stronger.

His jet-black, robust hair danced like ink, like an immortal figure in a watercolor painting.

Li Che's eyes suddenly opened, and his powerful spirit overflowed, as if causing ripples in the void, forming invisible waves.

The heavens and earth became incredibly quiet, and even the ripples didn't make a sound.

The sounds of wind, rain, and rolling sand were all completely gone.

Only the fluttering sound of the Dao Fruit in his chest remained.

All of Li Che's distracting thoughts vanished in that instant.

Boom—!!!

A terrifying force of attraction erupted, and Li Che seemed to have traveled through time and space in an instant. Countless colorful lights rapidly circulated around him.

The space of the Dao Tree, Li Che arrived again!

The heavens and earth spun, and the Dao Tree stood across the vast expanse, reaching into the clouds, piercing through layer upon layer.

Its branches and leaves were lush, and each leaf contained a world.

Li Che hovered in this space, his gaze sweeping across the lush greenery, feeling an immense sense of oppression pressing against his chest, as if he was about to suffocate.

Previously, Li Che had guessed that this lush space might be the Wiles Pavilion.

"Even if it's the Wiles Pavilion... it might be a place in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths that mortals cannot reach."

Li Che's eyes shone brightly.

Looking up at the Dao Tree, he felt its mystery and power.

On the Dao Tree, the Painting Immortal Dao Fruit underwent its fifth transformation, radiating infinite rays of light, and then transformed into dark ink clouds, intertwining in the heavens and earth.

The Dao Fruit floated out, translucent and pure, like a drop of ink dripping from a wolf-hair brush soaked in ink.

Although it was dark inside, it contained enough power to depict an entire universe.

The Dao Fruit hovered in front of Li Che, and dark ink surged, swirling like mist.

Then, a scene began to form before his eyes.

In the scene, there was an endless expanse of white—a vast and boundless sea of clouds, so white that it seemed to be the cleanest place in the heavens and earth.

And above this endless sea of clouds sat a figure.

It was a figure that glowed white, with white hair, white eyebrows, and even white skin and blood.

This being held a white jade brush with white bristles, untouched by any dark ink.

Maintaining the grip on the wolf-hair brush, it seemed frozen in the heavens and earth.

Suddenly, it lowered its eyes, as if spanning the heavens and earth, the vast universe, and the lush world, and landed on Li Che.

The glowing white eyes collided with Li Che's black pupils.

Then, Li Che saw a speck of black.

The blackness spread from the brow of this majestic figure, expanding wildly and spreading across the entire white world.

A white figure transformed into darkness, and the white sea of clouds became a black sky.

"Hahahaha..."

"If it cannot be obtained, let future generations acquire it! Through countless lifetimes, there will always be those who succeed!"

A thunderous roar shook the heavens.

The words reverberated, and in an instant, the void collapsed, with countless black clouds disintegrating.

It was as if the divine sound of a supreme deity was descending, but those of insufficient rank could not hear it.

As the heavens and earth crumbled, Li Che's will also collapsed with them.

Exiting the Dao Tree space.

Qitian Inner City.

In the courtyard.

The wind howled, and the pattering rain violently struck the Qitian Inner City, which was undergoing repairs.

Li Che opened his eyes, his ink-black hair dancing wildly, and he slowly exhaled.

Before him, the golden light swirled like ink mist, gradually forming a picture.

【Dao Guo lv7, Five Moltings, Dao Induction (Ten Evils Ink Painting) Promotion, Dao Tribulation (Primordial Withering and Flourishing Branch)】

Boom!

The heavenly sound shook, and a roar echoed in his ears.

Not a single word could be missed in this 69169 book!

At this moment, Li Che's mind seemed to plunge into chaos.

The intertwined ink-black light formed words, gathering into a prompt! A familiar and terrifying aura of impending disaster swept in from all directions, locking onto his body, leaving no escape. It was as if a powerful force was about to burst out from his 36,000 pores, devouring his flesh and blood!

The fourth tribulation!

