Chapter 2102: Prodigy Tea Gathering
Chapter 2102: Chapter 2102: Prodigy Tea Gathering
"Indeed." Zhou Yan took out a letter, an introduction written by his father, Zhou Jian, to prove the identity and qualifications of Ye Feng’s group to attend the conference.
"Ah, so you’re the son of the Chaos Dao Sect Sect Master from Haizhou, an esteemed guest! Please come with us!"
The host beamed with a smile.
A Dao Monarch at the peak with a Chaos Sacred Body is considered a top-tier expert even across all of Yunzhou.
Thus, despite being hosts all of Ninth-Turn Heavenly Venerables, they behaved very courteously.
Inside a Holy Temple.
Ye Feng, Tian Qi, and Zhou Yan stood before a giant stone tablet, ready to undergo testing.
"You three prodigies, we will first test your cultivation level. Afterwards, you can receive your respective identity tokens, allowing for easier sparring, auction participation, and conference attendance in the city, avoiding many troubles."
A silver-robed elder pointed at the stone tablet introducing it.
"Let me go first." Tian Qi stepped forward, raising his hand to strike the stone tablet, causing it to vibrate, and soon, the words "Seventh-Turn Heavenly Venerable" appeared on its surface.
This scene made Ye Feng’s eyes flicker.
"My turn." Zhou Yan also stepped forward, striking the surface of the stone tablet with force, similarly revealing the words "Seventh-Turn Heavenly Venerable."
"Ye Feng, it’s your turn now."
Tian Qi and Zhou Yan looked at him, expecting he would likely test at the Quasi-Heavenly Venerable level.
But, Ye Feng’s eyes flickered.
The next moment, he raised his hand and struck the surface of the stone tablet heavily, secretly channeling a special Origin to simulate a Five-Turn Heavenly Venerable level of cultivation.
Then, a miracle happened.
The surface of the stone tablet displayed the words "Five-Turn Heavenly Venerable," prominently.
"Oh!"
Tian Qi and Zhou Yan looked at Ye Feng. The latter merely smiled without speaking, and the two instantly understood that Ye Feng didn’t want to expose his extraordinary battle prowess.
A quarter of an hour later.
Ye Feng, Tian Qi, and Zhou Yan each received a golden token with their names, origins, cultivation levels, and other basic information recorded on it.
"You three, proceed as you please!"
The host gestured towards the door.
With the identity tokens, they were free to roam in Soaring Sky City without being suppressed as spies or villains.
"Alright."
The trio exited the Holy Temple and reunited with the Radiant Daoist, who accompanied them as a servant.
On the city streets.
"Ye Feng, how did you deceive the tablet to display a Five-Turn Heavenly Venerable cultivation level?" Zhou Yan couldn’t help but ask, while Tian Qi was equally curious.
Ye Feng explained, "While you were testing your cultivation levels, I analyzed the testing stone tablet, discovered its principle, and made a small trick during the test."
"You’re quite something, daring to falsify your cultivation test." Zhou Yan laughed.
Ye Feng shrugged helplessly, "I had no choice; if people knew I was only a Quasi-Heavenly Venerable but with such high combat prowess, wouldn’t I draw a lot of attention?"
"Makes sense." Tian Qi and Zhou Yan nodded.
Ye Feng’s combat prowess is extraordinary, surpassing a ninety-ninefold limit.
If discovered, it would be dangerous.
Some would definitely capture Ye Feng to continuously analyze and study him, hoping to find a way to break through the heavens’ limits from him.
Hiding one’s strength is relatively safer.
Soon after.
The group entered another Holy Temple.
This was a famous teahouse where many young talents gathered, and it was their first destination on this trip for making connections with geniuses.
Inside the teahouse’s Holy Temple.
Glancing around, Ye Feng noticed a hall almost fully occupied, filled with Heavenly Venerables with solid foundations, the true prodigies.
"Oh, more guests have arrived."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am the host of this tea gathering, you may call me ’Fei Hong.’
Several young elites stood up.
