Coming-of-Age Banquet and Exchange Gathering

A month was neither long nor short, and it passed in the blink of an eye.

Yuan Zifeng and Yuan Yan'er slowly emerged from the Divine Son Palace's main hall, their bodies utterly exhausted.

For the past month, Yuan Zhexian had enjoyed himself playing with Yuan Zifeng and Yuan Yan'er in the Red Lotus Space. Of course, the one enjoying himself was Yuan Zhexian.

Though Yuan Zifeng and Yuan Yan'er had suffered physical and mental torment throughout the month and were still exhausted, their strength had improved. Yuan Zifeng was now at the sixth stage of the Dao Body Realm, and Yuan Yan'er was at the third.

Seated high in the main hall, Yuan Zhexian watched the exhausted pair leave and muttered to himself, "Even if other people paid me, I still wouldn't be willing to train them. Zifeng and Yan'er really don't know how blessed they are. Opening the Red Lotus Space costs so much spiritual power. Every time I open it, I have to eat a bottle or two of Holy Spirit Pills and drink a pot or two of Rootless Water to replenish it."

If anyone had heard Yuan Zhexian say that, they probably would have wanted to cut him into a thousand pieces. Holy Spirit Pills and Rootless Water were supreme sacred pills and sacred water for replenishing spiritual power. Ordinarily, even the great figures or supreme existences of immortal imperial clans and dynasties only used one when they could no longer bear to hold back, at a critical moment or when their spiritual power ran dry in battle. This guy went through several bottles and pots at the drop of a hat. If people found out, it would be a wonder if they didn't flay him.

To the two of them, the Red Lotus Space was terrifying, but to cultivators, it was a bug.

Though it could rapidly increase a cultivator's cultivation in the early stages, the physical and mental torment was terrifying too. The further a cultivator advanced, the longer cultivation took. It was common for a single minor stage to take years or even decades to advance.

As for the Saint realm, it was absolutely impossible to break through before the age of a hundred. So after they finished in the Red Lotus Space today, Yuan Zhexian told the two of them to get some proper rest, because his coming-of-age ceremony would begin in three days...

Three days later, at the Yuan Clan in Great Origin Heaven.

Whoosh... A massive warship appeared above the Yuan Clan. It belonged to the Ancient Origin Holy Land of Grand Commencement Heaven. Legend had it that their ancestor had created the Divine Origin Scripture, renowned throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.

Most of the Origin Divine Stone in the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands now came from their holy land. Origin masters were people most in the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands were unwilling to offend. They could use Origin Arts to discover Origin Divine Stone, which contained Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and could be used for cultivation. Supreme-grade Origin Divine Stone could even prolong one's lifespan, making it utterly irresistible to lineage ancestors or holy land ancestors whose lives were nearing their end.

They could even start large-scale wars over supreme-grade Origin Divine Stone. After all, an ancestor was unquestionably the most vital foundation of an imperial clan, dynasty, or holy land, so they would preserve their ancestor's lifespan no matter the cost.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... Another group appeared in the sky. The old man at their head had a terrifying, extraordinarily powerful presence, and a group of young people followed behind him.

"That's... the Primordial Holy Land of Primordial Heaven. The one at the front is a supreme clan elder of the Primordial Holy Land, and the one following behind is the Primordial Holy Son. Rumor has it that, like his ancestor, he has the Primordial God King Body. His combat prowess is unparalleled, and he's invincible among those of the same rank. It's a physique ranked in the top twenty."

Caw. Caw... The earthshaking cries of a massive Three-Legged Golden Crow rang across the sky above the Yuan Clan, and a blazing sun descended from above. As an immortal dynasty of Great Origin Heaven, the Sun Imperial Dynasty was certain to attend the Yuan Clan's divine son's coming-of-age ceremony. Their delegation was led by a Sacred Sovereign from one of the dynasty's past eras, now a supreme imperial elder. Crown Prince Zhenyang and the dynasty's other princes and princesses followed behind him.

