Chapter 562: A Hundred-Zhang King's Essence, Occupying Seventy Zhang—A Dimensional Strike from a Seventh-Stage Divine Engineer [Monthly Votes Request]

Chapter 562: A Hundred-Zhang King’s Essence, Occupying Seventy Zhang—A Dimensional Strike from a Seventh-Stage Divine Engineer [Monthly Votes Request]

A Nirvana King’s heavenly essence!

When Ji Shaohao’s words echoed throughout the palace complex, numerous Sage and Immortal Sculptors felt their heads buzz!

Each of them couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.

The Obscure Heavenly Court… truly has grand ambitions!

For the many Sage and Immortal Sculptors, this was a heaven-sent opportunity. Being able to observe a Nirvana King’s heavenly essence was an incredibly fortunate event!

If they could successfully depict it in their sculptures and resonate with the King’s essence, it would greatly benefit and enhance their sculpting skills!

It might even allow talented Immortal and Sage Sculptors to achieve a breakthrough in their level of craftsmanship!

One could say that the Obscure Heavenly Court was truly going all out for this Divine Sculptor Grand Assembly, paying a huge price!

Of course, many were a bit disappointed that it was only a Nirvana King’s heavenly essence, not an Immortal God’s.

But this was understandable. Immortal Gods were of such supreme existence that their heavenly essence, if truly manifested, would be too much for the present Immortal and Sage Sculptors to endure, let alone benefit from.

Ji Shaohao’s eyes sparkled as he scanned the entire area. Seeing the excitement and enthusiasm on the faces of the Immortal and Sage Sculptors in each palace, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

For the Qitian Divine Pill, the Obscure Heavenly Court was truly willing to pay the price.

Ji Shaohao needed the Qitian Divine Pill. Although Laojun Immortal was an Immortal of the Obscure Heavenly Court, when it came to a pill of this caliber, Laojun Immortal alone could not fully represent the court and claim it.

The Immortal Gods of Black Mount Sumeru and the Mystic Cavern would also intervene.

After the Qitian Divine Pill was refined and divided, even Laojun Immortal would not be able to obtain the majority of it.

For the Obscure Heavenly Court to secure the divine pill, it would depend on the number of selected Immortal Sculptors among the eighty-one arrayed Immortal Sculptors.

The more they occupied, the more of the divine pill they would receive.

This was a grand event sweeping across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!

Such a grand event could not be completely controlled by a single force.

Li Che sat at the table in the palace, his jet-black hair like lightning striking, while the other five Immortal Sculptors sitting at their respective tables in the palace were all extremely excited.

Even Cang Yuan was excited for Li Che!

“Brother Cang Che! A Nirvana King’s heavenly essence, if you can grasp and comprehend it, your sculpting skills will greatly improve, and comprehending the heavenly essence will also greatly benefit your strength!”

Cang Yuan was incredibly excited!

The hope of Canglan Village now rested on Li Che’s shoulders.

Although Li Che was not the real Cang Che, he now represented Cang Che, which was enough for Canglan Village!

Cang Yuan knew that Li Che’s sculpting skills were already much stronger than the Cang Che from their village. If he could gain from this opportunity, there was a real chance he could secure one of the ten Immortal Sculptor spots in Xuanshao Heaven!

Li Che, however, smiled calmly.

A Nirvana King’s essence… wasn’t particularly rare.

After all, Li Che had already seen the true essence of an Immortal, so he wasn’t overly concerned about a King’s essence.

However, this King’s essence provided Li Che with an opportunity and an excuse to transform from a Sage Sculptor into an Immortal Sculptor.

This was a grand feast, a carnival.

The many Immortal Sculptors who had come to participate in the selection were the most excited, as they might have a chance to advance to the Immortal Sculptor realm through the King’s heavenly essence.

Many others shared the same thought as Li Che.

Boom!

Ji Shaohao’s powerful aura spread out, and in the palace complex around Xuan Mountain, several Immortal Gods soared into the sky.

“Silence!”

“Now, everyone, begin sculpting the King’s divine statue!”

“The time limit is eight hours. Exceeding eight hours means disqualification!”

Ji Shaohao announced the final rules.

