Chapter 574: Dual Eight Gates Open, Devouring Two Hundred Divine Crystals, Empress Nuwa Concealed Within the Ancestral Divine Carving and the Bull King

Chapter 574: Dual Eight Gates Open, Devouring Two Hundred Divine Crystals, Empress Nuwa Concealed Within the Ancestral Divine Carving and the Bull King

The Bull King let out a long moo, and the sea of flames roiled!

The numerous Divine Carving Immortal Hands, who were searching the Earth Vein Flame Sea for the location of the Bull King, all had their expressions change.

They raised their heads and saw above them, the Blazing Gold Earth Vein Flames coalescing into a massive, ethereal bull.

There was no doubt that someone had already found the Bull King!

Shi Shaokai, the young emperor, clasped his hands in prayer, his monk's robe billowing in the clear wind, his bald head gleaming. His face became incredibly serious.

His eyes, etched with cicada patterns, trembled, and he felt a bit annoyed.

How... could someone be faster than him?

Who was it?

Fu Shaohui? Xuan Yuan Hao, or Dongyang Immortal Hand?

The only ones Shi Shaokai cared about were these three. As for Ba She and Jin Miro, he knew their situations and didn't think they could surpass him, finding the Bull King before him.

Shi Shaokai's face turned grim, and the cicada patterns seemed to come alive, as if cicadas were chirping!

He took a step, and the sea of flames parted before him as he moved toward the Bull King's location.

His pace was quick, and his powerful will made him feel more at ease in the Earth Vein Flames.

At this moment, he was intensely curious about the person who had beaten him to it.

Perhaps, this was the spirit of a young emperor, unwilling to be outdone by anyone.

...

...

Li Che's perception trembled, and the Dragon-Elephant forms stretched out on either side.

His perception clearly captured the Bull King's will, and Li Che stepped forward, completely unfazed by the burning power of the Earth Vein Flames.

After successfully merging the Earth Vein Flame with the Primordial Dragon-Elephant Flame and upgrading a Mystic Seed of the Eight Gates to become an Eight Gates Xian Martial, Li Che felt as if he had returned to his natural element, no longer affected by the flames.

What was a torment and test for others was, for Li Che, a continuous enhancement of his own strength.

The Earth Vein Flames contained a trace of the Will of Heaven and Earth, which, though minimal, was the source of their terrifying power.

Thus, Li Che's Eight Gates orifices spun wildly, drawing in the power of the Earth Vein Flames, using the Primordial Fire Tribulation to enhance himself.

However, Li Che did not become engrossed in this cultivation.

He was also searching for the Bull King, as it related to the positioning of the array formation Immortal.

Li Che wanted to secure a good position.

Therefore, he wouldn't back down or hide his true strength.

His mind opened, and the Dragon-Elephant roared, locking onto the Bull King's location and heading straight for it.

The sea of flames was quickly split apart, like a labyrinth sealing off the Earth Vein Flames from all directions. The scorching heat, rising from beneath the square, warped the space.

Li Che stopped his steps, and in the center of the square, a void appeared.

The scorching heat was isolated here.

A bull lay quietly, a wooden carving, not a real bull, yet it seemed to have a life of its own.

The Bull King!

This was not a disciple of Eternal Laojun, but under Eternal Laojun, he was the most powerful King.

Even the disciple, Golden Crane King, was far inferior to the Bull King!

This bull, just by lying there, seemed to make the heavens and earth tremble, with the terrifying Nirvana King essence swirling and intertwining, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

"Is it you?"

The Bull King looked at Li Che, quite surprised.

And Li Che, looking at the Bull King, was equally astonished.

This was a wooden carving, made from ordinary wood, yet it was carved into a lifelike bull, radiating the aura of a King!

This was undoubtedly a wooden carving crafted by a Great Immortal Divine Carver!

And not just any Great Immortal Divine Carver!

The current Li Che himself was a Great Immortal Divine Carver, but he knew he didn't have the ability to create such a divine carving.

Even the Great Immortal Zhao Yuan couldn't do it!

Such an existence was perhaps at the pinnacle of the Great Immortal Divine Carver level!

Who was it?

A name came to Li Che's mind.

