Chapter 334: Dao Fruit Transformation - The Sovereign of Ink City, Unrivalled in Great Jing, Confron

Chapter 334: Dao Fruit Transformation - The Sovereign of Ink City, Unrivalled in Great Jing, Confronts Ji Moli [Seeking Monthly Votes]



The vast expanse of the heavens was shrouded in snow.

Leaden clouds piled up high in the sky, from which countless snowflakes, as large as a woman's palm, fluttered down, swirling and transforming.

The two mountain ranges on either side were draped in silver and white, the snow covering them in a continuous stretch, resembling two white dragons slowly flowing alongside the Grand Canal.

In contrast to the two snow-white mountain ranges, the water of the Grand Canal appeared almost black.

The lonely river flowed silently and steadily.

On the river, a solitary boat maintained the same speed as the Nine-Layer Yellow Dragon Sacred Wood Treasure Ship, a hundred miles away, ensuring the distance remained consistent.

On that solitary boat, Li Che sat quietly in meditation, his black and sturdy hair fluttering in the wind, whipping through the air.

A golden pupil was visible at the center of his brow, as if his flesh had been torn apart to reveal it.

This was the embryonic form of a divine skill, the Star Plucking Eye.

Analyzing the boundless, glimpsing the true essence!

This was an auxiliary divine skill that had greatly aided Li Che.

It helped Li Che analyze many things beyond his comprehension.

It also helped his primordial spirit become more refined and focused, which was clearly the effect of the divine skill.

When carving divine eagles, Li Che would often activate the Star Plucking Eye to utilize its ability to concentrate his primordial spirit. Additionally, when absorbing divine essence crystals, Li Che would do the same.

Speaking of divine essence crystals, Li Che couldn't help but think of the Heavenly Origin Jade.

Yue Huanglong's Heavenly Origin Jade had yet to be opened and studied to see what treasures it contained. After all, it was the Heavenly Origin Jade of a Dao Master, and although not all valuable items might be carried on one's person, it was at least the Heavenly Origin Jade of a Fourth-Stage Martial Saint at the peak of his power, and it would surely contain some surprises for Li Che.

However, after that battle, Li Che spent three consecutive days recovering and adjusting, leaving no time to examine it.

Of course, there was no rush, as the Heavenly Origin Jade was in his possession.

Whether opened early or late, the jade would remain where it was.

Sasa, sasa sasa!

The snowflakes drifted and landed on the black canopy of the boat, producing a rustling sound, accompanied by the warm, gentle river breeze, which added to the desolation of the world.

On the solitary boat.

Li Che's eyes, beneath the Star Plucking Eye, slowly opened, as if two dense pools of ink were swirling in his pupils.

In his chest, the Dao Fruit [Immortal in the Painting] was bouncing wildly, emitting continuous sounds of explosion.

The Immortal in the Painting Dao Fruit...

Level 5!

Third Transformation!

The third transformation of the Dao Fruit would give rise to the Second Heaven of Divine Skills!

Li Che's black robe fluttered, and a faint smile curved at the corners of his lips.

T

Moreover, Yue Huanglong's Heavenly Earth Soul, upon returning to the heavens and earth, was also absorbed by Ink City...

Thus, the maturity of the Immortal in the Painting Dao Fruit increased at an extraordinary speed, almost imperceptibly to Li Che.

Hum—!

A powerful force erupted from the ink-colored vortex in his eyes.

The vast expanse of the world unfolded before his eyes, and he found himself fully present in this world.

The earth rose up, and a terrifying Dao Tree soared into the clouds, its umbrella-like canopy covering the sky. Its roots, like dragons turning over, intertwined and spread out in all directions, densely penetrating deep into the earth.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The fierce wind blew through Li Che's hair and black robe.

He hovered in the air, his gaze fixed on the vast Dao Tree. Even though he could now contend with the peak Martial Saints, he still felt insignificant in the presence of this towering tree.

However, besides the feeling of insignificance, Li Che also felt...

Comfort and joy.

Because seeing the abundant fruits on this Dao Tree, Li Che couldn't help but think of his daughter. Each year she grew safely, the Dao Tree seemed to grow stronger, taller, and more majestic, with more Dao Fruits hanging from its branches, shining brightly and splendidly!

