Chapter 222: Chapter 218: Someone in Dinghu is Skilled in Oral Techniques
Daoist Yuan merged with his sword, becoming swift as a startled swan; he used the Sword Immortal Dao Fruit Ability "Entering and Leaving the Azure Netherworld," becoming one with the Sword Light. His entire being merged with the Pure Light and the celebratory clouds that formed around him, cutting through Thunder and Fire with ease.
But Yang Ji had been plotting for a long time and was even quicker.
After undergoing his sacrificial cultivation, the Iron Armor Divine Thunder was in harmony with his Qi Mechanism. The fierce Thunder and Fire could not harm Yang Ji; on the contrary, it was like giving a fish its water.
A bolt of lightning streaked through the raging Thunder and Fire, and Yang Ji appeared in front of the Ghost Gate, ready to put it into his storage magic tool.
"Stop!"
Daoist Yuan shouted loudly, and the Pure Light clouds turned into a wave of gentleness, revealing the world’s ultimate softness. They persisted, pushing away the aura of Thunder and Fire.
"Bang!"
It was like two waves crashing against each other, the Daode Sect’s Taiching Divine Light resisting the Thunder and Fire from the Iron Armor Divine Thunder. The world turned into a vast ocean, the air into raging currents. Pure Light and Thunder and Fire mixed into a turbulent flow, colliding and churning wildly.
Yang Ji was closer to the chaos. The impact triggered his injuries, with blood seeping from the sword scar on his body as his lips stained crimson.
Clearly, in such a short time, Yang Ji had no way to recover.
If not for the fact that Thunder and Fire did not harm him but instead aided him, he even might have perished.
Seizing the opportunity, Daoist Yuan soared forward with his sword, intent on snatching the Ghost Gate.
But just then, a gust of Righteous Qi surged in like a forceful wind.
It was Zhong Shenxiu!
Like a pure white sun, a sphere of light floated in the wind of Righteous Qi. A massive "Righteous" character bobbed up and down within, and Zhong Shenxiu’s Qi Blade retracted the form of heaven and earth and churned with Vast Qi, arranging small characters in the golden light around him into a splendid piece of writing.
The former was Zhong Shenxiu’s trump card, while the latter was his Sutra’s Blade.
Sutra·Supreme Article.
"Heaven and earth have Righteous Qi, pervasively assuming form.
Below it forms the rivers and mountains, above it forms the sun and stars.
In men, it’s called Vastness, abundant enough to fill the boundless."
Zhong Shenxiu sang as he moved, his Qi Blade carving through the sky, Sword Light glittering. The golden characters of the "Righteous Qi Song" fell upon the blade, even the huge "Righteous" word merging into it, becoming the core of the brilliant text.
For a prodigy like Zhong Shenxiu, it wasn’t merely about using a life-saving trump card anymore. Instead, he integrated his own understanding into the killing move granted by his elders, comprehending its essence to make the move as if it originated from his hand, controlling it more smoothly and displaying even greater power.
This was similar to the principle of Jiang Li’s hardened trump card performance and Daoist Yuan’s guidance of the Taiching Divine Light with his will.
The essence of this Supreme Article Sutra Blade revealed the principle of Righteous Qi. With a slash falling from the heavens like the root of the Righteous Path, the grand and upright momentum enveloped heaven and earth, leaving those ahead with no place to hide. Aside from a head-on clash, they had no other choice.
"Taiching Divine Light."
Daoist Yuan stamped one foot on the ground and soared upwards, Pure Light transformed into a sword, reaching for the skies, washing away Thunder and Fire.
The Thunder and Fire were repelled by the Pure Light, and with the Righteous Path’s blade piercing through from the front, they were forced to accumulate on one side. Yang Ji, seizing the opportunity, pushed from the side towards the descending Sword Light.
Indeed, at this moment, Yang Ji silently allied with Daoist Yuan again.
For Yang Ji, it was best to possess the Ghost Gate, but if not possible, then it must be kept from the court’s hands.
