Daoist Competition

Ying Chenglin and Zhang Boyant were both growing increasingly anxious, desperately intensifying their offensives.

However, at this moment, the advantage of Taiheng destroying their Dharma Treasures had become apparent. The two repeatedly bombarded him using their Mana, raising bursts of radiant rosy clouds, but were ultimately unable to break through his protective Scripture Scroll. They could only watch helplessly as he reconstituted his Nascent Soul.

Under normal circumstances, he would have retreated when the tide of battle turned unfavorable, but within this small realm, where could he possibly escape to?

At this point, they had no choice but to hold their ground.

Moments passed, and the black Qi surrounding the Nascent Soul began to dissipate. What lay within caused everyone’s hearts to sink, leaving them speechless with shock.

The Nascent Soul, originally a half-demon, half-flood dragon, had undergone a dramatic transformation.

A colossal Flood Dragon now hung suspended in mid-air, its body coiled, claws clenched tightly, and eyes sealed shut as if in a deep slumber.

Suddenly, the Demon Flood Dragon’s eyes snapped open, revealing a savage and menacing glare. A torrent of demonic aura burst forth, overtaking the crowd with terror and forcing them to retreat involuntarily under its oppressive force.

Demon Taiheng lifted his head and swept his wide sleeve, releasing the Scripture Scroll from his grasp. The scroll soared through the air, instantly expanding to envelop the entire inner hall. Golden Pages and Jade Boards shone brilliantly, as though prepared to imprison everyone present.

At that moment, Zhang Boyant felt a chill run down his spine—Taiheng was sealing off everyone’s escape route, clearly preparing to tighten his trap. He quickly invoked a spell, employing the Netherworld Escape Technique to dissolve into smoke and flee.

But as he had barely taken a few steps, something felt amiss. Turning his head, he saw a Command Token that had been in Taiheng’s hand now fervently flying toward him. Infuriated, he let out a roar, regrouped his Mana, and forcefully sent the token reeling away.

Get full chapters from novel⦿fire.net

Yet the token seemed intent on targeting him. As soon as he used the Netherworld Escape Technique, it would relentlessly pursue him. Forced to land and confront it, several attempts left him seething with frustration.

This Escape Skill allowed him to flee to the skies or burrow into the Earth Veins, even traversing through shadowy subterranean mansions—a foundational ability that kept him undefeated in battle. Yet only a few specific Magic Artifacts in the entire world could counter it, and as luck would have it, Hai Zhen Temple’s Sealing Demon Command Token was among those.

In ordinary times, he would not be so concerned; with just a single usable Dharma Treasure, he could fend off the token. However, now all his treasures were incapacitated, leaving him in a pitiable state of distress.

Demon Taiheng, meanwhile, seemed largely unconcerned with Zhang Boyant, merely using the Sealing Demon Command Token to stall him, focusing his primary effort instead on Ying Chenglin.

The Demon Flood Dragon charged at Ying Chenglin like a ravenous fiend, biting and clawing indiscriminately. Any Gang Flow formed by Ying’s Mana was consumed in its entirety, feeding the dragon’s own being.

This was a unique Cultivation Technique the Demon Flood Dragon had developed upon achieving enlightenment in the Dao, allowing it to absorb the Mana of anyone weaker than itself through this Dharma technique.

Ying Chenglin, now faced with the dragon’s ferocious onslaught and finding that even his Protective Treasure Qi was being refined away, felt that his Mana was slightly weaker than before. Realizing he could no longer fight recklessly, he unleashed an offensive maneuver to force the dragon back a few steps, then spurred the Peng Bird beneath him to try escaping elsewhere, intending to mount a strategic defense while recovering some Primordial Qi before facing Taiheng again.

Yet the Peng Bird Essence, while about to spread its wings, froze mid-air as the Demon Flood Dragon issued a dreadful shriek. Its body stiffened, unable to flee.

A chill ran through Ying Chenglin’s heart as he muttered to himself, "Things are not looking good."

Indeed, before he could capitalize on his opportunity, the Demon Flood Dragon circled about him, coiling tightly. Its massive head lunged down, jaws snapping ferociously.

