Chapter 23: The Seven Techniques of the Yin Talisman

The Wandering God Qi Technique had already undergone a drastic transformation; the cultivation technique that previously focused on Divine Essence was now a Divine Skill that excelled through Qi. True Qi turned to liquid, murmuring as it flowed, surging throughout the body.

After such an ordeal, Jiang Li's quantity of True Qi had diminished by a third, but its purity had increased by at least fivefold, and after repeated Bone Marrow Cleansing, his physical body was far superior to before.

Compared to these two developments, the Divine Essence had somewhat fallen behind.

However, with the Dao Fruit Ability of Dual Cultivation of Life and Spirit, Divine Essence would soon catch up again, causing absolutely no worry.

'The Wandering God Qi Technique has completely changed, it's not really appropriate to still call it that, perhaps...' Jiang Li's eyes swiveled, 'Let's call it "Innate Skill" instead.'

As this thought emerged, Jiang Li eagerly looked at the Karma Collection.

Unfortunately, he was disappointed; there was no notification of Dao Fruit integration progress on the Karma Collection.

It seemed that he would still have to rely on persistent cultivation to incrementally improve, or, as before, strive towards becoming the ultimate Ninth Grade, with other methods apparently not suitable.

Jiang Li sighed slightly in his heart, rising towards the surface.

By now, the Xuanhuang hue that had filled the pool was utterly gone, the Xuanhuang Liquid refined from the essence of Hundred Herbs had been completely consumed by Jiang Li. When he surfaced, he could even see that the exotic flowers and grasses on the rock walls were no longer as vibrant as before.

He lifted his upper body, a vigorous male tossing his hair, his long black locks tracing a perfect arc upwards before falling behind him. The pure moonlight shone on him, causing his body to reflect a pale glow, yet it did not seem effeminate.

His tall frame made Jiang Li appear like a statue of a deity, radiating a subtle divinity.

"It's already night," Jiang Li observed as he looked at the moon above.

He had undergone Bone Marrow Cleansing repeatedly, emptying the Xuanhuang Liquid, which was expected, though he was unsure if it was still the night of the same day or the next.

"It's the night of the second day, 9 PM," Gongsun Qingyue stood up by the pool's edge, patting her clothes, then seemingly discerned Jiang Li's confusion and clarified for him.

Her phoenix eyes looked at Jiang Li with great interest, her face full of curiosity, "This is the first time I've seen someone undergo Bone Marrow Cleansing for an entire day and night, Junior Brother Jiang, I'm very curious."

Bone Marrow Cleansing is a profound yet brutal method of bodily refinement; while its effects are significant, it should not be prolonged excessively; otherwise, it could be detrimental to the body, even leading to irreversible internal injuries.

A full day and night of Bone Marrow Cleansing was as rare as having three thousand imperial concubines.

Gongsun Qingyue's gaze landed on Jiang Li's naturally lustrous body, and suddenly, a red Sword Light materialized, piercing towards him.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

The moment the Sword Light appeared, Jiang Li sensed it; his body abruptly shifted to dodge the Sword Light while he exclaimed in surprise and suspicion, "Senior Sister, what do you mean by this?"

"Just testing Junior Brother's strength, rest assured, I will control my power to the Ninth Grade level," Gongsun Qingyue said with a light laugh. The Sword Light suddenly dispersed, vanishing into nothing, before reappearing close to Jiang Li, the exquisite sword reflected in his eyes.

'Let me see just how much you have improved.'

With this thought in her mind, the Red Sword zipped towards Jiang Li like a startled swan dashing through shadows.

She was here not only to assist Jiang Li with his Bone Marrow Cleansing but also to monitor him and the Ochre Whip; naturally, she wanted to investigate his full day and night of Bone Marrow Cleansing.

The speed of the Red Sword was now a third faster than before; only a red shadow could be seen in the sky before Jiang Li felt the chilling Sword Qi on his face.

In an instant, the Karma Collection scrolled through a massive amount of calculation processes, and Jiang Li immediately computed the trajectory of the sword, leaning back to let the sword pass overhead, while his right hand formed the sword finger, guiding True Qi. His fingertips instantly became translucent as crystal jade, sculpted to perfection.

