Taiyi Dao Fruit

Though Jiang's credibility is truly lacking now, the presence of the exotic Thunder Gang is undeniable.

King You, possessing the body of ghosts and gods, is sensitive to the thunder, the utmost firm and strong. With his age, he should have encountered Zhang Zhixuan and naturally recognize that this is the alien energy left by Zhang Zhixuan.

Therefore, it is certain that Jiang Li has sustained injuries, both for himself and for Earth Uncle.

This is an opportunity, one that will fade with the passing of time.

Earth Uncle and Jiang Li are bound to clash sooner or later, either wait until Jiang Li's injuries heal before striking, or take advantage during the present moment. A simple assessment suffices to allow for a superior choice to emerge.

"If I were Earth Uncle, I too would move against him," the Princess agreed. "The Yin Law Department is situated beneath the Divine Capital, on yin soil; even if we fail, we can retreat and defend. "

Thus, both parties are willing.

"Very good," Jiang Li nodded, "Though I am not afraid of Earth Uncle's machinations, since we hold an advantage in strength, it is only natural to maximize it."

"The only concern now is whether the death of the Heavenly Incarnation will impact the Immortal Queen's trust."

Jiang Li, in fact, had long considered the possibility that the Oath of Heaven might fail and had made preparations accordingly. But if the Oath of Heaven were to be rendered invalid now, that would be rather premature.

Hence, they were now going to check on the condition of the heavens.

While speaking, the two had arrived near the North Gate of the Imperial City.

The palace gates normally used for entry and exit were tightly closed, and a large contingent of the Forbidden Army was stationed outside the gates. Inside, a series of Dharma Platforms had been constructed, with banners flying and divine light pervading, obscuring the space of hundreds of feet around.

As Jiang Li and the Princess approached, the forty-nine banners on the Dharma Platform fluttered simultaneously, with Golden Armored Divine Beings manifesting, ready to step down from the banners.

The Princess immediately opened her mouth and expelled an essence energy, transforming it into a complicated talisman that floated in the air, shining with divine light upon the banners, preventing the Golden Armored Divine Beings from taking action.

"Let's go."

Her breathing was briefly hurried, clearly, the use of this talisman was not easy on the Princess.

This alone indicated the importance of what lay within.

Jiang Li also understood the strictness; after all, inside...

As the two walked into the divine light and adjusted to its brilliance, a figure appeared before them.

'Inside here is none other than the Emperor,' Jiang Li slowly mused to himself.

The Emperor, who had been rumored to have moved to the South Garden for recuperation, was in fact still in the same place, in the location from which he had been excluded.

Originally, the Emperor had attempted to leave the Imperial City through the North Gate, but was stopped by the Great Venerable before he could. The Great Venerable had personally applied the Cosmic Light Divine Ability, fixing the Emperor's moment in time and leaving him right before the North Gate.

The story of moving to the South Garden was merely for outsiders. In reality, the Emperor had stood here, quite undignified, all along.

Jiang Li scrutinized this dethroned supreme being, the one who instigated the chaos of Great Zhou.

Ever since the Emperor was sealed, this place had become the most critical area of the Imperial City, and even Jiang Li was now observing it in detail for the first time.

The sealed Emperor was just one step away from an undignified death, practically half-buried in the earth. Whether it was the wrinkles on his face or the age spots on his hands, they all showcased the twilight of this supreme being.

Even the Emperor Sword was being used as a crutch, and his imperial robe still bore bloodstains; his authority remained but no longer intimidated anyone.

"What a formidable Cosmic Light Divine Ability," Jiang Li exclaimed upon seeing this, "It even managed to seal away everything to do with the Emperor."

An eminent supreme being on the brink of death is still a supreme being, especially an Emperor, who bears the body of Great Zhou's country. His power can be considered the foremost in the present world. Even if he were close to death, his essence could pervade the Imperial City, even enveloping the Divine Capital inside and out.

Or perhaps, it was precisely because death was imminent that the Emperor's royal aura became uncontrollable, leaking out majestic and overwhelming.

Yet now, where was this majestic aura? Jiang Li saw nothing more than an old man on the brink of death.

The Great Venerable's Cosmic Light Divine Ability had completely sealed the Emperor, including his power.

"Not only that, we can't even make contact with the Emperor."

