Chapter 78

Xie Zongyuan asked this question, and Liu Tao's gaze also followed to look over.

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "We cultivate the Dao for longevity, which is inherently against the will of heaven. Adversities and obstacles are all part of the training. With a convenient path before us, how can we not take it?"

Xie Zongyuan was overjoyed and said, "Great! Brother Zhang is straightforward. Let's settle it then."

Liu Tao said, "However, entering the sea eye demon cave has some considerations and should not be rushed. We need to make preparations. For example, the female immortal from the Shouming Palace will not let you go without a reason. Each person must pay 500 spirit shells."

Xie Zongyuan waved his hand indifferently and said, "A small amount, no need to worry. I will take care of it."

The Xie family ranks second among the twelve great houses, and Xie Zongyuan is a direct-line disciple. A thousand spirit shells are nothing to him. Moreover, by doing this, he can also bring Zhang Yan and Liu Tao on board, which is a good deal.

Liu Tao stood up at this moment, bowed to Zhang Yan and Xie Zongyuan, and said, "To be honest, I know a fellow Daoist who has already passed the third level of Ming Qi. Due to his limited talent, it took him three years to condense the Xuan Guang seed, but he has yet to break through. He also intends to go this time."

Xie Zongyuan was taken aback, then said without hesitation, "Since he is Brother Liu's friend, he is certainly a trustworthy person. Let him come. The demon cave is fraught with danger, and more people mean more strength."

Liu Tao smiled and said, "Of course, I won't let Brother Xie bear the cost. This person comes from a humble background, though his family has long declined, he has an ancestral treasure called the 'Chenxiang Boat.' It can dive into a thousand-zhang deep pond. The demon cave sea eye is also under a large marsh. If we hold our breath, we will inevitably consume our essence. With this treasure boat, we can sail there."

Xie Zongyuan was delighted and said, "Good, Brother Liu has thought it through. I will return to my clan and mobilize the people to see if we can gather some information about the demon cave."

He then patted the table and pulled Liu Tao to sit down and drink together.

After settling this matter, the three of them relaxed and enjoyed the fine wine and delicious food. When the mood was high, Zhang Yan saw the bright moon in the sky and the surging tide on the marsh, so he waved his hand, and a mermaid beauty swam over from the water.

He leaned down and whispered a few words to her. The mermaid beauty nodded happily and dived back into the water, disappearing from sight.

Xie Zongyuan asked curiously, "What is Brother Zhang up to?"

Zhang Yan smiled slightly and said, "You will know soon, Brothers."

Not long after, a brilliant light suddenly appeared in the surrounding waters. The light flickered in the water, rising and falling, and Xie Zongyuan and Long Tao felt as if they were boating in the Milky Way. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that over a hundred mermaid beauties had floated to the surface, each holding a luminous pearl that shone brightly, reflecting the moon in the sky.

Xie Zongyuan's eyes sparkled, and he tapped the wine cup with his chopsticks, exclaiming, "Wonderful, wonderful! This scene deserves a pot of wine." He then rolled up his sleeves, tilted his head back, and drank a pot of wine.

Liu Tao sighed and said, "This must be the scene of the 'Mermaid Holding Pearls' in the Water Kingdom. I didn't expect to see it here at the mountain gate. If we let Zhuang Bufan continue his mischief, we might not see such a wonderful scene."

Xie Zongyuan glared at him discontentedly and said, "With such a beautiful scene before us, why mention him? It ruins the mood. Drink a penalty cup!"

Liu Tao smiled and drank a cup of wine in one go.

The three of them enjoyed themselves until late at night, and both host and guests were happy.

After agreeing on the next meeting, Zhang Yan saw off Long Tao but kept Xie Zongyuan alone.

He bowed and said, "Brother Xie, I have a favor to ask."

Xie Zongyuan said with enthusiasm, "Brother, no need to be polite. Just say what you need."

Zhang Yan took out a book and placed it on the table. "This book is called 'The Red Mist Dan Fire Scroll.' It was won from Wang Pan in the competition. I plan to return it to the Wang family and swear not to spread it. I would like to ask Brother Xie to be the mediator."

Xie Zongyuan glanced at the book, put away his smile, and nodded slightly. "What conditions does Brother have in mind?" He knew that Zhang Yan would not return the book without a reason. If he wanted to return it, he would have done so long ago. Therefore, there must be some plan.

Zhang Yan said, "I want a high-quality fire cloud sand."

Xie Zongyuan laughed lightly. "It's just a cloud sand. Brother can rest assured. I will handle it, and there should be a response within a few days."

He did not ask what Zhang Yan needed the fire cloud sand for. In his view, these were minor details, and everyone has their secrets. He would not pry into what he shouldn't.

After a few more words, Xie Zongyuan took his leave.