This was a sense of accomplishment!

Apart from raising his daughter...

He was also cultivating this Dao Tree!

Li Che knew that this Dao Tree must be closely related to his daughter, at least bound by some sort of connection.

It was this connection that allowed Li Che to grow to such heights.

Li Che didn't know if these connections would disappear, and he didn't need to think about it.

The appearance of the Dao Tree made him strong, and becoming strong allowed him to protect his daughter's safe growth, which in turn fed back into the Dao Tree...

Such a complete cycle was enough.

Hum—

As his gaze fell upon the Immortal in the Painting Dao Fruit that had just transformed to Level 5, a surge of dense ink color erupted.

Suddenly.

Li Che's gaze fell upon the vast earth, and he saw a black city rise up out of nowhere!

Ink City, with its towering black mist, billowed and surged.

Li Che was slightly stunned.

"Ink City?"

Ink City... actually appeared in this vast world?!

Li Che's heart trembled, and with a thought, he began to descend rapidly, landing within Ink City moments later.

The next moment, Ink City suddenly trembled violently.

Li Che, standing in the city, looked up sharply.

He saw a gigantic, immensely vast scroll suddenly unfurl in the sky above the city, sweeping across like a celestial canopy.

It obscured the towering Dao Tree and everything else in the world.

Only the enormous, blank white scroll remained.

The scroll was completely blank, like a vast, white world.

Suddenly.

Under Li Che's gaze, in the vast, white expanse of the world...

A bit of pitch-black ink seeped out.

On the painting, it slowly...

gathered into a pitch-black eyeball!

That pitch-black eyeball, through the painting, was gazing down upon Ink City and Li Che within it!

Li Che felt his breath abruptly catch—

As if an invisible hand had tightly gripped his heart.

Whose eye is that?!

Boom—!!!

The world trembled, and thunder rumbled!

The vast world was drenched by a rain of ink, turning everything into a shade of black.

The world was left with only two colors: black and white, yin and yang.

Li Che's consciousness completely withdrew from the vast world.

On the lonely boat, he suddenly opened his eyes, panting heavily, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Cold snow fell on his body, instantly evaporating with a hiss.

"Whose eye is that?"

Li Che took a deep breath, calming his mind, his brows slightly furrowed, with a hint of solemnity.

However, having encountered so much mystery, he had long become composed.

He didn't indulge in excessive speculation; he did what he could with the abilities he had.

When his strength improved, he would naturally have the qualifications to explore these mysteries.

Before him, the flowing light resembled ink incense.

【Dao Fruit lv5, Third Transformation, First Heaven of Divine Powers (Ink City) Ascended, Second Heaven of Divine Powers (Ink City Sovereign)】

Boom—!!!

The golden notification appeared, and Li Che's eyes suddenly focused.

His emotions rippled slightly!

Third Transformation of Dao Fruit!

Second Heaven of Divine Powers... Ink City Sovereign!

Ink City Sovereign?!

This transformation was truly simple, direct, and brutal!

It was a direct ascension based on the foundation of Ink City?

Previously, many divine powers appeared, leaving Li Che utterly bewildered, unable to understand their effects. But this time, it seemed different.

Ink City Sovereign... Even a fool could grasp the basic effects.

However, there was still a hint of doubt in Li Che's eyes.

After all, when he used Ink City before, he was essentially the sovereign of it, and his advantages were greatly amplified within it.

But since this was an ascension and transformation of Dao Fruit divine powers, there must be differences and changes.

Before him, the ink swirled.

【White Jade Capital (Divine Power): Immortal in the Painting, White and Black Jade Capital, List of Immortals, Mythical Ascension】

【First Heaven: Ink City】

【Second Heaven: Ink City Sovereign】

【City Restrains People, United in Heart, City Exists, I Exist, With Me, No Enemy】

...

The true words of [Ink City Sovereign] continuously appeared before Li Che's eyes.

Li Che's eyes suddenly gleamed with a dark luster, as if ink was swirling, and he could see a city with countless ink-colored figures moving about.

Buzz—Buzz—Buzz—

In his mind's eye, a stream of ink-like Dao essence seemed to be vibrating continuously.

