Chapter 97: The Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Wrathful Third Prince

Chapter 97: The Eight-Armed Hell Lotus Wrathful Third Prince

The raging wind howled, and the rain poured relentlessly.

In the dark sky, cumulus clouds gathered, bringing endless darkness, accompanied by flashing lightning serpents that occasionally illuminated the human realm.

Standing at the doorway, a figure wearing a Demon Ox Mask caught Xu You's attention, causing his eyes to narrow.

He wanted to draw his sword, but at this moment, he felt completely powerless.

The Ox Demon...

The very same Ox Demon that had terrorized Thunder City, causing chaos and mayhem, and killing without batting an eye.

However, Xu You felt no fear.

Even facing such a notorious being, rumored to be terrifying enough to make infants stop crying.

Surprisingly, not a hint of terror surfaced in his heart.

Xu You was well aware of the Ox Demon's deeds and the people he had killed.

Setting aside his brutal methods, which of his actions could not be considered heroic?

Even the killing of Divine Catcher Zhao Xuanhai, a court official, was due to Zhao Xuanhai's affiliation with the Spirit Infancy Sect.

Xu You knew all too well the nature of the Spirit Infancy Sect.

Breathing out, Xu You's face turned pale as he clasped his fists in gratitude, "Thank you, sir, for saving my life."

However, the Ox Demon merely glanced at him indifferently, "Mayor Cao Guang has sacrificed the entire city to the Strange Shrine, intending to promote it to the Nine Stars. Thunder City is doomed. You should leave now."

"Take care."

The thunderous news left Xu You completely stunned.

He was so shocked that he didn't even hear the Ox Demon's words of "Take care."

Mayor Cao Guang sacrificed 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 and disappeared into the rain and wind.

By the time Xu You rushed out, the Ox Demon's towering figure had vanished from the world.

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

Xu You panted heavily, his heart trembling with shock.

At this moment, he seemed to understand something.

The Xu Family had colluded with the City Governor's Mansion, and Mayor Cao Guang's plan to sacrifice the entire city was undoubtedly known to Old Master Xu and his father, Xu Naming, among others.

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

"How could they do such a thing?"

This was an act of extreme evil, defying heaven's principles!

After a long while, Xu You let out a deep sigh.

He returned to the house, gazing upon the corpses of his father, Xu Naming, and Xu Heli.

There was no trace of sadness on his face.

If not for the Ox Demon's intervention, he might have been the one lying there dead.

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

Xu You felt an urge to laugh hysterically.

Sensing the surging Divine Essence within him, it seemed to be pushing his Divine Essence to a boiling point, almost like a river about to condense into a Divine Foundation.

"Is this considered a blessing in disguise?"

Xu You raised his hand, observing the intertwining blood-colored Divine Essence in his palm, slowly merging into his body.

This was the power of a Temple Deity, albeit not much...

But it was the energy of the Temple Deity within the Strange Shrine.

Perhaps Xu Heli had 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? Was he afraid of side effects? By eating people, could he avoid these side effects?"

Xu You shook his head.

He glanced at the hazy rain and wind, but the Ox Demon's figure had completely disappeared.

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

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

Old Master Xu was most likely dead, and the pillar of the Xu Family had crumbled.

According to the Ox Demon, Mayor Cao Guang had moved the Strange Shrine into the city. If the common folk did not leave within a few days, they would be corrupted by the Temple Deity's Divine Essence and become evil spirits.

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

As for the city's common folk...

He would save as many as he could. Once they left Thunder City, they would become refugees and wanderers, seeking shelter in other cities. To find stability, they might have to endure being exploited by other city powers.

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

...

...

Li Qingshan, wearing a Cat Face Mask, swung his Horn Hammer, smashing two corpses into a lifeless state. The small hammer's surface was covered in bloodstains and shredded flesh, which the rain washed away.

