After a round of combat and probing, Jiang Li never used any particular moves, essentially responding effortlessly, making it difficult for the opponent to match.
Upon advancing to the First Grade, Jiang Li's stats became even more terrifying, creating a sheer drop compared to the Second Grade, with the key being that the Taiyi Dao Fruit is deemed invincible.
At least from the current performance, trying to win against the strong with the weak, recreating the scene where Second Grade triumphed over First Grade, is now completely impossible.
Jiang Li has maxed out the aspect of overpowering the weak. Those without a First Grade Dao Artifact are not even qualified to compete with him. Only those with a First Grade Dao Artifact and with Emperor Xi orchestrating from the middle have the right to face Jiang Li, but even then, it's merely a confrontation.
When it comes to deciding a winner, the odds are completely one-sided.
"Using cause and effect as a source, transforming it into one's own power······"
Emperor Xi's voice revealed undisguised apprehension.
Just knowing one of the abilities of the Taiyi Dao Fruit is enough for Emperor Xi to understand how troublesome the Dao Fruit that Jiang Li condensed truly is.
Jiang Li, aside from being the strongest of the current era, is also the Lord of the Great Zhou, ruling over the Three Realms. One could say there is nothing in this world that does not have a causal connection with him. Even every blade of grass and tree has a causal link with Jiang Li.
This means that everything in this land serves as a source of Jiang Li's power.
More crucially, Jiang Li does not rely on cause and effect for power but transforms cause and effect into his own power.
Even if the cause and effect are severed, the transformed power will not vanish.
In the past, Jiang Li's enemies could target the Great Zhou to restrain Jiang Li's power, and for those without morals, they could even slaughter living creatures to cut off one of Jiang Li's sources of power.
This is why Jiang Li uses the Tai Chi Diagram to protect the Earth Veins, re-divides the Nine Provinces with the Nine Provinces Tripod, and establishes the Divine Land Barrier.
And now, even if the world were to be destroyed, Jiang Li would not weaken as a result; he could even absorb the power of destruction and the causal link of destruction to further strengthen himself.
From Emperor Xi's viewpoint, the Taiyi Dao Fruit has no upper limit in terms of power, never reaching an end. With such a Dao Fruit, it's no surprise that it can become the End of Dharma and battle with the trio integrated as the Three Pure Ones Heavenly Venerate.
"If only you could lend me a helping hand, how nice it would be······" Emperor Xi sighed.
"There's nothing I can do about it, I'm just someone who highly values emotions and obligations."
Jiang Li chuckled lightly: "What I care about is the present, while Emperor Xi wants to reclaim the past. Although in Emperor Xi's eyes, the past and present can coexist, unfortunately, I do not allow any changes."
In Jiang Li's eyes, the past and the present cannot coexist.
Even if he knows he will become the End of Dharma, destroying the era of thirty thousand years ago, he will not hesitate at all.
Only by destroying the past can the present be preserved.
"It's my turn to make a move."
Jiang Li exhaled slowly, for the first time truly making a move since his appearance.
Endless radiance gathered on the Sun Wheel; the divine power of the Great Sun Tathagata that universally illuminates the Ten Directions had been completely absorbed by Jiang Li. Just the manifestation of radiance creates a sense of inescapability.
Heaven, earth, east, west, south, north, life gate, death position, past, future, Jiang Li's radiance can extend to any direction.
In terms of the divine power of [Universal Illumination], he has surpassed the Great Sun Tathagata.
"Heavenly Extreme Holy Light."
One word uttered, illuminates all Ten Directions.
Endless radiance transcended time and space, omnipresent, unavoidable, illuminating the Ten Directions.
"Tathagata."
From within the Taiji Seal came a divine thought summons, and the strength of the four transformed into Pure Saint Buddha Qi with the Taiji Eight Trigram as a pivot, and even the Creation Ability of the Heaven and Earth Furnace was converted.
The Buddha Dharma Manifestation with three eyes and eighteen arms stood tall like a mountain, resisting the tide of endless radiance.
The Buddha Light and solar light clashed violently, erupting with ultimate splendor.
"Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom······"
The eighteen arms of the Buddha Dharma Manifestation were being shattered one by one, as Magic Artifacts like the Ruyi Treasure Banner, Pure Red Lotus, Heavenly Marvel Fruit, Wisdom Sword, and others exploded along with the arms, with cracks appearing on the Dharma Manifestation.
Even when mobilizing First Grade Dao Artifacts, this extreme radiance could not be matched.
However——
"The Queen Mother."
Cosmic Light flowed, starry sky projection.
The celestial river projected onto the mortal world, reversing the injuries of the Buddha Dharma Manifestation with the river of Cosmic Light.
Under the dominion of Emperor Xi, various powers freely transformed, the four seemed as one, and even the two First Grade Dao Artifacts became part of this whole.
In the blink of an eye, the injuries of the Buddha Dharma Manifestation were mostly reversed, and the starry sky projection was becoming more real, with each big star about to manifest.
"Ten Directions All Destroyed."
The endless radiance suddenly reversed, turning from Universal Illumination of Ten Directions to the annihilation of them, with Cosmic Light and Space within the Ten Directions.
The newly manifested big stars were falling, the river of Cosmic Light fading, while a figure was already approaching, raising a hand to strike.
The three eyes of the Buddha Dharma Manifestation glowed, locking onto this figure with the Buddha's Eye, Dharma Eye, and Wisdom Eye simultaneously. The restored eighteen arms each formed a spell, carrying the Eighteen Unshared Methods, striking in unison.
Buddha Light, Buddhist Law, and Buddha Qi, the three fused as one, forging a Handprint that is neither hollow nor perishing, neither sullied nor pure, with eighteen great worlds manifesting in the palm.
The Buddhist Palm Buddha Country had been evolved to the extreme by him.
The two unequal palm strikes were launched simultaneously, and before they even touched, annihilation was already born.
The eighteen great worlds simultaneously dimmed as voidness extended along the eighteen arms.
"Annihilate."
The two palms could no longer make contact, simply because before that could happen, the Buddha Dharma Manifestation had already disintegrated.
It was like paper burned to ashes, turning into scattered ashes and extinguishing everywhere.
But within the Buddha Dharma Manifestation, a dark brilliance suddenly burst forth.
"Creation of Heaven and Earth, Taiyin Youying."
The Heaven and Earth Furnace hovered above the Queen Mother of the West's head, with an original darkness rising within it, "Heavenly Severity" was reactivated, yet it no longer integrated life and creation but focused solely on the Yin Yi, fully displaying the meaning of the ultimate Taiyin.
Under the urging of Emperor Xi, the Wa Emperor Dao Fruit within the Heaven and Earth Furnace revealed another side, which was the endpoint of the Yin Yi Dao.
"Hmm?"
Jiang Li let out a soft sound of surprise, turning his palm into a claw, with five fingers closing in, not deviating, grasping the blade light like the operation of the Heavenly Dao, as the destructive power of Yin Yi collided with the hand. Jiang Li's left eye shone with intense golden light, and the manifestation of the Sun Star was stimulated into action.
At this moment, the original darkness spread its brilliance, dark light like water, touching the light of the Ten Directions.
Invading Yang with Yin, controlling Yang with Yin.
Yin and Yang mutually generate and counteract each other, and both are equal. The Yin Yi Dao within the Wa Emperor Dao Fruit corresponds directly to Jiang Li's Path of the Sun.
However, the divine skills within the Dao Fruit were clearly unable to contend against a true First Grade; the original darkness of Yin Yi should have been instantly scattered by the power of the Sun. Yet, Jiang Li's own foundation was not solely the Path of the Sun but the all-encompassing Taiyi.
What seemed like aggressive assault by the Yin Yi Dao was actually dedication, meant to infiltrate Jiang Li, causing an internal contradiction of opposing Yin and Yang within him.
After all, even though Jiang Li's Taiyi encompassed everything, he himself held a clear inclination within the Yin Yang Dao.
Thus, while slightly restraining Jiang Li, the Taiji Eight Trigrams began to rotate, the Heaven and Earth Furnace once again exhibited its creation ability, the top of the furnace rose, emitting profound light abruptly.
"Interesting."
