Chapter 295: Chapter 18: Kunxu Qi Blade, Instant Assassination
The first one was sent to soak in Dragon Abyss Lake, while the second one was killed on the spot.
As the Dragon Claw slowly faded away, the unrecognizable pulp entered everyone’s view, drawing a collective gasp of cold air.
For a time, many were filled with a sense of dread.
Jiang Li was watching the refreshed records on Karma Collection and nodded slightly.
The fusion of Dao Fruits had progressed a little further, albeit almost imperceptibly, but it served to confirm Jiang Li’s thoughts.
At the same time, the results of the Compass phantom indicated that Jiang Li’s methods were correct.
Using Yi Dao’s mystic technique for divination to judge the good and evil, then deciding to kill or pardon. Simple and brutal, one hand calculates, and the other executes—it was a method that intimidated quite a few.
...
...
In the courtyard of the East Wing Room, twenty armored guards stood watch, alert to their surroundings, listening in all directions, missing no movement, preventing anyone from disturbing the Fourth Prince.
Inside the room, a bronze mirror stood erect, reflecting the scene within the West Wing Room courtyard.
The middle-aged eunuch, looking at the Dragon Claw Mark appearing in the mirror, couldn’t help but murmur, "What an overbearing cultivation technique."
"This is the Yinglong Transformation."
The Fourth Prince, staring at the mirror and recalling the earlier Dragon Claw, said, "However, the Yinglong Transformation relies on using the Technique of Dharma Body to sculpt the body. To transform into a dragon shape requires at least a fifth-rank or higher. He took a shortcut, using a different Magic Door to induce form with Qi. This Magic Door must be the Jiang family’s ’Qi Tomb’."
As the Fourth Prince spoke, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander.
The techniques of the Ji Family’s ’Form Tomb,’ when combined with Jiang family’s ’Qi Tomb,’ turned out to have such wonderful applications—who among the members of both clans wouldn’t fantasize upon seeing this?
"Mastering the strengths of both family’s techniques, being able to advance to the Sixth Rank in less than four years, this person really cannot be underestimated," the Fourth Prince declared.
"Your Highness, with these people’s strength, I’m afraid they will not be able to force the unveiling of the Sixth Rank Uniqueness Dao Fruit ability, whether..."
The middle-aged eunuch ventured cautiously.
"No rush."
The Fourth Prince said, "Someone will make Jiang Li truly take action."
’Wanting to test the ability of my Dao Fruit...’
On the rooftop of the room, a butterfly perched silently, conveying every word spoken below to Jiang Li’s ears.
The actual body in the West Wing Room was showing a faint glimmer of light, ’I’m becoming more and more suspicious of you.’
At the same time, Jiang Li was also quite interested in the "person" mentioned by the Fourth Prince.
’Who could it be...’
Lost in thought, a rainbow suddenly streaked across the sky, exploding near the West Wing Room and turning into a cloud of Red Cloud, enveloping the room.
Immediately, a cloud of Qi surged within the room, taking the shape of a dragon in the sky and snatching the Red Cloud with a clasp, just like a dragon claw seizing a swirling cloud.
But the Red Cloud was designed to explode upon contact, bursting with thunderous roars and countless sharp lights shooting at the Dragon Scales, penetrating the dragon’s body, then exploding in succession, reducing the Qi-formed dragon to a state of disarray in the blink of an eye.
’Xin Metal Energy—’
Jiang Li had guessed who it was.
In today’s world, apart from the Jiang family’s cultivators who practiced Innate Golden Qi, there were only two other possibilities: one was the Taode Sect, whose Sect Master was Taibai True Monarch, following the Golden Star Sword Dao, but he cultivated Geng Metal Sword Qi.
The rest could only be from Kunxu Immortal Palace.
This Red Cloud was in fact a burst of Red Light, containing countless needles, erupting with thunderous flare when detonated, while golden needles shot out, unmatched in power. The dragon formed by True Qi managed to block the initial explosion, but the golden needles gathered again, forming a Red Cloud around, encasing the True Qi dragon.
