Chapter 332: Chapter 55 Inconceivable
Thirty li from the Divine Capital lay a mountain named Qiong Mountain, with the Imperial College located upon it.
At the foot of Qiong Mountain thrived a bamboo forest, within which stood Tingfeng Pavilion, designated solely for receiving visitors.
When guests arrived, it was at Tingfeng Pavilion where they would deliver their visiting cards and wait for a response before ascending the mountain.
However, today there was indeed an exception.
Ming Yang had been waiting in front of Tingfeng Pavilion since dawn, still as a statue, attracting quite a bit of attention from passersby. Many speculated that some high-ranking figure was coming, warranting Ming Yang, a distinguished scholar among his peers, to welcome them.
Although Ming Yang was not as skilled as Zhong Shen Xiu and had been easily controlled by Ji Chengye, the Princely Heir, he truly was among the top scholars at the Imperial College, and his family background was not lacking either. Otherwise, he would not have had the qualifications to accompany Ji Chengye to Yong Province back then.
Ming Yang waited like this until the rapid sound of horse hooves approached.
Four chariots raced swiftly, kicking up clouds of dust behind them.
On the chariots, talismans manifested, boosting their speed. Moreover, these horses were not ordinary beasts, as they sprinted with the velocity of a lightning bolt.
But before the chariots drew near to Qiong Mountain, the rumble of thunder rose, resounding from the end of the road. A fast-moving figure approached, stepping on the Thunder Sound to catch up with the chariots, and leaped into the air.
An unadorned iron sword struck from above, followed by the explosion of a thunderclap.
"Boom!"
The clear sky seemed to be enveloped by a layer of dark clouds, the radiant talismans on the chariot shattered in an instant, and the carriage burst open, revealing Jiang Li and his maid inside.
By then, Jiang Li’s wheelchair had already turned towards the back, with fierce wind forces swirling rapidly in front of him, blocking the Thunder Sound and also saving the damaged chariot, the coachman, and the horses.
However, what truly posed a threat was not the Thunder Sound, but the sword.
A beam of Sword Light struck downwards in a slant, flying swiftly and brilliantly, the simple iron sword unleashing a surprising sharpness.
"Stop!"
Ming Yang cried out urgently, his voice transforming into intangible shackles, attempting to halt the Sword Light. The "Word Follows Law" mystical method of Confucianism had been activated.
Unfortunately, the sword was faster than the sound.
Or perhaps it could be said Ming Yang’s cultivation was not yet high enough.
Before the "Word Follows Law" could take effect, the sword had already pierced through the layers of swirling wind, its dazzling sharpness penetrating Jiang Li’s chest.
However—
In the blink of an eye, less than a tenth of a moment, the Sword Light came to a halt.
A crystal-colored sword finger precisely trapped the sword tip, as if the sword had voluntarily offered itself into Jiang Li’s fingers, perfectly placed, as if it were the natural cycle of the Heavenly Dao, as it ought to be.
Sword Qi erupted, only to be extinguished by Innate Qi. Layer upon layer of Qi waves radiated outward from Jiang Li’s center, causing his hair to billow.
The Sword Light was obstructed, failing to reach Jiang Li, seemingly indicating that the Zong Zheng’s strike had missed.
But just then, runes emerged from the iron sword, making it seem as though the sword suddenly sprang to life.
’Rune! "Form Tomb"!’ Jiang Li’s thoughts flashed urgently, while the Sword Light exploded like a thunderclap.
The essence of the sword lay in the talisman within the iron sword.
"Form Tomb" was a method to mold the body through magic, which explained why there were many among the Ji Family who were versed in Dual Cultivation of martial and magical arts. The Zong Zheng must be one of them.
He had articulated a method to restrain Jiang Li with runes, infusing the Magic Door into the iron sword. This iron sword was a talisman, one specifically targeted at Jiang Li, drawn by Zong Zheng’s own hand.
