Chapter 13

That night, the Guangyuan Sect and the Nanhua Sect lodged at the foot of Dangyun Peak. Although it was already the hour of Ren, high lanterns were still lit everywhere, illuminating the continuous rows of buildings as if it were daylight.

In the main hall, the five disciples of the Guangyuan Sect who had come to Cangwu Mountain for the Dharma Assembly gathered together.

The eldest disciple, Wen Jun, sat at the head of the table. He had a refined appearance, a long beard reaching his chest, and the demeanor of an elder. To his left sat the second disciple, Shen Jingyue, who was the strategist among the five. He had a handsome appearance and wore a white Daoist robe, exuding an air of transcendence.

To Wen Jun's right were the third disciple, Zhang Zhen, and the fourth disciple, Jiang Yue.

The youngest of the five, Qi Xuan, paced back and forth in the hall. He was furious, pointing at the two injured disciples lying on the bed and scolding them, "Aren't you all usually so proud of your skills, even daring to challenge Chen Feng? Why are you so cowardly today?"

The two injured disciples were filled with shame, but they were too severely wounded to speak. The only uninjured disciple had been imprisoned for his cowardice.

Shen Jingyue smiled gently and comforted him, "Junior Brother Qi, don't be anxious. I've already sent someone to gather information. Once we know the truth, we can make our move."

Shen Jingyue's father was one of the five elders of the Guangyuan Sect, and Qi Xuan respected him greatly. He dared not say much more, waved his hand, and had the servants take the two injured disciples away, then sat down to one side.

Wen Jun stroked his long beard and sighed, "It's a pity that although the Lin family agreed to our conditions, Zheng Xun, though weak-willed, is not simple. He has gathered all the new disciples in a side hall, making it difficult to get accurate information."

Shen Jingyue nodded, "The eldest disciple of the Mingcang Sect is indeed not undeserving of his reputation. Senior Brother, please be patient. I believe we will have news soon."

Half an hour later, the disciple responsible for gathering information finally returned.

"Reporting to all senior brothers, I have learned that the one who blocked my path is named Zhang Yan, a registered disciple of the Shan Yuan Temple of the Mingcang Sect. It is said that he is quite skilled in the art of eroding inscriptions."

Wen Jun was surprised, "Zhang Yan? I've never heard of him." He turned to the third disciple, Zhang Zhen, who was sitting below, and asked, "Junior Brother Zhang, is he from your clan?"

Zhang Zhen was stout, with a round face and dark skin. Upon hearing Wen Jun's question, he struggled to stand and replied, "I know all three major Zhang family lineages, and there is no such person among the younger generation."

Wen Jun pondered, "The Mingcang Sect has hidden many of its new disciples and sent a registered disciple to confront us. What does this mean?"

Shen Jingyue smiled slightly, "It's not surprising. They are using a lower-ranking disciple to challenge our best, and a middle-ranking disciple to challenge our lower ones."

Wen Jun nodded in agreement, and the other three present also spoke up, "Junior Brother Shen's analysis is reasonable."

Shen Jingyue glanced at the disciple who had gathered the information and saw that he seemed hesitant to speak. He asked, "Is there anything else you haven't reported?"

The disciple hesitated for a moment and said, "I also heard on the mountain that Zhang Yan is not only skilled in eroding inscriptions but can also deduce without using bamboo chips. I don't know if it's true or not..."

Shen Jingyue looked thoughtful and turned to the beautiful and alluring woman beside him, asking, "Junior Sister Jiang, what do you think?"

Jiang Yue said indifferently, "It's just hearsay and exaggeration."

Qi Xuan was even more dismissive, sneering, "If he had such skills, he could have already defeated Junior Brother Mo. There's no need for all this trouble. Junior Sister Jiang is right; he's probably just exaggerating."

Shen Jingyue, however, became serious, "Not necessarily. Since he is skilled in eroding inscriptions and not from a noble family, he might be a new disciple of one of the three 'Shou' generation abbots of the lower temple. If he has been recognized by a senior master, he must be extremely talented. Although the Mingcang Sect currently has no one who can surpass Junior Brother Mo, I believe that even if this person is not as good as Junior Brother Mo, he is not far behind. We must not underestimate him."

Qi Xuan spoke without hesitation, "Why not call Junior Brother Mo..."

Shen Jingyue firmly rejected, "No, the Mingcang Sect is planning exactly this. If Junior Brother Mo leaves, there will be no one to block them on the Heavenly Gate Path, and they will reach the peak before us."

Seeing the displeased look from Jiang Yue, Qi Xuan felt ashamed, realizing he had made a poor suggestion.

At that moment, footsteps were heard outside the door. The five of them looked up and saw two servants supporting the injured Liang Dong, who looked somewhat uneasy.

Shen Jingyue stood up from his seat, stopped Liang Dong from bowing, and said gently, "Junior Brother Liang Dong, don't be anxious. I only have two questions for you. How skilled is Zhang Yan in combat?"

Liang Dong thought for a moment and said, "Senior Brother Shen, from my observation, Zhang Yan is fierce and powerful, but lacks endurance. If someone can withstand his first three moves, they can surely defeat him."

Shen Jingyue nodded and asked, "Is there anyone else assisting Zhang Yan?"

