Daoist Competition-Chapter 918 - 199: Divine Venerable Statue Guarding the Sect

Gongyang Sheng was just pushed back several miles by the Red Thunder Bead, unable to lend a hand. Seeing Zhang Yan swiftly cut down two people, he was momentarily stunned before stomping his foot heavily and dispersing the spell he had prepared.

The remaining members of the Lie Xuan Sect saw this scene, their eyes revealed not only a trace of fear but also a touch of bewildered helplessness.

They had come with high spirits, thinking that no matter how powerful this Daoist Zhang was, the seven of them combined would surely be able to take him down.

But unexpectedly, before they could even scratch him, two of their Nascent Soul Elders had fallen.

It’s known that two elders of the Lie Xuan Sect had already died at the hands of Zhang Yan before, so how many more would have to die if this fight continued?

At the thought of this, unease filled their hearts.

Expanding their sect was good, but it had to be doable. If it cost them their own lives, it wouldn’t be worth it.

Those who achieved elder status in the sect had undoubtedly gone through centuries of rigorous cultivation, and now that they hadn’t fully enjoyed the fruits of their labor, how could they be in a hurry to die?

Even if they achieved great merits for the sect, who could guarantee that they would have the same achievements in the next life if they were able to attain Enlightenment again?

How could Gongyang Sheng not see the private thoughts of these few people? Although his expression remained unchanged, inwardly he thought, this is not good.

Though he was the Great Elder of the Lie Xuan Sect, the other elders were effectively on equal footing with him. While each harbored personal ambitions, he could still rely on his status as senior to pressure them into compliance. However, when it came to matters of life and death, it was a fantasy to expect everyone to fight to the death. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

If no viable solution could be put forth, then there was no point in continuing to fight.

But having gone several rounds with Zhang Yan earlier, he realized that aside from himself, the remaining four, if faced with Zhang Yan alone, would be fortunate enough just to keep their lives.

What worried him even more was that Zhang Yan, with a single step, covered over a hundred feet. With such teleportation abilities, he could leave the battlefield and go elsewhere at any moment.

He had originally thought that with the Jade Ruyi in hand, he could restrain Zhang Yan’s Sword Escape Technique. But it now seemed he couldn’t trap him at all.

If not for the fact that the opponent’s Dharma Treasure had not been fully sacrificially refined, he might have already left for another place.

He did have something in his hand that could restrain Zhang Yan, but it was not to be easily used, and he hesitated for a moment.

Sha Daoist noticed his difficulty and proactively suggested, "Senior Brother, at this point, we must summon the Ancestor Divine Statue."

The other three Lie Xuan Sect elders, the Tan Surname Female Crown, Junior Brother Gao, and the Bald Daoist, exchanged glances, and the Bald Daoist stepped forward, "Martial Uncle, Martial Uncle’s suggestion is correct; quickly summon the Ancestor Divine Statue."

Within the Ancestor Hall of the Lie Xuan Sect, there are two divine statues enshrined. One receives daily incense offerings and possesses nothing unusual.

The other, however, can absorb Mana, using it to refine the divine statue’s treasure body.

Especially having a mental method within the sect, whenever the cult members worshipped the Ancestor Divine Statue, following the ritual, it was equivalent to sacrificially refining this object.

Over four to five hundred years, who knows how many cult members have prostrated themselves before it. Now all eight meridians were open, internal organs had formed, its interior and exterior were akin to a living person.

Should it undergo a few more centuries of sacrificial refinement, once it develops True Recognition, and with the residual soul left by Yiya Upper Master years ago merging with it, it could indeed come to life, becoming a True Device of Protection, with a power akin to hosting a Cave Heaven True Master in the sect!

Then, with the aid of a Divine Beast, the Lie Xuan Sect’s ascent to the leading faction in the Central Pillar region would be within reach.

Before this assault on Zhang Yan, fearing the Zhenluo Alliance’s Forbidden Array would be hard to break, and fearing that their elders would return upon hearing the news to assist, they brought this treasure as a contingency.

Given its use would consume a lot of Primordial Qi, if used now, the process of refining it would likely be delayed by a hundred years. Initially, they intended to keep it as a last resort, but they hadn’t expected Zhang Yan to be so difficult, hence their inclination to call upon the divine statue.

Seeing the unanimous intention, Gongyang Sheng, after a slight hesitation, said aloud, "Alright, I ask fellow sect members to protect me!"

Hearing his agreement, the four felt reassured, responding affirmatively and stood at the four corners, guarding him within.

This divine statue had three layers of Prohibition, each serving a different purpose, but they were confident that even by opening just one layer, capturing Daoist Zhang would be more than sufficient.

Zhang Yan’s eyes narrowed as he noticed these individuals preparing to perform some Dharma technique. But after circling them a few times, he realized that the positions they occupied at the four corners were not random but contained a hidden array, with tight defenses and no vulnerabilities.