Taiyi Dao Fruit-Chapter 1096 - 324: Sealing the Great Venerable
The Great Venerable split his own shadow into hundreds, but in reality, there was only one true Great Venerable.
Yet, the Great Venerable could make any of those shadows become the real him.
The hundreds of shadows were afterimages created by the Great Venerable using his Cosmic Light Divine Ability, while the time on his body was flickering, ready to replace any of the afterimages at any moment. The interval was less than even a fraction of a finger snap.
Therefore, the previous attacks were all real; there was no falsehood in the Yin Yang Five Elements Qi.
And now, Jiang Li had captured the true form of the Great Venerable.
In a flash as quick as lightning, the Great Venerable was ready to shift time again, allowing himself to replace another afterimage. These hundreds of afterimages acted like coordinates, and as long as the Great Venerable performed the Cosmic Light Divine Ability, he could instantly replace an afterimage. This process was indescribable by speed and impossible to capture.
But—
"Hit!"
In the split second of a fraction of a finger snap, the [Emperor Emerges from Zhen] Divine Ability was unleashed, and Jiang Li's strike seemed destined, forcibly stalling the operation of the Cosmic Light Divine Ability.
The Taixu Qi dyed his entire body a plain white, and the Taixu Body punched out with the utmost simplicity and grandeur.
There was no earth-shattering momentum, no terrifying or mystical anomaly, yet it was far from ordinary. Jiang Li's Taixu Tao had already achieved its form, his body returned to the Innate, and the grandeur of his fist already surpassed the scale of the Acquired, becoming impossible to perceive.
Just like ordinary people can open their eyes and see the world but cannot perceive the workings of the heavens, the grandeur that surpasses scale is not confined by space. The so-called great sound is hard to hear, and the great form is invisible, just so.
Only the Great Venerable, who was also a Supreme and had profound understanding of the Yi Dao, could sense the terror of this punch.
"Book of Luo River Map." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮
Points and lines intertwine, simplifying the complex, bringing forth the Four Symbols, evolving into Eight Trigrams, forming an array before his fist at a critical moment.
The Eight Trigrams evolved, displaying heaven, earth, wind, thunder, water, fire, mountain, and marsh one by one, then—
Explisively shattered!
As the mountain descended, it collapsed; as the water appeared, it dried up, and wind and thunder were all obliterated, everything in heaven and earth were to be destroyed.
A crimson star emerged behind Jiang Li, extinguishing all things in heaven and earth one by one.
You have the Book of Luo River Map, and I have the Chi You's Flag.
The Luo River Map evolves all things, but Chi You's Flag destroys them all, ruining the array and subsequently being blown away by the Taisu Fist.
Jiang Li seemed to leap from a simple individual to a vast existence, supremely simple, endless power flowing from within him, shattering all things, destroying the heavens and earth.
This punch was finally blocked by the Great Venerable's palm, with red scales sprouting like bamboo shoots after rain on his arm. His palm instantly transformed into a dragon claw, yet the dragon claw seemed to be collapsing just like the array before.
The Taixu Qi broke the "body" of the Great Venerable, erasing all structures as the blood and flesh were being obliterated.
"Cosmic Light Reversal."
Seeing this, the Great Venerable let out a light shout, the obliterated blood and flesh reversed and reappeared, and a massive force erupted forth, clashing with Jiang Li's fist.
In this moment, the Great Venerable transformed into a form with a human head and serpent body, combining Candle Dragon Body and Fuxi Daoist Body, a majestic and thunderous Gang Qi emerged from his fingers and claws.
"The heavens send down wrath; it is the soldier of the Yang."
At this moment, the Great Venerable used a transcendent mental intent to evolve supreme heavenly might, suddenly appearing with intense light, overpowering all things, as if heavenly punishment had descended.
No, it was heavenly punishment!
Having personally experienced heavenly punishment and avoided it with the Eight-Nine Profound Skill, Jiang Li could confirm that what was emerging from the Great Venerable's palm now was indeed heavenly punishment!