Then, with a wave of his hand, the divine officials of the Obscure Heavenly Court, who had been waiting in the palaces, brought out the divine wood they had prepared for the Immortal and Sage Sculptors to choose from.

To ensure fairness, the Obscure Heavenly Court had prepared a lower-tier divine wood, the Ten Thousand Year Fire Mulberry Wood, for everyone.

Li Che received this divine wood. The divine energy within the wood was truly abundant. This type of divine wood had long been divided and occupied by the three major divine factions, making it extremely difficult for ordinary ancient villages to find in the deep mountains.

Cang Yuan stepped back early, giving Li Che the space he needed.

In the same palace, the other five Sage Sculptors had also chosen their Ten Thousand Year Fire Mulberry Woods.

Although the woods were the same, there were still differences and disparities between them. The location of the wood and the method of preservation could all affect the quality of the material.

One of the Sage Sculptors from the Lower Ancient Village of the Three Clarity seemed quite young and had long been annoyed by Li Che. A Sage Sculptor of the Fourth Tier, yet he didn’t understand the slightest bit of decorum.

After they entered the palace, he didn’t even glance in their direction, showing no respect for his rank.

So, this Sage Sculptor, holding his Fire Mulberry Wood with one hand, walked over to where Li Che was standing.

"Canglan Village? I don’t like this piece of wood. I want the one you have. Let’s swap."

A calm voice came from the Sage Sculptor from the Lower Ancient Village of the Three Clarity.

Cang Yuan, who had retreated to the edge of the palace, immediately changed his expression and was about to step forward. However, before he could get close, Li Che raised his hand to stop him.

Li Che shifted his gaze from the Fire Mulberry Wood to the Sage Sculptor.

"You..."

The Sage Sculptor was about to say something, but his words got stuck in his throat.

A chilling, hair-raising sensation instantly spread through his body.

Just by meeting Li Che’s eyes, he was drenched in sweat.

It felt as if a deathly threat had instantly enveloped him.

The Sage Sculptor was about to turn and leave.

However, a black vortex suddenly appeared, and as soon as he turned, he was swallowed by it, disappearing without a trace.

This sudden disappearance left the other four Sage Sculptors in the palace in a state of shock and confusion.

What happened?

How did he just vanish like that?

Was he trying to escape when he realized something was wrong?

But before anyone could react, the black vortex reappeared, and the missing Sage Sculptor reappeared.

His face no longer bore any signs of disrespect or provocation.

He respectfully bowed to Li Che and then retreated to his own worktable, behaving obediently and not causing any trouble.

Cang Yuan was speechless. Was this possible?

He knew that the black vortex was Li Che’s doing, meaning that the Sage Sculptor from the Three Clarity Ancient Village had been swallowed by the vortex and experienced something that made him obedient.

Even in his eyes, Cang Yuan saw a hint of... fanaticism!

How could such an emotion appear in the eyes of a Sage Sculptor?!

What could have happened in there?

In such a short time, what could he have experienced?

Li Che didn’t do anything overly complicated. He simply transformed the provoking Sage Sculptor into his most devoted spirit summoning.

Li Che was never one to be trifled with. When someone tried to challenge him and disrupt his plans, he wouldn’t show any leniency.

Dragging him into the Ink City Fengdu and dealing with him was the straightforward solution.

With the Sage Sculptor from the Three Clarity Ancient Village dealt with, the other Sage Sculptors realized something was amiss and understood that Canglan Village was not to be trifled with.

Thus, they all quieted down, beginning to sketch and visualize the divine sculptures on their Fire Mulberry Woods.

For some reason, just looking in Li Che’s direction gave them a sense of impending doom.

It was better to focus on their sculptures; only through carving could they feel a moment of peace and warmth.

Li Che smiled, his expression calm. He didn’t immediately start carving but, like the others, began sketching the forms.

After all, the official carving would only begin after Ji Shaohao’s announcement.

He didn’t mind such interruptions. His main goal was to complete the sculpture and successfully qualify for the Divine Sculptor Grand Assembly, which would give him a chance to rescue the Qitian Temple God.

Thus, Li Che had no interest in scheming with these Sage Sculptors.

