Taiyi Dao Fruit

Transforming the hand into a dragon, at the critical moment, counter-seizing the Drought Demon.

The Drought Demon may be at third grade perfection, but its consciousness was long lost in madness, with all realms and cultivation techniques forgotten, leaving only the instinctual remnants of some techniques and divine skills.

With this counter move by Jiang Li, remarkable results were immediately established. The dragon body entwined his arm, and the dragon head directly bit into the Drought Demon's shoulder, about to tear off its arm.

However—

It couldn't bite through.

All the power vanished upon touching the Drought Demon's body, as a burst of flame surged, knocking the dragon head away.

The Drought Demon, ignoring the arm being twisted, forcefully channeled Flame Power, piercing its claws into the scale armor, while its other hand, still with a hideous wound, pressed onto Jiang Li's chest.

"Boom!"

The Flame Power entered the body, erupting like a volcano, blasting Jiang Li backward. The dragon-transformed arm was pulled out with five deep bloody grooves.

"Thud!"

He crashed into the mountain wall, causing the Heaven and Earth Furnace to tremble, and the Flame Power erupted, melting the stone wall faster than refined gold.

Conversely, the Drought Demon's arm, tangled by dragon scales, was torn and bloody, with both arms flowing lava-like blood, yet before it could drip, it was rapidly reabsorbed, as if time reversed, and even the wounds completely healed.

In an instant, the Drought Demon was as good as new.

"Roar!"

A piercing howl issued once more, inflamed air soared, dyeing the Star Magic Domain red. The entire Heaven and Earth Furnace seemed about to melt, water around the Artifact Pavilion island bubbled, dense steam billowing up.

The Drought Demon's fierce might surged, increased, intensified, sweeping through sky-borne calamity clouds, allowing starlight to fall, projecting into the Star Magic Domain.

"Exposed."

The Master of Rain who protected Tianxuan and Gongsun Qingyue saw the starlight and murmured softly.

The emergence of the Drought Demon coincided precisely with Tianxuan's elevation. A bit earlier or later, Tianxuan could disguise with an external Dao Fruit, but during elevation, its aura could not help but emanate, and anyone with insight could see the power and stability of this Qi mechanism, unlike the somewhat illusory aura of an external Dao Fruit.

By the latest, the news of Tianxuan's elevation will be spread across every corner of the world by tomorrow.

"Exposed, indeed."

Jiang Li stood up from the rock wall made into lava, sensing his concealment swept away, shaking his head helplessly, "After all, it's the Drought Demon."

Even if its mind is frenzied, instinctual only, it remains third grade perfection. If its mind were intact, and realm restored, the deceased Sect Hierarch of the Taiping Sect would definitely not be its match. At its peak, the Drought Demon might be inferior to the supreme ones, but it is absolutely a top powerhouse among the third grade.

Jiang Li thought to himself that dealing with Zhang Zhixuan now would be sufficient, even if Zhang Zhixuan had not suffered a blow from the Immortal Queen's sword, but if up against a fully restored third grade Drought Demon, the outcome would be uncertain.

Fortunately, this Drought Demon is already crazed.

His right hand reverted to original form, five dark red scars crossed most of the arm, the flesh burned, emitting a fragrant aroma, and a dark red handprint appeared on his chest as well.

The scorching Flame Power was about to invade the meridians, but in the next instant, Jiang Li's body transformed, reversing and absorbing that Flame Power.

"Qi Tomb" is itself a cultivation technique primarily of Fire Element, and with Jiang Li's cultivation of Three Elements Return to One and Qi Body Origin, although this Flame Power from the Drought Demon is domineering, it's not beyond what Jiang Li can handle.

Absorbing the Flame Power, his physical body rapidly recovered, and at this rate, it's no slower than the Drought Demon's own recovery.

"A year of tranquil cultivation led to some underestimation of third grade."

Jiang Li said while letting silver armor cover his body, extending his hand to grasp, the Three-pointed Two-bladed Sword returned, floating alongside the Heavenly Shooting Bow, Slaughter Spear, and Life-breaking Spear, "Fortunately, I haven't exerted my full strength."

Earlier, besides engaging the Drought Demon, he was also maintaining the concealment of starlight. Now that Tianxuan's elevation anomaly is exposed, it allows Jiang Li to exert full effort.

Moreover, it permits the use of some difficult tactics.

With this thought, the Star Magic Domain above suddenly expanded, replacing the sky dome, turning daylight into starlit night.

Since exposed, Tianxuan did not hold back, stars and constellations aligned in the sky, with a bright moon shining high, forming the scene of stars surrounding the moon.

When a vast star essence filled the sky, the intense fluctuations within the Heaven and Earth Furnace were concealed by it.

Jiang Li previously shielded for Tianxuan, now it is reversed, with Tianxuan shielding for Jiang Li.

As the Star Magic Domain spread across the heavens, foulness converged from all directions towards Jiang Li, yet spiritual mechanisms were generated, with clarity and obscurity coexisting. This peculiar anomaly made the Drought Demon pause, instinctually sensing something amiss.

"Ochre Whip enhancement, Outer Object Transformation."

Ochre Whip augmented with Zhuang Zhou Dao Fruit's divine skills elevated [Outer Object Transformation] to fourth-rank, the Great Circle Sword emerged, and with Jiang Li's will, a crimson flag burst forth.

Using [Outer Object Transformation] to imitate Chi You's Flag, merging into the Great Circle Sword, the Military God's Four Weapons moved in unison, flying into the flag, blood-like Divine Evil erupted, forming a star's shadow.

The Military God's Five Weapons of Chi You not only wield mortal slaying, but once combined, can transform into a star, traversing the cosmos, invoking heavenly killing mechanisms, reaching complete annihilation, befitting the unity of Heaven and Man.

Thus, ancient texts record that the Yellow Emperor grasped Chi You for enlightenment upon the Heavenly Dao.

Now, Jiang Li, by what he once witnessed, uses his strength to imitate Chi You's Flag, consolidating the Military God's Five Weapons, naturally far outmatched by Chi You, producing merely a star's shadow. Yet even so, he felt an immense burden, hair flying wildly, his entire being seeming ready to explode.