The Princess revealed a hint of complexity, raising her hand to launch a strand of True Qi towards the Emperor.

That True Qi simply passed through the Emperor's figure as if piercing through a phantom, causing not the slightest ripple.

'Quite ruthless,' Jiang Li thought to himself, 'to be so harsh even on one's own uncle.'

The Emperor was the Princess's own brother. Despite their estrangement, the bond of blood remained. To think that a good brother could act so ruthlessly, one wonders if he had to kneel before the Fire Lotus afterward.

Based on what Tianxuan had disclosed, starting with kneeling before the Fire Lotus was the Princess's punishment; her family status was indeed worrisome.

No wonder he had always been displeased with Jiang Li; after all, their respective family statuses were worlds apart, incomparable.

The Princess was unaware of Jiang Li pondering on her family relations at this moment, merely gazing at the Emperor's figure and said, "According to Tianxuan, what's cast upon the Emperor is not only the Cosmic Light Divine Ability of the Candle Dragon but also certain Cosmic Dao Techniques. When one reaches the level of supremes, their Dao Fruit Divine Power and their Cultivation Techniques are merged into one, inseparable, and cannot be seen as merely a single Divine Skill."

"So, is that why I, who partially cultivate the 'Mountain Tomb' Technique, am needed?" Jiang Li spoke up.

The Great Venerable's seal combined Divine Skills and Cultivation Techniques. To observe—and possibly break—the seal, one must either be well-versed in the Cosmic Light Divine Ability or knowledgeable of the Great Venerable's Magic Door.

The former was almost impossible, but for the latter, Jiang Li was somewhat suitable.

He had cultivated the Fuxi Daoist Body and practiced parts of the "Mountain Tomb" Technique and had even personally experienced the Cosmic Light Divine Ability. Using its mysteries, he had contemplated his own techniques for a year, creating the beginnings of the "Emperor's Pole Worldly Book."

If it were Jiang Li, perhaps he could discern something.

There was no expectation for him to break the seal, just to look through it at the Emperor, in order to estimate both the Emperor's Dao Fruit and the state of Heaven. The Emperor's Dao Fruit was a gift from Heaven, and the Emperor was connected to Heaven. By tapping into the Emperor's power, one could indirectly gauge whether the power of Heaven had fluctuated.

With this thought, Jiang Li didn't wait for the Princess to respond. He swept his sword finger over his forehead, and the Heavenly Eye opened; simultaneously, the Eight Trigrams Image also appeared in his left eye.

The divination abilities bestowed by Heaven were fully deployed. The light in the left eye flickered, pulsing thousands of times in an instant as the Eight Trigrams spun, resonating with the Heavenly Eye at the brow.

Gradually, the Eight Trigrams image from the left eye began to shift into the Heavenly Eye, surrounding the pupil with eight forms of divination.

A crystalline light shone forth from within the eye, twinkling like thunder and lightning, a merciless vastness appearing within the gaze.

The Heavenly Eye Divine Skill, powered by the Dao Fruit, seemed to have reached a further level of sublimation; when observed, it appeared quite similar to the eyes manifested by Heaven and Yellow Heaven. The gaze solidified into a tangible beam of light, shining upon the Emperor's figure.

"Is it effective?!" joy appeared on the Princess's face.

The solidified gaze didn't pass through the Emperor's figure; instead, it was as if it had entered another realm, vanishing before his form.

Jiang Li's Heavenly Eye had the ability to observe all corners of heaven and earth, and the divination ability he gained from Heaven was actually derived from the Fuxi Dao Fruit. Combining the two elevated his vision further, giving him a stronger observation of the Great Venerable's techniques.

After all, the Great Venerable's powers also originated from Fuxi, so they were of the same source.

Jiang Li felt as though his gaze had penetrated a bizarre space, seeing endless streams of light flowing like a river or surging tides. Countless scenes flickered with these lights, among them the figures of both the Emperor and the Great Venerable.

'And... myself and the Princess!'

Jiang Li's gaze seemed to move, scanning through the lights, capturing his own presence among the countless images.

'This is the present; the scene where the Princess and I are here, are these lights... time?'

He noticed that many of the scenes flashing within the light were identical, representing the unchanging Dharma Platform and Banner. Due to the area being sealed off for a long time, with very few being able to enter, the scenes remained somewhat monotonous, which actually made it easier for Jiang Li to recognize.