Louguan Swordsmanship!

With a flick of his finger, he guided the sword, his hand tracing afterimages that were distinctly swift as the wind, yet without the slightest sound, and the speed of his moves greatly defied common sense.

It was only when the sword was flying overhead that Jiang Li made his move, but his sword-finger was "first to follow after sending later," rapid as the wind, and unerringly targeted the blade of the sword.

"Intent and Qi advance together, when the intent moves, the Qi flows, and as the body moves with the Qi when he generates the thought of making a move, his body has already taken action. Jiang, my curiosity about your changes is growing," Gongsun Qingyue contemplated this, still standing with her hands behind her back by the pond, without any visible movement, the sword then turned slightly.

"Clang!"

The sword-finger touched the body of the sword, emitting a clear sound, but not achieving the expected effect.

At the critical moment, the sword turned slightly, creating a slanting surface. Jiang Li's finger touch on this slanted surface caused his force to circle around and return to his fingertip, while a stabbing pain also arose in his mind.

This sword could injure the spirit.

As strength rebounded and Sword Intent harmed the spirit, red Sword Light swirled in the air before swiftly coming in for another strike.

At the same time, Gongsun Qingyue chuckled and said, "An Eighth Rank Magician with the ability to 'Star Observation' also possesses the ability for divination, and Sister has also cultivated in Louguan Swordsmanship. Using this Swordsmanship in front of me, Brother, aren't you playing the lute to a cow?"

The Sword Light struck again, with a sharp sound of wind whistling like a hawk's cry, its momentum like a bird diving for its prey.

The angle, strength, and timing were all exquisitely perfect, the wind's force was harnessed, Liu Feng seemed to transform into Double Wings, making the speed of the Flying Sword even more astonishing.

With this sword, it was not only a matter of pushing one's own strength to the limit but also making use of the external environment to serve as an added force. Although only using Ninth Grade power, Gongsun Qingyue's command of Qi and strength was still superior to Jiang Li's.

"Yin Talisman Seven Skills·Scattering Formation Technique Vulture."

Gongsun Qingyue's soft words guided the Flying Sword as the Sword Light that came howling seemed to take on the shape of a vulture, swooping in.

"Six Ding and Six Jia."

Jiang Li sharply sensed the extraordinary nature of this strike and quickly moved his sword-finger in front of him, swiftly forming a talisman.

He was able, just like Luu Wangji, to project True Qi outside the body even at Ninth Grade.

However, Luu Wangji's True Qi was mainly broad, Qi like the vast sea, whereas Jiang Li's True Qi was rather focused on purity, Condensing Qi into Liquid. Thus, Jiang Li could not only project True Qi out of the body but also condense True Qi into form, Drawing talisman out of thin air.

His storage bag and clothes were all on the shore, but the True Qi Talisman he drew was no less effective than the Yellow Paper Talismans he had used before.

Golden light erupted on the True Qi Talisman, with twelve beams of Divine Light shooting into Jiang Li's body, cloaking him in a layer of golden radiance.

Jiang Li's palms came forth together, his palms wrapped in golden light manipulating fist, palm, finger, and claw, various forms seamlessly integrating, using mixed styles to counter speed, his pure True Qi casting shadows of fists, palms, fingers, and claws messily over the Sword Light.

The Six Ding and Six Jia Protection Talisman showcased supreme defensive prowess, with the Sword Light unable to injure Jiang Li's hands. After several continuous blocks and strikes, the vulture shape had been dispersed, and Jiang Li was about to confront the sword with his bare hands.

However, Gongsun Qingyue only needed a thought, and the Sword Light became as agile as a swimming fish, spiraling out before the hands could clap together, eluding the fate of being clamped.

"Jiang, my calculation power is far above yours," Gongsun Qingyue said composedly with a smile.

"Is that so?"

Jiang Li revealed a deeply meaningful look, "Then why don't Sister try to calculate what the next move Brother will make?"

"The next move?"

Gongsun Qingyue's gaze shifted slightly, involuntarily looking toward the pond, "Wait, are you perhaps going to..."

"It's exactly that 'perhaps'! Face my attack, Nine Yang Divine Skill."