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

Chapter 1757: Chapter 457: The Monkey Who Defies All Rules Within the Heart, Gathering the Final Qitian Mask

”Brother, have you ever secretly eaten all the flat peaches in the garden? This job you surely must not have done?”

However, Li Che’s expression became peculiar as he replied.

”I have.”

Genuinely, full of confidence.

Almost standing with hands on hips and chest out like Xi Xi, justified yet brazen.

The Monkey King burst out laughing, for he was certain that Li Che had indeed secretly eaten them.

The laughter soared into the clouds, and the Monkey King took off his official cap, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it: ”Since being an official can’t protect my monkeys and grandchildren, and only loses face in vain, this trivial sesame official, it’s better not to be one!”

Laughing heartily, the Monkey King left the Heavenly Que and returned to his demon lair.

Li Che continuously followed quietly, or rather, the Temple God Resonance led him to keep following.

He saw the Monkey King being held accountable by the Heavenly Court, and in a fit of anger, striking down the reproaching Heavenly God with his cudgel.

In a trance, Li Che seemed to see himself once killing an Imperial Official with Xi Xi in the Divine Capital...

The scenes seemed to be overlapping.

The Monkey King did it for his monkeys and grandchildren, whereas Li Che... did it for his daughter.

It’s as if a lawless monkey resides in both of their hearts!

Buzzing...

In his arm, the Heart-following Gold Iron Divine Rod trembled incessantly.

Li Che’s heart trembled slightly, vaguely surrounded by countless mysterious fogs.

Then the scene shifted.

He saw the Monkey King facing a Golden Great Buddha, vast as the firmament, immeasurable in height, seemingly fused with heaven and earth.

The Monkey King’s Golden Armor shattered, yet he remained defiant.

Watching this scene, Li Che felt an inexplicably familiar sensation.

He made little movement, yet the Temple God Resonance on his body was clearly rapidly increasing.

It seems...

There had long been a resonance in him that mirrored the actions of the Monkey King.

He, too, had been defiant, unyielding, and faced enemies hard to confront.

Only...

The Monkey King’s defiance, his persistence, his defense, was for the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain.

Whereas he, Li Che, was for his daughter, for his family.

But the same persistence, the same mindset...

Perhaps, it is the most fitting resonance.

In his right hand, the Heart-following Gold Iron Divine Rod vibrated continuously, mysterious fog endlessly billowing forth.

Upon Li Che’s face, a sudden enlightenment emerged.

”So, all along, I have been engaging in Temple God Resonance, in the Golden Light Prefecture City, in Dao City, in the Divine Capital... my actions, all in resonance with the Temple God.”

”So, I started resonating with Equaling Heaven early on...”

Li Che chuckled lightly.

Suddenly, the smile on Li Che’s face began to slowly fade.

Mysterious fog surged, the scene shifted.

The Monkey King lost, suppressed beneath the mountain, for the sake of the monkeys and grandchildren, he reached an agreement with the Buddhist Sect, assisting a reincarnated monk on a westward journey...

Along the way, this former Demon Saint Monkey King killed many familiar Demon Saints, paving a bloody path.

But the Monkey King’s heart grew increasingly numb.

After achieving success, the Monkey King’s head was adorned with a tightening ring illuminated by the Buddha’s light, and his face lost its carefree grandeur.

The kasaya fluttered, the figure with the tightening ring stood like a monk atop a desolate mountain peak.

It was Huaguo Mountain, burned to ashes, ruins, scorched earth, black smoke like a Jiao Long.

A broken Spirit Stone lay shattered all over the ground, shimmering with seven-colored luster.

But the light of the Buddha’s mercy passed over, dimming the seven-colored glow of the Spirit Stone, as if losing all brilliance.

Just like the current Monkey King.

He sat on the desolate mountain top, holding a stone that had lost its spiritual luster.

He was born from this stone, the stone bestowed him with spirit, and now the spirit has vanished...

Facing the scorched earth of the mountain.

The monkeys and grandchildren once guarded and compromised, all reduced to dust.

He opened his mouth, trying to roar a little, but couldn’t even squeeze out a single tear.

He sat withered atop the mountain, his back gradually bending down.

”Are you a Buddha?”

”To protect what is in your heart, would you be willing to become a Buddha?”

Hoarse cries emerged, a calm voice came from the Monkey King’s mouth.

The resonance stopped at that moment, unable to rise any further.

As if waiting for Li Che’s answer.

An answer of life and death.

If Li Che answered incorrectly, the resonance would vanish instantly.

If Li Che answered correctly, the resonance would break through again, completing the full Temple God Resonance.

