Chapter 214: Chapter 211 Unity of Heaven and Man
Thunder is the might of heaven and complies with the forces of heaven and earth, but at this moment, Yang Ji’s Thunder Technique seemed incongruent with the laws of nature, each strike of Thunder Light appearing to contravene the principles of the natural world, devoid of the power of heaven and earth, and thus rejected by them.
Instead of being supremely firm and upright, it turned into aberrant Demon Thunder.
All because Zhang Daoyi had now achieved Unity of Heaven and Man, co-opting the power of heaven and earth for his own use.
His Sword Qi integrated with heaven and earth, and his sword momentum and Sword Intent were in harmony with them, causing Yang Ji to conceive an irresistible notion that his righteous Thunder Technique had lost some of its might and was instead suppressed by an even greater force.
"Boom!"
When the Thunder Ring collided with Sword Qi, countless streaks of electricity burst forth, scattering in all directions, affecting even the other spectators.
"Ow—"
With a soft wail, the White Dragon circling Hui Lun swept its tail, and unbelievably, it slapped away the bolts of electricity and sent them slamming to the ground nearby, leaving only faint scorch marks.
’Yang Ji’s mastery of Thunder Technique can be considered profound; among those of the Sixth Rank, he should be near the top when it comes to frontal assault, but he is still no match for Zhang Daoyi’s swordsmanship. In terms of majestic righteousness, the Cultivation Technique that Zhang Daoyi practices surpasses the Thunder Technique,’ Hui Lun inwardly appraised the power of the electric arcs while also keeping an eye on the rest of the crowd.
"Sss—"
Multiple electric arcs intertwined and streaked by, grazing Jiang Li’s figure, but as they touched, Innate Qi stirred, and the thunder and lightning dissipated, vanishing tracelessly like clay oxen entering the sea.
’The Jiang family’s "Qi Tomb" is indeed formidable,’ Hui Lun thought to himself.
Of those present, two individuals particularly drew Hui Lun’s attention—one was Jiang Li, and the other was Zhang Daoyi, who was currently displaying the ability to draw upon the power of heaven and earth.
The latter, having assimilated a Dao Fruit, could be said to have perfectly integrated the pre-End of Dharma cultivation system with the current Dao Fruit system; if he did not die young, Zhang Daoyi would surely claim a place among the world’s strongest in the future.
The former, suspected to possess a Uniqueness Dao Fruit, managed to slay a Sixth Rank with his Seventh Rank, just like Ji Chengye, who also harbored a Uniqueness Dao Fruit, was equally a cause for vigilance.
With the court of Yong Province currently in disrepute and in the midst of great chaos, it was the opportune moment for the advance of the Buddha Country; in the future battles between Buddhism and Daoism, these two would definitely become formidable enemies of the Buddha Country.
’Find a way to probe them,’ Hui Lun made up his mind.
On the other side, Jiang Li easily neutralized the Thunder Light, his eyes manifesting tripartite aspects, observing the battle situation through the dazzling lightning.
["Yang Ji’s Mental State is in turmoil, invaded by Sword Intent, causing his Thunder Technique to be affected, losing the disposition of life and death command; his defeat is sealed."]
["But the reason he was so easily intimidated by Sword Intent is due to being previously confused by my words, leading to an opening, tsk!"]
Jiang Li, reflecting upon his own mood revealed by the Karma Collection, couldn’t help but click his tongue softly.
Jiang Li had deliberately used words to shake the minds of others, aiming to ease his upcoming exchanges, but his speech had only caught Yang Ji, who had been previously defeated by Jiang, while the others, having not suffered a beating from "Jiang someone," maintained their strong confidence and were not fooled.
When Jiang Li sensed a fluctuation in Yang Ji’s Qi Mechanism, he decided that his Mental State was wavering and planned to use him as the breakthrough point for what was to come.
Unexpectedly, the situation evolved unpredictably; a chaotic melee suddenly turned into all against one, making Yang Ji’s wavering Mental State much less relevant.
