Daoist Competition-Chapter 967 - 223: Dragon Carp’s Manipulation, Coral Palace City_2

He carried with him the "Yao Zi Zan Hua" given by Master Cheng. This flower can attract Dragon Carps from thousands of miles away, so it seems he got too close and was detected by the Old Demon.

With this thought, it was very likely that the Old Demon was coming for him, and these two were just caught in the fray. Otherwise, with their level of cultivation, they wouldn’t last even an instant against such a Great Demon.

He turned over a few thoughts, currently still preparing to go to Bijiao Prefecture, and had no time to deal with the Old Demon; he would settle this after his return.

However, Cui Mulong and Wei Jinghui, having been saved by Zhang Yan, were exceedingly grateful and earnestly invited him to the mansion to taste delicacies.

Wei Jinghui added, "True Master Zhang, my cave mansion on Fire Viper Island is only a little over six thousand miles from here. My elder sister is very hospitable. Though my cultivation is low and my mana weak, I am quite proud of my cooking skills."

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "I have some important matters to attend to today. Once they are concluded, I will definitely visit your cave mansion, fellow Daoist."

Wei Jinghui was overjoyed. He had heard from Cui Mulong about Zhang Yan, knew of his deep ties with the Qingyu Sect, and besides that, Zhang Yan was a Nascent Soul True Master. If he could forge some connections, then joining the Qingyu Sect would be a certainty.

Cui Mulong hesitated for a moment and said, "True Master Zhang, I’ve heard that the disciples of Chongyue True Temple are searching for your whereabouts everywhere. Please be very careful."

Zhang Yan’s eyes flickered and he nodded, "Thank you, Daoist Cui, for the warning. Farewell, both of you."

After speaking, he turned, swept his sleeves, and rode a tunneling light, flying into the Gang Cloud, heading eastwards.

Bijiao Prefecture was easy to find. After about two days of travel, he could see from afar a grand palace city rising from the sea.

This city had walls made of five-colored coral, with black reefs as its beaches, vast in scale, spanning over a thousand miles. The buildings were densely packed, all exquisite in craftsmanship.

Under the morning sun, the sea shimmered with sparkling light, the glazed tiles bathed in golden glow, dazzlingly bright. In the distance, high towers and great halls stood like a picturesque painting, seamlessly blending into the horizon of sea and sky, truly worthy of the Lu Clan’s centuries of construction.

At the heart of the city was a sea cave spanning a thousand acres, originally a berth for their great sea boat, now empty and abandoned.

The great sea boat was initially built to showcase the Pavilion Master’s martial might and authority, intimidating the East Sea Water Clan. Unable to shrink or enlarge, Zhang Yan, finding it inconvenient to carry, had tossed it to Lu Changsu.

If he returned to the Mingcang Sect in the future, this object could only be given as a gift to the Qingyu Sect, serving as a favor in passing.

Now, less than two months since the fall of the Lu mansion, the clan was but scattered smoke. Loose Cultivators and small sects on the East Sea still did not know how the Qingyu Sect would handle the ruins of Bijiao Prefecture, thus they remained cautiously observing, not daring to occupy it. Only a few little demons, fish, and pythons that had gained spirits took advantage, claiming some palaces and declaring themselves kings.

These little demons, with low cultivation and no significant abilities, Zhang Yan paid them no mind.

After circling the city walls once, he sensed the spiritual vein beneath the sea cave, and thus pressed his tunneling light downward.

Inside the sea cave, numerous little demons detected an overwhelming Qi Mechanism rushing towards them, panicking and fleeing in all directions.

Descending tens of miles, he reached the cave’s bottom and saw a cluster of dim light buried in sand, seemingly a hidden grotto; knowing he had found the place, he unleashed his sword light, entered, transforming into a rainbow that followed the sword.

Before the light, the sword light suddenly paused, as if it had hit an obstacle. He uttered a cry, pouring his mana forcefully, breaking through.

At this moment, the scenery before him changed entirely. Sweeping his gaze around, he found himself in a Jade Palace filled with the multicolored light of bright pearls, covering about a hundred acres, filled with strange flowers and grass, but many areas had pits and mounds, evidently plundered before.

In his mind, Zhang Yan pondered that this was likely the work of Wang Yingfang and Lu Changsu from a previous visit; the remaining flora seemed more for decoration, with little practical use.

With a kick of his heel, he ascended with the wind, traversing the palace in no time, finding the place with the densest Spiritual Energy. Reaching into his sleeve, he took out the Mountain and River Diagram and ceremonially offered it to the air.

This landscape scroll immediately floated in mid-air, slowly unfolding along its scroll axis, expanding to a hundred yards in no time, revealing countless mountains, rivers, states, and great cities.

Zhang Yan pinched a spell gesture; the scroll shuddered, obscuring the Human Realm State City but leaving the mountains and rivers intact. Then threads of brilliant Spirit Light flew from the Earth Veins as if drawn by an unseen force, all flowing into the scroll.

While he extracted the spiritual vein inside, two cultivators in blue Daoist robes flew to the outside of Bijiao Prefecture; looking down, they were visibly excited, whispered a few words, and sent a Flying Book to Heaven, then retreated to a distance.

These two were disciples of Chongyue True Temple, who had been tracking Zhang Yan since he left the Qingyu Sect.

But he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, mostly flying in the Extreme Sky, and the East Sea Territory was vast and boundless. Finding his whereabouts wouldn’t be easy.

Even if they occasionally caught a glimpse, by the time the news reached the temple, he would already be long gone.

However, this time his stay here to extract the spiritual vein gave Chongyue True Temple an opportunity.

Just two days later, a long rainbow, agile as a Shocking Dragon, flew in, stopping above the palace. As the brilliance dissipated, Shen Lintu appeared, holding a horsetail whisk. He had hurried here swiftly using his Escape Skill upon receiving the Flying Book, fearing Zhang Yan might slip away.

Yet now that he was here, he wasn’t in a hurry anymore. He glanced down, stroked his beard, and smiled faintly. He didn’t venture into the sea cave, just taking a few steps forward, sat down, patiently waiting for Zhang Yan to emerge.

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) and vote with recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)