Taiyi Dao Fruit

"Demon spawn, I knew at first glance you were not human."

Jiang Li, upon seeing this red and blue blood, immediately called out sternly, "Everyone, retreat behind me."

Before the call had faded, the Freezing Ice Talisman followed. Jiang Li used the Freezing Ice Talisman to transform Innate Qi, and in an instant, a cold wind unexpectedly arrived, freezing the blood to the bone and causing ice to form on the surface of his palm.

"Young man, such a ruthless heart you have."

"Gongsun Qingyue" let out a strange laugh, her eyes silently turning into vertical pupils; the arm that was severed shook, and the palm suspended in midair transformed into a tentacle, sweeping towards the cold air.

"Bang!"

The tentacle was heavy with great strength, and when it collided with the cold wind, the chill scattered instantly, but the tentacle itself was covered with a thick layer of frost.

"Gongsun Qingyue" remained unruffled as her wrist regrew flesh and blood, and in the blink of an eye, another tentacle emerged, transforming back into a palm. At the same time, that exquisite face also quietly changed, becoming a pale complexion with well-carved features, indistinguishable as male or female, even the voice becoming neutral.

"Ever since I achieved mastery in the art of fleshly growth, it is the first time I've been discovered so quickly. Young man, can you tell where I exposed a flaw?" The mysterious Devil Cultivator said with interest, the newly grown fingers suddenly revealing the color of metal, drawing through the air to clash with the sword tip.

"Ding!"

A clever force traveled along the sword tip. Jiang Li sensed his Mo Sword vibrating in hand, and its internal components showed signs of coming loose.

This person before him was not as strong as Jiang Zhuyun, but his skill far surpassed his; the ingenuity of the force applied was astonishing to Jiang Li.

Fortunately, they were in Kaiyang Hall, home of the Dinghu Sect.

"Fellow disciples, there is no need to speak of Jianghu righteousness with this demon—let's stand shoulder to shoulder," Jiang Li called out decisively.

If they could fight as a group, there was no need for single combat. This was no sparring match, no need to talk about rules. As for the other's doubt... Jiang Li didn't want to say more at all.

Any questions could wait until they had subdued their foe, then they could question them in detail.

Within Kaiyang Hall, there were other disciples; seeing "Gongsun Qingyue" reveal the nature of a demon, they immediately followed the fine traditions of a reputable sect and attacked together. Sword Qi, firelight, thunder light, and wind blades came from all directions, striking at this demon who dared to infiltrate the Dinghu Sect.

Unexpectedly, the Devil Cultivator remained completely calm. He spit out a slender snake tongue, moving forward and back, his form flickering indeterminately, and making all sorts of movements that defied human anatomy, slithering like a snake through the gaps in the assault.

Suddenly, one hand split into three tentacles, like whips or shadows, weaving forth and striking directly at Jiang Li's position.

'Snake tongue, again with snakes.'

Jiang Li, reminded of the scene when he was chasing Zhou Mingyun, wielded the sword before him to create a dance of Mo Sword wind, the chaotic sword light intercepting the tentacles. At the same time, he flicked his sleeves, scattering fluttering pieces of paper.

Paper figures gushed from the sleeves like a spring, wrapping towards the foe in mid-air with a glinting ice-blue brilliance flashing over them, sending forth a burst of cold light.

There's a saying: Once bitten, twice shy. Having been bested by a snake once, Jiang Li specially prepared an anti-snake strategy, readying a batch of Freezing Ice Talismans as backup.

Moreover, he combined the talismanic magic of the Divine Descent Skill with his other talismans, turning each talisman into an autonomous cruising missile, making for an even more adept control.

Fifty Freezing Ice Talismans erupted; Innate Qi caused the power of the talismans to surge dramatically. Wherever the cold light touched, everything was encased in ice, and the three extended tentacles were immediately frozen stiff. The cold also permeated the Devil Cultivator's body, causing his complexion to turn a ghastly blue.

