Chapter 98: The Myth of Two Lives, the Ox Demon's Identity Exposed?

Chapter 98: The Myth of Two Lives, the Ox Demon's Identity Exposed?

The Strange Temple of the Eight-Armed Hell Lotus and the Wrathful Third Prince!

Li Che looked at the information obtained through Qian Xi's hand, and his pupils seemed to flicker with a faint radiance.

He couldn't help but take a deep breath!

The Strange Temple of the Four Virtues!

Four Virtues level!

What level was the Strange Temple in Thunderstrike City again...

It seemed to be only at the Ten Prefectures level, far from the Four Virtues... That was a world of difference!

Li Che's eyebrows furrowed, feeling the surging fury as if the river had become scorching hot due to the divine essence. His body's qi and blood stirred slightly.

If the divine essence of the temple deity were to be absorbed and transformed into a chess piece, and then activated through the Ascending State...

He might just be blasted apart, right?

Li Che quickly calmed down. He had never been one to let his emotions get the better of him. After a moment's thought, he made a decision.

Although the divine essence of the Strange Temple at the Four Virtues level was indeed very attractive to him, he couldn't rush into it.

The Strange Temple at the Four Virtues level was definitely not comparable to the pitiful temple deity that he had encountered in the Strange Temple at the Ten Prefectures level in Thunderstrike City.

The divine essence of the Strange Temple at the Ten Prefectures level was equivalent to the Divine Foundation level...

Then, what level was equivalent to the Four Virtues?

Divine Sage? Divine Essence, or even higher, the Divine Embryo?

Li Che took a deep breath, but his heart remained unsettled for a long time. It was mainly because once an idea took root in his mind, it would spread like vines, entangling his heart and constantly spreading, enveloping his entire heart.

"The divine essence of the temple deity in the Four Virtues Strange Temple is dangerous, but if there's a chance to enter this Strange Temple, I still have to find an opportunity to test it. What if I succeed?"

Li Che's heart was filled with ambition.

Of course, he was more cautious and planned carefully. If he could plan well, even if he only managed to obtain one divine essence chess piece, it would be enough to become his trump card.

Additionally...

Li Che's eyebrows furrowed, and a faint glow seemed to flicker in his eyes.

The Eight-Armed Hell Lotus and the Wrathful Third Prince... It felt like this temple deity's name was somewhat familiar.

Previously, Li Qingshan had told him about the temple deity who led a fine divine dog, held a three-tipped double-edged sword, and had a vertical eye between his eyebrows.

Now, there was also the Eight-Armed Hell Lotus and the Wrathful Third Prince...

"The myth of two lives... It's as if they are intertwining. Is it a coincidence or..."

Li Che felt like his brain was about to explode, and he didn't dare to think too deeply.

"Forget it, I'm too insignificant now... If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. As for me, I just need to protect my wife and daughter, and take care of my daughter as she grows up."

Li Che didn't stay by the river for too long. With a light tap of his toes, his body floated up and returned to the caravan.

"Daddy, why did you go play in the water without bringing Xixi?"

Xixi poked her head out from Zhang Ya's embrace, pouting unhappily.

Li Che rubbed her head.

Old Chen glanced at Li Che with suspicion. Why was this kid reacting so strongly to the Strange Temple? "Ache, you should always be respectful of the Strange Temple. Don't let your curiosity lead you to explore things that you can't handle."

Old Chen sincerely advised him, "You're a father now, and you should think about your child and wife."

Li Che nodded, knowing that Old Chen meant well.

Beside him, Big Head Lu Chi shrunk his head, behaving unusually obediently.

When he saw Li Che's curiosity and excitement about the Strange Temple of the Wrathful Third Prince, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly became more low-key.

This guy was extremely cruel and vicious. He had even dared to take his three-year-old daughter to wipe out an entire family.

Escort leader Qian He looked at Li Che with a mix of surprise and doubt. Even the skills Li Che had displayed earlier, which were no weaker than his own, were those of a martial artist who had reached the peak of the Six-Fold Blood Change.

This Master Li was truly a hidden dragon.

However, it was also normal. After all, he was a woodcarving master, and it was normal for him to have some background.

"Escort Leader Qian, that Strange Temple..."

