The Mirror Spirit quickly lowered itself and said, "Please instruct me, master."
Zhang Yan flicked open his robe sleeves, sending out a gust of Gang Wind. Suddenly, Spirit Light scattered, a dazzling display of colors. In an instant, dozens of Dharma Treasures and Magic Artifacts floated in mid-air, drifting up and down. If any sect disciples were present, they would surely be dazzled by the sight.
With his mastery of the "Five Directions and Five Elements Tai Xuan True Light," he roamed the Central Continent and the East Sea. Not to mention those at the stage of transforming Hua Dan into Xuan Guang, he had already defeated over a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators, collecting a considerable number of Dharma Treasures. Aside from those he needed, he couldn’t be bothered to examine the rest one by one, so he brought them all out at once. He said, "You should carefully inventory these Dharma Treasures, store them securely, and place them together with the previous Dharma Treasures from the mansion. They will be of use in the future."
Returning to the mountain this time, he did not intend to distribute these Dharma Treasures to his disciples but planned a long-term approach.
Even though the total number of his disciples still hadn’t reached twenty, in decades or a century, they could easily number in the hundreds, like Du De and Xiao Ti.
If everyone were to own a treasure, no fortune could withstand such expenses.
Thus, he needed to establish rules in advance: only those who contribute to the Cave Mansion would be granted treasures.
When Liu Yan Yi first began her cultivation practice, Zhang Yan was out searching for herbs, so all the Dharma Treasures by her side were not acquired from her master but obtained by slaying demons and earning merit for the sect, exchanged from the Merit Institute. The hardships therein are unbeknownst to others.
Therefore, Zhang Yan decided that from now on, if disciples in the mansion wish to obtain Dharma Treasures, they must follow this precedent. With the Demon Tribulation already started, there would be no shortage of opportunities.
"Zhang Jing, I have been away from the Mountain Gate for quite some time. Give me a detailed account of the current affairs within the sect."
Zhang Jing complied.
Before Zhang Yan left, he tasked Zhang Jing with keeping an eye on the affairs of the Mingcang Sect’s Mountain Gate, which he did not forget. Seeing Zhang Yan inquiring now, he recounted everything he knew in detail.
After listening, Zhang Yan suddenly realized that in the information Feng Ming had previously provided, there was one detail omitted.
Luo Qingyu had actually defeated Zhuang Bufan in the Grand Competition, only then announcing the news of achieving the Nascent Soul stage. This sufficiently indicated that sending only three people to the Sword Fighting Conference was no empty talk.
Zhang Yan pondered silently. People like Zhuang Bufan and Du De, if they received the full backing of a Cave Heaven True Master, might still have a chance of achieving the Nascent Soul stage.
However, be it a noble family or a master-disciple line, the candidates were already chosen, so they had to forfeit this opportunity.
Apart from these three, others who become Nascent Souls would still face joint obstruction from the three factions if they attempted to attend the Sixteen Sects Sword Competition.
For anyone else in such a situation, they would likely feel deeply discouraged, shrinking back into avoidance, losing all desire to fight.
Yet Zhang Yan was different. Upon learning of this information, he keenly sensed that there was still a slim chance. It only depended on whether his judgment was correct.
After a moment of thought, he suddenly said, "Zhang Jing, if anyone comes to see me in the next few days, do not stop them."
The Mirror Spirit quickly agreed.
After giving these instructions, Zhang Yan composed his Heart and Spirit, closed his eyes, and entered into meditation.
His return to the Mountain Gate was particularly low-key, with only a few aware. Days later, the news gradually spread, attracting many to visit the mountain.
If the people were acquaintances, he would greet them personally, inviting them in for wine and discussions. Otherwise, he remained in the mansion, focused on studying the Divine Skills of the Five Elements Escape Technique, without going out, seemingly abandoning the idea of attending the Sword Fighting Conference, concentrating solely on cultivation.
One day, the surface of the Little Pot Mirror suddenly flashed with Spirit Light, rippling like water.
Zhang Yan opened his eyes, glanced over, and saw a Daoist Nun paying respects in front of Zhao You Mountain’s mansion gate.
His heart moved, recognizing this woman as a disciple of Shouming Palace. After a brief contemplation, he said, "Zhang Jing, let her into the mansion."
Shortly after, Zhang Jing returned from outside, holding a letter with both hands, and said, "Master, that Daoist Nun only left this letter and departed."
Zhang Yan reached out, took the letter, glanced at it, and noticed it was handwritten by True Master Peng. His eyebrows slightly raised unconsciously.
Opening the letter, he read through it carefully. It talked about commonplace matters within the sect, in a courteous tone. However, between the lines, there were implicit attempts to persuade him to abandon thoughts of the Sword Fighting Conference, suggesting that staying peacefully in the mansion was the right path.
True Master Peng’s letter held no malice, merely subtly pointing out that the general situation was irreversible. No matter how he struggled, it would be difficult to change the outcome. He just needed to endure patiently; based on previous goodwill, no one would trouble him.
Having finished reading, Zhang Yan gave a faint smile and tossed the letter aside.
How he chose to act, why should he need guidance from others?
After the evening later that day, another arrived before the Zhao You Heavenly Pond.
This time, it was a disciple holding himself with great respect, mentioning that he came from Ten Peaks Mountain, under Huo Xuan’s orders to deliver a letter.
When the letter was brought into the mansion and Zhang Yan opened it, the elegant handwriting did not seem to belong to a man, but the letter indeed bore Huo Xuan’s seal.
The contents of the letter invited him to attend a banquet by the Huan Yue River a month later, hosting three elders from the Pingdu Sect along with their disciples.
With the Sixteen Sects Sword Competition approaching, several sects allied with the Mingcang Sect had started interacting more. This served as an opportunity for disciples to exchange, spar, and discuss swordsmanship.
The Pingdu Sect was also one of the Ten Sects of Xuanmen, geographically remote in the southwest and rarely interacted with other sects.
However, since True Master Qin Yu’s mother was an elder of this sect, the ties between the two sects were very deep.
Holding the letter on the desk, these two letters, though arrived one after the other, seemed to convey an unusual undertone when combined.
A playful smile appeared on his face as he thought to himself, "I initially thought I would have to wait another year until the next Grand Competition upon returning to the Mountain Gate before making a move, but unexpectedly, the opportunity has come right to my doorstep!"

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