Volume 3 Chapter 16

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Volume 3 Chapter 16: The First Day

"Time is short; we should get moving too."

Just as Xu Qingfan’s words faded, another voice suddenly rang out.

"Excuse me, are you Senior Brother Xu Qingfan from Jiuhua Gate?"

When they heard that someone was looking for Xu Qingfan again, Jin Qinghan and the others looked at Xu Qingfan with strange expressions, clearly puzzled by how widely he had made friends in the cultivation world. It wasn’t just Jin Qinghan and the others; even Xu Qingfan himself was quite surprised, wondering how he could have met so many people after just a year of traveling down the mountain.

He turned around and saw a short, plump man walking briskly towards him, a cheerful smile on his face. He wore a gray robe with three purple stripes, indicating that he had just entered the Lingji Stage. Behind him followed four men of varying appearances, clearly his fellow martial brothers, with cultivation levels ranging from the middle stage to the late stage of the Inedia Stage.

Logically speaking, with their abilities, it would be difficult for them to advance in this Newcomer Competition. However, apart from the "Liuhe Gate" and "Qingxu Gate" disciples who just left, they were the only group standing calmly in the clearing, seemingly confident about this contest.

After carefully observing the short, plump man, Xu Qingfan confirmed that he did not know him and curiously cupped his hands in greeting, asking, "Forgive me for not recognizing you, may I ask which sect you belong to, senior brother?"

The short, plump man laughed heartily as he approached Xu Qingfan and said, "My name is Kai Huan, from the Medicine King Valley. My master is the Elder Suishou."

Upon hearing Kai Huan’s words, Xu Qingfan suddenly understood and asked, "So, you are from Elder Suishou’s sect. It has been three years since we last met, how has Senior Suishou been? I did not see him at this Newcomer Competition."

As Xu Qingfan spoke, Feng Qingtian, standing nearby, gave a slight cold snort, evidently displeased with Xu Qingfan for chatting and delaying time. It’s important to note that the competition lasts only three days, with less than a hundred Seven-colored Deer available. The later they act, the higher the chance of failure. This is why the "Liuhe Gate" and "Qingxu Gate" disciples left in such a hurry after exchanging just a few words.

Upon hearing Feng Qingtian’s cold snort, Kai Huan clearly understood but laughed nonchalantly, not minding it. He simply said to Xu Qingfan, "After receiving that Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast inner core from you, my master refined it into a ‘Seek Spiritual Bead’ and has been searching for Spiritual Herbs for two years now."

As he spoke, Kai Huan took out a jade bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Xu Qingfan, saying, "There are many ‘Green Snake Dragons’ on Huandao Island, their poisonous flames are quite formidable. Although all of you from Jiuhua Gate are very skilled, it’s better to be safe. This ‘Fire Removing Pill’ is good to have as a precaution."

The "Fire Removing Pill" that Kai Huan brought out is one of the more famous spiritual pills produced by Medicine King Valley, known for its impressive healing abilities for various burns, and is considered one of the more precious pills in the cultivation world.

When Kai Huan handed over the "Fire Removing Pill," Feng Qingtian’s eyes betrayed a hint of disdain, but his expression softened a bit. Meanwhile, Jin Qinghan and the other three couldn’t help but show a little joy. Feng Qingtian, with the bloodline of the ancient Mythical Beast Flame Phoenix, naturally didn’t fear the poisonous fire of the Green Snake Dragon. However, the others had some concerns about it, and having this "Fire Removing Pill" undoubtedly eased their minds for the upcoming battle.

Xu Qingfan understood that Kai Huan offered him the elixir not only because he was grateful for the Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast core Xu Qingfan sold to Medicine King Valley but also as a gesture to befriend Jiuhua Gate. Moreover, the presence of the "Fire Removing Pill" would indeed make the competition on Huandao Island much easier, so he accepted it with both hands, saying, "Thank you, Martial Brother Kai Huan."

"Don’t mention it. My mentor and I should be thanking you for the ‘Seeking Spiritual Bead,’" Kai Huan said casually with a wave of his hand. "Alright, I won’t hold you up any longer; it’s time for us to go catch the Seven-colored Deer. Masters from Jiuhua Gate, I bid you farewell."

Xu Qingfan clasped his hands and said, "Then I won’t stand on ceremony. I wish my fellow brothers from Medicine King Valley the best of luck."

