Taiyi Dao Fruit

Jiang Li's figure was dissipating, like a bubble smashing into water, disappearing into nothingness.

Then it was the war spear, starting from the tip of the spear, vanishing in the blink of an eye up to the huge arms, and then to Jiang Zhuyun himself.

Jiang Zhuyun's face was filled with horror, his True Qi surged, wanting to forcefully break free, but the speed of disappearance was too fast, so fast that he couldn't react in time, and could only watch as his whole body, from his arms to his entirety, vanished into the air.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them disappeared from the chaotic, dark skies of Dinghu, away from the raging torrent, away from the distant thunder, separating from this world.

Then—

Jiang Zhuyun suddenly opened his eyes.

What met his eyes was the calm Dinghu, the lake water rippling, bringing a moist air, with sunlight bright above, right in the middle of a fine afternoon.

He was currently sitting in a small boat, drifting with the waves, everything around him was normal.

There was no upheaval of the Yinglong Dao Fruit, no battle of Dharma Manifestations between Duke of Thunder and Tianpeng, and not even the presence of Heluo God's true form. In Jiang Zhuyun's hand, there was no unsealed war spear, but instead, he was holding an elixir.

Jiang Zhuyun's complexion gradually darkened.

"Welcome to reality."

A flatboat came sailing, upon it stood Jiang Li with hands behind his back, smiling in welcome.

This was reality, with no stormy, dark skies, no thunder and lightning, a reality starkly opposite from the dream.

All of Jiang Zhuyun's actions had been just a dream.

Everyone was dreaming.

If there was any difference, it was that everyone else was sleeping soundly, while only Jiang Li, like a sleepwalker, was also sailing a boat in reality, searching for Jiang Zhuyun. The reason he was able to catch up to Jiang Zhuyun, who had gone ahead, was because in reality, Jiang Zhuyun's boat was merely drifting with the waves and had not gone far.

When the real Jiang Li caught up to Jiang Zhuyun, it was the moment in the dream when Jiang Li and Jiang Zhuyun met.

In both reality and dreams, catching up to Jiang Zhuyun and then, in the dream, slaughtering Jiang Zhuyun's followers and killing Jiang Zhuyun in reality, that was what Jiang Li was meant to do, and it was also a fate bound to happen.

The flatboat gradually approached, Jiang Li's eyes flashed with complex patterns, and an invisible pressure naturally arose.

Jiang Zhuyun's complexion grew increasingly gloomy, under Jiang Li's gaze, he actually felt as if there was nowhere to escape.

Crisis! Crisis!

The distance between the two boats quickly closed to about ten feet, Jiang Zhuyun's hand moved suddenly, about to put the elixir in his mouth.

But Jiang Li had anticipated this, his gaze fluctuated, a wave of telekinesis struck, and Jiang Zhuyun felt a shock on his wrist, the elixir slipped from his hand and dropped into the water.

"You asked me what I would use to fight you, now, I will tell you."

Jiang Li spoke indifferently, "Killing your dozen men, that was in the dream, in reality, I am still in my prime."

"Being injured by you, that too was in the dream, in reality, I am unharmed."

"Look at you, you were hit by me in Kaiyang Hall, your True Qi and blood in your Middle Dantian were refined away, you may have forced out my Innate Qi, but your injuries have still not healed. The injuries you recovered from in the dream are false."

"The Yinglong Dao Fruit did not react violently, and all your external help is trapped in a dream. Your followers have all been killed by me, and you yourself are not in your prime, neither is the Military God's Five Weapons unsealed. Jiang Zhuyun, what do you have to fight me with?"

With each sentence spoken, Jiang Zhuyun's face grew darker, and by the end, it was hard to describe just how awful he looked.

Being a descendant of Emperor Yan, the Jiang family naturally would not lack elixirs, and given some time, Jiang Zhuyun could recover from even severe injuries, or at least alleviate them. This was also the reason why the Jiang Zhuyun in the dream domain could start his actions so quickly.

However, in reality, Jiang Zhuyun had not yet taken an elixir or begun to heal. His Innate Qi could not circulate automatically like Jiang Li's, and his injuries remained.

