Zhang Yan shook his head and smiled, responding politely, "I am eager to return to the Mountain Gate, so I cannot stay long, I can only disappoint you, Senior."

The Middle-aged Daoist said regretfully, "I suppose you know why I am here, but this seems like an act of using strength to bully the weak, so let’s do it this way: I will strike only once, no matter how you choose to block it. If you can withstand it, you may leave freely."

Zhang Yan clasped his hands respectfully and said solemnly, "Please bestow guidance, Senior."

The Middle-aged Daoist simply flicked his sleeve lightly, and instantly, the white mist on the river seemed to be driven by a hurricane, surging violently all at once.

Feeling a strong force pressing on his body from all directions, Zhang Yan immediately realized that although this strike was a pure mana assault, the cultivation of the other party was far too high for him to withstand directly. Without hesitation, he invoked a spell, causing a sudden burst of Clear Light to reveal a grand Da Wei Cloud Palace on the water. He jumped into the tunneling light and evaded inside.

The fierce billow stormed forward and struck the Cloud Palace fiercely, causing a series of explosive sounds, yet it was not shattered.

The Middle-aged Daoist shook his head, withdrew his hand, turned his back, and flicked his sleeve, saying, "Fellow Daoist, feel free."

Zhang Yan clasped his hands again, then summoned a tunneling light and flew toward Heaven. He grasped the Cloud Que Talisman, probed with mana into it, and found that only half of the prohibitions had been broken under this strike. If he encountered such formidable enemies again, he might only be able to withstand one more time.

After flying for an hour, a mass of black cloud appeared in the distance at Heaven, heavily pressing in the midair, blocking his path.

With an unchanged expression, Zhang Yan continued to fly forward. Below the black cloud, he suddenly heard a loud, clear screech beside his ear, and a massive bird’s claw emerged from within, measuring a thousand feet, with open toes akin to a sky-covering cage coming to grab.

This time, the person striking did not even give a warning, starting immediately with an attack.

Zhang Yan’s expression turned grave; even though he intended to escape using Water Escape, he felt an inexplicable sense that, no matter where he fled, this claw would surely capture him. In this critical moment, his eyes flickered several times, shook the token in his hand, and opened the Clear Light again, summoning the Da Wei Cloud Palace to protect him. The sharp claw reached up to grab, booming with thunderous force, causing the Cloud Palace to creak, seemingly about to collapse.

The person within the cloud exerted power to crush for a moment, finding they couldn’t capture him, withdrew their Divine Skills, and the suspended black cloud disappeared without a trace in an instant.

When Zhang Yan withdrew the Cloud Palace, the Heavenly Vault was clear, with clouds dispersed and mists collected, pristine for miles, with no trace of impurity.

He probed the Cloud Que Talisman, discovering the prohibitions within had dissipated over ninety percent, evidently no longer usable. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

A trace of contemplative expression unconsciously appeared on his face. From the previous two individuals, though they were merely avatars of Shadow Transformation, their mana was extraordinarily powerful, reaching an astonishing realm. Any Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to match them, so evading was the best course.

After pondering more, he wasn’t in a rush to proceed but found a mountain top to sit cross-legged, operating and breathing to adjust his breath.

After about an hour, he got up again, glanced at the vast heavens and earth ahead, let out a shout, and rode the tunneling light flying north.

At this moment, high above Extreme Sky, there was a fantastically large Red-eyed Feathered Crane, with an old Daoist wrapped in a great cloak sitting on its back. The Middle-aged Daoist, who had previously struck Zhang Yan once, was also beside him, turning his head to speak meaningfully, "Unexpectedly, Brother Xin also held back."

Old Daoist Xin said expressionlessly, "I only sent a wisp of Shadow Transformation avatar here, how could I break that Da Wei Cloud Palace? Forcibly striking down, even the avatar could dissipate, but if Daoist Wu could exert a bit more force earlier, perhaps this old man might still have some chance of winning."

The Middle-aged Daoist chuckled, saying, "Zhang Yan, with such talent, indeed has great hope to become one of our cadre in the future. If he could be killed now, it would save lots of trouble. But this time, unable to take his life, just for a mere wisp of Essence Qi, forming a grievance would not be worthwhile; for today, let this be a favor."

Old Daoist Xin remained silent, only saying, "The one ahead might be even more cultivated than us, with fewer scruples. Without the Da Wei Cloud Palace, it’s uncertain if Zhang Yan can evade."

The Middle-aged Taoist squinted and said, "That’ll depend on his own Creation."

After Zhang Yan left Cheng River, he continued north, soon getting closer to the towering mountain silhouette of Zhao You Mountain, becoming increasingly distinct.

Considering his tunneling speed, the distance to the Mountain Gate was already not far, at most two more moments, he could return to the Mountain Gate. If flying at full speed, the time would be halved, but the nearer he got, the least he dare to relax.

After traveling a few more miles, a magnificent Cloud Light appeared suddenly in view, with surrounding rosy clouds soaring, seeming to have countless Chaotic Stars dancing inside, barring his path. On the clouds, stood a woman dressed as a man, her waist trimmed, tall in stature, her hair simply tied in a bun, with a straight nose, fair skin, extremely thin lips, stunning in appearance, yet her eyes held a hint of chilling cold.

Zhang Yan focused his gaze, observing carefully, noting that the light smoke beneath her feet was also an avatar of Shadow Transformation appearing here, yet he was more vigilant, wondering internally, "The previous two kept striking, yet only broke my Protective Magical Artifact, then stopped actions, and according to Master Huang Yu, returning to the mountain now is unlikely to be easy. Presumably, this is the one truly aiming to deal with me, requiring cautious handling."

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com for reading.)