Daoist Competition-Chapter 199 - 69 Golden Rainbow Through the Sky, Chongxuan Refining Pill

Fan Changqing listened to these words, his brow furrowing tighter, and slowly shook his head, saying, "This won’t work. This Demon General is hiding a deadly move. No matter who it is, one person alone will most likely not be able to resist. In my opinion, we need multiple people working together to slay him."

He deliberately skirted around the topic of Zhang Yan, bluntly asserting that no single person could face the foe. Yet Ren Mingyao’s gaze flickered slightly, his expression feigning caution as he replied, "That’s not necessarily so. The waters here stretch endlessly, with islands scattered like stars. This Demon General’s cultivation is on par with ours. If all of us were to act together, he would surely flee. How could we possibly catch him then? Senior Brother Fan, are you saying Junior Brother Cheng and Junior Brother Qi Lian died in vain?"

His last two sentences were intentionally louder, immediately prompting a flurry of responses from those present, who nodded in agreement, saying, "Senior Brother Ren makes a valid point."

Ren Mingyao prided himself on his extraordinary talent and was regarded as one of the favored disciples under True Master Meng. However, everyone knew that only by gaining Qi Yuntian’s favor could one secure a prominent position within the sect in the future.

Qi Yuntian, as the third-generation senior brother, had a high likelihood of succeeding to the position of Sect Leader. When that time came, he would certainly need a group of supporters by his side. Yet in all these years, he had not sought to gather followers. Initially, Ren Mingyao hadn’t been concerned—both he and Qi Yuntian were disciples of the same esteemed teacher, and as the youngest among True Master Meng’s disciples, he naturally felt he had the best chance of garnering Qi Yuntian’s attention.

However, Zhang Yan’s appearance sparked newfound trepidation in his heart.

When Qi Yuntian emerged from seclusion, his first move was to escort Zhang Yan out from the Demon Cave—a gesture that was deeply intriguing. What unsettled Ren Mingyao even more was that although Zhang Yan had not been cultivating for long, his progress was astonishingly rapid. Furthermore, he was a True Disciple, practicing the Lan Yun Secret Volume under Master Sun’s direct instruction. Weighing all these factors together left Ren Mingyao alarmed: his advantages seemed utterly eclipsed by Zhang Yan, and he ran a significant risk of losing the position Qi Yuntian had originally planned for him!

This person cannot be allowed to stay!

The current situation presented an excellent opportunity. If Zhang Yan were to be killed by this Demon General, it would be ideal. If not, it would still serve as a chance to assess his abilities and make strategic plans moving forward.

Fan Changqing, however, hesitated.

It was not long ago, after leaving Spiritual Paper Island, that Qi Yuntian had said to him, "Junior Brother Fan, Zhang Yan is of great importance. If you fail to protect him, I will hold you accountable."

Although the tone of his statement was mild, Fan Changqing had felt a chill pass through him.

It was well known that while they were all disciples under True Master Meng, only Qi Yuntian had received Meng’s direct teachings. The rest of the sect members had been instructed through Qi Yuntian as Meng’s proxy. Although Qi Yuntian never threw his weight around as the senior brother, Fan Changqing still held a deep sense of reverence for him.

Among the sect’s top ten disciples, Meng’s lineage accounted for only four, yet they were able to rival the six noble-born disciples, largely due to Qi Yuntian’s unparalleled strength among the group.

Fan Changqing knew he couldn’t defy Qi Yuntian’s words.

He believed he understood Qi Yuntian’s intentions: Zhang Yan was sent to him merely to gain some merit. If Zhang Yan were to "accidentally" die, he would surely be held responsible.

He sighed inwardly, thinking that if he blatantly favored Zhang Yan in front of everyone, his own reputation would be irreparably damaged. Yet Qi Yuntian’s words were not something he dared to dismiss—no matter what, he had to protect him.

Gritting his teeth, he was about to speak when Zhang Yan unexpectedly rose to his feet, smiled, and cupped his hands respectfully, saying, "Senior Brother Fan, why not allow your junior to face this Demon General?"

Fan Changqing opened his mouth but hadn’t yet spoken when Ren Mingyao swiftly cut in, saying, "Excellent! Junior Brother Zhang volunteers for this task. He embodies the saying, ’Silent until the decisive moment, then astounding everyone!’" Turning to Fan Changqing, he cupped his hands and added, "Brother Fan, since Zhang Yan himself has spoken, surely you won’t appear overly unyielding, will you?"

Fan Changqing cast a complex gaze toward Zhang Yan, said nothing, sighed, and merely lifted his sleeve as he remained seated. frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

An unmistakable glimmer of triumph flashed through Ren Mingyao’s eyes as he abruptly turned, exclaiming loudly, "Junior Brother Zhang has stepped forth! Victory is certain. We shall await his triumphant return here."

Zhang Yan smiled faintly but did not immediately fly out. Instead, he calmly descended the great hall steps, one by one, until he had walked out the gate. Outside, on the Jade Platform, more than two hundred Ming Qi disciples instinctively stepped aside for him, clearing a path.

When he reached the edge of the Jade Platform, Zhang Yan halted and stood still, appearing contemplative.

Back inside the hall, someone immediately sneered, saying, "Is Zhang Yan afraid?"

"Hmph! Lacking real ability, he shouldn’t have come to the Three Pools to slay demons. What True Disciple? His death would be nothing more than a joke!"

"Junior Brother Zhang, why are you dawdling? Are you hoping that the Demon General will just flee on his own?"

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om