Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit
Chapter 115 - 92: Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand! [1st Update, Request for Monthly Votes!]

Chapter 115: Chapter 92: Strike First to Gain the Upper Hand! [1st Update, Request for Monthly Votes!]

A round of rewards brought everyone’s loyalty to the table.

Only then did Chen Jichuan bring up the main issue: "What is the status of the Three Mountains Army now?"

Early October.

The Martial Alliance was established, formally organizing the Three Mountains and the Six Ministries.

It was now already mid-December.

Over two months had passed.

The Three Mountains Army had been roughly organized.

"The Three Mountains Army has a total of 14,800 soldiers, divided into four divisions and twelve camps. Among them, new recruits account for sixty percent. After two months of training, they are barely capable of combat. The first division, three camps, are stationed in Yongfeng County. The second division, three camps, are stationed in Yongfu County. The third division, three camps, are stationed in Lingchuan County. The fourth division, three camps, are dispersed across other counties for internal stability."

The Three Mountains Army.

Four divisions, twelve camps, and 14,800 soldiers.

It sounded grandiose.

But in reality, half of them were green recruits whose combat strength was questionable. To become elite forces, incessant training and live battles with real weapons were both indispensable.

But all of that takes time.

And Biqing Cliff would not wait for them.

"Biqing Cliff failed to coerce us; they are now massing troops on the eastern side near Linhe County, attempting to traverse the mountains and invade from Yongfu and Yongfeng Counties. Meanwhile, they are constructing warships in Hengshan County, intending to cross the Lishui River and directly attack Lingchuan and Yangshuo."

"With just the Three Mountains Army, it will be hard to withstand them."

Wang Quan spoke bluntly, expressing his concerns.

On the second day of last month,

Tushan Ji, riding his Divine Eagle, decisively defeated Yangg Qiu. Within days, he sent envoys to the Martial Alliance, attempting to annex Shi’an County without conflict.

Chen Jichuan’s orders to Mu Junxiong and the others were summed up in one word: stall!

After stalling for nearly half a month,

negotiations eventually broke down.

During the talks, Biqing Cliff was already deploying their troops. Now, with their blade pointed straight at Shi’an County, concerns grew unavoidable.

"Just a paper tiger."

"Even if Biqing Cliff dares to attack, they will injure themselves deeply, whether or not they succeed. And Iron Leaf Island is watching closely; they’re no pushovers."

Chen Jichuan shook his head.

No matter how aggressive Biqing Cliff appeared, they might not truly dare to start a war.

"But—"

Wang Quan hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "It is said that Tushan Ji of Biqing Cliff has tamed a Divine Eagle, capable of soaring through the skies. If a war breaks out and Tushan Ji rains down cold arrows from above, I fear no one will be able to counter him."

The cold arrows of an Innate Grandmaster—Wang Quan himself had no confidence he could dodge them.

Let alone the matter of inaccurate aim; with an Innate Grandmaster shooting from a commanding height, what inaccuracy could there possibly be?

At the very least,

if that Golden Crowned Divine Eagle swooped down, its wings slashing and talons tearing, no matter who you were, you’d be shredded to pieces on the spot. Ordinary soldiers firing arrows at it? Leaving aside whether they could even hit the extraordinarily swift eagle, even if they did, they likely couldn’t pierce its defenses.

As for heavy crossbows and the like, they were too cumbersome to mention.

If war broke out,

all Tushan Ji needed to do was ride his Divine Eagle and systematically shoot or strike down the commanders of the Three Mountains Army. The army would inevitably collapse.

As long as he hastened to end the battle, Biqing Cliff’s casualties would instead be minimal.

This was why Wang Quan couldn’t rest easy.

It wasn’t just Wang Quan.

All the Martial Alliance’s high-ranking members, including Mu Junxiong and Xue Zhong, felt uneasy. If not for their fear of ’Yangg Xiu’ and ’White Jade City’s’ powers, they might have already defected to Biqing Cliff with the Martial Alliance in tow.

Now that a Guest Elder had taken over,

and they had received substantial benefits, their hearts had slightly steadied. However, the ultimate direction of their allegiance still depended on whether this Mr. Chen, Chen Lin, could counter Tushan Ji’s schemes.

"Leave Tushan Ji and his Divine Eagle to me; I’ll make sure they can’t fly,"

Chen Jichuan reassured them.

