Chapter 319: Chapter 42: Causes Form a Line
"The covenant between two clans, witnessed by Heaven, if someone dies, Heaven will examine the causality and make a judgment."
The voice of Tianxuan sounded both next to my ear and as if it came from beyond the heavens, clear yet ethereal, "With your current realm, you should be able to perceive the traces of Heaven’s arrival."
What this implied was that Jiang Li of the past was not capable of noticing this process of scrutinizing causality.
However, Jiang Li now paid no attention to Tianxuan’s words. He felt as if he were in a void, the surroundings dim and indistinct, seeing only sporadic glimmers of light, bright and dim.
Jiang Li felt as if his Divine Soul had left his body, his form floating, bobbing like in water.
Strings of light, like lines blown by the wind, drifted around Jiang Li. As he focused his gaze, he was startled to discover that the ends of these luminous threads were all connected to him.
Their colors varied, and upon closer inspection, their thickness was noticeable too.
Jiang Li saw two thicker red threads connected to his feet, tied around his ankles, one on each side, stretching in two directions.
Red threads of marriage?
An understanding dawned on Jiang Li, ’This must be my causality.’
If he was not mistaken, these two red threads were connected to his two wives, symbolizing the marital ties between Jiang Li and them.
This, Jiang Li knew very well, for when Feng Manlou tied those red threads, Karma Collection had recorded the entire scene completely.
Apart from these two red threads, there were thousands of causality threads densely covering Jiang Li’s body, virtually invisible and intangible; otherwise, every move he made would be governed by the pull of hundreds of directions.
Even so, Jiang Li felt a chill as he was almost bound into a bundle of lines.
’My causality, I’ve used many in the consumption by the Karma Collection. How can there still be so many?’
He probed by thought, touching a causality thread that entered his body, flickering with pale white light.
Buzz!
His brain seemed to vibrate, a buzzing sound filled his ears, and the scene before his eyes suddenly changed from dimness to an earthy yellow, revealing continuous mountains.
A young man stood at the end of a mountain path holding a Jade Talisman aloft, his mouth curved into a smile like that of the Dragon King, with the ethereal figure of a Daoist entering his body from behind.
’This is... Dao Fruit!’
Jiang Li realized this was precisely the scene when he had ascended to Ninth Grade.
From that white causality thread branched several pathways, which Jiang Li touched with his mind, and scenes of him defeating his fellow sect members appeared one by one.
This was his interpretation of the Dao Fruit.
’In that case...’
Jiang Li quickly scanned around, trying to locate the causality thread of the Pure Yang Ancestor’s Dao Fruit.
Unsure when this marvelous scene might disappear, he hurried to explore the method of interpreting the Sixth Grade Dao Fruit.
’I found it!’
A thick line shimmering with faint golden light was nudged by Jiang Li’s intention, and the scene of his ascent flooded his mind.
He followed along this causality thread, his mind vibrating, as various scenarios flooded his vision.
There he was, killing men in black, killing Zong Hai, killing the Fourth Prince—these were his acts of eradicating evil.
There he was, with thoughts as swords, cutting through the superfluous, embodying the purity of Daoist Heart.
There he was, devoutly immersed in arduous cultivation—this was closed-door cultivation.
And then—
’Being bitten by a dog?’
’Mud Water Collection Battle?’
’Overturning the river?’
If Jiang Li had a body right now, his expression would undoubtedly be peculiar.
Overturning the river is bearable—after all, the legend of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea is well-known. But even if it’s a legend, need it be applied so thoroughly?
Because Lu Dongbin was bitten by a dog, must I, Jiang Li, also be bitten?
And this Mud Water Collection Battle, isn’t this Dual Cultivation? Is this something I, a Pure Yang Child, should do?
Jiang Li reviewed the threads of causality, finding it utterly ludicrous.
But upon further reflection, it seemed to make sense.
Since the essence of a Dao Fruit was causality, a cultivator harboring a Dao Fruit essentially bore this causality. Since it involved bearing another’s causality, it was natural to align with their actions. Only in this way could one assimilate these causalities.
Whether it’s being bitten by a dog or engaging in a Mud Water Collection Battle, since these were actions undertaken by Lu Dongbin, Jiang Li reproducing them would naturally better integrate the Dao Fruit. The only difference was the speed of assimilation.
Some paths were faster, some were slower. If one wished simplicity, then close-door cultivation would do, cultivating for a century or so, which would eventually bear results.
But harboring another’s causality this way, might there be some consequences...
Before Jiang Li could ponder further, a number of causality threads suddenly brightened, and another figure faintly appeared in the dimness ahead.
Looking at the figure, it bizarrely resembled the Fourth Prince, Ji Chengyuan.
The flickering threads of fate began to fluctuate, as scenes rapidly flashed by: among them were images of Jiang Li being ambushed by the Illusion Spirit Captivating Heart Array and the Fourth Prince harboring a peculiar Dao Fruit during his Promotion Ceremony. Various scenarios flashed by, tying the grievances between Jiang Li and the Fourth Prince.
’Is Heaven’s judgment based on causality? If so, if one could sever or obscure this causality, could they avoid backlash?’
