Taiyi Dao Fruit

"He's discovered it?"

Gongsun Qingyue's heart skipped a beat.

Jiang Li had suddenly mentioned the True Disciples and didn't even bother to mention Gongsun Qingyue's offer of apology, which made it hard not to overthink the situation.

If Jiang Li had indeed noticed something amiss, continuing to hide it might instead foster concealed conflicts.

Thinking this, Gongsun Qingyue decided to probe further.

"Within the Sect, if not apprenticed to the same master, status among fellow disciples is generally determined by their level of cultivation, except for the disciples of the Sect Leader and the Six Hall Elders."

Gongsun Qingyue pushed her palm forward, propelling the boat onward while speaking, "As of now, there are five True Disciples. The order is decided by the time of apprenticeship. When I became a disciple of Elder Tianxuan, the Sect Leader and Elder Yuheng had already taken disciples, placing me third in rank."

"The eldest senior brother's surname is Yun, his given name is Jiuye, and he is a disciple of the Sect Leader. His cultivation is at the Sixth Rank, the strongest among the current generation of disciples."

"The second senior brother, Feng Ziyang, is under Elder Yuheng and is the chief of the Law Enforcement Disciples. His cultivation is also at the Sixth Rank, and I'm sure you're quite familiar with him."

"The fourth, Yun Qiuchi, is a disciple of Elder Tianquan and has reached the Seventh Rank in cultivation. She devotes herself to cultivation and seldom shows her face; perhaps even when you become an apprentice, you may not see her."

"As for Fifth Brother Ling Wujue..." Gongsun Qingyue deliberately paused, "He is a disciple of Elder Kaiyang, at the Seventh Rank, and cultivates the 'Jiuli Saber Chapter', a technique originating from the 'Chi You Three Disks Scripture'. It's exceptionally fierce in battle, and even though I'm his senior sister, I dare not claim a sure victory over him."

"It seems that the one who intervened just now was very likely Ling Wujue," Jiang Li thought to himself.

She had breezed over the first few but elaborated more on Ling Wujue, clearly because Gongsun Qingyue had sensed Jiang Li's intention and responded indirectly.

He also deliberately kept silent for a while, then asked, "How come there are Warlord Techniques within the Sect?"

"The Yellow Emperor defeated Chi You and used his essence to form one of the Six Dharma. Even the Warlord's very essence was taken for his own use, so it's natural for the Sect to possess Warlord Techniques. It's just that there are few who practice it and even fewer who know of it," Gongsun Qingyue replied, "The Warlord Technique is powerful and deadly. Many cultivators over the generations have fallen into demonic possession. Ling Wujue's practice of the technique was a life-or-death ordeal, saved only by the help of the eldest senior brother, thus he holds him in high esteem."

Continuing, Gongsun Qingyue seemed to feel the need to add weight to her words, "Anyone who hinders the eldest senior brother is his enemy. And all True Disciples are eligible to contend for the position of Sect Leader."

I see. A sycophant.

'So he targeted me because I got in the way of the eldest senior brother?' Jiang Li had this thought.

Is that possible? I've already tarnished my own reputation without even earning the right to compete with the eldest senior brother, and yet I could be seen as an enemy?

'Not right, it's not me...'

Jiang Li then dismissed this guess, 'It's Gongsun Qingyue.'

"Sister, I now belong to you," Jiang Li said startlingly.

The real contender to rival the eldest senior brother wasn't the current Jiang Li, but Gongsun Qingyue. Jiang Li was attacked simply because he was seen as associated with Gongsun Qingyue.

Ever since he made a name for himself, Jiang Li had only dealt with two True Disciples. Feng Ziyang was for official business, while Gongsun Qingyue — clearly on personal terms.

Her mentor, Elder Tianxuan, was clearly recruiting for Gongsun Qingyue, and the fact that Jiang Li was assigned to Gongsun Qingyue showed that Elder Tianxuan had considerable influence within the Sect.

