The March Duel
"Dan Ming, my Wang family has stood tall in Tianyun City for hundreds of years! The audacious Dan family dares to stand in our way, courting death. Today's matters cannot end easily."
While Wang Zhenshan couldn't match Dan Ming in strength, as the leading family in Tianyun, he had countless resources and wouldn't back down easily.
Onlookers shook their heads in disappointment. Wang Zhenshan's attitude was softening, and in the past, he would have already given the order to attack. Now even Wang Zhenshan had retreated. Other prominent families in Tianyun City watching the duel couldn't help but regard the Dan family with a newfound curiosity.
However, as old rivals, Dan Ming wasn't so optimistic. He knew Wang Zhenshan well and remained cautious, asking in a calm tone, "Oh, what do you have in mind then?"
Wang Zhenshan's gaze shifted to Dan Chen behind him, and he smirked, "Today, I've come with a crowd to demand that the Dan family hand over Dan Chen. If we insist on you handing over him, you won't agree."
Dan Ming snorted coldly. Of course, he wouldn't agree. Dan Chen was now the most important figure in the Dan family and its future core. In his mind, Dan Chen's status even surpassed his own as the clan chief.
Wang Zhenshan suddenly raised his voice, enunciating each word, "We'll each send three younger generation members for a competition. We'll wager all the assets of the Wang and Dan families, and the outcome will determine the fate of both clans. The victor takes everything, and the loser loses it all! As the instigator of this matter, Dan Chen must participate. Dan Ming, do you dare to accept this challenge?"
Wang Zhenshan looked at Dan Ming with a cold smile. The most outstanding talents of the Wang family hadn't joined this time, and while Dan Chen was strong, he couldn't compare to their family's prodigies. In the competition, they could claim this youth's life.
If the Dan family lost all its assets, they would be fundamentally weakened, making it easier for Wang Zhenshan to deal with them later.
A grand gamble! This level of wager was absolutely grand!
No one had expected that this disturbance would evolve into such a situation. All eyes were now on Dan Ming, waiting for his response.
In the Infinite Continent, where might made right, everyone was brave and valiant, considering martial strength as life. Refusing a challenge outright would brand one as cowardly and spineless, and they would never live it down.
Dan Ming raised an eyebrow and looked back at the younger generation of the Dan family. His gaze lingered for a moment on Dan Chen and Dan Yuan. He furrowed his brow slightly. These two kids had the strength to participate in the competition, but they lacked one more person for a guaranteed victory.
He knew Wang Zhenshan well. The fact that Wang Zhenshan, having seen Dan Chen's abilities, was still proposing this challenge meant he was quite confident. Was it worth taking such a risk?
"Grandfather, you should agree to the challenge, but postpone the date!" Dan Ming heard Dan Chen's voice in his ear.
Dan Ming suddenly had the urge to laugh. Yes, Dan Chen's potential was one in a million. He had witnessed Dan Chen's ascent from the second level to the fifth level in less than a day.
Suddenly, boundless confidence welled up in Dan Ming. He turned back resolutely, saying, "Wang Zhenshan, I accept your wager, but the date of the competition should be set for after three months. If you agree, today's events end here. If you disagree, we'll fight to the end today."
Dan Ming exuded an intimidating aura, as if he were ready to go to battle if negotiations failed.
Wang Zhenshan's facial muscles twitched. This was an uncomfortable feeling to be threatened and oppressed. He had roamed Tianyun City for decades and had never been humiliated like this. What was worse, he had to endure it; he couldn't let the Wang family members behind him die in vain.
"Very well, three months from today, and let the fate of our clans be decided by the younger generation from both families!" Wang Zhenshan gritted his teeth as he said this and turned to leave.
He didn't think a three-month delay would have a significant impact. Martial practitioners underwent years of accumulation and advancement, progressing step by step. Especially after reaching the fifth level, each advancement took the better part of a year to accumulate.
The temporary storm had come to an end, and everyone dispersed. The Dan family returned to its usual quiet state.
