Daoist Competition
Chapter 71 - 36 Appraising the Meridian: The Path Ahead is Ambiguous

Chapter 71: Chapter 36 Appraising the Meridian: The Path Ahead is Ambiguous

In the past few months, a shocking rumor has been circulating on Cangwu Mountain: the Du Family’s disciple, Du You, used the sect’s Shell King True Dew to open his meridians, but was killed and robbed by his accompanying servant, Du Bo. Now his whereabouts are unknown, and he is presumed to have met a grim fate.

Although the Du Family is doing everything they can to conceal the matter, how could they hide such a scandal from the watchful eyes of the Xuanmen families?

The Lower Court disciples were all secretly delighted at the misfortune. The Du Family had always been arrogant, and this time they acted outside the rules, forcibly claiming the position of Senior Disciple. For them to meet such a disaster seemed well-deserved. Now, all their previous arrangements have come to nothing, and the prospect of interfering with the Lower Court again is entirely out of the question.

Through Madam Lin’s maneuvering, Lin Yuan successfully ascended to the position of Senior Disciple. Just as he was basking in triumph, Zhang Yan—whom he thought had been driven off the mountain by Du You—unexpectedly returned to Cangwu Mountain. At first, Lin Yuan barely paid this matter any heed. With the Du Family’s downfall, Zhang Yan’s return seemed predictable. However, another shocking piece of news soon followed.

In just two months, Zhang Yan had shattered the Golden Lock, successfully opened his meridians, and ascended the Great Dao Heavenly Gate in one leap. This development was even more stunning than Du You’s disappearance. When Lin Yuan first heard the news, he sat in a daze for a long moment; his original joy had completely evaporated, replaced by a sour and bitter mood.

After toiling so hard for the position of Senior Disciple, the very Zhang Yan he regarded as an aberration to be eliminated had unexpectedly surpassed him. Now, didn’t his position as Senior Disciple amount to nothing more than a joke?

For the first time in his life, Lin Yuan bitterly hated the family’s rigid rules. If it weren’t for having to serve sixteen years in the Lower Court, he too could have opened his meridians earlier and moved to the Upper Court, avoiding being surpassed by a "mere boy" like Zhang Yan.

News of this development left many Lower Court disciples from noble families stunned and speechless. Cangwu Mountain fell deathly quiet.

After how many years?

Zhang Yan had only been on the mountain for three years, becoming an entry-level disciple a mere six months ago. Yet after descending the mountain for only two months, he had already opened his meridians and broken through. Wasn’t Zhang Yan supposed to have average talent, fit only to serve as a Powerful Warrior? By stark contrast, Du You, who had sworn to kill Zhang Yan and appeared so overwhelmingly dominant, had vanished after going to the shell field to open his meridians. The juxtaposition of these two outcomes created a striking disparity.

Haohue Peak, Du Zhen Hall.

When Zhang Yan walked into the grand hall once again, Shi Shoujing, He Shouxuan, and Zhen Shouzhong, who were seated on the stone platform, all stood and stepped down. They bowed in greeting.

The Lower Court Masters are typically chosen from those in the sect whose cultivation progress has stalled, ensuring they are committed to solitude and able to spend day and night dealing with the mundane world.

On the other hand, those in the Lower Court who open their meridians ascend to the Upper Court and become the sect’s core members—True Disciples—receiving Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands, elixir pills, and Dharma books. Their cultivation path afterward is a smooth journey, with prospects far above those of the three Masters. This respect was not for Zhang Yan’s current status but for the accomplishments he was destined to achieve.

"Greetings to the three Masters," said Zhang Yan.

Though he had achieved success in opening his meridians, Zhang Yan showed no arrogance but maintained the same respectful and courteous demeanor as ever. Regardless of what thoughts or intentions the three may have had toward him in the past, they had indeed admitted him into the gates of the Lower Court. Thus, his respect for them was not for their rank or authority but for the genuine guidance they had extended to him earlier.

Shi Shoujing felt a bit of goodwill toward Zhang Yan for his respectful attitude at this moment.

Though they seemed prestigious, their actual power was limited. They relied on their cultivation to suppress the Lower Court disciples but spent most of their time worrying about securing their own position. Only occasionally did they leverage sect rules to discipline the disciples. With Zhang Yan now having opened his Immortal Meridians, the Lower Court regulations no longer applied to him at all. Zhang Yan no longer needed to consider them, yet he still behaved with restraint and propriety. Shi Shoujing couldn’t help softening his tone and said warmly, "Junior Brother Zhang, now that you’ve opened your meridians and broken through, you are one of us Dao practitioners. From now on, we use the titles of senior and junior brothers to address one another."

Zhang Yan smiled slightly, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, senior brothers."

The trio returned the courtesy with bows.

When they straightened up, Shi Shoujing scrutinized Zhang Yan closely. He saw vital energy surging through his form, brimming with life—a manifest anomaly associated with achieving perfection upon opening Immortal Meridians. He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. Initially, he thought news of Zhang Yan’s breakthrough was mistaken; now it seemed his judgment had been flawed. No wonder the Zhou Family had chosen him as their son-in-law. There must be deeper reasons behind that.

The *Xuan Yuan Inner Secrets* was something Shi Shoujing had read as well. He was well aware of its dangers. The text was so intricate and mysterious, intersecting countless paths, that many in Xuanmen called it the *Thousand Brilliance Book.* Shi Shoujing knew himself well enough to admit that he wouldn’t dare attempt cultivation through it.

Zhang Yan, who until recently had seemed to possess only average talent, had been subtly advised by him to pursue the route of a Powerful Warrior as the safest choice. Who could have expected that after only a few months, Zhang Yan would shatter meridians, ascend barriers, and directly step into the Heavenly Gate? If this wasn’t due to a fortuitous encounter, then it must be the guidance of a high-level mentor behind the scenes.