Hum, hum, hum. A massive divine sword descended from the sky, with over a dozen men and women, old and young, standing upon it. They were the delegation from the Mythic Sword Sect of Grand Commencement Heaven. Their leader was an ancestor of the Sword Sect and a peerless monster from countless epochs ago. In his own era, his combat prowess had been unparalleled, and he had been invincible among those of the same rank. Behind him followed the Sword Sect's sword son. Fierce Sword Qi surrounded him, and his powerful sword force radiated outward, like a sharp blade poised to strike at any moment.

Whoosh... A huge auspicious cloud also appeared above the Yuan Clan. An old man and several young people stood atop it.

Someone pointed at the cloud and said, "Look, that's Dao Wudao, the Dao son of the Highest Purity Sect. I heard he dueled the Sword Sect's sword son a few years ago. The first time, he beat the sword son by a single move, but a year later, he lost to him within a thousand moves. He heard the Sword Sect's sword son was attending the Yuan Clan divine son's coming-of-age ceremony, so he came too. I'd say he's most likely here for the sword son."

Another enormous rumble sounded. A massive warship appeared in the sky, bearing a conspicuous banner with the character Ji emblazoned on it. A middle-aged man stood at the front, followed by a group of young people.

Someone in the crowd pointed at the Ji Family's warship and said, "I heard the Ji Family's patriarch came in person to the Yuan Clan divine son's coming-of-age ceremony. Even the Ji Family's divine son and their ranked heirs came."

A faint smile appeared on Ji Tianming's face as he looked down at the Yuan Clan. Smiling, he said, "This day has finally come. Yuan Changsheng! Aside from your son, the Yuan Clan's divine son, your clan's ranked heirs have all been defeated by my son. I firmly believe Jingtian will defeat your son too. This time, I'll make you lose all face at your son's coming-of-age ceremony." He then glanced back at Ji Jingtian and smiled smugly.

Just then, both the arrivals and those already present stopped talking and looked up as two massive exotic beasts descended from the sky.

"Those are...? The Tai'a Lineage's Golden Divine Crocodile from Grand A Heaven and the Heaven-Swallowing Beast from Grand Jade Heaven."

The two great lineages arrived at the same time. The Tai'a Lineage and the Yu Clan stood below the taboo lineages but above the immortal imperial clans, so everyone present took their arrival very seriously, like people of low standing receiving important figures.

For the Yu Clan, the patriarch and fifth ancestor had brought the clan matriarch, the divine son Yu Chenfeng, the divine daughter Yu Muyao, and the younger generation to attend Yuan Zhexian's coming-of-age ceremony.

It was the same for the Tai'e Family. Its fifth ancestor, patriarch, and matriarch brought the younger generation to attend Yuan Zhexian's coming-of-age ceremony. The only one missing was Tai'a Qingcheng, who was still in seclusion and unable to attend.

Then the Wang Family patriarch of Grand Sovereign Heaven arrived with his son Wang Teng and the Wang Family's younger generation.

The Holy Lord of the Jade Pool Holy Land also personally brought the younger generation to attend Yuan Zhexian's coming-of-age ceremony.

The ancient Su Lineage of Great Origin Heaven.

The Immortal Ancient Chen Family of Grand Dawn Heaven.

The Immortal Ancient Myriad Spirits Mountain of Grand Firmament Heaven.

Several figures flew out from the Yuan Clan's grounds. At their head was Yuan Zhexian's grandfather, Yuan Xun, a supreme clan elder of the Yuan Clan, accompanied by several other supreme clan elders. Yuan Xun smiled at everyone who had come for the ceremony and said, "Thank you all for attending my grandson's coming-of-age ceremony. The banquet has yet to begin, so please take your seats in the banquet hall."

Everyone replied courteously, "Supreme Elder Yuan Xun, you are too polite. We are deeply honored to attend the coming-of-age ceremony of the taboo Yuan Clan's divine son."

