https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-68-The-Notorious-Ox-Demon-Minor-Heavenly-Cycle-Pulse-Opening-Technique/12983948/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-70-The-Strange-Temple-of-the-Three-Eyed-Celestial/12983950/
Chapter 69: Qi Penetration and the Mask Alliance
Chapter 69: Qi Penetration and the Mask Alliance
The hurried footsteps outside the courtyard came to an abrupt halt.
Amid the rain, flurries of snow fell from the sky, and Li Che, holding a page of the Pulse Opening Technique, stored it in the Heaven-Earth Space before turning his gaze towards the courtyard entrance.
A gentle knock echoed, and Li Che rose to open the door.
Standing outside was a tall figure wearing a bamboo hat, his powerful aura radiating like a raging fire, causing one to feel the heat just by getting close.
His black hair danced in the wind, his muscles bulging, and his sinews resembled the raging coils of a python.
Standing there, he seemed to be silently raging, roaring without a sound.
The tall figure politely knocked, which somewhat improved Li Che's attitude towards him.
"Who might you be?" Li Che inquired.
"Master Li, I am Cao Qingyuan from the City Lord's Mansion," the tall man introduced himself, his gaze piercing as he swiftly glanced around the courtyard, not finding any other figures. His thick eyebrows rose slightly.
"Cao Qingyuan..." Li Che was taken aback.
Li Che immediately clasped his fists and bowed, "Your humble servant, Li Che, greets the Young City Lord."
"Master Li, you're too kind. Now that you're a Woodcarving Master, you're a distinguished guest of our City Lord's Mansion... My father specifically asked me to come and request your assistance."
Cao Qingyuan, the tall man, smiled and returned the gesture, his attitude surprisingly humble.
However, the pressure Cao Qingyuan exerted on Li Che was immense, as if he were facing an angry-eyed Buddha, causing Li Che's hairs to stand on end.
This was due to Cao Qingyuan's Divine Wrathful Buddha Divine Foundation Divine Nature, which constantly stimulated Li Che.
Cao Qingyuan, the young master of Thunderstrike City, was a Divine Foundation cultivator!
It was no secret that City Lord Cao Guang of Thunderstrike City had a son who had stepped into the Divine Foundation. In the past, Cao Qingyuan was known as one of the Four Young Masters of Thunderstrike City, and he was the son of City Lord Cao Guang.
But after Cao Qingyuan achieved the Divine Foundation, the title of 'Four Young Masters' no longer suited him.
"Young City Lord, I've recently reached a critical stage in my Bone Tempering, and I'm about to break through the Blood Exchange Gate. Therefore... I might not be able to accept your father's request."
Li Che politely declined Cao Qingyuan's offer.
However, Cao Qingyuan didn't seem to mind. He smiled and said, "No worries, Master Li. You can focus on your blood exchange during this time. As long as you complete this wood carving within a month, it'll be fine."
"The design of the wood carving is here, along with the deposit. I'll pay one hundred gold leaves now, and the remaining four hundred will be delivered once you finish the carving."
A Divine Foundation cultivator had come to his door, and his attitude was relatively gentle, not demanding a strict deadline.
Li Che understood that this was a gentle approach to block his path of refusal.
If he declined again, it would seem ungrateful.
Li Che thought for a moment and decided not to refuse further. He accepted the design and one hundred gold leaves.
Seeing this, Cao Qingyuan's face immediately lit up with a smile. He adjusted his bamboo hat and took a deep look at the Independent Workshop before turning to leave.
Holding the wood carving design, Li Che narrowed his eyes.
"Eighteen maidens offering lotus flowers to the Angry Maha Statue..."
...
...
Cao Qingyuan returned to the City Lord's Mansion.
Removing his bamboo hat, Cao Qingyuan slowly stepped into the dimly lit house.
Despite the bright daylight outside, the interior was shrouded in darkness. Numerous white candles were lit, densely arranged like a staircase, and beside each candle was a small wooden carving made from rosewood, depicting a bleeding figure.
In the flickering candlelight, each wooden carving seemed to be oozing blood.
As the faint flames danced, the carvings shifted between yellow and green hues.
Cao Qingyuan's heart felt as if it were clenched tightly, and even as a Divine Foundation cultivator, he dared not breathe too deeply.
"Did Li Che... accept the request?"
A hoarse voice echoed from the depths of the mansion. Cao Qingyuan respectfully replied, "Father, he did."
"Good that he accepted..."
"The Xu Family had already sold him to our City Lord's Mansion. Since he accepted the request, we can skip the process of capturing him."
"As long as he completes the carving, it's enough..."
"Father, what if he accepts the request but doesn't carve?"
Silence filled the room.
After a moment, a faint voice replied, "He wouldn't dare..."