With the vibration, Li Che felt as if his entire body had turned to ink. With a thought, he appeared within Ink City.

Ink City...

It seemed to have grown, originally only as large as Fei Lei's small city, but now it rivaled Heavenly Origin Dao City!

Vast and boundless, the entire city became more real and intricate, with ink-colored tiles paving the ground, and buildings with upturned eaves standing in neat rows.

As Li Che walked through Ink City, he could even see the real situations inside the houses, with dining tables, beds, and neatly folded quilts on the beds.

It was like a real city, no longer the false semblance of the original Ink City.

Ink-colored rain began to drizzle from the sky.

Li Che lifted his head. "Stop the rain."

Instantly, the ink-colored rain stopped, not a drop falling.

"Snow."

Li Che said.

The sky of Ink City began to drift with ink-colored snowflakes.

"Stop the snow, clear sky."

Li Che said again.

The snowflakes melted, and the black clouds dispersed, revealing a white sun hanging high in the sky, casting white light over the entire Ink City.

Li Che's eyes gleamed slightly.

Sovereign...

This is sovereignty, the ability to control everything in this city!

Words command the law; with a thought, everything in the city can be changed!

He could make a hundred-zhang tall pavilion rise from the ground, transform it into an office building, or even change the office building into a bird's nest...

As long as he could imagine it, any structure could be transformed with a thought.

However, it required a bit of mental energy.

After continuous transformations, Li Che felt a slight dizziness.

Ultimately, in the center of the city, he built a square, towering office building with an exterior that looked like a building.

Standing atop the several-hundred-meter-tall office building, he saw the ancient-style buildings with upturned eaves below, and a modern, angular office building rising from the ground, giving Li Che a sense of disorientation.

Looking down at the entire city, it felt as if countless threads of ink connected to the entire Ink City, allowing him to control it at will.

As long as his mental strength was strong enough, he could even expand Ink City continuously!

Li Che took a deep breath, his eyes glinting with a hint of excitement.

This was a...

Feeling akin to a deity!

Everything was under his control, at his command.

Suddenly, Li Che thought of a line from the true words of the Ink City Sovereign: "City restrains people, united in heart."

Restrain people?

Restrain spirits?

Li Che's eyebrows raised, and he flicked his finger. Instantly, black spirit-restraining chess pieces shot out, expanding in the storm to form figures enveloped in black light.

Except for Yue Huanglong, who stood respectfully on the boat, all the spirit-restraining figures appeared.

Yan Jing, Lei Bao Su, Su Daoling, You Li Qing, Huang Jian Jiu, and many others...

Each Soul Binding cultivator hovered in the air.

They turned their gazes towards Li Che, who stood atop a bizarre mirror-like structure, his ink-colored robe fluttering in the wind.

They all fervently clasped their fists and bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Lord!"

Their voices echoed in perfect unison, as if the air itself was reverberating with their words.

Li Che looked at them indifferently.

With a mere thought, he could brand these Soul Binding cultivators with the mark of an Ink City resident, granting them true immortality within the city's boundaries.

Even if they were blown to pieces thousands of times, they would still maintain their peak state! Without hesitation, Li Che branded these Soul Binding cultivators with the resident mark.

Like an identity card, these cultivators descended to the ground of Ink City, and with the mark, they each gained a house within the city.

They could even manipulate the appearance of these houses at will.

However, they could only control the shape of their respective houses.

Boom, boom, boom!

Numerous buildings, similar to the rectangular office building beneath Li Che's feet, rose from the ground, but none were as tall as Li Che's.

Huang Jian Jiu, You Li Qing, and the other Soul Binding cultivators stood atop these buildings, respectfully bowing towards Li Che.

Li Che was not concerned with these formalities, his gaze flickering as he looked at the ink-colored threads connecting each Soul Binding cultivator to the city.

Like a puppeteer controlling his puppets with strings.

Li Che clenched his fist.

With a thought, in an instant, the power of these Soul Binding cultivators surged into Li Che's body, making him feel his strength growing stronger and stronger...

The combined power of the four Qi Sea Martial Saints, Huang Jian Jiu, You Li Qing, Su Lei Bao, and Yan Jing, flowed into Li Che's body!

