Chapter 332 - 181: Fierce Battle with Jin Yuanzai (2)
"It seems the first two Cyan Tribulation Pearl Fruits have indeed fallen into your hands, Fellow Daoist." Xuzhuang tucked the pure vase into his sleeve and said nonchalantly, "Is this, perhaps, your side’s strategy?"
"You could call it a strategy, I suppose." Jin Yuanzai replied with a smile. "But personally, whether it was Zhong Shenxiu or you, Fellow Daoist, both are opponents I wished to face. So, I was simply going with the flow."
Xuzhuang said, "If that’s the case, why haven’t you made your move, Fellow Daoist?"
"There’s no rush for that," Jin Yuanzai said leisurely. "I have a question I’d like to ask you, Fellow Daoist."
Xuzhuang, not feeling any urgency himself, replied calmly, "Please, go ahead and ask, Fellow Daoist."
Jin Yuanzai nodded and asked, "I would like to know, where did you get the Magical Treasure Flying Sword you carry?"
"Oh?" Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow. ’The Taiyi Rainbow Sword... Taiyi... So it really isn’t a coincidence?’
After a few moments of thought, Xuzhuang felt there was nothing to hide and stated plainly, "I obtained this sword from the Grotto Heaven of an ancient sect in my Profound Yellow Realm, the Dharma Origin Sect."
"May I ask why you are asking this, Fellow Daoist?"
"The Dharma Origin Sect?" Jin Yuanzai frowned slightly. He had never even heard of such a name. However, he figured Xuzhuang wasn’t one to make things up, so he suppressed his doubts and replied candidly:
"Refining Flying Swords from various spiritual lights and celestial rainbows is a rather famous swordsmithing method in my Taiyi Palace. However, the requirements for the lights, the rainbows, and the cultivator’s skill are all exceptionally strict, so it’s been a long time since anyone has successfully forged one."
"Furthermore, a Celestial Rainbow Flying Sword like the one you hold, refined to the level of a Magical Treasure... I have never had the fortune to see such a thing. Thus, I was both surprised and puzzled, which led to my question."
Xuzhuang had anticipated this from the moment Jin Yuanzai asked. He gave a slight nod, didn’t linger on the topic, and asked, "Do you have any other questions, Fellow Daoist?"
Jin Yuanzai replied, "It seems you’sre also quite eager to fight me, Fellow Daoist."
Xuzhuang said flatly, "You already hold two Cyan Tribulation Pearl Fruits, and your side outnumbers mine. It seems my only choice is to eliminate you, Fellow Daoist."
Jin Yuanzai showed no anger at these words. Instead, he let out a great laugh. "Good! You’re certainly full of confidence, Fellow Daoist. As it happens, so am I."
"How about this? I happen to have a Daoist Scripture related to the forging of Celestial Rainbow Flying Swords. If you can defeat me, Fellow Daoist, I will give it to you as a gift. What do you say?"
Xuzhuang showed no surprise, replying calmly, "And if I am defeated, I imagine you have a request of your own, Fellow Daoist?"
"You misunderstand, Fellow Daoist," Jin Yuanzai said with a smile. "If I am fortunate enough to win, I imagine that would be qualification enough to befriend you. That alone would be sufficient."
"Oh?" Xuzhuang hadn’t expected Jin Yuanzai to say something like that. His expression softened considerably, and he clasped his hands in a salute. "You jest, Fellow Daoist. It would be my honor to befriend someone of your stature. There is no need to speak of qualifications."
"Since you’ve said as much, I will shamelessly accept your friendship, Brother Xu." Jin Yuanzai’s tone suddenly shifted. "But even so, when we fight, I won’t be holding back."
Xuzhuang replied coolly, "Then allow me to properly experience the brilliance of the Taiyi Palace’s daoist arts."
With that said, he dispensed with the pleasantries. With a casual point of his finger, a wisp of Smoke Mist flew from his sleeve, striking out directly without even taking a definite shape.
The Smoke Mist was pure and flawless, seemingly ethereal and indistinct, but it moved with an incredible Flying Escape, reaching Jin Yuanzai in the blink of an eye.
He could see that this wisp of Smoke Mist was identical to the hazy little orb that had just sent the golden mallet flying. Having witnessed its power, he didn’t dare underestimate it, dodging aside with a mere twitch of his shoulders.
Just then, an exceptionally abrupt line of rainbow light shot out from the air. Xuzhuang’s Taiyi Rainbow Sword, which he had already released, came thrusting forward, pulsing with a deadly gleam!
Jin Yuanzai had no time to dodge again. But at that critical moment, the macaque on his shoulder suddenly threw the golden mallet once more. It flew out to meet the attack head-on, striking the Taiyi Rainbow Sword and knocking it backward.
Xuzhuang frowned. His timing for that sword strike had been perfect, so he hadn’t bothered with any feints. He was even prepared to follow up with a move called "Primordial Reversal" to seize the initiative.
