Chapter 569: Sculpting Monkeys and Grandsons Wielding the Wish-Granting Golden Rod, a Divine Weapon Hidden in the Armory

Chapter 569: Sculpting Monkeys and Grandsons Wielding the Wish-Granting Golden Rod, a Divine Weapon Hidden in the Armory

Boom!

The explosion echoed incessantly!

Countless splinters of divine wood flew everywhere, like a massive avalanche, sending dust and debris flying in all directions!

Bashe’s smile froze, and his wildly dancing arms stiffened as if filled with cement, remaining motionless!

It failed!

The armory he had sculpted, which was supposed to contain the divine spirits, had exploded under the sheer weight of the Wish-Granting Golden Rod!

This was a severe blow to Bashe.

It seemed as though he was on the verge of success, steadily holding the Wish-Granting Golden Rod, but with a sudden, explosive howl, his divine sculpture could no longer bear the power and exploded!

Bashe’s massive frame swayed slightly.

“Impossible!”

Bashe’s face turned pale, and he emitted a low growl, filled with disbelief and anger!

Even Bashe had failed…

This divine sculptor from the Wondrous Demon Cave, who had fought his way through the fierce competition of divine sculptors to represent his faction at this banquet, was a testament to Bashe’s formidable skills.

But no matter how strong his skills were, when it came to the Jail Lotus Great Sage, a peak existence who could rival the Eternal Heavens in his prime…

Bashe still tasted the bitter taste of failure.

In the private room,

King Jinhewan held a golden goblet, sipping his drink and shaking his head slightly. “He was too careless. It’s not that easy.”

“The Great Sage, the Monkey King, is temperamental, and his divine weapon is not easy to control.”

“This Bashe is still too young. His divine sculpting skills are commendable, but his understanding of the Great Sage Monkey is lacking.”

King Jinhewan’s words reverberated in the room, making Fushaoxi’s face turn grim.

It was as if King Jinhewan’s words were a slap in the face.

Fushaoxi was also a divine sculptor, but he had not delved deeply into the art.

Emperor Shisha, a skilled divine sculptor, clasped his hands together, his gaze intensifying.

“The Wish-Granting Golden Rod rebelled. Bashe thought it had stabilized, but he didn’t realize that the rod seemed to have a will of its own, striking a fatal blow when Bashe let his guard down.”

“But… why is the Wish-Granting Golden Rod so cunning?”

Shisha was puzzled by this.

King Jinhewan chuckled lightly. “That’s why… this banquet was set up, to have numerous divine sculptors collaborate and sculpt an armory to soothe the divine weapon’s temper…”

This was the purpose of King Jinhewan’s banquet. Otherwise, why would he gather so many people and offer such a high reward?

It was simply to have the divine sculptors simulate the essence of the Great Sage Monkey.

Unfortunately, this requirement was not easy to meet.

King Jinhewan exhaled, and a mighty sword aura surged forth once again.

He restrained the Wish-Granting Golden Rod, which had shattered Bashe’s sculpture.

The suppression of a Rebirth Heavenly King was indeed formidable, making it difficult for the Wish-Granting Golden Rod to break free.

Although he couldn’t refine the divine weapon, his strength as a Rebirth Heavenly King was beyond question.

In the arena, with Bashe’s failure, the atmosphere became even more tense.

The divine sculptors who had seen their sculptures explode with the ape’s howl breathed a sigh of relief.

If even Bashe could not succeed, then they had no reason to feel too disheartened.

Jin Miluo quickly completed his sculpture, a massive and towering statue, hollowed out inside, depicting the image of the Great Sage.

Jin Miluo’s sculpture was simple, perfectly replicating the moment when the Great Sage broke through the alchemical furnace.

Buzz!

Jin Miluo stepped onto his massive divine sculpture.

He hollowed out the center of the wood, and the carved scene seemed to vibrate slightly, coming to life under the influence of divine energy.

“King Jinhewan!”

“Let me give it a try.”

Jin Miluo spread his arms and let out a long howl!

Boom!

From the massive divine wood, countless splinters cascaded down like a sandstorm.

