Chapter 43

Three days later, Wang Pan came to Lingye Island for the battle.

According to the rules of the sect, once one reached the Ming Qi realm, they could bring twenty warriors, ride a cloud-flying boat, wear a water-muddling robe, wear a demon-repelling jade pendant, and carry a purple copper short spear. This time, in addition to himself, there were several fellow disciples, including Feng Zhen, and several clan brothers, so a total of thirty-six flying boats arrived at Lingye Island, creating a formidable and imposing sight.

Wang Pan was determined to win this time, resolved to snatch the position of Zhang Yan's true disciple. To ensure absolute success, he not only brought the purple copper short spear bestowed by the sect but also wore a flying sword known as the Sound-Dodging Sword, which could be considered a magical treasure. He was fully dressed in his magical robe and jade pendant, and he also had two age-old jade tokens, which were given to him by two high-ranking figures when he was one year old and ten years old, respectively. Both could withstand a single attack from a magical treasure.

The scenery on Lingye Island was distinctly different from elsewhere. Feng Zhen looked around with great interest. He had been practicing on Panchi Island since he was seven years old and had not left the island for twenty-eight years, so it was rare for him to travel.

Standing beside him was a woman of similar height, with a cold and proud demeanor, her face devoid of any color. The group around her automatically kept a three-foot distance from her. She was his younger sister, Feng Yao. Because she practiced the "Absolute Gathering of Life and Death" technique, a profound and cold technique, she exuded a bone-chilling cold, making her seem unlike a living person.

Feng Zhen looked down and casually asked, "What do you think of Wang Pan, Second Sister?"

Feng Yao's expression was indifferent. "Big Brother, I know what you're thinking. You just want me to become Wang Pan's Dao companion."

Having his thoughts revealed by his younger sister, Feng Zhen felt a bit awkward, but he knew this matter would eventually have to be addressed. He sighed, "Second Sister, we are only a minor branch of the clan, and we have no support. Even though you have exceptional talent, you are still isolated in the clan. Now the Wang family is a prominent clan, and Wang Pan is a fellow disciple. If in the future..."

He was interrupted halfway by Feng Yao, who decisively said, "There's no need to talk to me. Father promised Mother that I would make my own decisions. I appreciate your good intentions, Big Brother."

Feng Zhen shook his head, thinking about how to change Feng Yao's mind. However, he noticed that Wang Pan did not go to the battle but instead landed on a corner of the island's north side, apparently to meet Tang Yan privately.

Feng Zhen had intended to bring Feng Yao and Wang Pan together, but seeing Wang Pan's impatience, he frowned. A golden light enveloped his body, and in a blink, he moved from the flying boat to the ground like a bolt of lightning.

"Yan, my love..." Wang Pan burst into the thatched hut, shouting.

Tang Yan stood in the hut, looking at him with red eyes, as if about to cry, but she turned away and said, "You finally came."

Seeing Tang Yan's sorrowful face, Wang Pan laughed and was about to embrace her, but suddenly felt a grip on his shoulder, making him unable to move. He slowly turned his head and saw Feng Zhen standing behind him, shaking his head solemnly. "Junior Brother, the battle has not yet been decided. How can you lose your composure?"

Wang Pan was startled and nodded. Although he did not think Zhang Yan could defeat him, the battle was not over, and Tang Yan was still Zhang Yan's possession in name. Acting now would make him seem too eager and invite ridicule. As a disciple of Du De, he had to consider the reputation of his sect.

Seeing Wang Pan stopped, Tang Yan felt a bit disappointed and glared at Feng Zhen. However, a blinding light seemed to emanate from her face, and she felt a sharp pain in her eyes, forcing her to take a few steps back. She was shocked, "Is this Wang Pan? He clearly has the cultivation of the Xuan Guang realm. What is his background?"

When she opened her eyes again, Wang Pan was about to leave. She called out, "Wang Lang..."

Wang Pan paused, his back still turned, and asked, "What is it?"

Tang Yan hesitated, shook her head, and said, "Nothing, be careful..."

Wang Pan said nothing and walked out of the door.

Tang Yan sighed. She had wanted to tell him that Zhang Yan might be able to ride the clouds, but remembering Wang Pan's pride, she feared he would misunderstand and think she didn't believe in him, so she held back.

Wang Pan was indeed a bit displeased. "Be careful? What for? Zhang Yan has only been in the sect for three months. Even if Ning Chongxuan taught him some secret techniques, how much could he have learned? I won't lose to him. What a woman's perspective."

After leaving, he joined the group and headed to the foot of Cone Peak. The peak was shrouded in smoke and mist, and a sinister aura enveloped the area. He sneered, "Others may fear your golden wind and fierce fire, but I am not afraid. Zhang Yan, you are mistaken if you think you can use the terrain to defeat me."

He turned around, bowed, and said, "Fellow disciples, please wait here. I will return within a day or an hour, and we will celebrate together."

The group returned the bow, all looking relaxed, except for Feng Yao, who shook her head slightly.

"Second Sister, do you not have much faith in Wang Pan?" Feng Zhen asked, noticing her expression.