Zhang Yan did not return to his cave dwelling but drank alone, pondering Liu Tao.

Liu Tao's visit today was not a spur-of-the-moment decision but a well-planned move. However, the people he was trying to bring on board were all useful for entering the demon cave. His friend had the treasure boat, Xie Zongyuan had the resources and connections, and Zhang Yan, though not highly cultivated, seemed to have no significant assets. Why did Liu Tao seem so concerned about whether Zhang Yan could go?

However, he could see that although Liu Tao was calculating, he had no ill intentions. Still, one must be cautious. The journey to the demon cave was extremely risky, and it could be a matter of life and death. He needed to be well-prepared to avoid being caught off guard.

He thought to himself, "Brother Zhou has been in the sect for over two hundred years and must know something about the demon cave. I should seek his advice tomorrow."

After making up his mind, he returned to his cave dwelling to meditate.

The next morning, as the sky began to lighten, he bathed and changed his clothes, then flew to the Dan Ding Hall to meet Zhou Chongju and told him about his plan to go to the demon cave.

"What? You want to cultivate in the Sea Eye Demon Cave?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chongju frowned, as if troubled by something. He stood up and walked a few steps in the hall, then stopped and turned back. "Brother, I ask you, what kind of cloud sand did Yan Gongzhen give you that day?"

Yan Gongzhen was the real name of Yan Zhenren, whom Zhang Yan had never heard of but knew who he was referring to. He immediately answered, "It was a metal cloud sand."

Zhou Chongju sneered and said, "I knew he was a petty person. How could he be so kind to you after you offended his disciple?"

He looked at Zhang Yan again. "Brother, don't blame me for knowing his intentions but not telling you. I had other plans, so I wasn't afraid of his tricks. However, if you go to the Sea Eye Demon Cave now, it will be a bit troublesome."

Zhang Yan said sincerely, "Brother would never harm me. What is the trouble?"

"Um." Zhou Chongju nodded and said, "Now I won't hide it from you. When the senior left, he passed down a technique called 'Five Directions Five Elements Tai Xuan True Light.' It is not a cultivation method but a combat technique left by the Tai Xuan Sect ten thousand years ago, said to be very powerful. He asked me to pass it on to the person with great fortune, so I haven't touched it for two hundred years."

He paused and sighed. "Only after you entered the Dan Ding Hall did I take it out and read it, and I found that there is a crucial step that requires finding five elemental cloud sands before the Xuan Guang realm and condensing the Xuan seed. I originally wanted you to cultivate steadily and then find all the cloud sands and give them to you. That's why I was happy when Yan Gongzhen gave you the cloud sand."

Zhang Yan was suddenly enlightened. He had low talent and had not revealed that he was cultivating the "Taiyi Jinshu." He now understood that Zhou Chongju had such confidence not only because he trusted the senior's judgment but also because of this technique.

"However, human plans cannot match the will of heaven. I didn't expect you to plan to cultivate in the demon cave. Now I only have three cloud sands."

Zhou Chongju raised his hand and took out three brocade boxes from his sleeve, placing them on the table and opening them. He took out three cloud sands and pointed to a green and lustrous one. "This is a wood cloud sand. I found it in the herb garden fifty years ago, and its quality is excellent."

He then pointed to another one. "This is a metal cloud sand, which I recently obtained. However, it is far inferior to the one given by Yan Gongzhen, so I won't mention it."

He then picked up the last one. "This is an earth cloud sand, which I recently bought from outside. However, its quality is much poorer, which is a bit unsatisfactory."

Earth cloud sands are the most abundant in the world, even in the mortal world. Unfortunately, the quality of earth cloud sands is the hardest to reach the top level. As the head of the Dan Ding Hall, Zhou Chongju could not find one in such a short time.

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Life is not perfect. Having them is better than not having them. Brother doesn't need to be too demanding."

Zhou Chongju nodded slightly and sighed. "However, we are still missing two, one water and one fire."

Zhang Yan thought for a moment and said, "I have a way to find the fire cloud sand, but I don't know where to find the water one."

Zhou Chongju's spirit suddenly lifted, and he asked, "Oh, you can find the fire cloud sand? How confident are you?"

Zhang Yan thought for a moment and said, "Eight or nine out of ten."

"Good, good, good!" Zhou Chongju said three "goods" in a row, his eyes shining. "Do you remember the Zhaoyou Heavenly Pool I mentioned before?"

"Of course, but last time we reached the front of Zhaoyou Mountain, we were forced back by Zhuang Bufan due to encountering a demon."

Zhou Chongju said solemnly, "Then you need to go there again. A hundred zhang deep in the Zhaoyou Heavenly Pool, there is the water cloud sand."

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PS: Cough, cough, although Zhang Yan, Liu Tao, and Xie Zongyuan talked well, I hesitated and decided not to form a brotherhood...