Kai Huan also clasped his hands towards the five from Jiuhua Gate before leading his four fellow brothers swiftly out of the forest.

"Let’s start our move too," Xu Qingfan said once he confirmed no one else was greeting them, leading the way out of the forest.

…

As Xu Qingfan and the other four headed out of the forest, many sects had already begun their actions.

"The Seven-colored Deer, with its skin shining in seven colors, stands six feet tall yet possesses immense strength and great speed. Its antlers can break through any obstacle and emit a radiant glow that can harm a soul or seize a magical artifact."

In "Strange Tales of Mountains and Seas—Demon Beast Chapter," it introduces the Seven-colored Deer. Although not famous or strong among advanced human-level demon beasts, it’s still tough for ordinary cultivators below the Condensed Core Stage to handle.

However, the disciples who came for the Newcomer Competition haven’t reached the Condensed Core Stage, but many have unique cultivation methods and exquisite artifacts. The Seven-colored Deer, despite its strength, did not seem to concern them.

In the southeast of Huandao Island, intense cold spreads continuously, and amidst this chill, the mournful cries of a deer echo.

Upon closer inspection, four disciples from the White Lady Palace surround the Seven-colored Deer, moving constantly, emitting a strange and powerful cold. Under their influence, a thin layer of frost forms beneath the deer’s feet, quickly accumulating into a thick layer of ice.

Although the Seven-colored Deer in their midst can release powerful seven-colored lights from its antlers, the four women’s swift movements keep these lights from harming them. Under the chilling influence, the deer’s body becomes stiffer, its speed slows, and its cries grow more sorrowful. The icy ground makes it unstable.

The leader, a young girl in white, controls a white ice ring artifact, calmly hovering in mid-air, watching with a cold expression. She occasionally guides the four, seemingly disdainful of taking action herself.

As time passes, the cold intensifies. Eventually, the Seven-colored Deer lets out a tragic cry, collapses, and cannot move at all, covered in thick frost.

Seeing the deer fall, the girl in white shows no joy. She merely waves her long sleeve, using the "Sleeve Space" to store the frozen deer, then leads the other four girls quickly in another direction.

Thirty miles east of where the girl captured the Seven-colored Deer, another battle quietly unfolds.

Compared to the battle at the White Lady Palace, the fight here seemed incredibly quiet and calm. The five brothers of the Five Elements Sect stood at each corner, rapidly changing hand gestures. Under their control, a pentagram-shaped barrier of five colors formed and swiftly compressed inward.

In the center of this pentagram barrier was a majestic Seven-colored Deer. As the barrier continued to shrink, the deer seemed to sense danger and started to charge at the colorful barrier with its body, occasionally shooting dazzling beams of five-colored light from its antlers at the brothers.

However, the colorful barrier was incredibly strong, and no matter how the Seven-colored Deer collided with it, it wouldn’t budge an inch. The seven-colored beams it shot out were also unable to threaten the Five Elements Sect brothers due to the barrier’s protection.

Seeing the barrier getting smaller and unable to shake it at all, the Seven-colored Deer anxiously let out cries that couldn’t be heard through the barrier, making the whole battle appear completely calm.

Finally, when the barrier became extremely small, the Seven-colored Deer’s movements were completely trapped. Seeing this, the brothers quickly collected the trapped Seven-colored Deer into their sleeves and swiftly flew off in another direction.

The liveliest place was still the east of Huandao Island, where the deer’s cries echoed through the sky along with the shouts of Qingxu Gate’s members. Hua Xian of Qingxu Gate also hovered in midair, giving orders to the other four without making a move himself. He only intervened if a disciple of Qingxu Gate was in danger.

"Brother Lü, use ‘Whirlwind Storm’ to daze the Seven-colored Deer."

"Brother Shang, use ‘Earth Wall Technique’ to block the Seven-colored Deer’s escape route."

"Brother Tian, Brother Ma, attack the Seven-colored Deer’s legs."

Under Hua Xian’s command, it wasn’t long before the Seven-colored Deer at his feet let out a cry of despair, fell to the ground, covered in wounds, unable to get up again.

In the southwest of Huandao Island, five young monks with solemn and compassionate expressions were silently chanting prayers. At their feet lay a lifeless Seven-colored Deer, its eyes dim and lifeless, with wounds all over its body, continuously bleeding, soaking the lush grass beneath it. The sight, combined with the monks’ faces full of compassion, appeared quite bizarre.

