Abbotess Yang glanced at Yang Gehu and then back to her allies on the council. Five hundred kilograms of orange spiritual crystal was not a small amount but it was also not exorbitant. It wasn't too difficult for a Spirit King of Yang Mengshi's stature but it was still a headache for a Spirit Lord like Yang Gehu. The young master of the Yang Clan had already expended most of his wealth for the Gift Duel and another wager on top would require assistance from others like the abbotess.
After a short bout of secret conversations, Abbotess Yang nodded to Long Yifei, "We'll do it. If Yang Gehu wins the Noble Acolyte Duel, he does not have to pay and he also won't have to be banished."
"And if my acolyte, Chen Wentian, wins, Yang Gehu will have to pay us five hundred kilograms of orange spiritual crystal and he will still be banished for a hundred years." Long Yifei said.
"Agreed." Abbotess Yang said stiffly.
"Agreed." Long Yifei replied.
"Good, good!" Li Shishi clapped her hands, almost genuinely happy, "This is what the Gift Giving Ceremony is about, gentle ladies and noble men putting their honor on the line for the sake of their convictions. Isn't that right, everyone? Let's give them some encouragement!"
Applause once again swept over the grand banquet hall. It was difficult not to be excited as the wager was large enough to make it interesting.
Long Yifei returned to Chen Wentian's side to give him an encouraging hug. She had done her part and now it was his turn once again. She silently wondered how many more times she would have to rely on him and when she could finally repay him.
Chen Wentian eyed his opponent out of the corner of his eye, gathering energy for the duel. He had chosen the wager amount carefully. It was right at the limit of what the Yang Clan could accept. Even for a clan with what seemed like limitless power and resources, it wasn't an inconsequential amount.
It wasn't just about saving Long Yifei, he also wanted the money. The amount was equivalent to five kilograms of yellow spiritual crystal or five billion taels of gold. It was more money than he had ever owned before. It would fully replenish his wallet which had been devastated by Long Yifei's gifts that cost over two kilograms of yellow spiritual crystal in total.
"The Noble Acolyte Duel will soon commence. The arena has been prepared. Duelists, are you ready?" Li Shishi's voice rang out.
Chen Wentian glanced upward. The arched ceiling of the banquet hall now held a spherical spiritual array around a hundred meters in diameter. It was their stage, enclosed with a shield that prevented any attacks within from leaking out.
"I am ready." Yang Gehu declared, already brimming with energy.
"I am ready." Chen Wentian said.
Li Shishi nodded, "Let me repeat the rules. This is a noble duel. Killing, maiming the face, and severing limbs are all forbidden. You will automatically lose if you do so. Within the arena, no one may assist you but you may use whatever resources already at your disposal. Whoever surrenders or is knocked unconscious first is the loser. Understand?"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Good, take your spots and enter the arena!"
Under the watchful eye of Sacred Daughters, acolytes, and senior members of the Virtuous Order, Chen Wentian and Yang Gehu flew to opposing sides of the sphere and entered small openings. Passing the shield was like passing through a thick bog. Nothing below the Spirit King Realm could possibly escape it. Only a bit of their immortal aura could leak out but not much else.
The two men faced each other silently at a distance of fifty meters and bowed slightly to each other. This wasn't a beastly brawl. This was a duel between noble men and thus there were certain etiquettes.
Yang Gehu acted first, remaining in place but letting his spiritual aura free until it quickly ramped up full power. Spiritual energy with the attribute of water rolled off his body in great waves. The color was clear with only a slight tinge of blue like the sky. Where it bunched together at the crest of waves, the color deepened into an ocean blue. True to his moniker, he was an excellent cultivator of waves and water.
Chen Wentian followed, unleashing his searing aura. His flames were the bluest of blue, deep and profound, not dark or light. His flames were calm yet filled with wild power. Even those that understood or practiced flame arts couldn't quite grasp the source of his flames, his true Dao.
The two immortal auras clashed together, forming a clear line of separation near the middle. But to the audience's surprise, Chen Wentian was slightly superior, pushing into Yang Gehu's side.
"7th Stage of Spiritual Strengthening!" Someone exclaimed.
It was indeed the difference between stages of spiritual strengthening, something that was difficult to gauge without actually exchanging blows. Yang Gehu was known to be at the 6th stage so Chen Wentian had to be slightly higher at the 7th stage.
The only ones who didn't seem surprised seemed to be Long Yifei and Li Shishi. It was natural for Long Yifei to know and since Li Shishi already knew so much, it didn't go against reason either.
"How is this possible?" Abbotess Yang shot Abbotess Li a furious glare, "You lied about his strength!"
"I lied?" Li Shishi covered her mouth with her hand and laughed mockingly, "Don't blame me. Blame those useless people in Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent."
All of the abbotesses were aware of Chen Wentian's background. The records of the Immortal Association within the Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent clearly stated that Chen Wentian had become a Spirit Lord not even three years ago. It was impossible for him to already be at the 7th stage of spiritual strengthening unless the records were completely wrong.
"Then, his age is probably also a lie." Abbotess Yang hissed angrily, "Fifty my ass. He should be at least a hundred. He probably hid himself away in a cave to cultivate for several decades before contacting the Immortal Association. What a despicable person!"
In the Martial Brilliance Continent, a cultivator with the utmost talent could reach the Spirit Lord Realm in their early forties. Yang Gehu had achieved at the age of forty-two which was considered very good. His cultivation at the 6th Stage of Spiritual Strengthening was also good for his current age which was approaching seventy.
They all simply couldn't believe that Chen Wentian was as young as fifty. Even if the records of the Immortal Association stated that, they couldn't accept it. Even as he displayed his powerful aura at the peak stage of spiritual strengthening, there was still no way they would take him seriously.
"Heh, you're better than I expected." Chen Wentian said to Yang Gehu while increasing his flames even more, "How many sacred daughters did you already go through? Do you think you are worthy of my Fei'er?"
"Cheh!" Yang Gehu hissed through gritted teeth. He was struggling to not lose face in front of everyone but it was proving more and more difficult by the second, "It probably took you over a hundred years to even reach my stage. But I have to say, your physical masking abilities are quite good, you almost fooled me!"
"All I hear are excuses. Regardless, I am still stronger than you so why don't you give up?" Chen Wentian asked, piling on the pressure, forcing Yang Gehu to take a step backward.
Yang Gehu cursed, "I've had enough of your blind arrogance! Take this!"
There was a flash of energy. A towering glaive appeared in the air and dropped into Yang Gehu's outstretched hand. In an instant, his spiritual aura which had been previously suppressed surged to dominance like a great wave crashing against the shore.
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