Chapter 577: The Monkey King and His Kin Topple the Monkey King from His Throne, Making a Choice in Desperation to Aid Qitian

Chapter 577: The Monkey King and His Kin Topple the Monkey King from His Throne, Making a Choice in Desperation to Aid Qitian

Boom!

The terrifying fluctuations of the Will of Heaven and Earth continuously swept through, causing the alchemy furnace floating deep within the Heaven-Covering Palace to rumble incessantly, emitting a sound akin to the tolling of a bell.

The reverberations persisted, shaking like thunder!

Not only Li Che, but almost all the Divine Carvers who had ventured deep into the Heaven-Covering Palace looked up, their hearts trembling.

"That’s... the Qitian Demon Monkey?!"

"Indeed, it’s the Demon Monkey! He hasn’t even died yet!"

"Being scorched by such a terrifying Earth Pulse Fire, enduring day and night, and still not being refined! Truly terrifying!"

"That’s no surprise! This is the Qitian Demon Monkey, who once fought with a Heaven Immortal in his prime! Even Earth Immortals fell to his staff!"

...

One by one, voices filled with utter shock echoed from the Divine Carvers.

Shi Shaokai, Fu Shaohui, and other young emperors of the gods’ faction gazed intently at the Heaven-Covering Cauldron, which was a Heavenly Immortal Artifact of the Lord Lao Immortal, of extremely high rank and terrifying power!

Even a common Earth Immortal would not last long in the Heaven-Covering Cauldron, being rapidly refined!

Indeed, the Qitian Demon Monkey lived up to his reputation as a powerful battle god of the Yulian faction, capable of stirring up chaos alongside Yulian's Daughter, turning the Nine Heavens and Earth upside down!

Three Earth Immortals floated in the air, their powerful auras rippling out, casting a strange and mysterious aura over the void.

Fire dragons erupted from the depths of the Heaven-Covering Palace, colliding with the alchemy furnace, turning it crimson from the intense heat.

The three Earth Immortals maintained the burning of the Earth Pulse Fire.

Every Divine Carver held their breath, as the three Earth Immortals barely concealed their auras while maintaining the Earth Pulse Fire.

Thus, an immense pressure, like three great mountains, weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.

The Immortal Aura of Power was too terrifying. Despite being Path-Cutting Realm cultivators, they all trembled in fear.

Three Immortals appearing together was an extremely rare sight.

After all, in the past, it was exceedingly rare for a Path-Cutting God to even see an Immortal.

The Golden Crane King strode forward, leading eighty-one Array Formation Carvers into the city.

He first clasped his fists and bowed to the three Earth Immortals.

Then, his gaze turned toward the Heaven-Covering Cauldron, his face filled with reverence.

The negative emotions from the theft of the Wish-Fulfilling Golden Hoop Staff had long since melted away, vanishing completely.

"Master, all eighty-one Array Formation Carvers have been selected and brought here", the Golden Crane King respectfully said to the Heaven-Covering Cauldron.

As he finished speaking, Shi Shaokai, Fu Shaohui, and others instinctively raised their heads.

Li Che also felt a sense of anticipation and looked up at the Heaven-Covering Cauldron.

It turned out that, unnoticed by anyone, an old man in a white robe had appeared above the furnace, with white hair and beard, his sleeves fluttering, exuding a transcendent and extraordinary aura.

He mirrored the massive, ethereal figure that had appeared outside the Heaven-Covering Palace!

The Lord Lao Immortal!

The true Lord Lao Immortal!

Li Che’s heart tightened, his breath seeming to pause.

He could sense that the Lord Lao Immortal, simply by sitting there, seemed to become a vast, dark world, overshadowing all light and becoming the source of all luminance in the universe.

The radiance of the three Earth Immortals was completely suppressed.

Shi Shaokai, Fu Shaohui, and the other young emperors all bowed respectfully.

Even though they belonged to different factions, they set aside their pride and showed humility and respect.

Facing a Heaven Immortal, anyone would only show reverence.

The other Divine Carvers also bowed respectfully at this moment.

Li Che clasped his fists and bowed slightly.

The Lord Lao Immortal’s gaze swept over, his eyes extremely deep, as if they could pierce through the void and see into everyone’s hearts, making their souls tremble.

Every Dao Seed within Li Che’s body fell silent at this moment, as if severed from any connection to him, not daring to reveal even a hint of their presence.

