Chapter 368: Chapter 89: The End of Ji Mo’s Journey
If before Jiang Li still harbored doubts about Ji Jiji becoming the Heavenly Incarnation, now he could be one hundred percent certain that the body before him no longer housed a human heart, but the will of Heaven.
Within the seven orifices, the talismanic seeds began to transform the acupoints. In the brief moments Jiang Li gazed at Ji Jiji, the talismanic seeds of the Heavenly Dharma underwent several changes.
From the original runes to talismans, then into talismanic seeds, and thereafter, they actually merged into the acupoints.
And this process did not affect the other talismanic seed within the acupoints at all.
Jiang Li himself practiced the Yinglong Transformation, cultivating talismanic seeds within the twenty-four acupoints of his body, including the Eye Acupoint, Ear Acupoint, Nose Acupoint, and Mouth Acupoint. But when the second talismanic seed appeared, the talismanic seed from the Yinglong Transformation was not affected at all.
This was the profound mystery of the Heavenly Dharma.
Formless and indistinct, thus it could contain all things; if this Dharma were perfect, all transformations within the "Form Tomb" could be freely manipulated without hindrance.
Now, Jiang Li had only just glimpsed the threshold.
However, even just glimpsing the threshold was not something that could be achieved in a short time. Yet he had achieved it, which was undoubtedly due to the other’s power.
At the moment Ji Jiji appeared, Jiang Li sensed a resonance. As if entering an infinite sky, his thoughts dispersed and he comprehended endless mysteries.
But at the same time, Jiang Li’s thoughts were also diminishing.
"Getting too close to the sun, one will only be melted by the sun."
This sentence appeared in Karma Collection, and Jiang Li’s consciousness steadied with it, no longer diminishing.
"Jiang Li had long prepared for such an event. Should any abnormalities occur in his consciousness, this sentence would automatically emerge in his mind, and at the same time, appear in Karma Collection for him to see."
"From the current situation, Jiang Li was very successful."
"He had withstood the vast and endless assimilation."
His gaze scattered for a moment, then refocused. Jiang Li’s eyes met with Ji Jiji’s abyss-like, dome-of-heaven gaze, which seemed to concentrate for an instant in response.
Then, he shifted his gaze away... or rather, it scattered again, and his eyes became like two ornaments, devoid of the function to observe others.
"Jiang Li has become the head of the Divine Country’s Jiang Clan and should be entitled to be informed," Tianxuan said slowly, looking at Ji Jiji.
Yet the surrounding impediments remained unmoved.
Jiang Li could even feel his Ear Acupoint gradually closing. If Tianxuan were to continue speaking, Jiang Li’s hearing would likely be blocked first.
As for the little dog on Jiang Li’s lap, at some point it had quietly fallen asleep, now looking as peaceful as a little milk dog.
’What kind of Divine Skill is this? Truly strange,’ Jiang Li thought to himself.
He was certain he had not been assimilated.
Although Karma Collection had repeatedly pointed out his shortcomings, at this crucial moment, it still did not disappoint Jiang Li.
Not to mention the little dog that slept on his lap. Surely Heaven would not assimilate a dog, right?
This was not assimilation, it must be some sort of Divine Skill exerted by Ji Jiji.
On the other hand, Tianxuan seemed to have realized the situation as well, abandoning the intention to continue revealing secrets. Instead, he said, "The Emperor attempts to break the limitations of the Dao Fruit. Should Heaven intervene to stop him?"
Ji Jiji replied with an indifferent and lofty voice, "He will not succeed."
"What if he does succeed?" Tianxuan continued to inquire.
"Heaven’s Punishment will befall."
Ji Jiji’s answer came without hesitation or pause, as if his words were decreed by Heaven, and all of nature rejected the Emperor’s chances of success.
If indeed another Heaven’s Punishment was to be faced, it was uncertain whether the Emperor could endure it as he had before.
After answering this question, Ji Jiji’s figure began to fade, as if ready to depart.
Tianxuan saw the situation and asked the third question, "Why did Heaven bestow an incarnation?"
Why bestow an incarnation?
Is it to stop the Emperor, or is there another purpose?
This matter should be quite critical, concerning the secret of Ji Jiji’s incarnation.
Ji Jiji’s figure paused, then began to fade. However, unlike before, his figure did not disappear directly but unfolded like a spread cloth, forming a scene familiar to Jiang Li.
Under the lush ginseng fruit tree, a figure sat cross-legged among the roots, slowly exhaling.
A faint shadow emerged from his mouth, flew up to the tree, and entered the ginseng fruit, which resembled a three-month-old infant.
After the ginseng fruit merged with the shadow, it gently shuddered and broke free from the connection with the fruit tree, turning into a beam of Pure Light that flew away.
At this point, the scene began to truly fade and disappear; in the blink of an eye, before the Iron Pillar Temple, normalcy was restored.
That omnipresent scrutiny disappeared at the same time.
But the findings just now shook Tianxuan and Jiang Li for a long time.
"Ji Jiji..." Jiang Li whispered, "He’s not dead..."
And it seems that Heaven does not care about someone practicing the Yin Talisman Scripture, at least in Jiang Li’s case.
Then why did it take action against Jiang Li last time? Just to eliminate the Handprint?
Or is it raising a spare?
For a moment, Jiang Li was full of doubts.
"That does look very much like possession," said Tianxuan, also puzzled, "Did Heaven send down an incarnation to hunt down Ji Jiji?"
If so, that means that two hundred years have passed, and Ji Jiji is still alive.
This inauspiciously named predecessor seems unexpectedly tenacious; Heaven could not fully assimilate him, he avoided the perils of death, and he lived on until two hundred years later.
’He might as well not be called "Ji Jiji"; "Ji Not Sent Away" might be more appropriate.’
Jiang Li mockingly thought to himself, a question surfacing in his mind.
—If Ji Jiji is still alive, what identity would he hold now?
Is he hidden from the world, cultivating in seclusion, or has he appeared under another identity?
If it is the latter...
Jiang Li turned his head, meeting a pair of bright eyes, both tacitly confirming each other’s thoughts.
Putting himself in another’s shoes, if Jiang Li were Ji Jiji, then his new identity should perfectly leverage the conveniences of his former identity such as information, Cultivation Techniques, resources. In this case, the new identity is very likely still someone from the Ji Family, or someone related to them.
The Royal Family and the Dinghu Sect—it’s very possible that Ji Jiji is within one of these two powers.
"Who could he be?" Jiang Li muttered.
"No matter who it is, the most crucial thing right now is to stop the Emperor."
Tianxuan calmly stated, "The Emperor Dao Fruit is the most crucial part of the Great Zhou lineage; no one, including the Emperor himself, can disrupt this tradition."
The Emperor is important, but the Emperor Dao Fruit is even more so.
If the pursuit of immortality by the Emperor negatively impacts the Emperor Dao Fruit, then the Emperor must be replaced.
On this point, there should be quite a few within the Ji Family who share this consensus.
Until now, Tianxuan and Jiang Li have created a significant momentum, and with the realization of Heaven’s intentions, the east wind has risen; what follows is the most crucial step.