Pei Min's strength also surprised him, he saw him as a good opponent.
But when he heard that the other party wanted to challenge Red Sun Martial Venerate, he suddenly had a premonition that the two might fight today.
Sure enough, the other party openly challenged him.
Ye Daoyuan accepted!
Without the slightest hesitation, he surprisingly agreed straightforwardly.
Amidst everyone's surprise, Ye Daoyuan turned to the emperor and said, "I dare to ask Your Majesty's permission."
The emperor smiled and said, "Since the Superintendent is willing, how could I upset you? Besides, even I am very eager to see the two of you, two powerful beings, compete."
The emperor paused and added, "However, both of you are pillars of the empire, crucial to its stability. So, please avoid a life and death duel. After all, losing either of you would be a loss to the empire."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ye Daoyuan nodded and smiled.
Pei Xuanjing also expressed his thanks at the same time.
On the high platform, Ye Daoyuan said to Pei Xuanjing, "I am afraid it is not appropriate for us to compete here!"
Pei Xuanjing looked around at the situation and nodded slightly, "Indeed, this place is too small to be suitable for our contest."
Ye Daoyuan said, "Follow me!"
With that, he stepped into the air, soared into the sky, and landed on a distant mountain top.
"Okay!
Pei Xuanjing heartily smiled as he stomped his feet. A strong current rose from beneath his feet, soaring towards the sky, and in a single turn, he landed on the mountain peak.
The mountain peak where the two were going to fight was about ten miles from where they had been. For the Heavenly Rank powerhouses, this distance was really nothing. Even for ordinary martial artists, as long as their eyesight wasn't too poor, they could generally see the situation of the two fighting.
Everyone understood that these two were the top powerhouses in the world. Even a tentative skirmish would cause fluctuations that ordinary martial artists could not endure.
For the people without enough power, they naturally didn't want to miss this fight. They had plenty of means, and soon people brought out telescopes to remotely watch the situation.
Pei Xuanjing and Ye Daoyuan stood on separate peaks, only a few miles apart. Although this distance might seem far to others, it was nothing for these two. In the blink of an eye, they could reach each other.
Pei Xuanjing sheathed his sword and casually stuck the Longevity Sword into a distant mountain peak, apparently not intending to use the sword.
His robe fluttered noisily as his momentum began to rise gently, as if an ancient giant beast was about to awaken.
Ye Daoyuan stood at a distance, surrounded by churning currents of air lifting him into the air. Seeing Pei Min preparing to attack, he also gently smiled and began to move his arms.
Without saying much, the two quickly launched into a duel.
Pei Xuanjing circulated his Primordial Qi, and his overwhelming momentum surged to the skies. The celestial phenomena above his head were changing, the Four Seasons Transformation occurred around him, and clouds filled the air.
Slowly, he raised both hands and formed them into palms. Then, countless thunders gathered in his palms, radiating a terrifying aura.
Roar!
Pei Xuanjing struck out with both palms. The thunder in the palms of his hands transformed into two purple-blue thunder dragons. Accompanied by a thunderous dragon roar that shook the heavens, wind and thunder followed, demonstrating an earth-shattering momentum.
"Such a rare Thunder Path Martial Study, and so mysterious. No doubt exceptional."
Ye Daoyuan praised as he performed his own move.
In an instant, his arms swung up and down, his sleeves billowed, and countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi converged. His ten fingers gently swept across, and countless gusts of wind swelled.
In a blink of an eye, a talisman formed in front of him, and surges of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi poured into it, making the talisman glow with profound light.
Chi!
With a flick of Ye Daoyuan's sleeve, the talisman shone brightly and suppressed the two thunder dragons!
He came from a prestigious family, loved Daoist scriptures in his youth, and became a disciple of a Taoist from the Taoist School of Talismans in the Upper Pure Maoshan Sect, studying the art of talismans.
Boom!
The two thunder dragons were easily suppressed, and the remaining talisman headed towards Pei Xuanjing, seeming to suppress him as well.
"The Taoist art of talismans truly is exceptional!" Pei Xuanjing appreciated, and with that, he smashed the talisman with a punch, reducing it to nothingness.