Li Che completely suppressed his Immortal Qi, not allowing a single trace to leak out!

"Eighty-one Array Formation Carvers, please join me in the formation to refine the Demon Monkey."

The Lord Lao Immortal spoke, his voice booming and echoing in everyone’s ears.

"Yes."

Each Divine Carver bowed in response, in perfect unison.

The Golden Crane King’s gaze swept over, beginning to arrange the Array Formation Carvers in their positions.

To ensure the accuracy of each position, he personally guided each Array Formation Carver to their designated spot.

Li Che was the first to be taken, having ranked first overall in the first two rounds of the Divine Craftsmanship Competition, naturally receiving the best position in the formation.

The Earth Pulse Fire continued to erupt from the ground, resembling writhing dragons, with intense heat spreading continuously.

The Golden Crane King glanced at Li Che, reminding him to release his divine essence to resist the Earth Pulse Fire.

However, since Li Che had passed the first test, the Golden Crane King only gave a brief reminder.

The two stages of the Divine Craftsmanship Competition were designed to prepare the participants for this moment, when they would step into the formation.

Hum—

Li Che’s divine essence enveloped him, forming a divine veil around his body, shielding him from the burning Earth Pulse Fire.

The ground was intermittently illuminated by flames, revealing intricate patterns of various cloud motifs and totems, resembling a star map that was incredibly dreamlike and filled with a sense of vastness.

"Cang Che, you are the first in the sequence for this Divine Craftsmanship Competition. This is your designated spot."

"Do not stray beyond a five-meter radius. Within this range, you are free to move around without affecting the Divine Pill Formation", King Golden Crane said, his sword feathers fluttering as he reminded Cang Che.

King Golden Crane had to emphasize these precautions.

"If your improper operation causes the Divine Pill Formation to go out of control, we will hold you responsible."

"Furthermore..."

King Golden Crane gave Li Che a deep, meaningful look.

"Should the Divine Pill Formation fail due to your actions, you should be aware of the consequences you will face."

"Too many cultivators are waiting for the Qitian divine pills to be refined in the Immortal Lao's Heaven-Covering Cauldron."

"Thus, if your failure results in the refining of Qitian being unsuccessful and no divine pills are produced, you will be torn apart by countless cultivators, suffering endless tribulations!"

King Golden Crane was extremely serious.

Li Che, upon hearing this, solemnly clasped his fists and promised that he would not do anything dangerous.

Only then did King Golden Crane nod in satisfaction.

"Cang Che, it is indeed surprising that you have become the first in the sequence of Divine Craftsmanship. This shows that your future is boundless."

"However, do not let minor details lead to mistakes, causing you to fall into an endless abyss."

After giving this warning, King Golden Crane turned around and led the second Divine Carver, Shi Shaokai.

Shi Shaokai stood about a hundred meters away from Li Che, his position strictly defined.

King Golden Crane's sword feathers clanged as he led the way, cutting through wave after wave of crimson flames, guiding the Divine Carvers to their correct positions.

One by one, the eighty-one formation carvers took their places.

Each stood quietly at their designated spot, not daring to make any sudden moves, even the two young emperors, Shi Shaokai and Fu Shaohui, dared not act rashly.

At this moment, the burden on their shoulders was too great. If they caused the formation to fail, the consequences would be severe.

Li Che was well aware of this. As the first in the formation sequence, his position was the most important, and also the safest.

If Li Che were to secretly sabotage the process and rescue the Qitian deity without drawing attention, few would suspect him, the first in the formation sequence, as the mastermind!

However, under the perception of three Earth Immortals and one Heaven Immortal, it would be quite difficult for Li Che to do anything covertly.

But since he was here, Li Che would naturally try, rather than watch Qitian be refined into a divine pill in the cauldron.

Although Li Che had already transferred Qitian's essence into the Ruyi Golden Hoop Staff, rescuing Qitian's physical body would be the best outcome.

Standing quietly in place, his black robe fluttering, the scorching Earth Pulse Fire roared, causing beads of sweat to form on his brow.

Li Che knew that Immortal Lao needed to use the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fires to refine Qitian.

Currently, only the Earth Pulse Fire was present, and the Heaven Pulse Fire had yet to merge with it.

The purpose of the formation might be to control the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fires?

The eighty-one Divine Carvers, each carving a divine image, formed a formation that resembled a temperature-controlled reactor?

