Taiyi Dao Fruit

With his current level of divination, added to the six identical divination results in a row, if he still blindly charged forward, he indeed deserved to die.

"In another quarter of an hour, it will be three years since I started my Daoist path. I've already applied for the Dao Fruit in advance and can be promoted as soon as the time comes. Will that be the opportune moment indicated by the Mingyi Trigram? If so, doesn't that mean only a Ninth Grade Daoist can secure a win?"

Jiang Li had already considered retreating.

Although he possessed the Golden Finger, which ensured that effort led to gains, the more he strove, the clearer it became to Jiang Li that humans have limitations, and he had begun to feel his progress slowing.

Effort still yielded results, but it required even more effort.

If it had been before the End of Dharma, Jiang Li would have already broken through all barriers through diligent cultivation. Unfortunately, this was after the End of Dharma. It was no longer feasible for a human body to break through limits by cultivation alone, only by relying on the Dao Fruit.

Even though Jiang Li was skilled in many areas, he couldn't confidently claim he could definitely defeat an enemy who possessed a Ninth Grade Dao Fruit.

Challenging someone beyond one's level was brave, but it wasn't suitable for someone less fervent like Jiang Li. If he lost, it could cost him his life.

A mission was worth only a few hundred good deeds; why risk his life for that?

He had pursued his target for several days, far exceeding his expectation. Originally, he had intended to complete this mission before his promotion.

[Just at this moment, a dark shadow glided down the mountain wall, a deadly cold light aiming straight for Jiang Li's heavenly spirit—]

Without any hesitation, Jiang Li sprung to the side, moving a full ten feet like a crab along the mountain wall, while simultaneously slapping his green robe.

Wood Spirit Talisman, Amulet, Featherweight Talisman, Vajra Talisman, Qi Movement Talisman.

True Qi poured into the green robe, revealing dense marks of various talismans. In an instant, five different talismans were activated on Jiang Li.

His diary would automatically record Jiang Li's thoughts and everything happening around him in all 360 degrees of perception, which was also a clever application of the Golden Finger.

Jiang Li had relied on this function to get through many difficulties, and today was no exception.

The shadow, as if attached to Jiang Li's form, pushed off a stone where a previous divination had been conducted, using the momentum to turn and slash with a dagger that gleamed coldly, immediately tearing through the golden Qi Shield.

Vajra Talisman, broken.

The perfectly executed talisman was sliced through, the dagger's force unspent, hitting the Amulet next, causing the transparent Qi Shield to wobble incessantly.

Jiang Li stomped the ground and retreated further while initiating a palm movement with his sleeve, "Cloud Clearing Palm."

Clouds burst forth from his sleeve, enveloping his opponent's face. The shadow resisted, anticipating an impact, but instead, a severe burning pain struck his eyes.

"Quicklime! Despicable!"

The shadow cursed loudly while flinging the dagger around wildly, retreating back to the previous position on the rocks.

Meanwhile, Jiang Li could now clearly see the person's face.

With regular features, dressed in a black tight outfit, and appearing to be around eighteen or nineteen years of age, his face bore a ferocious expression with scale-like fine lines over his cheeks.

This person was indeed Zhou Mingyun, the miscreant Disciple Jiang Li was pursuing.

However, the figure before him was very different from the Zhou Mingyun in Jiang Li's memory; even the whole style seemed altered.

"Demon transformation, have you assimilated a Demonic Attribute Dao Fruit?" Jiang Li was significantly frustrated.

As expected, something had gone awry. The individual before him had unmistakably assimilated a Dao Fruit, no wonder the divination foreshadowed dire omens.

Had Jiang Li not been cautious at all times, always prepared with protective methods, and using his diary to observe his surroundings, he might have already been dead by now.

"Or, how about we pretend we never met? You go your way, and I'll return to my Dinghu Sect," Jiang Li sincerely suggested, "after all, we're fellow disciples. Why should it come to this standoff?"

Regrettably, his sincere proposal seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Zhou Mingyun, with his eyes tightly shut, enduring the intense burning pain, bitterly said, "Despicable scoundrel, you've thwarted my ambush six times in a row, and now you resort to these underhanded tactics against me. With such cunning, do you think I would trust you?"

