Chapter 404: Miss Feng (10,000 Characters)

"What is the use of the Blood Pool?"

"It has a certain chance of helping Dou Huang Peak experts break through to the Dou Zong level, and also purifies the marrow and strengthens the bones. Every three years, the Heaven Eye Mountain Range becomes packed with countless people from Zhong Zhou, the North Domain, and even other regions. In ten days, it will be exactly the three-year mark, so right now, countless people are rushing toward the Heaven Eye Mountain Range."

"If you wish to go, you may purchase a map of the Heaven Eye Mountain Range from me—for only forty thousand Gold Coins. With this map, you will surely reach the summit before anyone else." The old man chuckled, finally revealing his fox tail.

Xiao Yan rubbed his chin; though he was already a Dou Zong, if he could control the Tian Shan Xue Tan, it would be a tremendous advantage for the Yan Alliance.

After all, the Breakthrough to Zong Pill isn't guaranteed—it only increases the chance by twenty percent. If it fails, you'd have to find another way. Though the Blood Pool appears only once every three years, it's still an opportunity.

"Young brother, I'm looking out for you. Though the Tian Shan Xue Tan has miraculous effects, it can accommodate at most ten people. That means if you arrive after those ten, you'll just stare at an empty pool until the next three-year cycle." Seeing Xiao Yan lost in thought, the old man hurried to warn him.

"Oh? If so many enter the Blood Pool at once, how is the quota decided?" Xiao Yan asked curiously.

The old man smiled, his eyes flickering with hidden meaning. "Don't fear death, and have strength. Before the pool opens, there's already fierce conflict on the mountains—especially between the Yan Alliance and the Thunder and Wind Pavilion. Word has it their factions are slaughtering each other, leaving many dead, all vying for more spots. Once the pool opens, it'll be even bloodier."

Xiao Yan blinked. Holy shit, kill all the rivals!

But then again, when a Secret Realm has no master, the most primitive, bloody methods always prevail. And Huaguo City, with its multiple factions standing shoulder to shoulder, had created this very situation.

Xiao Yan tossed down a large sack of Gold Coins, bought a map, and left, heading toward the Heaven Eye Mountain Range. Though he didn't need the Tian Shan Xue Tan, he could secure this Secret Realm for the Yan Alliance and dampen the Thunder and Wind Pavilion's arrogance.

As Xiao Yan walked, he occasionally overheard cultivators gossiping.

"They say this time, the Thunder and Wind Pavilion, the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, and even the rising Yan Alliance have all sent their core elites to the Heaven Eye Mountain Range. Clearly, they're all after the Tian Shan Xue Tan."

"Damn it, with these guys involved, those ten spots are getting scarcer. The Tian Shan Xue Tan isn't some public bathhouse where everyone gets to soak."

"Hey, what can you do? They're powerful. If you don't have the clout, better stay out of this—otherwise, you won't steal the mutton, you'll just get covered in stink."

"They say the Feng Miss of the Thunder and Wind Pavilion has terrifying cultivation talent—some even claim she'll be the next Pavilion Master of the Eastern Pavilion. The Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion isn't weak either. Tang Ying, known as the Heavenly Spring Sword, wields a sword art so profound he can match even veteran experts. He's among the elite of the North Domain's young generation. If these two meet, who will win?"

"Pfft. Though they're strong, compared to Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance, they're slightly inferior. I heard that at the Northwest Sect Grand Meeting over a year ago, Xiao Yan killed a Dou Zong by crossing a rank!" A man with a scar across his face sneered.

"Xiao Yan? His Pill Alchemy is impressive, but they say he used the power of some powerful Soul Body to kill the Bone Child Elder. His true strength? Not certain."

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. So his legend had reached Zhong Zhou already. Too bad—he was already a Dou Zong now. To him, Dou Huangs were just kids.

Xiao Yan clasped his hands behind his back, listening to rumors about himself, striding forward with a carefree, unbothered gait, utterly serene.

"Hmm?" He stopped walking. Suddenly, a man walked toward him from the opposite direction.

The man wore a silver robe, faint lightning energy subtly shimmering across its surface. A faint, oppressive Spiritual Pressure seeped from him—clearly no ordinary man.

