As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life Chapter 1785 - 463: By My Calculations, the Underworld Needs a Scholar—Three vs. Five, the Advantage Is with Me, Li Che

Currently, more individuals are engaging in the struggle for resources within the Qitian Inner City.

When Fang Hanshu witnessed the Divine Tribulation Venerable belonging to the Fang Family of Jiangnan Dao joining the scramble for treasure, a profound sense of disappointment washed over him.

Boom——

The intense collisions persisted without end!

Radiating a fierce fighting spirit, Fang Hanshu recklessly leveraged the techniques of the Great Supervising Minister, drawing upon the immense power of Heaven and Earth to fortify his form; his aura climbed steadily with every strike.

The entire Mysterious Temple trembled beneath the intensity of their battle.

With toes barely grazing the earth, he moved with lightning agility, his Vast Spear sweeping out as he charged directly at the five adversaries.

Their contest unfolded with such blinding speed that the eye could barely track it; the very fabric of space fractured, healed, and fractured again, generating a destructive storm in their wake.

Tang, tang, tang, tang——

The stone tiles of the Qitian Temple shattered repeatedly, only to mend themselves in a relentless cycle.

Fang Hanshu panted heavily, his Confucian robe now stained a deep, vivid crimson.

A Confucian robe is meant to compose poetry, yet he had wielded it to take up the spear against bandits!

However, these bandits...

Were simply too numerous.

Though exhaustion gnawed at his core, Fang Hanshu remained undeterred; having borrowed the Great Supervising Minister’s influence to channel the essence of Heaven and Earth into his own Dantian, he had embraced a final choice—to sacrifice himself for the path of righteousness.

"He has reached his limit."

"Cease the delay."

Zhang Wuji spoke with icy composure, the returning Silver Orb gripped firmly in his hand as he cast a slight frown.

High above the firmament, the supreme energies of the ongoing cosmic clash seemed to wane, losing their initial ferocity as if signaling that the terminal point of the great battle was drawing near.

In reality, all these powerful experts understood that the supreme methods of their respective factions were never truly designed to suppress the Temple Guardian Curse Corpse King.

After all, without the arrival of a genuine supreme being, how could they hope to subdue an entity of such magnitude?

Regardless, the race against time demanded their full attention.

Zhang Wuji chanted sacred incantations, summoning a Divine Shrine to manifest behind him.

Radiating surging divinity and profound Dao Yun, the shrine caused the Silver Orb to vibrate violently; with a shrill buzz, it tore through space once more, locking onto the drained form of Fang Hanshu.

Fang Hanshu collapsed onto the ground in a desolate state, his frame racked by uncontrollable tremors.

Despite standing against five opponents, he was not truly a Second Calamity Divine Tribulation Venerable; his power had been nothing more than a fleeting extension brought about by stolen might.

He had exhausted every reserve.

"So this is the end, is it..."

Fang Hanshu exhaled, his features settling into a serene calm.

Death was merely death; for an intellectual, adhering strictly to one’s inner convictions made the prospect of passing on entirely free of dread.

Moreover...

"Elder Li should be capable of intervening, shouldn't he?"

"I suspect the Underworld is lacking a proper scholar."

He coughed lightly, spray of blood dotting the air.

As he observed the encroaching venerables, he shook his head, a vast, imposing presence manifesting behind him as his soul began to incinerate.

"Come back for more!"

The Vast Spear in his grasp detonated, instantly morphing into a Vast River—a shimmering jade belt that stretched before him, serving as his final barrier.

Having exhausted his last ounce of strength, Fang Hanshu succumbed to fatigue.

His elegant beard had grown brittle, matted with clotted blood.

He sat in the hollow silence, his wide, fluttering sleeves trembling violently; beyond the barrier of the river, their ferocious strikes rained down, shaking the waters until the impromptu moat teetered on the brink of collapse.

Yet, Fang Hanshu had given everything he possessed.

"A scholar faces the end without regret, dying with no remorse."

He offered a soft sigh.

Drawing a blood-soaked Holy Sage Book from within his expansive robes, Fang Hanshu straightened his posture.

His fingers trembled as he moistened his tongue and began to turn the brittle pages.

There were still a few passages left unread in this tome.

The wisdom of the ancient sages was truly boundless.

Boom——!!!

The Vast River shattered into nothingness.

Figures emerged one by one, radiant like searing brilliance, tearing through the remnants of the current as Buddha Light filled the chamber; an Ascetic Monk gripped a Monk Stick, his face twisted in a wrathful snarl.

A Taoist stood with robes billowing, cradling the Silver Orb as if he were an ethereal immortal.

Behind them, the authority of an Emperor and Qi Fortune entwined in a majestic, imposing display.

The five powerful figures stared coldly at the man sitting in isolation, who remained resolutely focused on leafing through his Holy Sage Book.