Since snakes are cold-blooded creatures, using cold against them is the best method. Jiang Li unleashed fifty Freezing Ice Talismans at once, all enhanced with Innate Qi, which would have affected any average Eighth or even Seventh Rank.

The premise is—ordinary Seventh and Eighth Rank.

"Hmph!"

The Devil Cultivator snorted lightly, and his pupils suddenly turned a vivid crimson. A dark green stream of sinister energy burst forth from his body, rapidly corroding and dispersing the frost that covered him, "Dark World Mysterious Flow."

A wildly rebellious and shadowy evil aura scattered in all directions. Those inside the hall felt an intense discomfort in both body and mind; some even had traces of black qi appear on their faces and looked like they were about to vomit, making the encirclement naturally fall into disarray.

'Poison?'

Jiang Li internally examined himself and then refuted the idea in his mind, 'It's not poison; it's an evil energy.'

If it wasn't poison, it would be easier to handle.

Although Jiang Li had the Divine Farmer's appearance, he had few solutions for toxins, but if it was merely qi, that would be no problem.

The evil stream spun in the air, writhing like a snake as it struck towards him. Jiang Li anticipated the move, pressed his palm to his sword, and the Mo Wu Battle Box immediately reconstructed itself as he infused it with Innate Qi.

"True Intent Technique Python."

Magic, weapon, power, the three combined as one, and the ink-colored viper soared, colliding with the evil stream in a struggle akin to that of two intertwining snakes.

His eyes piercingly observed the reality and illusion of the evil stream's qi mechanism. The viper swiftly shifted before impact, striking at the midst of the evil stream. Innate Qi refined it aggressively, instantly producing billowing green smoke.

"Three Points Return to Primordial Qi."

Jiang Li himself took a misstep forward, manipulating a ball of Primordial Qi, half the size of a man, and pushed it outwards. With one strike, he dispersed the evil stream, slamming it into the body of the Devil Cultivator.

"Evil Luo Sheng."

The Devil Cultivator immediately switched from offense to defense. His evil qi solidified into hundreds, even thousands of skull heads, forming a portal in front of him as a barrier. However, Jiang Li's Innate Qi was simple and unadorned, designed to break through all sorts of fancy tricks. Although the skill was clever, it still didn't work well against Jiang Li's onslaught.

"Boom!"

The portal burst open, and the skulls shattered one after the other. Innate Qi struck the Devil Cultivator, sending him flying backwards off the ground and forcing him to take two more steps back upon landing. A large swath of mucus fell from his body.

His body, once indistinguishable from that of an ordinary person, was now covered with scales over most of it. The areas not covered with scales were overgrown with black hair, suckers, and a thick keratin layer, barely maintaining a human shape.

"The Divine Farmer's appearance of the Jiang family truly is extraordinary, and the Innate Qi is indeed the foundation of Qi Dao. Today, this humble one has truly opened his eyes."

The Devil Cultivator praised repeatedly, despite having been at a disadvantage in the exchange, he still had not lost his composure.

Flesh moved on his body, and a dark green color flowed over the scale armor, snaking around, revealing a sinister and eerie presence.

Through the exchange, Jiang Li had basically ascertained that the opponent's Realm should be Seventh Rank, and his power didn't seem to exceed the limits of the Seventh Rank as Jiang Zhuyun's did. However, in terms of mastery of magic and control of strength, he was far superior to Jiang Zhuyun.

If the battle were to drag on, the outcome would remain uncertain.

But this was Dinghu Sect.

Even though the fight had been brief, it was enough time to wait for reinforcements. Even now, as the Yinglong Dao Fruit surged, they wouldn't allow an outsider to wreak havoc unchecked.

"Would you allow this palace to also have its eyes opened?"

A melodious voice, like a clear spring, carried a piercing clarity that reverberated through the hearts of those present, as a figure quietly appeared outside Kaiyang Hall.

"Splat—"

The Devil Cultivator, who had been composed all along, didn't even think before he transformed into a tentacle and crashed onto the ground, letting out a crisp sound.