Chapter 229: Chapter 224 Tianxuan’s Heart Diminished
Dazzling lightning illuminated Elder Tianxuan’s veiled, pretty face, the unyieldingly righteous thunderbolt showing no mercy.
In the face of her, Jiang Li only needed to worry about not getting hit himself, with no need to worry about her getting hurt, he should go all out.
Elder Tianxuan stood calmly and indifferently, apparently without action, yet she made the Array Plate turn, diverting the oncoming lightning into the Xun Position, now facing directly forward.
"Whoosh!"
A strong wind suddenly rose, with the Xun Position being the place of wind, where wind attenuates thunder and then thunder generates wind, in a cycle of mutual generation and overcoming that she seemed to have mastered, using the strategy of using minimal force to deflect great strength, leveraging power by borrowing it.
Jiang Li even saw a glimpse of "Life in Desolate Places, bloom without defeat" in it.
Even with her Power suppressed, Elder Tianxuan’s Realm was not something Jiang Li could aspire to reach.
However, Jiang also had his strengths, such as some past life knowledge, which was undeniably an area where Elder Tianxuan was lacking.
Therefore, he was now going to use his strengths to attack Tianxuan’s weaknesses.
Before the lightning had dissipated, an unexpected change occurred behind the thunder light.
The sound of cleaving the air suddenly struck, and a hot breath pressed down as a giant sword descended from the sky.
Jiang Li transformed Qi into shape, externalized a massive dragon arm with Innate Qi, and grasped the giant sword transformed from the Mo Wu Battle Box, the sword tip resonating with a hum, constantly vibrating, and even absorbing the remaining lightning, enhancing its lethal force as it slashed down.
High-frequency Sword!
The Thunder Technique was just a ruse; the true attack was the High-frequency Sword.
Spanning several yards in an instant, the High-frequency Giant Sword cut through the fierce wind, and Elder Tianxuan’s manipulation of wind and thunder was either completely ineffective against it or, perhaps, she had no chance to act before it was severed by the sword.
Such swordsmanship was just too brutal.
"A Sword of Thunder and Fire?"
Elder Tianxuan perceived its essence in a glance, "Wrong, the main point is not the thunder and fire, but the vibration of the sword tip."
The Array Plate shifted, the Eight Trigrams rotated, and in an instant, it transitioned from the Xun Position to the Kan Position, True Qi surging like a flood, striking the giant sword, and instantly solidifying upon touch to envelop it in frost.
But—
"Hisss!"
It’s that saying again—just too brutal!
Sparks erupted from the sword tip, the giant sword cleaved straight down, ice and flowing water instantly split apart, and Elder Tianxuan’s figure suddenly bore a black mark, divided from top to bottom, split apart on both sides.
It seemed as if Jiang had just cleaved his master in two.
He was somewhat stunned, but in the next instant, he regained his wits, ’It didn’t hit.’
There was a change in the Qi Veins of the Array Plate, the originally interlocked array had shifted its position, moving five yards backward.
The giant sword struck the ground, leaving behind a charred deep scar, while the figure split in two collapsed and dispersed.
"Master, does this count as your disciple gaining an advantage?" said Jiang Li lightly.
Of course, it did.
It was a bit of a slap in the face.
Elder Tianxuan had just made a promise, yet Jiang Li, using the advantage of asymmetric information, forced her to shift position first, which was rather embarrassing for the master.
Although she was happy to see Jiang Li and Gongsun Qingyue together, Jiang Li shouldn’t slap Elder Tianxuan’s face.
[It is well known that Tianxuan’s tolerance is small, her generous bosom is padded.]
’Damn, I got a little carried away,’ Jiang Li inwardly cursed.
The Old Demon’s rank was too high, and Jiang had never been able to take advantage of her, only able to speak and apply psychological victories about her bosom, and even then, only daring to do so behind her back, without the courage to speak openly.
Now having gained an advantage for the first time, Jiang momentarily forgot about her petty nature and let disaster slip from his mouth.
