Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 524 Tianyun Mountains, Reunion with an Old Friend (Transitional, Please Subscribe with Caution)
The Tianyun Mountains, like a winding dragon, stretch across the border between the Southern Domain and the Beast Domain.

North of the Tianyun Mountains lies the realm of humans, whose power holds absolute dominance; south of the Tianyun Mountains is a paradise for magical beasts, where more than 70% of the continent's magical beast families gather and thrive on this vast land.

The dividing line between the two regions was not formed naturally, but was drawn by blood and smoke after countless fierce battles over a long period of time.

The Tianyun Mountains were one of the main battlefields for human forces and magical beast clans in the past.

In the distant past, this mountain range was ravaged by war, witnessing many fierce battles. The name "Tianyun" (天陨) carries the historical memory of that bloody and fiery past.

Recently, due to a certain rumor, powerful individuals have been continuously flocking to this once quiet ancient mountain range.

The natural inclination to watch the drama unfold is universal, regardless of the world.

The existence of ancient races may be mysterious to ordinary people, but it is no secret to powerful forces.

The Ancient Clan, as the supreme rulers of the Eastern Region, practically dominates the entire region and even has a prominent city like the Ancient Holy City; the Soul Clan's Soul Palace is infamous; the Thunder, Flame, Medicine, and Stone Spirit Clans also have a considerable number of affiliated forces.

These ancient clans, though considering themselves reclusive forces, are in reality just hiding in obscurity, with their every move attracting the attention of powerful figures.

A woman of exceptional beauty and great strength naturally attracts a lot of attention and easily becomes the focus of everyone's attention.

The most outstanding young women of the Gu and Yan clans agreed to a duel, which was regarded as a battle for the title of "Number One Heroine of the Modern Era," and its appeal was self-evident.

With such hype, everyone naturally looked forward to witnessing this ultimate showdown.

Besides, there seems to be a powerful force operating behind the scenes, pushing similar things forward in recent years, making the Dou Qi Continent even more "lively".

On the other side, after Lin Yuan returned to the Twenty-Third Hall of the Earthly Fiends to hand in the alchemy task and gave some guidance, he led Feng Qing'er to the outer perimeter of the Heavenly Meteor Cross Peak, where the two women were to duel, just before the time for Gu Xun'er and Huo Zhi's duel was approaching.

Tianyun Cross Peak, located in the center of the Tianyun Mountain Range, is the most majestic and precipitous peak in the entire Tianyun Mountain Range, reaching a height of several thousand feet.

Its mountain path is as steep as a wall, going straight down and completely impossible to climb.

At the summit of Tianyun Shizi Peak, a blue stone platform is embedded, exuding an ancient and weathered aura.

Long ago, humans and demons used three battles to determine the boundary between their two domains, and those three thrilling battles took place on the Skyfall Cross Peak.

That battle to establish the boundary ended in victory for the human race, ultimately leading to the Tianyun Mountains falling under the jurisdiction of the Southern Region.

Because of this history, Tianyun Cross Peak has long been a battleground, witnessing the rise and fall of countless powerful figures.

Today, on the Tianyun Cross Peak, perhaps another battle that will be recorded in history will take place.

Standing atop a majestic mountain peak on the outskirts, Lin Yuan's expression was as calm as still water, like a deep, unfathomable lake.

He took a deep breath of the cool mountain breeze, slowly closed his eyes, and his soul power surged from between his brows, subtly sweeping across the entire Tianyun Mountain Range. Before long, the situation of the entire mountain range was reflected in his mind like a clear painting.

A moment later, Lin Yuan withdrew his soul power from between his eyebrows, then slowly opened his eyes, a strange smile appearing deep in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Feng Qing'er walked gracefully to his side and asked softly.

"It's nothing, it's just that there are more people watching this time than I expected!" Lin Yuan shrugged, a hint of amusement in his clear voice: "And, there are two acquaintances of mine... well, maybe they're acquaintances of yours too?!"

"Someone we both know?" Feng Qing'er raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes, and asked with some doubt, "Who is it?"

Prior to this, she and Lin Yuan had no other interaction, so how could they have a mutual acquaintance?

Lin Yuan smiled, gently raised his right hand, and touched Feng Qing'er's delicate brow with his fingertip, saying meaningfully, "Little Phoenix, who are the two people in this picture?"

As he spoke, a mysterious fluctuation surged at his fingertips, and a trace of soul information was transmitted through them.