In his mind, Li Che slowly pieced together his current situation.

He closed his eyes and placed pieces on the heaven and earth chessboard in his mind, contemplating the possibilities and methods to rescue Qitian.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

It was unclear how much time had passed, but the hearts of all the Divine Carvers trembled slightly.

Under the Immortal Aura of Power, they suddenly felt the pressure on their bodies ease.

This was because the immortals had transferred their Aura of Power to the Heaven-Covering Cauldron, increasing the output of the Earth Pulse Fire.

"Everyone, form the formation."

"A divine wood will appear. Use your understanding of the art of carving to create a demon monkey."

Immortal Lao's voice echoed from the void.

Each Divine Carver's mind was shaken.

Li Che's eyes narrowed as he saw a jet of Earth Pulse Fire shoot towards him. When the flame light faded, a large red crystal-like divine wood appeared before him.

The divine wood, resembling a crystal rather than wood, was as thick as a millstone and stood three meters tall.

Carving the Qitian Demon Monkey?

This was not a particularly difficult test. The Divine Carvers, their heads held high, could clearly see the demon monkey leaping around in the Heaven-Covering Cauldron.

It was a routine carving exercise.

For the Divine Carvers, this type of carving with a clear reference was relatively easy.

But creating a divine carving of high quality was not an easy task.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

Accompanied by the clanging of knives, countless brilliant knife beams swept through the air.

One by one, the Divine Carvers began their work.

Li Che frowned, gripping his carving knife. He couldn't afford to hesitate, as it would be too conspicuous.

Li Che suspected that his outstanding performance at the Divine Craftsmanship Competition had already drawn the attention and suspicion of many powerful figures.

Ji Shaohao, Shi Shaokai, Fu Shaohui, and others were likely watching his every move.

Therefore, Li Che couldn't act too independently.

The Divine Armament carving knife swung and struck the crimson crystal-like divine wood, instantly bursting into a brilliant flame light!

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—

With a reference to follow, this test was not too difficult for the Divine Carvers.

Amidst a rustling sound and the shimmer of chisels, the divine carvers completed their carvings of the Qitian Demon Monkey.

Each one was lifelike and unique, even though they couldn't clearly see the Qitian leaping about inside the Heaven-Covering Cauldron.

However, every divine carver's depiction of the Qitian was exquisitely lifelike.

Li Che also began his carving, not hiding his skills but showcasing his most powerful divine carving technique.

The chisel moved like flowing water, slicing along the divine wood and cutting off a piece.

His pace was unhurried, smooth, and imbued with a special sense of understanding.

After about half a day, all the divine carvers completed their carvings almost simultaneously!

Each carved Qitian Demon Monkey glowed with a crimson light.

When the last divine carver finished the final touches on his statue, the Lord Lao Immortal, seated above the Heaven-Covering Cauldron, lowered his gaze and swept his eyes over the eighty-one Qitian statues.

With a sweep of his duster, an endless surge of divinity, like a waterfall from the heavens, cascaded down.

It struck the ground below the Heaven-Covering Cauldron with a thunderous crash!

The eighty-one Qitian Demon Monkey statues began to float, as if they had come to life, imbued with vitality!

"The divine pill formation to refine the Qitian is about to begin. Everyone, sit down and connect your minds with the carvings, and relax your spirits."

The voice of Lord Lao Immortal echoed.

Li Che's eyes narrowed, and he, along with the other divine carvers, sat down on the ground.

The scorching heat of the Earth Pulse Fire seemed to travel up from the ground, spreading through their bodies like a hot current, rising from their feet to the top of their heads.

With a flick of his feather duster,

Lord Lao Immortal spread his fingers wide, and a swirling Blazing Gold Flame Lotus appeared in his palm.

With a snap of his fingers, the Flame Lotus drifted and landed at the center where everyone's gaze converged.

A thunderous boom echoed!

The sea of fire, already burning with the Earth Pulse Fire, seemed to ignite again!

The Blazing Gold flames transformed into a sinuous golden dragon, clashing with the original Blazing Gold dragon of the Earth Pulse Fire.

The temperature soared instantly, and the air began to distort, as if it might shatter under the immense heat!

"This is the Heaven Pulse Fire. With both the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fires gathered, the refinement of the Qitian Demon Monkey will truly begin!"

Shi Shaokai clasped his hands together, his eyes wide, the cicada patterns covering them, emitting a brilliant golden light.

