Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 563 Return, Aftermath

High in the sky, a sea of ​​clouds surges.

In a fleeting moment, a massive ship-like figure sped past above the vast sea of ​​clouds. From a distance, it appeared as a silver ray shooting straight towards the Dan Domain, tearing apart the clouds in its wake and creating a series of whooshing sounds.

At the bow of the ship, Lin Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant sky, a hint of contemplation in his eyes.

"Xiao Yan lost, and it was a defeat in a battle between people of the same realm, a defeat in which he was overtaken by his defeated opponent."

Is this all there is to destiny?

"Or is it that there is no predetermined destiny in this world, that so-called destiny and fortune, so-called unchangeable trends... can be reversed by human beings?!"

"Or perhaps, as a transmigrator from another world, I am a being similar to an extraterrestrial demon, possessing some kind of special nature? My intervention could fundamentally change certain things?"

Recalling the victory and defeat he witnessed yesterday, Lin Yuan's thoughts wandered, and all sorts of wonderful ideas surged in his mind.

Lin Yuan never forgot that he was a time traveler.

Because of this special background, he naturally pays more attention to vague concepts such as destiny and fortune than ordinary cultivators.

One of the reasons for the unusually high level of attention paid to Xiao Yan was this... After all, this guy was the "protagonist" of the original story, and perhaps he really did possess some kind of mysterious thing like "destiny" or "luck".

If Lin Yuan, who has a 'time travel' experience, said that he didn't care about these things, he would only be deceiving himself.

However, although he would care about this, he would not change his logic of action because of it, nor would he sacrifice his own interests to give up any opportunities.

On the contrary, when he has some free time, he will treat the "protagonist" as a subject to observe, engage with, and study...

The battle between Feng Qing'er and Xiao Yan was a phase of exploration.

Judging from the results this time, the so-called "protagonist" status is at least not absolutely secure—losing to an opponent of the same level, or even a former defeated opponent, is not exactly "protagonist disqualification," but it can at least be considered "protagonist demotion."

"This should be considered Xiao Yan's first real 'defeat' since he recovered his talent. Now, let's see how long it takes him to recover."

With a slight smile, Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes, a hint of amusement flashing in them.

As he was pondering, footsteps came from behind him.

Lin Yuan turned around and saw a pretty figure in a colorful dress; it was Feng Qing'er.

At this moment, the phoenix girl exuded a noble aura, her eyes were full of ambition, and her aura fluctuated, sometimes high and sometimes low, sometimes strong and sometimes weak... Lin Yuan was very familiar with this state, it was a sign of a breakthrough.

"Not bad, you seized the opportunity to break through to the next level. It seems that yesterday's battle, in which you avenged your previous defeat, has benefited you greatly!"

After observing for a moment, Lin Yuan smiled slightly and nodded in satisfaction.

Feng Qing'er nodded slightly and said softly, "I can sense that as long as there is a sufficient supply of energy, I should be able to break through to the Dou Zun realm within a few months."

At this point, an undisguised joy appeared on her usually cool face.

Dou Zun, a realm that was once so far away, has become so close to me in just one year.

"You don't need to worry about energy," Lin Yuan waved his hand and said calmly.

"For the next few years, since you will be following me in cultivation, I will prepare all the resources you need, such as pills, energy, and medicinal herbs! Just follow my plan, cultivate diligently, and break through to the Dou Sheng realm as soon as possible..."

Whether it's helping him cultivate the Heavenly Tyrant Body, further perfecting his natal blood core, or completely controlling the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, all require Feng Qing'er to become a ninth-tier Ancient Heavenly Phoenix.

Fortunately, after she reverted to her ancestral form, her ancient phoenix bloodline was excellent enough.

In this situation, as long as enough resources are invested and some efficient training methods are used, it will not be difficult for Feng Qing'er to advance to the Dou Sheng level within a few years!
As for himself, the things he needs to do next are break through to the Dou Sheng level, teach his disciples, prepare for the Pill Gathering, and that plan.

"There are still fourteen months left, time is running out... I need to hurry!"

Thinking of this, he waved his sleeve, and the airship trembled slightly, its speed increasing dramatically, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.
-
In an elegant courtyard within the Fenglei Pavilion, two figures sat facing each other at a stone table.

"Have all the specific arrangements for the merger been made?" Elder Yao asked with a smile as he poured a cup of tea for Venerable Feng.

"Hmm!" Venerable Feng nodded slightly and pondered, "Since the announcement yesterday, I have been observing the Wind and Thunder Pavilion all day today. Knowing that we have two half-saints, the people of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion are not very resistant to the merger, and are even somewhat looking forward to it."