Though the man appeared leisurely, Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head. This man's target was him. Xiao Yan possessed a Spirit Realm Soul Force—no matter how subtly the gaze locked onto him, it couldn't deceive him.

"They say a good dog doesn't block the road. The road's wide enough—why stand right in front of me?" Xiao Yan offered a calm smile, utterly unperturbed before the silver-robed man.

The silver-robed man stared at Xiao Yan, unable to discern his true age. His face looked young, yet his hair carried streaks of white, hinting at age. Most astonishing was his pair of silver-white pupils—extremely rare.

The silver-robed man halted five steps from Xiao Yan and smiled. "No wonder you're the initiator of the Yan Alliance Covenant. You've got real guts."

Xiao Yan shrugged. "Just the Thunder and Wind Pavilion. I'm not the least bit nervous or worried."

"The initiator of the Yan Alliance Covenant? He's Xiao Yan!?"

"Kuang! That silver robe—that's the Pavilion Master's robe of the Thunder and Wind North Pavilion! He's Tian Lei Zi—Fei Tian!! The North Pavilion Master of the Thunder and Wind Pavilion!!"

Instantly, cries of shock erupted. These two were legendary figures in the North Domain—they were recognized at once.

"The Yan Alliance and the Thunder and Wind Pavilion! These two are heavyweight figures!"

Xiao Yan was stunned too—he hadn't expected this man to be the North Pavilion Master. Never imagined it. The Thunder and Wind Pavilion had sent Fei Tian to escort their disciples to the Tian Shan Xue Tan? Then Zi Yan must've been out of luck.

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, feeling slightly awkward. He just hoped the North Pavilion and the Hong Clan had some stronger figures.

"You've cultivated our Thunder and Wind Pavilion's Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body. According to our rules, you must sever your Meridians." Fei Tian spoke gravely.

"Pfft." Xiao Yan burst out laughing. "Hahaha, you're funny. According to the Yan Alliance Covenant, your Thunder and Wind Pavilion should disband on the spot."

Xiao Yan was laughing himself silly. Did the Yan Alliance care about the Thunder and Wind Pavilion's rules?

I AM the rule now!

Fei Tian's eyes narrowed slightly. No more words—he flicked out one finger. A brilliant bolt of lightning shot forth, swift as a venomous snake, striking toward Xiao Yan.

Seeing Fei Tian strike, Xiao Yan kept his left hand behind his back, standing still as if frozen in shock.

This attack terrified the people of Huaguo City and shook countless hearts—it was the attack of an Eight Star Dou Zong. Even a casual finger flick could kill masses.

"A Thunder Illusion Body? You dare attack me? Bring your true self."

Xiao Yan sneered. The Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body was indeed lifelike—ordinary people couldn't tell the difference. But it couldn't fool his Spirit Realm Soul Force.

Xiao Yan flicked out one finger. A silver thunder dragon surged from his fingertip, opened its mouth, and swallowed the lightning whole. The dragon, like a bolt of lightning, shot through Fei Tian's head with a *puff*.

As Xiao Yan said, Fei Tian's head flickered with lightning—he was merely a Clone.

"Your strength has reached such a level!" Only now, as Xiao Yan unleashed his power, did Fei Tian sense his true strength. The Clone slowly faded, leaving behind only those words before being instantly slain by Xiao Yan's finger.

"Boring. If it were a real Eight Star Dou Zong, it'd be more fun." Xiao Yan shrugged. He'd guessed Fei Tian's true body was guarding the Thunder and Wind Pavilion's disciples at the Heaven Eye Mountain Range, anticipating the Yan Alliance would send strong escorts. So he left a Clone as backup.

Or perhaps he hoped to use the Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body to hunt down Yan Alliance prodigies—never expecting to run into Xiao Yan!

"The North Pavilion Master was just wiped out by Xiao Yan?!"

"You're an idiot—that was just a Clone!"

"But that was the North Pavilion Master's Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body! Xiao Yan just erased it!"

"Kuang, what level is Xiao Yan at now?"

Some discerning people felt their scalps tingle. The Northwest Sect Grand Meeting had been less than two years ago—how had Xiao Yan reached this level already? The Yan Alliance was going to defy heaven!

Xiao Yan opened his palm. One of the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire's silver dragons perched on his palm, brimming with spirit. *Puff*—the silver dragon spat a thread of lightning.

