Chapter 301: Chapter 24 Changing the Heavenly Phenomenon
The Shooting Flood Dragon Platform, spanning a diameter of three zhang, was densely packed with Qi mechanisms, as sword momentum clashed with the forces of heaven and earth.
On Jiang Li’s neck, red patterns silently spread, his skin became translucent like crystal, making even the subcutaneous veins and muscle fibers faintly visible.
This was a horrifying sight, but on Jiang Li, even the veins and flesh shimmered with the color of crystal, devoid of any bloodiness, possessing only an indescribable divinity.
He stood on the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform, his figure reflected in the eyes of Master Yuan Zhen and all around yet beyond their perception.
Seeming to exist and yet not exist, Master Yuan Zhen’s sword momentum appeared to counter Jiang Li’s but was in fact contending with the forces of nature itself.
Behind Master Yuan Zhen, the five-colored Sword Light propagated endlessly, contending with the fluctuating great forces, but he could no longer restrain himself, he had to strike.
"Unity of Heaven and Man."
Master Wen Xu’s eyes were like mirrors, discerning reality and illusion, as he observed the confrontation on the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform and said, "Jiang Li harnesses the forces of nature as if driving a chariot for thousands of miles or sailing across rivers and seas, drawing strength from outside, whereas Master Yuan Zhen seeks to contest with his own sword momentum. Although he can sustain it, the spirit and heart power he exhausts are ten times that of Jiang Li."
"Even if he can keep going, he must strike first, for his current stand-off is a fruitless effort."
"Yes, Jiang Li’s Unity of Heaven and Man is indeed peculiar to the extreme, able to borrow from the forces of nature. In this manner, Jiang Li, by resting and biding, could even wear down Master Yuan Zhen," Zhang Daoyi quietly changed his reference, "The most crucial aspect is this impeccable meticulosity."
Having undergone the Promotion Ceremony, Jiang Li’s mental state was flawless, further bolstered by the Dao Fruit Ability, completely overpowering Master Yuan Zhen mentally, who on the other hand was lacking in sharpness. Yet still, Jiang Li chose to overpower with force rather than striking directly.
This meticulosity was forcing Master Yuan Zhen to make a move, just as Jiang Li had once compelled Master Yuan Zhen to battle.
Thus, the Sword Light behind Master Yuan Zhen fluctuated.
But just as the Sword Light stirred and Master Yuan Zhen was about to form a sword formula with his fingers, Jiang Li made the first move.
Just as he was about to strike and yet hadn’t, in that instant, Jiang Li suddenly vanished, even his last vestige of a silhouette disappearing without a trace, replaced by a fierce and unparalleled storm.
Mountains, lakes, the audience, and even the boulders beneath their feet seemed to disappear at that moment, the storm blurring sight and perception while Wind Blades swept through, and the Wind Force surged like a raging tide.
Master Yuan Zhen seemed to be standing amidst immense, surging waves, countless Wind Blades slicing along with the tide, the Wind Force swelling, threatening to swallow him whole.
He attacked with a ferocious killing move, Wind Force sweeping through, with assault from all dimensions.
The Sword Light behind Master Yuan Zhen was immediately disrupted by the wind press, but he quickly stabilized the chaotic Qi mechanisms, within the sword light the vividly colored five Sword Orbs erupted at once, controlling the Sword Qi that spiraled violently around him, numerous fine Sword Qi rapidly spinning.
Refining the sword into silk, Sword Light Division.
The former was a method of the Sword Dao, the latter was a Dao Fruit Ability, the five-colored Sword Light intermingling, creating thousands of Sword Qi strands forming a vast net, innumerable sharp lights splitting the Wind Blades and even tearing apart the wind press.
"Boom!"
A violent wave of Qi burst forth from the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform, sweeping across the mountainside, countless broken branches and leaves whirled in the storm, numerous trees violently swayed.
And on Dragon Abyss Lake, waves surged tumultuously, boats bobbing with the waves, ever at risk of capsizing.
At such close distance, one needed considerable skill to avoid losing one’s life.
The crowd only saw Sword Light emerge within the storm, tearing through the tempest with unmatched force, the sword momentum unceasing, suddenly—
"Boom!"
Countless Sword Qi like a stormy wind, forming a long river, transforming into a sword net, intensely sharp, covering the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform, all directions, and the sky, wherever visible was filled with Sword Qi, Sword Light, Sword Shadow, Sword Momentum.
"What powerful strength," Elder Tian Ji, watching from the mountain peak, showed a slight change of emotion on his normally impassive face.
Such "strength" wasn’t noteworthy to him, but for a Sixth Rank, it had already reached the peak, even exceeding limits. In Elder Tian Ji’s lifetime, only the Jiang Clan, who practiced the Qi Tomb of Divine Farmer Nine Springs, possessed such power at Sixth Rank.
"Using an Outer Elixir to enhance power, not fearing it interfering with cultivation."
Tianxuan, however, had already seen through the intrigue and snorted lightly.
The Mystic Sect spoke of Inner and Outer Elixir Methods, but the Inner Elixir Dao didn’t refer to refining a Golden Core within the body but linked Alchemy Dao continuously with Qi, internally cultivating within the body, while Outer Elixir referred broadly to Elixirs.
To use an Outer Elixir to enhance power meant to mimic the human body in refining a Golden Core, the Golden Core internally structured like human meridians, capable of containing True Qi. If this Golden Core were infused with one’s essence, Qi, and spirit, it could serve as an incarnation, an Incarnation Golden Core.
If this Golden Core were sacrificially cultivated, merging with the body, it could then transform into an alternative Qi Sea to contain power, indirectly raising the upper limit of power.
