Dao Lord: Starting from a Top-grade Golden Core

Chapter 169: Chapter 101: Dueling a Nascent Soul (Part 2)

At these words, someone asked gravely, "You mean, Venerable Dao Chen?"

"That’s right." The withered cultivator stroked his small goatee and said smugly, "When Venerable Dao Chen founded True Form Temple hundreds of years ago, he was already a master of the Nascent Soul realm. So tell me, where would a Golden Core Mage of the same generation suddenly appear from?"

"Does Brother Gu have some inside information?"

"I have no such information, I’m afraid." The withered cultivator gave an awkward smile. "However, I speculate that this person might be someone Venerable Dao Chen accepted as a disciple on his own master’s behalf."

"Pfft... Just a wild guess, and you’re spouting it like it’s news," someone jeered. "Venerable Dao Chen has been gone for three hundred years."

Another laughed heartily. "Brother Gu has always loved to show off. We’re all used to it."

Amidst the teasing, the cultivator named Gu didn’t get annoyed. He just laughed and took a drink of his wine.

Chao Wanzhan, seated in the place of honor, watched with flickering eyes as a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart. ’True Form Temple... Daochen... Dao Miaozhi...’

The crowd continued to drink and chat, but before long, everyone suddenly paused and looked up. A cloud raft parted the flowing clouds, flying slowly toward them. Seated upon it was a short-bearded Daoist wearing a formal cap and an embroidered cloud robe. His face was not unfamiliar to the cultivators present; it was none other than the guardian of the Moyun Sect, the Nascent Soul Venerable, Qiu Song.

Behind Venerable Qiu Song stood a Fangmian Taoist holding a Duster, who was none other than the Sect Leader of the Moyun Sect. Behind the Sect Leader, twelve more people stood in a line, all of them at the Golden Core realm. Each wore a solemn expression, standing ramrod straight.

"Well now, the Moyun Sect has turned out in full force," the cultivator named Gu said with a click of his tongue. "Aren’t they afraid of being wiped out here? If that happens, I doubt they’ll be able to attend the Celestial Waterfall Dharma Assembly."

A Daoist beside him shook his head. "This is an arranged duel, not a battle to the death. It’s only natural for the Moyun Sect to make a show of force to bolster their prestige."

"The appointed time is near. Why isn’t True Form Temple here yet?" someone asked. "They were the ones who initiated this fight. Don’t tell me they got scared?"

They had barely exchanged a few more words when Chao Wanzhan drained the wine in his cup, suddenly looked up, and said, "They’re here."

Everyone followed his gaze. They saw nothing at first, but then they heard a cry that sounded like a dragon’s roar. Immediately after, a majestic, green-scaled jiao-dragon materialized on the horizon. Everyone present was a cultivator with excellent eyesight, and a single glance was enough to see a Daoist in a simple robe standing atop the creature’s head, his hands clasped behind his back. His posture was heroic, his robes fluttered in the wind, and his demeanor was serene—the very image of an otherworldly immortal.

The moment the man and the jiao-dragon appeared, everyone present—whether they had held him in high regard or in contempt—felt a slight shiver. One look at him was enough to know he was no ordinary being.

The jiao-dragon flew with incredible speed, arriving nearby in no time. The Daoist gave the crowd a brief glance before steering the creature straight toward the Moyun Sect contingent. In the blink of an eye, the two parties met in mid-air. The Daoist calmly offered a one-handed salute and asked, "Are you Venerable Qiu Song of the Moyun Sect? This junior, Dao Miaozhi, pays his respects."

His words, which completely ignored everyone else, instantly made the blood of the Moyun Sect members boil. The Moyun Sect Leader’s face darkened. He took half a step forward and shouted, "Dao Miaozhi, has True Form Temple sent only you? Our two sects are meeting for a duel! Does your Sect Leader not even deign to show his face?"

Xuzhuang retracted his hand, clasping it behind his back again. "You are mistaken," he said coolly. "This is a duel between myself and your sect’s Venerable Qiu Song, not a duel between our two sects. I alone am sufficient."

"You!" The Moyun Sect Leader raised an angry finger, about to lash out, but a hand suddenly pressed down on his shoulder. Only then did Venerable Qiu Song rise and speak for the first time. "Your sect issued the written challenge," he said in a heavy voice. "There is no turning back for our two sects now. Let’s get this over with."

Xuzhuang smiled faintly. "How direct, Venerable. Please." With that, he stamped his foot, shooting up from Lieyun’s back and soaring high into the sky.

Venerable Qiu Song saw this but was in no hurry. He summoned the Fangmian Taoist and ordered, "This whelp is acting fearless, so he must have some way to protect himself. Go and secure the four directions. Don’t let him escape."

