At this gathering, the Taihao Sect would present their finest "One Qi Ganoderma" for contenders to compete for. However, the quantity of these One Qi Ganodermas was limited, so every conference witnessed brutal contention among disciples of various sects. Moreover, without a disciple from the Taihao Sect to provide an introduction, no one was qualified to attend.
Previously, Zhang Yan had killed several disciples of the Taihao Sect, including Chu Jiu and Zeng Han, two True Disciples. Both had perished while contending against him for the Immortal Mansion. In such matters, if you sought to kill others but were killed yourself, the sect would not intervene on your behalf. Thus, Zhang Yan ventured openly to the Taihao Sect without fear of reprisal; however, vying for the One Qi Ganoderma was out of the question for him.
Hence, Zhang Yan had to assume a different identity to act freely.
He had already devised a plan: creating a series of coincidences to encounter a Taihao Sect disciple and gain their recommendation to participate in the Ganoderma Congress. But now, upon hearing unexpected news of Taihao Sect disciples heading to Baofeng Temple, a new scheme began to form in his mind.
Zhang Yan stayed at Baofeng Temple for ten days.
That day, a Golden Talisman shot forth from the eastern skies. He reached out, caught it, and instantly recognized the handwriting of True Master Tao. After reading a few lines, a slight smile crossed his lips. He called the child at the door to him and said, "Go fetch your master."
The child obeyed and left. After a short while, Lu Tianying stepped into the room, paid his respects, and said, "I greet Brother Zhang."
Zhang Yan flicked his wrist, handing the token talisman over to Lu Tianying and said, "This is a handwritten decree from Sect Leader Tao. Junior Brother Lu, you may take a look at it."
Lu Tianying’s hands trembled uncontrollably as he received the token. He examined it back and forth several times, before letting out a long sigh. Tears streamed down his face as he said, "A century of bitter cultivation, and finally, I have achieved the day of being accepted into the sect’s inner teaching."
Zhang Yan nodded and said, "Junior Brother Lu, with this talisman in hand, you may at any time traverse the vast seas and return to the Mountain Gate to pay respects to Sect Leader Tao."
Lu Tianying gave Zhang Yan a heartfelt bow and sincerely said, "This is all thanks to Brother Zhang. I am immeasurably grateful."
Zhang Yan smiled gently and said, "Since that is the case, Junior Brother Lu, would you be willing to gift me the Spirit Grass outside your door?"
Lu Tianying was momentarily taken aback. He wasn’t unaware of worldly affairs and thought to himself, "I had originally planned to present this to my master upon his arrival, hoping the old master would accept me into the inner teaching. Yet this Spirit Grass may not reach maturity any time soon, and I am leaving this place shortly. It seems it won’t do. Fortunately, I still have a few seeds in hand, which should suffice to present to my master upon return. I might as well give him a favor here."
Thus, he agreed at once and said, "Since Brother Zhang has taken a liking to it, I will gladly gift it to you."
Zhang Yan laughed heartily, saying, "Good! Then Junior Brother, stay for a few more days. I need you to assist me with an excellent performance."
Though Lu Tianying was somewhat puzzled, he readily agreed and said, "I will follow Brother Zhang’s orders without hesitation."
"Junior Brother, observe carefully. From this day forward, I will appear in this form."
Zhang Yan flicked his robe sleeve and produced the Thousand Illusion Atlas. Opening it, his eyes fixed on an image of a robust youth depicted within. He began to chant a mantra, and the figure in the painting trembled before merging with him.
Under Lu Tianying’s astonished gaze, Zhang Yan slowly rose to his feet.
In that instant, he transformed into a tall, muscular youth brimming with vigor, his body radiating heroic energy. He wore Cloud Shoes on his feet and adorned a Flying Cloth on his head.
Zhang Yan then fetched a pair of Iron Gold Hammers from his sleeve bag. These Divine Weapons were a gift from the Shao Yao Demon King and could be unleashed to kill when activated with a spell.
From this moment on, he would assume the identity of a Power Dao Practitioner to attend the Ganoderma Congress.
"Since I’ve taken on a new identity, I must also adopt a new name. Let me think..." Zhang Yan glanced at the twin hammers in his hands, and suddenly, a name surfaced in his mind. Light flashed in his eyes as he burst into laughter and declared, "From now on, I shall be called Li Yuanba!"
...(To be continued. If you work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)