The earlier exchange was just a probe, so the two thunder dragons being easily suppressed was within his expectations.
However, this Superintendent's attainment in the art of talismans is indeed extraordinary, surpassing countless times what the Daoist at Dragon Tiger Mountain showed when he interacted with him in the past.
It is not just a difference in power, but a difference in realm.
Of course, it's not that the art of talisman in Dragon Tiger Mountain doesn't measure up to that of the Upper Pure Maoshan Sect, but rather the difference between Ye Daoyuan and the old Daoist.
Even though the old Daoist was talented, he practiced the art of talisman according to the inheritance of Dragon Tiger Mountain, while Ye Daoyuan did not.
Ye Daoyuan, who now has half a foot in the Celestial Human Realm and spent many years immersed in the art of talismans, is exceptional and can even be regarded as the first person in this field.
He innovated on the original Taoist art of talismans and paved his own path. Now, he could start his own sect and pass down his own Orthodox.
"Come again!" Pei Xuanjing laughed loudly.
Rumble!
With his shout, the sky turned color for thousands of miles, the sea of clouds churned, currents rolled, and there was the sound of muffled thunder in the distance.
Pei Xuanjing stood proudly in the air, his momentum surging like the vast sky, boundless.
All the people witnessing this were astonished.
Just one person caused the heavens and earth to change, drawing astronomical phenomena.This is terrifying!
Could a heavenly rank person really be this powerful?
Many Heavenly Ranked powerhouses couldn't help questioning themselves.
It is said that Heavenly Ranked powerhouses can resonate with heaven and earth, and manipulate the forces of nature to cause changes in the world.
But these people can only utilize the power of heaven and earth in a forcefield of a few miles at most. If they could utilize the power of ten miles of heaven and earth, they would already be considered top-notch Heavenly Rank powerhouses.
However, someone like the Sword Saint could change the color of the sky for thousands of miles with merely a thought. This is something they wouldn't even dare to imagine.
Of course, the fact that Pei Xuanjing could do this wasn't because he was exceptionally good at requiring the power of heaven and earth within him, but it was due to his Yin Spirit power.
Despite the advanced Essence, Qi, and Spirit, the Refining Spirit was possibly the weakest in terms of individual combat power, but its versatility made it seem almost boundless for all other purposes.
Pei Xuanjing's Yin Spirit power was spread out, in combination with his original Qi sensitivity to heaven and earth, which almost enhanced the power of heaven and earth he could borrow.
So, he changed the celestial phenomena with a thought, causing the sea of clouds to churn for thousands of miles.
The Pei Xuanjing at this moment appeared to be a domineering king. With each step, he radiated an awe-inspiring aura. Numerous airwaves whirled around him, and with every move he made, countless air currents tumbled.
Pei Xuanjing punched out, the fierce energy of his fist like the surging waters of the Heavenly River pouring out of a burst dam, turbulent and immense.
This fist encompassed all of his strength, with deep Primordial Qi stirred up, and the formidable bodily strength shone like flowing light on the surface of his body, projecting the power of his Yin Spirit everywhere.
This was a punch unlike any he had thrown before, surpassing the past, surpassing everything.
One punch!
Sensational!
The air vibrated, even space itself was smashed by the blow, the domineering intent of the punch practically occupied the whole heaven and earth. It seemed as if this overwhelming intent was the only thing existing between heaven and earth, with everything else obliterated.
"Such a punch is really terrifying!" Ye Daoyuan looked at such a domineering punch and couldn't help but voice his admiration.
Throughout his life, he had seen various kinds of masters, many of which possessed strong and domineering skills, yet no one could compare with this man and his punch.
He smiled faintly and also made his move.
He extended his clean left palm, and then his finger danced rapidly on the palm of his left hand, quickly forming a talisman.
Bang!
Ye Daoyuan raised his left palm high, then pressed down, as if even heaven and earth were sinking at that moment.
The talisman in his palm was emitting a mysterious light, bringing together countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. He seemed to merge with heaven and earth at this moment, reaching out with his fingertips and grasping at the void.
Countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi was being sucked toward his palm like a vacuum, converging into a light ball that grew bigger and bigger, emanating increasingly terrifying energy.
The mighty flow of Pei Xuanjing's punch collided with it.
Bang!
In that instant, heaven and earth fell silent.
Above the sky, the weather changed, with rolling waves of energy sweeping across thousands of miles of the firmament. The force of the violent wind and energy surged outward from the center of their confrontation.
Boom!
The trees and huge rocks on the mountain peak were blown away by this impact, and the stones crumbled and flew into the air, with dirt and sand flying everywhere.
The spectators in the distance were also utterly shocked, feeling the ground shaking beneath their feet.
When the smoke cleared, the two men were still standing opposite each other in the air.
As if their previous engagement had not affected them in the slightest.
Ye Daoyuan looked at Xuanjing with a smile and said, "How about you take one of my moves?"
"Good!"
With a swift movement of Ye Daoyuan's hands, countless talismans condensed out of thin air in an instant. These talismans attracted the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, creating subtle connections among them, and emitting a luminous connection to each other.
"Seal!"
With a light shout from Ye Daoyuan, these countless talismans formed a giant net flashing with flowing light, rushing toward Pei Xuanjing as if they wanted to envelop him within it.
This was a move created by Ye Daoyuan, named Heavenly Luo Earth Network.
"Hmph!" Pei Xuanjing let out a cold snort.
He raised his arms, with countless gusts of wind billowing and countless thunderbolts converging in his hands. Then, he continuously slapped out with his palms, turning them into a sky full of thunderbolts, and slamming down toward the giant net!
Boom…
The next moment, countless explosions occurred, as if a sea of thunder was gathering, drowning the giant net.
The continuous thunder echoed through the sky, with countless electric snakes writhing and moving, as if the sky had turned a purple-blue color.
"Hmm?" Pei Xuanjing's eyebrows twitched, and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
This sky full of thunder seemingly did not shatter the giant net connected by these talismans. Moreover, not only did it not shatter, but the net seemed to be absorbing his Thunder power, becoming even more resilient. Furthermore, there was a glimmer of lightning flashing on the connected tendrils, seeming to be even more powerful.
"Since thunder cannot shatter it, and it can also absorb it, I wonder if you can absorb sword Qi as well!"
A chill spread across the corners of Pei Xuanjing's mouth. His Primordial Qi flowed out from his hands and transformed into a Qi sword.
The fluctuating Shenxiao Origin Qi shimmered and within a moment, it was filled with six colors: green, red, yellow, white, black, and purple.
Although it was simply a weapon condensed from Qi, it still emitted a terrifying aura that was so sharp it could rip the sky apart.
Ye Daoyuan noticed that, at the moment the Qi sword was formed, the opponent's aura changed. A sharp aura arose from his body, its sharpness appearing as if it were going to pierce through heaven and earth.
Pei Xuanjing slowly raised his sword. His movements were slow, his swordsmanship unremarkable, but the aura from his body continued to grow. The Shenxiao Origin Qi spread everywhere, entirely dyeing the sky with the colors green, red, yellow, white, black, and purple. Everywhere within dozens of miles was shrouded by these six colors.
Above the daytime sky, stars began to faintly emerge, their elusive starlights falling onto the earth and landing on the Qi sword in his hand.
The first move – Nine Luminaries.
Accompanied by a clang of the sword, an exceedingly brilliant sword light emerged. Like it had traveled through time and space, the sword light appeared abruptly without any warning.
The piercing sword light instantly brought together countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, forming a huge sword dozens of feet in size. The sword body was embedded with nine stars, flickering uncertainly. When connected, they emitted a terrifying aura, and then it heavily slashed down.
Bang!
The giant net formed by talismans burst into a brilliant light, seemingly illuminating the firmament.
The moment it was hit by the sword light, the heaven and earth seemed to vibrate.
An endless amount of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi gathered on the talismans, and the light emitted by the giant net became even brighter.
Sing!
The sound of the sword was like a tiger roaring and a dragon chanting, shaking the heavens and earth.
Boom!
An intense explosion triggered a change in the weather, sweeping all directions.
The sword light dissipated, and the giant net formed by the talismans vanished as well.
