Dao Fruit

[August 20th.

In the time it took to use the restroom, I crossed over.

The phone and toilet paper I was holding vanished without a trace. My clothes changed into a well-fitting cyan robe, and my age reverted to fourteen. With refined features and bright eyes, I have the potential for great handsomeness in the future.

I don't know why this happened to me. Maybe it's reincarnation, maybe soul transmigration. Who knows?]

[August 21st.

The second day after crossing over.

I've basically figured out my current situation.

This world is called "Chixian Shenzhou." The background is somewhat similar to ancient times in my previous life, yet also vastly different. Currently, the Great Zhou Dynasty, ruled by the Ji clan, holds power. My name in this life is "Jiang Li," and I come from the Jiang family, nobles of Great Zhou. The main family branch relocated overseas due to political strife, and the branch family disciples scattered. As a result, I joined the Dinghu Sect and became an outer disciple.

This world has magical arts and martial arts, but more important is an advancement system called "Dao Fruit."

This system is similar to the Potion system of a certain Lord of the Mysteries. It's divided into nine ranks, and advancement to each rank requires corresponding rituals and a Dao Fruit. However, the system doesn't have specific pathway restrictions.

Gods, Buddhas, Immortals, Humans, Demons, Devils, Ghosts, Monsters—as long as the conditions are met, one can advance using a Dao Fruit of the same category without side effects. Switching between different but related categories is also possible, though it might come at a cost.

For example, a human becoming a god, or a demon transforming into a devil.

This world has gone through an Age of Dharma Decline. The world is filled with foul, turbid energies, and the era of absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings is now just a memory. Cultivators' True Qi is generated solely by refining essence into Qi. Therefore, regardless of innate talent, there's a limit to one's cultivation level, but Dao Fruits can raise this limit.

Accommodating a Dao Fruit elevates one's fundamental nature of life. A mortal body can become like that of a god or Buddha. The True Qi refined from such a divine or enlightened body is naturally incomparable to that of a mortal.

Legend says that a Rank 1 Dao Fruit even holds the power to reshape heaven and earth. For instance, the Rank 1 Dao Fruit of the Mystic Gate corresponds to the Three Pure Ones of mythology. If I became a Heavenly Venerate, could I go home?]

[August 22nd.

Useless cheat!!!

No, you don't even deserve to be called a cheat.

I thought this book, visible only to me, would have some function. But after studying it for two days, I found it does absolutely nothing except automatically record my thoughts and experiences.

Isn't this just a diary?

What kind of serious person keeps a diary anyway?]

[August 23rd.

Today in the Lecture Hall, an Elder asked the disciples about their future cultivation choices. He mentioned that the Dinghu Sect offers two types of Rank 9 Dao Fruits to choose from—the Human-category 'Daoist' and the God-category 'Heavenly Soldier'.

Both are Dao Fruits specific to the Mystic Gate. The Daoist path leans towards magical arts, while the Heavenly Soldier excels in martial ways. I actually prefer the tankier Heavenly Soldier, but among the subsequent Dao Fruits for the Daoist path, there's the 'Fangshi,' skilled in divination.

As everyone knows, diviners are notoriously good at surviving. So, there's only one answer.]

[August 24th.

Advancement to Daoist requires three years of 'Entering the Dao' and reading ten Daoist scriptures. I've already been initiated for over half a year. I should be able to advance in about two and a half years.

However, I can start practicing magical arts right away.

Starting tomorrow, I'll study calendar calculation and learn divination.]

[August 25th.

Gengzi Year, Bingxu Month, Dinghai Day. Auspicious for travel, starting businesses, moving. Inauspicious for marriage, groundbreaking, burial.

Took a walk by Ding Lake today to clear my head and found three Wendi coins. They can be used for Liuyao divination. Is heaven itself telling me to study divination?]

[August 26th.

Gengzi Year, Bingxu Month, Wuzi Day. Auspicious for trading, starting businesses, setting up a bed. Inauspicious for marriage, travel, moving.

Divination is so hard!]

[August 27th.

Gengzi Year, Bingxu Month, Jichou Day. Auspicious for sacrifices, building livestock pens. Inauspicious for starting businesses.

No progress at all. I feel like an idiot.]

[August 28th.

I am an idiot.]

[August 29th

I'm an idiot who doesn't know how to give up...

Wait, the diary has instructions?!

"Where there is cause, there is effect; where there is sacrifice, there is gain. All experiences recorded in this book have their cause and effect solidified, preventing regression." Hmm... Does this mean effort yields results? And that I won't regress?]

[August 30th

It worked, it worked! I finally made an accurate prediction!

Moreover, my progress in both magical arts and martial arts is visible to the naked eye.

Diary, you're my superman!

Starting today, I'll be the Sword God of Shili Slope! Martial arts, magical arts – I want them all!]

...

[February 22nd.

Guimao Year, Bingchen Month, Gengzi Day. Black Path Ominous Day, unsuitable for all activities.