Similar or different scenes like this were constantly replaying at various locations on Huandao Island.

However, only a few were capable of capturing the Seven-colored Deer, while most cultivators found themselves unable to capture it and were instead defeated by it, sometimes even facing danger to their lives under its attacks.

Niu Yanxuan was the leader of the five disciples representing "Huanxu Gate" in the Newcomer Competition. Despite knowing the dangers ahead, for the honor of his sect, he led his apprehensive junior brothers out of the forest, determined to do his best in this competition.

But "Huanxu Gate" was only a minor second-rate sect in the Immortal Realm, with cultivation methods that were not particularly profound. As a result, even though Niu Yanxuan was talented, he was only at the early stage of the Lingji Stage, while his four junior brothers were only at the Inedia Stage. The best magical artifact they had was Niu Yanxuan’s Human-Level high-grade "Aurora Blue Sword." With such strength, capturing a Seven-colored Deer seemed unlikely, but for Niu Yanxuan, success wasn’t the only goal; doing his best was equally important.

It was uncertain whether it was fortune or misfortune, but as soon as Niu Yanxuan led his junior brothers out of the forest, they spotted a Seven-colored Deer leisurely strolling outside the woods.

To ensure success with one strike, once Niu Yanxuan discovered the Seven-colored Deer, he instructed three of his junior brothers to form a "Three Talent Formation" to temporarily trap it, while the fourth brother protected him. Niu Yanxuan then prepared to cast his most powerful Taoist spell, the "Heavenly Meteor Technique," to slay the Deer.

However, the strength of the Seven-colored Deer was far beyond Niu Yanxuan’s expectations. Within just two breaths, before he could even cast a third of his "Heavenly Meteor Technique," the Deer had already broken through the "Three Talent Formation" created by his three junior brothers and charged rapidly towards them. The three were shocked and unable to evade in time!

Seeing this scene, Niu Yanxuan was startled. Despite the risk of backlash from the spell, he forcibly stopped his own magic and quickly directed his magical tool, the "Aurora Blue Sword," towards the Seven-colored Deer to try and stop its charge, hoping to buy some time for his fellow disciples to evade.

But to his horror, Niu Yanxuan found that the Seven-colored Deer paid no heed to his attacking "Aurora Blue Sword." It simply shot a rainbow light at the sword, and upon impact, the "Aurora Blue Sword" halted its attack and flew back towards Niu Yanxuan.

Watching the Aurora Blue Sword fly back towards him and seeing his three fellow disciples about to be struck by the Seven-colored Deer, Niu Yanxuan’s heart filled with despair. He began to regret insisting on capturing the Seven-colored Deer when he first arrived at Huandao Island, against his fellow disciples’ advice. Was the pursuit of school honor worth risking their lives?

Even though he could evade the rebounding Aurora Blue Sword now, how should he deal with the Seven-colored Deer next? If anything happened to his fellow disciples, how could he face their master when they returned?

Burdened with guilt, Niu Yanxuan momentarily forgot to dodge the Aurora Blue Sword flying back at him.

At this critical moment, a dazzling green light suddenly burst three feet above everyone’s heads. As the light appeared, several green vines suddenly sprouted beneath the Seven-colored Deer’s feet, wrapping it tightly and rendering it immobile as it charged towards the "Huanxu Gate." Simultaneously, a wooden wall appeared before Niu Yanxuan, blocking the Aurora Blue Sword flying back at him.

Witnessing the sudden change before him, Niu Yanxuan was momentarily stunned. Was the crisis just resolved like that? Upon this realization, Niu Yanxuan looked up towards the source of the green light, only to see, as the light faded, an old man in coarse robes and bare feet appearing before him, quietly hovering in mid-air.

Seeing Niu Yanxuan looking at him, the old man smiled gently, bowed slightly towards him, and said warmly, "I am Xuan Ling, a cultivator from Penance Valley. Greetings, taoist friends. You have no power to resist in the Seven-colored Deer’s counterattack, and by the rules, have already lost the challenge. Please return to the forest and use the teleportation array to go back to Zhantai."