In just a blink of an eye, the two launched into action again.
Pei Xuanjing's figure shook, the Qi sword in his hand shining brightly, exuding a terrifying aura, and he stabbed out at Ye Daoyuan.
The sharp and terrible sword aura crisscrossed and spread, filling the sky, with murderous intent lurking everywhere.
Ye Daoyuan was unfazed, his sleeves flapping, and countless talismans condensed and appeared, laying on his body. His entire being emitted a light, and he faced Pei Xuanjing's sword light head-on.
The figures of the two intertwined, and changes happened in the weather and celestial phenomena wherever they passed, with the sea of clouds churning.
Above the sky, countless explosions sounded, and the agitated waves surged like tidal water in all directions.
The space shook and even shattered, with the sharp sword light constantly flashing and the talismans appearing and disappearing. The two displayed the techniques they had mastered.
The sword light cut through the sky like a rainbow, leaving behind a sword aura that lingered for a long time, filled with a chilling killing intent.
The talismans were solid as a mountain, pressing down on the four directions of space. Even amidst the surging waves of energy, they remained calm and unchanging.
Watching the exchange between the two, all the spectators in the distance turned pale. Such ferocity was horrifying to hear about.
Is this the might displayed by an exceptional being at the Heavenly Rank, one who has one foot in the Celestial Human Realm?
Everyone else failed to notice that the queen on the high platform looking at the two crossing blown was radiant, her gaze flickering, containing a hint of astonishment.
Huff, huff, huff…
The smoke cleared, and both were standing in mid-air.
At this point, the spectators in the distance discovered that the fierce vibrations that had just occurred had even cut off half of the mountain peak where the two were standing.
Pei Xuanjing glanced at Ye Daoyuan, standing with his hands clasped behind him, his eyes shining brightly, and he spoke softly, "A Heaven Rank expert exercises the Primordial Qi within his body to connect with the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, immersing himself in Heaven and Earth, thus drawing upon their power. Yet the method of using a talisman as an intermediary to initiate the power of Heaven and Earth, as you have just demonstrated, appears far more subtle."
"Still, it seems not as profound as your Taoist Profound Skill." Ye Daoyuan said lightly, his eyes filled with curiosity, "In my judgment, Your Profound Skill also originates from the Taoist School. However, I have never seen such a skill in the Taoist tradition before. I can only sense traces of Zhengyi Thunder Method in it."
Ye Daoyuan was not boasting — he was a high-level practitioner from the Taoist School. In addition, he was in the Titled Inspector Position of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory. He might not have known all the Taoist methods in the world, but he was confident of knowing nearly ninety percent of them. However, he couldn't identify the Taoist Profound Skill used by Pei Xuanjing and could only detect traces of Zhengyi Thunder Method in it.
Pei Xuanjing didn't bother to hide it and said, "Shenxiao Sect!"
"Shenxiao Sect?!" exclaimed Ye Daoyuan, frowning slightly. He was sure he had never heard of this name in his memory.
However, from Pei Xuanjing's expression, he clearly knew the other party was not lying.
All he could do was suppress his doubts and regard it as a secret branch of a particular Taoist school.
The world was vast, and countless branches of the Taoist tradition had been handed down over countless years in the World of Myriad Manifestations. No one could be certain that they understood all the various factions.
He set aside this thought and smiled at Pei Xuanjing, saying, "Let's call it a day!"
"Alright!" Pei Xuanjing nodded readily.
Their brief clash had given each a reasonably good measure of the other's capabilities.
Although Pei Xuanjing had yet to wield his Longevity Sword, he did not consider the power displayed by Ye Daoyuan to be the sum of his abilities.
In terms of combat power, they were evenly matched, and it would be difficult to determine a winner. After all, they had no intention of fighting to the death.
Pei Xuanjing knew that although his practice of Cultivating Three Ways Simultaneously gave him great combat power, the opponent had extremely profound achievements in the practice of Qi. He was truly on the verge of stepping into the Heavenly Human state, as rumored.
In essence, Ye Daoyuan had almost reached the point of merging his body with Heaven and Earth. If Pei Xuanjing couldn't knock him out of this state, there was no way he could defeat him.