After a further exchange of pleasantries, the Yuan Clan's servants led everyone to their seats. The guests were astonished by the Yuan Clan's vast wealth. The delicacies had been made from rare treasures and exotic beasts, some of which they had only heard of and never seen.

There were also all kinds of heavenly wines and jade-like nectars, made from precious spiritual fruits of heaven and earth. Elsewhere, even immortal imperial clans and dynasties ordinarily couldn't bear to squander such things, yet the Yuan Clan could lay them out for a grand banquet. As expected of a lineage that had existed since before the heavens were opened, its foundations truly ran deep.

By now, nearly everyone had arrived. The Yuan Clan patriarch and matriarch then appeared. As the guests looked at them, two people among those seated wore markedly different expressions.

The Ji Family patriarch's face suddenly displayed a wealth of expressions as he looked at his old rival: alarm, resentment, anger, and, in the end, even a hint of smugness. The Jade Pool Holy Lord looked at Yu Lingqing beside Yuan Changsheng, her beautiful face showing sorrow, grievance, and unwillingness. When she looked at Yuan Changsheng again, she let out a long sigh. "Ah..."

Bai Lingxi, who was beside her, asked the sighing Jade Pool Holy Lord, "Master, what's wrong?" The Jade Pool Holy Lord composed herself and said, "Nothing. I just remembered a few things from the past. It's nothing..."

Yuan Changsheng smiled at the seated guests and said, "Welcome, everyone, and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my son's coming-of-age ceremony. I hope you all enjoy the food and drink to your hearts' content at today's banquet." He then looked toward the banquet hall's doors and said, "Zhexian, it's time for you to appear."

A man with a perfect figure, perfect looks, and perfect bearing slowly walked toward the banquet's ceremonial platform.

Watching Yuan Zhexian enter the banquet hall, a holy maiden from a holy land involuntarily exclaimed, "Wow! Such a perfect man can hardly belong to this mortal world. He must be someone from the heavens. Is he the one they mean when they speak of a young master without equal under heaven?"

Many other girls from imperial clans, dynasties, and holy lands also gazed at Yuan Zhexian with lovestruck expressions, thinking how wonderful it would be if they could have him.

One uninhibited girl even shouted, "Yuan Clan divine son, I want to have your monkey babies!" She then fainted from excitement. The elder accompanying her saw this, grabbed her, and left the banquet in an instant. It was so damn embarrassing...

The Yu Clan patriarch said to the matriarch, "Xin'er, this nephew of ours is impossibly handsome. He's also first on the Eternal Rankings. His looks, family background, and strength are all beyond reproach. How about we betroth our clan's proud daughter of heaven to him?"

The Yu Clan matriarch raised a hand and knocked him on the head. "Have you gone mad?" she said angrily. "Don't we only have one proud daughter of heaven? What, do you want a marriage between close relatives? If my younger sister finds out, you might get more than a knock on the head. It'd be a wonder if she didn't beat you to death. Besides, don't you know Muyao's sweetheart is Yuan Ruochu?"

The Yu Clan patriarch covered his head and said, "Xin'er, there are lots of people here. Give me some face. I'm the Yu Clan patriarch, after all. Besides, I was only joking."

"A joke... Fine. Don't get into my bed tonight..."

Meanwhile, the Tai'e Family patriarch said to the matriarch, "My lady, the more I look at Yuan Zhexian, the more I like him. I feel that only our Qingcheng is worthy of a man like him. It's a pity Qingcheng has been in seclusion for years and hasn't come out. She couldn't attend this coming-of-age ceremony."

The Tai'a matriarch smiled and said, "There's no rush. In any case, the fifth ancestor and the Yuan Clan's ninth ancestor have already arranged the engagement. They'll marry sooner or later. Once Qingcheng comes out of seclusion, we'll let the two children meet."

By then, Yuan Zhexian had reached the ceremonial platform. Smiling, he said, "Zhexian welcomes all the elders, seniors, and the younger generation's geniuses and monsters to my coming-of-age ceremony. Please help yourselves to today's delicacies. Let the banquet begin." With that, he withdrew and sat down beside Yuan Changsheng.