Feng Yao's lips parted slightly. "Big Brother, I observe that Wang Pan is ambitious but lacks wisdom and has a narrow mind. He may seem like a hero, but he is actually a petty person. Even if he wins today, he will not have a long future."

Although Feng Zhen did not agree with his sister's assessment, they had been apart for a long time, and their relationship had become somewhat distant. He could not say much and could only shake his head and smile bitterly.

Zhang Yan stood on a tree branch, looking down at Wang Pan, who was as small as an insect, with a calm and composed expression, showing no signs of the impending battle.

He was confident in the battle for several reasons. First, he had three treasures, including the如意神梭 (Ruyi Divine Shuttle), which Ning Chongxuan had given him to defend against Luo Xiao. The power of this treasure had been proven in his battle with Du Bo. Even a Xuan Guang realm cultivator could be slain, so he had no fear of a mere Ming Qi realm cultivator.

Second, he wanted to test the profound techniques recorded in the《澜云密册》 (Lanyun Secret Manual), and Wang Pan was the perfect opponent for practice.

He had read in the manual about a technique that could envelop a hundred-zhang area in dense fog, making it easy to conceal oneself. Although ordinary cultivators could see through the fog, this was not ordinary mist but a clear qi, which could not be easily dispelled.

Seeing Wang Pan climbing the mountain, he cast a spell, and in a moment, a thick fog enveloped the area.

Zhang Yan nodded, thinking, "This is just the Lanyun clear qi. If it were the Qianling clear qi, the effect would be even more remarkable!"

Due to the differences in cultivation methods and refinement, the Qianling clear qi was far more refined than ordinary clear qi, and the time required for cultivation was also much longer.

For Wang Pan, he needed thirty-six clear qi to achieve the first level, "Initial Formation of Qi Sea," and thirty-six turbid qi to achieve the second level, "Summoning Clouds and Mist." Then, he needed to merge the two qi, achieving the third level, "Heavenly Rain Descending." He was just one step away from this.

For Zhang Yan, if he were to merge the clear and turbid qi, he would need eighty-one Qianling clear qi and eighty-one Kunling turbid qi.

Wang Pan climbed the mountain and soon reached a flat area in the mountain's belly. He looked around, seeing only a white mist, and shouted, "Zhang Yan, I have arrived. Come out and meet me."

"Zhang Yan, I have been waiting for you," Zhang Yan's voice came from the fog.

Wang Pan, relying on his high cultivation, was not afraid of the fog. He stepped into it and walked for a dozen steps, but found himself in complete darkness. He laughed, "Zhang Yan, do you think such a petty trick can defeat me? Disperse!"

He blew out a breath of turbid qi, and a whirlwind rose, sweeping up leaves and branches. The sound of breaking branches and falling trees filled the air. However, after the wind subsided, the fog only became slightly thinner and quickly returned to its dense state, leaving Wang Pan stunned.

Zhang Yan smiled inwardly. The Lanyun Secret Manual, though lacking in cultivation techniques, was unique in qi manipulation. How could a single breath of turbid qi dispel it? Moreover, with the Qianling clear qi, he was as light as a feather and could easily ascend through the fog, giving him an unbeatable advantage. Wang Pan was bound to lose today.

What surprised him was that Wang Pan's turbid qi contained a golden fire, which, though not as powerful as earth fire, was more refined. It seemed that Wang Pan's qi was either metal or fire-based, and Zhang Yan thought, "No wonder he dared to come to the island for the battle. He must have some confidence."

Wang Pan blew several more breaths, but the fog only dispersed and reformed. He felt frustrated and thought, "Zhang Yan must be using a delaying tactic to wait for the golden wind and fierce fire to harm my qi. He might have learned some technique from Senior Ning that makes him immune to the sinister aura. However, I have a fire-based qi, so I am not afraid of the fierce fire."

However, he did not have the patience to wait. He turned his eyes and shouted, "Zhang Yan, if you are wise, you will admit defeat and give up the position of true disciple. I will honor our previous agreement, and you will avoid any danger. What do you think?"

After a moment, Zhang Yan's voice came from the fog, "Since we are here, this is a matter of life and death. There is no point in talking more."

"Found you!" Wang Pan's eyes narrowed, and he said, "Go!" His Sound-Dodging Sword glowed red and flew out, heading straight for where Zhang Yan's voice came from.

Zhang Yan saw everything clearly in the fog. He smiled, "This is exactly what I wanted!" He flicked his wrist, and a cloud-patterned vermilion pen slipped out of his sleeve and into the air.

The sword came at Zhang Yan with great force, but the pen met it calmly. The pen tip lightly touched the sword, dispelling the red glow, and then circled the sword, removing a trace of blood. The sword became dull and fell to the ground.

Zhang Yan caught the sword and the pen, smiling, "Senior Brother Wang, I cannot refuse your gift."

...

...

PS: A reader asked if Wang Pan would still receive benefits from the sect if he got Tang Yan's words. My answer is yes. Some things are not mutually exclusive, and this will be explained in the future.