However, the Zong Zheng had not infused it with his own power, but had instead relied on the swordsman’s hand to unleash the strike.
He merely drew the talisman, but the actual sword-wielder counted as his junior. If one were to debate, it would indeed be difficult to claim that he was using his seniority to bully the junior.
The swordsman was at most Sixth Rank, but the sword he delivered contained essence that far surpassed the Sixth Grade Realm.
Sixth Rank power, thrusting beyond the bounds of the Sixth Grade Realm with a single stroke!
The Sword Light exploded, fragmenting into thousands of electric strands, each as fast as lightning and as finely tempered as Sword Qi, each containing unpredictable transformations, burying themselves into Jiang Li’s body, emitting streaks of blue smoke.
This sword was indeed as fast as lightning, erupting at such a close distance like thousands of sharp needles, piercing through the cottage of Protective True Qi. Its speed and sharpness were so great that Jiang Li was unable to block them and, theoretically, he didn’t even have time to activate lifesaving techniques.
It was just like when Jiang Li had assassinated the Fourth Prince at the Iron Pillar Temple, utterly unforeseeable.
A trump card was not invincible.
Jiang Li could only passively receive this sword, accepting the chastisement.
And at that moment, "Stop" arrived too late, becoming invisible shackles that bound Ji Changluo.
But what good was this hastily uttered command? It was merely to slow down the Sword Light for a moment, to afford Jiang Li a sliver of opportunity.
Ji Changluo’s True Yuan burst forth, struggling to break free of the bonds, intending to abandon the sword and flee.
His goal had been achieved, leaving no reason to linger. Ji Changluo, like the most professional of assassins, struck with precision and fled thousands of miles.
However, before he could abandon the sword, a stream of Qi snaked along the iron sword to him, permeating through the palm of his hand and infiltrating Ji Changluo’s meridians.
He tried to run his Qi to resist, but the moment that stream encountered his True Yuan, it dissolved like mud into the sea, directly merging into his True Yuan. Then that stream of True Yuan began to flow backward towards his dantian; Ji Changluo continuously exerted his power to block it, to no avail, instead only enhancing this invader’s True Yuan.
It darted through the air like an arrow, plunging into the Qi Sea of the Dantian, and immediately, his True Qi surged toward his limbs and bones like a raging tide of the ocean.
It was clearly his own True Qi, yet it was utterly beyond his control; someone else was in charge of his power...
Ji Changluo focused intently ahead.
—It was him!
Amidst the faint wisp of blue smoke, Jiang Li stood unharmed, his sword finger with the tip of his sword still steady as ever.
He wasn’t injured at all?!
Not only was he unscathed from this sword strike, but even the earlier injuries were faked—otherwise, it wouldn’t explain how Jiang Li could endure this sword attack unharmed.
The instant he realized this, a chill swept over Ji Changluo’s body, causing him to shudder involuntarily.
However, Ji Changluo was no longer capable of shuddering. His body was being controlled contrarily by his True Qi; every bone and every patch of flesh was dominated in a reversal, his own body was now disobedient to his will.
Spirit, Qi, Divinity—the Three Elements Combined; tugging at one hair would move the whole body. Jiang Li assimilated Ji Changluo’s True Qi with his Innate Qi, seizing control of his body. A strange intent spread throughout his body along with the True Qi, seeping into his Sea of Consciousness, subduing his Divine Sense.
At this moment, all Ji Changluo could do was think.
Meanwhile, Ming Yang stimulated his power and once again recited a Confucian dictum, "The virtue of the gentleman is like the wind, the virtue of the petty is like the grass, and the grass must bend when the wind blows over it."
The Confucian ultimate move "Junzi Wind" issued forth with grandeur, the pure white Gang Wind brushed past Jiang Li like a gentle breeze, but it burst forth with a tumultuous powerful force upon Ji Changluo.
