Chapter 93: The Strong Push Forward, Your Ox Demon Grandpa is Here to Kill 【Seeking Monthly Votes!】

Chapter 93: The Strong Push Forward, Your Ox Demon Grandpa is Here to Kill 【Seeking Monthly Votes!】

The Xu Family, in Li Che's eyes, was a benefactor who had helped him in the past.

Although it was Xu You who had assisted him, it was still related to the Xu Family's system.

Back when he was weak, he had also relied on the Xu Family's influence to confront the Spirit Infants Sect and prevent Xixi from being taken away by them.

Therefore, Li Che was indeed grateful to the Xu Family.

Otherwise, from the time when Xu Beihu had set his sights on Xixi, Li Che might have already donned the Ox Demon mask and sneaked into Xu Beihu's room in the middle of the night.

Upon returning to the inner city of Thunderstrike City, the first thing on Li Che's mind was the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet.

The Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet had obviously been initiated.

By sensing the changes in divine nature between heaven and earth, he could clearly perceive it.

The current Li Che had forged the Three-Eyed Wrathful Vajra Divine Foundation, his divine perception was condensed, and his sensing abilities became increasingly acute.

Even without the power of the Chess Sage's Dao Fruit, he could still clearly capture the fluctuations and changes in divine nature.

However, the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet was something that City Lord Cao Guang had been preparing for many years, starting from the emergence of the Spirit Infants Sect. It was then that Cao Guang began his arrangements.

Therefore, Li Che couldn't stop it unless he directly charged into the City Lord's Mansion and killed Cao Guang.

To be honest, after forging the Divine Foundation, Li Che's confidence surged, and he did indeed have such thoughts. But soon, this idea was dismissed by him.

Because he didn't have a full grasp of the situation.

Without a complete grasp of the situation, rushing in recklessly could easily put himself in a passive position.

The main reason was that Cao Guang had another identity, which was a believer of the Corpse Deity Sect.

The Corpse Deity Sect was not something Cao Guang had fabricated, but a truly terrifying sect that swept through Great Jing, causing headaches for the Temple Service and the Divine Sect.

Li Qingshan mentioned that the Corpse Deity Sect's power in Yunzhou was not significant, and their experts and primary focus were not in Yunzhou.

But from the 'Desire Comparable to Corpse Meat Guanyin' wooden sculpture of the horse-faced man he killed last night, it seemed that the Corpse Deity Sect... might have already started infiltrating Yunzhou.

Cao Guang might possess the means of the Corpse Deity Sect, which was why Li Che didn't rush in recklessly.

After all, if he couldn't guarantee a decisive blow, he might end up alerting the enemy.

Since Li Che had decided to act, he didn't want to fail.

"Before that, let's deal with the Xu Family's matter first."

Li Che's body seemed to merge with the rain and water of heaven and earth, becoming almost non-existent, as if he had turned transparent.

The breath-holding ability of the Sleeping Dragon Elephant made Li Che's body temperature, breathing rate, and pulse almost non-existent, completely blending with the natural environment.

It was indeed not inferior to the Turtle Breath Technique, a top-tier secret art.

"Today, our family is going to the prefecture city, and Xu You even promised to see Xixi off... But today, he hasn't shown up, and with Xu You's reliable nature, something big must have happened."

"However, the divine nature chess piece placed on Xu You hasn't given any warning, indicating that it doesn't involve Xu You's life..."

"But if Xu You can't come to see us off, the matter must be significant."

Li Che glided silently through the long street.

He arrived outside the tall walls of the Xu Family's mansion, which he had visited several times before, so he was very familiar with the way. In an instant, he soared into the courtyard like a hawk spreading its wings.

His body rose and fell, and not even a trace of his aura was revealed as he swiftly darted into the Xu Family's garden.

Artificial hills stood tall, corridors twisted and turned, and Li Che's current cultivation in qi and blood had already reached the peak of qi pulse, coupled with the level 3 Sleeping Dragon Elephant, making his breath-holding ability even more formidable.

Even if he walked in front of ordinary people, they might not even notice him.

Within the Xu Family's mansion, there was a Xu Family elder in the Divine Foundation Realm.

However, the divine perception of the initial stage of the Divine Foundation Realm only had a range of ten meters. If it went beyond that, it would become extremely blurry, making it impossible to detect the Sleeping Dragon Elephant's breath-holding ability.

Therefore, Li Che moved with absolute ease, as if he were back in his own home.

He strolled through the rain, blending with the wind and rain. The guards who passed by him felt something amiss, but when they looked around, they couldn't see anyone.

...

...

Xu Family Mansion, Main Hall.

