Taiyi Dao Fruit

"Cao Xuande, your life ends here!"

The elegant lady charged ahead on her horse. When her light boat came within two zhang, she soared into the air, and as she hung in suspension, golden energy emerged from her palm, striking down with force.

The female disciples of the Dinghu Sect generally followed the path of the Magic Practitioner, starting with the Dao Fruit of a Daoist, but this Senior Sister was different. She walked the path of the Divine Attribute Dao Fruit and practiced the Power of a Martial Cultivator. At this moment, her strike from above was strong and powerful, in no way inferior to Xiao Shidao.

"Boom!"

Jiang Li met her blow with his palm, both sides aiming their powerful and heavy strikes. Jiang Li, who cultivated both spirit and life, had a physique no weaker than a Martial Cultivator, while the woman possessed a powerful body fortified by the Dao Fruit, her strength further augmented by the "Patrol the Four Directions" technique.

Striking from mid-air allowed her to utilize the high ground, but she left herself with no reserve force, a move that allowed advancement but no retreat. Yet Jiang Li stood upon the broken boat, also unable to draw upon the strength from solid ground, making them evenly matched in terms of terrain.

The boat under his feet was already mostly severed, so when hit by the aftershock of their encounter, it instantly split in two, forcing Jiang Li's feet apart. All the books remaining on board sank into the lake.

Xiao Shidao, already facing the calamity of a complete overthrow, had no strength left to fight and fell from the boat into the lake.

Upon seeing this, the elegant lady forcefully surged her True Qi, pressing down with her palm, intending to send Jiang Li to keep Xiao Shidao company. However, Jiang Li's energy was unceasing and continuous, resisting her palm force. With his legs, he pulled the two halves of the boat back together, sending them rebounding back into the air.

The Daoist shadow behind him suddenly merged back into his body, circling around him with an ethereal yet rich aura.

"Senior Sister Ye, we're here to assist you."

Several flat boats quickly arrived from behind, flanking from both sides, with more people boarding from the distant shores.

Clearly, they had no intention of facing Jiang Li in single combat.

The lady, whose real name was Ye Yuqi, somersaulted in mid-air and landed back on her light boat, ready to use the momentum for another attack.

But Jiang Li's assault had also arrived.

"Whoosh—"

Countless talismans flew from Jiang Li's sleeves, like myriad birds spreading their wings, darting about, with spirit lights flashing upon them.

Fire Thunder Talisman, no less than five hundred of them.

Ever since Jiang Li acquired his storage bag, his stockpile of talismans had been continuously increasing. He always had over a thousand talismans at his disposal, among which the Fire Thunder Talisman was the most crucial resource.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom—"

The lake's surface instantly erupted into balls of fierce fire, splashing water and scattering wood chips everywhere. The light boats were shattered by the blasts, and those manning the boats were left soot-faced, with more than half of them ending up in the water.

After all, only a few could walk on floating leaves or water as Jiang Li could, and even if they had the Power, a lack of Qinggong skill rendered them useless. Not everyone is capable of comprehensive development through sheer effort like Jiang Li.

However, they were all adept swimmers, so there was no need to worry about drowning.

Effortlessly breaking through the encirclement, Jiang Li held his sword behind his back with one hand. His body flashed with bright light, like a statue made of jade and crystal. He sensed his surroundings and caught the swiftly approaching Qi Mechanism.

"Cao Xuande!"

Ye Yuqi burst out from the flames, her body shimmering with golden energy, her True Qi vast and powerful. She stepped on the waves and darted toward him like a startled swan, pursuing her attack once more.

Her true strength was even greater than that of Xiao Shidao, and her Hand Skill was profound. Initially, Jiang Li found her difficult to defeat. It was only by surprising her with the Bending Flower Hand that Ye Yuqi voluntarily gave up possession.

At this moment, Ye Yuqi gave it her all. Her attack was like a storm, one palm light and ever-changing, moving as though scattering petals, and her other palm was heavy and forceful, showing great skill without apparent effort, combining strength and softness, her moves perfectly fluid.

She stepped onto the boat, her seemingly light footsteps instantly shattering more than half of the hull, her palms driving a fierce attack like dark clouds overhead.

