Daoist Competition

Zhang Yan noticed the situation, and maneuvered his sword accordingly. The sword ball scraped against the firm bones beneath the flesh, producing a metallic clang, sparking a trail of fire.

Jin Tanggong’s body shuddered, emitted a long howl, shaking the sword ball away. The wound closed immediately, and his fleeing momentum remained unchanged.

A Power Demon cultivator has cultivated to such a realm that their bones are as tough as refined steel. The path of the Flying Sword is difficult to kill unless one has mastered a secret technique.

Though Jin Tanggong was unafraid of the sword ball, he was extremely fearful of that Purple Cloud Divine Thunder just now.

The regeneration after decapitation seems easy, but in reality, it consumes a great deal of Essence. If he were to endure a few more strikes, his life might be at risk.

Zhang Yan understood the trick, seeing the sword ball was ineffective against this demon, he retracted it, using the Little All Heaven Moving Technique. His figure flashed, and in an instant, he was behind him.

He controlled the wind in the sky, speaking downwards, saying: "Daoist Jin, if you are willing to submit to me, you can still preserve a life."

Jin Tanggong heard this and hesitated for a moment. However, seeing the path out of the formation was right before him, and relying on a life-saving talisman that he had yet to use, he gritted his teeth, said nothing, and continued fleeing desperately.

Zhang Yan sneered, not saying more, shouted, and the Nascent Soul roared out from the top of his head, firmly standing in the void. A thread of golden light flew from behind him, flickered once throughout the scene, and then disappeared.

Jin Tanggong was rushing in escape when he suddenly felt a chill at his neck. His head silently fell off, and his body rushed forward a few zhang further before falling from the clouds, hitting the ground. The four claws twitched a few times, then, after a moment, with a "pu" sound, blood spurted out from the wound, spilling all over the ground, and then moved no more.

Zhao Xiong initially thought Jin Tanggong would stand up again soon, but after waiting for a long time with no movement, he realized with a shock that this Great Demon, who had similar cultivation level to his own, was now dead.

A cold shiver ran through him, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he thought, "True Master Zhang has such means, if he wanted to deal with old Zhao just now, wouldn’t he kill as he wished? Fortunately, fortunately."

What Zhang Yan had just performed was the Gold Element True Light from the Supreme Mysterious True Light. This light inherently possesses mystery, so when it flies, it only needs to cut down the enemy’s Six Yang Leader to slay the Primordial Spirit simultaneously. No matter how much a limb can regenerate, without a Primordial Spirit, it will never become of account again.

After slaying Jin Tanggong, Zhang Yan returned, and as he passed Zhao Xiong’s side, he gave him a glance and said, "You, come with me."

This glance made Zhao Xiong shiver all over, as Zhang Yan just now killing Jin Tanggong was indeed too bizarre, he was considerably frightened, hence at this moment, dared not make a sound, followed along tail between legs.

The two returned to Turtle Snake Mountain Peak, where Zhang Yan sat on a rock, asking amiably, "Daoist Zhao, I have something to ask you. You’ve been cultivating in Central Pillar Continent for some time. Could you know which sect specializes in the Path of Artifact Refining?"

Zhao Xiong was taken aback, not knowing why Zhang Yan suddenly asked about this, but dared not answer. He tapped his head thoughtfully and answered cautiously, "This little demon knows a bit. Speaking of the Path of Artifact Refining, the Golden Ling Sect of Pingdong is most famous, though they have many rules and are not easy to deal with. Besides that, there is the Zhenluo Alliance, with many skilled in artifact refining. When this little demon apprenticed under that person, various senior brothers in the sect often went to those few people for Dharma Treasure refining. This little demon had the good fortune to visit a few times."

Zhang Yan nodded slightly, then asked, "Do you know their names?"

Zhao Xiong patted his chest and said, "This little demon has a great memory and hasn’t forgotten one."

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Good, tell me and do not leave any out."

Zhao Xiong hurriedly recited all the names he knew and, fearing it wasn’t comprehensive enough, also described the appearances of several people he remembered.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yan was taken aback that there were over a dozen Great Power Experts in artifact refining within the Zhenluo Alliance alone, not to mention the Three Sects of Pingdong. If it was in East Splendor Continent, aside from Bu Tian Pavilion, a sect having two or three renowned experts would be considered exceptional.

However, Zhao Xiong only knew these individuals were outstanding but could not differentiate who was higher or lower. Therefore, Zhang Yan had to memorize them all first, planning to consider further once he visits them in the future.

The Sixteen Sects Sword Competition was approaching, and since he intended to go, he needed to make thorough preparations. Besides practicing Divine Skills and Daoist Skills, he also thought about making a few handy Dharma Treasures.

In particular, the turtle shell obtained from the remnant of the Great Demon Gui Congyao in the past, if he could get it refined by a skilled craftsman, might result in a Supreme Treasure.

Truly speaking, for artifact refining, the Bu Tian Pavilion, one of the Ten Great Sects of Xuanmen in East Splendor Continent, is the most proficient. However, since Kunyu here can use the Heroic Festival Fish Drum to refine the Green Sun Gang Spirit, Zhang Yan is temporarily disinclined to return. Also, disciples of this sect are elusive, making locating them quite difficult. Given the exquisite artifact refining techniques in Central Pillar Continent, it would be better to search locally, avoiding the hassle of traveling far and wide.

At this moment, Zhao Xiong looked at Zhang Yan eagerly, muttering, "True Master, this, that..."

Zhang Yan smiled gently, took out pen and paper, and swiftly wrote a letter, handing it over to Zhao Xiong, "I cannot save you, but you can take my letter to the Mingcang Sect to meet the Sect Leader. Whether you can escape disaster depends on your own fortune."

Zhao Xiong was initially slightly disappointed hearing Zhang Yan couldn’t save him, but after learning he could seek an audience with the Mingcang Sect Leader, he was overjoyed, once again igniting a sliver of hope. He hurried to kneel and give thanks, "The kindness of True Master today, this little demon will never dare to forget."

He had but a few years of lifespan left and dared not linger here. After expressing his immense gratitude, he was about to leave when Zhang Yan called him, smiling, saying, "Take it slow. Before you go, you might first visit the Haohang Dao Palace to meet Master Lu. If you can help him capture Hong An, you might stand to benefit."

...

... (To be continued. If you like this story, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)