He thought to himself, "To fulfill one’s promise is to stay loyal to the entrusted task. Senior Pu Yuzi gifted me the Mountain and River Map that day; I should find an excellent Hua Pool to repay his disciple, and I cannot handle this matter perfunctorily. Once this affair concludes, it seems I must visit the Flying Boat Immortal Market in Chongyue True Temple."
As he was pondering, he suddenly heard a rumbling sound from the opposite island. Unconsciously, he raised his eyes to look, and saw colorful radiance spilling halfway down Black Mountain, like sticks stirring the cloud cover. From within came the thunderous sound of drums, resonating like violent thunderstorms, each beat louder than the last. Even someone unaware of the situation would know that something was rising up through the clouds.
Zhang Yan glanced briefly and laughed loudly, "The moment has arrived."
He shook his robes and transformed into a streak of light, heading toward the base of Black Mountain. He took out a Jade Bottle that had long been prepared, murmuring a chant under his breath, then uttered, "Go!"
The Jade Bottle, receiving the command, acted as if it had spiritual nature and opened its stopper. At this time, the reverberations above grew stronger and pressed uncomfortably upon the eardrums. At last, a streak of lightning slashed across the sky, and the colorful clouds turned into torrents of heavy rain, pouring down in abundance. Only then did the thunderous roaring arrive belatedly.
Zhang Yan observed carefully. Amidst the rain, there were several drops resembling Jade Liquid. Without hesitation, he precisely maneuvered the Jade Bottle to catch every drop, collecting them one by one with care.
This rain fell only once every sixty years, lasting three full hours each time. That Four-Season Water was mixed within, and if one’s eye power was lacking, they could easily miss it. Naturally, Zhang Yan dared not take this matter lightly.
Yet at this moment, a group of people happened to pass through the skies above. Hearing the thunderous booming sounds, they moved closer to investigate.
This group was imbued with an aura of sinister energy. At the forefront, dozens of individuals carried a Flying Sedan adorned in red decorations. Its sides cascaded with embroidered spheres, while a procession of over a hundred male and female attendants followed. Each wore tall hats, stepped on yellow talismans, and bore lifeless expressions with ghastly pale skin.
Just then, the curtain of the sedan lifted, faintly revealing a woman inside dressed in colorful garments. Her gaze wandered outward before she beckoned to a young girl.
The young girl approached and bowed her head, saying, "Madam, do you have any orders?"
"The spiritual energy is dense here, and the heavens are displaying unusual phenomena. Surely, some priceless treasure is emerging," the woman remarked, glancing at Dragon Country’s Ship. Raising her chin and pouting, she added, "Go inquire about which fellow Daoist is present here. If it’s an unremarkable Loose Cultivator, feel free to eliminate them casually."
The young girl responded affirmatively and descended from the clouds. Yet not long after, a tunneling light blocked her path. A burly man seemed to say something to her, and moments later, she returned and bowed her head, saying, "Madam, these two individuals are noteworthy. One is True Master Tao’s Senior Disciple, Guo Lie, and the other appears to be a Mingcang Sect disciple."
Upon hearing this, the woman chuckled softly, "Oh my, such distinguished figures. True Master Tao is notoriously protective of his disciples, and is now even preparing to establish a sect in the outer sea—a ceremony I plan to attend, so I can’t afford to offend him. As for the Mingcang Sect, it’s even more formidable. I’ve heard they now have Ten Great Cave Heaven True Masters overseeing their Mountain Gate. Even the Shaoqing Sect has been overshadowed. I’m in no position to provoke them—we had better make our exit."
She took a long look at Zhang Yan before lowering the sedan curtain. Forty-six sedan carriers soared through the clouds, and in a flash, they vanished without a trace.
Zhang Yan never once glanced in their direction, remaining wholly focused on collecting the Four-Season Water. When three hours had passed, the clouds dispersed, the rain ceased, and the sun blazed anew. He gave a shout, swept his sleeve, and reclaimed the Jade Bottle before gathering tunneling light to return to the ship.
As soon as he landed on the deck, Guo Lie, who had been waiting there, glared at him and shouted, "You brat! If it weren’t for Grandpa Guo holding off that flock of thieving wretches for you, how could you have accomplished this so smoothly? You owe me for this favor again."
Zhang Yan smiled casually, cupping his hands, "Many thanks, fellow Daoist. I didn’t catch a clear look earlier—who were those people?"
Guo Lie chuckled dryly, "A sect has arrived from the Southwest called the Corpse Pride Sect. They specialize in gathering the corpses of deceased cultivators. I suspect they came here due to rumors of an Immortal Mansion manifesting, looking to stir chaos. If not for my injury still lingering, and my Demon Spirit Essence scattered, by my temperament, I would have already gone up to slaughter that sinister bunch."
Zhang Yan was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something. Lifting his head to gaze at the sky, he remarked in surprise, "I’ve been here for over a month and haven’t seen a single soul until today. First a group left, and now more are arriving."
In the distance, four figures flew in on tunneling light—two men and two women. Among them, a young man wearing a square cap spotted Dragon Country’s Ship. He exclaimed in wonder, gesturing wildly, and upon seeing Guo Lie, shouted in delight, "Look, it’s Master Guo!"
The shout was loud enough for Zhang Yan to hear clearly. With a laugh, he said, "So these are fellow disciples of Daoist Guo."
However, when Guo Lie saw them, his face turned strange. He uttered a dismissive "Heh!" before muttering, "These troublemaking brats—what mess have they gotten themselves into now?"
The four sped up upon spotting Guo Lie, closing the distance in just a few breaths before landing on the deck. Together, they bowed and greeted, "Greetings to Senior Master."
Zhang Yan glanced over them, slightly surprised. Of the four, aside from the square-capped young man who was in the Xuan Guang Second Realm, the other three were all in the Xuan Guang First Realm.
It’s said that True Master Tao’s four direct disciples, excluding Guo Lie—who had a Small Golden Core—were all Hua Dan Cultivators. Even his disciple’s descendants now possessed considerable cultivation. Such apt teaching rivals no more than a handful of Nascent Soul True Masters within the Mingcang Sect.
After bowing, the square-capped disciple exclaimed, "Senior Master, Shen Minggu of Chongyue True Temple has detained Senior Brother Shen, claiming we must exchange a spiritual crane for his release. We beseech you to seek justice for us!"
Guo Lie was known as the most protective elder within the sect, always willing to stand up for the younger generations. However, upon hearing this, he winced. Despite his combative nature, his severe injuries and scattered Demon Spirit Essence left him unfit for confrontation.
He had heard of Shen Minggu’s reputation—one of the best among the younger generation of Chongyue True Temple. His Leaving Origin Yin-Yang Flying Saber technique was impressive. Even in his prime, Guo Lie doubted he could easily defeat Shen Minggu, let alone in his current crippled state.
Noticing the hopeful gazes of the four disciples, Guo Lie massaged his forehead in distress. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and pointed at Zhang Yan, saying, "You lot, ask him."
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)