In an instant, several images flashed through Feng Qing'er's mind.

In the scene, the two figures are clearly visible, a man and a woman, speaking with solemn expressions.

In an instant, Feng Qing'er recognized the figures in the image. Her expression changed slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes: "That's... Mu Qingluan and... Chen Yan?!"

"hehe--"

Lin Yuan smiled, slowly lowered his right hand, and said with interest, "I'm right, these two should be considered acquaintances of yours, right?"

Feng Qing'er bit her lip and remained silent.

These two people were less like her acquaintances and more like her rivals—rivals who left a deep impression on her and who had caused her considerable trouble!

Over the years, the four pavilions of Zhongzhou have been secretly competing with each other, holding a grand meeting of the four pavilions every four years to determine who is superior.

Under these circumstances, there is an extremely strong competitive relationship among the disciples of the four pavilions.

As the most prominent disciple of the four pavilions in Zhongzhou, Feng Qing'er, who had previously been the number one disciple of the Fenglei Pavilion, had firmly suppressed Mu Qingluan, the number one disciple of the Xingyun Pavilion.

However, when Yao Lao returned and Xingyun Pavilion reopened, the situation changed—in the previous Four Directions Pavilion Tournament, Mu Qingluan fought her to a draw with her superior cultivation; and Chen Yan, the disciple of the Medicine Saint, even defeated her in the same realm.

The memory of the setbacks at the previous Four Directions Pavilion Conference was like thorns, piercing Feng Qing'er's heart once again, making it difficult for her to let go.

Feng Qing'er could accept losing to a peerless genius like Lin Yuan.

However, she was extremely unwilling to be defeated by Chen Yan and tied by Mu Qingluan... especially the latter, which lowered her reputation within the clan.

Monsters have always revered bloodlines, but as the Heavenly Phoenix, she could not suppress Mu Qingluan—a mere peer of the Qingluan bloodline.

In the eyes of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, no matter the excuse, this was a shameful thing.

Just as her thoughts were churning, Lin Yuan's slightly amused voice rang in her ears, making her heart feel even heavier.

"Let me see, their strength is quite good, one is a two-star Dou Zong, and the other is a four-star Dou Zong. Little Phoenix, if you don't work harder, you'll be soundly defeated in next year's Four Directions Pavilion Tournament..."

Upon hearing this, Feng Qing'er became even more resentful—damn it, her cultivation had actually been surpassed by Mu Qingluan by so much?!

Noticing the girl's resentment, Lin Yuan's smile deepened. This was good; he wanted to intensify her resentment... With this little phoenix's pride, these emotions would become her motivation, helping her overcome the hurdle of reverting to her ancestral form.

With a soft chuckle, Lin Yuan shifted his gaze slightly, his eyes piercing through space and landing once again on the two people in the distance.

A thoughtful look flickered in his deep eyes.

Following the original trajectory, a year later, even after experiencing the opportunity of the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool, Xiao Yan was only a one-star Dou Zong, and Mu Qingluan was only at the half-Zong realm.

It seems that not only Xiao Yan benefited from Yao Lao's early return, but Mu Qingluan also reaped considerable rewards.

It's understandable, though. Mu Qingluan is the disciple of Venerable Feng, a close friend, so it's no wonder that Elder Yao would take special care of her. And with his near-ninth-grade alchemy skills, if he truly wanted to help a junior disciple quickly improve her cultivation, it would be no problem at all.

After a moment's thought, Lin Yuan pulled Feng Qing'er up, took a step forward, and his figure instantly disappeared from the spot...
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"My dear senior brother, you must control your emotions!"

On a mountain peak not far from the Heavenly Meteor Cross Peak, Mu Qingluan's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she softly instructed, "No matter what, never reveal your identity!"

Xiao Yan touched his nose and said with a wry smile, "Qingluan, in your eyes, am I such an impulsive person?"

“Of course, you’re not like that on ordinary days!” Mu Qingluan pouted, her gaze carefully scrutinizing Xiao Yan, and said quietly, “But as soon as that ancient clan girl is involved, you might not be so sure! That’s why I, your junior sister, have to follow you and remind you…”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan sighed helplessly but did not refute it.

He took a deep breath and looked up at the central Tianyun Cross Peak. A complex and indescribable look flashed in his eyes, a mixture of longing, worry, and unease.

Xiao Yan naturally understood his junior sister's worries, and also knew that he shouldn't have come here.