Delicacies filled the table, and fine wines were displayed, their strong aroma permeating the air.

Outside, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, but inside the Xu Family Mansion, a family banquet was being held.

Xu You sat in a chair with an extremely unpleasant expression, his fists clenched and his lips tightly pressed.

He had woken up early today, intending to see Li Che's family off to the prefecture city. After all, it would likely be difficult to meet again once they left for the prefecture city.

Li Che's family probably wouldn't return to Thunderstrike City, so Xu You treated this as his final farewell.

Despite his reluctance to part ways, he understood that the prefecture city was the most suitable place for Xixi's development.

Xixi was about to enter the Divine Sect for cultivation and might have the opportunity to become a powerful cultivator in the future, which should make him happy.

He had even prepared a parting gift.

However, before he could even leave the courtyard, his father personally sent someone to call him away.

Xu You had thought that his father just wanted to talk to him since he had returned from dealing with evil spirits outside the city.

Xu You didn't think much of it and went, but he never expected that Xu Nanming would actually prepare an extremely lavish banquet.

At the table, he saw the old patriarch, whom he hadn't seen for several years. The old patriarch was the pillar of the Xu Family and their only Divine Foundation cultivator.

Additionally, his older brother, Xu Heli, was also present.

However, what puzzled him was the absence of his second brother, Xu Beihu.

"Where's my second brother?" Xu You asked in confusion.

A hint of gloom flashed in Xu Heli's eyes, but his expression remained smiling as he poured a cup of wine and said, "Your second brother went to the prefecture city... He said he had some business to attend to there."

Business in the prefecture city... What kind of business could there be?

The prefecture city wasn't close to Thunderstrike City, and the Xu Family mainly focused on wood carving, which had no connection to the prefecture city.

Xu Heli didn't say more, and his eyes turned cold.

Xu Beihu...

That tiger-headed and tiger-brained second brother, who seemed so honest and simple, actually had such a keen sense of smell that he ran away in advance, taking his entire family with him.

He was indeed decisive.

However, Xu Heli glanced at Xu You and slowly drank his wine.

When all the dishes and wine were served...

Xu Laotaiye personally raised his glass, coughing lightly and looking somewhat displeased. "The Xu family has been established in Thunderstrike City for over two hundred years. Now, within the city, the Shi family has declined, the Yang family has been annihilated, and the An family has relocated. Of the once four great aristocratic clans, only my Xu family remains."

"Xu Ji has completely dominated the market, controlling all the wood carving businesses in Thunderstrike City. They are making a fortune, and their business is thriving. It's a cause for celebration."

Xu Laotaiye spoke softly.

Xu You and the others poured wine, congratulating him.

Xu You's heart, however, was filled with anxiety, already thinking of a way to escape. He planned to find an opportunity to leave the banquet and catch up with Li Che's family to bid them farewell.

He took a sip of the wine.

But Xu You wasn't thinking about that.

"Ah You, your mother passed away early, and I haven't paid much attention to you. Do you resent your father?"

Xu Nanming poured a cup of wine for Xu You. The potent wine had a transparent red hue, like diluted blood.

Xu You nervously picked up the cup, "How could I resent my father? As the head of the Xu family, you have so many things to handle."

In truth, Xu You harbored resentment towards Xu Nanming. Xu Nanming's care and attention for Xu Heli and Xu Beihu far exceeded what he received.

Xu You understood that it was because his mother was a refugee who had fled here.

Without a prominent family background and with his mother's early demise, Xu Nanming had little emotional attachment.

So, Xu You had long resigned himself to this fate.

But the Xu family had raised and nurtured him, and this debt of gratitude was enough to make Xu You strive for the Xu family and repay them.

Xu Nanming smiled and glanced at Xu You, a hint of sigh in his eyes.

Xu You's temperament... was truly nothing like his.

He was more like his mother, a refugee who had caught his father's eye. She was gentle and serene, but unfortunately... she passed away too soon.

If Xu You's mother hadn't died, perhaps Xu Nanming wouldn't have neglected him.

"Drink up," Xu Nanming said gently.

Together with Xu You, they emptied their cups.

Then, Xu Nanming patted Xu You's shoulder, a rare gesture that made Xu You's heart flutter inexplicably.

"Little You, in the blink of an eye, you've grown so much..."

"Come, have a drink with your grandfather."

The frail Xu Laoye, leaning on his cane, sat in his chair, his cloudy gaze also falling on Xu You.

Xu You hurriedly stood up, trembling, and held the cup with both hands.

The two of them drank in unison.

Xu Heli also poured a cup of wine and walked to his side, patting Xu You's shoulder and clinking cups before drinking.

