Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 554: Journey to the Northern Regions Begins, The Grand Conference Commences (Transitional, Please Subscribe with Caution)
In the valley, several hours after Lin Yuan and the others left, several powerful figures swept in from the distance.

After some investigation, the group finally came to a conclusion.

"Such a dense aura of thunder, such a dense aura of spiritual energy, it's no wonder that a high-level alchemist has refined medicine here, and of extremely high quality!"

"It's a ninth-grade elixir!"

"A ninth-grade elixir, brother, are you sure? A grandmaster once visited this place and even refined elixirs here... Refining elixirs in this desolate wilderness?"

"I just captured a few magical beasts and asked them; Black Magic Lightning has appeared here."

"I see, a Grandmaster... I wonder which one it is? Could it be the Medicine Saint of the Starfall Pavilion? His reputation has grown quite formidable in recent years!"

"You're overthinking it. A Medicine Saint?! Hah, that's just a way of putting on a show for him. He's far from being a master!"

"How do you say this?"

"Although Yao Chen's strength is not bad, he has only been at the Half-Saint level for a few years, and he is still quite far from becoming a Dou Sheng!"

"How could a half-saint be a ninth-grade grandmaster? How could he refine a ninth-grade pill? The one refining pills here must be someone else... Is it from the Pill Tower? Or from another clan? Or some reclusive senior?"

"I see. What a pity, that grandmaster seems unwilling to reveal his identity; we will never have the chance to meet him!"

"Let's go, let's go back..."

Before long, the sound of wind breaking rang out again, and these powerful auras disappeared into the valley in the blink of an eye...

An hour later, an aura even more powerful and extremely cold than the previous group emerged from the spatial ripples and stood in mid-air above the valley.

"Heh heh, this smell... the smell of Black Thunder, interesting!"
-
Star Domain Pavilion, deep in the back mountain.

The calm space suddenly rippled, spreading out like waves on water.

Immediately, a pitch-black rift appeared at the center of the spatial ripples, and five figures slowly walked out of the spatial rift amidst the surging spatial power.

"Young Lin, these are the agreed-upon medicinal herbs, two sets in total." After landing, the old apothecary turned to Lin Yuan and handed him a storage ring—he had taken some time to sort them during the journey.

"Hehe, it's a pleasure to cooperate!" Lin Yuan smiled, took the storage ring containing the medicinal herbs, and returned the formula for the Profound Spirit Saint Yuan Pill to the old doctor.

"Speaking of which..."

The old apothecary took the pill formula and put it away, then asked with great interest, "So, are you planning to go straight back to the Pill Tower?"

Lin Yuan shook his head and said, "I'm planning to make a trip to the Northern Region to watch this year's Four Directions Pavilion Tournament... Hmm, I have an appointment with Qing'er to see her fight for revenge!"

As he spoke, he turned his head and looked at Xiao Yan with amusement.

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, chuckled dryly, and said somewhat helplessly, "Feng Qing'er, she hasn't forgotten that battle from last time!"

However, there was a calmness in that calm voice that came from confidence. Although there was a hint of pride, over the years, any opponent that Xiao Yan had surpassed had found it difficult to compete with him again, and the gap between them would only widen!
In the past year, Xiao Yan's progress in both cultivation and combat power has been phenomenal, rivaling even the geniuses of ancient clans.

As for Feng Qing'er, Xiao Yan had both met her and fought with her, so he had some idea of ​​what to expect.

Although this woman is a member of the powerful Heavenly Phoenix Clan, she cannot be considered a top genius. When they met in the Heavenly Meteor Mountain Range, he was already a four-star Dou Zong, while Feng Qing'er was only at the peak of Dou Huang. It is unlikely that she has broken through to Dou Zun.

As long as Feng Qing'er hasn't broken through to the Dou Zun level, Xiao Yan is absolutely confident that he can defeat her again... even if she gets Lin Yuan's help!

Since his talent for cultivation returned, Xiao Yan has remained humble, but he also harbors his own pride.

While he is not yet able to defeat Lin Yuan, he is not so badly overtaken by his defeated opponent, who had widened the gap between them, in just one year due to the latter's intervention.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan didn't say anything more, but just smiled meaningfully.

However, Venerable Feng's eyes turned slightly serious as he confirmed, "Master Medicine Lord, the Qing'er you mentioned, Feng Qing'er of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion... is she Venerable Lei's disciple?"

“It’s her!” Lin Yuan nodded and said, “Judging from Senior Feng’s expression, is there something you want to ask? Don’t worry, just speak your mind.”

Upon hearing this, Venerable Feng and Elder Yao exchanged a glance. Seeing the latter nod, they felt relieved and frankly told him, "Since Yao Chen has already formed a deep partnership with you, we will no longer hide our plans from you."

"The development of our Starfall Pavilion has reached a bottleneck, and the title of one of the four pavilions has become an obstacle to our progress..."

