Daoist Competition

Zhang Yan stood on the Dharma Platform, observing her movements with perfect clarity, and couldn’t help but shake his head and smile. In this formation, with its myriad portals and countless twists and turns, escape was only possible when the array was initially set up.

However, his formation was an Active Array, arranged by demon soldiers, not relying on geographical features. It could advance or retreat, and as long as the Yun Han One Breath Sky remained unremoved, he could expand the array outward, gradually pressing forward, making resistance futile.

His confidence stemmed from knowing that this Divine Passage Skill of transforming a small realm was not something Zhou Qingyun could cultivate with her current cultivation level. It must have been borrowed through a Life Pearl, which could be activated but not retracted, forcing mana depletion.

Others might not grasp the intricacies, but Zhou Chongju, once a Direct Lineage Disciple of the Zhou Clan, had no secrets regarding many Divine Skills and Daoist Skills. To extinguish the Zhou Family, he had shared considerable inside knowledge with Zhang Yan.

After steadying his Essence Qi, Zhang Yan nodded to Lu Changsu, saying, "You may begin manipulating the array to show me if you’re rusty."

Lu Changsu brimmed with confidence, responding, "Master, please sit back and watch as I handle the array."

He performed a Daoist bow, and as he straightened, his face turned solemn. He flicked the Array Flag downward and commanded, "Rise!"

Zhou Qingyun, having calmed down from her initial panic, was contemplating a method to break out when she suddenly sensed something amiss. Glancing to the side, she saw countless Essence Qi streams converging from all directions in mid-air, forming a dense array of massive rock pillars in the thousands, nearly obscuring the sky.

Simultaneously, fierce Gang Winds howled around the stone pillars like blades cutting through rocks, producing a sharp sound. At this moment, hundreds more waves of smoke and mist surged from the earth, collided with the sky, and fell back, raising dust and creating a choking, dark atmosphere.

Witnessing this scene filled her with dread. She quickly pulled up the translucent, water-like Floating Ribbon, spreading a shimmering, icy crystal-like mist and light around her. Yet, feeling still uneasy, she also directed Dharma Clouds around her, piling them up in front.

Lu Changsu cast a glance over and swung the Array Flag downward with force.

Under his decree, over ten thousand rock pillars thundered down like hail, the black wind and gray mist sweeping away the Dharma Clouds, crashing onto the crystal mist.

Zhou Qingyun felt a heaviness in her heart, her body trembling lightly. She knew she couldn’t purely defend and snatched up the Five Yang Calming Mirror. With a flick of its Mirror Light towards the sky, the mirror, a worthy Mystical Artifact, shattered rock and dispelled mist wherever its light touched. The falling debris, whether turbid Qi pillars or fierce wind clouds, couldn’t touch her at all.

Lu Changsu chuckled; he, having manipulated the array for years, knew how to play tricks. The stone pillars and mist were partly real, partly fake, not as fearsome as they appeared. Unaware cultivators might think they gained the upper hand by dispelling them with spells, but in truth, they were caught in a trap, achieving nothing but consuming mana.

Eager to showcase his skill in manipulating the array in front of Zhang Yan, he refrained from unleashing the formation’s full power to kill, instead aiming to display its intricacies.

Zhang Yan watched for a while, shook his head with a smile. In normal circumstances, he wouldn’t oppose Lu Changsu’s antics, as they might exhaust Zhou Qingyun’s mana, allowing her capture. But now, he had no time for such delays, so he cast a spell, slightly steadying the Essence Qi, then reached out, snatched Lu Changsu’s Dharma Flag, and said, "You step down."

Lu Changsu, taken aback, unsure if he’d erred, retreated worriedly behind Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan stepped forward coldly, raising the Dharma Flag with swift shakes.

In an instant, the world seemed to shake, and countless mountain phantom figures condensed between heaven and earth, towering high in the sky. Without further ado, he pointed under the banner, and those peaks began pressing downward.

Zhou Qingyun saw the many descending peaks, her face instantly losing color. With no escape route left, she could only utilize her Dharma Treasures, squeezing her inner power to her utmost to withstand.

But as Zhang Yan wielded the array, it was truly not something she alone could resist. After sustaining a dozen breaths, the Smoke Net first collapsed, dissolving into crystal light points and fading away.

Zhou Qingyun inhaled, then lifted the Five Yang Calming Mirror, pulling a Face Token from her sachet, biting her finger, smearing it atop, instantly reddening it. Her lips parted softly, incanting a spell, promptly summoning a landscape screen from the ground.

Suddenly, with a "crack!", even the Five Yang Calming Mirror couldn’t withstand the pressure, shattering in pieces and falling. Without hesitation, she stepped behind the screen. As the mountains descended, it was as if a fly shaking a tree, the screen standing rock-steady, without the slightest tremor.

A flash of shadow, and the Mountain and River Child emerged, pointing below and said, "Master, this is the apparition of ’Nanyang Water Smoke Screen’ from Yuxiao Sect, transformed by that old man."

Zhang Yan’s eyes lit up at these words, not annoyed but pleased, chuckling, "Good, since you’ve employed a True Artifact for protection, I can’t be blamed. Mountain and River Child, go to the main position and suppress it."

The Mountain and River Child acknowledged, transforming into a light, rushing onto the Mountain and River Map.

Zhang Yan felt the Dharma Flag in his hand grow heavy, pulling downward slightly. He swiftly grasped it, holding the flag’s handle, gently swaying it, channeling the array’s terrestrial spirits and Essence Qi together. After a moment, the aura gradually solidified from ethereal, coalescing into a peak of ten thousand meters, towering high, as if it could burst the formation with a few more growths.

Feeling the right moment, Zhang Yan shouted, directing the Dharma Flag towards the Dharma Platform.

In an instant, it felt like the entire world had flipped upside down, with the sounds of collapsing mountains roaring in his ears, reverberating like they might burst his eardrums.

Zhang Yan’s expression remained unchanged, calm as usual. After a moment, the sound subsided, and with a flick of his sleeve, he dispersed the mist, peered down, finding Zhou Qingyun prone in the array, the corners of her lips stained crimson, her jade-pale face starkly white. Above her, Gang Cloud drifted apart into wisps, nearly dissipating, while the Jade Pearl on her also lost its luster, seemingly devoid of spiritual nature,

Zhang Yan withdrew a Dharma Sword from his sleeve, descended the Dharma Platform, calmly spoke before Zhou Qingyun, "I promised Senior Brother Chongju to annihilate your clan. Today, you came knocking, and there’s no letting you go."

Zhou Qingyun, aware of her impending demise, spat bitterly, "Zhang Yan, don’t take joy in this. My master will avenge me."

Zhang Yan smiled indifferently, no longer speaking, raised his hand to strike, and with a sweep of sword light, Zhou Qingyun’s head was severed.

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)