"Oh, that's the most terrifying Strange Temple outside of Golden Light Capital. It's a Four Virtues level Strange Temple that hasn't been conquered yet. It's said that the temple has existed for five hundred years..."

"The Divine Sect's sub-sects, as well as the Temple Guard Service and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, have all dispatched powerful cultivators to station themselves in Golden Light Capital. Their purpose is to constantly monitor the situation of this Strange Temple and prevent the temple deity from undergoing any changes or causing calamities that could spread for a thousand li."

Qian He was very familiar with the situation regarding this Strange Temple.

It was mainly because every time outsiders came to Golden Light Capital, they would ask about it, and after answering so many times, it had become muscle memory.

"It's normal for Master Li to be curious about the Four Virtues Strange Temple. Outsiders would never have the chance to see it in their lifetime..."

Qian He smiled.

Suddenly, his expression turned serious, "Master Li, curiosity is fine, but don't get too close. The divine essence of the temple deity has an extremely strong ability to infect and bewitch. Once your spirit is drawn in and you enter the Deceptive Realm, you'll lose more than half your life."

"Fortunately, the Third Prince is located in the most dangerous part of the Nine Dragons River. Ordinary people can't get close to it at all."

"The 'Deceptive Realm' of that Strange Temple has already formed. Once you get close and are swallowed by it, even a master of divine physiognomy at the level of a sect leader won't be able to return."

After Qian He finished speaking, he suddenly smiled, "The fact that the Strange Temple of the Wrathful Third Prince is here is actually a source of pride for our Golden Light Capital. After all, among the four prefectures under Yunzhou, only Golden Light Capital has a Strange Temple at the Four Virtues level."

Li Che twitched his lips. What was there to be proud of?

Such a dangerous matter...

However, Qian He was in high spirits, and Li Che was also happy to learn about the Strange Temple. The two of them chatted along the way.

...

...

From Thunderstrike City to Golden Light Capital, it took a total of half a month. This was mainly because they were traveling with a merchant caravan, stopping and starting as they went, and not rushing the whole way.

The blazing sun dispelled the chilly winter air.

At noon...

The horse-drawn carriage arrived at the gate of Golden Light Capital.

The majestic and towering city stood on the land, like a terrifying giant that had risen from the ground.

The Nine Dragons River surged endlessly, with a tributary branching off and flowing through Golden Light Capital like a long sword, dividing the capital into two.

Under the sunlight, the tributary river did not appear agitated. The rippling waves reflected the sunlight, resembling crushed fragments, and in the distance, large ships could be seen sailing on the river.

According to rumors, this calm and gentle tributary was opened up by a previous generation of the capital's master, allowing the river to flow into the capital. This move not only improved Golden Light Capital's water transportation but also brought great convenience to its people.

This measure not only changed Golden Light Capital's water transportation and people's livelihood but also diluted the divine essence in the Nine Dragons River and channeled it into the capital, greatly benefiting the divine essence cultivators.

The walls of Golden Light Capital were extremely wide. Standing at the gate, one could see the walls extending into the distance, hazy and seemingly endless.

Within the walls, a green peak rose from within the capital, as if guarding the outer walls, with the mountain's green peak surrounded by the walls.

"Wow, Daddy, it's so big!"

Xixi stuck her head out of the carriage, blinking her big eyes in amazement.

Not only Xixi, but even Li Che was slightly awe-struck. After all, the majestic walls of this ancient city still gave a powerful sense of grandeur.

It was far beyond what Thunderstrike City could compare to.

After paying the entrance fee, the caravan entered the outer city of the capital. Although it was called the outer city, in reality, it was even more spacious than the inner city of Thunderstrike City. The wide bluestone avenue could accommodate ten carriages side by side, and the shops on both sides were densely packed, displaying a dazzling array of goods.

Li Che felt as if he had suddenly entered a prosperous world amidst the chaos of the end of the year.

But he knew this was just an illusion.

There were too many cities like Thunderstrike City... With just a slight release of the strange impact from the Mysterious Temple, it was enough to cause a city to be turned upside down.

Even if the people in power in the city had a slight crooked thought, it would lead to the people suffering.

Under Yunzhou, there were only four capital cities.

Moreover, beneath the prosperous facade of any city, there would be unknown filth and troubles, just like a mess of chicken feathers. It was just that they were still in the initial stage of contact.

