Taiyi Dao Fruit

Although he had never seen the technique in action, he had heard Ji Chengye describe it and had personally witnessed the dismal state of the Qi Mountain Jiang Family when it had been annihilated.

At that moment, Jiang Wuming gathered his energy and leaped into the air, assuming the stance of the Golden Rooster Standing, surrounded by a halo like the Sun at Noon that allowed him to momentarily avoid the brunt of the attack.

According to Ji Chengye's description, this move was a reactive one with a reflective effect, and choosing to momentarily evade would avoid some of its power.

Meanwhile—

"Ooo ooo ooo!"

With the crow of the rooster, it turned day everywhere.

While Jiang Wuming was midair, with the Sun Wheel enveloping him, he deployed the "Chirping Dawn" Dao Fruit Divine Power, transforming into the Great Sun. Instantly, he turned the night sky into day within a hundred miles, bathing everything in light.

Day and night reversed in an instant, the Ming Yue hung in the sky but was now overshadowed by sunlight, making the moon above Jiang Li's head look dim and insubstantial, no longer having the eternally brilliant aspect it had before.

However, Jiang Li's deployment of this technique was a trick rather than a true killing move. Although it had the shape and spirit of the technique, it could not truly replicate the power of a Fourth-Grade Expert's move, even with the help of imagery.

He forcefully used this technique to lock down Jiang Wuming, not to kill him.

But Jiang Wuming, like a startled bird, mistook it for a killing move and hastily dodged.

At that moment, Jiang Wuming, standing proudly in the midair, saw the disappearance of Taiyin, felt invigorated, and his Qi of Yang transformed into the light of a scorching sun, gathering a sky-encompassing Vigorous Flame Qi around him.

Given that he was at Eighth Rank, his Sea of Consciousness should normally carry at most two life-saving techniques, and even Seventh or Sixth Rank might not be able to bear a third technique, as stated by Ji Chengye himself. Jiang Li, having left the Dinghu Sect at Eighth Rank, couldn't possibly have a third technique.

Thus, at this moment, Jiang Li was about to lose.

Without any more trump cards, he was merely a Seventh Rank.

Jiang Wuming, like an eagle hunting a rabbit, struck down from the sky, his Vigorous Flame Qi blazing down like the Great Sun descending to earth, incinerating all in its path.

Yet—

A golden light burst forth from the center of Jiang Li's forehead, and a Sun rose.

"Sun at Noon, Sunshine in the Sky."

On the ground, another Sun rose, casting a great Dao Light that climbed unstoppably toward the heavens.

Two Suns, one above and one below—one descending to strike the ground, the other climbing to the skies.

One illusion, one reality—one merely a halo forming a faux sun, the other condensing Qi into the form of the Great Sun.

One morning, one noon—one just the early rise of the morning sun, its light just appearing, the other the peak of the Yang at noon, Sunshine in the Sky.

As these two Suns collided midair, light and heat filled the earth, dispelling the night's chill and igniting all things.

"No!"

From the descending Sun, a figure let out an incredulous scream.

Then, the Sun below, bit by bit, crushed the illusory Great Sun brought by "Chirping Dawn," not only enhancing Jiang Wuming's power but also increasing the might of "Sun at Noon."

The Sun below rose like the Great Sun at dawn; though slow, it was unstoppable and continued to climb until it stopped right at the center of the sky.

Simultaneously, a charred figure fell from the sky and crashed into the earth, the Flame Qi burning a magma pit into the ground.

The victory and defeat hinged on one move.

Jiang Wuming had put aside the pride of a Fifth Grade Practitioner, fought Jiang Li with the heart of a lion stalking a rabbit, strategizing and deceiving, blending reality and illusion, yet it was precisely this all-out effort that, through a twist of fate, led to his most disastrous defeat.

"Ridiculous... ridiculous!"

Jiang Wuming, like a charred corpse, had lost his vision, but his lingering Divine Thought still sensed Jiang Li's approach.

He let out a hoarse, self-mocking laugh, "To die in such a manner, so laughable, but... Ji Chengye!"

"One day, you too will meet such an end. If Jiang Li can kill me, he can also kill you! I lost, but not to the Ji Family, I lost to a person of the Jiang Family! Hahaha...""

