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"What is the purpose of the Blood Pool?" Xiao Yan asked.
"It has a certain chance of helping some peak Dou Emperors break through to the Dou Ancestor realm. It also has the effect of cleansing marrow and tempering bones. Every three years, the Heaven Eye Mountain Range becomes crowded with countless people from the Northern Region of the Central Plains and even other places. The three-year mark arrives in another ten days, which is why countless people have recently been rushing to the Heaven Eye Mountain Range."
"If little brother wishes to go, you can purchase a map of the Heaven Eye Mountain Range from this old man for a mere forty thousand gold coins. With the map's assistance, you will undoubtedly reach the summit before others." The old man chuckled, finally revealing his fox tail.
Xiao Yan rubbed his chin. Although he was already a Dou Ancestor, controlling this Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool would undoubtedly be a great boon to the Yan Alliance.
After all, the Zong Breaking Pill wasn't one hundred percent successful and only increased the chances by about twenty percent. If it failed, they would have to find other methods. This Blood Pool, though appearing only once every three years, still presented an opportunity.
"Little brother, this old man is only looking out for you. The Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool may have miraculous effects, but it can accommodate no more than ten people at a time. This means if you arrive after those ten, you can only stare at an empty Blood Pool and wait for the next three years." The old man quickly reminded Xiao Yan, who was deep in thought.
"Oh? With so many people attempting to enter the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool at once, how does one secure a spot?" Xiao Yan asked curiously.
The old man smiled, a hint of profound meaning flashing through his eyes as he said, "By not fearing death and having the strength to back it up. Many conflicts erupt on the mountain before the Blood Pool opens, especially between the Yan Alliance and Wind Lightning Pavilion. I've heard the two factions have been fighting fiercely, suffering many casualties, as both want to secure more spots. The fighting will likely become even more intense once the Blood Pool opens."
Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned. So it came down to eliminating competitors!
That made sense though. For unmanaged secret realms like this, the most primitive and bloody methods often prevailed. The presence of multiple powerful factions in Hua Gu City inevitably created such a situation.
Xiao Yan tossed down a large bag of gold coins, bought a map, and then departed for the Heaven Eye Mountain Range. Although he didn't need the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool himself, he could still secure a secret realm for the Yan Alliance and curb the Wind Lightning Pavilion's arrogance.
As he traveled, snippets of gossip from passing cultivators reached his ears.
"It's said that the Wind Lightning Pavilion, the Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion, and the recently risen Yan Alliance have all dispatched their core elites to the Heaven Eye Mountain Range for this Blood Pool competition. Clearly, they're all aiming for the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool."
"Damn it! With these heavyweights involved, those ten spots are shrinking fast. The Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool isn't some public bath for everyone to dip into."
"Heh, what can you do? They're the big players. If you don't have the backing or the strength, better steer clear of this mess. Otherwise, you'll end up empty-handed and covered in trouble."
"Apparently, that Miss Feng from the Wind Lightning Pavilion possesses terrifying cultivation talent and is even rumored to be the next Pavilion Master of the Eastern Pavilion. The Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion isn't far behind either. Tang Ying, known as the Sky Fountain Sword, has profound swordsmanship. He can even exchange a move or two with older generation experts and is considered one of the best among the younger generation in this Northern Region. If those two cross paths, who knows who'd come out on top?"
A man with a scar on his face sneered, "Tch, although those two are strong, they seem slightly inferior compared to that Xiao Yan from the Yan Alliance. I heard that over a year ago, at the North-Western Region's Great Meeting of Factions, Xiao Yan managed to kill a Dou Ancestor despite being at a lower level!"
"Xiao Yan? His alchemy skills are impressive, no doubt, but I heard he relied on some powerful soul body's strength to kill that Gu Tong. His true strength might not be that great."
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected his legend to have already spread to the Central Plains. Unfortunately for the rumor-mongers, he was now a Dou Ancestor. To him, a Dou Emperor was merely a child.
Xiao Yan walked with his hands clasped behind his back, listening to legends about himself along the way. He strode forward with an air of being unrestrained by worldly ties, looking quite carefree.
"Hm?" His footsteps halted. Suddenly, a man approached him from the opposite direction.
The man wore a silver robe with faint traces of lightning power flickering on it. An oppressive aura that made people feel slightly suppressed imperceptibly seeped out from his body. It was clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person.
Although this man appeared to be strolling leisurely, Xiao Yan chuckled and shook his head; this person's target was him. Xiao Yan possessed Spiritual Strength at the Sol State; no matter how subtly the gaze locked onto him, it couldn't deceive him.
