Daoist Competition

Thus, he glanced below, then turned to face the hundred-odd cultivators and spoke loudly, "Regarding Fellow Daoist Ying’s words, this humble one dares not agree. In my opinion, this array gate being closed might actually be a good thing. Fellow Daoists, follow me to the peak. If there are any artifacts belonging to the Yao Yin Sect here, I shall decide to share them with all present; there’s no need to further divide them with others. Moreover, if we can find the prohibition mechanism, why worry about being unable to leave this place?"

His words struck a chord in the hearts of those present. What were they here for? Wasn’t it to secure benefits that could further their cultivation journeys? Knowing there may be great opportunities ahead, yet leaving them untouched—this was far from what they desired.

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Ying Chenglin sighed, shaking his head. His sharp edge had long been dulled. Since Yue Yuji was being so brash and ostentatious, he couldn’t stop him. After all, things had reached this stage, and retreat was out of the question. So, he simply closed his mouth and said no more.

At that moment, all prohibitions on the mountain path had already been broken. After the group discussed and settled their plans, they ascended to the peak together. Before long, they arrived at the grand hall. Gazing upon it, they couldn’t help but let out a sigh of admiration.

The grand hall stood alone atop the treacherous peak, suppressing the mountain. The structure was vast, supported by forty-nine gold-plated hall pillars. The bases were made of green rock basin column foundations, surrounded by a plaza spacious enough to hold a thousand people. In front of the hall stood a mysterious stele, borne by a Baxi turtle, approximately sixteen zhang tall, inscribed with three characters: "Po Xin Peak."

At the plaza’s four corners were white jade stone piles, each with a strange beast sculpture crouching atop them. The east and west sides were particularly striking; water surged like tides, with waterfalls below the mountain flowing upward against gravity towards the hall’s roof, finally pouring into the mouths of a pair of bronze flood dragon sculptures on the rooftop. It was magnificently ingenious, exuding an extraordinary aura.

Ying Chenglin glanced at the stele, snorted coldly, and said, "Here lies yet another layer of prohibition. Judging by its appearance, it seems far harder to break than the ones we encountered on the mountain path earlier. Fellow Daoists, if anyone is inclined, act on your own accord."

With that, he sat down to the side, opting for silence and inaction.

Yue Yuji couldn’t help but feel somewhat annoyed. Though the prohibition was formidable, if two Nascent Soul True Masters joined forces, it wouldn’t be insurmountable. However, handling it alone would indeed be a stretch for him.

Ying Chenglin knew that breaking this prohibition was necessary to leave, yet he stubbornly refused to lend a hand. It was evident he was trying to embarrass Yue Yuji, waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Yue Yuji thought to himself, "Fine. If something valuable emerges from this hall later, we’ll see if that old Daoist Ying still has the face to take it."

As his thoughts turned, he voiced aloud, "When we arrived, I heard that Fellow Daoist Mo from the Yuan Yang Sect also entered this place. Has anyone seen him?"

Mo Tianxin had only brought two attendants into the mountain. Seeing he was a Nascent Soul True Master, others instinctively avoided him, unwilling to approach. How could anyone know his whereabouts?

Yue Yuji, seeing no one reply, was not disappointed. He was a man of determined will. Closing his eyes and contemplating for a moment, he called out, "Junior Brother, come over here."

The thin-bearded cultivator stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Senior Brother, what are your orders?"

Yue Yuji pulled out a set of array swords from his sleeve and said, "Take these array swords and find five Hua Dan Realm fellow Daoists to wield them. I will soon use an array to break an array."

The thin-bearded cultivator extended his hands to receive the swords, cradled them in his arms, then turned to the crowd of over a hundred cultivators and loudly asked, "Which Fellow Daoist is willing to step forward and help break this array?"

Breaking the array gate was the only way to leave. Kang Tong stepped forward first, saluted the thin-bearded cultivator, and said, "Daoist Hua, this junior is willing to take one sword."

