Chapter 196: Chapter 193: Jiang Li Praying for Rain, The Matter is Not Yet Settled
Ziwei Starlight slowly dimmed, signaling the end of the move "Emperor’s Destiny, Golden Chariot," and Jiang Li’s perception abilities receded, but he had already memorized that sensation.
The ability of Karma Collection to solidify karma had allowed him to grasp the tail of this perception; what he needed next was only Jiang Li’s diligent effort and astonishing wisdom to reach that realm.
However, at present, he must focus on wiping out his enemies first and not get distracted by other matters.
Perhaps out of fear that it would affect his combat performance or for some other reason, Yang Ji no longer had any life-saving techniques at his disposal, a fact Jiang Li could discern through the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill.
Preserving a trump card required the constant consumption of True Qi and Divine Essence, especially the latter.
Yang Ji, still skimming through the air, saw Jiang Li chasing him down like a hawk pursuing a rabbit, but helplessly found himself nearly out of strength. His entire body was riddled with fractures and his injuries were extremely severe, his vestment robe nearly completely destroyed. Had he not strictly defended his vital points just now, Yang Ji might have already died by Jiang Li’s hand.
Now facing a life-and-death crisis, Yang Ji gritted his teeth and suddenly pulled out a pale, white spherical pearl and tossed it into the air, shouting loudly, "The Flood Dragon Pearl is here!"
The Flood Dragon Pearl, carrying the water of a great river, spun in the air and flew towards Jiang Li while simultaneously drawing a red sword light towards it.
Although the thunderous strikes had been fierce before, they hadn’t harmed the co-conspirators since they were unleashed by Yang Ji and others. However, the fierce battle between Jiang Li and Yang Ji had attracted a Sword Cultivator. Just as he was about to make a move, Yang Ji had already been defeated.
Now, with Yang Ji throwing out the Flood Dragon Pearl, the Sword Cultivator could no longer wait for the opportunity. The sword light, like a fish leaping from water, shot out from beneath the surface, aiming straight for the Flood Dragon Pearl.
But at the same time, a clear sword light slashed horizontally across the sky, splitting the mist and revealing the heavily injured Zhong Shenxiu.
Behind him, a faint image of the character for "benevolence" was fading away, seemingly a manifestation of his trump card. His gaze, however, was fixed intently on the water below.
"I’ve found you."
With the power mimicking ’Power Splitting Huashan,’ Zhong Shenxiu’s slash split the river water in two, revealing the riverbed scoured by lightning below and a dark figure.
The Sword Cultivator had been hiding underwater all along.
Enshrouded in a black cloak, no skin visible, he was like a corpse, quietly floating until Zhong Shenxiu, who had been searching for him, discovered him as he struck out at Jiang Li.
The sword light cut through the water with a vicious force, demonstrating a fierce intensity.
Zhong Shenxiu, after a long battle and considerable exhaustion, both in terms of True Qi and physical strain, continued to wield his sword forcefully, his attacks even more vigorous. This slash, splitting the river water, aimed at the Sword Cultivator’s head, was clearly intended to bisect him, deeply infused with the subtleties of Confucian benevolence.
But the Sword Cultivator ignored the incoming slash, changing his sword formula instead. The red sword light, brimming with a fierce qi mechanism and murderous intent, shot towards the Flood Dragon Pearl.
It appeared that he was completely disregarding his own safety, resolved to stop Jiang Li from obtaining the Flood Dragon Pearl even if it meant taking a deadly blow from Zhong Shenxiu.
The slash cut through, cleaving from the crown of the head down, swiftly and unobstructed, landing on the riverbed below.
The Sword Cultivator’s body split in two, leaking a silver-gray fluid which congealed into beads that remained unscattered in the water.
Meanwhile, the red sword light aimed directly for the Flood Dragon Pearl, penetrating it with the swiftness of lightning and striking towards Jiang Li on the other side.
"Yin Talisman Seven Techniques·Nourishing Spirit Method Spirit Turtle."
In front of Jiang Li, pieces of Spirit Turtle Armor began to condense, perfectly assembling into one as the sword light pierced through, firmly clamping the sword light within.
The clash between the red sword qi and the Qi Armor sent out red sparks, struggling forward, but its momentum gradually slowed, the sword qi being continuously worn away, until finally, it transformed into a small sword orb that Jiang Li captured in his hand.
"Roar—"
The Flood Dragon Pearl split in two, and a violent sound of water erupted. Following that, a torrential flow burst incessantly from the divided pearl, spreading rapidly as a raging surge from its center and engulfing everyone, including Jiang Li.
Fengquan River, once agitated with waves, splashes, and stronger torrents, was now swallowed up, and the water level rose crazily. In an instant, it surged onto the shore, submerging the altar. Even Ji Chengye and Jiang Zhihuan, as well as Hui Lun Monk, Zhang Daoyi, and Yuan Zhen—who were within an obscured area—vanished in the water before rushing towards Jun City.
What was intended to alleviate the drought by Praying for Rain was now turning into another disaster. The tide smashed against the city walls and poured through the gates, threatening to inundate the entirety of Jun City.
Jiang Li was in the midst of the maelstrom, stabilizing his figure with True Qi while scanning the turbulent currents below, where the murky water churned with soil and sediment.
’Is he willing to perish just to destroy the Flood Dragon Pearl and create an opportunity for others?’
The Sword Cultivator’s action was unexpected and his purpose was unclear, but one thing was certain.
The drought would be alleviated.
"Hoooww—"
A Dragon Roar resonated within the tumultuous surge, followed by water vapor rising, mingling with mist to form a dragon, breaking through the water.
