Taiyi Dao Fruit

Blood-colored locusts blotted out the sun, and the strange, lurid sky was obscured. Blood qi rampantly surged, filling the space between heaven and earth with an eerie, ominous atmosphere.

The fireball patrolling the sky, about to be enveloped by the blood qi, violently erupted in a Flame Flow. Within it, a divine bird with blue feathers and red patterns and a single leg flapped its wings, sweeping away the locusts like clouds.

But at the same time, more and more locusts gathered, coalescing midair into a huge blood-colored skull, emitting a piercing howl.

"Boom!"

Blood qi turned into waves, colliding with the fiery clouds, creating turbulent eddies, each as fierce as the other. But the Bi Fang Demon God was suddenly forced to flap its wings and retreat, its crimson eyes showing uncertainty, while the surrounding flames became chaotic and unsteady.

"You are not the locust god? Who are you?"

The sky echoed with the demon god's exclamation, while the blood-colored locusts chased forward like a tide.

"Cackle, cackle, cackle."

The blood-colored giant skull in midair let out a chilling laugh, showing none of the bearing of a villain. It did not bother to explain and pressed its attack with vigor.

The blood locusts tore through the sky, the blood qi engulfing the city beneath, and the factions engaged in fierce combat all sensed the anomaly simultaneously.

One could see a Heavenly Soldier stained by the blood qi, with scarlet patterns abruptly appearing on his palm, the affected flesh rotting instantly, turning into blood. At the same time, agonized screams and a series of booms echoed throughout the city, as streaks of demon energy dissipated.

This was undoubtedly the death wails and struggles of Devil Cultivators facing their demise.

In contrast, members of the Taiping Sect emerged unscathed, enveloped by a faint glow of divinity, fighting with renewed vigor while shouting, "Yellow Heaven above," and seized the opportunity to counterattack.

"Poison?!"

Zhong Shenxiu cut down several men with a single strike, held his breath to concentrate his power, closing off his pores and fought as he retreated. "Everyone, retreat!"

Whether it was poison or something else, the emergence of this wave of blood-colored locusts signified that additional forces were entering the fray, promising even more ferocious battles to come.

Yet, he had to ask permission from the enemy to retreat.

Several starlights attacked from all directions, fists, palms, swords, and Gang Qi simultaneously converging, forcing Zhong Shenxiu to parry with his sword, "Sutra."

The Blade Energy crisscrossed, transforming into brilliant glyphs, forming a barrier as Gang Qi collided, causing the ground to surge and cut off the enemy's counterattack, aiding their own side's retreat.

But it also attracted the blood locusts.

A swarm of blood-colored locusts surged in response, swooping down from the sky, threatening to engulf the enemy forces. In a moment of crisis, the sound of a qin suddenly rose, the notes of the Pure Saint resonating far and wide.

A Phoenix Bird flew into the sky, its singsong cry transforming the formless sound into tangible waves, which struck down the blood-colored locust tide upon contact.

At the same time, Heavenly Thunder roared across the sky, vibrations set the earth trembling, its sound echoing for eight hundred miles, grand and Supreme Yang, abruptly halting the spread of the wicked blood qi.

"The Feng Laiqin, it's Senior Brother Dongfang."

Zhong Shenxiu's spirit was jolted. "And that thunder sound... the Kui Drum!"

Dongfang Ji, the Director of Music, and another advanced disciple under the Imperial College Sacrificial Officer, was a Fourth-Grade Expert and Zhong Shenxiu's Senior Brother. On this occasion, Dongfang Ji accompanied Zhong Shenxiu to protect him.

As for the Kui Drum...

"The Kui Drum, Yaoguang Breaking Army!"

The several starlights that had been chasing Zhong Shenxiu stopped short, revealing armored figures, their faces showing uncertainty.

"Jiang Li! He's returned?"

Although it hadn't been openly discussed, those paying attention to Jiang knew that the Kui Drum, which should belong to the Ji Family, was now in Jiang Li's hands. That day, the battle between Jiang Li and the Zong Zheng was a massive affair, especially the sound of the Kui Drum, which reverberated over eight hundred miles. Once the factions made inquiries afterward, the whereabouts of the Kui Drum were known.

Now that the drum sounded, it not only affected the battle but also conveyed a signal—Jiang had arrived.

After a series of impressive victories, Jiang Li's renown and influence had grown rapidly. The sound of the Kui Drum made various Divine Thoughts rush into the battlefield.

In the sky, the blood-colored locusts became even more violent, entwining around both the Bi Fang Demon God and the Phoenix Bird.

On the other side of the county town, the Four Gods of the Taiping Sect and the Immortal of Colossal Spirit also narrowed their eyes at the same moment.

"Jiang Li indeed has returned," declared the Marquis of Wind after deducing from the wind's whispers. "The Kui Drum is coming from twenty miles away. The backup forces from Feng Manlou are also close."

The Master of Rain was taken aback, observing the Mother of Lightning surreptitiously.

Jiang Li had been expected to be inside Mother of Lightning previously, but now he appeared in the distance. Could it be that he had already left?

Thinking it through, it seemed quite possible.

Even from their short encounter, this emerging talent didn't seem like a typical youth, his cunning mind was indeed a mark of Tianxuan's True Inheritor. Dealing with the Master of Rain on one hand while stealthily leaving on the other was definitely within his capabilities.

Because he was wary of the Master of Rain.

With these possibilities flashing through his mind, the Primordial Lord Rain Master showed almost no hesitation, decisively saying, "Attack."

Their side was already at an advantage, with a third-grade power waiting two hundred miles away, and Jiang Li's arrival imminent. Any hesitation now could reveal a crucial vulnerability.

The Master of Rain certainly wouldn't make such a mistake, and, even with all forces deployed, Jiang Li's side might not necessarily lose.

At that moment, as the forces were about to attack, the Marquis of Wind spoke again, "Wait! That's not Jiang Li, it's Gongsun Qingyue."

Information carried by the wind alerted the Wind God that the person drumming was not Jiang Li, but his fellow disciple and Senior Sister—Gongsun Qingyue.

"It's all the same," Mother of Lightning interjected, "In fact, it might even be better with Gongsun Qingyue here. If she is in danger, Jiang Li will surely show up, otherwise, he cannot afford the wrath of the Gongsun Family."