"Kunxu Immortal Palace’s Bu Yusheng seeks guidance."
A serene voice echoed through the air like celestial music circulating in all directions, eluding pinpointing, and the mention of her sect made listeners exclaim in surprise.
The fairy of Kunxu Immortal Palace was well-known in the world, and no one had expected her to appear here today.
It was unclear if this Fairy truly wished to measure Jiang Li’s strength or to steal him away.
Thanks to a certain notorious Elder Wuqu, Kunxu Immortal Palace’s reputation had suffered in recent years, and upon hearing the name, one couldn’t help but think of the term ’affiliated son-in-law.’
"Red Cloud Scattering Flower Needle. The women of Kunxu Immortal Palace have finally lost their patience and seek to measure your strength," Tianxuan’s voice reached Jiang Li.
’So it was she who was pretending to be Meng Xiwu.’
Jiang Li confirmed inwardly, then said, "Disciples have already advanced to the Sixth Rank..."
He hadn’t yet ascended to the Cowherd Dao Fruit, yet the people of Kunxu Immortal Palace were still fixated on him.
"Because of the Pure Yang," said Tianxuan with a light laugh, "without reaching Cowherd, Kunxu Immortal Palace lost their leverage over you. But the benefits of the Pure Yang Body combined with Innate Wood Qi are far greater for the people of Kunxu Immortal Palace than for the holders of Cowherd Dao Fruit. I dare say, even if the Immortal Queen of Kunxu Immortal Palace were to see you, she might entertain thoughts of an old cow eating tender grass."
Hearing this, Jiang Li couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
Why is it that in Master’s words, everyone from the Kunxu Immortal Palace also appears to be a bunch of female hooligans?
Besides, even if he were to be seduced by an older woman, Jiang Li hoped it would be his beloved Master doing the seducing.
As they spoke, the Red Cloud had once again gathered, and the Golden Needles burst forth.
Jiang Li’s gaze sharpened in an instant, revealing a tri-phasic vision. The Wind Queen’s Strange Gate covered all directions, shifting the hexagram positions.
The dragon, transformed by True Qi, took on a lush green color, brimming with vitality. Yet, as the Golden Needles surged towards it, a wave of Flame Qi boiled up, fueling the fire with wood.
"Roar!"
Jiang Li remotely controlled the dragon, the Azure Dragon Palm containing Fire Force, striking from the sky with dozens of flaming claws. The Flame Qi raged, firelight scorched the air, and the momentum was like a Heavenly Fire sweeping across the plains, colliding with the Red Cloud.
"Boom!"
Thunder boomed in the sky as layers of Red Cloud clashed with the firelight, accompanied by countless tinkling sounds that never ceased. The Golden Needles shooting at the Azure Dragon were blocked by the flames, the Flame Qi’s ability to melt and boil metal dispersed the Red Cloud, and each beam of Golden Light was grasped and melted by the fiery claws.
Facing Bu Yusheng’s Red Cloud Scattering Flower Needle, Jiang Li countered with his Qi. Both were fighting from a distance, but their methods were different. One used a Magic Artifact, while the other relied solely on Innate Qi, revealing the disparity in their abilities.
The Dao Fruit of the Pure Yang Ancestor was composed of two parts. The Sword Cultivator abilities allowed Jiang Li to delve into the Sword Dao, while the Daoist abilities let him achieve the Three Elements Fusion, making his Innate Qi even more wondrous.
The Qi Refiner’s "Unity" and "Lifting Heaven and Earth" complemented each other. Jiang Li had never felt such wondrous sensations, as though heaven and earth were his limbs, one with him.
"Senior Brother Jiang has great skill."
The cool female voice seemed to have met its match, now using the close term of "Senior Brother."
But in truth, Jiang Li was probably younger than his opponent.
"However, our Kunxu Immortal Palace does not solely revere the golden energy."
A pale, chilly Yin Qi surged through the air, colliding with the firelight and Flame Power, creating a frosty cloud in the sky.
