82: Chapter 82 Fellow Daoist, don't try to take it from me!

Just as Su Mo was preparing to find a restaurant to grab a bite, a Qi Refining Cultivator dressed like a servant stopped him.

"Huh?"

The servant bowed respectfully and handed over a gold-gilded invitation.

"Fellow Daoist, my master is hosting a banquet at the City Lord's Mansion, inviting young talents to participate in my Young Miss's martial arts competition for marriage."

"A martial arts competition for marriage?"

"The lord of a city must have deep cultivation or immense power; why would your Young Miss be unable to get married?"

Upon hearing this, the servant lowered his voice and said:

"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but our Young Miss wishes to choose someone she fancies, not enter a political marriage."

"The family head could not sway her, so he set up this arena. As long as one is under one hundred years old, regardless of background or cultivation, anyone can give it a try."

"If you are chosen by our Young Miss, half of Linyuan City will be the dowry!"

Su Mo's hand trembled, and the invitation almost fell to the ground.

"A matrilocal son-in-law?!"

After finishing, the servant left to find the next destined person.

"There's such a good deal? Could the City Lord's daughter be a glutton for the City Lord to pay such a huge price!"

Su Mo opened the invitation with skepticism.

A flash of light appeared on the invitation, revealing a lifelike projection—

A masked, stunning young girl dressed in water-blue light gauze was dancing amidst the waves; her jade feet gently tapped the surface of the sea, causing golden lotuses to bloom.

Next to the projection was a line of small text:

"Cordially inviting the heroes of the world. I, Xiao Duanjiang, am hosting a banquet at the mansion to meet friends through martial arts. If there is someone who shares mutual affection with my daughter, Xiao Yurou, I am willing to offer half of Linyuan City as a betrothal gift."

"It seems to be real? Maybe I should go take a look; if it doesn't work out, I'll just treat it as a free meal."

The City Lord's Mansion is wealthy and imposing; the food has to be better than the restaurants outside, right?

Su Mo curled his lips and walked toward the location given on the invitation.

Before long, Su Mo arrived in front of the City Lord's Mansion.

He was pleasantly surprised to discover that the destination on the map from the ancient Jade Slip was right here at the City Lord's Mansion, which meant the ancient cross-domain teleportation array was somewhere here.

The gate of the City Lord's Mansion was ten zhang high and made entirely of deep-sea black ironwood, with eight silver-armored guards standing on both sides, the lowest of whom was at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.

"How extravagant! Even Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators can only guard the gate!"

Su Mo sighed and walked up the steps.

"Fellow Daoist, please present your invitation."

A guard stopped Su Mo.

He handed over the invitation, but the guard didn't even look at it before letting Su Mo pass, which left Su Mo feeling a bit confused.

But he didn't think too much about it and went directly to the reception hall under the guidance of the City Lord's servant.

The reception hall was magnificent, with jade tables dozens of zhang long displayed inside, and many Cultivators were already seated.

What surprised Su Mo was that most of these Cultivators did not look like locals, their clothing was varied, and only a few were dressed like Linyuan City Cultivators.

"Fellow Daoist, please take a seat."

A maid led Su Mo toward a jade table in the corner.

The jade table was already filled with delicacies, Spiritual Fruits, and fine nectar; there was even a whole large lobster exuding rich Spiritual Qi, which looked very expensive.

Just as Su Mo sat down, the Cultivator next to him asked:

"Fellow Daoist, which family are you from? You look unfamiliar."

Su Mo's cultivation was disguised at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, and the Cultivator beside him was also at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, so there was no barrier to their conversation.

"I am a Loose Cultivator, just wandering around to make a living."

Su Mo casually picked up a Spiritual Fruit, took a bite, and asked in return.

"With such demeanor, Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps a scion of a great cultivation family?"

The clothes on this Cultivator were all Magical Artifacts, and the jade pendant at his waist was a third-rank defensive Magic Treasure; one could tell at a glance that he was a scion of a noble family.

Upon hearing this, a flash of arrogance crossed the Cultivator's face:

"Fellow Daoist has a sharp eye! I am Lin Xiao, a scion of the Lin family from Tieqiong City."

