After half an hour, the beast spirits were finally eliminated.
Zhou Yuan’s face darkened. If the thousands of spirits knew how to operate their Spirit power, the beast spirits could have been easily wiped out. From this it was clear how bad the members of the Wind Pavilion’s control of Spirit power was.
What qualifications did they have to compete against the other three pavilions in the Heaven Flame Ritual?
The chaos on the battlefield calmed down, and when the people of the Wind Pavilion saw the Zhou Yuan’s darkened face, they knew that their performance was extremely poor. They didn’t dare to utter a word and held their breath in fear.
Ye Bingling was also a little embarrassed. In the past, it was Chen Beifeng and her who were in charge of the Wind Pavilion, but neither of them agreed with the other, which led to the Wind Pavilion becoming a mess. As for why the members had such poor control of their Spirits, it was because in the Heaven Flame Ritual of previous years, they all only thought to eat scraps.
And seeing that the Wind Pavilion was so tactful, the other three pavilions didn’t mind leaving some leftovers for them.
Zhou Yuan sighed. He felt somewhat suffocated. He didn’t have expectations for their Spirit power to be good, but he did not expect it to be so bad.
If their Genesis Qi cultivation levels were passable, then their spirit level could only be described with the word bad. The number of times they had used their Spirit in battle had to have been very few.
Zhou Yuan felt he would rather face the Fire Pavilion alone than to expect their unsteady Spirits to withstand the Fire Pavilion’s.
Shaking his head helplessly, Zhou Yuan said in a serious voice, “Starting from today, we will practice for three hours a day. Two people will form a group and use their Spirit power to attack each other.
“I’m not asking you to operate your Spirit power to an extraordinary level, but you should at least be able to control your Spirit! Otherwise, it will be better if you don’t show up at the Heaven Flame Ritual so as to not embarrass yourself!”
Everybody felt embarrassed when they heard that Zhou Yuan was exasperated that they didn’t meet his expectations.
“Each pavilion leader will manage their subordinates. After ten days, I will do the test again. If the result is the same as today, I will deduct this month’s salary of origin coins!”
Hearing Zhou Yuan’s words, everybody trembled inwardly. This punishment wasn’t light at all. After all, each member of the Wind Pavilion received 70 origin coins each month, and it would be a huge loss if one month’s salary was deducted.
The pavilion leaders immediately commanded their people to form groups of two and to spread across the training grounds around the Mirror Lake to start training their spirit.
Seeing the buzzing scene, Zhou Yuan’s expression eased a little. He also knew that he couldn’t blame them since the Wind Pavilion’s pavilion master position had been left vacant for many years and there wasn’t anybody to guide them.
“It seems that I have overestimated their abilities a little.” Yi Qiushui sighed. She had previously refuted Ye Bingling, but now it seemed she would need to take back her words.
Zhou Yuan also sighed inwardly. Although he had intensified the training time, one’s control of one’s Spirit power wasn’t something that could be improved overnight. He felt that it would be too much to count on them to withstand the Fire Pavilion during the Heaven Flame Ritual.
At this moment, there were some waves of Spirit power spreading from all directions of the world.
Zhou Yuan flicked his fingers, and several sparks shot out to eliminate those waves.
Those sparks were naturally formed from Spirit Flames.
Zhou Yuan stared at the sparks that disappeared. “In a fight between Spirits, the Spirit Flame has the most destructive power.
“If I can gather the Spirit power of everybody in the Wind Pavilion into Spirit Flames, then that would be amazing.” Zhou Yuan pondered for a while, before a wry smile curved his lips. He was being too unrealistic.
Spirit Flames could only be derived from the Spirit of the Transformative stage, so even if there were numerous people gathered, it would be impossible to refine a wisp of Spirit Flame.
He shook his head and got up.
But it was at this moment that his body stiffened, as though he seemed to have thought of something. There was a strange light flickering in his eyes.
This was because a Genesis technique had flashed to his mind.
“Spirit Lantern Art.”
One of the Seven Cangxuan arts, the secret art of the Spirit Rune Peak!
Back then at the Chosen challenge, Zhou Yuan clearly saw that Ye Ge was able to refine a Spirit Flame with his Spirit by using the technique even though he hadn’t reached the Transformative stage!