Countless Golden Needles merged with the red light and Yin Qi, suddenly turning the red light into gold. The needles combined, manifesting a blade shimmering with golden and white radiance.
"Qi Blade!" Jiang Li’s expression became serious.
Gathering Qi into Blade, refining the essence of Qi into the sharpness of the blade, combined the strengths of both, fully utilizing the properties of Qi in the form of a blade.
The technique of the Qi Blade may not be the most lethal, but any Qi Blade trained to proficiency undoubtedly possessed immense destructive power.
The blade vibrated with energy, flashing abruptly and cutting straight at the Azure Dragon. It overpowered the dragon’s heat with its cold and the wood’s vitality with its metal’s capability to cut. A cold brilliance slashed across the sky, severing the Dragon Claw and piercing the dragon’s body with sharp Qi Mechanisms that scattered in all directions.
In an instant, the Azure Dragon seemed to shatter into a thousand pieces.
However, at the same time, Flame Power sprang from the wood, and a bolt of lightning emerged.
Jiang Li silently activated the Wind Queen’s Strange Gate, ignoring the cycle of mutual generation and restraint, and used Thunder Fire. A tremendously fierce explosion of lightning and fire erupted from the body of the dragon.
"Rumble!"
The roar of Thunder and Fire produced a shocking noise, sending thousands of sparks flying mixed with lightning. The West Wing Room crumbled in an instant, the scorching lightning tore through the courtyard walls, causing all the grass and trees nearby to burst into flames.
"Dammit!" A scream seemed to come from the direction of the temple master’s cassock.
While in the East Wing Room, the Fourth Prince slowly curved his lips into a smile.
Although he still couldn’t discern Jiang Li’s Dao Fruit Ability, after this battle, Jiang Li’s aura had weakened. It would be difficult for him to have an advantage facing Yuan Zhen.
What’s more splendid is that Master Yuan Zhen is a disciple of Taibai True Monarch. Even though he is not specialized in the Geng Metal Sword Dao, it is his primary focus. It bears some similarity to Bu Yusheng’s Xin Metal Qi Blade, so Jiang Li’s chances of winning have no doubt decreased.
But what the Fourth Prince did not notice was that at the moment the West Wing Room collapsed, butterflies started to fly.
A Sword Light, as if piercing through nothingness, appeared abruptly behind the Fourth Prince like one of the escapees, in an extremely sudden and jolting manner that the middle-aged eunuch had no time to react to.
And in that instant, as Jiang Li and Bu Yusheng clashed, the Fourth Prince’s attention was completely focused on the mirror below, such that only when the Sword Light touched him did he realize.
Fast! Extremely fast! So fast that even a Sixth Rank would struggle to react, so fast that there was no time to unveil a life-saving trump card.
This sword seized the opportunity— the right timing, advantageous location, and harmonious human conditions— were all met, its speed even outrunning Divine Sense fluctuations, outpacing True Qi circulation, as if striking through the gaps in thought, impossible to guard against.
Even with the possession of a fourth-rank offensive move, there was no time to invoke it.
"Hiss—"
In an instant, the Sword Light penetrated the body; the Heavenly Escape Sword Skill severed the Divine Soul. The agony like a torn heart caused the Fourth Prince’s face to twist slightly as he instinctively unleashed his full strength.
In the fraction of a second before the Sword Light could penetrate one hundred percent of the body, a vicious black Qi burst out from within the Fourth Prince, his brow, chest, and lower abdomen becoming like black holes, from which malevolent Qi surged.
"Nine Insect Technique, Six Consciousnesses Inversion."
Numerous strands of black Qi wriggled like insects within the body, gripping the Sword Light and eroding the Divine Thought with a perilous black Qi that gnawed at the Sword Qi, transmitting waves of distorted Perception.
This is the sensation!
The direct erosion of the Divine Soul and thoughts!
’The Three Corpse Gods Dao Fruit is indeed within you.’
Dream Butterfly passed through the roof, watching this scene unfold, Jiang Li’s thoughts fluctuating through the butterfly’s eyes.
After all the twists and turns, the enemy was actually always close by.