Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 913 Mysterious Shadow Reflection
As the water sword swirled, countless rays of light refracted, and the dewdrops falling from the sword's edge reflected the rising sun, turning the entire mountain range crimson.

After a long silence, Li Dan felt a strange melancholy rise in his heart. He sighed, straightened his clothes, bowed and said, "Fellow Daoist Chen's water magic is profound. I admire you. I have lost the first round."

Just as the sword light pierced through the air, he clearly saw his own panicked reflection in the dewdrop.

Although Chen Mu did not press too hard, the first battle was indeed a complete defeat, leaving no room for saving face.

However, compared to this matter of saving face, he was more worried about the crucial second round that followed...

Li Dan never considered himself an arrogant person, so from the beginning of the plan, he regarded Chen Mu as a figure like Liang Chong, and specially invited Jin Ying Zhenjun to be the person in charge.

After exchanging blows with Chen Mu, he became even more convinced that the person who could master such changes between reality and illusion and whose Daoist techniques contained the Great Dao of Space was no less than Liang Chong, who had become famous in the Lingzhu Mountains hundreds of years ago.

Suspicious clouds are hanging here. Back then, Liang Chongxian's transformation of Dao fruit made him famous throughout the world. How could his junior brother have accomplished nothing?

Therefore, he secretly devised a strategy before the battle: even if he was defeated, he would force the opponent to reveal their trump card.

Although he did not say it outright, he already regarded the Dao Fruit as a secret that Chen Mu would definitely keep hidden.

But judging from his calm and composed demeanor, it seems that he has not yet reached his limit.

Is it that Chen Mu is unfathomable, or is it that I am simply not up to the task...?

This is what he's worried about. If Chen Mu still has some trump cards up his sleeve, can Golden Shadow True Monarch still win two more matches in a row?

These thoughts made his face ashen, and when he looked up at the imposing figure of the Taoist priest, his five fingers unconsciously clenched in his sleeve.

Although Chen Mu could not discern the turmoil in his mind, he could guess seven or eight parts of it from the changes in his expression. However, he ignored it and asked with a smile, "In that case, I wonder who Clan Chief Li intends to send to fight in the second battle?"

Li Dan's expression gradually calmed down. Since the arrow was already on the bowstring, why should he panic?

Moreover, True Monarch Jin Ying had already achieved his Dao fruition and broken through the sixth level of the Mysterious Gate. How could he be compared to someone who hastily broke through the fifth level of the Mysterious Gate and forcibly broke through the realm?

With the outcome still undecided, how can we be sure that the True Lord cannot suppress this child?

With this thought in mind, Li Dan felt somewhat at ease and turned to bow solemnly to the Wu clan leader.

The middle-aged cultivator in black robes and a jade crown stroked his beard and smiled, but his gaze fell on the golden-robed figure amidst the flying eaves and brackets: "Second brother."

Thousands of gazes fell like silver needles, and the golden-robed figure slowly rose from the platform.

The sunlight poured down, illuminating his tall, slender figure, resembling a bamboo stalk. Two red dots adorned the corners of his phoenix eyes. Although he exuded no imposing aura, he inexplicably stirred a tingling, thorny feeling in the hearts of those who watched him.

It wasn't until he stepped out and stood still in the center of the arena that everyone noticed something was amiss. The pale blue floor tiles, which should have cast long, dark shadows, now only had a faint golden sliver remaining, like the edge of a painting cut off by a sharp blade...

"If we're talking about the interplay between the real and the illusory, then True Monarch Golden Shadow must be the best in this field."

"More than just outstanding."

Someone lowered their voice: "I heard that this person's Dao Fruit is the fusion of his natal Xuan Shadow, which transforms into a gilded mark between his eyebrows... It's quite similar to the Mirror Flower Water Moon Technique of that extraterrestrial cultivator."

"This is going to be interesting. Fellow Daoist Golden Shadow has been undefeated for hundreds of years. I wonder if he can continue this streak today?"

