Taiyi Dao Fruit

"Concerning me..."

A cold light flashed across Gongsun Qi's face.

"The movement of the Emperor Star was driven by me, the manifestation of the ginsengfruit tree and the sealing of the Emperor were also guided by my hand, and even the turmoil across the Nine Provinces was stirred up by me. It was only fitting that the Heavenly Killing Mechanism should also be triggered by me, but now, there is another hand involved, triggering the killing intent, and it's directed at me?"

In his heart, thoughts flashed rapidly, and Gongsun Qi slowly uttered two words: "Ridiculous!"

"Locust God."

Upon calling out, the Yellow Clouds above churned, drawing in a trace of divine thought from afar.

As the divine thought descended midair, it transformed into a figure clad in a dirt-yellow robe, holding a flag that bore the twisting figure of a human-shaped locust Demon Monster.

"Greetings, Heavenly Monarch."

The Locust God bowed deeply and reported, "All arrangements are in place, everything is prepared, just waiting for the east wind. When spring warms the northern lands, it will be time for Liangzhou to fall."

"There's no need to wait for the warmer days, let's move ahead," Gongsun Qi stated directly.

Although it was already spring, everywhere was still in the biting cold of early spring, especially in the colder north, where it was hardly possible to feel the warmth of spring. Waiting for the warm days would still be quite some time away.

But now, with the enemy's killing intent revealed, waiting any longer might not afford the opportunity.

It would be better to move ahead.

"Advance the attack, no need to worry too much, Earth Uncle will handle affairs within the court," Gongsun Qi said lightly.

This game of chess was far from collapsing in Earth Uncle's eyes, and with the gifting of the Yin Talisman Scripture, he prided himself on being able to counterbalance Gongsun Qi and would naturally make a move.

"Since the Heavenly Monarch commands, the Locust God obeys," the Locust God let out a raspy laugh, with an eerie sense of excitement, "Actually, this king was also growing impatient, your words, Heavenly Monarch, align perfectly with my own desires."

His self-reference shifted, and on his mysterious yellow robe, a Dragon Pattern faintly appeared, imbuing the humanoid locust with an eerily noble aura.

Having said this, the Locust God transformed into a beam of yellow light, merging back into the Yellow Clouds.

Meanwhile, Gongsun Qi's Divine Light flickered behind his head, manifesting a vision of Milo's Realm, within which the firmament transformed, calculating the source of the killing intent.

Having lived for so many years, Gongsun Qi's proficiency in Yi Dao was naturally profound. In fact, to have advanced his plans to this point, Gongsun Qi's mastery of Yi Dao was certainly no lesser than Tianxuan. Coupled with his powerful cultivation, he could undoubtedly surpass Tianxuan in the application of this Dao.

If it weren't for the Great Venerable's constant interference, Gongsun Qi's plans wouldn't have reached this stage, and with the strength of Tianxuan and his disciples alone, they truly couldn't compete with him.

...

...

Yuxu Temple, Fire Cloud Hall.

Jiang Li slowly retracted his Divine Thought, and various anomalies around him began to dissipate.

However, the commotion from that moment had not escaped the three others in the hall.

Daoist Guang Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, his hidden hand furiously calculating, but on the surface, he said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist truly has extraordinary talents, having grasped the method of controlling artifacts in such a short time. All that is needed is to come here for sacrificial cultivation once a day, repeat it eight times, and the imprint can be established. After that, just wait for the artifact to be completed."

"Nine days, huh? That's within an acceptable range," Jiang Li said, seemingly relieved.

"Do you have urgent matters?" Daoist Guang Cheng asked.

"There's no urgent matter, but I think the time is about right," Jiang Li shook his head, adding, "The harsh winter has passed, and soon it will be the time when spring rejuvenates the earth. At that time, the Taiping Sect should make a move. And I, plan to start the war earlier."

Although the harsh winter climate didn't much affect the experts, it still influenced the lower-level cultivators, not to mention, Jiang Li was best at harnessing nature.

The same conditions applied to his side, so both parties by default scheduled the beginning of the war on a warm spring day.

While the lower-level combat power was weak, if gathered in a military formation and boosted in one person, it was still quite considerable and could even affect the outcome of a fourth-rank battle.

Moreover, both sides were considering forcing the opponent to put all their chips in, hoping to bankrupt the other. If even the lower combat strength was exhausted, then even if a few experts escaped, it would be difficult for them to achieve anything afterward.

For Jiang Li's side, this was crucial for breaking the foundation of the Taiping Sect. Without the lower levels, the Taiping Sect, which required incense for sustenance, would struggle to maintain its upper echelons, especially Earth Uncle who needed incense for another attempt at seizing heaven.

For the Taiping Sect, after depleting the opponent's lower combat strength, as long as the upper echelons could stall the other side, it would allow the sectarian advantage to fully blossom, which was also a great thing.

Thus, both sides were silently gathering their strength, then waiting for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent.

This time, however, Jiang Li planned to strike first, giving the other side a surprise just before the warmth of spring.

"Nine days from now, I and my senior sister will take our leave first. When the artifact is completed, I would trouble your sect's Daoist to send my armor," Jiang Li continued.

He was actually quite curious to see his armor, but compared to timing, the armor seemed less important.

Moreover, the great battle with the Taiping Sect would benefit Jiang Li's cultivation of his Dao Fruit. Further integration of the Dao Fruit could enhance his strength, giving Jiang Li more capital to act against the tide, and allowing the Yiyuan Jinghui to further exert its influence.

And this was also related to the advancement of the Dao Fruit.

Thus, this armor wasn't really that important.

Hearing this, Daoist Guang Cheng looked towards Guangming, responsible for Artifact Refining, and asked, "Junior Brother, is there a way to expedite?"