But everyone understood that this calm could only last until the scheduled competition in three months. After that, the situation of Tianyun City would undergo a seismic shift.
In the city, hidden currents swirled.
...
As one of the central figures of the storm, as soon as the great battle was over, Dan Chen was pulled away by Liu Wanfeng. After an interrogation and ancestral rites, which took a good part of the day, Dan Ming called for Dan Chen for a conversation.
In the courtyard of the Jade True Hall, Dan Ming transformed back into the ordinary old man who was tending to the flowers.
Dan Chen watched quietly from the side. After a while, Dan Ming, without looking up, casually asked, "Dan Chen, what do you think of my strength, and what's the Dan family's position in Tianyun City?"
Dan Chen pondered for a moment and replied, "Grandfather, you can defeat Wang Zhenshan, making you the top expert among the five great families. The strength of the three clan elders has also greatly increased, and the Dan family has surpassed the Wang family, becoming the top family in Tianyun City."
Dan Ming put down the garden sprinkler and sighed softly. "Yes, I can be considered the top expert among the five great families, but I dare not dominate Tianyun City. Do you know why?"
"The City Lord's Mansion!" Dan Chen thought for a moment and added, "And the Zhengyang Academy."
Dan Ming first shook his head and then nodded. "Yes, and no."
Dan Chen was quite confused. Since his father's disappearance, he and his mother had depended on each other. He had been focusing solely on cultivating and trying to condense spiritual energy, so he had only a superficial understanding of things happening around him, without delving too deeply.
Dan Ming looked in the direction of the southwest of Tianyun City, and his voice took on a deeper meaning. "The City Lord's Mansion is indeed very powerful, but you may not know that every City Lord of Tianyun City has come from the Zhengyang Academy."
Dan Chen suddenly had a moment of enlightenment. "They are intertwined; the Zhengyang Academy is the true power that governs Tianyun City."
Dan Ming nodded somewhat wearily and turned to smile wryly. "Above the five great families, there is also the behemoth of the Zhengyang Academy. While it is located in the southwest corner of Tianyun City, it has its exclusive gate for free entry and exit. Although it's officially part of the city, in reality, it's a city within the city. Besides the students occasionally appearing in the city, ordinary people find it challenging to access the world within the academy."
Dan Ming turned around, looking serious. "Any instructor in the Zhengyang Academy has the strength of High Martial Realm and could easily annihilate any family in Tianyun City. The so-called five great families of Tianyun City are just insignificant small fish in their eyes."
Dan Chen was left speechless, his heart roiling with shock. He had no idea that the Zhengyang Academy was so powerful. He had thought that as a top expert of the ninth level of the Initial Martial Realm, Dan Ming could dominate Tianyun City. Little did he know that there were even higher-level experts in the city.
An expert at the pinnacle of the ninth level of the Initial Martial Realm could deliver a punch with a force of up to ten thousand jin, while a High Martial Realm expert could effortlessly unleash a force of one hundred thousand jin with a simple motion. They could eliminate ten top experts at the ninth level of the Initial Martial Realm in a matter of seconds.
At this moment, he felt that the old man in front of him was somewhat pitiable. This elder had expended nearly half his life's energy in fighting against the Wang family and several other prominent families, all for the sake of family honor. However, in the eyes of these major powers, it was all inconsequential.
Dan Chen clenched his fist and said with a bitter voice, "I understand. Ultimately, it's because we are too weak. We are so weak that we don't even have the qualifications to make the other party take us seriously. To earn recognition, we must possess the corresponding strength."
Dan Ming's expression softened, and he showed approval. "In the past, the Dan family could only struggle to survive and had no ability to expand. But now, it's different."
Seeing Dan Chen listening intently, Dan Ming smiled and continued, "Because of you. You've improved the Supreme Jade True Art, giving the Dan family further potential. Your talent has shown me the opportunity for the Dan family's rise."