All the divine sculptors who were watching this moment felt a sense of dizziness.

King Jinhewan flicked his finger.

The sword aura dispersed, and the Wish-Granting Golden Rod, which had been restrained, vibrated again.

It whistled toward Jin Miluo’s divine sculpture.

There was a hole in the center of the sculpture, designed to receive the Wish-Granting Golden Rod.

The rod drifted like a leaf, landing in the sculpture and being held by the carved image of the Great Sage.

Hush!

The atmosphere suddenly became calm.

But a deep rumble rolled across the ground.

Many people’s eyes were drawn to Jin Miluo’s sculpture, which was trembling, the vibrations spreading through the ground!

Jin Miluo’s face was stern, and a powerful divine presence surged forth, showcasing his Dao Realm cultivation. The divine energy within the sculpture coiled like a python, completely enveloping the Wish-Granting Golden Rod.

Jin Miluo chose to embed the Wish-Granting Golden Rod, as if sculpting a sheath for it.

In the private room,

Li Che’s engraving knife paused, and he looked up at the scene.

It had to be said, Jin Miluo was quite imaginative, choosing this method to serve as a weapon stand.

But…

The result would be the same.

No matter how lifelike the Great Sage was sculpted, whether the Wish-Granting Golden Rod would rebel or not was entirely up to Li Che, the master of the divine weapon.

In reality, Li Che hadn’t exerted much effort. Bashe’s sculpture couldn’t pacify the Wish-Granting Golden Rod from the start.

In the end, it would still be shattered by the rod, and Li Che had merely triggered this outcome early.

This time, Jin Miluo seemed to show some real signs of success.

Jin Miluo's understanding of the habits and temperament of the Monkey King of Heaven far exceeded that of Bashe.

Li Che couldn't help but think of a certain immortal from the Black Sumi, the Golden Cicada!

The Golden Cicada with its eyes embroidered with cicada patterns also represented the Black Sumi, yet it possessed the power to influence the situation.

"Somewhat promising, but not much."

Li Che's hand moved skillfully, and with a slicing sound, a cut appeared on the wooden sculpture, continuing to transform the divine weapon, cutting the divine wood to form an exquisitely precise mortise-and-tenon structure.

During the intervals of carving, Li Che glanced at the massive Buddha statue, which resembled a grand altar.

Just a glance, as if sensing Li Che's divine essence, the statue responded instantly.

The moment Jin Miluo relaxed, the Wish-Granting Golden Rod began to sway and vibrate.

Buzzing—buzzing—buzzing—

The massive wooden statue trembled, and cracks began to spread like a spider web.

The Wish-Granting Golden Rod instantly began to expand, one becoming two, two becoming three, and then hundreds and thousands!

Densely packed Wish-Granting Golden Rods instantly burst the divine statue, which resembled an altar, into pieces!

Jin Miluo stood beneath the shattered statue, palms together, sighing softly as the fragments cascaded down like a waterfall.

"Failed again..."

Jin Miluo sighed, shaking his head slightly, feeling regretful as he was showered by the fragments of the divine wood.

The divine sculptor from the Black Sumi also failed...

Now, the entire Drunken Bagua Treasure Pavilion fell into a deathly silence.

Could it be...

That no one would succeed at this banquet?

King Jinhewan also sighed and took a sip of wine.

This generation of divine sculptors... wasn't up to par!

Shi Shaogai furrowed his brows.

It shouldn't be this way...

The Black Sumi and the Monkey King of Heaven had some connections, and Jin Miluo had a significant relationship with that immortal...

Logically, Jin Miluo should be the one who understood the Monkey King of Heaven the most among the divine sculptors present.

Yet, he still failed...

"Something seems off..."

Shi Shaogai said.

Fu Shaoxi sneered, "What? When our Wicked Demon Cave's Bashe failed, it was normal, but when Jin Miluo fails, it's considered strange?"

Shi Shaogai glanced at the irritable Fu Shaoxi, not bothering to argue.

Fu Shaoxi had always been like this, with the typical bad temper of the demon race. If he really got into an argument, it would probably turn into endless bickering.

