The Great Han let out a curse, and the Peng Bird beneath him rapidly spread its wings. With a single motion, it darted forward, wind trailing and clouds supporting it. In the blink of an eye, it had covered dozens of miles. After several vigorous flaps, a shadow appeared on the horizon—it was none other than the Dragon Country’s Ship.
Overjoyed, the Great Han stomped his foot and cursed, "You useless, freeloading dumb bird, can’t you go any faster?"
The Peng Bird let out a cry of pain, then flapped its wings even more furiously. In moments, it had flown past the Dragon Country’s Ship. After circling half a loop, it ascended high into the sky ahead before the Great Han bellowed, "Grandpa Guo is here! The people inside, come out!"
His voice thundered, carrying clearly even across ten miles.
Zhang Yan was seated in the main pavilion, refining his Xuan Guang, and heard the voice distinctly. His eyes snapped open, and he stood tall and straight. In a flash, a streak of a rainbow darted out of the Treasure Pavilion. Hovering mid-air, he glanced up and down at the man before him, then smiled faintly and said, "What business does this fellow Daoist have with me?"
The Great Han was momentarily stunned upon seeing Zhang Yan. Then he waved a hand and said, "Grandpa Guo isn’t here for you. Quickly call out Chu Jiu and Qiu Ju, those two brats!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yan’s brow furrowed slightly. From the man’s appearance and how he referred to himself, Zhang Yan couldn’t help but think of someone. Piecing together the context, he let out a light snort, having guessed part of the situation. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency must be Guo Lie, Daoist Guo. Those two you speak of are not here."
Guo Lie glared and said, "If you know who Grandpa Guo is, then don’t you dare lie to me!"
Zhang Yan pointed to the ground below and smiled, "The prohibitions on this Dragon Country’s Ship are no ordinary barriers. Even if I allowed you to attack at will, it would remain unscathed. If those two were truly hiding here, why would I waste words deceiving you and risk prolonging this with you?"
Guo Lie froze. From Zhang Yan’s tone, he detected no trace of falsehood. Moreover, having followed Zhang Yan all the way here, he was well aware of how formidable the sea boat’s prohibitions were. His thick brows furrowed tightly as he mulled it over. After a while, a realization seemed to strike him, and he slapped his forehead irritably, exclaiming, "Blast it! Grandpa Guo has been duped by those two little vixens."
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly paused midway and turned back to glare at Zhang Yan.
Noticing the faint smile lingering on Zhang Yan’s face, who also made no move to return to the Treasure Pavilion, Guo Lie couldn’t help but laugh heartily. "Never mind! Since I’ve chased you to this point, it seems you’re somewhat acquainted with those two. How can I leave without a fight to satisfy my frustration?"
Spreading his arms wide, a misty, radiant screen unfurled behind him, shimmering with hues of fog and light. Within, faint sounds of dragon roars, tiger growls, crane cries, and ape calls echoed from its depths.
He stomped his foot, and a sphere of white radiance descended from the screen. As it rolled across the ground, it transformed into a giant striped tiger, towering one zhang high. Wings sprouted from its back, and clouds billowed beneath its feet. It howled skyward before pouncing straight toward Zhang Yan.
Zhang Yan remained unperturbed. With a resounding shout, he unleashed a streak of Xuan Guang in gold and crimson hues from above his head. It tore through the air with a shrill sound, striking downward in a flash.
The winged tiger, unaware of the danger, raised its claws to meet the Xuan Guang. Sparks of golden fire scattered as its front limbs were instantly ground away by half. Letting out a wretched cry, the tiger collapsed to the side, its hind legs scrabbling frantically in an attempt to flee. Yet the Golden Fire Mysterious Light pursued it relentlessly, swirling forward in a single sweep, shredding the creature to pieces. All that remained was a trace of essence Qi, which fled back into the light screen behind Guo Lie.
Seeing this, Guo Lie showed no trace of anger. Instead, his face lit up with delight. "What a domineering streak of Xuan Guang! Today’s fight is going to be exhilarating."
He laughed heartily as he extended a finger. That wisp of essence Qi drifted forth, merging with a portion of Xuan Guang from his light screen. The amalgamation of radiance began to reform, and with a resounding tiger’s roar, the giant tiger once again appeared.
Zhang Yan’s face revealed a tinge of surprise. "Essence transformation into form, with Xuan Guang as the body. Could this be the Spirit-controlling Dao Skill of the Nanhua Sect?"
Guo Lie chuckled and replied, "Fellow Daoist has keen eyesight. My master, Tao Zhenhong, hails from the Nanhua Sect, so I naturally follow that lineage."
Guo Lie was the senior disciple of Tao Zhenhong. All of his skills were inherited directly from the Nanhua Sect, which specialized in subjugating demons. Their sect honed the Demon-suppressing Circle technique, which, when deployed, could enslave any demon whose cultivation was insufficient, forcing it into servitude.
Guo Lie practiced the "Six Imperial Spirit Lowering True Method." Practitioners of this method could, upon slaying a demon, capture its essence and refine it into their Xuan Guang, wielding it at will.
This Dharma technique differed from those of other sects. Most others could not freely control the fragmented portions of their Xuan Guang, but this sect allowed Xuan Guang, imbued with essence and Spiritual Sense, to act as if it were a living creature—evading strength, targeting weakness, and seizing opportunities like an autonomous being. As long as the essence persisted, the Xuan Guang would endure. Even if temporarily dispersed or extinguished, it could still gather energy and reappear.