Chapter 195: Chapter 192: Emperor’s Destiny, Golden Chariot Assistance
Soundless and traceless, Jiang Li drifted within the blind spots of others’ perceptions, his Innate Wind Qi containing all his movements. Even the most elite assassins likely could only do as much.
The Mo Sword, carrying the Innate Qi, struck in assassination. Not until the thunder behind him silently dissipated did Yang Ji realize the sneak attack, but by then, it was already too late.
The sword tip easily pierced through the Protective True Qi, touching upon the Bright Yellow Enchanted Robe. As the Innate Qi transformed, it combined with the Sword Qi to stimulate a wave-like radiance on the robe, fluttering the garment, deflecting Strength, yet an intense and unstoppable sharp aura still penetrated the robe and into Yang Ji’s body.
"Ah!"
The sword had hit right at Yang Ji’s spine. As Sword Qi collided with Yang Ji’s True Qi inside his body, sparks of electricity surged along his back. Yang Ji let out a painful cry, losing his footing and nearly tumbling into the shallow water.
Zhong Shenxiu immediately seized this flaw. The Observation Blade seemed to flash with countless characters, "Three Extremes Yi Xun, the book speaks of Sutra."
Cultivation of the Scholarly Sect – [Sutra].
"Sutra," the eternal ultimate path, is the grand teaching that cannot be expunged. The [Sutra] ability allows one to discern the philosophies of the sages from the ancient texts, to grasp the essence of managing affairs, thereby completing one’s own Scholarship.
While initially an auxiliary ability, Zhong Shenxiu further expanded this capacity, turning the wisdom of sages into a law, and their intentions into a martial force. The Observation Blade shone with a pure radiance, and with one horizontal strike, its clarity was as if from the sun and moon, its trajectory like the motion of stars.
Sutra – Imitate Heaven and Earth.
The Sword Light transformed into the light of the sun and moon, illuminating the heavens and the earth, the Sword Qi moving like stars, Unresistable.
Bright Light blossomed; every strand of light was Sword Light, which sounded a metallic clink against the Red Sword Light. The Observation Blade seemed to contain starfire, and with one strike, endless Bright Light filled Yang Ji’s eyes, this slash akin to a star falling to the earth, its momentum unstoppable.
Long on the defense, he finally shifted to the offensive, the blade embracing a momentum shocking as the sun and moon.
He’s going to die!
Such a thought flashed in Yang Ji’s mind, as a talisman imprint suddenly appeared on his forehead, he stepped in quick succession, treading upon the Seven Stars, and around him, thunder as if from the void burst forth with a boom.
Thunder Sound roared, ten thousand blades of light were extinguished instantly, the brilliance of the sun and moon shattered in moments, the Thunder Light directed, the star-traveling Blade Energy vanished, revealing the True Form of the Observation Blade.
"Boom!"
A peal of thunder made Jiang Li’s blood surge, his Qi Force within him roiling fiercely, his flesh and bones tingling as if they might be shattered by the thunder, separating flesh from Qi.
Facing Zhong Shenxiu’s Observational Blade, Yang Ji eventually could not hold back and deployed a life-preserving move.
Heavenly Gang Thirty-Six Thunders – Yu Step Great Dominating Thunder.
Every step he took, Thunder Light breathed to life, and a storm was instantly born, striking the skies above and the great river below. Seven bolts of lightning as thick as water buckets descended from the vault of heaven, and for a moment the world lost its color, leaving behind only the blinding Thunder Light dividing vision.
"Boom!"
The Seven Thunders merged into one, and a blast of thunder erupted, causing seven towering water columns to explode on the Fengquan River, thick mist mixed with green smoke and the smell of char spreading everywhere, portending utter destruction.
But it wasn’t over yet.
Far away on the boat where Xiao Jiuniang was, a young Daoist darted out from within, pointing at his brows.
The Upper Pure Sect, Fang Yesheng!
This seemingly inconsequential and carefree young man also possessed lethal techniques. Or rather, he was the Upper Pure Sect’s greatest support for Yang Ji – a trump card to be played at a critical moment.
The Sixth Rank Daoist Ming Zhen was just a diversion.
"Mixed without a trace, Great Cave True Chapter, Heavenly Symbolic Thunder."
Lightning sketched out a talisman nine feet long. The unceasing Thunder Clouds once again blasted out terrifying thunder. Besides the area where the boat was, everywhere else was struck by Thunder Strike. The river seemed like it would explode to the skies, with thunderous blasts and lightning strikes, piercing through the water’s surface and scouring the riverbed.
’Double techniques combined, far more powerful than one alone. But Zhong Shenxiu... his teacher, is none other than the Sacrificial Wine Master who embraced the Dao Fruit of Character Saint Cang Jie. Even if he could only retain techniques of the fourth-rank level to save his life, that should be enough to keep him alive.’
Ji Chengye concentrated his Power on his eyes as the thunder dimmed, staring intently at the Fengquan River.
If Yang Ji had a trump card, naturally Zhong Shenxiu wasn’t without his own; he was definitely not going to die. However, whether he might get injured, that remained unknown. But another person—Jiang Li, who had exhausted all his cards—whether he would die after taking such a strike at close range, that was what Ji Chengye urgently wanted to know.
As the thunder roared, Ji Chengye’s vision was obstructed such that he had yet to notice, on the other side of the Fengquan River, Gongsun Qing Yue’s figure had appeared at some point.
At this moment, her Divine Thought waves rippled in the Sea of Consciousness in her forehead, sensing someone’s stable Divine Sense.
"To think I had to use two moves on you... But enough, to stop the drought, I’ll spare you this time."
Gongsun Qing Yue spoke indifferently, murmuring softly, "Emperor’s Destiny, Golden Chariot."