……

The murmurs were like spider silk in the wind, sometimes loud and sometimes soft, but Li Dan had already bowed to the golden-robed cultivator and said, "I am grateful for your help this time, fellow Daoist."

Golden Shadow True Lord smiled and said, "Lord Li, you are mistaken."

He gently twitched his wide sleeves, but his gaze swept over the three families in the audience: "Since this involves the alliance of three clans, why talk of trouble?"

Li Dan's face stiffened slightly, his knuckles clenching tightly inside his sleeve.

How could he not understand the veiled meaning in those words? It seems that even if they win this battle, the Li family will likely lose 30% of their benefits in the alliance.

This was why he didn't want to use this person, but now he was in a bind and could only force a smile and say, "Fellow Daoist, you are truly righteous..."

He outwardly offered flattery, but inwardly he thought, "Since this is not just a matter for the Li family, the consequences of defeat in this battle cannot be borne by my family alone..."

He had a vague idea in his mind, then turned and went back into the building.

"Who is your Excellency?"

Chen Mu's footsteps echoed like shattered jade as the waves surged beneath his feet.

Golden Shadow True Lord stood with his hands behind his back, and the gilded mark between his brows suddenly lit up: "I am Wu Songfu."

Before he finished speaking, a three-foot-long, cold glint of light condensed in his sleeve: "Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist."

"it is good!"

Chen Mu glanced at him, then without saying a word, he rose up on the waves.

Then, white waves suddenly burst open, creating thousands of piles of snow, and the two figures disappeared simultaneously into the misty spray.

Those who were watching exclaimed in surprise and hurriedly activated their divine senses to investigate the battlefield.

It is rare for True Monarch Realm experts to clash, let alone for such a peak duel between outstanding figures. If one can comprehend the mysteries within, it will surely benefit one's cultivation path.

However, the Daoist aura reverberated amidst the churning clouds and mist, making it impossible for anyone below the True Lord level to discern anything clearly. They could only vaguely see the outlines of two figures shifting back and forth between reality and illusion.

Li Dan and the others could see it even more clearly, but their expressions grew increasingly grave, as if the situation was far from optimistic...

In his eyes, Chen Mu stood with his hands behind his back on the cloud, with the bright moon in the sky behind him. He used the way of gentle water to create a force of a thousand pounds. The vast waves flowed with his energy, gradually eroding Wu Songfu's space to maneuver.

It is said that water is gentle and leaves no trace, but when it comes to achieving great power, few of the five elements can compare with cultivators of the water element.

"This Taoist Chen truly understands the art of leveraging power..."

When they fought before, the opponent used the illusion of the moon reflecting ten thousand rivers. Now, facing Wu Songfu, who is also proficient in the Dao of illusion, he did the opposite and used his vast magical power to condense the water element.

If Wu Songfu were truly trapped by this endless tide, then no matter how many changes occur, he would be unable to escape the fate of being completely consumed by the vast true energy...

His knuckles gradually tightened, but the only good news was that Wu Songfu obviously knew this principle as well, so he slowly retreated, gradually pushing away the advancing water and preventing it from completely surrounding him.

After a stalemate lasting about the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Wu Songfu sighed inwardly as he watched Chen Mu's momentum grow stronger. He had intended to use his cultivation level to suppress Chen Mu and find out his opponent's true strength, but unexpectedly, Chen Mu used the power of heaven and earth to force him into a predicament.

If I don't unleash my Dao Fruit soon, I'm afraid I'll suffer a great loss.

"His aura is clearly inferior to mine, how could this be..."

He shook his head, but his hands moved quickly.

Faced with the overwhelming force of the water that was pressing down again, he not only did not retreat this time, but instead took a step forward. At the same time, he flicked his sleeve, and a golden mark flashed across his face, making a sweeping motion in front of him!
In an instant, a golden, ethereal aura, seemingly neither a shadow nor a trace, stretched across the horizon, extending for thousands of feet, as if a celestial river had appeared out of thin air. The surging waves, though not far away, seemed to reach the ends of the earth upon touching the aura, plummeting down and vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

At the same time, hundreds of golden lotuses suddenly exploded in the void. Chen Mu's heart stirred slightly, and he decisively stepped on the waves to retreat to mid-air.

