Daoist Competition

East Victory South Continent, Great Chen Kingdom, Gantang Temple.

The Door Guardian Treasure, "Yongming Well," was placed in the center of the main hall, and four Nascent Soul cultivators from the sect were seated around it.

Dean Wu Suquan looked solemn at this moment, gazing at the three Pavilion Masters before him and said, "In recent times, the number of disciples within our sect who have been afflicted by miasma poison has increasingly risen. Yesterday, three more Ming Qi disciples died from poisoning. Although these disciples are not highly cultivated, they are nonetheless the foundation of our sect. To have them die in vain, I truly feel heartache. I have invited the three of you today to discuss how to cope with this current crisis."

He said this but his eyes were fixed on the person sitting opposite him.

This person, pale-faced and beardless, appeared to be in his seventies, dressed in a gray crane feather robe, leaning on a Golden Bell Bamboo Stick, with a One-Horned Demon Toad perched on his shoulder, displaying an indifferent expression on his face.

Upon seeing Wu Suquan’s gaze, he lifted his eyelids, turned his body slightly, and said in a bland tone, "Junior brother, there’s no need to look at me. What ideas could I possibly have?"

Wu Suquan said, "Senior Brother Zeng, you jest. Who doesn’t know you’ve been refining pills in the Golden Valley Pool for hundreds of years, having made ten furnaces of Suspended Sun Pills, which can protect life, preserve Qi, and fend off external evils. Would it be difficult for you to supply some to the disciples of our sect?"

Elder Zeng chuckled dryly twice, "I’ve toiled for over three hundred years, and that’s all the resources I have. Why are you so fixated on them, junior brother? In terms of enhancing cultivation, healing wounds, and restoring limbs, I can offer some aid, but detoxifying miasma poison is truly not my expertise. Junior brother, you might be consulting the wrong person."

Wu Suquan was unwilling to let it go and said, "In that case, let’s not speak of detoxification. Junior brother is here to request a favor, to borrow a furnace of Suspended Sun Pills from you, how about that?"

Elder Zeng’s expression froze slightly; he reluctantly said, "Those ten furnaces of pills may seem plenty, but they still need to be divided among the disciples and a few fellow alchemists. Little remains for myself."

Without waiting for Wu Suquan to speak, he turned his head to look at Shen Chuyu, who sat at the East Position, and said, "Junior Brother Shen, I hear you’ve brought in an expert in this field?"

Shen Chuyu said earnestly, "Yes, these days, if not for Daoist Zhang, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"There you have it," Elder Zeng firmly tapped his bamboo stick, raising his voice slightly, "With this person around, there’s no need for me, the old Daoist, to embarrass myself. By the way, there’s still something awaiting me in the Golden Pool, so I won’t be chatting idly with you, fellow brothers. Farewell, farewell."

He cupped his hands, stood up swiftly, and created a whirl of Gang Wind to exit the hall, disappearing in an instant.

Wu Suquan sighed and pointed outside the hall, "He is considered a patron’s direct disciple and a Pavilion Master of the sect, yet how can he be so self-centered, disregarding the lives of the sect’s disciples entirely?"

He waved his hand and said, "Enough, it’s futile to hope for his assistance. Junior Brother Shen, what did Daoist Zhang say about the miasma poison?"

Shen Chuyu’s expression turned grave, "True Master Zhang mentioned that this miasma poison is a combination of local poison and a peculiar toxin. However, he is not clear on the exact toxic element. If low-level disciples inhale even a little, it threatens their lives within a day or two without rescue. Even we Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn’t be able to withstand the continuous erosion of the body’s Qi veins over time. As of now, he still possesses the means of detoxification, but when the time comes, I fear he may be powerless."

Wu Suquan was shocked and said, "Is this miasma poison truly that formidable?"

Shen Chuyu said, "There’s no deception in this matter; Daoist Zhang has no reason to deceive us."

Wu Suquan calmed himself and said, "Unfortunately, Daoist Zhang is not a member of Gantang Temple. Right, junior brother, you must find a way to retain him."

Shen Chuyu nodded and said, "I’ll do my best, but the detoxification medicine from Daoist Zhang isn’t conjured from thin air; it also requires Spiritual Medicine for refining. What’s left at his hand is already scant."

Wu Suquan decisively said, "I’ll provide whatever Gantang Temple can, as much as we have."

Gantang Temple’s strength is one of the top in the Lower Sects under the Fengxiang Sword Sect, possessing four Nascent Soul Masters and controlling three immortal cities. So saying this naturally exudes confidence.

Shen Chuyu still felt troubled, "But alchemy also requires time. The quickest it can produce a furnace is a month, and each furnace has only about thirty elixir pills. Our temple houses thousands of disciples; how can they all be accommodated?"

Wu Suquan tentatively asked, "Junior brother, could you request True Master Zhang to relinquish the formula?" He paused and added, "Our Gantang Temple wouldn’t take it for nothing, and is willing to exchange Dharma Treasures or even negotiate cultivation techniques."

Before Shen Chuyu could speak, the Pavilion Master seated at the west intervened, "Dean, this approach resolves symptoms but not the root cause. To completely eradicate the poison, that seal must not be tampered with again."

Wu Suquan reluctantly said, "I share this sentiment, but orders from the Upper Sect cannot be defied."

The Pavilion Master said again, "Then you should move the disciples out of the temple, and only we shall guard here, sparing the younger generation from being implicated."

Wu Suquan frowned deeply, truthfully considering relocating the disciples, but it was impracticable.

Since attempts to break the seal were initiated, to prevent leakage of information, all temple disciples have been under strict surveillance by the Fengxiang Sword Sect, none being able to exit freely. To ensure they don’t feign compliance, an elder comes for inspection every month.

The Pavilion Master said, "I have a plan; since the miasma poison is this deadly, exaggerating the death count of the disciples might help. Every month, while the Envoy is away, secretly transfer a few. Could the Upper Sect Elder check every single case?"

Wu Suquan pondered and was somewhat moved, asking, "Then... to where could we send these disciples?"

The Pavilion Master said, "We could make arrangements to send them to a few allied sects..."

He had not finished speaking when Wu Suquan shook his head repeatedly, "Inadvisable, inadvisable. If someone privately informs the Upper Sect, the consequences would be dire."

At this moment, Shen Chuyu had a sudden idea, straightening his body; he looked at the two and said, "I have an idea. We could entrust this to True Master Zhang. I’ve heard his sect is in East Victory North, out of the Upper Sect’s reach."

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)