Chapter 97: Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Wrathful Third Prince

Chapter 97: Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Wrathful Third Prince

The raging winds howled, and the rain poured relentlessly.

In the darkening sky, towering black clouds brought endless darkness, accompanied by flickering lightning snakes, casting intermittent light upon the mortal realm.

Xu You's eyes narrowed as he watched the figure standing at the entrance, wearing an Ox Demon mask.

He wanted to draw his sword, but at this moment, he was devoid of strength.

Ox Demon...

The very Ox Demon that had terrorized Thunderstrike City, causing chaos and killing without batting an eye!

Yet, Xu You felt no fear or terror, not even when facing such a notorious being that could make infants stop crying.

Surprisingly, not a hint of dread stirred within him.

Xu You was well aware of the Ox Demon's deeds, the people it had killed, and the things it had done...

Setting aside the methods, which act couldn't be called heroic?

Even the killing of the imperial official and Divine Catcher Zhao Xuanhai was because Zhao Xuanhai was a follower of the Spirit Infants Sect.

Xu You knew full well the nature of the Spirit Infants Sect.

Taking a deep breath, Xu You's pale face clenched into a fist, "Thank you, Sir, for saving my life."

However, the Ox Demon merely glanced at him indifferently, "Marquis Cao Guang is sacrificing the entire city to the Mysterious Temple, aiming to elevate it to the Nine Luminaries. Thunderstrike City is doomed. You should leave quickly."

"Take care."

This thunderous news left Xu You completely stunned.

He didn't even hear the Ox Demon's parting words, "Take care."

Marquis Cao Guang is sacrificing the entire city?

What has become of this world?

Xu You drew his sword, feeling lost.

"Ox... Hero... Senior..."

Xu You wanted to call out, but the Ox Demon merely tapped his toes lightly and disappeared into the rain and wind.

By the time Xu You ran out, the Ox Demon's towering figure had vanished from the mortal realm.

The icy rain, mingled with snowflakes, fell upon his shoulders.

Xu You panted slightly, his heart trembling.

At this moment, he seemed to understand something.

The Xu family had colluded with the Marquis's mansion, and Marquis Cao Guang's plan to sacrifice the entire city was likely known to Old Master Xu, Xu Namming, and others.

His body swayed unsteadily, and the bone-chilling rain made his heart feel like ice.

"How could this be..."

Such heinous acts were the epitome of evil!

After a long while, Xu You sighed deeply.

He returned to the house and looked at the corpses of his father, Xu Namming, and Xu Heli.

His face showed no signs of sorrow.

If not for the Ox Demon's assistance, he might have been the one killed.

"You even wanted to... eat my flesh alive?"

Xu You felt an urge to laugh hysterically.

Feeling the surging Divine Nature within him, his Divine Nature was boiling, and he could vaguely sense his River Divine Nature about to condense into a Divine Foundation.

"Is this considered a blessing in disguise?"

Xu You raised his hand and looked at the intertwining blood-colored Divine Natures in his palm, slowly merging into his body.

This power belonged to the Temple Deity, though not much...

But it was, after all, the energy of the Temple Deity from the Mysterious Temple.

Perhaps Xu Heli intended to devour him in this manner to obtain the Temple Deity's power?

"Why didn't Xu Heli use his own body to bear it? Perhaps there were side effects... By eating people, could he avoid these side effects?"

Xu You shook his head.

Looking at the blurry rain and wind, the Ox Demon's figure had completely disappeared.

The Ox Demon was not as vicious as the rumors suggested.

Recalling the Ox Demon's words, Xu You sheathed his sword and stepped into the rain and wind.

Old Master Xu was probably dead, and the pillar of the Xu family had crumbled.

The Ox Demon said that Marquis Cao Guang had moved the Mysterious Temple into the city, and if the citizens didn't leave, they would be corrupted by the Temple Deity's Divine Nature within a few days, turning into evil and strange beings.

As a direct descendant of the Xu family, Xu You had to officially take over the family, support it, and lead them out of Thunderstrike City.

As for the citizens...

He would save as many as he could. Leaving Thunderstrike City meant becoming refugees and wanderers, seeking refuge in other cities, where they would likely face exploitation from local powers.

But even so, it was better than losing their lives.

...

...

Li Qingshan, wearing a cat-faced mask, swung the Horned Hammer, smashing it down and then pulling it back up. The hammer's surface was covered in bloodstains and bits of flesh, which the rain washed away.