After the banquet began, the Highest Purity Sect's Dao son stood and raised his cup. "Everyone, I have an imperfect suggestion. I wonder if I should voice it? Today is the Yuan Clan divine son's coming-of-age ceremony. First, let me offer my congratulations to the divine son on behalf of the Highest Purity Sect."

He nodded slightly to Yuan Zhexian, raised his cup, and drained it. Seeing Dao Wudao finish his drink, Yuan Zhexian smiled, returned the courtesy, and drained his own cup. "Second, since the geniuses and monsters of the great imperial clans, dynasties, and holy lands are all present, why don't we take this opportunity to exchange ideas and spar with one another?"

Everyone voiced their agreement. "Dao Son Wudao, those words are just what I wanted to hear. Since we're all here, why not have an exchange?"

Yuan Zhexian stood and smiled at everyone. "Since you've all agreed, I have no objections. Please do as you wish." With that, he sat down and quietly watched everyone perform.

Dao Wudao spoke again. "Since I was the one who made the suggestion, Sword Son, how about another spar between the two of us?"

Here it comes!

Just as I said, Dao Wudao must have come for the sword son. After all, each of them suffered one defeat in their two duels, and both have innate physiques. They have to settle the score.

The Sword Sect's sword son slowly stood. "Brother Dao, since you're so eager, it would be rude of me to refuse."

The two of them then went to the empty space in the middle. The Sword Sect's sword son spoke first. "After you, Brother Dao."

Dao Wudao's power surged first, and Innate Dao Qi spread over his entire body. Golden light flickered around him, so dazzling that the people nearby couldn't keep their eyes open.

He gathered power in both hands and threw a punch at the Sword Sect's sword son. Unhurried, the sword son formed a sword with two fingers and pointed them at the punch. Fist and fingers met, and the two men's power continued to surge. Fist and fingers faced each other like needle against needle, neither gaining the upper hand.

As the two continued to pour in spiritual power, an intensely powerful light flashed where fist and fingers met, followed by a powerful current of air. Yuan Changsheng waved his hand, and a faint, transparent rectangular barrier enclosed the two of them. The powerful current struck the barrier and vanished without a trace.

After the flash of light, both men retreated ten steps. The Innate Dao Body was a physique naturally close to the Great Dao. Its understanding of the Dao and every aspect of its body differed from ordinary people's, and its physical strength gave it unparalleled combat prowess. The Innate Sword Physique was born for the Dao of the sword. Sword Dao attacks ranked among the very best of all Dao arts, with immense offensive power, becoming even more terrifying upon reaching great completion.

The unparalleled Sword Dao could nearly cleave the heavens and cut down all things. One had an unparalleled body, the other tremendous offensive power, and in the end neither gained the upper hand.

Dao Wudao then said, "Brother Sword, after my last defeat, I learned that you'd had a fortuitous encounter. But during my year and more in seclusion, I absorbed another portion of the Nine-Turn Golden Pill. My Dao arts and strength have both improved considerably. That's why I have the confidence to fight you again. I hope you won't disappoint me, Brother Sword."

He wasted no more words. Dao Wudao formed seals with both hands, and countless Dao rhythms appeared around his body, circling him. His power grew extraordinarily strong. When he finished forming the seals, the Innate Dao Qi covering his body slowly began to adhere to the Dao rhythms. The Dao rhythms, now coated in Innate Dao Qi, transformed into a golden lotus of the Great Dao. Sending out waves of the Great Dao's rhythm and the Power of the Great Dao, it flew toward the Sword Sect's sword son.

The spectators exclaimed in surprise, "That's the Supreme Scripture, also known as the Great Dao Scripture. That golden lotus is the proof. As they say, the Great Dao takes form as a golden lotus. Only the power of the Great Dao can create a golden lotus, and with Innate Dao Qi added to it, it's even more terrifying. I wonder how the Sword Sect's sword son will deal with this move."