Mysterious Demon Den, Empress Nuwa!

Yes, Empress Nuwa was the most powerful Great Immortal Divine Carver of the Mysterious Demon Den, and her divine carving skills had even surpassed the Great Immortal level!

She was a peerless existence, a Jiutian Shidi!

"Senior."

Li Che bowed, clasping his fists.

The Dragon-Elephant forms around him disappeared, and his body emitted a sizzling heat, with smoke rising.

However, upon entering the Bull King's area, a cool sensation rapidly surged through him, seeping into his pores and spreading throughout his body.

His pores contracted, and his physical body seemed to grow under the dual effects of ice and fire, making this Earth Vein Flame Test a form of cultivation.

Clearly, an existence like Eternal Laojun would not be stingy with resources when hosting the Divine Craftsmanship Immortal Hand Conference.

The chilling sensation was an overwhelming divine essence, and it came from a divine crystal, one of high quality.

Li Che felt it and realized it was the divine essence that had overflowed after crushing three Upper Divine Crystals of the Three Purities.

"Good. From the Obscure Heavenly Court's jurisdiction, Canglan Village's Immortal Hand, in the first round of the Earth Vein Flame Test, the first Immortal Hand to find the Bull King scores eighty-one."

The Bull King spoke, his voice thunderous.

Then, a powerful divine essence coalesced beside the Bull King, forming a wall of divine crystals.

At the top of the wall, a line of carved text appeared.

"Find a place to absorb the divine essence and cultivate. This is a rare opportunity. You've just undergone the purification by the Earth Vein Flame, and your body is still burning hot, making the absorption of divine essence at its peak."

"The divine essence within my surroundings is the result of Eternal Laojun crushing three hundred Upper Divine Crystals of the Three Purities, forming a top-tier Blessed Land."

The Bull King's lifelike eyes fell on Li Che and he spoke.

The vivid vitality made it seem as if it were not a wooden statue at all.

Li Che was amazed, and not just by that. The Divine Craftsmanship Dao Fruit in his chest was pulsing intensely, as if it were eager to study the Bull King statue.

However, studying the Bull King would not be an easy task. It seemed to have a genuine life force and extremely sharp senses. If Li Che were to touch it, he had no idea what kind of threat it might bring.

But Li Che deeply remembered this Bull King statue. If there was an opportunity... he could take it away for study.

With his research on the Nine Symbols of Heaven and Earth stuck, the advancement of his Divine Craftsmanship Dao Fruit had become extremely difficult. The Dao Fruit had already undergone seven transformations, and the difficulty of further transformations had increased significantly.

Previously, he could rely on the Nine Symbols of Heaven and Earth, but now, he could only hope for the Bull King statue.

Li Che found a spot and sat down cross-legged.

He didn't hesitate, given the overwhelming divine essence...

With a deep breath, it felt as if substantial divine essence was surging into his nostrils.

Three hundred Upper Divine Crystals of the Three Purities, what a grand gesture!

No wonder Eternal Laojun was so generous, truly extravagant!

Li Che raised his hand and touched his forehead's mudra.

The Qiqiao Linglong Heart was currently inside the Tongbi Qitian Armor, helping the Ruyi Golden Band Staff to convert the Qitian essence.

So, Li Che decided to directly absorb all the divine essence into the Eight Gates Xian Martial he had just transformed from the Earth Vein Flame!

Li Che's eyes lit up. Transforming from the Mystic Seed of the Eight Gates to the Eight Gates Xian Martial was a significant transformation that required a great deal of energy.

Now...

It was the perfect time for a refill!

Absorbing divine essence!

Li Che seemed to turn into a vortex, crazily absorbing the divine essence around him. The divine essence from the three hundred crushed divine crystals coalesced into three hundred streams, like dragons winding around.

One divine essence dragon entered the Eight Gates acupoints, and it vanished like a drop in the ocean. He continued to absorb!

Li Che wasn't averse to absorbing divine essence because the divine essence he absorbed would be refined and converted into a form suitable for his body. When he reversed to become a Wu Xian, this divine essence would also be converted into blood and qi!

Thus, the cultivation of divine essence could even aid Li Che's Wu Xian cultivation!

