Dao Lord: Starting from a Top-grade Golden Core

’The Treasure Gang Qi Yuan Spell is indeed not so simple.’ Xuzhuang’s eyes glinted. Just as he had expected, a Vajra Indestructible Body that required the sacrifice of a magical treasure to cultivate couldn’t be broken so easily.

However, before a cultivator like him, revealing its mysteries even once could expose its flaws. Otherwise, Li Chengzhen wouldn’t still be relying on Daoist arts and magical treasures to withstand his assault.

A thought flashed through Xuzhuang’s mind, and he came to a conclusion. He smiled faintly. "It seems victory has been decided."

Although Xuzhuang had only just managed to strike Li Chengzhen once with the Anti-Primordial Slash without causing any fundamental damage, it had been enough to trap Li Chengzhen in his offensive once more.

The Five Elements Divine Light shifted and transformed, its assault unceasing. The Taiyi Rainbow Sword darted about nearby, a predator waiting to strike. The Profound Fire True Thunder, the Thousand Jin Dharma Qi, the Heaven-Opening Yang Thunder, and the World-Ending Yin Thunder rained down like a sudden, violent storm, never letting up for even a moment.

Relying on his endless Magical Power, he unleashed a reckless, overwhelming bombardment. It was the first time Xuzhuang had ever fought with such extravagant abandon, and the onlookers watching intently from the void were struck silent.

Even with his Seven Treasures Glaze and vast Divine Techniques, Li Chengzhen could only struggle to hold on under the onslaught. But Xuzhuang remained calm and unhurried, freeing one hand to form a Magic Formula.

Li Chengzhen had just felt the pressure lighten when a sudden sense of alarm gripped his heart.

It felt like fear, like a threat—or more like the involuntary terror of a living creature just before a thunderstorm.

This time, however, Xuzhuang didn’t wait for him to react. The Innate Primordial Dissociation Divine Light shot out instantly, piercing Li Chengzhen’s heart and lungs and opening a small, thin hole in his chest.

From beginning to end, Xuzhuang hadn’t moved a single step. He stood upon the jade branch and said with a faint smile, "Victory has been decided, Fellow Daoist Li."

Li Chengzhen’s wildly beating heart gradually slowed. He unconsciously raised a hand to his chest, feeling nothing. Lowering his gaze, he saw that the hole had already closed under the circulation of his Treasure Gang Qi Yuan.

"This..." Li Chengzhen frowned, then looked up and asked in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?"

Xuzhuang shook his head and revealed a faint, almost invisible wisp of golden vapor at his fingertip.

"I have already locked onto the location of your Treasure Gang Qi Yuan," Xuzhuang said calmly. "With my next beam of divine light, even if you are protected by a Zhenren Talisman, I’m afraid your Divine Technique will be shattered. The loss would not be worth the gain."

"How about you concede now, Fellow Daoist?"

At the same time, Li Chengzhen felt a thread of Qi suddenly lock onto him, accompanied by an intense sense of threat that assaulted his innate senses. It was as if a blade was pressed against his back, a chill seeping into his very organs.

The Treasure Gang Qi Yuan Body-Holding Spell was no ordinary Divine Technique. It was a secret grand spell that could only be cultivated by destroying a high-quality magical treasure and refining its Treasure Qi.

But once this spell was mastered, even if the golden body was injured or broken, as long as the Treasure Gang Qi Yuan remained, it could be restored in an instant with the circulation of Magical Power. Correspondingly, however—

If the Treasure Gang Qi Yuan was destroyed, this Divine Technique would be instantly ruined as well.

Xuzhuang was right. Da Ji Zhenren’s talisman would activate at the Life and Death Gate, but only after his Treasure Gang Qi Yuan had been destroyed by Xuzhuang.

Of course, Li Chengzhen could also activate the talisman in advance to protect himself, but how would that be any different from conceding?

After all, the price had been a powerful magical treasure and several years of bitter cultivation. To have it all go down the drain in an instant was truly hard to accept.

Li Chengzhen sighed, but then his spirits rallied. "Come on!" he shouted.

He said nothing more, but his silence spoke volumes.

Xuzhuang didn’t waste words either. He solemnly formed a Magic Formula and touched a finger to the point between his eyebrows.

He was no longer maintaining his other Daoist arts. Li Chengzhen, however, neither dodged nor evaded. He simply focused all his concentration, staring intently at Xuzhuang’s movements. His temples throbbed, and he pushed his innate senses to their absolute limit, wanting to retract his aura in that single instant and swap in the bright light of the Exquisite Treasure Pagoda to block this one Divine Technique.

In the next instant, as Xuzhuang’s finger left the space between his brows, an invisible, colorless radiance shot out. The moment seemed to stretch on for an eternity, yet it was over in the space of a single breath.

