Daoist Competition-Chapter 1098 - 289: Sky-Shrouding Hand on the Peak, Mana Moves Mountains and Rivers
Lady Xu had just left when another wisp of smoke streaked through the sky, heading towards the Demon Cloud. It was Lu Muqiu, who knew he could not defeat Nie Gui and used a Dharma Treasure from his sect to escape, leaving the token talisman to the Nanhua Sect.
Upon arriving at the destination, Lu Muqiu looked at several elders of the Hun Cheng Sect, bowed deeply, and said apologetically: "I am ashamed, I have failed in my entrusted task."
An elder of the sect waved his sleeve and said: "No need to despair; it’s just a token talisman. We can seize it back later."
Feng Haiyang smiled and said: "Junior Lu, don’t blame yourself. Our Six Demon Sects are like branches of the same tree. Some small setbacks mean nothing. Once we reach Extreme Sky, we will need your considerable effort."
Ten thousand years ago, when the Demon Sect’s influence was strong, the sects numbered in the hundreds. However, under the suppression of the Xuanmen, those that stood out were wiped out entirely.
Though the Demon Sect’s branches have numerous disagreements now, they unite strongly in the face of great enemies. Otherwise, they would have been completely eradicated by the Xuanmen thousands of years ago.
Lu Muqiu solemnly nodded, bowed, and returned to the group of cultivators from his own sect.
Both Demon Sect disciples were defeated in this battle, but it was the Xuanmen who triumphed. Yet Elder Ying Ya Daoist and the elder from the sect showed no signs of joy on their faces.
Although they captured the token talisman, they did not kill any Demon Sect disciples, which left them dissatisfied.
The elder looked at the sky and said: "It’s already night, junior brother, let us cease fighting for today."
Ying Ya Daoist pondered for a moment. Today, eight token talismans out of eighteen had descended, nearly half. It seemed that at most within two days, the ownership would be determined. If things went smoothly, the results might be seen tomorrow. Thus he nodded and said: "Alright, let’s do as brother says."
He first took out a piece of talisman paper, used his mana to make a mark on its surface, and then swung his sleeve to send it flying, emitting a sharp whistling as it ascended, then with a loud noise, it transformed into a blaze of red flame, held high like a torch, illuminating the Heavenly Vault.
This item, called the "Night Fire," drives away demons and evil spirits with its light and will extinguish itself at dawn.
Ying Ya Daoist wasn’t acting without cause. Earlier, when Demon Sect disciples arrived, they came with overwhelming power and arrogance. No one knew if they had set something up in the mountains and waters. If demons tried to be opportunistic during the night, it wouldn’t be peaceful. Thus, he took precautions. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Ying Ya Daoist then called the attendant children forward and instructed them: "Go and strike the gong."
The children received their orders and left, and soon, the evening bell sounded in Chengyuan Gorge, resounding softly. Each sect’s disciples, having already witnessed the Night Fire in the clouds and now hearing the bell, knew the time for battle was over for today. Hence, they didn’t linger on the peaks, but returned to their halls, activated the Array Formation Restrictions, and entered meditation to replenish their energy.
As for the Six Demon Sects, helped seemingly by mystical treasures, they still formed a Demon Cloud in the sky, occupying a part of Heaven without descending.
The night passed swiftly, and by the next day during the hour of the Rabbit, the sound of the gong echoed through Chengyuan Gorge. Coinciding with the first sunlight of dawn, a myriad of golden rays instantly filled the river valleys and peaks, Ten Thousand Mountains and ravines.
Under the gaze of thousands of cultivators, Ying Ya Daoist slowly walked up to the Dharma Platform. He gestured with his horsetail whisk, and a young attendant came forward to replace the incense.
He took a few steps forward and focused on the talismanic script, noticing that one of the sect names under the Eight Sects was glowing with seals, signifying possession of the token talismans.
Within the Xuanmen, there are five sects: Bu Tian, Guangyuan, Lishan, Nanhua, and Shaoqing; while the Three Sects of the Demon Sect are Yuan Shen, Jiuling, and Blood Essence.
Yesterday, Demon Sect disciples avoided combat with Shaoqing Sect’s Xun Huaiying, which he noticed, and sensed their intentions.
However, among the Ten Sects of Xuanmen, aside from Shaoqing Sect, the most dominant Mingcang and Yuxiao had yet to make a move, and even the second strongest sect, Yuan Yang Sect, was quiet. So he pondered that capturing the token talisman today shouldn’t be too difficult, and if actions were swift, eliminating one or two Demon Sect disciples might be possible.
After thinking for a moment, he shelved his thoughts, and after making a bow to the token talismans, suddenly from within the heavy clouds, a splitting sound rang out like a shattering silver flask, and instantly a beam of rainbow pierced the firmament. The majestic heaven’s light rushed forth, entering the mountains, rivers, and valleys accompanied by the brilliant sunlight. Subsequently, four auspicious clouds descended, each harboring a gleaming token talisman.
Elder Ying Ya Daoist observed that among the four descending token talismans, only one headed towards the Demon Sect, aimed at the Haiyin Sect, while the other three drifted towards the Xuanmen side, heading towards Pingdu, Hai Zhen, and Yuan Yang sects.
