novelzi Chapter 299 Power and Pride.
Chapter 299 Power and Pride.
Grand Elder Peak.
Yang Wei stood at the center of his spacious courtyard, unarmed, facing Mao Geming.
The grand elder had no reason to be afraid.
He stood confidently, his crystal blue eyes locked onto Mao Geming's, and he held his chin high.
Behind him, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered. These were the disciples of Grand Elder Peak, who had paused their cultivation to witness their grand elder in action.
The four prime elders of Grand Elder Peak were also present...
Fragrant Cloud, Flame Cauldron, Spiritwind, and Bloodflame.
They watched with keen interest.
Normally, this battle would be seen as a dragon against a worm, but rumors about Mao Geming had piqued their curiosity. He was a sword cultivator from the Sword Crane School, reputed to have defeated a Nascent Soul expert while only at the Late Core Formation. Now, he was at Peak Core Formation!
...
Outside Grand Elder Peak, some of the peak chiefs were watching.
Mu Zhihao rubbed his short-length beard and grinned. "This will be an interesting fight."
Grandmaster Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "How so?" he asked. "Considering Yang Wei is powerful enough to match 4th-path cultivators, I find it foolish that you support this betrothal trial by fire." He took a sip of his tea.
Guo Xiaomei nodded slightly. "I think Chief Mu has a plan if he's this excited."
With a coarse chuckle, Mu Zhihao gave a small nod to show he agreed with Guo Xiaomei's assumption. "You're quite right. I'm hoping for Grand Elder Yang's sense of honor here."
Lin Feng scoffed. "How silly of you to think that young man has any such honor. He'll obviously use his arcane power to save time against Core Formation trash." He cleared his throat afterward.
"That would be the case if he didn't love my Lin-Lin," Mu Zhihao said with a calm expression.
This statement left both Guo Xiaomei and Lin Feng silent.
Rather than ask, they waited for an explanation.
Mu Zhihao continued, "A betrothal trial by fire isn't necessarily about the strongest suitor winning the hand of the fair maiden. At least, that's not what it means to me."
While not interested in a deep, philosophical answer, Lin Feng asked, "So, what does it mean to you?" He was mainly trying to keep the conversation going because he enjoyed Guo Xiaomei's tea.
"To me, it's quite simple. A betrothal trial by fire is about how much a man is willing to sacrifice to be with the woman he loves. The struggle itself is proof of one's love, not the victory. If Grand Elder Yang is as wise as I believe, he'll understand this instinctively and honor his challengers by fighting them on equal grounds."
"As a cultivator, not a mage..." Guo Xiaomei added.
Both Mu Zhihao and Lin Feng nodded and sipped their tea again.
...
Back at the scene, Yang Wei and Mao Geming still hadn't started their battle, and the challenger was getting impatient.
Mao Geming stared at Yang Wei intensely, full of thought and fighting spirit.
But instead of meeting his gaze, Yang Wei looked around, still searching for someone.
"What are we waiting for?!" Mao Geming asked sternly.
Mao Geming quickly stepped back, waving his hands dismissively. To save face, he chuckled loudly and slicked his strawberry-blonde hair back.
"AHA! I suppose I'll take you up on your offer, Fate Defying Elder. Since you asked so nicely..."
He threw his head back and laughed even louder.
Yang Wei stared at him in disappointed disbelief.
He couldn't believe how foolish this sword cultivator was.
He's so stupid, I almost feel sorry for him. He agreed to a bet without even asking for my stake. Or is he so foolish that he thinks our duel is payment enough?
Sighing, Yang Wei added reluctantly, "To make things fair, if you somehow win, I'll hand you half of my Grand Elder Peak's cultivation resources."
The prime elders were shocked.
Elder Fragrant Cloud's jaw dropped, and he screamed like a little girl. "Grand Elder, we cannot afford such losses!"
Bloodflame placed a hand on Fragrant Cloud's shoulder and asked, "Do you truly believe our Grand Elder will be defeated?"
"N-, no. Ha! Of course not..." Fragrant Cloud took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. "As if I would ever think so lowly of our esteemed Grand Elder."
Elder Flame Cauldron just placed a hand on his stomach and yawned. "I just want to eat."
"Gluttony is a sin. Practice moderation instead..." Elder Spiritwind sagely spoke.
Huo Yue gently held Yang Wei's wrist.
"Honey, you don't need to make unnecessary bets. I believe you'll win, but I don't want that poor man to lose all his resources."
Her words stung Mao Geming like a spear.
"Wh-, who is she calling a poor man?" he muttered under his breath.
Yang Wei placed both his hands on Huo Yue's cheeks.
"I told you I want the best for us. The only way that'll happen is if I find ways to improve your cultivation, and this seems like a good opportunity. Just trust me, nothing will happen."
He leaned in and kissed her forehead.
Huo Yue sighed, unsure about acquiring cultivation resources this way. She nodded reluctantly. The supplies Yang Wei provided from Grand Elder Peak were already sufficient. In fact, she felt they were excessive, enough for fifty Spirit Gathering cultivators to share.
"Just be careful... okay?" she said.
Yang Wei gave her a thumbs up and shifted his focus back to Mao Geming. As the two glared at each other, Huo Yue took the opportunity to return to the crowd with Tianyi.
Silence...
Yang Wei stood with supreme confidence as Mao Geming approached.
Expecting his presence to intimidate, Yang Wei was surprised and slightly amused by Mao Geming's bold advance.
"Oh? You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming right to me?" he said with a small grin.
Mao Geming, serious and defiant, replied, "I can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer." He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.
The duel begins! Find more to read at empire