His gaze swept over to the central palace, where a towering hundred-zhang King’s Heavenly Essence stood.

The amount of Heavenly Essence was truly substantial. A single Nirvana King could only condense a limited amount of Heavenly Essence, which couldn’t compare to that of an Immortal.

So, this hundred-zhang Heavenly Essence was the result of a significant sacrifice.

Li Che was naturally pleased. He had tasted the benefits of Heavenly Essence before.

The reason his Divine Engineer Dao Guo had achieved seven transformations was largely due to the Heavenly Essence he had refined and subdued.

Li Che was actually quite curious about Heavenly Essence, even if it was only from a Nirvana King.

The entire palace quickly fell silent as all the Divine Sculptors and Sage Sculptors began to observe the King’s Heavenly Essence.

The hundred-zhang Heavenly Essence was radiant and emitted a warm, glowing light.

As the divine sculptures took shape, they would gradually resonate with the Heavenly Essence, drawing it in and integrating it into the sculptures.

The more Heavenly Essence a sculpture resonated with and absorbed, the better the performance in this selection.

The rules were fair and simple, but executing them was far from easy. Carving a divine sculpture that resonated with the King’s Heavenly Essence was no small feat.

The observation of the Heavenly Essence didn’t last long, and the silence of the palace was soon broken.

Accompanied by the resounding boom of the Divine Weapon Ancient Bell that Ji Shaohao had summoned, the sound waves spread like a tidal wave.

The eyes of all the Divine Sculptors in the palace lit up, and they became highly spirited.

One by one, the Divine Sculptors gestured, and the sharp, resonant sounds of their tools cutting through the air filled the space, as if slicing through the void itself!

As they watched, from each palace, a series of brilliant Divine Weapon carving knives shot out, flashing with dazzling light!

The scene resembled a thousand blades dancing wildly, creating an incredibly spectacular sight!

The cultivators who had gathered at Xuanshan Mountain to observe the Divine Sculptor Grand Assembly were all mesmerized by the spectacle!

Li Che’s carving knife, however, was rather plain, lacking the dazzling radiance of the others.

Li Che didn’t have high requirements for his carving knife. His strong confidence in his own skills meant he didn’t need an elaborate tool.

If he truly needed a better carving knife, Li Che could simply pull out the Sanjian Erlengdao and use it for carving.

The Sanjian Erlengdao, although a Divine Weapon of the Three Clarity rank, had an extraordinary origin.

The Three-Eyed Sage of Marvelous Dao and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven shared the same lineage, making them both exceptional.

However, while the mysterious temple of the Three-Eyed Sage of Marvelous Dao still stands firmly in the mortal world, the Third Prince and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven have had different experiences.

Li Che’s movements were neither hurried nor flashy. Unlike the other divine sculptors, he didn’t show off his Divine Weapon carving knife, opting for a more understated approach.

His gaze retracted from the King’s Heavenly Essence.

"This Nirvana King follows the Flame Great Path and the Heavenly Essence..."

Li Che shook his head slightly. This Nirvana King, despite having traversed the Nine Nether Life and Death Path, likely has no chance of achieving Immortality in this lifetime.

Because there is already an Immortal who follows the Flame Great Path and the Heavenly Essence.

That Immortal is Laojun.

Thus, this Nirvana King’s path is completely blocked.

One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers; one path cannot produce two Immortals.

"Perhaps it is for this reason that this Nirvana King is offering his Heavenly Essence to support Ji Shaohao, the young emperor... This is also a way of taking a stance."

Li Che shook his head slightly, dismissing these thoughts. He began to sketch out the method of carving in his mind.

Li Che slowly closed his eyes. In the inner landscape of his mind, the Qiqiao Linglong Heart throbbed and vibrated, leaping incessantly.

By perceiving the Heavenly Essence, he constructed the image of the King in his mind.

Then, Li Che opened his eyes, exhaled, and gripped his ordinary carving knife, preparing to begin his work.

At that moment, in the palace venue, most of the divine sculptors had already started carving.

Buzz—

Even the most ordinary carving knife, upon touching the fire mulberry wood, burst into a brilliant glow.

Boom—!

The razor-sharp blade, as it cut into the fire mulberry wood, seemed to spark countless fiery sparks, creating an incredibly dazzling effect!

