Daoist Competition

Only Zhang Yan could always bring him a little benefit every time he came. Although it was not much, the contrast made it stand out, so he was particularly enthusiastic.

If it were someone else, with the vast sea of scriptures here, if you didn’t offer benefits, he would just let you rummage through by yourself, merely excusing himself by claiming ignorance.

For example, last time Han Suyi brought her disciple over, it took three full days to find a suitable cultivation technique. Yet for this Deacon Daoist, it was merely a trivial errand.

In this world, cultivators pursue immortality to transcend mortal life, but they are not devoid of human nature. They still have joy and sorrow, desires and greed. If one truly has no wants or needs, why cultivate the Way or become an immortal?

Zhang Yan waited for about an hour before the Deacon Daoist returned, panting and handing over a jade scroll. He said, "Junior Master Zhang, I have sorted out a thousand books, and everything you need is among them."

Zhang Yan flipped through it and, surprised, glanced at the Deacon Daoist. "You’ve put in much effort," he remarked.

The Deacon Daoist’s face lit up with joy as he bowed. "It’s good as long as it pleases you, Master. It’s good."

Zhang Yan had originally tasked him with finding various accounts of Purple Cloud Divine Thunder as performed by Mingcang Sect’s senior experts. This would allow him to cross-reference when he practiced it himself. But the Deacon Daoist was clever enough to not only find records related to Purple Cloud Divine Thunder but also include writings on eleven other Divine Skills.

Zhang Yan collected the jade scroll and prepared to leave. Before stepping out, he paused as if recalling something and said, "I have several disciples who will come here to browse the scriptures in the future. If I’m too busy to come myself, I’d appreciate if you could look after them."

The Deacon Daoist understood instantly and, deliberately sighing, said, "Junior Master Zhang, as one of the Top Ten Disciples, must lead a busy life. We juniors of the sect should naturally assist our elders. If your disciples come, I will surely treat them with the utmost care."

By rule, disciples of the Top Ten Disciples cannot freely browse the scriptures without being brought by their master. However, rules are rigid and people are flexible. Everything is negotiable, and fundamentally, it wasn’t a significant matter.

Zhang Yan smiled faintly, swept his robe, and leisurely exited the Scripture Cave. Then, he rode his sword in flight and returned to Zhao You Heavenly Pond.

Not long after, he returned to his cave mansion, entered the array gate, and sat on the jade platform. Wasting no time, he picked one of the Dharma Talismans and began refining it.

This particular Dharma Talisman contained the Five Elements Escape Technique.

Zhang Yan skimmed it briefly, set it down gently, and his eyes sparkled with newfound understanding.

He finally grasped why this Divine Skill was rarely practiced. Cultivating this skill requires learning a Mysterious Skill first to gather the Qi of the Five Elements. Only then can this Escape Technique be executed. If one’s internal Five Elements Qi runs dry, the skill becomes ineffective and must be replenished.

But if a cultivator has that kind of time, it’s much better to focus on refining their Mana for greater purity, acquiring additional Dharma Treasures, or boosting their overall cultivation. All would offer more immediate advantages than investing energy in a technique that doesn’t guarantee instant victory.

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However, for Zhang Yan, this cultivation technique seemed tailor-made for him.

He had already suspected that his cultivation technique might share a deep compatibility with Five Directions and Five Elements Tai Xuan True Light. Now it was clear that the two resonated strongly, sparing him much trouble.

In this light, his resolve to make Supreme Mysterious Five Elements True Light his primary cultivation technique solidified further.

Yet currently, his Five Elements True Light cultivation technique was incomplete, and the timing to practice this Escape Technique had not yet arrived. So he put it aside and proceeded to refine another Dharma Talisman.

The Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Dharma technique washed over his mind like a stream, flowing smoothly and calming his thoughts.

After committing its entirety to memory, his brows furrowed slightly.

This Divine Skill was profoundly intricate and arduous to cultivate. To master it fully and use it in battle arrays, it generally required decades or even centuries of relentless practice. But for him, with the Broken Jade at his disposal, this was not a major issue. The real problem lay in one specific requirement: cultivating this Divine Skill necessitates the use of an external material called Purple Profusion Gang Sand.

He hadn’t known this prior to acquiring the cultivation technique.

Fortunately, this item was stocked in the sect’s Spirit Mechanism Institute. For others, it might be difficult to obtain, but as one of the Top Ten Disciples, he had the privilege to acquire it. All it required was trading some Spiritual Shells for it.

As Zhang Yan contemplated this, his heart suddenly stirred. He waved his hand, activating the array gate and allowing a streak of golden light to enter.

He caught it in his hand and looked closely. It was the Mechanism Gold Seal of Yao Yin Mountain, accompanied by a letter. After opening it, he saw that it was a Dharma Decree from the Sect Leader, instructing him to travel to Bronze Mountain in three days to release Fang Zhenlu’s small realm confinement.

Zhang Yan stored the Gold Seal, pondered for a moment, then picked up his brush and wrote a Flying Book addressed to Yue Tian Pavilion. He requested the pavilion prepare furnishings for his cave mansion and send them to Jiuquxi Palace. Afterward, he rose into the air and departed the cave mansion, heading toward the Spirit Mechanism Institute.

A Flying Talisman streaked like lightning across Ten Peaks Mountain.

Huo Xuan, who was cultivating a Dharma Treasure nearby, abruptly opened his eyes, retrieved the talisman, and unfolded it. After studying it for a long while, he sighed deeply and said, "Summon someone."

A plain-looking, stout female cultivator stepped forward, bowed gracefully, and asked, "What do you require, master?"

Huo Xuan said in a deep voice, "Go quickly to the Spirit Mechanism Institute and exchange for some of the Purple Profusion Gang Sand stored there."

The female cultivator arched her brows and growled, "Master, should I take it all?"

Huo Xuan gave her a meaningful glance and replied sternly, "No need for all of it. Just take the majority, leaving behind a small portion."

The female cultivator bowed once more and then left to fulfill the order.

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) and vote with recommendation tickets or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)