At the critical moment, the darkness-stained Jiang Li suddenly returned to normal; his eyes shifted slightly, with silver brilliance emerging from his right eye, while the crimson gold in his left eye gradually dimmed.
An incomparably majestic presence erupted from him, Pangu's Form manifested in an instant, yet not the usual supreme Yang aspect but bathed in the light of Yin Yi, standing at the endpoint of the Yin Yi.
The pupil in his right eye presented a full moon shape, revealing endless desolation within, as if the earth of the Taiyin Star descended to the mortal world.
"Dong——"
With a wave of his palm, horizontally pushing through heaven and earth, the Heaven and Earth Furnace rang like a great bell when struck, being sent flying backward. The Queen Mother of the West, who wielded the Heaven and Earth Furnace, trembled violently, as Yin Qi raged around her.
Jiang Li reached out and grabbed the wheel of original darkness into his hand, then pushed out a palm again, like a wheel of dark moon, blasting toward the Thunder Marsh Ancient God.
"Boom——"
Amidst the thunderous explosion, countless electric lights shot like dragons and snakes, plunging into the dark moon as if sinking into the sea, without causing any ripples. The dark moon clashed against the massive dragon body, and even joined as one, the Thunder Marsh Ancient God still had half of its body obliterated, sent flying backward.
"I do indeed follow the Path of the Sun alone, but I am not necessarily balanced by the Taiyin."
Jiang Li slowly spoke, as the moon phase in his left eye grew more solid, transmitting an enormous breath through space to this place.
He made contact with the Taiyin Star.
If it was at Second Grade, the endpoint of Yin Yi could indeed pose a threat to Jiang Li, as Yin and Yang mutually generate and counteract. But now, Jiang Li was already First Grade; the Taiyi Dao was not simply all-encompassing.
Three thousand years ago, the Three Pure Ones Dao was struck back to the Tai Chu state by the "End of Dharma," turning from a source of Essence Qi to a source of Dirt Qi.
Now, Jiang Li could similarly transform the Path of the Sun into Tai Chu, then reverse it into the other extreme, transforming it into the Path of Taiyin.
By using Yin Yi to infringe upon Jiang Li, it inadvertently gave Jiang Li the opportunity to consolidate the cause and effect of Yin Yi.
The overwhelming pressure crushed heaven and earth; though Pangu's Form manifested in Jiang Li did not enlarge his physique, in the perception of the enemy, his stature kept rising, like towering heaven and earth.
This extreme size contradiction was not Jiang Li growing larger, but rather heaven and earth around being crushed smaller, including all the Second Grade entities.
Only the Seven Treasures Miao Tree, Heaven and Earth Furnace, and the Taiji Seal did not show signs of diminution amidst this top-down crushing.
With one step, Jiang Li released an immense force born from it, the power of the Taiyin Star continually infusing within him, pressing outward forward, extending his hand to directly seize the Heaven and Earth Furnace.
"Queen Mother."
Around the Taiji Seal, the Eight Trigrams transformed, the Kun Trigram emerged, guiding the collective strength with the Queen Mother of the West at the center, infusing into the Heaven and Earth Furnace.
The opened furnace exploded with equally majestic Qi Mechanism, a female phantom clad in a Society Robe stepped forth from within, striking a punch toward Jiang Li in mid-air.
Her countenance reflected in Jiang Li's eyes, bearing supreme majesty while also embodying the most perfect feminine beauty of the world, her looks even surpassing the Queen Mother of the West's Dao-transformed appearance.
Undoubtedly, this was the Wa Emperor, standing at the endpoint of the Yin Yi.
This saintly mother of the Human Race left an impression of maternal kindness, having the virtuous character of earth, yet carried a domineering presence capable of both giving and taking life, with the ferocity of a conqueror inherent in her fist.
One could only say, it was quite fitting to the archaic ethos.
Even as a woman, she could conquer the world; with the name "Wa Emperor," there was no shortage of imperial aura. Before the Yellow Emperor's rise, Wa Emperor was indeed one of the Three Emperors.
The rise of the Human Race was a process of killing and conquest; as an emperor, one must naturally possess the power of conquest, and the Wa Emperor was no exception.
And now, Jiang Li was about to experience the force behind this ancient Wa Emperor's punch.