On the ground, two mangled corpses lay lifeless.

The area in front of the Marquis's mansion had become a wasteland, riddled with deep pits like blooming plum blossoms.

This was the aftermath of Li Qingshan's battle with two experts from the Corpse Deity Sect.

"The Corpse Deity Sect's Iron Corpses are indeed stinky and tough..."

With a tremor of True Qi, he instantly cleaned the filth from the Horned Hammer and retracted it into his sleeve.

His fierce blood energy subsided, and his Essence Qi Spirit instantly calmed.

His entire body hunched over again, returning to the appearance of an old man. With a light tap of his toes, he glided into the Mysterious Temple.

A moment later, he shot out, surprise evident beneath his cat-faced mask.

"The Temple Deity's statue has been smashed... Who was it? So daring! Fortunately, they didn't try to destroy the temple, or else the Temple Deity's curse seal would have brought disaster."

Li Qingshan's eyebrows furrowed.

He glided towards the spot where the Temple Deity's energies had clashed.

When he saw the ground littered with finely shattered corpses...

Even Li Qingshan's face turned solemn, "How tragic... Is this Marquis Cao Guang's corpse?"

The Divine Temple Deity entered the body, planning to use its power to transform.

"But it was actually killed and torn to pieces..."

"Another Temple Deity, so ferocious, such a cruel Temple Deity... It's rare to see one like this."

Li Qingshan muttered to himself.

"However, it's also a good thing. Cao Guang's plan was shattered, and the Temple Deity fell into a deep slumber, giving the people of Thunderstrike City a chance to breathe..."

"The City Lord's death will soon be known by the Temple Guard Service. They'll send someone here."

Li Qingshan stretched lazily, feeling relaxed all over.

The only surprise left was the Temple Deity that had torn Cao Guang to pieces...

Just who was that god?

So ferocious!

Terrifying.

"Oh right, did that ox boy come? Why haven't I seen him? Forget it..."

Li Qingshan's body trembled, and countless true qi shattered raindrops, as he rushed towards the City Lord's treasury like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

A moment later...

"Damn, that kid must have come and left. He didn't leave anything for the old man!"

"Not even a single thing for the old man!"

...

...

Li Che observed Xu You's situation from the shadows for a while.

After confirming that there were no issues, he disappeared into the alleyways.

Clenching his fist, he focused on the chess piece anchor point in the carriage, which was marked on the official road outside the city, galloping through the rain and snow. In an instant, it appeared in his hand.

Li Che's entire body returned to the carriage from Thunderstrike City.

His qi and blood circulated, drying his clothes and hair. Removing his mask, he leaned back on the soft carriage seat.

His tense nerves gradually relaxed, and he sniffed the scent of the items piled up in the carriage, feeling a bit lazy.

This trip back to Thunderstrike City had resolved everything. He had saved Old Xu, preventing him from becoming his family's meal. He had also resolved the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet incident and shattered the City Lord's ambition to sacrifice the entire city.

If there was one regret, it was not finding that Divine Catcher Zhang Xiangyang. When Li Che used Gao De Chess Sage's Heaven and Earth Chessboard to search, he had also inquired about Zhang Xiangyang.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find any trace of him, so Li Che didn't have the chance to learn Zhang Xiangyang's 'Intimidating Light Tracing' Divine Nature.

The impact wasn't significant. There would be plenty of opportunities in the capital, and there should be corresponding methods within the Divine Sect.

Apart from that, everything else was a gain.

Not only had he tested the 'Ascending State,' but he had also received generous gifts from many people.

The Heaven and Earth Jade of the three Divine Foundation Cultivators, Old Master Xu, Cao Guang, and Cao Qingyuan, must have many good things inside. Especially Cao Qingyuan, who had taken all the treasures from the City Lord's treasury.

Now, they all belonged to Li Che.

Even with Li Che's current willpower, he couldn't help but feel excited.

"Please fiercely impact my world..."

Li Che pursed his lips and took out the Heaven and Earth Jade that Cao Qingyuan cherished even in death, holding it tightly in his palm.

The medium-grade Heaven and Earth Jade had an excellent rank. It was even larger than Cao He's, and the 'Pure Heart' Dao Fruit didn't hesitate to devour and replace the original space.

Raising his hand, he tore open the space like a zipper.

Li Che's divine sense moved slightly, and he entered it.

