Dao Lord: Starting from a Top-grade Golden Core

Da Ji Zhenren uncovered the Dao Talisman. As expected, Lan Su Nu's name was written on it. He chuckled and called out, "My dear niece, I'll be counting on you for this round."

Lan Su Nu had clearly expected this. She smiled sweetly and said, "Martial Uncle Da Ji, you truly leave nothing to chance. Being able to cross swords with Zhong Shenxiu makes this trip worthwhile for me."

Da Ji Zhenren nodded at her words. Seeing Zhong Shenxiu issue his challenge, Lan Su Nu wasted no more time. With a light tap of her foot, a mystical light as clear as ice carried her into the air. She called out in a gentle voice, "Brother Zhong! I am Su Nu of the Profound Ice Pavilion. I have long heard of your great name."

"Fellow Daoist Lan," Zhong Shenxiu said with a smile. "It is a pity I was not at the sect when you came to visit. I hope you'll forgive me for not being there to host you."

"It's no matter." A blush rose to Lan Su Nu's cheeks as she said hesitantly, "You can just call me Junior Sister Lan."

After Zhong Shenxiu pondered for a moment and agreed, Lan Su Nu continued, "I know I am no match for you, Brother Zhong. So, when we begin, I can only give it my all. Please be on your guard."

Da Ji Zhenren slapped a hand to his forehead. Although he had little hope for this match, he was still rendered speechless by Lan Su Nu's words.

Zhong Shenxiu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Very well. Junior Sister, please, don't hold back."

Lan Su Nu nodded lightly, her expression finally turning solemn. Her slender fingers formed a Magic Formula, and a Gangyun, as translucent and brilliant as an ice crystal, suddenly rose above her head. With a flash of spiritual light, the Daoist art was instantly unleashed!

In an instant!

The very air seemed to frost over, a frigid qi spreading for a thousand li. Zhong Shenxiu was surprised to find that the space in all directions around him had been frozen solid. It was a type of Heaven and Earth Lock Daoist art; once trapped within it, breaking free would cost more than ten times the normal effort.

Lan Su Nu was clearly prepared. Having locked down the area, she instantly deployed another Divine Technique. A beam of pure white divine light shot out from her Gangyun, emitting a sharp CRACKLING sound of crystallization as it sped straight toward Zhong Shenxiu.

An icy sky of silent annihilation, freezing all creation—the Ice Extreme Freeze Divine Light!

These two techniques were both immense in presence and extraordinary in power! They were clearly Lan Su Nu's most proficient skills, and for a moment, it seemed she had put Zhong Shenxiu in a difficult position.

"Worthy of being a heaven's chosen daughter who reached the Nascent Soul realm in just two hundred years. She is truly no common cultivator," Zhuo Hansheng remarked with a flicker of admiration in his eyes.

Beside him, an effeminate man with upturned eyes and a long, narrow face spoke nonchalantly. "If she can force Zhong Shenxiu to reveal a few of his tricks, it will be that much easier when we face him later."

This man's name was Yao Liqing. He was the successor of a major Demon Sect in the Cyan Sky Realm and the final helper on Da Ji Zhenren's side.

Hearing Yao Liqing's words, Zhuo Hansheng showed a trace of disdain in his eyes and did not reply.

On the other side, the crowd was also watching the battle with rapt attention. Although they had complete confidence in Zhong Shenxiu, they were naturally curious as to how he would respond.

Watching Zhong Shenxiu's movements, Xuzhuang's expression suddenly shifted, revealing a hint of surprise. He murmured softly, "The Heart-Fire Yin-Yang Strike Transformation...?"

"What?" Cen Fenghong's gaze sharpened. He looked up, a hint of disbelief on his face.

Zhong Shenxiu formed sword fingers with his left hand, holding it before his heart. He extended his right arm, forming the Thunder Seal. After silently channeling his energy for a moment, he abruptly flipped his right palm, and the bent fingers of the Thunder Seal flicked outward!

CRACK!

With a sharp sound unlike muffled thunder, a bolt of murky, black lightning shot out. It collided with the Ice Extreme Freeze Divine Light, instantly triggering a violent reaction and a tremendous roar that seemed to shake the very heavens!

The Ice Extreme Freeze Divine Light shattered instantly, leaving a scar like a crack in the air. The next moment, as if golden mountains were crumbling and jade pillars bursting, the sound of shattering echoed everywhere. The crack instantly spread for hundreds of li before exploding violently!

Boundless black lightning erupted from the fissure, instantly turning the area for hundreds of li into a domain of destructive lightning.