As expected, in the next instant, Elder Tianxuan’s figure reappeared in the shifted Array Plate, and suddenly there was a thunderclap, with lightning bursting forth, transformed into a sword light that streaked towards him with a speed that left no room to cover one’s ears.
Sword Dao?
That’s right, Qingyue also excelled in Qimen Dunjia and the Flying Sword Technique, so how could her master, Elder Tianxuan, not be proficient?
Surely Qingyue wouldn’t just neglect to learn properly from her master, instead focusing on her master’s weaknesses to study on her own?
The thought flashed through Jiang’s mind as his hands moved without delay, the Dragon Claw gripping the giant sword, sweeping in a manner that could clear thousands of troops, clashing Thunder against Thunder upon the Mo Wu Giant Sword, sparking thousands of fiery points, even starting to absorb similar Thunder Sword Light.
"Boom!"
The Thunder Sword Light was cleaved in two by the giant sword, countless electric snakes wildly dancing, drawn in by the giant sword, making it even more lethal as it trembled with extreme frequency at every moment, displaying sheer extremity.
But—
The Mo Wu Sword could not hold.
"Your swordsmanship is overbearing to the extreme, and in its extremity, it is flawed; know that being too rigid can lead to breakage······"
Elder Tianxuan spoke lightly, turning the Eight Trigrams, adjusting the position to the Shock Position.
As a result, the electric force on the Mo Wu Sword grew even stronger, the trembling more intense, the power dramatically increased, but by doing so, it heightened the demand on the sword itself, and the Mo Wu Giant Sword, under the strain of vibrating thousands of times in an instant, was already showing signs of not being able to bear the load, looking like it could collapse at any moment.
The Old Demon proved worthy of the name: even if she had suffered a slight disadvantage due to a lapse in information, she instantly grasped the crux and thought of a way to break through.
The High-frequency Sword Technique Jiang Li had used to defeat Zhang Daoyi barely impressed Elder Tianxuan for a single move.
Left with no alternative, Jiang Li could only disassemble the giant sword into countless black components, and the sword formula dispersed as well.
"Next, as your teacher, I will show you further applications of the Wind Queen’s Strange Gate. The Eight Trigrams are the Earth Plate of Qimen, and beyond this, there are the Heavenly Plate, Human Plate, and Divine Plate······"
The leisurely voice reached Jiang Li’s ears as Elder Tianxuan’s figure began to blur.
Jiang Li suddenly found the Wind Queen Compass in his hand spinning incessantly. Except for the unmovable Taiji in the center, the other four layers of the compass were constantly in motion and changing.
The Heavenly Plate, Earth Plate, Human Plate, Divine Plate—all aspects of the Wind Queen’s Strange Gate were in play, and Jiang Li’s Array Plate was completely overwhelmed. The entangled Qi Veins he observed were so convoluted that he could not discern the patterns.
This wasn’t teaching; it was clearly a form of retaliatory strike.
In the next instant, a sense of crisis emerged in his heart; a melodious voice sounded from behind him.
"Li Sword Path."
A massive eruption of sword light ensued, spreading like wildfire—overwhelming and vivid sword radiance crisscrossed in all directions, like spreading flames, enveloping Jiang Li with brilliance above, below, and all around.
"Awooo!"
Without a second thought, he twisted his body. His True Qi underwent a Dragon Transformation, swirling around his whole body, and a several zhang long Yinglong Dragon revealed itself, emitting a shocking roar. The expanding dragon’s body easily broke through the surrounding assault.
"Clang clang clang······"
The sword light struck the dragon’s body repeatedly, producing a relentless clangor. The dragon’s head bore Three Flowers; the Three Elements Combined, rendering the body transformed by True Qi as sturdy as a physical one. Even sword Qi powerful enough to scorch the earth could not harm it.
"Boom!"
The Yinglong Dragon leaped up, releasing a Vigorous Qi Wave that repelled the sword Qi. The dragon head turned, and a stream of Innate Water Qi sprayed forth, a long watery streak, like a thin line between sea and sky, wherever it passed, the Li Fire Sword Qi was cut down.
