Daoist Competition

Once the great array on Turtle Snake Mountain was broken, the restraints lifted, Guo and Pang ascended with the wind. Suddenly, they saw a Daoist with his sleeves fluttering, singing as he arrived. Above his head, a mass of Pure Gang Cloud radiated, and five-colored brilliant lights flowed and alternated behind him, appearing very extraordinary. The two were filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

Pang Yuzhong glanced towards the peak of the mountain and saw that it was empty with nothing left. His expression changed slightly, and he murmured, "Senior Brother, this isn’t good. I’m afraid this mountain’s treasure has been taken by this person!"

Pang Mingde also frowned. Their uproar this time was for this strange treasure, which was vital to the future rise and fall of the Lie Xuan Sect. It could not be lost. But to their dismay, just as it was about to fall into their hands, someone came to seize it.

However, recalling the formidable aura of the other party at the Nascent Soul stage, one could see he had a deep and unmatched foundation, and might have other unknown means. If they were to engage in combat, even if they could win, they might not come out unscathed. Therefore, if they could avoid a fight, it would be best to do so.

Guo Mingde waved his horsetail whisk, and stepped forward with a bow, saying, "This fellow Daoist, please wait."

Zhang Yan smiled slightly and also returned the salute, saying, "What guidance do the two of you wish to offer by calling out to this humble Daoist?"

When Zhang Yan was in the distance just now, Pang Yuzhong had already recognized his appearance as the one who had harmed his own disciple. However, compared to his disciples, the matter of the strange treasure was more important, and he could only put it aside for the moment. He questioned aloud, "Is it this mountain’s treasure that the fellow Daoist has taken?"

Zhang Yan’s expression did not change as he openly admitted, "If the two of you are referring to that strange stone on the mountain, yes, it was indeed taken by this humble Daoist."

Pang Mingde spoke in a low voice, "I know you are from East Splendor Continent. The treasure of this mountain belongs to our Central Pillar Continent’s Lie Xuan Sect. If a fellow Daoist takes it, I’m afraid it’s improper. I hope you can leave it behind, otherwise, any misunderstanding would be unpleasant."

Zhang Yan laughed aloud at these words, flung his sleeve, and shouted, "Putting aside what it is, even if it is truly some strange treasure, it should belong to Haohang Dao Palace. How could it have become the property of your Lie Xuan Sect?"

Pang Yuzhong sneered and turned his head, calling out, "Hong An, come up here."

Hong An anxiously stepped forward. He hadn’t expected that in these twenty-eight years, Zhang Yan not only hadn’t left, but had also achieved the Nascent Soul stage here. His gaze was filled with shock and fear, and he didn’t dare to speak loudly, saying, "What do the two True Masters wish to instruct?"

Pang Yuzhong pointed at Hong An and declared loudly, "This is Hong An of the Haohang Dao Palace. He has agreed to offer this treasure to our sect, thus it belongs to our sect."

Zhang Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "Where is Duanmu Mian, the temple master of Haohang Dao Palace, now?"

Pang Yuzhong snorted twice and said coldly, "Duanmu Mian, the old fool, recklessly opposed our Lie Xuan Sect. It’s laughable for a mantis to try to stop a chariot. Overestimating oneself, he has already experienced soul scattering. Now, the one in charge of Haoxing Temple is Hong An."

His words carried an implicit threat, suggesting that if they were to oppose them, they would face the same fate.

Zhang Yan was unfazed and calmly said, "That’s not necessarily the case. Besides Hong An, there’s another person who can decide the ownership of this item."

Just after he finished speaking, he turned on his heel and suddenly disappeared, reappearing before the young woman holding Lu Guo.

Seeing a Nascent Soul True Master suddenly appear before her, the young woman was startled and dismayed. A group of disciples nearby also panicked and instinctively prepared to retrieve their Dharma Treasures.

Guo and Pang were shocked and simultaneously shouted out, "Don’t!"

They knew very well that if these disciples were to provoke a Nascent Soul cultivator, no matter how many there were, they would only meet their end.

Zhang Yan sneered coldly, and with a wave of his sleeve, the disciples were swept away by a Gang Wind before they could act, leaving only Lu Guo in place. He raised his hand and with a single brush removed the talisman seal from Lu Guo’s forehead.

Lu Guo had already regained consciousness and heard Zhang Yan speaking with Guo and Pang clearly. However, with his hands and Inner Qi restrained, he couldn’t make a sound. Now freed from his bindings, he leapt up, first bowing solemnly to Zhang Yan in gratitude, "Thank you, fellow Daoist, for your rescue."

He then pointed at Hong An and cursed, "Hong An, you have the audacity to call yourself a disciple of Haoxing Temple? Colluding with outsiders, plotting against your master. Our Haohang Dao Palace has no room for someone like you who betrays their teachers and ancestors!"

Hong An was thoroughly shamed and enraged by the scolding, but with Lu Guo standing by Zhang Yan’s side and even Guo and Pang not making any immediate moves, he could only endure it for now.