Taiyi Dao Fruit

Chapter 750 72: Causes and Consequences, Earth Uncle Powerless

As the voice faded, the clouds parted and heavenly light descended, revealing the figures of Jiang Li and the others amidst the radiance.

"Today is a good day, how about I send Earth Uncle off to his final rest?" Tianxuan, who had sensed Jiang Li and the others' arrival ahead of everyone else, said as she circulated her True Yuan.

She and Jiang Li could sense each other due to certain deep-seated reasons, allowing Jiang Li to confirm Tianxuan's location and lead people here, while Tianxuan could be aware of Jiang Li's arrival. And when they arrived, even if Earth Uncle possessed astonishing capabilities, he would still find himself at a disadvantage.

Earth Uncle also sensed the sudden appearance of the group at the first moment, and when his Divine Thought detected the presence of the Immortal Queen, Earth Uncle understood.

"Impressive! I didn't expect you to be able to win over the Immortal Queen."

Earth Uncle knew that the outcome in Liangzhou Province had been decided, the Taiping Sect lost, and lost thoroughly, even the Jingping Army had turned against them.

At that moment, as the gloomy scene receded, Earth Uncle's figure blurred, becoming a shadow that plunged into the ground below.

He was originally above the lake that had formed in that space, and his movements were even more mysterious than a ghost, as he instantly entered a fissure and then disappeared into the Treasure Extreme Cave Heaven.

"Did the ginseng fruit tree not stop him from entering?"

Tianxuan raised an eyebrow at the sight and said, "Let's go!"

She and Jiang Li locked eyes for a moment, and the entanglement of their Divine Thoughts exchanged basic information, allowing Jiang Li to roughly understand the situation, and also informed Tianxuan about the battle. Tianxuan immediately transformed into a streak of starlight and plunged into the fissure.

Seeing this, Jiang Li immediately grasped Tianxuan's intention.

He had consumed a Ginsengfruit and knew quite a bit about the function of the ginseng fruit tree.

The medicinal power of the Ginsengfruit is pure and refined, but the ginseng fruit tree itself takes root in the earth, nourishing purity with impurity, and because the principle of clear and turbid attracting each other, the earth's turbid Qi would gather around the ginseng fruit tree, thereby having the effect of stabilizing the earth's veins.

This Dao Artifact is even more remarkable in defense, as it was capable of stopping fourth-rank without anyone driving it, and even making it difficult for third-grade to enter. Now that Earth Uncle has easily entered the Treasure Extreme Cave Heaven, it could only mean that the ginseng fruit tree had either left this Cave Heaven or had been damaged.

Whichever it was, it meant that Jiang Li and the others needed to check the situation as soon as possible.

"Let's go."

Jiang Li called out and flew toward the fissure with the Master of Rain and Gongsun Qingyue.

The Imperial College Sacrificial Officer followed, and after a slight hesitation, the Immortal Queen wrapped herself in cloud Qi and was the last to enter the fissure.

After crossing through the fissure, they saw a vast void and surging tides, with a world that seemed both real and illusory shimmering in the waters.

Jiang Li and the others turned into light and flew toward that ephemeral world within the water, scarcely touching it before they crossed the boundary of the Cave Heaven Blessed Land and entered a small world that was both broken and splendid.

It was called broken because this Cave Heaven Blessed Land was riddled with scars—the mountains had been shattered, the forests turned to barren land, the Daoist Temple was gone, and dangerous cracks were visible.

But it was splendid because of the Handprints imprinted in the midair, the ground, and even in the wind.

Like the handprint not far in front of Jiang Li in the air—a full zhang in size, with an outline clear beyond compare, the lines within the palm undulated like mountain veins and river channels, and the aura evolved into various anomalies like wind, cloud, water, and fire.

Heaven and earth, sun and moon, mountains and rivers—all were contained within this palm, a single handprint akin to a whole realm.

[Jiang Li, upon seeing this handprint, had memories of the past surge in his mind; he recognized this handprint.]

The Karma Collection quickly flipped through its pages, and a diagram of a handprint appeared on its pages.

Of course, he recognized this handprint; on the physical body left by Ji Jiji, there had been this handprint. It was Jiang Li who had personally erased this imprint.

And after that, Ji Jiji's physical body had become the vessel for the Heavenly Incarnation.

Now, seeing this handprint again, Jiang Li suddenly realized with a start.

"The handprint of the Heavenly Monarch."

Over two hundred years ago, Ji Jiji was killed under the ginseng fruit tree, and the killer was the one who left the handprint. Jiang Li had always thought that it was either Heaven's or the Emperor's handprint, one of these two who killed Ji Jiji back then.

