Chapter 411

The Heavenly Flame Venerable looked at Xiao Yan; Xiao Yan looked back at the Heavenly Flame Venerable; both their eyes flashed a hint of ruthlessness.

"Xiao Yan, once I restore my Three-Star cultivation realm, if that Thunder Venerable still dares to be so insolent, I won't mind making him my first prey," said the Heavenly Flame Venerable, his youthful appearance belied by an ancient, commanding aura.

The first Soul Body he surrendered to the Soul Hall was none other than the Thunder Venerable's own Soul Body!

And the Heavenly Flame Venerable truly had the capital to back it up—he had once been a Five-Star Peak Dou Zun; though he no longer possessed the Falling Heart Flame, he now wielded the True Transformation Flame, equal in power to a Heavenly Flame.

Though this True Transformation Flame had no special abilities, its power and infernal heat were hardly weaker than the Falling Heart Flame. Added to that, the Heavenly Flame Venerable's Five Wheel Departing Fire Art had long since reached perfection—he had no reason to fear the Thunder Venerable.

Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. "No need to rush—this is still the Wind Thunder Pavilion's territory. But I believe an opportunity will come."

"I leave everything to your arrangement, Yan Venerable."

Their gazes locked, as if two wolves had conspired together. Though no sound escaped them, their eyes echoed the laughter of the Soul Hall Venerables.

Xiao Yan did not disturb the Heavenly Flame Venerable further as he refined the Elixir—the Fuling Green Pill could restore only part of his cultivation realm, and absorbing its potency would take time.

The Four Directions Pavilion Assembly was also about to begin; Xiao Yan had a premonition this year's assembly would not be peaceful.

"Xiao Yan!"

As Xiao Yan, Yue Er, and the others stepped out of the Space Lock, leaving the Heavenly Flame Venerable inside to refine the Fuling Green Pill, Zi Yan sneaked up from behind and pounced onto Xiao Yan's back, giving him no chance to escape.

Caught red-handed, Xiao Yan swallowed hard and forced a polite, awkward smile. "Zi Yan, thanks for your hard work in Tianbei City at the Han Family."

"Hehehe," Zi Yan clung to his back, arms wrapped tightly around his neck, legs clasped around his waist, smiling sweetly, her two small fangs gleaming cutely.

Suddenly, Zi Yan grinned. "Hehe, Xiao Yan, has your Pill Alchemy improved again?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyelid twitched. "You want me to refine a Pill for you?"

Zi Yan nodded cheerfully.

"I can refine it—but right now, I don't even have the basic Pill Formula, let alone Medicinal Materials," Xiao Yan said, shrugging helplessly.

Pill Formulas for Seven-Grade Pills were rare even in the Medicinal Sage's legacy; those for Beast use were even rarer. Even the Tian She Mansion possessed few such formulas. The only two useful ones were Eight-Grade, found in the Ruins of the Azure-Eyed Snake Sage—meant for Qing Lin, unsuitable for Zi Yan.

As if anticipating his reply, Zi Yan flipped her hand—and a Scroll appeared in her palm.

"Huh?! Where did you get this Pill Formula!" Xiao Yan was stunned—he'd never seen this one before. How did this girl get it?!

With a sharp *pop*, Zi Yan leapt off Xiao Yan's back and tossed the Scroll to him. "The two white-haired girls from the Han Family gave it to me as thanks for helping them resolve the Hong Family crisis. It's a Pill for Beasts—perfect for me."

Xiao Yan opened the Scroll skeptically. The first thing that caught his eye were four golden characters: "Heavenly Beast True Pill." After reading carefully, he realized it was a Seven-Grade Pill for Seventh-Stage Beasts—same rank as the Transformation Pill: Seven-Grade High.

This Heavenly Beast True Pill could not only strengthen a Beast's body and enhance its physique, but also purify its Bloodline—and even carry a chance of triggering Bloodline evolution.

For Beasts, body strengthening and Bloodline refinement were equivalent to a cultivator advancing their cultivation realm. Overall, this Pill was akin to the Dou Wang Pill, the Imperial Ultimate Pill, or the Revival Sect Pill—all direct cultivation-boosting Elixirs.

"Come on, this Formula really does suit you," Xiao Yan said, "but I still don't have the Medicinal Materials."

