Daoist Competition

Thinking of this, he could not help feeling flustered, yet his mouth still stayed hard as he said, "I don’t believe you’re not coveting those Nine Yellow Star Beads, fellow Daoist. Are you really not afraid of one more person coming to share them?"

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you, fellow Daoist. If you have the patience, then just wait."

Daoist Ji understood that he had been a step too slow in going out just now; during that span of time Zhang Yan had indeed had ample opportunity to send out a Flying Book, so these words were likely not empty. Thinking of this, he instantly felt endless regret: had he known it would be so, he should not have hesitated and delayed just now, and would not have fallen into the embarrassing plight of being trapped here.

But speaking to the root, this was an open scheme. If he wanted to live, he had no choice but to go up and fight for his life in this disadvantageous situation.

His expression was gloomy. To dissolve the Thousand Luo spider silk would not only take time, but also effort, while Zhang Yan could calmly recover his Mana outside. Even if he got out, once he was exhausted, how could he still contend with him? Thus this course of action was absolutely not viable.

He took out the Dawn Stone again and inspected it, then shook his head. There was already a deep crack on this Dharma Treasure, much of its spiritual mechanism had dissipated, and he did not know how many more times it could still withstand.

Perhaps only by activating that Death Replacement Talisman could he break out, but there was only this final talisman left, and he was extremely reluctant.

After thinking for a long time, he secretly sighed and pondered, "It seems I won’t be able to seize those Nine Yellow Star Beads today. The longer I delay here, the greater the danger. I can only first find a way to escape and see in the future whether there is any chance."

He lifted his head and looked up at the sky, pinched a spell, and again summoned forth the Protective Treasure Light. After making his preparations, he flicked his twin sleeves, transformed into tunneling light, and shot upward. Before long he rushed out from that hole. Just as he emerged, he suddenly saw a Sky-covering Giant Hand pressing down from above. He snorted, twisted his body in a flash, and was about to slip out through the gaps between the fingers.

At this moment, a swath of sword light flashed before his eyes, falling in a flurry onto the Protective Treasure Light, which immediately shuddered violently. Right now he was intent only on fleeing and had no mind to maintain it; the Treasure Light was shattered within just a few breaths. Fortunately, he still had the Dawn Stone on him; this treasure suddenly sent out a band of rosy radiance, bouncing away all the incoming sword light.

Daoist Ji had already flung the Xuanhuang Great Hand behind him. Turning back for a glance, he could not help feeling as if he had escaped with his life. He was just about to employ a method of returning to his true body, but as soon as he raised his hands to pinch a spell, his figure suddenly paused, and a look of terror appeared in his eyes.

Zhang Yan stood above with both hands behind his back, sleeves fluttering in the wind. Behind him, upon the Heavenly Vault, wherever the eye could see was a sea of purple clouds, within which thunder snarled and lightning raged, peals of thunder roared, faintly forming a great net that almost caged this entire heaven and earth.

Daoist Ji only felt that this thunder sound seemed able to restrain his own Cultivation Technique, shaking his eardrums to the point of splitting, his head aching unbearably, suffering immensely, and even his Mana was circulating with great difficulty.

He could also judge that this thunder momentum was far fiercer than when it had just killed Hui Xuan. At this moment, the best choice was to retreat back into the Thousand Luo spider silk; however, he had finally fought his way out—how could he be willing to return?

Moreover, just now, in his haste to escape, his charge had been too fierce; he had rushed out a full several li. He feared that before he could retreat, the lightning would have already struck down. Thinking of this, he steeled his heart and decided to endure it head-on.

He immediately bit through the tip of his tongue and sprayed several mouthfuls of Essence Blood onto the Dawn Stone in succession. He saw a Seven-Colored Rainbow Circle rise up around him, within which flew out a male pheasant of imposing bearing, its plumage bright and splendid. It spread its wings wide, let out ringing cries, and blocked in front of his body.

Zhang Yan smiled, calmly raised his hand, and then lightly waved it downward. In an instant, tens of thousands of electric snakes cleaved through the air and fell!

Thunder roared across Heaven; that pheasant let out a long cry and voluntarily beat its wings to meet the thunder head-on. At first it could still entangle with the lightning, but once the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder was unleashed, each bolt was fiercer than the last. After resisting seven strikes, it ultimately could no longer bear it, let out a wail, its essence shattered, and it dispersed between Heaven and Earth.

With this bird no longer blocking, all the Thunder Radiance turned their points toward Daoist Ji.

How could Daoist Ji not know that this was already the moment between life and death? If he did not slay the caster, this Heavenly Thunder would likely not cease. Thus, taking advantage of the gap when the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder shattered the pheasant, he charged upward without regard for anything. In an instant he reached above the clouds, opened his mouth and spat out a white light arrow that shot straight toward Zhang Yan.

This Divine Skill was called the "Six-Revolution Sun Dissolving Arrow." It could pursue and attack the opponent’s Qi Mechanism; when encountering the formless it turned to form, when encountering the formed it turned formless. It could transform back and forth up to six times, and was specialized in assaulting a Cultivator’s Divine Soul. Those hit would at light lose their wits, at heavy suffer soul scattering.

This was the most vicious Divine Skill within the Fu Yang Sect. The caster needed to sacrifice two Jiazi of lifespan to display it. Back when the Five Major Sects besieged the Fu Yang Sect’s Mountain Gate, many a Cultivator died under this art. Because the price was too great, if not driven to the point of having no road left, Daoist Ji would never have been willing to use it.

After casting this art, he only felt his entire body go limp and weak, yet he still did not forget to hold the Death Replacement Talisman under his tongue. At this moment, countless Thunder Light surged up together and converged upon his body. With a booming crash, as if stone and sky were both shattered,

A moment later, he emerged from within, spat out a mouthful of black dregs. Though he had the Death Replacement Talisman on him and thus avoided that strike, under the thunder’s shock his Dharma Body was no longer as firm and solid as before. Below his waist his feet had disappeared; instead, it was like smoke and mist, drifting and uncertain, as if a gust of wind might come and scatter it. He forced himself to pinch a spell and hold it together, secretly thinking, "Once I return this time, I fear I will need to Cultivate another hundred years to recover my Primordial Qi. Still, apart from this man, as long as I obtain the Nine Yellow Star Beads, it won’t count as too much of a loss."

He had extreme confidence in the "Six-Revolution Sun Dissolving Arrow." Since the founding of the Fu Yang Sect, no one had ever escaped alive under this spell. After catching his breath, he opened his eyes to look, but his body gave a shudder and froze on the spot, an expression of disbelief appearing in his eyes.

The Thunder Light in Heaven had actually not dispersed as he had expected. Instead, it gathered once more in Heaven, wind lashing and thunder racing, rumbling continuously, as if brewing yet another offensive there.

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)