Daoist Competition

In the next two days, Zhang Yan appeared to remain calmly seated in the mansion, but in reality, he was secretly making arrangements to catch the Demon Sect off guard.

As one of the Ten Great Heads, in name, the other nine had to heed his commands. However, there was a difficulty here; these individuals were all disciples of the Cave Heaven True Masters. He could perhaps move them with favors, but if he issued a decree, it would certainly be ineffective.

As for within the sect, anyone with Nascent Soul cultivation usually held the position of an elder, whom he could not employ.

Thus, the forces he could utilize in his hands were rather limited.

Ordinarily, the only ones he could mobilize were his own disciples, like Liu Yan Yi and Wei Zihong, so to outsiders, as long as these two remained in the mansion, it meant he could not make any significant moves.

This situation was clearly understood not only by the insiders but also by the Demon Sect practitioners.

However, the brothers from Han Wangke’s lineage proved their usefulness at this time. These two had been expelled from the sect for several hundred years, and no one knew whether they still lived in the world. After returning with Shen Baishuang, they went into secluded cultivation, which could create an unexpected effect, serving as a hidden piece in his hand.

But relying solely on these two could only bring temporary victory; it was not a long-term plan.

If applied to Qi Yuntian, Huo Xuan, and others, this would not be a major issue, because they were supported by their masters and clans. A single Dharma decree or a word to their sect, and Nascent Soul cultivators would be dispatched to assist them.

Yet Zhang Yan did not have a Cave Heaven True Master as his teacher, so he did not have such conveniences.

Currently, the struggle between the two sides did not yet involve the Ten Great Profound Sects, so nothing was apparent. But in a few decades, once the Demon Cave emerged, there would certainly be a brutal battle among the Xuanmo, and with only this amount of strength, it was far from enough.

Thus, upon deep consideration, he decided to find a way to reverse this situation.

As he could remain in the position of one of the Ten Great Heads for at least another hundred years, he needed to improve the cultivation of his disciples as much as possible. This would not only support him but also give them the strength to contend in the three great tribulations.

This highlighted the benefits of his position as one of the Great Heads. Within the sect, he had the authority to allocate most cultivation external objects, such as Cave Mansion Spiritual Shells, Magic Artifacts, and Elixir Pills, below the level of Hua Dan cultivators, and he could advance the Zhao You Heavenly Pool lineage well ahead of time.

This was not just for personal gain but was a tacit rule within the sect. When Qi Yuntian held the position, the Mystic Water Zhen Palace disciples increased several times over. Fan Changqing managed mundane matters for him. Later, Huo Xuan succeeded him, benefiting the Chen Clan juniors the most. Even in Du De’s less than ten years in the position, the Fire Roar Palace and the Du Family also received substantial benefits.

Among the Zhao You Heavenly Pool Sect disciples, Tian Kun needs no mention. The Wang Sisters, Yuan Yanhui, and Weng Zhiyuan were all at the Third Realm of Hua Dan cultivation. In the next few decades, if one or two of them could enter the Nascent Soul Realm, they would be able to contribute when the Demon Cave emerged.

In addition to this, he had an incomparable advantage that remained in East Victory Continent. In critical moments, he could not only summon several from the Han Yuan Sect from there, but also offer substantial profits to entice cultivators from the four sects of the continent to come and assist.

However, before this, his own sect needed to remain stable and prevent the Demon Sect from spying on them; otherwise, they would lose a move first.

Zhang Yan thought for a moment and instructed, "Jing You, go and summon Xu Jing."

Jing You responded from outside the cave and hurried away.

Soon after, a Daoist with a lion-like nose and broad mouth, exuding a vigorous aura, stepped in and bowed, saying, "Xu Jing greets the True Master."

He had been in Zhao You Mansion for over a hundred years, diligently studying arrays. Under his supervision, using the Little Pot Mirror as the array device, he had rearranged the formations in Zhao You Mansion, significantly enhancing their defensive power, surpassing the originals by several levels. Although he did not participate in the fighting during the Demon Tribulation, his merits were substantial.

Zhang Yan glanced at him a few times, smiling, "Although arrays are your specialty, Daoist cultivation is fundamental and should not be neglected."

Xu Jing repeatedly agreed.

Zhang Yan pointed to a porcelain bottle on the table, "This is an elixir pill refined by my master, which can enhance cultivation. Take it and use it."

Hearing that this pill was personally refined by Zhou Chongju, Xu Jing dared not take it and hurriedly said, "Master Wei has passed down many Yao Yin Sect Dharma techniques to me, and I am already content. I dare not accept more gifts from the Pavilion Master."

Zhang Yan kindly said, "No need to decline. With my current cultivation, I no longer require such elixir pills. I heard you’ve also accepted several disciples who are diligently studying arrays with you, neglecting their own cultivation. Even if you do not use it yourself, you can give it to them."