Of course, he had anticipated that Jin Yuanzai would have a way to block it and had prepared many follow-up killing moves. But a single strike from that golden mallet had actually dispersed the Magical Power Xuzhuang had infused into the Taiyi Rainbow Sword, instantly preventing him from executing any further techniques with it.
’An ability that breaks techniques.’ Xuzhuang glanced at the golden mallet as it flew back into the macaque’s hand, making a mental note. He regained control of the Taiyi Rainbow Sword and, with a shake in mid-air, it split and merged, transforming into a vast river of swords that surged toward Jin Yuanzai once more.
In response, Jin Yuanzai merely pursed his lips and spat. A violent Gang Wind erupted forth, coiling around the river of swords. Instantly, the sound of a fierce collision rang out.
Jin Yuanzai had used this Taoist technique before when fighting Mi Yuan Dao, but now that he used it again, it had undergone an earth-shattering transformation! The power of each Gang Wind blade was no less than that of Xuzhuang’s Flying Sword’s slashes, and they also possessed a continuous, yielding flexibility.
As the Taoist technique and the sword light clashed, the Gang Wind gradually swept all one hundred twenty-eight streams of sword light into its vortex. Spinning relentlessly with the momentum of the wind blades, it formed a massive tornado that reached from heaven to earth, filled with swirling sword light and wind blades. It brushed past the branches and leaves of the Cyan and Purple Tribulation Pearl Fruit Tree, scoring deep gashes upon them and revealing its ferocious power.
In the next instant, however, the Cyan and Purple Tribulation Pearl Fruit Tree seemed to react. A radiance flowed through its jade-like trunk, and the gashes healed in a flash. A thin layer of cyan light then coated its surface, resisting the renewed assault of Jin Yuanzai’s wind blades and Xuzhuang’s sword light.
Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed. As his sword light was drawn into the cyclone, the drain on his Magical Power instantly intensified. It seemed Jin Yuanzai wasn’t just defending against his attack; he was using the opportunity to wear down Xuzhuang’s Magical Power. If he couldn’t resist, or if his supply of Magical Power faltered, Jin Yuanzai would trap his Flying Sword and disable one of his main techniques.
However, using a Taoist technique to wear down his Magical Power was not without cost for Jin Yuanzai either. He was merely relying on his Great Accomplishment Nascent Soul cultivation, unafraid of a battle of attrition over Magical Power with Xuzhuang.
A glint flashed in Xuzhuang’s eyes. ’What a coincidence. When it comes to a contest of Magical Power, I have absolutely nothing to fear either!’
With a great flick of his sleeve, he let the Taiyi Rainbow Sword continue its contest with his opponent and soared into the air. Raising both hands, he flicked his fingers repeatedly, and in an instant, a torrent of Profound Fire True Thunder rained down.
Although Jin Yuanzai hadn’t expected Xuzhuang to make such a choice, he wasn’t so slow that he couldn’t react. He simply pointed upward, and a Golden Talisman flew out from his Gangyun.
The moment the talisman appeared, it erupted in a brilliant golden glow that coated the branches of the jade tree in a layer of gold light, solidifying into a golden cocoon. The Profound Fire True Thunder hammered down like rain on banana leaves, BOOMING and CRACKLING, and immediately burst into a myriad of radiant splendors.
At first glance, it seemed Xuzhuang’s lightning technique had been completely blocked. In his mind, however, Jin Yuanzai was thoroughly shocked.
This Golden Talisman of his was no ordinary piece of talisman paper. It was a proper Mysterious Sect Taoist Technique called the Golden Light Divine Talisman. Just as its name implied, its function was simple and direct: pure defense. It ranked among the foremost of the famous Taoist techniques in the Taiyi Palace.
But the moment the Golden Light Divine Talisman came into contact with the Profound Fire True Thunder, it was like opening a floodgate, drawing a massive amount of Magical Power from his body. Even with his Great Accomplishment Nascent Soul cultivation, he felt a deficit in an instant. It had taken nearly the full limit of the Golden Light Divine Talisman to barely withstand the attack.
Although Xuzhuang’s research into lightning techniques was gradually shifting toward the Yin Yang Dao, this didn’t mean his Profound Fire True Thunder had stagnated. On the contrary, as his mastery of lightning and the five elements deepened, the progress of his Profound Fire True Thunder advanced naturally.
Furthermore, given the quality and quantity of his Magical Power, and the profundity of his transformations, how could an ordinary person possibly withstand it when he unleashed his techniques? The fact that Jin Yuanzai had managed to take the hit head-on was already beyond his expectations.
But precisely because of this, Xuzhuang instantly found his opportunity. With a long cry, the Gangyun above his head roiled, and a myriad of lights burst forth. The Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture emerged from within, its five fingers spread wide, and descended with a great RUMBLE!