"There's a saying: a good dog doesn't block the way. This road is so wide, yet you insist on obstructing my path?" Xiao Yan revealed a calm smile, remaining as unperturbed as an ancient well before the silver-robed man.
The silver-robed man looked at Xiao Yan. It was difficult to discern his exact age; his face appeared somewhat youthful, but his hair, tinged with paleness, subtly exuded an aged aura. Most surprising of all, he possessed a pair of silver-white pupils, an extremely rare trait.
The silver-robed man stopped five paces from Xiao Yan and smiled. "You truly live up to being the initiator of the Yan Alliance. Your bearing is impressive indeed."
Xiao Yan shrugged. "The Wind Lightning Pavilion is nothing special. I doubt it can make me feel any nervousness or worry."
"Initiator of the Yan Alliance? He's Xiao Yan?!"
"Holy shit, that silver robe! That's the robe of the Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion's Master. He's Tian Lei Zi, Fei Tian! The Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion Master!"
A series of shocked exclamations instantly rang out. These two were prominent figures in the Northern Region and were naturally recognized immediately.
"The Yan Alliance and Wind Lightning Pavilion! These two are heavyweight characters!"
Xiao Yan was also stunned at this moment. He never imagined this person to be the Northern Pavilion Master and absolutely hadn't expected the Wind Lightning Pavilion to have Fei Tian personally escorting them for the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool! In that case, hadn't Zi Yan gone on a wild goose chase?
Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. He could only hope the Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion and the Hong Clan still had some capable figures left.
"You cultivated my Wind Lightning Pavilion's Three Thousand Lightning Movement. According to our rules, you must cripple your own meridians," Fei Tian said in a deep voice.
"Pfft." Xiao Yan was amused and burst out laughing. "Hahahaha, I didn't expect you to be quite the comedian. According to the rules of my Yan Alliance, your Wind Lightning Pavilion should disband on the spot."
Xiao Yan almost laughed himself silly. My Yan Alliance has to follow your Wind Lightning Pavilion's rules?
Now I am the rule!
Fei Tian narrowed his eyes slightly and stopped wasting words. He lightly tapped a finger, shooting out a dazzling lightning ray that flashed toward Xiao Yan like a venomous snake.
Xiao Yan saw this and stood still with his left hand clasped behind his back, motionless as if stupefied.
This attack intimidated the people of Hua Gu City and shocked countless hearts. It was the attack of an 8-star Dou Ancestor; even a casual finger tap could kill swathes of people.
"Just a mere Lightning Illusionary Body dares to attack me? Have your real body show itself."
Xiao Yan said with a cold smile. This Three Thousand Lightning Illusionary Body was indeed lifelike. Ordinary people couldn't distinguish it at all, but it couldn't escape his Soul State Spiritual Strength perception.
Xiao Yan also pointed a finger. A silver lightning dragon pounced from his fingertip, opened its mouth, and devoured the lightning ray in one gulp. Then, with a 'pu' sound, the dragon shot through Fei Tian's head like a flash of lightning.
Just as Xiao Yan had said, Fei Tian's head immediately flickered with lightning; it was merely a clone.
"Your strength has actually reached such a level!" Only when Xiao Yan erupted did Fei Tian sense his true strength. The clone slowly disappeared, leaving behind only this sentence before being instantly killed by Xiao Yan's finger.
"Boring. If it were a real 8-star Dou Ancestor, it might have been a bit more fun." Xiao Yan shrugged. He had guessed Fei Tian's true body was likely in the Heaven Eye Mountain Range, guarding the Wind Lightning Pavilion disciples entering the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool. Fei Tian probably anticipated the Yan Alliance would have experts escorting their members, so he left a clone behind just in case.
Alternatively, perhaps Fei Tian intended to use the Three Thousand Lightning Illusionary Body to hunt down the Yan Alliance's talented disciples, never expecting to run into Xiao Yan instead!
"The Northern Pavilion Master was destroyed by Xiao Yan just like that?!"
"Fool, that was just a clone."
"But that was the Northern Pavilion Master's Three Thousand Lightning Illusionary Body! Xiao Yan destroyed it just as easily as he said he would!"
"Holy crap, what level of strength does this Xiao Yan have now?"
Those with discerning eyes couldn't help but feel their scalps tingle. Less than two years had passed since the North-Western Region's Great Meeting of Factions, yet Xiao Yan's strength had already reached such a terrifying level! This Yan Alliance was truly going to defy the heavens!
Xiao Yan spread open his palm. One of the silver dragons from the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame stood on it, displaying great intelligence. With a 'pu' sound, the silver dragon spat out a wisp of lightning.