"Additionally... for the Thousand Buddha Carving Feast, we're still missing three divine children. The An Family has one, but the Yang Family doesn't have any more... However, the Xu Family still has two..."
"The Xu Family has two?"
"One is Li Che's daughter, and the other is a fat divine child... Hehe, buy one get one free..."
"Did the Xu Family agree?"
"The Divine Child in the city has been chosen by the Divine Sect... The Xu and An families can't keep him, so they might as well use him as a bargaining chip."
"The Xu, An, and Yang families want to reap the benefits... so they'll withdraw from Thunderstrike City... They have no choice but to agree..."
"A bunch of fools, living alongside the Temple Deity... How fortunate is that?"
A hoarse voice echoed faintly, carrying a trace of disdainful laughter.
Cao Qingyuan fell silent instantly.
"Who will take care of Zhao Xuan Hai's death?"
"Zhang Xiangyang or Zhou Ruoguan?"
After a long while, Cao Qingyuan furrowed his brows and asked.
The silence within the room was broken.
The hoarse voice reverberated.
"The Yang family."
...
...
Li Qingshan gave Li Che three days to break through the Pulse Opening.
In reality, he had given more than enough time.
Inside the Independent Workshop.
Li Che first used the Sage of Chess Fruit to set up spiritual chessboards around him, sensing the situation and ensuring there were no issues before attempting to break through the pulse.
The Qianyuan Divine Sect's Minor Heavenly Cycle Pulse Opening Technique given by Li Qingshan was not complex, which was why he was so generous. It was mostly theoretical content.
The actual operation still depended on the warrior's own abilities. Li Che had the Dragon Elephant Vajra Fruit, and his foundation was incredibly solid. Although breaking through the pulse was challenging, for Li Che, it felt like a smooth and effortless process.
As snowflakes fell, they were twisted and flung away by an invisible force above Li Che's head.
Li Che stumbled and sat down in the courtyard. Invisible air currents swirled around him, forming a continuous spiral motion.
The energy born from his qi and blood merged with his inner strength, circulating through his five viscera and six bowels, the eight extraordinary meridians, forming the fixed minor heavenly cycle inner qi network of the Qianyuan Divine Sect, and connecting the six directions.
The strength of the fourth heaven of inner strength, combined with the energy generated from pulse opening, formed the "inner qi."
The inner qi enveloped his heart, and as his heart contracted and expanded, the inner qi sprayed out, flowing through the minor heavenly cycle network of intricate and dense meridians beneath his skin, nourishing his five viscera and six bowels!
Li Che opened his eyes, and a bright, dazzling light flashed momentarily.
Standing up, his entire body resonated with strength, and the transportation of qi and blood became even faster and more powerful, forming an even more formidable force.
Huff—
Inhale!
With each breath, the wind and snow of the world seemed to stir, as if the qi connected with the heavens.
"The pulse has been opened!"
...
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
After breaking through the pulse, Li Che utilized the extra time to cultivate the Buddha Golden Armor, a divine secret technique, reaching the level of minor accomplishment.
Zhao Xuan Hai's divine chess piece had been refined by Li Che to a considerable extent. Now, within his Niwan Palace, the wrathful compassionate Buddha divine nature flowed like a gentle stream, cultivating like a river.
Looking at the sky, the day was unusually clear, without any snowfall.
Although the air still carried a chilling intent, there was a hint of warm sunshine.
Li Che changed into a stretchy outfit, put on a cat-faced mask, and sat under the eaves, carving a cute bull mask using a carving knife at a steady pace.
After putting on the mask, he also checked the poisoned sleeve crossbow, Guanyin poison lotus, Bodhi blood tears, and other hidden weapons and gadgets. He counted the six thousand wooden ravens, the military supplies of the Heaven-Earth Jade, and felt reassured.
In the past, Li Che would never have left the city. He wouldn't have felt at ease leaving Xixi at such a distance.
But now that he had become the "Thunderbolt Chess Sage," as long as the divine chess piece remained on Xixi, he could travel with peace of mind. At least, if something happened to Xixi, he could sense it and rush to her side quickly.
With his daughter's safety guaranteed, the old father could finally focus on his own matters.
The "Sleeping Dragon Elephant" technique's ability to suppress his presence became increasingly powerful.
He could almost erase his own existence.
He easily left the inner city and then the outer city, which had weaker defenses.
Just as he exited the outer city...
A hunched and diminutive figure appeared silently.
Li Che glanced at the newcomer, who was also dressed in black and wore a cat-faced mask.
"Senior Li Qingshan?" Li Che's voice was muffled beneath the cute bull mask.
"It's me," came the response from beneath the cat-faced mask.
Li Che: "..."
Why are you wearing a mask too?
Everyone's wearing masks...
A Mask Alliance?
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(End of Chapter)
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