Ji Shaohao, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief, his whole body relaxing.

As the failures of Xuanyuan Hao and Dongyang's divine sculptors continued, the two divine sculptors from the Second Sage Ancient Village also failed to calm the Wish-Granting Golden Rod.

The banquet seemed to have entered an awkward and strange situation.

King Jinhewan swirled his golden goblet.

"It's normal. Before the banquet, I anticipated this scenario, where everyone might fail."

"If we can't get the weapon rack, then so be it."

King Jinhewan shook his head, not caring. If necessary, he would just suppress it back into the Void turbulence.

Once the Monkey King of Heaven is refined into the Heaven-Equalizing Elixir by the Eternal Lord Lao, the Wish-Granting Golden Rod...

Would naturally be shaped into his own form over time!

"Everyone failed..."

A smile crept onto Ji Shaohao's lips.

If everyone fails, and even Cangche the Divine Sculptor fails... then there would be nothing strange about it.

At this moment, Ji Shaohao even wondered if Li Che had already known he wouldn't succeed.

So, he had secretly obtained some resources.

This way, Li Che wouldn't be at a loss, having obtained five precious divine woods for free!

These divine woods were extremely valuable resources!

"Brother Shaohao, the divine sculptor from your Dark Heavenly Court... has completed his sculpture."

"He actually used the mortise-and-tenon structure!"

Fu Shaoxi narrowed his eyes, surprised.

Shi Shaogai's palms were together, his expression not very pleasant as he pondered Jin Miluo's failure.

Hearing Fu Shaoxi's voice, Shi Shaogai couldn't help but look over.

The moment he did, he was momentarily stunned.

Because, he saw a hand!

The divine sculptor from the Dark Heavenly Court... had actually carved a hand!

Using five types of divine wood, each carved into a finger, extending to the palm, and from the palm, joined together using the mortise-and-tenon structure.

The hand was in a clenched fist...

"This has nothing to do with the Monkey King of Heaven, does it?"

"What is he doing?"

In the treasure pavilion, many divine sculptors noticed Li Che.

Or rather, now Li Che was the only one still carving, so almost everyone's attention was on him.

Seeing what Li Che had carved, everyone was dumbfounded.

Bashe, Jin Miluo, Xuanyuan Hao, Dongyang, and other divine sculptors all had puzzled looks in their eyes.

What a... strange guy.

"No, that's not right!"

Suddenly, Jin Miluo seemed to sense something, his face showing shock!

...

...

Li Che paid no mind to the gazes of the others.

He had completed his carving, using five types of divine wood, each one utilized.

And Li Che did not carve a statue of the Monkey King of Heaven.

As the current master of the Wish-Granting Golden Rod, he naturally didn't need to carve the Monkey King.

However, Li Che chose another method.

The fist sculpture, completed using the mortise-and-tenon structure, was a technique from the Heavenly Craft of Nine Joints he practiced.

Combined, the five types of divine wood seemed to be seamlessly integrated, with no rejection or incompatibility.

Their divine essences were interconnected.

"King Jinhewan."

Li Che walked to the railing and bowed slightly towards King Jinhewan's private box.

King Jinhewan narrowed his eyes, flicking his finger to release the sword qi that bound the Wish-Granting Golden Rod.

The Wish-Granting Golden Rod immediately began to vibrate.

With a hum, it shot out.

Li Che clenched his hand, forming the weapon rack, and threw it out forcefully.

The fist-shaped weapon rack soared up, and the Wish-Granting Golden Rod precisely lodged into the clenched fist.

"Buzzing—buzzing—buzzing—"

The Wish-Granting Golden Rod shook violently, countless illusions appearing, as if the Void itself was about to be torn apart.

Many people witnessing this scene couldn't help but shake their heads, certain that Li Che was about to fail as well.

The Wish-Granting Golden Rod was far too defiant, completely unruly and untamable.

This Divine Sculptor from the Dark Heavenly Court, who wouldn't even carve the Supreme Heavenly Sculpture, how could he possibly tame the Wish-Granting Golden Rod?

A pipe dream!