So, Li Che didn't hesitate at all!

Devour, crazily devour!

One divine essence dragon after another was devoured by Li Che!

Ten, twenty, thirty...

Li Che was like a bottomless pit, absorbing crazily!

Soon, he reached one hundred!

Li Che took a deep breath. The Eight Gates Xian Martial quickly filled up. After devouring a hundred divine essence dragons, he needed to rest and wait for the refinement.

But Li Che didn't stop. He still had another Eight Gates Xian Martial!

The one that was opened by the Nine Symbols of Heaven and Earth Blade.

Such a rare opportunity, how could Li Che let it slip away!

Devour!

Li Che didn't rush to refine the divine essence, just absorbing the divine essence streams first.

Another hundred were absorbed by the Eight Gates acupoints, and Li Che finally felt a sense of "fullness."

At the same time.

Li Che's black hair fluttered, and his eyes opened, gazing into the distance where the sea of flames was split apart.

A sharp, cicada-like sound echoed, as if a demon-slaying blade had cleaved through the flames.

A figure emerged, palms together, his monk's robe fluttering.

As soon as he stepped out, his gaze quickly fell on Li Che.

Shi Shaokai was stunned. He hadn't expected that Li Che would be the first to appear here.

He had thought it might be Fu Shaohui, or perhaps Xuan Yuan Hao from the Ancient Village of the Two Holy Ones, or even the Imperial Hong Village.

But he never imagined it would be Cang Che, the Immortal Hand from the Dark Heavenly Court.

"How did he manage it?"

Cang Che's cultivation wasn't particularly strong. Logically, he shouldn't have appeared here so quickly.

Li Che's gaze also turned to him. Shi Shaokai quickly regained his composure, and the Golden Cicada Pattern slowly faded from his face.

He nodded at Li Che, then his gaze fell on the wooden carving of the Bull King and the leaderboard next to it, constructed from divine essence.

He stared at Cang Che's name for a long time.

After a brief greeting with the Bull King, Shi Shaokai's name was engraved on the leaderboard.

"Hei Xumi Young Emperor Shi Shaokai, first round Earth Vein Flame Test, second place, score seventy-one."

Seventy-one, ten points less than the first place!

Shi Shaokai's eyes seemed to glow with a Buddha light as he gazed at the name above his and softly recited a calming Buddhist chant.

As a Young Emperor, being surpassed by an ordinary Divine Carving Immortal Hand was a rare occurrence.

However, Shi Shaokai didn't lose his temper. He found a spot to sit cross-legged and began to absorb divine essence for cultivation.

"A hundred divine crystals crushed into divine essence?"

"Laojun Eternal is quite generous."

Shi Shaokai sensed the divine essence and sighed in admiration.

A hundred pieces of divine essence from the Three Pure Ones' upper divine crystals was a generous offering, but it didn't surprise Shi Shaokai too much.

It was less than two hundred, so Laojun Eternal was generous, but not overly so.

Shi Shaokai inwardly mocked, then sat cross-legged and didn't waste the state of cultivation after being tempered by the Earth Vein Flame.

Li Che stopped absorbing divine essence and began to slowly refine it.

Time passed bit by bit.

More and more Divine Carving Immortal Hands appeared around the Bull King wooden carving.

Fu Shaohui, Xuan Yuan Hao, Dongyang, Bashi, Jin Miro, and others broke through the Earth Vein Flame and found the location of the Bull King wooden carving.

Of course, almost everyone's gaze lingered on Li Che for a moment, seemingly amazed that Cang Che had appeared here so quickly.

However, only the top ten or so continued to pay attention. Most of the Divine Carving Immortal Hands who passed through the Earth Vein Flame were already exhausted, their bodies scorched and near death.

They had no energy to focus on Li Che.

But Li Che's first-place ranking on the leaderboard stirred many hearts, leading them to believe that Ji Shaohao, the Young Emperor, must have prepared some hidden cards or backup for him!

Li Che, of course, didn't care what the other cultivators thought and focused solely on refining the divine essence.

Two hundred pieces of divine essence from the Three Pure Ones' upper divine crystals...

He absorbed it all into two Eight Gates Xian Martial acupoints, nearly to the point of bursting.