Xiao Yan looked at the wisp of lightning and murmured, "Interesting. This Three Thousand Lightning Illusionary Body is indeed worthy of being the Wind Lightning Pavilion's ultimate treasure. Not only can it create such lifelike clones, but it can also be controlled from so far away."
An interesting agility-type Dou Technique. Your agility-type Dou Technique has already caught the eye of Venerable Yan!
…
At this time, the foot of the Heaven Eye Mountain Range was already densely packed with people, all waiting for the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool to appear. Thick fog shrouded most of the mountain range, making it difficult to see clearly what lay within. Moreover, an extremely vast energy seemed to be contained within the fog.
Even Dou Ancestors couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts under this enormous energy. No wonder no one dared to fly in from above; the aerial path was simply a road to death.
Among the dense sea of people was an area where no one dared to set foot. That was the Wind Lightning Pavilion disciples' campsite.
In the center of the camp, Fei Tian, sitting cross-legged on the mountain peak, suddenly opened his eyes. Lightning began crackling over his body but quickly subsided.
"Pavilion Master? Did something happen?" Some 9-star Dou Emperor elite disciples and Dou Ancestor elders of the Wind Lightning Pavilion hurried over.
Fei Tian's eyes narrowed slightly, a solemn expression appearing on his face as he said, "My clone encountered Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance in Hua Gu City."
"Xiao Yan from the Yan Alliance! The initiator of the Yan Alliance?!"
"Should we immediately mobilize our disciples to surround and kill him?"
Fei Tian pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "The Venerable said now is not the time for an all-out war with the Yan Alliance. For our Wind Lightning Pavilion, Miss Feng is the top priority."
"In a few days, Miss Feng will arrive at the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool. If the Yan Alliance wishes to occupy one or two spots, let them be. Miss Feng's attempt to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm at the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool is something that absolutely cannot go wrong."
Upon hearing this, many disciples recalled the one who had arrived at the Wind Lightning Pavilion not long ago, and many male disciples couldn't help but feel a sense of infatuation.
"Yes, Pavilion Master!"
Fei Tian didn't say it aloud, but Xiao Yan's strength made him feel somewhat uneasy, giving him a strange premonition that made him reluctant to become enemies.
He didn't know why he had this feeling. 3-star Dou Ancestors were a dime a dozen in the Wind Lightning Pavilion, and his own Three Thousand Lightning Illusionary Body, having just reached the entry level, wasn't very strong. Its destruction was not surprising.
But he just had this feeling.
…
Time flew by. Several days later, Xiao Yan emerged from the void. During these days, with nothing else to do, he had hidden in the Nihility Space to refine pills, producing some high-grade and peak tier 7 medicinal pills.
These weren't for his own use. The main purpose was to attract Pill Lightning to allow Xing Tian to evolve properly, striving for it to advance to the Earth Demon Puppet stage as soon as possible.
If people knew Xiao Yan was refining pills merely to attract Pill Lightning, many alchemists would probably vomit blood. That Pill Lightning was deadly!
"It should be about time for it to open, but why haven't I seen any Yan Alliance disciples these past few days? Weren't there reports of many arriving and even fighting?" Xiao Yan muttered. He didn't dwell on it though, estimating that with so many people present, the Yan Alliance's camp was likely not nearby.
Just as Xiao Yan was waiting for the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool to open, planning to rush to the summit and reserve some spots for the Yan Alliance disciples, a clear and resonant crane cry suddenly echoed from the distant horizon, instantly attracting countless gazes.
Xiao Yan's gaze followed the sound. In the distance, he saw a giant seven-colored crane flapping its massive wings, swiftly flying toward the Heaven Eye Mountain Range. Sunlight striking its seven-colored feathers reflected a dazzling, exceptionally gorgeous luster.
"It's actually a Seven-Colored Spirit Crane? Isn't that the mount of Miss Feng from the Wind Lightning Pavilion?"
"It's that Miss Feng! Sigh, are they even going to let anyone else have a chance? With Miss Feng from the Wind Lightning Pavilion, Tang Ying from the Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion, Wang Chen from the Yellow Spring Pavilion, and Mu Qing Luan from the Falling Star Pavilion, that's four spots gone just like that."
Upon seeing the seven-colored giant crane, many rogue cultivators instantly let out a chorus of wails, and surprised voices echoed one after another.
Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment. He then raised his head to look. Over the past few days, he had heard a great deal about this so-called Miss Feng from the Wind Lightning Pavilion, making him curious as to who this personage actually was.
