Chapter 44

Wang Pan suddenly felt a pain in his chest; the flying sword had lost contact with him. He was instantly shocked and furious, shouting, "Zhang Yan, I know that Sun Zhenren’s lineage excels in using mist to hide and capture flying swords. Master Ning must have also taught you some techniques. But don’t think that just because you’ve learned a few spells and are hiding in the mist, I can’t do anything to you!"

He roared and stretched out his hands, grabbing the sand and stones within ten zhang, which were drawn to him by his aura. Dead branches and pebbles floated in the air around him. At the second level of the Ming Qi realm, he could lift over a hundred pounds of objects within ten zhang, let alone these broken stones and branches. With a wave of his sleeves, these debris flew in all directions.

This destructive outburst lasted for half an hour, but Wang Pan still couldn’t find Zhang Yan. The mountain was covered with dense vegetation and thick fog, making it extremely difficult to find a deliberately hiding cultivator.

Wang Pan couldn’t help but feel regretful. He had boasted that he would capture Zhang Yan in an hour or a day at most. Now, with his magical treasure lost and the opponent nowhere to be found, he realized that even if it took several days and nights, he might still be unable to do anything.

After some consideration, Wang Pan thought, "Zhang Yan must have been given some magical treasure by Ning Chongxuan, which is why he can capture my flying sword. But if he had the ability, he would have come to kill me directly. He must be afraid of facing me head-on." Thinking this, he touched the purple copper short spear in his hand and said with determination, "It seems I have to sacrifice you today."

He cast a spell and shouted into the air, "Zhang Yan, behold my treasure!"

As expected, the copper spear triggered a reaction from the opponent. He instantly lost contact with the magical weapon, but his intention was not to rely on this treasure to defeat Zhang Yan. Now that he had a rough idea of Zhang Yan’s location, he roared, "Zhang Yan, you brat, prepare to die!"

Wang Pan opened his chest dan qiao and exhaled eighteen breaths of red, fiery qi, which were as intense as clouds of fire. Instantly, the ground where he stood turned black and scorched, and the surrounding vegetation burst into flames. In a blink, the area within dozens of zhang around Zhang Yan was engulfed in fire.

The cultivation technique Wang Pan practiced was called "Red Fire Danxia Scroll," a fire-based technique he had collected. At its highest level, it could melt iron and steel effortlessly. However, he only had half of the scroll, with the "technique" but not the "method," leaving him with a body full of fire qi but no way to use it.

To address this, he sought many paths and eventually became a disciple of Du De. However, he had only been a disciple for a few months, and Du De had only taught him a fire attack technique called "Fiery Sun Furnace," which used nine breaths of fire qi to attack the enemy. Once used, it left scorched earth in its wake. However, he hadn’t mastered this technique and needed eighteen breaths of qi to勉强施展。

这十八口火灵之气扩散出去后，各自占据一个方位，再往地下一沉，炽热蒸腾之感便升了上来，须臾间，张衍所站的树木就熊熊燃烧了起来。

原本王盘的计划很好，但偏偏漏算了一点，由于这门法诀还没练到家，他还只能在平地施展，偏偏张衍却能驾雾而起，此时见火气灼人，他微微一笑，脚尖一点，便随着烟云一起升腾而上，顷刻间便出了此法范围。

看着下方烈火腾腾，火气在其间穿梭不定，有如阵法搅动，张衍看得啧啧称奇，有心试试对方这王盘口火气的威力，便张开嘴，一口乾灵清气吐在了上面，没想到，他只闻“嗤”的一声，这口清气居然和那口火气两下齐归乌有，半点不存。

他不禁一怔，随即苦笑摇头，这一口乾灵清气算是白练了。

他在这里有些惋惜，王盘却是有些肉疼加吃惊了。

这十八口火气俱是清浊合一，原本准备练到三十六口就冲击明气第三重境界所用，没想到被张衍无意间生生化掉了一口，他回去还要再练上两月才能补回来，而且还不及在胸日日熬炼的那般精纯。

只是这样还不算什么，关键是他见张衍好似有法能除去火气，他不禁犹豫，是继续施法好，还是收回火气好？

仔细盘算了一番，他一咬牙，又补上了一口火气，他不信对方还真能化去他所有火气，今天就拼到底了，哪怕将胸之气耗尽，大不了再练回来就是了，与真传弟子之位比起来，这点损失又算得了什么？

张衍有心看看胸两气与对方的差距，此时又吐出了一口澜云清气出来，这下却是如雪入滚锅，顷刻间便被化去。

他摇了摇头，看来这澜云清气果然在气机凝练上比乾灵清气差得远。

只是这时，他却神色一动，也是他对气机感觉敏锐，才察觉到还有一丝灵气未曾消散，似有若无的飘在那里。

他目光一闪，吐出一道乾灵清气，将这丝灵气卷了回来，放入胸细细查看起来。

这一看才发现，这道清气虽然被磨去了绝大部分，但这剩下的这一缕却是极为精纯，几乎接近用烈火金风炼化出来的乾灵清气，看到这里，他眼前一亮，脑海顿时有了一个大胆的想法。