Su Mo pretended to be surprised, not even turning his head as he tore off a Spiritual chicken leg.

"So it is Fellow Daoist Lin! I have long heard of you."

Lin Xiao laughed proudly:

"Fellow Daoist is also here to participate in Fairy Yurou's martial arts competition for marriage, right?"

"No, I'm just here for the free meal..."

Before Su Mo could finish, Lin Xiao leaned in mysteriously:

"To tell you the truth, this martial arts competition for marriage has already been held ten times, and the older brothers in my clan have all participated."

"I also asked them what Fairy Yurou actually looks like, but guess what?"

"Those older brothers refused to say a word and all told me not to go."

Su Mo's action of eating the chicken leg paused, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes:

"There's such a thing?"

He didn't expect that this martial arts competition for marriage had already been held ten times. Looking at the number of jade tables displayed in this reception hall, each session had at least two hundred Cultivators, meaning ten sessions would be two thousand people.

Two thousand Cultivators, and the City Lord's daughter couldn't find a single person she fancied?

Lin Xiao scanned the area and lowered his voice:

"I, Lin Xiao, have always been one to never listen to advice since I was young, so I specifically came here, hiding it from my whole family. Hehe, Fairy Yurou is so beautiful on the invitation; I wonder what she is like when seen in person..."

Hearing this, Su Mo finally understood; this was just a spoiled brat.

Just then, a middle-aged man walked out from behind the screen behind the main seat of the reception hall.

The middle-aged man was dressed in a luxurious purple robe and had a dignified face; although there was a little stubble on his chin, it could not hide the charm of his youth.

He walked to the main seat, and a servant immediately stepped forward.

"Family Head, everyone is here."

The middle-aged man nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall like lightning.

"Fellow Daoists, I am Xiao Duanjiang, the City Lord of Linyuan City."

His voice was not loud, but it rolled across the hall like muffled thunder, causing everyone's hearts to shake.

"What is this person's cultivation?"

Su Mo asked Hua Rumeng via secret Divine Sense transmission.

"Not high, just Middle Stage Soul Transformation."

"Middle Stage Soul Transformation?!"

The Grand Elders of the Taixuan Dao Sect and the other two top-tier Sects were only at the Late Nascent Soul Stage; perhaps only some old treasures hidden in the depths had reached the Soul Transformation Stage. This City Lord looked so young; his Aptitude could not be underestimated.

Seeing that all the Cultivators had quieted down, Xiao Duanjiang nodded with satisfaction.

"Hosting this banquet today is, firstly, to get to know all you young talents, and secondly, to choose a good husband for my daughter."

"If any young talent can find mutual affection with my daughter, I am willing to offer half of Linyuan City as a betrothal gift!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole hall was in an uproar!

Judging from the invitation, this betrothal gift of half the city was truly unrealistic, but since these words came from the City Lord himself, the weight was completely different!

"Wow! There really is half a city!"

"Fellow Daoist, don't compete with me. I have shared mutual affection with Fairy Yurou for many years; I hope you will grant me this."

Lin Xiao said with a laugh.

"Rest assured, I have no interest."

Su Mo replied indifferently.

His goal was the ancient teleportation array, the location of which he did not know within the City Lord's Mansion; he had no interest in flirting with women.

Suddenly, a blue light curtain instantly enveloped the City Lord's Mansion.

Seeing this, the Cultivators present stood up one after another, their expressions nervous, and some had already summoned their Magical Artifacts.

"City Lord, what is the meaning of this?! Why use a Formation to trap us!"

Su Mo just felt that this scene before him was so familiar.

Isn't this the same method the three major Sects used to destroy the Xuan Yin Sacred Sect?!

The City Lord isn't going to slaughter everyone here, is he?!

Xiao Duanjiang laughed loudly:

"Little friends, do not panic. This Formation is merely to prevent outsiders from disturbing us during the martial arts competition for marriage."

"So that's how it is..."

The crowd of Cultivators sat down, half-believing.

As a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, Xiao Duanjiang could kill everyone present in an instant; there was no need to go to such great lengths.