Li Chengzhen violently spat out a mouthful of essence blood, and a wisp of golden vapor scattered into the air with it. Immediately, a divine light appeared, wrapped around Li Chengzhen, and shot into the sky, crossing the void in just a few breaths.

Xuzhuang retracted his gaze and shook his head.

Li Chengzhen’s Daoist arts and Divine Techniques were indeed profound. Although he hadn’t created the same near-defeat pressure that Jin Yuanzai had, he was still a formidable opponent.

In dealing with Li Chengzhen, Xuzhuang’s display of Daoist arts seemed reckless, but in reality, he had followed a methodical and stable strategy, laying out his plan carefully until he finally found a flaw and secured his victory in one fell swoop.

Xuzhuang recalled his Gangyun and smiled faintly. He let his Jade Ruyi slip back into his sleeve and walked slowly toward the Purple Tribulation Pearl Fruit.

Li Chengzhen’s vision blurred, and the world before him changed. He found himself on Da Ji Zhenren’s bamboo basket.

Seeing Da Ji Zhenren before him, Li Chengzhen took a deep breath. Just as he was about to speak, Da Ji Zhenren stopped him.

He patted Li Chengzhen’s shoulder lightly and said, "Little friend, you have already done your best."

Li Chengzhen cupped his hands in a salute and sat down among the crowd. Seeing his pale face, Pang Ban suddenly said, "Victory had already been decided. Why were you unwilling to concede?"

"Losing a battle is one thing; it’s just a temporary setback. But to concede is to admit your own inferiority," Yao Liqing said sarcastically. "It’s not surprising that a country bumpkin with no pride wouldn’t understand."

Pang Ban replied coolly, "Can pride be used as a magical treasure?"

Lan Su Nu rolled her eyes and said comfortingly to Li Chengzhen, "Senior Brother Li, don’t mind them. To achieve such a result against Senior Brother Xu is already incredibly impressive."

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Li Chengzhen paid no mind to the debate between Pang Ban and Yao Liqing, but Lan Su Nu’s words left him momentarily speechless.

Jin Yuanzai, who was nearby, couldn’t help but smile. Li Chengzhen shook his head and replied, "Fellow Daoist Xu’s Daoist arts are indeed sublime, his Divine Techniques astonishing... I heard that in your Profound Yellow Realm, there is a poetic title that praises him?"

Lan Su Nu blurted out, "Chengxuan descends, a form without flaw; a millennium of immortal grace, a singular wondrous Dao!"

"Chengxuan descends, a form without flaw; a millennium of immortal grace, a singular wondrous Dao." Li Chengzhen murmured the line to himself and nodded slightly. "He truly deserves it."

Jin Yuanzai smiled. "Fellow Daoist Xu’s Daoist arts are truly something I have never seen before in my life. To say that one such as him appears only once in a millennium is an understatement."

Li Chengzhen frowned. "That may be so, but..."

He thought for a moment. He hadn’t intended to say more, but seeing that he had captured the attention of Jin Yuanzai and Lan Su Nu, he continued, "If Zhong Shenxiu’s cultivation hadn’t gone awry, I’d be curious to see which of the two is superior."

"Oh?" The two of them hadn’t known there was a hidden story behind Zhong Shenxiu’s defeat to Li Chengzhen, and they couldn’t help but let out a soft sound of surprise.

"Ai." While they were talking, the two Zhenren, Da Ji and Great Evil, were also conversing. Suddenly, as if sensing something, they looked up and saw a beam of divine light escape from atop the Cyan and Purple Tribulation Pearl Fruit Tree and shoot toward another location in the void.

Great Evil Zhenren sighed. "Let’s just say the Virtuous and the Immoral managed to even the score this time. But it’s a pity that the first Temple Master of the Divination Pavilion must be conceded to them as well."

Da Ji Zhenren shook his head and just said, "Forget it. There will be other days."

He then formed a seal with his fingers and pointed. The bamboo basket tore through the air and, before long, arrived in front of the Immoral Taoist’s Wine Immortal Gourd.

"Da Ji!" Seeing the bamboo basket arrive, the Immoral Taoist immediately sat up straight. He waved with a sly grin. "Hurry up and bring over the Cyan Tribulation Pearl Fruit. Don’t you go getting greedy and keeping them for yourself."

Da Ji Zhenren rolled his eyes, revealed several Pearl Fruits in his hand, and tossed them over.

The Immoral Taoist caught them, not even bothering to look before putting them away. He then laughed heartily. "As is tradition, a grand event like the harvesting of an Innate Spirit Root should be celebrated with a fruit-tasting banquet. However, we old folks have already had our share, and you young ones probably aren’t ready to consume yours yet. After all, it’s not like this Cyan and Purple Tribulation Pearl Fruit has the nasty habit of spoiling quickly."

"But we still have to hold the customary banquet! Today is a joyous occasion, so I, the Temple Master, will bear all the costs!"