"Don't worry about that," Zi Yan crossed her arms, confident in her treasure-hunting skills. "The Wind Thunder Shan Mai is vast—I can easily gather all the materials."

Xiao Yan gave her a skeptical look. "The Wind Thunder Shan Mai is rich in resources and Medicinal Materials—that's why the Wind Thunder Pavilion settled here. But do you even recognize them?"

Zi Yan smiled, grabbing Xin Lan's arm. "She does."

"Me?!" Xin Lan gasped. Born into one of the Five Great Families of the Dan Domain, even if her Pill Alchemy was poor, her knowledge of Medicinal Materials was exceptional.

Xiao Yan sighed, shaking his head. "If you get kidnapped, blink twice."

In the end, Xiao Yan had no choice—he had Yue Er retrieve all available Medicinal Materials from the Yan Alliance's storage, while Zi Yan dragged poor Xin Lan on a frantic mountain-wide search for the rest.

With Zi Yan's help, finding the main Seven-Grade Medicinal Materials wasn't hard.

After sending Zi Yan off, Xiao Yan did not cultivate. Instead, he walked alone into the Wind Thunder Shan Mai, arriving at a secluded little hillside where a small, exquisite wooden cottage had somehow appeared.

"You could've stayed at camp," Xiao Yan said, looking up at a slender figure in a plain white dress standing on the cottage's porch. "I'm sure everyone would welcome you."

Xiao Yixian smiled faintly and shook her head. "I'm used to being alone."

Xiao Yixian had always been this way. Perhaps because of her Eternal Calamity Poison Body, she'd grown accustomed to distancing herself from others—even now, after Xiao Yan refined the Heavenly Flame Poison Pill and fully suppressed her condition, a trace of fear remained within her.

She feared the day the Poison Pill might fail, and the Eternal Calamity Poison Body would erupt again, turning the entire Yan Alliance to ash.

So Xiao Yixian never lived within the Yan Alliance—always keeping her distance. Even now, knowing Xiao Yan would attend the Four Directions Pavilion Assembly, she chose to guard him in secret.

Had Xiao Yan's Soul Force not been strong enough, he would never have sensed her hidden presence.

Xiao Yan sighed helplessly. But since Xiao Yixian preferred it, he said nothing—instead, he teased, "Won't you invite me in for some tea?"

Xiao Yixian gave him a look, whispering, "Just come in yourself. I won't stop you."

Time passed quickly. Seven days later, the Four Directions Pavilion Assembly finally began, under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers!

The once sparsely populated Wind Thunder Shan Mai was now packed with people; every path across the mountains teemed with crowds. The cacophony of voices made many feel as if their ears were ringing.

"Damn, there are too many people—can the East Pavilion even hold this many?"

"Today's assembly is starting, so naturally there are many. Word is, not just the Four Pavilions, but dozens of Sects have already arrived at the East Pavilion."

"The last winner was the Wind Thunder Pavilion. Who will win this time?"

"Hard to say. Feng Qing'er, Tang Ying, Wang Chen, and Mu Qingluan—all aren't easy opponents. Rumor has it they recently entered the Tian Shan Xue Tan in the Heaven Eye Shan Mai—surely their strength has improved. But hey, the real highlight of this assembly isn't just them."

"You mean the Yan Alliance?"

"Of course. So many Zhong Zhou Sects and Families came here just to see who will prevail between the Yan Alliance and the Wind Thunder Pavilion. If the Yan Alliance grows powerful, the entire outer Zhong Zhou will be completely reshuffled."

"More incense burners, more ghosts!"

The true East Pavilion of the Wind Thunder Pavilion was not in the center of Feng Lei Cheng, but atop Lei Mountain in the Wind Thunder Shan Mai. Feng Lei Cheng was built later; originally, the Thunder Venerable founded his faction by constructing a pavilion atop Lei Mountain—hence the name Wind Thunder Pavilion.

Lei Mountain was extremely tall; from its base, its peak vanished into the clouds. Above the mid-slope, thick, dark mist swirled, faint lightning flickering within. From afar, the mountain appeared entirely sheathed in countless bolts of lightning—majestic and awe-inspiring.

Like the Burning Flame Valley, this was a treasure land, saturated with Wind and Thunder elemental energy.

*Jiu! * Suddenly, a clear crane cry rang out. Then everyone saw a magnificent seven-colored giant crane flap its wings and soar down from the mountain's base, racing straight toward the summit.

