Chapter 479: The Host Has It the Hardest

Even though the old beggar always subtly competed with Ji Yuan and was indeed struck by lightning because of Ji Yuan's words, he still deeply trusted Ji Yuan. With his level of cultivation, he could naturally see that Ji Yuan was a truly sincere seeker of the Dao, someone who wouldn't casually use tricks to harm him. Besides, given his own profound cultivation, a few ordinary lightning strikes wouldn't cause him any significant harm.

So, the old beggar felt that Ji Yuan might genuinely not have intended it, but this unintentional act was still quite unsettling. It wasn't that he was annoyed at being "ambushed," but rather that when Ji Yuan pointed at the sky earlier, he hadn't cast any spell at all.

What did this mean? It meant that Ji Yuan could summon celestial phenomena with just a thought, which was far beyond merely having his words manifest as magic. After all, Ji Yuan hadn't even cast a spell to conjure this heavenly lightning. The old beggar knew he couldn't do that, and that was what bothered him.

Therefore, the old beggar decided to change the subject.

"Mr. Ji, you were previously injured by lightning? What caused the injury? Did you encounter an enemy?"

Ji Yuan's background was mysterious. In the years the old beggar had spent reshaping Yang Zong's body, he would occasionally, under an assumed name, subtly inquire about Ji Yuan. Yet, without exception, no one had ever heard of him. Instead, they would ask who the master the old beggar spoke of was. To those he was more familiar with, the old beggar would recount his experiences in Dazhen, but he generally kept quiet about the rest.

Now, hearing Ji Yuan's words, his curiosity was piqued again.

"I didn't encounter any enemies. Rather, I gained some insights while debating the Dao with someone, and the fruits of my cultivation attracted a lightning tribulation. I didn't want my hard work to be destroyed, so I intervened, suffering some minor injuries. I only fully recovered recently."

Ji Yuan didn't explicitly state that it was the "Heaven and Earth Profound Method" he had created. His relationship with the old beggar was decent, but it hadn't reached the level he shared with the old dragon. Strictly speaking, they had only interacted a few times in the past, so he wouldn't reveal everything.

However, Ji Yuan's words made it difficult for the old beggar not to overthink things.

Gaining insights from a Dao discussion, then having the cultivated item attract a heavenly tribulation? And this tribulation actually injured Ji Yuan's physical body and spiritual form?

The old beggar felt this topic couldn't continue, or at least, he didn't want it to continue for now.

"So, Mr. Ji, are you well now?"

"Yes, I'm well. In fact, it was a blessing in disguise, as it helped me deepen my shallow understanding of lightning magic."

"Good, that's good. These dark clouds cover the sky, and there's a great storm brewing below. The two sides debating the Dao must have had a misunderstanding and started fighting. Let's hurry over, so we don't miss the rest."

The old beggar changed the subject, channeling his magic power to propel the white cloud beneath his feet. Its speed, which had slowed amidst the storm and thunder, now increased again.

Ji Yuan, of course, said nothing more. He simply activated his spiritual eye to observe the storm and lightning. Just like the withered tree branch earlier, it was clear that two distinct sources were controlling the wind and thunder.

As the saying goes, "meet soldiers with generals, and floods with earth." Even attacks involving water and fire are common in magical duels. This was Ji Yuan's first time witnessing a contest of wind manipulation, which explained why the wind was behaving so strangely.

"Whoosh... whoosh..."

The coastal mountains were now visible in the distance. The old beggar pointed towards them and said,

"The place those guys agreed on was there. They might not still be there now, so we need to follow the wind's direction to find them. The strongest and most chaotic winds will surely lead us to them."

As the white cloud flew over the cliff, they saw colossal waves rising up.

"Crash... bang..."

These massive waves crashed against the base of the cliff, stirred up dozens of feet high by the fierce winds, covering the area below the cliff in foam and spray.

"Crash... boom..."

Ji Yuan gazed at the distant sea, which looked like a scene from a doomsday movie. Thunder rolled and the sea churned violently, the sheer scale of it surpassing the fierce gales they had encountered earlier in the desolate ocean currents.

"Over there."

Ji Yuan pointed his finger towards the sea to the southeast, and the old beggar's white cloud maintained its speed, heading directly in the direction Ji Yuan indicated.

About half an hour later, the two who had traveled a great distance to witness the spectacle finally saw the main protagonists.

The cultivators of Qianyuan Sect and Dafeng Valley were suspended in the sky. The junior cultivators stood on their magical artifacts, while the more senior ones rode the fierce winds. On both sides, the masters continuously conjured spells to manipulate the wind, directing powerful gusts at each other. The sea below constantly exploded with waves, as if trapped within a violently shaking bucket.

While they dueled, both sides continued to exchange words without pause.

"Come on, come on! Aren't you fellow Daoists from Kuangfeng Valley proud of your wind manipulation? How can you not even handle our Qianyuan Sect's modest wind techniques?"

"Fellow Daoists of Qianyuan Sect, we are Dafeng Valley, not Kuangfeng Valley! Unlike you, who claim to cultivate qi and calm the mind, yet possess such violent tempers. Haven't you noticed your winds are already being led by us? How else do you expect us to suppress you? Do you want us to blast you with gale-force winds?"

"Nonsense! Where do you see us being led? If you're so capable, blow us away, blow us into the sea!"

"Just wait, we'll make sure you can't stay in the sky much longer!"

Both sides continuously cast their spells. In Ji Yuan's eyes, the surroundings were no longer just howling winds; they were like countless wind dragons dancing and fierce beasts roaring, their tails sweeping and claws tearing at each other.