There were over ten gold bars, a pile of gold leaves, and a stack of silver ingots. Additionally, there were silver notes, property deeds, land deeds, and more.

Wow, this was probably the entire financial income of Thunderstrike City! It was even richer than the well-established Yang Family. And this was after Cao Guang had spent a lot of money to hire many woodcarvers to create the woodcarvings.

These were just wealth, external possessions. Together with what he had obtained earlier, it was enough for his family to live comfortably in the capital.

Li Che continued to inventory the items, and suddenly, his gaze was drawn.

"Huh?"

Li Che's spirit stirred, and the next moment, a half-human-sized yellow wood block fell into the carriage with a loud thud.

Creak, creak...

The heavy feeling was so overwhelming that the carriage seemed on the verge of collapsing under the weight.

The carriage's speed instantly slowed down.

Li Che quickly put the wood block back into the Heaven and Earth Spatial Storage.

"Wow... Spirit Wood!"

"Seventh-rank Spirit Wood!"

Li Che's breath quickened, and his eyes sparkled. The main reason was... such a large piece of seventh-rank Spirit Wood!

Its value was immeasurable! Just now, when he touched it, he had already learned the information about this Spirit Wood through 'Thousand Analysis Palm.'

...

Spirit Wood (Lower Seventh-rank): Dragon Fang Yellow Elm

Origin: Yellow hard spirit wood, as tough as refined iron, with a texture like dragon teeth, a dense and tough texture, uniform grain, difficult to carve, and requiring careful knife work.

Wow! Dragon Fang Yellow Elm! A wood harder than refined iron!

Li Che was amazed. The City Lord's mansion actually had such a treasure. The price of just this Spirit Wood block might exceed the entire income of the City Lord's mansion.

Where did Cao Guang get such a good thing?

"Seventh-rank Spirit Wood... Usually, even woodcarving masters wouldn't dare to carve it. Ordinary carving knives can't even outline it. I guess the carving knives would need to be divine armaments."

Li Che took a deep breath. This wood block was probably what Cao Qingyuan cherished.

Taking it to the capital would be too valuable. If the Spirit Wood's Divine Nature was carved into a Divine Nature woodcarving, it would be enough for Cao Qingyuan to cultivate until death.

In addition to these, there were also many ninth-tier and tenth-tier Spirit Woods, which were quite ordinary. Among them, there were also several "Blood Red" woods required for crafting Bodhi Blood Tears.

As a master woodcarver, Li Che felt truly gratified with this harvest.

It was worth it for him to close Cao Qingyuan's eyes, allowing him to rest in peace.

Li Che continued to take inventory, but there weren't many more surprises.

Two bottles of pills, each containing two ninth-tier lower-grade "Great Jing Celestial Fury Mystic Thunder Dragon Blood Combat Pills," were likely distributed by the Celestial Surveillance Agency.

For Li Che, this was a decent harvest; at least he wouldn't have to worry about cultivation pills anymore.

Sure enough, taking inventory of the harvest could wash away all fatigue.

Li Che happily counted various martial arts techniques, even though their ranks weren't high, but there were many of them, making the inventory process enjoyable.

It was like counting money; even if it was a five-yuan bill, counting it would still bring joy, after all, it was money.

"This is..."

Suddenly, Li Che held a golden booklet in his hand.

"Great Jing Temple Guard Service's Supreme Hell Lotus Mystic Pulse Art!" Li Che's smile at the corner of his mouth couldn't be suppressed.

"Mystic Pulse Art, Divine Pulse Art... Now I have them all!"

Putting away the booklet, Li Che's heart stirred, and from the Heaven-Earth Spatial Storage, another treasure was spat out.

...

[Divine Armament (Eight Extremes Lower-Grade): Mystic Thunder Dragon Wrath Bow]



[Craftsmanship: Hundred-Year Mystic Iron, Thousand Hammers and Hundred Forges, infused with Mystic Thunder Dragon blood, mixed with Wrath Divine Essence, and further refined through a thousand hammers and a hundred fires, capable of channeling 'Wrath Divine Essence,' a powerful bow that shoots arrows like thunder dragons!]



[Control: Wrath Divine Essence Art, Divine Foundation Initial Stage and above]



...

"Eight Extremes Divine Armament? Truly worthy of being the lord of a city, the foundation is profound, and with the backing of the court, it's indeed different."

Li Che exclaimed in admiration.