Throughout the palace complex, each palace was bathed in flame light.

Ji Shaohao and the Great Divine Sculptor Zhao Yuan sat in the central palace, surveying the scene with excellent vantage points.

Zhao Yuan, as a Great Divine Sculptor, was not only a cultivator of considerable prowess but also a Nirvana King who had traversed the later stages of the Nine Nether Life and Death Path, not far from reaching the King’s realm.

Combined with his divine sculpting skills, his status in the Obscure Heavenly Court was not low.

Surveying the scene, a hint of disappointment appeared on Zhao Yuan’s face.

"Your Majesty, to be honest, our Obscure Heavenly Court is indeed far behind Hei Xumi and Mystic Cavern in the art of divine sculpting..."

"It will be very difficult to secure a significant number of spots in this Divine Sculptor Grand Assembly."

Zhao Yuan sighed.

Ji Shaohao was also helpless: "There’s no way around it. Hei Xumi is famous for its Buddha sculptures, with golden statues of the Buddha appearing everywhere."

"Mystic Cavern, on the other hand, has one of the two emperors, Nüwa, who has reached the pinnacle of the art of sculpting."

"Our Obscure Heavenly Court’s divine sculpting is already lagging behind at the Immortal level, so we are naturally at a disadvantage. However, this Qitian Divine Pill is too important. The origin of Qitian is extraordinary, and the divine pill it produces could help me easily break through the Will of Heaven and Earth, allowing me to condense my own Heavenly Essence..."

Ji Shaohao’s eyes gleamed with a distant light: "Yulian’s Daughter has already ascended to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and the eighth God Tide could end at any moment..."

"I don’t have time to waste; I must hurry to achieve Immortality..."

"Therefore, I must secure a share of the Qitian Divine Pill."

Ji Shaohao hadn’t expected the urgency to come so quickly.

Based on his experiences in previous lifetimes, Yulian’s Daughter’s ascension to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths meant that bloodshed was imminent, and an Immortal was about to face a calamity. It also meant that the God Tide would soon subside.

Thus, Ji Shaohao was in a hurry.

It wasn’t just Ji Shaohao; Fu Shaohui, Shi Shaokai, and the young emperor of the ancient village of the two sages were also very anxious.

During their idle chat, a sudden explosion echoed from one of the palaces.

A surge of Flame Light erupted like a tidal wave!

The fire mulberry wood had exploded. A Sage Sculptor, while attempting to resonate with the King's Essence, couldn't control the power and ended up with an exploding sculpture.

This commotion immediately drew the attention of many Divine Sculptors.

As if it were the beginning of a trend, the palaces in the complex occasionally erupted with Flame Light, like dazzling fireworks.

Each explosion of fireworks meant a Divine Sculptor had failed, the fire mulberry wood completely damaged and no longer suitable for further carving.

Li Che glanced around and then withdrew his gaze, unperturbed by the chaos.

Was the essence of heaven and earth so easy to resonate with?

It was a tyrannical force, fundamentally incompatible with the Will of Heaven and Earth in this world. Once channeled into the wood carving, if not properly suppressed, it would explode under the pressure from inside and out.

Therefore, the key to this round of wood carving was to suppress the essence within the sculpture while resonating with it.

And this was just the first challenge.

But it was a challenge all the participating Divine Sculptors had to face.

Because, after outlining the rough shape on the fire mulberry wood, they had to establish a resonance with the King's Essence.

...

...

The carving knife glowed with Flame Light, slicing off a piece of fire mulberry wood like a burning flame, dancing wildly in the air.

In the palace where Li Che was, only one Sage Sculptor remained, persisting to this point.

However, after failing to resonate and unable to control the essence, he also ended up with an exploding sculpture, leaving the palace with a disheveled appearance.

Apart from the Sage Sculptor bound by Li Che's spirit summoning, the other four Sage Sculptors looked at Li Che with complex expressions.

So far, the successful Divine Sculptors were almost all Immortal Sculptors, and they were the veteran Immortal Sculptors who had long been famous in the Xuanxiao Heaven.

Sage Sculptors, on the other hand, had almost been completely wiped out.