Zhou Yuan’s eyes flashed with a hint of excitement. He took out a jade slip and drew something with his Spirit Power.
Underground spirit bone, underworld sunflower tree, netherworld ox blood…
There were hundreds of materials, and they were all necessary for practicing the Spirit Lantern Art.
“Qiu Shui, can you gather these materials as quickly as possible at any cost.” Zhou Yuan handed the jade slip to Yi Qiushui.
When Yi Qiushui saw Zhou Yuan’s solemn expression, although she didn’t know what he wanted to do, she took the slip and nodded seriously.
Zhou Yuan let out a deep sigh. The next Genesis technique he was originally going to practice was the Celestial Shadow Art, but who would have thought that the Heaven Flame Ritual would come so soon and that in order to deal with it he had to push the Celestial Shadow Art to the side first?
Chapter 852 Mu Liu’s Visit
There was no secret that could be kept forever in the four pavilions, so when the Wind Pavilion’s first day of Spirit training exercises ended, the horrible results of the training soon spread throughout the four pavilions.
“Haha, Zhou Yuan really is being too unrealistic. He really thinks that with his Wind Pavilion’s bad foundation he can compete with my Fire Pavilion at the Heaven Flame Ritual?” Zhu Lian, in the Fire Pavilion’s pavilion master building, couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
The other deputy pavilion masters all wore mocking smiles. Zhou Yuan had made huge changes to the Wind Pavilion in the past few months and had even created four Mother Runes. If this were to continue, the Wind Pavilion would indeed have the possibility to continue growing stronger.
But the mastery of Spirit power couldn’t be changed overnight. The Wind Pavilion had always come last in the Heaven Flame Ritual in previous years!
But now that Zhou Yuan suddenly wanted them to improve, how would it be that easy?
“Although the Wind Pavilion’s mastery of Spirit power is bad, Zhou Yuan is cunning and mustn’t be underestimated,” Lu Xiao reminded, his face calm.
Zhu Lian nodded. “Don’t worry, the Fire Pavilion has also begun to practice. I will keep an eye on them.”
Back when they were in Yu Prefecture, he was so frightened by Zhou Yuan that he had fled in a panic. Thinking about it now, he understood that based on combat strength alone he couldn’t be compared to Zhou Yuan and it would be difficult for him to get back at Zhou Yuan under normal situations, but the Heaven Flame Ritual gave him a great opportunity.
In this event where Spirit power was the most important, his role was even greater than Lu Xiao’s.
This time, he could avenge the insult he had suffered and properly humiliate Zhou Yuan!
Although Zhou Yuan was said to possess powerful abilities, the Fire Pavilion had an absolute advantage in the Heaven Flame Ritual. In a situation like that, no matter what Zhou Yuan did, Zhu Lian would suppress him.
“By the way, what did the Forest Pavilion say?” Zhu Lian asked, looking at Lu Xiao.
He naturally was talking about the matter of allying with the Mountain Pavilion and the Forest Pavilion in the Heaven Flame Ritual to crush the Wind Pavilion.
/> Lu Xiao said indifferently, “I haven’t heard back from him yet, but I believe that Mu Liu is a smart person and should know that my Fire Pavilion is sure to beat the Wind Pavilion this time. If he doesn’t see this, then don’t blame us for tidying them up as well.”
Zhu Lian nodded. This was forcing the Forest Pavilion to stand with them. If Mu Liu was indecisive and couldn’t make a decision, then after they cleaned up the Wind Pavilion, the Forest Pavilion would be their next target.
During the Heaven Flame Ritual of previous years, the Fire Pavilion did have a little manner and had left a mouthful of flesh for the Forest Pavilion, but the situation was different this year. If the Forest Pavilion made an unwise decision, they would be left with cold leftovers, like the Wind Pavilion. No, this year they wouldn’t even be left with one bite!
For a period of time, the four pavilions had become much quieter because they were all making preparation for the upcoming Heaven Flame Ritual.
In order to attract the many heaven pride cultivators of Hunyuan Heaven to Tianyuan Region, supreme sovereign Cang Yuan had set up two very attractive cultivation training benefits. The first one was obviously the Four Spirits Origin Tower, and the other was the annual Heaven Flame Ritual.
