As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life Chapter 1844: 476: Hoping the Great Saint Returns Home, In the Blink of an Eye Xi Xi Turns 8

Hoo hoo hoo——

Summer cicadas chirped loudly.

Deep into the night, a brilliant moon shone overhead.

Li Che's black robe billowed as he merged seamlessly with the shadows, reaching the small courtyard where Lv Taibai and the rest waited.

Stepping inside, he spotted Fang Hanshu seated, perusing the Holy Sage Book.

Lv Taibai, Lv Qiankun, Xuan Jiu Zhuan, and the others had assembled in the yard too.

Their eyes turned toward him, landing on Li Che cloaked in black.

“A Che, you’ve finally come…”

Lv Taibai's gaze held mixed emotions; he remained unaware of Li Che's recent actions, though the Underworld's uproar was impossible to ignore.

The Underworld's Ghost Emperor had shattered into Martial Immortal right before everyone's eyes, overcoming countless hurdles.

Now, with the Ghost Emperor ruling the human realm, the Underworld stood nearly unbeatable, posing a tough challenge for all rival powers.

Li Che mentioned escorting Xi Xi to meet an old friend, so Lv Taibai and company hadn't pressed the issue, especially since Xi Xi had vanished from sight lately.

Staying by the Boss's side proved far safer for Xi Xi than with Lv Taibai's group, and her cultivation surged thanks to the Boss's special meals, plus occasional combat lessons from Lord Dog.

Hence, Xi Xi's progress in cultivation never faltered.

This occasion, Lv Taibai messaged Li Che to hash out certain issues.

“We should return to Qian Yuan Divine Sect…”

Lv Taibai declared.

“Golden Light Prefecture draws all eyes, with the Eight-Armed Prison Lotus Wrathful Third Prince’s Sinister Temple turning into a prime target for powerful factions. They're anxious the Third Prince could revive before Qitian Temple God, demanding early countermeasures.”

“We must head back soon too, to get ready and keep things in check.”

Li Che nodded: “Indeed.”

The big players moved swiftly, yet it made sense—the premature revival of Qitian Temple God had rattled the divine factions backing those powers.

Determined to avoid history's repeat, they geared up ahead of time.

Fang Hanshu shut the Holy Sage Book, casting an apologetic look at Lv Taibai: “Old Lv, I won’t be returning. I have to remain in Qi Tian City to resurrect Equal Heaven Temple.”

Lv Taibai paused briefly.

Moments later, Fang Hanshu unveiled hidden truths, revealing the Fang Family Ancestor as Equal Heaven Temple's founding master and sharing that he'd inherited the ancestor's legacy.

Boom——

Fang Hanshu unleashed his aura, the Disaster Wheel unfolding to the One Disaster, Three Tribulations Realm. In merely one month, he'd refined the Jade Talisman from the Ancestor Master, boosting his cultivation dramatically.

Lv Taibai felt thunderstruck; did this make him, Lv Taibai, the feeblest in their Qian Yuan Divine Sect circle?

Li Che wielded the Divine Realm Mechanism Beast, outshining Ancestor Master Lv Qiankun beyond reach, and now Fang Hanshu surpassed him too.

He, Lv Taibai, had only just entered Divine Tribulation, barely edging out seven-year-old Xi Xi?

Li Che eyed Xuan Jiu Zhuan silently; Xie Yushen's forces had shifted near Qingyun Daoxuan Fu Shen Sect's mountain gate, likely gearing up to strike Xuanfu Divine Sect...

In the end, Lv Qiankun departed alongside the disheartened Lv Taibai.

Golden Light Prefecture had erupted into chaos's heart, requiring their return to take command—not just because the Eight-Armed Prison Lotus Wrathful Third Prince’s Sinister Temple there sat at the storm's core.

The Mysterious Temple of Miao Dao Xiansheng Zhenjun hovering over Qian Yuan Divine Sect's mountain gate on Mei Mountain also drew swarms of factions' scrutiny.

Thus, their presence was essential to oversee matters; the gap between Divine Tribulation holders and others loomed large, even if major powers acted with restraint.

…

…

Qi Tian City's disordered state dragged on endlessly.

Powerful factions mobilized to seize dominance in Qi Tian City, sending their elite warriors.

Qi Tian Inner City fell under Supremes dispatched by god camps: [Black Sumeru] from Western Regions Buddha Land, [Dark Heavenly Court] of Da Jing Dynasty, [Deceit Demon Cave] backing the Demon Race’s Ten Thousand Rivers…

Since Qi Tian Inner City's spot in Strange Que got revealed, the Three Great Gods' camps locked onto it, prompting Supremes to occupy and partition the Inner City.

As a result, control battles confined themselves to Qi Tian Outer City.

Supremes couldn't enter Outer City, yet Qi Tian Outer City lay wrapped in the Sinister Temple's eerie mist; while Supremes were blocked, Second Disaster Venerables faced no such limits.

Therefore, powers linked to the god camps dispatched Second Disaster Venerables.

Fights in Qi Tian Outer City escalated to a fever pitch, with no side giving ground amid endless skirmishes.

Yet, such conflicts hold no relevance for Li Che.

