Taiyi Dao Fruit

Imitating, is to learn.

Jiang Li was best at learning.

Learning brought him joy, filled him up, made him addicted.

Quietly, his hand within his sleeve grasped the yellow Dragon Scale. Jiang Li switched to Wise Man Mode, subtly perceiving the nameless breath flowing in the air, that long and faint frequency.

The best way to practice the Intention Technique Python was to find a Viper and observe it day and night, until one could fully visualize the Viper in their mind's eye, without any discrepancies inside or out. Then this Miracle Technique would truly be mastered.

Jiang Li couldn't find a real Viper, but fortunately, he had a substitute.

Dragons and snakes were related; lacking a Viper, using the Yinglong as a substitute would not be impossible, perhaps even superior.

Through the Dragon Scale, Jiang Li could sense thin strands of Qi rhythmically pulsing. They merged with the air, spread throughout every inch of Si Fan Valley, even resonating deep within Dinghu.

His breathing began to adjust, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, now heavy, now faint.

'No, this isn't right, I'm breathing in Evil Qi.'

The transparent bodily form that emerged in his mind was synchronized with the physical changes of his body. As soon as a very faint trace of black Qi appeared near his nose acupoint, Jiang Li hurriedly exhaled, expelling the wisp of Evil Qi.

'It should be long-lasting, profound, seemingly slow and dull, yet imperiously overwhelming...'

Constantly adjusting the frequency of his breathing, even using True Qi to assist and intent to calibrate, time and time again, Jiang Li's breath gradually became longer, even the beating of his heart slowed down.

Then, in a moment, when his breath was long-lasting to the extreme, his heart throbbed violently, exhaling breath.

"Wu~ Hoo~"

The beating of the organs, surging of the blood, movement of the muscles, everything inside him combined into a force, like thunder exploding within him, deafening. The long breaths were bringing out a low roar, and Jiang Li felt as though he was about to soar into the sky, ascending to the heavens.

Every part of his body was filled with explosive power; his heart pumped fiercely, sending blood rushing through his whole body.

If Jiang Li had not been reborn, having cultivated the Divine Farmer's appearance, this breath might have made his blood vessels explode.

"Wu—"

The air within the Stone House stirred wildly, causing the skirt of Gongsun Qingyue not far ahead to fly, her clothes fluttering, but she was completely absorbed, staring fixedly at Jiang Li.

Two columns of gray-white Qi shot from Jiang Li's nose. It was as if he had expelled all the waste gas from his body at once, feeling hollowed out similar to when he nearly fainted before, but without the weakness, instead feeling a refreshing clarity that came from deep within.

What was more important, Jiang Li's thoughts became extremely agile. Uncontrollably, he started to visualize according to the Intention Technique Python's mental formula, clearly imagining a Viper in his mind. He incorporated the powerful sensation experienced during breathing and the changes in his body into his visualization, fusing it with the Viper.

Scales gradually emerged on Jiang Li's forehead, expanding, followed by a snake's snout emerging from between the eyebrows, then a fierce snake head, which rapidly grew in size once separated from the body, increasingly...

Suddenly, Jiang Li's face turned pale, and the phantom of the Viper looked as if it was about to collapse.

His Divine Essence was rarely matched among those of Ninth Grade, but to conjure a complete form of the Viper was still far from sufficient. He struggled even to fully manifest a snake's head.

However, Jiang Li was quick-witted and switched tactics upon seeing the larger form unmanageable.

The gigantic snake head returned to the Mud Ball Palace at his forehead, undergoing transformation again. Soon, the scale pattern re-emerged, a spirit snake slithered forth, head, body, wings, tail — there was a slight pause when the tail emerged, but ultimately, it fully materialized.

"——"

A Winged Snake with an open mouth loomed in the sky, its scale armor and double wings meticulously detailed as if a Viper had descended to this world. It emitted a silent hiss, its nostrils flaring with a rhythm perfectly matching Jiang Li's breathing.

The Viper finally manifested.

Just a bit dainty...

"Giggle," Gongsun Qing Yue covered her mouth in mockery, "Junior Brother, you're quite slender."

This particular Viper was only about a foot long, which is 33 centimeters, indeed slender, merely as thick as a finger. If it curled up, it wouldn't even be as big as the eye of the previous snake.

Gongsun Qing Yue naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to tease, and she did so at the first chance.

"If Senior Sister wants to know just how thick or thin her Junior Brother is, I'm always welcoming."

Jiang Li gave the woman a look and with a thought, the tiny Viper flew into a paper figurine on the stone table. Following that, a shadow took form, and a solid Winged Snake materialized, folding its wings and soaring into the sky at a velocity so swift Jiang Li's eye power struggled to track it.

Next, the Viper flew out from the paper figurine and merged with the Mo Wu Battle Box. A dark-hued throwing knife separated from the Battle Box and cut through the air.

"Hiss—"

A deep scratch appeared on the surrounding walls.

The gigantic Viper shadow was imposing yet unwieldy, but the one-foot Viper, on the contrary, showcased Jiang Li's spiritual power to its fullest, affirming the famous adage that "concentration is the essence."

"Senior Sister, what do you think?" Jiang Li, having retracted the throwing knife into the Battle Box, asked.

The Viper then flew out from the Battle Box and perched beside Jiang Li's face, coiling around his ear before returning to his forehead.

'Such strong control, his strength seems truly invincible among the Ninth Grade.'

Observing this, Gongsun Qing Yue quietly assessed, 'And that breathing—it's quite similar to the Yinglong Transformation described in the Form Tomb. Could the Yinglong be his model?'

The Form Tomb took inspiration from all creatures and would not overlook such a formidable being as the Yinglong. In this secret Divine Skill transmitted by the Ji Family, there was indeed a method to condense the appearance of the Yinglong, which also laid the foundation for many dragon-mimicking techniques.

Although Gongsun Qing Yue had not practiced the Yinglong Transformation, she was familiar with the technique. Connecting it to the recent turbulence of the Yinglong Dao Fruit, she naturally thought of a connection between the two.

'If that's the case, Jiang Li's potential is far more terrifying than anticipated. If he lives, he will surely become a formidable entity in time.'

'But, to catch up to me, he's still lacking.'

With that thought, Gongsun Qing Yue straightened her chest and said indifferently, "Not bad."

Just a mere Ninth Grade, thinking of turning the world upside down?

Sooner or later, you'll pay the price for your insolence.

Gongsun Qing Yue had already begun planning for the time after leaving Si Fan Valley.

Regarding Gongsun Qing Yue's stubborn resistance, Jiang Li simply smiled, not taking it to heart in the least. He had already discovered two methods for integrating with the Dao Fruit. As long as he followed the process step by step, advancing to the Eighth Rank wouldn't be far off.

Let's see if this Senior Sister Gongsun can remain so defiant when he reaches the Eighth Rank.

'And then there's Jiang Zhuyun...' Jiang Li's eyelids drooped, concealing the fluctuation in his gaze.

When he leaves Si Fan Valley, it will be time for a direct confrontation with Jiang Zhuyun. The question is whether Jiang Zhuyun is stronger or weaker than Gongsun Qing Yue.