"Yes, sir!" the men responded in unison before speeding off. Only then did Venerable Qiu Song let out a low snort. With a wave of his sleeve, he conjured a cloud that lifted him into the air, chasing after Xuzhuang.

By this time, Xuzhuang was already hovering high in the sky. He watched Qiu Song’s unhurried approach, his expression calm and composed. He waited until the man had cautiously taken a position before him, then asked leisurely, "Is the Venerable ready?"

Annoyed by his words, Qiu Song bellowed, "Insolent whelp! Make your move!"

Xuzhuang gave a faint, derisive laugh, shook his head slightly, and said, "Very well!"

The instant he spoke, the very air changed! A pillar of incandescent smoke shot up from the crown of Xuzhuang’s head, transforming into a hand a thousand zhang wide. Without a moment’s delay, it rode the Gang Wind and plummeted down, striking directly at Qiu Song.

In this duel against Qiu Song, Xuzhuang knew he couldn’t just win—he had to win decisively and cleanly. Anything less would not be enough to turn the tides and shock the cultivation world.

After all, there was an entire major realm separating Nascent Soul from Golden Core. That was why Xuzhuang immediately unleashed his signature Divine Technique, infusing it with his Boundless Pill Power. Even if he couldn’t end it in one blow, he had to seize the absolute upper hand.

The moment the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture appeared, Qiu Song’s expression flickered. He knew Xuzhuang had used this Divine Technique to move mountains before, so he was naturally on guard.

However, he never expected it could be cast so effortlessly, and he was caught completely off guard. As he tried to move, he felt the restrictive power of the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture locking down the space around him. Clearly, his only option was to shatter the thousand-zhang hand.

Not daring to delay, Qiu Song quickly formed a Magic Formula. With a slight shake of his shoulders, a stream of cloud-qi billowed out, coalescing into a Cloud-Riding Celestial Pillar that thrust upward directly into the palm of the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture.

Caught off guard, Qiu Song had been forced to use his signature Daoist art. Yet, the expected scene of the massive hand being shattered never came. The moment they collided, a tooth-grinding screech filled the air. The Cloud-Riding Celestial Pillar visibly compressed before cracking inch by inch. The Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture pulverized the pillar and continued its slow, steady descent.

Qiu Song’s heart sank. He had never imagined Xuzhuang’s Divine Technique could be so powerful. Fortunately, the Cloud-Riding Celestial Pillar had slowed the descent of the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture, freeing him up to take out a perfectly round Gang Pearl. A flicker of regret crossed his eyes, but with a great wave of his hand, a blinding white light flashed. With a loud BANG, the thousand-zhang hand exploded, dissolving into a sky full of white qi.

Qiu Song had just breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the white qi filling the sky begin to coalesce once more. His expression changed instantly. The Gang Pearl he had just used was a personal trump card; it took a hundred years of refining countless bits of Gang Sand to create a single one, and he only possessed three.

The fight had just begun, and he had already expended one. He couldn’t possibly withstand another Innate Tai Su Grand Capture. Not daring to linger, he shot away on a trail of smoke, piercing through the sky of white qi. Before he could even assess the situation, a blinding sword light slashed down toward him. It hadn’t even reached him yet, but Qiu Song felt a deep chill run through his body, piercing straight through his Magical Robe.

However, Qiu Song had long anticipated a surprise attack from Xuzhuang after breaking through the white qi. With a shake of his body, a dense fog billowed out around him, forming layer upon layer of clouds. In moments, the area for over ten li around was nothing but a vast expanse of white.

Qiu Song himself vanished completely within the cloud-qi. The Flying Sword slashed through it, leaving a gash that sealed in an instant. The fog then expanded, and before long, it had reached Xuzhuang’s feet.

It seemed Qiu Song had realized Xuzhuang’s Divine Techniques were too powerful to face head-on, giving him no hope of victory. So, he had summoned this sky-filling fog. If he could trap Xuzhuang inside, he could leverage his superior Nascent Soul-level Magical Power and Spiritual Sense to entangle him in a prolonged fight. He reasoned it would not be difficult to gain the upper hand that way.

Furthermore, Qiu Song possessed another Daoist art of unparalleled might, but it required time to prepare. If Xuzhuang refused to enter the fog, that would suit him even better. He could simply maintain the mist and calmly prepare his technique, confident he could defeat Xuzhuang in one decisive blow.

Seeing the fog swirl at his feet, Xuzhuang’s eyes flashed with understanding. He smiled with disdain and thought, ’A mere parlor trick. You think this can stop me?’

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