Daoist Competition

When Zhang Yan saw that his actions had already drawn the Devil’s attention, he thought to himself that there was no need to be the one sticking his neck out and cautiously moved back a few steps.

He retrieved a three-foot-long Dharma Sword from his Sleeve Bag. The blade exuded an icy aura, seemingly as clear as a blue spring. With a pinch of his fingers forming a spell, he offered the sword to the heavens, sending it soaring into the clouds, where it immediately engaged with three oncoming Devils.

To avoid drawing excessive attention, he assessed a direction and fought while retreating, moving toward the gathering point of the crowd inside the hall.

He manipulated the Flying Sword, forming a swerving sword rainbow that fended off attacks, but as the exchanges continued, the situation became increasingly perilous.

From an outsider’s perspective, they would surely be sweating bullets for him.

But in truth, this was Zhang Yan deliberately crafting an exceedingly dangerous appearance to prevent the Devils from spotting any flaws in his tactics.

Corrupted by the Demonic Qi, the grand hall was already shrouded in dark mist and enveloped in gloom. The disciples could barely discern the figures of those around them. Even so, they had to guard against any potential Devil tricks, refraining from clustering too closely. The remaining thirty or so people had divided themselves into four familiar groups, each fending off threats in their own way.

One cultivator noticed Zhang Yan approaching and immediately felt a surge of caution. After scrutinizing him for a few moments, even without clearly seeing who it was, he loudly called out, "Fellow Daoists, let this individual have an opening to join us in defending against the enemy."

This wasn’t pure goodwill, however. At this stage of the battle, the weaker cultivators had long since been slain by the Devils, and those still holding out were not easily dispatched. To aid Zhang Yan was also to strengthen their own chance of survival.

Yet, some cultivators remained uneasy, fearing it might be a ruse concocted by the Old Demon. Taking a moment to glance over, joy visibly filled their expressions as they exclaimed, "Ah, so it is fellow Daoist Xuan Yuanzi! No wonder, no wonder! Everyone, quickly clear a path for him!"

Upon recognizing Zhang Yan’s face, the crowd’s suspicions dissolved entirely. On the contrary, they began urging one another with increased fervency.

The reason for their enthusiasm was simple: Zhang Yan had earlier joined forces with Kang Tong and Fang Zhenlu outside to command the Sword Array, demonstrating extraordinary cultivation far beyond the average. With his support, this small group’s hopes of survival significantly increased.

Zhang Yan gave a slight smile, expressed thanks, and retreated with a leap to squeeze into the group, standing shoulder to shoulder with the others.

The Devil hovering in the heights circled a few times but failed to identify the culprit behind its troubles. Finally giving up, it descended with abrupt vengeance, roaring furiously as it spurred the group of Devils to surge forward like crashing waves.

Fortunately, those remaining cultivators were all formidable opponents. Supporting one another, they maintained their defenses solidly. Despite the relentless tide of assault, not a single person had fallen thus far.

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Noticing this, the lead Devil let out a sharp screech that echoed ominously through the hall. All the other Devils responded in unison, opening their blood-drenched maw wide and manically biting into each other.

Initially, the cultivators failed to grasp the intent behind this bizarre scene, but within moments, they saw the Devils’ numbers swell explosively to thirty-six. Their hideous heads had grown grotesque bodies and limbs, with demonic flames surging through their forms, each letting out a sky-splitting howl.

The eerie screeches left everyone’s minds reeling, their sense of dread amplified by the escalating menace. Several cultivators couldn’t help but feel deeply shaken.

To make matters worse, calamity struck one of the defensive circles when a frantic scream rang out. A Magic Artifact flying amidst battle abruptly dulled its luster, all spiritual nature within it extinguished, and crashed lifelessly to the ground.

This group had initially held up strong with tight defenses, but this sudden breach laid their vulnerability bare. Taken by surprise, nearly half the Devils charged in and, within moments, tore several cultivators apart, devouring them alive.

The sheer brutality of the scene left the remaining cultivators deeply horrified.

Fang Zhenlu swiftly raised his voice to caution, "Fellow Daoists, beware—this Demonic Qi can corrupt Dharma Treasures; be extra vigilant!"

Even though everyone now understood the danger, there was little they could do in response.

Most of them had continued enduring only by relying on a few Dharma Treasures previously acquired from the Yao Yin Sect’s Tower Pavilion.

Mere moments later, panic erupted from another group of cultivators as one of them suddenly let out a terrified yell, which was swiftly cut short.

By now, the dark mist filling the hall had grown denser, engulfing everything in oppressive shadows. The suffocating gloom and soul-stealing atmosphere gnawed at the minds of everyone within, intensifying their unease.

In the midst of this chaos, someone suddenly shouted aloud, "Fellow Daoists, at this point preserving our lives takes precedence! Forget about the Sealing Array—it is imperative to request Master Yue’s intervention if we are to survive this catastrophe!"