Liang Dong shook his head, "I didn't see anyone."

"Good, go and rest well, and don't worry about this setback."

After comforting Liang Dong a bit more, Shen Jingyue waved his hand, and the nervous Liang Dong was sent away.

He paced back and forth in the hall, and everyone knew he was planning a strategy, so no one dared to disturb him.

After a moment, he stopped and looked up, "Zhang Yan is clearly skilled in eroding inscriptions but chose to challenge us in combat, indicating he hopes to engage us in a literary contest. We cannot let him have his way..."

He turned and said, "Junior Brother Qi, the Nanhua Sect is pressing us. Arrange for Junior Brother Wang to challenge him on the mountain tonight. We must defeat him tonight!"

Qi Xuan's face showed excitement, and he said loudly, "Good, Senior Brother, I'll go and arrange it." He ran out excitedly, and Zhang Zhen and Jiang Yue exchanged glances and also rose to leave.

After the three left, Wen Jun suddenly sighed, his usual calm and confident demeanor fading, and he said wistfully, "I wonder if thoroughly offending the Mingcang Sect is right or wrong."

Shen Jingyue smiled bitterly, "Our Guangyuan Sect is a small sect in the Xuanmen. Today, the Nanhua Sect uses us as their vanguard. If we are no longer useful, they will discard us like old shoes. The Nanhua Sect just sent a message, ordering us to deal with this person within two days and reach the peak of Dangyun Peak. Our sect is in danger of being destroyed and desperately needs the protection of the Nanhua Sect. Although the Mingcang Sect is powerful, we have no choice but to act."

Wen Jun's face also showed a somber expression. He understood why Shen Jingyue said this. The Guangyuan Sect was a small sect, always dependent on the Nanhua Sect for survival.

The highest cultivators in the upper temple were only two Dan Formation elders. In the recent conflict over the Yaoguang Lake, many disciples were killed or injured. In the past month, twelve Ming Qi disciples and three Xuan Guang disciples had perished. Although they had seized the lake, the entire sect was severely weakened. If not for the friendship with an elder of the Nanhua Sect, they would have been swallowed up by another sect long ago.

This was the reason they had to act as the vanguard for the Nanhua Sect.

Shen Jingyue sighed deeply, "Since Chen Feng defeated our disciples in the Nanhua Sect three years ago, no noble family disciples have been willing to join our sect. The Nanhua Sect has three Immortal Wanderers, the Seven Sons of Dangyun, and the Sixteen Idle Guests. The Mingcang Sect boasts the 'Twenty-Eight Supreme Beings.' It's laughable that our Guangyuan Sect has only five new disciples, all of whom are here today..."

As he spoke, he coughed a few times, and his originally ruddy face turned pale.

Wen Jun looked at him with concern, "Junior Brother Shen, you are not fully recovered. Don't overwork yourself."

Shen Jingyue ignored him and continued, "Junior Brother Mo is a once-in-a-century prodigy in our sect. For the honor of the sect, he has risked his life alone to block the Mingcang Sect disciples on the Heavenly Gate Path. It seems glorious, but it is fraught with danger. But..." He suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Wen Jun's wrist, "Even if the Mingcang Sect is strong, we must make a bold move to show the Nanhua Sect that we are not to be easily discarded. Only then can our sect continue to survive."

Wen Jun slowly nodded, his eyes showing a serious expression.

At the hour of Chou, at the entrance to Dangyun Peak.

Zhang Yan, who was meditating on a rock, suddenly opened his eyes. He saw a person walking up the Heavenly Gate Path and stopping below the rock. The person bowed and said, "Is this Senior Brother Zhang of the Mingcang Sect? I am Wang Lie, a disciple of the Guangyuan Sect. I wish to reach the peak and challenge you."

Zhang Yan looked at him and saw that this person had a condensed aura, a unified body, a calm demeanor, and a commanding presence, clearly not an ordinary person. He leaped down from the rock and bowed, "Please!"

The sound also startled Ai Zhongwen, who was meditating in a side hall beside the mountain path. He quickly stood up and rushed out of the hall. Upon seeing Wang Lie, his face changed, as if he had realized something. However, before he could warn Zhang Yan, Wang Lie had already made his move.

Zhang Yan felt a blur in front of him as Wang Lie's seemingly bulky body suddenly closed in. Instantly, a powerful force pressed down, making it hard for him to breathe.

He exhaled a deep breath and punched out. "Bang, bang!" Both hit each other's chests and stepped back simultaneously, then looked at each other.

Wang Lie showed a hint of surprise. He had clearly moved first, but Zhang Yan had managed to hit him first and use the force to retreat, rendering his punch ineffective. This level of perception and control of force was not typical of a cultivator focused on qi transformation.

Zhang Yan's eyes also showed a serious expression. He had felt a unique aura from the other person. The other's qi was as vast as the sea, and just one punch had numbed his entire body. Fortunately, he had noticed in time and changed his punch to a push, otherwise, he would have been injured.

At this moment, Ai Zhongwen called out, "Senior Brother Zhang, be careful. This Senior Brother Wang is a 'Ding Lifting Warrior'!"

"Really?"

Zhang Yan's eyes flashed, and he looked up and down at the other person. So, this is a 'Ding Lifting Warrior'?

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