Just carving a weapon rack in the shape of a clenched fist, would he truly grasp this divine treasure?

Crack—

Suddenly, someone heard a cracking sound, and saw a crack appear on the finger of the divine wood he was carving.

The crack widened, and then with a bang, it exploded, sending wood chips flying like mist.

However, to everyone's surprise, the weapon rack Li Che had carved didn't shatter completely.

The exploded finger shed its wood chips, revealing the intricate inner workings!

It was densely carved with countless little monkeys!

Each little monkey piled up, surrounding the Wish-Granting Golden Rod!

The rhythmic trembling of the Wish-Granting Golden Rod seemed to slow down.

Bang—

The second finger exploded, the same scene repeating, with countless wood chips revealing the densely carved monkeys!

The third, fourth, and fifth fingers!

The five fingers, each made from different divine woods, exploded one after another, revealing five different species of spirit monkeys.

Inside the private room.

King Jinhewan stood up suddenly!

Shi Shaojia's pupils dilated, his gaze sharp.

"What?!"

"Is this possible?!"

Shi Shaojia's heart was shaken, taking a few steps forward, his shock overwhelming.

Fu Shaoxi and Ji Shaohao were both bewildered.

Especially Ji Shaohao.

"Ah... It seems... It might actually work?"

"The Divine Sculpture art of the Dark Heavenly Court... is about to rise again?!"

Ji Shaohao suddenly felt like laughing!

No one thought... that the Divine Sculptor would actually succeed!

Not only did he get five types of divine wood for free, but he also managed to restore his pride!

"Indeed... Now that the Supreme Heavenly Sculpture is suppressed, the resentment intertwined with it has infected the Wish-Granting Golden Rod, making it unlikely that even the Supreme Heavenly Sculpture would be accepted..."

"But, by carving the monkeys and piling them up, it seems to touch the inner softness, making the stubborn Wish-Granting Golden Rod soften."

"Brilliant! Ingenious!"

King Jinhewan laughed heartily, his eyes gleaming!

Unexpected.

No one thought it would actually succeed!

King Jinhewan looked at Li Che, the Divine Sculptor, whom he hadn't really paid much attention to before.

Now, seeing that he could solve the problem at his banquet, this Divine Sculptor would definitely have a place among the eighty-one Formation Sculptors.

In the treasure pavilion.

Everyone waited for a long time.

They saw the Wish-Granting Golden Rod in the five-fingered weapon rack, now calm and still, with no more unusual movements.

This meant that among the many Divine Sculptors present...

Only this Divine Sculptor, Li Che, had succeeded!

"Who would have thought that the Divine Sculptor from the Dark Heavenly Court would succeed..."

"Never expected that the Dark Heavenly Court could produce such a talented Divine Sculptor."

"Using monkeys to build the weapon rack, it's like making the Supreme Heavenly will within the Wish-Granting Golden Rod return home..."

"Amazing! Ingenious! And it actually worked!"

...

Praises echoed throughout the room.

Jin Miluo clasped his hands together, praising endlessly, genuinely impressed.

Bashe snorted coldly, crossing his arms, looking somewhat unconvinced.

"Just a trick. In terms of skill, he's not as good as me."

Boom—

With a rolling cloud of dust.

The Wish-Granting Golden Rod quietly landed in the weapon rack.

A figure appeared instantly, none other than King Jinhewan.

He narrowed his eyes, hands behind his back, carefully examining the now calm Wish-Granting Golden Rod.

The Wish-Granting Golden Rod, no longer needing to be suppressed by his sword qi, made King Jinhewan's heart race with excitement. It was truly exquisite.

Fu Shaoxi watched with burning eyes from the private room. His life-bound enlightenment divine weapon had been taken by King Dizang, and if he could take the Wish-Granting Golden Rod as his enlightenment divine weapon...

Unfortunately, Fu Shaoxi shook his head, discarding the thought.

Because King Jinhewan also needed this divine weapon, how could he compete with the Rebirth Heavenly King?

"Ha-ha-ha! Excellent!"

"Very good!"

