Chapter 579: Identity Exposed, Thunderfly City's Battle for Immortality, All or Nothing with Qitian

Chapter 579: Identity Exposed, Thunderfly City’s Battle for Immortality, All or Nothing with Qitian

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

Scorching heat surged, distorting the air and condensing into a terrifying blaze. With each precious herb added to the Heavenly Cauldron, the scorching flames of the world’s meridian fires fully activated the herbs’ medicinal properties.

As an immortal divine armament of the Lord Immortal, the Heavenly Cauldron excelled in preserving the medicinal properties of the herbs, completely extracting their essence.

Qitian, the temple god, hovered high in the sky, his aura significantly diminished. Originally, his Qitian essence had been entirely drained by the Ruyi Golden Cudgel, and now only a small residue remained to sustain him.

As the refining process reached its midpoint, Qitian’s condition began to decline.

However, his eyes remained bright with anticipation, fixed on Li Che, who was now a charred mass.

In reality, Li Che had not been entirely incinerated into charcoal. The carbonized layer on the surface was the result of impurities being purged from Li Che’s body as the medicinal properties of the herbs were absorbed.

This was the product of the Mortal Saint Body being refined and tempered within the Heavenly Cauldron!

"Good boy, truly resilient. Half the time has passed, and with over thirty precious herbs added, the medicinal properties were terrifying and overwhelming, yet he managed to endure it all."

"Such a powerful physique!"

A physique that even Qitian acknowledged was indeed formidable.

"However, the effects of so many herbs are likely to have been absorbed into his body rather than fully assimilated. To absorb all the medicinal properties at once, his cultivation level is not sufficient."

Qitian sat cross-legged in the air above the cauldron, his divine aura spreading and enveloping the cauldron, shielding it from the perception of other immortals, creating an ideal environment for Li Che’s cultivation!

In truth, Qitian was not overly concerned. He had already made his decision to take one last gamble in this lifetime. No more being a temple god...

He would not be a temple god any longer!

Without being a temple god, he could not reincarnate. If he failed, he would truly fall, leaving no legend behind in the world.

Moreover, Li Che, the father of the Yulian girl, was also in a similar situation. As the father of Yulian in this lifetime, if he failed, there would be no next life for him either.

Therefore, if Li Che wanted to protect his daughter, he had to resolve the issue in this lifetime.

Although it was difficult, Qitian was willing to take this gamble with Li Che!

Perhaps it was because Li Che and He came from the same mythic origin.

A sense of trust was formed in this way.

Despite the immediate need to break out of the Heavenly Cauldron and resolve this terrifying crisis, Qitian was not worried.

After all, Li Che had already provided two methods to break the cauldron!

One was to wait for Li Che’s cultivation to strengthen, so his body could withstand the cauldron’s power, and then use a special relocation technique to transport both of them out of the immortal divine armament.

The second was to fight their way out!

Thinking of the second method...

Qitian couldn’t help but narrow his eyes and look at Li Che.

"This boy... has brought something extraordinary."

Qitian couldn’t help but smile, his hands moving gracefully like butterflies.

Thud!

Suddenly, a dull sound echoed, and the cauldron lid trembled as another herb was added!

Qitian, after the herb was refined into a medicinal liquid, gently directed it to Li Che’s charred form.

Slowly, the liquid was absorbed by the charcoal.

Crack!

A sharp sound!

The thick layer of charcoal on the surface cracked!

"Hmm?" Qitian’s eyes flickered as he focused his gaze.

...

...

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Terror-inducing energy coursed beneath Li Che’s skin. He felt as though his consciousness was sinking into an endless haze, losing all perception and direction, leaving only the instinct of his flesh.

Absorbing the overwhelming medicinal properties, refining and tempering his body.

Li Che felt as though he had returned to the days in Thunderfly City, at the Xu Family Woodcarving Shop, when he first stepped into the world of martial arts, enduring the harsh training to toughen his body.

His mind drifted, as though sinking into an endless illusion.

Li Che felt as though he was in a dream.

In his chest, the long-suppressed Dao Guo, Dream Sky Master, began to pulse with unprecedented intensity, radiating a dreamlike, seven-colored light.

This light enveloped Li Che, plunging him into a profound dream where he returned to the past, beginning to temper his body once more.

