As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life

Li Che: "!!!"

No need for Thousand Analyzing Hands, he directly siphoned the Divinity from within the Divine Crystal, indulging in a vigorous, silky draw!

The maturity of the Pure Heart Taoist Fruit increased by 2% straight away!

How could this be!

If one Ten Cities Divine Crystal could increase maturity by 2%, then wouldn't forty more allow the Pure Heart Taoist Fruit to be ripened to level 3?!

A shortcut indeed!

Within the small courtyard, Li Che's eyes sparkled with light, or rather... this was the correct way to "open" the Pure Heart Taoist Fruit!

In Fei Lei City, he could not come into contact with Divine Crystals at all and had to diligently and painstakingly cultivate, drawing the Divinity between heaven and earth to nurture the Pure Heart.

Yet in Mansion City... things changed with a bounty of resources.

Regrettably, the monthly salary for a third-class Guest Official was only three Ten Cities Divine Crystals.

To gather forty Divine Crystals, it would take a year's time...

Li Che exhaled a breath: "No matter... take it slow, no rush."

With his mind at peace, Li Che was composed.

"Moreover, now that I have become a third-class Guest Official, besides the salary, I should also be able to earn Divine Crystals by crafting Divine Wood Carvings..."

Li Che smiled, feeling increasingly optimistic about the future.

"Now, the Divinity of my Pure Heart has reached a Nurturing Nature as Riverlike level. To condense the Pure Heart Divine Foundation, I'm afraid I'll have to reach level 3..."

If it were before, Li Che would not know how long it would take to save up, but now with Divine Crystals, the pace was definitely going to be much faster.

He took out a second Divine Crystal and activated the Pure Heart to absorb it.

In just three or four breaths, the Divinity within the Ten Cities Divine Crystal was completely devoured, leaving only a dull and lusterless crystal stone.

"This is just the Ten Cities Divine Crystal, there are even higher quality Divine Crystals..."

Li Che couldn't help but look forward to it more and more.

Mainly, the silky-smooth process of siphoning the Divinity from the Divine Crystal was immensely soothing to every pore in Li Che's body.

The absorbed Divinity not only entered the Pure Heart Taoist Fruit but also washed and cleansed his physical body!

The three Divine Crystals were quickly devoured by Li Che.

The maturity of the Pure Heart Taoist Fruit also piled up to 24%, such rapid ripening gladdened Li Che's heart even more.

Looking at the three empty crystal stones, Li Che felt somewhat melancholy for a moment.

"Without its Divinity, the Divine Crystal loses its function as currency, turning into an ordinary crystal stone."

"However..."

Li Che suddenly had an idea and grabbed a Divine Crystal, deep in thought.

He released the Divinity from within his [Three-Eyed Fierce True Monarch] Divine Foundation.

He discovered that when this attuned Divinity struck the crystal stone of the Divine Crystal, it was almost as if it was being shielded, making the release and agitation much more difficult.

"A Divine Crystal husk... is a rather good material for conducting Pure Divinity. If integrated into the 'Spirit Wood Raven', it could trigger a Divinity explosion, enhancing the burst strength..."

"Furthermore, if the powder from the Divine Crystal stones were to explode, it could even form a field that weakens the opponent's Divinity..."

Ideas began to surge in Li Che's mind.

His eyes gleamed slightly. The strength of Divine Cultivators lay in the oppression of their Divine Hierarchy.

If Divinity were to be restricted, and they had to rely solely on Qi and Blood Cultivation for combat...

Li Che had the [Dragon Elephant Vajra] Taoist Fruit, unparalleled Horizontal Refinement, and his power form Ascending the Tower...

He could easily pound ordinary Divine Veins into submission, though facing a Grandmaster might be more challenging.

The main issue was that his Martial Cultivation was at the Mysterious Vein level, still somewhat weak. He needed to hasten his cultivation to the Divine Vein and even strive to become a True Qi Grandmaster.

