After the battle at the East Sea, Zhang Yan’s cultivation advanced even further. He could now maneuver freely with just the sword ball, and many of the Dharma treasures that were once useful to him had become insignificant. Since there was no disciple by his side to assist him, he gave some of these treasures to Zhang Pan for protection.
In addition, several Demon King subordinates gifted Zhang Yan magical artifacts to curry favor, leaving him with an extraordinary wealth of treasures.
After waiting for merely a few breaths, Zhang Yan noticed a streak of azure light flying toward him in the skies, prompting him to reach into his sleeve and retrieve a jade token.
The token was called the Immortal Bird Jade Talisman, a compensatory gift from Yan Xiyue of Bi Yu Sect to Zhang Yan for an earlier offense involving his younger disciple.
Embedded within the jade talisman was the essence of a Crane Spirit. If employed effectively, its power rivaled that of a Xuan Guang Third Realm cultivator.
At that moment, Zhang Pan struck the token with his palm. A resonant crane cry echoed, followed by a flash of white light. A magnificent White Crane soared into the sky and advanced toward the visitor.
The middle-aged Daoist had already seen the Chen couple in the distance earlier, but as he observed them fleeing using talisman escape techniques, he grew anxious and prepared to pursue them. Suddenly, a burst of white light surged from the ground toward him.
Startled, he quickly redirected his tunneling light and flicked his sleeve, summoning a streak of azure Xuan Guang to deflect the white light. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the ethereal essence of a Spiritual Crane. The surging spiritual energy emanating from the Crane Spirit caused him to frown deeply, motivating him to respond with heightened vigilance.
However, after exchanging several bouts, the Daoist began to notice how stiff and awkward the Crane Spirit’s movements were, misaligned with the abundance of spiritual energy it radiated. A thought rose in his mind: "It’s no more than this."
Though the Crane Spirit’s strength was comparable to a Xuan Guang Third Realm cultivator, it relied on the token bearer for manipulation. Alas, Zhang Pan had only recently achieved transformation and was still a novice demon cultivator. Although he typically exploited brute strength to intimidate others, his cultivation was mediocre at best, resulting in his clumsy control during the engagement.
With a flick of his sleeve, the Daoist shoved the Crane Spirit aside and spoke aloud from the sky, "Young Daoist, I am Shi Yangzi. I’ve come today seeking a lost treasure from my sect. We are both cultivators—why must we clash over two mundane mortals? If you yield today, I will not trouble you further and shall let you depart unharmed."
Zhang Pan couldn’t possibly believe him. While he knew nothing of the Soul-gathering Bell, he did perceive that this individual was clearly aligned with the late Ma Daoist. Having killed Ma Daoist, Zhang Pan found it implausible that Shi Yangzi would allow matters to rest. Thus, he remained silent, continuing to wield the token with relentless urgency.
Shi Yangzi repeatedly called out, but Zhang Pan stubbornly refused to respond. Frustrated, Shi Yangzi sneered, "Do you really think I’m afraid of you?"
With a mocking laugh, he waved his sleeve to repel the Crane Spirit essence and then leaped to the side. Pointing downward with his finger, he unleashed a streak of vibrant azure Xuan Guang toward Zhang Pan.
Startled, Zhang Pan rolled onto the ground in a desperate and disheveled attempt to evade the streak.
Shi Yangzi let out a cold chuckle and summoned his oil paper umbrella into the air, performing a spell to unfurl it with a swift motion.
In an instant, a black wind gusted forth from the umbrella. Without the token bearer to control it, the Crane Spirit essence became dull and oblivious, failing to evade before being swept up into the wind and sealed inside the umbrella.
Watching the scene unfold as he scrambled to his feet, Zhang Pan was taken aback and grew increasingly alarmed. In his panic, he hurriedly unleashed over ten black pearls toward Shi Yangzi.
Shi Yangzi chuckled darkly, pointing a finger to command his umbrella to spew forth a gray mist. The mist captured every last black pearl without fail.
Unwilling to give up, Zhang Pan summoned a Five-Colored Coral Stone into the air and hurled it toward Shi Yangzi.
Shi Yangzi burst into loud laughter. "Today, however many magical artifacts you have, I shall take all of them!"
He infused mana into his treasure umbrella, causing it to spin in mid-air. A sudden burst of white Qi rolled forth, enveloping the Coral Stone and rendering it vanished.
Though his words sounded confident, Shi Yangzi was inwardly astonished. After all, to secure a Dharma treasure, he stooped to confront two ordinary mortals. Yet, this minor demon youth possessed one magical artifact after another, leaving the extent of his arsenal a mystery. If he hadn’t brought the Three Qi Earth Overturning Treasure Umbrella today, dealing with the youth might have proven challenging.
Seeing even an accompanying Daoist boy with such opulence, Shi Yangzi could only imagine how formidable Lu Tianying must be. He privately congratulated himself for exercising caution earlier.
By now, Zhang Pan found himself at an impasse. Touching a sleeve bag, he retrieved a pitch-black inkstone, inwardly whispering, "Treasure, whether or not I survive today... depends entirely on you."
He cried out loud, tossing the inkstone into the air. In an instant, the inkstone expanded to a massive five-zhang size and plummeted toward Shi Yangzi.
Upon seeing the treasure, Shi Yangzi’s eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "What a marvelous artifact!"
Greedy thoughts surfaced in his mind, "No matter who you are, today I shall kill you here and seize this treasure. With this gained, losing the Soul-gathering Bell will be well-worth it. Even if Lu Tianying returns in the future, how could he ever suspect me?"
With this thought, Shi Yangzi shrugged his shoulders, projecting a streak of azure Xuan Guang overhead. The streak swiftly expanded to ten-zhang wide, appearing like a verdant leaf supporting the inkstone and preventing its descent.
Killing intent flashed in his eyes, and with a wave of his hand, cold white energy shot straight toward Zhang Pan.
The white energy streak approached swiftly, leaving Zhang Pan helpless and flustered.
Suddenly, the Fate Determining Jade bestowed upon him by Zhang Yan emerged from his chest. The jade intercepted the incoming white light, shielding Zhang Pan from harm.
Shi Yangzi’s face twitched slightly. He snorted and flicked his finger to send the white energy streak flying again.
Seeing the short sword once more about to strike him, Zhang Pan realized he had no means of escape. Wide-eyed, he glared at Shi Yangzi and bellowed, "If you dare harm me, my lord will never forgive you!"
Shi Yangzi laughed heartily, "Even if your lord himself were here, I’d like to see what he could do to me!"
Just as he finished speaking, thunderous shouting erupted from the skies, echoing like a violent storm. Though no figure had yet appeared, a powerful Qi Wave surged forth, causing Shi Yangzi’s ears to buzz. His body shuddered, nearly falling from the clouds.
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)