The overwhelming medicinal properties were continuously absorbed and assimilated in this dreamlike state of cultivation.

Li Che’s already powerful body underwent a transformative and strengthening process, from his skin, tendons, muscles, blood, and internal organs!

Despite the intense stimulation and pain brought by this transformation, the assistance of the Dream Sky Master Dao Guo allowed Li Che’s will to sink into the dream, separating him from the physical pain, completely isolating him from the agony of the body’s refinement.

How long it had been, he did not know.

Li Che felt his consciousness return from the dream.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

His eyes emitted an intense, radiant light, and boundless energy surged within his body, coursing through his meridians and skin, containing overwhelming power!

It seemed that a single movement could unleash an explosive surge of power!

"Push..."

Li Che opened his eyes, only to find his vision shrouded in darkness, as if something resilient had completely covered his eyes, blocking his view.

The overwhelming pain in his flesh had vanished, and Li Che could clearly sense the transformation his body had undergone, his Mystic Immortal Will deeply rooted within it.

Hmm?

Radiant light slowly emerged before his eyes.

Eight-Nine Mystic Art: Mortal Saint Body (90%)

Seeing the prompt, Li Che's breathing quickened. The improvement in his Mortal Saint Body was indeed rather rapid!

However, it was understandable. The potency of so many treasure herbs had been refined and fused into his body, and the intense pain of being torn apart and reshaped naturally warranted a significant enhancement.

Even so, Li Che was somewhat surprised that his Mortal Saint Body hadn't reached perfection directly.

After a careful examination, Li Che understood the reason.

"Seems my body has reached its limit in absorbing the medicinal properties."

Li Che couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

However, reaching 90% progress in his Mortal Saint Body was already quite impressive.

Thump, thump, thump—

The intense heartbeat thundered in his ears like a series of explosions.

Li Che's expression tightened.

A torrent of medicinal potency continued to surge from the charred outer layer of his body, powerful energy crazily seeping through his skin and into his flesh.

Intense pain coursed through every pore, his body burning like it was about to burst from the overwhelming force!

If this continued, he would likely be unable to endure it, ultimately exploding!

"Body... at its limit! The Mortal Saint Body can't improve any further... I can't absorb any more medicinal properties for now, or my body will burst, and it would be a loss!"

Li Che opened his mouth wide, his breaths sounding like rolling thunder.

Feeling the medicinal properties flooding his body, he knew these herbs were incredibly potent and precious!

To waste them would be a real shame.

However, his body could no longer bear the medicinal properties...

"I need to store these properties!"

Li Che's eyes gleamed.

He had a thought.

Having experienced hardships, he understood the value of these treasure herbs.

However, the question was how to store the medicinal properties.

Mo Cheng Fengdu couldn't be opened now; if it were, it would be destroyed by the terrifying heat of the Heavenly Cauldron!

So...

How could he store them?

Li Che's gaze flickered, and the Dao Fruits in his chest began to pulsate.

An idea suddenly struck him.

With a slight movement of his mind, he flicked his finger.

One by one, black chess pieces floated above the Heavenly Chessboard, each a manifestation of his Sovereign Incarnation.

The Mo Cheng Fengdu technique could transform into Sovereign Incarnations, each possessing about 70-80% of Li Che's strength.

Of course, these did not include the abilities of the Dao Fruits.

However, each Sovereign Incarnation had an extremely high tolerance, capable of bearing some medicinal properties without issue!

Li Che didn't need the Sovereign Incarnations to refine the medicinal properties; he just needed them to serve as containers, storing the medicinal essence that had been dissolved in the Heavenly Cauldron.

Once Li Che adapted to the medicinal properties in his body, he could slowly refine them.

These treasure herbs were incredibly precious, from the Two Saints Rank to the Three Clarities Rank. Even the least potent herbs were of the upper Three Clarities Rank.

The vast amount of medicinal properties was like a timely rain for Li Che, who was cultivating the Wuxian Path.

Cultivating as a Martial Immortal required the essence of heaven and earth, and after reaching the Immortal Realm, the demand for this essence became even greater.

The medicinal properties within each herb were universal, capable of being refined and transformed by both divine beings and Martial Immortals!