Desperately, Ying invoked his remaining Mana to resist this unbridled, savage assault.

He sighed inwardly, noting that, while Taiheng’s methods seemed overpowering, if he had been in peak condition, he would not have been fazed.

Under full strength, he could have engaged Taiheng head-on while directing his Fish Dragon and White Crane Essences to strike from alternate angles. The Demon Flood Dragon, far less agile than these two spirits, would have been unable to sustain such chaotic attacks, thereby breaking its overwhelming momentum.

But at their first clash, Taiheng had deliberately neutralized those three essences, leaving Ying with no strategy to employ.

Ultimately, this was inherent to a cultivator’s reliance on their Dharma Treasures, Cultivation Techniques, and Divine Skills working synergistically to achieve maximum power. If even one aspect is disrupted, it is akin to a carefully arranged array missing a crucial element, significantly diminishing one’s combat prowess.

With Ying Chenglin locked in place under Taiheng’s overwhelming onslaught, his face turned pale, his endurance swiftly waning.

The green light surrounding his Nascent Soul, initially spanning ten feet, gradually shrank until it was forced back to merely one foot around.

Meanwhile, Taiheng greedily absorbed his Mana, fuelling his own prowess and escalating his ferocity to unbridled arrogance.

A moment later, Ying’s Nascent Soul began flickering precariously, dim like an exhausted flame, as though it were about to extinguish. The Demon Flood Dragon let out an ear-splitting cry, its colossal body lunging downward to snuff out the remaining glimmer, then coiling tightly to devour Ying’s Nascent Soul and True Body in one gulp.

Having eliminated Ying Chenglin, the dragon’s sinister eyes turned toward Zhang Boyant, who instantly felt the mounting pressure of its gaze. Realizing he was no match for Taiheng alone, his voice trembled as he asked, "Senior Taiheng, what is it that you want from me?"

Demon Taiheng offered a faint smile and replied, "If you show some sense, I shall spare your life."

He pointed a finger, sending the Sealing Demon Command Token floating before Zhang Boyant.

Conflict flashed across Zhang’s features; he was clearly torn.

Taiheng merely watched him calmly, showing no urgency.

As much as Zhang Boyant was unwilling to submit, he knew he had no other recourse. With a bitter cry, he declared, "I surrender to Senior!"

Having spoken, he transformed into smoke, actively entering the Sealing Demon Command Token.

Taiheng beckoned the token back to his hand, pointing at it to seal Zhang Boyant within. A faint golden talisman shimmered briefly as the sealing was completed.

Now freed of his cage, Taiheng planned to align himself with the flourishing Demon Dao to further his ambitions. Zhang Boyant, being a Demon Sect Practitioner, had some potential utility, so Taiheng opted to confine him rather than kill him outright.

As for the remaining Hua Dan Cultivators, Taiheng spared them not a glance, swiftly waving his hand to send the Demon Flood Dragon into action. Wherever it passed, blood and flesh were devoured cleanly.

When the dragon reached Fang Zhenlu, however, an anomaly arose—a Dharma Talisman suddenly ascended, encasing him in protective light. In an instant, it pierced through the encircling Scripture Scroll, vanishing without trace.

"Hmm?" Taiheng murmured, pondering momentarily. Such wondrous Life Protecting Treasures must have been crafted by a Cave Heaven True Master. Pursuing Fang Zhenlu would not only be challenging but acquiring the artifact would also require significant effort and time.

Dealing with a mere Hua Dan Cultivator was hardly worth Taiheng’s trouble, let alone compromising his stature. Retrieving the Golden Seal remained his priority, and everything else could be set aside for now.

From Yue Yuji’s Sleeve Bag, Taiheng retrieved a Jade Scroll and invoked a spell for deducing Zhang Yan’s location. After a brief calculation, the scroll shattered, and a few strands of white hair appeared at his temples. Snorting softly, he put away the Scripture Scroll Token, summoning a fierce gale to carry him speedily toward the Tower Pavilion.

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian.com to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)