Chapter 431: Chapter 149 Gongsun Yuanxi
About half a cup of tea later, the massive dragon body transformed into a human corpse, the body still lying in the crater created by the strikes, while the head rolled across the ground.
Several streaks of light flew out, turning into dragon shadows or snake shadows, and Jiang Li collected them one by one with the Jade Talisman.
The Sixth Grade Dao Fruit of the Flood Dragon’s Crown Prince was naturally of the Flood Dragon, while the Fifth Grade...
[Fifth Grade Dao Fruit: Huagai Star Official·Ao Bing]
[Category: Demon·God]
[Fitting Conditions: Sixth Grade Demonic Attribute Dragon and Snake Dao Fruit]
[Promotion Ceremony: ??????]
[Divine Skills: Star God Body, Luck Meeting Star, True Dragon Bloodline, Heavenly Court True God, Cloud Movement and Rain Formation]
’Huagai Star Official... Ao Bing...’ Jiang Li showed a strange expression.
The Huagai Star is a star among the Ziwei Constellation, a fortunate star known for turning misfortune into fortune and soaring achievements. However, paired with the name Ao Bing, that carries some implications.
This individual was the third Crown Prince of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, a pure True Dragon Bloodline. However, he had the misfortune of encountering a certain young hero, not only was he beaten to death but also suffered the indignity of being skinned and having his tendons extracted—a stroke of extreme misfortune indeed.
And yet, this unlucky fellow was eventually granted the Divine Position of the Blessing Star, indirectly adding another layer of meaning to the Huagai Star.
"Luck Meeting Star, indeed fitting." Jiang Li contemplated one of the Dao Fruit Divine Skills, feeling reflective.
To top it off with the Huagai Star is a sign of becoming enlightened or ancestor-like, but it’s not a sign ordinary people can bear.
If ordinary people have their fortune meet with the Huagai Star, it’s like having an umbrella blocking all the good luck outside—the omen of a great disaster.
Ao Bing is a typical example, and the Flood Dragon’s Crown Prince doesn’t seem to be an exception.
His manner of death hardly fits the image of a Blessing Star.
’Even the way he died is quite similar to Ao Bing... Dao Fruit, karma indeed.’ Jiang Li thought to this point and began to realize that the function of the Dao Fruit might not only be about gaining Divine Skills and improving oneself.
The Dao Fruit is a gathering of karma, merging with it is like incorporating another segment of karma into oneself, and its influence is naturally not so straightforward.
Jiang Li thought carefully about the Dao Fruit he had merged so far and felt a chill at the thought.
Lower Four Grades Dao Fruit are basically mass-produced, aside from some unique Uniqueness Dao Fruit. Judging from the current situation, those likely to bring karmic influence to the recipients are unique to the Uniqueness Dao Fruit.
And Jiang, he had fused a total of four Uniqueness Dao Fruit, and he might even fuse more in the future.
Thinking this way, Jiang felt heavily burdened with karma, as if his life would not last long.
’I’ll ask Master about it later.’ He thought to himself and put away the Jade Talisman in his hand.
At this time, the Rashamon and others had reached the ruined building. Seeing the corpse in the mountainside from afar, the Holy Infant King smacked his lips and said, "Another one’s dead."
He seemed unconcerned and in no way apprehensive about being close to Jiang Li, who had killed the Flood Dragon’s Crown Prince.
This could either mean he is carefree, or he has something to rely on.
As for Qu Lingyan, a smile was forced across his stiff face, clearly pleased with the turn of events.
Wuzhiqi’s intention for autonomy was known to all, and now that his son had died, Qu Lingyan, one of the rare moderates within the Devil God Sect, naturally felt overjoyed. Moreover, with the Flood Dragon’s Crown Prince dead, "Li Qinglian" was now bound to follow the Great Venerable to the very end.
To put it in common terms, this was his declaration of allegiance.
Thinking this way, Qu Lingyan intended to go and bond with Jiang Li.
However, Jiang had no desire to engage much with this devout follower of the Great Venerable. After all, he had nothing related to the Book of Luo on him and wasn’t even clear about the relationship between Li Qinglian and the Great Venerable. Speaking further might risk exposing himself.
Immediately, Jiang controlled his Qi Mechanism, with an air of aloofness he asked, "Is there a place to stay?"
