Chapter 30: Dao Fruit Swallows Divinity, Xu Ji's Bone-Shattering Spear

Li Che returned to the wood carving shop, and the sky had already darkened considerably.

During heavy snow, dusk always comes early.

Back at his courtyard, the yard was brightly lit, and Xi Xi was playing with Old Chen.

Old Chen doted on Xi Xi so much that, whenever they played outside, he would use his Inner Strength to warm and dry a section of the courtyard, dispelling the harsh cold of the snowfall so the little girl could play happily without freezing and catching a chill.

"You're back? How was the scenery in the Inner City? Eye-opening, huh?" Old Chen said with a smile.

"The Inner City is indeed more prosperous than I imagined. It's vastly different from the Outer City, worlds apart," Li Che nodded, begrudgingly admitting the grandeur of the Inner City.

Old Chen scoffed, "Those who live in the Inner City are all Noble Families or wealthy clans. At the very least, they're from smaller families who ensure their lives are comfortable."

"As for the Outer City, it's chaos—full of drifters and disaster refugees, locals mixed with outsiders. As for those big shots from the Inner City, do you think they care whether you live or die? Of course not—they're too busy to bother."

The topic grew heavier. Li Che recalled that Old Chen himself had fled to Fei Lei City earlier in life, so he didn't continue the conversation.

He handed over a jar of fine wine he had brought back from the Inner City.

"This is premium wine from Golden Splendor Pavilion in the Inner City. I specifically got it for you. It wasn't cheap—this jar costs five taels of silver!"

Old Chen's face lit up instantly, "I knew you had a good heart! You boy, you've got a conscience!"

Unable to resist, he peeled off the mud seal atop the jar, took a big swig, and allowed the potent aroma of the wine to waft throughout the courtyard.

Old Chen gulped down a mouthful, and his cheeks became flushed with delight.

"Ah, this wine from Golden Splendor Pavilion is just exquisite!"

"Grandpa... Xi Xi wants some too." No sooner had Old Chen finished drinking than he felt his sleeve being tugged. He looked down to see Xi Xi with her innocent, wide eyes staring at him.

Little children are curious about everything and want to try anything.

Li Che burst into laughter, scooped Xi Xi up in his arms, and carried her back into the house.

Night fell.

Zhang Ya reheated the restaurant dishes Li Che had brought back and invited Old Chen to join them for dinner. The flavors of the Inner City's cuisine whetted everyone's appetites—even Old Chen ate two extra bowls of rice.

"Honey, this trip earned us five Gold Leaves. Here, take these four for yourself; I'll keep one for personal expenses," Li Che said with a smile, handing over the day's earnings from selling wood carvings to share with his wife.

Zhang Ya pursed her lips, glanced at her husband under the glow of the lantern, and felt her heart tremble slightly, overflowing with satisfaction and joy.

Life was finally becoming better.

Earning five Gold Leaves at once—it was a dream so distant that they dared not even imagine it before.

After dinner, they put Xi Xi—exhausted from a day of playing—to bed.

Night deepened, and silence enveloped the house.

Zhang Ya, worn out from the day's work, fell into a deep sleep.

Li Che draped a thin robe over his shoulders, tucked the blankets around his wife and daughter, and quietly stepped out of the room, heading to his study.

He didn't immediately dive into researching or crafting the mechanisms from *Tang's Mechanism Essentials*.

Instead, he raised his hand. Under the soft glow of the oil lamp, his arm, pale and smooth like jade, exuded a pearlescent mist.

Within the mist were fiery red wisps resembling tiny serpents slithering.

If not for suppressing them with *Thousand Analyzing Hands*, the divinity would have instantly invaded his mind, corroding his consciousness, plunging him into insanity and rage, rendering him completely senseless.

"Dominant, terrifying... and bizarre."

Li Che's expression grew grave.

*He felt a heavy weight settle on his heart. This was merely a sliver of divinity left by Spirit Infant Master within the wood carving. Seeing this fragment was enough for him to grasp the overwhelming power of the master himself; imagining the full might of the Spirit Infant Master was beyond comprehension!*

*This looming threat was far more fearsome than Lei Chunlan—a danger like a blade hanging over his head!*

*He could only grow stronger, relentlessly stronger... only then could he protect Xi Xi against the looming peril of Spirit Infant Master.*

"And the Si Family... Lei Chunlan appeared at their estate. Does this mean... the deaths of those year-old children are connected to the Si Family?"

"Could it be related to cultivating divinity?"

Li Che furrowed his brows, his face darkened with a somber expression.

*This world is far grimmer and filthier than I imagined.*

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Li Che returned to studying.

"These wrathful divinities, currently concentrated in my arm—if I use the martial technique *White Tiger Chaotic Wind Fist*, maybe I can channel these divine powers for my own benefit!"

Li Che's eyes gleamed with focus and excitement. He instantly deduced the potential application of the divinity extracted and refined through *Thousand Analyzing Hands.*

Closing his eyes, he connected to the divinity in his jade-like hand through sheer willpower...

Suddenly, Li Che's eyes snapped open as he sensed intense activity within his heart. His Dao Fruit, *Dragon Elephant Vajra,* was pulsing violently!

He heard faint echoes of dragon roars and elephant calls in his ears!