It had arrived!

Li Che suddenly became alert!

After the Primordial Fire, Wind, and Water Tribulations, a completely new tribulation had finally appeared!

A tribulation triggered by the transformation to the fifth molting in the Painting Immortal Dao Guo!

The Primordial Withering and Flourishing Branch!

The Primordial... Wood Tribulation!

Li Che slightly closed his eyes, sensing the unstoppable tribulation force emanating from his flesh. It was as if countless delicate branches were constantly growing and withering, and with each withering, they would take away his vitality and lifespan.

This was a unique yet terrifying tribulation!

Li Che opened his eyes, and his nose breathed like thunder.

It was rapid breathing, and the appearance of the fourth tribulation seemed to bring him closer to the mystery.

He seemed to be grasping the key!

How many tribulations were there?

Wood, water, fire... Were there also metal and earth tribulations, too similar to the Five Elements Tribulations!

But the additional Primordial Wind Tribulation indicated that tribulations were not limited to the Five Elements...

"No matter how many tribulations there are..."

"Now I have a new goal. The appearance of the tribulation means I can enhance another Divine Seed Martial Art, integrating the tribulation to elevate it to the level of a Divine Immortal Martial Art."

"By drawing it into my body, perhaps my path to becoming a Martial Immortal will be smoother..."

"The Eight Divine Gates Divine Seed Martial Arts, which I have already modified, may be called the Eight Divine Gates Divine Immortal Secret Arts in the future!"

Li Che's improved and enhanced secret art.

The Divine Seed in the Eight Divine Gates, elevated to the Divine Immortal level...

Giving birth to the Eight Divine Gates Martial Arts!

Once fully activated, the spine's Grand Dragon would stir, as if eight Martial Immortals appeared simultaneously, exerting immense pressure!

How domineering would that be!

Tribulation, draw it in!

Li Che abruptly raised his head, and his black hair transformed into a terrifying whip, lashing out fiercely!

His powerful body resonated with a clang, as if countless seeds had sprouted within his flesh and blood, rapidly germinating and greedily absorbing his vitality, blood, and essence!

Then, they took root and sprouted, breaking through his flesh and blood, growing into wildly dancing branches. With each withering and flourishing, a cycle of life and death unfolded!

Boom!

Li Che slowly opened his eyes, enduring the repeated cycles of flesh tearing and the wild dance of the withering and flourishing branches.

Now, he was no longer the weakling who couldn't withstand the tribulation force for even a moment.

Even in the tribulation space, where he was forbidden from unleashing the Eight Divine Gates and could only rely on his physical body to endure, he could still withstand the power of the withering and flourishing branches...

Before him, the light reappeared.

【Tribulation: Primordial Dragon Elephant Flame (30%), Primordial Void Slash (3%), Primordial Heart Purification Stream (1%), Primordial Withering and Flourishing Branch (1%)】

After experiencing the withering and flourishing branch's cycles several times.

Li Che finally mastered the Primordial Wood Tribulation.

He slowly raised his palm, and a black bean, as dark as ink, appeared in his hand. It seemed solid, but it was the tribulation force. Once it entered his body, it would ravenously devour his vitality, lifespan, and essence...

"Although there's only one... but if there were thousands or even millions of them in the future, it would be truly terrifying."

"Which Divine Seed Martial Art should I infuse this Primordial Wood Tribulation into?"

Which Divine Seed Martial Art should he elevate to the Divine Immortal level?

Soon, Li Che made his choice.

He selected the most inconspicuous of his Divine Seed Martial Arts.

"The Crying Phoenix Life and Death Arrow is a technique for arrows, but since I possess many Divine Immortal Barett, I haven't paid much attention to this arrow technique. Now... I can start researching it."

"From now on, I'll be the Immortal Arrow Hero!"

Li Che's lips curled slightly, and he hid the withering and flourishing branch tribulation seed within the arrow.

In Li Che's mind, the name of this new martial art emerged.

Divine Immortal - Crying Phoenix Withering and Flourishing Arrow!