Qian He was very enthusiastic, perhaps because Li Che was a master woodcarver, so his attitude was extremely eager.

After entering the capital city, Qian He also found an inn for Li Che and his group to stay in.

The inn was not of high standard, but it was suitable as a temporary resting place. Li Che didn't mind, even though he was now very wealthy, comparable to the wealth of a major family.

"Qian Escort, could you help me with a small favor? We're not familiar with the capital city, and this is our first time here. We plan to stay in the capital city in the future, so I'd like to ask you to help us find a place to live."

Li Che took out a silver ingot weighing ten taels and handed it to Qian He.

"Master Li, you're too kind. Leave it to me, Old Qian."

Qian He laughed heartily and took the money without hesitation. After a fist bump, he left.

After the group checked into the inn, Old Chen couldn't sit still.

"I'm going out for a walk and will inquire about the Divine Sect's branch entrance examination for Xixi..."

"The branch entrance examination is still two or three months away. Why the hurry?" Li Che said with a smile, holding Xixi.

"Then I'll go and ask about Xixi's competitors... This is important."

"Although Senior Qing Shan guaranteed that Xixi's top-grade Divine Child talent could enter the branch, but after entering, there's still the distinction of outer and inner disciples, and I heard there's also the core true transmission..."

"My little stinky Xixi will definitely enter the true transmission!"

Old Chen hung a wine gourd on his waist and grinned, giving a thumbs-up.

Li Che couldn't refuse him, so he went with him.

...

Time flowed like sand through his fingers.

A month passed.

Golden Light Capital City.

In the outer city, at Flower Listening Lane.

A small courtyard with three entrances.

The cold winter had passed, but the early spring chill still pierced the bones. The spring cold froze people, making them wrap their clothes tighter.

Under the peach tree in the center of the courtyard, Li Che sat quietly, wearing a black tight-fitting robe, allowing the bone-chilling wind of early spring to blow on his body.

He slowly opened his eyes, and a faint heat seemed to radiate from his body, as if raising the temperature of the entire small courtyard.

In his eyes, a gleam of light flashed by.

...

【Name: Li Che】

【Bond: Li Nuanxi (Daughter)】

【Dao Fruits: Divine Artisan (lv3, 48%), Dragon Elephant Vajra (lv3, 13%), Pure Heart (LV2, 18%), Chess Sage (LV2, 3%)】

【Divine Ability Prototype: Divine Artisan - Thousand Analysis Palm, Dragon Elephant Vajra - Ascending State】

...

The overall transformation of the Dao Fruits was not insignificant.

In this month, Li Che had entered the capital city but had been very well-behaved, keeping a low profile as a newcomer.

Therefore, all his cultivation, woodcarving, crafting mechanisms, and improving firepower were done in the purchased courtyard.

As he improved the single-shot "Spirit Wood Raven," using high-quality Spirit Wood and infusing it with divine nature, its power increased significantly. Now, a single shot could kill a cultivator with a nourishing nature like a river.

A Divine Foundation Initial Realm cultivator would be blown to pieces by at most five shots.

Of course, due to the relatively high consumption of materials for the improved "Spirit Wood Raven," the production quantity was limited, and Li Che only had six hundred shots.

Additionally, the progress of the Namo Divine Artisan Barrett had also been accelerated. He used the Seven-Star Spirit Wood, Dragon Tooth Yellow Cypress, to craft the mechanical body, combining the Bodhi Blood Tears and Spirit Wood Raven. The preliminary penetrating power was demonstrated, and Li Che temporarily named it "Generation One Namo Divine Artisan Bodhi Barrett."

With the completion of the Generation One Bodhi Barrett, the Divine Artisan Dao Fruit directly reached a maturity of 48%, taking another step closer to LV4.

However, Li Che already felt the difficulty in further improvement. He yearned even more for the complete "Tang's Mechanism" manual.

After reaching LV3, the Dragon Elephant Vajra's speed also slowed down. Even with the breakthrough in the Mystic Vein, the progress only increased by 10%.

To break through LV4, stepping into the Divine Vein might not be enough. Perhaps he would need to try to achieve the Qi and Blood Mastery to have a chance.