Vast twilight descends—

The afterglow of the setting sun paints the horizon with vibrant colors. On the deserted mountain path, a dashing and elegant rider is cast in an even more dashing and elegant light by the autumn sunset...]

Time flies like a white colt flashing past a crack, and in the blink of an eye, two and a half years had passed.

Jiang Li was now a seventeen-year-old youth. His potential good looks hadn't gone astray as he grew. If he couldn't make it in the future, perhaps he could rely on his appearance.

Currently, he was on a sect mission, hunting down an outer disciple who had committed an offense.

"Whoa—"

Jiang Li abruptly pulled the reins, dismounted, and performed a divination on a rock beside the mountain path.

The round Wendi coins with square holes entered and exited the tortoise shell six times in succession, revealing the hexagram for this journey before Jiang Li's eyes.

"'Kun above, Li below; Earth-Fire, Mingyi,'" Jiang Li frowned. "'The sun sets into the earth, brightness is wounded; all affairs are obstructed, await the right time.'"

For one who obtains this hexagram, fortune is unfavorable, and efforts are arduous. It is advisable to adhere firmly to the righteous path, practice forbearance and self-restraint, and await the opportune moment.

"'Then let's wait a bit longer,' Jiang Li murmured."

Jiang Li had nearly caught up to his quarry six times before, but each time, he abruptly stopped just before reaching them. This was because he performed a divination before each attempt, and all six times, the result was the Mingyi hexagram.

Given his current level of divination skill, compounded by six identical hexagram results in a row, if he were still to charge ahead recklessly, he would truly deserve death if it came.

'In another quarter-hour, I will complete my three years of 'Entering the Dao'. I've already applied for the Dao Fruit in advance; I can advance directly when the time comes. Could that be the opportune moment indicated by the Mingyi hexagram? If so, doesn't that mean I need to be a Rank 9 Daoist to guarantee victory?'

Jiang Li was already considering retreat.

Although he had his cheat, where effort brought reward, the harder he worked, the clearer it became to Jiang Li that humans have limits, and he could faintly sense his progress slowing down.

Effort still yielded results, but it required more effort.

If this were before the Age of Dharma Decline, Jiang Li would have long since broken through successive realms via diligent cultivation. Unfortunately, this was after the decline. It's difficult for the human body to break through its limits via cultivation alone; one must rely on Dao Fruits.

Even if Jiang Li were proficient in everything, he wouldn't dare claim he could definitely win against an enemy who had accommodated a Rank 9 Dao Fruit.

Challenging those above one's level is courageous, but it didn't quite suit someone like Jiang Li, who wasn't particularly hot-blooded. If he lost, his life would be forfeit.

A single mission is only worth a few hundred merit points. Why risk his life?

He had been pursuing the target for many consecutive days, already exceeding his expectations. Originally, he had planned to complete the mission before his advancement.

[Just then, a black shadow slithered down the cliff face, a deadly cold gleam aiming straight for Jiang Li's Tianling acupoint—]

Without hesitation, Jiang Li sprang aside, moving like a crab plastered against the cliff face, shifting a zhang away. Simultaneously, he slapped his cyan robe.

Wood Spirit Talisman, Protection Talisman, Lightness Talisman, Vajra Talisman, Qi Circulation Talisman.

True Qi flowed into the cyan robe, revealing dense traces of talisman script. In an instant, five types of talismans activated on Jiang Li.

The diary automatically records Jiang Li's thoughts and everything happening around him, down to the smallest detail, equivalent to a 360-degree perception. This was another clever way to utilize his cheat.

Jiang Li had relied on this function to overcome several crises, and today was no exception.

The black shadow stuck close like a shadow itself. Pushing off the rock used earlier for divination, it changed direction. The dagger in its hand, gleaming coldly, slashed through the golden Qi shield in a single strike.

Vajra Talisman, broken.

The perfected talisman was rent by the blade. The dagger's momentum continued, striking the Protection Talisman, causing the transparent barrier to shimmer violently.

Jiang Li stomped his foot, retreating further while raising a palm and shaking his sleeve, "Cloud Dispelling Palm."

Mist billowed out from his sleeve, engulfing the attacker's head and face. The black shadow immediately circulated its Qi to resist, but the expected impact never came. Instead, a sharp burning pain shot through its eyes.

"'Quicklime! Despicable!'"

The black shadow roared angrily, flailing the dagger wildly as it rapidly retreated back to the previous rock.

At this point, Jiang Li also got a clear look at his opponent's face.

Regular features, clad in tight-fitting black clothes, appearing no older than eighteen or nineteen. A ferocious expression marred his face, and his cheeks bore fine, scale-like patterns.

This person was precisely the offending disciple Jiang Li was hunting—Zhou Mingyun.

However, the person before him was vastly different from the Zhou Mingyun in Jiang Li's memory. Even his entire 'style' had changed.

"'Demonification... you accommodated a Demon-category Dao Fruit?' Jiang Li looked utterly exasperated."