In an instant, heavenly might shook violently, and the space within the Map of Mountains and Rivers seemed on the verge of being shattered, the fierce light and Taixu Qi colliding, ultimately causing an earth-shaking commotion.
"Boom!"
As the intense light swept through heaven and earth, the mountains and rivers broke apart, turning into countless particles of dust, but the distant great mountain transformed, after being struck, into a form like a landscape painting, still standing.
Then—
The light twisted and the grandeur of formlessness shattered the intense light, blood light appeared suddenly.
"Bang!"
The fierce wind swept across the sky, a distorted dragon shadow flashed out, shuttling through space, retreating several hundred feet before stopping.
The one who retreated was the Great Venerable.
At this moment, the Great Venerable's right arm had its flesh torn apart, fingers bent backward, clearly at a disadvantage in the previous frontal clash.
He looked towards the cloud-like microdust rolling several hundred feet away, showing a deep expression, "Until today, this venerable thought that in terms of physical strength, the Heavenly Monarch could be the first. But after today, while the Heavenly Monarch may surpass you in the intricacies of the physical form, in terms of strength, he is already inferior to you."
The Heavenly Monarch integrates the mysteries of the "Qi Tomb" and "Form Tomb", creating the "Yin Talisman Scripture", assimilating all appearances, able to transform himself into Cave Heaven. In terms of transformation, even though Jiang Li also mastered "Qi Tomb" and "Form Tomb", and cultivated the Eight-Nine Profound Skill, he is still weaker than the Heavenly Monarch.
Compared to the Heavenly Monarch, Jiang Li lacks the sediment of years.
It is precisely for this reason that the Great Venerable said the Heavenly Monarch in physical strength could be the first.
But now, the situation has changed.
The Taiji Heavenly Wheel turned, and fine dust scattered, revealing the figure under the wheel.
Jiang Li was dressed in pure white, even the twelve-patterned grand garments on his body transformed into simple white, his hair flying, like a dragon probing into space, seemingly piercing through the void.
After mastering the Taisu Tao, this was the first time Jiang Li fully displayed the Taisu Body in a battle. This fight showcased the true value of the Taisu Body.
Even though the Great Venerable combined the Candle Dragon Body and the Fuxi Daoist Body, he still fell into a disadvantage in the instant exchange, suffering severe damage to his arm.
This newly emerged supreme being, Jiang Li, had surprisingly advanced again in a short period, begining to pose a threat to the Great Venerable and others who had been famous for at least several decades.
'The key is his [Oral Heavenly Constitution] can directly affect my Cosmic Light Divine Ability; even the previous Heavenly Emperor at his peak couldn't achieve this.' The Great Venerable felt increasingly startled by Jiang Li's progress.
Clearly, Jiang Li had taken step by step to where he was now under the Great Venerable's watchful eyes, but the Great Venerable felt more and more that he couldn't see through Jiang Li.
"Using one's own ability to evolve Heaven's Punishment, the wonders of the [Mountain Tomb], are indeed impressive," Jiang Li also looked at the Great Venerable from afar and said.
Although he had mastered the Three Tombs to create his own skills, Jiang Li had only obtained part of the [Mountain Tomb], relying on the Fuxi Daoist Body to supplement the rest.
Even now, Jiang Li had freed himself from the confines of the Three Tombs, but he remained extremely interested in the [Mountain Tomb] created by Emperor Xi.
Fuxi was naturally aligned with the grand Dao, though of the Human Race, he was no different from a God Demon, perhaps could be called an Innate Divine Man. The potential of the Daoist Body was naturally bestowed, innate, and Fuxi naturally stood at a height others could not reach.
So, the skills of the [Mountain Tomb] were more about how to tap into the potential of the Daoist Body, harness that Innate Divine Power, and extend it to connect the heavens and the earth. These skills leaned more towards spirit, will, and intention, vastly different from the [Qi Tomb] and [Form Tomb].