With the level of Pei Xuanjing's strength, the use of the Shenxiao Heavenly Will Sword might present a possibility, but it was merely a possibility.
If the two continued to fight and eventually went all out, it would end only in a mutually destructive scenario.
Pei Xuanjing did not want this to happen.
His time was still long. After all, his current realm was only just entered into the Heavenly Rank. When he has spent more time at the Heavenly Rank and reached the Peak of Heaven Rank, he would also be able to defeat Ye Daoyuan.
Let's call it a day, thought Pei Xuanjing.
He had learned a lot from the day's encounters, and the insights he had gained from his exchanges with Ye Daoyuan on the use of the power of Heaven and Earth were invaluable.
"Are you preparing to challenge the Red Sun Martial Venerate?" asked Ye Daoyuan.
Pei Xuanjing nodded, "I wonder who is more superior between the two of you?"
Ye Daoyuan laughed lightly,"He is not my match!"
"He is not my match!"
A flicker of surprise flashed through Pei Xuanjing's eyes. He had expected the other to modestly claim a match between them.
But Ye Daoyuan's confident assertion had taken him by surprise.
"Heh heh," Ye Daoyuan understood Pei Xuanjing's surprise. He laughed and said, "If he could overcome me, Da Li wouldn't have been trapped within the grasslands. He would've swept south long ago!"
Pei Xuanjing nodded, understanding.
Indeed, given Da Li's hatred towards the Great Tang, if he could overcome Ye Daoyuan, nothing would hold back the Red Sun Martial Venerate's Da Li.
It was precisely because he wasn't confident in his victory, he had remained dormant in the grasslands, reluctant to invade the Great Tang rashly.
"He's too greedy, so now he's no match for me!" Ye Daoyuan sighed, "Perhaps if he shed some of his ambitions, he might have a chance at catching up with me."
"Oh?" Pei Xuanjing was curious.
However, Ye Daoyuan had no intention of explaining and simply said, "When you cross swords with him, you'll see."
"In that case, I am quite intrigued." Pei Xuanjing chuckled.
He was curious, wondering what the Da Li national advisor had done to draw such an assessment from the Superintendent.
Those who had made it to their level knew and firmly followed their path, allowing no criticism, and seldom questioned the paths of others.
Their duel had ended, and after agreeing to a discussion in a few days, while Ye Daoyuan still had to meet with the emperor, Pei Xuanjing simply turned and left without returning to the garden.
The Garden was full of the empire's nobility, not to mention the emperor and the queen were present. Such a casual departure could be considered audacious.
Had it been someone else, even an expert of the Heavenly Rank, they would not have escaped the emperor's wrath and ostracism.
But surprisingly, not one person present was angry with Pei Xuanjing's actions, not even the emperor showed any signs of annoyance.
In the end, all that mattered was strength.
When Ye Daoyuan returned to the garden and told everyone that his exchange with Pei Min had ended in a draw, even though everyone knew Ye Daoyuan was modest, they couldn't help but elevate the status of Pei Min, practically equating him with Ye Daoyuan.
They knew that the current Pei Min was only sixteen years old. In terms of cultivation, he was just starting out. In comparison to Superintendent Ye Daoyuan, Pei Min's time spent in cultivation was negligible.
He had a long time to improve his strength. With his talent, should he continue cultivating for a few more decades, he would become even more terrifying, and undoubtedly the most formidable person in the world.
Even if, hypothetically, Pei Min's strength stalled at its current level, and didn't improve at all, as long as he maintained his current strength, he would remain a dominant force in the world, commanding respect and reverence from all.
Such a powerhouse was, for all intents and purposes, above many rules and conventions. His presence alone set the rules.
As they mused upon this, many cast envious glances towards the crown prince, particularly those princes with considerable influence and aspirations for the throne. They wore expressions of jealousy.
The Sword Saint had arrived in the Capital because of the Crown Prince, and given his disinterest in social interactions, he had hardly ventured out, let alone interacted with others, save for the Crown Prince.
As a result, no one had the opportunity to court and connect with him, evoking jealousy and envy in many.