Daoist Competition

Upon realizing this, Feng Zhen’s heart immediately sank, feeling that things had taken a dire turn.

At this moment, his momentum was at its lowest. This shifting tide was keenly noticed by Zhang Yan.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yan rotated the First Grade Golden Core within his abdomen, unleashing a surge of immense Elixir Evil power. The 365 drops of You Yin Heavy Water trembled violently. The dense cloud mass seemed to be pulled by some force, abruptly surging upward, colliding directly with the suspended smoke above.

A thunderous explosion echoed, and the two masses of smoke and clouds clashed instantly!

In that moment, the gathered disciples felt the entire mountain range trembling, echoes resonating endlessly. A whirlwind seemingly rose out of nowhere, pressing their garments close to their bodies and sending their hairbands flying. Countless fine sand particles swirled in the air, forcing everyone to activate Mysterious Skill to deflect the debris away.

Above the skies, thunder resounded and lightning flashed, shaking the heavens. After the deafening roar, Feng Zhen’s entire mass of smoke and clouds had been completely obliterated, scattering in black fragments and ash drifting to the ground like snowflakes, utterly dissipating. Meanwhile, the misty white fog below remained completely unmoved, making the disparity in power painfully clear at a glance.

Yet Zhang Yan’s eyebrows rose slightly. That Feng Zhen’s smoke cloud crumbled so quickly was not purely due to his own attacks but because Feng Zhen had actively dispersed the cloud at the critical moment.

This move by Feng Zhen was one of desperation.

As the flames and smoke dwindled, the weaker Feng Zhen became. Oddly enough, his mind grew unusually clear in that last instant. Gritting his teeth, he resolutely and painfully shattered the Dharma Talisman that maintained his Divine Skills.

With the talisman gone, it was equivalent to three years of painstaking cultivation wiped out entirely. Though attempting to re-cultivate later would result in weaker abilities, it was far better than having his entire cultivation base destroyed outright.

Though gravely injured in his Primordial Qi, he had managed to break free from the constraints of this cultivation technique, avoiding a complete loss of his foundation.

At this moment, Feng Zhen could no longer care about anything else, desperately inhaling and absorbing the scattered Essence Qi from all directions.

This Essence Qi was the foundation for nurturing and refining Elixir Evil power. Normally, cultivators securely stored this within their Golden Cores and avoided utilizing it lightly. If even a single strand were diminished significantly, their cultivation base would plummet. They would then need decades of Golden Core recovery and warming to slowly regain their strength.

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However, because of his use of Divine Skills, Feng Zhen had shifted almost all his Essence Qi outside his body. Thus, in his current desperate state, he frantically raced through the clouds, trying to salvage as much as he could.

Hidden within the mist, Zhang Yan coldly observed Feng Zhen’s frantic actions. How could he allow him to act freely and recover his Essence Qi?

He urged the You Yin Heavy Water, instantly shooting out arcs of lightning radiance. The beams wove through the air, obliterating pockets of Essence Qi into nothingness within a blink of an eye, swiftly erasing a massive amount of it.

Feng Zhen watched this with bloodshot eyes, almost vomiting blood in rage. But he knew he was no longer capable of confronting Zhang Yan. He could only endure the humiliation, rage inwardly, and mutter curses under his breath while hurriedly gathering the remaining bits of Essence Qi.

In the shadows of his robe sleeve, Zhang Yan discreetly extended a finger. A strand of Qi Radiance laced with an abnormal Qi mixed into the Essence Qi Feng Zhen was absorbing. Too desperate to notice, Feng Zhen inhaled it together with the rest, drawing it into his body.

Zhang Yan smiled faintly. This abnormal Qi, transformed from his Elixir Evil energy, came from a spell in the *True Fixing Leisurely Chapter* specializing in Concealing Qi. If not purged promptly, it would infiltrate his organs, slowly penetrating into his meridians and acupoints.

Initially, with Feng Zhen focused on nursing his Golden Core, he likely wouldn’t notice it. But as his cultivation base gradually recovered and he activated his Mysterious Skill, even if it caused no major harm, the resulting unbearable pain within his body would severely hinder his ability to control energy.

By then, removing this Qi would be a monumental task. Unless he entreated a senior elder’s help, such assistance would come at the cost of further weakening his cultivation. It would take another layer of cultivation grinding just to purge it entirely.

Zhang Yan was fully aware that under the scrutinizing eyes of the crowd, he could, at best, employ such underhanded tactics. However, once he ascended to the rank of the Top Ten Disciples, he would have plenty of ways to deal with Feng Zhen further. For now, he refrained from pressing the matter, instead dispersing the mist and summoning the You Yin Heavy Water back to him. Quietly inspecting his inner state, he discovered something unexpected.

The You Yin Heavy Water had appeared to shrink, seemingly significantly drained.

After a brief moment of thought, Zhang Yan dismissed the concern. Even if the You Yin Heavy Water was depleted, it only required locating a secluded, frigid abyssal spring to refine it anew.

This Heavy Water had been cultivated by him before in the Nether River, while searching for Demon Storage relics. Now that his cave mansion was situated in the Zhao You Heavenly Pool—a place rumored to connect to the Netherworld—he could easily recover it by venturing into its depths.

Standing nearby, Elder Xun chuckled softly, casting a glance up toward the Fourth Peak. Stepping forward on a beam of sword light, he positioned himself between the two, pointing at Feng Zhen, who now looked utterly defeated and lifeless. "Feng Zhen, you’ve lost this match. Withdraw at once!"

Feng Zhen, still struggling to gather the remnants of Essence Qi, opened his mouth as if to say something, but Elder Xun’s face twitched slightly with displeasure. Puffing his cheeks, Elder Xun blew, and suddenly a gust of clear wind whisked Feng Zhen away, throwing him back to the peak in a blink. However, as he descended, the wind abruptly dispersed, causing him to tumble down inelegantly.

Already weakened, Feng Zhen failed to brace himself and fell to the ground in a pathetic heap.

Mo Daoist hurried forward to help him up, whispering, "Get up quickly. Be careful not to rouse the master’s anger."

Feng Zhen’s face turned pale as he wobbled to his feet, though his body swayed as if he might collapse at any moment.

Fortunately, Du De paid him no attention. Sitting quietly, he appeared deep in thought. After a long silence, he asked the boy holding the furnace beside him, "What time is it?"

The child bowed and answered, "Master, it is the Human Hour. Another hour remains before the Hour of the Rat."

Du De hummed in acknowledgment, neither affirming nor denying. He swept his gaze over the gathered disciples, then flicked his sleeve. Transforming into a streak of fiery green smoke, he descended from the peak, standing before Zhang Yan in an instant. With hands clasped behind his back, he said calmly, "Zhang Yan, you may begin."

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with your suggestions and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)