Wang Quan and the others exchanged glances. Seeing that this ’Mr. Chen’ exuded such confidence, they refrained from saying more.

Next.

Chen Jichuan inquired about matters concerning the Six Ministries, paying special attention to the exploitation of resources in the Black Prison and the Water Mansion. Only then did he rise and leave.

...

The affairs of the Martial Alliance were numerous.

The broad strokes could only be handled by Chen Jichuan. For the more detailed matters, he had to leave them to the likes of Mu Junxiong and others.

His time was precious. Having just formed his second ’Dao Fruit,’ he came to the Martial Alliance at the earliest opportunity, aiming to provide reassurance amid the looming threat of Biqing Cliff and the wavering morale.

Momentarily stabilizing minds.

But the threat of Tushan Ji and the Golden Crowned Divine Eagle could not simply be ignored; treating the symptoms without addressing the root would ultimately be futile.

"Strike first to gain the upper hand; delay risks disaster!"

Returning to Mingtang Mountain, Chen Jichuan made a decision in his heart.

On the second day of last month, seeing Tushan Ji’s prowess, he considered using spells to deal with him but refrained due to concerns that Immortal sects or figures might support Tushan Ji in the background.

Later, in the Black Prison, he acquired the ’Yuanchen Sword’ and inherited the legacy of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect. Chen Ji began to harbor suspicions, but he could not yet confirm them.

Adding to this, his primary focus at the time was cultivating the ’Ten Thousand Sword Map,’ so the matter was set aside for the moment.

Over this period, he used the ’Circular Light Skill’ frequently to observe Tushan Ji while intensifying his training.

With a hundred and fifty-five years of painstaking cultivation in the Circular Light Skill, it had already reached extraordinary proficiency.

Chen Jichuan, having cultivated Daoism to the Eighth Layer, possessed profound expertise.

Using the Circular Light Skill, even a Grandmaster would have difficulty detecting his spying.

For over a month, he scrutinized Biqing Cliff’s leadership, aided by the Ghost Sparrow he sent to covertly follow them.

After more than a month,

he preliminarily determined that Tushan Ji was someone similar to himself, having likely obtained an Immortal legacy from a secret realm akin to the ’Sword Map’ in the Black Prison.

There was no Immortal Sect behind him after all.

With a weight lifted from his heart and having gained some breathing room, Chen Jichuan saw no reason to hesitate further.

"In the heat of war,"

"blame me not for what comes next."

With the three sacrificial animals and four rites prepared, after a purification ritual of fasting, bathing, and burning incense, Chen Jichuan ascended the Dharma Platform.

He performed Gang Steps while chanting the incantation: "The heavens are vast, the earth is boundless; this disciple calls upon the decree: the rooster shall not crow, the hen shall not cry, meat will leap in the pot, rice will soak within the steamer; in an instant, the fires cease, calm and cold as if extinguished by water. Let it be so that any intruder, upon encounter, shall feel dizzy and fail to reveal themselves. I call upon the Southern Dipper Six Stars and the Beidou Seven Stars, by the Stove God Ancestor’s decree, let this be swiftly executed."

This was one of the forty-eight techniques he had learned from the Immortal Temple: the ’Cooking Rice and Meat Spell.’

The old saying goes: warm water boils the frog slowly.

The ’Cooking Rice and Meat Spell’ operates on the same principle.

Originating from orthodox Daoist teachings, this incantation invokes the Stove God Ancestor to use stove fire to slowly roast away evil sorcerers or malevolent spirits.

Initially, there are no signs, and all seems ordinary.

With each day of incantation, the stove fire grows stronger. By the seventh day, the flames become all-consuming, inextinguishable, and inescapable.

By then, it would be too late to notice.

The target’s Primordial Qi would weaken, and their soul would grow feeble.

At this stage, the spell becomes irreversible.

After forty-nine days, the stove fire would utterly annihilate their soul, leaving no chance of recovery.

In all,

the process takes fifty-four days.

Though seemingly lengthy, and the spell appearing modest or basic,

its reliability is unparalleled.

The slow-boil effect ensures it is nearly undetectable for the first seven days. By the time the incantation concludes on the seventh day, even if someone discovers it, they will no longer be able to trace Chen Jichuan.

Even if the spell is broken, it would harm neither him nor his cultivation.

This distinguishes it from other spells.

