Daoist Competition

If these small noble families claim to harbor no resentment within their hearts, he would never believe it. Yet, with the Five Great Clans and Twelve Great Families monopolizing almost seventy to eighty percent of the sect’s power, even if they wished to rebel, it would be utterly impossible.

Zhang Yan’s gaze shifted, turning toward Elder Zhu’s position.

Two disciples, one male and one female, stood before Elder Zhu. Both of his disciples had entered the last peak, and he appeared quite content, but as Zhang Yan’s gaze fell upon him, his breathing faltered slightly. He avoided looking in Zhang Yan’s direction and instead called the two disciples closer, giving them detailed instructions.

The male disciple wore a Daoist robe of dark purple embroidered with gold, paired with white socks and Mang Shoes. His Daoist bun was tied high, his brows curved green like willow leaves. Handsome and tall, his appearance stood out prominently even among the gathered disciples, demanding respect.

The female disciple had her hair styled in twin spiral buns adorned by a fluttering red silk ribbon that swayed gracefully in the wind, a truly captivating sight. She donned a pomegranate-colored immortal dress that trailed to the ground, accented by a jade white silk sash around her waist, its end adorned with a phoenix-patterned fine silver ring. Though small and delicate in stature, her straight and proud nose, along with her luminous eyes, lent her a valiant and heroic aura.

After Elder Zhu finished speaking, he retrieved something from his sleeve and handed it to the pair.

This gesture did not escape the eyes of those with ulterior motives, who speculated it must be some sort of treasure. However, waiting until now to bring it out suggested it likely wasn’t of immense power. For a moment, the sight unsettled several disciples observing the scene.

Zhang Yan shot a glance at Elder Zhu with faint amusement.

What kind of Dharma Treasure had he bestowed, and how strong was its might? No one knew. Sometimes, it’s the unknown that evokes the greatest fear.

Elder Zhu appeared especially adept at manipulating people’s hearts. By openly making this move before everyone, it was evident he intended to instill apprehension in anyone who faced his disciples, impairing their confidence and boldness.

An hour passed. Nine Hua Dan Cultivators sent their disciples into the array one by one, then turned and began chatting among themselves.

One among them glanced at Zhang Yan and deliberately sneered, "Junior Brother, some mortals with shallow foundations and limited capability overestimate themselves, vainly imagining they can contend with us noble families. How utterly laughable."

Immediately, another chimed in, "Brother Zheng is absolutely correct. Our noble families, with histories of thousands of years, are hardly something a mere cultivator of twenty or thirty years can compare to."

Overhearing their names, Zhang Yan quickly surmised they were disciples of the Zheng Family—a small wonder they were hostile toward him. During the Elixir Tasting Conference, he had humiliated the Zheng Family thoroughly.

He chuckled lightly, uninterested in quarreling with the two. He simply waited patiently for the competition’s results.

After yet another hour, a drum sounded, the stone gate grandly opened, and eight disciples each emerged from within, one after another.

Those disciples who appeared were inevitably the ones defeated by their opponents and thus could no longer remain in the valley.

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Brother Zheng, who had initially been brimming with confidence, suddenly saw one of his disciples among them, prompting a drastic change in his expression. He shot to his feet and exclaimed in disbelief, "Zheng Xu! You had a Treasure Robe for protection and Golden Thunder Nails in your grasp—how could you possibly lose?"

The dejected disciple hung his head low, visibly fearful as his master berated him. Climbing onto the Flying Couch, he knelt down with a thud and, trembling, pleaded, "Master, it wasn’t for lack of effort, but that Liu Yan Yi wielded the ’Five Spirit White Carp Shuttle.’ I gave my all, but it was truly impossible to counter!"

"The Five Spirit White Carp Shuttle?"

Brother Zheng nearly exploded in fury. He turned abruptly and glared at Zhang Yan with seething rage, as if ready to devour him.

This treasure of the Xiao Family had already been widely acknowledged to be in Zhang Yan’s possession—Brother Zheng himself had openly mocked the Xiao Family for it previously. Little did he expect swift retaliation to strike him instead.

A mystical weapon of this caliber was rare even among the Five Great Clans.

Furthermore, the reputation of the "Five Spirit White Carp Shuttle" preceded it, and among High Grade Mystical Artifacts, it was considered one of the very best. Specializing in breaking through Dharma Treasure prohibitions, it was unmatched save for True Artifacts or a few exceptions.

Brother Zheng felt utterly choked with frustration. No wonder those allies of his noble family had refrained from sending disciples this time—surely they had foreseen such an eventuality.

In the past, noble families often leveraged their treasures to oppress weaker disciples. How had the tides so completely turned this time?

Unable to contain his indignation, he stormed directly up to Zhang Yan and boomed, "Zhang Yan! Your treasure may be powerful today, and my disciple has lost without complaint. But don’t imagine you’re invincible; the heavens do not grant unique advantages to just one household. Let’s see how things turn out in the competition the day after tomorrow. Farewell!"

With that, he flung his sleeve and departed with his disciple, vanishing into tunnel smoke.

Upon hearing the words "Five Spirit White Carp Shuttle," Elder Zhu’s expression subtly shifted. Stroking his beard, he fell into silent contemplation.

Before long, he seemed to reach a decision. Suddenly, he moved toward the entrance door and leaned in to whisper something in the ear of the Steward Daoist standing there. That Daoist listened with a mixture of confusion and astonishment, glancing at Elder Zhu’s solemn demeanor. Hesitating briefly, he eventually nodded and proceeded into the stone gate.

The crowd buzzed with curiosity, eager to uncover what Elder Zhu might have conveyed. Unable to resist, someone bolted to their feet and demanded sharply, "Hold on, Brother! Secrets should never be kept amongst us. What are you two whispering about in such a sneaky manner?"

The Steward Daoist, unlike the external disciples, was himself a Shangming Hall elder and hailed from the same master-disciple lineage. Confronted with such rudeness, he offered no courtesy, coolly responding, "Elder Zhu was merely addressing a private matter concerning his disciples. Shortly, I will report everything to Elder Ji for proper judgment. If you have doubts, feel free to seek Elder Ji for clarification. There’s no need to raise a fuss and demean your status."

"You..." The man found himself at a loss for words but, unable to retaliate, could only let out a chilly snort and return to his seat.

The assembly waited another hour before the stone gate reopened, this time revealing four disciples with dim expressions as they flew out from the valley.

Seeing their disciples’ defeats, the respective masters looked similarly humiliated and lost no time whisking their disciples away.

The heavens above now grew tranquil, leaving only Zhang Yan, Elder Zhu, and Elder Hu present.

Elder Zhu and Elder Hu exchanged glances, each catching flickers of surprise in the other’s eyes. It was clear the disciples from their lineage had seized the top four rankings in this competition—it had been over a century since such an unprecedented accomplishment!

The only question remaining was—whose disciples would claim first place? That would require just a bit more waiting to ascertain.

As the evening approached, a resonant tone echoed from within the valley. Both Zhang Yan and the two elders immediately raised their eyes, whereupon they observed four streaks of tunneling light simultaneously darting through the Array Gate.

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)