Jiang Li, standing upon the fragments of the vessel, pumped his True Qi and, like riding a slippery board, retreated swiftly over the water, weaving left and right, occasionally using his right hand to block and fend off the oncoming palm strikes.

Ye Yuqi launched the Dinghu Sect's "Ten Thousand Leaf Flying Flower Palm" with one hand, while the origin of the other hand's technique was unknown to Jiang Li, yet he recognized its fierce martial prowess. As both palms were thrust forward, a golden flowing fire shadow emerged on the left and a light, agile breeze on the right, magnificent and overpowering. With each successive move unleashed, her palm strikes grew stronger without showing the slightest sign of weakness.

She skimmed across the water's surface, relentlessly unleashing twelve moves, each more perilous than the last; Jiang Li retreated twelve times in response, each block and dodge barely succeeding by a hair's breadth.

The Divine Farmer's appearance remotely sensed the Qi mechanism, and calculations rapidly swept over the karma collection. As Jiang Li retreated from twelve moves, he also counted twelve.

With the thirteenth move, Ye Yuqi's palm force became more overwhelming, like a raging sea's surge, tumultuous and unpredictable. In contrast, Jiang Li was like a small boat caught in a terrifying tempest, at risk of being swallowed by the waves at any moment.

It was then the scabbard of the Mo Wu Sword was released, its gleaming sword tip reflecting the golden light as it rose.

Like a poignant lighting strike, the sword light darted forth, cleaving a lightning-shaped flash that dazzled the eyes, yet its path felt peculiar and contorted. Despite its awkward trajectory, it tore through Ye Yuqi's palm force, causing the surging waves to dissipate like a bursting dam; his Sword Qi swept past, wounding Ye Yuqi's shoulder and staining it with blood.

After twelve moves, Jiang Li had deciphered Ye Yuqi's palm techniques. With a single stroke, he broke through her palm and sliced her Protective True Qi.

"Step back."

Jiang Li spoke with the calm of a still well, the lifeless right eye swirling with the shadow of a snake. Ye Yuqi once again felt an overwhelming dread.

Using the "True Intent Technique Python" to execute the Bending Flower Hand was more secretive and harder to defend against than the Finger Wind; almost as soon as Ye Yuqi's True Qi was disrupted, her defeat was sealed.

"Shameless!"

Ye Yuqi managed to emit a low roar before her legs gave way, and she fell into the lake, like losing her breath, splashing up a wave of spring water.

The swiftest counterattack, the most effective method of subduing an enemy. At this moment, Jiang Li had entered a state of desirelessness and detachment, completely devoid of sentiment, showing not the slightest pity for the beauty of the flower.

Besides, even against the more formidable Senior Sister Gongsun, Jiang Li was ruthless. All the more so against this Senior Sister Ye who he'd just met.

Afterward, Jiang Li stepped across a plank and flew by, his body adorned with intense golden light.

"Dingchou prolongs my life, Dinghai confines my soul.

Dingyou controls my spirit, Dingwei turns away my disaster.

Dingsi navigates me through danger, Dingmao steers me from distress.

Jiazi protects my body, Jiaxu safeguards my form.

Jiashen fortifies my life, Jiawu guards my soul.

Jiachen stabilizes my spirit, Jiayin nourishes my True Qi."

With every utterance, a divine shadow took form and merged into Jiang Li. After twelve phrases, Six Ding and Six Jia protected him, and Jiang Li appeared like a divine person.

He pursued the other six who had emerged amidst the flames, attacking without defense. Sword light, bolts of lightning, flashes of fire, and palm force assailed him, dimming his golden light, almost rupturing the Six Ding and Six Jia Protection Talisman, yet he parried every strike from his opponents.

The long sword in his hand jabbed and slashed, its sword light flashing like electricity, slicing through various True Qi. Following his gaze, each senior fellow disciple clutched their legs and fell into the water, drenched in cold sweat, proving invincible to all.

The others who arrived later were greatly shocked—what had transpired in mere moments had resulted in the complete defeat of those attempting to intercept, all of them ending up as drenched chickens.

"Cao Xuande!"

A senior fellow disciple struggled to emerge from under the water, crying out in pain, "You are despicable and shameless! You have no honor!"