Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 555 The Conference Begins, No Thief Leaves Empty-Handed
"Lord Lei, your strength has indeed increased quite a bit!!"

As soon as Lei Zun Zhe finished speaking, a somewhat surprised, aged voice suddenly came from the distant horizon.

Immediately, a sharp "whoosh" of a sword echoed across Thunder Mountain, and everyone was astonished to see a giant sword, over ten zhang in size, slicing through the sky and appearing above the plaza in a flash.

Upon seeing the giant sword in the sky, Thunder Venerable laughed heartily: "Haha, Sword Venerable, as expected, you arrived the fastest... Welcome!"

Immediately, the giant sword trembled slightly and then shattered into countless points of light. At the same time, two figures slowly descended from the sky and landed gracefully beside their seats.

The newcomers were none other than the Sword Venerable and his personal disciple, Tang Ying.

This entrance, no less impressive than Thunder Venerable's sudden descent in the form of lightning, instantly ignited the atmosphere: "Sword Venerable has arrived. It seems that the advance team from the Four Pavilions arrived at the Wind and Thunder Mountains first. Now, the real deal is here!"

On the other side, sensing that Thunder Venerable's aura was far superior to his own, Sword Venerable suppressed his displeasure, cupped his hands in greeting, and then sat down on the silver wooden chair.

Tang Ying, standing behind him, stood respectfully with his hands at his sides.

Seeing this, Venerable Lei raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression unchanged, but he was inwardly laughing wildly—this old swordsman has finally given in!
During their time as both three-star Dou Zun, the two competed for many years.

Although Thunder Venerable had the good fortune to defeat Sword Venerable in the competition that year, the latter was not convinced and insisted that it was due to luck that he lost, and continued to compete with him.

According to the old man's usual style, he should have ignored me, rolled his eyes, and sat down directly. But now... his old rival of many years has admitted defeat because of my current strength. What could be more satisfying than this?
Thinking of this, Venerable Lei grinned, feeling a surge of relief—thank goodness for meeting that person, which allowed him to have such good fortune and gain his current strength!

"Heh... Heh heh, to see that old swordsman's foul temper return the favor... In any case, this trip wasn't in vain!"

After the Sword Master took his seat, a sinister laugh suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dark light suddenly rushing from the foot of the mountain and appearing on the seats next to them as if by teleportation.

The black light dissipated, and Venerable Huangquan appeared. His disciple Wang Chen stood respectfully behind him.

Sensing the powerful aura of Thunder Venerable, a hint of jealousy flashed in Yellow Spring Venerable's eyes, but he still cupped his hands in greeting, then looked at Sword Venerable with amusement: "Old Sword, it seems you've let go of the defeat from back then?"

"Heh, someone who only lasted a hundred rounds against Venerable Wind, are you sure you want to reminisce about the past?" Venerable Sword sneered, speaking indifferently.

"Oh, by the way, I also heard Ying'er tell an interesting story."

After a brief pause, he glanced at Wang Chen indifferently, and said with a playful tone, "A certain junior, failing to seize a woman's white fox by gathering a crowd, ended up being severely injured instead... What a disgrace!"

Upon hearing this, Venerable Yellow Springs' eyes immediately turned cold.

Venerable Huangquan snorted coldly, glancing at Wang Chen with displeasure. He was about to retort to Venerable Jian when his expression changed slightly. His sinister gaze was fixed on the southeastern horizon, where a sound like the roar of a dragon could be heard.

Sword Venerable also raised his head, looking up at the distant sky, and said with a smile, "The last one again. That old guy just loves this kind of grand display!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a sound like a dragon's roar filled everyone's ears.

Before long, the enormous cyan vortex, as if flashing, swept to the sky above the plaza in the blink of an eye, then trembled slightly and dissipated into countless cyan light spots.

Immediately, three figures stepped on a wisp of wind and slowly landed on the seats from the sky.

"As expected, it's Venerable Feng, along with Chen Yan and Mu Qingluan!"

"What a pity, I didn't get to meet the Medicine Saint this time. Otherwise, I could have told my cousin about it when I got back..."

"The main figures have arrived; the conference is about to begin."

The last three to appear naturally drew everyone's attention, sparking a heated discussion among the crowd.

"I had a guess after hearing about the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, Xiao Yan... I didn't expect it to really be you!" Under a Heavenly Thunder Tree at the edge of the square, the young woman looked at the young man beside Venerable Wind, tightened her grip on the long sword in her hand, and her beautiful eyes showed a complicated look.

This woman appeared to be around twenty years old. Her exquisite and shapely body was wrapped in a moon-white dress, and her long black hair was casually and comfortably covered by a strand of blue silk, finally hanging down to her delicate buttocks.

A small, snow-white fox perched weakly on her shoulder.

Looking at that beautiful and familiar face, it was none other than Nalan Yanran, who had a deep "karmic entanglement" with Xiao Yan.