"We carved the Qitian Demon Monkey to draw the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fires, locking onto the demon monkey, burning and refining it into a pill!"

Fu Shaohui's aura of demonic energy surged, his eyes glowing.

"Using the method of breaking down the demon monkey's soul to refine it!"

"The divine pill formation is indeed wondrous, befitting the first alchemy ancestor immortal of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!"

Fu Shaohui marveled.

The Xuan Yuan Hao from the Two Saints Ancient Village and the Dongyang Immortal also expressed their awe.

However, after their initial amazement, their eyes shone even brighter.

Because their confidence in Lord Lao Immortal's ability to refine the Qitian Demon Monkey and create the Qitian divine pill had grown!

Rumbling!

The Heaven-Covering Cauldron, originally suspended in the sky, was activated by Lord Lao Immortal's feather duster, triggering the formation.

It seemed to be pressed down by the entire world, as three Earth Immortals unleashed their mighty Will of Heaven and Earth, forming three large palms that pressed down together.

Boom!

The countless Earth Pulse Fires were scattered by the impact of the cauldron's descent, rushing outward in all directions!

The three-legged Heaven-Covering Cauldron turned a deep crimson, and the Qitian Demon Monkey inside, sensing the situation, began to scream, its powerful attacks slamming against the walls of the cauldron!

Thud, thud, thud—

Shockwaves rippled outward!

A muffled explosion echoed!

The three-legged Heaven-Covering Cauldron smashed into the ground, causing countless cracks to appear, from which lava began to flow, rapidly forming an array pattern!

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—

The scorching heat made each divine carver feel as if their souls were being burned!

Fortunately, the points where they stood were protected by the Will of Heaven and Earth, forming an invisible barrier that shielded them from the intense heat!

Each Qitian Demon Monkey statue carved by the divine carvers seemed to ignite!

Li Che's eyes swept over the eighty-first divine carver.

The Qitian Demon Monkey he had carved fell to the ground, as if coming to life, and was enveloped by the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fires, which clung to it like a leech.

The statue let out a piercing scream, rolling in the sea of fire.

Li Che's gaze sharpened.

In the next moment,

The statue's scream abruptly stopped, and it exploded, transforming into a Qitian Demon Monkey-shaped Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire, which sprinted toward the Heaven-Covering Cauldron on all fours, screaming.

A loud clang echoed!

The Qitian Demon Monkey slammed into the cauldron, its body of Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire twisting and burning, turning the cauldron a deep crimson!

Lord Lao Immortal, floating above the cauldron, flicked his feather duster again.

He extended his fingers and pointed at the eighty-first statue carved by the divine carver.

Instantly, the statue came to life, screaming and burning in despair, transforming into a Qitian Demon Monkey made of Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire, which charged toward the cauldron!

Lord Lao Immortal, seated above the cauldron, continued to point remotely.

One by one, the Qitian Demon Monkey statues were consumed by the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fires, their screams filling the air.

The scene was filled with a sense of awe.

Every divine carver held their breath, not daring to breathe.

Li Che's eyes narrowed, his fingers clenched, his breathing heavy like thunder.

He could clearly sense the Earth Pulse Fire continuously burning, seeping into the cauldron, and scorching the Qitian Demon Monkey inside!

How ruthless!

Li Che took a deep breath.

His fingers clenched, and it seemed as though a Thunderbolt Chess Piece appeared in his palm.

However, this Thunderbolt Chess Piece, which had always been effective, could not achieve teleportation.

Even though the pill furnace was floating right in front of him, the distance was so close, yet he could not perform the Thunderbolt Teleportation.

This Heaven-Covering Cauldron was an Unparalleled Heavenly Immortal Artifact, its power too terrifying.

It even blocked the spatial mysteries of Thunderbolt Teleportation.

Unless he could get close enough to touch the surface of the pill furnace with his palm, he might be able to complete the teleportation...

Looking at the eighty-one Divine Carvings, most of which had already exploded, and the forty Earth and Heaven Pulse Demon Monkeys clinging to the outside of the Heaven-Covering Cauldron, almost making it water-tight.

The scorching Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire released a temperature that could incinerate everything, seeping through the pill furnace.

Li Che could not imagine how terrifying the temperature inside the pill furnace must be!

Even his Mortal Saint Body would likely not last ten breaths in there!

