Taiyi Dao Fruit

It was near the seventh month, in the midst of the scorching summer. A sudden gust of hot wind ripped through the morning's chill by the serene waterside courtyard, bringing with it the intense heat of noon.

"Jiang Li!"

In the water pavilion, a figure in brocade with a jade belt muttered someone's name in a low voice, his body engulfed in a crimson whirlwind.

A tumultuous surge had covered Dinghu Sect early in the morning, brazenly declaring its progress to all clan members. Now, that surge had reappeared stronger than before, announcing its presence, making Jiang Zhuyun quite displeased.

This was not just because someone was rising above their station, but also due to the situation shifting.

He, Jiang Zhuyun, had shifted from being proactive to passive.

Previously, it was he who had taken the initiative, while Jiang Li had been passively hit. Now, the situation had reversed, and it was Jiang Li's turn to seek out Jiang Zhuyun.

A member of the branch family was challenging the head of the main family.

"My lord."

Outside the pavilion, someone was greeting and waiting for Jiang Zhuyun's command.

Clearly, the others had also sensed that very strong resonance.

Jiang Zhuyun calmed the flame qi within him, pondered for a moment, and then ordered, "Open the main gate, let him come."

...

...

"Thud."

The small boat docked, emitting a dull sound. A man and a woman gracefully disembarked and walked along the cobblestone path toward the nearby courtyard, as if they were partaking in a spring outing.

The tightly shut courtyard gate had already been opened. Two burly figures, dressed in green robes like the attire of Outer Disciples, stood guard like door servants on both sides.

As Jiang Li and Gongsun Qingyue approached, the two stepped forward simultaneously, their qi mechanism burst forth, and an invisible majesty swept over immediately.

Heavenly Weapon Dao Fruit Ability・Heavenly Weapon Divine Power.

The gatekeepers were also old acquaintances of Jiang Li—they were known within the Dinghu Sect as Li Chongyue and Zhang Zhenyang, both Outer Disciples who had achieved perfection in the Heavenly Weapon Dao Fruit. They had even sparred with Jiang Li before.

Now, both of them charged forth together, fully activating their Dao Fruit abilities, stirring the air and causing a whirlwind to roll forward.

However, times had changed. Jiang Li today was no longer the same as he was two months ago.

Jiang Li continued walking, neither too fast nor too slow, directly towards the two.

With patterns of divination and Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches flickering in his eyes, Jiang Li's figure was like a slender blade, slicing through where the two's momentum converged, severing the integration of their forces and causing them to clash against each other.

The whirlwind instantly split into two streams behind Jiang Li, disorienting the duo's qi mechanism and shattering their combined force.

Li Chongyue grasped his heavy sword, and Zhang Zhenyang utilized his primordial qi, muscles bulging. Seeing their deterrence casually neutralized, they were about to directly test out the situation.

They knew they were far weaker than Jiang Li, but even if they could not match his strength, they sought to probe for details, just like Lu Wangji and others had done yesterday—even if it meant they would suffer significant injuries.

The loyalty of these two to the main family made them ignore any hardship.

However, just as they were about to strike, Jiang Li's gaze had already met theirs. His spirit transformed, and two streams of invisible power were exerted onto the two simultaneously.

Li Chongyue was about to strike with his heavy sword but suddenly felt his arm go limp—the sword, instead of moving forward, shockingly chopped towards himself.

The strikes from the Heavy Sword weren't strikingly sharp, but its force was tremendously heavy. Cutting into flesh, it would rip open even the body of a Heavenly Soldier, even shattering Li Chongyue's ribs into pieces.

Zhang Zhenyang was about to strike with his palm, but the slightest exertion of strength had already preceded his movement, aimed precisely at the center of his palm.

In an instant, Zhang Zhenyang felt his palm bones vibrating, with the trembling extending to his muscles and flesh, resonating throughout his body. The Primordial Qi engulfing him seemed as fragile as paper paste torn apart due to the vibration, subsequently resulting in a breakdown of his Body Refining Techniques. The backlash of Qi Force caused concealed injuries all over his body.

Both men had barely moved to strike when they suddenly groaned, staggered backward, leaned against the wall, and collapsed onto the ground.

Jiang Li and Gongsun Qingyue, however, walked straight into the courtyard as familiarly as if it were their own home. A warm breeze from a particular direction guided them; they walked past the garden, through a long corridor, approaching the Water Pavilion where Jiang Zhuyun was located.

"Good skills."

Even from several feet away, a dominant force emanated from the Water Pavilion, and a voice that unveiled the mystery followed, "Discerning illusions and realities, seeing through the Qi Mechanism and Strength of the two men, then merely applying a slight force was enough to break their offensive strategies. Your Louguan Swordsmanship has reached the peak of perfection, seemingly having encompassed the Warlock Dao Fruit."

Indeed, only the Warlock Dao Fruit could enable such rapid advances in Jiang Li's Louguan Swordsmanship.

This voice revealed the illusion, and a dominating force ensued, like waves crashing relentlessly onto the shore, unmistakably revealing also Divine Power. But this force couldn't be compared to the likes of Li Chongyue or Zhang Zhenyang, gaining momentum even more furiously by commanding the situation.

Jiang Li stopped in his tracks; intricate and profound patterns flashed in his eyes as he pointed forward.

The wild force rustled the green trees on both sides, and after Jiang Li pointed, several green leaves were whisked away by the airflow. One, wrapped by the wind force, drew several arcs perfectly aligning it between Jiang Li's index and middle fingers.

Such a scenario bewildered the onlookers.

Was it Jiang Li who foresaw the flow of the force, the wind, and the falling leaves?

Or was it an act of precognition?

A simple gesture greatly surprised Gongsun Qingyue and the person inside the Water Pavilion, whose mental state wavered, creating ripples in the force.

Holding a leaf between his fingers, Jiang Li made a light slicing gesture at where the ripples occurred, disrupting the forceful wind, causing it to dissolve into a breeze that rustled the plants and flowers.

"Naturally, it is a good skill," Jiang Li then calmly stated.

The other party's identification of his Dao Fruit, taking a condescending stance, and the intimidating force, Jiang Li displayed his ability to read Qi and predict events, performing an unfathomable act to effortlessly dissolve the force and counter-intimidate.

In this exchange of moves, although the outcome was yet undecided, the signs of superiority were clear.

Even if Jiang Li's Realm and Power were not as developed, if both were to clash, it was difficult to say who would have the upper hand.

One, despite being at the bottom, progressed step by step to this point, cornering the opponent.

The other, initially with an advantage, was now continuously retreating, having played all his cards, showing signs of collapse.

In terms of mental state, Jiang Li held the high ground.

"Should I address you as Young Master, or should I call you Senior Brother?" Jiang Li looked at the silhouette behind the bamboo curtain of the Water Pavilion, slowly speaking.

Calling him Young Master signified placing precedence on the Jiang family.

Calling him Senior Brother implied prioritizing the Sect.

The different appellations represented different stances.

The figure in the Water Pavilion was briefly silent but responded to the question with another, "If you can predict to such an extent, can you also foresee why it wasn't until a few months ago that I acted against you?"

"And for the past three years, why have you remained unscathed?"

"Do you know the reason for that, Jiang Li?"