So, Li Che moved his body.

A powerful surge of force erupted, and the charred layer on his skin burst open.

Black smoke billowed up, filling the cauldron with dark fumes.

Qitian floated in the air, his eyes narrowed.

Seeing Li Che break through the charred layer, his muscles glowing with a brilliant light, his aura rising, and his physical strength emitting terrifying shockwaves, Qitian remarked, "Good boy, you really managed to swallow all the medicinal properties. What a big appetite."

However, Qitian's eyes glinted with golden light.

He saw Li Che flick his finger, and a black chess piece shot out, transforming into Li Che's form nearby.

A Sovereign Incarnation!

Absorb!

The medicinal essence, freshly refined by the Heavenly Cauldron, was drawn into the Sovereign Incarnation.

"Hehe, good boy, your body has reached its limit, but you don't want to waste a single bit of medicinal essence!"

Qitian immediately understood Li Che's plan.

His hands began to move like a butterfly's wings.

Li Che's incarnation was similar to his monkey hair incarnations, but it seemed to have a bit more substance!

However, Li Che's idea was sound.

Don't waste the medicinal properties; it would be better to consume them all rather than let them fall into the hands of opposing cultivators!

Li Che floated in the air, the scorching heat around him making him sweat profusely, but a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Li Che rose from obscurity, well aware of the value of resources and never wasted a bit. His approach was one of diligence and frugality.

Bang!

A dull thud.

The lid of the alchemical furnace was opened once more, and another treasure herb was tossed inside.

The potent medicinal properties were quickly refined by the Heavenly Cauldron and then directed by Qitian with a single finger, shooting toward the Overlord avatar.

Buzz—

The Overlord avatar's body immediately trembled, sending out invisible shockwaves.

"Hehe, your avatar can probably only handle the essence of four or five treasure herbs at most."

"Not very impressive, is it?"

Qitian chuckled.

However, Li Che wasn't in a hurry. If the Overlord avatar couldn't handle it, there was still the Immortal in the Painting avatar, and if that one couldn't handle it, there were the ten Ink Demons...

In any case, Li Che was determined not to waste any of the medicinal properties.

The temperature continued to rise as time passed.

The temperature inside the alchemical furnace had already reached an incredibly terrifying level.

"It's no good; we can't keep this up any longer."

On the thirtieth day.

Li Che had deployed three Overlord avatars, each fully saturated with resources.

With a serious expression, Li Che spoke.

Inside the alchemical furnace, everything was warping, and even the void began to crack, with fissures spreading everywhere. However, the damage to the void didn't affect the interior of the furnace, as if even the ruptured void itself was being refined.

This situation was truly rare, indicating that the celestial fire within the Heavenly Cauldron had reached an extremely terrifying level.

Qitian still floated in the air, his condition having declined somewhat, but he remained relatively relaxed.

"Young man... you're not doing well, are you? Can't hold on any longer?"

Qitian opened his eyes and laughed lightheartedly.

Laojun's Immortal intended to refine him over a period of forty-nine days, meaning Qitian could at least endure for that long.

Once Qitian couldn't hold on, and lost all resistance, Laojun's Immortal, with his mastery of alchemy at the level of an ancestral immortal, could complete the pill in an instant.

Thirty days, a month, was already the limit of what Li Che's transformed body could endure.

"Still nineteen days left, and nineteen more treasure herbs. Aren't you going to hold on a bit longer?"

Sweat beads formed on Qitian's furry face.

Li Che's face was flushed, looking extremely uncomfortable, his skin red as if it could ignite at any moment.

He shook his head. Forty-nine days...

With his current cultivation, how could he possibly endure?

If he could break through to the Heavenly Immortal stage and combine it with the fully completed Mortal Saint Body, Li Che might have a chance.

But that was out of the question for now.

Sizzle—

The void warped, and a floating crimson color slowly gathered and condensed.

Gradually, it formed a crimson figure, accompanied by a buzzing sound, transforming into a humanoid shape.

The moment this figure materialized, its blazing eyes fixed on Li Che, and its mouth stretched wide, as if grinning from ear to ear, emitting a silent laugh.

Instead of seeking out Qitian, it came straight for Li Che.