On the ground before the City Governor's Mansion, two corpses lay in a state of utter ruin, devoid of any vitality.

The area had turned into a wasteland, riddled with deep craters like blooming plum blossoms.

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

"The Corpse Deities of the Corpse Deity Sect are indeed foul and tough..."

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

The fierce Vital Energy within him subsided, and his spirit immediately returned to tranquility.

His entire body hunched over again, reverting to the appearance of a small old man. With a light tap of his toes, he entered the Strange Shrine.

Moments later, he shot out, confusion evident beneath his Cat Face Mask.

"The Temple Deity's statue has been smashed... Who was it? So fierce? Thankfully, they didn't try to destroy the shrine, or else the Temple Deity's curse seal would have been terrible."

Li Qingshan's eyebrows furrowed.

He moved towards the spot where the auras of the two Temple Deities had collided.

When he saw the ground littered with countless tiny fragments of corpses...

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

The Temple Deity entered the body, intending to transform by borrowing the power of the Temple Deity."

"But he was killed and even torn to pieces..."

"The other Temple Deity is so vicious, such a cruel Temple Deity... It's rare to see one this brutal."

Li Qing Shan muttered.

"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 Thunder City a chance to breathe..."

"The news of the City Lord's death will soon reach the Temple Enforcement Command. They'll send people here."

Li Qing Shan stretched lazily, feeling relaxed all over.

The only remaining surprise was the Temple Deity that tore Cao Guang apart...

What kind of deity was that? So vicious!

Terrifying.

"Oh right, did that ox boy come? Why haven't I seen him? Never mind him..."

Li Qing Shan's body trembled, and countless true energies shattered the raindrops, as if his entire being was an arrow leaving the bowstring, rushing towards the City Lord's treasury.

A moment later.

"Damn, that kid must've come and gone, plucking feathers without a trace!"

"Not even a penny left for the old man!"

...

...

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

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

He clenched his fist, and the anchor point of the chess piece in the carriage, which was galloping through the rain and snow on the official road outside the city, appeared in his hand.

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

His vital energy circulated, drying his clothes and hair, and only after removing his mask did he lean back in the soft carriage chair.

His tense nerves gradually relaxed, and as he smelled the scent of the wood piled in the carriage, he became a bit lazy.

This trip back to Thunder City had resolved everything. He saved Old Xu, averted his fate of being devoured by his own family, resolved the Thousand Buddha Carving Feast incident, and shattered the City Lord's ambition to sacrifice the entire city.

If there was any regret, it was also there.

For example, there was the Divine Catcher Zhang Xiangyang. When Li Che used the High Virtue Chess Sage's Heaven and Earth Chessboard to search, he also cared about Zhang Xiangyang.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find any trace of him, so Li Che didn't have the opportunity to ask about Zhang Xiangyang's 'Intimidating Light' Divine Essence.

The impact wasn't too great. There would be many opportunities in the capital city, and there should be corresponding methods within the Divine Sect.

Apart from that, the rest was a harvest.

Not only did he test the 'Ascend State,' but he also received generous gifts from many people.

The Universe Spirit Jade of the three Divine Foundation cultivators, Old Master Xu, Cao Guang, and Cao Qingyuan, must have many good things, and Cao Qingyuan even took all the valuables from the City Lord's treasury.

Now they all belong to Li Che.

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

"Please fiercely impact my world..."

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

The medium-grade Universe Spirit Jade had an excellent rank, even larger than Cao He's. The 'Pure Heart' Dao Fruit devoured and replaced the original space without hesitation.

He raised his hand, as if pulling a zipper, and tore open the space.

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

There were more than ten gold bars, a pile of gold leaves, a stack of silver ingots, as well as silver notes, property deeds, and land deeds.

Wow, this was probably the entire financial income of Thunder City, right? Even more affluent than the Yang Family, who had cultivated for many years, and this was after Cao Guang spent a lot of money to invite many woodcarvers to carve wooden sculptures.

