Chapter 68

"Having been suppressing the demon holes outside for sixteen years without returning to the sect, why do I see such a polluted atmosphere upon my return? It seems I need to meet the sect master and properly rectify the conduct of the younger disciples."

A cultivator with a peculiar appearance and dual pupils in his eyes floated a hundred feet in the air, his gaze fixed on the scene below.

He wore a purple-golden Daoist robe, holding a tender green bamboo branch in his right hand, leaning it on his shoulder. At his feet lay a lazy, cat-like yet not quite a cat, tiger-like yet not quite a tiger, spirit beast, with a golden and red striped coat that was exceptionally splendid.

After a few more glances, he memorized Zhang Yan's appearance and then flew away.

On Spirit Page Island, Zhang Yan raised his hand and, with a wave, lifted the twelve baskets containing the inkstone gillfish into the air, loading them onto the flying boat.

After gathering the mermaid beauty, he took off, closing the restrictions and driving the flying boat at full speed back to Yingluo Island.

In less than an hour, the massive green stone wall came into view. However, after a quick glance, he noticed that the island was now empty. The disciples who had been sitting to listen to the teachings had all been dismissed, leaving only two elders and their attendant Daoist boys still seated.

A meaningful smile appeared on Zhang Yan's face. No wonder these two had sent him away; they had plans.

Although he had defeated Feng Ming on the spot, the ownership of the star sword pill had not been determined. After a few words with Elders Chen and Chen, he had hurried off to catch the inkstone gillfish, and no one knew the outcome. This naturally minimized the negative impact on Feng Ming.

In the future, if disciples were to spread the word, Zhang Yan could simply give Feng Ming another sword pill and find an opportunity to casually display it in front of everyone, ensuring that he would not be looked down upon.

Seeing Zhang Yan return so quickly, the two elders on the stone platform exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise.

They had intended to make things difficult for Zhang Yan, but it seemed he had succeeded.

Zhang Yan drove the flying boat down from the sky. Before it even touched the ground, he pushed his sleeve, and a surge of spiritual energy flipped the twelve bamboo baskets, causing over a thousand lively inkstone gillfish to rain down onto the stone platform in front of the two elders.

He said loudly, "Elder Chen, is the number correct?"

Elder Chen laughed heartily, his deep voice echoing through the clouds. His massive body swayed as he stepped forward, saying, "Such a delicious treat, we can't miss it."

He tilted his head back, opened his large mouth, and a huge white tornado appeared in the air. The inkstone gillfish were sucked into it before they even hit the ground. In the tornado, numerous small green whirlwinds swirled, and even fiery red sparks danced around.

The inkstone gillfish made one turn in the tornado, and their scales were completely stripped off. Another turn, and the white, tender fish meat sizzled as if being roasted by an invisible flame, quickly turning golden and emitting a wonderful aroma. By the third turn, the fish meat was separated from the bones and then thrown into Elder Chen's seemingly bottomless mouth.

When the fish feast ended, a high pile of fish bones was left at Elder Chen's feet. Each fish bone was intact, with no trace of meat, even the smallest parts were white and smooth, like finely polished crystals.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of roasted fish.

Zhang Yan understood that Elder Chen was demonstrating his control over the dan sha qi, and also giving him a warning not to overstep his bounds.

However, he was not concerned. On the path of cultivation, one must compete when necessary and seize what is needed. As long as he did not violate the sect rules and followed the clear principles, no one could find fault with him or do anything about it.

The flying boat landed, and Zhang Yan stepped out, bowing and saying, "Elder Chen, is the number of inkstone gillfish correct?"

Elder Chen grunted, "A total of 1,859, not only correct but even more than expected. Zhang Yan, I underestimated you. Such is the case..." He turned around and smiled, "Junior Brother Chen, what is his is his, and what is not his, he cannot take."

Elder Chen coughed and said, "Zhang Yan, this is your opportunity. Keep this star sword pill well and make good use of it." He flicked his finger, and a blue light flew out.

Zhang Yan caught it, feeling a cool, refreshing object land in his palm. Upon opening his hand, he saw a star sword pill the size of a fist, surrounded by diffused spiritual energy and star dust. It was full of vitality, and he could even hear a faint breathing sound. It was a water-attribute sword pill. He nodded and put it in his sleeve, preparing to refine it later.

Elder Chen then took out a jade slip from his sleeve and threw it to Zhang Yan, saying, "This is the 'Creation from Nothingness' technique. Destroy it after viewing and do not spread it, or the sect rules will not forgive you!" His voice was like thunder, shaking the entire island with its fierce power.

Zhang Yan remained calm, bowing slightly and saying, "I understand, Elders, I will take my leave."

With that, he stepped forward, and a cloud of mist lifted him into the air, and he floated away.