Xu You didn't refuse, and after three cups, the potent alcohol surged within him.

Despite the unusual behavior of his grandfather and father today, Xu You didn't mind. It was probably just some dangerous task they wanted him to undertake.

He was already accustomed to such situations.

Suddenly, Xu You frowned, and in his chest, he couldn't help but burp, uncontrollably surging up to his throat.

The next moment, the burp erupted, and an intensely pungent bloody smell filled his throat, overpowering the taste of wine and causing Xu You's entire body to tremble slightly.

"This wine..."

Xu You's eyes widened, and he looked around, only to see Xu Nanming, Xu Heli, and Xu Laoye putting down their cups, their gazes fixed on him.

Their eyes locked onto him, unblinking.

An inexplicable chill suddenly rose from the top of his head, instantly spreading throughout his body, as if it would freeze him entirely.

Hum—

A humming sound echoed in his eardrums, piercing and sharp, assaulting his mind.

"You..."

Xu You felt the intense bloody taste in his mouth.

He seemed to understand something. So-called family love, so-called brotherhood, were all just a dream!

He stared at the wine that resembled blood, his face twitching uncontrollably.

"You... have gone mad?!"

Xu You staggered to his feet, and the chair beneath him was instantly knocked over.

Dong—!

A deep bell toll resounded, shattering countless winds and rains. It originated from the direction of the city lord, its penetrating power forming sound waves that spread in all directions.

Xu You's head throbbed with pain, and a chill rose within him.

"This is..."

Xu Laoye gazed into the distance, listening to the tolling bell, and exhaled.

"The Thousand Infant Carving Banquet has begun..."

Xu You's mind was hazy. Wasn't it the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet?

Xu Nanming stood up and walked into the darkness, where he abruptly pulled off the black cloth, revealing flickering candlelight behind.

In an instant, the room was illuminated.

It was filled with spirit infant wood carvings, each with a different appearance. There were Buddhas, spirit infants, boys, and girls, expressing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, all seven emotions!

Xu You felt the world spinning, spinning, accompanied by the deafening hum that filled his ears.

The spirit infants and Buddha statues seemed to come alive, with various laughter, cries, and angry shouts filling the air.

Divine nature, twisted and distorted, seeped out from the carvings, like venomous snakes spitting poison, crawling down the carvings, contorting their bodies, and slithering across the ground.

Hiss... hiss...

They inched closer to Xu You.

Xu You felt his heart clench as if gripped by an invisible hand.

He seemed to glimpse an ancient, dilapidated temple. The green bricks were broken, and a furious spirit infant grew within, its eyes wide, a vertical eye in its forehead, and its mouth open in a silent scream!

Then, countless divine natures, like venomous snakes, slithered into Xu You's body.

...

...

Dong—

Dong—

An ancient bell hung in a temple, resonating with the passing of three thousand years, tolling heavily.

The dust of time and the dust of ages, all boiled in the bell's sound.

A hunched figure, wearing a cat mask, with a sheep horn hammer at its waist, leaped over the high walls of Thunderstrike City.

The entire city fell into a deathly silence. In the sky, dark clouds rolled, thunder roared, and lightning snakes intertwined.

Behind the cat-faced mask, a pair of eyes narrowed slightly.

"That was decisive. If you were any slower, I wouldn't have played along anymore..."

A calm voice emerged from beneath the mask.

Cao Guang also seized the opportunity precisely and immediately began the sacrifice, obtaining power.

"The Three-Eyed Wrathful True Monarch's Spirit Baby in the Strange Temple..."

"The Ten District Strange Temple."

"You, Cao Guang, are sacrificing the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet. Using the lives and blood of a thousand Spirit Infants as the price, you aim to push this Strange Temple to the Nine Star Level..."

"A Nine Star Level Temple Deity..."

"I'm actually quite eager to see this."

"The Temple Deity is known to be invincible within its realm. Any Temple Deity of the same realm can suppress cultivators of the same level with their Divine Nature. To kill a Temple Deity of the same realm, you'd need five or more cultivators of the same level to slay the deity."

"I... I'd like to give it a try. Can this Horn-breaking Heaven Hammer kill the Temple Deity!"

Boom!

Thunderous roars filled the air, and the dark sky instantly brightened.

The wind and rain intensified, and hail fell like divine fury, as countless raindrops mixed with hailstones pounded down on the mortal realm!

Li Qingshan, wearing a cat-faced mask, swayed, like a straight arrow, shooting forth through the rain. He blasted through the rain, creating a white wave, and headed straight towards the inner city!