On the other side, after Venerable Feng took his seat, the other three Venerables, including Venerable Huang Quan, who had a grudge against Venerable Feng, all smiled and cupped their hands in greeting to him. The strong are respected, and Venerable Feng, who had already advanced to the Seven-Star Dou Zun level, was much stronger than Venerable Lei.

Venerable Wind had his own request, so his face was naturally full of warm smiles, and he responded to the three Venerables' politeness.

While the older generation was exchanging ideas, the younger generation was also actively participating.

Remembering Lin Yuan's frank advice, Xiao Yan turned his head to look at the girl in the colorful dress next to Lei Zunzhe, and after a moment, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Feng Qing'er seemed to notice the gaze and looked back, a faint blue light appearing in her eyes.

After a few blinks, she turned her head away from Xiao Yan and Mu Qingluan, carefully scanning her surroundings as if searching for someone.

Her phoenix eyes gleamed with an undisguised anticipation.

"This feeling... is it a high-level Dou Zong?" Xiao Yan's expression darkened slightly. Although he did not use his soul power to investigate, and Feng Qing'er used some concealment methods, he could roughly tell that Feng Qing'er's cultivation was at least no less than Mu Qingluan's.

More importantly, with his keen senses, he could feel that Feng Qing'er's aura had become extremely dangerous compared to a year ago.

Mu Qingluan, who was standing to the side, felt this even more deeply.

As a descendant of the Phoenix lineage, she trembled as a blue light flashed in Feng Qing'er's eyes, causing the Azure Phoenix bloodline within her, which she was so proud of, to tremble.

This tremor does not stem from strength, but from an instinctive sense of awe.

"How has Feng Qing'er's bloodline become so powerful in just one year?" Taking a deep breath, Mu Qingluan forcibly suppressed the restlessness of her bloodline. Her clever and mischievous eyes were now filled with incredulous shock.

Before long, her bloodline finally stabilized; however, the thought of fighting Feng Qing'er had unknowingly vanished. Among magical beasts, the suppression of lower-level bloodlines by higher-level bloodlines reached a terrifying level.

A moment later, Thunder Venerable looked up at the sky, then slowly stood up. His gaze swept across the square, and the powerful aura of a Dou Zun surged forth.

In an instant, the clamor that had soared into the sky fell silent, as if a pause button had been pressed.

"I am delighted that everyone has come to Leishan to support the Four Directions Pavilion Assembly today! However, I am sure you are all aware of the rules of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion. I hope that nothing will happen that would disrupt the assembly during the event."

Lei Zun Zhe's words were filled with an overbearing tone, and coupled with the powerful strength of the six-star Dou Zun, they seemed particularly convincing.

Seeing that there were no objections from the audience, Venerable Lei nodded slightly, waved his hand, and a clear bell chime rang out from the distant tower.

"This year's Four Directions Pavilion Tournament has a total of eighty-eight participants. As usual, it will begin with a mixed battlefield until only eight people remain. Now, all participants, please enter the arena."

As Lei Zunzhe's voice fell, a series of young figures flashed into the arena, instantly igniting the atmosphere.

Feng Qing'er took a step forward, her body gliding down like a phantom, landing gracefully in a corner of the square. Her noble demeanor and stunning beauty drew the attention of countless young talents.

After completing her evolution, Feng Qing'er's appearance and temperament have improved even further compared to several years ago!
However, Feng Qing'er paid no attention to the gazes of others. Thinking of Lin Yuan's instructions, the fighting spirit in her phoenix eyes grew even stronger as she stared straight at the black-robed youth on the high platform—today, she would avenge her previous humiliation!
So, following Feng Qing'er's gaze, everyone's eyes finally turned to Xiao Yan.

Faced with such a challenge, Xiao Yan naturally would not back down. He took a step forward, and as the space rippled slightly, his figure appeared as if he had teleported to the corner he had just been in... diagonally opposite Feng Qing'er.

The two exchanged a glance, but did not immediately make a move. Instead, they both closed their eyes to rest.

The four pavilions have their own dignity, and the preliminary rounds are not the occasion for a showdown between the four pavilions!
-
In the void space that even a Dou Zun could hardly perceive, an old man and a young man stood side by side, their bodies radiating a powerful aura that made one's heart tremble!
The terrifying void turbulence vanished automatically as soon as it entered a hundred feet of the two.

“That little girl named Feng Qing’er is quite extraordinary.” Standing in this boundless void, Yao Lao narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze piercing through the spatial barrier as he carefully examined the girl in the colorful dress for a moment, then raised an eyebrow with interest.

"This aura is somewhat similar to that of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, but it is definitely not from the Heavenly Phoenix Clan... It is more noble and more ancient... Could it be?"

Thinking of a certain possibility, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and he looked at the young man beside him with a searching gaze.