The thin-bearded cultivator’s face lit up with joy. Returning the salute, he said, "You are a gifted disciple of the Shaoqing Sect; you may wield a sword."

Without making any visible movement, a sword flew into the air and landed in Kang Tong’s hand, which he caught firmly.

Fang Zhenlu also stepped forward, positioning himself half a pace ahead of Kang Tong, and said firmly, "I, too, can wield a sword."

The thin-bearded cultivator cheerfully nodded and said, "Fang Daoist, as one of the Mingcang Sect’s top ten disciples, you are certainly capable of wielding a sword!"

Just as Fang Zhenlu finished speaking, a short Daoist with hands clasped behind his back strode forward boldly, tilted his chin upward, and declared, "Hand over a sword to me as well."

The thin-bearded cultivator nodded and said, "Ah, Fellow Daoist Zuo Mo of the Yuxiao Sect—it’s fitting you wield a sword given your abilities."

Three swords were allocated, leaving one for the thin-bearded cultivator himself. Now there were four wielders, with one remaining to fill the last spot.

Among the hundred-plus cultivators present, Hua Dan cultivators were scarce; there were only about a dozen. With Kang Tong, Fang Zhenlu, and Zuo Mo accounted for, the remaining candidates, despite mostly being from proper Xuanmen sects, were of little renown and considerably weaker in cultivation. For a while, no one stepped forward.

After a long silence, a middle-aged Daoist with a solemn expression stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I am Chu Anmin, a disciple of the Jingyuan Immortal Mansion of Five Smoke Mountain. I am willing to give it a try."

The thin-bearded cultivator carefully eyed him and said, "So you are from the outer sect of the Yuan Yang Sword Sect. Very well, take a sword."

He was quick to appraise talent. Though Chu Anmin was a Hua Dan cultivator, compared to Kang Tong and the others, his aura was notably weaker. However, given the lack of suitable candidates, it would have to suffice for now.

The thin-bearded cultivator arranged the four wielders at specific positions, gave detailed instructions to each, and then took his own position. Meanwhile, Yue Yuji descended into the array formation, sat cross-legged at its center, and oversaw the array.

Following a low exclamation from Yue Yuji, his Nascent Soul emerged from the top of his head. As he formed seals with his fingers, the five array swords trembled simultaneously. The five wielders felt a force drawing them in. Having been briefed beforehand, they did not hesitate. Activating their elixir energy, five-colored brilliance emanated from the swords, converging into a dazzling sword light at the center. Yue Yuji pointed forward, sending the sword light to strike at the mysterious stele.

Upon contact, a thunderous roar echoed like lightning splitting the sky. The crowd saw ripples flow across the stele’s surface, the energy circulating for quite some time before dissipating. Yet, the stele remained intact.

Yue Yuji shouted, "Try again!"

However, after attempting the sword array another seven to eight times, the layer of prohibition remained unbreakable.

Yue Yuji frowned. He had observed the sword strikes carefully. Guided by his command, the five combined swords created an array capable of breaking the prohibition.

Yet, the issue lay in one sword’s faintly sluggish energy, which diminished the array’s power, resulting in failure.

He understood the problem stemmed from Chu Anmin. Compared to the other four, his cultivation was indeed lacking. If things continued this way, repeated attempts would likely yield the same result.

Chu Anmin, aware of his shortcomings, stepped forward bearing a shameful expression and said, "I regret that my cultivation is insufficient, and I have failed to meet expectations, thereby hindering everyone."

Yue Yuji noticed Ying Chenglin watching coldly from the side, seemingly waiting for him to beg for assistance. Frustration welled within, but with no one else to turn to at this juncture, he racked his brain for a solution. Just then, an ordinary-looking Daoist stepped out from the crowd, smiled, bowed, and said, "Daoist Yue, perhaps you might allow me to try."

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