"This is Fireshadow", Qitian said, his golden eyes flashing.

"As the pill nears completion, the refined fire essence reaches its peak and generates Fireshadow, which erodes everything still present in the alchemical furnace."

Qitian looked very experienced.

Li Che couldn't help but be speechless. Was Great Sage always thrown into the alchemical furnace for refinement?

He was indeed a veteran, with a wealth of experience.

However, Li Che couldn't help but complain inwardly. This Fireshadow... was truly a bully, picking on the weak.

When the sky falls, let the tall ones hold it up. Why not go after Qitian first?

Boom!

Li Che's body trembled slightly.

In the next moment, the Fireshadow transformed into a Flame Light, disappearing and reappearing in front of Li Che in the blink of an eye.

It let out a silent roar, and a wave of scorching heat swept over, causing the void to shatter into a tangle of fragments!

The sudden burst of pressure made Li Che feel his shoulders sink slightly.

At this moment, the Fireshadow had reached the initial stage of Nirvana!

Li Che clenched his fingers, his spine vibrating, and the Eight Gates Immortal Martial Apertures opened, like a turbocharger, enhancing his physical strength and aura.

He thrust out a punch, unleashing the Myriad Transformations Dragon Elephant Furnace!

It collided with the Fireshadow, and a terrifying explosion erupted within the Heavenly Cauldron!

Qitian watched in amazement, surprised by Li Che's current burst of strength.

He had reached a level where he could fight on par with an initial-stage Nirvana.

How long had it been?

The father of the Lotus Maiden had grown at an astonishing rate!

"Senior, help me fend off this Fireshadow!"

Li Che's eyebrows furrowed.

He didn't want to waste time confronting the Fireshadow.

The Fireshadow's appearance was to accelerate the refining process of both living and non-living entities within the alchemical furnace.

Li Che couldn't afford to waste time on this.

"Sure thing, leave it to me, Old Sun!"

Qitian's golden eyes narrowed, and he tapped his foot, instantly disappearing. In the alchemical furnace, he shattered the void, which became even more fragile before his body.

With an open hand, he grabbed the Fireshadow's head and clenched it.

The Fireshadow, which was comparable to an initial-stage Nirvana, exploded into a cloud of crimson Fireshadow mist...

However, the Fireshadow didn't disappear.

"Fireshadow can't be eliminated; it will only grow stronger. Each time it is shattered, it will recondense within about a quarter of an hour, and its strength will increase."

Qitian explained.

Li Che's face tightened at this.

His body trembled, and powerful qi and blood erupted, propelling him rapidly toward the wall of the alchemical furnace.

A heart-stirring Dao tremor shook the Heavenly Chessboard!

In the scorching void, a curve traced through the air, and Li Che appeared before the wall of the Heavenly Cauldron.

Now, with his physical strength greatly enhanced, he could attempt to use the Thunder Shift to escape the Heavenly Cauldron, carrying the spirit of the Qitian Temple with him!

This was Li Che's initial plan.

"Senior!"

Li Che called out.

Qitian crossed his arms and chuckled, "Go ahead, old Sun will help you fend off the Fireshadow."

Hearing this, Li Che no longer hesitated. He spread his fingers wide and forcefully slapped the wall of the alchemical furnace.

Sizzle—sizzle—sizzle—

The extreme heat instantly seemed to melt the flesh of Li Che's palm.

But Li Che paid no mind. His powerful life force continuously regenerated the damaged flesh.

He closed his eyes, and his mighty Mystic Immortal Will resonated as he began to activate the Thunder Chess Piece.

Thunder Shift... Move!

This technique, which had accompanied Li Che from Thunderfly City to the present, had saved him from countless crises.

And now, facing his greatest crisis, he still placed his hope in this art!

Hum—

The Heavenly Chessboard seemed to unfold in his mind.

On the chessboard, the two diagonal star positions emitted a star-like radiance.

Invisible lines then connected and intertwined!

Li Che suddenly opened his eyes.

"I sense it!"

He clenched his fingers tightly.

In the center of his palm, a blurry white chess piece slowly materialized.

Endless spatial laws erupted like fireworks!

...

...

Deep within Heavenly Cauldron City, all was silent.

All the array immortal hands were seated on the ground, deeply immersed in maintaining the array's operation.