Among them, a young man in a red robe walked to the center of the crowd to welcome Ye Feng’s group, exuding a thick aura, an Eighth-Turn Heavenly Venerable.
"It’s Young Master Fei Hong!"
"So, he’s the host of this tea gathering. I’ve heard that he’s already an Eighth-Turn Heavenly Venerable, one step away from the Ninth Turn, ready to begin the assault on the Dao Monarch Realm."
Someone revealed the red-robed young man’s identity.
"Ah, it’s Young Master Fei Hong." Zhou Yan stepped forward, "I am Zhou Yan, from Haizhou, Junior Sect Master of the Chaos Dao Sect, a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh, the Chaos Dao Sect!"
"I didn’t expect him to be the son of Chaos Dao Monarch; no wonder he’s a Seventh-Turn Heavenly Venerable at a young age, close to Young Master Fei Hong’s level, another top prodigy."
Many cast their amazed glances over.
The Chaos Dao Sect Sect Master’s son Zhou Yan is a peak Dao Monarch expert with a Chaos Sacred Body and formidable battle power, a prodigy in his youth.
He stands as a formidable figure among peak Dao Monarchs.
Among the young generation, he commands respect, unless the Dao Venerables appear.
"I am Tian Qi."
"I am Ye Feng."
Tian Qi and Ye Feng introduced themselves in turn, but given their backgrounds weren’t as prominent as Zhou Yan’s, most merely nodded politely, directing their attention to Zhou Yan.
"Please, everyone, have a seat and enjoy some tea."
Young Master Fei Hong invited everyone to be seated, with Zhou Yan’s notable status securing a seat beside him. Surrounding them were seven or eight seats occupied by similar top prodigies with peak Dao Monarch backings.
Each one, no lower than a Five-Turn Heavenly Venerable.
A bit further away.
Ye Feng sat there with Tian Qi and the Radiant Daoist acting as an old servant.
"Friend Tian Qi, you mentioned being the Young Master of the Space Clan. I’m curious, can your Space Clan truly not break the curse to ascend to Dao Monarch?"
A Fifth-Turn Heavenly Venerable prodigy asked.
He hailed from a hegemon-level power; his father was a mid-level Dao Monarch, matching Tian Qi’s standing, which brought them to converse together.
As for Ye Feng, he had claimed to be the Sect Master of the Misty Holy Sect, itself the most powerful in the sect.
Thus, the others showed no further interest in him.
Even the Radiant Daoist, an "Ninth-Turn Heavenly Venerable peak" servant, was subconsciously assumed to belong to Zhou Yan rather than Ye Feng.
"Is reality really this harsh?"
Ye Feng stroked his chin. Indeed lacking any significant backing, after all, the Invincible Old Man had stated he would not intervene and couldn’t be counted as a support.
"Nothing can be done. Such people tend to be so pragmatic and snobbish; if you have resources or backing, they’ll interact with you more. Of course, even if you lack resources and backing but possess prodigious potential, they won’t provoke you unnecessarily. At most, they won’t stir conflict with you."
A voice came from beside.
Ye Feng turned toward the sound.
In the adjacent seat lay a prodigy enjoying his drink, possessing a Sixth-Turn Heavenly Venerable cultivation and a Thunderclap Body, hailing from a hegemon-level force, and the sect’s Dao Child, accompanied by an old servant at the Ninth-Turn Heavenly Venerable peak.
"Ye Feng."
"Lin Daotong."
They raised their tea cups for a mutual introduction.
"Friend Lin, which force are you from?" Ye Feng couldn’t help but ask.
"The Thunder Dao Sect; our Sect Master is a late-stage Dao Monarch, not weak. However, I am merely a Dao Child, so he might not pass the mantle to me. Thus, I do not garner much attention."
Lin Daotong shrugged.
Having grown through arduous cultivation to reach his current standing, he understood all too well how bitter it was lacking a solid backing.
