Chapter 977: Jidu

Inside the Still Water Realm of the Jidu Realm Boat.

On this day, a deafening dragon roar erupted from the peak of a mountain, followed by a spectral dragon bursting forth from a grand hall, fangs bared and claws extended, ferocious beyond measure.

The spectral dragon twisted its tail or lashed out with its claws, demonstrating countless techniques; if observed closely, traces of swords, spears, halberds, and daggers could be discerned within them.

Though each move appeared simple, they concealed profound Daoist truths, captivating all who watched.

But soon.

The spectral dragon vanished; Li Yi transformed into a hundred-zhang giant, clad in purple lightning, and threw a punch—on its surface faint scales of a true dragon emerged, the power of the true dragon.

Forged from his own magical energy, bloodline power, physical strength, primordial spirit, and countless other sources.

This punch alone could reverse heaven and earth, sever the sun and moon, and cleave stars from the sky—its power was terrifying beyond measure.

The giant practiced his martial forms, shaking heaven and earth; the entire Still Water Realm seemed on the verge of destruction—luckily, a mysterious great array had been installed here, protecting the realm and withstanding the power of a Heavenly General.

In a nearby valley filled with birdsong and blooming flowers, the Dragon Maiden Yuchang sat cross-legged atop a rock, clad in battle armor, her figure sculpted and alluring, a crystal-clear broken blade resting horizontally before her, eyes closed, as if in deep contemplation.

But sensing the immense commotion within the realm, she was instantly jolted awake.

Watching Li Yi practicing in the heavens, the Dragon Maiden Yuchang was profoundly shocked.

“This is… True Dragon Battle Heaven Art—he’s already mastered it so quickly? How is this possible? He isn’t a dragon; mastering a killing art exclusive to dragonkind is extremely difficult.”

“And he’s even successfully condensed True Dragon Force.”

She clearly recognized the technique Li Yi was cultivating—and precisely because she recognized it, she was stunned.

Moreover, this was the first time Yuchang had ever seen Li Yi reveal his true form.

Previously, she had always assumed Li Yi was human.

Now it seemed Li Yi was likely a descendant of a special human lineage, possessing an extraordinary physique and bloodline—but as to his exact ancestry, Yuchang’s knowledge was insufficient to determine it.

But it bore some resemblance to the Heavenly God race.

Most likely a hybrid.

In the Heavenly Realm, hybrid races were common, yet most hybrids possessed low potential, for as a cultivator, you cannot have it all, and more.

o￠o

In fact, Yuchang had not guessed wrong—Li Yi truly was a hybrid.

Yet after undergoing the baptism of Purple Blood, he shed his Golden Dragon bloodline, and his Thunder God bloodline underwent transformation, making him an anomaly.

This change freed Li Yi from bloodline constraints and infinitely elevated his potential.

He himself remained unaware of it.

And this was precisely why Li Yi progressed so rapidly in the Five-Colored Holy Light Art and True Dragon Battle Heaven Art.

The providence he received in the Xuexu Sea did not directly increase Li Yi’s strength—it granted him infinite possibilities; for him, future cultivation held no bottlenecks.

The giant, clad in lightning, practiced True Dragon Battle Heaven Art, his presence grand and astonishing.

Yuchang could not help but observe as well; watching Li Yi’s practice, her bloodline’s instinct seemed activated, and she involuntarily began to mimic him.

This killing art was reserved solely for Dragon Kings among dragonkind; Yuchang, a hybrid dragon maiden, had no right to learn it.

Though, technically, one could purchase it from the Dragon Palace’s treasure vault.

But at tens of thousands of silver taels per copy, which Heavenly General could afford it? With that kind of money, it was better to buy a Heavenly King weapon—it would directly boost power more effectively, for even if you mastered True Dragon Battle Art, you still couldn’t defeat a Heavenly General of the same realm wielding a Heavenly King weapon.

Only Li Yi, this rich man who had plundered a fortune from Hua Qing, would waste resources on such a thing.

Li Yi practiced True Dragon Battle Heaven Art for three full days, growing increasingly adept; with every gesture, True Dragon Force erupted, each move radiating profound mystery, and even a casual strike unleashed boundless power.

Yet on the fourth day, five-colored light suddenly burst from his body, coalescing into a single point and reinforcing his fists and feet, pushing his already terrifying techniques beyond a certain limit, reaching a state of annihilating all things.

In that moment, inspiration struck—he had fused the Five-Colored Holy Light Art with True Dragon Battle Heaven Art, attempting to forge a supreme killing art unique to himself.

Within the Five Phases of Heaven and Earth, nothing could escape death.

Li Yi had only just begun practicing, yet the power he displayed already stunned Yuchang; she had no doubt that if struck directly by this five-colored True Dragon Force, she would be reduced to ashes—even wearing a Heavenly General’s battle armor, she would suffer grave injury.

Only a Heavenly King weapon could fully block such an attack.

“Does his potential have no limit? He fused two great arts—and actually succeeded.” Yuchang realized she had underestimated Li Yi.

This man might soon break through to the Heavenly King realm, even the Heavenly Emperor realm; in the future, he might become a Heavenly Sovereign.