"He hasn't exploded yet? That's not right..."

"Being a Sage Sculptor, why can he persist this long?"

"He seems to be about to succeed... His rough shape is complete, and he's about to start resonating with the essence!"

...

While their own failures were regrettable, the success of their opponents was even more disheartening.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

The carving knife sliced through the fire mulberry wood, wood chips falling, and a human figure was successfully outlined on the wood placed on the table.

The essence of heaven and earth in the central area began to vibrate, and a Flame Rainbow emerged from the essence.

Like a serpent, it crossed the sky and poured into the palace where Li Che was.

The Flame River poured down from the top of the rough sculpture, completing the resonance.

At this moment, Flame Threads were being constructed in the palaces, connecting to the King's Essence of heaven and earth.

Like pipelines, they were preparing for the absorption of the essence.

Therefore, Li Che's successful Flame River didn't attract much attention.

Only the Sage Sculptors in the same palace noticed Li Che's success.

Time ticked by.

As the carving progressed, more intricate details emerged.

Each additional detail allowed for the absorption of more of the King's Essence of heaven and earth!

However, there were also Immortal Sculptors who couldn't control the essence channeled into their sculptures, causing the fire mulberry wood to explode and achieve the "exploding sculpture" status.

Flame Light explosions continued to occur in the palace complex.

Each explosion meant an Immortal Sculptor would leave the palace, muttering curses.

Initially, there were over a hundred Flame Rivers connecting to the King's Essence in the palace complex, but now, only about thirty remained after the continuous disruptions.

Seated in the central palace, Great Immortal Zhao Yuan crossed his arms and shook his head. "This situation is even worse than I imagined..."

"Our Obscure Heavenly Court's Divine Sculptors are too rough... I doubt there will be ten who can maintain their sculptures without exploding..."

Ji Shaohao's expression also turned serious.

"However, resonating with the essence of heaven and earth can benefit many Divine Sculptors, even improving their skills..."

"Please, Great Immortal, keep an eye out. If any talented Divine Sculptor, even if they end up with an exploding sculpture, can still be retained."

Ji Shaohao said.

Great Immortal Zhao Yuan nodded, acknowledging the point.

Suddenly.

Great Immortal Zhao Yuan's gaze swept across the area, his eyebrows arching, and his previously relaxed posture straightened up, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"This is..."

"A Sage Sculptor?"

"A Sage Sculptor... actually persisted this long?!"

Great Immortal Zhao Yuan exclaimed in surprise.

The change in Zhao Yuan's attitude made Ji Shaohao pause, and he followed Zhao Yuan's gaze to see a palace where a sculpture was resonating with the essence, a Flame River formed.

Although it was much weaker compared to those of the Immortal Sculptors, it hadn't exploded or been damaged yet, and the carving was still progressing.

"A Sage Sculptor?!"

Indeed!

A Sage Sculptor had actually persisted this long?

Ji Shaohao thought all Sage Sculptors had been wiped out!

A genius?!

A dark horse?!

At this moment, Li Che's presence also caught the attention of many Divine Sculptors who had failed.

They were in an uproar, amazed that a Sage Sculptor had managed to persist this long!

"Indeed, it's a Sage Sculptor... However, his skills are being enhanced by the essence of heaven and earth, transforming him into an Immortal Sculptor. He's about to reach the Immortal Sculptor level."

"Great talent, the carving technique is truly steady. The foundation of carving is so stable and perfect, there isn't the slightest mistake."

Elder Zhao Yuan's eyes lit up.

Ji Shaohao's interest was piqued. "About to become a Divine Sculptor?"

"It seems... the Heavenly Essence of a King I invited did have some effect."

"No, he's already a Divine Sculptor..."

"Though he just broke through to the Divine Sculptor rank, this young man might still have the potential to surpass other Divine Sculptors!"

"However, breaking through as a Divine Sculptor at this moment isn't a good thing... because once he breaks through, his mastery of the technique could falter, making it easy to make mistakes."

Elder Zhao Yuan commented.

"Moreover, the most important point is that after breaking through, his skills will change, and the details of his divine sculptures will differ. These subtle differences... can lead to a breakthrough in the Heavenly Essence being suppressed."