The divinity siphoned by *Thousand Analyzing Hands* surged like a heated current, absorbed entirely by the pulsing Dao Fruit!

Li Che was utterly astonished.

Before him, a prompt appeared.

[Dao Fruit: Dragon Elephant Vajra (lv1, 60%)]

Li Che's breath hitched, and his eyes sparkled with unabashed elation!

*Dragon Elephant Vajra Dao Fruit can actually devour divinity to mature?!*

Divinity...

*Turns out to be such a potent supplement!*

...

...

The next day.

Li Che arrived early at Xu's Courtyard training ground.

His current displayed cultivation level was *Skin Refinement Completion,* and he was working toward *Tendon Activation.*

The training grounds were bustling with activity as usual.

After practicing for a while, Xu Beihu arrived, striding through the wind and snow.

"Master Li, come with me," Xu Beihu said in a deep voice, his gaze falling on Li Che before heading into the inner room.

Li Che understood Xu Beihu's purpose but remained composed.

Inside the room, a coal stove was burning, and steaming water whistled gently as tea leaves swirled and danced in the pot.

Once the water was ready, the tea was poured through three washes, releasing a rich aroma.

Xu Beihu deftly pushed a tea cup toward Li Che with two fingers.

"Master Li... Lei Chunlan is dead."

Xu Beihu said softly, sipping his tea.

Li Che had just taken a sip of tea himself. Startled as though scalded, he fumbled awkwardly, and then a flash of surprise crossed his eyes: "What? Lei Chunlan... is dead?"

"She was fine just yesterday... how did she die?"

Xu Beihu fixated on Li Che, scrutinizing him carefully. Seeing his genuine reaction, he frowned slightly.

Sun Changbiao's death was connected to Li Che, as the man had apparently targeted Li Che's daughter.

As for Lei Chunlan's death, it was also indirectly linked to Li Che, though the actual killer was the ferocious Bull Demon—a monstrous figure akin to a moving mountain.

The Bull Demon, capable of effortlessly killing guards at *Complete Meridian Opening,* clearly had strength at *Bone Tempering Level.* There was absolutely no way this honest, steady, and mild-mannered man like Li Che could have been responsible.

Li Che lowered his voice, glanced around cautiously, and then whispered, "Second Shopkeeper... could it have been Young Master Si who killed Lei Chunlan?"

"I heard that Lei Chunlan had committed countless evil acts, even murdering many year-old children... Young Master Si... cultivating wrathful divinities?"

Xu Beihu: "..."

"Be careful what you say!"

"You're better off not spreading these kinds of rumors publicly. Si Mubai had no reason to kill Lei Chunlan."

Xu Beihu was momentarily speechless, having intended to probe Li Che, yet Li Che had instead speculated directly about the Si Family's involvement.

The Si Family certainly wouldn't do such things, but...

Xu Beihu fell silent. After all, even if the Si Family and Xu Family abstained, one couldn't completely rule out the possibility of other noble families taking action.

With a shake of his head, Xu Beihu's mood visibly darkened. He decided to discuss this further with the clan elders back in the Inner City.

Today's visit was primarily about Li Che reaching *Skin Refinement Completion,* and Xu Beihu intended to teach him *Tendon Activation Technique.*

"Thank you, Second Shopkeeper!" Li Che's face lit up with gratitude as he accepted the Tendon Activation Technique and Internal Strength Technique Xu Beihu gave him.

Both techniques were *Medium Grade Rank*, hardly different from what Li Che could purchase in the marketplace. Old Chen had once mentioned that only those willing to join the Xu Family in the Inner City could access higher-quality martial arts.

An unexpected bonus, however, was that Xu Beihu also taught him a martial technique.

"Xu Family's Eight Consecutive Bone-Shattering Spears!"

This was a spear technique requiring a weapon for optimal usage; however, if one's physical body was sufficiently robust, it could be performed barehanded.

Li Che could hardly put the manual down, studying it over and over.

Seeing Li Che's joy, Xu Beihu smiled and encouraged him to keep refining his wood carving craft in preparation for becoming a Woodcarving Master in the future.

After Xu Beihu left.

Li Che continued practicing the Eight Consecutive Bone-Shattering Spears in the training grounds. Thanks to the boost from *Dragon Elephant Vajra,* his comprehension of martial arts had significantly improved. Within a single morning, he had mastered the entry-level basics of this *Medium Rank Spear Technique.*

On his way back to the workshop, he took on a wood carving commission and then headed out to the courtyard to select timber.

Li Che had a habit of choosing the most suitable wood for his carvings himself, leaving the heavy lifting to laborers. He avoided taking on that task, knowing it was the livelihood of these workers—not something he should take away.

The snow continued to fall gently from the sky.

Fluttering down.

Li Che directed the laborers to move the timber, preparing to return to the workshop.

Just then, he saw his uncle, Li Liang, dressed in a Confucian robe layered with a thick coat, rushing toward him frantically, led by a gatekeeper.

"Uncle?"

Li Che called out upon seeing the visitor.

The Old Scholar raised his head abruptly, his eye sockets dark, bloodshot eyes, and a demeanor teetering on the verge of collapse.

At the sight of Li Che, the old man could no longer hold back his tears.

"A Che, please... help your uncle..."