Regardless of whether or not he had an opening, Jiang Li could defeat him in head-to-head combat, so there was no need to focus too much on exploiting it.
But when others used that opening, it still irked Jiang Li, and at the same time...
["Zhang Daoyi chose Yang Ji as his opponent; nine times out of ten, he sensed the change in Yang Ji’s Mental State, at a moment when he was vulnerable to influence. This man’s Perception ability, even if not as good as mine, definitely surpasses that of ordinary people."]
["Moreover, his swordsmanship absorbs the force of heaven and earth, using intent to shock and force to sweep away the enemy; focusing on intent and momentum, he has challenged Yang Ji, probably to build up his own intent and momentum for battling others."]
Ideas flitted through Jiang Li’s mind, and he gradually discerned Zhang Daoyi’s intentions, feeling both a hint of regret and speculation.
Regretful because Yang Ji, the noble Young Sect Leader of the Taiping Sect, was now reduced to a whetstone for Zhang Daoyi—to help him accumulate intent and momentum.
Speculative because he wondered who Zhang Daoyi would choose to fight next.
Zhang Daoyi planned to battle consecutively, and his next challenger was highly likely to be...
’Me.’
As the spectators held their various thoughts, Zhang Daoyi and Yang Ji’s battle intensified.
One sword strike incorporating the might of heaven and earth penetrated the Thunder Ring; the brilliance of the lightning was drained in that instance, supplanted by the evening’s crimson hue as the thundercloud dispersed under the sword’s impetus.
Beneath that single sword stroke, Yang Ji immediately fell into a highly disadvantageous situation.
"Five Directions Thunder Gods, I call upon your name.
Summon you forth, a thunderous whip thus tamed."
Yang Ji recited the Thunder Spell with immense speed, and the Decree Dao Fruit’s ["Rapidly as the Decree"] ability turned the lengthy spell into just a few brief phrases, which corresponded precisely to his Sixth Grade Dao Fruit·Five Thunders Envoy.
This also represented the optimal training method for high-Grade Summoning God Talismans.
Harboring a corresponding Divine Dao Fruit, utilizing the corresponding talisman, one could boost the power of the talismanic spell to the limit, or even beyond.
"Five Thunders Bombarding."
Electric light coursed over Yang Ji, who rapidly retreated while his Qi Mechanism surged rather than waned, reaching its apex and causing his yellow vestments to billow and sleeves to flourish.
He raised his hand skyward, fingers splayed wide as if capturing something, with electric snakes writhing in the Thunder Eye on his head, coalescing into a cyan Thunder Light.
"Thunderous roar!"
Thick bolts of lightning cascaded down, five in succession, resonating with each other, their ferocity seemingly shattering the sky and piercing through space, aimed squarely at Zhang Daoyi’s Heavenly Spirit.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment; all movement slowed to a crawl compared to the naturally triggered Heavenly Thunder. No matter the speed, everything seemed delayed.
"Weng!"
Zhang Daoyi’s surrounding Yin Yang Qi reacted as if startled, converging into one force, transforming the Demonic Qi into a black wind that surrounded him and conjuring pure spiritual mechanism, stimulating the true power of the Nine Heavens Demon Clearing True Technique.
"Primordial Qi."
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Thunder was faster than the human body could handle, and even Zhang Daoyi couldn’t dodge. Five successive strikes of thunder landed on him, thunder roaring in unison, and the fierce Thunder Light engulfed the Daoist’s figure.
"Bang!"
But in the next instant, dark Gang Qi burst forth, shattering the thunder, causing sparks to scatter and fly in all directions.
Zhang Daoyi stepped on Gang Qi to tread the sky, flashing through the air and in an instant caught up to Yang Ji. His sword, dark as a black hole with none of its earlier Qiushui-like luster, seemed capable of swallowing light.
With one slash, the electric light shattered. Yang Ji was sent flying back, his body curled like a shrimp, flying straight out for seven or eight zhang. His feet hit the ground, shattering the earth and sending soil and stones flying.