Of course, it was also because Qiqiao Linglong Heart wasn't with him, placed in the Mo Cheng Fengdu. Otherwise, with the help of Qiqiao Linglong Heart, the refinement process would have been much faster.

Even so, Li Che still used the power of the Pure Mind Dao Guo to assist in the refinement.

Surprisingly, this assistance also improved the maturity of the Pure Mind Dao Guo!

It was truly an unexpected bonus.

After that, the Bull King wooden carving remained mostly still, its eyes quietly watching the continuous appearance of the Divine Carving Immortal Hands.

When the last Divine Carving Immortal Hand in the Earth Vein Flame couldn't withstand the power and was burned to nothing, transforming into a Flame Light and being sent out of the Earth Vein Flame array, the first round of the evaluation came to an end.

Sssss—

The void distorted, and the air was scorched and deformed by the intense heat.

A total of 153 Divine Carving Immortal Hands passed through the Earth Vein Flame!

The divine essence from a hundred divine crystals, supplied to over a hundred Divine Carving Immortal Hands, was indeed a bit tight.

However, many of the Divine Carving Immortal Hands praised Laojun Eternal's generosity.

Li Che remained silent. If the others knew that Laojun Eternal had initially prepared divine essence from three hundred divine crystals for everyone, and he alone had absorbed two hundred of them...

There would likely be an uproar, and he might be beaten to death!

Rumble—

After the first round ended, the Divine Carving Immortal Hands were given about half a day to rest before the second round began.

The Earth Vein Flame slowly receded, and the plaza, previously obscured by the Blazing Gold Earth Vein Flame, reappeared before everyone's eyes.

The many cultivators waiting on the bronze city walls suddenly brightened their gazes and projected their attention and senses.

Those who had been eliminated and the accompanying cultivators, such as Ji Shaohao, also focused their gazes.

Their eyes swept over the area and eventually converged on the leaderboard.

Ji Shaohao clenched his fists, not really expecting much from Li Che, thinking that making it into the top twenty would be quite an achievement.

Li Che hadn't been eliminated, and Ji Shaohao was already quite pleased.

Although he had given Li Che some encouragement, for Li Che to make it into the top three, the difficulty was truly immense.

However, when the Blazing Gold Earth Vein Flame receded, the scene that unfolded gave Ji Shaohao a genuine shock and surprise!

"First place?!"

"What?!"

Ji Shaohao was a bit dazed; this was completely beyond his expectations.

Shi Shaokai and Fu Shaohui, the two young emperors, were that useless?

Cangche Immortal Hand’s cultivation was so weak, yet he managed to surpass these two?

While Ji Shaohao felt joy, a frown creased his brow, a hint of doubt clouding his expression.

Those who could become young emperors were all meticulous thinkers. At this moment, looking at the calm and composed Cangche Immortal Hand, he couldn’t help but have his doubts.

However, at this moment, Cangche Immortal Hand had become the only Divine Carving Great Immortal in the Obscure Heavenly Court camp to make it into the top ten.

The other Divine Carving Great Immortals had their best ranks in the eighties, with a score of only five.

All the Divine Carving Great Immortals outside the top ten had a score of five.

Thus, Ji Shaohao could only pin his hopes on Li Che, because the other Divine Carving Great Immortals were truly useless.

Regardless of what secrets Cangche Immortal Hand might be hiding,

As long as he could secure a place in the following array immortal hand competition and obtain the Equality with Heaven Divine Pill, he didn’t care!

He could even forgive him!

Ji Shaohao’s hands were clasped behind his back, his white robes fluttering, his eyes gleaming.

As for any ulterior motives Cangche Immortal Hand might have...

Ji Shaohao didn’t think a mere Path-Cutting Realm god could cause any trouble in a conference led by Eternal Laojun.

What kind of major disruption could there be?

A Heavenly Eternal, three Earthly Eternals, and five Nirvana Kings were stationed in Doutian Palace City. Could a Fusion Dao god cause any trouble?

Ji Shaohao didn’t believe it.

The commotion around him continued unabated.

One by one, eyes turned to Ji Shaohao, clearly thinking that Li Che’s first-place win had something to do with Ji Shaohao, the young emperor of the Obscure Heavenly Court.

