Taiyi Dao Fruit

July 11, 1995, Geng Shen month, Bingchen Day, suitable for relocation, starting a business, moving earth, avoid traveling.

The heavy rain poured relentlessly, creating a misty veil between heaven and earth, thoroughly blurring the line of sight.

On the official road, a group of five people raced on their horses, hurrying along.

"Senior Brother Jiang, the horses can't hold up much longer, why don't we dismount and use Qinggong to travel?" Jiang Luo suggested loudly while riding.

"Brother, we all can protect ourselves with True Qi against the rain, there's no need to be so hasty," Luu Wangji also spoke up.

This group of people either possessed martial arts skills or were proficient in magic, just by using Qinggong and applying a Godspeed Talisman to their feet, they could probably run faster than horses.

Moreover, even Jiang Luo had already developed Innate Qi with the help of Jiang Li, although his power was weak, using True Qi to block the rain was not a problem, there really was no need for such urgency.

"Heh, you can tell you two don't travel much," Qi Changsheng chuckled and suggested, "When you're out and about, you can scrimp on anything but True Qi. Keep it conserved because at a critical moment, a small difference in power could mean the difference between life and death."

They were currently using True Qi to block the rain, and sustaining it for half an hour was absolutely feasible, but this would inevitably lead to consumption issues.

In this Five Turbid Evil World, cultivators struggle to absorb Spiritual Energy from the external world, and after consuming True Qi, the only ways to replenish it were either through Breathing Control meditation or consuming Elixirs.

Those who walked leisurely in the rain with True Qi protection looked stylish, but at a crucial moment, they might find themselves in trouble. Such people were either truly skilled experts or genuine fools.

"Don't even think about using Elixirs either. Every medicine has its poison, no matter how well-prepared you are, don't take Elixirs casually. Of course, don't hesitate to use them at critical moments," Jiang Li also reminded.

Apart from Jiang Li, no one else could treat Elixirs like sugar pills, so even though the group was well-stocked with medicines, they absolutely must not consume them carelessly, to avoid affecting the medicine's efficacy or causing a backlash at a crucial moment.

Gongsun Qingyue, while riding, telepathically said, "Junior brother, according to the heavenly phenomenon, it shouldn't be raining now."

She and Jiang Li, both being containers of the Warlock Dao Fruit, had the basic ability to observe heavenly phenomena; normally, they would not encounter sudden rain. The unusual rain implied something extra ordinary.

"I know."

Jiang Li nodded slightly, a vision of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches emerging in his eyes.

This rain was indeed extraordinary; a moment ago it had been clear skies as far as the eye could see, and now it turned abruptly to dense clouds, bringing a torrential downpour. If this were a natural scene, Jiang Li would chop off his head and kick it around like a ball for his senior sister.

As they spoke, their fast horses rapidly covered a distance of twenty li, and soon an inn entered their sight.

It was an old small house that looked years old; the white cloth bearing the name of the inn was covered in stains, flapping weakly against the wooden pole like a middle-aged man drained by wind and rain.

At that moment, outside the inn, there were several carts covered with straw mats, and more than ten big men were drinking and playing drinking games under the wooden awning of the inn.

Seeing Jiang Li and his group arrive, the big men, all dressed in blue shirts, tacitly stopped their activities. Their eyes surreptitiously sized up this group of young people blocking the rain with True Qi, flickering with thoughts unknown.

Especially Gongsun Qingyue; her presence alone significantly raised the average attractiveness of the Dinghu Sect's disciples. Now appearing in the countryside wilderness, she naturally attracted covetous gazes from a group of men.

"Boss."

One of the men leaned into the burly, bearded big man, whispering, "These appear to be novices; should we?"

Besides escorting, the Escort Agency sometimes dabbled as bandits. The well-running agencies cared about their reputation, while the mediocre ones had a knack for switching freely between escorts and bandits.

And those inexperienced novices were the prime trigger for such professional switches.

"Shut up!" the burly man cursed under his breath, "Didn't you see that except for the one at the back, the rest aren't even out of breath? Especially that woman, caught in this heavy rain yet not showing the slightest sign of disarray, appearing as if she's attending a banquet. Even if these are novices, they're not the kind we can handle. Just eat and drink quietly, and hit the road as soon as the rain stops. If anyone dares to make a move, I'll be the first to slaughter him."

The man who made the suggestion immediately fell silent, discreetly retreating and conveying the captain's commands to the others.

Yet while these men did not want to cause trouble, Jiang Li and his colleagues were not willing to let them be.

"Junior brother, go and drive them out." Jiang Li communicated via a transmission.

"This... Maybe that's not a good idea." Jiang Luo hesitated.

It wasn't that he was too soft-hearted; rather, he felt it could damage Jiang Li's reputation. His senior brother was contending for the position of Sect Leader, and a bad reputation could not be afforded.

At that time, Jiang Luo was not yet aware that the decision for the Sect Leader position had already excluded Jiang Li.

Qi Changsheng revealed a moment of realization, "This rain is unusual. Letting these people go will not only eliminate interference, but also allow them to scout the roads in the rain. Moreover, they have a lot of blood on their hands and are not good-hearted. Junior brother, you needn't feel reluctant."

Although Qi Changsheng was an Artifact Refiner and a disciple of the Dinghu Sect, on the path of Magic Practitioner, he still had some ability to sense people's nature.

However, Qi Changsheng said this mainly to counsel Jiang Luo emotionally, to prevent any feelings of reluctance.

As for Jiang Li and Gongsun Qingyue, this pair of senior and junior siblings, seeing their indifferent expressions revealed the strength of their resolve.

Convinced by Qi Changsheng's words, Jiang Luo was about to speak, but Luu Wangji, who had remained silent, already took the initiative.

He exuded a chilling authority as he activated the Divine Power of the Heavenly Soldier Dao Fruit. Just like a Heavenly Deity, he overwhelmed the group of big men and said sternly, "We have reserved this place; please leave."

The big men who wanted no trouble were taken aback by this turn of events, their faces showing anger. The burly leader, also taken by surprise, stood up against Luu Wangji's imposing presence and said in a deep voice, "Isn't your behavior a bit too overbearing? If this gets out, won't it tarnish the reputation of your Sect or your family name?"

His words were both proper and pointed about damaging their reputation; though the burly man appeared rough, his thoughts were delicate, suggesting that looks can be deceiving.

Yet, Luu Wangji remained entirely unfazed, stepping forward with an even more oppressive aura, "Leave!"

"Fine! Fine! Fine!"

With a fierce tone and menacing look, the burly man said, "We'll go, are we supposed to be afraid of you?"

After speaking, he slammed a piece of broken silver on the table and took the lead to walk into the torrential rain.