The three immortals floated at the vertices of the triangular Heavenly Cauldron, continuously channeling their Heavenly and Earthly Will into the cauldron, causing it to oscillate and shake.

Above the Heavenly Cauldron, a rainbow-colored light wheel rotated, and the Immortal Laozi's Immortal Dust gently waved.

Nineteen glowing orbs floated around him, each containing a rare treasure waiting to be added to the Heavenly Cauldron!

Suddenly, Immortal Laozi slowly opened his eyes.

The three earth immortals also looked at him with sharp, blade-like gazes.

"This monkey... still hasn't given up!"

"Truly difficult to refine. Forty-nine days, and thirty have already passed, yet this monkey... is still trying to break out!"

One of the earth immortals narrowed his eyes, his gaze heavy with concern.

Immortal Laozi's lips curled into a slight smile.

"Monkey, why don't you just settle down?"

In the next moment, the Immortal Dust in Immortal Laozi's hand was thrown, instantly splitting into three thousand strands, densely covering the entire Heavenly Cauldron.

Each strand of the white dust emitted a silvery glow, like chains, locking and sealing the void!

"Wanting to use spatial power to escape?"

"This Heavenly Cauldron itself has the power to seal space, but this monkey... almost succeeded. He does have some skill."

Immortal Laozi smiled faintly.

"But it's all in vain."

Immortal Laozi's white robe fluttered, and his voice boomed, causing the array immortal hands and the three earth immortals to be shaken to their core.

This Qitian monkey, in such a situation, could still use spatial power and almost break free?

Immortal Laozi's gaze was deep, like starlight swirling within.

Was it really the monkey who unleashed this spatial power at this moment?

The monkey... isn't skilled in the spatial laws.

If not the monkey, then it must be the little bug that entered the cauldron?

If that were true, Immortal Laozi would be even more astonished.

Forty-nine days, and thirty have passed...

This little bug hasn't been refined yet?!

Who is this little bug?!

...

...

Outside Heavenly Cauldron Palace City, the bronze walls towered high.

Cang Yuan stood on the city wall with Xi Xi. Not far away, the young emperor Ji Shaohao and Immortal Zhao Yuan stood straight as well.

Ji Shaohao's heart was restless, his heartbeat sounding like thunder.

He frequently glanced toward the depths of Heavenly Cauldron City, eager to know the progress of the refinement.

Xi Xi, wearing a calf mask, her eyes flickering, a hint of worry emerged.

Father has been inside the city for a long time now.

Thirty days have passed.

Hasn't he rescued him yet?

The silence from the inner city only made Xi Xi more anxious.

If there were some noise, Xi Xi would know her father's situation.

Cang Yuan was also very tense, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, his entire body trembling.

He took deep breaths, his eyes almost solidifying.

Cang Chuo the Immortal Hand is not the true Cang Chuo the Immortal Hand of our ancient village, so... what is their true purpose? Cang Yuan didn't know.

Cang Yuan only knew that his fate and that of the ancient village were now completely tied to this person.

If anything happens to him, it will explode.

Given Ji Shaohao's character, he will definitely hold the ancient village accountable!

Hum—hum—hum—

Suddenly.

Ji Shaohao suddenly lifted his head.

His aura erupted as he looked toward the depths of Heavenly Cauldron City.

All they could see was the Immortal Dust rising to the sky, transforming into countless threads, densely covering the sky!

"That's... Immortal Laozi's Immortal Weapon, the Heaven-Sealing Dust!"

"Refined with the fire of the earth's veins for thirty days, this monkey... can still launch an attack?"

Ji Shaohao took a deep breath.

Xi Xi, standing beside him, her eyes filled with growing worry.

She knew that whatever was happening now must have been caused by her father!

...

...

Spatial Shift!

Li Che took a deep breath, his powerful senses establishing a connection with the Thunder Chess Piece lingering within the body of the Overlord's avatar, outside the Heavenly Cauldron.

The faint white chess piece slowly took shape.

However, it couldn't fully form!

"It's being blocked!"

Li Che's expression changed slightly.

He sensed a powerful force enveloping the Heavenly Cauldron, making the space around it increasingly chaotic!