Hearing Xuan Ling’s words, Niu Yanxuan’s eyes dimmed slightly, knowing that their sect had lost the Newcomer Competition. However, he deeply bowed in gratitude to the old man and said respectfully, "Thank you, Venerable One, for your timely assistance. We shall return to Zhantai now." After all, losing the challenge was acceptable compared to the loss of his junior brothers.

After speaking, Niu Yanxuan and a few of his junior fellow disciples supported each other as they walked into the forest they had just emerged from.

After seeing Niu Yanxuan and the five others disappear into the forest, Xuan Ling smiled slightly, then with a flick of his fingers, the green vine binding the Seven-colored Deer’s feet withdrew back into the ground.

After doing all this, Xuan Ling didn’t pause for a moment and ignored the angry cries of the unbound Seven-colored Deer on the ground. He transformed into a beam of light and flew towards another direction on Huandao Island.

The sun was warm, the sea breeze gentle, and for a moment, it seemed as though nothing had happened on this land save for the rage of the Seven-colored Deer.

In this way, on the first day that the disciples of various sects entered Huandao Island, over a hundred disciples like Niu Yanxuan lost their qualification to compete, and suddenly half of the sects in the cultivation world participating in the Newcomer Competition were disqualified from continuing in the trials.

…

Although the forest where the teleportation array was located was not large, the trees were extremely dense, making it easy for people to lose their sense of direction. However, Xu Qingfan and the other four were cultivators who had at least reached the Lingji Stage, so the small forest posed no problem for them.

When Xu Qingfan and the others emerged from the forest, they discovered that the forest they had just exited was at the center of Huandao Island. Outside the woods was an open plain filled with scattered stones and wild grass. But just like in the woods, Xu Qingfan and the others did not see any signs of life.

And for some unknown reason, even though this place was far from the sea, the sound of the waves was continuous, just like in the small forest, as if this monotonous sound of the waves filled the whole of Huandao Island, adding more mystery to it.

"What should we do?" Lv Qingshang softly asked Xu Qingfan after taking a glance at the vast, silent plain ahead.

Xu Qingfan surveyed the scene before him and frowned as he heard Lv Qingshang’s question. "For now, we should track the Seven-colored Deer and capture them quickly once we find them. There are more Seven-colored Deer on the first day, and as time goes on, they’ll be caught by disciples from other sects, so we should try to catch as many as possible today."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s suggestion, Jin Qinghan nodded and said, "Let’s split up to look for the Seven-colored Deer. If anyone finds a trace of them, use the sect’s signal arrow to inform the others. Senior Brother Xu, what do you think?"

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "Let’s not act separately. This Huandao Island feels strange; there’s the constant sound of waves, and we haven’t seen any beasts or insects. Venerable Xuan Jian also mentioned that there are numerous human-level advanced demon beasts here, so we should be extra careful and stay together."

Originally, Xu Qingfan was confident that the five of them from Jiuhua Gate were strong enough to handle two or three advanced demon beasts alone. However, Zhang Hualing and Bai Qingfu’s words made him realize that this sect competition might not be so simple, prompting him to act more cautiously.

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Feng Qingtian frowned slightly and said coolly, "Moving together as five is too slow. I’m confident I can handle those human-level advanced demon beasts on my own."

Detecting a hint of dissatisfaction from Feng Qingtian, Xu Qingfan merely smiled slightly and didn’t mind, saying, "Senior Brother Feng, don’t worry. I have a plan. Please stand guard."

With that, Xu Qingfan ignored the others’ puzzled looks, sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes, and started weaving intricate finger signs. As his fingers moved, countless wisps appeared between them and floated away in the breeze. Although these wisps seemed to move slowly, they vanished from sight in an instant.

After a while, Xu Qingfan slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the four people around him, and then smiled, "There are two Seven-colored Deer strolling twenty-three miles to the east; another is grazing forty miles northwest. Let’s first capture the two to the east before others beat us to it."

A moment ago, the wisps created by Xu Qingfan were called "drift flowers." These flowers fly with the wind, wither when they land, and can drift up to fifty miles. The most peculiar feature of these flowers is that a cultivator’s Divine Sense can easily attach to them, which is why Xu Qingfan often uses them to explore unfamiliar areas.

Seeing Xu Qingfan accurately report the presence of Seven-colored Deer within fifty miles around, Feng Qingtian slightly set aside his earlier displeasure and nodded in agreement. Naturally, Jin Qinghan and the others also had no objections.

