Daoist Competition
Chapter 138 - 34: Gifting Elixirs and Borrowing a Boat, The Little Wave Demon Flood Dragon

Chapter 138: Chapter 34: Gifting Elixirs and Borrowing a Boat, The Little Wave Demon Flood Dragon

Chao Zhang’s words carried a hint of flattery, appearing even more reverent than during Zhang Yan’s last visit.

In the Elixir Cauldron Institute, Zhou Chongju enjoyed penning books and refining elixirs, leaving miscellaneous affairs unattended. Hence, the institute’s matters were usually decided by the two deputy directors.

However, the two deputies had vastly different dispositions. Deputy Director Gu was solely responsible for the medicine gardens; he was straightforward in nature and did not concern himself with anything outside his domain.

Dou Ming, on the other hand, was quite the opposite, driven by selfish motives. He ingratiated himself with several noble families in hopes of getting a few of his relatives admitted into Mingcang Sect, going as far as to offer rare pills and ruthlessly exploit those beneath him. With him gone, Chao Zhang felt as though clouds had lifted to reveal the sun.

Zhang Yan stepped through the main door, nodded at Chao Zhang, and cast a glance around the surroundings.

Qin Nan, who had initially thought Chao Zhang was hurrying to greet some senior master, exclaimed joyfully upon seeing Zhang Yan, "Brother Zhang, is it truly you?"

Zhang Yan smiled and nodded, saying, "What a coincidence. Junior Sister Qin, are you here to exchange for elixirs?"

Qin Nan nodded enthusiastically, pulling the woman beside her along. "Indeed, today I’ve come with Senior Sister Wang to trade for a few Great Origin Pills."

"Have you managed to obtain them yet?"

Qin Nan shook her head and replied, "We brought too few Spiritual Shells; we couldn’t afford them."

The Senior Sister Wang at her side glanced at Zhang Yan hesitantly, sensing his seemingly high status but uncertain about his relationship with Qin Nan. She wanted to speak but dared not act rashly.

Chao Zhang felt a sudden jolt in his heart. Resourceful by nature, he didn’t wait for Qin Nan to speak and promptly asked the nearby manager, "Has the Medicine Garden recently delivered another batch of Great Origin Pills?"

The manager, keen on reading the situation, immediately understood his intent and replied, "Indeed, Deputy Director Gu just had some delivered, though they’ve yet to be inventoried."

Chao Zhang ordered, "Fetch a hundred Great Origin Pills for these two fellow Daoists."

The manager swiftly ventured into the backroom elixir store, quickly retrieving five porcelain bottles from a cabinet drawer and handing them to Qin Nan.

Qin Nan’s eyes widened as she exclaimed, "I only have a hundred Spiritual Shells on hand; I fear it won’t be enough to exchange for so many Great Origin Pills."

Chao Zhang discreetly glanced at Zhang Yan. Seeing his indifferent expression, he coughed lightly and spoke solemnly, "That’s correct: one hundred Spiritual Shells for one hundred pills. Fellow Daoist, accept them as they are."

For pill masters like them, the elixirs they refined each year—aside from those submitted to their sect—were theirs to keep. This granted them a certain status within the sect.

In Chao Zhang’s eyes, Zhang Yan was Zhou Chongju’s direct disciple and held an oversight role within the sect, capable of catching any wrongdoings. How could Chao Zhang dare not aim to please him?

In the past, most of the refined pills were appropriated by Dou Ming for currying favor with noble family disciples. Now that Dou Ming was gone, the pill masters were considerably more prosperous. Spending fifty Great Origin Pills to curry favor with Zhang Yan was an excellent bargain.

Qin Nan, however, seemed unsure. After all, she was just a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl and didn’t know if she should accept. She glanced at Senior Sister Wang for advice.

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Junior Sister Qin, since Chao Zhang has assured you, go ahead and accept."

"Indeed, indeed," Senior Sister Wang interjected hurriedly. She swiftly handed the hundred Spiritual Shells to the manager as if fearing they might change their mind.

Qin Nan, being quick-witted, realized the fortunate opportunity and, sticking out her tongue playfully, happily collected the five bottles of Great Origin Pills.

Zhang Yan, recognizing Qin Nan’s exceptional potential, believed she would shine brightly in the future. He didn’t mind offering assistance at this moment. Once the matter was settled, he left the institute with the two women, and Chao Zhang eagerly saw them off from behind.

Outside, Senior Sister Wang’s eyes lit up upon spotting a Flying Boat parked in the courtyard. She asked tantalizingly, "Brother Zhang, is that Cloud Ascending Flying Boat yours?"

Zhang Yan replied, "It is mine."

Senior Sister Wang couldn’t help but take another look at Zhang Yan, silently musing, "This Brother Zhang not only possesses a flying boat but also seems to hold considerable authority in the Elixir Cauldron Institute. Could he be a disciple from a noble family?"

Mingcang Sect had regulations granting cultivators of the Ming Qi Realm access to Cloud Ascending Flying Boats. However, not all cultivators could afford one; the materials required were extraordinarily costly, generally making them attainable only for Xuanmen families or elite disciples.

Take Wang Pan’s nine flying boats, for example: though all were privately owned by him, the people cultivating under him had none to spare.

Noticing that the two women appeared to be without means of aerial travel, Zhang Yan offered courteously, "Where are you headed? Would you like me to give you a ride?"

Senior Sister Wang quickly responded, "To be honest, we’re heading to Little Luo Sea to rendezvous with some senior brothers and sisters. Our master will lead us to Sea Eye True Palace for cultivation. Traveling by ferry would take a full seven days and nights."

