Chapter 92: Qing Shan's Horned Hammer Shatters Heaven, Escaping Death, Your Master Falls Short

Chapter 92: Qing Shan's Horned Hammer Shatters Heaven, Escaping Death, Your Master Falls Short

Hero?

Mu Granny was taken aback, "In this world... heroes don't live long."

The carriage, with its soft cushions, was comfortable despite the bumps. Li Qingshan held Mu Granny's hand, even though her skin was no longer as smooth and tender as it had been in her youth.

But Li Qingshan couldn't let go.

He gently played with her slender fingers.

"Heroes indeed don't live long."

"But that guy is different... If we don't consider his murderous methods, he could be considered a hero."

Li Qingshan smiled.

Mu Granny instantly understood whom Li Qingshan was talking about.

She couldn't help but recall the time when Xu Family's Divine Cult School was attacked. In her moment of despair, as she planned to die with the Yang Clan, a robust figure stepped forward, shattering the Yang Clan's plan to seize the divine children and saving those innocent kids.

Ox Demon, with his ruthless methods and fierce appearance, was a hero in Mu Granny's eyes.

At least, in Mu Granny's opinion, the Ox Demon who saved the children was a hero!

"The Ox Demon? Does he... dare to interfere with the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet?"

Mu Granny furrowed her brows and asked involuntarily.

Cao Guang had prepared for the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet for too long, several years, to be precise. Whether it was developing the Divine Infant Sect, capturing and seizing divine children, or spending a fortune to invite woodcarvers from various tribes to craft divine infant sculptures...

Years of planning, all for a single Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet.

Mu Granny wasn't foolish; she clearly understood that Cao Guang was doing this for his personal advancement.

Cao Guang might be planning to borrow the power of the Temple Deity to enhance his strength during this banquet.

Sacrifices were common in this world.

In her youth, Mu Granny had witnessed countless sacrifices.

In fishing villages by the river, young girls or children were used alongside three sacrificial animals and five cattle to worship the river deity.

In mountain villages nestled among the peaks, mountain lords and mountain deities were also worshipped.

In sandcastles within the desert and small countries in oases, the desert deities were revered.

Sacrifices to the Mysterious Temple were even more common, and its divine nature influenced all directions, giving rise to evil spirits. There were also temple guards and corpse curses to disperse and harm in various places.

However, the deities in the Mysterious Temple were still gods, even if they were dead.

Many powerful cultivators had obtained strength beyond their limits through sacrifices and worship, achieving transformation and advancement in their cultivation. They didn't care if the deities were mysterious or evil.

Mu Granny knew that Cao Guang was also performing such sacrifices.

But what could she do?

She couldn't stop him. She was just an old woman with a weak divine nature, depleted qi and blood, and one foot already in the grave. She had never forged a divine foundation.

Li Qingshan seemed to know what Mu Granny had experienced and smiled, "Why wouldn't he dare?"

"Do you think he'll die? His ability to survive... is truly remarkable."

Li Qingshan thought of Li Che's breath-concealing techniques and the Tang Clan's hidden weapons, which were endless and could kill even divine foundation cultivators.

Even though the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet was something Cao Guang had prepared for years, and even if Cao Guang had backup plans...

The Ox Demon might not die.

With his ruthless methods and sinister appearance, the Ox Demon seemed far from a good person. How could he die easily after causing trouble for a thousand years?

"Besides... isn't there me?"

Mu Granny looked at Li Qingshan, who was as shameless and proud as ever, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"You know the Ox Demon? Do you know his true identity?"

Mu Granny asked curiously.

Who was the Ox Demon?

She was a bit curious, as it seemed Li Qingshan knew the Ox Demon's true identity.

Suddenly, the horse neighed, its hooves trampling through the muddy ground with increasing urgency, accompanied by the sound of flurrying snow and rain, patting against the carriage. Li Qingshan, who had been lazily holding Mu Granny's hand, didn't answer her question.

Instead, he straightened up abruptly, his eyes gleaming.

"Here they come."

Li Qingshan lifted the curtain and gazed into the dark sky, letting out a soft laugh.

Mu Granny was startled.

The next moment, Li Qingshan opened the carriage curtain and stepped out. With a light tap of his toes, he landed on the head of the galloping horse, leaving the coachman in awe and disbelief.

Even as the horse ran, its head bobbing up and down, its wet mane couldn't affect the elderly man in blue robes in the slightest.

The howling wind seemed to part before the old man standing atop the horse's head, like the opening of a grand play.

Wuuuu—

The heavens seemed to echo with a heavy, mournful cry.

It was like a terrifying beast roaring and howling! Countless raindrops burst open, forming white waves.

On top of the waves, there was a pitch-black horned hammer!

The hammer's sharp spike protruded from its center, resembling a short spear, ready to pierce through the heavens!

