Legacy of the Spirit Stone-Chapter 30 – Arriving early is not as good as arriving at the right time

At the northern border of White Stone Town, where the former Wang Clan Mines were located, several teams of soldiers were orderly retreating from within. They were affiliated with White Stone Town, responsible for guarding the mines to prevent theft. However, with the arrival of the Zhang family cultivators, they knew that ordinary people were powerless against them, so they wisely withdrew as instructed by Gao Hui earlier.
The Zhang family had brought three cultivators on this trip, leading a group of people as they stood in front of the mine entrance, conversing.
"Father, the scale of the mineral deposits here is indeed much larger than those in the valley," said a slender figure with a somewhat pale complexion and a light voice. He was Zhang Yao, the eldest son of the Zhang family, at the Qi Condensation Second Layer.
"Hmph, if it weren't for the Mayor of Clear River Town constantly obstructing us, I would have already taken this place with our people!" The speaker was Zhang Chen, Zhang Yao's cousin, at the Qi Condensation First Layer. Though not tall, he had an arrogant demeanor and spoke with a domineering tone.
In front of them stood a tall, gray-robed middle-aged man with a commanding presence and piercing gaze, whose aura was much stronger than the two young cultivators combined. He was Zhang Tianqi, the head of the Zhang family. Hearing the conversation between the two juniors, he smiled faintly.
"What belongs to the Zhang family will not escape us; it doesn't matter if it's sooner or later." With that, he waved his hand, and the miners behind him prepared to enter the mine for extraction.
Whoosh—
At that moment, a gust of wind howled past, and a blurred shadow struck the edge of the mine entrance, causing rocks to fall and block the entrance.
"Who dares to act presumptuously in front of the Zhang family!" Zhang Chen was startled and quickly shouted.
"Hahaha, honored guests have arrived, and I failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me." Hearing this, Zhang Tianqi raised an eyebrow and turned towards the direction of the voice, a cold and stern expression appearing on his face.
Soon, three figures emerged from the woods. Yang Guanfeng smiled and cupped his hands towards them. "Yang Guanfeng of the Yang family, greetings to Brother Zhang."
Yang Guanfeng made no effort to conceal his cultivation level, revealing his Qi Condensation Sixth Layer realm as he spoke.
"Pine Mountain Yang family? This person's aura is incredibly strong, on par with father, also at the Qi Condensation Sixth Layer!"
"How can this be! Wasn't it said that the head of the Yang family only had a Fifth Layer cultivation?" The two Zhang family juniors frowned upon witnessing this. They had assumed there were no competitors, but unexpectedly, the head of the Yang family had also broken through to the Sixth Layer. This made the ownership of the mineral deposits uncertain.
"Honored guest?" Zhang Tianqi smirked. "I've been guarding this place for three months, only seeing soldiers but no miners, clearly indicating it's ownerless. What do you mean by that, Brother Yang?"
Before he could finish, Yang Lingrui and Yang Linghu felt a powerful aura pressing towards them. Yang Guanfeng chuckled softly and waved his hand, dispersing the pressure.
"Brother Zhang, you may not know, but this place originally belonged to the Wang family of White Stone. Their family suffered during the Beast Tide and couldn't manage it, so they traded it to us." Yang Guanfeng glanced at Yang Linghu beside him. "As for why we haven't been here for three months, it was to protect this child during his breakthrough."
Zhang Tianqi immediately looked at Yang Linghu, sensing from the child's aura that he had indeed just recently formed his Qi Palace. Elder Yu's concealment methods were beyond the perception of a Qi Condensation Sixth Layer, and Yang Lingrui currently only displayed a Qi Condensation Second Layer.
"Now that his realm is stable, I've come here and happened to encounter Brother Zhang's group. It's just a matter of timing."
"Heh..." Zhang Tianqi gave a forced smile to Yang Guanfeng. The earlier exchange of aura was a test, and from the result, Yang Guanfeng was indeed a genuine Sixth Layer. However, in terms of strength, Zhang Tianqi was slightly superior. But such a minor difference wouldn't be evident unless it came to a life-and-death battle.
As the head of the Zhang family, Zhang Tianqi wasn't foolish enough to fight to the death over a mine. But if he backed down just because of a few words, where would the Zhang family's dignity be?
"Yang Guanfeng, let's not beat around the bush. Since I'm here, I won't give up easily," Zhang Tianqi declared. "This area lies at the border of two towns, with no clear division. Since the Wang family can't keep the mine, its ownership should be redefined."
"Is Brother Zhang suggesting a duel?" Yang Guanfeng stepped forward, showing no fear. The atmosphere grew tense, and an invisible aura spread across the scene.
The four juniors were fine, being Qi Condensation cultivators. However, the miners and soldiers watching nearby didn't fare as well. Some found it hard to breathe, while others collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, the standoff didn't last long, and no casualties occurred. This confrontation made Zhang Tianqi realize that defeating Yang Guanfeng wouldn't be easy, and even if they fought, it would likely end in a draw.
"Father," Zhang Yao whispered, giving his father a meaningful look. Zhang Tianqi immediately had an idea.
"Yang Guanfeng, both of us are elders, and fighting would be unseemly. Since both our juniors are present today, why not let them spar to determine the mine's ownership?" Zhang Tianqi believed his son, at the peak of the Qi Condensation Second Layer, had the upper hand. Little did he know, this was exactly what the Yang family wanted, as neither Yang Lingrui nor Yang Linghu had revealed their true strength.
Yang Guanfeng had been waiting for the other side to propose a challenge. "Good idea. With both of us watching, it won't harm our relationship," Yang Guanfeng agreed.
Hearing the opportunity to spar, Zhang Chen's interest was piqued. "Uncle, I..." He was about to volunteer when Zhang Tianqi raised his hand to stop him. "Zhang Yao, you go."
"Yes, Father." Seeing Zhang Tianqi choose Zhang Yao, Zhang Chen felt a bit dissatisfied. He was only a few years younger, and his cultivation talent was superior to Zhang Yao's. Moreover, the Yang family's Qi Condensation First Layer boy had just broken through, making him an easy target.
"Clearly, there's favoritism. At times like this, he always wants his own son to show off!" Zhang Chen thought to himself.
This highlighted the difference between the Zhang and Yang families. Most families couldn't achieve the unity of the Yang family, where internal strife was inevitable. The Yang family's current success was due to Elder Yu's dedicated support and Yang Guanfeng's exceptional leadership and charisma.
Zhang Yao stepped onto the open ground, while Yang Lingrui approached from the Yang family side. "Zhang family, Zhang Yao." "Yang family, Yang Lingrui." After introducing themselves, they assumed their stances.
Neither was impulsive, choosing not to act rashly without knowing the other's capabilities.
Boom! Zhang Yao flipped his palm, summoning a fire serpent to strike at Yang Lingrui. Yang Lingrui raised his hand, conjuring a Wind Shield to deflect it.
"Fire technique." "Wind technique." After a probing move, both understood each other's abilities and began a new round of confrontation.
"Fireflow Bomb!" Zhang Yao initiated the attack, casting several spells that ignited crimson flames around him. With a flick of his finger, the fire bombs shot towards Yang Lingrui.
"Bring it on!" Yang Lingrui shouted, waving his arms as Gale Wind swirled around him. The spinning Gale Wind neutralized the fire bombs, allowing him to counterattack.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—three gusts of Gale Wind swept towards Zhang Yao. "So fast!" Zhang Yao's pupils contracted in surprise, as Yang Lingrui's spell was significantly faster than ordinary wind techniques.