Daoist Competition

These individuals are all disciples from the Ten Great Sects of Xuanmen. Previously, considering their status, they were unwilling to make a move to grab the object. But at this moment, seeing that this is already the final layer, none wished to leave empty-handed. After all, no one ever complains about having too many Dharma Treasures.

After obtaining this object, Zhang Yan no longer felt the need to linger and leisurely started to descend the tower.

Fang Zhenlu, however, suddenly sensed something. Gazing at Zhang Yan’s departing figure, he asked the elder surnamed Chen beside him, "Senior Brother, did you recognize from which sect that person hails?"

The elder immediately became vigilant, saying, "Junior Brother, why, do you suspect there’s something unusual about that person?"

Fang Zhenlu flicked his finger toward the prohibition on the altar platform, causing the Golden Talisman to tremble repeatedly yet fail to break open. He replied in a low voice, "Even if I were the one breaking this talisman, it wouldn’t be this effortless. That person quietly took the treasure away, surely not one of insignificant renown."

The elder’s eyes flashed sharply. He said, "Are you suspecting that he might be a Demon Sect disciple?"

Fang Zhenlu did not confirm, saying only, "It’s merely a thought for now."

The elder remarked, "Should we capture him and interrogate him thoroughly?"

Fang Zhenlu pondered for a moment but ultimately shook his head and said, "Forget it. Since he’s here, there’s bound to be another opportunity to cross paths. No need to deliberately seek him out."

The elder spoke in a solemn tone, "It’s just that he suddenly took a treasure and left. We don’t know whether it might be something of great importance."

Fang Zhenlu glanced at the now-empty altar platform and remarked indifferently, "It’s most likely just a Spiritual Artifact, no big deal."

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After Zhang Yan exited the Tower Pavilion, he conjured a cloud mist and took flight.

Finding a secluded spot, he landed and stood firm. Then, he took out the copper token from his sleeve and carefully inspected the Erosion Inscription Manual engraved on it, quickly grasping its contents with clarity.

A faint smile emerged on his face as he sent a surge of Spiritual Energy onto the token. In an instant, the copper token quivered, and projections of mountain ranges, tranquil courtyards, and the towering peaks of pavilion shadows materialized. When compared to the geographical features surrounding him, the depiction matched perfectly! This item was not only a precise map of the terrain but also detailed the distribution of all the palaces in this area.

Zhang Yan felt secretly fortunate. Though the copper token was not a treasure itself, with it in hand, he could act purposefully without aimlessly wandering about.

After scrutinizing it several times, his gaze narrowed and settled on a peripheral hall. The virtual plaque bore the words "Mixed Qi Temple," located only a few miles away from the mountaintop.

He raised his head to look, then shook out his robe sleeve and leaped forward, arriving at the spot in nearly an instant. He landed before a dilapidated hall.

The area in front of the hall was overgrown with weeds, and its gate had long collapsed, seemingly destroyed deliberately. It was likely the work of cultivators who had explored this site before, suggesting that someone had already ventured inside.

Nonetheless, Zhang Yan showed no urgency, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor as he walked inward.

The layout of the palace here was strange. Though the hall stood above ground, there was a vast underground palace beneath the mountain, hidden inside the hill’s abdomen. If not for the copper token guiding him, he could never have imagined coming here to investigate.

Now that he knew the location of his target, searching became much easier.

Fixing his gaze downward, he paced through the grand hall several times. By the third circuit, his steps abruptly stopped. His eyes flickered as he lifted a foot and stomped down. With a sharp crack, the jade bricks beneath his feet fractured. Then, with a sweep of his robe sleeve, the broken stones were cleared away, revealing what lay below.

Below lay a perfectly rectangular slab of Ten-thousand-year-old Sunken River Wood, roughly three meters wide and long, seeming to seal off an entry point.

Just then, he suddenly heard voices from outside, causing his eyebrows to arch.

A flash of figures appeared, and two individuals walked into the hall. Both were Xuan Guang Practitioners, laughing and chatting. When they looked up and saw Zhang Yan within, they froze, hesitating for a moment before one of them stepped forward to bow and said with a forced smile, "We didn’t know the senior was here. It was reckless of my senior brother to intrude. We’ll leave immediately, we’ll leave right away."

Zhang Yan stood silently, not saying a word. These two were astute enough not to cast a second glance at anything within the hall. They kept their heads low and quickly withdrew.

After they left, Zhang Yan contemplated briefly before retrieving an Array Flag from his sleeve. With a flick of his wrist, he planted it before the hall entrance. Though this item was merely a Magic Artifact, should anyone enter, he would instantly be alerted.

Returning to the Ten-thousand-year-old Sunken River Wood, he performed a hand seal, and with a thunderous roar, the Xuanhuang Great Hand surged forth from above him and grabbed downward. The wood was easily lifted and cast aside. In that instant, a wave of Evil Qi burst forth.

Zhang Yan did not stop there, continuing to guide the Xuanhuang Great Hand into another descending motion. Amid several rumbling booms, the prohibition below was shattered.

After retracting the Xuanhuang Great Hand, he leaped inward.

Descending downward, he saw jade stairs leading deeper within. Wasting no time, he tapped his feet lightly and soared forward, following the jade stairs downward.

Soon, he reached the lowest level.

Looking around, he discovered that the mountain’s interior had been hollowed out entirely. Its vastness was beyond measure, filled with piles of earth and rubble forming hillocks. Paths built from black-and-white clay twisted and wound across the hills, erratic and uneven, resembling coiling dragons and serpentine worms without any discernible pattern.

Nearest to Zhang Yan within the paths lay a stream of flaming red Earth Evil, resembling molten lava flowing with fiery embers and incandescence, blazing red-hot with a length stretching over a thousand meters.

Another path adjacent to it held a crystalline Earth Evil glowing like stars, emitting an eerie blue luminescence, lying silently yet equally deep and lengthy.

Zhang Yan, though unfamiliar with its principles, could surmise that it likely involved the Yin Yang Mutual Refinement method within the Nurturing Evil Method.

These two Earth Evils, though extreme in nature, were adjacent and connected by a special Secret Technique. Paradoxically, their juxtaposition enabled mutual enhancement, amplifying the Qi Veins significantly.

Surveying further afield, he discerned similar Earth Evil formations sporadically across the area, with intervals of several miles between each.

Leaping into the air to explore, he ultimately identified sixteen Earth Evil paths in total. He mused inwardly, "This time I’ve stumbled upon a fortune. The Yao Yin Sect’s foundation is indeed substantial. These sixteen Earth Evil paths all boast ages exceeding ten thousand years. Even the Mingcang Sect would be fortunate to have more than a few of such ancient Earth Evil paths."

As he contemplated, a sudden loud rumble reverberated, akin to heaven and earth shaking. The entire Cave Mansion trembled!

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