The Daoist’s face was expressionless as he said, "Are you determined to make things difficult for Daoist Zhang?"
The female crown was consumed by anger and hatred, unable to detect anything unusual. She gritted her teeth and said, "Indeed!"
That Daoist let out a loud laugh, waved his robe sleeve in the air, and tossed out a White Jade Snake Ring, its head and tail joined together. The ring descended over the female crown’s head. Caught off guard, she was trapped by the neck, instantly collapsing to the ground and transforming into a Rain Swallow with a white belly and black wings, whose tail resembled paired scissors. Its mournful cries echoed uninterruptedly.
The Daoist stepped forward, clamped the Jade Circle firmly, and sneered, "A mere feathered beast, ignorant of destiny and blind to the greater scheme. Daoist Zhang’s affairs are of great significance; how dare you meddle?"
After speaking, he hoisted the Jade Swallow and strode into the clouds, disappearing from sight moments later.
Yang Lin forced Feng Mei to reveal her true form and captured her. Though Wang Yingfang did not personally witness it, she seemed aware of the matter and wrote a talismanic script, sending it to Zhang Yan to inform him that the affair was resolved.
Zhang Yan looked at the script but didn’t dwell on it. He was tasked with protecting True Master Tao’s Main Palace; if anyone sought to cause trouble for him, it would mean challenging True Master Tao. Thus, he had no need to overthink—he simply focused on his meditation and breathing exercises, preparing for the coming opportune moment.
Five days later, a thunderous explosion echoed over the sea, accompanied by a radiant red glow. Light beams pierced through the prohibitions and illuminated the island directly, bathing everyone’s faces in a warm, rosy light.
Zhang Yan knew it signaled the imminent appearance of the Immortal Mansion, which was breaking through its layers of sealed prohibitions. This reverberation across the East Sea was the sound of the first prohibition being undone.
He shouted, "Fellow Daoists, follow me!"
He soared into the air and released a small sea boat gifted by the Yin Family. Standing atop the Treasure Pavilion within the boat, two wisps of smoke descended—Demon King Jun Miao and Lu Junbai landed on the deck, positioning themselves behind Zhang Yan on either side.
Zhang Yan piloted the sea boat high into the sky, scanning the surroundings. He saw over a thousand streaks of brilliance shooting into the air from Xuanling Island. Cultivators were riding their magical artifacts and tunneling lights, joining into a mighty gathering. The ocean waves and overhead clouds were churned and dispersed by the spiraling spiritual energy surge.
However, following the initial commotion, the sea turned silent again. The Immortal Mansion remained elusive, shifting unpredictably without adhering to any fixed location. Cultivators were left perplexed. At that moment, a golden talisman descended from the sky, transforming into a vibrant, colorful divine bird that led the way ahead.
Zhang Yan recognized this as True Master Tao guiding the crowd. Nodding, he maneuvered his sea boat to join the throng of over a thousand cultivators, following the divine bird forward.
This time, tasked with guarding True Master Tao’s Main Mansion, Zhang Yan concealed his presence by retracting his sea boat and blending into the crowd, ensuring he didn’t draw any attention.
Looking around, he noticed a Kui Wu Daoist, standing at nearly ten feet tall, leading the way with a Six Cranes Flying Sky Chariot. To the Daoist’s rear-left was Wang Yingfang, riding a swallow, while to the rear-right was a young Daoist mounted on a giant eagle. Farther back was a group of Third Generation Disciples, including Wei Lihua. She seemed to sense Zhang Yan’s gaze, turning to offer him a smile tinged with faint remorse.
Zhang Yan nodded in greeting and pondered, "The leader should be True Master Tao’s second disciple, Zhao Zhengcheng, and the young Daoist beside him must surely be the youngest, Yang Lin."
He deduced that despite Guo Lie being True Master Tao’s Senior Disciple, his cultivation was only at the Small Golden Core stage. Thus, he wasn’t assigned to this significant event. Zhang Yan wondered about Guo Lie’s current whereabouts.
At that moment, Lu Junbai, standing behind, remarked, "These Daoists have likely all been invited by True Master Tao. If we successfully seize the Immortal Mansion this time, the Qingyu Sect’s rise will face no opposition."
Demon King Jun Miao cast her enchanting gaze around and said, "True Master Tao’s influence is remarkable; I even spotted several East Sea Demon Kings here—figures of considerable power."
Lu Junbai chuckled coldly. "If not for the prospect of obtaining an Immortal Mansion, would they be willing to come? It’s all driven by self-interest."
Zhang Yan smiled faintly. Twenty years prior, True Master Tao had already devised plans when his Nascent Soul Dharma Body ventured to the sea. His disciples were instructed to foster relationships and gather various Daoist allies. Now, with the allure of the Immortal Mansion, merely offering a spark had drawn these people to rally under his command.
The leading colorful bird guided them forward for thousands of miles before suddenly swerving and plunging into the sea, disappearing instantly.
At the forefront, Zhao Zhengcheng swept his Daoist robe and halted the Six Cranes Flying Sky Chariot, declaring loudly, "Fellow Daoists, the Immortal Mansion is right here. It seems it will soon emerge. When the Immortal Palace Token flies out to choose its master, we must establish prohibitions and talisman gates in advance to guard against enemies vying for control."
His voice boomed as Qingyu Sect disciples behind him, led by Wang Yingfang and Yang Qi, dispersed to various positions, planting flag gates and raising talisman tokens to set up formations.
Not to be left behind, the various East Sea Demon Kings and Loose Cultivators also divided their forces to occupy positions, deploying their own formations. However, compared to Qingyu Sect’s orderly and composed demeanor, their efforts appeared haphazard and somewhat chaotic.
Zhang Yan understood well that these prohibitions and arrays could only serve as temporary defenses. When the Immortal Palace Token selected its master and if challengers arrived, the ultimate contest would depend on cultivation strength.
However, Zhang Yan’s sole task was to guard the Main Mansion. With two Hua Dan Cultivators backing him, there was no need for him to establish any prohibitions. Thus, he remained motionless.
Yet Wei Lihua kept glancing his way constantly. Observing that everyone else was busy setting prohibitions while Zhang Yan stayed still, she thought, "I heard that last time, Junior Sister Fu Hongchen failed to support Daoist Zhang properly and even attracted confrontations to his doorstep. Perhaps I’ve been negligent. Daoist Zhang is new here and likely lacks preparation in magical artifacts. Although his sea boat has robust prohibitions, it cannot generate cloud mist or conceal him. Let me offer him a magical artifact as an apology."
After arranging her own Dharma techniques, she soared toward Zhang Yan.
Once in front of Zhang Yan, she greeted him with a respectful bow and said, "Daoist Zhang, I departed hastily last time and failed to host you properly—that was my fault. I noticed that you seem to lack array-setting magical artifacts. I happen to have one here; I hope you’ll accept it."
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)