Boom!

Li Che stood up from his seated position in the courtyard, and his powerful blood essence surged forth as he began practicing martial arts within Qitian Inner City!

He started absorbing the essence of heaven and earth within Qitian Inner City.

However, it was insufficient.

As he absorbed a portion of the essence of heaven and earth, a large amount of Divine Essence surged forward, mixing with it and attempting to enter his body.

It emitted a strong temptation, luring Li Che, as if it were cheering and shouting, "Absorb the Divine Essence, and your cultivation will achieve a great breakthrough, allowing you to instantly unleash unparalleled power, rivaling divine beings!"

This temptation was truly terrifying!

"I still need to strive for the Martial Immortal realm in the human realm. Although the human realm is also tainted by Divine Essence, compared to the Wiles Pavilion, it's a pure land for martial arts."

Li Che pondered.

His martial will thundered, his eyes shone with golden light, his body glowed, and his black hair was tinged with gold. He roared, forcefully resisting the temptation!

Boom!

He thrust out a punch, and countless Divine Essences exploded, leaving only the pure essence of heaven and earth, like a yellow dragon soaring into the sky, and then rushing into his body, spreading throughout.

...

...

Time passed, moment by moment.

Unbeknownst to him, half a month had swiftly passed.

In the outskirts of Qitian City, the atmosphere had already become incredibly lively.

The Temple God of Qitian was about to assist the Netherworld Emperor Gui in his breakthrough to the Martial Immortal realm, becoming the only Martial Immortal in the past five thousand years since the great tide.

The entire human realm was paying attention, and not only that, but the news had also reached the Wiles Pavilion, where the various camps of the gods seemed to have turned their attention towards this event.

Outside Qitian City, countless people had gathered, most of them martial artists who had come from all over the world to cultivate.

Some traveled on foot, some ran, and some exhausted all their energy to make the journey.

Finally, they arrived outside Qitian City.

The overwhelming aura of martial power seemed to cover the sky and land, like surging waves, as if this place had gathered more martial artists than ever before.

The power of their auras was so strong that it almost seemed to disperse their divine nature.

The setting sun blazed like fire, and as the red sun sank in the west, the entire human realm was bathed in its fiery glow. It was as if the color of the martial artists' auras had dyed the world.

The True Martial God Sect's leader, Shi Jian, led many of his disciples to Qitian City, setting up camp far from the outer city, as if paying homage.

Numerous officials from the Da Jing court also gathered, and the peerless warriors of the Da Li Imperial Court disguised themselves, crossing the Eastern Sea to reach the outskirts of Qitian City.

On the Eastern Sea, towering waves rose, and many Martial Saint experts strode across the water, all gathered outside Qitian City to witness the Martial Immortal's breakthrough.

After all, the last Martial Immortal had already existed in ancient historical records, becoming a vivid and colorful mark in the annals of time.

The atmosphere in Qitian City became increasingly solemn.

Everyone could sense that the day when the Netherworld Emperor Gui would break through to the Martial Immortal realm was approaching.

Lu Taibai and Lu Qiankun felt an indescribable sense of oppression.

Fang Hanshu had already finished his comprehension of the jade talisman's inheritance from assisting Qitian and returned to Lu Taibai's side, his Confucian robe fluttering, and his majestic beard flowing.

"I feel like something's not right..."

Lu Taibai took a deep breath.

Fang Hanshu held the sacred book in his hand, actually refining the inheritance within the jade talisman, "Of course, something's not right. The Netherworld has offended countless factions, and now they are implicitly linked with the Hell Lotus camp..."

"Therefore, many people don't want the Netherworld to become too powerful. For the Netherworld Emperor Gui to break through to the Martial Immortal realm, he must obtain the heavens' acknowledgment, and many people will surely secretly interfere."

Fang Hanshu said calmly.

Lu Taibai stood in a restaurant in the outer city of Qitian, where the outer city had regained its former glory, as if the once-proud Qitian City had returned to its peak.

