After Wei Lihua finished speaking, she heard her sect mate calling out to her from behind. She responded with a soft acknowledgment, handed over the array flag and talisman to Zhang Yan, smiled lightly, and then turned to leave.
Lu Junbai glanced at her fading figure and remarked, "This fellow Daoist certainly has a kind heart."
Jun Yue Demon King’s enchanting gaze lingered on Zhang Yan for a moment. She pursed her lips into a smile and said, "Daoist Zhang, why don’t I help you set up this array flag? That young lady might feel uneasy otherwise."
Zhang Yan smiled casually and passed the array flag over. Jun Yue Demon King lifted her fair wrist and gracefully accepted it, then turned to arrange the formation.
At this moment, above this stretch of the sea, aside from the numerous cultivators from Xuanling Island, many loose cultivators and wandering Daoists had also noticed the commotion surrounding the Immortal Mansion and were beginning to gather in small groups. However, intimidated by the thousand or so cultivators that had amassed here, they kept a wary distance, drifting far outside the immediate area.
Jun Yue Demon King carefully set up the array flag before returning to the bow of the ship. Glancing out at the distance, she suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! Even the people from East Sea Barrier Reef Prefecture have arrived. As a Ten-thousand-year-old family, are they also coveting the Immortal Mansion?"
Lu Junbai snickered and replied, "Even among the disciples of Barrier Reef Prefecture, there are distinctions between the legitimate and illegitimate. Not everyone inherits the true teachings. Consider this: even disciples from the Great Sects, if they don’t possess a Daoist Field like Daoist Zhang here, often have no choice but to depend on others. This time, with forty-nine Immortal Mansions emerging, anyone who seizes one can establish their own lineage, live freely, and break free from the confines of one island or one region. They can overcome a critical hurdle on the path to achieving Dao. Why wouldn’t they be tempted?"
Jun Yue Demon King nodded silently. For loose cultivators like herself, reaching the Hua Dan Realm had been an arduous journey. Without a high-grade Cave Mansion to gather energy, conceal spiritual essence, and ensure survival, achieving Nascent Soul would be an almost impossible feat.
Over the centuries, the East Sea’s Eighteen Demon Kings might have garnered widespread renown, but in reality, none had managed to break through this bottleneck, underscoring just how arduous this step truly was.
Having cultivated for over four hundred years, Jun Yue Demon King had seen several elders in her sect perish as their lifespans ran out. No matter how formidable their divine skills had been in life, they inevitably transformed into dust.
She thought to herself, "Daoist Zhang now possesses a Cave Heaven Blessed Land. If I can provide him with proper assistance, perhaps he will allow me to cultivate within his mansion."
Suddenly, her expression shifted, and she turned to look southward, where a trail of white smoke was rushing toward their location.
At the same moment, Lu Junbai’s face lit up with joy as he declared, "My elder sister has returned."
After sending her daughter away for reincarnation, Lu Mei Niang had been trying to reunite with Zhang Yan. Yet, she couldn’t find her way onto Xuanling Island. It wasn’t until recently that she sensed the lingering trace left behind by Lu Junbai, which allowed her to follow the trail here.
Zhang Yan was equally invigorated by her arrival. Lu Mei Niang’s return at this juncture undoubtedly increased their chances of securing the Immortal Mansion.
Lu Mei Niang, a Third Realm Hua Dan cultivator, approached with commanding presence. Her arrival drew immediate attention from the disciples of Qingyu Sect, including Zhao Zhengcheng and others, who fixed their gazes on her.
Zhang Yan quickly sent over a talisman. The Qingyu Sect disciples, upon seeing this, recognized her as an ally and retracted their vigilance without further concern.
Lu Mei Niang was dressed in a flowing white robe, her black hair bound loosely with a golden hoop that cascaded over her shoulders. Riding on clouds of smoke, she emanated an ethereal grace as she approached Zhang Yan. Upon arriving, she first glanced at Lu Junbai and Jun Yue Demon King, then performed a formal salute and said joyfully, "Daoist Zhang, I am deeply indebted to you for seeing both my younger brother and Sister Jing safely out of danger today."
Zhang Yan returned the salutation with a faint smile and replied, "No need for formalities, Daoist Lu. You’ve arrived at just the right time. Today, I aim to seize an Immortal Mansion and will need your assistance."
Lu Mei Niang did not inquire further but responded earnestly, "I, Mei Niang, will not shirk this duty."
Lu Mei Niang was one of the East Sea’s Eighteen Demon Kings and naturally recognized by many present. From afar, Demon King Xuan Tong’s sister, Tong Ying, observed the scene and remarked with surprise, "Elder brother, look over there! Isn’t that Sister Jing and Lu Demon King? That Daoist—who is he to command the three of them? Could he be one of True Master Tao’s newly accepted disciples?"
Demon King Xuan Tong’s eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity as he muttered in a low voice, "That man is Zhang Yan."
Tong Ying stared wide-eyed, astonished at the sight of Lu Mei Niang and Jing Miaojun, two Demon Kings, standing behind Zhang Yan. She felt a mix of shock and relief, realizing that had she recklessly clashed with Zhang Yan as her brother had advised against, the outcome would have been dire and unpredictable.
Suddenly, a thunderous noise rolled across the sea, reminiscent of muffled crashing thunder. This marked the breaking of the Immortal Mansion’s second prohibition, and everyone knew the mansion was now very close.
The disciples of Qingyu Sect had just raised a Flag Gate and carried out a Cloud Raft.