Staring and guarding—for Li Che, it was better to just kill.
The other party had joined the Spirit Infant Sect, and their ultimate goal was his daughter, Xi Xi. They were like a ticking time bomb, ready to act at any moment.
This was already a given, so why wait until the other party made a move instead of striking first?
*He thought of the Angry Spirit Infant Statue placed outside the courtyard last night.*
*What they did was nothing short of provocation against him as a father, as if glaring at him and shouting: "If you dare stop me, I will kill you!"*
*Did Sun Changbiao have any innocence in this?*
*In Li Che's heart, not one bit. The moment he plotted against his daughter Xi Xi, joined the Spirit Infant Sect, and sought to sacrifice others' children in order to achieve his selfish desire for a son, he was already drenched in blood.*
Li Che pressed down his bamboo hat and exhaled a breath of warm air.
Then, he thrust himself into the wind and snow.
Xu's Courtyard was enormous—vast enough to resemble a small town, with crisscrossing paths, densely packed courtyards, towering walls, and narrow alleyways scattered everywhere.
Li Che slipped into one of the alleys, removed his outer robes, and donned a black cloak.
He then took out a wooden mask he had carved himself. Initially, he had planned to bring it home to tease Xi Xi and let her use it as a toy.
But now, he decided to put it to good use instead.
Since Xi Xi was born in the Year of the Ox, Li Che had crafted a cow-faced mask with a somewhat cartoonish and whimsical design.
Wearing the Cute Cow Mask, Li Che felt as though the world had grown distant from him—as if every breath felt lighter and freer.
"Sun Changbiao…"
Li Che softly uttered the name.
In the next instant, his spirit stimulated the Dao Fruit [Dragon Elephant Vajra].
Crack, crack, crack...
The sound of bones colliding rang out, accompanied by rhythmic snapping reminiscent of sizzling beans. Beneath the black cloak, Li Che's muscles twitched and squirmed, jolts of numbness spreading across his entire body. His figure rapidly grew taller, more massive; his back muscles hardened instantly, rolling and clumping like Qiu Longs!
Blood and Flesh Dragon Elephant, Vajra Indestructible, Unrivaled Refinement!
This was the essence of the Dao Fruit [Dragon Elephant Vajra]!
When Li Che chose to actively trigger it, his entire physique transformed. Suppressed cultivation and surging Qi-blood gushed forth, merging into his physical form!
And that physical form also underwent voluntary changes, amplifying its power!
Originally about five feet nine inches tall, Li Che grew instantly to nearly six feet three inches after activating the Dragon Elephant Vajra. His blood-swollen muscles became thick and solid, radiating an oppressive sense of sheer strength.
"Power…" Beneath the Cute Cow Mask, Li Che's eyes glittered as he looked down at his broad hands, heavy as fans, bursting with terrifying strength. He clenched them abruptly, stirring air currents to howl faintly!
"It's as if they harbor the Power of the Dragon Elephant…"
"This transformation, let's call it the 'Vajra Transformation.'"
Li Che murmured softly.
*He felt that at this moment, he was like a giant elephant from the jungle, wielding the terrifying force to trample raging tigers and fierce lions.*
*This was solely the change brought by the Dao Fruit's physical augmentation…*
Unrivaled Refinement!
Beneath the mask, Li Che's blood-swollen facial muscles tugged into a faint smile.
Then, his towering figure stepped forward, shattering through the winds and snow.
…
…
Sun Changbiao's courtyard was situated on the west side of Xu's Courtyard.
As the second son of Steward Sun, the courtyard where Sun Changbiao lived after splitting from the family was naturally top-notch—a "Three-Opening" courtyard with expansive and bright spaces.
Sun Changbiao, holding an umbrella, returned to his courtyard after finishing his work.
He exhaled, his expression growing somewhat grim.
"Chen Dabao has caught onto me… Quick, too—so quick to find me."
Standing in the courtyard, Sun Changbiao's face flickered between emotions. He was aware Old Chen was investigating him. Despite doing his utmost to hide it, the fact that he'd joined the Spirit Infant Sect was bound to surface eventually.
After all, he had personally made offerings at the Spirit Infant Sect's altar.
