Daoist Competition
Chapter 156 - 47 Heavy Water Begins to Condense, Entering the Sea Eye Alone

Chapter 156: Chapter 47 Heavy Water Begins to Condense, Entering the Sea Eye Alone

Xie Zongyuan rolled up his sleeves, took out a piece of Cloud Sand, and pushed it in front of Zhang Yan, saying, "Brother Zhang, mission accomplished."

Zhang Yan clasped his hands lightly in a gesture of thanks and replied, "Thank you for the trouble, Brother Xie." He picked up the Cloud Sand, glanced at it casually, and then stowed it into his sleeve.

His demeanor was calm and composed, as if this item was of no significance to him at all.

Then, he casually took out five porcelain bottles and placed them on the desk, saying, "These are Soul Calming Pills, personally refined by my esteemed master. I entrust Brother Xie to pass them on to a few senior brothers."

Xie Zongyuan’s eyes lit up with joy. "With these elixir pills, we fear no entanglement with Yin Demons."

But Zhang Yan replied, "Yin Demons are easy to repel, but malicious people are hard to guard against. I am certain this journey will not be smooth sailing. What does Brother Xie think?"

Xie Zongyuan could hear the implication in his words and laughed heartily. "Do you think I, Xie Zongyuan, am someone soft-hearted? Rest assured, junior brother."

Both of them understood well that Fang Zhen was a person who always sought revenge for the slightest grievance. The last time he was punished by the sect because of them, he surely bore a grudge. Once within the Demon Cave, without the sect’s constraints, it was highly unlikely he would behave himself.

After another moment of secret discussion, Zhang Yan took his leave from Xie Zongyuan and returned to his own room.

There were six days left until the first day of the next lunar month, the day the Sea Eye would open.

Time was neither too long nor too short. Zhang Yan pondered for a moment; condensing the Xuan Guang Seed was not something that had to be rushed.

The Lan Yun Secret Volume recorded that the You Yin Heavy Water possessed tremendous power. In recent days, he had been too occupied to condense it. Now that the Spiritual Energy here was as abundant as on Spiritual Paper Island, it was a good opportunity to refine a drop.

With this decided, he seated himself cross-legged on the cushion and silently began to activate the spell.

He had practiced this Dharma technique in the Broken Jade more than a hundred times and was already well-versed in it. His Qi Mechanism circulated smoothly without a hitch.

The days passed quickly. By the sixth day, all the cold Qi in his Qi Acupoints had been completely refined. Looking inward, he observed a single droplet of water, dark as ink jade, floating in his chest.

The droplet was no larger than a fingertip. Yet, according to the Lan Yun Secret Volume, this single droplet contained the strength of a thousand jun. However, as he had never tested it, its true power remained unknown.

At this moment, Zhang Yan sensed someone pacing outside his door. He opened his eyes and said in a low voice, "Who is outside?"

A voice belonging to the steward Daoist Nun replied from outside, "Brother Zhang, are you there? Today is the day the Sea Eye opens. A few senior brothers, knowing you were in seclusion over the past few days, did not wish to disturb you. They requested that once you emerge, you head to Feihe Tower."

"Understood. You may leave."

After briefly tidying up, Zhang Yan left his side chamber. Since flying was not permitted within Shouming Palace, he ascended the stone steps on foot. About a quarter of an hour later, he arrived in front of Feihe Tower.

After the steward Daoist Nun verified his identity, she allowed him to enter.

Inside the tower, in the center of the grand hall, there was a cave-like aperture roughly ten zhang wide. Churning seawater bubbled and surged within, emitting a deep rumbling sound. The surrounding area was bordered with white jade balustrades, resembling the edge of a well.

This was the Sea Eye, which connected to the Demon Cave.

The Demon Cave was neither static nor lifeless. Its Qi Mechanism pulsed like breathing, drawing inward on the first day of every month and spewing outward on the fifteenth. By following the water currents of the Sea Eye on the first day, one could directly enter the cave.

To the west side of the hall stood Fang Zhen, Feng Ming, and three other cultivators in a group. Upon seeing Zhang Yan enter, all but Feng Ming directed hostile gazes at him.

On the eastern side stood a pale-faced young cultivator whose expression was calm and unreadable. He remained silent and still. This must have been the Han Clan member. Five cultivators stood around him, seemingly his entourage, but none displayed the slightest hint of respect in their demeanor.