Most critically, the attack on the Sect, including the Yinglong Dao Fruit, all occurred in the dream, rendering Jiang Zhuyun's trump cards useless.

From the beginning, Jiang Zhuyun had lost, utterly and thoroughly.

Jiang Li appeared to be pursuing his enemy alone, bravely and boldly – but in reality, the enemy had been well-arranged from the start, and even rehearsed before to expose the enemy's details.

This was why Jiang Li accepted the command of Elder Tianxuan.

With incisive words attacking the mind, Jiang Zhuyun's mental state was thrown into disarray, and the disturbance of his mind also affected his True Qi, causing Jiang Zhuyun's Qi mechanism to suddenly falter.

From the approaching boat, Jiang Li, across the space, launched an invisible telekinetic attack straight at Jiang Zhuyun's chest.

"Bang!"

The stimulated True Qi activated. Although Jiang Zhuyun was not in his prime, his power was still above Jiang Li's and his Protective True Qi blocked the sudden strike. Yet, the force transmitted through, causing an aching pain in Jiang Zhuyun's chest where his Middle Dantian was empty.

The Danzhong acupoint at the heart was a vulnerability, and if Jiang Zhuyun's True Qi in his Middle Dantian was still intact, he would not have feared the attack; but now, with both his Qi and blood depleted, this area was his greatest weakness.

Just then, Jiang Li burst forth, ghost-like, bridging the distance between the two boats. With a crystal-clear face and eyes full of mysteries, his palm struck down like a knife directly at Jiang Zhuyun's chest.

Jiang Zhuyun, though his mind was in disarray, knew he was at a life-and-death juncture. He didn't want to die; he wanted Jiang Li to die, dragging Jiang Li to hell with him even if he was bound to lose.

It was then that Jiang Zhuyun's shoulder dipped, redirecting the palm strike to his shoulder where his mountainous Innate Qi surged up from his spine, colliding with Jiang Li's Innate Qi at the shoulder.

Despite being restrained by the Ninth Grade, Eighth Rank, and Seventh Rank Divine Attribute Dao Fruits imbued in his body which fortified his physique, Jiang Zhuyun still bore the strike. Simultaneously, his right fist, like a fierce dragon emerging from the sea, was launched with vigorous True Qi at its forefront.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Li's other hand intercepted, a Wood Spirit Talisman flashing light on his arm transforming all Innate Qi into the Wood Element, catching Jiang Zhuyun's wrist first and greatly diminishing his True Qi.

Jiang Zhuyun's Lower Dantian mingled with the notion of Kun Yuan; the cultivated Innate Qi was of the Earth Element. Jiang Li, using Wood to overcome Earth, intercepted precisely at the moment the punch was thrown, causing Jiang Zhuyun's arm to jolt, feeling numb and sore.

Jiang Li joined his arms together, swiftly refining the wood property into the purest True Qi between his palms, which then suddenly formed a sphere, blasting onto Jiang Zhuyun's chest.

Three Points Return to Primordial Qi!

Jiang Zhuyun was sent flying back. Jiang Li, lunging forward to chase, stepping out to deliver the killing strike, when a piercing scream erupted.

From behind Jiang Zhuyun, a long weapon wrapped in white cloth emerged, thrusting under his armpit directly toward Jiang Li's face, one of the Military God's Five Weapons.

However, unlike in the dream, the weapon in real life, the War Spear was still sealed. Its formidable ferocity remained tightly locked within.

Jiang Li reached out, the Mo Wu Battle Box transforming into a long sword, components reassembling into a long spear in his hand. He swept the spear across the approaching long weapon, clashing with a metallic clang.

"Clang!"

The force between their weapons clashed, Jiang Li halting his step while Jiang Zhuyun took the opportunity to move to the stern of the boat, standing face to face with Jiang Li at the bow.

The two at opposite ends, spears crossed, their gazes met – Jiang Zhuyun, full of a cornered beast's madness, and Jiang Li, composed as if the outcome was already decided.