Dao Lord: Starting from a Top-grade Golden Core

"Halt!"

With a thunderous shout from Xuzhuang, ten thousand lights erupted from his Gangyun, creating a continuous, deafening boom and hum like the beating of a Great Dharma Drum and the blowing of a Great Dharma Conch Shell.

Faintly, two more arms seemed to appear behind him. With all four arms forming different Dharma Seals, his true form and dharma body unleashed their Divine Techniques in unison!

A Great Sun Fire Dragon streaked across the sky, its golden flames scorching the air. This was followed by Thousand Jin Dharma Qi, Profound Fire True Thunder, and even the still-incomplete Heaven-Opening Yang Thunder and World-Ending Yin Thunder... They rained down in a torrential onslaught. In an instant, the sky was filled with flashing radiance, leaving no gap untouched. He unleashed one Divine Technique after another with casual ease, a relentless barrage that seemed to plow through the very air.

Li Chengzhen couldn’t help but frown slightly. His innate senses were exceptionally sharp, and the moment Xuzhuang began casting, he had already retreated explosively. Even so, he couldn’t completely escape.

On his Nine-Layered Exquisite Treasure Pagoda, spiritual light flared up layer by layer. Treasure Qi cascaded down, protecting Li Chengzhen completely, but under the frenzied bombardment of techniques, he was like a lone duckweed in a storm. Most notably, his Magical Power consumption spiked instantly.

At their advanced level of cultivation, any master could cast techniques with ease. However, the number of techniques one could truly rely on in a fight was usually quite small.

Yet every single technique from Xuzhuang registered as a threat to Li Chengzhen’s innate senses. If he hadn’t created distance, giving himself room to gather his energy and light up the Exquisite Treasure Pagoda’s layers in response, the situation would have likely already turned dire.

However, letting Xuzhuang suppress him wasn’t a viable strategy. With his keen senses, Li Chengzhen could easily perceive the terrifying extent of Xuzhuang’s Magical Power—it was practically boundless.

Compared to an ordinary cultivator, Li Chengzhen’s Magical Power reserves were already considered vast, but in a battle of attrition against Xuzhuang, he was no match at all.

If not for this reason, Li Chengzhen wouldn’t have revealed his hand and launched a preemptive strike right from the start.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, another streak of white light shot toward him. On his Nine-Layered Exquisite Treasure Pagoda, the layer designed to counter the Gold Divine Light was already active. Protected by its Treasure Qi, Li Chengzhen initially paid it little mind.

But as the Gold Divine Light was about to strike, Li Chengzhen’s heart suddenly palpitated. His innate senses warned him of a change in the flow of energy—

In the blink of an eye, the Gold Divine Light shuddered mid-air and abruptly unfurled. In that instant, Gold gave birth to Water, transforming into a vast tidal wave of light that surged violently toward the Nine-Layered Exquisite Treasure Pagoda!

Li Chengzhen’s gaze hardened. With a sudden shout, he curled his fingers into a fist. A fist-imprint shimmering with Treasure Qi formed, and just before the Water Divine Light could engulf his Nine-Layered Exquisite Treasure Pagoda, he punched. The blow tore a silent void into the overwhelming tide of watery light!

However, the Water Divine Light was endless and vast. Instead of receding, the watery torrent swelled, closing in from all sides. Li Chengzhen was unafraid. Seizing the opportunity, he lit up the corresponding layer of his pagoda. As the Treasure Qi descended, the threat of the Water Divine Light was instantly neutralized.

With that, all nine layers of the pagoda were finally lit. Though he could still change their configuration, this was undoubtedly the perfect moment for Xuzhuang to press his advantage. Li Chengzhen understood this well and didn’t dare to linger. He broke through the Water Divine Light and tried to flee.

But in the instant the Water Divine Light was nullified by the Nine-Layered Exquisite Treasure Pagoda, the technique had already begun to shift. Following the cycle, Water gave birth to Wood. Green light grew with savage ferocity, like countless vines snaking forward to bind him.

Having already experienced the shift from Gold Divine Light to Water Divine Light, Li Chengzhen was prepared. Pushing his innate senses to their limit, he instantly detected the change. This time, however, he didn’t alter the Treasure Tower Bright Light. Instead, he formed a Magic Formula with his hands and pointed outward.

From above Li Chengzhen’s Gangyun, a stream of Seven-Colored Treasure Qi suddenly shot out. It condensed into a sharp blade that slashed at the Wood Element Divine Light. With a sound like a rope being sawed, the Wood Element Divine Light was actually sliced apart.

The profundity of Li Chengzhen’s daoist arts lay within this Seven-Colored Treasure Qi.

This Seven-Colored Treasure Qi was called the Seven Treasures Glaze Miaozhen! A single refined strand could be used to simulate the wondrous effects of various Magical Artifacts, and even Spiritual Treasures. With sufficient mastery, its power was in no way inferior to the real things.

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

At the level of great completion, one could refine seven strands of Seven Treasures Glaze Miaozhen simultaneously, which was equivalent to having seven Spiritual Treasures at one’s disposal—granting endless transformations and incredible power.

Li Chengzhen’s Nine-Layered Exquisite Treasure Pagoda was a simulation created by his Seven Treasures Glaze Miaozhen. The real Nine-Layered Exquisite Treasure Pagoda was actually in the hands of a Primordial Spirit True Man from the Spirit Treasure Sect in the Cyan Sky Realm.

In addition to this, Li Chengzhen had also refined Treasure Qi into the Jinghuan Hammer, Cloud-Stepping Shoes, a Golden Robe, a Thunder Pearl... and more. These provided both offense and defense, and when combined with his Vajra Indestructible Body fortified by his treasured gang-qi essence, his fists and kicks possessed the ferocious might of an ancient draconic elephant.

In this moment of crisis, he had used the Seven Treasures Glaze Miaozhen to simulate a blade of light and sever the Wood Element Divine Light. Immediately, clouds formed beneath his feet as he fled outward. Xuzhuang’s Five-Colored Divine Light had missed twice, and any further transformation would be too slow to catch him. It seemed Li Chengzhen was about to break free.

But at that very moment, a magnificent and fierce sword light suddenly struck from an oblique angle! The Taiyi Rainbow Sword, lying in wait for so long, instantly shifted from invisible to visible, baring its fangs. With the technique "Primordial Reversal," it slashed down right in front of Li Chengzhen!

Li Chengzhen’s expression changed drastically. With a thought, his Seven Treasures Glaze Miaozhen instantly simulated a Golden Luo Robe, covering him with a layer of golden spiritual light. However, how could Xuzhuang’s "Primordial Reversal," an attack he had been charging, be so easily blocked?

The sword strike instantly tore through the Golden Luo Robe. Unable to dodge in time, Li Chengzhen could only raise his arm to block. With a flash of cold light, half of his forearm was sent flying. The Sword Qi carved a long gash across his body before it finally dissipated.

In this exchange, Xuzhuang had finally gained a decisive advantage for the first time. Yet, he only let out a soft sound of surprise.

As Li Chengzhen circulated his Magical Power, his treasured gang-qi essence nourished his golden body. Not only did the wound seal itself, but a brand-new forearm instantly grew back from the stump!