Dao Lord: Starting from a Top-grade Golden Core

At this point, only four combatants remained. Mi Yuan Dao and Chang Su'Er steeled themselves, ready to face Jin Yuanzai.

Although Sima Zongfa had lost the formation battle, he showed no sign of distress. He was still all smiles as he teased Chang Su'Er, "If you had been matched against Jin Yuanzai, I'm afraid we'd both be out of the running without having accomplished a single thing. How embarrassing would that be?"

"Shut your mouth." Chang Su'Er shot him a sideways glance and said in a low voice, "So what if I have to face Jin Yuanzai? I've long wanted to witness his Daoist techniques for myself."

Within Taiyi Palace, factions formed around powerful families and lineages were numerous, and it wasn't a given that fellow disciples would be familiar with one another. Of course, disciples of their caliber were a minority and weren't complete strangers, but they had rarely, if ever, actually fought.

Jin Yuanzai was ranked among the top ten disciples of Taiyi Palace, while Sima Zongfa and Chang Su'Er were a small step behind. However, that small step was a gulf that many others were covetously eyeing, all hoping to claim a spot among the top ten for themselves.

Furthermore, since reaching the third level of his cultivation, there were whispers that Jin Yuanzai could secure a spot in the top three, or even contend for number one. It was not yet their place to challenge him.

Despite all this, the Immoral Taoist exchanged talismans with the opposing side and called out Mi Yuan Dao's name. Chang Su'Er didn't know whether to feel disappointed or relieved.

Chang Su'Er hesitated for a moment before speaking to Mi Yuan Dao, who was about to step out of the formation. "Fellow Daoist, I've heard that Jin Yuanzai possesses a magic treasure called the One Yuan Chen Golden Seal—"

A grave expression appeared on her face. "I'm not entirely clear on its specific powers, only that it is incomparably mighty. Once, when Jin Yuanzai was dueling someone, a single strike of his collapsed a corner of the continent, which led to the sect deducting a hundred years of his merit... Fellow Daoist, you must be careful."

Chang Su'Er did not say this in a whisper, and all who heard her were slightly taken aback. A solemn look also appeared on Mi Yuan Dao's face. He replied, "Thank you for the warning, Fellow Daoist."

As they spoke, Jin Yuanzai stepped out of his own formation. He didn't rush to leave the Jade Platform, instead clasping his hands in a salute toward Mi Yuan Dao and smiling. "Fellow Daoist Mi, we meet again."

Mi Yuan Dao shook his head and replied, "If I had known this day would come, I would have refused to do business with you back then, no matter the offer."

After leaving his Profound Yellow Cultivation with his elders, Mi Yuan Dao had taken a position at the Heaven-Reaching Treasure Pavilion, which was operated by the Spirit Treasure Sect in Weiyun Immortal City. It was there that he'd had a chance encounter with Jin Yuanzai.

Jin Yuanzai merely chuckled at his words, then said, "After you, Fellow Daoist."

Mi Yuan Dao did not stand on ceremony. He immediately conjured an escape light and shot away from the platform. The ground below became a blur as he sped past, not stopping for an instant. In just a short while, he had already traveled thousands of miles. Only then did he come to a halt, a White Feathered Great Bow appearing in his hand.

The bow was extremely long, standing nearly as tall as a man. It had no string, but when Mi Yuan Dao made a pulling motion with one hand, it instantly bent as if drawn to a full moon. A sharp, cold glint of light immediately coalesced where an arrow would be nocked.

Jin Yuanzai had been leisurely giving chase, having already covered a thousand miles, when he suddenly saw this. His eyebrows shot up. Mi Yuan Dao had already released his fingers, and the sharp light shot forth. Its glow seemed to chill the very mountains and land below as it reached Jin Yuanzai in an instant.

Jin Yuanzai's gaze sharpened. Without any visible movement from him, a thin layer of mist appeared several yards around his body. Mi Yuan Dao's arrow struck it and exploded in a shower of frost, instantly freezing the mist into a crystalline sphere. Ultimately, however, it failed to break through his defense.

However, Mi Yuan Dao had clearly anticipated this. Without pausing, he let loose a rapid barrage. More than a dozen arrows of light shot forth like lightning—frost, thunder, True Flame, and raging wind. Mi Yuan Dao's arrows did not seem to be limited to any single element, creating a chaotic, multicolored spectacle in the sky.

Yet, in the very next instant, a majestic golden light shattered the chaotic display and shot straight toward Mi Yuan Dao. Its speed was so astonishing that the onlookers were aghast. Cen Fenghong couldn't help but cry out, "A Tier Nine Daoist Escape Technique!"

Mi Yuan Dao's eyebrows shot up. He abruptly changed direction in a Flying Escape, maintaining his distance. He made no attempt to conceal his presence; instead, he drew his bow and instantly let loose another dozen arrows in a continuous stream. They traced arcs across the sky, homing in on Jin Yuanzai's position. No matter how fast Jin Yuanzai moved, he couldn't seem to evade them, as if Mi Yuan Dao had completely locked onto him.

No one had expected Mi Yuan Dao's combat style to be like this. Attacking an enemy from thousands of miles away while maintaining a perfect lock—this was not something an ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator could achieve. Even with Jin Yuanzai's superior techniques, if he had no way to counter this or close the distance, Mi Yuan Dao truly had a chance to contend with him.

Jin Yuanzai understood this as well. After checking himself several times, he still couldn't determine how his opponent had locked onto his aura. He praised him inwardly, 'As expected, the techniques of other sects possess mysteries no less profound than those of my Taiyi Palace. Coming to this engagement was certainly not a mistake.'

'But I can't let you just keep me at a distance.' Jin Yuanzai's expression turned serious, and he pursed his lips. He then opened his mouth and spat out a violent hurricane that surged forward, sweeping up all of Mi Yuan Dao's incoming arrows and causing them to detonate thunderously within the gale.

Brimming with confidence, Jin Yuanzai didn't spare the explosion a second glance. Instead, his eyes instantly locked onto Mi Yuan Dao, who was currently riding his escape light, attempting to once again increase the distance between them.

However, two beams of golden light suddenly shot from Jin Yuanzai's eyes. Though launched second, they arrived first, striking Mi Yuan Dao directly. Mi Yuan Dao's Protective Spirit Light flared, but Jin Yuanzai's ocular technique didn't seem to be an attack, for it didn't break through the barrier. It merely shone upon him, and Mi Yuan Dao's escape velocity immediately stagnated.

Seizing the opportunity, Jin Yuanzai shot forward. In the barest instant it took Mi Yuan Dao to break free from the stasis, Jin Yuanzai had already closed the distance to within a thousand miles and thrown something with an upward flick of his hand.