Furrowing his brow, Li Che exhaled.

Behind him, it was as if a metal wheel was turning, emitting a loud clanging sound.

Dao Vessel, Temporal Golden Wheel!

Li Che once again unleashed the power of a Dao Vessel.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

A powerful spatiotemporal force erupted from his body, an endless silver glow like a thousand spears of light shooting out!

Above the Heavenly Cauldron.

The Immortal Laojun's eyes opened and closed, and he smiled gently.

"Naughty monkey."

In his palm, a silver adamantine cudgel appeared, glowing with brilliant silver light, and he gently tossed it down.

It encircled and secured the Heavenly Cauldron and the Heaven-Sealing Dust.

Inside the Heavenly Cauldron.

Even after Li Che activated the Temporal Golden Wheel Dao Vessel, his power was still suppressed.

"This..."

Li Che's expression finally changed.

Truly, the Immortal was formidable, with countless tricks up his sleeve!

Moreover...

Li Che vaguely sensed that this Immortal Laojun... seemed to have already noticed that there was someone else inside the Heavenly Cauldron besides Qitian!

He had been exposed!

However, Immortal Laojun probably didn't know who he was, only that he had intruded into the Heavenly Cauldron to rescue Qitian!

Bang—

Qitian's golden eyes scanned the area, and he threw a punch, shattering the reformed Fireshadow into fiery mist.

"Indeed, it's sealed..."

"The Heaven-Sealing Dust and the Adamantine Cudgel, both top-tier Immortal artifacts for suppressing space", Qitian said, a hint of regret in his voice.

But it was only a hint. Perhaps he had expected this, so he wasn't too disheartened, and his voice carried a note of resolve.

Li Che's gaze was heavy, a glimmer of reluctance in his eyes. He tried again, unwilling to give up, activating the Temporal Golden Wheel and expanding the Heavenly Chessboard.

Even the Dao Vessel roared to life, opening two Great Dao Rivers within the Heavenly Cauldron.

The Dao Vessel galloped along the Great Dao Rivers, and a faint image of the Dao Vessel's master appeared at their end, maximizing the power of the Chess Sage Dao Vessel and the Temporal Golden Wheel Dao Vessel.

However, he still couldn't break through.

After all, these two Dao Vessels had not yet achieved the seventh transformation, and thus could not harness the power of the Mortal Saint Body.

The two Immortal artifacts, personally activated by the Immortal, completely sealed off any escape routes, and Li Che's spatial power was like a drop of water in the ocean, completely suppressed and locked down!

In this struggle with the Immortal, Li Che undoubtedly failed.

The gap between him and the Immortal was still too great!

Sss, sss, sss—

Li Che's hand moved away from the cauldron wall, his expression growing increasingly grim.

"So... now we only have one path left."

Qitian laughed, punching the enraged Fireshadow to pieces, stretching his body as if warming up.

Li Che's gaze immediately turned to him.

"Your world origin has been taken away by the Ruyi Golden Cudgel. Now... can you still fight your way out?"

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

The cauldron's void suddenly shook, and the next moment, nine Fireshadows appeared simultaneously, each emitting a Nirvana mid-stage aura!

However, Qitian, the temple deity, just chuckled.

With a single step, he shattered all nine Fireshadows!

Amidst the swirling fire mist, Qitian looked at Li Che.

"Good boy, quickly call your helper!"

"Let's break out of this Heavenly Cauldron and topple this supreme immortal furnace!"

Li Che was slightly stunned.

Helper?

What helper?!

Li Che took a deep breath, as if understanding the resolve in Qitian's eyes.

"Senior, I'll summon the Qitian armor!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

However, Qitian burst out laughing, instantly appearing in front of Li Che.

He placed his fingers on Li Che's shoulder, stopping his action.

"The Qitian armor is mine... the helper I want you to call isn't it."

"Fine, I'll help you!"

As Qitian spoke, his eyes suddenly burst into an intense golden light!

Li Che instinctively closed his eyes, but as he did, his heart was suddenly shaken!

The next moment, he heard a faint sigh in his ear.

"You naughty monkey..."

The voice was faint, vast, and echoing.

Qitian chuckled.

"Thanks for the help, I appreciate it."

"Empress Nüwa!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end