This sight drew countless envious and awestruck gazes.

Many knew the seven-colored crane was Feng Qing'er's mount.

Even though the Wind Thunder Pavilion had set trials to limit entry to the East Pavilion, the vast structure was still packed to bursting. Just as the crowd grew restless, a thunderclap echoed—a massive lightning bolt suddenly crashed down from the clouds, blindingly bright, forcing most to instinctively shut their eyes.

Within the lightning stood the four Pavilion Masters of the Wind Thunder Pavilion!

"All four Pavilion Masters have appeared!"

When the crowd opened their eyes, they saw the four figures on the VIP seats—immediate gasps and exclamations erupted, but the sea of people had not yet begun to murmur when a sword's hum rang out across the entire Thunder Mountain.

Hearing that sword hum, Thunder Venerate laughed heartily: "Hah! Sword Venerate, this time you're the first to arrive."

Instantly, the giant sword formed from Dou Qi in the sky dissolved into countless specks of light, and an old man descended with Tang Ying to take his seat.

The old man was short of stature, a stark contrast to the burly Thunder Venerate, yet not a single person dared underestimate this tiny elder.

Yet Sword Venerate did not greet Thunder Venerate—he simply closed his eyes and waited, making it clear their relationship was far from good.

"Heh heh, the old Sword guy still has the same foul temper. Seems he still holds a grudge over that match from years ago." Just as Sword Venerate closed his eyes to meditate, a sinister, mocking laugh echoed through the air.

Instantly, a jet-black light shot up from the mountain's base, appearing as if teleporting, directly materializing on the seats. Without ceremony, he swept his sleeve and sat down.

The figure who appeared was an old man clad in black robes, his face pale, his brow shadowed with gloom, his eyes—one black, one white—unnervingly strange. Behind him stood Wang Chen of the Yellow Springs Pavilion.

Hearing this, Sword Venerate glanced at Yellow Springs Venerate and said coolly: "Back then, I merely lost due to bad luck. Compared to someone who barely held out a hundred rounds against Wind Venerate before being crushed, I fared far better. Don't you agree, Yellow Springs Venerate?"

Hearing Sword Venerate's mockery, Yellow Springs Venerate's eyes flashed with dark malice, but he merely snorted and said nothing—after all, it was true.

Not long after the three Venerates sat down, all three suddenly felt their eyelids twitch and turned simultaneously toward the distance—a gentle breeze suddenly swept through the crowd.

A massive azure wind vortex flashed like lightning, appearing above the vast Guang Chang within a few breaths. Then the vortex trembled slightly and dissolved into countless specks of light. From within it, two figures rode a light breeze, descending slowly onto the seats.

"Even Wind Venerate, who never involves himself in worldly affairs, has come! Damn, all four Venerates are here—this trip was worth it!"

"Dou Zun powerhouses, normally so rare to see, now appear all at once—this Four Directions Pavilion Assembly truly has grandeur. No wonder so many have come."

Wind Venerate sat down slowly, his long hair cascading over his shoulders, exuding an air of carefree elegance. His features were far from ordinary; even in old age, traces of youthful handsomeness remained, suggesting he had once been strikingly handsome.

Beside him, Mu Qingluan stood with her hands clasped behind her back, beside her master.

Unlike the other three Venerates, Wind Venerate's face always carried a gentle smile, and he courteously responded to Thunder Venerate, Sword Venerate, and even Yellow Springs Venerate.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they exchanged glances. All four Venerates were present, and most Sects had arrived—yet Thunder Venerate still did not announce the Assembly's commencement.

The once noisy crowd gradually fell silent; the entire Thunder Mountain's atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive.

Because everyone knew: someone was still missing!

And this time, all four Venerates had gathered—even Wind Venerate, who rarely showed his face—because of this rising Faction: the Yan Alliance!

ROOOOAR!!! Suddenly, from a camp within the Wind Thunder Mountain Range, a thunderous Dragon Roar erupted—a brilliant azure light shot skyward, and from within it, a colossal, entirely blue Jiao beast stepped across Space itself.

Though the Deep Sea Jiao beast had not been as fortunate as the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King and still had not obtained the Transformation Pill, with aid from Jia Xingtian and the Jia Ma Royal Family, its power had recently reached Seven Rank.