Jiang Li, using Wind Control to hover in mid-air, channeled Innate Qi into the water dragon. The tail of the dragon submerged into the raging waters below, controlled by him, it stirred rapidly, creating a spectacle like a dragon absorbing water.
Large volumes of river water were sucked into the vortex created by the water dragon, turning into mist and converging into clouds. In an instant, the sky darkened with rolling clouds blocking the sunlight.
Jiang Li took out the Master of Rain token, his thoughts profoundly connected to the water above and below, and suddenly, he jolted both arms.
"Boom!"
Thunder Sound echoed, the dark clouds churned, and then rain poured down, the water collected up high once again descended back to the earth.
However, in the time it took for one back and forth, the situation had drastically changed.
The rain clouds spread rapidly across the sky, covering an area of more than ten miles in the blink of an eye, and they continued to expand outwards.
The tide that could have caused a water disaster weakened as it spread over dozens of miles, transforming instead into sweet rain that nourished the earth. Gradually, it alleviated the intense heat throughout Fufeng County, bringing long-missed coolness.
The government officials and citizens, who had been frantically barricading the city gates to stop the impending flood, suddenly discovered that the tide was rapidly receding. The once fierce waves that had surged into the city could now only submerge half a calf and were continually getting shallower.
Involuntarily, they looked towards the direction of Fengquan River and saw the dragon-like waterspout touching the sky and the youth standing in midair, moving clouds and making rain, resembling a Heavenly Deity.
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"Amitabha, fate comes and goes. Who would have imagined that in the end it would be Jiang Tanyue who gains the reputation for Praying for Rain?"
On the bank of Fengquan River, as the water receded, revealing a clear Buddha Light, Hui Lun stood unblemished by a single drop of water under the protection of the Buddha Light, looking up at the sky with a slight smile, "Truly, the ways of the world are unfathomable."
Not far across from him stood Zhang Daoyi and Yuan Zhen from the Daode Sect, both shrouded in True Qi, casting disapproving looks at Hui Lun.
"Now that it has come to this, why must the master still pretend to be compassionate? Since you’ve intervened to stop us two from the Daode Sect, you’re siding with those crazed lunatics," said Zhang Daoyi, holding his long sword, his eyes slightly narrowed, a thread of killing intent emerging, "Nothing more than a hypocrite."
If it hadn’t been for Hui Lun’s sudden use of a mysterious technique to delay him and Yuan Zhen, Yang Ji and his cohorts would have had no chance of success. Didn’t this monk consider the catastrophe Yang Ji and the others would bring about if they succeeded?
"Well said, well said," Hui Lun replied with a smile. "The Daoist must be joking. This monk cultivates the Dao Fruit of the Heavenly Beings, and doing evil would only harm my cultivation. How could I partake in such wicked deeds? I merely stopped the Daoist so that you would not gain the reputation for solving the disaster."
Though the Heavenly Beings are highest among the Six Paths, if one commits too much evil, they too can fall into one of the Three Evil Paths.
In such a case, it’s feared not only would it affect the manifestation of the Dao Fruit, but it might even lead to a backlash of the Dao Fruit.
In this regard, Hui Lun is indeed correct.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Daoyi’s gaze wavered, "Are you saying that from the beginning you knew their plans would not succeed?"
"Indeed, their current plans will not succeed, but as for the rest..." said Hui Lun with a smile, shaking his head, "Amitabha, this monk must go prepare relief for the disaster victims. Daoist, I take my leave."
His words trailed off, enigmatic as ever.
But even the little bit he revealed still made Zhang Daoyi’s heart chill.
The current plan had not succeeded, referring to the act of Praying for Rain. The rest...
"Master."
Jiang Li descended slowly from the sky, blocking Hui Lun’s path with an amiable smile, "Please finish speaking before you go."
Ji Chengye and Jiang Zhihuan had both vanished at the outbreak of the Water Disaster. Jiang Li had thought that those two were dealing with the aftermath, but according to Hui Lun, the matter of the drought was not yet over.
It seemed that Ji Chengye and the others still had more moves to play.
"Amitabha, one should not speak of everything, otherwise, fate will surely end prematurely."
The Hui Lun Monk still wore a faint smile, speaking riddles.
In response, Jiang Li’s surroundings began to mist, taking the form of a dragon.
Jiang Li also liked to speak in riddles, but he didn’t appreciate others doing the same. When dealing with such enigmatic people, Jiang Li had a very effective approach—fighting.
If he fought them into submission, he could hear the solution to the riddle.
The White Dragon beside Hui Lun immediately became agitated, taking up a defensive stance around Hui Lun, opposing Jiang Li as an invisible dragon’s might began to fill the air.
At the same time, Zhang Daoyi also locked on to Hui Lun with his Qi Mechanism, and Zhong Shen Xiu slowly emerged from the Fengquan River, slightly lifting his sword.
"Master, please clarify," said Zhong Shenxiu, his form wretched but his spirit undiminished and strong. His Observation Blade seemed even more brilliant.
Something seemed off about this situation.
Hui Lun’s smile stiffened.
Facing any single one of them, he was confident and fearless, and even if two attacked together, he was assured of his ability to escape. But with several of them together...
Hui Lun felt the multiple Qi Mechanisms locking onto him and knew if he turned against everyone, even with the White Dragon’s help, he would likely face life and death.
He had been careless; he shouldn’t have reminded them.
"Well, never mind."
Hui Lun gave a forced smile and shook his head, about to speak.
However, just at that moment, an urgent roar came from Fengquan River once more, with the waters surging wildly again.