Seeing the old man bristling with fury, his dharma idol fully manifested, Wei Yuan simply cupped his hands and asked, "How should I address you, elder?"
Assuming Wei Yuan was intimidated, the old man's anger cooled a fraction, and he answered, "This old man is Cui Hongbo, Fifth Elder of the Foreign Affairs Hall."
Who would have thought Wei Yuan would reply, "Ah, so it is Elder Hongwen. Since you disagree with my view, elder, how about we spar a bit?"
Cui Hongbo instantly realized he was being toyed with. Enraged on the spot, he snapped, "Then this old man will teach you some manners on your parents' behalf!"
A flicker of anger crossed Wei Yuan's face, vanishing in a flash, before he said calmly, "Since you wish to instruct me, elder, how about a formal contest? We take turns unleashing Dao arts, one strike each. Whoever cannot hold out first loses."
This was a common form of duel within aristocratic families and sects. Without a second thought, the old man agreed outright.
The two took their positions in the middle of the floor, and more and more onlookers gathered. Although a formal exchange was rather dull, Wei Yuan had grown immensely famous of late, and everyone wanted to see how he could match a high cultivator at the late dharma idol realm with only a consummate Dao Foundation.
By now, though Cui Tianlin had been pulled from the water, no one paid him any attention anymore.
In the distance, the Old Matron sat in her chair, gazing toward Wangchuan Tower from afar. "It seems this old woman's words don't carry much weight anymore," she said. "Everyone has ideas of their own."
The old servant braced himself and said, "Cui Tianlin is a junior of the Fifth Elder's own lineage, one on whom he has always pinned great hopes. This defeat has grave implications, so it was inevitable that the Fifth Elder would let concern cloud his judgment and try to salvage what he could."
The Old Matron said nothing more, merely watching in serene silence.
Inside Wangchuan Tower, Wei Yuan said, "Elder Hongwen, why don't you go first?"
Having his name misstated twice in a row, Cui Hongbo could bear it no longer. He corrected him, "This old man is Cui Hongbo! I won't take advantage of a junior like you—make your move first."
Wei Yuan shook his head. "Elder, you're the weaker one, so you should go first!"
The onlookers all wore strange expressions, every one of them thinking Wei Yuan was courting death.
Cui Hongbo's face darkened, and he barked, "All talk and empty bravado! Cut the chatter and strike at once!"
Wei Yuan replied placidly, "Bullying the weak is beneath cultivators of my generation. Elder Hongwen, after you."
Cui Hongbo's beard quivered with rage. Not even bothering to correct Wei Yuan's mistake this time, he snarled, "Fine, fine, fine! In all my long years, this is the first time I have seen such an 'outstanding' junior! Then allow this old man to properly experience your skills."
Raising both hands high, his dharma idol blazed with brilliant light as countless strands of metal-phase magic power flooded into it. Within the idol, the warrior's eyes snapped open. With a mighty roar, he hurled the long spear in his hand toward Wei Yuan!
Multihued light immediately flared all around. Seeing that the Fifth Elder had opened with a lethal strike, several clan elders swiftly cast arts to shield the juniors nearby. Otherwise, even the shockwaves rippling out from this blow would be more than many of the younger generation could withstand.
Facing the full-power strike of a late dharma idol cultivator, a greatsword appeared in Wei Yuan's grasp, and he plunged it into the floor before him. The flooring of the ninth story was made of exceptionally hard lazurite stone, naturally resistant to magic power and further refined, making it extraordinarily difficult to damage. Yet as Wei Yuan drove the sword down, it sank in as though piercing bean curd.
The metallic lance struck the greatsword and detonated with a thunderous roar. Wei Yuan flicked a finger against the blade; a resonating sword chime rippled out, making everyone's legs go weak. Many of the young people collapsed straight onto their backsides, while the flying fragments and shockwaves of the metallic spear were swept clean away.
Wei Yuan casually put away the giant sword and clasped one hand behind his back, looking calm and composed to the utmost, as if neutralizing the attack had been effortless. But that hand behind his back was hidden inside his sleeve; no one could see that the finger he had used to flick the sword had split open and was bleeding, trembling continuously.
A full-strength blow from a late dharma idol expert was not so easy to take. Only by channeling End of Ten Thousand Generations had Wei Yuan been able to defend against it so nonchalantly, making it appear effortless.
