Taiyi Dao Fruit

Three days had passed in the blink of an eye.

The date had quickly advanced to the second of February.

The second day of the second month was the day the dragon raised its head, marking the beginning of mid-spring in the cycle, associated with wood and manifesting the trigram for thunder.

A muffled thunderclap boomed across the sky, and the weather visibly darkened at a speed the naked eye could follow. The overwhelming might of thunder descended, where Yin and Yang clashed and evolved into creation and destruction. The sheer force of will, even when just slightly sensed, could cause one's spirit to tremble violently.

On a mountain in Liangzhou Province, Zhang Zhixuan's yellow robe fluttered as he controlled the Heavenly Thunder, and a colossal Divine Image slowly emerged behind him.

"Three days have gone by."

His gaze was commanding, with Thunder Seals manifesting in his eyes, locking onto a figure not far away, "It's time to end this."

Since the day he had been intercepted by the Mo Sect Master, three days had passed, and Zhang Zhixuan had stood his ground on this mountain, not moving an inch.

Even when the Taiping Sect suffered a significant defeat in Chanting County and King Shu was severely injured, Zhang Zhixuan did not take action until today.

"Is Sect Hierarch Zhang growing impatient?"

The Mo Sect Master's palm had been gripping the hilt of the Heavenly Will Sword all this time, maintaining a readiness to strike. As Zhang Zhixuan now seemed poised to make a move, the Mo Sect Master also elevated his sword momentum to its pinnacle under the drawing of Qi Mechanism.

"Indeed, if you don't return soon, perhaps Sect Hierarch Zhang will become a loner. With the rising Evil Qi and the change in the wind and clouds, Sect Hierarch Zhang surely understands better than I what this signifies."

As a controller of life and death, Zhang Zhixuan had embraced the Dao Fruit of the Nine Heavens Thunder Sound General Heavenly Venerate, being the leader of the Thunder Department. He was profoundly aware of the variations in the murderous intent of heaven and earth.

When he perceived the surge of murderous intent and Evil Qi reaching its peak, he knew that Jiang Li was about to make his move.

It had been only three days, and even on this dragon-raising day, Jiang Li had chosen to fight to the death. Such decisiveness, accompanied by swift and forceful action, did not even allow for a moment's extra respite.

Zhang Zhixuan did not know whence Jiang Li's confidence sprang. His mind was filled with myriad thoughts as he pondered what strategies the crafty Jiang Family Head and the Yaoguang Elder might employ, yet he could not come to a definitive conclusion.

However, one thing Zhang Zhixuan was absolutely certain of:

He could not stay here any longer.

"Verbal probing will only reveal your weakness, Mo Xuankong. You can't defeat me."

Zhang Zhixuan's body shone with Thunder Light, melding indistinguishably with the Divine Image behind him. He controlled the thunder and commanded life and death, his imposing presence crushing all directions, "In a direct confrontation, you are no match for me. Now that both time and the heavens favor me, Mo Xuankong, your defeat is inevitable."

The Mo Sect Master was a top assassin feared by all, even causing the Emperor to be injured in an assassination attempt.

While the Emperor was at his weakest at the time, the ability to harm a Supreme being in a single strike was a testament to his strength.

However, an assassin is still an assassin, and once exposed, their threat diminishes significantly.

After facing off against Zhang Zhixuan for three days, their confrontation of wills had given him a good sense of the Mo Sect Master's strength. Confident in his victory, Zhang Zhixuan knew it would come at a substantial cost to determine the outcome quickly.

To avoid this outcome, Zhang Zhixuan concealed his strategy behind his words and aimed to attack the mind before the body.

But the Mo Sect Master was resolute, unaffected by words. Despite his broad hat concealing his face, it could not hide his determination.

"How can you know you can't win unless you try?"

The Mo Sect Master spoke calmly and evenly, his sword's edge hidden, not demonstrating the earth-shattering presence of Zhang Zhixuan, yet his threat was no less significant, "Even in defeat, I can still leave you with a serious injury, Zhang Zhixuan. After all, you cannot focus solely on the matter at hand as I can."

Zhang Zhixuan used his words to attack the mind, and the Mo Sect Master responded in kind. In their dialogue, their auras became increasingly extreme—one like a storm in its fury, and the other, a return to simplicity and constraint.

And the moment the Mo Sect Master's words ceased—

The Heavenly Will Sword was drawn.

A streak of Sword Light suddenly appeared, like an aurora, momentarily dividing the gloomy heavens from the earth.

The Sword Light was refined, lacking tremendous force or apparent sharpness, yet any obstruction was shattered, proving invincible.

Zhang Zhixuan's intent released lightning, and thunder rumbled and interwove into a net before him, but this Sword Light instantly pierced through it.

Even the most rigid and upright thunder was cut cleanly in two, so smoothly that it appeared as though the lightning was a tangible object.

"With the Five Thunders in hand."

Zhang Zhixuan's thoughts surged as the Divine Image of the Nine Heavens Thunder Sound General Heavenly Venerate swiftly merged into his body, becoming one with him. His hand turned to Thunder Light and, in an instantaneous flash, caught the Sword Light.

The Thunder Light flickered in his palm, colliding with the Sword Light, emitting a piercing sound, and sparks exploded from his hand.

A perilous confrontation was sparked in a blink.

As an assassin, the Mo Sect Master did not hesitate to engage in direct combat. A streak of Sword Light emerged, and the Heavenly Will Sword unsheathed, transforming into a golden feather-like form. Like a ray of light, a long rainbow, it pierced through the air to execute its target, its bursting sword momentum intensely fierce, capable of seizing the brightness of day.

This stance and intent were difficult to conceal or condense any longer; they fully erupted.

"A White Rainbow Piercing the Sun," Zhang Zhixuan inwardly acknowledged with solemnity.

The younger Mo Xuankong had also been famous, and his Dao Fruit was no secret. When he advanced to Seventh Rank, he embraced the Uniqueness Dao Fruit of the assassin Nie Zheng, and his ace move "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun" combined his Dao Fruit Ability.

While the Uniqueness Dao Fruit of the Seventh Rank wasn't as formidable as that of the Sixth Rank, its rarity was comparable. Consequently, all of Mo Xuankong's moves were centered around this Dao Fruit, and once his foundation was established, even upon reaching fifth-rank, fourth-rank, he did not abandon this technique.