Taiyi Dao Fruit

After a short while, the Calamity Cloud began to dissipate, and a thirty-foot-long White Dragon gracefully descended from the sky. The monk in white robes set foot on the ground, and surrounded by the White Dragon, he brought his hands together in prayer and chanted the name of Buddha, "Amitabha, this humble monk Hui Lun, greets all the Tan Yue present."

The White Dragon seemed somewhat ethereal, appearing to be an illusion, but the aura it exuded while soaring above all else made it seem very real.

The monk appeared to be a youth, seemingly about eighteen years old. His eyes shone like bright stars, his lips red, his teeth white, and his features as fair as those of a Heavenly Being; it was difficult to distinguish whether he was male or female. He was spotless, as if a white cloud from the heavens had descended to the mortal realm.

"Heavenly Beings?" Zhong Shen Xiu raised an eyebrow.

"Very perceptive, Zhong Tan Yue," Hui Lun replied with a faint smile, exuding an air of detachment, "The Dao Fruit that this monk has cultivated is indeed that of the Heavenly Beings."

Heavenly Beings referred to the Deva Clan within the Heavenly Dragon Eight Parties and were also the highest among the Heavenly Dao Gods in the Six Paths of Reincarnation. However, in Buddhist legends, the status of Heavenly Deities was not supreme. They only enjoyed greater and more enduring blessings than humans. Heavenly Deities could still die and even fall into the Three Evil Paths. In fact, the general status of Heavenly Beings was not as high as that of an Arhat.

Even so, Heavenly Beings were considered among the top tier within Sixth Grade Dao Fruit, and even within Buddha Country, very few could advance to this level.

"So it turns out to be the Chief Disciple of Buddha Country."

Zhang Daoyi suddenly spoke up, making a ritual salute to all directions, "This humble Dao Yi, along with three Daoist Lord Disciples, has come to participate in the ceremony. Gentlemen, my respects."

They were the first to arrive, but it was Hui Lun, the monk who came later, who stole the show. Now speaking up, he was neither embarrassed nor hostile but rather exuded confidence and ease. When the rest of the people focused their attention on Zhang Daoyi, they were amazed by his state of Unity of Heaven and Man.

Moreover, Buddha Country had always been a mystery to outsiders. Although the Chief Awakened had accepted disciples, the specifics were generally unknown to others. Zhang Daoyi's revelation showcased the vast divine skills of the Daode Sect.

At the same time, others began to catch hints from the way Zhang Daoyi addressed others.

Calling Yuan Zhen a Daoist Lord Disciple and mentioning him before the others, could this person be a newly acquired disciple of the Daoist Lord?

The Praying for Rain ceremony brought to light the Chief Disciple of Buddha Country and a disciple of the Daode Sect, in addition to Zhong Shen Xiu and others representing the court. This made it ever more apparent that Fufeng County was rife with undercurrents and treacherous ripples.

On the other side of the Fengquan River, Jiang Li and He Feng Man Lou quietly appeared, gazing across the river at the scene.

"Daode Sect, Buddha Country," Jiang Li mused, stroking his chin, "Taiping Sect is still absent. Have they truly run out of options?"

Since the second attempt on their lives the previous night, Jiang Li and Feng Man Lou had been moving and recovering their power without ever truly setting down roots, avoiding all contact with others. They hadn't faced a third assault.

If Taiping Sect couldn't retrieve the Rain Master Token, their plan could not proceed. Zhong Shen Xiu took swift and decisive action—saying it would rain today meant it would indeed be today, leaving no spare moment for rest. Taiping Sect faced setback after setback, and it seemed now that their plan was likely to fail.

"That may not necessarily be the case," a pleasant voice filled the air as a graceful figure appeared.

Gongsun Qing Yue was dressed in a plain colored skirt, different from her usual attire, creating an impression of otherworldly elegance.

Floating over to Jiang Li, she too gazed across the big river, saying, "I dispatched the Divine Travel Grand Protectors, only to discover that most of them across Yong Province had been ordered to mobilize, with unclear destinations, leaving me with no one to call upon. When questioning those in charge, they spoke in ambiguities, daring not to say too much. Moreover, I discovered that the Divine Travel Grand Protectors had initially planned to report to Divine Capital when the drought just started, but they were stopped by someone."

