Zhang Yan and Zhou Chongju held secret talks throughout the night. At the break of dawn, they finally stepped out of the Fish Tower.
Zhang Yan halted at the deck in front of the tower and turned back, saying, "Senior Brother, stay here, no need to see me off further."
Zhou Chongju shook his head, replying, "It’s only a matter of a few steps anyway."
He then lowered his voice and said, "Although you have considered everything thoroughly, caution is still paramount. If the situation becomes unclear, you must retreat swiftly. With your current Elixir Formation grade, there are many who would seek to align with you—there’s no need to tether yourself to a single tree."
Zhang Yan nodded in agreement, saying, "Such words of wisdom from Senior Brother will be well remembered by this Junior Brother."
With that, he raised his hand in farewell and said, "Then, I’ll entrust everything to Senior Brother."
Zhou Chongju returned the salute solemnly, his expression serious, and said, "Junior Brother, rest assured. I will personally speak to the Sect Leader on your behalf."
Zhang Yan laughed heartily and said, "With Senior Brother personally handling this matter, this Junior Brother can sleep peacefully at night."
Zhou Chongju couldn’t help but laugh, pointing to Zhang Yan and sighing, "Junior Brother, don’t flatter me too much. However, your current plan also serves the Sect Leader’s interests. I am more than seventy percent confident that I can persuade him."
Zhang Yan knew that Zhou Chongju never spoke empty words. He must be extraordinarily confident to make such claims. He nodded, cupped his hands in farewell, and then leapt into the air. A swirling cloud smoke enveloped him as he ascended, flying beyond the heavens, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Gazing at the horizon, Zhou Chongju couldn’t help but feel admiration in his heart. His Junior Brother was sharp-minded, deeply calculative, and consistently surprised others with his daring actions. The last time he orchestrated such a plan was before the great victory over the Four Symbols God-Slaying Formation. In hindsight, the gains from that endeavor far exceeded initial predictions.
Zhang Yan’s intention to compete for a seat among the sect’s Top Ten Disciples was not unexpected to him. Instead, it invigorated him. Upon learning of Zhang Yan’s Elixir Formation grade, even if Zhang Yan hadn’t voiced this ambition, Zhou Chongju would have pushed him towards pursuing it.
It must be understood that, in the Mingcang Sect’s ten-thousand-year history, none had ascended to the Cave Heaven position without first being one of the Top Ten Disciples. The current ten Cave Heaven True Masters all rose from those ranks. Naturally, to reach such cultivation levels, countless peers had been surpassed or eliminated along the way.
Take Sect Leader Qin Mobai, for example. He once had nine disciples under his tutelage, each astonishingly talented and capable of vying for the Cave Heaven position. Yet today, only four remain in the sect—the others either perished or vanished without a trace.
Similarly, True Master Meng once had twenty-two disciples. But aside from Qi Yuntian, only three remain by his side today, showcasing the fierce competition and deadly battles involved.
From Zhou Chongju’s perspective, the Zhou Family’s influence in the Yuxiao Sect was deeply entrenched, making its downfall nearly impossible. If Zhang Yan didn’t achieve the rank of Cave Heaven True Master, he might remain powerless for life. Therefore, no matter the cost, Zhou Chongju was determined to help him secure one of the Top Ten Disciples positions.
However, Zhang Yan’s current strategy was flexible—it allowed for advancement or retreat without being a dead-end. Otherwise, Zhou Chongju would have hesitated to gamble everything on this plan. Standing on the spot, Zhou Chongju stroked his long beard. He watched as the bright red sun emerged from the horizon, smiled faintly, waved his sleeve, and transformed into a streak of golden light. In an instant, his figure disappeared.
Zhang Yan traveled atop his cloud, heading back toward Zhao You Heavenly Pond. He was acutely aware that possessing a Cave Heaven Blessed Land and holding the title of True Disciple, coupled with his astonishing Elixir Formation grade, would undoubtedly invite a storm once revealed. Even excluding the sect’s master-disciple lineage, among the Top Ten Disciples, those from noble families would inevitably view him as a formidable rival.
Thus, he needed to stabilize his foundation before his situation became public knowledge, reversing unfavorable circumstances and securing a dominant position instead of becoming someone else’s pawn or forerunner.
To achieve this, he first had to find someone with sufficient strength to shield him from the storms and provide support from behind the scenes.
In fact, he had already selected this person long ago. He was merely awaiting Zhou Chongju’s report before taking action.
As he continued flying, a streak of signal smoke suddenly appeared in the distance, emitting a sharp whistling sound.
He frowned slightly. This signal smoke resembled the Xiaoze Golden Sword, famously used by disciples of the Mingcang Sect as a distress call. It puzzled him—as the Three Pools had been cleared, who would dare to provoke sect disciples near the sect’s Mountain Gate?
Nevertheless, it was a call for aid from his fellow disciples. As a True Disciple of the sect, he could hardly ignore it. He flicked his sleeve and changed course toward the origin of the signal smoke.
Over a hundred miles away, five disciples clad in Ming Dao Robes were gathered in a tight circle. Among them were both men and women. Their faces were pale as they frantically performed hand seals, forcefully expelling Spiritual Energy from their cores to sustain the array before them.