Daoist Competition

He opened his hand, revealing a treasure seed as if made of purple jade. Zhu Xin glanced at it and couldn’t help but softly exclaim in surprise, her beautiful eyes fixed on her husband, "Jade Purple Sun Seed? Brother, where did this come from?"

Yang Bi laughed heartily and said, "Junior Sister, with this item in hand, if I were to present it to the Taihao Sect, wouldn’t it be enough to exchange for a token talisman?"

The "Jade Purple Sun Seed" is a treasure seed produced by the Guardian Divine Wood of the Taihao Sect and holds significant importance for them. However, several of these have been lost over the millennia. If this one were returned, they certainly wouldn’t refuse it.

Zhu Xin thought to herself, "No wonder Brother was so unenthusiastic earlier; this is the reason."

She then pondered and, with a frown, asked, "Brother, how do you know for sure that Taihao Sect has spare token talismans to share with our Yuan Yang?"

Yang Bi smiled mysteriously, "How could I know for sure, unless Junior Sister thinks this is my only plan?"

He took out another lustrous sword ball, resting it in his palm, and said, "Junior Sister must surely recognize the origin of this object."

Zhu Xin’s beautiful eyes widened in shock.

She naturally recognized this item. Years ago, Master Hong You of the Yuan Yang Sect defeated the Shaoqing disciple Zhao Shu in a great competition and brought back this sword ball. Later, when the True Master ascended, it was kept in the Ancestor Hall.

Yang Bi chuckled triumphantly, "Speaking of lineage, this Zhao Shu True Master happens to be of the same generation as the current Shaoqing Sect Leader’s own elder grand-uncle, and this sword ball seems to hold other mysteries. If returned to Shaoqing Sect, it’s likely we could ask Master Xun for assistance. It’s reasonable to think we could exchange this for a token talisman."

Zhu Xin gave Yang Bi a complicated look and said softly, "So the sect has had arrangements all along. Brother, you’ve kept me in the dark quite well."

Yang Bi sighed gently, shook her hand, and apologized, "It wasn’t my intention to conceal it, but this matter is of great significance. The Sect Leader had instructed that even the closest kin must not be informed of half a word. Please don’t blame me, Junior Sister."

The Yuan Yang Sect elders were all against the idea of exhausting disciples’ mana before the Extreme Sky Sword Fighting.

They believed that obtaining token talismans didn’t necessarily have to be life-threatening; other methods could achieve this in private.

Hence, Yang Bi came with three items: this sword ball, the "Jade Purple Sun Seed," and another related to the Nanhua Sect, which is currently unused.

When the Taihao Sect’s token talisman descended, Tong Yingyuan immediately used his escape technique to fly up. He expected a good fight, but after some time, no one from the Demon Sect came to challenge him, so he easily took the token talisman.

In the Sword Fighting Conference so far, he had only acted twice and had already obtained two token talismans, which made him very happy.

At this moment, he casually noticed a flying book emerging in mid-air. Without much consideration, he grabbed it and took a quick look, yet his eyes fixated, as if unbelieving.

A moment later, he snapped back to reality, flicked his hand, emitting a burst of thunderfire, reducing the flying book to ashes.

In his mind, he thought, "The Jade Purple Sun Seed is an important treasure of my sect. If what Yang Bi said is true, it must be retrieved, and if I get another, during the Extreme Sky life-and-death battle, my chances could increase."

He enjoyed a special status within the Taihao Sect, as his master was a Sect Leader’s disciple, so he didn’t need to consult anyone. Once decided, he immediately turned and headed toward the Yuan Yang Sect.

At this moment, in a lush mountain ridge within Chengyuan Gorge, Luo Canghai and his two companions hid stealthily, seemingly waiting for the right moment to act.

Luo Canghai’s gaze frequently shifted between Yao Yin Peak and several token talismans in the sky.

Just then, an inconspicuous azure tunneling light descended before them, revealing a gaunt Daoist who saluted and said, "Brother Luo, I come by order, ready to serve."

Luo Canghai sized him up and said, "You are Cheng Daoist? I heard from Senior Brother that you are trustworthy. If you help me get the token talisman this time, I will speak to my master on your behalf and accept you as a Registered Disciple."

The gaunt Daoist rejoiced, "Then I leave it to you, Brother."

Wu Huanchen thought to himself, "So he had others positioned here; indeed, he wouldn’t trust just the two of us that easily."

Luo Canghai turned slightly and said to Wu Huanchen, "When the token talisman heads toward Yao Yin Sect, find a way to guard against the two Nascent Soul Daoists accompanying Zhang Yan, especially that Dragon Carp; it must not be allowed to come over."

Initially, Wu Huanchen thought Luo Canghai would require the two of them to join him in besieging Zhang Yan, but he was surprised to hear they were only to serve as a distraction. This surprised him greatly. Not only he, but Lady Qi also thought the same, but upon hearing they had to stop that Dragon Carp, both were visibly concerned.

Wu Huanchen cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist Luo, that Dragon Carp Siren is famed in the East Sea and has a Daoist Cultivation not inferior to a Nascent Soul Third Realm Cultivator, with overwhelming mana that could crush us to powder in an instant; how are we to stop it?"

Luo Canghai laughed heartily, "I won’t send you to your deaths."

He reached into his sleeve bag, took out an item, and threw it toward them, pointing as he said, "This is the ’Huanxuan Lamp,’ which can ensure your safety."

Wu Huanchen hurried to catch it, examined it closely, and saw that it was an ancient-style lampstand, the handle like a tree root, twisted and knotted, engraved with the Big Dipper and decorated with cloud patterns in ancient script, appearing mysterious and profound.

The lamp emitted a powerful spiritual energy; upon contact, he knew it was a Mystical Artifact, which eased his mind. He put the treasure away, thinking privately, "With this and my Treasure Umbrella, should things turn bad, I can retreat in time."

As he was lost in thought, a sudden thunderclap sounded from the sky. Turning to look, he saw that the two token talismans abruptly sank from the clouds and plummeted, one to the south bank and one to the north bank of the river.

...

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