If Horizontal Refinement could not suppress the opponent, in a Divine Crystal field, the opponent's attuned Divinity would be weakened, but he, Li Che... could still utilize the [Pure Heart] Divinity.

"This could serve as a little trump card."

Li Che smiled.

His five fingers exerted strength, crushing the incomparably tough Divine Crystal Gemstone into fine fragments, before he took out a Nine Luminaries Level Gilded Blood Shock Spear. After some tampering and grinding, it turned into a fine powder resembling lime.

"It can complement the craftsmanship of the Spirit Wood Raven; conceal this Divine Crystal Powder within, and when thrown in battle, it explodes, forming a crystal powder field..."

"Ha... let's call it 'Raven Hand Grenade'."

...

...

The sky had just started to dim.

Li Che returned home, finding Xi Xi sitting listlessly under the eaves, no longer playing with her Twist Car, her enthusiasm faded.

She really wanted to set off fireworks, but Daddy definitely wouldn't allow it.

Xi Xi looked up, a sullenness on her small face that was not typical for her age.

"I really miss school."

Xi Xi yearned for the days she spent at Xu's Divine Cultivation Institute.

When Li Che arrived, he saw Xi Xi contemplating life under the eaves and couldn't help but take out the sugar-coated hawthorns he had bought.

The moment Xi Xi saw them, her eyes lit up and she dashed toward her old father.

Li Che picked her up, handed her the sugar-coated hawthorns, and thought if Xi Xi had them to eat every day, she probably wouldn't miss school as much.

At nightfall, a waiter from the Fragrant Pavilion delivered a sumptuous meal.

Old Chen, puzzled, pinched his wine gourd, "You lad have been ordering dishes from outside again... such luxury? It's not easy living in Mansion City; save some money."

His wife, Zhang Ya, was also surprised, but seeing the full table of sumptuous dishes, she thought her husband must have some happy occasion to celebrate.

Li Che also called over his great uncle's family. They lived in a small courtyard not far from their yard, which Li Che had also purchased to provide his great uncle and cousin a place to live.

Given Li Che's current financial capabilities, it really wasn't much, and since his great uncle's family had raised him, this amount of money was even less of a concern.

His great uncle, great aunt, and cousin, Li Zhengran's family, all came to attend the feast.

Midway through the banquet, Li Che raised a toast to announce that he had become a Third-class Guest Official at the Qintian Observatory.

After the announcement, everyone was stunned.

Old Chen almost choked on his wine, "Qintian Observatory? Third-class Guest Official?!"

"Li Che, kid, you're eating the government rice now?!"

Great Uncle Li Liang was even more thrilled, overwhelmed with excitement; as a Scholar, he felt the most exuberant about Li Che's entry into the Qintian Observatory.

It was a completely different concept from when Li Che had become a Wood Carver at Xu's Wood Carving Shop!

After all, that was the Imperial Court's power; although a Guest Official wasn't considered an official, he was still half in officialdom...

For becoming an official, someone like his great uncle who was a Scholar held deep aspirations!

"Good, good, good!" His great uncle repeatedly toasted to celebrate, quickly becoming tipsy, his eyes shimmering with moisture...

Second brother, your son has made something of himself!

After Li Che announced the news, he casually tore off a duck leg for Xi Xi, then quietly went back to eating and drinking.

Under the candlelight, the atmosphere was harmonious and joyful.

Li Che wore a gentle smile, but his brow soon furrowed.

Because, in his perception of the Heaven and Earth chessboard.

Two strong energies were rapidly approaching.

Sounds of knocking on the door soon came from the yard, bringing an abrupt silence.

"I'll go, I'll go..."

"I'll open the door."

His great uncle wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, and with a wobble, got up, intending to open the door.

But Li Che, for some reason, appeared beside him and pressed him back into the chair.

"Great uncle, enjoy your drink, I'll go."