Looking again, one could see that the gilded mark between Wu Songfu's eyebrows flickered, and the natal shadow beneath his feet moved like a living thing, transforming in the blink of an eye into nine golden pythons coiled in the arena.

The fruit of the Tao manifests, its light illuminating a thousand miles.

Apart from the True Lord, the remaining spectators all raised their protective spiritual light, for they clearly saw that when the golden python raised its head and flicked its tongue, tiny spatial cracks began to fall...

Chen Mu frowned slightly. If his strategy of gathering power to suppress others was a good one, things had already changed.

With this Dao fruit before him, even if his magical power is as vast as the sea, it will never be able to fill that void space.

With this thought in mind, he made up his mind and decisively changed his move, his fingers flashing across the water. Instantly, the surging waves condensed into ten thousand reflections in the pool, each reflecting his own image. As the golden python pounced, the reflections in the mirrors would sometimes transform into swimming fish, and sometimes dissipate into wisps of green smoke...

Seeing this, Wu Songfu suddenly chuckled: "What a wonderful interplay of illusion and reality."

With a flick of his sleeves, the nine pythons exploded into golden dust, which clung to the surface of the pool, causing the illusions within to be stained with gilded patterns.

Chen Mu suddenly felt his spiritual energy stagnate, as if thousands of golden threads were winding their way into his dantian along the water veins.

The roar of the waves shook the blossoms of Spring Peach Mountain, but Chen Mu remained unmoved. He decisively activated the "Taiyin Moon Soul Tide Scripture," and a hundred-foot whirlpool suddenly rose beneath his feet.

Immediately afterwards, twelve water generals wielding halberds emerged from the vortex, but the blades of their halberds did not carry the aura of weapons, but rather the solidified light of the moon.

The next moment, the golden pool reflection and the moonlit water will collide with a thunderous crash, turning the entire sea of ​​clouds into a glassy color.

"Look, it's the Golden Shadow True Monarch!" someone suddenly exclaimed.

Following the sound, everyone looked and saw Wu Songfu sitting suspended in the center of the pond, with a winding golden river appearing on the previously empty ground.

Upon closer inspection, the river water was actually formed by the convergence of intricate patterns, each golden line reflecting the trajectory of Chen Mu's water magic, as if it were a copy.

Among the crowd, Li Dan and the others suddenly clenched their fists, watching the Golden River suddenly rise into the sky and condense into a pool of shadows in the clouds, recognizing the Golden Shadow True Monarch's ultimate killing move.

This is precisely what makes his Dao fruit special: the great supernatural power of "Mysterious Shadow Reflection," which can return all of an opponent's lifelong learning!
As Chen Mu gazed up at the shimmering golden reflections in the pool above the dome, he showed no fear. Instead, his eyes shone with a dazzling light, and this scene gave him much inspiration.

"During the first match against Li Dan, Mirror Flower Water Moon had this ability to surge back, which is quite similar to this Mysterious Shadow Reflection..."

If Wu Songfu knew that he was still plotting "enlightenment" at this critical juncture, he would surely be furious, and his power might even increase by three points...

Chen Mu's rationality told him that he could no longer be overconfident in this move, and that he should use his Dao Fruit to counter it, so that he could achieve a complete victory.

But he also wanted to experience the power of this "Mysterious Reflection" technique firsthand, so that he could better understand its new variations in the illusory world later on...

"Well, it's worth the extra effort. If I can truly learn something from it, even if I get injured, it will be worth it!"

With a firm resolve, he stepped onto the nine torrents and, to the astonishment of the crowd, took the initiative to meet the gilded pool reflection.

