296: Chapter 296 Feng Qing'er: Twin Stars of the Northwest Continent? The Heavenly Nether Sect Attacks

"Thunder Venerable, you must be joking."

Xiao Yan felt that Thunder Venerable's words were quite unpleasant, as if he were wishing for his teacher's death, so he couldn't help but step forward to answer.

"My teacher is naturally still alive; he was merely trapped in an ancient ruin a few years ago."

"Before long, my teacher will widely invite his friends to gather."

The story of Yao Chen being trapped was an excuse they had discussed in advance.

Since Yao Chen had not yet been resurrected or restored to his Peak state, it was not suitable to directly break ties with the Hall of Souls.

Announcing that Yao Chen was still alive didn't matter much, as the Hall of Souls must have already known.

Making a high-profile announcement could also cause the opponent to miscalculate, gaining more time for development.

At the same time, it could attract some of Yao Lao's former friends to the Starfall Pavilion.

Thunder Venerable's expression instantly stiffened, and he said with a forced smile, "This venerable one only thought that since Venerable Yao has been missing for so many years without any news, I assumed..."

"It's good that he can return. Venerable Yao is a man of great fortune. Come to think of it, he is a Senior to me, Lei."

"Back when I was still a Dou Zong, he was already the Pill Gathering champion famous throughout the Central Plains."

"When I stepped into the Dou Zun Realm, he was a Peak Eighth Grade Pill Alchemist who shook the Fighting Qi Continent."

"Although there is competition among the Four Pavilions, we also have a cooperative relationship. In the future, this venerable one might even have to ask Venerable Yao to refine a Medicinal Pill."

"Easy to say, easy to say." Wind Venerable waved his folding fan and agreed with a light laugh, "Although our Four Pavilions compete with each other, we cooperate even more."

"If the three Pavilion Masters come to the Starfall Pavilion to ask our Pavilion Master to refine medicine, he certainly won't refuse. Just follow the rules."

Hearing this, even the initially insincere Thunder Venerable had a flash of joy in his eyes.

Following the rules meant paying the fees and providing the rewards. Given Yao Chen's reputation and alchemy skills, if they wanted an Eighth Grade Pill, they would need to provide at least four sets of medicinal ingredients or equivalent resources.

Yet even so, they were more than happy to do so, even longing for it.

Because when asking an Alchemist to refine medicine, resources are not the key; the key is their willingness.

The more powerful the Alchemist, the harder it is to ask them to act, and the greater the favor required.

To put it bluntly, they can find medicinal ingredients themselves or ask others to find them; their time is what they make available to refine medicine for you.

Four sets of resources? That's often just the starting price; they would also have to offer favors and various promises for it.

It is for this reason that the Alchemists of the Pill Tower are so arrogant; they essentially have an industrial monopoly.

It is also for this reason that among the great Emperor Clans, the Medicine Clan doesn't even have an Eight Star Dou Sheng, yet they are even more ostentatious and proud than the Gu Clan and the Hun Clan.

Ultimately, it is because they have always been held in such high regard.

"This venerable one knew..."

"Starfall Pavilion, ah..."

"This venerable one feels that the Four Pavilions are closely linked..."

Yellow Spring Venerable and the other two began to offer compliments; this was the attitude one should have toward a Peak Eighth Grade Pill Alchemist.

In fact, with Venerable Yao's strength, killing the three of them would be effortless. It was just that they didn't know Yao Chen's specific situation, so they were very wary.

"Venerable Yao's personal Disciple must surely be extraordinary." Feng Qing'er, standing beside Thunder Venerable, focused her attention on Xiao Yan.

Because the intelligence she possessed mentioned that Xiao Yan's relationship with that Snow Sword Young Master was unusual.

They were once hailed as the Twin Stars of the Northwest Continent, but now Xiao Yan was no longer a match for Gu Han.

"I'm doing alright, I won't embarrass my teacher." Xiao Yan replied with a smile, his figure flashing as he charged into the lightning.

"Starfall Pavilion, Xiao Yan!" Xiao Yan cupped his fists in greeting to Tang Ying.

