Daoist Competition

Dragon Abyss Marsh, Jiao Mu Island.

The Island Master, Gong Pei, had a face full of fury, yet his gaze was tinged with uneasiness and apprehension.

Clutching the slightly deformed golden cup in his hand, he poured wine down his throat in a frenzy, letting the liquid drip down onto his lapel without bothering to wipe it away. His eyes reddened as he snarled, "Ning Chongxuan, Gong will accompany you to the bitter end, to the bitter end!"

Meanwhile, beyond the skies outside the island, Ning Chongxuan stood in white robes, a sword on his back. Green clouds swirled beneath his feet, and pale mist fluttered around him. He cast a cold and profound gaze down at the island’s flickering Forbidden Array talisman, his expression sharp and unwavering.

To seize a place among the Top Ten Disciples, he first had to secure the title of True Disciple. To achieve this, he had to challenge one True Disciple from a noble family and engage in Absolute Fighting. Only through this life-and-death battle could he wrest their name and status for himself.

His choice of Gong Pei was not without reason. First, Gong Pei, like him, was at the Hua Dan Realm. Second, Gong Pei’s Daoist couple was uniquely connected; she was the disciple of Su Wentian, one of the sect’s Senior Disciples. The target Ning Chongxuan aimed to face in the upcoming grand competition made Gong Pei a fitting opponent.

However, Ning Chongxuan remained unaware that Gong Pei’s Daoist partner had already abandoned him.

Starting two years ago, Ning Chongxuan had sent Absolute Fighting challenge letters to Jiao Mu Island. Gong Pei, knowing he couldn’t match Ning in combat and feeling fear, had returned those letters sealed and untouched.

Ning Chongxuan was not surprised. The following year, he sent another challenge letter, which Gong Pei still refused to sign.

Half a month ago, Ning sent the third challenge letter. By now, Gong Pei found himself with nowhere to hide or escape. If he refused to fight again, according to sect rules, his title as True Disciple would be stripped away and transferred to Ning Chongxuan.

Previously, Gong Pei had sought aid from all quarters, but no one was willing to help him. Realizing his hopeless plight, he wrote an appeal for mercy, expressing his willingness to concede defeat, withdraw from Jiao Mu Island, and surrender all its possessions, pleading only for Ning Chongxuan to spare his life.

But Ning didn’t even bother to read the letter and simply tore it apart, making his intentions to eradicate Gong Pei crystal clear.

Driven to the edge, Gong Pei had no choice. In despair, he dismissed all his disciples and opened the island’s Forbidden Array, staying hidden and refusing to show himself.

In the Mingcang Sect, Absolute Fighting involved high stakes with disciples’ lives on the line. This allowed both sides to use any means necessary, as long as they did not involve external help. Dharma Treasures and arrays could all be employed.

Thus, if a disciple lacked absolute confidence in their victory, they could exploit the terrain, open the Forbidden Array, and hide within the island.

Gong Pei had chosen precisely this strategy.

Now, with only one month remaining until the sect’s grand competition, he hoped to endure through this period. Once the competition began, he refused to believe Ning Chongxuan would remain stationed here watching him.

Ning Chongxuan gazed at the Forbidden Array enveloped in mist ahead, his well-defined facial features exhibiting no trace of emotion. Flicking his finger, he sent forth a Flying Sword talismanic script.

Soon after, a young woman appeared, riding a Flying Boat. Her figure was graceful and slender, her crimson lips a delicate dot on her face, and her brows like a painting. When she reached Ning Chongxuan, she dismounted the Flying Boat and moved forward, performing a proper bow with both hands together and said, "Disciple greets Master. May I ask what Master calls me for?"

Ning Chongxuan raised his hand, and immediately, a Ruyi Divine Shuttle darted out, hovering in mid-air. He clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Take this item to Junior Brother Zhang Yan and borrow the ’Five Spirits White Carp Shuttle’ for the Breaking Array."

The young woman quickly took the order, reaching out to retrieve the shuttle and placing it in her sachet. Then, she mounted her Flying Boat, shook her token, and swiftly soared away. Exiting Dragon Abyss Marsh, she headed north and soon arrived outside Zhao You Heavenly Pond.

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Standing before the Cave Mansion, she unleashed the Ruyi Divine Shuttle in her hand, sending forth a beam of green light. She proclaimed loudly, "This junior disciple, Mei Wanxi from Bixuan Peak under Master Ning’s tutelage, has come to seek Junior Master Zhang for an urgent matter by grace of my master’s command."

It wasn’t long before the Array Gate opened, and Liu Yan personally came out to greet her. They exchanged a few words before inviting her into the main hall.

Inside the Cave Mansion, Mei Wanxi skipped pleasantries and immediately stated her purpose. Liu Yanyi, hearing her words, gently shook her head and sighed, "Junior Sister Mei, your timing is truly unfortunate. My master has been in seclusion for quite some time now and has yet to emerge."

Mei Wanxi grew anxious and asked, "Senior Sister Liu, do you know when Junior Master Zhang will exit seclusion?"

Liu Yanyi replied truthfully, "My master’s periods of seclusion in past years were short—half a year or at most a full year—before exiting each time. However, this current cultivation session has already lasted sixteen full months, indicating the cultivation method pursued this time is unusually significant. As his disciples, we remain in the dark."