Daoist Competition

Seeing several Dharma Treasures descending from the sky, Zhang Yan maneuvered the Xuanhuang Great Hand, sweeping horizontally to ward off all incoming objects, preventing them from nearing him.

Yu Gu She had been watching Zhang Yan’s movements all along, waiting precisely for this moment. Seeing a gap open in Zhang Yan’s outer defenses, he believed he had seized the opportunity. A cold smile appeared on his face as he urged the Blood Line Golden Worms to swarm downwards.

Zhang Yan heard a buzzing noise near his ears. Looking up, he saw countless Blood Line Golden Worms rushing toward him to devour him.

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He remained calm. Before they could attach to him, his treasure clothes naturally emitted a beam of brilliance, extending half a foot outward, resembling the radiance of a Bright Pearl, keeping all the worms at bay.

However, these golden insects were indeed formidable. Even against the protective aura, they relentlessly gnawed and bit. In just a few moments, they had devoured one layer of his defenses.

Zhang Yan was taken aback by their ferocity. With the insects so close, he could examine them clearly. Each was as large as a locust, with gold heads, elongated bodies, pincers for mouths, antennae atop their heads, barbed claws, and six pairs of membranous wings on their backs— their appearance was utterly savage.

A thought stirred within him, and a fragment of knowledge briefly flashed in his mind, something he had once read in the Jingluo Academy. However, now was not the time for deeper reflection. He slightly intensified his treasure clothes, causing the radiant glow to expand outward, pushing the vile insects back a little further.

Although Zhang Yan was unharmed, to outsiders, he appeared to be entirely enveloped by the Blood Worms from head to toe, seemingly on the brink of death.

Qian Yi, who had been hiding behind dark smoke, saw Zhang Yan being devoured by the swarm of worms and gleefully thought to himself, "My opportunity has come! The Essence Blood of this Xuanmen Sect Disciple is an extraordinary elixir. Once I absorb it, my Blood Essence may even condense as perfectly as our Master’s. This is a chance that will never come again, even at the risk of my Master’s wrath. I must take this gamble today."

Confident that after consuming Zhang Yan and dramatically increasing his strength, Yu Gu She would not dare interfere with him too much, Qian Yi decided any reprimand would pale in comparison to the benefits he’d gain.

Thus, he performed a Dharma technique ensuring he wouldn’t be harmed by the Blood Line Golden Worms. With a gust of foul wind, he eagerly charged forward.

Seeing a beam of Blood Light suddenly dart towards him, Zhang Yan was initially surprised, but then his lips curled into a faint smile. Since the opponent was offering himself up, Zhang Yan would not hesitate. The Water Element True Light stirred slightly as a water-colored brilliance flashed momentarily, enveloping Qian Yi. In an instant, his figure vanished completely.

Zhang Yan attentively observed the positions of the twenty-plus Blood Essences suspended mid-air. After calculating silently for a moment, he subtly vibrated his sword ball, unleashing sixteen streams of sword light, which shot out in all directions with a mere thought.

Yu and Guo both initially rejoiced upon seeing Zhang Yan being bitten by the Blood Worms.

They were well aware of the Blood Worms’ lethal power; anyone subjected to their bites, even if not immediately killed, would not hold out for long.

Immediately after, Yu Gu She noticed his senior disciple, Qian Yi, charging forward without awaiting instructions. Though slightly displeased, he thought there was no point in arguing mid-battle—besides, it was better for his own disciple to claim the advantage than Guo Nanxing.

As he pondered on how to reprimand Qian Yi once they returned, he suddenly saw a streak of sword light flying toward him, causing his expression to shift in alarm.

Reacting swiftly, he dodged aside like a ghostly shadow. Yet the sword light clung to him like a bone-burrowing parasite, darting after him with lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, more than ten strikes landed upon him.

Although his Blood Essence fractured and instantly reassembled, appearing undamaged, the strikes intertwined with his Divine Soul, and the sword light inflicted pain his True Body could not ignore.

Forced into evasive maneuvers, Yu Gu She unwittingly shifted closer to Zhang Yan step by step.

A similar plight befell the others around him. Some were forced by a single stream of sword light to maneuver two or three Blood Essences, while others contended against two streams of sword light targeting them individually. The sword light moved unpredictably, interacting and entwining, slashing at them without respite. All they could see was chaotic radiance flashing, multicolored traces streaking—a spectacle that left them overwhelmed, disoriented, and fumbling in their defense.

Zhang Yan’s actions were deliberate and meticulously calculated, aimed at driving these Blood Essences closer to himself.

Though the Water Element True Light held immense power, its rotations weren’t as agile as the sword light’s movements. If released recklessly, the Blood Essences’ flying speed would allow them to evade promptly. However, by first using the flying swords to constrain them and forcing them inward, he could then unleash the True Light to deliver a decisive strike!

Guo Nanxing had been targeted by the sword ball multiple times and, by now, sensed something amiss. His sharp gaze swept across the battlefield, noticing that the Blood Essences were being forced closer to Zhang Yan, suspiciously near. A sudden sense of foreboding rose within him, and he couldn’t help but shout aloud, "Be careful!"