Daoist Competition

But the opponent was unaware that this Demon Storage was far from something a mere few sealing arrays could contain.

Since he was willing to stand off, Hua Dan was happy to oblige, immediately seizing the opportunity to refine the Golden Seal.

Demon Taiheng waited for a moment. Seeing that no plea for mercy emerged from the Demon Storage, he wasn’t disappointed. As long as he kept watch over it, there was no fear of the opponent making any surprising moves.

After three days of this, Zhang Yan’s full efforts in refining had infused his mana shallowly into the Golden Seal.

Now, though he couldn’t fully control the great array surrounding the entire tower, flying swiftly within its vicinity was no longer a problem. There was no need to fly by the mountain ridge anymore, and at this stage, he had gained some advantage.

Seeing Taiheng still seated at the Pavilion entrance, Zhang Yan considered his next move. He activated the core mechanism, and in an instant, the Demon Storage made a thunderous sound and vanished from within the sealing array, reappearing a thousand feet away.

When Demon Taiheng noticed this commotion, his brows furrowed slightly. Staring at the now useless Prohibition Plate, he slowly rose to his feet.

The fact that the Demon Storage could perform Void Movement had not occurred to him beforehand. This meant Zhang Yan could leave or stay at will, making his position suddenly more passive.

The reason Zhang Yan unhesitatingly displayed the Void Movement technique was to make it unmistakably clear to Taiheng that he could move elsewhere at any time. If the opponent wanted to catch him, they’d have to enter the Demon Storage—otherwise, it was an impossible task.

He was purposefully forcing this old demon to come seeking him directly.

Demon Taiheng gave the matter some thought and realized that, although the Flying Pavilion could teleport and escape, it was still constrained by the Mountain Protection Array, so it couldn’t go far. Unhurriedly, he flicked his sleeve and took a leisurely circle around the mountain ridge.

Since the Demon Storage had only moved a thousand feet away, it wasn’t long before he found it again.

Demon Taiheng chuckled, having roughly grasped the teleportation limits of this object.

A thousand feet—neither too short nor too long for him.

If it were the initial stage when he had just seized Yue Yuji’s body, it might’ve posed some difficulty. But now, having transformed all his Xuanmen cultivation into Demon Dao techniques, he had abundant Flying Escape Skills. At such a distance, he could traverse in moments. No matter where Zhang Yan moved, he could never truly escape his view.

Thus, he sat again before the Flying Pavilion, making no move toward the Demon Storage.

At this point, Taiheng Ancestor displayed patience utterly unbecoming of a demon. He was calm, composed, and resolute.

Zhang Yan couldn’t help but admire him. For someone of such cultivation level to face an ordinary Hua Dan cultivator with such steady resolve was truly extraordinary.

Internally, Zhang Yan contemplated. To deal with a figure like Taiheng, ordinary scheming methods likely wouldn’t work; only overt strategies could force his hand.

Thinking to this point, he suddenly felt that having the opportunity to confront such a master of the Demon Dao was an extraordinary event in his life. A surge of boldness filled his heart as he bowed respectfully and spoke solemnly: "Senior Taiheng, this junior Zhang Yan extends greetings. My previous attempts to show off were undoubtedly laughable to you."

Demon Taiheng, seeing Zhang Yan take the initiative to speak, smiled and replied: "Daoist Zhang, well met. That Flying Pavilion of yours is quite remarkable, albeit a bit premature. Had you waited a few days before using the teleportation technique, you might have truly caught me off guard."

Zhang Yan silently acknowledged that the Demon Dao master deserved his reputation. His demeanor and grace were exceptional, openly mentioning details Zhang Yan may not have considered.

With a slight smile, Zhang Yan raised his voice and said, "Senior, you speak true. I will not hide it from you—there is a supreme treasure in my possession that could be disadvantageous to you. I had hoped to trap a master like yourself, but now it seems that will be impossible."

Demon Taiheng, hearing Zhang Yan claim to have methods to counter him, did not appear surprised. He merely gave a faint smile and responded indifferently, "There are indeed many objects in this world that could counter me, yet none so far have proven truly effective."

Zhang Yan fully agreed with this remark. Observing during the battle in the inner hall, he found that even the Demon Extermination Talisman had no chance to affect this figure. No matter how vast its power, it was as useless as a scrap of paper.

He chuckled once more and said, "This junior has other matters to attend to. At most, I will remain here for ten days. When I have roughly refined the Golden Seal, I will activate the Array Gate and depart. If I fail to deal with Senior by then, I will have no choice but to call upon the sect elders to come forth and guard against demonic threats."

Demon Taiheng’s gaze shifted slightly. This was his only real concern.

With Zhang Yan mastering the Void Movement technique, after seven or eight days, the longer he refined the Golden Seal, the greater the range of places he could reach within this mountain.

Uncertain of how many teleportations the Flying Pavilion could perform, if Zhang Yan could move repeatedly, he might temporarily escape pursuit entirely. Unless Taiheng could instantly break into the Demon Storage, Zhang Yan had a good chance to slip away.

In a low voice, Taiheng asked, "Daoist Zhang, which sect do you belong to?"

Solemnly, Zhang Yan replied, "I am a disciple of the Mingcang Sect, ranked ninth among the Top Ten Disciples."

"Mingcang Sect... The Daoist inheritance of Taiming Ancestor?"

Demon Taiheng couldn’t help but feel moved. If it had been disciples of other sects, he wouldn’t have paid much heed. But the Mingcang Sect—Taiheng himself had received teachings from Taiming Ancestor long ago, which had helped him dispel the demonic thoughts, sever the dragon tail, and achieve his current stature.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel·fiɾe·net

Though unaware of subsequent developments within the sect, Taiheng knew well that finding a few people capable of dealing with him in the Mingcang Sect was no difficult task.

Zhang Yan continued, "Ten days from now, this junior will activate the Array Gate a hundred feet away and leave. If Senior wishes to stop me, you are welcome to try!"

Demon Taiheng displayed a contemplative expression.

He didn’t underestimate Zhang Yan. For someone who could converse with him so boldly, remaining composed and unflinching while taking the initiative, Zhang Yan clearly had something to rely on.

When the departure time came, if Taiheng chose to pursue, Zhang Yan would likely use some technique capable of harming him.

Yet Taiheng was not one to act impulsively. He wouldn’t recklessly make a move simply because of Zhang Yan’s words. However, should Zhang Yan truly attempt to leave, Taiheng had every reason to intercept him.

By explicitly stating his background, Zhang Yan had made it clear—once he passed through the Array Gate, Taiheng’s life would be forfeit.

Demon Taiheng simply gave an unconcerned smile. Having dominated the Nine Provinces for thousands of years, he couldn’t possibly shy away from confronting the moves of a junior disciple. Immediately, he replied, "Very well, I shall grant you ten days. At that time, Daoist Zhang, I will meet you here once more."

With a sweep of his sleeve, he departed without delay, flying away and vanishing in an instant.

...

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