"He—He—"
Gasping for air, Yang Ji’s yellow garment split open with a sword slash across his body, revealing a dark red sword wound on his abdomen.
The sword was not sharp, but extremely heavy; all of its Strength was concentrated into one spot, with not a trace of Qi Mechanism leaking out. Even light that fell upon the sword couldn’t be reflected, resulting in the dark color.
The sword had shattered Protective True Qi and the vestment robe, slashing into the flesh, with congealing blood darkening the wound.
In that instant, Yang Ji truly feared he’d been cut in two.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Behind Zhang Daoyi, stones burst into the air, and seven deep footprints appeared belatedly on the ground.
"I yield."
He exhaled as he sheathed his sword, his body still emitting a faint blue smoke, and his Dao robe marked with scorch marks. Yet his hair was not the slightest bit singed, indicating he had protected his body well, uninjured by the thunder and lightning.
To still remain unharmed under such violent Five Thunders was a testament to his strength...
"Very good." Zhong Shenxiu expressed his fighting spirit and delight.
"Impressive." Yuan Zhen slowly exhaled.
"Pitiable." Hui Lun praised.
"Not bad." Jiang Li postured.
Different people expressed different sentiments, but all were a reaction to Zhang Daoyi’s formidable strength.
This disciple of the Daoist Lord was no less skilled than anyone present.
"You flatter me."
Zhang Daoyi held his sword behind his back and responded, then his gaze fell directly on Jiang Li, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, please."
Let’s continue the bout from before.
His eyes clearly conveyed this wish.
Back at Laojun Temple, Jiang Li’s Unity of Heaven and Man through physical unity had surpassed Zhang Daoyi’s Unity of Heaven and Man through Mental State. Compared, Jiang Li had a slight advantage.
Now, Zhang Daoyi sought another contest with Jiang Li, aiming to break through the mysteries of his fellow Daoist and advance his own realm.
Before the End of Dharma, cultivation in the Mystic Sect focused on Unity of Heaven and Man. After the End of Dharma, Zhang Daoyi not only picked up the cultivation method of absorbing Heaven and Earth Qi but also integrated the Dao Fruit of Qi Refiners, attaining the ability of Unity of Heaven and Man.
The combination of the two created a synergy greater than the sum of their parts, ensuring that even if he needed to convert Spiritual Energy and could not absorb it in large quantities, his advance in realm was by no means slow.
Yet, such Unity of Heaven and Man had been defeated.
Curiosity and a spirit of competition filled Zhang Daoyi; he wanted to uncover the mysteries of Jiang Li and to surpass him.
So, let’s begin.
Without many words, Zhang Daoyi expressed an immensely intense will, to the point that Yuan Zhen silently halted his line of questioning, allowing Zhang Daoyi to fight consecutively.
’It is indeed me.’
Jiang Li thought to himself, then lightly flapped his sleeve and floated up.
Zhang Daoyi wished to continue the previous exchange, and how could Jiang Li not want the same?
Just wait, I’ll soon be learning your Cultivation Technique.
With his recent advancement, Jiang Li’s Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill far surpassed his earlier capabilities, and his grasp on Essence Qi had also exceeded the past; this time, he was sure to steal more and then, one by one, make them his own.
"Riding the righteousness of heaven and earth, commanding the eloquence of the Six Qi, I roam the boundless."
Jiang Li drifted near without the use of his legs, the preferred method of approach for any major figure, and with a smile, he said, "Change is constant, Circulation of Six Emptiness is everywhere, there is no stability above or below, hardness and softness exchange easily. I understand the vicissitudes of all things between heaven and earth; thus, I am one with all things and apply the law universally."
Jiang Li initiated a philosophical debate.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Daoyi was momentarily taken aback, seemingly surprised by Jiang Li’s insight, but then he responded.
"Yin and Yang can change, the pure and foul can transform, using foulness to purify, using Yin to stimulate Yang, taking from the surplus to aid the insufficient, aligning with the Heavenly Dao, conforming to humanity."