Lin Yuan shrugged and said calmly, "That's right. By chance, I helped Feng Qing'er achieve her ancestral reversion and evolve into the only ancient celestial phoenix in the world!"

Anyway, Xiao Yan and Feng Qing'er will be fighting soon, and there's a 99% chance this matter won't be kept secret from Yao Lao, so it's better to just say it openly.

Upon hearing this, even though the old apothecary had some guesses, he couldn't help but gasp in shock.

"Tsk, Lin Yuan, you really are good at stirring things up!" He stared at the calm-faced Lin Yuan and exclaimed in amazement.

"If the Heavenly Phoenix Clan finds out about this, won't they go insane?!"

"If you're willing to hand over this method of ancestral reversion to them, I reckon as long as it doesn't involve the survival of that race, they won't refuse whatever you ask. The Heavenly Phoenix Clan has many powerful experts, and their strength is formidable, in no way inferior to the Soul Palace..."

Lin Yuan waved his hand and chuckled, "Hehe, senior is thinking too simply. Reverting to one's ancestral nature is not such an easy thing."

"Qing'er's success was a chance event, with luck playing a huge role, and it is not universally applicable... By the way, please keep Qing'er's reversion to the ancient Heavenly Phoenix a secret, senior. There are still some risks involved in this matter that cannot be discussed, and it cannot be exposed at the moment."

As he spoke, his slightly amused voice added a touch of solemnity that Elder Yao could not ignore.

"Don't worry, I understand!" Elder Yao nodded slightly, then changed the subject, saying, "However, if that little girl's only trump card is the 'Ancient Heavenly Phoenix,' it won't be easy for her to defeat Xiao Yanzi!"

"It seems you're very confident, senior?" Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, a playful look in his eyes.

"Of course!" Elder Yao waved his hand confidently, "My prized disciple is not so simple."

"That's interesting." Lin Yuan stroked his chin and pondered, "Qing'er is now someone I've raised myself, so she's practically my disciple. Since it's a disciple-versus-disciple duel, why don't we, as masters, make a bet? I'll offer a formula for a precious pill that can elevate a Dou Sheng's cultivation..."

Upon hearing this, the old alchemist rubbed his forehead and said helplessly, "Young Lin, not all alchemists are as rich as you!"

He was very tempted by the ninth-grade pill formula, since a pill that could directly improve one's strength was naturally a grade higher than other pills of the same grade. However, the only thing he had that could impress Lin Yuan was the ninth-grade treasure pill that had only been refined recently.

That was the key to his breakthrough to Dou Sheng, how could he possibly use it for a gamble?!
With a sigh of regret, Yao Lao was about to refuse outright when Lin Yuan seemed to have guessed his thoughts, and his leisurely voice rang out at that moment.

"Senior, I don't need the Profound Spirit Saint Essence Pill as a wager. I only need you to do something for me at some point in the future that doesn't violate morality, and of course, it shouldn't be beyond your capabilities. How about it?"

"I cannot agree to such vague conditions." The old apothecary was somewhat tempted, but after thinking for a moment, he still chose to refuse Lin Yuan.

"Alright, I won't force you then."

Lin Yuan tapped his temple with his fingertip and pondered, "Then let's change the stakes to medicinal herbs—if Qing'er defeats Xiao Yan, your forces will need to take on the responsibility of collecting medicinal herbs for me for the next five years!"

A thief can't leave empty-handed. Since he came to the Northern Region to watch a battle, he still wanted to earn some extra money on the side.

The reason for choosing five years is that, after about five years, the medicinal herbs that Yao Lao's forces can collect will probably no longer be of much use to him!
Of course, Lin Yuan wouldn't care if he lost the bet.

It's just a ninth-grade pill formula; he can just spend some more time making one... He's not the kind of person who hoards things; he's not stingy with trading knowledge like cultivation techniques, combat skills, secret formulas, and medicines with others.

The reason for this is that Lin Yuan pursues personal strength, not so-called bloodline or inheritance. He has no intention of establishing a family and does not care about power or faction.

He is currently willing to put effort into these things only because they can help him become stronger or bring him emotional value.

Therefore, he has always taken a very light view of things like cultivation techniques, combat skills, secret methods, and pill formulas that could form the foundation of inheritance, and he doesn't care at all even if they are leaked.

Lin Yuan had no intention of leaving these things to future generations, so there was no need for him to keep them too secret.

If he could use this kind of knowledge inheritance to obtain medicinal herbs and other tangible items, he would agree to the deal without hesitation, even if it seemed like a loss.

Of course, one cannot be too "loss-making," otherwise it will disrupt the market and be detrimental to the long term!
Seeing that the old apothecary was thinking, Lin Yuan added, "Of course, I don't need you to hand over all the medicinal herbs. Just give the herbs I want to collect the highest priority! How about that? I've already been quite lenient with this condition..."

(End of this chapter)