The Ziwei Palace, harboring fortunate stars, is known as the Golden Chariot, signifying a great position of power.
A purple great star rose slowly; Thunder Light couldn’t hide its shape, Thunder Strike couldn’t block its path. Beneath the great star, Jiang Li was cloaked in a layer of purple Ziwei Starlight, as if Ziwei descended to the mortal world, supreme and noble beyond words.
Crazy thunder subtly ceased as it approached the starlight, losing all its violent and tyrannical nature. The thunderous sounds that could shake flesh and force Qi out of the body were, to Jiang Li’s ears, now like the sound of a drum, still heavy and thunderous, yet unable to harm him.
Before the Ziwei throne, myriad thunders dissipated.
Two moves in conjunction were indeed formidable, but with Zhong Shenxiu sharing the firepower, "Emperor’s Destiny, Golden Chariot" was already enough to ensure Jiang Li’s safety.
Even...
Enveloped in the light of Ziwei Star, Jiang Li felt every movement of his hands and feet to be smooth and to his liking. His grasp of the wind and his perception of the surrounding heavens and earth were greatly enhanced, leading almost to an illusion of omnipotence.
He rode the wind over the splash of water and amidst the mist, swift as lightning, dispelling all thunders in his path. As the layers of thunder light dissipated, a somewhat ragged figure emerged.
Yang Ji!
And Yang Ji had also spotted Jiang Li, his expression turning abruptly grim.
He had been deceived.
He had been told that Jiang Li had already exhausted all his lifesaving tricks, but now another move surfaced, which surely enraged Yang Ji.
His lethal moves were born of desperation, intended to murder Jiang Li and reclaim the Rain Master Token. As Jiang Li sought him, he was also on the lookout for Jiang Li. In a sense, both were rushing towards each other.
Unfortunately, this mutual rush couldn’t satisfy both parties. At least for Yang Ji, he felt an urge to tear apart Ji Chengye’s dishonest mouth.
Is this what it’s like to be out of cards?
In annoyance, Yang Ji tensed up and suddenly stepped back in a lightning-fast Qi Wu stride, sparks under his feet as he retreated rapidly over the water surface, dodging the emerging Sword Light.
The Yu Step Great Commanding Thunder Talisman not only called down thunder to strike enemies but also allowed Yang Ji to siphon some of the Thunder Qi to replenish his own True Qi. At this moment, he was not back to full strength, but he had recovered to about seventy percent of his power.
Under the effect of Law Order Dao Fruit, Yang Ji moved as swiftly as lightning, avoiding Jiang Li’s sudden attacks with agility.
However, Jiang Li was now blessed by "Emperor’s Destiny, Golden Chariot," his perceptive abilities immensely improved. He seemed to blend with the wind, aiming to achieve Unity, making no distinction between himself and everything else.
Turning all his Innate Qi into Wind Qi, marks of Wind Spirit Talisman traced across his body, Jiang Li felt faster even than the Rashamon Ghost King.
Thunder still roared and water splashed, with columns of water rising to the sky, the river pouring down like rain. But in Jiang Li’s eyes, the falling droplets seemed to slow to a halt, and the cacophony of water and thunder seemed distant and faint, as if separated by a thin veil.
It was not just the sensation brought by the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill; it was also Jiang Li’s own perception.
His speed outpaced the falling river, almost exceeding the speed of sound. With each step, he went from treading on water plants to stepping on the wind, stepping on the flowing air as if walking on flat ground.
The wind under his feet became like a board, propelling Jiang Li through the air. With this new mastery of wind, Jiang Li broke through to a new Realm.
[Could this be the Wind God Leg?]
A line of text flashed before his eyes as Jiang Li closed in on Yang Ji like a fleeting shadow.
"How is this possible..."
Yang Ji’s mind reeled, his heart tumultuous. "Too fast!"
He frantically urged his technique, the ability of Decree Dao Fruit’s Thunder Side Swift Ghost greatly surpassing a normal person in reaction and speed. His body pulsed with Thunder True Qi, enhancing his speed to the extreme and darting with currents of electricity to evade, but Jiang Li still caught up to him.
In his halted perception, the droplets seemed nearly still, forming a curtain of water Jiang Li breezed through.
The water drops shattered against his moving figure, and his sword became a black shadow, cleaving through the electric light and striking Yang Ji.
Thunder Light and electricity on Yang Ji’s chest flashed wildly before dissipating, followed by a delayed intense pain. His vestment robe now bore a fresh sword mark.
The wind and thunder complemented each other; although Jiang Li’s Innate Wind Qi couldn’t dissolve protective auras like the Innate Qi, the conflicting attributes still allowed his swift sword to break through Yang Ji’s protective lightning and wound him.
The enchanted robe blocked the sword tip, countering the sword power, but the Innate Wind Qi still inflicted pain on Yang Ji, and most importantly, Jiang Li had not stopped at a single strike.
"Ha!"
Yang Ji pushed his True Qi to the limits, frenetically shifting positions, turning into a streak of lightning darting about, while his Thunder Eye above blinked open, shooting down thunder strikes around him.
On the turbulent water surface, a wind shadow and a streak of lightning swiftly interlaced. Occasional collisions shattered the rain-like river water, breaking into a column, the Qi Force scattering the spray.
"Bang!"
A figure was suddenly hurled out from the lightning, crashing onto the water, creating ripples like an impact on the ground, breaking through waves and tides, plowing across the water.
Jiang Li steadied himself in the wind, hovering mid-air with a slight breathlessness.
He had won.
Yang Ji was not in his prime and was even weaker than during their last encounter, allowing the battle to be won quickly, almost within the blink of an eye.
Then...
"Whoosh—"
The sheet of water fell back into place, the river pouring down like heavy rain, the nearly still world in Jiang Li’s eyes returning to normal.