"I have already discussed with Venerable Lei that we will open a spatial passage between the Thunder Pavilion and the Starfall Pavilion as soon as possible, and then transfer a group of powerful individuals from the Starfall Pavilion to the Northern Region."

"Once everyone is in place, we can use Fenglei Pavilion as our base and begin a major expansion!"

"The Eastern Region is within the sphere of influence of the ancient clans, and it is not advisable to carry out large-scale expansion without permission; the Western Region is too risky for the Soul Palace to expand there due to its immense influence."

"After much consideration, it is still most appropriate to invest resources in the Southern and Northern Regions."

“Lord Lei is a local bigwig in the Northern Region. He will later serve as one of the seven vice pavilion masters of the Four Directions Pavilion, together with another vice pavilion master we have sent, to oversee the expansion of the Northern Region.”

"As for the other deputy pavilion master, I prefer Elder Huang Xuan to take the position. What do you think?"

"Huang Xuan?" Yao Lao stroked his beard and said, "This choice is quite good... A nine-star Dou Zun is enough to keep things under control for now!"

"However, while the Eastern and Western Regions are not suitable for large-scale expansion at the moment, we cannot do nothing."

"You should arrange for reliable people to establish some secret strongholds in various regions of Zhongzhou and at the borders of the continent. They will likely be useful when you attack the Soul Hall's branch halls in the border areas later."

"We can send more people over from the Northern Region, and we also need to keep up with the collection of medicinal herbs."

Although he is a semi-saint level expert and an alchemist not far from the ninth rank, Yao Lao's foundation is still shallow. He needs a sufficiently strong force under his command to support him in order to give full play to the advantages of an alchemist and become powerful as quickly as possible.

Under these circumstances, he was still quite keen on expanding his power.

Otherwise, relying solely on the existing strength of the Starfall Pavilion, it would be extremely time-consuming and laborious to simply collect the medicinal materials for a few sets of Grade 9 pills.

"I'll leave the specifics to you. I'll take Xiao Yanzi back for seclusion tomorrow!"

"You can focus on your seclusion. Leave these mundane matters to me!" Venerable Feng nodded slightly and chuckled. "Hehe, now that you have successfully broken through to the Dou Sheng realm, the Four Directions Pavilion will truly possess a higher level of foundation and be the greatest support for its expansion. By the way..." He paused and asked in a deep voice, "Is Xiao Yan alright? Judging from his appearance, this defeat to Feng Qing'er seems to have been quite a blow to him."

In Venerable Feng's opinion, losing to Feng Qing'er was not a big deal.

After all, that little girl's strength was genuinely formidable, not at all inferior to an ordinary Dou Zun... and how many powerful individuals haven't experienced defeat?

However, Xiao Yan, who is usually open-minded and indifferent, seems unable to come to his senses this time.

"Don't worry, I can't say much about Xiao Yanzi's other aspects, but I have a lot of confidence in his resilience." As someone who had watched his disciple grow up, Yao Lao naturally knew him very well, and there was no worry on his face as he spoke calmly.

"In the years since he regained his talent, he has had it too easy. On a personal level, he has not experienced any real failures or setbacks, which has fostered a sense of arrogance in him."

"At this stage, experiencing another defeat like this may not necessarily be a bad thing."

"After all, due to his identity as a member of the Xiao clan and his relationship with that girl from the Gu clan, he will face many and strong enemies and competitors in the future, a considerable number of whom will be difficult to defeat in the short term. Defeat is an inevitable experience."

"Given the current situation, since he cannot forge an invincible mindset that guarantees victory in every battle, he must forge an indomitable and resilient mindset..."

"At least when Xiao Yanzi goes to Xiao Xuan, he cannot be as confused as he is today."

Three or four years later, when the ancient clans hold their coming-of-age ceremony, Xiao Yan will likely be involved in the 'Seven Clans Martial Arts Tournament' that will be held at the same time, and there will inevitably be a fierce battle.

Even if Yao Lao were very confident, he wouldn't dare say that he could help Xiao Yan defeat all his opponents.

In that situation, defeat is acceptable, but it is absolutely unacceptable to be unable to recover after defeat and fall into temporary depression, confusion, or self-abandonment.

When Xiao Yan went to the Heavenly Tomb to meet Xiao Xuan, his strength might be lacking, but his character must not be lacking!

That's why, when Xiao Yan was defeated and disappointed this time, Yao Lao didn't try to comfort him as usual, but instead waited for Xiao Yan to think and adjust on his own.

When one's character and mind reach the stage of reflection and understanding, this cannot be done by others.

