Daoist Competition

After being trapped in the Forbidden Array, Xiao He was filled with frustration and began aimlessly charging and floundering about to vent his anger. However, after several days, though reluctant, he had no choice but to sit down and regulate his breathing. Yet, every time he opened his eyes, they still sparkled with flashes of determination, as if he was far from resigned.

On this particular day, when Zhang Yan woke up from his meditation, he walked to the Little Pot Mirror, saw Xiao He’s current state, and couldn’t help but laugh, saying, "You’ve been quite restrained these past days."

The black-clothed scholar emerged from the mirror, bowed, and said, "Master, this array can only trap people, not harm them. How should I deal with this person? If you wish to take his life, simply extinguish his Spiritual Energy with Mirror Light and use a Dharma Treasure to assist."

Zhang Yan shook his head and waved his hand dismissively, saying, "The sect competition in three years is approaching, and I lack sparring partners from the sect. Since this person has delivered himself to my doorstep, he’s perfectly suited for such a purpose. Killing him would be a waste."

The black-clothed scholar quickly replied, "Understood, Master. If this man cannot endure, I shall provide him with Elixir Pills to keep him alive, ensuring he does not overly deplete his Primordial Qi."

Zhang Yan smiled faintly and said, "Exactly. In this array, there’s no worry of him escaping. The stronger he is, the more useful he becomes to me."

Xiao He was practicing the genuine Mysterious Skill of the Mingcang Sect, so Zhang Yan intended to use him to test his own abilities. He wanted to get a sense of the profundities of the Five Merits taught within the sect, their true power, and to increase his confidence ahead of the three-year competition.

Furthermore, with the protection of the array, Zhang Yan even allowed Liu Yan Yi to use Xiao He for sparring practice. With a Hua Dan Cultivator serving as a whetstone for her sword, her Flying Sword Skill would surely advance significantly by the time of the competition.

Just then, Zhang Yan noticed that Xiao He had finished meditating and had stood up again, starting to yell and shout within the array. His words were nothing but demands for Zhang Yan to fight him. Zhang Yan couldn’t suppress a laugh and said, "Since you insist on dueling with me, I won’t dampen your spirits. I’ll grant you your wish."

With a swing of his long sleeves and a single step, Zhang Yan entered the array, appearing behind Xiao He. Standing firmly in the void, he called out loudly, "Xiao He, didn’t you want to test your skills against mine?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao He whipped around abruptly and saw a handsome and carefree Daoist in a mysterious robe standing not far away, smiling at him. The face looked exactly like the legendary Zhang Yan, causing Xiao He’s eyes to turn red instantly. All the bottled-up resentment he’d harbored over the past few days surged out in an instant. He roared, "Zhang Yan, how dare you toy with me! Prepare to forfeit your life!"

He swung a single sleeve, conjuring a roaring wave that materialized out of nowhere, transforming into a boundless giant tide surging forward.

Zhang Yan did not retreat but took a step forward instead. With a low shout, countless streams of white smoke and thin mist surged up from his body, crashing forward to meet the tide head-on. Instantly, the smoke and water collided and stirred, creating waves and white mist upon impact.

Seeing this, Xiao He was momentarily startled, but then burst into laughter, saying, "Zhang Yan, you truly haven’t mastered the sect’s Mysterious Skills! Using Elixir Evil to counter my Xuanze True Water—how arrogantly foolish. Let’s see how long you can hold out!"

With a sharp laugh, Xiao He spun his Golden Core desperately, transforming threads of Elixir Evil into True Water. In the blink of an eye, a deluge as vast as the heavens surged forth, one wave pushing another in an endless procession, pressing toward Zhang Yan layer by layer.

"Xuanze Zhen Miao Shangdong Skill," one of the Five Merits, excelled most in protracted battles. In its later stages, a single thread of Elixir Evil could transform into rivers, while a single strand could create lakes and seas. When unleashed, it truly resembled a reversal of the Heavenly River, overwhelming everything with a deluge. While it might not kill an opponent outright, the unrelenting force was enough to wear them down and crush them under immense pressure.

From Xiao He’s perspective, Zhang Yan was foolish to engage in direct confrontation without resorting to his strongest Flying Sword Skill. How reckless—no matter how much Elixir Evil his Golden Core contained, how could it compare to the sheer volume of this endlessly refined Xuanze True Water?

Official source ıs 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⚫𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⚫𝔫𝔢𝔱

Zhang Yan, however, remained calm, his face faintly smiling as if completely unperturbed. He unleashed his Elixir Evil without hesitation, blanketing the sky with white mist and smoke to the extent that their vision was almost entirely obscured.

The two clashed for the better part of an hour. Xiao He gradually realized that Zhang Yan’s Elixir Evil showed no signs of exhaustion; on the contrary, its vigor seemed to grow stronger, its resilience increasingly formidable. This secretly startled him, making him ponder: "Is First-class Elixir Formation truly so powerful? If only I had broken through the Shell Barrier and condensed the True Imprint of Dharma Power—then my Xuanze True Water would flow seamlessly, uninterrupted. How could he possibly withstand me for this long?"