"Kan Sword Dao," Jiang Li mimicked Elder Tianxuan.
However, his Kan Sword Dao seemed somewhat unpolished. Though it was unquestionably Innate Water Qi, its power was not in its aquatic nature, but in that single line.
This was the Kan Sword Dao: High-Pressure Water Cutting.
Using water to overcome fire, the water line circled and cut around him, following the dragon’s head as it swept backward. But at that moment, the simultaneous transformation of the four plates occurred again.
Suddenly an invisible pressure appeared all around, the water line abruptly broke, as if it had swept across an indestructible invisible wall, while Elder Tianxuan’s figure emerged quite abruptly on another side of Jiang Li.
She appeared ahead then suddenly behind.
Elder Tianxuan’s movement left Jiang Li completely baffled. She appeared at his side, a gentle hand reaching toward Yinglong’s body, the Heavenly Plate within the Array Plate spinning, stars shining brightly.
"Emperor’s Destiny, Golden Chariot."
A large purple star formed at her fingertip. Where it passed, Primordial Qi parted easily, and the body of Yinglong even began to crack on its own.
This move was originally a defensive tactic, but in Elder Tianxuan’s hands, it was turned into an offense, using the imposing power of the Emperor Star, invulnerable to myriad charms, to penetrate the sturdy body of Yinglong, stabilized by the "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top," aiming directly at Jiang Li’s very self.
Wrapped in Innate Qi, Jiang Li suddenly felt a strange yet familiar sensation around his waist.
"This is a move Qing Yue specially created for you. Enjoy it. I have said that I would help you win her over, and I will not go back on my word," Elder Tianxuan’s voice was ethereal but carried an unmistakable hint of teasing.
"Quack, it’s Orchid Brushing Acupoint Hand."
"This Bending Flower Hand technique, devised by Gongsun Qing Yue for men, was used once more on Jiang Li, clearly, Elder Tianxuan was aware of the encounters between Jiang Li and Gongsun Qing Yue."
Reading the text that appeared on the Karma Collection, Jiang Li was at a loss for words, feeling a profound mix of emotions.
It was like flirting with a girlfriend only to be caught by the soon-to-be mother-in-law—was it... exhilarating?
"Aren’t there legends in Jianghu like this? The young hero is intoxicated by an aphrodisiac, and the female hero must save him with her body, hoping for a blissful union. Go on, go find Qing Yue," Elder Tianxuan’s playful words continued, and then she withdrew.
Jiang Li felt an urge to curse.
The reason why aphrodisiacs are considered incurable is that they simply trigger a bodily impulse, harmless in themselves, and do not induce physical or True Qi rejection.
But an aphrodisiac poison is different; it harms the body and triggers rejection. The effects may be stronger, but one can counter it with Power, Elixirs, Magic Artifacts, and the like.
With aphrodisiacs, you can clear it by exercising, suppressing it with Mental State, and if all else fails, you can channel it out yourself.
With aphrodisiac toxins, you can detoxify yourself. If detoxification is successful, all is well, but if not, it’s generally the end.
Because such toxins, if "cured" through so-called selfless rescue, would only deepen the poison within the body and even alter one’s heart, surviving this way would mean a future plagued by rampant desires.
So all this talk about selfless rescue is to hoodwink those without common sense—having been affected by this move, if Jiang Li went to find Gongsun Qing Yue, it would be a marvel if she didn’t treat him like a pervert.
Given the Senior Sister who wasted opportunities, she would only laugh at Jiang Li, not thinking to seize the chance to get a ’duck’ into her belly.
Elder Tianxuan was also well aware of this, so this was definitely her reprisal.
Coming to this realization, Jiang Li gritted his teeth, steeled his heart, and prepared to disperse his Innate Qi in all directions to return fire.
However, Elder Tianxuan was too crafty and cunning, providing him with no opportunity. Having acted, she vanished without a trace, leaving Jiang Li clueless as to her departure.
"Women, you’re playing with fire."
In the end, Jiang Li could only issue a defiant declaration worthy of a boss.