"Heh, what did I say? No matter how outstanding this person is, can he compare to Liang Chong of yesteryear? Now he's showing his true colors."

"He's nothing but a reckless brute who acts rashly. I'd like to see how he gets out of this mess..."

The elder of the Sun clan stroked his beard and smiled, his words filled with self-satisfaction.

Before the battle, he predicted that Chen Mu would be no match for Li Dan, but he never expected to be proven wrong so quickly. He had been sitting quietly to the side without saying a word, but he never expected such a reversal.

The crowd either nodded in agreement or inwardly scorned him, but no one voiced their dissent. They clearly felt that Chen Mu, who had acted so recklessly, had run out of tricks and was at his wit's end.

Li Dan and the others were overjoyed, their eyes fixed on the arena, eager to see Chen Mu stagger and fall in defeat...

"Father."

Liang Chengye, being the most straightforward, looked up and couldn't help but worry, "Chen Zhenjun, he..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liang Tian interrupted him. It was one thing for others to have doubts, but how could his own people lose their composure?

Looking at Liang Chengye and the others who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, Yu Xin had a bad feeling. He turned his head and saw his father, Xuanji Zi, glaring at him with eyes that seemed to be spitting fire. Needless to say, he could understand his father's expression.

He clearly had a bright future ahead of him by climbing up to the Li family, but this "rebellious son" ruined it all...

Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, the surging torrent finally collided with the gilded pool!
In an instant, Chen Mu felt an overwhelming and unstoppable force sweeping in from all directions.

The torrent beneath his feet collapsed in an instant, and his protective spiritual energy flickered unpredictably under the force of the attack. If he hadn't possessed a fourth-level strength cultivation, he might have already suffered numerous internal injuries, his internal organs crushed into blood and foam.

Even so, Chen Mu was still shaken back seven steps, his heels carving three-inch furrows in the air.

At this moment, a strange feeling arose in his heart. This was the first time he had experienced what it felt like for others to be attacked by his water magic...

The gilded water and the spiritual water swirled in the air, creating countless vortexes that stirred up the spiritual energy within a hundred miles, turning it into a chaotic, boiling mess.

The onlookers could only see the gold and blue colors flickering uncertainly within the fog, and their ears were filled with the sounds of raging waves and the clang of metal.

One breath, two breaths... until the thirtieth tidal wave gradually subsided, the surging clouds of spiritual energy finally dispersed like the receding tide...

Li Dan and the others were more anxious than anyone else. They hurriedly looked into the arena, but all they saw was the tall, upright figure of the Taoist priest with his eyes closed, instead of the staggering and collapsing figure they had imagined...

"How can it be……"

The Sun clan elder, who had been smiling just moments before, suddenly froze, while Li Dan crushed the celadon cup into powder, which fell through his fingers.

They clearly saw that although Chen Mudao's hair was disheveled, his aura was becoming increasingly fierce, like a quenched heavy sword, and he showed no signs of exhaustion.
Such overwhelming power was still insufficient to defeat this person.

The room fell silent for a moment, even the Liang family members were dumbfounded...

Wu Songfu's face turned pale, as if he was somewhat unwilling to accept it. He suddenly bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence. The golden mark between his eyebrows immediately shone like the rising sun. It actually fell off from between his eyebrows and split into thousands of golden threads, rushing towards Chen Mu.

Chen Mu slowly opened his eyes, which shone with a unique light of enlightenment. As he nodded to himself, he slowly raised his hand.

The next moment, a mighty tidal wave suddenly resounded in the void, and a bronze cauldron with three legs and two handles leaped out from his crown.

The dragon pattern on the cauldron surged with a deep blue light, and as the cauldron opened and closed, the clouds and mist within a thousand miles of Spring Peach Mountain were swallowed up by the whale...

"The Dao Fruit..."

The trump card they had been trying to force out from the very beginning was finally being revealed. Li Dan and the others watched in silence, feeling a strange sense of numbness in their hearts...

……

(End of this chapter)