But now, it seemed that the killer was neither Heaven nor the Emperor, but rather Ji Jiji himself.

After the Divine Soul left the body and reincarnated into another, Ji Jiji had returned to Treasure Extreme Cave Heaven and killed his original self.

"Perhaps," he whispered, "it is an incarnation of Heaven."

Jiang Li slowly exhaled a breath of turbid Qi.

At that time, Ji Jiji's physical body must have been on the verge of assimilation by Heaven. Jiang Li didn't know if Ji Jiji's Primordial Spirit still resided within the body, but he guessed that even if it did, assimilation was imminent.

Thus, another Ji Jiji came back, killed that physical body, and left a handprint to prevent complete assimilation.

More than two hundred years later, Jiang Li entered the Treasure Extreme Cave Heaven and encountered Ji Jiji's body under the ginseng fruit tree, later receiving the "Yin Talisman Scripture." After leaving the Treasure Extreme Cave Heaven, the physical body sensed the presence of Jiang Li, a practitioner of the "Yin Talisman Scripture," found Jiang Li, and then, through Jiang Li's hand, eliminated the handprint.

From then on, the true incarnation of Heaven appeared.

Jiang Li's thoughts flickered as he pieced together the cause and effect, and a sense of foreboding emerged in his heart.

His "Yin Talisman Scripture" was obtained under the watchful eye of the Heavenly Monarch because the Monarch intended to steal the Divine Farmer's appearance. Thus, he let Jiang Li acquire the "Yin Talisman Scripture."

So, the question came, did the Heavenly Monarch anticipate that Jiang Li would remove the handprint from Ji Jiji's physical body?

If so, why didn't the Monarch prevent it?

"Because he needed his previous physical body to truly become an incarnation of Heaven," Jiang Li concluded on his own.

Why didn't the incarnation of Heaven personally intervene when the Taiping Sect rebelled, instead choosing to bestow power on Jiang Li, assigning him to duel the Heavenly Monarch? It was because there was an issue with that body— Ji Jiji's body.

He killed his own physical form but did not destroy it because it was intended to serve as a vessel for Heaven, in preparation for a future battle against Heaven.

The Heavenly Monarch had meddled with his former body.

Heaven, knowing that there were issues with the body, had Jiang Li fight as a stand-in.

So—

"Did the Heavenly Monarch win?" murmured Jiang Li.

"It's not just the Heavenly Monarch. The Taibai True Monarch also made a move. I felt his sharp Sword Qi," Tianxuan, who had come in earlier, interjected.

The Heavenly Monarch didn't just lay a trap in advance, he also had an accomplice.

This information further confirmed Jiang Li's speculations.

Thinking this, Jiang Li raised his hand, a faint talisman appeared in his palm, then slowly faded away; the Heavenly Dharma had already been activated.

Each of these widespread handprints amounted to a strike from the incarnation of Heaven and the Heavenly Monarch. Although not at full strength, their power was anything but trivial. To cross this space lined with handprints, one either had to break through them one by one or possess a special Magic Door.

For example, the "Yin Talisman Scripture."

However, before Jiang Li could act, a shadow sliced through the sky, crossing the handprints with ease, and rapidly flying into the distance.

It was the Earth Uncle.

"No wonder," said Jiang Li, witnessing the shadow moving unobstructed. "No wonder his nature has changed; he has practiced the 'Yin Talisman Scripture,' at least a portion of it."

In the earlier exchange of Divine Thoughts, Jiang Li had become aware of Tianxuan's suspicions, knowing that Earth Uncle's nature had changed.

"Is there an issue with the Cultivation Technique Earth Uncle received?"

Upon hearing this, Tianxuan first realized, then answered his own question, "Impossible, Earth Uncle might not be at the same Realm as the Heavenly Monarch, but he definitely would not fail to detect problems with a Cultivation Technique."

The "Yin Talisman Scripture" originated from the Form Tomb. As someone who also successfully practiced the Form Tomb, Earth Uncle would not fall for such a trick so easily.

"There should be no problem with the 'Yin Talisman Scripture' given by the Heavenly Monarch."

Jiang Li replied, "But that does not mean Earth Uncle can practice it. This technique involves transforming one's own heart into the Heavenly Heart, using the Heavenly Heart to command the hearts of men, and leading the hearts of men to the fall of Heaven's will. The Heavenly Heart and the heart of man are like Yin and Yang, supporting yet overcoming one another. If one cannot grasp this balance, one will suffer retribution. The issue is not with the Cultivation Technique, but with Earth Uncle himself, whose capacity cannot control the heart of man, failing to maintain the balance."

The real problem was that simple: Earth Uncle lacked the capability.