Daoist Competition
Chapter 135 - 32: The Difference Between the Star Sword Ball and Dharma Treasure - Part 2

Chapter 135: Chapter 32: The Difference Between the Star Sword Ball and Dharma Treasure - Part 2

Zhang Yan reached out and caught the cool, refreshing object as it fell into his palm.

He opened his hand and saw a sword ball, about the size of a fist, surrounded by an aura of spiritual energy with specks of starlight swirling around it. Upon careful inspection, he could sense robust vitality within, accompanied by faint sounds like breathing and expanding. It was a water-attributed sword ball. Nodding slightly, he tucked it into his sleeve for refinement later.

Elder Xun then took out a jade scroll from his sleeve and tossed it to Zhang Yan, saying, "This is the spell ’Creation from Nothing.’ After reading it, destroy it immediately. It must not be shared with anyone else, or you will surely face the sect’s wrath!" By the time he spoke the last words, his voice was like thunder, shaking the island so fiercely that the grass and trees quivered under his overwhelming power.

Zhang Yan, however, remained calm and unmoved. With a light bow of his head, he replied, "Zhang Yan understands. Elders, I shall take my leave."

As his words fell, he stepped forward, conjuring a mass of cloud mist beneath his feet. It lifted him into the skies, carrying him away.

Elder Xun widened his eyes in surprise and remarked, "Cloudwalking? Zhang Yan, despite only being at the Ming Qi Second Realm, can do this? Could it be that he’s cultivating Nephew Sun’s ’Lan Yun Secret Volume’?"

Elder Chen furrowed his brow, tugging at his beard, and muttered, "Is it possible that this child is Nephew Sun’s hidden pawn? Why have I never heard mention of this before?"

Elder Xun shook his head and said, "Unfathomable, truly unfathomable. But Zhang Yan’s display just now certainly implies that he has a solid foundation. Well, I had intended to grind him down further, but now I suppose I’ll hold off lest it disrupts any plans of Nephew Sun’s. Lest we provoke his dissatisfaction, as we did last time, and he took it out on us."

Elder Chen sighed and said, "Ah, the sect’s current top ten disciples—only four belong to our lineage. Yet here we sit, wary of each other instead of uniting as one. If we cannot come together, how can we fend off the noble families? The sect tournament is just two years away. If we don’t cultivate more capable disciples before then, we’ll inevitably be crushed under their heel with no chance of overturning the situation."

Elder Xun nodded in agreement but then seemed to recall something. With a slap to his forehead, he said, "I’ve heard that Zhuang Bufan is returning to the sect soon. With him stationed here, he can certainly suppress the arrogance of the noble family disciples to some extent."

"Oh?" Elder Chen’s eyes lit up. Stroking his beard, he said, "Nephew Zhuang is returning to the mountain gate? Excellent, truly excellent. With this, our lineage’s chances at the tournament in two years will improve. If we can nurture a few more capable disciples, we might still have hope of overtaking the noble families."

Elder Xun nodded again and, as if reminded of another matter, brought out an object from his sleeve. "Feng Ming needs careful handling as well. One mustn’t let him succumb to a heart demon. That wouldn’t bode well at all. My elder brother has already refined a set of Star Sword Balls for me, making my former sword ball redundant. Why don’t you pass it on to him? Let him focus on cultivation and free himself from distractions. His aptitude is excellent. If he fulfills my expectations, he’s sure to earn a place in the tournament."

This was, in truth, a necessary measure. Feng Ming was one of the disciples they had jointly chosen to support. If he couldn’t thrive by his own effort, then that would be another matter entirely. However, this time, it wasn’t his error—it was intricately connected to their arrangements.

Elder Chen took the sword ball with an outstretched hand and pondered aloud, "When I saw him leave, I noticed he seemed dispirited and weighed down by inner conflict. Let us hope your kind gesture helps him see clarity."

Elder Xun, however, laughed heartily and said, "Fate is predestined, and the Great Dao is born of the heart. If he cannot overcome this hurdle, how can he hope to compete with the noble family disciples in the future? This change provides us with the perfect opportunity to discern his true character—to see if he is deserving of praise from the elders!"

Elder Chen nodded in agreement, saying, "Just as it should be."

On his way back to Spiritual Paper Island, Zhang Yan returned to his cave mansion, sealing the island’s prohibitions behind him. When Luo Xiao entered, he presented the sword ball to her for appraisal.

Upon seeing the sword ball, Luo Xiao’s eyes lit up. She carefully examined it before praising, "Congratulations, my lord. This sword ball is not only brimming with spiritual energy, but it also contains a trace of spiritual nature. It is crafted to such an astonishing standard that even Nascent Soul Experts would struggle to refine something of this caliber. What’s even rarer is that it remains an unpolished gem—a piece of pure gold and jade. If you refine it with essence blood and keep it close for daily nurturing, its quality will rise alongside your cultivation. And should it eventually produce spiritual nature and birth a Sword Spirit, it would become an incredibly powerful Dharma Treasure."

Zhang Yan shook his head lightly and smiled, "Sword Spirit? That’s easier said than done. Such creations are known as Mystical Artifacts. My Star Sword Ball is, at best, a Magic Artifact right now. Even if I nurture its spiritual nature through meticulous methods, it would take a hundred years before it bore any notable fruit."

Dharma Treasures, too, varied in quality. For example, Zhang Yan’s Flying Sword and Copper Spear were mere Magic Artifacts. When wielded, they relied entirely on the cultivator’s inherent strength and spiritual energy. Without Qi Mechanism or Spiritual Energy to sustain them, they were no different from ordinary objects.

On the other hand, tools like the Proclamation Pen, Soul Suppressing Inkstone, Golden Magnetic Copper Mirror, Ruyi Divine Shuttle, and Heart-Hitting Hammer were High Grade Spiritual Devices. These possessed a hint of spiritual nature and could be refined with essence blood. Once refined, mere traces of True Spirit Qi could suffice to activate their capabilities for combat.

Only when a Dharma Treasure became a Mystical Artifact would it gain awareness of its true identity. It would then possess a fragment of spiritual wisdom. With further advancement, it could evolve into a True Artifact endowed with full intellectual and spiritual consciousness, capable of transforming into human form and cultivating Dao just as a cultivator would.

This is why some Dharma Treasures, upon birthing their Dharma Spirit, would hide away in remote mountains and vast lakes, avoiding capture by cultivators who sought to enslave them.

It was said that above True Artifacts existed even more enigmatic Dao Artifacts, a realm far beyond Zhang Yan’s comprehension.

Nevertheless, when it came to flying swords, self-refinement was always ideal. Only this could ensure that the sword aligned perfectly with one’s essence and Divine Soul. Unfortunately, his Mysterious Skill cultivation had yet to reach that stage. For now, he could only rely on items refined by others.

Zhang Yan held the Star Sword Ball in his palm, preparing to refine it with essence blood. Suddenly, an inexplicable wave of intuition washed over him, stirring his innermost Qi Mechanism into a trembling resonance. He sensed an invisible force propelling him forward. With a subtle shift in his expression, he smiled faintly and declared, "The time has come. Breaking through to the Ming Qi Third Realm shall happen today!"

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PS: Went to a relative’s home for a birthday celebration, hence returning late—my apologies!

Additionally, barring any unexpected circumstances, tonight’s update will likely occur after 8 PM. If there’s a daytime update, there will certainly be another Chapter in the evening.