As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life Chapter 1589 - 420: Who Is Above the King Yan in the Underworld? Grandmaster Zhao Will Be Cured if He Joins My Underworld

"Go ahead and begin the refinement process."

Li Che moved quickly, guiding Gu Changqing into the depths of Mo City.

The Soul Capturing Alchemy Saint Hand had proven to be incredibly advantageous. It allowed for pill concoction without the interference of heavenly tribulations—essentially a divine cheat code that Li Che thoroughly appreciated.

After all, if the Soul Capturing process triggered a tribulation, Li Che would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.

Now, such complications were bypassed entirely.

"To reach the Martial Saint Four-Opening Realm, one must pass through the Heavenly Gate..."

"Only by successfully breaching and entering that gate to receive the divine infusion can a practitioner truly be ranked among the elite peaks of power."

A sharp light flickered within Li Che’s eyes.

He lifted his hand, observing his skin which possessed the luster of glazed glass. Beneath the surface, his golden blood surged with the heavy consistency of liquid mercury.

"The Path of Pure Martial Arts... the Martial Immortal Golden Body has been forged."

"When I finally cross the Heavenly Gate, will the power that descends upon me truly be divinity?"

Li Che fell into a deep state of reflection.

However, he felt no sense of urgency at this moment.

As his cultivation advanced, his physical form had already reaped significant benefits and enhancements from the breakthrough.

"It is a pity that this advancement didn't summon the Tribulation Thunder. I had hoped it would draw the lightning down, allowing the Lei-Ci Dao Body Dao Fruit to evolve to LV6 Rank."

Li Che let out a soft, regretful sigh.

During his previous breakthrough to the Martial Saint Triple Opening, the Tribulation Thunder had appeared because it was his first time touching the limits of the extreme domain.

Initial breakthroughs always carry the most weight.

Now, even though he was scaling the heights of the Martial Arts Summit and reaching for the extreme realm once more...

It simply wasn't the first time anymore.

With a mere thought, his consciousness focused.

Shimmering light flowed before his vision like rippling water.

[Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Vajra (LV6, 98%)]

Relaxing his brow, Li Che shook his head slightly.

The maturity gained for his Dao Fruit from reaching the Martial Saint Four-Opening was lower than he had anticipated.

This was largely due to the fact that his breakthrough was aided by the consumption of pills...

Furthermore, the Mountain Climbing Path of the Martial Saint Triple Opening focuses heavily on enlightenment. Since he had already gained deep insights into the Martial Path while forging his Martial Immortal Golden Body, much of that progress had already been absorbed by the Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit.

"In the end, this particular breakthrough didn't offer as much growth as I had envisioned."

Li Che remained calm, showing neither arrogance nor frustration.

The issue was minor.

Reaching the Four-Opening stage was more than enough for his current needs.

Within his chest, the [Fairy in the Painting] Dao Fruit pulsed with excitement, signaling that the Mo City Fengdu was now fully restored.

It appeared the time had come to deal with Zhao Beidou, the Divine Tribulation Cultivator.

He now possessed the strength required to seize a Divine Tribulation expert.

Zhao Beidou had been permitted to live for far too long.

The man had already served his purpose.

By slaying Zhao Beidou, the feedback from the Dao Fruit for defeating a higher-ranked foe would surely provide a massive boost to his maturity levels...

Elevating the Dragon Elephant Vajra to LV7 would no longer be a struggle; it would be a natural evolution.

Eliminating Zhao Beidou...

It was the final, essential step.

"Exhale—"

"Inhale—"

Seated in his chair, Li Che regulated his breathing while his blood and Qi roared with the intensity of a thunderstorm.

Taking Zhao Beidou's life was paramount...

Because capturing a soul at the Divine Tribulation Realm was the key to confronting the Old Dragon God.

Li Che could not afford any negligence when facing a Dragon God of the One Calamity and Two Tribulations Realm.

He needed to set his pawns on the board in advance.

The Dragon God Crown Prince and the various Dragon Sons were insufficient for his plans.

Li Che required more leverage.

Suddenly, the world grew still. Li Che’s breath released like a clap of thunder as he rose, his mind sweeping across the Heaven and Earth chessboard.

A fragment of his consciousness checked on Xi Xi's progress.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Oh? That little girl... even while being hunted by a Martial Saint, she's plotting a counter-attack?"

"She truly is a fierce one..."

Li Che sighed heavily.

This daughter of his lacked any sense of stability; she didn't inherit a single shred of her father's legendary caution.

Unless one has a ninety percent certainty of success...

Such actions are always fraught with extreme danger.

While keeping a sliver of his attention on Xi Xi, Li Che extended his hand. Tearing through the air, he withdrew the black-and-white divided Underworld Yama Mask.

Staring at the mask in his palm, his eyes glowed with intent.

"It is nearly time to craft a new mask and introduce a new member to the Underworld to preserve its aura of mystery..."

Li Che chuckled softly.

Within the hierarchy of the Underworld... who stands above Yama?

His low laughter boomed through the study like rolling thunder.

Then, it shifted into a terrifying, suffocating murderous intent that erupted outward!

His black robes snapped in the wind, and golden mist began to stream from the eyes of the black-and-white Yama Mask.

With a flick of his wrist, his fingers—sharp as a Divine Spear—clenched shut.

In the blink of an eye...

Yama vanished from the study entirely.

Only the Immortal Avatar of the Fairy in the Painting remained, silently sipping tea.

...

...

Rumbling—

Along the banks of the Grand Canal.

The waters surged and crashed violently. The Old Dragon God sat suspended over the river's center, radiating a crushing pressure that smothered the surrounding world.

Nearby, on the shore.

The imperial army's camp was still being established.

Heavy, leaden clouds gathered above, draining the color from the landscape in the dim light.

Inside a massive, sprawling tent.

Zhao Beidou, clad in Daoist robes adorned with Dragon and Tiger motifs, sat cross-legged upon a meditation mat. This specific mat was designed for healing, allowing his recovery to proceed far faster than through normal Cultivation.

His primary concern was the crack in his Disaster Wheel—a catastrophic injury for any Divine Tribulation Cultivator.

This was a wound to his very foundation!

If he wasn't meticulous, the injury might never heal, or worse, the Disaster Wheel could continue to crumble.

Furthermore, he no longer dared to confront disasters. His fractured Disaster Wheel could not withstand the strain; any further tribulation would surely shatter it, turning his entire Cultivation to dust and leaving his soul to be extinguished by the heavens!