Clouds blanket the world, leaving no dust behind; the moon fills the ever-bright night.
This was undoubtedly the most bustling night in the Warcraft Mountains in over a decade. Important figures rarely seen on ordinary days appeared one after another.
There was the former guardian deity of the Jiama Empire, the pillars of the three great families, the legendary president of the Alchemist Guild, and the last patriarch of the Yunlan Sect...
Each of these individuals had a widely celebrated and illustrious past, but now, they all shared a common identity: elders of the Guantian Pavilion!
It's no exaggeration to say that every decision they made had the power to influence millions.
The same was true for the Serpent People. All eight tribal leaders were present, and even the four elders, usually relegated to the shadows, made a rare appearance, toasting with a group of powerful figures.
Fireworks and silver flowers couldn't even begin to describe the Serpent People's Holy City tonight. Clinking glasses and laughter filled the air, and everyone felt a sense of unprecedented relaxation and joy.
However, if one observed closely, one would notice that as these powerful individuals conversed, their peripheral glances would involuntarily glance upwards at the banquet table.
Specifically, it was towards Chen Guan's side.
There, a dashing man casually leaned against his seat, his glass of wine in hand, seemingly quite tipsy.
Yet, despite this casual demeanor, no one dared underestimate him.
After all, Chen Guan had just introduced him as "Venerable Skyfire!" "
Venerable!
" Those two simple words were enough to stir up a storm in everyone's hearts.
In reality, Venerable Skyfire wasn't his first visit to the northwest, but his previous visit was on a mission, and throughout that time, he had only been seen with a few people, led by Medusa, during a brief appearance in the Serpent People's Holy City.
Consequently, most people had only heard of him, never actually seeing him.
Seeing is believing; one can only imagine the shock felt upon actually meeting this legendary Dou Zun.
It was also fortunate that they didn't know that Chen Guan and Xiao Yixian were also Dou Zun, and that there was also an old monster named Youdu who hadn't arrived in time. Otherwise, they would have been even more agitated and restless.
"It happened so quickly. Just as Chen Guan was about to be pierced by the Sky Poisonous Scorpion Dragon's claws and was about to be seriously injured, I, Zi Yan, stepped forward. I stepped onto the purple cloud, ascended into the void, looked down at the Sky Poisonous Scorpion Dragon, and said, 'Get out!' With just one word, the Sky Poisonous Scorpion Dragon was frightened to death..."
At one side of the banquet, Zi Yan recounted her heroic stories to Yao Yue with great exaggeration.
Although her story was heavily exaggerated, it still pricked up many people's ears.
They were all experienced people, and they could filter out the exaggerated parts and still grasp the truth.
"Teacher, I want to go to Zhongzhou with you."
On the other side, Nalan Yanran huddled with Yun Yun, her daytime coldness completely gone, like a little sister coquettishly flirting with her older sister.
Yun Yun held Nalan Yanran close, her eyes filled with joy.
She also learned from him that Nalan Yanran had emerged from the Life and Death Sect nearly six months prior, her strength having skyrocketed.
Yunshan, therefore, held her in high regard and immediately resigned the position of Sect Leader, handing it over to Nalan Yanran, remaining a supporting role behind the scenes.
Nalan Yanran, newly in charge of the sect, could sense Yunshan's earnest expectations, and the pressure was immense. She immediately restrained her temper and devoted herself to ensuring everything was done properly.
Yun Yun, a seasoned veteran, had been much the same as Nalan Yanran when she first took over the Yunlan Sect. She sensed the disciples' distress and felt deeply moved.
"Yanran, don't feel pressured. The Yunlan Sect is now affiliated with the Heavenly Alliance, and doesn't have to worry about the imperial family as before. You can... concentrate on your cultivation. The teacher will handle the rest. As for going to Zhongzhou... I don't think it's possible right now, unless you can convince the teacher to return to power, or if you can, like me, take in a disciple to raise with you. Then..."
In front of Nalan Yanran, Yun Yun was incredibly friendly, without a trace of airs of superiority. She even offered a "bad idea" herself.
While it might have been a bit unkind, seeing the burden of the Yunlan Sect fall on her disciples, Yun Yun felt completely relieved...
Nalan Yanran nodded helplessly. A few years ago, she would never have imagined that this position, coveted by countless people, would become such a burden.
At the front of the banquet,
Medusa and Xiao Yixian sat together, a soundproof barrier enveloping them. They held hands, whispering something incoherently. Xiao Yixian could only be seen with her head lowered, looking somewhat guilty.
Although Chen Guan was curious and could easily have pierced the barrier, he chose not to.
His gaze swept across the long banquet hall, and suddenly, a bald man caught his eye. His shiny head was covered in gray-white snake patterns. From a distance, it looked like a coiled gray-white venomous snake, something that would probably give even a child a chill.
Chu Zhi, the Great Commander of the Snakemen!
Chen Guan had seen him once before, already at the peak of Dou Huang power. When he sensed five Dou Zong auras within the Serpent People during the day, he'd assumed one of them was him. But now it seemed he was mistaken; the extra one was Yan Ci, not him.
As if sensing his doubts, the Dark Sea Dragon Beast, which had already ascended to Dou Zong and transformed into human form, smiled and explained.
"This commander-in-chief has had bad luck. You had the Venerable send back the resources, and the Deputy Alliance Leader also gave him a Breaking Sect Pill. Sadly, while we all succeeded, he failed. This irritated the commander-in-chief for a long time, and he's since left his seclusion and has been charging into battle for the Heavenly Alliance, earning countless merits, hoping to earn another Breaking Sect Pill."
A Breaking Sect Pill only increases the chances of a Dou Zong breakthrough, but it doesn't guarantee success.
Perhaps because everyone around him had succeeded, Chen Guan had almost overlooked the issue.
With a faint smile, Chen Guan dismissed it.
"That's fine. If one Breaking Sect Pill isn't enough, try two. If that doesn't work, try other methods. As long as his contributions are sufficient, I have plenty of ways to improve him."
"Haha, worthy of being the champion of the Zhongzhou Alchemy Competition, you're becoming increasingly wealthy. It seems the gap between Zhongzhou and the Northwest is truly enormous. You've probably come back to wait for the birth of your child, right? What are your plans after that? How long will you stay?"
Jia Xingtian laughed heartily, and the topic immediately caught everyone's attention. This was exactly what they wanted to know.
Chen Guan nodded slightly, scanning the room, his gaze sharpening.
"No more than six months. Within that time, I'll have someone open a wormhole connecting the northwest directly to Zhongzhou's Holy Alchemy City, facilitating future travel."
It was a cumbersome task, but it had to be done.
Fortunately, someone was on hand, so Chen Guan didn't have to do it himself.
The old ghostly monster, who was heading towards the Demonic Beast Mountains, sneezed repeatedly, a strange feeling rising...
"Besides, it's time to eliminate some of the hidden dangers in the northwest!"
(End of Chapter)