If he could obtain the complete [Mountain Tomb], it might inspire Jiang Li to create the Tai Shi Dao skills.
But for now, these were not the key. The key was to make the Great Venerable retreat, lest he muddy the waters again.
At least, make him temporarily retreat.
"It's time," Jiang Li said softly.
With his words falling, the sky gradually sank, and the earth began to rise.
Heaven and earth began to merge, as if returning to the chaotic time before the world opened.
Space was becoming flattened, thus generating great pressure internally.
The Great Venerable, in the midst of using divine skills to recover his arm, suddenly felt the backflow of Cosmic Light being disrupted.
"This is... another expert!"
The Great Venerable's heart raced, and he quickly looked up, only to see amidst the lowering sky, a giant monkey face looming between the drifting clouds.
It was this person... this monkey, injecting power, joining Jiang Li to suppress the Great Venerable's Cosmic Light Divine Ability.
If it were outside, even another two Jiang Lis and monkeys might not suppress the Great Venerable's divine ability, at most they could slightly affect it with [Emperor Emerges from Zhen]. But within this Map of Mountains and Rivers, the situation was different.
Although it was the monkey version, its intended effect was not lacking, with all surrounding elements within the map, under control, naturally able to suppress.
Not to mention, Jiang Li's clash with the Great Venerable had consumed him somewhat.
At this point, if the Great Venerable still didn't realize Jiang Li intended to seal him, he was not worthy of being an experienced Sixth Brother.
At that moment, the Great Venerable's figure swelled, eyes revealing the outline of a Great Sun, ready to transform into the complete Candle Dragon Body.
"Darkness and Brightness—"
"I use the Map of Mountains and Rivers to restrain your divine ability."
Jiang Li synchronized his divine ability, using the [Emperor Emerges from Zhen] in conjunction with the Map of Mountains and Rivers, employing his own strength with Sun Monkey's power, channeling through the Map of Mountains and Rivers to forcefully suppress, making the Great Venerable's form halt.
"With the Taiji Heavenly Wheel, I suppress the Three Flowers atop your head, and the Five Qi in your chest."
The Taiji Heavenly Wheel appeared across the sky, pressing down towards the Great Venerable's head.
Simultaneously, a star river-like scene manifested around the Great Venerable; the Book of Luo River Map appeared, resisting the suppression of the Map of Mountains and Rivers, the enormous Candle Dragon's shadow enveloping the Great Venerable.
Even though trapped and losing the initiative, the Great Venerable still had the ability to turn the tables. The Book of Luo River Map was originally the vessel bearing the Fuxi Dao Fruit, even now, having lost the Fuxi Dao Fruit and having endured the erosion of Evil Qi over the ages, it was still comparable to a Second Grade Daoist Artifact.
Yet, the Map of Mountains and Rivers Jiang Li used was not the original version.
But since Jiang Li had already meticulously planned step by step, how could he fail at this last step?
Only seeing Jiang Li slowly exhale, then loudly shout, "With the Nine Provinces' vastness, the Jiangshan and Sheji, I suppress your body."
Having strengthened through the Karma Collection, the Dao Fruit Divine Power was exerted in full force, channeling the Great Zhou's mountains and rivers through the Map of Mountains and Rivers, the vitality of the common people falling upon the Great Venerable, the huge Dragon Shadow being suppressed by the vast lands of Jiangshan.
"Jiang Li!"
Under the myriad appearances of the mountains and rivers, a thunderous voice came through, "You cannot suppress me for long."
"Indeed, once I engage in a life-and-death struggle with the Heavenly Monarch, maintaining the seal becomes difficult, and by then with the Great Venerable's ability, escaping would be effortless, but that is sufficient, isn't it?"
Jiang Li chuckled softly and said, "Then, farewell, Great Venerable."
He clasped his hands together, and the space before his eyes transformed from three-dimensional to two-dimensional, finally turning into a scroll painting.