His Nine Luminaries upper-grade Blood-Infused Piercing Spear was nothing compared to the Eight Extremes-level Divine Armament Cao Guang had been keeping!

"Then why didn't he use the Divine Armament earlier?"

"Oh... He didn't have time to use it; he was killed."

Li Che clenched the black Mystic Thunder Dragon Wrath Bow, and faint arcs of electricity seemed to crawl on its surface, like an abyss, about to draw out the Divine Essence within the Niwan Inner Scene.

"Arrow techniques... I know 'Hundred Ghosts Wrathful Wind and Thunder Arrows,' but it doesn't quite match my Divine Essence. Perhaps I need to find another technique."

Li Che thought to himself and put away the large bow.

Continuing the inventory, Li Che counted the Heaven-Earth Jade of Old Master Xu and Cao Qingyuan, but there weren't many more surprises.

Although Cao Qingyuan was a Divine Foundation cultivator, he didn't have much "pocket money," making him the poorest Divine Foundation cultivator Li Che had ever seen.

However, Li Che found a pile of letters in Cao Qingyuan's Heaven-Earth Jade.

Glancing through them, he became more and more serious.

"Golden Light Capital... Qin Family? Golden Rift Sect?"

"Cao Qingyuan actually has a mother in the Capital City? And she's a young lady from a Capital City aristocratic family?"

"Golden Rift Sect? Besides the Divine Sect, are there other sect forces in the Capital City?"

Li Che's heart stirred slightly, and he carefully read the letters.

Most of the letters were from Cao Qingyuan's mother, filled with concern in every word.

"If I killed Cao Qingyuan, will his mother come to trouble me?"

"But Cao Qingyuan was killed by the Ox Demon, it has nothing to do with me, Li Che..."

Li Che put away the letters and continued the inventory.

Old Master Xu was relatively wealthy, and overall, his wealth was similar to that of the Yang Family. However, he didn't have a Divine Armament.

There were several bottles of Python Blood Pills, totaling thirty-plus pills of Python Blood Pills, a significant amount.

"Nine Stars Suspended Thought Flow Sword Divine Foundation Art," "Suspended Thought Sword Control Art," "Suspended Thought Willow Body Art"...

Li Che's eyes shone as he looked at the three martial arts manuals.

The long-awaited "Thought Divine Essence" Divine Foundation Art was finally in his hands.

Following the Wrath and Astonishment Divine Foundations, Li Che could now cultivate another Divine Foundation.

"Hmm? The Flying Thunder Four Great Aristocratic Families, the An Family fled, and the 'Hundred Turns Worry Dream' Divine Foundation Art escaped, but I don't have the Si Family's Divine Foundation Art..."

Li Che suddenly realized that he hadn't mastered the "Wrathful Cry Ghost Subjugation" Divine Essence Art.

To gather the Seven Emotions Divine Foundations, the task was still challenging and long.

"No problem, stay positive. There are many aristocratic families in the Capital City..."

Li Che encouraged himself.

After finishing the inventory, Li Che took a piece of wood, clenched it, and began carving, calming his excited heart due to the abundant harvest.

...

...

The upcoming journey became more stable as they traveled with a merchant caravan. Qian He, as the caravan leader, was very responsible, and his reputation on the road made the journey safer than usual.

The journey was tedious and uninteresting.

Li Che didn't find it boring, as he had too many things to do. This batch of Divine Chess Pieces he obtained was significant, and both Cao Guang and Cao Qingyuan's Divine Essences were Wrath Divine Essences. Li Che's "Three-Eye Wrathful True Monarch Divine Foundation" could devour and nurture the Divine Essences of higher-ranked cultivators.

In addition, Li Che was studying the Mystic Pulse Art from Great Jing.

After cultivating his Qi and Blood to their peak, he would begin his breakthrough.

Every day, Li Che practiced martial arts on the carriage, and when he got off, he trained with Xixi and Zhang Ya, tempering their bodies.

Zhang Ya's martial arts training during this period has already reached the stage of skin tempering perfection. Her natural talent in martial arts is not bad, and Li Che estimates that she might even achieve skin tempering perfection and begin meridian opening without having to go to the capital city.

Xixi, this little girl, seems to never get bored. Every day, she finds new curiosities in the world.

Qian He, the caravan leader, and many of his companions have a great relationship with Xixi. They all adore this lively and adorable little girl.

"Golden Light City is located in Yunzhou, which governs four prefectures. The Heavenly Origin Divine Sect's main branch is situated in Lingnan Path, while the Golden Light City is governed by a branch of the Divine Sect."