Daoist Yuan’s motivations also quietly opposed the court; naturally, he wouldn’t allow the Ghost Gate to fall into Zhong Shenxiu’s hands.
United, they saw the Thunder and Fire surge and strike against the Sword Light, intense layers of Thunder Light and flames exploding. Along with it came the sweeping slash of the Taiching Divine Light, with the colossal sword and blade clashing, creating ripples visible to the naked eye.
Sound waves, air currents, the two combined, shaking the heavens and rattling the mountains. Even the Five Finger Mountain seemed to tremble faintly as roars like dragons and snakes emerged from below.
The Giant Snake Baqi felt the aftershocks rattling the mountains and sought to break free to see daylight again, as a torrent of demon energy surged violently from below.
But in the next moment, the resplendent Six-character Great Brightness Mantra appeared above the mountain. The Five Finger Mountain settled immediately. The demon energy was pushed back, a muffled groan was heard from below. Then there was silence.
On Middle Finger Peak, the flow that unsettled heaven and earth pitted the Taiching Divine Light against the Thunder and Fire. Ultimately, Sword Light cracked under the joined offensive, ready to collapse completely.
The Iron Armor Divine Thunder still retained some power, and the Taiching Divine Light was persistent, its residual strength not yet exhausted. Though it had collided with the Thunder and Fire, its potency remained formidable. Joined together, they finally overwhelmed even the exceptionally powerful Zhong Shenxiu.
However, at that moment—
"Ah!"
A sudden cry of agony rang out, and Daoist Yuan’s heart shook violently.
It was the scream of Zhang Daoyi!
Zhang Daoyi had been tricked in an earlier fight, and while he hesitated to disclose the details, Daoist Yuan was clear that it was difficult for him to take action, even assuming that Zhang Daoyi had been severely injured. After all, the scene where Jiang Li’s hand was pressed on Zhang Daoyi’s lower dantian was witnessed by Daoist Yuan.
Now, although Zhang Daoyi was protected by a trump card, if something went awry...
Daoist Yuan was thrown into chaos.
A chaotic heart leads to an unsettled mind, and at this critical moment, it’s almost certainly fatal.
"Clang!"
Amidst the crisp sound of shattering, the Sword Light collapsed, but the character "Righteous" carried an imposing momentum as it smashed through the Taiching Divine Light’s transformed sword. Its force not yet spent, it then collided with the Thunder and Fire, causing both to explode simultaneously. A massive surge swept through the heavens and a furious wind scoured the earth, the world engulfed by the gale.
Yuan Zhen’s figure, like a bird with broken wings, plummeted from the sky, and before he even hit the ground, he had already vomited a mouthful of fresh blood.
Yang Ji was pressed hard against the ground, his body seeming almost flattened, with his facial skin, hair, and clothes trembling frantically.
Zhong Shenxiu, on the other hand, was sent flying backward, retreating a full dozen or so yards before narrowly landing on the ground, avoiding tumbling off the mountain. His Qi Mechanism boiled over, and his meridians felt as if they were pricked with needles; it was clear he had suffered internal injuries.
It was only because these Fourth-Grade Experts had considered the younger generation’s ability to withstand their power when they struck that they divided a portion of their strength to protect them; otherwise, at least one or two of the three would have died.
The moment he landed, Yuan Zhen struggled to look in Zhang Daoyi’s direction, only to see that Zhang Daoyi was still sitting comfortably, protected by the Yin Yang Tai Chi all around him.
"Nephew, you’ve been tricked," came Zhang Daoyi’s voice, arriving belatedly.
Tricked?
A flurry of thoughts sped through Yuan Zhen’s mind.
"Who was screaming just now?" he keenly sensed a discrepancy.
Meanwhile, at the rear, Yang Ji slapped the ground with one palm, springing to his feet and rushing towards the Ghost Gate.
"Of course, it was me."
A leisurely laugh sounded, and a figure gracefully descended from the air, lightly stepping onto the summit of the Ghost Gate. Star symbols, a combination of circles and lines, swirled and swiveled around him, forming a beautiful scene. His eyes, shifting through triple phases, cast a glance that unconsciously made Yang Ji halt in his tracks.