In the distance, beyond the curtain of rain, a figure hurled the hammer and then bowed from afar, blending into the rain like water.

The old man raised his hand.

The horned hammer shot towards him and was firmly grasped in his hand.

An overwhelming divine nature surged from the hammer, transforming him into an enraged beast that could shatter the heavens!

The rain in the heavens seemed to freeze.

"The Horned Hammer Shatters Heaven... It only brings me one-tenth of my divine nature, but that's enough."

"Dealing with these trivial matters is enough."

Li Qingshan gripped the horned hammer, his blue robes fluttering, and his hunched back gradually straightened.

He seemed filled with vigor, stretching lazily towards the heavens.

Mu Granny, sitting in the carriage, stared in awe.

In that moment, the hunched figure seemed to transform in her eyes, returning to the past when he had roamed the rivers and lakes on a white horse.

She saw that vigorous, youthful, and divinely strong young man in blue.

That year, the young man was full of ambition, and the beauty was like jade.

...

...

Thunderstrike City.

In the city lord's mansion, beneath the eight-cornered roof.

The wind and rain raged, shrouding the world in mist. In the distance, a cold mountain was encircled by smoke, resembling a landscape painting with ink splashes.

Cao Guang donned a clean, embroidered silk robe, adorned with gold and silver, and stood on the city tower with his hands behind his back.

His gaze was profound, as if hiding a sharp weapon.

A figure appeared, its aura fluctuating, with a sword at its waist. The sword contained a mighty sword qi. It was Cao Guang's son, Cao Qingyuan.

"Have you found the body of Second Master yet?"

Cao Guang gazed at the rain curtain between heaven and earth, speaking calmly.

Cao Qingyuan’s face was cold, a flash of sorrow in his eyes. He shook his head: "We haven’t found it. The rain has washed away too many traces. Second Master’s body cannot be found; we only found a few pieces of exploded flesh..."

"Exploded flesh..."

Cao Guang’s lips trembled, his face twitching.

It’s confirmed...

What cruelty!

Li Qingshan!

Horned Heaven-Shattering Hammer... Li Qingshan!

Cao He must have encountered Li Qingshan’s vicious attack, being hammered to pieces, leaving only scattered fragments of flesh behind.

According to the rumors from the Prefecture City, this Li Qingshan with the Horned Heaven-Shattering Hammer is incredibly ruthless and ruthless, either hammering his opponents to death or smashing them to pieces...

Cao He... No bones left.

"Second Master..."

Cao Qingyuan was filled with sorrow.

However, Cao Guang turned around, his eyes cold, his face illuminated by the lightning in the dark clouds, appearing almost sinister.

"Why grieve? Prepare the Thousand Buddha Carving Feast. Do you think Li Qingshan stayed in Thunderstrike City for so long just to leave suddenly? His departure is to give us the chance to perform the sacrifice. He will definitely come back, and once the sacrifice is complete, he will return to kill!"

Cao Guang’s face was extremely cold, his words through gritted teeth startling Cao Qingyuan.

"He... He’s feigning to leave?"

"He knows that as long as he’s in the city, I won’t perform the sacrifice. Moreover, he can only use blood qi now, although he has the cultivation of a Grandmaster, he can’t hammer me to death."

Cao Guang said coldly.

"So, he must have obtained divine nature from the Divine Sect Gate... He just went outside the city to gather divine nature, giving us the chance to perform the sacrifice..."

Cao Guang closed his eyes, his body trembling slightly.

"If I don’t perform the sacrifice, Li Qingshan, who has obtained divine nature, would be unbeatable by my single hammer. I would be hammered to pieces, and everything would be over."

"He’s forcing me..."

"Openly and covertly... forcing me!"

Cao Guang’s words were like a thunderclap in Cao Qingyuan’s ears, shocking him into trembling, retreating two steps.

"Does he know that if we perform the sacrifice, the Temple Deity will be fully awakened..."

"Does he dare to face a fully awakened Temple Deity?!"

Cao Qingyuan’s voice rose.

Cao Guang exhaled, his voice slightly bitter: "Perhaps... he never saw us as a threat..."

"Does he want to hammer... the Temple Deity?"

Cao Qingyuan paused.

"Is he... so arrogant?"

Cao Guang suddenly smiled bitterly, his eyes filled with a cold, sinister light, as if a long-unwilling-to-reopen wound had been torn open.

"How can this be considered arrogant... I’ve seen someone even more arrogant than Li Qingshan..."

Shaking his head, Cao Guang’s thoughts returned, looking at CCao Qingyuan calmly.

"I naturally guessed his purpose. Since Li Qingshan is so arrogant, I will play along with his arrogance."

"Today, we will perform the sacrifice. As long as the grand sacrifice is complete, if my cultivation breaks through... Li Qingshan might not be able to do anything to me."

