Daoist Competition

Zhang Yan’s goal was to eliminate the Heavenly Demon completely; merely defeating it was far from enough. Smiling and shaking his head, he said, "I am not worried about this, but suddenly I recalled something that might completely get rid of this demon."

True Master Tao appeared surprised and asked, "Does Daoist Zhang have a strange treasure at hand?"

Zhang Yan smiled without answering, instead extending his hand to point to the sky and asking, "In the True Master’s view, who would win this battle?"

True Master Tao observed for a moment before replying, "Though those three streams of Clear Qi are solid, they lack a strong form and instead show signs of concealment, whereas that demon is high-spirited and its momentum strong. Without any unexpected incidents, the three should be retreating."

Zhang Yan nodded his head, about to speak, when suddenly a golden shimmering token floated up the mountain. He picked it up to look, finding it was a letter from the Zhongtai Sect.

Though the expressions in the letter were courteous, it subtly probed into True Master Tao’s origins.

Zhang Yan smiled slightly; this was within his expectation. A Cave Heaven True Master suddenly appeared in East Victory Continent and paused at Divine House Mountain; nearby Zhongtai Sect, naturally, would not remain indifferent, so probing through a letter was expected.

He thought it over, his eyes flickering, but did not rush to respond, instead tossing it on the table and sitting back to drink.

The two engaged in esoteric discussions atop the mountain, waiting for the outcome between the sides. Three days swiftly passed.

True Master Tao lightly tapped a Ruyi on the stone table and sighed, "Those three streams of Clear Qi have already taken separate paths, so it appears Primordial Monarch Guo has won this battle."

Just as his words fell, he exclaimed in surprise, showing an expression of surprise.

Zhang Yan asked, "What seems amiss?"

True Master Tao pondered deeply, "Just now the Evil Qi from the demon suddenly receded, appearing weak. At first, I thought its Primordial Qi was greatly diminished, but upon further observation, the demon seems to be attempting transformation, hence the unusual phenomenon."

Zhang Yan contemplated for a while, after a long period laughed heartily and said, "If I hadn’t guessed wrong, the demon doing this is precisely to counter me."

True Master Tao asked, "Why do you say so?"

Zhang Yan laughed, "Indeed the Heavenly Demon has a strong body, but if it doesn’t grow wings on its ribs, the Flying Escape Technique isn’t its forte. However, once it transforms into a human form, it changes, allowing it to utilize the tunneling treasure without being trapped here; it fears I will take the Primordial Pearl and flee to another continent."

His speculation was close to reality; Primordial Monarch Guo learned from Shang Qingjun that Zhang Yan was not an East Victory Continent cultivator, with no roots here, and most troubling, adept at the Flying Escape Technique. If he abandoned the mountain and fled, where would one find him?

Earlier, borrowing Shang Qingjun’s body, flying evasion was unimpeded, but now it’s impossible. Hence, he plans to return to human form, refine a flying tunneling treasure, then attack again.

True Master Tao considered this, agreeing, "What you say isn’t without reason. What are your plans next, fellow Daoist?"

Zhang Yan didn’t answer but asked instead, "From the True Master’s words, transforming into human form is not a matter of days but could take years, or at least a month?"

True Master Tao considered, "Although I have cultivated for thousands of years, I’ve never seen a Heavenly Demon; only read snippets from the Nanhua Classics. However, judging by the Qi Mechanism earlier, it would take at least half a month."

Zhang Yan laughed, "That suffices."

He immediately communicated telepathically, and upon hearing, True Master Tao was first stunned, then his eyes filled with hidden divine light, nodding repeatedly. Finally, he considered it carefully and said, "This strategy is feasible, though persuading those colleagues is the key."

Zhang Yan said, "Using the name of Divine House Mountain is improper, but inviting under Zhongtai’s name should not be rejected."

True Master Tao glanced at the letter on the table with a smile, "Ah, fellow Daoist had planned well ahead."

Zhang Yan also smiled, gathering his Mana before writing remotely on the letter. Shortly after, he waved his sleeve and the flying letter arose, transforming into golden light as it exited the Mountain Gate.

Within an hour, the letter was delivered to Zhongtai Mountain Gate, then after turning, traveled to the rear mountain of Xisheng Mountain.

Sect Leader Qiao Huanjuan had been anxiously waiting since sending out the letter, his mood slightly relaxing upon receiving the reply.

He raised his head, speaking to the jade statue in the distance, "True Master, it turns out Daoist Zhang was invited to handle the demon."

But as he looked further, his expression changed slightly; the letter mentioned inviting Master Zheng to visit. Yet this esteemed senior relies on the White Elephant Tripod for longevity; would this expose his condition? This thought led to a hesitant expression.

The jade statue noticed and asked sternly, "What does the letter say? Show it to me."

Qiao Huanjuan sighed, unwilling to disobey, gently delivering the letter before the jade statue, where a golden light held it aloft.

After an unknown length of time, from within the statue, the sound of strings and bells rang melodiously, as though pearls had fallen onto a jade plate, delighting the ear. Smoke wafted from its mouth and nose, soon forming a figure of an old Daoist with frosty temples, draped in a great cloak, holding a slender golden hammer, bubbling with spirits.

Qiao Huanjuan, shocked, said, "Master Uncle, are you really going?"

The old Daoist said, "With esteemed guests outside the mountain, as the landlord, how could I not attend?" He motioned, and the reluctant Bai Xi came over, crouching down.

Unable to stop him, Qiao Huanjuan resignedly said, "Could you take a disciple with you?"

Master Zheng mounted Bai Xi, saying, "No need, just instruct the disciples to guard the Mountain Gate well."

He gently tapped the golden hammer against Bai Xi’s head, and the beast’s four hooves kicked, creating a cloud beneath, lifting them into the sky.

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)