Chapter 602: Bet

Judging by the middle-aged scholar's attire and demeanor, he clearly came from a significant background. An ordinary Qi Refining cultivator would never dare to confront a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Wang Qingshan pondered for a moment, then said to Wang Tianwen, "Since he has already paid, that classic now belongs to him. Look for other classics and buy a few more instead!"

"Seventh Elder Uncle, but that..." Wang Tianwen said hesitantly.

Wang Tianwen was still unwilling, determined to acquire the classic.

Wang Qingshan's brow furrowed as he intensified his tone, "Did you not hear what I said clearly?"

Wang Qingshan held significant prestige among the younger generation, and Wang Tianwen dared not defy his wishes. He nodded reluctantly.

Upon returning to their residence, Wang Qingshan gathered all the clansmen before him. He spoke sternly, "There's always someone stronger, and dangers beyond your imagination. It's good that our family has a Core Formation cultivator overseeing us, but that doesn't mean you can act recklessly. Take today's incident: once someone pays spirit stones for a classic, it belongs to them. Don't talk about first-come, first-served; it's yours only when you've paid for it. We may have a background, but how do you know others don't? If you accidentally provoke someone powerful, you'll have nowhere to turn for help. Tianwen, you almost got into a fight with an outsider over a classic, making us a laughingstock. Upon our return, you will be confined to your residence for half a year as a warning to others."

This matter was neither major nor minor. Honestly, Wang Tianwen was in the wrong. If the other party had been a rogue cultivator, wouldn't it have given the impression that the Wang family was abusing its power? If he dared to compete for a classic today, perhaps tomorrow he would dare to bully men and women. Such a tendency must not be allowed to grow.

"Yes, Seventh Uncle," Wang Tianwen and the others replied in unison.

In the following days, Wang Qingshan frequently exchanged insights on cultivation methods with other Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators participating in the Discourse Assembly came from all corners of the world. Their combat techniques varied greatly, and some left Wang Qingshan in awe, broadening his horizons considerably.

What interested Wang Qingshan the most was a group of Confucian cultivators from the Central Plains cultivation world. They either discussed the government affairs of the Beast-Controlling Kingdom or composed poetry, not appearing like cultivators at all.

Wang Tianwen was very interested in these discussions and attended them daily as an observer. Wang Qingshan assigned two clansmen to keep a close eye on Wang Tianwen, to prevent him from causing more trouble.

Han Yuexin seemed to have given up, no longer disturbing Wang Qingshan.

Five days later, the Discourse Assembly commenced at Bluestone Plaza.

The Discourse Assembly was divided into two parts. The first segment involved discussions on cultivation and Daoist techniques, with no cultivation level restrictions. Any cultivator could step forward and share their understanding of the Dao.

Wang Qingshan did not go on stage to speak. The Confucian cultivators from the Central Plains eagerly stepped forward, advocating for the Eastern Barren cultivation world to adopt benevolent rule and establish a harmonious world.

Wang Qingshan disagreed with the views of these Confucian cultivators. Their advocacy for benevolent rule was essentially about serving the imperial family, but the imperial family of the Eastern Barren was merely a puppet. Wang Qingshan had no respect for imperial power, much less a desire to serve it.

Having been nurtured by his family, he only served his family's interests.

Discussions on Daoist techniques alone took three days.

After discussing Daoist techniques, practical combat began.

According to previous announcements, the first-place winner would receive a talisman treasure. However, Chongyang Academy suddenly released a surprising new announcement: the top winner would now receive two Core Formation spiritual items. Furthermore, participants had to sign a life-and-death waiver, accepting their fate.

"Core Formation spiritual items?"

Wang Qingshan's heart stirred. He had already overcome his bottleneck, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, it was only a matter of time before he cultivated to the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment.

He pondered for a long while and still decided to participate in the competition.

With his cultivation at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, and the assistance of his puppet beasts and spirit beasts, he believed that even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't be killed.