Cui Hongbo was equally dumbfounded, never expecting the Bandit-Subduing Golden Spear that had made him famous to be deflected so easily. Turning a thumb ring on his hand, a golden light shield materialized around him. "Junior, it's your turn!" he said.
Wei Yuan smiled faintly and tapped his left hand before him. A dazzling halo rippled out, and a fine thread of water shot forth, striking Cui Hongbo's shield.
Cui Hongbo instantly felt the magic power of his shield draining away like running water, and a chill struck his heart: *The little scoundrel's Dao arts are formidable!*
Fortunately, such a Water Blade Art consumed a considerable amount of Dao power; his opponent should not be able to sustain it for long.
One breath, two breaths...
In the blink of an eye, the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed. Wei Yuan's slender stream of water continued unbroken, and judging by his poised, composed demeanor, he seemed to have plenty of strength to spare.
The time of a cup of tea...
Another cup of tea...
A few young people with little patience could not help yawning.
Yet most were astonished. The clan elders in particular looked toward Wei Yuan with eyes full of wary apprehension.
By now, tempestuous waves churned in Cui Hongbo's heart. Alarmed and enraged, his magic power had nearly hit rock bottom, and he was on the verge of being unable to maintain the shield.
Initially, Cui Hongbo had merely been annoyed, thinking the little scoundrel was being crafty by using a sustained Dao art, but now nothing remained except sheer horror.
This round of contest had effectively turned into a contest of magic reserves. As a late dharma idol cultivator, had he actually failed to outlast a mere Dao Foundation?
Wei Yuan, whose eyes had been half-lidded as though dozing off, suddenly opened them bright and clear. The stream of water abruptly swelled thick and broad, filled with swirling flecks of golden light like a river carrying gold dust—its power multiplied by more than tenfold!
Cui Hongbo was terrified, but it was already too late to flee. The shield lasted only a single breath before shattering with a bang. The torrent of water slammed violently into him, sending him flying backward!
Cui Hongbo tried to levitate, but the last shred of his magic power was already spent. With pain racking his meridians, his vision went black, and with a splash, he tumbled into the river.
Only then did Wei Yuan slowly retract the Golden Light Water Blade Art, radiating effortless composure.
The entire ninth floor was dead silent.
The onlookers were people of discernment. Though the duel had been drawn-out and unexciting, Wei Yuan had displayed a bottomless well of Dao power. Even a late dharma idol expert like Cui Hongbo had failed to outlast him. Was this fellow even human?
Moreover, only at the final moment had Wei Yuan revealed the true might of his Water Blade Art, along with a mastery of magic that could be exerted or restrained at will. Several dharma idol elders reflected that had they been in Cui Hongbo's place and Wei Yuan had unleashed the full force of the water from the start, they probably would not have lasted even half a cup of tea's time.
With a loud splash, Cui Hongbo burst from the water and leapt back onto the ninth floor. Soaked through, his robe and inner armor shattered and ruined, he looked utterly disheveled and miserable.
Before he could speak, Wei Yuan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for indulging me! Elder Hongwen's magic power is profound; I truly admire it."
His face livid, Cui Hongbo had no face left to correct his name. He turned and strode away. By now, he was virtually at the end of his tether, well aware that even if they fought again, he was no match for Wei Yuan.
After Cui Hongbo departed, no one else challenged Wei Yuan. As for the younger generation, aside from Cui Tianlin, none had been Cui Yu's match to begin with. Now that Cui Yu possessed an extraordinarily powerful dharma treasure and still had nearly half a crate of flying swords remaining, no one was eager to invite bad luck by crossing him.
With that, the trip to the Cui family reached a successful conclusion. Wei Yuan paid his respects to Cui Yu's parents and grandfather, then boarded a flying boat and departed that very night.
Wei Yuan's hurried coming and going deeply disappointed many Cui clan elders who had planned to host banquets for him, intending to introduce several outstanding noble daughters of their branches to him at the evening feast.
Upon returning to the domain, Wei Yuan felt a sudden inexplicable stir in his heart.
In the dead of night, he walked alone to the edge of the cliff, looking out at the scattered lights across Qingming, the impulse inside him growing ever stronger.
After easily defeating Cui Hongbo, Wei Yuan had been pondering what level his combat strength had truly reached. Though there had been a clever trick involved in that duel, Wei Yuan had many lethal trump cards he had not yet employed. In a fight to the death, Cui Hongbo would still have lost without question.
If that was the case, what was he still waiting for?