This principle was actually similar to Divine Farmer Nine Springs of the Qi Tomb, possibly inspired by it, as the Divine Farmer was the founder of medicinal practices. However, unlike Divine Farmer Nine Springs, merging an Outer Elixir was akin to adding an external limb to the body; at the lightest, it damaged purity and at the worst, it caused rejection.
Master Yuan Zhen choosing to do this was already risking future damage.
Regardless, if he perished today, he’d have no future.
"Clang, clang—"
Sword Qi collided, the incessant clangor resonated, the dense sword net intertwining, shredding the Wind Force while also trying to force Jiang Li out.
However, the tempest continued unabated, gathering from all directions to—
the sky.
Jiang Li’s figure silently appeared in the air, his hand supporting a sphere of wind, and the wild wind gathered in his hands.
As the force of the wind accumulated, the air pressure began to drop, and heavy dark clouds surged from all directions.
This scene was akin to altering the heavenly phenomenon.
The drop in air pressure caused the weather to change, with the calamity clouds rolling in, bringing wind and rain, and darkness enveloping the surroundings, except for the clear sky directly above Jiang Li.
This alteration was a change in the heavenly phenomenon, yet it wasn’t performed by a Fifth Grade Practitioner using divine skills, but through an exquisite and natural perspective.
Yuan Zhen couldn’t understand this change, as he didn’t possess Jiang Li’s unique perspective, but he could feel the power brought by the wind.
The force of the wind swept through heaven and earth; everything was moving, and this "movement" represented immense power.
"Zheng!"
A shocking sword light burst forth on the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform, thousands of sword qi combined into one, Daoist Yuan integrated with the sword, the sword light shooting up, directly aiming at Jiang Li, who stood in the void.
The Five Elements transformed, the vast Geng Metal Sword Light piercing the firmament with fierce aggressiveness, the sword wind stirred, about to tear through the surrounding calamity clouds.
But at the same time, Jiang Li reversed his palm and pressed down the wind vortex in his hand, instantly changing the color of heaven and earth.
Water rode the wind to create waves, clouds gathered their force with the wind, and rain was born from the wind; all these changes in the heavenly phenomenon were due to the wind in motion.
The wind moved, creating waves, gathering force, and transforming into rain; the gathered force of wind was precisely Wind Movement.
Tremendous strength erupted with this single press, wind and rain, stormy winds swept the clouds and rain, rushing towards the soaring Geng Metal Sword Light, extreme violence clashing with extreme fierceness, and when they collided, the world fell suddenly silent.
Immediately—
"Boom!"
The wind roared, violent winds lifted huge waves from Dragon Abyss Lake, countless trees on the mountain were uprooted.
The fierce wind force formed a massive vortex, drawing natural great strength from its inception, continuously erupting, the soaring sword light continuously shattered under the tremendous force.
Under the astonished, shocked, and terrified gazes of others, the soaring Geng Metal Sword Light was indeed pressed to break segment by segment, shattered into countless sword qi, which were then crushed by the wind force.
Yuan Zhen felt his blood surging wildly, his insides burning, his blood qi rushing to his crown, as if it would burst out of his body, suctioned by the whirlwind.
Even though he had enhanced his power limit with the Outer Elixir Method, he was still no match for Jiang Li in terms of sheer strength.
Jiang Li possessed four unique Dao Fruits, the Sixth Rank Dao Fruit had even been supplemented, additionally cultivating the "Qi Tomb." After combining the Innate Eight Qi and the Wind Queen’s Strange Gate with the ability of Dao Fruit, harnessing the power of heaven and earth, his strength became immeasurable.
To contend with him, one needed to use laws, not pure strength.
"Gui Water."
Transforming Geng Metal into Gui Water, a sword orb violently shot out, manifesting pure black sword light like surging water ripples, meeting the unleashed unparalleled power.
"Bang!"
The whirlwind collided with the black water sword light, some strength rebounding and dissipating, but more wind force tore through the sword light, rushing downwards.
"Uh!"
Yuan Zhen suppressed the blood in his mouth, bit through a red elixir, swallowed it with blood, his figure plummeting straight down. Sword wheels formed in front of him, blocking the wind force.
"Bang bang bang bang bang—"
In an instant, five layers of sword wheels were shattered like dry twigs, flung broken by the wind, rain mixed with dark clouds surged down like a tide, Yuan Zhen’s feet landing on the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform.
"Thud!"
His feet made a dull impact, partially digesting the elixir, medicinal power emerged, Yuan Zhen’s figure divided, suddenly splitting into five, four Incarnation Golden Cores separating from his body, each controlling a sword orb.
These were the Outer Elixirs Dan Xuzi had helped him refine during this time.
One split into five, each person controlling sword light, white, blue, black, red, yellow, the Five Elements and virtues, five colored sword lights emerged together.
"Great Five Elements Sword Wheel."
The sword light broke through the air, transforming into sword wheels, the Five Elements rotating, striking against the towering force, the light flowing, within moments, the air became as viscous as flowing water, the wind wave compressing the air, forming tangible wild tides, rampaging in all directions.
"Xiong—"
Large waves on Dragon Abyss Lake rose, smashing boats, and on East Mountain, grass and trees were uprooted, pulling up countless dust.
Only a few places radiated divine light, warding off the aftermath, standing unshaken.
Jiang Li fell from the sky to the earth, wind following his body, and thunder also emerged.
Dark clouds churned, ripples of thunder ensued, striking down.
Innate Wood Qi drew Heavenly Thunder, and from thunder came fire, with the movement of wind, gathering water, fire, thunder, and lightning, all the merciless forces of nature were commanded by Jiang Li.