Daoist Competition

Zhang Yan entered seclusion, and in the blink of an eye, seventeen years had passed.

On this day, a thunderous roar rose from the Little Pot Mirror, like the beat of a drum in the heavens, resonating with a mighty sound.

Zhang Yan sat cross-legged on the Jade Couch, with his heart facing the sky. The Qi Mechanism on his body surged, the Elixir Evil billowing out like smoke, permeating the bamboo tower and spreading outward, filling the entire area with its presence. In an instant, his whole being seemed enveloped in thick clouds, his form barely discernible through the dense mist.

Soon after, from within that misty cloud, radiant streams of light began to flash. First emerged a golden halo, appearing only for a moment before releasing an eerie sharpness that shattered the bamboo tower, shooting hundreds of feet away. The sound of tearing through the air echoed, the Radiant Energy trailing, cold light reaching from the ground to the sky, disappearing only after a while.

After the golden light faded, a cluster of vibrant green light emerged, continuously ascending higher and higher, reaching into the clouds, spreading outward like a screen. Hundreds, thousands of strands hung to the ground, then rolled up again, endlessly weaving, brimming with boundless vitality.

This light flickered for a full moment, then gradually faded away. At this time, there came the sound of rushing water, as blue light shimmered through the mist, resembling the surging tide, or a mighty flood, abundantly flowing, with a grand and majestic momentum.

About an hour later, after the rain, the sky cleared, and red light burst forth. A blazing flame rose, fiercely burning like the rising sun, radiating dazzling light. When this fire energy touched the bamboo structure, it exploded with a roar, turning it to ashes in an instant, leaving only embers and black cinders scattered throughout the sky.

The flame flickered for a moment before dying down, replaced by a thick yellow light. With a slight movement, a mound of earth rose from beneath the bamboo tower, forming something like a grave, but in just a few moments, it grew to a hundred feet tall, as mighty as a mountain.

These five lights flashed in turn, circulating incessantly, coming and going countless times before finally fading away completely.

Zhang Yan dispersed the Elixir Evil, revealing his form.

At this moment, his eyes were bright, his Divine Intent soaring high, his robe fluttering constantly. After this seclusion, he finally gathered all Five Elements True Light.

Originally, he spent fourteen years deducing the Five Elements Technique backward, but merging and harmonizing them took him over three more years. Using Broken Jade for repeated deductions, he removed much redundancy and complexity, finally refining and merging them into one, achieving Mystical Skill to such an extent that he could wield it as easily as moving an arm or a finger.

With the success of this Dharma technique, his combat power greatly increased, filling him with joy.

It must be known that with all five elements complete, once his cultivation deepened, it would give rise to various marvelous applications, incomparable to before.

However, at this stage, his "Supreme Mysterious Five Elements True Skill" has only achieved minor success, still riddled with flaws. To reach the Great Success Realm and return to the marvelous techniques of the Ancient Supreme Mysterious Sect requires a long and arduous journey.

Now, thirty-nine years remain until the grand competition of the Sixteen Sects, and the next step is to condense the True Imprint of Dharma Power.

Zhang Yan did not rush into cultivation but cast a spell, conjuring a Water Mirror before him, reflecting the disciples within the Cave Mansion one by one.

The Mirror Spirit sensed his action and floated out, waiting by his side for instructions.

After a moment’s observation, Zhang Yan saw everything was stable without any changes, so he relaxed, withdrew the mantra, and beckoned the Mirror Spirit, asking, "To what extent has Yanyi reached in the Burning Points?"

The Mirror Spirit bowed and replied, "Master, Lady Liu had burned through thirty-two acupoints ten years ago. Now being in seclusion, it’s unknown how her progress fares. With thirty-six acupoints in all, the further she proceeds, the longer it takes. She likely needs more time to persist."

Zhang Yan nodded in satisfaction. Typically, disciples would not wait after reaching over twenty acupoints and would solidify pills early. However, Liu Yan Yi lingered at the Burning Points stage to solidify the foundation, aiming for higher quality Elixir Formation products.

Having imparted this Secret Technique to her, he wondered how far his first apprentice could ultimately go.

Having personally traversed this perilous path, Zhang Yan knew that advancing to the next realm required extreme caution, as any slip could mean no return.

After pondering for a moment, he felt that waiting until he himself stepped into the Three Realm of Hua Dan before acting as her protector during pill condensation would provide greater assurance.

Once his thoughts were settled, he waved off the Mirror Spirit, then reached into his sleeve, drawing out two Jade Boxes containing True Seal talisman given by Zhong Muqing and the Sect Leader.

Within these True Seals, a thread of consciousness and Essence from a senior was hidden, already charting the path ahead. When the disciple wished to condense the True Seal, they needed only to follow the predecessors’ path, cultivating and refining without much expenditure of Heart Power.