Daoist Competition

Without the token talisman on him, he would no longer be targeted, and no one would relentlessly pursue him. He need only wait on the sidelines for the right opportunity to act.

Although he seemed to have retreated, in truth, he had simply removed himself from the situation, advancing and retreating with ease.

As for the other five Demon Kings, some were unwilling to relinquish the token talisman they had obtained, while others were bound by their followers, lacking the decisiveness he possessed.

Earlier, Zhang Yan had mingled amongst the many tunneling lights, occupying a discreet corner of an inconspicuous Immortal Palace, which happened to be the central hall of the palace cluster.

The Lu siblings and Jun Yue Demon King were situated in three separate positions, each on guard and warily observing their surroundings.

Zhang Yan glanced at the talisman floating within the mouth of the auspicious beast. This talisman was formed the moment the Immortal Palace manifested, born of mystical resonance. If anyone attempted to take the talisman further than a hundred miles, it would dissipate naturally, and another talisman would emerge in this hall.

He reached out and took down the token talisman shimmering with golden light.

After a brief inspection, he discovered, as True Master Tao had said, that with this talisman in hand, he could detect every prohibition within the palace.

Originally, there were 365 inner prohibitions, but now 362 had already been eradicated, leaving only three unresolved.

At this moment, True Master Tao's true body was hidden deep within the Immortal Palace, forcibly refining the inner prohibitions with Great Dharma Power. Though this method was time-consuming, it could thoroughly erase all traces left by the previous owner, ensuring no future complications.

Once these prohibitions were completely removed, success would be achieved in its entirety.

Zhang Yan's task during this venture was to protect the token talisman and prevent others from taking it, lest they uncover its flaws.

As for intruders stealthily investigating the palace, he had no concerns.

The last inner prohibition of the array was called the Miao Guang Illusion Formation; anyone entering without the talisman would be lost within.

If not for True Master Tao's fortuitous acquisition of the "Star Engraving Plate" years ago, even he would have struggled to enter the depths of this palace.

Zhang Yan paced back and forth along the hall's ridge, contemplating if he had overlooked anything. Suddenly, his expression shifted. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out the "All Elements Star Three-Seven Palace Flag," chanting a mantra and then hurling it downward.

As soon as the array flag landed, a formation spontaneously took shape, but before it could fully unfurl, it was repelled by a burst of spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy within the Mysterious Palace surged in all directions, generating a natural force of rejection and disrupting the Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism, rendering the array flag unusable.

Summoning the flag back with a gesture, he nodded discreetly.

Though he failed to establish his own formation, he had also prevented others from forming arrays in the surrounding area, thus avoiding potential trouble.

Suddenly, an awareness dawned upon him as he glanced upward, noticing a tunneling light speeding straight toward his location.

As the tunneling light neared, it condensed, revealing a figure in midair—a woman dressed in a flowing white gown.

The woman's features were delicate, her garments untouched by a speck of dust, resembling a solitary white lotus in the world. Her gaze was crystal clear, devoid of the slightest impurity. She looked at him quietly and said, "Brother Zhang, I am Xin Chanzhen of the Yuan Yang Sect. I've come today not for the Immortal Mansion, but to reclaim the Seven Absolute Piles."

Zhang Yan was momentarily taken aback upon hearing this, but then he smiled faintly and said, "I see now. However, I can discern the intense Divine Intent within fellow Daoist, with Sword Qi brimming in your chest. It seems that regardless of whether I am willing to give up this treasure, you are determined to engage me in a duel."

Although Zhang Yan had directly pointed out her intentions, Xin Chanzhen's expression remained calm. She nodded slightly and said softly, "Brother Daoist is correct. If I win, I ask you to return the Seven Absolute Piles. If I lose, let us speak no further of the matter."

Zhang Yan nodded with a smile and replied, "Since fellow Daoist Xin has made such a request, I presently have some time to spare. I am happy to oblige. Please proceed."

Although Zhang Yan's demeanor was relaxed, Xin Chanzhen dared not be the least bit careless. She let out a clear cry, pointing with her finger as a streak of dazzling Sword Qi flew toward him in a slash.

Zhang Yan responded with a smile, keeping his shoulders unmoving as a beam of mysterious light emerged from above him, sweeping forward to effortlessly dissolve the incoming radiance.

Xin Chanzhen's jade-like face remained unchanged as she reached to her waist pouch, grasping a cluster of Essence Qi, and gently blew a breath of spiritual energy upon it. A resonant clang was heard as the Essence Qi transformed into hundreds of ferocious Sword Qi, which rained down like a storm surge.

Zhang Yan shouted once, and a tri-colored beam of mysterious light emerged from above him. As it descended, no matter how the Sword Qi scattered and poured forth, it failed to make the slightest advance toward him.

These two moves by Xin Chanzhen were merely perfunctory tests. Observing the profound and refined concentration of the mystical light surrounding Zhang Yan, her expression grew subtly heavier.

With a gentle lift of her slender wrist, five golden-white sword lights emerged from behind her, emitting a chilling aura of slaughter that instantly filled the air.

She activated the mantra, causing the five flying swords to whirl together into a cluster and rush toward Zhang Yan.

Unperturbed, Zhang Yan remained calm as a beam of brilliance flew out from the center of his brow. As soon as it materialized, it displayed a serpentine agility, weaving and darting through the air, scattering trails of starlight, and single-handedly intercepting all five flying swords with a single sword ball.

From just one exchange, Zhang Yan discerned that Xin Chanzhen was employing the "White Tiger True Evil Mysterious Light," a technique he had confronted before. However, with five swords now manifested, her cultivation had surpassed that of Chen Chizhong from back then.

That said, Zhang Yan could not be compared to his past self either.

As Xin Chanzhen realized she could not break into Zhang Yan's sword circle, her elegant brows furrowed slightly. With a shift in her thoughts, the five flying swords abruptly altered their Sword Force, no longer adhering to strict paths but instead revealing sword moves filled with an overwhelming killing intent.

Streaks of white light intertwined within flickering sword brilliance, darting back and forth in the air, and cascading down like woven rain amid relentless attacks.

Mere moments passed, and Zhang Yan had already deflected over a hundred sword strikes.

It was now evident to him that while Xin Chanzhen's cultivation level surpassed Chen Chizhong's, her swordsmanship was still less seasoned than his.

Amid the ceaseless torrent of sword light, Zhang Yan remained composed, laughing heartily as he exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist Xin, this Sword Force alone will not suffice to defeat me!"

With a single thought, the sword ball glittered and darted forward, lightning-like in speed, striking the five flying swords in rapid succession, scattering the sword brilliance and creating an opening in the assault.

At the same time, the sword ball suddenly soared, splitting into a beam of sword light that shot straight toward the center of Xin Chanzhen's brow.

Alarmed, Xin Chanzhen hastily evaded, sensing a chill grazing past her ear. Reaching up to touch her head, she realized that a strand of her hair had been severed.

...

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