Daoist Competition

With this item in hand, the expedition against the Demon Tribe is already in an invincible position, even if faced with a Nascent Soul cultivator, he could maneuver for a while.

Zhang Yan glanced left and right, feeling somewhat lonely with only himself for company, and the place could not be left unattended if he were to leave the palace, so after some thought, he picked up a pen and wrote a Flying Book to send out.

Before long, Shang Shang arrived with more than ten maids and Powerful Warriors, paying respects to him upon entering the hall. Then they dispersed, lighting the incense burner, raising the Bright Pearl curtains, sprinkling Qing Dew, and after diligently tidying up, the cold emptiness of the main hall was swept away, replaced with warm coziness.

Seeing them finish tidying up, Zhang Yan picked up the token placed on the main seat’s desk, slightly activated it, causing the Star Pivot Palace to make a loud noise, rise from the ground, and swiftly shoot into the clouds, leading the way forward.

Seeing his palace on the move, Han Suyi’s palace also followed, bringing along with it hundreds of cultivators as they all flew toward the northwest of East Splendor Continent.

The Mingcang Sect had not created such a spectacle since the expedition against the Three Pools years ago, immediately drawing attention from all sects, with many Great cultivators also casting their gazes over, speculating about what this was all about.

However, Huo Xuan had originally intended for this, aiming to accumulate prestige for himself, so of course, the bigger the commotion, the better.

As for whether the tribes’ members would withdraw to Beiming Continent upon learning of this matter, there was no need to worry at all. Even if they moved on land as fast as they could, could they possibly be faster than the Flying Palace?

A dozen days later, the two palaces arrived by a great river, which Zhang Yan, familiar with the geography, knew was called the Shang River. Another thousand miles to the north, there lies a vast mountain range, considered the natural boundary between East Splendor Continent and Beiming Continent.

According to Luo Xiao, the three tribes’ demons were lingering in this area, yet as he looked ahead, he saw no one upon the northern bank of the vast river, although the remnants of chaos left behind indicated that tens of thousands of people had at least camped here some days ago.

He thought to himself, "Could it be that these Demon Tribes have returned to Beiming Continent?"

Just then, Shang Shang arrived at the hall and reported, "Master, outside the Flying Palace, there is a Demon Cultivator requesting an audience, claiming to be the Xuanmen-appointed River Guardian of this place, with urgent matters to report to you."

Zhang Yan, eager to understand the whereabouts of those three Demon Tribes, felt a stir upon hearing this, thinking, "I had indeed forgotten about this; his timing is perfect."

This great river harbors many spirit monster clans who, despite their demon origins, had long been subdued by Xuanmen and given a token talisman to guard the river, controlling its access, while enjoying the sacrifices of the riverside villagers. Zhang Yan, accustomed to solitary action, hadn’t thought of them for the moment.

He nodded and said in a deep voice, "Summon him for me to see."

Soon, under Shang Shang’s guidance, an anxious-looking black-faced Fish Demon entered the hall, and upon seeing Zhang Yan, he "thumped" to his knees, trembling as he said, "Little demon Ming Xi, pays respects to the Master of Mingcang Sect."

Zhang Yan gave him a look, "Are you the River Guardian of this place?"

Though Zhang Yan’s voice was calm, to the black-faced Fish Demon, it seemed to carry immense authority; he dared not even breathe loudly, kowtowing as he respectfully replied, "Indeed, little demon."

The Guardian of this river, though appointed by Xuanmen, was actually only obeying the orders of the Mingcang Sect, which ruled the north of East Splendor, as it was the sole dominant force. The sight of this Flying Palace alone revealed Zhang Yan’s extraordinary status, requiring even more caution.

Zhang Yan continued, "I ask you, where did those Demon Tribes go a few days ago from this place?"

The black-faced Fish Demon replied in a trembling voice, "Reporting to the Master, since entering East Splendor Continent, those three tribes have consecutively breached several Wei Country border towns along the river. Ten days ago, having run out of supplies, the tribes crossed the great river toward Wei Country’s Yong State direction. Little demon was powerless to stop them and pleads for the Master’s punishment."

Having spoken, he heavily kowtowed on the ground, his forehead even bleeding.

Though the Fish Demon had a thousand-strong Water Clan under him capable of dealing with a few wandering ghosts, they dared not confront the southward-moving alliance of the three demon tribes, numbering no less than a hundred thousand crossing the water. In fear, they deserted their post, thus petrified that Zhang Yan might kill him outright.

Zhang Yan sneered, "These demons are truly bold."

Initially, he hadn’t pondered much about crossing the river, since at most a hundred among the tribes of tens of thousands possessed the Flying Escape Technique. It was safe on the northern bank; if anything went wrong, one could leave at any time. Yet once over the river, under the eye of the Great Xuanmen Sects, all could be left stranded south of the great river—the risk was simply too great.

Matters such as these should have been known to these demon tribes; thus, these months, they lingered along the great river, never crossing it.

But on their journey, they pillaged and feasted wantonly, resembling locusts; villages and cities were turned to ruins, leaving no human trace, neither bird nor beast in sight. North of the river, nothing edible remained.

However, having tasted the spoils, they were reluctant to return entirely to the Beiming Continent, and opting to stay meant starvation. Realizing that no Xuanmen Practitioners had come to hinder them these months emboldened them to cross the river.

Hearing Zhang Yan’s tone, the black-faced Fish Demon seemed to perceive no intention to investigate him, promptly flattering, "The Master’s intervention this time will surely overturn Qiankun, control the winds and rains, leaving them not a piece of armor intact..."

This Guardian, due to frequently interacting with local gentry and officials while overseeing the area, had picked up quite a few skills in flattery, though his words were jumbled and incoherent, causing the maids present to giggle behind their hands.

Zhang Yan furrowed his brow, ignoring him, merely stating, "You go to the Flying Palace behind me and report these details once more."

The black-faced Fish Demon dared not disobey, uttered a few more remarks he thought sound fine, then happily exited the palace to meet Han Suyi.

Zhang Yan, meanwhile, closed his eyes to rest. Not long after, a Flying Book arrived, written in Han Suyi’s own hand, bearing six words: "Already killed, awaiting your orders."

Upon seeing this, he activated the token, causing the Flying Palace to vibrate thunderously, heading toward Wei Country’s Yong State.

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, please go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)