Daoist Competition

Liu Yan Yi couldn’t help but freeze momentarily.

The Wang Sisters also listened in astonishment, never imagining that the sword duel back then had such hidden depths.

Yet, with Elder Zhu willing to reveal the truth—his silver hair and aged appearance accompanied by an expression of deep remorse before the younger generation—they genuinely believed that this old Daoist carried a burden of guilt in his heart, and they couldn’t help but develop some goodwill towards him.

However, their lack of worldly experience left them oblivious to Elder Zhu’s malicious intentions.

For individuals like Elder Zhu, who were nearing the end of their lifespan and facing death head-on, their Dao Heart had long transcended notions of good and evil. How could they possibly be bothered by such trivial matters?

The reason he said those words was because he recognized that Liu Yan Yi practiced the purest form of Xuanmen Daoist Skill. The more her Heart Realm remained transparent and harmonious, the smoother and more fluid her cultivation progress would be. His goal in saying such things was to instill feelings of resentment and anger within her.

If she were consumed by such emotions, she would lose her serene Heart Realm during battles and be unable to fully unleash her powers.

It is known that when two individuals of similar cultivation levels engage in a conflict, even the slightest disparity can lead to failure. His intention in sowing such seeds of ill intent was clear, and what was remarkable was his ability to do so merely through words, leaving no evidence or flaws to trace back to him.

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Liu Yan Yi, after hearing him out, was lost in thought for a brief moment. However, a smile soon bloomed on her face like spring flowers, and she gracefully bowed, saying, "Thank you, Elder Zhu, for your words. However, in my opinion, the sense of drive and energy I possess today stems entirely from that defeat back then. Though I lost, it allowed me to see myself clearly, see through the veil of confusion, and understand the path forward. Speaking of it, I truly owe my thanks to Senior Sister Yuan."

Seeing that Liu Yan Yi was entirely unaffected by his words, Elder Zhu’s eyelids twitched slightly, and a trace of surprise flashed deep within his eyes as he thought to himself, "How many years of cultivation does this Liu Yan Yi have? Even if her Mysterious Skill cultivation is profound, surely upon hearing such things, her emotions should have stirred for at least a moment. How could this be? This shouldn’t be! This makes no sense at all..."

In truth, he miscalculated one matter. Although Zhang Yan had never explained the details to Liu Yan Yi, she had already learned the true story from Qi Mengjiao long ago. At the time, she did harbor some resentment and spent quite a bit of time adjusting her Heart Realm. Now that the matter had been brought up again, it naturally had no effect on her.

At this moment, Elder Zhu vaguely guessed as much. Just as he was preparing to scheme further, a brilliant rainbow light streaked across the horizon. From the west, a sword light approached swiftly, landing before the group in an instant. Smoke and clouds dispersed in all directions, revealing a young Daoist with a star-shaped crown atop his head and clad in a vestment robe.

The Wang Sisters and Tian Kun, who had moments ago been overpowered by Elder Zhu’s aura and afraid to speak, immediately felt the pressure lifted. They exclaimed joyfully and in unison, "Master!"

Liu Yan Yi also bore a delighted expression as she greeted him with a formal bow, "Disciple pays respect to Master."

Zhang Yan nodded lightly to them, then turned his gaze toward Elder Zhu, clasping his hands and saying, "May I ask which Brother Daoist is present here?"

Elder Zhu’s frost-white brows raised slightly, a trace of seriousness flashing in his eyes. He slowly stood from the couch and returned the salute, saying, "So it is Master Zhang. Greetings from the humble Daoist Zhu Bingwen."

Zhang Yan smiled faintly and said, "Ah, Elder Zhu. May I ask what business you have with my disciple? Could it be that they have done something wrong? If so, please tell me, and I shall discipline them properly."

Elder Zhu shook his head, gesturing toward the high crown daoist who bowed deferentially below as he sighed, "It is entirely due to the foolishness of my unworthy junior brother that these issues arose, embarrassing myself before the Pavilion Master. Best we leave this matter unmentioned. I ask for your indulgence in preserving my dignity."

Zhang Yan, seeing Elder Zhu unwilling to elaborate and noting that his disciples were unharmed, accepted that the elder spoke truthfully. He refrained from discussing further and courteously said, "Since Elder Zhu has graced us with your presence, why not take a seat within the pavilion?"

Elder Zhu bowed lightly and replied, "Your kind offer is appreciated, Pavilion Master, but I have pressing matters and cannot linger. I bid you farewell."

Zhang Yan did not insist and returned the courtesy.

Elder Zhu sat back upon his flying couch, closed his eyes, and patted the armrest. With his two disciples and the high crown daoist, he vanished into the clouds above Yun Tian in a single flash.

Zhang Yan chuckled lightly and entered the main hall with his four disciples attending him. Taking his place at the head seat, he glanced toward Li Guozhi and said, "This fellow disciple, you seem unfamiliar to me. May I ask where you cultivate?"

Li Guozhi, upon seeing Zhang Yan, felt somewhat nervous and had been hiding behind the others. Only when spoken to did he step forward, bow deeply, and say loudly, "Under Yingxian Sect, Li Guozhi pays respects to Pavilion Master Zhang." With that, he gave a deep bow.

Zhang Yan smiled faintly and said, "Ah, so you are under Master Yu’s tutelage. That makes you no outsider. No need for formalities; please rise."

Once everyone was seated, he began to inquire about the previous events.

Listening as the disciples recounted the story from start to finish, he couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head and saying, "Such foolish individuals—I am surprised they managed to live this long."

Wang Caiting then exclaimed, "Master, so it turns out that Senior Sister was defeated by some Yuan Yanhui years ago, and it wasn’t without reason..."

Liu Yan Yi furrowed her brow and said, "Junior Sister, before Master, such trivial matters need not be mentioned."

Wang Caiting pouted and said, "But it’s true..."

Zhang Yan chuckled and said, "Regardless of the details, Yan Yi, you may elaborate so I can understand."

Liu Yan Yi stood and replied, "To report to Master, it truly is nothing significant. Junior Sister has simply made much ado about nothing."

Although she said so, she didn’t dare conceal anything and truthfully recounted her conversation with Elder Yuan word-for-word.

After Zhang Yan heard the explanation, his gaze flickered slightly. The disciples could not discern any issues, but how could he fail to notice?

He silently sneered to himself, thinking, "To think Zhu Bingwen would seize the opportunity of my absence to sow such deception. Fortunately, I arrived in time; otherwise, who knows what tricks he might have employed? Even if the trap were sprung, there would have been no evidence to hold him accountable. It seems I must return the favor someday."

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation or monthly tickets. Your support is the greatest motivation for me.)