Taiyi Dao Fruit

When he arrived, he rode a horse-drawn carriage slowly, but when he left, he moved through the sky on a Flying Sword, the speed incomparable with the former.

Even this strong headwind required one to consume True Qi to counteract it, which was quite bothersome.

As Gongsun Qingyue maneuvered the sword, she channeled her energy to block the strong wind, concentrating hard, when she suddenly realized the weight of the sword beneath her feet had lightened—it was Jiang Li who had floated out behind her.

"Junior Brother..." she said urgently, turning back, wanting to grab Jiang Li, only to see him with his sleeves billowing, rising with the wind, showing no sign of falling at all.

He had even used his Innate Qi in the form of a Dragon Claw to carry the burden that was Jiang Zhaoren, yet his figure remained suspended in the air, drifting and floating in the wind.

Most importantly, he wasn't manifesting any Qi Mechanism at all.

Jiang Li had used the art of "Karma Collection" to cause the Innate Qi within him to undergo endless transformations, and after withdrawing the technique, he needed to immediately balance all his Qi and re-assimilate the massively increased Innate Qi, making it inconvenient for him to manipulate Qi, which is why he caught a ride on Gongsun Qingyue's Flying Sword.

However, now, without the need to circulate True Qi, Jiang Li could also control the wind to travel.

'Is this what it truly means to "Wind Control"?' he wondered.

At this moment, Jiang Li's mind was especially clear. In his Sea of Consciousness, a bright moon and the vast sky each occupied half the space—two kinds of Imagery that were about to fade, yet an inexplicable force nailed them firmly within Jiang Li's Sea of Consciousness, allowing him to experience their profound mysteries vividly.

Karma Collection, solidifying cause and effect, effort surely yields rewards, and gains would not be lost.

He had never thought this ability could be used in such a way.

This allowed "Taiyin Ju Zi, Water Clearing Gui E" Imagery, and the reflected Imagery of the word "Qian" to remain within his Sea of Consciousness, for Jiang Li's enlightenment. At this moment, his clarity from Taiyin's Clarity made his Mental State empty and bright, feeling as though his entire body had grown eyes all over, using his own Emperor's Qi Observation Skill to perfectly reflect the surrounding wind patterns within his heart.

This allowed Jiang Li to "see" the most complete movement of the wind, making him understand the principle of "Wind Control".

He had originally thought that "Wind Control" was about wielding the power of the wind, but now he saw it was about using the wind to rise, transforming the force of the wind into one's own force.

Using the wind to rise, even without a shred of True Qi, one could still move freely through the air, "Wind Control" was not some special ability, but a great wisdom.

And if one possessed True Qi, then by just adding a slight variation to the wind, one could change from being carried by the wind to commanding it, free to come and go as one wished.

'As with the wind, so with everything else. If I can command the wind, then I can leverage my own power to move everything, making all things serve me,' Jiang Li realized in his heart.

This was somewhat like the manipulation of Heaven and Earth Qi before the End of Dharma, but its essence was different.

The manipulation of Heaven and Earth Qi involved using one's own Qi to draw upon the Qi between Heaven and Earth, emphasizing a kind of idealistic resonance. However, the method that came with Liezi Dao Fruit required one to observe the surrounding changes between Heaven and Earth and then leverage a change in one aspect to indirectly move everything—overall, it was materialistic.

Most importantly, even in the Five Turbid Evil World where spiritual mechanism ceased to exist, this method could still be used.

"I have understood," he said.

Upon realizing this, Jiang Li's heart felt greatly unburdened, and with a sweep of his sleeves, he used the Innate Wind Qi to change the direction of the wind.

Gongsun Qingyue suddenly found that the strong wind approaching them split into two streams, passing by both sides of the Flying Sword, increasing its speed by at least thirty percent.

"What have you realized now?" she couldn't help asking.

She had a feeling that if this continued, she might never catch up.

To this, Jiang Li just smiled without answering, catching the wind and keeping pace with the Flying Sword.

The only time Jiang Li had ever been at a disadvantage was that one time after he killed Jiang Jingyuan and Gongsun Qingyue caught him. Missing that chance meant that Gongsun Qingyue would never get another one in this lifetime.

As one followed the other in flight, they had already covered more than half the distance in no time at all.

The distant sky also witnessed the spread of the Qi of Yang, and it seemed as if a second Great Sun dominated the skies.

From afar, Jiang Li could see the halo of that sun's corona suspended mid-air, with the silhouette of a Daoist nestled within it.

"Jiang Wuming is indeed confronting the Clan Elders outside the ancestral land; there's no need for others to relay the news, we'll go meet this patriarch of the Qi Mountain Jiang Family ourselves," Jiang Li said with a smile.

Having said that, he was about to carry Jiang Zhaoren as a shield to meet Jiang Wuming.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, a surge of black Qi suddenly appeared above the forehead of Jiang Zhaoren, his complexion beginning to turn ashen as his vitality rapidly drained away.

"Not good."

Jiang Li and Gongsun Qingyue decisively descended toward the mountains and forests below.

If Jiang Zhaoren were in hand, Jiang Li could certainly use him to pressure Jiang Wuming, but if he were to die by his own hands, Jiang Wuming would go mad.

Jiang Li had his trump cards and the support of the Clan Elders; even if Jiang Wuming lost his sanity, his own life would be safe, but the same could not be said for the others in the ancestral land.

Even if they could eventually kill Jiang Wuming, with the strength of a fifth-rank master, it would be enough for the collateral members of the ancestral land to be buried with him, a consequence Jiang Li could not accept.

Therefore, Jiang Zhaoren must not die.

Even if he did die, Jiang Wuming must not find out right now.

...

...

Meanwhile, in a gloomy room.

A pale hand was holding a vermilion brush, leaving a row of blood-red characters on a black-paged book.

"July 24th, the year of 1995, Xinyou Month, Jisi Day. Jiang Zhaoren of the Jiang family from Qi Mountain County, Yong Province, Great Zhou, has ended his life."

"Cough cough cough..."

After finishing the row of red characters, the owner of the pale hand coughed violently, taking a long while to halt.

"A Jiang Zhaoren has cost this Lord three years of Yin Life; it seems the Jiang family truly has not exhausted its Qi Shu."

A soft voice sounded faintly as the person put down the brush and spoke to someone before the desk, "Jiang Zhaoren is dead, go back and tell the Princely Heir that he owes this Lord a favor. If there is nothing else, you may leave."

Not far from the desk, Fufeng Prefecture Governor Jiang Zhihuan stood respectfully. Hearing this, he first performed a bow, then asked, "May I inquire, Lord Cui, where did Jiang Zhaoren die?"

Lord Cui, upon hearing the question, swiped his palm over the book, and new characters appeared.

He replied indifferently, "Within the borders of Qi Mountain County, three li outside Wild Fox Ridge."

Could it be that detailed?

Jiang Zhihuan couldn't help but be stunned.

Seeming to notice Jiang Zhihuan's surprise, Lord Cui continued, "This Lord's Book of Life and Death is connected to Great Zhou's Household Registration. Those who are recorded in Great Zhou's Household Registration will be entered into the Book of Life and Death. When a person dies, the Book has a response and will display the location of death. If there is any discrepancy about Jiang Zhaoren's place of death, feel free to have the Princely Heir come and explain it to this Lord. You may go now."

Jiang Zhihuan felt even more astounded inside. He knew that this Lord possessed the ability to annotate death, but he had not expected that he could also precisely know the time and place of death.

"As you command, milord."

He bowed respectfully once more, then stepped back cautiously, not turning around until he was outside the room, and then he departed.