Upon learning that the first-place prize was two Core Formation spiritual items, many Foundation Establishment cultivators signed up for the competition.

Over three hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators participated, drawing lots for one-on-one matches, with winners advancing to the next round.

Wang Qingshan drew lot number 130, meaning a long wait for his turn, but it also gave him the opportunity to observe other cultivators' combat.

Bluestone Plaza had fifteen arenas, allowing fifteen matches to take place simultaneously, eliminating fifteen participants at a time.

The duels were fierce. Although Chongyang Academy had instructed participants to stop before causing serious harm, they had underestimated the allure of Core Formation spiritual items to Foundation Establishment cultivators.

At first, things were manageable, and participants could stop just in time. However, as time passed, casualties began to occur: three Foundation Establishment cultivators died on the arenas, and five were crippled.

On the main platform, Xu Zilin and several other Core Formation cultivators sat on jade chairs, watching the Foundation Establishment cultivators' duels.

Chongyang Academy had a good relationship with Taiyi Immortal Sect, which dispatched Leng Rumei to lead a group of participants for this Discourse Assembly.

Initially, Leng Rumei thought it would just be a formality. She only brought two elite disciples, assuming it would be no problem to enter the top ten.

Qianji Sect sent Daoist Ziyang to participate, who brought over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators with him.

Xu Zilin did not hide anything from Leng Rumei and Daoist Ziyang; he informed them both of Princess Yong'an's proposal.

As it concerned the reputation of the Eastern Barren cultivation world, Leng Rumei and Daoist Ziyang took it very seriously. The top spot in this competition absolutely could not be claimed by a Central Plains cultivator.

"Fellow Daoists," Princess Yong'an began, "Since we're just idling, why don't we make a wager? Let's bet on whether the top spot will go to an Eastern Barren cultivator or a Central Plains cultivator. I'll put this piece of Golden Glass Jade as my stake, and I'm betting on a Central Plains cultivator."

As Princess Yong'an spoke, she took out a clear, golden jade stone.

A wide smile was on her face, exuding an air of absolute confidence, though it was unclear what fueled such assurance.

"Since Princess Yong'an is so inclined," Leng Rumei said with a charming smile, "as hosts, we will certainly accompany you to the end. I will use this low-grade third-tier inner core of a Jade-Eyed Ice Python as my stake, and I bet on an Eastern Barren cultivator."

Leng Rumei smiled gracefully and took out a green wooden box.

Xu Zilin and Daoist Ziyang each took out a third-tier material as their stake, naturally betting on an Eastern Barren cultivator taking the top prize.

As time passed, some emerged victorious, others were defeated; some were killed, and others crippled.

Five Foundation Establishment cultivators' performances were particularly eye-catching. One, a medium-built, dark-skinned middle-aged man, simultaneously controlled ten second-tier puppet beasts. These ten puppet beasts released spells at the same time, overwhelming his opponent, who quickly succumbed.

A tall, slender young man in a green robe displayed remarkable proficiency in Five Element spells. Many of his intermediate-level spells had reached grand completion, allowing him to cast them instantly and quickly defeat his enemies.

A graceful young woman in a green dress, holding a lotus lantern artifact, released a large array of pink petals to attack her opponent. These seemingly soft petals were incredibly sharp, effortlessly piercing her opponent's defenses and securing her victory.

A blue-robed scholar in his early thirties, holding a golden talisman brush, drew in the air. Birds and fierce beasts materialized, endlessly pouncing on his opponent, who could not hold out much longer and automatically conceded.

The most striking was a red-robed young man. He carried a long saber on his back, but during combat, he never summoned an artifact. Instead, his palms continuously unleashed fierce red saber qi, effortlessly cutting down his opponents.

Wang Qingshan secretly noted the divine abilities of these five individuals. The red-robed young man, in particular, was definitely a formidable opponent.