With the Mingcang Sect’s grand competition approaching, sects and spiritual peaks were urging disciples to enhance their cultivation as much as possible. Even upper-class cave mansions were opening to disciples. Qin Nan and Senior Sister Wang’s trip was to their ancestor master’s site for cultivation.

Qin Nan, feeling bashful, whispered, "It might be too much trouble for you, Brother Zhang."

Zhang Yan pondered briefly before saying, "I’ve taken a great liking to Junior Sister Qin. I’ll lend you a hand this time." He retrieved another flying boat from his sleeve bag and handed a talisman token to Qin Nan. "Consider this flying boat on loan to you, Junior Sister Qin. I’ll collect it someday when I have the chance."

Without waiting for Qin Nan’s refusal, he boarded his flying boat and soared into the sky, disappearing before long.

Senior Sister Wang nudged the dazed Qin Nan and whispered curiously, "Junior Sister Qin, where did you meet this Brother Zhang?"

Qin Nan answered, "This senior brother... I met him while listening to lectures at the green stone wall. Oh, this Brother Zhang is quite remarkable! That day, during the sword duel, even Senior Brother Feng was no match for him."

Senior Sister Wang’s eyes widened. "That day, Feng Ming lost to this person?"

Qin Nan nodded. She fiddled with the talisman token, waved it, and watched as the flying boat grew larger before her eyes. Unable to contain her excitement, she jumped onto the boat and called out, "Senior Sister, come aboard! With this flying boat, we can reach Little Haohai much sooner and surprise our senior brothers and sisters."

Once Senior Sister Wang joined her, Qin Nan activated the talisman, and the flying boat began to rise steadily, soon piercing through the clouds. After pausing briefly, it sped towards their destination like a gale.

After a while, as Senior Sister Wang observed Qin Nan enthusiastically operating the flying boat, she casually inquired, "Junior Sister, what’s this Brother Zhang’s full name? I’d like to thank him if I meet him again."

Qin Nan shook her head. "I don’t know. I only learned his surname—Zhang—today."

Senior Sister Wang’s lips curled in disbelief; she thought Qin Nan didn’t want to disclose it.

Looking again at the Cloud Ascending Flying Boat, jealousy and envy filled her heart. Cheng Family’s Da Lang seemed grand and generous, but even he would not lend out something so valuable. Lending a flying boat without hesitation implied this Brother Zhang might not even intend to reclaim it. Who would have thought this unassuming girl had such a strong ally within the sect? She would certainly not underestimate Qin Nan in the future.

Zhang Yan, indifferent to the women’s thoughts, flew straight back to Spiritual Paper Island.

With plans to visit Zhao You Heavenly Pond, regardless of any mysteries it might hold, thorough preparation was necessary.

After sealing off his cave mansion, he took out the Stellar Sword Orb, bit his tongue, and spat a drop of essence blood onto it. He then methodically performed magical incantations according to the Sword Scripture to refine it.

It took him sixteen days to complete the process.

At this point, the sword orb was connected to his life force. Even from miles away, it would fly to his hand at his command. However, he couldn’t yet utilize its full capabilities; once he condensed the Xuan Guang Seed, he would be able to use the sword for flight, providing unmatched speed compared to a flying boat.

Thinking of this, his desire to search for Cloud Sand grew even stronger.

After gathering his Dharma Treasures, he ordered Luo Xiao to transform into a small snake and hide within his sleeve before leaving the cave mansion. Boarding his flying boat, he headed north.

After several hours, a sprawling mountain range emerged ahead, its peaks rising and falling like ocean waves across the plain. This place was called Little Lang Mountain. Beyond the mountain, another hundred miles would bring him to Zhao You Mountain’s domain.

At that moment, a glance to his side revealed another flying boat about a mile away, gliding through the clouds with five or six people onboard gesturing excitedly.

Upon closer inspection, to his surprise, Zhang Yan recognized Feng Ming among them—the same person from the sword duel near the green stone wall.

The group aboard the flying boat noticed Zhang Yan as well. Feng Ming’s expression shifted subtly, and he turned away.

The leading man on the flying boat asked, "Junior Brother Feng, do you know that Brother over there?"

Feng Ming couldn’t evade the question and replied, "Returning to Brother Fang, that person is Zhang Yan—the one who defeated me during the duel near the green stone wall."

"Oh, so that’s Zhang Yan, the True Disciple?"

Fang Senior Brother grew intrigued, turning to scrutinize Zhang Yan. His gaze hardened momentarily before he smiled faintly. "From what I can see, other than his cultivation being somewhat inscrutable, there doesn’t seem to be much about him. But the fact that he could comprehend the Sword Scripture in ten days and defeat Junior Brother Feng... If the chance arises, I’d certainly like to test his skill."

Feng Ming shook his head and warned, "That day, Elder Chen expressly instructed us not to provoke Zhang Yan. He’s a direct disciple of Dean Zhou, holds a special status, and ranks higher in seniority than us. It would be best to avoid confrontation if we can."

Fang Senior Brother pondered briefly and nodded. "True. But once I obtain the skin of that mudfish and accumulate fifteen minor merits, I’ll be able to claim an Immortal Position from the Merit Institute. By then, even before sect elders, I’ll no longer need to adhere to so many rules."

Feng Ming glanced at Zhang Yan once more and muttered, "It seems Zhang Yan is heading toward Little Lang Mountain as well. Could it be that he’s also here to compete for a share?"

Fang Senior Brother, indifferent, replied, "Not surprising. That demon flood dragon failed its transformation and severely weakened. News of this has likely spread to countless disciples. Why worry? When the time comes, we’ll rely on our abilities. He couldn’t possibly use his True Disciple status to seize it unfairly, could he?"

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