"Why persist?"

"The current Fang Family is a ghost of its former self; even had you done nothing, not a single soul would cast blame upon you."

"In this vast world, who else remains to recognize your perseverance and righteousness?"

Zhang Wuji clutched the Silver Orb, sighing with a touch of melancholy.

Fang Hanshu offered his own faint sigh and finally closed the book: "You lot are incredibly noisy... I cannot focus on my reading any longer."

"When faced with the threshold of mortality, my heart is, after all, somewhat unsettled."

Zhang Wuji shook his head: "Once you opted to channel the Great Supervising Minister’s essence and invoke the power of Heaven and Earth, your fate was sealed. You chose death long ago. The unrest in your heart exists only because you cling to those you cannot bear to leave behind."

Fang Hanshu lifted his head slightly, curving the Holy Sage Book and resting it gently on his lap.

His gaze drifted past the five formidable foes, settling quietly on the far horizon.

"True enough..."

"Old Lv, I can no longer offer my strength to aid the Divine Sect or stand by your side..."

"And Xi Xi, from here on, there will be no one left to supervise your lessons. How could you ever dismiss the study hall as a Demon Cave? Dear girl, you must attend to your books; you are far too spirited. Cultivating your spirit through study will gift you with wisdom and reason, making you all the more lovable..."

"And Li Che..."

A ghastly pallor had overtaken Fang Hanshu’s features.

Yet, his eyes remained steady, devoid of the terror of death; he felt only the sting of regret for failing to bid his old comrades a proper farewell.

"This world is beautiful, the human experience so incredibly rich..."

"A world such as this deserves not to be obliterated by the Divine Tide."

Fang Hanshu remarked softly.

Zhang Wuji shook his head: "It is the inexorable trend of circumstances; even the gods will fall, let alone the frail human world."

Every trace of his martial aura had vanished, leaving him as fragile as an aging scholar unable to even lift a heavy burden.

However, his back remained unbent.

The five mighty beings paid him no further mind, bypasssing his slumped form as they rushed toward the stone sarcophagus.

Suddenly, a change rippled through the air.

Zhang Wuji’s expression shifted, and his wide sleeve flickered, propelling the Silver Orb outward with lethal precision.

Space began to warp in ripples!

A monolithic pillar erupted through the void, descending with such apocalyptic force that it seemed to drag mountains in its wake; the surrounding space shattered into a web of cracks.

Thud—

The Silver Orb recoiled, falling back into Zhang Wuji’s grasp.

Dense, roiling demon energy flooded the air!

The Black Bull Demon God Venerable emerged from the rift, wielding the Sea-crossing Purple Gold Beam with a display of unbridled arrogance.

Zhang Wuji recoiled in surprise, his brows furrowing as he fixed his gaze upon the Black Bull Demon God Venerable.

"You..."

Beside the Black Bull Demon God, another spatial explosion occurred. Ferocious killing intent and tumultuous demon energy surged forth, rattling the very foundations of the void!

With six flailing heads, leathery wings erupting from its back, and four limbs pounding the earth, a creature emerged—its tail, resembling a Divine Whip, lashed out and shattered the reality around it.

A peerless, savage beast had revealed itself!

The undeniable aura of the Second Calamity level engulfed the room.

Even those who had just bypassed Fang Hanshu faltered, unable to keep their composure.

"The Demon Race of Ten Thousand Rivers... had such a card hidden up their sleeves?!"

"A Second Calamity Demon God Venerable, and an additional newly ascended one from Ten Thousand Rivers?!"

The Ascetic Monk, the Witch God Priest, the Emperor of Dajing, and others were stunned into silence.

The Demon Race...

They had acted as the most cunning of them all?!

Fang Hanshu gazed at the scene with a blank stare, a faint, knowing smile gracing his pale lips as if a realization had struck him.

"Great Elder... was it truly necessary to exert yourself to this extent?"

A voice, tinged with helpless exhaustion, echoed in Fang Hanshu’s ear.

Fang Hanshu turned his head.

There stood Li Che, obscured by the Divine Monkey Mask, the Treasure Stick slung casually across his shoulder as he squatted beside the weakened elder.

"Did you succeed?"

Li Che nodded, understanding perfectly what Fang Hanshu was asking.

He offered no attempt at deception; he had succeeded in dealing with the Black Bull Demon God Venerable.

Fang Hanshu erupted into a hearty laugh.

"Finally, I can catch up on my reading in peace."

Having finished his laughter, Fang Hanshu murmured softly.

With a gentle tap on his shoulder, a flicker of intention saw Fang Hanshu transported safely into the sanctuary of Mo City Fengdu.

"Hmm, a better location for literature, indeed."

"The rest of this, I shall handle."

"Three against five..."

"The advantage is firmly within my grasp."