Taiyi Dao Fruit-Chapter 1168 - 388: Time Reversal

The stone platform made of earth and stone remained undamaged in the lava, even taking on a metallic sheen under the tempering of the Flame Qi.

On the stone platform were traces, either deep or shallow, and a metal book as tall as a man.

The "Chi You Three Disks Scripture" was forged from Chi You's bones, and Chi You himself had long achieved an almost indestructible realm. Even after countless years, the "Chi You Three Disks Scripture" showed no signs of decay, seemingly immune to the Five Vile Qi.

Yet, the stone platform that supported the "Chi You Three Disks Scripture" did not possess such an indestructible strength.

Marks, whether deep or shallow, new or old, covered the stone platform. Among them were scorch marks and claw-like imprints.

The Ancient Evil Fire could not melt this specially forged stone platform, but if driven by a Drought Demon Ba, it might be possible. Evidently, in the past eight hundred years, the Drought Demon Ba had attempted to escape from the seal below, but was continually restrained by the Yinglong Dao Fruit, unable to break free.

Most of these marks were left by the Drought Demon Ba.

Judging by the freshness of the marks, before escaping, the Drought Demon Ba attempted to break the seal. However, if Jiang Li's hypothesis proves correct, the Drought Demon Ba should have regained its consciousness by then, and would not have left such chaotic new marks.

This act seems to have an intent to mislead.

Jiang Li slowly descended before the stone platform, observed these marks, and abruptly spoke, "Cosmic Light Reversal, Time Rewind."

Back when the Immortal Queen was refining the Immortality Elixir beneath the Ziwei Hall, the Former Emperor had once accelerated the passage of time within the Underground Palace using the Oral Heavenly Constitution, hastening the completion of the Immortality Elixir.

If not for the lifespan limit imposed by the Emperor Dao Fruit, which even the Immortality Elixir could not reverse, perhaps the Former Emperor might have truly succeeded in reversing fate and lived another life.

Now, Jiang Li likewise manipulated the time with divine skills, using "Emperor Emerges from Zhen" to forcibly twist time and restore the stone platform.

This maneuver is not fanciful but rather emphasizes brute force, using divine skills to force time backward. Under similar demonstrations, Jiang Li's move consumes far more than a Great Venerable with Cosmic Light Divine Ability.

However, Jiang Li currently has the support of "I Am the Nation," and the recovery from "One-foot Hammer," despite the substantial consumption, is still bearable.

His Primordial Qi surged like a flood, but in the next instant, it was replenished. The recovery interval of the third grade "One-foot Hammer" is markedly ten times shorter than before, though that instant is fairly brief, during a third grade confrontation, there remains a slight interval, yet now, it is nearly nonexistent.

In essence, as long as the consumption does not exceed half, Jiang Li's power is essentially infinite in an alternative sense.

And with such extravagant consumption, the marks on the stone platform gradually vanished, restored.

Starting from now, tracing backward, within a few moments, it reached a year ago, opposing the disappearance of a patch of fresh marks.

Continuing, time flowed further back; according to Jiang Li's estimation, it now reached the time of the Sword Discussion Conference.

The marks on the stone platform continued to disappear, evidently at the Sword Discussion Conference, the Drought Demon Ba was extremely agitated.

Further back—

Three years, four years······

The pace at which the marks disappeared was gradually slowing; perhaps the marks left by the Drought Demon Ba during those times were fewer and reduced to one or two per year.

Beyond that······

It halted.

When the time span reached ten years ago, the marks were no longer restored.

Meaning, the Drought Demon Ba no longer attempted to break the seal, and for quite a lengthy period; currently known is fifteen years, and it's still growing.

Jiang Li deemed it understandable, even madmen get tired; madmen have their moments to rest as well.

Time continued to rewind, twenty years, thirty years······ until a Jiazi ago, faint scorch marks were revived, indicating the Drought Demon Ba was not practicing at the time.

But that was the extent of the changes.

Jiang Li continued rewinding time, as far as three hundred years, yet the residual marks on the stone platform still showed no restoration.

