People Never Leave the Dao, nor Is the Dao Far from Them

In the Heaven-in-a-Gourd Palace, on the first-tier stands.

Xuanxu and the other Daoists of the Truth-Seeking Abbey were fraught with worry.

On the second-tier stands, True Person Jade Spring wore a complicated look. He disliked both men in the arena, but if he had to choose, he would rather Chang'anzi won than have to see that smug old face of Donglai's.

In the arena, the two exchanged salutes.

Chang'anzi struck first, his left hand a fist and his right holding a sword, adhering to his usual fighting style.

He either did not strike at all or gave it everything he had.

His fist bore an overbearing momentum, his sword intent was razor-sharp, and together, fist and sword wielded matchless power. Even the Sunlight Daoist would have faced this blow with caution. Yet the Night-Illuminating Daoist merely flicked his sleeve, sending out a streak of purple radiance that dissolved the attack into nothing, scattering it like smoke.

His heart sank. Chang'anzi attacked again, his feet shifting as the Eight Trigrams unfolded and sword light erupted. The Eight Trigrams Sword Formation swept forward with overwhelming force.

The Night-Illuminating Daoist neither dodged nor retreated. A faint trace of appreciation appeared in his star-like eyes as he allowed the Eight Trigrams Sword Formation to trap him. When the sword light came, he shifted lightly, maneuvering within a tiny space to evade each razor-sharp streak.

His pupils turned purple and shone with violet light. Seeing through illusion and reality, the Night-Illuminating Daoist lightly flicked a finger at a streak of sword light. A metallic sword cry rang out, and the Eight Trigrams Sword Formation shuddered violently, a crack appearing in it.

When the formation did not shatter immediately, a trace of surprise appeared on the Night-Illuminating Daoist's peerlessly handsome face. He flicked his slender finger