Jiang Li?
"Jiang Li!" Yang Ji exclaimed.
The Jiang Li who was supposed to have died under the Iron Armor Divine Thunder had reappeared, and...
While he didn’t know how Jiang Li had managed it, those star symbols encircling his body were clearly a method left behind by a Fourth-Grade Expert for self-preservation.
"Jiang Li!" Yang Ji was beyond furious.
To think that he had even felt a momentary sense of shame, only to be played for a fool.
What a load of bravery and ambition, what a challenge to the heavens. It was all nonsense; with a backup plan, he stood unaffected and unconcerned.
"Was it you who spoke just now?" Yuan Zhen, supporting his wounded body, asked gravely.
"Indeed, it was I,"
Jiang Li responded with a smile, "Jiang’s senior brother just so happens to be skilled in ventriloquism, so I learned a bit. I never thought it would come in handy today. The saying ’The more skills, the better’ is indeed true."
The screams earlier were Jiang Li imitating Zhang Daoyi’s voice to disturb Yuan Zhen’s focus, indirectly creating the current situation.
"You knew that Yang Ji would try to cause a disruption?" Zhong Shenxiu also asked.
"Yes, indeed," Jiang Li nodded, "This time, the Red Eyebrow Army went from uprising to utter defeat in less than a month, a rapid rise and swift fall. The main reason was Lord Cui’s Book of Life and Death. Therefore, the Taiping Sect would definitely seek a way to counter the Book of Life and Death."
King Yanluo was the superior to the Judge Dao Fruit contained within Lord Cui, and therefore very likely to possess the ability to counter Lord Cui.
When Jiang Li saw Yang Ji still unwilling to leave even after a crushing defeat, and saw his mind stirring with action, he knew Yang Ji had other plans.
"After my battle with Hui Lun, my Divine Soul was damaged and would hardly recover to its peak quickly. If I faced Zhong Shenxiu in battle, my chances of winning were at most fifty percent. However, by then, I had already discerned Yang Ji’s intentions, so I was in no rush."
Jiang Li looked down at everyone and slowly said, "In the battle between Zhong Shenxiu and Yuan Zhen, if Yuan Zhen won, all would be well, and I have my ways of dealing with him. If Zhong Shenxiu won, then I would need to make use of Yang Ji as a pawn."
As he spoke, Jiang Li looked at Yang Ji with a gaze full of approval.
If Yuan Zhen won, Jiang Li would have exposed Yang Ji’s intentions early on, everyone would band together to deal with this scheming fellow, and then continue the contest for the Ghost Gate.
If Zhong Shenxiu won, it was likewise unimportant, for Yang Ji would act.
He might act before the final battle or after it; regardless, Yang Ji was bound to make a move. And all Jiang Li needed to do was ensure he acted before the battle, stirring up turmoil.
As for how to make him act beforehand, the method was simple: subtly reveal to him that his intentions were seen through.
Thus, chain by chain, the final outcome was always directed towards a side favorable to himself; Jiang Li was set on securing the Ghost Gate.
As for why Jiang Li, having achieved his goals, was still explaining...
"His innate Qi is seeping into the Ghost Gate; he can’t take the Dao Artifact directly," Zhang Daoyi suddenly spoke up.
Obviously, having achieved his goal but still talking was because Jiang Li was waiting for his initial sacrificial cultivation of the Ghost Gate.
Such high-grade Dao Artifacts, though lacking sentience, were difficult to take away if one couldn’t bond with them, just as with Jiang Li and the Ochre Whip. If it weren’t for Jiang Li being a descendent of Emperor Yan and having awakened the Divine Farmer’s appearance, he wouldn’t have been able to lift the Ochre Whip.
Of course, if one’s strength was sufficient, that would be another matter entirely. Regardless of whether you bond or not, I can simply overpower and forcibly take it.
The reason why Jiang Li was explaining like a third-rate villain was that he intended to amalgamate the Yin energy within the Ghost Gate with his Innate Qi, thereby increasing the degree of fusion.