Li Che pressed on the Divine Monkey Mask on his face.

The mask was broken, shattered into three pieces, now he had collected two.

Listening to the Monkey King who has become a Buddha, unfazed, no longer questioning with wanton recklessness.

Slowly exhaling a breath.

Li Che calmly said, ”I am not a Buddha.”

”Even if for the sake of protecting my daughter, I need to compromise, but my daughter... she would only wish to see her father as a great hero, one who can step on colorful clouds, clearing all obstacles for her, rather than a Buddha who compromises in the face of reality, using the guise of being for her good, yet devoid of emotion towards her.”

”Therefore, I am unwilling to become a Buddha.”

Li Che raised his hand, and the Dream Master’s Dao Fruit throbbed in his chest.

In his hand, it seemed that a multicolored radiance intertwined, slowly transforming into a painting resembling a dreamscape.

Within the painting is Xi Xi.

Every scene is Xi Xi, his daughter Li Che.

Each moment is Xi Xi cheering with pride for her father.

The Monkey King looked in a daze, gazing at that bouncing little girl, as if seeing the monkeys and descendants who once cheered and leaped for him throughout the mountains.

The mountains are desolate, scorched earth in patches.

”Your daughter is really cute,” the Monkey King said.

Li Che smiled slightly, ”I think so too, thank you.”

Every boy has an Equaling Heaven in his heart; once unrestrained and untamed, but as age grows, settling down, having a wife, having a daughter, he will unconsciously restrain the Equaling Heaven in his heart, settling into silence, no longer unrestrained.

But Equaling Heaven settling into silence does not mean disappearing.

It’s like a blazing fire.

As long as it doesn’t die, that Equaling Heaven who once shattered the Southern Heaven, flipped the Immortal Furnace, stepped on the clouds, remains forever!

One day, it will return ablaze in a defiant form!

Everyone has a different understanding of Equaling Heaven, and this is Li Che’s understanding of Equaling Heaven.

The Monkey King sat at the peak of the mountain, seeming to understand something, he raised his hand, pressed it against his heart, a low laugh escaped his lips.

”Thank you, little brother.”

”I once disappointed them, but now, I cannot let them down again...”

”It’s time to return.”

Thud, thud, thud—

The sound of a majestic heart beating erupted, like an ancient dark furnace suddenly igniting with terrifying flames to burn the mountains and boil the sea!

In the next moment, he threw back his head and laughed, black clouds rolled through the heavens.

As if shattered by his thunderous laughter!

Woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh—

Mysterious fog swelled abruptly, like a storm sweeping through all around.

Clang, clang...

The sound of chains trembling constantly emanating from the Inner City, as though some supreme terrifying existence began to continuously struggle, wanting to shatter the chains, freeing itself from restraint, returning to abandon!

Accompanied by earth-shattering laughter, that piercing laughter seemed to tear through the sky, break the seals of clouds.

The entire Qi Tian City seemed to be shaking!

Three hundred zhang away.

Lv Taibai, Fang Hanshu and others were greatly startled, each gazed with wide eyes.

”Temple God erupting!”

”Has the result of the Temple God Resonance emerged?!”

”So quickly?!”

An unusual color flashed in Fang Hanshu’s eyes.

He stared intently at the mysterious fog obscured three hundred zhang passage, discovering the shadow of the Divine Monkey had unknowingly appeared before the entrance to the Qi Tian Inner City.

Yet, there was no time to dwell.

Fang Hanshu was drawn by other things.

He gazed towards the top of the walls of Qi Tian Inner City.

And saw, countless mysterious fog, seeming to be cut brutally by a terrifying long knife, split in half.

Mysterious fog scattered entirely, thereupon, atop the city tower, a black stone pillar standing there slightly trembled, slowly, the scorched outer layer began to peel with the sound of cracking.

After peeling away, dazzling golden light burst forth from within.

A flame of rekindling erupted to burn!

Lv Taibai, Fang Hanshu, Lv Qiankun and other Temple God Resonance failed, could only fix their attention from three hundred zhang away, the many Divine Tribulation Cultivators took a deep breath.

”That is...”

”Qitian Temple God Weapon!”

”Hunyuan Ruyi Golden Cudgel!”

...

...

Li Che opened his eyes, he shouldered the Heart-following Gold Iron Divine Rod, standing before the pitch-black entrance.

That was the entrance to the Qi Tian Inner City.

Temple God Resonance three hundred zhang, he walked to the end.

Yet, Li Che stood still.

Because...

In front of him, a damaged mask floated, emitting a faint glow.

That is...

The last Equal to Heaven’s Face!