BOOM! The massive Deep Sea Jiao beast treated the sky as if it were the sea, its DragonClaw gripping Space, flashing several times before appearing atop Thunder Mountain.

"Whoa! What an awesome Jiao dragon!"

"That's the Yan Alliance's Deep Sea Jiao beast!"

"Look at the forehead of the Deep Sea Jiao beast!"

There, atop the Jiao beast's forehead, several figures stood in staggered formation—Hai Bodong and Jia Xingtian, two of the Yan Alliance's old Dou Zong, were there too. Beside them stood Nalan Yanran, Qing Lin, and Zi Yan, all standing behind Xiao Yan.

Naturally, the figure standing at the center of everyone was not Nalan Yanran, who had slain the most enemies for the Yan Alliance, nor Heavenly Flame Venerate, the strongest in power—but Xiao Yan, the initiator of the Yan Alliance Covenant and a Pill Alchemy Master.

"Everyone's here, but where's our seat in the Yan Alliance?" Xiao Yan, hands clasped behind his back, smiled slightly at Thunder Venerate.

Xiao Yan's voice carried clearly across the entire Thunder Mountain. On the platform atop the Wind Thunder Pavilion, only four seats existed—and all were already occupied.

But everyone knew: since the very first Four Directions Pavilion Assembly, there had always been only four seats.

After all, the Assembly was named the Four Directions Pavilion Assembly—how could there possibly be five seats? Xiao Yan's words carried unmistakable provocation.

He was openly declaring that the Yan Alliance intended to challenge the Four Pavilions' status!

"So arrogant."

"Damn, Xiao Yan's giving zero respect to the four Venerates—straight out demanding five seats instead of four!"

Yet the audience felt nothing amiss—after all, the Yan Alliance had its own Dou Zun, and even two Nine-Star Dou Zong. Its influence was no smaller than the Four Pavilions'.

Most importantly, the Yan Alliance had one legendary achievement: it had slain a One Star Dou Zun—She Tian Huang!

The Yan Alliance's reputation was earned in blood. True, it was only a One Star Dou Zun—but still a Dou Zun! And he was killed! The Four Pavilions, over all these years, had never been known to kill a single Dou Zun—mostly just sparring and exchanging techniques; actual life-or-death battles? None.

The name Yan Alliance was a name of dread!

At that moment, Thunder Venerate glanced at Fei Tian, Pavilion Master of the North Pavilion. Fei Tian, understanding instantly, snorted coldly: "Hmph. Since its inception, the Four Directions Pavilion Assembly has always had only four seats. Where would a fifth come from?"

Xiao Yan glanced at Fei Tian, his gaze as calm as still water. "Oh? Then according to Pavilion Master Fei Tian, this Assembly, which invites the entire world, is merely for you Four Pavilions to perform?"

Fei Tian fell silent. For every past Four Directions Pavilion Assembly had never been limited to the Four Pavilions' disciples. Take this year: including the Four Pavilions' four disciples, there were fifty-three participants total, beginning with a free-for-all battle until only eight remained.

Then came one-on-one duels—the last survivor would receive the host's reward.

Hearing this, Thunder Venerate slowly rose and said: "Those qualified to sit here have all previously won this Assembly. If your Yan Alliance wins this year, you'll naturally earn a seat."

Then Xiao Yan looked toward the three disciples of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, Yellow Springs Pavilion, and Star Fall Pavilion—all were under thirty, and all were One Star Dou Zun.

"If the young generation of the Four Pavilions are all of this caliber, this year's Assembly will be dreadfully dull."

Xiao Yan's words were a broad insult—not just to Wind Thunder Pavilion, but to all three other Pavilions too. Yet what he said was true: whether Tang Ying, Wang Chen, or Mu Qingluan, all were merely newly entered Dou Zun.

Not even Xiao Yan, Zi Yan, or Qing Lin—Nalan Yanran herself might not even lose to them. The Yan Alliance could take on all four at once.

"Xiao Yan, Cultivation Realm isn't everything. I've defeated Three-Star Dou Zong before." Tang Ying, sword on his back, could no longer stay silent. Crossing ranks in battle? They all could do it. Two stars difference? No big deal.

"Is that so? Then, Yanran, Qing Lin—you two go down and play." Xiao Yan waved his hand casually.

What Four Directions Pavilion Assembly? Today, this Assembly was the Yan Alliance's showcase!

(End of Chapter)