Jiang Li's gaze slowly adopted a deep and mysterious essence.

The answer was already glaringly clear; the Drought Demon Ba had slumbered for at least three hundred years.

The reason for sleeping was simple; perhaps it simply overslept, given that in the seal, apart from sleeping and attempting to break the seal, there appeared to be nothing else to do, or······

it was to resist the erosion of the Five Turbid Evil World through slumber.

Cultivators of the Seventh Grade could already sense unity with Heaven and Man, but they would not dare to do so. A careless moment might draw a breath of Five Vile Qi into the body, resulting in instant death.

Jiang Li had once housed the Qi Refining Dao Fruit, considered one of the most elite Seventh Grade Dao Fruits, but went unclaimed due to the Dao Fruit ability "Unity of Heaven and Man." As this ability greatly enhanced one's perception of Heaven and Earth, of ten cultivators harboring it, nine would perish.

Above Seventh Grade, as the grade ascends, perception strengthens, increasingly detecting the decay and ruin between Heaven and Earth.

This mental strain can only be endured through mental state and will; if unsustainable, one's consciousness would be assimilated into the ruinous decay, dying then and there.

This is why many of the elder beings opt to hide within the Cave Heaven Blessed Land.

The Drought Demon Ba indeed possessed a unique physique with dual attributes of divinity and demon. Though it could survive being eroded by the Five Vile Qi from eight hundred years past to the present, its consciousness would have faced dire consequences if continuously eroded over eight hundred years.

Few can disregard the decay of this Heaven and Earth; the Drought Demon Ba was not among them.

"If calculated this way, the Drought Demon Ba regained its consciousness quite early."

Jiang Li looked at the still unchanged stone platform, increasingly aware of the Drought Demon Ba's growing mystery.

They had underestimated this entity.

Even if it was a top-tier powerhouse eight hundred years prior, capable of turning half of Yong Province into scorched earth, its lost consciousness prevented it from fully exerting its strength, leading both Jiang Li and the Heavenly Monarch to underestimate it.

Of course, this was because there was someone behind the Drought Demon Ba providing cover.

As more clues emerged, Jiang Li became increasingly certain there was someone behind the Drought Demon Ba and Tan Wuwei.

"Who could it be?"

Jiang Li mused as he observed those marks.

By this time, the stone platform's time had been reversed to seven hundred and sixty years ago, whereupon the marks began disappearing once again.

This signified that, seven hundred and sixty years ago, the Drought Demon Ba had already recovered from Deviation, and regained its consciousness.

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Heaven.

The towering South Heavenly Gate was riddled with mottled marks, even this former portal of the Heavenly Court had lost its previous glory in the End of Dharma. Jiang Li's battle with the Heavenly Monarch here nearly demolished the South Heavenly Gate, leaving many gaps.

A golden light pierced through the clouds, landed before the South Heavenly Gate, revealing Sun Wukong.

"Bah! Such foul and turbid Evil Qi."

Upon seeing the gray wind made of Five Vile Qi, Sun Wukong immediately felt discomfort.

He looked up to see the once resplendent palaces and towers obscured in the gray wind, observing some ruins.

"With this appearance, it's no wonder even Emperor Jade only has Dao Fruit left," Sun Wukong murmured.

He was long aware of the End of Dharma's severity but witnessing the Heavenly Court in its current state gave him a real sense of its harshness.

Knowing of the former grandeur of the Heavenly Court, comparing with the present scene, starkly revealed the cruel disparity.

Keep in mind, the Heaven housed not only deities, but also the Three Heavenly Venerates who resided within Heaven. However, their abode was at the highest point, Three Pure Ones, which have yet to show their current state.

Sun Wukong had never visited Three Pure Ones, finding the path difficult to locate.

"However, there is a place that might reveal how to enter Three Pure Ones."

He transformed into a golden light, entered the South Heavenly Gate, heading straight for Doushuai Temple with familiarity.

This was the regular residence of Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad, also Sun Wukong's favored spot to visit as a habitual thief monkey.