Wei Yuan decided to make a trip to the Bao family right away to visit Bao Yun. Even if he could not bring her out this time, there would be a next time, and a time after that.
With this thought, Wei Yuan made up his mind. Before leaving, however, the affairs of the domain still had to be properly arranged.
If Wei Yuan left, the domain would lack Ephemeral Multitude, causing its strength to drop considerably. Fortunately, Qingming's military power had expanded to a formidable scale, already surpassing the armies of Western Jin's other military commissioners.
At present, Qingming's foremost priority remained opening farmland. With the Weaponsmith Workshop providing a steady stream of tools, the pace of land reclamation grew day by day. Perfected Chuhe was now well acquainted with the Western Regions and knew how to purge toxins from the soil more quickly.
Having taken on three subordinates whose Dao Foundations were Innate Lifegiving Water, Sun Yu was freed from the crushing press of medical duties. This Dao Foundation naturally enhanced another person's vitality, and when paired with suitable medicinal pills, their healing abilities readily matched those of skilled physicians. Sun Yu assigned each of the three to oversee a clinic in one of the cities, granting them an enviable standing.
Once the domain was stabilized, Wei Yuan rented a flying boat from a merchant caravan, left Qingming, and flew toward the Bao family.
The Bao family was situated in the southeastern State of Wu. Within Wu, they stood like a pillar upholding the heavens: they held complete control over four commanderies that paid no taxes at all, and had another five commanderies under their dominion that paid only token tributes—practically a realm within a realm.
Wei Yuan's destination on this journey was Guanchao Commandery, home to the mountain gate of the Bao family's ancestral land. It also boasted the State of Wu's largest seaport, where trade with the islands of the Eastern Sea generated immense wealth year after year.
Traveling from the Western Regions to the southeast, even aboard the fastest flying boat Wei Yuan could charter, took over twenty days before he finally entered the State of Wu.
The State of Wu was blessed with scenic mountains and clear waters, dotted everywhere with lakes, fishponds, mulberry groves, and flooded paddies. Wu possessed formidable national strength; while not necessarily the mightiest among the Nine Kingdoms, it was undeniably the wealthiest.
To guard against raids from the islands of the Eastern Sea, Wu had spent vast sums to build a powerful navy. Beyond its southern borders lay the jungle barbarians, while along the coast resided the Sea Li. The strength of these two foreign tribes was no less than that of the Mountain Folk and the Shamans.
Upon entering Wu, the flying boat was intercepted. Several cultivators boarded to verify the identities of those aboard. Hearing that Wei Yuan was Bao Yun's fellow disciple from the Palace of Grand Beginning, they became exceedingly polite and promptly let him pass.
The flying boat traversed the entire State of Wu, reaching the shores of the Eastern Sea, where it finally arrived at its destination.
The Bao family's ancestral land lay upon a mountain beside Guanchao Port. The mountain was merely a thousand zhang tall, but its seaward flank consisted entirely of sheer precipices and cliffs. The entire mountain was enveloped by a grand formation, and atop the summit lay one of the Bao family's grotto-heavens.
The flying boat came to a slow halt at the foot of the mountain. Stepping out of the vessel, Wei Yuan saw several figures already waiting outside.
In the center stood a middle-aged man whose robe seemed quite plain at first glance, but a closer look revealed dense, intricate hidden patterns forming a body-protecting formation. If nothing else, the materials and weaving alone were worth a fortune.
To his left and right stood two young men and two young women, all dressed in robes woven with similar protective formations. Though not of as high a grade as the middle-aged man's, each was easily worth several hundred taels of immortal silver. For a few juniors to wear robes of such caliber and carry high-grade dharma artifacts across the board proved that the Bao family's lavish wealth truly lived up to its name.
The young people were all looking at Wei Yuan, making no attempt to conceal the curiosity in their eyes.
The middle-aged man smiled warmly. "Military Commissioner Wei's gracious presence brings honor to our humble home. The Ninth Elder is already awaiting you. Please, follow me up the mountain."
Before coming, Wei Yuan had done his research and knew that the Ninth Elder was Bao Manshan. His position was no elder of some specific hall or mansion, but one of the twelve Grand Elders of the entire Bao clan. Only a True Monarch was eligible to serve as a Grand Elder, yet not all True Monarchs could attain the seat.
With the party leading the way, Wei Yuan followed them through the mountain-protecting grand formation, stepping into the world-renowned Mount Jubaoyuan.
Chapter 393