Xiao Yan?

Upon hearing this name, Yellow Spring Venerable, whose power base was in the Western Region of Central Plains, was the first to react and asked, "In the Western Region of Central Plains, there has recently been a young man whose name has become widely known."

"Like that Snow Sword Young Master, he also comes from the Northwest Continent. Not even nineteen years old, he is already a Sixth-Rank Alchemist and has the strength of a Seven-Star Dou Huang. It is said he possesses multiple Heavenly Flames and has killed several Hall of Souls Dou Zong experts on his way south."

"That's right, it is indeed my martial nephew." Wind Venerable smiled slightly.

Everyone on the high platform: "..."

Xiao Yan had a record of killing Hall of Souls Dou Zong multiple times, including an Earth-Grade Protector who was a five-star Dou Zong.

Hall of Souls Dou Zong are quite a bit stronger than ordinary Dou Zong, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Xiao Yan has the combat power of a six-star Dou Zong.

For someone with such strength to participate in the Four Square Pavilion Tournament, winning the championship was a certainty.

As expected, Wind Venerable had intended from the start to keep the rewards for his own pavilion.

"Boom!"

Under the gaze of countless spectators, Xiao Yan, whose Realm was three stars lower than Tang Hao's, won decisively, only using a Flying Dou Technique and a few fire-attribute Dou Techniques.

Tang Hao was thoroughly defeated. The last to take the stage was Mu Dong from the Wind and Thunder Pavilion, a half-step Dou Zong expert who had mastered the Three Thousand Lightning Movement.

In terms of flight speed, Xiao Yan did not fear Mu Dong, but in terms of instantaneous speed, explosive power, and agility, he was slightly inferior to Mu Dong.

Having lost the speed advantage, Xiao Yan summoned his Heavenly Flame and won after using an ordinary Three-Color Fire Lotus.

The terrifying explosion caused Wind Venerable to personally step in and swallow the power of the Heavenly Flame's eruption.

"The champion of this Four Square Pavilion Tournament is the personal Disciple of the Starfall Pavilion Master, Venerable Yao—Xiao Yan."

Wind Venerable loudly announced Xiao Yan's victory, and Thunder Venerable and the others were not upset.

After all, the boy's teacher was a Peak Eighth Grade Pill Alchemist and a Peak Dou Zun.

Winning was normal; if he had lost, the other three pavilions would have gained something.

"Rumble!"

Just as Wind Venerable was about to announce the end of the Four Square Pavilion Tournament, the space above the Starfall Pavilion square suddenly cracked open, and endless black, gloomy mist poured out, instantly spreading as if to shroud the entire Starfall Pavilion.

"Who goes there?"

Wind Venerable's eyes narrowed as he raised the folding fan in his hand and waved it gently toward the sky.

Hundreds of feet of space shattered, and green heaven-and-earth energy, carrying a distorting force, turned into a visible spatial storm that blew away the pitch-black thick mist for miles around.

At that moment, a large greenish-yellow energy hand appeared and snuffed out the spatial storm with a single palm strike.

This scene caused the pupils of countless people to shrink.

Wind Venerable's technique was actually erased so easily?

"Wind Idle, it's been many years. Your temper seems to be getting worse and worse."

As the spatial storm dissipated, an old man appeared, wearing black robes with eerie patterns carved on his exposed skin. His eyes were a bizarre orange-yellow, carrying a terrifying Death Qi.

"Old Ghost Huang Tian!" Wind Idle's pupils shrank as he said in shock, "You're actually still alive."

"What a joke. If Yao Chen isn't dead, how could I be?" Old Ghost Huang Tian gave a cold laugh. "Your Starfall Pavilion is truly bold. After my Tianming Sect designated Gu Han as our number one mortal enemy, you publicly announced him as an Enshrined Elder, completely disregarding my Tianming Sect."

"Since that's the case, there's no longer a need for the Starfall Pavilion to exist!"

"Destroy my Starfall Pavilion?" Wind Venerable released his current cultivation aura without hesitation.

"With just you, I'm afraid you don't have the qualifications."