Daoist Competition

If ambushing others, he is usually silent, but this time he deliberately said it for Zhang Yan to hear, to show his stance.

Although Luo Canghai saw Wu Huanchen approaching, he truly did not expect this person to turn traitor at the crucial moment.

He was originally thinking about when to escape; the Four Symbols Sky Shuttle was defending against the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder in the air, with some of his attention focused on Zhou Qingyun, and Wu Huanchen was not even in his consideration, so he was completely unguarded.

Wu Huanchen swung his staff down, fearing Zhang Yan might think he was acting, thus using almost all his strength, viciously. With a bang, it broke Luo Canghai’s Protective Treasure Light and landed directly on him.

To his surprise, even though he clearly hit his target, it seemed to have slid off, not fully absorbing the power.

Luo Canghai stumbled forward, his chest felt tight, knowing things were going badly, he had no time to argue with Wu Huanchen. He squeezed the Dharma Talisman in his hand, immediately causing a fiery glow to envelop him. With a flick of his sleeve, he retrieved the Four Symbols Sky Shuttle, then burst into a starry flame, crashing out of the confines of this realm.

Out in the open, he took a moment to glance down and saw that the talisman was already half-burnt. He glared back at Wu Huanchen with hatred, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth without hesitation, and urged his mana to fly towards the gorge exit.

Zhang Yan smiled slightly. He had already seen Luo Qingyu and Zhong Muqing head to the gorge entrance to block him, knowing that escape was impossible; thus, he didn’t pursue.

Luo Canghai’s tunneling light was as fast as lightning, almost comparable to Zhang Yan’s full-speed sword escape. He was almost out of the gorge in an instant, but saw two people blocking the entrance, causing him to snort, squeeze a spell, and prepare to unleash the Four Symbols Sky Shuttle to break through, only to change his expression upon seeing their faces clearly.

The person on the left, cloaked in a green daoist robe, appeared as clear breeze and bright moon, elegant and free; on the right was a scholar with a handsome face, white clothes fluttering in the wind like an immortal. They were undoubtedly Luo Qingyu and Zhong Muqing.

These two were not ordinary Cultivators, even facing one was difficult, let alone both together.

While pondering his options, behind him flames grew fiercely; turning his head, he saw a mass of blazing fire in the air, its heat oppressive, his pupils contracted; Huo Xuan had arrived behind him.

In just a moment, he was surrounded by the three Senior Disciples of Mingcang Sect.

Luo Canghai’s eyes flickered as he looked at each of the three in turn, suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "What skills do I have to labor all three senior brothers to make a move together?"

Huo Xuan, expressionless, spoke in a deep voice, "That person has long betrayed the sect; you, as his disciple, are not under Mingcang Sect. Do not use the term ’senior brother’ anymore. Today, with the three of us here, you cannot escape. If you surrender, we will spare your life and only leave you to the sect elders to deal with."

Luo Canghai knew that he could not match these three, felt hatred in his heart, and sneered, "Let’s see how much skill you all have to entangle with me."

He suddenly plummeted downwards, heading into the river.

The three remained unfazed and did not stop him; there was a Forbidden Technique underwater, making escape futile.

Before Luo Canghai reached the water’s surface, a White Python crashed through, and he stepped onto its head, standing firm.

He let out a long howl, pointed a finger, and sent the Four Symbols Sky Shuttle skyward to the four corners, pinching a spell to make it tremble, each releasing a ray of light. From the southeast, northwest emerged the images of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, forming an array with the four shuttles in an instant.

At this moment, the talisman in his chest burned out completely, turning to ash, carried away by the wind along with the protective flames.

Zhong Muqing glanced a few times, his expression tensed, saying, "This is a bit troublesome, not difficult to break, but it requires three or four days."

Luo Qingyu also frowned.

These four Heavenly Shuttles are of one body, all Mystical Artifacts of the highest order. Setting a Forbidden Array now makes them comparable to mountain-guarding arrays, breaking it in a short time is impossible.

Later, each of them would receive their token talisman; after adjusting their breathing for a moment, they were to head to Extreme Sky. Who would have the leisure to waste time here? Luo Canghai likely saw through this, intentionally setting this array.

Huo Xuan pondered briefly and said, "No need to worry, brothers. I have a way to break the array, but I need to ask Junior Brother Zhang to help."

After Luo Canghai’s escape, Zhang Yan retracted his mana, causing the thunder to disperse and lightning to fade; the mass of Gang Cloud slowly gathered, still suspended above. Meanwhile, he mentally issued a decree, commanding Si Ren to withdraw the method locking heaven and earth.

Wu Huanchen felt his whole body relax, as if the strength he bound himself with disappeared. Having resisted the Divine Thunder, he was now completely exhausted, falling out of the clouds to Zhang Yan’s feet, struggling to rise, bowing deeply in gratitude, "Thank you, True Master Zhang, for sparing my life."

At this moment, two tunneling lights arrived from afar, stopping nearby; it was Old Daoist Ying Ya and an elder from his sect.

Old Daoist Ying Ya stepped forward, bowed, and said, "True Master Zhang, this person has twice attempted to seize the token talismans during Our Sects’ Combat Viewing, an unforgivable sin. I ask that you hand him over to me for punishment."

Zhang Yan returned the courtesy with a nod, saying, "That is as it should be."

Upon hearing this, Wu Huanchen panicked, saying, "True Master Zhang, I just helped you..."

Zhang Yan chuckled, turned away, and ignored him.

The Bu Tian Pavilion elder walked forward expressionlessly, released a black iron chain from his sleeve, clanking as he securely bound Wu Huanchen, then nodded to Zhang Yan, caught the wind, and flew with his captive towards the peak.

Zhang Yan flicked his sleeve, also taking to the skies, arriving before Zhou Qingyun, bowing, "Miss Zhou, since you’ve come for the talisman, let’s engage according to Dharma Assembly rules."

...

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