The Four Spirits Origin Tower depended on one person’s cultivation, while the Heaven Flame Ritual focused more on a group as a whole. This was obviously deliberately set up by the supreme sovereign Cang Yuan, perhaps to create a sense of teamwork.
However, to become the bait used by the Tianyuan Region to attract heaven prides of other regions, the effect of the Heaven Flame Ritual was naturally beyond imagination. Ninety-nine Heavenly Sun stage experts were required to provide the Heavenly Sun Flame with all their strength, and the effect of the Heavenly Sun Flame, after the growth and purification in the Heavenly Sun Cauldron, would be increased to an unimaginable level.
Once absorbed and refined, that Heavenly Sun Flame would not only strengthen one’s bodily strength but also nourish one’s Genesis Qi, making it purer and stronger.
In the face of such a previous cultivation resource that only experts of the Heavenly Sun stage could possess, even someone as strong as Lu Xiao would salivate, so why wouldn’t other people?
Moreover, for many members of the four pavilions, the appeal of the Chief Pavilion Master Battle wasn’t as great as the Heaven Flame Ritual.
Although the battle for the position of chief pavilion master would determine the person with the greatest glory, there were only a handful of people who could fight for it, and 99% would only be bystanders. But the Heaven Flame Ritual was different. It was a grand ceremony that looked at one’s pavilion as a whole.
All of them had to participate in the competition.
Therefore, although the four pavilions had calmed and quietened down for a period of time, everyone could feel that there was an undercurrent surging beneath the calmness.
Ten days later.
Wind Pavilion, the roof of its pavilion master building.
The sky was getting darker, but members of the Wind Pavilion were still practicing their Spirit in the surrounding training grounds. After ten days of training, the majority of the members didn’t look as pathetic as ten days before.
However, in Zhou Yuan’s eyes, their Spirit control was still very rough, and they could at most only just barely form the Spirit into needles to attack.
Of course, Zhou Yuan also knew that he couldn’t judge them from just his view. After all, the number of times where these people had only used Spirit power and not Genesis Qi was terrifyingly few.
“They can just about do some simple defense and attack,” Zhou Yuan muttered to himself. If he were to command them in the centre, he would be able to form some large-scale Spirit offensive.
But Zhou Yuan also knew that this alone was simply not enough to compete with the Fire Pavilion.
Fortunately, Zhou Yuan didn’t really put the chance of winning on them. The key to victory this time was the Spirit Lantern Art he had prepared.
Thinking of the Spirit Lantern Art, Zhou Yuan withdrew his gaze from the distance and began to focus his mind on the Cangxuan art he had been studying for ten days.
The Spirit Lantern Art was special,because it was a Genesis technique that utilized Spirit power, and its activation method did not rely on Genesis Qi but on one’s Spirit.
These ten days of studying allowed Zhou Yuan to constantly appreciate the mysteriousness of the Spirit Lantern Art, and it was this deep research that gave Zhou Yuan some confidence in the upcoming Heaven Flame Ritual.
Zhou Yuan asked Yi Qiushui to prepare ten sets of materials needed to practice the Spirit Lantern Art using the profit from the sales of the four Mother Runes. In these ten days, Zhou Yuan had tried and failed three times.
But Zhou Yuan wasn’t dispirited by this. As long as he learned from his failures, he had confidence that he could master the Spirit Lantern Art before the Heaven Flame Ritual.
With this thought in mind, Zhou Yuan closed his eyes again and continued to formulate the practice method of the Spirit Lantern Art.
However, he had just closed his eyes when his Spirit flashed. His eyes sprang open, and he peered at the woods outside the pavilion master building, saying, “Since pavilion master Mu Liu is here, why don’t you show yourself?”
As Zhou Yuan’s voice faded, the trees swayed lightly, and a figure slowly strode out from the woods and appeared on the roof with a flash.
It was the pavilion master of the Forest Pavilion, Mu Liu.
“It’s so late, why has pavilion master Mu Liu come to the Wind Pavilion?” Zhou Yuan sounded a little surprised.
