"Has Zhang Yan been cultivating here?"
Above the clouds, a dozen young cultivators piloting magical flying boats leaned forward, pointing at the scene below from time to time.
Behind them stood a young cultivator, unaided by external tools and suspended in mid-air. He looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, his body cloaked in radiant red light, with flowing flames dancing incessantly around him, clearly a cultivator in the Xuan Guang Realm.
This young cultivator observed the rolling smoke and clouds along with the rampant evil qi over spiritual paper Island, his face betraying satisfaction. He chuckled, "Just as my junior brothers said, now that I am about to refine the Divine Mountain Fire Sparrow Sword, the golden wind and fierce fire qi on this spiritual paper Island is indeed very suitable for me."
A short-sleeved youth interjected with confusion, "Brother Zhang, if you want to refine the sword, wouldn’t it be more prudent to wait until Zhang Yan is dead before coming here? Why rush now?"
Another blue-clad youth appeared displeased, shoving the short-sleeved one aside and scolding, "Foolish! Wouldn’t that make it seem like Brother Zhang is afraid of him? He’s about to die anyway. Have you forgotten the humiliation we suffered back in the Elixir Cauldron Institute at his hands? All for just a few elixir pills, we were chained in the cellar with the Cloud Golden Lock, and then expelled from the sect. Today, we’ll show him—we’re back, and what can he do about it?"
Another laughed and chimed in, "Why concern ourselves? Zhang Yan is merely a cultivator in the Xuan Guang First Realm. If he truly dares to resist, naturally Brother Zhang will handle him. What’s there for us to worry about?"
The young cultivator addressed as "Brother Zhang" stood with hands clasped behind his back, speaking indifferently, "If Zhang Yan knows his place and willingly surrenders this island, I might give him some semblance of respect in light of his impending demise. But if he fails to appreciate the gesture, I wouldn’t mind teaching him a lesson and venting the grievances of my junior brothers."
This person was named Wan Zhang, a member of the Tai Shou Wan Family. He typically cultivated on Red Sun Island amidst the Six Rivers and Four Islands. Recently, he had gained some fame following a battle at Surging Wave Lake, triumphing without encountering any worthy opponents, which had fueled his arrogance.
Among his generation, there were five other outstanding disciples of the Six Rivers and Four Islands, collectively known as the Six Stars. Wan Zhang, however, was ranked last among them—not due to inferior cultivation but because he lacked a Dharma Sword that matched the caliber of his Xuan Guang Realm. Though he had long gathered the materials needed for forging one, he struggled to find a suitable site for refining the sword.
Zhang Yan’s spiritual paper Island proved to be an ideal location. Previously, Wan Zhang had been deterred by Zhang Yan’s status as a True Disciple, preventing him from acting impulsively. But upon hearing that Zhang Yan was heading to risk his life in the array, Wan Zhang coveted the island for himself.
The short-sleeved youth looked worried and asked, "If Zhang Yan is doomed anyway, wouldn’t he fight us desperately over his cave mansion right now?"
The green-clad youth burst into laughter, "Junior Brother Yu, you really don’t understand. Even if these disciples perish in the Four Symbols God Slaying Formation, the sect will send their primordial spirits for reincarnation—and some even return to cultivate anew. If Zhang Yan truly offends us now, wouldn’t he fear us tampering with his future reincarnation or outright scattering his soul? For the sake of his future prospects, would he really dare be recklessly obstinate?"
The other youths nodded in sudden realization. In recent days, many disciples slated to challenge the Four Symbols God Slaying Formation had been selected. Most of them were individuals in the sect who had lost hope of attaining immortality in this lifetime. If they perished in the array, their successors in the sect would provide them adequate care. Additionally, each of them had been bestowed Spirit Protecting Jade Tokens by the sect. Even if their physical bodies were destroyed, the primordial spirits within the tokens could be safely extracted and sent for reincarnation, potentially allowing them to start anew.
Thus, in the eyes of these cultivators, Zhang Yan, destined to confront the array, would inevitably lose his physical form. If he dared to provoke them now, they could easily sabotage his reincarnation process—or worse, ensure his soul’s total annihilation—which no one would step forward to defend against. Thinking of his future, Zhang Yan would undoubtedly exercise caution.
On spiritual paper Island, Zhang Yan was seated calmly in his cave mansion, reading through several letters in his hands.
In recent days, word of his decision to challenge the deadly array had spread. Those acquainted with him had written letters hoping to dissuade him.
Xie Zongyuan’s letter urged him not to take life and death lightly, emphasizing the immense fortune required to embark on the cultivation path—an opportunity spanning countless lifetimes. Reaching his current level had taken considerable effort, and reincarnation would mean losing his True Recognition of the past life. Though the sect’s protection might allow him to restart his cultivation journey, few, aside from great cultivators deliberately undergoing sacrificial refinement, ever achieved greater heights in their subsequent lives.
Ning Chongxuan had also sent a letter. However, his words were terse, offering no extraneous sentiment. He simply stated that if Zhang Yan were to meet misfortune in the array, he would personally seek out Zhang Yan’s reincarnated self and take him under his tutelage.