These were just wealth, external possessions. Together with what they had obtained before, it was enough for their family to live comfortably in the capital city.

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

"Hmm?"

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

Creak, creak...

The heavy feeling was so intense that the carriage seemed about to collapse under the weight, making creaking sounds.

The carriage slowed down instantly.

Li Che quickly put the wood block back into the Universe Spirit Jade space.

"Wow... Spirit Wood!"

"A seventh-rank Spirit Wood..."

Li Che's breathing quickened, his eyes sparkling, mainly because... such a large piece of seventh-rank Spirit Wood!

Its value was immeasurable! Just a touch with his hand, and he had already learned the information about this Spirit Wood through 'Thousand Analyze Hand.'

...

【Spirit Wood (Lower Seventh Rank): Dragon Fang Yellow Cypress】

【Origin: Yellow Hard Spirit Wood, as hard as fine steel, with a texture like dragon teeth, a tough and dense material, uniform grain, difficult to process, and requiring careful carving.】

...

Wow! Dragon Fang Yellow Cypress! Wood harder than fine iron!

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

Where did Cao Guang get such a good thing?

"A seventh-rank Spirit Wood... not every woodcarving master can handle it. Ordinary carving knives can't even outline it, and they probably need divine armaments to carve it?"

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

Its value was too great to take to the capital city. If it were carved into a Divine Essence wood carving, it would probably be enough for Cao Qingyuan to cultivate until death.

In addition, there were also many ninth and tenth-tier Spirit Wood, all of which were considered ordinary. Among them, there were also quite a few pieces of "Blood-Red" Spirit Wood needed for crafting Bodhi Blood Tears.

As a master woodcarver, Li Che was truly delighted with this harvest.

It was worth it for him to ask Cao Qingyuan to close his eyes and let him rest.

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

Two bottles of pills, each containing two lower-grade ninth-tier "Great Jing Celestial Wrath Blood Dragon Pills," were likely distributed by the Celestial Enraged Bureau.

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

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

Li Che happily counted the various martial arts techniques, although the quality wasn't high, but the quantity was impressive, making him very happy.

It was like counting money; even if it was a five-yuan bill, counting it would still make one's heart bloom with joy, after all, it was money.

"This is..."

Suddenly, a golden-bound book appeared in Li Che's hand.

"Great Jing Temple's Supreme Hell Lotus Meridian Technique!" Li Che's smile at the corner of his lips could no longer be contained.

"Profound Meridian Technique, Divine Meridian Technique... Now I have them all!"

Putting away the book, Li Che's heart stirred, and from the Qiankun Jade, another treasure was spat out.

...

[Divine Armament (Eight Extremes Lower Grade): Black Thunder Wrathful Dragon Fury Bow]



[Craftsmanship: A hundred-year-old profound iron, forged a thousand times, mixed with the blood of the Black Thunder Dragon, infused with Wrathful Divine Essence, and further refined a thousand times in blazing fire. It can channel 'Wrathful Divine Essence', creating a powerful bow that shoots arrows like lightning dragons!]



[Mastery: Wrathful Divine Essence Technique, Initial Divine Foundation and above]



...

"Eight Extremes Divine Armament? No wonder he's the lord of a city, his foundation is indeed profound. Backed by the court, it's indeed different."

Li Che exclaimed in awe.

His Nine Stars Upper-grade Blood Spear was only a Nine Stars Upper-grade, yet Cao Guang actually had an Eight Extremes Divine Armament!

"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 his five fingers around the pitch-black Black Thunder Wrathful Dragon Fury Bow, and faint arcs of electricity seemed to dance on it, as if it were a bottomless pit, trying to draw out the divine essence from the Niwan Inner Scene.

"Archer techniques... I've learned 'Hundred Ghosts Crying Thunder Arrow', but it doesn't match my divine essence well. Perhaps I need to find another archery technique."