Once the others agreed, Xu Qingfan stood up and swiftly flew towards the east on his Nimbus Cloud.

On their way to Zhantai, Xu Qingfan learned that Jin Qinghan and the other four each had their own flying techniques.

At this moment, besides Xu Qingfan using the Nimbus Cloud, the other four displayed their skills as well. Wang Qingjun took out a blue flag, which expanded in the wind, and with its support, he followed Xu Qingfan eastward. Lv Qingshang took several talismans from his sleeve, forming a protective barrier around himself in the air. Although slower, it was steady. Jin Qinghan stood on the back of his spirit pet, Little Gold, closely following Xu Qingfan.

Feng Qingtian’s flying skill was the most spectacular, as his body transformed into a blaze of thunder and fire. Racing eastward as a fire spirit, his speed surpassed Xu Qingfan’s Nimbus Cloud, showcasing the Feng family’s secret technique, "Transform into Thunder Fire."

The group’s speed was remarkable; within mere breaths, they reached the place Xu Qingfan had mentioned and hovered silently over the two Seven-colored Deer.

Perceiving the overwhelming presence of the five in the sky, the two Seven-colored Deer slowly retreated, growling threats. Although they sensed ill intentions from the five above, they dared not attack first.

"In a moment, Junior Brother Lu and I will trap the movements of the two Seven-colored Deer. Junior Brother Jin and Junior Brother Feng, you will strike to incapacitate them. Martial Brother Wang, keep an eye on the surroundings to prevent any surprises," Xu Qingfan instructed the others after glancing at the two Seven-colored Deer below.

Among the group of five, only Xu Qingfan had real combat experience, and he was the most knowledgeable. As the leader of the Newcomer Competition, Xu Qingfan naturally took on the role of commander when they arrived on Huandao Island, and the others showed no dissatisfaction.

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s arrangements, the other four nodded in agreement.

Seeing everyone agree, Xu Qingfan wasted no time. He began weaving hand signs in the air, and under his control, dozens of "Bloodsucking Vines" sprouted around the feet of the two Seven-colored Deer, tightly entangling them. Lv Qingshang followed Xu Qingfan’s lead and threw several talismans around the two Seven-colored Deer, forming a binding spell that trapped their movements.

The two Seven-colored Deer realized something was wrong but found it too late to escape or counterattack.

With the combined efforts of Xu Qingfan and Lv Qingshang, even though these two Seven-colored Deer were advanced-level demon beasts, they couldn’t break free from the binding in a short time.

Seeing the two Seven-colored Deer immobilized, Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan began to use their own powers. In front of Jin Qinghan, hundreds of golden spears formed and quickly thrust at the Seven-colored Deer on the left, while Feng Qingtian conjured hundreds of Firebirds to attack the one on the right, matching Jin Qinghan’s speed.

For a moment, the ground beneath them shone with gold and red light, and the thunderous roars filled with the sorrowful cries of the Seven-colored Deer echoed continuously.

…

On the other side of Huandao Island.

"Interesting." Next to Liuhe Gate’s Deng Tianao, a young man who had kept his eyes closed smiled and said.

Hearing the young man’s words, Deng Tianao stopped watching the battle between his three junior brothers and the Seven-colored Deer and turned to ask, "Junior Brother Chou, what did you notice?"

"The people from Jiuhua Gate you asked me to watch are quite skilled. They have already captured four Seven-colored Deer," the young man said softly.

Hearing the young man’s words, Deng Tianao was slightly surprised and said, "I didn’t expect that besides Bao Qingfang, those youngsters from Jiuhua Gate are quite capable too."

"Senior Brother Deng, should we go and take their Seven-colored Deer now? It would save us the effort of searching."

"No need, not yet. Let them grow fatter first," Deng Tianao said as he looked up at the sky.

"Roar…"

While they were talking, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed from somewhere on Huandao Island. Feeling the turmoil inside their bodies, their expressions changed drastically. Judging from the sound, it seemed human, but how could a human voice be so wild and powerful?

Meanwhile, five people from Jiuhua Mountain, Hua Xian from Qingxu Gate, five monks from Zen Cloud Temple, the Five Elements Sect’s quintuplet brothers, and the young woman in white from White Lady Palace also heard the roar, and many of them suffered some internal injuries from it, their faces changing dramatically.