Dao Lord: Starting from a Top-grade Golden Core

In the Guangyuan Realm, one could see the Celestial River every night, whether clear or overcast. It stretched across the center of the sky, dividing the heavens in two—a spectacular sight.

From the peak of the mountain, one could see that Weiyun Immortal City had not yet fallen silent. Candles were lit and lanterns hung, creating a dazzling display that mirrored the Celestial River above, a truly wondrous sight.

Xuzhuang walked to the edge of the cliff and was surprised to find a figure already in the pavilion. "Brother Zhong," he said in surprise, "I thought you'd be in your cave cultivating. What brings you out to climb a mountain and enjoy the view?"

"As are you, Brother Xu." Zhong Shenxiu turned around, a flicker in his eyes as he responded, "Your cultivation has improved again. Ever since the lecture at the Guangcheng Dojo, your progress has been substantial every time you've come out of seclusion. It seems your gains were quite significant."

Xuzhuang replied nonchalantly, "That is indeed the case."

For him, there was no reason to be coy about such matters. After the lecture at the Guangcheng Dojo, his mastery of the Dao had indeed surged, and with the help of a few choice elixirs, his cultivation was improving by the day.

Not only that, but thanks to True Monarch Guangcheng's guidance, he had received considerable inspiration in many areas, including Daoist arts and Divine Techniques. Even his Yin Yang Merging Dao was gradually approaching a stage of initial mastery...

It was safe to say that the single trip to the Guangcheng Dojo had saved him at least a century of arduous cultivation, if not more.

However, the situation seemed somewhat different for Zhong Shenxiu, who had also received guidance from True Monarch Guangcheng.

Xuzhuang stepped into the pavilion and asked, "Brother Zhong, your cultivation seems to have regressed rather than advanced. Are you truly alright?"

Zhong Shenxiu gave a faint smile, turning back to admire the night scenery. "With your current level of cultivation, Brother Xu," he said suddenly, "I imagine your Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture must have reached an incredible stage."

Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow, but before he could ask, Zhong Shenxiu abruptly stood up. "Ever since my loss in our last exchange," he said, "I have been looking forward to another contest of our capture techniques with you, Brother Xu."

"Since we both have some free time today, would you be willing to indulge me with a lesson?"

Xuzhuang hadn't expected him to bring this up so suddenly and was rather surprised. However, seeing the look on Zhong Shenxiu's face, his own interest was piqued. He replied with a casual smile, "I was just wondering myself if you've been neglecting your Mixed Element Qi Refining Great Capture."

Zhong Shenxiu laughed heartily and said, "This is no place to use our techniques. Follow me, my friend!"

In a flash, his body transformed into a streak of purple qi and shot into the sky. Unwilling to be left behind, Xuzhuang immediately mounted his own streak of light and gave chase.

One chasing the other, they streaked across the sky like meteors, heading straight for the Nine Celestial Realms. Zhong Shenxiu flew faster and faster, yet Xuzhuang surprisingly didn't fall behind in the slightest.

In just a few moments, Weiyun Immortal City, once as vast as the Land Continent, had shrunk to the size of a fist, barely visible in the distance through the thick clouds. Zhong Shenxiu suddenly halted his light and turned to stand suspended in the air.

"Xuzhuang!"

His powerful senses caught Zhong Shenxiu's nearly inaudible voice through the biting Gang Wind. Xuzhuang halted his own light and looked up.

A faint smile flickered across Zhong Shenxiu's face and was gone in an instant. No more words were needed. One formed a seal with a single hand, while the other formed a seal with both!

Instantly, a supremely majestic, purple-qi Gangyun and an ethereal, ever-shifting, multi-hued Gangyun rose high into the air. Their radiances clashed, illuminating the heavens as both unleashed their Divine Communication Techniques at once!

"Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture!"

Though Xuzhuang acted second, his strike was faster. The Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture rose from above him, swelling in an instant to over a thousand zhang wide. Its five fingers spread, then closed fiercely in an upward grasp, like an Ancient Cyan Beast lunging from the abyssal depths toward the heavens!

"Mixed Element Qi Refining Great Capture!"

Zhong Shenxiu didn't yield an inch. With a long cry, the leaden clouds churned and Spiritual Qi spiraled wildly, plunging the heavens into darkness!

A murky, thousand-zhang hand materialized in the sky. Its fingers were slightly bent, forming something between a fist and a seal, and it smashed downward with a deafening roar. With every zhang it descended, its immense power grew, and by the time it struck the center of the Innate Tai Su Qi Great Capturing Palm, it carried the force to sunder creation and topple mountains!

For a split second, everything froze. Time seemed to stretch to an eternity. Then, with a deafening BOOM, the sky itself seemed to collapse!

Both giant hands dissipated like smoke in the wind. Tai Su True Qi and Chaos Primordial Qi intertwined as they scattered across the sky.

'A ninth-rank technique!' Xuzhuang looked up, an eyebrow raised. He hadn't expected that in the time since their last fight, Zhong Shenxiu had actually cultivated the Mixed Element Qi Refining Great Capture to a state where he had grasped its true essence and broken free of its conventional form.

When the cultivation of a technique reached this realm, it signified that the Cultivator had mastered its fundamental principles. They were no longer limited by constraints such as the technique's inherent power, Magical Power consumption, or standard applications. They could completely "cultivate" the technique according to their own path and needs.

Refining the technique's application, increasing its might, even combining it with other techniques... From this point on, the cultivation of a technique was no longer confined to divisions like tenth, eleventh, or twelfth rank. As long as the Cultivator's understanding of the Dao was profound enough, it was a path without end.

Zhong Shenxiu's Mixed Element Qi Refining Great Capture had clearly reached this realm. It had obviously deviated from its original purpose of "capturing" and moved toward a path of consolidating destructive power. Perhaps calling it the Primordial Qi Refining Hand Seal would be more appropriate now.

However, Xuzhuang's Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture was not so easily defeated. Though Zhong Shenxiu had scattered it into Tai Su True Qi that filled the sky, with his mastery over Divine Techniques, Xuzhuang could instantly repurpose the energy to cast Heaven and Earth Lock or simply re-form the Great Capture—

—but there was no longer any need.

A gust of Gang Wind billowed out, and Zhong Shenxiu emerged from the dissipating Smoke Mist. A faint look of regret was on his face as he spoke. "It seems that when it comes to capture techniques, I am still a step behind."

Xuzhuang smiled faintly. "This exchange... were we not evenly matched? There is no need for such modesty, Brother Zhong."