Sure enough, something unexpected had happened. This guy had clearly already accommodated a Dao Fruit; no wonder the hexagram indicated danger.

If Jiang Li hadn't been cautious, always prepared with protective measures, and had the diary monitoring his surroundings, he'd probably be dead by now.

"'How about this: let's pretend we never met. You go your way, and I'll return to the Dinghu Sect,' Jiang Li proposed with considerable sincerity. 'We're fellow disciples, after all. Why make things so tense?'"

Unfortunately, his opponent seemed unwilling to accept such a sincere proposal.

Zhou Mingyun kept his eyes tightly shut, enduring the intense burning pain as he spoke hatefully, "Despicable knave! You saw through my ambush attempts six times, and now you've attacked me sneakily. With such cunning, do you think I'd believe you?"

Evidently, he had a neat misunderstanding about Jiang Li.

Jiang Li, acting cautiously, had stopped at critical moments each time. Zhou Mingyun interpreted this as extreme cunning and completely disbelieved Jiang Li's words.

In this seventh encounter, Zhou Mingyun had managed to get close to Jiang Li and seize the initiative. Although he'd suffered a sneak attack, he had, after all, accommodated a Dao Fruit. The advantage was still his.

"Hiss—"

A long, forked tongue flickered from between his lips, making hissing sounds. Zhou Mingyun crouched low to the ground, gripping his dagger in a reverse hold, radiating killing intent.

"'A Snake-type Dao Fruit.' Jiang Li felt a wave of bad luck."

A Demon-category Dao Fruit causes the accommodator to gradually demonify until they completely transform into a demon. The Snake-type Dao Fruit Zhou Mingyun had accommodated granted him the ability to sense heat like a snake.

This minimized the effect of the quicklime.

"'Die.'"

The snake-like demon-man let out a low hiss. Slithering across the ground as if boneless, he closed the distance, his dagger thrusting like a needle, aiming to pierce and stab.

Zhou Mingyun had originally intended to accommodate the Heavenly Soldier Dao Fruit, which favored martial cultivation and close-quarters combat—advantageous for him. He was using the Dinghu Sect's Compass Needle Swordplay. A practitioner's sword tip points towards the opponent's acupoints like a compass needle. Furthermore, the sword force converges at a single point, making it excellent for breaching defenses.

At this moment, Zhou Mingyun wielded the sword technique with his dagger. The Compass Needle Swordplay seemed unpredictable and treacherous in his hands. Due to his serpentine movement, every strike targeted Jiang Li's lower body, ruthless and vicious.

But Jiang Li's speed also greatly exceeded his expectations.

The Lightness Talisman made his movements agile, the Qi Circulation Talisman sped up his True Qi flow, and the Wood Spirit Talisman stimulated his body's potential, allowing him to advance and retreat like the wind. Combined with his perfected lightness footwork, the Cirrus Cloud Step, the dagger repeatedly grazed past Jiang Li, failing to connect effectively.

Advancing and retreating, the two moved like an eagle chasing a rabbit, darting along the mountain path. Seeing the path narrow ahead, his escape route dwindling, Jiang Li's nerves grew increasingly taut.

Ice Talisman.

A talisman flew from his sleeve, unleashing a wave of cold Qi. A faint layer of frost covered the frantically attacking Zhou Mingyun, causing his movements to falter for a moment.

Snakes are cold-blooded animals. Since Zhou Mingyun had accommodated a Snake-type Dao Fruit, his body temperature wouldn't be high, making this talisman particularly effective against him.

Before the Age of Dharma Decline, a single Ice Talisman could draw upon the world's energy and potentially freeze him solid. Unfortunately, in this era, talisman arts only channel one's own Qi, greatly reducing their effect.

Fire Cloud Talisman.

Fiery Qi spread like a cloud, not attacking the enemy, but engulfing Jiang Li's surroundings. This made it difficult for Zhou Mingyun, relying on heat sense, to pinpoint Jiang Li's location.

The two-pronged approach yielded immediate results. Although Zhou Mingyun quickly used his Qi to dispel the frost, the Fire Cloud Talisman caused his accuracy to plummet.

Jiang Li seized the opportunity to retreat three zhang, standing on a narrow section of the path only wide enough for a single horse. A corner of his mouth tilted up in a 'Dragon King Son-in-Law' smirk.

"'Time's up.'"

He took out a jade talisman, and a faint, bright light enveloped his arm.

[Rank 9 Dao Fruit: Daoist

Category: Human

Advancement Ritual: Three years of Entering the Dao, read ten Daoist scriptures

Abilities: Clear Dao Heart, Daoist Arts Mastery]

Information about the Dao Fruit appeared in the diary.

But in the next instant, this information was struck through and vanished from the page, replaced by new content.

[Rank 9 Dao Fruit: Daoist · Wang Chongyang

Category: Human

Advancement Ritual: Three years of Entering the Dao, read ten Daoist scriptures

Abilities: Seeking Return to Truth, Dual Cultivation of Nature and Life-Essence, Unification of the Three Teachings]