Clearly, he harbored a severe misunderstanding of Jiang Li.

Jiang Li was moved by his heart and often stopped at crucial moments, leading Zhou Mingyun to consider him extremely crafty and entirely distrust Jiang Li's words.

In this seventh clash, Zhou Mingyun managed to get close to Jiang Li, taking the initiative. Although he had been ambushed, he had absorbed a Dao Fruit, and his advantage still lay with him.

"Hiss—"

A long, forked tongue slid out from between his lips with a soft sound, Zhou Mingyun lay prone on the ground, holding his dagger in a reverse grip, his killing intent chilling.

"Snake Dao Fruit." Jiang Li sensed an ominous atmosphere.

Demonic Attribute Dao Fruits would gradually demonize the absorber until they completely became a demon kind. The Snake Dao Fruit that Zhou Mingyun had absorbed gave him the ability to sense heat like a snake.

This rendered the effect of the quicklime minimal.

"Die."

The demonic person, snake-like, hissed as he slithered on the ground, his body bonelessly advancing, his hand stabbing his dagger sharply like a needle.

Originally, Zhou Mingyun was supposed to absorb the Heavenly Weapon Dao Fruit, which leaned towards Martial Arts practice and close combat, advantageous for him. He used the Guide Sword Skill from the Dinghu Sect, where the cultivator's sword tip would point like a compass to the acupoints of the opponent, concentrating sword power at a single point, best for breaking through defenses.

Now, as Zhou Mingyun wielded the swordsmanship with a dagger, the Guide Sword Skill in his hands became unpredictably tricky. Because of his snake-like movements, his every strike targeted Jiang Li's lower body, exceedingly ruthless.

But Jiang Li's speed was also beyond his expectations.

The Featherweight Talisman made his movements agile, the Qi Movement Talisman sped up the flow of his True Qi, and the Wood Spirit Talisman stimulated his bodily potential. His movements were swift like the wind, complemented by the perfected Cloud-Rolling Step technique, causing the dagger to only graze by Jiang Li's body without effect.

Advancing and retreating, the two, like eagles and rabbits, streaked along the mountain path. Seeing the road narrowing and the retreat path ending, Jiang Li's heart progressively tensed.

Freezing Ice Talisman.

A talisman flew from his sleeve, sweeping over with coldness, a pale frost covering the frenziedly attacking Zhou Mingyun and causing him to pause.

Being a cold-blooded creature, Zhou Mingyun, having absorbed the Snake Dao Fruit, surely didn't have too high a body temperature, making this talisman particularly effective on him.

If it had been before the End of Dharma, a single Freezing Ice Talisman could have drawn upon the Qi of Heaven and Earth to directly freeze him, unfortunately now that was in the time after the End of Dharma, talismans could only utilize the user's own Qi, greatly reducing the effect.

Fire Cloud Talisman.

The fiery energy, like clouds, wasn't used to attack the enemy's body but enveloped around his own vicinity, making it hard for Zhou Mingyun, who sensed heat, to lock onto Jiang Li's position.

By twofold action, the effect was immediately remarkable; although Zhou Mingyun quickly dispelled the frost with his Qi, due to the Fire Cloud Talisman, his accuracy was greatly lost.

Jiang Li took the opportunity to retreat thirty feet, standing on a mountain path only wide enough for a single horse to pass, his mouth curving into a smile like that of the Dragon King's Son-in-law.

"Time's up."

He took out a Jade Talisman, a faint bright light enveloping his arm.

[Ninth Grade Dao Fruit: Daoist

Category: Human

Promotion Ceremony: Three years into following the Daoist path, thoroughly read ten Daoist Scriptures

Ability: Daoist Heart Clarity, Dao Skill Mastery]

Details of the Dao Fruit appeared in the diary.

But in the next moment, this information was crossed out and disappeared from the page, replaced by new content.

[Ninth Grade Dao Fruit: Daoist Wang Chongyang

Category: Human

Promotion Ceremony: Three years into following the Daoist path, thoroughly read ten Daoist Scriptures

Ability: Seeking Truth, Dual Cultivation of Life and Spirit, Three Teachings Unification]