As his thoughts raced, Yao Lao seemed to remember something and solemnly said, "In addition, arrange for some absolutely trustworthy people to go to the Black Corner Region and secretly bring the Xiao Clan people there to the Central State, especially Xiao Yanzi's two elder brothers."

"After their arrival, some disciples will be selected from among them to join the main lineage of this sect, and resources will be allocated to support them."

"Since we have the idea of ​​growing stronger through the legacy of the Xiao clan, we should take on the corresponding responsibility, protect the descendants of the Xiao clan, integrate them into the Sifang Pavilion system, and enable them to develop."

"If Xiao Xuanruo in the Heavenly Tomb knew about this, he would probably feel some of our sincerity."

"A descendant of the Xiao clan?" Upon hearing this, Venerable Feng's expression also became more solemn. He said seriously, "This matter is of great importance, and I will personally go to carry it out..."

"Alright, I trust you to handle this!" After a moment's thought, the old doctor nodded.

After a long while, as the two walked out of the villa, an elder of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully reported: "Pavilion Master, Vice Pavilion Master Feng, Miss Nalan from the Flower Sect has come to visit, saying she wishes to see the Young Pavilion Master. Does anyone know where she is now?"

"Nalan Yanran has come to visit?!"
-
Several days later, in Saint Dan City.

In a grand hall atop the Pill Tower, the three giants of the Pill Tower gathered together.

"You joined the Four Directions Pavilion as the 'Ancient Flame Saint'?"

Xuan Kongzi stared at the young man who was holding up his teacup and sipping his tea, his aged face filled with astonishment.

Lin Yuan swallowed the tea in his mouth, then put down the teacup in his hand and chuckled, "Elder Xuan's words are not accurate. It is not that I joined the Four Directions Pavilion, but that the 'Ancient Flame Saint' joined the Four Directions Pavilion! And this 'Ancient Flame Saint' can be any fire-attribute half-saint."

"That's why I always concealed the 'Ancient Flame Saint' in the light when he appeared in front of people."

“I remember that among the seven elders of the Grand Elder Council, two of them have a great grudge against the Soul Hall. If they need to use the identity of ‘Ancient Flame Saint’ in the future, they can use it.”

"If ancient clans or other ancient lineages want to take action against the Soul Palace, they can borrow this identity."

"If we could bring them down from the field, that would be even better!"

"Tsk, you're quite the sly one." Xuan Kongzi thought for a moment and realized the cleverness of this approach. He chuckled and said, "You've had a hard time on this mission! Leave the follow-up matters of the plan to the three of us. You can focus on preparing for the Pill Gathering."

"While you were away, Ying'er and Dan Chen both broke through to the Spirit Realm. This time at the Pill Gathering, the situation we face may be better than expected!"

"I've been very busy lately. While you're teaching Danchen, could you also teach Ying'er for me?"

Handling general affairs, reforming the Pill Tower, breaking through to the Half-Saint realm in seclusion, operating the Anti-Soul Hall organization... Xuan Kongzi felt that he had been exceptionally busy in recent years.

Of course, he made this request partly out of personal motives, wanting to bring together his own disciple and Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan didn't mind; teaching two people or three made little difference. So he waved his hand and said, "I've agreed to this. Let her come to Tianyou Valley! I'll be spending most of the next fourteen months before the Pill Gathering there..."

"Hehe!" Xuan Kongzi chuckled. "Thank you for your trouble. On behalf of Ying'er, I thank you!"

"We are all family, no need to be polite."

Lin Yuan waved his hand, then took out a scroll of notes, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Xuan Kongzi: "If Elder Xuan wishes to thank me, he might as well help me in this matter..."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Kongzi immediately became interested, picked up the note, and began to read it.

As he flipped through the pages, his relaxed expression turned serious.

After a long while, Xuan Kongzi put down his book in a daze, took a deep breath, and stared straight at Lin Yuan, his voice full of emotion.

"Again, you're trying to sabotage the Soul Palace's operations, preventing them from instigating a war between nations and creating endless bloodshed on the borders. You've come up with this plan again... Lin Yuan, you take the world's affairs so seriously, do you really want to become a sage?!"

Hearing their old friend's words, Xuan Yi and Tian Lei Zi were also very curious, so they quickly took the notes and began to read them together.

"Medicinal Cuisine, Battle Qi, and Battle Warriors—The Strong Foundation Project of the Battle Qi Continent!"

Upon opening the journal, the several square characters, each carrying a mysterious meaning, came into view, causing their pupils to shrink slightly.

(End of this chapter)