As a dragon maiden, Yuchang was no longer young; she had seen many prodigies of various races. Though many of those prodigies surpassed Li Yi in combat power, none matched his growth speed.

After all, she had witnessed firsthand how rapidly Li Yi had advanced.

When Li Yi first practiced the two arts together, he was clumsy; sometimes the Five-Colored Holy Light clashed with True Dragon Force. But as time passed, such conflicts grew rarer.

He mastered the control of both arts increasingly well.

As he immersed himself in practice, three Dao Flowers bloomed above his head, and his primordial spirit radiated a hazy purple aura—this aura granted him astonishing comprehension.

The giant, clad in purple lightning, now seemed transformed into a colossal true dragon, unleashing terrifying killing techniques; beneath the glow of five-colored light, all things ceased to exist.

This power was too terrifying.

Yuchang could no longer keep pace with Li Yi’s cultivation; the art was too profound to comprehend, yet she still gained a portion of the opportunity, learning fragments of True Dragon Battle Art, significantly enhancing her combat power.

Thus, several more days passed.

On this day.

Suddenly, the door to the Still Water Realm was knocked upon.

“Who is it?” Yuchang, alerted by the sound, immediately called out.

“I am Jidu, one of the Realm Boat’s escort team captains. I have matters to discuss with you—please open the door.” A voice came from outside.

Yuchang immediately remembered—she said, “Wait a moment—I must first consult my master.”

Then she flew swiftly toward the practicing giant, but dared not approach closely; instead, she transmitted the message silently into Li Yi’s ears.

Li Yi, mid-practice, immediately halted his movements upon receiving it.

“Jidu of the escort team? Has the Rasha matter not ended yet?” Li Yi’s expression shifted; he immediately activated the Great and Small Transformation Art, retracted his hundred-zhang form, then frowned in thought.

“Forget it—I can’t figure it out. I’ll go see for myself.”

He took a deep breath, swallowing all the thunderous energy and five-colored light into his body; the strange phenomena vanished, and he then departed with Yuchang to greet the escort team captain.

When the nine-zhang-high door opened, the armored Heavenly General Jidu stood outside.

Jidu glanced at Li Yi, his eyes revealing a flicker of surprise.

He sensed a peculiar aura on Li Yi.

Hard to describe, but plainly put—it was an aura of invincibility.

Only warriors who had won a hundred battles could cultivate such an aura; having worked on the realm boat for years, Jidu knew what to look for.

“I am Jidu, one of the escort team captains of the realm boat. We met briefly before. I wish to speak with you—do you have time?” Jidu said.

Li Yi nodded, not refusing the offer.

Moments later.

The three arrived at a clearing within the Still Water Realm.

Li Yi pointed a finger; auspicious clouds gathered, forming chairs and a table, gesturing for them to sit.

“Captain Jidu, I am Taiyi, merely an ordinary passenger aboard the realm boat. What matter requires your personal visit?” he asked politely.

Jidu said, “It concerns the Rasha clan. Though the two Rasha and that demonic Heavenly General were slain that day, the commotion you caused was too great—and there are other Rasha aboard the realm boat. You’ve drawn their attention.”

“In the following days, Rasha elites have steadily boarded the realm boat, including several Heavenly Kings.”

Li Yi’s expression changed instantly.

He had anticipated trouble, but not this much—Rasha Heavenly Kings had even mobilized. They truly were taking him seriously.

“You know what the Rasha elites want. They’ve already been restless aboard the realm boat. Our escort team’s Divine Might Heavenly King has warned them off—they dare not act yet. But the moment you leave the realm boat, the Rasha will strike immediately,” Jidu said calmly.

“Right now, those Rasha are searching everywhere for you. Fortunately, you’ve stayed within the realm and haven’t shown yourselves, so they still don’t know your location.”

“So I’m dead, then?”

Li Yi said calmly, “But why did Captain Jidu come here specifically to tell me this? Logically, this matter shouldn’t concern you.”

Jidu sneered, “The Rasha are causing trouble in my jurisdiction, and now they’ve openly boarded the boat to hunt you. If I do nothing and let you be killed the moment you step off, where will my face be?”

“The Rasha are powerful, but our escort team isn’t weak. I don’t want to see their schemes succeed, Taiyi. Do you understand my meaning?”

Li Yi nodded slightly, understanding Captain Jidu’s intent.

It wasn’t just Jidu’s thought—behind him, the Divine Might Heavenly King likely also resented the Rasha’s arrogance and wanted to use Li Yi as a pawn to teach them a lesson, forcing them to retreat.

Whether Li Yi lived or died afterward was probably of little consequence.

Of course, if fortune favored him, he might carve out a path to survival.

“So, what does Captain Jidu want me to do?” Li Yi asked.

Jidu said, “The Rasha must lose some lives, or they won’t settle down. But no one dares act within the realm boat, and we don’t want a horde of Rasha prowling around searching for you, disturbing the peace.”

“So I hope you will step forward voluntarily, draw all the Rasha to you, and spare us their chaos.”

“Are you asking me to walk into my death?” Li Yi’s gaze sharpened.

If so, he wouldn’t mind killing this captain right now and fleeing across realms with coin blades.

(End of Chapter)