Mu Liu, as always, had an incredibly clean look, and there wasn’t a speck of dust on him. Even his hair seemed to have been washed several times, and he looked outstandingly handsome. He scratched his head awkwardly and muttered, “I have been thinking about it for many days and have finally come to find you.”
“What’s going on?” Zhou Yuan asked puzzledly.
Mu Liu curled his lip. “Lu Xiao has allied with the Mountain Pavilion and plans to completely suppress the Wind Pavilion in the Heaven Flame Ritual. They must want to prevent you from continuing to grow stronger. Lu Xiao must be furious this time. He even came to ask the Forest Pavilion to join forces with them.
“He offered us 30% of the Heaven Sun Flame to unite with them and make the Wind Pavilion fail miserably this time!
“Zhou Yuan, if the three pavilions join forces, no matter what power you have, it’s impossible to turn it around.”
Zhou Yuan’s pupil shrank a little. He didn’t expect Lu Xiao would be willing to pay such a price to curb his cultivation progress.
As Mu Liu had said, if the three pavilions were to join forces, any means he had would be useless, including the Spirit Lantern Art.
“Zhou Yuan, although I don’t like Lu Xiao, I have to consider the benefits for the many members of the Forest Pavilion. He has given a great offer.”
“I understand.”
Zhou Yuan nodded. He and Mu Liu weren’t considered friends, and it was already very kind for him to come warn him, but he didn’t really intend to let Lu Xiao rope in the Forest Favilion.
“The Fire Pavilion’s offer is good, but I wonder if pavilion master Liu is willing to take a gamble?”
“What do you mean?” Mu Liu raised his brow.
Zhou Yuan squinted, a cold light flashing within them as he said loud and clear, “Our two pavilions will join forces to crush the Fire and Mountain Pavilions and will equally share the Heaven Sun Flame!”
Mu Liu looked surprised. “Even if we join forces, we can’t beat the Fire and Mountain Pavilions.”
“I will deal with the Fire Pavilion. The Forest Pavilion will only need to block the Mountain Pavilion,” Zhou Yuan calmly said.
“How can the Wind Pavilion beat the Fire Pavilion?” Mu Liu couldn’t help but ask.
“We’ll have to try.” Zhou Yuan smiled.
“You give me th
e feeling of an egg trying to crush a stone. This is too crazy. I don’t think I can convince the others of the Forest Pavilion.”
Zhou Yuan’s eyes drooped as he said, “If the Forest Pavilion is willing to join forces with us, no matter whether we win or not in the Heaven Flame Ritual, I can provide 300 high-grade mother runes to the Forest Pavilion every month at the price of ordinary mother runes.”
“Ch,” Mu Liu gasped, his eyes blazing. “The four mother runes said to have a 50% effect?”
He had long heard about the four high-grade mother runes, but unfortunately they were only provided to high-level members of the Wind Pavilion, and it was impossible to purchase any!
Zhou Yuan nodded.
Mu Liu’s expression changed uncontrollably. He froze for more than a dozen breaths, and finally, a fierce glint flashed through his eyes.
That bastard Lu Xiao thinks he can make I, Mu Liu, surrender by just throwing out some bones? He has underestimated me!
“Since you dare propose such a crazy plan, you must have something. My intuition is always very accurate. Fine…
“This time, I, Mu Liu, will join your crazy plan!”
“It’s decided!”
Chapter 853 Alliance
“So you originally intended to caution Zhou Yuan but ultimately ended up forging an alliance between our Forest Pavilion and the Wind Pavilion to go f*ck the Fire Pavilion and Mountain Pavilion?”
On a lush, grassy land on the Wood Island, Mu Qingyan’s arms were crossed across her chest as she cast a glance at Mu Liu smiling before her.
Mu Liu awkwardly replied, “Qingyang, please use less crude words. A beautiful young lady like you saying ‘f*ck’ is so unpleasant.”
Mu Qingyan viciously jabbed Mu Liu’s chest with a slender finger as she angrily said, “Don’t try and change the topic. Are you an idiot? I can’t believe you were so easily fooled by that Zhou Yuan, and now you plan to join forces with him to eliminate the Fire Pavilion and the Mountain Pavilion?”
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 448
