Taiyi Dao Fruit

"Boom, Boom, Boom—"

The heavy stone door slowly opened, and Jiang Li floated out from within.

He was dressed in red Cloud Clothes, with red patterns faintly visible at the cuffs of his wrists and around his neck, making his skin, clear as crystal, even more striking. A white innate energy encircled his body, at times flowing around him like water, at others, transforming into a Viper dancing in flight, and sometimes even manifesting as the shape of a dragon.

His temples were tinged with gray, and two strands of snow-white hair hung down from the sides of his face, adding a somewhat ethereal aura.

Overall, his appearance had not changed, but his demeanor had matured by nearly ten years compared to the past; the youthful sensation had been completely cleansed away.

The Clan Elder guarding the outside was initially stunned when he saw Jiang Li emerge, "Just one day and one night, so fast?"

Then, delight followed.

Because by Jiang Li's appearance, it was clear he had succeeded.

As the saying goes, strength is reflected in the appearance. Those with a weak appearance are not necessarily weak, but those with a strong appearance are generally strong.

In this world, that is a universal truth.

The essence of cultivation is evolution, the higher one climbs, the more perfect the evolution; this is something the weak cannot easily disguise.

"Is there truly an inheritance of the Qi Tomb in the place of seclusion?" the Clan Elder stepped forward and asked.

"Indeed, there is. But it only contains the Magic Practice, no techniques," Jiang Li replied.

And one must also comprehend it on their own. Without the Divine Farmer's appearance, it's feared they wouldn't be able to practice it and might even die inside.

This massive statue of the Divine Farmer acted like a human-shaped Magic Artifact, with Primordial Qi generating within it and constantly circulating, just like a human body cultivating. Without the Divine Farmer's appearance, it would be like alien energy invading the body, which would be refined to death by the True Qi.

"So, you've succeeded?" the Clan Elder asked, full of anticipation.

"As if it were that easy, following your example of studying the arts of killing with Golden Qi. I'm still at the stage of utilizing the Eight Qi," Jiang Li shook his head.

"That's still a success," the Clan Elder said with an excited tone.

Yet, Jiang Li added, "Even this utilization of the Eight Qi is incomplete. I don't possess the Eight Qi Sea and can only take shortcuts..."

The Clan Elder's smile froze as if solidified by ice.

"But even with taking shortcuts, I can still utilize the Eight Qi, so in that sense, it's a success," Jiang Li continued.

The Clan Elder's smile thawed, but he couldn't bring himself to smile anymore.

This kid, only saying half of what he meant and keeping the rest to himself, clearly poking fun at me—it's honestly infuriating.

Yet, he was unaware that at this moment, Jiang Li was also feeling troubled and needed someone to relax with.

'That old fool didn't mention the dangers inside, nearly got me killed. My successful emergence from seclusion this time was all thanks to my senior sister's push at the crucial moment. But now, won't I be looked down upon by her in the future?'

Jiang Li pondered in annoyance.

He was not someone ungrateful or uncaring about kindness; although his personal bottom line seemed flexible to the point of nonexistence, Jiang Li still held great respect for his benefactors.

Today Gongsun Qingyue had saved his life, and Jiang Li owed her a lifesaving debt, so in the future, it would be difficult for him to confidently talk back to his senior sister.

They say it's tough to digest a free lunch, but having eaten this one today, Jiang Li felt like he couldn't quite stand tall.

'Helpless,'

With a soft sigh in his heart, Jiang Li turned and walked back through the passageway he had come from.

"Aren't you going to see your senior sister? The old man saw that she seems to have been standing guard outside for a day and a night," said the Clan Elder, seeing this, and suggested, "This way has another path that leads directly outside the statue."

With his level of cultivation, Jiang Li was keenly aware of every rustle of the wind and rustle of the grass outside the statue of the Divine Farmer, even if it were interrupted by dozens of yards of stone walls.

Moreover, since Gongsun Qingyue was employing the magic from "Taiwei Fu," her Qi and intent were connecting with him, and that commotion was anything but small.