However, the thought of his beloved, whom he hadn't seen for years, overwhelmed him with intense longing. Upon learning of her duel with Fire Spirit, an irresistible urge surged within him, compelling him to come and witness it.

Even if he couldn't meet her, just seeing her from afar would allow him to learn about her situation and slightly ease the longing that had been building up in his heart for years.

The thought of soon seeing his beloved again stirred a surge of excitement in Xiao Yan's usually calm mind.

"Don't worry, Qingluan, I know what I'm doing."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but his slightly trembling fingers betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Looking at Xiao Yan, a hint of worry flashed in Mu Qingluan's eyes, but she didn't say anything more. Instead, she nodded gently and stood silently beside Xiao Yan, waiting together.

Just then, a mysterious aura flashed by, and the world where the two were located was suddenly sealed off.

In this small space, time seemed to have been paused, and everything froze in that instant... Whether it was the gentle breeze or the distant clamor, everything fell silent in an instant.

At the same time, the previously calm space not far in front of the two suddenly rippled, and a pitch-black crack about ten feet wide appeared.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan and his companion felt a chill run down their spines.

"May I ask which senior you are?" Xiao Yan's expression turned serious. He reached out and shielded Mu Qingluan behind him, then flicked his finger, and a golden figure appeared in front of the two of them.

"Hehe—" Accompanied by a gentle chuckle, a voice that Xiao Yan would never forget echoed from the spatial rift: "Don't be nervous, it's me... Miss Mu, Brother Chen, it's been a long time!"

Before he finished speaking, Lin Yuan led Feng Qing'er out slowly through the crack.

Lin Yuan smiled, his expression calm and composed, as if he were strolling leisurely; Feng Qing'er, on the other hand, had a cold expression, her beautiful eyes flashing with complex light, and she followed closely beside Lin Yuan.

"Brother Lin, it's you?! What are you doing here?"

Upon seeing Lin Yuan emerge from the spatial rift, Xiao Yan was initially taken aback. After regaining his composure, his tense nerves relaxed somewhat.

However, when he saw the face of the person behind Lin Yuan, a look of astonishment immediately appeared on his face.

"Feng Qing'er, what are you doing here?" Mu Qingluan also peeked out from behind Xiao Yan. When she saw Lin Yuan, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. Then she saw Feng Qing'er beside her, and her beautiful eyes locked onto the latter.

"What, this Heavenly Meteor Mountain Range isn't your Azure Phoenix Clan's territory, so why can't I come here?"

Seeing Mu Qingluan's wary look, Feng Qing'er felt a surge of competitive spirit. She raised her chin slightly and responded with a hint of provocation.

The two of them can be considered old enemies for many years.

Mu Qingluan sized up Feng Qing'er for a moment, then quickly walked up to her and smiled, "Being good with words now is nothing special! At the Four Directions Pavilion Conference a year from now, I will test whether your strength has improved over the years."

Before she finished speaking, a sly glint flashed in her eyes, and the powerful aura of a two-star Dou Zong suddenly surged forth, pressing down on Feng Qing'er in front of her.

Caught off guard, Feng Qing'er instinctively took a step back.

However, because she had experienced so many major events and encountered so many powerful figures with Lin Yuan during this period, she did not lose her composure at all.

"Two-star Dou Zong, Mu Qingluan, is this your confidence?" Feng Qing'er raised her beautiful eyes slightly, her calm tone carrying a sharp edge: "It seems you're quite pleased with yourself. But I assure you, your smugness... won't last long!"

Mu Qingluan curled her lips into a playful smile: "I'm quite looking forward to it too. I wonder if the good luck from last time will happen to you again?"

And so, the two women engaged in a fierce verbal battle, exchanging words back and forth.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan not only did not stop her in the slightest, but instead watched with great interest... Many of the behaviors of such a beautiful woman are naturally quite entertaining, and this quarrel was no exception.

When you can stay out of it, watching two beauties with very different styles "tear each other apart" can be quite a pleasant pastime.

As for Xiao Yan, he gently rubbed his forehead, a look of helplessness appearing on his face.

Her junior sister has a very good personality and is generally quite kind and polite to others, but when she encounters Feng Qing'er, she becomes exceptionally mean and aggressive.

"Brother Lin, may I have a word with you in private?"

Not wanting to get involved in the sarcastic banter between the two women, Xiao Yan felt a faint sense of anticipation and spoke up.

(End of this chapter)