Zhuang Ze suddenly felt a flash of blue light against his body. In his panic, he dodged, but the Star Sword Ball mercilessly descended and instantly cleaved the Flying Boat he was riding into two. Stunned for a moment, he shouted angrily, "Zhang Yan, how dare you! Do you even know who I am..."
Zhang Yan wasn’t interested in wasting words with him. With a flick of his finger, the Sword Ball pivoted mid-air and slashed toward him again.
Seeing Zhang Yan’s eyes as cold as ice, a chill surged in Zhuang Ze’s heart. Without time to think, he hastily pinched a spell. With a sharp hiss, a white Sword Ball shot into the sky and leapt forward to intercept.
However, just as the two Sword Balls were about to collide, the Star Sword Ball seemed to possess a spiritual nature, abruptly pivoting and bypassing his. Zhuang Ze’s face turned pale with shock. He frantically twisted his body to retreat, desperately urging his own Sword Ball to engage it.
But Zhang Yan’s "Heavy Waves Stacked" Sword Force, once unleashed, was not so easily countered.
The Sword Ball spun in rapid succession. As its energy accumulated up to twenty-four rounds, the surrounding fragments of starlight crackled and exploded. The blue flame burned fiercely, blindingly bright and overwhelmingly terrifying.
Zhuang Ze struggled to fend off attacks from all sides, exhausted and fleeing for his life.
Seeing his opponent was faltering, Zhang Yan didn’t hesitate. With a surge of his spell, the Sword Ball plummeted and struck Zhuang Ze’s Sword Ball with a metallic clang. Zhuang Ze’s ordinary Sword Ball, forged merely from golden-white materials, was no match for the impact of the Star Essence Sand. The collision was like a taut string snapping apart in an instant—his Sword Ball shattered explosively.
With the Sword Ball linked to Zhuang Ze’s heart and spirit, its destruction caused him to vomit a mouthful of fresh blood. Before he could react, he saw the blue light barreling toward him without pause. In his terror, he let out a frantic roar, and a small, gray square flag shot out from his body. Gripping its flagpole, he unfurled it into the wind. The flag expanded rapidly, growing several dozen times larger within moments, like a billowing dark cloud that enveloped him and blocked Zhang Yan’s vision.
Zhang Yan sneered coldly. With a two-finger gesture, another stream of green light shot from his sleeve, faster than even the Sword Ball.
With a swift "pfft" sound, the green light pierced through the flag. A scream echoed as blood sprayed. Zhuang Ze’s right hand, which was holding the flag, was severed on the spot. Overcome with fear, he couldn’t muster the courage to linger. Clutching his injured arm with his left hand, he turned and fled.
He hadn’t gotten far when the green light chased him down, piercing his back and exiting from the front of his stomach. He grunted in pain as his body plummeted toward the ground.
Zhang Yan swiftly followed, grabbing him in one motion and knocking him unconscious with a slap. Carrying him back to the island, he flung him onto the ground and said to Luo Xiao, who came forward to meet him, "Use some Elixir Pills to keep him alive. Don’t let him die—there’s something I need him for."
Luo Xiao asked in shock, "Master, is this person an imposter?"
Zhang Yan shook his head with a smile. "This man must be one of Zhuang Bufan’s subordinates. Otherwise, where would he get such audacity?"
"What?" Luo Xiao exclaimed, "Master, if you’ve captured him, won’t Zhuang Bufan seek revenge against you?"
She recalled Zhuang Bufan’s Divine Skills from that day, and it had left her shaken. Once the Great Luo Heavenly Sleeve was unleashed, it would surge like a wave over the heavens, inspiring an inescapable sense of despair as if defense or evasion was utterly futile.
Zhang Yan chuckled lightly. "You need not worry. I have my reasons for capturing him. Even though Zhuang Bufan’s cultivation is formidable, he is still bound by sect rules within Mingcang Sect. How could he act recklessly here? Just wait and see how I deal with him."
Trusting Zhang Yan completely, Luo Xiao’s unsettled mind calmed upon hearing his words.
Zhang Yan returned to his Cave Mansion, unhurriedly preparing paper and ink. He penned a letter, rolled it up, and tucked it into the hilt of the Xiaoze Golden Sword. Reciting a spell, he released the Sword, which soared into the sky in a streak of golden light headed toward the Elixir Cauldron Institute.
After the time it takes to eat a meal, the Golden Sword returned. Zhang Yan opened the letter and read it, understanding its contents. Gazing into the distance, a cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he muttered to himself, "Zhuang Bufan, we originally had no grievances. But since you’ve come knocking, how could I possibly refrain from returning the favor?"
Standing, he donned the Daoist robe reserved for True Disciples. Summoning Luo Xiao, he gave her several instructions. Then, he released his Flying Boat, bringing along the unconscious Zhuang Ze as they flew toward the Zhengqing Institute.
Zhengqing Institute was located atop Heavenly Prison Peak, one of the Nine Peaks of Mystic Turtle Land. Outside the institute stood seven enormous stone monuments arranged in a line, inscribed with Mingcang Sect’s rules and decrees. Upon each monument perched a Bi’an beast, their fierce gazes scanning every passerby.
The institute’s entrance lacked jade or gold adornments. Instead, a simple layer of massive blue stones paved the ground, stretching from the courtyard all the way into the main hall. The gateway featured two towering Watch Towers shrouded in mist, each roof hanging seven Slaughter Swords. Below, a drum and a gong were placed—one evoking vitality, the other heralding death.