After a few bounces, he had already crossed the outer city and entered the inner city.

The speed was so fast that even the soldiers guarding the inner city hadn't reacted!

Conceal?

Hide?

Li Qingshan's face beneath the mask was filled with scorn.

He didn't need to...

Only the weak needed to conceal and hide.

The strong... had a reason, and what they needed to do was...

to push forward!

The Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet was, in fact... more accurately called the Thousand Spirit Infants Carving Feast!

Using the lives of a thousand Spirit Infants as the price, they awakened and fed the Temple Deity!

Vile creatures—!

They must die!

Boom!

Li Qingshan took a heavy step, his muscles and bones trembling. His waist suddenly straightened, and a scorching energy blood, like a coiled dragon, surrounded him, roaring in anger.

This was the Master Qi, released without reservation, from his five viscera and six bowels to his spine.

The domineering and fiery True Qi erupted from his body!

In the distance, over a dozen guards with Blood Qi cultivation, who had received orders from City Lord Cao Guang early on, roared as they charged. Their long swords trembled, shattering the raindrops.

However, Li Qingshan didn't even glance at them. With a flick of his finger, the horned hammer at his waist whistled as it spun and shot out.

Bang, bang, bang!

Over a dozen blood flowers bloomed in the rain, and a dozen Blood Qi warriors couldn't even resist. Their heads were smashed by the hammer, turning into cold corpses.

With a clench of his fist, the horned hammer was gripped, and blood mixed with raindrops dripped from the hammerhead.

He strode forward, as if parting the rain in two.

Unstoppable!

...

...

Outside the Xu Family Compound.

Li Che stood atop an artificial hill, his breath merging with the heavens and earth, making him undetectable.

His eyes flashed like lightning, and he clearly saw the scene within the hall.

Xu Nanming had been drugged, causing him to fall into a coma. It was a drug that didn't pose a life-threatening danger, so the Divine Chess Piece didn't give a warning.

Li Che temporarily held back, wanting to understand what the Xu family was up to.

Why did they target Xu Nanming?

Then, he saw Xu Heli tear off the cloth, revealing hundreds of various Spirit Infant wooden sculptures.

"The Xu Family also wants a share in the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet..."

"Yes, they silently allowed the City Lord's Mansion to take away the Spirit Infants."

Li Che's face beneath the Ox Demon mask was icy cold, devoid of emotion.

Perhaps in the beginning, the Xu Family held on to their resistance against the Spirit Infants Sect, but in the end... they chose to cooperate and offered the Spirit Infants.

Those Spirit Infants... how innocent were they?

They had just been born, and because of their good talents, they became pawns in the schemes of these powers.

Life and death were decided by a single thought.

Li Che's eyes lowered, and he couldn't help but think of Xixi. If he hadn't obtained the Dao Fruit...

What would Xixi's fate have been?

Perhaps she would have ended up like those Spirit Infants taken away for sacrifice.

The rain falling from the heavens was bone-chilling.

As Li Che stood on the artificial hill, he saw a large fine iron cauldron set up in the hall, with boiling water and various herbs being thrown into it.

He saw Cao He, trembling, holding a gleaming bone-stripping blade, approaching the unconscious Xu Nanming...

Li Che's eyes beneath the Ox Demon mask suddenly revealed a look of surprise.

"It's... madness."

"The noble families, these cannibalistic families, and this cannibalistic world."

Li Che shook his head, swallowing the cold air, and muttered.

The next moment, the tall figure on the artificial hill blurred and twisted, disappearing from sight.

Inside the hall.

A figure with narrowed eyes, leaning on a cane, stared at Cao He as he trembled with each step towards Xu Nanming.

Suddenly, his expression changed.

"Who's there?!"

His narrowed eyes widened in surprise! But in the corner of the hall, about ten steps away, hidden in darkness... an adorable Ox Demon-masked figure appeared, breaking through the darkness.

"Buzz-bang!" A muffled sound echoed, as if a blood-red ribbon surrounded the figure.

The Ox Demon's body suddenly expanded, forming a reverse triangle on its back. The coiled dragon-like muscles seemed to roar like a furious python!

"Ox Demon Grandpa is here to smash you!"

A burning roar of anger accompanied the rushing sound.

The Blood-Inscribed Thunder Gun appeared like a blood-red lightning bolt.

Suddenly, it crossed ten steps.

A surprise attack!

Boom!

Instantly, the Thunder Gun pierced through Xu Family's Elder's head.

It penetrated his entire body, nailing him to the ground!

Second update, 10,000 words, seeking monthly tickets and recommendations, and asking for your continued support! Old Li thanks you!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end