novelraw Chapter 31 – Victory and defeat
Chapter 31 – Victory and defeat
Zhang Yao was surprised, but he didn't panic. Instead, he wore an expression of confidence.
Puff—
Boom!
Three gusts of Gale Wind approached, but Zhang Yao remained calm. He raised his hands, instantly conjuring a half-human-height Fire Pillar.
The Gale Wind attacks entered the pillar, which shook briefly before burning even more fiercely.
"Hahaha!"
Zhang Yao laughed and said, "Young Yang, I admit your wind technique is impressive, but do you know the principle of wind fueling fire? The outcome of this duel was actually decided from the start."
Zhang Tianqi also looked pleased with the situation, but when he glanced at Yang Guanfeng, he found him conversing with another Yang Clan child.
His expression remained calm, as if he wasn't worried about Yang Lingrui losing at all.
"Hmph, pretending to be calm won't help. If you lose and refuse to admit it, you'll suffer the consequences!" Zhang Tianqi thought.
"Linghu, what would you do in this situation?" Yang Guanfeng asked, slightly turning his head.
"Ancestor, if it were me, upon seeing the opponent use fire techniques, I would approach as quickly as possible, willing to exchange injury for a quick victory," Yang Linghu whispered.
"Hmm, that's a good strategy. But what if it wasn't a one-on-one duel like this, and you encountered them in the wild?"
"In the wild?"
Yang Linghu was momentarily stunned, then a sly look appeared in his eyes.
"Then, of course, I'd run first, using my own advantages to create distance and hide, waiting for the opponent to let their guard down before launching a surprise attack!"
"Hehe, exactly. When you're out and about, you have to be sharp."
With that, the two of them looked back at the scene.
At this moment, a strange scene was unfolding between the two combatants.
Zhang Yao controlled the Fire Pillar, while Yang Lingrui, as if having lost his mind, kept sending Gale Wind into it.
The Fire Pillar, originally half a person's height, had now grown taller than him.
"Is that Yang kid from the Yang Clan out of his mind? He knows he's just making a wedding dress for someone else, yet he's still going at it like a madman," Zhang Chen said, speechless. But when he looked at Zhang Tianqi, he was surprised to find the patriarch frowning.
"Hmm?"
He suddenly sensed something was off. Looking closely at Zhang Yao, he noticed that Zhang Yao was already drenched in sweat.
With Yang Lingrui's continuous attacks, the Fire Pillar's growth became more and more ferocious, and it was about to reach a height of three meters!
"This!"
Zhang Chen finally realized that the young cultivator from the Yang Clan intended to "overwhelm" Zhang Yao!
The Fire Pillar indeed had the ability to absorb spell techniques, especially wind techniques, which not only could be absorbed but also could enhance itself.
However, Zhang Yao was only at the Qi Condensation Second Layer, and the Fire Pillar's current size had long exceeded his control limit.
"Damn it!"
In the arena, Zhang Yao gritted his teeth, desperately trying to maintain the Fire Pillar's stability.
He cursed inwardly, puzzled.
"Does this kid have endless spiritual power? How is he doing it?"
Originally, if it were a normal duel, he was confident he could gain the upper hand, though it would take some time.
Thinking he could persuade the opponent to back down, he summoned the Fire Pillar, believing it was a sure win, but he found himself in a predicament.
Due to excessive expansion, the Fire Pillar was nearly out of control. Whether it exploded or was forcibly removed, it would cause him severe injury.
Now, his only hope was to pray that Yang Lingrui would exhaust his spiritual power first.
However, when he looked at the opponent, the howling Gale Wind was indeed not as fierce as it was at the start, but there was still some distance before the opponent's spiritual power would be depleted.
Looking at himself again, his muscles were trembling, and his consciousness was becoming a bit blurry.
In the eyes of the spectators, Zhang Yao's defeat was only a matter of time, yet he himself was unwilling to give up and continued to hold on.
Zhang Tianqi frowned deeply, his expression very unpleasant. He had thought the mineral rights were within reach, but he hadn't expected this turn of events.