Take the ’Plow Head Curse,’ for example—a vicious, direct, and ferocious spell whose symptoms are immediately apparent. Its alarming signs would alert others, prompting them to find counteractive measures. If thwarted, the caster suffers from severe backlash, possibly costing them half their life.

With the Plow Head Curse, it boils down to life and death—either yours or the target’s.

Far too extreme.

The ’Cooking Rice and Meat Spell,’ on the other hand, is much safer.

"If I can’t curse him dead,"

"he’ll still be skinned to the bone!"

Chen Jichuan thought darkly in his heart.

After completing the incantation,

he did not stop there.

He then went to the Yin Altar, commanding the ’Five Demonic Waves’ to attack the Golden Crowned Divine Eagle.

This was the same method the Five Ghost Daoist had used to harm Er Ban’s mother.

Chen Jichuan, being well-versed in the ’Five Ghosts Yin Soldiers Skill,’ summoned the ’Five Demonic Waves,’ whose power was comparable to Innate cultivators. Quietly and unnoticed, they latched onto the eagle, draining its Essence Qi and Primordial Qi.

It wouldn’t be long before the Golden Crowned Divine Eagle became weak and listless, unable to fly. Unless a countermeasure was found, its demise would be inevitable.

By then,

the threat posed by Biqing Cliff would naturally come to an end.

"Cooking Rice and Meat Spell."

"Five Demonic Waves."

One spell after another, Chen Jichuan unleashed the techniques he had mastered in the Da Liang World.

Whether Tushan Ji survived would depend on his own ability to counter these assaults.

...

Time passed, day by day.

While casting spells on his enemy and their eagle, Chen Jichuan carried on with his own cultivation.

Having concluded his journey in the Da Liang World and formed a Dao Fruit,

Chen Jichuan spent his days reflecting—revisiting, like an observer, the one hundred and fifty-five years of cultivation he had undergone in the Da Liang World.

It is said: a bystander sees more clearly than those involved.

By stepping outside of his own experiences,

he was able to see many issues he failed to notice when immersed in his journey.

Identify gaps and shortcomings.

Make adjustments and corrections.

Each review brought slight improvements and insights.

Step by step, his cultivation advanced, and his strength inched upward.

Such was the essence of cultivation:

A process of accumulation, addressing each shortcoming and gradually solidifying one’s path. Periodically stopping to examine oneself anew allowed one to refine their practice further.

"I reflect on myself thrice daily,"

and cultivation adhered to the same principle.

Besides his own Dao Fruit, Chen Jichuan also studied the Dao Fruits of ’Qizhenzi’ and ’Ann Jishi,’ which contained the lifelong knowledge and insights of these two individuals.

By carefully contemplating these Dao Fruits and cross-referencing them with his own practice, he constantly uncovered new realizations.

Aside from his Dao Fruit and cultivation,

Chen Jichuan also worked on refining the ’Yuanchen Sword.’

Refinement of a Magical Treasure seemed simple upon hearing of it, but once Chen Jichuan actually began, he realized the difficulty involved.

Magical Treasures were wondrous and intricately designed.

Refinement,

at its initial stage, required thorough familiarity.

Unlike digital products from his past life, a Magical Treasure was a weapon one used in life-and-death confrontations. Every detail, structure, and operational method had to be understood inside and out.

Otherwise, in the heat of battle, even a minor mistake could cost one their life.

But familiarity alone wasn’t enough.

One also needed to establish harmony between oneself and the treasure, enabling effortless control. Whether for employing a sword technique directly or guiding the sword through the air, such synergy was essential.

Every day, Chen Jichuan held the sword, channeling True Qi into the Yuanchen Sword. This allowed the sword to grow familiar with his Qi, while his Qi also served as a bridge for him to familiarize himself with the treasure’s intricacies.

Although the Yuanchen Sword was only a Low Grade Magical Treasure, it was still challenging to refine given Chen Jichuan’s current cultivation level.

More than a month had passed since obtaining the Yuanchen Sword, yet there was no sign of its refinement.

In the Da Liang World, he had reached his peak,

achieving the ninth layer in both inner and external skills and the eighth in Daoist skills.

But in the present reality,

his inner skills and external skills both remained stuck at the eighth layer for now.

The 400x time discrepancy was simply too vast.

No matter how rushed or meticulous his efforts,

and despite the help of Source Power,

Chen Jichuan was still playing catch-up, with a small gap yet to close compared to his pinnacle state in the Da Liang World.

...