Daoist Competition

Here is the English translation of the provided Chinese text:

```html

Zhang Yan smiled faintly and did not entangle himself with the other. He summoned his tunneling light and charged directly into the portal, retrieving his sword ball in one fluid motion. In a flash, he passed through it. A thunderous roar echoed behind him as the formation shifted, and the portal disappeared without a trace.

He did not bother to glance back but calculated the position of the next portal and continued onward.

After traveling less than a mile, he saw a stream of green light swirling like an emerald spring. It parted to both sides, and another portal began to slowly rise.

Before the array gate fully revealed itself, a drumbeat suddenly rang out from the Kun Position, opening another array gate. A Daoist stepped through and came face to face with him.

This Daoist donned an Eight Diagrams Robe, his hair bun tangled with yellow mud, his entire body covered in grime and grease. Sparse strands of hair and beard gave him an extremely aged appearance. Upon seeing Zhang Yan, he cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, junior brother. Only one of us can pass through this gate. Please, proceed."

There was no time for introductions or pleasantries; the two would settle the matter through combat. Zhang Yan smiled lightly and said, "Brother Daoist, please be cautious."

With a gesture of his finger, the Star Sword Ball shot forth like a meteor, aiming directly at the elderly Daoist’s face.

The old Daoist clearly did not anticipate that Zhang Yan was a Sword Cultivator and was visibly startled. However, he seemed prepared with a counter. With a quick flick of his sleeve, a mist of icy light erupted, attempting to block Zhang Yan’s sword light.

Yet, just as the sword radiance was about to connect with the mist, it deftly twisted and looped, evading the defense entirely, and slashed towards the old Daoist from his ear.

Witnessing the incredible agility of the sword light, the old Daoist was overwhelmed with dread. The extreme proximity left him no room to dodge, forcing him to hastily summon his Elixir Evil as a shield.

But just as the Elixir Evil was activated, the sword ball suddenly surged forward. His sight blurred for a moment, and he felt a cool sensation by his ear. Only then did he notice a strand of hair floating past his nose tip, finally realizing the terrifying speed of the sword light. He let out a sigh, retreated a step, and cupped his hands in submission, saying, "This old Daoist concedes defeat. Junior brother, please proceed."

Zhang Yan returned the gesture with a respectful bow, then flew forward and entered the portal, charging to the next level.

This time, his progress was smooth. He cleared three gates in succession without encountering a single opponent. However, the formation seemed to hold hidden intricacies; the faster he advanced, the longer it took to locate the next portal.

Suspecting that the formation’s operator was intentionally stalling his progress to ensure he faced adversaries, Zhang Yan decided to slow his pace and proceeded at a leisurely speed.

Sure enough, once he adjusted his momentum, he quickly discovered the sixth portal without much effort.

At this moment, a tremor emanated from the Kun Position, and a middle-aged Daoist, wearing a high crown and flowing robes, emerged. As he saw Zhang Yan, his eyes rolled, and without a word, he pinched a spell. Two Dharma Swords rose into the air behind him, transforming into golden lights and slashing downward.

Zhang Yan let out a cold snort. From the top of his head, the Xuanhuang Great Hand emerged and swiftly grabbed the two Dharma Swords. With a single squeeze, the swords were crushed into scrap metal.

The middle-aged Daoist paled with shock. Frantically, he retrieved a golden bell, intending to activate it. Yet, before he could, a streak of flying light slashed towards him. He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, and the golden bell fell to the ground. Recognizing his inferiority, he clutched his wound and transformed into a cloud of smoke to flee.

Zhang Yan stowed his sword ball and didn’t bother pursuing. With a flick of his sleeve, he strode through the array gate.

From then onward, he displayed a myriad of techniques. Whenever he encountered an opponent, he summoned his Flying Sword for a swift strike, often catching them off guard and forcing them into chaos, yielding the path to him.

If the opponent managed to deploy their Dharma Treasures in time, Zhang Yan immediately unleashed three hundred sixty drops of You Yin Heavy Water, which fell like torrential hail. The bombardment didn’t aim to destroy but merely to immobilize them briefly.

As the next portal opened, he elegantly stepped through without delay.

With this seamless combination of techniques, not a single person could hinder his advance. He broke through seven consecutive array gates with unstoppable momentum.

His aggressive progress even caught the attention of the Nascent Soul True Masters outside the array. One of them, a True Master with long brows, remarked aloud, "Who is this young man? His Flying Sword Skill is exceptional. Though he hasn’t mastered the Superior Sword Scripture, ordinary disciples are hardly capable of stopping him."

These Nascent Soul True Masters had all come from Shangming Hall and typically devoted themselves to arduous cultivation, neglecting worldly matters, so they did not recognize Zhang Yan.

Another black-skinned True Master hesitated before shaking his head, saying, "Such a clever approach may allow him to pass too swiftly, which could breed arrogance in his heart. That would contradict the intent of this array. Let me add some challenges for him."

His words revealed a bit of condescension. However, since the others were unfamiliar with Zhang Yan, they raised no objections.

This True Master adjusted the formation and selected a cultivator from within to serve as Zhang Yan’s opponent.

Zhang Yan reached another portal when sudden blue mist surged from the Kan Position. A tall, graceful young cultivator emerged.

This man had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, an unmatched bearing. Dressed in a flowing Water-patterned Celestial Ribbon Robe, he held a Dharma Sword in reverse, with its apricot-yellow tassel dangling elegantly. With a confident smile, he cupped his hands toward Zhang Yan and proudly said, "I am Zhou Xuan, disciple under Master Qi of Mystic Water True Palace. I wish to learn from your expertise, Brother Daoist."

Zhang Yan’s response was curt. "I am Zhang Yan."

Upon hearing the name, Zhou Xuan’s face changed. He hesitated, then adjusted his expression into one of respect, bowing deeply. "So, it is Junior Master Zhang. I offer my greetings. Please go ahead, Junior Master Zhang."

Zhang Yan slightly nodded and casually stepped through the portal.

The Nascent Soul True Masters outside exchanged baffled looks. The black-skinned True Master let out a sigh, saying, "Such is fate. Let it be. This may happen once, but cannot happen again. Let him continue on his way."

After this encounter, Zhang Yan faced no further obstacles. By the time he passed the sixteenth array gate, the heavens suddenly brightened. Golden light poured down, dispersing the dense clouds and shadows. Before him appeared ten towering peaks.

The ground beneath him was a stone platform jutting from a cliff. Being the first disciple to emerge from the array gate, he instantly drew the gaze of all those on the peaks.

...

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

Follow current novels on novelFɪre.net