Li Che awaited Fang Hanshu's completion of refining Qi Tian Temple’s Ancestor Master Fang Xinyuan’s legacy, intending to escort him afterward to settle the Outer City ownership dispute once and for all.

Fang Hanshu, heir to Qitian Temple’s Ancestor Master, would step up to restore Qitian Temple!

Qi Tian City… it once belonged to Qitian Temple.

Rightfully, it falls to Qitian Temple's descendants—Fang Hanshu stands as the true inheritor!

So, Li Che bides his time for Fang Hanshu's powerful comeback.

Regarding Qitian Inner City…

The Supreme, held down by the Three Great Gods, controls it, and even Li Che cannot seize it back yet.

Still, Li Che holds firm resolve to recover Qi Tian Inner City.

As Xi Xi mentioned, he yearns for the Great Saint to return to a true home.

Spring gave way to summer, and with the blistering heat fading, Li Che moved his wife Zhang Ya, Li Qingshan, Nurse Momo, and others from Qianyuan Taoist City to Qi Tian City, rich in divinity and ideal for cultivation.

Upon introducing Zhang Ya to Xi Xi, the girl wept happily, rushing into her embrace and coquettishly whining.

Zhang Ya gently caressed Xi Xi’s hair, overcome with emotion.

The family gathered in Qitian Outer City, their days growing fuller and more structured.

With routine settling in, peaceful years flowed by.

By day, they practiced in Mo City Fengdu, pushing immortal seed martial arts toward greater mastery, seeking to advance every one to the Transformation Realm.

This would maximize the might of the Eight Marvels Sect Immortal Martial Arts.

Besides martial training, divine refinement continued. Li Che swiftly processed all divinity crystals gathered by Night Bat Demon God, merging them into his Energy Center’s Inner Scene to build up divine cultivation.

The pace proved rapid, though mundane beside martial progress.

Martial drills, divine forging, mechanisms, divine sculptures, fine cuisine, rolling smokes…

Li Che’s time in Qitian Outer City brimmed with fulfillment and delight.

Summer cicadas’ final wails vanished under autumn gusts, stripping trees bare and painting maples crimson.

Maple leaves drifted earthward as northern chills surged like a savage torrent.

Across the skies, shimmering snowflakes whirled and danced.

Qitian Outer City.

Three-Opening Courtyard.

Home to the Netherworld Ox Demon, this yard drew intense scrutiny from rival factions, including divine tribulation cultivators on watch.

Li Che paid no mind, seated in lotus position amid the yard for cultivation, his Heaven and Earth chessboard weaving a barrier against all probes.

An invisible domain enveloped Li Che, warping air currents and space alike.

Countless strands of essence qi peeled from the atmosphere, weaving around him before his body devoured them entirely.

“Martial Immortal Realm cultivation demands heaven and earth essence qi and vast resources… a true bottomless pit.”

Li Che’s thick, pitch-black hair whipped fiercely.

Seven swirling vortices gleamed on his back, golden qi-blood pulsing with horrifying power, thundering within!

Four vortices dimmed faintly, the remaining three blazed brilliantly, dwarfing the others.

Li Che’s Qi Gate setup now featured four Divine Seeds and three Immortal Seeds. Wait, original says four Divine Seeds, four Immortal Seeds? No: “four Divine Seeds, four Immortal Seeds.” But seven vortices? Original: seven vortices, four dim (probably Divine?), four spectacular (Immortal?). But 4+4=8, but seven? Original: “seven vortices shine”, “Four beams among them are dim, while the other four are exceedingly spectacular” — that's eight? Typo in original? “Four beams among them are dim, while the other four” — implies eight, but earlier seven. Probably MTL error, keep meaning: now four Divine, four Immortal.

Now Li Che’s Qi Gate allocation included four Divine Seeds, four Immortal Seeds.

Qilin Town Xu Yin, Thousand Mountains Solo Sky-cutting Blade, Crying Blood Immortal Phoenix Withering Glory Arrow, and Heavenly Stepping—four immortal seed martial arts merged into four wonders gate immortal seeds.

Plus Combat Divine Technique and Heavenly Gang Immortal Martial 72 Changes, which Li Che had yet to convert into wonders gate immortal seeds…

Largely due to limited Dao tribulation; with merely four Tao Tribulation Power at hand, he opened four wonders gate immortal seeds, aiming to infuse each with one Primordial Dao Tribulation Power, prioritizing excellence over numbers.

His surging qi-blood gradually quieted, the ferocious power in Li Che’s Martial Immortal Golden Body easing into calm.

He opened his eyes slowly, wild black locks cascading over his shoulders.

Silence blanketed the entire courtyard.

All stood utterly still.

A faint ripple stirred in Li Che’s heart; he lifted his gaze, withdrawing his Martial Immortal’s overwhelming intent.

Instantly, wind halted and snow stilled within the yard.

Snowflakes in purest white, resembling flawless masterpieces sculpted by the most diligent Divine Carver, drifted softly down from the sky.

One landed on Li Che’s forehead, sending a piercing chill straight to his heart.

Li Che let out a slow breath.

“In the blink of an eye.”

“Xi Xi is eight years old now.”