Seeing how she was waiting, even if the Clan Elder had no particular fondness for the Gongsun family, he felt obliged to say something. Not to mention, the revival of the Jiang family would still depend on Jiang Li seeking the Gongsun family's support.

But Jiang Li shook his head and said, "Let's still take this way."

He needed some time to think about how to deal with his senior sister.

"You brat!" the Clan Elder said irritably, "You have no idea how to seize an opportunity."

"If I don't go, Senior Sister will only be happier," Jiang Li said indifferently.

With Gongsun Qingyue's sharp mind, she would definitely sense that this was simply a case of a junior brother feeling awkward. Far from being angry at Jiang Li for deliberately avoiding her, she would actually be pleased by his apprehension.

Such a strong-willed woman, her joy was sometimes just that simple.

...

...

The night was deep, and within the ancestral land, it was especially quiet. There were no insect sounds around, as if leaping directly from summer into harsh winter.

Not far from Lie Mountain Hall, in front of a house, Jiang Yang sat majestically with his Golden Blade in hand, gripping the broad-headed saber upside down and leaning it on the ground. His tiger-like eyes swept the surroundings, protecting the door like a guardian deity.

Since the day before when Jiang Luo defeated Jiang Yuanqi, the fact that he possessed Innate Qi had also been thoroughly confirmed, demonstrating the potency of Innate Qi.

In terms of power, cultivation time, and progress in the Dao Fruit, Jiang Luo was inferior to Jiang Yuanqi. Yet, during his clash with Jiang Yuanqi—when it came to a head-on confrontation—Jiang Yuanqi found himself utterly powerless to fight back.

Such a display led the clan members in the ancestral land to acknowledge the fearsome nature of Innate Qi, with countless individuals visiting in the daylight hours. At the same time, it made others more covetous of Innate Qi.

Especially after discovering that Jiang Li and the Clan Elder had disappeared for a day and a night.

As the Family Heads of the various branches, the locations of their closed-door cultivation were no secret; indeed, some had secretly probed these places.

Although the fact that Jiang Li and the Clan Elder had gone to the place of seclusion was not made public, each of the old foxes could guess as much.

Now that Jiang Li and the Clan Elder had been gone a day and a night, it was very likely they were staying at the place of seclusion since delving into a Cultivation Technique was not a matter of a short time. Meanwhile, Jiang Luo and Luu Wangji, who both understood Innate Qi—Jiang Luo had also suffered serious injuries—were still here.

If Jiang Luo were captured at this moment and subjected to a spiritual secret technique for Soul Search, then Innate Qi...

Such an action would deeply offend the Clan Elder and Jiang Li, but for some, that meant nothing. They could just leave the ancestral land and find another way out.

They were already mortal enemies; what more was there to talk about offending anyone?

Thus, on this very night, as Jiang Yang could no longer resist scratching an itch, seven or eight figures approached from all directions. Jiang Yang's vision flickered, and the scene before him seemed covered in a thin mist, hazy and indistinct.

But his saber was not the least bit sluggish. A red glow flashed along the blade, unleashing a Flame Saber that cut across like a Half Moon Blade Light.

Several figures dissipated upon contact with the Sword Light, all mere afterimages. The Sword Light swept out, aiming for the fifth figure, and suddenly a mix of cold and burning Qi Force emerged.

"Clang!"

That figure extended its claw to grasp, and the Sword Light suddenly halted. The intense Flame Saber was firmly clutched by five fingers, unable to advance even slightly.

"Jiang Jingyuan!"

Jiang Yang shouted, "You old thing, only your True Qi in the ancestral land is both chilling and scorching. Are you not ashamed to skulk around concealing yourself?"

"Hmph!"

In response to Jiang Yang, a whirlwind of Qi Force erupted. The cold and burning energies exploded off the blade. With another palm strike, a spiral of True Qi boomed against Jiang Yang's outstretched arm, unleashing a burst of power and blasting him straight into the house.