In his final moments, he issued a curse with an indescribable mental state, yet it was not directed at Jiang Li, but at Ji Chengye.

Perhaps, he sought to incite Jiang Li's hostility towards the Ji Family, and prompt him to keep fighting Ji Chengye.

Perhaps, it was out of deeper hatred towards Ji Chengye, a genuine wish from his heart for a tragic death for Ji Chengye.

It might have been a mix of both, or maybe he held other thoughts.

His laughter grew more haunting, louder and louder, yet his vitality weakened drastically, like a candle in the wind.

At that moment, a hand grasped the scorched body-like corpse, and pure Innate Qi surged in, beginning the refining of this body's remaining Qi, transforming it into Innate Qi.

Jiang Wuming, being a member of the Jiang Family, cultivated using techniques originating from "Qi Tomb." Thus, his True Qi was more readily refined into Innate Qi. So, Jiang Li made his move.

"You..."

Sensing the influx of Innate Qi, Jiang Wuming caught Jiang Li's hand as if mustering the last bit of strength, "You actually… Good! Good! Good! Take it, take it all."

Jiang Wuming actively drove his remaining power, aiding Jiang Li in the refining.

The refined Innate Qi meandered back, filling the empty Qi Sea within Jiang Li, whereas Jiang Wuming's vitality, like a brief blossom, finally extinguished. Then, a light orb like a star rose from Jiang Zhuyun's body, with streams of brilliance flashing continuously.

These were the Dao Fruits harbored by Jiang Wuming.

With the depart of the Dao Fruits, it signified the demise of its owner, Jiang Wuming from Qi Mountain Jiang Family, had died this night.

His death signaled the true end of Qi Mountain Jiang Family; even if some family members survived, they could hardly stir any trouble.

"In your dying moment, to only cast your hope of revenge upon your enemy, your plight is indeed laughable."

Jiang Li slowly released Jiang Wuming's hand, retrieved a Jade Talisman, secured the Dao Fruit, found a Xiezhi Jade Statue and then stood up, saying, "However, at the very end, you didn't choose the wrong person."

He, Jiang Li, truly had the ability to kill Ji Chengye.

As his words fell, Jiang Li lightly stomped, and the Primordial Qi parted the ground, burying Jiang Wuming's body.

With Jiang Wuming's final cooperation, Jiang Li was not stingy in providing him a burial place. Even for Qi Mountain Jiang Family, if there was a chance later on, Jiang Li would bury them too.

However, Jiang Zhaoren was not so fortunate; to prevent the corpse from being used as evidence, Jiang Li completely eradicated it, denying him a peaceful burial.

After doing all this, Jiang Li turned, soared into the wind, and disappeared into the newly settled night sky.

Shortly after his departure, a white mist rose from the ground, and a middle-aged man with a proper look and short beard appeared at the spot where Jiang Wuming was buried. He looked down, his gaze seemingly penetrating the ground to see the scorched corpse.

"A half-month ago, Qi Mountain Jiang Family was ambitious, intending to unify the branch families and reestablish the Jiang family, yet who would have thought that now, Qi Mountain Jiang Family had become history. Its rise was swift; its demise sudden."

Originally an emerging power, Qi Mountain Jiang Family just vanished. Jiang Zhihuan witnessing this scene felt both reflective and frustrated.

Jiang Wuming, ambitious to a fault, it was success or death; today was foreseeable.

But what was unforeseeable was the ridiculousness of Jiang Wuming's death.

"The rabbit dies; the fox grieves, a loss of one sends chills to the rest."

Feeling the inexplicable sentiment, Jiang Zhihuan unintentionally nodded, then suddenly stiffened, slowly turning around.

He saw a man floating three feet off the ground, the man's face reflecting the same sentiment, voicing Jiang Zhihuan's own thoughts.

Under different circumstances, he might have felt a sense of kinship, presuming it wasn't Jiang Li.

The Jiang Li who had clearly left, now inexplicably returned, even voicing Jiang Zhihuan's sentiments, which was horrifying.

"You!"

"Me?" Jiang Li smiled, "I just thought, such a great battle, Ji Chengye would likely send someone to watch. So, I left a little something when I left."

A paper figure slowly floated over, landing in Jiang Li's hand.