Daoist Competition

Among the tens of thousands of disciples outside, when they saw Zhang Yan suddenly challenge Du De, a commotion immediately broke out. Initially astonished, they soon understood, believing that Zhang Yan, dissatisfied with the tie he had with Xiao Tang, sought to regain face by defeating Du De.

Although many noble family disciples thought he was overestimating his own abilities, quite a few disciples and followers secretly felt a surge of excitement in their hearts.

Not to mention Zhang Yan’s unexpected tie with Xiao Tang in their earlier duel, his performance in the arena—facing three consecutive opponents without any sign of fatigue, still full of spirit and vigor—clearly demonstrated his abundant Primordial Qi and enduring strength, far surpassing his peers. He truly lived up to the reputation of a First-class Elixir Formation cultivator, capable of moving the Nine Whales.

Instantly, countless gazes followed closely behind him.

However, individuals like Xiao Tang thought more deeply, secretly calculating and speculating about Zhang Yan’s true intentions behind this move.

Luo Yuanhua, clutching his chest, coughed a few times and angrily said, "Senior Brother, if not for you granting Zhang Yan a temporary reprieve earlier, how could he have escaped unscathed from your hands? Yet now he dares to recklessly challenge Brother Du’s position—such arrogance and conceit, utterly blind to others!"

Xiao Tang, noticing Luo Yuanhua’s unusually furious tone, which was a stark contrast to his normally calm and composed demeanor, couldn’t help feeling a bit surprised.

Upon further thought, Xiao Tang immediately understood his sentiment.

It turned out that Luo Yuanhua feared that if Du De defeated Zhang Yan, it would make their own side look weak in comparison. This, in turn, would weigh down on Luo Yuanhua, who had already lost to Zhang Yan, making it harder for him to hold his head high.

A faint, enigmatic smile surfaced on Xiao Tang’s face as he spoke with a layered tone: "Junior Brother, don’t fret. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing."

He extended his hand, pointing as he continued, "Earlier, I noticed that Zhang Yan has treasure clothes protecting him. Just watch—if he focuses entirely on staying defensive, Brother Du may not necessarily be able to do much against him."

After his earlier duel with Xiao Tang, Zhang Yan went to challenge Du De. Though puzzling at first glance, it was evident that he had his own purpose in mind.

Previously, when Ning Chongxuan refrained from provoking others and specifically targeted Su Wentian, Zhang Yan noticed that with Ning Chongxuan’s temperament, this certainly wasn’t his personal decision but was likely an instruction from those Cave Heaven True Masters.

With the support of Master Sun behind Ning Chongxuan, even so, it was clear he still held reservations and a bottom line.

This bottom line was the broader balance of power—once crossed, the pressure would fall upon the Cave Heaven True Masters backing each respective disciple.

Zhang Yan’s participation in this grand competition, while supported by True Master Peng, was ultimately a matter of shared interests. True Master Peng might give him a push at critical moments to help him ascend but was unlikely to take excessive risks for him.

Given this, striving for a temporary tie both demonstrated his capability and avoided provoking the noble families unnecessarily, making it the best strategy under these circumstances.

However, a tie against one person is just a tie. A tie against two opponents, though the process might seem similar, would yield a vastly different outcome.

Ending in a tie with Xiao Tang, since the duel was a wager, many disciples likely didn’t believe Zhang Yan’s true strength was on par with his opponent.

If this result carried insufficient weight, he would merely need to challenge another.

Should he manage to fight Du De to a stalemate as well, who within the sect would dare look down upon him?

Even if no one believed he could outright defeat the two, they could hardly deny that his strength was sufficient to claim a spot among the Top Ten Disciples!

Seated atop the peak, Du De heard Zhang Yan’s challenge but remained silent, his expression unreadable, eyes deep with contemplation. Lifting one white, delicate hand like that of a woman’s, he gestured toward Feng Zhen below.

Feng Zhen, understanding his intent, had long wished to duel Zhang Yan ever since mastering his Minor Divine Power. Now, his wish was about to be fulfilled.

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Stepping forward, Feng Zhen respectfully saluted Du De before heading down the peak. Amidst the crowd of disciples, Mo Daoist, seeing Feng Zhen’s haste and fearing he might slip up, called out to his back, "Junior Brother, be careful. Do not underestimate this man!"

Feng Zhen acted as though he hadn’t heard, descending swiftly without looking back. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the base of the peak and proclaimed confidently, "Zhang Yan, for the likes of you, a mere junior, there’s no need for the senior master to act—I alone am enough to deal with you."

Seeing that it was Feng Zhen who had come, Zhang Yan, though only acquainted with him briefly, knew of the man’s prior underhanded tricks. While killing was forbidden in the grand competition, Zhang Yan decided that he could still make Feng Zhen suffer. Smiling, he replied, "Arguing with words is pointless. Let’s see the truth through our actions."

Feng Zhen let out a cold laugh, glaring at Zhang Yan. Activating his Mysterious Skill, in an instant, raging flames surged within his chest. Stimulated by the fiery energy, his vision turned blood-red. With a sharp snort, he flung his wide sleeves, instantly unleashing a massive plume of orange fire and black smoke from his crown, interspersed with dazzling sparks that scattered like shooting stars and drifting embers.