With a good mentor, a deep connection to the Ji Family, and having drawn in Jiang Li who might potentially take over the Ochre Whip in the future, Gongsun Qingyue was one grade lower in Realm, but her competitiveness was definitely not small. Even Feng Ziyang was no match for her.

Gongsun Qingyue also thought of this, and particularly recalling some things her mentor had said before, it further confirmed this idea. It was just that previously, this not-so-scheming woman had been immersed in competing wits and courage with Jiang Li and had simply not thought about it.

"If you stop resisting and let me light a point on you, sister will acknowledge you as one of my people," Gongsun Qingyue spat out.

This junior brother seemed to be basically leaning towards her side, but to truly make use of him for herself was still far away. None of them were mediocre, and even if they weren't aiming for the Sect Leader position, they wouldn't submit to someone inferior.

Sure enough, all Jiang Li said was, "Then it will depend on sister's ability."

To simply switch sides now that he saw the situation clearly would make Jiang Li look like a suck-up, wouldn't it? A sycophant had no future, the best was always what one couldn't get.

Jiang Li wanted to leverage the power of his affluent senior sister and Elder Tianxuan, so he had to keep pulling at strings.

[Every time he thought of this, Jiang Li once again lamented why he was single in his previous life, when he clearly understood the human heart so well.]

The same line of text flashed before his eyes, and Jiang Li waved his hand as if to brush it away, then began to concentrate his attention inward.

Previously, due to Ling Wujue's meddling, Jiang Li had suffered an injury, but his goal had still been achieved, and it was even supermodel-level. In the close combat, Jiang Li had an insight into Jiang Zhuyun's Cultivation Technique, almost as if he had stolen it.

He wouldn't dare claim he had glimpsed the full scope of the "Qi Tomb," not even Jiang Zhuyun had received the complete teachings, and Jiang Li couldn't conjure something out of nothing, but to establish the basics and begin the cultivation was certainly no problem.

'Emperor Yan ruled with the Fire Element, his Cultivation Technique was also within the Fire Element. But this Fire Element wasn't natural fire, it was the idea of fire—refinement.'

'Qi Refinement, Qi Refinement, the key to the "Qi Tomb" lies in refinement. The heavens and earth as the furnace, creation as the craft; Yin Yang as the charcoal, all things as copper. Using one's self as heaven and earth, transforming into the nurturing furnace, igniting the potential of creation, turning Yin Yang into charcoal, Essence Element as copper, refining the most pure, vast, and malleable Qi.'

With Perception and introspection, using the power of the Dao Fruit to look at the Dantian, he saw the True Qi in the Lower Dantian boiling, like a cluster of Flames burning, refining all attributes, producing Origin Qi.

This Qi was like a blank sheet of paper, ready to be imbued with various colors. Like Jiang Zhuyun, who infused the idea of Kun Yuan into the Qi, shaping the Lower Dantian Qi Sea, solid as mountains, to establish the lower reaches of the river Qi Sea. The middle Dantian was for Unifying blood Qi, refining the most vibrant Qi to strengthen the Physical Body.

However, in Jiang Li's perception, the Qi that Jiang Zhuyun refined became another thing altogether after combining the idea of all things; it was strong, indeed, but it lost its original malleability.

And he, Jiang Li...

He extended a finger and quickly completed a Freezing Ice Talisman, then let it enter inside himself.

The True Qi in the Lower Dantian absorbed the Freezing Ice Talisman, transforming into the purest Extreme Cold Energy, Jiang Li's crystal complexion took on a hint of ice blue, his whole person seeming like an ice sculpture.

But in the next instant, complex patterns appeared in his eyes. With microscopic insight, the cluster of Extreme Cold Energy began to boil. After being refined, the coldness was continuously removed, returning the True Qi once again to its most initial form.

Jiang Zhuyun was unable to refine the Origin Qi that had already combined with others back again, but Jiang Li could.

The body like an ice sculpture also returned to its crystal-like appearance, within were clouds and mist churning and undulating.

"Innate Qi," Gongsun Qingyue blurted out a term upon seeing such a scene.