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

Continuing the inventory, he counted the Qiankun Jade of Old Master Xu and Cao Qingyuan, but there wasn't much of a harvest.

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

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

He glanced at them casually, but the more he read, the more serious his expression became.

"Golden Light Prefecture... Qin family? Golden Crack Sect?"

"Cao Qingyuan actually has a mother in the prefecture city? And she's a young lady from a prefecture city clan?"

"Golden Crack Sect? Besides the Divine Sect branch, are there other sect powers in the prefecture city?"

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

Most of the letters were from Cao Qingyuan's mother, and there were also some that Cao Qingyuan had written but not sent.

After reading the contents, Li Che found that Cao Qingyuan's mother's words were filled with concern.

"If I killed Cao Qingyuan, will his mother come looking for trouble?"

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

Li Che exhaled in relief, put away the letters, and continued the inventory.

Old Master Xu was relatively wealthy, and overall, he was on par with Old Master Yang, but he didn't have any Divine Armaments.

There were a few bottles of Python Blood Pills, totaling over thirty pills, which was quite a large amount.

"Nine Stars Suspensive Thought Stream Sword Divine Foundation Technique," "Suspensive Thought Sword Technique," "Suspensive Thought Willow Wood Body"...

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

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

After acquiring the Wrathful and Killing Divine Foundations, he could now cultivate another Divine Foundation.

"Hmm? The Flying Thunder Four Great Clans, the An Family fled en masse, and the Hundred Turns Worried Dream Divine Foundation Technique is gone, but I don't have the Si Family's Divine Foundation Technique..."

Li Che suddenly realized that he hadn't mastered the Crying and Cursing Ghost Pacification Divine Essence Divine Foundation Technique.

It seemed that completing the Seven Emotions Divine Foundation was still a long and challenging journey.

"It's okay, cheer up. There are many great clans in the prefecture city..."

Li Che encouraged the Ox Demon.

After finishing the inventory, Li Che took a piece of wood, clenched the carving knife, and started carving, calming his agitated heart due to the abundant harvest.

...

...

The journey ahead became stable.

Since they were traveling with a merchant caravan, Qian He, as the escort leader, was very responsible, and he had some reputation on the road. The well-managed trade route was much safer than ordinary wilderness paths.

The journey was tedious and uninteresting.

Li Che didn't feel bored because he had too many things to do.

After all, this trip had acquired too many divine essence chess pieces. Cao Guang and Cao Qingyuan's divine essences were both Wrathful Divine Essences, and Li Che's Tri-Eye Wrathful Lord Divine Foundation could devour them all and nurture his foundation.

Additionally, Li Che was also studying the Profound Meridian Technique from Great Jing.

After nurturing his vital energy to its peak, he would begin his breakthrough.

Every day, he cultivated his divine essence on the carriage and practiced martial arts when he got off, training with Xi Xi and Zhang Ya to temper their bodies.

Zhang Ya's recent martial arts training had already reached the stage of skin polishing perfection. Her talent in martial arts was not bad, and Li Che estimated that she might not even need to go to the capital city to achieve skin polishing perfection and begin muscle opening.

Xi Xi, this little girl, seemed to never get bored. Every day, she had a new curiosity about things.

Qian He, the caravan leader, and many others in the merchant caravan had a great relationship with Xi Xi and liked this lively and adorable little girl.

"Jin Guang Prefecture is located in Yunzhou, which governs four prefectures. The Eternal Origin Divine Sect's main branch is situated in Lingnan Dao, and Jin Guang Prefecture is managed by a branch of the Divine Sect."

"There are numerous powers within Jin Guang Prefecture, but the most famous are the five Divine Sage Clans and the five capital city sects!"

The bonfire flickered, its light soaring into the sky.

During a break in their journey, everyone gathered around the bonfire to chat.

Qian He, a native of the capital city, drank wine and shared information about the city with the group.