"Forget it. Let him keep watch. As long as I don't make a move, Chen Dabao won't dare take action against me… Without evidence, he won't kill me."
"All I need to do is pass information and wait for the right moment… A Spirit Baby—once sent to the altar, my dream of having a son will surely come true!"
Sun Changbiao yearned for a son—desperately.
No, it wasn't just him; both he and his wife craved having a son.
Suddenly, as Sun Changbiao stood in the courtyard, his thoughts were interrupted.
"Father... Father, it's time to eat."
A timid voice called out.
Sun Changbiao looked over and saw his eldest daughter leading three younger daughters, carrying dishes with cautious steps. Clearly, they'd just finished cooking and were bringing food from the kitchen.
"Got it."
Sun Changbiao replied indifferently.
He then closed his umbrella, shook off the snow from its surface, brushed off his long robe, and stepped into the warm inner room.
The four daughters placed steaming dishes onto the dining table. The eldest daughter obediently took her three younger sisters, pursed her lips, and left the warm inner room, heading to the kitchen to eat—practiced and accustomed, as if it were second nature.
At the dining table, Sun Changbiao and his wife, Madame Liu, began eating heartily.
"Husband, how's that matter progressing?"
"The Deputy Incense Master is pushing hard… Master Li's child is an extraordinary Spirit Baby. If we can send her to the sect, the Dharma Master will surely grant us a son!"
Madame Liu stroked her slightly rounded belly, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Sun Changbiao frowned. "Don't push me. I know what I'm doing…"
*What do women understand, anyway?*
Chen Dabao wasn't someone to mess with. That man's strength was formidable—someone even many high-ranking members of the Inner City Xu Family were keen to win over!
Old Chen's affection and care for Li Che's daughter were plain for everyone to see. If provoked, Old Chen might dish out a beating—or worse, handle it poorly and lose his life.
"Eat."
Sun Changbiao picked up a piece of stir-fried pork, but his brows furrowed immediately. "Damn girl, why put so much salt?! Trying to choke me to death?!"
Outside.
The tall eldest daughter, leading her sisters out of the house, pursed her lips quietly. She seemed to have heard the rebuke inside, her face turning a shade paler. Pulling her siblings, she hurried toward the kitchen.
It was freezing outside, but the kitchen had leftover warmth from the firewood—offering some comfort.
And after the girls left…
A towering figure, as imposing as a mountain, wearing a bamboo hat and mask, silently emerged in the corridor. The wind and snow seemed to refuse to touch his body.
Watching the girls enter the kitchen, cold, detached eyes glimmered beneath the Cute Cow Mask.
…
…
"Knock, knock, knock—"
Draining a warm cup of sweet wine and grabbing another piece of stir-fried pork, Sun Changbiao relished the greasy indulgence.
Suddenly, he heard knocking. His contented gaze instantly tightened.
"Damn girl, I told you not to disturb during meals! Don't you understand?!"
Seeing her husband irritated, Madame Liu hastily smacked the chopsticks down and cursed out loud.
Sun Changbiao raised his hand, stopping his wife's temper in its tracks. "You're pregnant; don't get angry. Take care of our son."
Saying this, Sun Changbiao stood up, casually taking the cane hanging on the inner wall. As he picked at the meat stuck between his teeth, he lightly snapped the cane in irritation.
However, just as he reached the door…
"Bang—"
An earth-shattering explosion erupted. Shards of wood flew everywhere as the door was blown apart!
Torrents of freezing wind and snow burst inside.
A massive, terrifying leg lashed out like a Divine Whip!
The kick struck Sun Changbiao square in the abdomen, unleashing a devastating force. His eyes bulged as his body folded like a shrimp and launched onto the dining table, pulverizing the feast into ruin.
"Pfft…"
Sun Changbiao spat out a spray of blood, his abdomen burning as if obliterated. Numb and writhing, he barely managed to lift his head.
"Who... who… who are you?"
His first thought was that Chen Dabao had come for him.
But upon seeing the towering figure—an unfamiliar presence exuding mountainous pressure—Sun Changbiao froze in shock.
It wasn't Chen Dabao!
Chen Dabao's frail and elderly frame could never display such a level of sheer might and menace!
Then… who could it be?!
Whom had he offended?!
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