Daoist Competition

The Yuxiao Sect cultivator Zuo Mo listened and immediately spoke loudly, "I shall open a path ahead for all of you, fellow Daoists!"

Everyone already had this thought in mind, but being entangled by the Devils at present, they were powerless to act. Hearing someone willing to clear the way brought them great joy.

Zuo Mo pointed at the Star Shuttle floating midair, which instantly emitted dazzling starlight, brimming with sharp energy. The light spiraled and surged, forcing the Devils surrounding him back a few steps.

Then, he took a five-inch-long red candle from his sleeve, held it between two fingers, straightened the wick, murmured an incantation under his breath, stepped onto a peculiar position, and shouted sharply. The red candle ignited without fire and erupted with brilliance in the dark chamber. Taking his hand away, he shouted, "Go!"

The item transformed into a blazing red flame and flew forth, instantly dispersing the mist and opening a two-zhang wide passage.

Illuminated by the radiance, the thirty-six Devils seemed fearful, froze briefly, and retreated slightly.

Finding this opening, Zuo Mo leapt forward and sped toward the inner hall. The others, seeing this, followed suit and dashed inward.

Zhang Yan still had the presence of mind to survey his surroundings. His gaze turned and landed on the cultivator who seemed to host the Old Demon.

Now, under the light, he caught a faint trace of concealed satisfaction on the man’s face.

His heart stirred, but there was no time for deeper thought. He vaulted forward and followed the crowd.

Meanwhile, in the outer hall Observation Chamber, Xu Gongyuan was locked in an intense battle with Eagle Girl.

Though Xu Gongyuan possessed the Jade Mirror gifted by Zhang Boyan, he was merely entangling his opponent and attacking lightly.

He had his own calculations in mind. Zhang Boyan might be formidable, but facing two True Masters in battle was overly arrogant, in his opinion. Not confident in his chances, Xu Gongyuan remained reserved to avoid injury, fearing that if Zhang lost, he’d have no chance to escape.

As for Eagle Girl, the red handkerchief in her grasp was a Mystical Artifact with tremendous power. However, it had a flaw—it must be held in hand, as it cannot be commanded remotely.

Each time she tried to unleash the artifact to subdue Xu Gongyuan, he slipped away skillfully, evading her attack. When she attempted to head toward the hall, he would reengage her instantly, leaving her helpless and stuck in place.

Over at the open square outside the hall, two Nascent Soul True Masters were embroiled in a fierce struggle.

Zhang Boyan seemed eager to defeat Ying Chenglin and unleashed three to four Dharma Treasures in one breath, filling the air with dazzling light.

This spectacle startled Ying Chenglin.

Always cautious, he grew even more vigilant, striving only to protect himself flawlessly rather than counterattack. Though demonic flames surged wildly, trying to consume everything, they couldn’t break through his impenetrable defenses.

The battle reached a stalemate.

Meanwhile, a thin-bearded cultivator was guarding the Gate near the mural wall. Seeing a crowd speeding toward him, he stretched out a hand and exclaimed in alarm, "You must not proceed! My senior brother is currently refining the Sealing Array and cannot be disturbed!"

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Once they landed, Zuo Mo stepped forward first, flung his sleeve, and said indignantly, "Hua Daoist, stop speaking such nonsense. The Sealing Array may be unbreakable now, but there will always be other ways later. Our lives, however, are irreplaceable. Don’t worry, we understand the severity of the situation. Even if Master Yue suffers cultivation loss, I can plead with our sect to compensate him appropriately."

Fang Zhenlu also spoke, "Hua Daoist, we disciples of the Xuanmen are branches of the same tree. If Master Yue knows our lives are in peril, he surely wouldn’t stand idly by. You aren’t the one in charge here; go in and report the situation to him and see how he responds."

The battle had reached a dire point, and casualties were heavy. Yue Yuji, as the Nascent Soul True Master, surely knew of the situation outside but pretended to be oblivious. Everyone understood this, yet no one dared break the silent façade, pretending he was truly unaware.

At that moment, the once-blazing red candle abruptly extinguished, plunging the surroundings back into darkness.

From outside the hall came the loud howling of wind, while sinister clouds spread ominously. It was clear the Devils, free from restraint, were attacking once more.

Chaos rippled through the crowd. Zuo Mo shouted menacingly, "Hua Daoist, if you still refuse, don’t blame us for charging in by force!"

The thin-bearded cultivator answered resolutely, "My senior brother is performing our sect’s Secret Technique. No matter what, you cannot enter!"

As the argument escalated, a voice emanated from the inner chamber, steady and commanding, "Junior Brother, let them in."

The thin-bearded cultivator sighed in relief. Though he insisted on blocking them, he knew that once the Devils caught up, he alone wouldn’t stand a chance against the crowd. He immediately stepped aside, opening the path.

The remaining ten or so cultivators also exhaled in relief and rushed toward the inner hall anxiously.

Carried along by the crowd, Zhang Yan entered the inner hall. He glanced around and saw Yue Yuji sitting cross-legged, cradling a firelight gleaming green like tender moonlight, using it to burn the Sealing Array.

Noticing the intrusion, Yue Yuji furrowed his brows and tossed a Bright Pearl wreathed in icy mist toward them, saying grimly, "With this treasure, you can fend off the Devils to some extent, but do not come within three zhang of me. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

The thin-bearded cultivator hurriedly stepped forward to catch the pearl, cupped it in his palm, and performed a spell before releasing it into the air. Instantly, a halo of light expanded, enveloping an area of five zhang.

The Devils surged ferociously, crossing several dozen zhang in an instant and slamming into the radiance. It felt as though they collided with a pliable yet unyielding wall. The deeper they pushed, the harder it became, and, in mere moments, they were repelled completely. After repeated attempts, they still achieved nothing.

Realizing their futility, the Devils suddenly converged at the center, reconstituting into the Nascent Soul Avatar.

With hands clasped behind his back, the Avatar laughed heartily, "Daoist Yue, I came today solely to settle past grievances with Ying Chenglin. I have no quarrel with you. As a gesture of respect, I won’t trouble you, provided you don’t interfere."

After speaking, the Avatar swept his sleeve and departed.

Seeing the Old Demon’s Avatar leave, the crowd breathed sighs of relief. Yet as seasoned cultivators accustomed to battle, none truly believed they were safe. Each quickly consumed Elixir Pills, seizing every moment to meditate and recover.

Zhang Yan also sat in a corner, his gaze fixed upon the golden light shimmering around the Sealing Array. He noticed it had weakened slightly since earlier and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

Clearly, Yue Yuji had accelerated the refining process upon the crowd’s entry. The Sealing Array seemed primed to break before long.

...

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