"Furthermore, this breakthrough will become the direction the Heavenly Essence of the King in the arena will target..."

Elder Zhao Yuan's words hung in the air.

Sure enough, the Flame River in front of Li Che's palace began to tremble violently.

The hundred-foot Heavenly Essence in the arena started rapidly converging toward the palace where Li Che was located.

This caused the head of the Flame River to swell suddenly.

It seemed like it couldn't bear the pressure and was about to explode!

Li Che naturally noticed this but wasn't overly concerned.

With such a vast amount of Heavenly Essence surging in, although Li Che's face showed a hint of seriousness and he was drenched in sweat, his mind remained calm, and everything was under control.

Cang Yuan, standing at the edge of the palace, had his heart in his throat, drenched in sweat, even more nervous than Li Che.

The unusual behavior of the Heavenly Essence naturally caught the attention of many Divine Sculptors who were still carving.

Their robes fluttered, and their dazzling, divine-light-emitting carving knives spun as they glanced over, seeing the grand spectacle of a Sage Sculptor drawing in such a massive amount of Heavenly Essence.

"A Sage Sculptor breaking through to Divine Sculptor, taking a different path, and attracting a large amount of the King's Heavenly Essence..."

"He's not afraid of being overwhelmed and exploding."

"Ha, a newly broken-through Divine Sculptor, with the courage of a young bull that doesn't fear the tiger. Since that's the case... I'll help you."

For a moment, many of the Divine Sculptors seemed to reach a consensus, and their carving speeds all slowed down.

Their Flame Rivers suddenly thinned, as if the Heavenly Essence had been drained away.

The drained parts all surged toward Li Che's Flame River.

"These Divine Sculptors... can't stand to see a new Divine Sculptor rise, so they're fueling the fire."

Elder Zhao Yuan shook his head, clearly dissatisfied.

Ji Shaohao's expression turned cold. "The Divine Sculptors of the Obscure Heavenly Court... their skills are mediocre, but they are adept at infighting and stirring up trouble."

"They don't focus on improving their skills, but rather on scheming against each other."

Elder Zhao Yuan sighed helplessly. "This new Divine Sculptor is likely to fail. There are only about twenty-five Divine Sculptors left in the arena, and if he explodes now..."

"Even with his good talent, it will be impossible to rank him in the top ten later."

As Elder Zhao Yuan spoke, he soon realized something was off.

"Huh? Why hasn't it exploded yet?"

Ji Shaohao, who had already started thinking about how to recruit this outstanding new Divine Sculptor for his team, was suddenly taken aback. He stood up abruptly from the palace and looked in that direction.

He saw the Flame River swell to nearly ten times its original size, with a terrifying Flame roar like a volcanic eruption!

Yet, no explosion occurred in the palace.

The newly broken-through Divine Sculptor had withstood the pressure!

Even Elder Zhao Yuan couldn't sit still anymore.

The many Divine Sculptors also showed slight changes in their expressions, almost stopping their carving to look at Li Che's direction.

The Flame River where Li Che was located now contained about seventy feet of the hundred-foot Heavenly Essence of the King!

An ordinary Divine Sculptor couldn't possibly handle it and would surely explode!

However...

This newly broken-through Divine Sculptor, despite the discrepancy in skills before and after the breakthrough, had withstood the pressure!

Could this person... be planning to absorb all the Heavenly Essence of the King?!

At that moment.

Li Che's black hair danced wildly, his eyes shining with brilliant light.

His carving knife moved swiftly, creating countless illusions as it cut through the Fire Mulberry Wood like a flowing stream, divine light shining brightly, Flame Light blazing like the burning feathers of a phoenix!

Seeing the immensely thick Flame River, Li Che's lips curved into a smile.

He was just worried about how a new Divine Sculptor could rank in the top ten...

Since you dare to give it to me!

He naturally wouldn't hesitate to take it!

Feel the dimensional strike from the Divine Engineer who has undergone seven transformations!

As the last blade of light swept by!

The carving knife spun in Li Che's palm and was finally put away.

Whoosh!

A shower of fire rain fell!

The immensely thick Flame River, stretching across the sky.

Was entirely consumed by the fire-red divine sculpture.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end