The population was almost as dense as during its heyday, and the commercial atmosphere had returned to the city, with vendors hawking their goods and various factions setting up shop.

"The Western Buddhist Kingdom, the Ten Thousand Buddha Tower, the Wu Shen Mountain... All have sent Martial Gods to gather here. Behind these factions stand the camps of the gods, and they certainly don't have good intentions."

"Perhaps someone will draw the Martial Immortal Tribulation upon themselves when the Netherworld Emperor Gui attempts his breakthrough, making the tribulation even more terrifying! This could destroy the Netherworld Emperor Gui..."

"All it takes is one godly tribulation, like a moth to a flame, to eliminate a Netherworld expert. What a satisfying outcome, right?"

Fang Hanshu chuckled lightly.

However, after being captured by Li Che and transformed into a Deity Binding, Fang Hanshu had already learned that the Netherworld Emperor Gui was actually Li Che.

As the sun completely set, the red sun disappeared from the human realm!

A huge moon rose in the sky, and its cool light shone upon the world.

Suddenly, Qitian City became bustling with noise.

"Quick! On the tower in the inner city, the Temple God of Qitian has appeared!"

Someone shouted.

Their faces flushed with excitement, as a god had personally appeared!

In an instant, a thousand waves were stirred.

On the wide streets of Qitian City, the crowd suddenly became congested, and the area below the inner city gate was packed with figures.

Most of them were martial artists who had come from all over, their auras surging and scorching hot.

Their eyes fixed on the hunched old monkey that appeared on the tower in the inner city, carrying a long, thin golden staff like a bamboo pole, using it as a cane and lightly tapping it.

Whoosh—

Below, the crowd surged.

The gathering of martial auras was like an ocean, as if piercing through the sky and shaking the stars and moon.

The night seemed to become much brighter.

"So many people..."

The old monkey exhaled lightly.

The breakthrough to the Martial Immortal realm was indeed a grand event in the human realm, perhaps because Martial Immortals were indeed too rare in this era.

No one could suppress the enticing feeling of advancement brought by the Martial Immortal's path, an irresistible temptation.

Buzz—

It was as if a purple flame was dancing.

Then, it transformed into a purple flame that burned the distorted figure.

The ink-black robe fluttered in the wind, and the golden head shone brightly, the purple flame rolling, sometimes turning into a dragon, sometimes changing into an elephant.

"Are you ready?"

Looking at the tall figure that appeared out of thin air, with its blazing aura and powerful life force, the old monkey narrowed his eyes.

"Thank you, senior."

Li Che's eyes were deep, and the purple flame seemed to turn into flying hair, wild and flamboyant.

"Go, leave Qitian City, and break through outside the city."

"Qitian City is situated between the Wiles Pavilion and the human realm, it's not a suitable place for breaking through."

"You need to fully return to the human realm."

The old monkey said.

Li Che nodded.

The next moment, he tapped his toes.

His entire body leaped down, appearing below the inner city wall of Qitian, stepping on the ground outside the city.

A buzz of exclamations immediately echoed.

Countless martial artists' gazes converged on the Netherworld Emperor Gui.

The hidden experts from various factions also cast their eyes from the restaurants and tea houses throughout Qitian City.

Li Che stretched out his arms, his ink-black sleeves fluttering wildly, resting behind his back.

Then, he took a step out of the city.

The crowd parted like a flowing river, clearing a path leading out of Qitian City, away from the protection of the Wiles Pavilion.

The entire Qitian City fell silent, as if engulfed in a deathly stillness.

Amidst countless gazes, under the watchful eyes of all.

Li Che finally walked through the gate of the outer city of Qitian.

His black boots stepped onto the ground outside Qitian City.

In an instant.

A terrifying aura erupted, and the original purple fire raged, with blood energy soaring to the sky!

The silver moon hanging high in the night sky transformed into a blood moon!

The divine nature of the eight directions was fiercely suppressed, and the essence of the eight wastelands surged like a tidal wave!

It was as if the seals on his body had been completely lifted!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end