Dao Lord: Starting from a Top-grade Golden Core

Thus, only the most supremely confident Sword Cultivators would choose such a head-on clash of sword points.

Seeing this, Zhuo Hansheng was surprised at first, but his alarm quickly turned to delight. He instantly unleashed his full arsenal of techniques. With a flurry of slashes, thrusts, and parries, the Lingxu Sword and the Taiyi Rainbow Sword transformed into two intersecting wheels of divine light.

The clear, crisp sound of their clash was like pearls scattering across a jade plate or rain drumming on a reed shelter. The rhythm grew faster and more urgent until it became a piercing shriek.

Though their Swordsmanship involved variations in speed and weight, the two masters, with their supreme cultivation and godlike skill, compressed thousands of exchanges into a single instant.

Dinghu One Zhuo truly lived up to his name. Sword Qi that boomed like thunder, sword light that split and merged, the ability to refine his sword into silken threads—Zhuo Hansheng was not only familiar with these techniques but a master of them. He effortlessly wielded all the profound Swordsmanship of Dinghu Mountain, demonstrating a perfect balance of hard and soft styles.

A lesser opponent would have been instantly defeated by such skill, but Xuzhuang didn’t fall behind in the slightest.

He, too, was a master of Sword Qi that boomed like thunder, of splitting sword light, and of refining his sword into silken threads. As his Swordsmanship flowed, form and substance transformed, the tangible and intangible separated and merged, creating infinite variations. In that instant of a thousand clashes, his attacks were not only relentless, but he fought with ease, constantly vying for the upper hand.

’In terms of Swordsmanship,’ Xuzhuang thought, ’Zhuo Hansheng is definitely the strongest opponent I’ve ever faced. Under any other circumstances, I would love to have a proper duel with him to sharpen my skills. Even losing would be no great regret.’

’But I promised the Immoral Taoist I’d win cleanly and decisively without revealing too many of my abilities. I know exactly what he meant by that.’

’How many Dao methods, arts, and Divine Techniques exist in this world? Their numbers are likely as countless as the sands of the Ganges.’

’Even with my boundless Magical Power and potent Divine Techniques, there are surely methods that can counter me. If I reveal too many of my trump cards in this fight, I’ll be more vulnerable to being countered when I face Li Chengzhen and Jin Yuanzai.’

So, while one of his hands formed a Sword Technique seal, the other, hidden in his sleeve, secretly cast a minor Tracing Technique. Amid the clash of Flying Swords, a wisp of aura, like smoke or mist, materialized at his fingertips.

He planned to use this wisp as a guide to lock onto Zhuo Hansheng’s vital presence. Then, with a single, overwhelming Divine Technique, he would defeat him and settle the match.

But if Xuzhuang wanted to end this decisively, so did Zhuo Hansheng.

Seeing that Xuzhuang’s Swordsmanship was nearly his equal, Zhuo Hansheng’s excitement surged. ’Let me show you the true Upper Sword Dao of my Dinghu Mountain!’ he thought.

The two swords continued their dance, clashing several more times in the blink of an eye. Then, with a thought from Zhuo Hansheng, the Lingxu Sword let out a sharp hum and broke out of their engagement. Before the Taiyi Rainbow Sword could give chase, the Lingxu Sword flashed several miles away. It shuddered in midair and instantly split into eighty-eight beams of sword light, which fanned out and shot off in every direction.

The eighty-eight beams of light shot out like meteors, each covering dozens of miles in an instant. More strangely, they left a hazy, shimmering luminescence in their wake. Xuzhuang’s Taiyi Rainbow Sword, in its haste to pursue, was caught off guard and swept into the light, vanishing from sight.

"Is this... a Sword Array?" Xuzhuang focused his mind and could faintly sense the Taiyi Rainbow Sword’s presence, but he found he couldn’t channel his Magical Power to it from a distance. No matter how he urged it, his Flying Sword couldn’t break free.

Since returning to Profound Yellow from the Celestial Waterfall Realm, he had studied the dao of Sword Arrays himself. He had even practiced a few at Zhuojie Mountain, such as the Little Five Elements Sword Array and the Duality Chaos Array.

But those were just common Sword Arrays from the Langhuan Pavilion’s collection. He hadn’t yet mastered them to the point of transcending their forms and creating his own unique variations, so they were useless against a true master. Xuzhuang had never actually used one in a fight.

’I didn’t expect I’d get a chance to witness the power of a truly profound Sword Array from Zhuo Hansheng.’

’But this is perfect.’ A glint flashed in Xuzhuang’s eyes. He ignited his movement technique and charged straight into the Sword Array!