"Uncle, Brother Yao seems to be unable to hold on..."
Zhang Chen stood beside him, full of worry on his face, but in his heart, he was gloating over Zhang Yao's misfortune.
"Serves you right for not letting me go. Now you've lost? Serves you right!"
Zhang Tianqi ignored him, only casting a deep glance at Yang Guanfeng before his figure flickered, appearing beside Zhang Yao.
He reached out and grabbed the fiercely burning Fire Pillar, extinguishing it like snuffing out a small flame.
At the same time, Yang Guanfeng also landed in the arena, placing a hand on his shoulder, dispersing all the Gale Wind from his body.
"Father, I haven't lost yet!"
Zhang Yao, seeing this, became anxious and quickly spoke up.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, Zhang Tianqi stopped him.
"Shut up! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? If I hadn't intervened just now, you would have been severely injured by your own spell!"
After being reprimanded, Zhang Yao also deflated, not daring to say another word.
"Brother Zhang, the outcome is clear, and the ownership of this place is also obvious. I won't see you off."
"Patriarch Yang, I've learned my lesson today. Until we meet again."
With that, Zhang Tianqi led his people away from the mineral site.
"Father... I'm sorry."
On the way back to Mulberry Dew Valley, Zhang Yao calmed down and apologized to his father.
Zhang Tianqi didn't blame him further, saying, "It's not entirely your fault. It's also my fault for underestimating the Yang Clan."
"Underestimating? Do you mean the Yang Clan has some backing?"
"It's hard to say if they have backing, but their cultivation techniques are certainly extraordinary."
Zhang Tianqi continued, "The matter of the mineral rights needs careful planning. Once we open the cave dwelling in the valley and obtain the treasures and inheritance within, we can deal with the Yang Clan."
"Yes, Father." Zhang Yao nodded in agreement.
Walking silently beside them, Zhang Chen also nodded, but he always felt that if it had been him today, he would have won.
"The restriction on that cave dwelling is incredibly powerful. It's been twenty years, and we still can't open it. Who knows how much longer it will take? Are we just going to let the Yang Clan take advantage of the mineral rights for nothing?"
"My family is clearly stronger, so why should we back down?"
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread.com".
"Uncle is ultimately biased, not treating me as one of his own, always letting Zhang Yao take the lead."
"If they don't want me to step up, I'll find my own way. Let's see!"
He was still too young, seeing things too simply and superficially, not understanding Zhang Tianqi's protection and nurturing.
Though his talent was outstanding, his temperament held him back.
In comparison, Yang Lingrui, in the same situation, was far superior.
The struggle for the mineral rights came to an end, and three days later, the Yang Clan's mining team arrived at the site.
Most of this team consisted of foreign villagers from the Southern Shore. Ever since they heard about the benefits of the Northern Shore, they had been eager to secure a spot. Now, hearing about the distant mining opportunity, they eagerly signed up.
Yang Linghu was left there to oversee things, and he might have to stay for a while until the situation stabilized.
Having spent a lot of time with Lingqing, he had grown significantly.
When Yang Guanfeng questioned him earlier, he already had a rough idea of the future arrangements.
The Yang Clan was continuously developing and expanding its influence, and it was a time when they needed people.
Lingrui focused on cultivation, Lingqing managed the household, and naturally, the external affairs would fall to him.
He had no complaints about this; in fact, he thought it was a good job.
Given his nature, solitary cultivation was more of a hardship.
That evening, after inspecting the mineral site and returning to his quarters, Yang Linghu found Yang Guanfeng had come.
He was about to step forward and greet him, but Yang Guanfeng raised his hand to stop him.
"No need for that. I just came to give you something, then I'll be on my way. Guarding the mine is hard work; rest early."
After Yang Guanfeng left, Yang Linghu looked at the small bottle on the table.
He stepped forward and opened it, and the moment he sensed the aura, he understood.
"Hahaha, Lingrui, that kid, always so modest, making me, as the older brother, feel so embarrassed."