他决定再试一次。

他朝着下方火气又是一口澜云清气喷出，这道灵气果然被火气一磨便被化去，仍是只余一丝，在堪堪飘散时，乾灵清气一裹，又将其卷了回来，再放到胸细看，发现果然比原先精纯了不少，先前那次并不是巧合。

如不是还在争斗，张衍简直要放声大笑，只因为他突然想到，自己其实未必需要直接用元真去磨练乾灵清气，那样费时又费力，还要等每日三次煞气喷发时才行，他大可以先练澜云清气，此气练法简单，练一口乾灵清气的时间能练出三四倍之多澜云清气，然后再用太乙金书所载的法门去金风烈火下打磨，想必度能比原先提高一倍不止。

要知道无论是乾灵清气还是清气本质都是一样，只是法门运用和精纯度不同罢了，自己原先非要用元真去直接磨练，那是一根经走到底了，可见有的时候，只要找到了正确的方法，弯路变直路，那就是捷径了。

有了这个收获，他只望能早日一试想法，也无心与王盘再玩下去，拿出宣命笔，道了声：“去！”

宣命笔一出，只是绕场一圈，便将十八口火气刷去一半，王盘法诀当即被破。

王盘被吓了一大跳，这才察觉出来不对，心叫不妙，顾不得再将那剩下的火气收回，回头转身就逃，张衍站在雾上看得清楚，袍袖一甩，一点青芒直奔王盘后心。

“啪”、“啪”两声，王盘只觉两块从龄玉牌一起碎裂，顿时醒悟张衍身上有一件了不得的法宝，哪里还敢有片刻犹豫，死命往山下奔去，

张衍冷笑一声，道：“怎叫你逃脱？”

手法诀一掐，稍稍被阻的青芒再次上前，这次王盘身上的辟邪玉佩自动跃起护主，却如薄砖一般被一击而碎，如意神梭余势不绝，一个盘旋，将王盘双脚斩断，只听一声凄厉惨叫，便倒在了地上。

王盘心志也算是坚韧，知道此刻有性命之忧，不顾双脚剧痛，以手代足还想往前逃窜。

只是这次却再也没有机会了，忽觉眼前一黑，一方五丈大小砚台当头落下，怎奈他半个身子还在外面，连叫声都没来得及发出，“咔嚓”一声，上半截身躯便被压成齑粉，连元灵也一并碾去，彻底身死魂消。

张衍收了法宝，缓缓从雾上飘落，走上前到王盘身上摸索了一番。

这王盘可比杜悠寒酸多了，身上没有乾坤袖囊，只是普通的袖袋而已。

张衍连取了几件东西，除了那块赤霞岛洞府的禁制牌符，好像没有什么有价值的东西了，就连仅有的飞剑铜戈也已落在他的手，只是搜到最后，一颗瓶装丹药却引起了他的注意。

“这是螭生丹？”

张衍脸上泛出喜色，“听闻第三重境界因为阴阳归一，会有异气杂生，搅乱灵机，不是资质绝顶，大定力者难以靠自身支撑过去，而螭生丹却可镇住异气，化污去浊，这倒是省却我一番功夫。”

他当即将此丹郑重收起，转身向山下走去。

“有劳诸位久候了！”

云雾开散，张衍露出身形，他站在树梢上随风上下摆动，巾扬袍舞，衣带当风，任由身后地火冲天，雾烟滚滚，脸上却是云淡风轻，无悲无喜，这般风姿气度不是仙人，却胜似仙人。

众人面面相觑，仿如置身梦，纷纷露出不可置信的神色，这……这竟然是王盘输了？连身家性命一起丢了？更有人眼露茫然，不知所措。

封臻脸色阴翳，仿佛笼上了一层寒霜，却没注意到旁侧胞妹封窈却一眨不眨地看着张衍，美目却泛过了一丝异彩。

张衍转而面向王盘带来的一众力士，道：“王盘已然败于我手，如今尸骨无存，魂飞魄散，你等今后皆归我之门下，今日放尔等回去安顿家小，收拾私物，过几日我自当去赤霞岛上一观，如有不从，自有门规处置，可听曾听得明白？”

既是“绝争”，胜了王盘，那么对方一切所有，包括力士侍从，姬妾僮仆，洞府丹药，法宝飞舟，统统都要归入他的名下了。

他心甚至在想，是不是多向几个富庶弟子主动挑战？这绝对是发家致富不二门径。

只是这个念头才一冒出，就被他压了下去，满则溢，盈则亏，稍露锋芒可以，风头太过却不是什么好事，需知木秀于林风必摧之，况且只是王盘的遗产恐怕就够自己用上很长一段时间了。

力士随从哪里敢和他对抗？他们都是修士的个人私产，随意打杀也无人问津，但如