At that moment, both Zhuo Hansheng and Pang Ban were visibly shaken. A scene from Lai Xian Hall suddenly flashed before their eyes.

The next instant, a brilliant golden light broke through the lightning, shooting out from within. It instantly flew to the Jade Platform and landed beside Da Ji Zhenren.

The light faded to reveal Lan Su Nu's figure. Her face still bore a look of relief after her initial shock.

A moment later, Zhong Shenxiu also broke through the lightning and returned to the Jade Platform. He calmly clasped his hands in a salute. "Junior Sister Lan, thank you for the match."

Without waiting for Lan Su Nu to respond, Zhong Shenxiu returned to the Immoral Taoist's side. Cen Fenghong eagerly asked, "Brother Zhong! It's only been two years, and you've already reverse-engineered the lightning technique from that Daoist Scripture?"

Hearing this, Chang Su'Er, who was standing nearby, also showed a flicker of interest in her eyes. Zhong Shenxiu didn't notice and replied with a smile, "The principles behind a Daoist art are the foundation. A mere Cultivation Method is nothing much."

Cen Fenghong was left speechless by this. However, being an open-minded person, he just laughed it off and asked again, "Have you named this lightning technique, Brother Zhong?"

Zhong Shenxiu paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "I hadn't thought about naming it, but since you've brought it up, I'll call it the 'Small Annihilation Skill.'"

'Small Annihilation Skill?' Cen Fenghong thought to himself. 'Brother Zhong's mastery of Daoist arts is sublime, but it's a shame his naming sense is so lacking.'

While they were chatting, Da Ji Zhenren was speaking with Lan Su Nu. "My dear niece, there's no need to be disheartened. Zhong Shenxiu has been famous for a long time, and he has more years of cultivation than you. It's no surprise you aren't his match..."

Lan Su Nu shook her head. "There is no need to worry, Martial Uncle. I understand."

Seeing this, Da Ji Zhenren cleared his throat and said, "That's good to hear." He then raised his voice and called out to the Immoral Taoist and Jide Taoist, "Immoral, Jide! You got lucky and won one round, don't get cocky! Do we need to discuss your choice for the next round?"

"No need!" Jide Taoist cut in before the Immoral Taoist could speak, his voice deep. "I've already decided on our candidate. We're just waiting on you."

The Immoral Taoist instantly became agitated. Although they had agreed he would listen to Jide Taoist's decision for this round, Jide Taoist hadn't discussed it with him at all!

However, he couldn't show it in front of Da Ji Zhenren, so all he could do for the moment was fume in frustration.

Seeing this, Da Ji Zhenren frowned. After a moment's thought, he said, "Fine! But I need to discuss it on my side."

With that, he didn't say any more to Jide and Immoral, returning to Great Evil Zhenren and the others. "Although the other side won the first match, it was within our expectations," he said in a low voice.

He spoke frankly, without hiding anything. Lan Su Nu didn't mind, as she had pestered Da Ji Zhenren to come along just to gain experience. They had already decided on the strategy of pitting their weakest against the opponent's strongest.

But the others were not like Lan Su Nu. They heard Da Ji Zhenren say, "Jide Taoist is prudent and experienced; I can't easily guess his intentions. Therefore, it's difficult to decide who we should send up next."

Zhuo Hansheng said coolly, "It doesn't matter who I face."

The others didn't speak, but their expressions showed they felt the same way. Da Ji Zhenren laughed heartily. "I also believe that my young friends can achieve victory no matter who they are pitted against. So, I'll be counting on all of you!"

Seeing everyone respond positively, Da Ji Zhenren nodded and turned to Great Evil Zhenren. "Junior Brother, who on their side do you think we should choose for the next match?"

Great Evil Zhenren revealed a look of absolute confidence. "Actually, I have been quietly calculating for some time. For the next match, if we choose that old fellow Jide's nephew, it's a guaranteed win."

"Oh?" Da Ji Zhenren was surprised at first, but then said, "If that's the case, we'll choose him for the next match."

Having come to a decision, they wasted no more time. Da Ji Zhenren immediately shouted, "Jide, get ready to receive our choice for the next match!"

With a flick of his finger, he shot out the Dao Talisman with Cen Fenghong's name on it. Jide Taoist, who had been waiting, calmly pointed to the sky. A Dao Talisman was already hovering there. Da Ji Zhenren looked up, a joyful expression instantly appearing on his face as he thought, 'It really is a guaranteed win!'

On the Dao Talisman in the air, two large words were clearly visible: Li Chengzhen.