Xiao Yan stared at the lightning, murmuring: "Interesting. The Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body is truly a treasure of the Thunder and Wind Pavilion—it can create such lifelike Clones and control them from afar."

Interesting Body Technique. Your Body Technique Dou Technique has caught the attention of the Yan Sovereign!

Beneath the Heaven Eye Mountain Range, the ground was densely packed with people, all waiting for the Tian Shan Xue Tan to appear. Thick clouds shrouded most of the mountain range, obscuring its contents. Within the mist, an immense, vast energy seemed to pulse.

Under this immense energy, even Dou Zong experts felt a chill. No wonder no one dared fly into the sky—the heavens above were a death path.

Among this sea of people, there was a patch of ground no one dared step onto—where the Thunder and Wind Pavilion's camp lay.

At the camp's center, Fei Tian, seated atop the peak, suddenly opened his eyes. Lightning crackled across his body—*zizizi*—but quickly faded.

"Pavilion Master? What happened?!" Several Nine Star Dou Huang elite disciples and Dou Zong Elders rushed over.

Fei Tian's eyes slightly narrowed, a look of gravity crossing his face. "My clone encountered Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance in Huagu City."

"Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance! The initiator of the Yan Alliance Covenant?!"

"Should we immediately mobilize our disciples to surround and kill that Xiao Yan?"

After a moment of thought, Fei Tian shook his head. "The Venerable has said it is not yet time for full-scale war against the Yan Alliance. For our Wind and Thunder Pavilion, Miss Feng is the absolute priority."

"In a few days, Miss Feng will arrive at Tian Shan Xue Tan. If the Yan Alliance seeks to claim one or two spots, let them have them. Miss Feng's arrival here to break through to Dou Zong must not be disturbed."

Hearing this, many disciples recalled the one who had only recently arrived at the Wind and Thunder Pavilion; several male disciples couldn't help but become infatuated.

"Yes, Pavilion Master!"

Fei Tian did not say it aloud—that Xiao Yan's power made him feel uneasy, gave him a strange sensation, and made him unwilling to become his enemy.

He did not know why he felt this way. Three-Star Dou Zong were common in the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, and his Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body had only just reached the introductory stage—it was not strong, and its destruction would be unsurprising.

Yet, he simply felt this way.

Time flew by. Several days later, Xiao Yan emerged from Space, having spent these days hidden in Void Space refining Pills, crafting several Seven-Grade High-Level and Peak Elixirs.

He did not intend to use them himself—he primarily sought to draw Pill Lightning, to allow Xing Tian to evolve properly and hasten its transformation into an Earth Demon Puppet.

If anyone knew Xiao Yan was refining Pills solely to attract Pill Lightning, countless Alchemists would spit blood. Pill Lightning is deadly!

"It's about time the Tian Shan Xue Tan opens. But why haven't I seen any Yan Alliance disciples these past few days? Weren't there many who came, and even fought?" Xiao Yan murmured, but did not dwell on it—he assumed the area was too crowded, and the Yan Alliance camp lay beyond this vicinity.

As Xiao Yan waited for the Tian Shan Xue Tan to open, preparing to reach the summit and reserve spots for Yan Alliance disciples, a clear, piercing crane cry suddenly rang out from the distant horizon, instantly drawing countless gazes toward it.

Xiao Yan's gaze followed. In the distance, a massive seven-colored giant Spirit Crane flapped its enormous wings, swiftly soaring toward the Heaven Eye Mountain Range. Sunlight glinted off its iridescent feathers, radiating dazzling brilliance.

"A seven-colored Spirit Crane? Isn't that Miss Feng's mount from the Wind and Thunder Pavilion?"

"It's Miss Feng! Ugh, how are we supposed to live? The Wind and Thunder Pavilion's Miss Feng, the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion's Tang Ying, the Yellow Springs Pavilion's Wang Chen, the Starfall Pavilion's Mu Qingluan—four spots gone already!"

Seeing the seven-colored giant crane, many lone cultivators groaned aloud; astonished exclamations erupted everywhere.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan froze, then looked up. He had heard much about the Wind and Thunder Pavilion's "Miss Feng" these past few days—and he was curious just who this divine figure might be.