"The five major Divine Physiognomy families in Golden Light City are the Qin, Gong, Hai, Shangguan, and Gongyang families. All of them have Divine Physiognomy ancestors residing in their clans, and their ancestors once held high and powerful positions in the main branch of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect, making them extremely formidable!"

"As for the five major sects, they are also closely related to these five families."

Qian He enjoyed drinking and eating meat as he spoke.

Li Che rubbed Xixi's head, his gaze sharpening. "Qian He, isn't Golden Light City governed by a branch of the Heavenly Origin Divine Sect? How are there other sects with influence here?"

"Hahaha, many people have asked this question, Li Master. The branch sects are indeed powerful, but the main branch of the Divine Sect is located in Lingnan Path. That's where the Divine Sect's influence truly reigns. As for the subordinate cities, although branch sects are established, they are more of a formality..."

"A city like Golden Light City is not small. How can a branch sect control it all? Therefore, they allow other powers to have a share, creating a harmonious situation where everyone benefits."

"Moreover, these sects all have the court's support behind them, aiming to balance the power of the Divine Sect."

Qian He has traveled far and wide, and he knows many secrets."

As he talked, Li Che gained a comprehensive impression of Golden Light City. It seems that the branch sect does not dominate everything.

The Qin family, the Golden Rift Sect, and the Corpse Deity Sect...

Especially the Corpse Deity Sect.

Li Che exhaled, feeling that Golden Light City wasn't entirely safe for his family.

The carriage continued to bump along, but as they approached the capital city, the road became smoother.

On the official road, the number of carriages increased.

Occasionally, multiple caravans could be seen passing each other.

Inside the carriage, Li Che sat quietly with his eyes closed, his body surrounded by a layer of qi and blood that resembled a flowing robe. Within his body, it was like a furnace, refining the last bit of medicinal power from the Great Jing Celestial Fury Crimson Serpent Blood Combat Pill from the Celestial Surveillance Agency.

Boom! As the medicinal power was thoroughly refined...

The Mystic Pulse Technique was activated, and the qi and blood surged through his meridians, forming a more intricate network than the Minor Zhou Heavenly Pulse.

Li Che suddenly opened his eyes, and his body's elasticity swelled, like an inflated balloon.

Countless qi and blood erupted, and the qi and blood robe that had adhered to his body suddenly blossomed like lotus petals.

Hell Lotus Mystic Pulse...

Li Che exhaled a turbid breath.

His qi and blood calmed, and the advanced Hell Lotus Mystic Pulse technique...

The refined mystic pulse energy...

The refined mystic pulse energy had become so much stronger!

As Li Che prepared to fully experience the mystic pulse energy...

The previously calm caravan suddenly became restless. The neighing of horses filled the air, and even the steady carriages began to bump.

Li Che lifted the curtain and stepped onto the carriage's front.

The carriage drivers and escorts were doing their best to soothe the horses.

"Li Master, this is normal. Ahead is the most mysterious temple outside Golden Light City. Horses always get startled here. Once we pass this section, they'll calm down." Qian He smiled and explained when he saw Li Che exiting the carriage.

Li Che's heart stirred at these words.

He looked into the distance.

In the faraway mountains, several majestic peaks stood tall. The roaring river flowed through the mountains, extending towards the distant capital city.

In the middle of the river, countless streams diverged.

A majestic temple stood atop it, as if dimming the sun and moon, and overshadowing the heavens and earth!

Even from a distance, Li Che felt his Chess Sage Dao Fruit violently tremble.

Among them, the eight divine nature temple deity chess pieces from the Thunderstrike City's mysterious temple were trembling wildly.

Li Che's toes tapped, his arms stretched high, and his qi and blood erupted like a falcon taking flight. He sprinted along the riverbank for several miles.

Finally, he stood on a rock.

Across the roaring river, he stared at the mysterious temple in the middle of the river!

His hand suddenly turned jade-colored.

He gently dipped it into the turbulent river.

The river water, imbued with divine nature, splashed against his palm, creating a spray of water.

But the Thousand Analysis Palm's feedback appeared before his eyes.

[Mysterious Temple (Four Virtues)]



[Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Wrathful Third Prince Strange Temple]



6000 words! One update, already subscribed to 3000, don't hoard books, please read, vote, and recommend! Li Che thanks you!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end