Daoist Competition-Chapter 975 - 227: Watching the Fire from Across the River, Calmly Wrapping Up (Part 2)
Zhang Yan knew that if he dodged, Shen Lintu would surely seize the opportunity to escape. Once Shen flees, it would be a minor matter to fail to block him; if Shen got out first, he would certainly turn back to trap Zhang Yan, hence he stood his ground with unwavering determination. His face firmed as he sacrificed the Qiankun Leaf before him, and simultaneously harnessed all his mana. The treasure robe on his body emitted a radiant glow, resembling a bright moon suspended in the air, intensely dazzling.
As the brilliance approached, there was a clear ringing sound, and the Qiankun Leaf was shaken apart. However, the momentum of the brilliance also waned. Zhang Yan observed closely and discovered it was a small knife shaped like a willow leaf, as if crafted from snow. It merely left a painless, itchless mark on his protective treasure light, then flew back.
Shen Lintu stuck out his tongue and licked, then again returned the small knife to his mouth and charged forward once more. He hadn’t gone far when he suddenly noticed the darkness in front of him. A giant hand formed entirely from condensed yellow smoke appeared, resembling a mountain, pressing down upon him. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
He quickly rubbed his hands, and a sharp sword light flew out, tearing open a path. He tossed his sleeve and rode the light to soar away. However, as he leapt over, another yellow glow suddenly stretched across in front of him,
Blocked repeatedly, he gritted his teeth in anger but couldn’t spare the breath for curses. He tamed hundreds of sword lights to hack his way forward, intending to break through the path. Yet, the light was extremely solid, and the blade couldn’t sever it in one strike, causing his arrow-like momentum to halt once again.
Zhang Yan, seeing the demon cloud about to converge, calmly employed the Little All Heaven Moving Technique, swiftly flashing out. Before leaving, he unleashed several bolts of Divine Thunder.
When Shen Lintu broke through that Earth True Light and charged to the pass, he was met by Divine Thunder which forced him back a few steps, only able to watch helplessly as the demon cloud converged. The thunderous roar left him hidden from view.
Zhang Yan emerged from the clouds lest the Old Demon turned back to trouble him. He flicked his body, using the Water Escape to move dozens of miles away, breaking the sky and flying in circles until he found an unnamed isolated island to settle on its heights, attentively observing the battlefield.
Though far away, he could still hear the rumbling echoes from the sea, evidence of an intense fight between the two.
At this moment, the "Essence of Fragrance" enveloping the sea gradually shrank, appearing pouch-like from afar. Until it was about an acre in size, the Old Demon held this Qi in his mouth, swaying his body as he sank into the ocean, and soon vanished.
Watching, Zhang Yan was slightly surprised, knowing the red Qi held something strange. Yet, he hadn’t expected it to be so formidable, with Shen Lintu unable to escape.
The Dragon Carp, a Water Clan Demon, wielded more power in the sea than on land tenfold. This time Shen Lintu likely won’t have a beneficial outcome.
Zhang Yan shook his head with a smile; even if Shen managed to escape, he’d be heavily drained of Primordial Qi. Zhang Yan just needed to patiently remain here, breathing until the victor emerged.
And so he waited, for more than ten days passed.
The sea remained calm and unaffected, with no one emerging, and the Dragon Carp was nowhere to be seen, seemingly vanished.
Even Zhang Yan was puzzled, musing aloud, "Could it be that Old Daoist Shen escaped through another route?"
It wasn’t impossible. The Dragon Carp had lived for thousands of years in the East Sea, and hadn’t been unnoticed by other Great Power People. However, this demon’s Daoist cultivation was profound; and its ability to dive deep and hide made it difficult to capture. If the two battled underwater and moved elsewhere, it would indeed be hard to track them.
He thought, "I’ll wait another ten days, if there’s still no sign, there’s no need to wait further."
Five days later, he suddenly saw the spiritual mechanism surging on the sea, like boiling water bubbling. He stood up, refreshing his energy to watch, only to see vast swathes of fresh blood appearing across the water, nearly dyeing the whole sea red. Moreover, hundreds of palm-sized shattered scales floated up.
Zhang Yan glanced a few times, then grabbed a scale for examination. Glistening with golden light, it was extraordinarily tough yet light as a feather, though stained with blood. It was undoubtedly the golden scales from the Dragon Carp.
He squinted slightly; from this, it was clear the Dragon Carp was severely injured. Yet, it was still unclear what became of Shen Lintu.
After waiting for an hour, suddenly a waterspout shot into the sky, wherein a human figure emerged, hastily heading northwest.
Zhang Yan observed carefully and determined it was indeed Shen Lintu. However, at that moment, Shen’s hair bun was disheveled, and his robes were riddled with holes, in tatters.
With Zhang Yan’s eyes flashing slightly, Shen Lintu, a Nascent Soul coming here, should have garments formed of mana. Yet now, not even repairing them was done, indicating his extreme plight.
Considering this, Zhang Yan leapt forward, riding the wind in pursuit. Yet, he remained cautious as ever, merely trailing distantly without rushing.
Throughout, he meticulously observed, noticing some details.
Shen Lintu’s Dharma Body resembled that of a True Master but flickered sporadically, seeming like a thin shadow, which a gust could disperse easily.
Moreover, during his flight, he staggered clumsily, evidently bearing severe injuries.
Seeing through Shen’s condition, Zhang Yan no longer hesitated, and with a tremendous roar, Nascent Soul darted from his crown, behind which within the five-colored radiance, a blue light descended, surging forward.
Shen Lintu turned back startled, taken aback upon discovering Zhang Yan hadn’t left but instead awaited him.
Seeing the blue light resembling endless waves rushing forward, he couldn’t evade in time. Urgently, he propelled his Mysterious Skill, raising Treasure Light to stabilize his form and avoid falling.
Zhang Yan laughed loudly, shrugged his shoulders, and from the five-colored radiance behind, an eye-stinging vermillion light flashed across the sky, akin to a blazing flame, searing its way. With a mere touch, it stripped away the protective Treasure Light.
Shen Lintu paled in shock, though still possessing some mana, hastily raising Treasure Light. Yet that red glow swiped across again, vanishing the light with a stroke.
After three or four exchanges, Shen Lintu felt exhausted, and in a lapse, was caught by the fiery glow with a scream, crashing down.
Zhang Yan shouted, flicked his sleeve, and tossed the Qiankun Leaf down. With a swipe of golden light, it enclosed Shen Lintu within.
...
...(To be continued. If you enjoy the work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