Li Che felt the majestic and mighty power, his eyes shining brightly.

Although this power was not as overwhelming as the strength gained from detonating the six Mystic Seeds, it had its advantages...

The key was...

The number of Ink City residents had no limit!

Moreover, if Li Che could attract several top-tier cultivators to become residents of Ink City, the power he could borrow would be even more formidable.

"So this is what it means to have the hearts of the masses united as one?"

"The hearts of the masses are my heart."

Li Che's lips curled up slightly in a smile.

Indeed...

Li Che also discovered another ability of his newly attained Twofold Heaven divine ability.

"Dominant Clone!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

It was as if countless streams of ink were flowing out.

On Li Che, who stood atop the office building, countless threads wove together, forming ink-colored bones, blood vessels, meridians, organs, and skin...

Finally, the ink faded away, leaving behind a clone identical to Li Che.

The main difference between this clone and the Immortal in Painting clone was that this one had flesh and blood. It would bleed and suffer injuries when struck by a fatal blow, unlike the Immortal in Painting clone, which would explode into a cloud of ink mist.

Additionally, Li Che could transfer any severe injuries he sustained to this Dominant Clone.

The Dominant Clone could, in turn, transfer all the damage it received to the ground of Ink City.

Unless the force exceeded the city's endurance limit, causing it to completely collapse, the Dominant Clone would bear the brunt of a second fatal attack. Only then would Li Che have to endure the third fatal blow himself.

In essence, he now had three lives!

Having three lives and the ability to manipulate space meant Li Che's options were greatly expanded.

The Dominant Clone perfectly inherited Li Che's martial arts and divine nature, but it could not use the abilities of the Dao Fruit unless Li Che bestowed them upon it.

However, this Dominant Clone could gather the power of the residents, just like Li Che, and achieve a burst of strength.

"Unstoppable..."

Li Che muttered.

"Moreover, as the Dao Fruit matures... the number of Dominant Clones can increase."

"The maximum is three, which means 30% maturity of the Dao Fruit can create one Dominant Clone!"

Li Che stood at the highest point of Ink City.

Suddenly, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"It seems I need to find more residents for my city..."

"The more, the merrier."

...

...

He slowly opened his eyes.

The world remained as desolate as ever.

The sound of a boat cutting through the Grand Canal's waters filled his ears, offering a sense of spiritual cleansing.

"Lord."

"Here."

Yue Huanglong, with a broad smile, handed over the Qiankun Jade that he had carefully counted.

"Most of my treasures are kept in the city lord's treasury. I only have a few with me."

In the Heavenly Pill Sect, the Four Sovereign Heavenly Pills were divided into Martial Heaven Pills and Divine Heaven Pills, each catering to the paths of martial arts and divine cultivation, respectively. The sect was meticulous in this distinction, ensuring specialized and targeted cultivation. After all, one couldn't just consume any pill without discretion.

As for martial arts and divine cultivation methods, as well as precious spirit woods and divine carvings, they were generally not present at the scene, as it was unlikely that Yue Huanglong would carry such valuable items on his person while merely spectating.

However, if Li Che genuinely needed martial arts or divine cultivation methods, he could directly ask Yue Huanglong.

Without hesitation, Li Che accepted the divine crystals and Four Sovereign Martial Pills that Yue Huanglong had meticulously prepared.

Yue Huanglong, a dead man, why would he need the Heavenly Pill?

Lu Tai Bai seemed to sense Yue Huanglong's condition and ask for the pill.

4. State their limits and ask to leave.

5. Ask about the situation with the Heavenly Pill Sect Master.

Lu Tai Bai, sensing Yue Huanglong's state, still gave him the Four Sovereign Mid-Rank Tricolor Heaven Pill.

Indeed, he was a straightforward and generous man.

"Old Yue, can you open the Heavenly Gate now?"

Li Che suddenly thought of a question.

He distinctly remembered that when Yue Huanglong was beaten to death, his body seemed to burn with fat, opening the Heavenly Gate...

Upon hearing this, Yue Huanglong's initially jovial expression vanished, replaced by a solemn gaze directed at Li Che.