Ji Changluo felt the uncontrollable True Qi coursing through his body; his palm detached from the Iron Sword, and his hands lifted, channeling True Qi through his acupoints, causing his body to react subconsciously. Talismanic seeds activated within the acupoints, unleashing thunderous roars akin to Heavenly Thunder.
Kui Drum Thunder Sound!
"Boom!"
Thunder Sound clashed with Junzi Wind, the air abruptly distorted for an instant, followed by a violent Wind Force forming, crushing the carriage and threatening to engulf Jiang Li and the maid inside it.
"This is bad!"
Ming Yang inwardly cursed and immediately opened the book in his hand, tearing out a page.
Although Junzi Wind could protect while attacking, the domineering nature of the Thunder Sound made it difficult for the wind to mind both fronts.
Thus, Ming Yang made a swift decision and utilized his trump card.
Junzi Wind, again it was Junzi Wind!
As the streams of Junzi Wind converged, it rolled up like a whirlwind, as if a profound dragon soared and howled, breaking the Thunder Sound instantly, the vast Gang Wind sweeping towards Ji Changluo.
’No!’
Ji Changluo watched the sweeping Gang Wind, feeling the immense power hidden within, and he roared in his mind, his consciousness fluctuating wildly as he tried to break free, if nothing else, to at least use his life-saving techniques.
Although he was not a prince, as a talent of the Ji Family’s current generation, Ji Changluo was indeed qualified to have a Fourth Grade Expert expend True Essence Power to leave behind a trump card.
Regrettably, he couldn’t make it happen.
Jiang Li had long laid out his plan—how could he give him a chance?
’No!’
The Gang Wind rolled over Ji Changluo’s figure, as if it were erasing a speck of dust, clean and thorough, leaving no trace of him.
Even a fifth-rank couldn’t withstand this killing move head-on, let alone a Sixth Rank like Ji Changluo.
Thus, a prodigy of the Ji Family died a thorough death.
In the aftermath, a burst of lightning erupted, the remnants of Ji Changluo’s trump card exploding without him, the Imperial Envoy, but such a plain technique could not exert any true effect on its own.
The Junzi Wind carried the thunder along, striking miles away upon Dragon Abyss Lake, stirring up sky-high waves for a moment.
"A Fourth Grade Killing Move?"
Ming Yang, who hurried to the scene, felt the lingering power and murmured, "Could it be the deceitful methods of the Taiping Sect?"
The facade of the Taiping Sect was the Thunder Technique. If it were only Ji Changluo employing Thunder Sound, Ming Yang might not associate it with the Taiping Sect, but if combined with a Fourth Grade move of the Thunder Attribute, it was almost certainly linked to the Taiping Sect.
No matter what, Ming Yang could not imagine that he had just killed a member of the Ji Family.
He made a swift decision to utilize his trump card, which was indeed not wrong, but this correct action conveniently allowed Jiang Li to shift the blame.
Originally, Jiang Li had thought to control Ji Changluo to move a bit more to make his death seem more reasonable. Ming Yang’s use of the Fourth Grade Killing Move saved Jiang Li even that trouble.
As for why Ji Changluo didn’t use his trump card similarly, this explanation was quite plausible—faced with the preemptive Fourth Grade Killing Move, even a fifth-rank would struggle to react in such a rush, let alone him?
Ming Yang was still pondering the identity of his opponent when a heart-wrenching cough came through.
"Cough cough cough cough cough..."
The carriage was shattered, Jiang Li’s wheelchair lay amidst the rubble, and at this moment, he covered his mouth with his hand, coughing so fiercely his body hunched, blood seeping between his fingers.
Meanwhile, his maid remained unscathed, awkwardly placing a handkerchief on the back of the hand covering his mouth to block the blood.
As for the coachman and horses, the coachman lay unconscious with a dazed awareness, unknown if alive or dead, while the horses all perished, victims of the aftermath.
Fortunate indeed, Jiang Li was not dead.
Unfortunately, a guest of the Imperial College had been attacked at the foot of Qiong Mountain, and his injuries had worsened atop the existing ones.