"Although he is among the top ten cultivators in the Divine Foundation Realm, most of his divine nature is left in the Divine Sect Gate to observe the Temple Deity... He can’t mobilize more than ten percent of his divine nature."

"Ten percent of divine nature... What is there to fear?"

Cao Guang’s body radiated a ferocious and wrathful divine nature, distorting and flowing out, instantly filling the entire floor.

"Moreover... since I know his purpose, how could I not prepare a surprise for him?"

"Li Qingshan, born with divine strength... a Grandmaster’s physical body."

"My sect... loves this the most."

Cao Guang bared his teeth in a sinister, almost cannibal smile.

Cao Qingyuan was enveloped in a chill.

Suddenly, a thunderclap, soul-shaking, echoed in his ears.

"Pass down..."

"Thousand Buddha Carving Feast."

"Perform the sacrifice!"

...

...

The rain lashed against the carriage, beating heavily on the carriage.

Pitter-patter, like hailstones falling from the sky.

Inside the warm carriage, Xixi, after the initial excitement, had fallen asleep in Zhang Ya’s arms during the boring and swaying journey.

The charcoal brazier burned, warming the carriage, dispelling the chill brought by the rain and snow.

Lu Chi, with his Nezha braid, stared wide-eyed.

Li Che gently covered the sleeping mother and child with a blanket, then looked at Lu Chi.

"Take good care of them."

Li Che said.

"It’s very dangerous..." Lu Chi whispered anxiously.

"Master probably had someone bring the Horned Heaven-Shattering Hammer... If he wields the hammer, one strike would be enough."

"Don’t be a hero!"

Li Che gave Lu Chi a strange look: "Hero? I never wanted to be a hero..."

"Then you..." Lu Chi opened his mouth to say more.

Li Che pressed a palm on his head, silencing him.

"Alright, I just have some private matters to attend to. If there is real danger, I will run faster than your master. Even if my master dies, I won’t."

Lu Chi was speechless, silently thanking his master.

"My master is very powerful..."

He muttered resentfully.

Li Che gently lifted the curtain, smiling: "Master is very powerful..."

"But in terms of escaping, I’m better."

With that, Li Che left the carriage.

Outside, the wind howled, the rain mixed with snow lashed against the straw hat.

Li Che opened an umbrella, stepped onto the carriage, and Escort Leader Qian He noticed, pulling the reins over.

"Master Li... The weatheris badtoday, and the rain and wind suddenly intensified."

Qian He’s clothes were already soaked through with rain.

But as a Blood Exchange Warrior, he didn’tmind the cold.

"The rain is heavy, Master Li, don’t come out, it’s not good to get wet."

Li Che smiled: "It’s fine, I’m going to the other carriage. I’ll carve some divine nature wooden sculptures to sell in the Prefecture City. They say living in the Prefecture City is very hard, and with my family, it’s better to prepare early."

"I'll also practice my wood carving skills. I'll need them when I join the Qian Yuan Divine Sect."

Upon hearing this, Qian He's expression turned solemn with respect.

Indeed, a master's skills were not solely reliant on talent but also hard work and diligence.

Li Che, who already possessed Blood Qi cultivation, effortlessly leaped onto another carriage.

"Qian, while I'm carving the Divine Nature statue, I don't want to be disturbed. If it's not urgent, you can talk to Master Chen."

Li Che spoke with utmost seriousness.

Qian He quickly nodded in agreement.

Subsequently, Li Che entered the carriage filled with wood.

The surroundings became tranquil, and the raging wind and rain were completely blocked out.

Li Che exhaled a foul breath.

He didn't directly use the Thunderbolt Chess Piece Anchor Point he had left in Thunderstrike City to return.

Leaning back in the soft carriage chair, he tore through the air with his sword fingers.

The Heaven-Earth Jade obtained from killing Cao He the previous night slid out.

With a snap of his fingers, the Divine Nature on the Heaven-Earth Jade was crushed, revealing its contents to Li Che's perception.

Compared to Yang Jing, a Divine Foundation cultivator from the Yang Family, Cao He, the "Horse-Faced Man," seemed much more humble.

The Heaven-Earth Jade contained mostly ordinary weapons and a few hundred silver taels, along with only ten gold leaves. Such a meager fortune was indeed pitiful and didn't match the assets of a Divine Foundation cultivator.

However, there was a surprising find in terms of martial arts.

"Great Jing Temple Supreme Discipline Lotus Penetration Mystic Pulse Technique!"

This was an Upper-Tier Mystic Pulse Technique!

Li Che's eyes lit up with excitement. With his current Blood Qi cultivation, he had already reached the peak of Qi Pulse.

The only thing lacking was a Mystic Pulse Technique.