His Qi was weak, clearly looking like someone who had overexerted, fending off Qu Lingyan’s intended interaction.
"I have a residence in Nether City, which can serve as a temporary lodging for the elder," Rashamon said with a smiling face.
"That will do," Jiang Li replied.
Although Rashamon surely had some ulterior motives, was Jiang Li afraid?
Having killed two of the Nineteen Demons, what was one more to him?
As for Rashamon harboring lascivious thoughts towards Jiang Li’s body, there was even less need to worry.
Not to mention that Jiang, well versed in the self-cultivation of an affiliated son-in-law, always protected himself, just consider Rashamon’s unsympathetic ambitions...
Are you testing an official with this?
Which family’s official could not withstand such a test?
Certainly, not I, Jiang.
A quarter of an hour later, Jiang Li followed Rashamon to the residence she had mentioned.
— A small building perched on a cliff halfway up the mountain.
Located not far from the tall building, away from Nether City’s hustle and bustle, it indeed was a good place for breathing control and recovering power.
The Holy Infant King and Qu Lingyan were barred from entering by Rashamon, and then the two went their separate ways, seemingly to discuss the sudden upheaval with others.
With the death of You Mountain Lord and now the demise of Flood Dragon’s Crown Prince, the Devil God Sect was bound to experience an internal quake. Especially the latter, quite likely to provoke revenge from the Huai River True God Wuzhiqi, perhaps after a century, this deity would once again ascend North, arriving at Wushan.
Jiang Li entered the building without touching the ground and was led by Rashamon to a retreat room.
The room was spacious and quiet, with array patterns imprinted on the walls. Jiang Li noticed at a glance that when activated, those array patterns would enhance fortification and soundproofing. If Rashamon planned to do something to him here, even if he screamed his lungs out, no one would hear him.
"Elder~"
With a gentle flick of her horsetail whisk, Rashamon closed the door to the retreat room, a seductive smile playing on her face, "Is there anything else the elder requires?"
Her eyes were like the waters of spring, carrying an invisible allure. Even though she was conservatively dressed, the Dao robe showing not even a hint of impropriety, there was an indescribable enchantment about her, capturing Jiang Li’s gaze.
"Are you proposing a sword duel?"
Jiang Li spoke indifferently, his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised, revealing a sharpness, as cold and hard as a sharp sword, utterly indifferent to Rashamon’s exquisite beauty.
"A sword duel, eh," Rashamon said gently with a smile, "Is it about the Taibai Sword Technique, or... the Innate Sword? Which one shall we discuss?"
"Jiang Li." Rashamon’s lips parted slightly, uttering the two words.
No sooner had the sound faded, the entire retreat room was enveloped by an array plate, the Eight Trigrams rotating, eight qi emerging simultaneously, converging toward where Rashamon stood and mingling together in the transformation.
Faced with such a beauty as Rashamon, Jiang Li harbored not a whit of pity for the fairer sex; his first move was a lethal attack, utterly merciless, poised to ruthlessly crush the beauty before him.
However, before the eight qi could coalesce, the horsetail whisk in Rashamon’s hand had already risen, countless threads of silver, like sharp swords, weaving through and past the eight qi; even the Innate Qi, as solid as substance, was pinned down, unable to advance an inch.
The entire retreat room was filled with intersecting silver threads, Jiang Li’s body encased in a net, lines of silver grazing and intertwining around him, as if he was an insect trapped in a spider’s web.
In just a breath’s moment, Jiang Li, capable of killing Fifth Grade beings, unexpectedly fell into a complete disadvantage; both his Innate Qi and the Wind Queen’s Strange Gate were repressed in the span of a single move.
"You—" Jiang Li looked deeply at Rashamon, "who are you?"
His Wind Queen’s Strange Gate was seen through, and the variations of his Innate Qi were perceived, those silver threads weaving an intricate array far surpassing Jiang Li in the arts of Qimen Dunjia.
Moreover, Jiang Li could recognize familiar traces in it; the other party also understood Wind Queen’s Strange Gate and had even studied the Dragon Armor Divine Chapter that was built upon it.
That was a Sect secret not to be disclosed, and even with Jiang Li’s current status, he had not received the transmission.
"Gongsun Yuanxi."
Rashamon said with a smile, "You should address me as Mistress."