Daoist Competition

The high crown Daoist saw this and quickly rebuked, saying, "Nephew, don’t be rude. This is Daoist Ou Zuqing, my friend."

The brocade-robed Daoist’s expression remained unchanged, utterly indifferent to the sword light. He sneered, "The past grudges, I don’t wish to say much about. Your dead master once took a Red Tiger Inner Core from me, promising to return it in ten years. But now, he’s already gone into reincarnation, leaving no account of the matter."

The events of that year had other underlying causes; he indeed suffered considerable losses. But as Elder Zhu was a senior elder of the Mingcang Sect, he dared not confront him directly. Now that Elder Zhu had reincarnated, he naturally had no scruples about it.

Yuan Yanhui furrowed her slender brows and said, "Senior Ou, for now I shall address you as senior. Let us put this matter aside for now, but I must ask you not to insult my late master in your words!"

The brocade-robed Daoist sneered dismissively, "No matter what is said, Zhu Bingwen was no saint. Enough words; the debt naturally falls upon you, his disciple."

Yuan Yanhui, being a woman fiery in temperament, could no longer tolerate his remarks. She gave a cry and released her sword ball, sending a streak of sword light straight toward the opponent’s face.

Although the brocade-robed Daoist also possessed Xuan Guang Cultivation, his escape techniques were peculiar. He surprisingly showed no fear of the flying sword slash, dodging effortlessly with a mere shrug of his shoulder, saying, "Junior Brother Bao, such disrespect should be dealt with. Why not seize her first? Teach her properly, and she wouldn’t dare disobey, would she?"

The high crown Daoist hesitated upon hearing this. Yuan Yanhui was, after all, a disciple of the Zhao You Heavenly Pond Sect. While he doubted Zhang Yan held her in high regard, what if he provoked Zhang Yan’s ire?

The brocade-robed Daoist dodged another streak of sword light, growing impatient, and said, "Since you won’t act, I shall do it myself. We came here together. Do you think you can stay above it all alone?"

With that, he no longer cared for the high crown Daoist’s response. He raised his hand and released an object—a flying saber—that transformed into a brilliant gleam of icy light, colliding directly with the sword radiance. His saber technique was extraordinary, strict in form, amazingly able to withstand Yuan Yanhui’s flying sword head-on.

After hesitating for a moment, the high crown Daoist’s face revealed a trace of ruthless intent as he too released a streak of azure-blue Xuan Guang from his crown, aiming it downward toward Yuan Yanhui.

With his addition to the fight, Yuan Yanhui should have immediately retrieved her sword ball and escaped using flying techniques, adopting a strategy of hit-and-run warfare. But her nature was uncompromisingly resistant, and as her sword light danced, she refused to yield in the slightest.

Zhang Yan, observing from the clouds above, understood the situation completely. It turned out Yuan Yanhui’s uncle had conspired with outsiders to squeeze some benefits from his junior.

His brows knitted, and his eyes flickered coldly. No matter what Yuan Yanhui’s status might be, she was now under his Zhao You Heavenly Pond Sect. Knowing this yet daring to act, did they truly think he was easy to deal with?

He let out a cold laugh, activated his Mysterious Skill, and instantly released a streak of water-colored brilliance. In the blink of an eye, the two assailants were swept away without a trace.

Yuan Yanhui, who had been fiercely battling the two, suddenly saw a flash of brilliance before her eyes and found herself surrounded by emptiness. While struggling with confusion and uncertainty, a voice by her ear spoke, "I am Zhang Yan, come to the hall to meet me."

Her body trembled as she exclaimed in shock, "Pavilion Master?"

Nervously biting her lower lip, she stomped her foot, transformed into light, and flew toward Zhao You Heavenly Pond.

Just as Zhang Yan made his move, on another mountain peak nearby, two cultivators were staring in his direction.

One of them wore a black robe. He was lean and hunchbacked, bare-footed, with long hair hanging to his ankles. Surrounding him was a pink mist, carrying him in the void.

Beside him was another cultivator enveloped in demonic qi, with a prominent, high forehead.

This man’s visage was peculiar—no nose, no eyes, no ears. His face had only a mouth, pale gray skin, drifting ethereally like an illusion.

The dry and skinny Daoist spoke, "Junior Brother, take a look. That must be Zhang Yan from the Mingcang Sect—the Top Ten Disciple as they call him. Rumored to have achieved First-class Elixir Formation and possessing peculiar Daoist Skills. By the looks of it now, he does seem to have some skill, not just empty boasting by the Mingcang Sect."

The strange-faced cultivator murmured, "Senior Brother, do you think he compares to Nephew Lu?"

The dry and skinny Daoist replied without hesitation, "Nephew Lu is a rare talent of our Spirit Sect, a true prodigy. Should he face Zhang Yan now, he might not be guaranteed victory. However, within two short years, Nephew Lu should enter the Nascent Soul Realm. By the time of the Sixteen Sects Sword Competition, this Zhang Yan will be no match for him."

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The strange-faced cultivator shook his head, saying, "Judging by his rapid progress since entering the sect, his cultivation advances by leaps and bounds. If given another few decades, he may not necessarily remain beneath Nephew Lu. Perhaps we should test him now. If an opportunity arises, eliminate him first—it would be quite the achievement upon our return to the sect."

The dry and skinny Daoist looked upward, seeing Zhang Yan’s sword light vanish once absorbed into the Mountain Protection Array. He inhaled deeply and shook his head, "We came here to investigate the Mingcang Sect’s Top Ten Disciples, especially Huo Xuan and Zhong Muqing. It is unwise to stir the waters prematurely. As for Zhang Yan, let’s leave him for now."

The strange-faced cultivator seemed unwilling to give up and said, "Senior Brother, I brought the treasure this time. Even if this one excels in sword escape techniques, we can counter him. If we join forces, who should we fear?"

No matter how much he argued, the dry and skinny Daoist remained steadfast.

At that moment, the strange-faced cultivator seemed to sense something, turning his head to see a sword light emerging from Zhao You Heavenly Pond, shooting toward the horizon. Excitedly, he exclaimed, "Senior Brother, this is heaven-sent!"

The dry and skinny Daoist had initially intended to remain inconspicuous. Seeing Zhang Yan leave the mansion, however, stirred his interest. Nodding, he said, "Very well, let’s follow him and take a look. But remember, Junior Brother, without my command, do not act impulsively."

The strange-faced cultivator showed signs of mild dissatisfaction but still replied, "Of course, I shall follow Senior Brother’s instructions."

After their discussion concluded, the two activated Tunnel Smoke, tailing the direction where Zhang Yan had vanished.

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)