Zhang Yan, with one sword alone, leveled the Six Rivers and Four Islands within an hour. Once this news spread, it caused countless stirrings within the Mingcang Sect.
In this battle, he relied solely on his own strength, moving freely and unrestrained, defeating twenty-six True Disciples of the sect, leaving virtually no one capable of standing against him!
During the battle at Surging Wave Lake, those proud and arrogant young disciples of the noble families had been enjoying their limelight; who would have thought that in a single night, they would all be brought down by him alone!
Upon hearing this, some disciples of the master-disciple lineage were initially incredulous. After verifying the news, they were all ecstatic and excited, erasing the gloom of defeat at Bixue Pond completely!
Who says there’s no one in our master-disciple lineage?
Brother Zhang, with just his sword, defeated all of you one by one!
After this news spread throughout the sect, every time the low-level disciples of the master-disciple lineage mentioned it, an image of a handsome cultivator in a mysterious Daoist robe emerged in their minds—sword light swirling around him, treading the void, one man and one sword, with no one daring to challenge his edge. Just thinking about it filled them with excitement, making them wish they could take his place.
At Heavenly Prison Peak, outside Zhengqing Institute, two steward disciples stationed at the door were discussing with excitement. One of them said, "Brother Zhang single-handedly crushed the Six Rivers and Four Islands. He has greatly elevated the face of our master-disciple lineage! Truly admirable!"
The other disciple also praised, "Brother Zhang acts freely and boldly; what a magnificent deed! It’s only unfortunate that our rank and position prevent us from meeting Brother Zhang in person. Otherwise, I’d surely commend him face-to-face!"
As the two were enthusiastically engaged in conversation, one of them glanced aside and saw several tunneling lights landing on the empty stone ground in front of the institute gate. His expression subtly shifted, and he hurriedly said, "Shh, quiet down, it’s Vice Master Zhuang."
Everyone knew that Vice Master Zhuang had once been humiliated by Zhang Yan, receiving the Sect Leader’s reprimand and falling into a state of utter embarrassment, nearly losing his position. He surely harbored deep resentment toward Brother Zhang, so mentioning Brother Zhang in his presence was somewhat inappropriate. Thus, the two quickly fell silent.
But as they recalled this matter, their admiration for Zhang Yan deepened even further.
Zhuang Bufan approached in a steady stride, his four pupils glinting, accompanied by an exotic beast with tiger-striped markings perpetually at his feet. This distinctive appearance made him easy to recognize. It was rumored that he had been endowed with the legacy of an ascended elder from the Nanhua Sect, wielding exceptional Dao Techniques and excelling in the strengths of both sects. Coupled with his rigid and stern nature, ordinary disciples in Zhengqing Institute were always intimidated by him.
Walking alongside him was a sturdy and burly Daoist with a full beard, clothed in red, whose strides caused the ground to tremble. As he ascended the stairs, one couldn’t help but wonder if he might collapse the sect’s Mountain Gate. This was an abnormal phenomenon of the Second Realm of Elixir Formation, and those who displayed such signs usually had cultivation at the Sixth Grade Elixir Formation or higher.
The two steward disciples recognized this man as Elder Xun, who had visited Zhengqing Institute several times recently. It was said to be for the purpose of finding suitable spiritual energy to help one of his brother’s apprentices break through the Xuan Guang Realm. However, on multiple occasions, Elder Xun had been blocked by Zhuang Bufan with various excuses. It was unclear why he had returned now, but it seemed that some agreement had been reached.
Behind the two walked a tall and elegant young cultivator, but he remained silent throughout their journey, saying nothing. Judging by his cultivation level, he appeared to be only at the Third Realm of Ming Qi.
Zhuang Bufan and Elder Xun walked side by side, engaging in what seemed like a pleasant conversation. As they passed by the two disciples and had not yet walked ten zhang away, the enthusiastic chatter between the two disciples resumed once more.
Elder Xun clearly heard the conversation between the two disciples but did not shy away from Zhuang Bufan. He instead flashed a faintly amused smile and said, "I’ve seen Zhang Yan before. Back in the day, his swordsmanship was taught by my Junior Brother Chen. Who would have thought that now he has become so formidable as to single-handedly suppress the arrogance of all those noble family disciples at the Six Rivers and Four Islands?"
Then, he turned his head and said, "Nephew Feng Ming, if not for him back then, that Star Sword Ball would surely have been yours, wouldn’t it?"
Feng Ming nodded slightly but showed no signs of resentment in his expression.
Zhuang Bufan’s dual pupils flickered briefly, but his face remained neutral as he said flatly, "Oh, so the sword ball originally belonged to Junior Brother Feng. Zhang Yan truly is domineering. It’s fitting that he goes to the Dead Array now—it’s a good way to end."
Elder Xun laughed heartily and said, "Nephew Zhuang, don’t say such things. Looking at it now, the sword ball is far better off in Zhang Yan’s hands than it would have been in Nephew Feng’s."
With an indifferent tone, Zhuang Bufan replied, "Either way, he’s just a man destined to die soon."
Feng Ming, who had been silent all along, suddenly seemed to gain some fire in his spirit. He raised his head abruptly and shouted furiously at Zhuang Bufan, "So what? Even if Brother Zhang charges into the array facing death, it’s all for the sect, disregarding his own life. What an honorable way to die! Zhuang Bufan, I ask you, would you dare go yourself?"