Perhaps he had known the content of the first round of the exam and had given Li Che special training.

Buzz—

Golden wings suddenly unfurled, and countless streams of air shot out like sharp sword qi.

King Golden Crane floated above the Bull King wooden sculpture, slowly lowering his wings.

A powerful aura of a King spread out.

"Silence!"

His cold voice rippled out, silencing every cultivator.

No one dared to gossip; no one wanted to provoke this Nirvana King who was clearly in a bad mood.

"The results of the first round are out. The second round will begin now."

King Golden Crane said coolly.

The loss of the Ruyi Golden Band Staff had left him feeling somewhat hopeless.

His sour expression suggested that anyone who annoyed him would be met with a sword, and the festive spirit he had earlier was completely gone.

The many Divine Carving Great Immortals who were sitting in meditation, refining divine essence, opened their eyes.

Li Che also finished refining and exhaled, looking at King Golden Crane.

"The rules for the second round are also simple. I will tell you the rules of the second round in advance, which were not set by Eternal Laojun."

"Instead, Eternal Laojun specially went to the Mysterious Demon Den to invite Empress Nuwa to set the rules."

King Golden Crane said indifferently.

Empress Nuwa?!

As Divine Carving Great Immortals, there was one existence they could not ignore: Empress Nuwa of the Mysterious Demon Den.

Reputedly the most powerful Divine Carving Great Immortal in Jiu Tian Shi Di, she was even said to be above the Great Immortals!

She was known as the Ancestor of Divine Carving!

A true master standing at the pinnacle of divine carving!

Just as Eternal Laojun was the Ancestor of Alchemy.

"The rules for the second round... there are no real rules."

"Everyone, this Bull King wooden sculpture was carved by Empress Nuwa. You have all seen it."

"The rule set by Empress Nuwa is simple."

"Observe the Bull King wooden sculpture and then carve... an Empress Nuwa statue!"

King Golden Crane’s expression became more serious, his tone carrying a hint of respect for Empress Nuwa.

Once the rule was announced, the entire square erupted in a commotion. Over a hundred Divine Carving Great Immortals all showed signs of shock and confusion.

"Carve Empress Nuwa?"

"But... how can you carve Empress Nuwa by looking at a bull?!"

"Is Empress Nuwa hidden in the Bull King wooden sculpture?"

...

The rule seemed a bit nonsensical, leaving the Divine Carving Great Immortals bewildered.

Li Che’s face also showed a hint of confusion.

"Observe a bull and carve Empress Nuwa?"

This Empress Nuwa is a bit playful!

However, Li Che’s heart couldn’t help but race, and he felt a surge of excitement.

If this Bull King wooden sculpture was indeed carved by Empress Nuwa, observing it might bring him unexpected gains.

At the very least, it could help the maturity of the Divine Craftsmanship Dao Fruit!

The skills of Empress Nuwa, the Ancestor of Divine Carving, would not disappoint the Divine Craftsmanship Dao Fruit.

"Now, everyone can begin preparing. All the divine wood materials will be of the same type, and there is no time limit for carving. Once the carvings are complete, the Bull King's wooden sculpture will provide a score. Then, based on the scores from both rounds, we will determine the ranking of the eighty-one Immortal Hands."

King Golden Crane said.

As he finished speaking, King Golden Crane swept his sleeve forcefully.

Sword qi, like a celestial flower shower, whistled out, slicing through the void. The void shattered, and piece after piece of green divine wood fell from the cracks.

Under the guidance of the sword qi, the pieces landed in front of each Divine Carving Immortal Hand.

A piece of green divine wood also floated in front of Li Che.

"This is... Second Holy Lower Divine Wood!"

Li Che took a deep breath.

The Star-Picking Eye on his forehead glowed, identifying the quality of the divine wood.

Handling this kind of divine wood was no easy task.

Without sufficient cultivation, one couldn't even cut the divine wood, let alone carve it!

Thus, the invisible ladder was actually a test of cultivation!

He spread his fingers and pressed them onto the precious Second Holy Lower Divine Wood!

Thud.

The piece of divine wood was slammed hard onto the ground.