"Fellow Daoist Ye Feng, managing such a large Sect on your own must be quite exhausting, right? After all, your Sect seems to have only you, a Five-turn Heavenly Venerable. Even if you are a prodigy, you can at most contend with a Six-turn Heavenly Venerable. If a Seventh-turn Heavenly Venerable sets their eyes on you, the Sect could very well be destroyed."
Lin Daotong had a sympathetic expression.
Ye Feng stroked his chin, thinking of saying that even a Nine-turn Heavenly Venerable daring to attack the Misty Holy Sect would be slapped to death, with no chance of survival.
"Haha!" Tian Qi chuckled from the side, feeling that Ye Feng was successfully playing the innocent while hiding his true strength.
However, he didn’t expose it.
Not far away, at the core seats.
Zhou Yan, Fei Hong, and several other top talents with Dao Monarch peak backing were engaged in lively conversation. They all possessed top-tier physiques, their combat power ten or twenty times that of an Ordinary Invincible Supreme, capable of defeating enemies across ranks.
They all had the potential to become Dao Monarchs.
"Gentlemen, I apologize for being late."
From the Holy Temple Gate, a melodious voice sounded like celestial music entering one’s ears, drawing attention.
Tap, tap, tap!
A tall woman clad in a rainbow-colored immortal gown stepped into the Holy Temple, entering everyone’s view. Her face was breathtaking, her aura unique, making her visage unforgettable at a single glance.
"Wow, it’s Miaoyin Fairy from Miaoyin Square."
"It’s said that she possesses a combined physique of the Moonlight Dao Body and Miaoyin Sacred Body. She’s incredibly skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, especially adept at playing the flute, and is the designated successor of Miaoyin Square, with the appearance of a Dao Monarch peak."
"It’s Miaoyin Square!"
"Heavens, that’s a hegemon-level power that even the City Lord of Soaring Sky City fears!"
"It’s a pity though; the fairies of Miaoyin Square do not marry outsiders, or else perhaps we could wed Miaoyin Fairy and create a beautiful tale."
All the young prodigies stood up.
Ye Feng looked toward Miaoyin Fairy.
Indeed, she was beautiful, with a unique temperament. Just in terms of appearance, she was the most beautiful person Ye Feng had ever seen.
But, Ye Feng was not interested.
"It’s actually Miaoyin Fairy. The Miaoyin Square behind her is a top-tier hegemon-level power with a legendary Dao Venerable realm ancestor; we can’t afford to provoke them!"
Lin Daotong said in a deep voice.
Tian Qi also wore a grave expression.
The City Lord of Soaring Sky City is at the Dao Monarch peak, already quite powerful. However, Miaoyin Square’s ancestor is at an even higher level of Dao Venerable realm, among the top-tier few in Yunzhou, immensely powerful.
There are over a hundred hegemon-level powers like Soaring Sky City with Dao Monarch peaks in Yunzhou.
But, top-tier hegemon powers like Miaoyin Square, with a Dao Venerable ancestor sitting in town, number only ten.
These are the ten top-tier hegemon forces of Yunzhou.
"Miaoyin Fairy, what brings you here?" Young City Lord Fei Hong was very surprised, quickly coming forward with Zhou Yan and others to greet her, showing respect.
"I heard that your Soaring Sky City is holding a grand event, so how could I not come to take a look? Also, it seems there’s a treasure emerging from the event, involving the tomb of a Dao Venerable ancestor, which I’m quite interested in."
Miaoyin Fairy said slowly.
These words caused a sensational uproar.
"What?"
"The tomb of a Dao Venerable ancestor?"
The breaths of all the prodigies became rapid. If it were just a Dao Monarch realm tomb, they wouldn’t be so excited since their ancestral figures were also of the Dao Monarch level, without lack of Dao Monarch Divine Skills.
But a Dao Venerable was different.
Let alone them, even hegemon-levels at the Dao Monarch realm would be very interested and compete for it.
Miaoyin Fairy spoke slowly:
"This Dao Venerable ancestor hails from Haizhou, originally known as Annihilation Dao Venerable. He was a half-step Dao Venerable back then, and after honing himself in Yunzhou, Tianzhou, Qingzhou, and other places, he successfully broke through to the Dao Venerable realm. However, it seems he was heavily injured and fell, returning to his hometown in Haizhou, leaving behind a tomb."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Zhou Yan.