In such a situation... how could he attempt to rescue Qitian?

Li Che’s face darkened, reflecting the Blazing Gold Flame Light, his expression shifting.

No wonder... no wonder Qitian was so desperate.

He chose to pass his essence through the Wish-Fulfilling Golden Hoop Staff, hoping to preserve his essence.

Lord Lao Immortal’s refinement method was indeed beyond imagination!

Li Che clenched his fingers into a fist, his eyes reflecting the Flame Light.

He was thinking about how to save Qitian...

Could he really only watch helplessly?

A sense of reluctance slowly rose in his heart. He had come so far, finally meeting Qitian, the deity of the temple.

But, in the face of Lord Lao Immortal’s pill refinement formation, he was at a loss.

Li Che sat cross-legged in his position.

He clenched his fist and slowly closed his eyes.

Around him...

One scream after another echoed continuously.

Each scream represented a Divine Carving of a demon monkey, carved by a Divine Carver, being incinerated by the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire, transforming into an Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire Monkey and rushing toward the pill furnace refining Qitian, becoming part of the process.

It was as if countless of Qitian’s monkeys and grandsons were trying to pull their king off his throne, bringing about his ultimate downfall.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fu Shaohui suddenly stood up, his body trembling slightly, demonic aura swirling.

He looked at the demon monkey he had carved with a greedy and excited expression.

One bolt of Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire after another burned his carved demon monkey, causing it to crack continuously!

"Burn! Burn faster!"

"Refining Qitian’s divine pill will give me a chance to make up for the pain of losing my Divine Armament!"

Fu Shaohui’s sharp teeth showed, his excitement almost making him dance.

Bang!

A scream!

His demon monkey exploded, transforming into an Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire Monkey that was even larger than the others, roaring as it charged and slammed into the pill furnace.

Thud!

The pill furnace immediately emitted a loud, muffled sound!

A pained groan seemed to come from within!

"It’s working! Almost done!"

Fu Shaohui was extremely excited, his face contorted with greed, almost drooling!

Dongyang Xianshou also stood up, but he was much more reserved than Fu Shaohui.

His carved demon monkey also exploded, the Fire Monkey even larger and containing a more concentrated Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire!

Dongyang Xianshou took this opportunity to sit cross-legged, his powerful divine consciousness spreading out, beginning to perceive the rules and order within the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire!

He drew a bit of power, refining his divine consciousness, as if trying to open the Netherworld Path of Life and Death!

This was also an opportunity for them.

Not just Dongyang Xianshou, many other Divine Carvers were using the moment their carvings were burned by the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire to capture the power of the fire for their own cultivation!

When Dongyang Xianshou’s carving was burned away.

Shi Shaokai slowly stood up, the cicada pattern appearing in his eyes.

His carving exploded, and an eighty-zhang tall Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire Monkey roared to life, pounding its chest, its massive form distinctly different from the other Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire Monkeys.

Shi Shaokai’s eyes showed a sense of excitement.

The Golden Cicada Pattern on his eyes vibrated, drawing a thread of Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire into the pattern.

His monk’s robe fluttered continuously.

Behind him, it seemed as though an Ancient Golden Cicada appeared, absorbing the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire to cultivate itself!

Although his face showed some pain, it was clearly insignificant compared to the gains.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

It was as if an endless sea of fire was boiling, ape roars shattering the sky, everything in a state of destruction and chaos!

Li Che suddenly opened his eyes.

His body trembled slightly.

Because...

It was finally his turn.

Crack!

A crack sounded, and Li Che’s carved Qitian statue instantly showed cracks.

A bolt of Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire spewed out, and then it became uncontrollable, causing the living statue to scream and roar!

Li Che did not stand up, maintaining his cross-legged position.

He raised his head.

His black hair danced wildly.

Looking at the statue being burned by the Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire.

Looking at the hundred-zhang tall Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire Monkey standing up.

Li Che felt his heart tremble at this moment.

But.

Soon, his heart became firm.

His eyes narrowed slightly, making a decision in his heart.

The Wugou Heart Dao Guo beat fiercely.

Focusing his gaze.

At the moment his carved Earth and Heaven Pulse Fire Monkey slammed into the pill furnace.

Li Che’s fingers clenched tightly.

The Thunderbolt Chess Piece in his palm disappeared instantly.

Leaving his dominion avatar in place.

His entire person vanished.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end