Daoist Competition-Chapter 245 - 91: Imparting the Erosion Text to Disciples, Marching to the Death-Defying Formation_2
Chapter 245: Chapter 91: Imparting the Erosion Text to Disciples, Marching to the Death-Defying Formation_2
He sighed inwardly, having long known Liu Yan Yi was gifted, but never imagined her talent would reach this level, as if it were bestowed by the heavens themselves. His heart could not help but wonder: perhaps this disciple was truly an extraordinary individual in her previous life. Well, the more brilliant the disciple, the less effort the master must exert.
He then said, "Fetch paper and ink. I shall teach you the Erosion Text today."
Liu Yan Yi’s face lit up with joy as she leapt from the ground, but suddenly realized her lack of decorum, stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, revealing a touch of girlish vivaciousness.
Zhang Yan did not find this unbecoming and smiled. "From now on, when no outsiders are present, there’s no need to be overly formal."
Liu Yan Yi obediently responded, yet maintained all necessary courtesies. After bringing ink and brushes, she lifted the tea cup from the table. Once Zhang Yan accepted it, she respectfully stood aside.
Zhang Yan took a sip of tea and set it down. The teachings of the *One Qi Cleansing Scripture* surfaced in his mind. Since his Opening Meridians stage until now, this was the first time he truly revisited the spell. Observing it anew, he felt that though its methods were simple, its contained essence sparkled like pearls. He could not help but gain new insights.
With an extended hand, he picked up the brush and began writing on the paper, explaining its intricacies to Liu Yan Yi as he wrote.
Zhang Yan’s accomplishments in the Erosion Text were unparalleled among the disciples of the Mingcang Sect. While lecturing, his words flowed seamlessly as he wrote, with no stagnation whatsoever. Liu Yan Yi listened with rapt attention, occasionally asking questions. Without realizing, an hour swiftly passed.
While the master and disciple conversed, several little girls outside initially peeked in through the window, pricking their ears to overhear the mysteries of Zhang Yan’s lecture. But after listening to a few sentences, realizing Zhang Yan was not imparting any Divine Skills or Daoist Techniques but teaching what seemed to be incomprehensible scribbles, their interest waned. Laughing, they ran off to chase butterflies outside.
Zhang Yan paid them no mind. Today, he deliberately taught Erosion Text with the young girls present. Should any of them possess natural aptitude, he wouldn’t begrudge instructing them all. After all, truly gifted individuals in the study of Erosion Text were exceedingly rare. But seeing the young girls lose interest quickly, he sighed inwardly: "Indeed, how many in this world can possess talent like Yan Yi’s?"
After finishing the explanation of one Daoist Book, Zhang Yan set his brush down. It was already sunset, the fading rays of dusk casting red clouds over rippling waves. A warm breeze swept in, rustling the sheets on the table. Liu Yan Yi extended her jade-like wrist, pressing down the papers with a paperweight before leaning in to scrutinize the writings closely, unwilling to waste a single moment.
Zhang Yan nodded silently with approval. Diligence combined with extraordinary aptitude—his disciple was poised to walk the path of the Great Dao.
Engrossed in studying the Daoist Book, Liu Yan Yi focused entirely on its contents. Upon finishing, she closed her eyes, standing quietly as her body swayed slightly.
Zhang Yan smiled faintly, aware that his disciple had achieved an epiphany, unwittingly drawn toward the Great Dao, and was already entering cultivation. He stepped outside and waved his hand, summoning a misty veil to isolate the room, thereby guarding her practice with his protection.
Liu Yan Yi stood there for half an hour. When she opened her eyes, a faint glint shimmered within her clear, water-like gaze. Zhang Yan immediately knew she had triggered the awakening of her Inner Qi.
Shaking his head, Zhang Yan recalled his own struggles during his early cultivation days. Back then, it had taken him five months to extrapolate the Erosion Dao Book and another three arduous months to finally stir his Inner Qi. The difference between their talents truly was vast. Surely the disciples from noble clans who boasted higher aptitudes could achieve similar results as Liu Yan Yi.
However, the downside of obtaining results too easily was the lack of understanding of the hardships of cultivation. He absolutely could not let his disciple develop such an erroneous mindset.
After pondering for a moment, he picked up the brush again and wrote dozens of Erosion Text characters on the paper.
These characters, though few in number, were leagues more complex than the *One Qi Cleansing Scripture*. They were the very Erosion Text characters displayed on the Star Tablet during his competition against the Guangyuan Sect below Dangyun Peak.
Seeing him write yet more Erosion Text, Liu Yan Yi leaned over again. Before long, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her expression began to show traces of difficulty. Earlier, when she studied the previous Erosion Text writings, she had thought they weren’t as challenging as Master Zhou described, even feeling slightly smug about her progress. Now, upon seeing these new characters, her confidence evaporated entirely.
Zhang Yan remarked blandly, "If you wish to learn Erosion Text, I shall teach you. But remember this: from now on, before daily cultivation, you must first contemplate one character, and only then may you proceed to Qi Cultivation. Do not be greedy or aim for too much. Do you understand?"
With Liu Yan Yi’s cultivation speed, she was sure to advance rapidly and seamlessly achieve Foundation Building. To prevent future instability in her Dao Heart, Zhang Yan resolved to deliberately slow down her cultivation process.
Liu Yan Yi nodded earnestly, replying with conviction, "I will always keep Master’s teachings in mind."
Zhang Yan patted her young shoulder, his eyes faintly gleaming with approval as he said, "Alright, I shall return to my Cave Mansion now. I will visit you another day to assess your progress."
"Disciple shall escort Master."
Zhang Yan nodded slightly, casually dispersing the mist as he strode out of the room. The sky had grown dim, with the moon faintly visible through the clouds. With a flick of his long sleeve, he soared skyward, transforming into tunneling light that blinked across the heavens, disappearing in an instant.
Liu Yan Yi knelt, bowing toward the direction Zhang Yan had flown, before returning to her humble dwelling. Soon, a faint yellow lamplight illuminated the room, casting the silhouette of a young girl engrossed in her studies onto the papered window.
After Zhang Yan’s departure, ten days passed when shocking news emerged from the Mingcang Sect. The Demon Lords of Three Pools Lake had seized four hundred disciples as hostages at Nandang Lake and deployed the *Four Symbols God Slaying Formation* to challenge several Cave Heaven True Masters of Mingcang Sect. This confrontation would determine the future of the Three Pools domain.
The *Four Symbols God Slaying Formation* was a famed Killing Array. Its distinctive feature was that, besides the fixed array eye, its transformations were entirely at the discretion of the formation’s deployers. It was utterly impossible to deduce its changes from outside the array. Even within the array, once its workings were deciphered, it could be rapidly reconstructed, making it impossible to grasp comprehensively.
To break this array, at least four Cave Heaven True Masters were required to oversee the four key positions. Meanwhile, fearless disciples equipped with the sect’s gifted Dharma Sword talismans must charge into the array to locate and affix the talismans onto the four array eyes. Only through coordinated efforts from both inside and outside could the array possibly be dismantled.
However, the sect’s disciples all sought immortality and carefree lives; such a path was practically suicidal. Few were willing to volunteer for the mission. Chaos surged through the sect as disciples feared being selected by their masters to become cannon fodder.
Then, another shocking piece of news arrived. Zheng Yan, a True Disciple, had volunteered to break the formation to clear his name of suspicion!
...
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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