Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 101 - 87 Kill True Monarch!

Chapter 101: Chapter 87 Kill True Monarch!

"Lu Chan, hold him back!"

Gu Wen’s body was enveloped by gang qi, fierce as blazing fire; wielding a sword in one hand and a spear in the other, he charged forward.

"It truly challenges the mighty."

Lu Chan transformed her shape, and her nine tails slowly stretched out as her Fox Fairy dharma form appeared.

She exerted all her strength to drag the True Monarch into an illusion. The vast gap across realms caused blood to spill from the corner of her mouth, yet she was broken free from in just two breaths. The True Monarch, at the Seventh Level of Dao Foundation, had already solidified his dharma form, making his divine soul exceptionally tough to manipulate.

However, those two breaths only proved her extraordinary talent, ranking sixth on the earthly list, for even a True Monarch couldn’t be immune to her Illusion Technique.

The True Monarch glared at Lu Chan in annoyance as if offended, but he didn’t stop and continued to flee toward the city outskirts.

It was not that Gu Wen and his young companions frightened him, but rather, Ao Tang’s ability to kill a True Monarch with a higher Dao Foundation with one strike had thoroughly terrified him.

And in merely two breaths, Gu Wen had closed a distance of thirty zhang.

"I’ll accompany you on your way."

He Qing came to Gu Wen’s side, his huge hand, expanded to three times its normal size, supported the latter’s feet, indicating he must have cultivated some kind of Body Refining Techniques, possessing incredibly formidable physical strength.

Gu Wen instantly understood, allowing He Qing to carry him as he focused solely on gathering his qi. Suddenly, he noticed a faint golden light emanating from He Qing’s abdomen, feeling the overwhelming mana flowing from the palm under his feet.

It was several times more solid and dense than his own, prompting him to ask, "Your mana is really profound; you’re almost comparable to a True Monarch."

Immortal Lands unfortunately put a cap on all bounds, but not on their quality.

"It’s my luck that I condensed the Fifth Transition Golden Core. Although it’s not the Sixth Transition Perfection, it’s at least half a step there."

He Qing’s tone carried a hint of pride, and Gu Wen roughly understood where that pride came from.

Though he hadn’t fulfilled the Spirit Forms at the Third Level, he sensed a slight breakthrough at the Fifth Level, the Golden Core as he mentioned.

The advancements in Dao Foundation Perfection cultivation became increasingly difficult later on, but perhaps He Qing had a special physique that made the Fifth Level easier.

The transformation at the Fifth Level of Dao Foundation was the condensation of the Golden Core in the Qi Sea, and the Perfect Method was the Sixth Transition Golden Core. Everyone, as a default, possessed a Golden Core; the Fifth Level of Dao Foundation essentially refined the Golden Core further.

But I don’t have a Golden Core; if I could refine one using techniques to enhance its quality, would I not fundamentally be better than others?

Refocusing his thoughts, Gu Wen looked ahead at the True Monarch who was getting increasingly closer.

There was still a definite gap between them and the True Monarch, who was notably more adept at fleeing, forcing He Qing to spare no cost in their pursuit to barely keep up.

The opponent possessed the Golden Core of the Sixth Transition below in the Fifth Level, probably not exceeding the Third Transition, and compared to He Qing’s Fifth Transition, he was outmatched. Being two realms behind and still getting caught up to, despite He Qing’s disregard for costs, showed the gap.

"Can you accelerate any more?"

"I can, but my expenditure will be greater, and I might not be of help later."

"Just helping me catch up to him is enough."

Realizing Gu Wen’s intention, He Qing slightly widened his eyes and said, "Are you planning to face a True Monarch with the combat power of the Eighth Level alone?"

"Why not?"

"You’re crazy; if you succeed, you’ll be the first under heaven."

Unable to help it, He Qing cursed and then exerted all his strength to throw Gu Wen forward, blasting through the air like a cannonball.

A hundred zhang, fifty zhang, thirty zhang, five zhang...

"Youngster, you’re pushing it too far!"

Being chased in broad daylight and now caught up to, the Rong family’s True Monarch furiously turned around to counterattack.

Boom!

The two collided; the True Monarch used a blade, its light slashing toward the gang qi, while another hand defended against the Heart Sword.

Having diverse techniques gave a certain boost; the opponent couldn’t solely deal with the Flame Spear but also had to guard against the Heart Sword. Many mastered only one offensive method, let alone excelling at two.

The Fifth Level Dao Foundation Third Transition Golden Core brought overwhelming mana, but his Daoist Skills lacked the strength of the Spirit Form at the Third Level Dao Foundation Perfection of Gu Wen.

His gang qi held its own against the blade light, with the Heart Sword gaining a slight advantage.

On their first clash, Gu Wen gained the upper hand, slightly injuring the True Monarch’s divine soul.

"How can this be?"

The True Monarch, sensing something was amiss, disbelief flashing in his eyes.

A junior with merely the Fourth Level Dao Foundation was holding his own against him.

Furious and humiliated, he exerted all his strength to unleash a thirty zhang blade aura, his blade Daoist Skill enhanced by his dharma form, surpassing the Spirit Form.

Yet unexpectedly, the Crimson Dragon dharma form appeared, instantly overwhelming him, his gang qi firmly suppressing the blade aura.