"Whoosh... whoosh..." "Thump..." "Thump..." "Thump..."

The collision of wind currents produced incredibly substantial and loud sounds.

"What's wrong? Still haven't dealt with us? Weren't you going to blow us into the sea? Fellow Daoists, don't worry about our safety; our Qianyuan Sect is quite skilled in water manipulation too. We won't drown!"

The old cultivator from Dafeng Valley laughed in exasperation.

"Hahahahaha... So this is what your Qianyuan Sect means by cultivating oneself and calming the mind! Your 'mind over wind' technique is just using your mouths to affect your opponent's mental state. I was wrong earlier; it's not just useless, it's utterly despicable and shameless!"

"Fellow Daoist, you've gone too far! Watch out, you might get struck by lightning!"

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

Several bolts of lightning instantly struck towards Dafeng Valley's position. Most of them grazed by at an extremely close range without hitting anyone directly, but they prompted the Dafeng Valley cultivators to instinctively react and defend, causing their wind control to become momentarily unstable.

"You old geezer, you're playing dirty!"

"A magical duel is, of course, all-encompassing! Although we're competing in wind manipulation, if a few thunderclaps scare you into losing control of your winds, what kind of mastery of wind manipulation is that? Or perhaps your temperament isn't strong enough? Come to my Qianyuan Sect and cultivate for a few decades; I'll give you a warm welcome!"

"You... you... that's outrageous! Winds Rise, Clouds Surge!"

Generally, immortal cultivators don't vocally announce their magical abilities when casting spells, unless they are extremely enraged and want to boost their momentum.

"Whoosh... whoosh... crash..."

The dark clouds in the sky were churned into massive vortices by the fierce winds, looking terrifyingly similar to the heavenly lightning Ji Yuan had once encountered.

Large swathes of the surrounding seawater were swept up by the strong winds, forming colossal waterspouts near the combatants. These waterspouts connected the sky and sea, with continuous bolts of lightning striking within them, creating rolling flashes of light.

"Let your Qianyuan Sect see what true wind manipulation is! Wind carrying the power of heaven, a cloud-sweeping strike! Dafeng Valley cultivators, follow my lead in casting spells! Fellow Daoists from Qianyuan Sect, be prepared to block this; if you can't, then prepare to be swept into the sea!"

As the old man from Dafeng Valley's roar echoed through the heavens, the Qianyuan Sect cultivators stopped their bravado. Their control over the wind was clearly faltering, and they could only continuously conjure spells to resist.

In the distance, although Ji Yuan's aged eyes remained as calm as an ancient well, he was actually stunned. This wind manipulation was truly miraculous, almost frighteningly exaggerated. Any trace of complacency from his past achievements vanished at this moment. He realized there was always someone greater, and that one should remain humble.

"Oh my, that's truly incredible. What do you think, Mr. Ji?"

"Both sides' wind manipulation techniques are simply divine. This is no longer just about controlling wind; it's about all other methods accompanying the wind's movement, encompassing both wild power and delicate precision. Remarkable!"

"Yes, truly impressive. Let's stand a bit further back; the commotion is getting quite intense."

Saying this, the old beggar made the cloud rise higher and move further away. With the naked eye, the two warring parties were no longer visible, but with his spiritual eye, every detail of the duel was perfectly clear.

"Nothing serious will happen, will it?"

Ji Yuan asked with a touch of concern. The old beggar smiled and shook his head.

"No, no. Even if something happens, it won't be anything major. It's quite normal for these Dao discussions to escalate into duels during the Immortal Gathering. Everyone knows their limits..."

"Boom!" "Bang!" "Boom!"

Wind-swept black water, entwined with lightning, formed colossal whips of elemental fury that lashed out furiously. The surrounding sea churned violently, as if constantly stirred by Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang.

The old beggar then added a hesitant "I think..." to his unfinished sentence.

It turned out that although Ji Yuan and the old beggar arrived a little late, they weren't too late. The duel continued for another two days after their arrival, showcasing endless variations in wind manipulation. This greatly broadened Ji Yuan's horizons, teaching him what it truly meant for "wind to have no constant form."

By the third day, the situation finally took a turn. Not because the combatants were tired or had reconciled, but because peacemakers arrived. These peacemakers were, naturally, not Ji Yuan and the old beggar, but the hosts, Nine Peaks Mountain.

Three streaks of light appeared from the horizon, simultaneously transmitting their voices across this sea area.

"Fellow Daoists, please stop! Fellow Daoists, please stop now!"

"Don't fight anymore! Fellow Daoists, don't spoil the peace; the Immortal Gathering hasn't even begun yet!"

"What if mortal ships pass by and are overturned? And the aquatic creatures in the sea are suffering! How will we explain ourselves if the North Sea Dragon Clan comes to investigate?"

After spouting a string of grand principles, the three streaks of light activated their protective spells and carefully approached the two sides. After much persuasion and pleading, they finally managed to gradually calm the raging winds.

The old beggar chuckled, turning to Ji Yuan.

"Looks like we won't need to intervene. Heh, Nine Peaks Mountain is full of vigor now, but they'll soon realize why immortal sects that host the Immortal Gathering once usually don't do it a second time."

Ji Yuan, who had been engrossed in the profound intricacies of the various wind manipulation techniques, couldn't help but chuckle at the old beggar's words.

"I can understand that to some extent."

The Nine Peaks Mountain cultivators finally persuaded both sides to stop. The two parties had vented some of their frustration over the past few days. One side had come to appreciate the miraculous and powerful wind manipulation of the other, while the other felt a bit self-conscious for not being able to decisively defeat their opponent.