Jiang Li, witnessing these scenes, felt a surge of emotion.
Then, after these scenes had flashed by, a golden column of Qi emerged above the distant figure.
At the same time, Jiang Li felt a brightness above his head, where crimson, yellow, and cyan columns of Qi appeared in succession.
Among them, the crimson column was the most dazzling and robust, followed by the golden, and the cyan was the least.
The watchful presence from the unknown grew clearer; simultaneously, the threads of fate connecting him to the Fourth Prince began to sever one by one, leaving only a few.
Jiang Li’s heartstrings involuntarily tensed.
However, afterward, nothing happened, and the watchful presence began to recede.
"It seems I’ve passed this trial."
Such text appeared on the Karma Collection, and Jiang Li breathed a sigh of relief.
Since the Karma Collection showed that the trial was passed, it indeed had been.
’It seems my license to kill also has its limits,’ Jiang Li pondered. ’The last time against Lu King, I wasn’t the main force, and even if I hadn’t made a move, Lu King would have still died. This time, dealing with the Fourth Prince, the causality lines showed that he struck at me first...’
’Let’s set the limit at the prince for now.’
With this determination in his heart, Jiang Li also understood why the Dinghu Sect had been so tolerant towards Jiang Zhuyun previously.
This scrutiny based upon causality is both direct and lethal; no matter how many schemes or calculations one makes, if they leave traces in the causality, they will ultimately be included in the review.
Unless one could completely mask or sever the causality.
Unfortunately, such methods are too advanced for most people. Instead of thinking about how to avoid causality, it’s often better to think about how to make the opponent strike first.
The feeling of suspension faded as the distant watchful presence receded, and darkness dissipated, allowing Jiang Li to once again feel the solidity of his physical body.
"Slain the Three Corpse Gods, further integrating the Dao Fruit of the Pure Yang Ancestor."
Such a line displayed on the Karma Collection, and Jiang Li definitely felt the Pure Yang Qi further integrate into his body, permeating every cell.
’Pity the Three Corpse Gods I slew were not my own Three Corpses.’
Had he been able to slay his own Three Corpses, this Dao Fruit might have jumped straight to perfection, without Jiang Li thinking about sinking his teeth into it like a dog.
This was a harvest of his own Dao Fruit and that of others—
Jiang Li glanced down and saw several rays of light emerging from the corpse of the Fourth Prince.
The Dao Fruit exploded.
’It seems not much time has passed in reality; the Dao Fruit has just burst forth.’ Jiang Li considered.
Upon death, the Dao Fruit naturally separates; if there is a suitable vessel nearby, it appears shortly after. If not, it adheres to the corpse.
Regardless, the Dao Fruit transitions from being imperceptible to perceptible. Even if it’s still on the body, if others touch the corpse and match the Dao Fruit, they will perceive its information.
Previously, Jiang Li did not grasp the details, merely knowing that Dao Fruit would separate after some time. Now, having seen the causality lines, he understood this as the Dao Fruit needing time to precipitate, separating from the deceased, transitioning from the invisible causality to the tangible Dao Fruit.
He took out five Jade Talismans, wanting to receive the Dao Fruit. One of the separated Dao Fruits did not directly fly towards the Jade Talismans but transformed into a dim yellow light that merged into the Big Seal not yet stored in the storage magic tool.
Touching the Big Seal, a wave of information immediately surged in Jiang Li’s mind.
"Sixth Grade Dao Fruit: Plague God"
"Category: Divine"
"Fitting Conditions: Seventh Grade Human, Divine Dao Fruit"
"Promotion Ceremony: Create a plague involving ten thousand people and partake in it, contract the plague, and when the disease self-resolves, incorporate the Dao Fruit"
"Ability: Spreading Plague, Incense Fire God, Evil Exorcism and Disaster Avoidance, Divine Body"
"Plague God?" Jiang Li murmured low.
"Plague God?" Tianxuan realized, "The one supporting the Fourth Prince from behind was indeed him—King Yue, Ji Wen."
To keep the princes safe, all princes below fifth-rank were given life-preserving measures by Fourth Grade Experts, risking their Lifebound True Essence. Before his exposure, the Fourth Prince was only superficially of Seventh Rank, fitting into that category where he could only compete with the younger princes.
Among the princes, the youngest being thirty-five years old, he was considered the least capable; naturally, he needed life-preserving measures.
But as he was inherently of fifth-rank, harboring another’s tactics could endanger his life.
Therefore, a Fourth Grade had to coordinate with him, pretending to have prepared a trump card for him.
This matter was easy to check; Tianxuan had already locked onto the target, and now his suspicions were confirmed.
As that Yue King, his Dao Fruit was the Plague Emperor, and all Plague God Dao Fruits were managed and controlled by King Yue, Ji Wen.
Additionally, according to Tianxuan’s judgement, the Fourth Prince’s capabilities were still insufficient to derive the "Nine Insect Technique," an unorthodox cultivation technique from the "Form Tomb."
"Another enemy, but fortunately, the Fourth Prince did not die by my hand."
Jiang Li stored the Big Seal into his Protective Bracelet, nodded towards the distant figures, and then his form faintly faded, disappearing into the air.