Daoist Competition

After handling the sect’s various matters, he refocused his thoughts on cultivation.

Now, there was only a year and a half left until the sect-wide competition, an extremely tight timeframe, so he was unwilling to delay further.

Sitting on the Jade Couch, after a few cycles of breathing, he took out the Broken Jade and allowed his Heart and Spirit to immerse into it, starting to cultivate the spell it had revealed.

After a few days, he had thoroughly familiarized himself with this cultivation technique, withdrew from the Broken Jade, and activated the spell slightly. Then, with a sharp point of his finger, a booming sound resounded, and a stream of water light shot out, reaching ten zhang away.

At his fingertip, the light was just a thin wisp, like candle smoke, but as it extended further, it grew wider and broader, reaching nine feet across at the farthest end, resembling a small river with rippling water sounds echoing tumultuously.

Witnessing this sight, Zhang Yan couldn’t help but feel invigorated and pleasantly surprised. He said inwardly, "What a spell! With this, I no longer need to rely on Water Essence Qi."

The Water Element Profound Light he cultivated was refined using Water Element Essence Qi, usually stored within his body, only unleashed in moments of conflict.

Though this cultivation technique wielded great power, it carried a flaw: if it were suppressed or partially negated by Dharma Treasures or countering techniques, it would require Water Element Essence Qi to be refined anew.

Not only did this demand extra effort, wasting energy unnecessarily, but the Five Elements Essence Qi was exceptionally precious and challenging to procure. He had only a limited supply, so extravagance was out of the question.

Furthermore, it was conceivable that if Water Essence Qi and Water Element True Light were ever completely depleted, this Divine Skill would become like water with no source or a tree without roots.

Though the likelihood of this was minuscule, he could not ignore the need for precaution.

Now, Zhang Yan could finally let go of this concern.

This stream of Water Element True Light was directly refined from Elixir Evil after activating the spell, signifying that as long as his Elixir Evil remained intact, the Water Element True Light could be endlessly extinguished and renewed, effectively inexhaustible and immune to depletion, no longer dependent on the Five Elements Essence Qi.

This revealed that he was progressing on the right path forward.

The past efforts he had devoted were finally paying off, filling his heart with invigorated determination. He believed that if he could deduce the remaining True Light techniques one by one, there would come a day when he could master the Five Qi and rediscover the Supreme Mysterious Sect’s Divine Skills from ancient times.

In the next month, Zhang Yan spent half an hour each day absorbing Essence Qi to bolster his Elixir Evil, and the rest of his time mastering this cultivation technique. As his proficiency deepened, he increasingly sensed changes in himself.

On this day, with a flicker of Divine Intent, he vibrated the Golden Core and released Elixir Evil in a concentrated mass. The resulting plume of smoky vapor swirled in the air, transforming into a shimmering, flowing water-colored screen that resonated with rushing waves and boisterous tide sounds. This Water Light had expanded more than double in magnitude compared to his cultivation prior to mastering the spell.

As he continued to operate Elixir Evil, the water screen steadily surged upward like a rising tide, eventually encompassing nearly half of his Cave Mansion. Perhaps due to the overwhelming power of the Supreme Mysterious True Light, the entire Main Mansion seemed to strain under its force, faintly trembling.

The Mirror Spirit within the Little Pot Mirror instantly sensed it, and the Black-clothed Scholar stepped out from the mirror. With a flick of his finger, he stabilized the Cave Mansion, removing any trace of shaking.

Zhang Yan paid no attention to external concerns, fully focusing on experiencing the inner changes. When the Water Light reached its maximum extension, he observed silently, discovering that it had consumed roughly forty percent of his Elixir Evil.

This was the current limit of his capabilities. Continued cultivation and incremental progress would undoubtedly enhance its power further, but he understood this would require prolonged effort, not something that could be achieved in haste.

Moreover, he harbored suspicions—without completing the Five Elements, the cultivation technique might never reach its full potential.

Nonetheless, this was sufficient! It was worth noting that he had achieved First-class Elixir Formation, with an exceptionally profound reserve of Elixir Evil that others could scarcely fathom. Even forty percent was enough to match his adversaries.

At this moment, however, Zhang Yan fell into deep contemplation.

With a year and five months left until the sect-wide competition, he faced two options: one was to consolidate the Mystic Water True Light spell and attempt to increase its power further; the other was to force a deduction of the Earth Element True Light technique and strive to cultivate one more Divine Skill before the competition.

Judging by the time spent deducing the Water Element True Light previously, attempting the Earth Element True Light technique might be tight against the deadline, and it was uncertain whether he could complete it in time.

But after deliberating for a while, he felt that if he were to wholly abandon everything else and dedicate himself fully to the deduction of the technique, it might not necessarily be impossible.

Over nearly two years of cultivation, his Elixir Evil had grown substantially, enabling him to spend more extended periods deducing the Nine Number True Scripture.

Additionally, in the past, the Cave Mansion’s various trivial matters had required his personal intervention, and even the daily absorption of True Sand Essence had consumed considerable energy. If he focused entirely on cultivation and used every remaining moment for deduction, there was a strong chance he could complete this technique.

After pondering deeply for quite some time, Zhang Yan ultimately made the second choice: to deduce the Earth Element True Light technique alongside the Mystic Water True Light!

This decision was not made in recklessness. Given his current strength, even if he abstained from absorbing True Sand Essence for a whole year, his cultivation would not regress; only his Elixir Evil wouldn’t expand. However, his Elixir Evil was already extraordinarily robust, and consuming a fraction wouldn’t affect the bigger picture—he would merely experience a slight delay in breaking through the Acupoint Barrier by a year, which he could afford.

Beyond this, successfully cultivating the Earth Element True Light would hold immense significance. A new technique meant an additional weapon to confront his foes. With two streams of True Light under his command, his power would double, greatly enhancing his odds of securing a place among the Top Ten Disciples.

With his decision made, there was no room for hesitation. He sealed the Cave Mansion, cutting off any distractions from the outside world, and began breathing deeply and slowly. After a few rounds, his Heart and Spirit concentrated more than ever, then he picked up the Broken Jade and immersed himself in it.

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