"To solve this problem, we have decided to swallow... and merge the four pavilions!"

"Not only will I attend this Four Directions Pavilion Conference, but Yao Chen will also personally attend. The goal is to take this opportunity to subdue the three pavilion masters and directly finalize the merger of the four pavilions."

"Judging from what you just said, you and Feng Qing'er seem to have a close relationship. I wonder what your opinion is on this matter?!"

"Hehe, I see!" Lin Yuan chuckled and then waved his hand.

"Don't worry, my relationship with Feng Qing'er is a personal one, and it has nothing to do with Fenglei Pavilion. I have no intention of hindering your merger. In fact, from the perspective of a partner, I would be happy to see the merger succeed..."

"I might be able to lend a hand in this cabinet merger."

"Since we're going to the Northern Region to watch the competition anyway, this time I'll accompany you as the 'Ancient Flame Saint,' to add to your prestige..."

"With two half-saint level experts present, the resistance of the other three pavilions will be further weakened."

After a brief pause, he added, "However, Venerable Lei is also Qing'er's master. If possible, I hope that after the merger of the two pavilions is successful, you can give him a respectable position."

At this point, a cunning glint flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes.

The merged Four Directions Pavilion will undoubtedly become a mainstay of the anti-Soul Palace front. With Thunder Venerable as an inside agent, the identity of the "client" representing the Pill Tower, and the disguise of 'Ancient Flame Saint', it will not be difficult for it to exert influence and sway the organization's decisions.

Lin Yuan still had high hopes for the future Anti-Soul Hall organization—if everything went smoothly, the organization could receive "investment" from the Imperial Clan, which might just be able to produce amazing results!

In order to seize the soul essence of the Soul Palace, he needs some suitable "pawns".

Therefore, Lin Yuan didn't mind providing some assistance to help the Anti-Soul Hall organization grow rapidly and develop into a usable pawn.

It was precisely because of this perception of the organization as a "pawn" that Lin Yuan's plan did not allow Danta to formally join the organization, but rather to cooperate as an "investor," thereby maintaining Danta's independence.

As for the Ancient Dragon Clan, they are the most important hidden agents and should not be used lightly!

"Excellent!" Upon hearing Lin Yuan's words, Venerable Feng's eyes lit up with joy, and he said excitedly, "With the 'Ancient Flame Saint' traveling with us, the merger of the Four Directions Pavilions is practically a sure thing. Rest assured, Medicine Lord, as long as Venerable Lei agrees to the merger, we will not hesitate to offer him a high position!"

"I will handle the preparations for our journey to the Northern Region. You've worked hard these past few days refining medicine; please rest here for a while. We'll depart the day after tomorrow..."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly, turned his head to look at the old man Yao, who was stroking his beard and chuckling beside him, and after a moment's thought, extended an invitation. "Senior Yao, how about we discuss the Dao?"

"Hehe, that's exactly what I wanted!" Elder Yao nodded with a smile. "We should both have gained a lot of insights from this joint refining of the ninth grade. Let's exchange them... Come with me."

As he spoke, he waved to Lin Yuan and flew towards a bamboo forest not far away.

Lin Yuan took a step forward, and his figure mysteriously disappeared from the spot, leaving only a lingering shadow that slowly dissipated, and a gentle voice echoing in the ears of Xiao Yan and Qinghua Old Monster, "You two should come along too, such opportunities are rare!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan and Qinghua Old Monster exchanged a glance, a hint of excitement flashing in their eyes, and quickly followed.

Venerable Feng then led Mu Qingluan towards the main hall of the Starfall Pavilion.
-
In the northern region, at the Eastern Pavilion of Wind and Thunder.

In a grand hall, Lei Zun, who had broken through to the sixth-star Dou Zun level, sat on his throne, while a young and beautiful woman in a colorful dress stood proudly in the center of the hall.

"Qing'er, are you sure you want to give up the position of Young Master?"

Looking at his beloved disciple below, who remained calm, Venerable Lei's expression turned slightly solemn, and he asked in a deep voice.

"Master, Qing'er is certain!" Feng Qing'er nodded and said calmly, "After the Four Directions Pavilion Conference, according to that person's plan, I will not stay in the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, but will stay by his side to prepare for some follow-up matters..."

"Perhaps, winning this Four Directions Pavilion Tournament is the last thing Qing'er can do for the Wind and Thunder Pavilion within her own capabilities."

"As for the position of Young Master, let's leave it to one of the other disciples!"

At this point, a hint of emotion crept into Feng Qing'er's usually cold voice.

She experienced so much in that year; not only did her strength and bloodline undergo a qualitative leap, but her vision and ambition also became far beyond what they used to be.

The position of young master of Fenglei Pavilion is no longer what she needs!

After all, a year ago, she could have easily become the young sect leader and vice sect leader of the Tianming Sect with just a nod, but she simply gave it up...