At that moment, sobbing could be heard from a corner of the hall. Zhang Yan turned to look and saw that Liu Tao appeared to be speaking to a weeping female cultivator. Nearby, Xie Zongyuan shook his head, while Zhao Zhen stood with arms crossed, a sneer on his face.

Approaching them, Zhang Yan asked, "Brother Xie, what is the matter?"

Seeing Zhang Yan arrive, Xie Zongyuan sighed and gestured toward the female cultivator. "That is Mrs. Chen, a disciple of Shouming Palace. Her husband entered the Sea Eye last month and has yet to return. So she has been pleading with everyone here to let her join us into the Demon Cave. She has begged so earnestly that she nearly dropped to her knees. A cultivator she may be, but her love for her husband is genuine."

Zhang Yan chuckled. "Though we cultivators pursue the Dao, we are not yet Supreme Upper Masters and remain bound by emotions like anyone else. Some seek fame, some pursue wealth, others crave power. Mrs. Chen, it seems, lives for ’love.’"

Xie Zongyuan, hearing this, teased, "And what is it that Brother Zhang seeks?"

A faint smile curled at Zhang Yan’s lips as he replied, "Nothing grand—just immortality."

Xie Zongyuan burst into hearty laughter. "Indeed, transcendence and unrestrained freedom are what we aspire to."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sound like muffled thunder echoed through the hall. All eyes instinctively turned toward the aperture.

The seawater inside first bubbled out, then suddenly seemed as though the bottom layer had been drained away. A whirlpool formed and began to descend.

Somebody exclaimed, "The time has come—the Sea Eye is open!"

Fang Zhen and his group were the quickest to react. At the sight of the Sea Eye opening, they each chanted a spell. A burst of Treasure Light flashed across their bodies, and without hesitation, they leapt into the aperture. In the blink of an eye, they vanished.

The Han Clan cultivator raised an incense burner in his hands and shook it lightly. A wisp of smoke enveloped him and his five followers. Taking a few steps forward, they too jumped into the Sea Eye and disappeared.

Watching this, Liu Tao turned to Cheng An. "Senior Cheng, shall we proceed as well?"

Cheng An hurriedly retrieved a token and waved it. A flash of light appeared, and a boat materialized before them.

The boat was wide and flat, resembling an old tortoise. It had mechanisms on both sides, along with small openings at the top walls. Its wood attribute gave off an extraordinary fragrance that invigorated the spirit as soon as it was inhaled.

Zhao Zhen impatiently leapt aboard first.

As the others followed suit, Mrs. Chen began sobbing even louder.

Zhang Yan glanced at her. Her willow-like brows, cherry lips, and frail figure gave her a pitiable appearance. Her weeping was heartrending and stirred sympathy. Yet Zhang Yan considered matters from a different perspective.

He called to Xie Zongyuan. "Brother Xie, since Mrs. Chen is a disciple of Shouming Palace, she must be familiar with the paths in the Demon Cave. Wouldn’t it benefit us to bring her along?"

Xie Zongyuan shook his head. "I thought the same at first, but the Chenxiang Boat can only carry five people—she cannot be accommodated."

Zhang Yan thought for a moment before saying, "That’s easily resolved. I have the Xuanluo Daoist Robe granted by Water Country’s Prince Zhen, which shields against water, fire, and metals. Take her with you, and I’ll go on my own."

"Oh?" Xie Zongyuan seemed intrigued but hesitated for a moment. "But wouldn’t that be an inconvenience to you, Brother Zhang?"

Zhang Yan smiled. "Why would it be? I would merely be following later."

Mrs. Chen, hearing that Zhang Yan was giving up his place, hastily wiped her tears and performed a respectful gesture. "Many thanks to Brother Zhang."

Zhang Yan replied lightly, "No need for gratitude. I trust you understand my intentions."

Mrs. Chen nodded softly. "I understand, and rest assured. I have accompanied my master into the Demon Cave several times before. Though I may not know it intimately, I can navigate some of the paths."

The Sea Eye passage into the Demon Cave would only last an hour. As there was no time to waste, and now that the arrangements were settled, nobody spoke further. After bidding farewells to Zhang Yan, everyone boarded the Chenxiang Boat.

Before long, the boat transformed into a beam of yellow light, diving into the whirlpool with a "whoosh" and disappearing in an instant.

Now alone in the grand hall, Zhang Yan activated a spell. His Daoist robe shimmered faintly with light, just like those of Fang Zhen and the others. Gazing at the rapidly turning vortex, he took a deep breath and leapt down.

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