The huge seven-colored giant crane flapped its wings, arriving in the blink of an eye. It brought with it a gust of wind as it landed steadily in the Wind Lightning Pavilion's camp.
Xiao Yan sat on a treetop, chewing a blade of grass and leaning against the tree trunk. His slightly narrowed gaze fixated on the distant seven-colored giant crane in the sky. Vaguely, he could see a slender and graceful figure floating down from the crane's head.
The woman known as Miss Feng wore a seven-colored dress. Viewed from afar, she exuded an undeniable noble temperament. Her cheeks were slightly slender, forming a perfect oval face, complemented by a pair of purple-brown, gem-like eyes. This made Miss Feng appear like a princess from some empire: beautiful and noble.
The only slight flaw, however, was an air of aloofness amidst her sanctity that kept people at a distance, giving one a feeling of being unapproachable.
But as the saying goes, a flaw in jade only highlights its preciousness. That touch of indifference did not significantly detract from Miss Feng's outward appeal; her temperament and beauty were both top-notch.
"Not as good as Xun Er," Xiao Yan curled his lip and said faintly.
His gaze then quickly shifted, finally stopping on the two elderly figures behind the woman.
"Two 6-star Dou Ancestors as guards. Tsk tsk tsk, what a generous display. Plus Fei Tian, the Wind Lightning Pavilion has certainly spent a lot of manpower to escort this woman into the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool. Could she be the illegitimate daughter of Venerable Lei?" Xiao Yan casually remarked with a hint of sarcasm.
At this moment, the haughty young lady called Miss Feng seemed to sense something and slowly looked down at the dense crowd below the mountain peak. Naturally, she couldn't possibly discover Xiao Yan.
"Pavilion Master Fei Tian, I wonder if anyone from the other three pavilions has come this time." Miss Feng withdrew her gaze and asked Fei Tian indifferently.
Although Fei Tian was the Northern Pavilion Master and an 8-star Dou Ancestor, he respectfully nodded before Miss Feng and said, "Naturally, they have. Tang Ying, the Sky Fountain Sword from the Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion; Wang Chen from the Yellow Springs Pavilion; and Mu Qing Luan from the Falling Star Pavilion. These three have also reached the 9-star Dou Emperor stage and have been sent by their respective pavilions for training."
"They should be planning to enter the Blood Pool to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm in preparation for the upcoming Four Pavilion Grand Meeting. This Four Pavilion Grand Meeting will likely be very lively."
Miss Feng nodded. Then, as if thinking of something, she asked, "What about the Yan Alliance?"
Hearing Miss Feng ask about the Yan Alliance, Elder Mu, who stood beside Fei Tian, added fuel to the fire. "The Yan Alliance has naturally come as well. Some time ago in the mountain range, people from the Yan Alliance killed many of our Wind Lightning Pavilion disciples. And Xiao Yan from the Yan Alliance has also arrived."
"Oh? Xiao Yan from the Yan Alliance? That genius alchemist?" Miss Feng raised a beautiful eyebrow and asked.
Fei Tian nodded. After a moment's thought, he added with a hint of warning, "That Xiao Yan's strength is not weak; he has already reached the 3-star Dou Ancestor stage. If Miss Feng encounters him in the mountain range, notify me, and I will rush over immediately."
Miss Feng coldly smiled upon hearing Fei Tian's warning, her exquisite face filled with disdain. "He's just an alchemist who rapidly improved by relying on medicinal pills. Although I'm a 9-star Dou Emperor, I won't fear him even if I encounter him."
"If he's willing to work for me, the matter of the Three Thousand Lightning Movement can be written off. If not, hmph." The corners of Miss Feng's lips curled into a faint, cold arc as she spoke softly.
"I have investigated some of this person's past deeds. This person is a formidable enemy. Miss, you absolutely must not underestimate him," the red-robed old man beside her said in a deep voice.
"Hehe, Elder Huo, why do you speak such words that boost another's prestige? That little fellow may have some skill, but in my view, his ability to defeat Gu Tong while at a lower level was likely due to that powerful soul body. Don't forget, Spiritual Strength is suppressed in the Heaven Eye Mountain Range. Advancing to a 3-star Dou Ancestor in just half a year means this person's Dou Qi is bound to be hollow from greedily pursuing strength. If Miss doesn't encounter such a Dou Ancestor, all the better. But if she does, just casually kill him." The green-robed old woman beside him laughed, not putting Xiao Yan in her eyes at all. After all, she knew Miss Feng's background.
A 7th-tier genius alchemist indeed had potential, but potential didn't equate to strength. The forces behind Miss Feng could completely disregard it; that was a super-massive faction possessing a 5-star Dou Saint!