"What?" Zhuo Hansheng was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. "Is he so worried about his Flying Sword that he’s lost his senses?"

He had no time for further thought. Forming a hand seal, his body transformed into a streak of sword light and he vanished into the Sword Array as well.

As Xuzhuang entered the Sword Array, his vision blurred. He found himself in a vast, silent space. Innumerable beams of sword light crisscrossed the void. A single flying rainbow—his sword—was desperately trying to weave through them and break out, but the beams, though numerous, moved with perfect order, keeping the rainbow sword completely pinned down.

Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow. He focused his will, and just as he expected, being inside the array meant the connection to his sword was no longer severed. He poured a massive amount of Magical Power into it. The Taiyi Rainbow Sword instantly erupted with divine might, blasting back hundreds of opposing sword lights. It found an opening and shot back to his side, where it circled him endlessly, humming with excitement.

Xuzhuang calmed his sword’s excitement and was about to probe his surroundings when his Spiritual Sense suddenly twitched. The innumerable sword lights all erupted, shooting out hundred-yard-long beams of sword-gleam. In an instant, a brilliant, cold light filled the space, obscuring everything. An incredibly sharp aura began to build, and a moment later, they all moved as one, raining down in a concentrated volley.

A flicker of movement at Xuzhuang’s fingertips—his minor Tracing Technique was pointing him toward one of the seemingly unremarkable Flying Swords in the storm. He couldn’t help but smile.

’Zhuo Hansheng has entered the array, just as I thought!’

’Then let’s see which is greater: the unmatched killing power of your Sword Array, or the glorious might of my Divine Techniques!’

Xuzhuang looked up, a brilliant divine light shining in his eyes. Hidden within the Sword Array, Zhuo Hansheng saw this and his heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

He watched as Xuzhuang stood with his hands clasped behind his back and let out a long cry. Suddenly, a symphony of sounds erupted from nowhere within the Sword Array. Zhuo Hansheng heard the sharp ring of blades being drawn and striking stone! The rustle of wind through a forest, of swaying branches and leaves! The roar of furious waves crashing against the sky, filling the heavens and the earth! The blast of an erupting volcano, its great flames surging! The boom of a Celestial Pillar collapsing and the earth itself turning over!

White, cyan, blue, red, and yellow—a distinct, five-colored light rose from behind Xuzhuang. It circulated endlessly as it shot up to an infinite height in an instant, piercing through the Sword Array’s ceiling as if it were a pillar connecting heaven and earth.

"What is this Divine Technique?" As Zhuo Hansheng reeled in shock, his pupils suddenly contracted. He watched the Five-Colored Divine Light sweep directly toward his position. Everywhere it passed, the beams of sword light in the air vanished without a trace. It even swept up the Lingxu Sword, which had been hidden in the void.

Zhuo Hansheng’s face fell. He felt his connection to the Lingxu Sword suddenly become incredibly faint; no matter how he tried to command it, there was no response. With a single technique, Xuzhuang had completely reversed the situation. He had not only broken the Sword Array but had also seized the Lingxu Sword and spirited it away!

And it wasn’t over. The Five-Colored Divine Light, though vast and majestic, was not the least bit slow. In the blink of an eye, it was already bearing down on Zhuo Hansheng. He had no time to worry about the Lingxu Sword. He frantically channeled his Magical Power and used a Secret Technique to instantly teleport away, concealing his aura and presence. He needed to escape the battlefield and regroup.

But in the next instant, the Five-Colored Divine Light swept through the empty air, enveloping his form—

On the Jade Platform, the spectators had only seen Zhuo Hansheng unleash his Sword Array and Xuzhuang charge headfirst into it. After that, the situation inside became impossible to see.

Jin Yuanzai’s eyes blinked open, and two beams of golden light shot out, aimed directly at the Sword Array. But before the light could reach its target, a loud CRACK echoed out.

The next moment, the Five-Colored Divine Light burst through the Sword Array and shot toward the Celestial Vault, as if trying to fly into the distant cosmos, into the profound void. For a moment, its five-colored radiance illuminated the entire dark surface of the planet, reaching into every deep pit and ravine.

Immediately after, Zhuo Hansheng’s Sword Array shattered with a deafening BOOM. A beam of divine light carrying a person flew through the air and landed back on the Jade Platform. The light dissipated, revealing Zhuo Hansheng.

Jin Yuanzai looked up. The Five-Colored Divine Light had vanished without a trace, and the land was once again plunged into darkness. Only a single rainbow streak crossed the sky and returned to the Jade Platform. Xuzhuang stepped out from it and smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Zhuo, thank you for the match."