Elder Chen's eyes widened in surprise, "Cloud riding? Zhang Yan can do this at the second level of Ming Qi. Could he be practicing Junior Brother Sun's 'Lan Yun Secret Manual'?"

Elder Chen frowned, pulling his beard, "Could this young man be a hidden pawn of Junior Brother Sun? Why has he never mentioned this?"

Elder Chen shook his head, "I can't understand, I can't understand. However, by showing this skill today, Zhang Yan is telling us that he is not without a foundation. Originally, I wanted to find an opportunity to further temper him, but now it seems best to let it be, to avoid ruining any major plans of Junior Brother Sun and having him take out his anger on us again."

Elder Chen sighed, "Alas, among the top ten disciples in the sect, only four are from our lineage. We are still wary of each other and cannot unite, how can we resist the noble families? There is a major competition in two years. If we cannot cultivate a few more capable disciples, we will eventually be suppressed by the noble families and never rise again."

Elder Chen nodded, as if remembering something, and slapped his head, "I heard that Zhuang Bufan will soon return to the sect. With him in charge, the arrogance of the noble families' disciples will surely be suppressed."

"Really?" Elder Chen's eyes lit up, stroking his beard, "Junior Brother Zhuang is returning to the sect? Excellent, excellent. This will increase our chances in the major competition in two years. If we can cultivate a few more capable disciples, we might have a chance to surpass the noble families."

Elder Chen nodded and took out another item from his sleeve, "Feng Ming needs to be handled properly, to avoid him developing a heart demon. Since my elder brother has already refined a set of star sword pills for me, the ones I used earlier are no longer needed. You can give them to him, to help him focus on his cultivation and reduce distractions. With his excellent talent, if he can live up to our expectations, he will surely earn a place in the major competition."

This was a difficult decision. Feng Ming was one of the disciples they had both favored and planned to support. If he had not been up to the task, it would be one thing, but this time it was not his fault. If there was any fault, it was partly due to their arrangements.

Elder Chen took the sword pill, pondering, "I noticed he was dejected when he left, with a heavy heart. I hope he can understand the good intentions of his senior brother."

Elder Chen laughed heartily, "Opportunities are determined by heaven, and the path is chosen by the heart. If he cannot overcome this obstacle, how can he compete with the noble families' disciples in the future? This change will help us see his true character and whether he deserves the praise of the elders!"

Elder Chen nodded in agreement, "Indeed, it should be so."

Zhang Yan returned to Spirit Page Island and, after entering his cave, closed the island's restrictions. Seeing Luo Xiao enter, he showed her the star sword pill and asked for her evaluation.

Luo Xiao's eyes lit up at the sight of the sword pill. She examined it for a moment and praised, "Congratulations, Master. This star sword pill is not only full of spiritual energy but also contains a hint of spirituality, which can only be refined by a Yuan Ying expert. Its quality is exceptional. More importantly, it is still a raw, unpolished gem. If refined with blood and nurtured daily, it can grow with your cultivation. If it can develop spirituality and a sword spirit, it will become a powerful magical treasure."

Zhang Yan shook his head, smiling, "A sword spirit? That's not easy. It would be considered a 'Mystic Treasure.' My star sword pill is currently only a 'magical treasure.' In my view, even with nurturing techniques, it would take a hundred years to see results."

Magical treasures also have different qualities. For example, the flying sword Tong Ge on Zhang Yan's body is a "magical treasure," which relies entirely on the cultivator's own cultivation to activate. Without spiritual energy, it is just an ordinary object.

On the other hand, items like the Xuan Ming Pen, the Soul Suppressing Inkstone, the Gold-Magnetic Copper Mirror, the如意神梭, and the Heart-Crashing Hammer are all "high-grade spiritual treasures." They already have a hint of spirituality and can be controlled with a small amount of true essence and spiritual energy after being refined with blood.

Only when a magical treasure becomes a "true treasure" can it develop a self-awareness. At this point, the treasure has a hint of intelligence. If it can further develop, it becomes a "mystic treasure," which can transform into a human form and cultivate like a cultivator.

Therefore, in the world, some magical treasures, after developing their own spirits, hide in deep mountains and large marshes to avoid being captured and refined by cultivators.

Above "true treasures," there are even more mysterious "Dao treasures," which are beyond his comprehension.

However, for flying swords, it is best to refine them oneself to achieve a perfect harmony of mind, nature, and soul. Currently, his cultivation is not sufficient, so he can only use items refined by others.

Zhang Yan held the star sword pill, ready to refine it with his blood. At that moment, he felt a sudden surge of energy in his body, as if some force was urging him on. He smiled, "The time is right. Breaking through the third level of Ming Qi is happening today!"

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PS: I went to an elder's house to wish them a long life, so I returned late. Sorry about that.

Also: If there are no unexpected events, the evening update will be after 8 PM. If there is an update during the day, there will definitely be another chapter in the evening.