"Does sister mean... Ji Cheng Ye is helping Taiping Sect?" Jiang Li asked, somewhat surprised.

Following the line of sight of Gongsun Qing Yue, his keen sense caught that she was looking at a certain individual.

That person was Ji Cheng Ye.

"Could Ji Chengye really have such great power?" Jiang Li was puzzled.

Members of the Royal Family did indeed possess substantial power; for instance, Gongsun Qingyue could dispose of a County Magistrate with just a word. Yet, to say that Ji Chengye had the power to direct the Divine Travel Grand Protector of an entire province, and to withhold news of the drought, seemed to vastly overestimate him.

Let alone that he was the Heir of King Lu, even if he was a Prince, he couldn't do such a thing.

"Of course, Ji Chengye doesn't have such great power, but King Lu does," Feng Manlou interjected, "Before coming here, I received news that King Lu had been attacked and grievously wounded by Da Feng and Zaochi of the Nineteen Demons from the Devil God Sect. He's close to death and probably won't last much longer. Once he dies, the position of King Lu will pass to Ji Chengye, and the transfer of power must have already begun."

That is to say, at this moment, although Ji Chengye appeared to be the Princely Heir, in reality, he was already capable of wielding the Prince's power.

If that were the case, then it made sense.

"How am I not aware of this?" Gongsun Qingyue frowned.

Given the gravity of the issue, she should have been informed about such a matter much earlier.

Furthermore, with King Lu on his deathbed, Ji Chengye, as the Princely Heir, should be attending to him, yet he instead came to Yong Province to involve himself in the drought. His filial piety was indeed commendable.

"This matter is kept secret, not disclosed to the court by King Lu Mansion, and the Southern Heavenly Department has also discovered it through its own secret investigations," Feng Manlou chuckled, "While the King Lu Mansion tries to block the news, the Devil God Sect would rather let the whole world know they attacked King Lu. Naturally, we in the Southern Heavenly Department have to ascertain the extent of King Lu's injuries."

Then, during this investigation, they uncovered something unusual. Digging deeper, they realized the true condition of King Lu.

However, without Feng Manlou mentioning it, Jiang Li really hadn't thought his identity with the Southern Heavenly Department would be of use.

After all, this adopted brother never seemed to do any proper work; Jiang Li had thought he was just holding a nominal position.

"So, you're saying that unless there's an unforeseen event, this Heir of King Lu will soon become King Lu himself?" Jiang Li gazed deeply across the river.

The lords of Great Zhou had significant power because the Emperor was supreme, unmatched in authority or strength by any lord, so there was no concern about any lord jeopardizing his own status. Thus, the Emperor could delegate power with confidence, using the lords as wings to solidify the Royal Family's rule.

As the Heir of King Lu, Ji Chengye wasn't able to threaten Jiang Li too much. But once he became King Lu, there would be many more opportunities for him to maneuver.

Perhaps he couldn't endanger Jiang Li's life, but to control the Jiang Family would be within his grasp.

'This child must be dealt with, or he'll become a great concern in the future.'

The standard thought of an antagonist emerged in Jiang Li's mind.

He had already become mortal enemies with Ji Chengye; reconciliation was impossible. Instead of waiting for Ji Chengye to ascend as King Lu and cause trouble for him, it would be better to find a way to have the next King Lu be someone else.

Thinking this, Jiang Li laughed heartily, "With all parties converging, how could the Dinghu Sect be absent? Senior Sister, shall we go to meet the heroes?"

"You go ahead, I'd rather not,"

How could Gongsun Qingyue not understand Jiang Li's intentions? He had murder in mind; otherwise, Jiang Li would normally avoid getting involved in matters without practical benefits.

"It's better for me to stay out of this."

After all, they were of the same kin, and it was necessary to show some discretion.

However, by saying this, she tacitly gave Jiang Li her consent for his murderous intent.