The massive seven-colored Spirit Crane beat its wings, instantly summoning a gale as it arrived at the Heaven Eye Mountain Range, landing steadily upon the Wind and Thunder Pavilion's encampment.

Xiao Yan sat atop a tree branch, chewing green grass, leaning against the trunk, his eyes half-lidded as he gazed far up at the seven-colored crane. Faintly, he could make out a slender, graceful silhouette descending from its head.

The woman known as Miss Feng wore a seven-colored robe. From afar, she radiated an unmistakable air of nobility. Her face was slightly slender, a perfectly shaped melon-seed face, complemented by violet-brown gemstone eyes—making her appear like a princess from some imperial court: beautiful and exalted.

Yet the one flaw in her sanctity was a chilling aloofness, giving others the sense she was utterly unapproachable.

But as the saying goes: a jade with a flaw is more precious. That slight coldness did not diminish her beauty in the slightest—her aura and appearance were both top-tier.

"Not as good as Xun Er," Xiao Yan muttered, his lips curling slightly.

Immediately, his gaze shifted backward, finally settling on the two elderly figures behind her.

"Two Six-Star Dou Zong as guardians—hmm, quite the extravagance. Add Fei Tian, and the Wind and Thunder Pavilion has clearly poured great effort into escorting this woman to Tian Shan Xue Tan. Could she possibly be Lei Zunzhe's illegitimate daughter?" Xiao Yan muttered dryly.

At this moment, the proud young woman known as Miss Feng seemed to sense something, slowly gazing down at the dense crowd below the mountain peak. Naturally, she could not detect Xiao Yan.

"Pavilion Master Fei, have any representatives from the other three Pavilions arrived yet?" Miss Feng asked, her gaze returning to Fei Tian.

Though Fei Tian was the North Pavilion Master and an Eight-Star Dou Zong, he bowed respectfully in reply: "Indeed. Tang Ying of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, Wang Chen of the Yellow Springs Pavilion, and Mu Qingluan of the Starfall Pavilion—all have reached Nine-Star Dou Huang and were dispatched by their Pavilions for cultivation trials."

"They likely intend to enter the Blood Pool to break through to Dou Zong, preparing for the upcoming Four Directions Pavilion Assembly. This year's Assembly will surely be lively."

Miss Feng nodded, then paused, as if remembering something. "And what of the Yan Alliance?"

Upon hearing Miss Feng mention the Yan Alliance, Elder Mu beside Fei Tian added fuel to the fire: "The Yan Alliance has indeed come. Recently, in the Shan Mai, Yan Alliance members killed many of our disciples. And Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance has arrived as well."

"Hmm? Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance? That prodigy Alchemist?" Miss Feng's beautiful eyes lifted in inquiry.

Fei Tian nodded. After a moment's thought, he spoke with a hint of warning: "Xiao Yan is no weakling—he has reached Three-Star Dou Zong. If you encounter him in the Shan Mai, notify me immediately. I will come at once."

Hearing Fei Tian's warning, Miss Feng sneered coldly, her refined face filled with disdain. "He's merely an Alchemist who rapidly ascended through Pills. Though I am only Nine-Star Dou Huang, should I meet him, I will not fear him."

"If he is willing to serve me, the matter of the Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body can be forgiven. Otherwise…" A faint, cold smile curled at her lips as she whispered.

"I have investigated his deeds. He is a dangerous enemy. Miss, you must not underestimate him," said the red-robed elder solemnly.

"Heh, Old Man Huo, why speak such words to inflate his reputation? That boy may have some talent, but I suspect his victory over the Bone Child Elder was due to his powerful Soul Body. Don't forget—in the Heaven Eye Mountain Range, Soul Force is suppressed. He rose to Three-Star Dou Zong in half a year—he must be greedy for power, his Qi unstable. If such a Dou Zong does not cross your path, fine. If he does, simply kill him." The green-robed crone chuckled, showing not the slightest regard for Xiao Yan—after all, she knew Miss Feng's origins.

A Seven-Grade prodigy Alchemist certainly has potential—but potential is not power. Behind Miss Feng stands a colossal Faction capable of treating such things as nothing—its power includes a Five-Star Sage Emperor!

The fourth day

(End of Chapter)