Compared to Xiao Yunyi, his military gang qi was too weak, and compared to himself, it was like scattered sand!

Gu Wen’s long spear pierced through the blade light and into the True Monarch’s body, his Sixth Transition Golden Core fortified his physique, turning it into sinews as strong as dragons and bones as tough as tigers, making the spear feel as though it struck solid iron.

But what of that? If one spear did not suffice, then a hundred spears, a thousand spears, ten thousand spears!

Faster still, stronger still, fiercer still.

A sky full of spear Gang Qi enveloped in blazing fire fell, the True Monarch battled in midair without even touching the ground, raising his great blade to resist, but his Gang Qi and dharma form seemed like toys before his enemy.

He cultivated the Five Spirit Forms, possessed a dharma form, and held two-fifths of the True Spirit Primordial Spirit—what’s so difficult about slaying a True Monarch who only achieved First Level Perfection?

Those oncoming from afar stopped in their tracks, eyes wide, even Xiao Yunyi fell into an indescribable silence.

Jiu Zhenjun seemed to have grasped a lifeline and rapidly closed in, pursuing the high-speed moving battlefield of their entanglement.

"How can this be? How can you, a mere Fourth Leveler, suppress me like this?"

The True Monarch exerted all his strength in the crevice to swing a blade, the top-grade mortal long spear shouldered it, shattering, leaving only half in Gu Wen’s hand.

It appeared the tide had turned, the two finally landed, standing on the open area beside the city wall.

The True Monarch could have escaped over the city wall to freedom, but he no longer planned to flee, lest his face be utterly lost.

He sneered, "You think you can kill me with half a broken spear? My Third Transition Golden Core refined body is not something your ordinary soldiers can breach!"

A First Transition for each level, he wasn’t a completely superficial True Monarch, possessing at least First Level Perfection. This side indicates that his talent was acceptable, being fairly guaranteed a minimum basis, naturally he wouldn’t be poor in consolidating the Golden Core.

The difference between Sixth and Seventh Levels is quite critical, the number of transitions the Golden Core undergoes and the strength of the dharma form are crucial.

"And why not?"

Gu Wen also sneered, his breathing heavy, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

He had long been accustomed to broken weapons, the Flame Dharma being too fierce, even the mysterious heavy spear could not fully withstand it.

[Heavenly Marrow for twenty-seven years]

[Heavenly Gang Spear, second style, integration complete, requires ten years of Heavenly Marrow.]

With inhalation and exhalation, the Heavenly Gang Spear’s second style merged into the Flame Spear, the spear Gang Qi’s concentration surged by two times, resembling fire, complementing the broken spear tip.

[Heavenly Gang Spear, third style, integration complete, requires twenty years of Heavenly Marrow.]

Why would I need twenty years when seventeen years suffices?

Gu Wen invested seventeen years of Heavenly Marrow, getting close to mastering the third style of the Heavenly Gang Spear, already advancing to fight.

Bang!

The spear Gang Qi clashed with the Spiritual Treasure Blade, instantly creating a gap, then instantly repairing it.

The True Monarch felt as though Gu Wen had gone mad, in their close-quarter combat, glancing at those eyes filled with boundless murderous intent, experiencing an unparalleled stance, he gradually became afraid.

Apart from cultivation, this youth surpassed him in every aspect, he could hardly match him in any.

He truly wanted to kill him!

"Youth, stop here, otherwise, even in death, I must drag you down!"

The only response was a sky filled with spear Gang Qi, an attack that seemed almost frenzied, as if there were some deep grudge between them two.

To Gu Wen, there indeed was, but it wasn’t directed at him personally.

As soon as Gu Wen glimpsed beyond the Immortal Land, he continuously sought to escape this narrow universe. The Lord Emperor was his own barrier to venture beyond, the world’s True Monarchs were Yu Hua’s obstacles.

She promised to show him the vastness of the earth and sky, he promised her to become the first among outstanding people, supreme in talent.

If they couldn’t be invincible, if they couldn’t be unparalleled, they couldn’t escape from here.

Gu Wen was verifying himself, whether he possessed an invincible stature, whether he possessed an unparalleled posture, thus he needed to fell stronger opponents.

Anyone who obstructed the path was a sworn enemy.

[Heavenly Gang Third Style]

The spear Gang Qi’s concentration boomed threefold, the Spiritual Treasure Blade flew high, the spear like a dragon, pierced into the True Monarch’s chest.

Gu Wen slowly lifted the True Monarch’s corpse, feeling the warmth of victory as blood dripped down his face.

Those above me by one rank can no longer match me; except celestial beings, those two ranks above me are mere illusions.

Footsteps approached from behind, he turned suddenly only to see another True Monarch approaching—Gu Wen didn’t recognize Jiu Zhenjun.

Though depleted, he still raised his spear toward the other, asking, "Do you also wish to fight me?"

Jiu Zhenjun looked at the young man in front of him, twenty-something was truly too young for a cultivator, he subconsciously took a step back, facing an extremely weak Fourth Level young man, a slight hesitance stirred from within.

As the thought to retreat arose, intangible suppression and conjecture vanished.

This was the Guardian of the Taoist Heavenly Girl, a Fourth Level who had slain a True Monarch.

Jiu Zhenjun thus escaped the predestined calamity of death.