"I see. Was it that person's order?!" Venerable Lei nodded, sighing inwardly, and said, "In that case, I won't say any more. That person's level is far beyond what our Wind and Thunder Pavilion can compare to. Following him is the most correct choice."

With the help of the bestowed beast, he broke through his previous bottleneck in just one year, and his strength surpassed that of the Lord of the Three Valleys.

And the help that pill beast can provide is far from its limit!

After a brief pause, Venerable Lei said solemnly, "Qing'er, you can focus on your cultivation with that person from now on. If the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan comes looking for you, I will help you deal with it."

Feng Qing'er cupped her hands in a respectful gesture and said, "Thank you, Master!"

Although she was proud, she still respected Lei Zun, who had protected and taught her for many years, and she was determined not to return to her clan until she reached the level of a half-saint.

As the Medicine Lord said, "Possessing a treasure is a crime"... She, who possesses the complete bloodline of the Heavenly Phoenix, cannot afford to gamble!
"Speaking of which, will that person really come to the Little Four Directions Pavilion Assembly this time?" Just as Feng Qing'er's thoughts were wandering, Lei Zunzhe's slightly doubtful voice rang in her ears, stopping her somewhat scattered thoughts.

Feng Qing'er nodded slightly, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes: "He will come! He said he would come to witness my battle with Chen Yan, to witness my growth..."

As if thinking of something, the phoenix girl's voice, though still clear and cold, had become softer.

This made Lei Zunzhe, who knew her quite well, look at her with a slightly surprised expression—was this girl's heart fluttering with romantic feelings? Could it be that something had really happened between the two of them?

Shaking his head, Venerable Lei composed himself and laughed heartily.

"Hehe, since that person is coming to watch the competition, then this event must be prepared in a grand manner! Qing'er, you also need to prepare well, so as not to disappoint that person..."

"Yes, Master!"
-
Seven days later, in the northern region of Zhongzhou, at the Fenglei Mountains, even with thunderclouds covering the sky, the sea of ​​people below the mountains could not be stopped.

"Junior brother, hurry up, or you won't be able to get a good spot."

Wow, so many people!

"Of course, the prizes for this tournament are much better than before... I heard there are high-level cultivation techniques, combat skills, and high-level pills."

"The prize is great, but you can't win it without the ability, so let's not even think about it!"

"Who do you think will win this time? Is it Chen Yan or Mu Qingluan from the Starfall Pavilion, or Feng Qing'er from the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, or Tang Ying from the Myriad Swords Pavilion? It's definitely not Wang Chen from the Yellow Springs Pavilion... Well, let's hope it's not that guy!"

"It could be a disciple from another sect... I heard that a Flower Sect disciple successfully advanced to the Dou Zong realm in the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool some time ago."

"I have had the honor of seeing that woman; she is an unparalleled beauty, perhaps comparable to Miss Feng."

"Hehe, who will be the winner... is there even a need to guess? It's definitely Chen Yan from the Starfall Pavilion, he's the young master of the Starfall Pavilion and also the disciple of the Medicine Saint!"

"I wonder if I will be able to catch a glimpse of the Medicine Saint's face this time. That's why I came here."

"You wish! It will probably be the same as last time, with Venerable Wind attending in his place. The Four Directions Pavilion Assembly isn't worthy of such a grand occasion as that person's presence..."

"That's true... Well, being able to meet the Four Venerable Ones is not a bad thing!"

Amidst the clamor, a series of agile figures flew in from afar, then split up on the stone path at the foot of Leishan Mountain—some were spectators, and some were competing.

With hundreds of Fenglei Pavilion disciples guarding the area, the crowd, which should have been noisy, became orderly.

After all, for ordinary people, Sifang Pavilion is already a behemoth!

The mountain path is extremely long, stretching all the way up the mountain and into the dark clouds in the distance. Many people walking on it have an illusion of being extremely small.

At the end of the stone path, a surging sea of ​​people had already gathered.

In the center of the crowd was an enormous plaza, upon which was embedded a silver martial arts arena—the very place where the strongest warriors clashed.

In front of the square, there are a few silver wood chairs with excellent views.

Around these seats, some aloof and powerful disciples of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion stood upright, their auras undoubtedly above that of a Dou Wang, far surpassing that of ordinary disciples.

However, all the seats were empty, clearly indicating that the people who were qualified to sit here... had not yet arrived!
After an unknown amount of time, the clear chimes of bells rang out from the distant tower, followed by a thunderous roar and a massive bolt of lightning that suddenly struck down from the sky, its blinding light so intense that it was difficult to look directly at it.

A moment later, the lightning dissipated, revealing several powerful figures, the leader of whom was none other than Thunder Venerable.

"Old friends, now that you're here, show yourselves!"

Looking up at the distant sky, Thunder Venerable grinned, and his laughter, like thunder, resounded across Thunder Mountain.

(End of this chapter)