According to Li Qingshan, to pass on a Mystic Pulse Technique, one needed to enter the Divine Sect, which meant Li Che would have to wait until the spring equinox of next February.

But now...

This was an unexpected gain.

"Great Jing Temple Penetration Martial Art... It seems this Horse-Faced Man indeed came from the City Lord's Mansion. There are only a few Divine Foundation cultivators in the Mansion."

Li Che guessed the man's identity.

He wasn't surprised, just confirmed his suspicions.

Li Che didn't immediately cultivate the Mystic Pulse Technique.

After retrieving his Heaven-Earth Spatial Storage, he continued to take inventory.

In terms of Divine Nature techniques, there was only one usable manual, "Great Jing Temple Nine Stars Wrathful Bodhisattva Divine Foundation Technique." However, for Li Che, who had already forged his Divine Foundation, this technique seemed rather mediocre.

"This is..."

Li Che's heart stirred.

A black jade bottle appeared in his hand.

"A Martial Pill? Only one?"

Li Che's eyebrows furrowed.

Activating his Thousand Analysis Hand, his palm turned jade-colored.

He poured out the pill, and a strong medicinal scent mixed with a pungent fishy odor instantly filled the carriage.

At the same time, information about the pill was analyzed by the Thousand Analysis Hand.

...

【Martial Pill (Lower-Tier Nine-Star): Great Jing Heaven-Appraised Wrathful Black Dragon Pill】

【Craftsmanship: Using the impure blood of an eighth-tier demonic creature, the Black Dragon, mixed with ten types of herbs, and refined for two hours according to a secret formula by a Heaven-Appraised alchemist, one furnace yields nine pills. The pill's medicinal properties are potent, emitting a strong fishy odor but tasting slightly sweet.】

【Usage: For Qi Pulse Martial Artists and above.】

...

Li Che's breathing quickened, and his eyes sparkled.

"A pill from the Great Jing Heaven-Appraised Alchemist?"

He suddenly understood why Cao He's Heaven-Earth Jade contained so little wealth, which was atypical for a veteran Divine Foundation cultivator.

It seemed that most of his assets were spent on this pill.

A lower-tier nine-star pill was worth thousands of gold! Moreover, it was from the Heaven-Appraised Alchemist, ensuring its quality. Although Great Jing's current prosperity didn't match its peak, the reputation of the Heaven-Appraised Alchemist still guaranteed its excellence.

Whether it was pills, talismans, or Divine Nature wood carvings, they were all the best in Great Jing.

It was said that the Heaven-Appraised Alchemist gathered the best wood carving masters in Great Jing.

After the Tang Clan's mechanism family reached its peak and declined, most of their mechanism masters were recruited into the Heaven-Appraised Alchemist.

Li Che's eyes gleamed as he thought about the Heaven-Appraised Alchemist...

The Prefecture City seemed to have a branch of the Heaven-Appraised Alchemist as well.

"I wonder... Does the Prefecture City's Heaven-Appraised Alchemist have a complete and detailed collection of the Tang Clan's mechanism secret manuals?"

Li Che pondered.

Looking at the pill in his hand, Li Che frowned. He had thought his wealth was substantial, ensuring a worry-free life, but now he realized he had been too presumptuous.

"To achieve my goals with pills, I need to earn more money."

"The City Lord's Mansion..."

Li Che's eyes flickered slightly. Fortunately, the path to wealth wasn't too far away.

With a flip of his palm, he stored the pill in the black jade bottle and placed it back into his Heaven-Earth Spatial Storage.

With a snap of his fingers, a cute cow mask slid into his hand, which he covered his face with.

His five fingers clenched tightly.

In an instant, the air seemed to ripple slightly.

When Li Che opened his eyes, he had already returned to the inner city's study.

The empty study was quiet and serene.

It exuded a sense of emptiness and loneliness.

Li Che sat upright in a wooden chair, his cute cow mask concealing his bright eyes beneath it.

He then put on a stretchy black robe and took a bamboo hat hanging on the door.

Bang!

The door burst open.

The raging wind and rain rushed in, blowing Li Che's black robe wildly.

Li Che's body swelled with a bang, stretching the stretchy robe tightly. The snake-like tendons on his back vibrated, and countless raindrops were repelled, creating a mist of splashing water.

Dark clouds gathered, and lightning snakes of electricity writhed within.

Li Che tilted his head back, and the rain and snow hit his mask.

Sensing the unique atmosphere of the entire city, his eyes focused.

"Has the Thousand Buddha Carving Feast begun?"

"However..."

Li Che's body trembled, and the Dragon Elephant Vajra shook violently, completely restraining his Blood Qi, not a bit weaker than the supreme Turtle Breath Technique.

Bang!

His toes lightly tapped the green brick floor, and silently, a spray of water burst forth.

Li Che's body shot towards the inner city.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end