Daoist Competition

When the three clashed, four Mystical Artifacts were unleashed. Such a scene is rarely seen, even in battles among Nascent Soul cultivators.

The dry and skinny Daoist and the strange-faced cultivator were both taken aback to see Zhang Yan so effortlessly deflect their assault. They couldn’t help but exchange stunned glances.

The strange-faced cultivator opened his wide mouth and extended a blood-red tongue, on which appeared two eyes with triple-layered eyelids. At this moment, his eyes widened as he exclaimed, "This person is merely a Hua Dan cultivator. Even if he belongs to the sect’s Top Ten Disciples, how could he have such wealth?"

Ordinary cultivators typically possess one or two Spiritual Artifacts that suit their needs. Disciples from small sects who travel outside would only have one or two Magic Artifacts as placeholders, and owning even a low-grade Spiritual Artifact would be a cause for celebration.

Disciples from Great Sects fare slightly better, usually carrying one or two high-grade Spiritual Artifacts. If they own an extra item, they could dominate among peers.

However, Mystical Artifacts such as these were exceedingly rare, even within the Mingcang Sect where the Five Great Clans previously only had a scant few, and they would seldom bring them out.

In the battle at Yao Yin Mountain, cultivators such as Zhang Boyant, Ying Chenglin, and Yue Yuji—despite being Nascent Soul cultivators—didn’t wield a single Mystical Artifact, revealing their rarity.

The two Demon Sect practitioners initially believed their two Mystical Artifacts, once deployed, would either overwhelm or at least suppress Zhang Yan, allowing them to create an opening and press their advantage.

But they hadn’t expected Zhang Yan to retaliate immediately with two Mystical Artifacts of his own. If not for knowing that their movements had been completely concealed, they might have suspected Zhang Yan had long been prepared.

The strange-faced cultivator was not convinced and spat out angrily, "I refuse to believe this person carries Dharma Treasures with him!"

He formed a spell and summoned an object—a twisted, black-gray bull horn—which flew into the air, spiraled like a drill, and descended with eerie howling.

Zhang Yan sneered coldly, neither dodging nor evading. With a single thought, his treasure robe emitted a dazzling radiance, like blazing sunlight. The bull horn dug into the radiance but immediately became entangled, unable to penetrate further despite exerting its full force.

The strange-faced cultivator, despite his lack of eyes and nose on his face, visibly changed color and cried out in horror, "He also possesses a treasure robe for protection?"

This bull horn was inherited from his sect and, while not as powerful as a Mystical Artifact, was still a high-grade Spiritual Artifact. Now, being so effortlessly deflected by Zhang Yan, it was clear that the opponent’s protective vestment robe must surpass his own artifact in quality.

Three Mystical Artifacts?

When this terrifying conclusion dawned upon them, even with their earlier confidence, both cultivators felt their resolve waver and their courage falter.

They exchanged glances, realizing their strongest weapons had failed to achieve results. Continuing to fight would be pointless and potentially disastrous if Zhang Yan revealed more astonishing means. This thought sparked a retreat in their minds.

The strange-faced cultivator said grimly, "Senior Brother, you leave first."

The two were from the same sect and cooperated seamlessly. The dry and skinny Daoist, understanding that hesitation would be fatal, nodded and replied, "Junior Brother, take care!"

He formed a quick spell, recalling the copper pliers suspended in mid-air. Then, with a flick of his flying shuttle, he vanished in the blink of an eye, escaping first.

Zhang Yan, seeing their intent to flee, shouted sharply as a streak of sword light shot out from his brow, swift as lightning.

The strange-faced cultivator, meanwhile, rose on a cloud of smoke, darting back and forth in all directions. His expression was grave as he observed Zhang Yan. The flying shuttle’s ability to move and teleport meant that escape was easy without external interference. However, retrieving the two Mystical Artifacts would require paying a certain price.

He showed a pained expression and waved his hand, summoning a Luo Kerchief.

The moment the artifact appeared, it expanded instantly, covering an area of tens of miles. Countless poisonous threads sprayed and twisted outward, corroding the space and driving toward Zhang Yan.

This Dharma Treasure, named "Sky Covering Cotton Handkerchief," was crafted from the silk of a hundred unique insects, tempered with Demon Cave Earth Poison Fire, then infused with Cold Star Magnetic Light for thirty-six years. It could hinder a sword cultivator’s escape and trap opponents effectively.

Nevertheless, the cultivator knew this artifact could only delay Zhang Yan briefly. Without hesitating, he chanted another spell, causing the "Fierce Shriek Life-taking Circle" to tremble, disintegrate into smoke, and finally free itself from the constraints of the Sun-locking Cicada. It scattered into over a thousand devil figures that darted off in all directions.

Pointing his finger, he then gathered the smoke back into his grasp, discovering that the fierce ghosts were reduced by at least two-tenths, and the once-dense black mist had grown visibly thinner. He sighed inwardly, thinking, "Grandmaster will blame me for this upon my return."

With the absence of the flying clamp, the Five Spirit White Carp Shuttle regained its freedom, swishing its tail and heading directly for him.

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He chuckled grimly and shook his body, turning into flowing smoke that scattered in an instant. Within moments, he appeared a thousand meters away, reforming his body.

A beam of light flashed, and the dry and skinny Daoist maneuvered the flying shuttle to emerge from the void, retrieving the artifact.

The strange-faced cultivator collapsed onto the shuttle and coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, his complexion turning pale. This escape technique severely injured his Primordial Qi, but he wouldn’t have escaped otherwise.

The dry and skinny Daoist caught him by the arm and asked, "Junior Brother, are you alright?"

The strange-faced cultivator shook his head weakly. "It’s nothing. That man is formidable. The ’Sky Covering Cotton Handkerchief’ might not trap him for long. Let’s leave quickly!"

The dry and skinny Daoist turned the shuttle’s mechanism and prepared to depart.

After Zhang Yan tore through hundreds of interwoven threads, he finally broke free from the kerchief’s confinement. As he emerged, he spotted them attempting their escape.

With a cold sneer, he activated the Little All Heaven Moving Technique, taking a single step to instantly appear behind the two cultivators. With a deafening roar, the Xuanhuang Great Hand sprang forth above him, growing into a mountain-sized hand that blocked out the sky, crashing down like a colossal peak.

The two cultivators were both horrified. The dry and skinny Daoist shouted desperately, slapped his chest, and spat out Essence Blood onto the shuttle’s mechanism.

The flying shuttle quivered briefly before transforming into light and speeding away. With each flash, it traversed hundreds of meters, disappearing into the horizon within mere breaths.

Zhang Yan stood with hands clasped behind him, gazing into the distance, pondering to himself, "These two possess an array of incredible Dharma Treasures and escape techniques. They must be prominent figures within the Demon Sect."

Especially that flying shuttle—it was a Supreme Treasure. Zhang Yan doubted he would catch up even if he pursued it. Moreover, he had the Sect Leader’s orders to carry out, and this matter could not be delayed.

After a moment’s thought, he waved his sleeve and initiated the sword escape. A streak of rainbow light shot into the sky and disappeared instantly.

...

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