Daoist Competition

In a quiet room within Hongyan Temple, Zhang Yan sat cross-legged on a cushion, his gaze fixed on a talisman floating before him. He repeatedly exhaled spiritual energy, causing the talisman to tremble gently and emit a light akin to a candle. When the brightness grew even stronger, he extended his hand and retrieved a ball of white light from his sleeve bag.

He had examined this item earlier and understood it well. Inside was an essence formed from the Earth Vein Five Metal Qi, fused into a small piece of Star Fallen Iron by some unknown hand. The method seemed intended to nurture a high-quality sword ball.

If refined repeatedly with True Fire, and placed atop a high platform to daily absorb Sun and Moon Essence Qi while being tempered by Gang Wind, over the course of centuries, it might indeed become an extraordinary sword ball.

However, since Zhang Yan already possessed a sword ball, he had no need for this item. Now, taking it out, he intended to refine it into a Fighting Gate Sword Talisman as recorded in the *Talisman Bag Book*.

To safeguard the Immortal Palace Main Mansion for True Master Tao, it was crucial to prepare as many means as possible.

This sword talisman was immensely powerful, yet due to the loss of the Refining Gate spell, it was designed for single use only—strictly as a lifesaving measure in moments of extreme peril.

Over the past seven days, he had almost exhausted all his resources. The talisman now contained the spiritual energy of no fewer than ten thousand Spiritual Shells. Had it not reached its limit, he would not have stopped even if it meant sacrificing every last Spiritual Shell.

He had even infused the talisman with the essence gathered from the Four Symbols God Slaying Formation within the Mountain and River Map.

Much of that essence had already been used during the last confrontation in the Nether River, and the remainder was insufficient for refining pills or artifacts, so he decided to pour it all into this sword talisman instead.

Yet though spiritual energy was adequate, a small amount of Five Metal Qi was still lacking, which the essence could perfectly compensate for.

As if sensing impending doom, the essence struggled desperately in Zhang Yan's hand, hissing and thrashing about. Its sharp energy lashed out, slicing through the furnishings of the quiet room.

Zhang Yan sneered, and a ray of Xuan Guang shot from his mouth, binding the essence. With deliberate inner breath control, he continuously expelled golden light and True Fire Qi upon it.

Roughly two hours later, he had completely disassembled the Five Metal Qi within. Then, with a shout, he clapped the talisman with his hand. A piercing cry resounded through the quiet room as the golden light talisman pierced through the roof and shot into the sky.

Zhang Yan also leapt up, flying straight into the clouds. He saw the talisman suspended in mid-air, radiating a chilling Sword Qi that shone coldly in his eyes. Smiling faintly, he formed a spell with his hands, causing the talisman to transform into a streak of golden light. It circled around him once before entering his sleeve.

Not in a hurry to return to the palace, he sat cross-legged on the clouds. The sea breeze tousled his robes, and as he gazed ahead, he saw vibrant clouds shifting on the horizon, light intertwining with mist. Heavy leaden clouds pressed down on the ocean, evoking an overwhelming sense of vastness as the winds and clouds converged.

The auspicious light and rainbow emanating from the seafloor grew increasingly brilliant, suggesting that the emergence of the Immortal Mansion was imminent.

Though the Immortal Mansion's radiance was visible to him, its location remained elusive, shifting unpredictably. Apart from True Master Tao, no one knew its exact position at this moment.

As the sun set in the west, casting the sky into darkness, Zhang Yan remained seated on the clouds, as if patiently waiting for something.

At the hour of Hai, two talismans originally placed upon the jade couch burst forth in vibrations, shattering the dome and releasing two beams of radiant light that illuminated the night sky.

Within one beam of light, the silhouette of a colorful pheasant let out a cry, then the light withdrew, revealing a graceful figure. A red-clothed woman approached with a gentle smile, bowing elegantly to Zhang Yan in gratitude, speaking softly, "Many thanks to you, fellow Daoist, for helping me escape that cage."

A hearty laugh followed as Lu Junbai, now restored to his former self, stepped forward, clasping his hands in thanks. "This time, surviving calamity was entirely due to your assistance, fellow Daoist!"

Zhang Yan smiled faintly and returned the bow, saying, "Fellow Daoists, please follow me into the temple. There is another matter I wish to discuss."

The night deepened, and the bright moon hung high in the sky. A Mysterious Snake Nine-orifice Sea Boat floated on the sea, where waves churned below, but on the boat itself, radiance of green energy and rainbow light flashed incessantly, indicating an intense conflict.

Qiu Ju darted about hastily within his tunneling light, driven to desperation by a fine flying needle as thin as an ox's hair. He was utterly defenseless, and seeing no way to evade it further, he finally shouted, "Senior Brother Zeng, I admit defeat, I admit defeat!"

The flying formation suddenly halted, and the white Qi dissipated. From the opposite side, a young Daoist emerged, cloaked in a mysterious robe, Cloud Shoes on his feet, and a three-foot-long Lingzhi in his hand. The Lingzhi's canopy reached a full zhang wide, resembling a verdant Luo Umbrella. With a faint smile, he saluted lightly and said, "Junior Brother Qiu, you are too humble. Your Nanhua Sect specializes in controlling spiritual birds and exotic beasts. If that flower falcon of yours hadn't been taken by Shen Minggu, preventing you from utilizing seventy percent of your Daoist Skill, I doubt I could have defeated you so easily."