King Jinhewan carefully examined, the powerful will of the Rebirth Heavenly King surging out, sweeping over the five-fingered weapon rack, and sensing no issues, he finally laughed heartily.

"This Lower Deity Essence Crystal of the Two Saints belongs to the Divine Sculptor, Li Che!"

Hum—

A vast and powerful divine essence erupted like a torrent.

The essence crystal King Jinhewan threw out shone like a blazing sun.

Li Che hurriedly caught the essence crystal, his face beaming with joy.

This was... a Lower Deity Essence Crystal of the Two Saints!

One of the most top-tier essence crystals, extremely precious!

Li Che naturally treasured it greatly.

He wondered if this Lower Deity Essence Crystal could help Xixi advance to the Divine Being realm?

To be honest, Li Che was quite looking forward to it.

However, he didn't hand the essence crystal to Xixi right away, but carefully put it away.

Countless hot and envious gazes fell on Li Che, but he paid no attention to them.

"Divine Sculptor Li Che, please come to this king's private room for a chat!"

King Jinhewan lifted the weapon rack, along with the Wish-Granting Golden Rod, and smiled at Li Che.

Li Che didn't refuse, following King Jinhewan into the private room.

Inside the private room, all eyes were on him.

"Ha-ha-ha! Divine Sculptor Li Che, you truly live up to being the most talented Divine Sculptor of the Dark Heavenly Court, indeed not disappointing this Young Emperor!"

Ji Shaohao, upon seeing Li Che, became enthusiastic, his smile radiating.

Fu Shaoxi snorted coldly, and Shi Shaojia's expression turned grim.

Li Che remained humble, finding a seat in the private room and quietly enjoying the food, even sneaking some to take away.

The Heavenly King's private room was different; many of the dishes even used extremely precious medicinal herbs.

While Li Che feasted, he also packed some for Xixi.

Surprisingly, even Li Che, who had reached the Sacred Body realm, felt a slight improvement from the energy of the medicinal herbs in the food.

King Jinhewan had achieved the purpose of the banquet and was in high spirits, treating Li Che with exceptional kindness.

In addition to the two Saint Lower Divine Crystals, he also bestowed three additional Upper Divine Crystals of the Three Pure Ones to Li Che.

"You helped this King resolve this issue and allowed me to observe the Wish-Granting Golden Rod in a calm state, which greatly aids my path to immortality..."

"This reward is nothing compared to what you've done for me!"

King Jinhewan laughed heartily.

After admiring the rod with great affection, King Jinhewan unleashed his sword qi, tearing through the void, and retrieved the Wish-Granting Golden Rod and the weapon rack.

The banquet gradually came to an end. After the guests exchanged pleasantries, they all bid farewell to King Jinhewan.

Ji Shaohao led Li Che and Xixi back to the small courtyard.

Ji Shaohao couldn't stop smiling; today had been an incredibly satisfying day for him.

Fu Shaohao and Shi Shaojia couldn't refute him and were forced to let him have his way.

Especially Shi Shaojia, the proud monk who believed his divine sculpture skills were superior and looked down on the divine sculpture arts of the Dark Heavenly Court.

Now, he had thoroughly learned his lesson!

"Cangche the Divine Sculptor, I owe it all to you!"

"None of us expected you to exceed the Young Emperor's expectations!"

"This eight-leaf Dao Essence Crystal... is yours now!"

Ji Shaohao kept his word, took out the eight-leaf Dao Essence Crystal, and handed it directly to Li Che.

"You've really made a huge profit this time. You earned two Saint Lower Divine Crystals from King Jinhewan alone. Just one of these Divine Crystals is enough to elevate Canglan Village from the Middle Rank of the Four Sovereigns to the Middle Rank of the Three Pure Ones!"

Ji Shaohao said.

Li Che took the Dao Essence Crystal, which emitted a faint glow, and could see the eight leaves rotating and blooming within, like a dream.

The value of the eight-leaf Dao Essence Crystal was on par with the Saint Lower Divine Crystals.

Li Che indeed made a huge profit, but he earned it through his own abilities.

Ji Shaohao encouraged Li Che a few more times, expressing his expectations for Li Che's performance at the Divine Sculptor Conference, and then left the room.