The Pure Heart and Chess Sage Dao Fruits hadn't improved much recently due to the lack of divine nature absorption from killing.

The Chess Sage Dao Fruit, after the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet, had broken through to LV2 due to absorbing too many divine nature chess pieces. Li Che studied it and found that his speed of refining divine nature chess pieces had increased.

In just a short month, his Three-Eyed Wrathful True Monarch Divine Foundation had completely solidified after refining the furious divine nature of Cao Guang and Cao Qingyuan. The divine nature was stable, and there was no need to worry about dissipation.

The wind blew, rustling the leaves with a rustling sound.

In the courtyard.

Xixi was playing with Old Chen on a twist car, the old and the young having a great time.

Old Chen had always found twist cars boring, but now that he was in the capital city, during his free time, he sat on the twist car, feeling like he had entered a new world...

He even made a twist car himself and often raced with Xixi.

In a corner of the small courtyard, there were stone blocks, wooden stakes, and other weapon training equipment. Zhang Ya, dressed in a white tight-fitting robe, had a solemn expression as she practiced martial arts!

Boom—!

As Zhang Ya was practicing, she suddenly felt her body's qi and blood flowing faster, surging into her skin, making it glow with a healthy redness and becoming more resilient. Her entire physical quality seemed to have transformed.

Under her delicate body, there seemed to be a large muscle wriggling and trembling!

"Husband! I've opened my meridians!"

Zhang Ya panted, and her dark eyes suddenly lit up, cheering with joy.

Li Che opened his eyes and came to Zhang Ya's side, reaching out to touch her. A smile appeared in his eyes as he nodded in approval.

"Indeed, you’ve successfully opened your meridians, my dear. You’re truly remarkable."

Li Che praised her. Zhang Ya’s lips couldn’t help but twitch, unable to suppress her excitement.

Seemingly struck by a sudden thought, Zhang Ya tiptoed and leaned close to Li Che’s ear. "With the meridians opened, my physical strength has greatly increased. Husband, you can be a bit more vigorous... tonight, please be more forceful..."

Li Che couldn’t help but be speechless. What was going through this little wife’s mind?

At the first moment after opening the meridians, she thought of this? Really...

"Dear, I’ve just happened to research a few postures that will help consolidate the effect of opening the meridians..."

...

...

In the pitch-black dungeon, a thick and overwhelming stench of blood, mold, and various foul odors mixed together.

A white wax candle was lit, its faint light illuminating the scene inside the dungeon.

Creak, creak...

It was the sound of a rope suspending a heavy object, which swung and turned under the strain.

In the center of the dungeon, a figure hung by their hands, the white shirt covered in bloody whip marks.

Her hair was disheveled, blood-stained lips, and a bruised, swollen face made her unrecognizable.

Before her, a beautifully carved armchair sat a finely dressed beautiful woman. She covered her nose and mouth with a white embroidered handkerchief, her slender, willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed, revealing a mix of disgust and coldness.

"Escaped from Thunderbolt City?"

"My son died in Thunderbolt City, and you, a wretched thing, deserve to live?"

The beautiful woman’s voice was somewhat insane, as if she couldn’t suppress her grief.

Thinking of the news from Thunderbolt City, the beautiful woman felt as if the sky had collapsed. Cao Guang, that good-for-nothing, was dead, yet her son Cao Qingyuan also died in Thunderbolt City...

That was a piece of flesh that had grown inside her for ten months!

Tears uncontrollably streamed down the beautiful woman’s eyes, filling the dungeon with the sound of sorrowful sobs, as if countless ghosts had crawled out of the gates of hell and were wailing.

The beautiful woman raised her hand, her long, fair, and manicured fingers suddenly clenching.

In an instant, Xu Beihu, who was bound, trembled all over, surrounded by countless divine essences. On his body, one after another, infant-like ghosts released dense black vapor, slowly crawling out from his legs, knees, neck, and hair.

Xu Beihu’s breathing grew heavy, a terrified growl bursting from his throat.

The pain, as if his flesh was being gnawed, made his entire body tense, unable to resist the spasms.

"I’ve said it... I’ve told you everything I know..."

Xu Beihu was in excruciating pain.

His keen sense of smell had told him that when he learned Xu Heli planned to sacrifice him and Xu You to break through the Divine Foundation, he had fled.

