Chapter 731 - 107 Seeking Old Enemies Before Bronze Mountain
Zhang Yan did not expect Xiao Mousui to have left behind a pot of Red Thunder Beads. This single item was worth more than all the others combined. He was invigorated by the discovery, thinking that his decision to keep this Sleeve Bag until now was truly not in vain.
The Red Thunder Beads were extremely powerful and were crafted by Nascent Soul cultivators using their own Primordial Gang, mixed with Red Marsh Divine Sand, and refined through forty-nine days of uninterrupted expelling of yang energy day and night. Once unleashed, they detonated with the force of a collapsing sky, shattering stones and cracking mountains, reducing everything within tens of feet to dust.
Zhang Yan carefully extended his hand and scooped up a handful. If such a weapon were cast against enemies, even Nascent Soul cultivators would be compelled to retreat far away to avoid the blast.
He poured out all the Red Thunder Beads, meticulously counting them. To his surprise, there were as many as 378 beads, causing him great joy. He thought to himself, "So many! It seems Xiao Mousui prepared these for dealing with True Master Tao back then."
He then considered another point: if Xiao Mousui had cast such a handful of beads when Zhang Yan defeated him, Zhang Yan might have barely escaped death but would have likely been forced to flee in panic.
However, in truth, his worries were unwarranted. At such a critical moment of peril back then, had Xiao Mousui possessed usable Red Thunder Beads, he would never have hesitated to use them for survival.
In fact, these Red Thunder Beads were not crafted by Xiao Mousui alone; they were co-refined by several Nascent Soul True Masters from his clan. Only with their combined efforts could such a quantity of beads be produced.
The beads were originally intended to deal with True Master Tao. However, the final step in their refinement required nurturing in the Mother Tin Pot for six months, making them usable only once fully formed. Thus, no matter how much Xiao Mousui wanted to use them that day, they were not ready. Had Zhang Yan’s battle with him occurred just a few days later, the outcome would have been far less certain.
Zhang Yan carefully poured the Red Thunder Sand back into the pot, affixed a talisman to secure it, and placed it cautiously back into the Sleeve Bag. With this weapon at his disposal, he felt considerably more confident in accomplishing the tasks entrusted to him by the Sect Leader.
He pondered again to ensure no details were overlooked and then thought to himself, "Once the matters of the Lower Court are properly settled, I can proceed to Bronze Mountain."
Rising to his feet, he enveloped himself in a wisp of cloud smoke, leaping to the air. In the blink of an eye, he emerged from the Array Gate of Zhao You Cave Mansion and swiftly flew toward Cangwu Mountain.
Arriving at Dangyun Peak in the Lower Court, he landed atop a large rock near the summit and sent forth a Command Token.
Moments later, three stewards of the Lower Court hurriedly came forward to meet him.
In an unhurried tone, Zhang Yan asked, "The gathering day for the disciples is only a few days away. How many have arrived so far?"
Since Zhang Yan’s arrival at the Lower Court, those noble family disciples from various Great Clans had completely lost their arrogance. Each day, they behaved with utmost caution, fearing any slip-up that might give the three stewards a reason to report them, which could lead to Zhang Yan expelling them from the Lower Court.
Because of this, the three stewards felt their authority grow significantly. They understood well the origins of their newfound empowerment and were diligent in remembering Zhang Yan’s instructions, not daring to forget them.
As soon as Zhang Yan questioned them, Ma Shouxiang immediately stepped forward, holding a roster, and without even needing to flip it open, he reported promptly, "Dean, originally the term was set at three months. However, two months ago, all disciples had already arrived without a single exception."
The four disciples under the sect’s lineage, who had been assigned to the Lower Court specifically to compete for the position of True Disciple, naturally would not lag behind. They had opened their meridians early and returned to the Three Daoist Temples to await further orders.
The noble family disciples, on the other hand, had been thoroughly intimidated by Zhang Yan. It was one thing to not earn the title of True Disciple, but missing the prescribed timeline and failing to complete their cultivation tasks might result in immediate execution, leaving them no room for complaint. Thus, after Zhang Yan issued his Dharma Decree, they hurriedly went to open their meridians without delay, then gradually returned to the mountain and waited patiently.
Taking the roster from Ma Shouxiang, Zhang Yan opened it. The characters written on the document were bold and vigorous, exuding strength and clarity. The roster detailed the disciples’ names, ages, backgrounds, years of cultivation, as well as the rankings of their meridians—all presented clearly at a glance, bringing a satisfied nod from Zhang Yan.
Scanning the list, his gaze settled on several names. Ma Shouxiang had already prepared brush and ink, presenting them respectfully.
Nodding to him, Zhang Yan took up the brush, made swift marks, and selected this session’s True Disciples.
Among the selected were four descendants of the sect’s lineage, four noble family disciples, and three disciples not of any Great Clan, as well as the Wang Sisters, summing up to thirteen in total—precisely half the number of Lower Court disciples.
Setting the brush down, he retrieved the Jade Seal, stamped the roster, and handed it back to Ma Shouxiang, saying, "I have urgent matters requiring me to leave the mountain temporarily. For now, I lack the time to allocate specific Spirit Mansions to these disciples. You need not send them to the Upper Court yet. Instead, instruct them to return to their respective sect divisions to await further instructions. We will finalize these arrangements upon my return."