Around him, muffled sounds echoed continuously as pieces of divine wood landed. However, the brows of the Divine Carving Immortal Hands were all furrowed, their hearts in turmoil.

They were all somewhat at a loss about the task given by Empress Nuwa.

Of course, one could choose to carve randomly, but could they really carve out the image of Empress Nuwa?

Most of the Divine Carving Immortal Hands present... had probably never seen Empress Nuwa.

Even those from the Mysterious Demon Den were not guaranteed to have seen Empress Nuwa, except for Fu Shaohui, who, as the young emperor of the Mysterious Demon Den, had often seen her.

But...

Even with frequent sightings and knowledge of Empress Nuwa's appearance, it was impossible to carve her casually.

Who knew what form of Empress Nuwa was hidden within the Bull King!

Difficult!

The difficulty of the second round was much higher than the first.

Though the rules were simple, it tested insight, skill, and more.

Observe the Bull!

Shi Shaokai clasped his hands in prayer and chanted a Buddhist mantra aloud. Then, he sat cross-legged, and the Golden Cicada Pattern reappeared in his eyes. He stared intently at the lifelike, vibrant Bull sculpture, examining it carefully.

Fu Shaohui narrowed his eyes, his demonic aura sweeping out, and he fixed his gaze on the Bull.

The entire venue fell silent. The cultivators on the bronze city walls, who could observe the second round of the exam, held their breath, afraid to speak loudly.

Ji Shaohao clenched his fingers, his white robes fluttering, appearing calm on the surface but with turbulent emotions inside.

...

...

At this moment.

Deep within Doutian Palace City.

Three figures sat in meditation, with seven-colored halos rotating behind them. Their eyes were deep, as if containing a world within them.

In the center of the three Immortals, Eternal Laojun slowly materialized.

He was an elderly man with white hair and a white beard, his eyes squinted like crescent moons, his complexion rosy, and the seven-colored halo behind him continuously rotating.

"Empress Nuwa's test... it's really quite difficult."

"These Divine Carving Immortal Hands will likely find it very hard to succeed."

One of the Immortals smiled and said, "To carve a complete image of Empress Nuwa, no one should be able to do it."

"Will Shi Shaokai succeed...?"

"Difficult."

"The image of Empress Nuwa is not the main point; the key is to see through the Bull wood carving. Empress Nuwa must have used the power of the Will of Heaven and Earth in her carving..."

"The ancient symbol has been broken down into divine patterns and fused into the Bull wood carving... extracting it will be like unraveling a cocoon, extremely difficult."

Another Immortal said.

Eternal Laojun opened his eyes, his gaze like a crescent moon.

"Empress Nuwa knows my goal is to refine the Equality with Heaven Demon Monkey. That demon monkey... does not belong to this world. To refine it, I must rely on the power of the ancient symbol."

"The grand alchemical array I set up must also rely on the power of the ancient symbol..."

"Therefore, Empress Nuwa's test in this round is to screen for sensitivity to the ancient symbol of the Will of Heaven and Earth."

"The more sensitive one is to the ancient symbol, the higher their ranking will be, and they will be better able to activate the alchemical divine array and refine the demon monkey."

"Empress Nuwa is as considerate as ever, truly touching."

Mentioning Empress Nuwa, Eternal Laojun smiled brightly.

The other three Immortals also responded in agreement.

...

...

Li Che sat cross-legged, his fingers pressing on the Second Holy Lower Divine Wood, his black hair fluttering.

His gaze fell on the Bull wood carving.

"King, may I approach and touch the wood carving?"

Just as Li Che was pondering, Shi Shaokai's eyes, marked with cicada patterns, fluttered like cicada wings, and he asked.

King Golden Crane's sharp gaze swept over, carrying a hint of oddity.

"You may."

"If you can touch it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Shaokai stood up, clasped his hands in prayer, and bowed to the Bull wood carving.

Then, he stepped forward in his monk's sandals, which were untouched by any mud, approaching the Bull wood carving step by step.

Seeing this, Li Che exhaled slowly.

Inside his chest, the Divine Craftsmanship Dao Fruit was jumping wildly.

Li Che's eyes brightened.

This Bull... can actually be touched?!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end