He had brought his family to the Prefecture City.

However, not long after, the great calamity of Thunderbolt City struck, and the news of Marquis Cao Guang and the young Marquis’s deaths reached him.

At that moment, he had a bad feeling, and it was too late to run. Indeed, the next day, he was captured and thrown into the dungeon.

This venomous woman was Cao Qingyuan’s mother in the Prefecture City, the third young lady of the Qin Family, Qin Yuqing.

"I know you’ve said everything... but I want to torment you. My son died so tragically, why should you escape? How can you still live comfortably? I’m not happy at all!"

The woman said, utterly mad, her fingers tightening, and the little ghosts grew even more excited, tearing at Xu Beihu’s flesh with greater vigor.

After tormenting him for some time, the beautiful woman twisted her plump waist and left.

Just as she exited the dungeon, the sun shone brightly, illuminating the beautiful woman, making her appear splendid and noble.

A figure wearing a mask appeared silently before her.

"Have you found Zhang Xiangyang? And that Ox Demon... any trace of him?"

The beautiful woman threw away the handkerchief, her beautiful face cold and stern.

"Report, Miss, the Ox Demon’s trail... has vanished, as if he evaporated into thin air. However, the Thunderbolt City Divine Hunter, Zhang Xiangyang, has found a clue. He is, after all, a Temple Guard Service officer, and we assumed he would enter the Prefecture City and head to the Temple Guard Service..."

"I want results, not these irrelevant details!" the beautiful woman roared.

"Go and capture him! Zhang Xiangyang is the only Divine Foundation cultivator who escaped the City Lord’s Mansion. I want to capture and torment him. My son died so miserably, why should he be allowed to live?"

The masked figure fell silent.

The mad woman quickly calmed, her eyes narrowing. "Has the Spirit Child selected by Li Qingshan from Thunderbolt City already arrived in the Prefecture City?"

"That good-for-nothing Cao Guang... what was he doing with the Thousand Infants Feast, allowing an excellent Spirit Child to escape? Was Li Qingshan protecting him? Why did Cao Guang miss this Spirit Infant before Li Qingshan arrived?"

The woman, Qin Yuqing, had a fierce look in her eyes.

"Ox Demon? Xu Beihu speculated that the Ox Demon might be the woodcarving master from Thunderbolt City, Li Che..."

"In the records, this woodcarving master has only recently changed his blood, with weak divine essence. How could he be the Ox Demon who could easily slaughter a Divine Foundation cultivator? Moreover, the Li family left the Prefecture City before the Thousand Infants Feast..."

"Right, is the Spirit Baby Master still alive? To survive Li Qingshan’s Horned Hammer... he must have some skill. Could he have killed my son?"

The woman closed her eyes, already somewhat bewitched.

Opening and closing her eyes, all she saw was her son’s bloodied face.

Her own flesh and blood.

After a long while, her willow-leaf eyebrows trembled slightly, her eyes filled with coldness.

"An excellent Spirit Child..."

"Such a small Thunderbolt City can produce an excellent Spirit Child, and Cao Guang actually let her slip through his fingers, allowing her to live until Li Qingshan arrived?"

"Coincidence? How can there be so much coincidence in this world!"

"And that twenty-two-year-old Spirit Child... hahaha, what a ridiculous thing, clearly not a proper one."

The beautiful woman’s crimson lips seemed to drip with blood.

...

...

He had agreed with his wife, Zhang Ya, to help her consolidate her opened meridians tonight.

After a brief tidy-up, Li Che left the courtyard in Flower Listening Lane, intending to go to another property he had purchased in the Prefecture City, which also served as a woodcarving workshop, to polish the "First Generation Namo Immortal Artisan Bodhi Barrett" he had just completed.

Afterward, he planned to go to a wine shop to book a table with good wine and dishes to celebrate his wife’s successful breakthrough of her meridians, ensuring her mood was uplifted.

Just as he stepped out of the alley and onto the main street, his pace paused slightly, squinting his eyes as he looked ahead.

Suddenly, a large-headed Lu Chi, accompanied by two men in official attire with Temple Guard Service badges, approached him.

Hm?!

His identity as the Ox Demon... had been reported? (End of Chapter)

Chapter end