“I’ve witnessed with my own eyes that you completed the Supreme True Jade Art and other two techniques, and you directly broke through from the second rank to the fifth rank Initial Martial Realm. You can never imagine how much astonishment and surprise you have given me. And from that moment, I have known that our Dan family was too weak to guide you to achieve higher cultivation...”
“Grandfather!”
Dan Chen raised an eyebrow and was unhappy with the way the elder was putting it.
But Dan Ming waved his hand and said, "Let me finish. You possess the legendary Martial Saint Body, and I firmly believe you can become an unrivaled powerhouse. The scope of your future achievements is limitless. But to unlock all your potential, you need a bigger stage. I've thought it over, and there's no better place than the Zhengyang Academy."
"Sending you to the Zhengyang Academy isn't about having you leaving the family. You don't need to stay in the family to protect it. Otherwise, the family would only become a cage, hindering your growth. You must break free. With every advancement in your strength, the Dan family's influence will grow, and when you're powerful enough, strong individuals will naturally attach themselves to you and guard the family. Your sole goal is to elevate your strength in the safest and fastest way possible, unlocking your full potential and pursuing the supreme martial path."
"In this world, there are countless powerful individuals. Beyond Initial Martial Realm, there's High Martial Realm, and beyond that, there's Supreme Martial Realm, Profound Martial Realm, True Martial Realm, and Celestial Martial Realm. There's also the unparalleled Saint Martial Realm. Would you be content to stay in the Dan family and be a mere Initial Martial Realm practitioner or struggle to barely enter High Martial Realm for your whole life?"
By now, Dan Ming had become resolute in both his tone and demeanor.
"This world is vast, and Tianyun City is just a small city within the Earthly Enlightenment Realm's Lone Mountian in the Six Yang Caves. Above the Earthly Enlightenment Realm, there are even larger territories. Do you want to go out and explore? Do you want to see the vast expanse of the world outside? Do you want to know why in ancient times there were fragments of martial arts falling from the sky? Do you want to understand what magnificent scenery lies beyond the Infinite Continent?"
Dan Chen followed the elder's hand, gazing into the distant sky, where the clear sky stretched endlessly, devoid of any objects. But influenced by Dan Ming's enthusiastic tone, Dan Chen's eyes seemed to penetrate through the void, seeing the end of the boundless land, the edge of the infinite space, where countless powerhouses devoured the sun and moon and conquered the stars and galaxies.
"Why did meteorites fall from the sky in ancient times? Why did billions of fragments of martial arts descend? I want to know!"
"As long as the heavens endure, the path of martial arts will last forever!"
A strong desire for knowledge welled up in Dan Chen's heart, producing an indomitable spirit. He declared with firm determination, "Grandfather, I want to know all of this! I want to stand higher and see farther! I want to gaze upon the stars in the sky. Mother said that each star is a mysterious world! I want to pluck stars and seize the moon to bring solace to my mother!"
Dan Ming burst into hearty laughter, his heart filled with satisfaction, and he patted Dan Chen's shoulder heavily. He said emotionally, "Child, remember what you said just now and your current feelings. I hope you can always maintain this passion and thirst for knowledge. Move forward, and ahead, there will be a smooth road!"
In that instant, it was as if an invisible path extended in the direction indicated by the old man's finger, leading all the way to the infinite distance.
"Yeah, I will!" Dan Chen followed his gaze, his gaze firm, and nodded heavily.
"I have already recommended you and Dan Yuan as the Dan family's talents to enter the Zhengyang Academy. Tomorrow, the two of you will report for enrollment."
Dan Ming left this sentence and then bent down to pick up a hoe and scissors before slowly walking away. In his heart, he contemplated, "Dan Chen, this is all I can provide for you. Your future path will rely solely on yourself."
Dan Chen stood still for a long time, then suddenly raised his clenched fist and shouted, "Infinite Continent, here comes Dan Chen."
In that moment, the youth's passion was completely ignited, and Dan Chen once again reaffirmed his direction to move forward.
It was only many years later that he realized the profound impact of the old man's words. Many powerful individuals had wise elders to guide them when they were young.