Few people came from Haizhou, and Zhou Yan happened to be one of their representatives, instantly becoming the focus.
"I’m aware of Annihilation Dao Venerable. My father, the Chaos Dao Sect Sect Master, seemed to have faced him back when he was still a half-step Dao Venerable, and they ended in a draw."
Zhou Yan replied calmly.
"Chaos Dao Sect Sect Master, Zhou Jian?" Miaoyin Fairy looked at Zhou Yan. "So, you are the son of the Chaos Dao Sect Sect Master. It’s said that the Chaos Dao Sect Sect Master Zhou Jian has the appearance of a Dao Venerable. If he can gain opportunities from Annihilation Dao Venerable’s tomb, he might break through to a Dao Venerable."
"Hopefully!" Zhou Yan’s breathing became rapid, eager to lay claim to Annihilation Dao Venerable’s tomb.
If there were gains, his father could break through the realm.
"Miaoyin Fairy, how did you know Annihilation Dao Venerable left behind a tomb in Haizhou?"
Young City Lord Fei Hong inquired.
Others also wore faces full of curiosity.
Miaoyin Fairy replied, "Because, in this auction, there will be a treasure up for bidding, related to Annihilation Dao Venerable’s tomb. You all know, our Miaoyin Square is incredibly well-informed, hence we know the inside story."
"Why tell us?" Fei Hong asked.
"I want to ask you all to do me a favor by not competing with me for that treasure," Miaoyin Fairy said with dominating intent.
Upon hearing this, the corners of everyone’s mouths twitched.
It turned out Miaoyin Fairy came over to ask them not to participate in the bidding for that treasure, so she would have a high chance of obtaining it. Once Annihilation Dao Venerable’s tomb opens, she could enter and gain the opportunities within.
Well calculated!
Everyone thought in their hearts.
It’s an opportunity to advance to Dao Venerable. Why should it be given to Miaoyin Fairy?
Some were discontent but dared not speak.
After all, Miaoyin Fairy backed by a strong network.
"Gentlemen, farewell." Miaoyin Fairy cupped her hands and departed.
Everyone looked at each other in dismay.
"Bah, so domineering, relying on her Dao Venerable ancestor’s backing to threaten us not to participate in the bidding related to Annihilation Dao Venerable’s tomb relics. Shameful!"
Someone was full of disdain.
Thump, thump, thump!
A heavy footstep approached, and the person speaking thought Miaoyin Fairy had returned to punish him for badmouthing her, looking toward the gate with a miserable face.
But this time, it wasn’t Miaoyin Fairy.
It was a man in armor, with the words "Shenque" written in the middle of his helmet.
"It’s the Shenque City’s Young City Lord!"
"Heavens, why is he here too?"
Everyone’s eyes were sharp, recognizing the newcomer.
Shenque City and Miaoyin Square are equally famed, both among Yunzhou’s ten top-tier hegemon forces. Their ancestor is also a super powerhouse at the Dao Venerable realm.
The Young City Lord is one of the direct descendants of that ancestor, with a thick bloodline relationship and strong ties.
"I came to tell everyone, regarding the bidding for Annihilation Dao Venerable’s relic, it would be best not to participate to avoid breaking harmony, alright?"
After saying this, the Young City Lord of Shenque City left.
From beginning to end, he didn’t look directly at anyone present, full of arrogance.
In the seats.
Ye Feng sipped tea calmly, his expression serene.
However, Fei Hong, Zhou Yan, Tian Qi, Lin Daotong, and other young prodigies all had faces of resentment.
"Arrogant, too arrogant!"
Everyone was grinding their teeth in hatred. In terms of talent, they might not be inferior to Miaoyin Fairy or the Young City Lord of Shenque City, but, unfortunately, their backing was too solid.
They can’t compete, they really can’t compete!
[PS: This Chapter word count 4100+, good morning!]