"My Lord... I was just about to report to you."

"When we besieged the Heavenly Pill Sect Master Gu Changqing's Heavenly Pill Vajra clone, I burned my fat, and my divine senses soared. Logically, I should have sensed the Heavenly Gate..."

"But I couldn't open it. Instead, I sensed..."

"A different gateway!"

Yue Huanglong spoke with utmost gravity.

On the black-sailed boat, Li Che's eyes widened, reflecting the same seriousness.

"A different gateway? Not the Heavenly Gate?"

"Does that gateway come from the Netherworld?"

Li Che suddenly realized something and asked in a low voice.

Yue Huanglong nodded.

"That gateway is entirely different from the Heavenly Gate. It's outlined by flames as black as ink, resembling..."

"The Lotus Flame of Tartarus!"

Li Che's breath caught in his throat.

...

...

The flapping of the sails in the wind created a continuous roaring sound.

The Yellow Dragon Sacred Wood Grand Ship sliced through the waves, speeding across the river's surface. The dense fog made visibility extremely low.

"Daddy!"

"Take this!"

On the deck, Xi Xi held the Lotus Flame Divine Sword, her voice ringing out. Under her feet, the Wind Fire Golden Wheel spun rapidly, emitting countless sparks that instantly created afterimages, encircling Li Che.

Li Che's ink-colored robe fluttered in the wind, a gentle smile on his lips.

Standing in the center, he waited for Xi Xi's attack.

In the distance, numerous children watched with bated breath. Zhang Ya held her daughter, Yun'e, who was hugging her fat rabbit, as they observed the battle between their daughter and her father.

Zhao Fang Zhou, Supervisor Hong Shi Fo, and others were also among the spectators.

At the top of the tower, Lu Tai Bai's silver hair danced in the wind as he sipped tea and observed the fight.

However, the outcome of this battle was seemingly predictable.

Lu Tai Bai, aware of Li Che's identity as the Netherworld Monkey, knew that Li Che had already reached the Martial Saint realm in martial arts.

How could a little girl like Xi Xi possibly contend with him? Xi Xi was just a step away from the Great Master realm. Although her divine cultivation had reached the Divine Form realm, her martial arts were hindered due to her young age and the limitations of her innate talent.

As expected, Xi Xi's flashy attacks on the deck were ultimately deflected by Li Che, who flicked her forehead with a finger.

Xi Xi, the Great Empress, had grand ambitions, but they crumbled midway.

"Daddy, let me try again!"

Xi Xi pouted, sitting on the deck, unwilling to get up.

This was the twenty-eighth time in the past half month that Xi Xi challenged her father, and each time she was defeated by a single mental attack.

Xi Xi felt a bit stifled and discouraged.

Xi Xi hadn't fully matured, and even when she did, it seemed like it wouldn't make a difference...

In the past half month, Xi Xi had become adept at borrowing the power of the Divine Form, and she could even activate and control the power of divine weapons.

Unfortunately...

When facing her unfathomable father, Xi Xi felt like her strength was all for show.

"This isn't to let you experience the taste of defeat ahead of time... I heard that this Peach Blossom Festival will be extremely challenging, and you won't necessarily lose and cry afterwards."

Li Che smiled and walked over, ruffling Xi Xi's hair and picking her up.

Xi Xi instinctively wrapped her arms around Li Che's neck, and proudly raised her head, "Xi Xi, the Great Emperor, will never lose! Xi Xi is going to win the Peach Blossom for Mom and Dad!"

"No one will see Xi Xi cry!"

Xi Xi's declaration as the Great Emperor was over the top.

"Except for Dad and Mom!"

But after thinking about it, she added another sentence.

Li Che burst into laughter, putting Xi Xi down and letting her go practice with her friends. Every time Xi Xi was discouraged by Li Che, she would go to her friends to regain her confidence.

The biggest victim among her friends was Tie Shancai.

Tie Shancai was truly unable to keep up with Xi Xi, who had now broken through to the Divine Form realm. He was almost always on the receiving end of a beating.

This made Tie Shancai extremely frustrated, and he vowed that once they reached the Divine Capital, he would strive to reach the Divine Form and break through to the Great Grand Master level, to avenge himself at the Peach Blossom Festival!

