Daoist Competition

Chu Muran glanced at the map a few times, thinking secretly, "Passed down by the Golden Bell Grandmaster? I wonder what it is, even Hui Xuan has a desire for it; it must not be a common item."

Zhang Yan noticed his expression and did not intend to hide it from him, so he openly said, "It’s said that before Da Mi Ancestor attained Ascension, he hid a True Artifact in the North Sea, and this map points to the treasure’s location."

Chu Muran exclaimed in surprise, "A True Artifact?"

But then he suspiciously glanced at Prince Ying, clearly implying, "If it is a True Artifact, why doesn’t Zhongtai take it himself?"

Prince Ying, afraid of being misunderstood, quickly explained the matter in detail.

Only then did Chu Muran feel relieved, and somewhat eagerly said, "Sect Leader Brother is also not a cultivator of this continent, why not give it a try?"

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "It’s not that easy."

He flicked his sleeve, sweeping the map off the table, letting it drift in front of Chu Muran, and said, "Junior Brother, take a look for yourself."

Chu Muran was momentarily stunned, and after a slight hesitation, he still reached out to take it, carefully spreading it out in front of him and concentrating on it for a while, then looked up in shock and said, "The hidden location is actually in the old land of Xianluo Sect?"

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Indeed."

Chu Muran was greatly disappointed, and said, "Currently, the North Sea is occupied by the Python Clan; this treasure cannot be obtained right now. What use is it to have this treasure map? It only becomes a hot potato."

Upon hearing his unpleasant tone, Prince Ying became exceedingly anxious.

After the Dragon Pillar Battle, although Xuanyue was overthrown, there were still many protectors and Elder Envoys from before who remained. If the two factions’ disciples were to be consolidated, much would still need to rely on Zhang Yan. If this matter went awry, his own fate would be predictable.

He wanted to defend himself but didn’t know how to start, sweating anxiously.

Zhang Yan, seeing him uneasy, smiled and reassured him, "The details of this matter were already explained by Xiang Zhanfu in advance, so there will be no blame on Prince Ying."

Prince Ying repeatedly said, "I dare not, I dare not."

Zhang Yan, seeing that he was still somewhat panicked, thought slightly and said, "Someone, find a quiet side courtyard for Prince Ying and settle him well."

Jing You stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, Prince Ying, please follow the young attendant."

"Yes, yes." Prince Ying, with trepidation, stood up, bowed, and followed him away.

After he left, Chu Muran lamented, "I initially thought my Han Yuan could obtain a Supreme Treasure, not expecting it to be just a flower in the mirror, a moon in the water."

Zhang Yan smiled lightly and said, "Not necessarily, if you really want to try, there’s a way to think of. It’s just that the time is not right now, and with this map in my hand, I’m not afraid of the treasure escaping, so there’s no hurry to retrieve it."

Chu Muran nodded repeatedly and said, "Brother, your insight is profound. A True Treasure has a spirit; if it is truly destined for us, we will surely obtain it. The Python Clan is after all powerful, it’s best not to provoke them if we can avoid it."

Zhang Yan laughed softly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, only saying, "Have you completed the task I entrusted to you a few days ago?"

Chu Muran quickly said, "According to Brother’s instructions, within these few days from west to east, over a hundred Dharma Platforms have been erected along the cliff edge, setting up a Great Array of Lock Gates, and we have moved twelve sects there to guard the Array Gate closely."

Zhang Yan praised, "Well done, I will surely reward you."

Chu Muran hurriedly said, "Such a small matter, how dare I take credit?"

Zhang Yan said, "There’s no need for you, Junior Brother Chu, to underestimate yourself. I’ve been away from the Li Sect for several months, and you and the two junior brothers have managed the sect orderly, without any oversight, which I’ve watched carefully. From the treasures on the mountain, you may choose a few items."

Currently, Han Yuan Sect has expanded more than tenfold compared to when Zhang Yan first arrived. Chu Muran has also recruited many disciples, but he has been troubled by the scarcity of Dharma Treasures to bestow. Having seen Zhang Yan move a treasury here earlier, he had hoped to request a few items but felt uneasy to ask directly. Hearing this now, he couldn’t help but be overjoyed, saying, "Thank you, Brother, thank you, Brother."

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "I intend to enter seclusion to cultivate soon, so I’ll leave the affairs of the sect to you three brothers."

Chu Muran was taken aback, his mind quickly turning, and he said, "Brother, my Han Yuan Sect has gained eight immortal cities recently, how should they be handled, please guide me?"

Suddenly acquiring eight immortal cities made him feel both happy and worried. According to the structure in East Victory Continent, each immortal city requires at least one Nascent Soul True Master to ensure nothing goes wrong. But truly, in Han Yuan Sect, only Zhang Yan has this cultivation level. Even adding Zhang Boyant, the Limping Daoist, and Song Chuyuan only accounts for half, and the remaining four cities would be left vulnerable if someone had ill intentions.

Zhang Yan swung his sleeve and said freely, "After the Dragon Pillar Meeting, many Nascent Soul cultivators in the Northern region were killed or injured; Han Yuan Sect does not have strong external enemies, so there’s no need to worry about this matter."