"May I ask, Qian He, which are the five great clans?" Old Chen asked after offering a toast to Qian He.

Li Che held Xi Xi and listened attentively.

"The Qin, Gong, Hai, Shangguan, and Gongyang clans are the five Divine Sage Clans of Jin Guang Prefecture. Each clan has a Divine Sage ancestor, and their ancestors have all held high positions and wielded great influence in the main branch of the Eternal Origin Divine Sect! They are not to be underestimated!"

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

Qian He drank heartily and ate meat, speaking as he ate and drank.

Li Che rubbed Xi Xi's head, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Qian He, isn't Jin Guang Prefecture governed by a branch of the Eternal Origin Divine Sect? Why are there other sect powers here?"

"Hahaha, many people have asked this question, Li Che. The branch sects of the Divine Sect are indeed powerful, but the main branch is located in Lingnan Dao. That's where the Divine Sect's influence truly reigns. In the subordinate prefectures, although branch sects are established, they are more of a nominal presence..."

"A prefecture is not small, how can a branch sect control it all? Therefore, they allow other powers to have a share, creating a win-win situation for harmony."

"Moreover, these sects have the backing of the imperial court, pushing and supporting them to balance the power of the Divine Sect."

Qian He had traveled far and wide and knew many secrets.

As he spoke, Li Che gained a deep impression of Jin Guang Prefecture. It seemed that the prefecture was not solely controlled by the branch sect.

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

Especially the Corpse Deity Sect.

Li Che exhaled a breath, feeling that Jin Guang Prefecture was not very 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 meeting each other.

Inside the carriage.

Li Che sat quietly with his eyes closed, his body surrounded by a layer of vital energy that resembled a flowing robe. Within him, it was like a furnace, refining the last bit of the Great Jing Celestial Wrath Blood Dragon Pill from the Celestial Enraged Bureau.

Boom! As the medicinal power was completely refined.

The Profound Meridian Technique was activated, and vital energy surged through his meridians, forming a more complex network than the Small Zhou Heavenly Meridian.

Li Che abruptly opened his eyes, and the elastic robe on his body suddenly inflated, like a balloon.

Countless vital energy surged, and the vital energy robe that had adhered to his body now blossomed like lotus petals.

Hell Lotus Profound Meridian...

Li Che exhaled a breath of turbid air.

His vital energy calmed down, and the superior Hell Lotus Profound Meridian Technique...

The refined profound meridian internal energy was indeed much stronger.

Just as Li Che was about to experience the profound meridian internal energy, the previously calm caravan suddenly became restless. The sound of neighing horses rang out, and even the peaceful carriages began to bump.

Li Che lifted the curtain and stepped out to the carriage shaft.

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

"Master Li, normally, ahead is the most terrifying enigmatic temple outside Jin Guang Prefecture... Horses always get startled when passing by. Once we calm them down and pass this section, everything will be fine."

Seeing Li Che leave the carriage, Qian He hurriedly explained with a smile.

Li Che's heart stirred upon hearing this.

He looked up.

In the distance, several majestic mountains stood tall, with rushing river waters flowing through them and extending towards the capital city.

In the middle of the river, countless streams separated.

A majestic temple stood atop the river, as if dimming the sun and moon, and dulling the heavens and earth! Li Che only glanced at it from afar, but he felt the Chess Sage Dao Fruit within his chest tremble violently.

Among them, the eight divine essence chess pieces from the Thunder City Enigmatic Temple were trembling wildly.

Li Che's toes touched the ground, his arms stretched high, and vital energy surged like a soaring eagle. He ran along the riverbank for several miles.

Finally, he stood on a rock.

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

His hand suddenly turned jade-colored.

He gently reached into the turbulent river.

The divine essence-infused river water splashed against his palm, creating a spray of water.

But a thousand analyze hand's information appeared before his eyes.

[Enigmatic Temple (Four Empyrean)]



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



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(End of Chapter)

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