Li Che watched Xi Xi playing with her friends and smiled as he approached his wife, Zhang Ya.

Zhang Ya returned the little rabbit to Yun E, and then linked arms with Li Che, strolling around the deck.

The two walked in silence, enjoying the slow pace.

Zhang Ya relished this peaceful moment, leaning her head on Li Che's arm, inhaling his scent, and listening to the distant laughter and screams of Xi Xi and her friends playing. Her heart felt serene.

She wished time could freeze at this moment, preserving this tranquility.

Li Che also enjoyed the moment, with his wife and child by his side, their emotions becoming more relaxed.

However, he was also thinking about the threats in the Divine Capital.

"The Corpse God Sect in the Divine Capital... shouldn't have many arrangements, after all, the Divine Capital is filled with powerful individuals. How could a large rebellious force hide its strong members in the political and power center of the Grand Jing?"

"But we can't be lax or underestimate them."

"Aside from that, there are many threats in the Divine Capital. Lu Tai Bai said... that the Heavenly Pill Sect Master's Heavenly Pill Vajra clone, who is the Hunter King Assassin's target for Xi Xi, might have the backing of the National Teacher..."

"Why did the Grand Jing National Teacher, Xie Yunshen, take Xi Xi away?"

"And the Su Family... The Su Family's foundation in the Divine Capital is not weak either, and they even support the Third Prince with their entire family's strength. Therefore, the Third Prince might also pose a threat to Xi Xi, because the Netherworld ruined the Third Prince's matter, and the Netherworld is closely tied to Xi Xi..."

Li Che's eyebrows furrowed as he silently analyzed the threats in the Divine Capital.

It must be said that although they had not yet entered the Divine Capital, the threats within were indeed numerous.

"And..."

"The greatest threat..."

Li Che's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had thought of something.

Suddenly.

As he was deep in thought.

"The Divine Dao has reached the Divine Capital region—"

A loud shout came from the Nine-Layer Yellow Dragon Sacred Wood Treasure Ship, the speaker's voice filled with vigor.

The shout echoed around them.

The entire ship seemed to explode with activity.

On the deck, the children ran excitedly, their bare feet pounding on the planks.

"We've reached the Divine Capital!"

"The first city of Grand Jing is finally here!"

"Finally! We can finally fight!"

...

The excited children ran without stopping.

Suddenly.

Xi Xi, who was running on the deck, stopped in her tracks.

She looked up, staring at the thick fog beside the deck of the Nine-Layer Yellow Dragon Sacred Wood Treasure Ship.

In the fog, a massive black shadow slowly emerged.

That shadow...

Was truly enormous, oppressively so. Xi Xi instinctively looked up, her chubby cheeks quivering, and blinked her eyes, trying to find the top of the shadow.

Whoosh—!!!

The fog suddenly tore open.

Following that, a giant black warship, three times taller than the Nine-Layer Yellow Dragon Sacred Wood Treasure Ship, emerged from the river's mist!

It slowly came to a stop beside the treasure ship.

The contrast between the two was like the difference between a small boat and a giant wheel.

And on the bow of that enormous black warship.

A towering figure stood, clad in black armor, with a black cape fluttering behind him in the wind.

His arms were crossed over his chest.

He looked down at everyone on the Nine-Layer Yellow Dragon Sacred Wood Treasure Ship.

Finally...

His gaze shifted slightly.

It fell on Xi Xi, who was looking up, her small figure like an ant.

Li Che, who was walking with Zhang Ya, narrowed his eyes.

In the tower, Hong Shi Fo, who was playing a game of Five Elders Chess with Zhao Fang Zhou, suddenly shook the chess piece in his hand, and it fell.

In the nine-story tower.

Lu Tai Bai, who was meditating, also focused his gaze.

He appeared above Xi Xi.

He stared intently at the figure standing on the bow of the black warship.

"Pacifier King—"

"Ji Mo Li!"

The second update is here, and I've written up to this point. I remember the chapter I owe from last month, and I'll make it up after adjusting my state. Recently, I've been feeling a bit uncomfortable writing during the day, and it's a bit difficult to finish, so please bear with me.

(End of Chapter)

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