Xixi blinked her large eyes, looking at Li Che with longing.

Without needing to pout, Li Che directly handed the two Saint Lower Divine Crystals to Xixi.

Xixi's desire for Dao Essence Crystals wasn't strong, as her Dao Essence was essentially the Curse of the Prison Lotus.

The Curse of the Prison Lotus... was essentially a top-tier Dao Essence Crystal.

By comprehending the Curse of the Prison Lotus and digesting the overflowing curse power, she was sufficient.

Thus, Li Che, without hesitation, directly fed the precious eight-leaf Dao Essence Crystal...

to Old Huang!

Old Huang swallowed the eight-leaf Dao Essence Crystal, and the energy within grew even more terrifying.

Li Che couldn't bear to watch.

Xixi, with the two Saint Lower Divine Crystals, immediately entered a closed meditation to cultivate.

Li Che sat in the room, his eyes gleaming as he exhaled slowly.

This banquet had been a great harvest for Li Che.

Besides the delicious delicacies rich in medicinal energy, he had also obtained two Saint Divine Crystals and an eight-leaf Dao Essence Crystal...

But that wasn't the main point!

The main point was...

He had touched the Wish-Granting Golden Rod!

It was his Wish-Granting Golden Rod!

Raising his head, Li Che's eyes burst with a brilliant light, almost illuminating the entire room.

Within his body, his blood and qi surged, and his powerful physical strength began to digest the medicinal energy absorbed during the banquet!

Rumbling—

His blood and qi surged like waves, shaking his bones and muscles, causing the air to vibrate, and even the void seemed to crack!

Li Che's physical strength was truly formidable!

Li Che was refining the energy and adjusting his state.

His gaze was fierce, with a determined resolve.

"The weapon rack..."

"It's a great opportunity to touch the Wish-Granting Golden Rod."

During the banquet, Li Che had pondered for a long time how to retrieve the Divine Weapon from a Rebirth Heaven King.

However, no matter what plan he came up with, he couldn't avoid King Jinhewan.

Creating the weapon rack and touching the Wish-Granting Golden Rod provided a simple and direct solution!

"Since I can't avoid it... I'll do it directly!"

"As long as I take the rod quickly enough... even a Rebirth Heaven King won't be able to react in time!"

Li Che's eyes were sharp.

He raised his hand and touched his forehead.

Instantly, the Heaven and Earth Chessboard spread out, enveloping the entire courtyard.

Li Che sat in the room, focusing his breath and adjusting his state to the best possible level.

Time passed slowly.

Unconsciously, three days had passed since the banquet.

Li Che had completely refined the medicinal energy from the delicacies.

His mind flickered.

The Thunderbolt Chess Piece hidden within the weapon rack instantly revealed its true form.

After King Jinhewan received the weapon rack, he retrieved the Wish-Granting Golden Rod and did not exile it to the void anymore.

Instead, he placed it in his palace, sitting opposite it, constantly observing and studying it with his Heaven King will.

Under such close scrutiny, there was hardly any opportunity to take the Wish-Granting Golden Rod.

But that wasn't entirely true.

The reason Li Che waited three days before making his move was to observe King Jinhewan's habits and find the best opportunity to retrieve the rod.

He also couldn't risk missing the upcoming Divine Sculptor Conference.

From his observations, King Jinhewan needed to visit the depths of Doutian Palace City daily, seemingly to meet with the Eternal Lord Lao and arrange the Divine Sculptor Conference.

Only at those times did King Jinhewan exile the Wish-Granting Golden Rod and the weapon rack to the void.

Buzz—

Through the Thunderbolt Chess Piece, Li Che sensed King Jinhewan leaving his palace.

He exiled the Wish-Granting Golden Rod and the weapon rack to the void.

Li Che's eyes snapped open.

He took out a white jade compassionate mask and placed it on his face.

His eyes shone like the sun!

"It's now or never..."

Li Che spread his fingers and slowly clenched them into a fist.

At the moment of complete clenching, a white chess piece appeared in his palm.

His entire body instantly teleported to the location of the chess piece!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end