Although golden fire lotuses continuously drifted down from above, several thousand individuals were quickly able to empty the surrounding area. The ball of fire in the fire-gathering stage grew increasingly big and bright.
After collecting all the Heavenly Sun Fire in the nearby area, Zhou Yuan waved his hand, ignoring Wang Chen’s group as he led the Wind Pavilion members to other places to collect Heavenly Sun Fire.
Several hundred Spirits equipped with scarlet copper umbrellas flew past, and even the fire-gathering stage was lifted by the joint efforts of numerous Spirits.
Wang Chen’s expression darkened even more upon realizing that he was being ignored. In the end, he waved his hand as a strange and icy smile rose from the corners of his lips. “Follow them and make sure to constantly report their location to the pavilion master.
“They can gather all they want for now, but in the end, the fruits of their labor will end up in our hands.
“When the pavilion master’s plan is complete, Zhou Yuan will naturally cry and beg us for mercy!”
Chapter 859 Eliminating Wang Chen
Several thousand Spirits flew past at low altitude. As they passed, both the slowly falling golden fire lotuses in the sky and the flames that flowed out from the cracks in the ground were cleaned out.
Zhou Yuan stood in the air as he gazed at the fire-gathering stage at the group’s center. The burning golden flame within had grown bigger and hotter. The total number of golden fire lotuses gathered had already gone beyond ten thousand.
With regards to this collection speed, Zhou Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
However, he soon directed his gaze behind him where Wang Chen, not daring to come too close, was closely following them with a group of about one thousand Spirits from the Fire Pavilion.
Iciness flitted across Zhou Yuan’s eyes. He knew that Wang Chen was watching their every movement. He did not know why but he had a faint feeling that something was wrong.
Zhou Yuan suddenly asked, “Qiushui, how long has it been since we entered the Heaven Flame Cauldron?”
Yi Qiushui immediately replied, “It’s been nearly a day.”
Zhou Yuan lightly tapped his fingers in the air as he slowly said, “By this time, even if they have many members, the Fire Pavilion should be fully equipped with scarlet copper umbrellas, right?”
Yi Qiushui nodded. “Should be.”
“Then why have we yet to see any signs of the Fire Pavilion’s main force?” Zhou Yuan’s eyes flashed in thought.
Yi Qiushui was taken aback as a look of unease flitted across her eyes. Indeed, shouldn’t the Fire Pavilion come to wipe them out the moment they were fully equipped? Why had there been no activity even till now besides sending a thousand members to observe them?
What was Lu Xiao planning?
Zhou Yuan’s eyes flickered in thought. Moments later, he decisively said, “No matter what Lu Xiao’s plans are, we’ll first devour Wang Chen’s group!”
This group kept buzzing about before his eyes—it would be a shame if he did not devour them.
Yi Qiushui raised her eyebrows. “But Wang Chen is being very cautious and has been maintaining a certain distance from us. Once we show any signs of attacking, he will immediately withdraw before returning to follow us once we stop.”
Zhou Yuan softly chuckled. “Then we’ll cut off their retreat and give them no opportunity to run.”
“How?” Yi Qiushui’s long eyelashes blinked.
Zhou Yuan grinned. “Have you realized that some members are missing from our group?”
Yi Qiushui was startled by these words. She looked over, and sure enough, she discovered that several hundred Spirits had vanished from the main group. Her heart shook as she said, “You intentionally spent more time than usual on the mountains along the way to hide some of our members?”
Zhou Yuan nodded. “I hid a few dozen on each mountain. Wang Chen can’t possibly know because he’s too far away. Hence, he’s likely still unaware that he’s already been surrounded.”
Joy emerged in Yi Qiushui’s eyes as she pursed her lips into a smile. “Pavilion master is so cunning.”
Once they cut off the escape routes of Wang Chen’s group, a thousand plus members would easily be devoured by the Wind Pavilion. This would cut some of the Fire Pavilion’s power.
Zhou Yuan chuckled. Soon after, he waved his hand, and the several thousand advancing Spirits came to a stop. He turned around and shot towards Wang Chen’s group, Spirit power whizzing out and rippling the space around him.
Several thousand Spirits quickly followed, creating an alarmingly imposing sight.
Wang Chen’s side immediately sensed their movement.
“Humph, fools, do you really believe I’ll send myself to your doorstep?”
Wang Chen chuckled icily as he commanded without hesitation, “Retreat!”
Over a thousand Spirits instantly began backing away, clearly not intending to fight the Wind Pavilion. Their mission was to keep an eye on the Wind Pavilion and not engage in a fight.
One party advanced while the other retreated, but a certain distance was ultimately maintained. The former found it very difficult to approach.
Wang Chen could not help but laugh as he mockingly looked towards Zhou Yuan chasing them. He felt the exhilaration of a cat toying with a mouse. Zhou Yuan’s reputation had been rapidly rising among the four pavilions recently, and he was already no less influential than the other three pavilion masters. But so what? All Zhou Yuan can do now is eat my dust.
Bzz!
While he was laughing, however, Spirit power suddenly exploded in front of him. Layers of invisible barriers formed, obstructing their path.
Wang Chen’s laughing came to an abrupt halt as he stared in horror at the several hundred figures rising before him. “How can this be? When did they arrive behind us?
“Quick! Blast apart the Spirit barriers!” he roared.
Over a thousand Spirits attacked at the same time, and blasts of Spirit power bombarded the Spirit barriers. The barriers rippled violently but ultimately refused to be broken for a brief moment.
It was during this brief moment that Zhou Yuan and his army of several thousand Spirits caught up.
Cold sweat appeared on Wang Chen’s forehead.
“Deputy pavilion master Wang Chen, it seems that you were still too careless.” Zhou Yuan displayed a slight smile.
He wasted no time as he extended his hand and gave a slight wave.
“Destroy him!”
Rumble!
Several thousand blasts of Spirit power rushed out, blasting towards Wang Chen’s group like a flood. With such an absolute advantage, there was no need for any smart tactics. They could easily steamroll Wang Chen’s group with sheer power.
Wang Chen’s scalp turned numb as he sensed the approaching flood, and he hurriedly ordered the group to fight back.
Boom!
The Spirit power of both parties collided, resulting in a loud boom.
Amidst the noise, the thousand Spirits on Wang Chen’s side screamed miserably. Their Spirits rapidly began to fade, turning into beams of light that shot into the sky and were sent out of the Heaven Flame Cauldron through its protective mechanism.
After several waves of attacks, only a few dozen Spirits remained. They looked exceptionally miserable.
Wang Chen tightly gritted his teeth with a gloomy expression.
“Don’t be too happy Zhou Yuan. You’ll be crying when the Fire Pavilion’s main force arrives!”
Zhou Yuan was unfazed. He stared at Wang Chen for a long time before he suddenly said, “You’re not just here to tail us, right? Lu Xiao intentionally sent you guys here to make us think that the Fire Pavilion will be coming after us soon. Is this a plan to keep me here?”
Wang Chen’s pupils shrank slightly.
Zhou Yuan’s eyes narrowed. “What is Lu Xiao scheming?”
Wang Chen merely let out an icy chuckle and did not reply.
Zh
ou Yuan was silent for a moment before he slowly said, “Your Fire Pavilion joined forces with the Mountain Pavilion to eliminate the Forest Pavilion? After the Forest Pavilion is dealt with, you guys will then turn your sights towards the Wind Pavilion, right?”
Wang Chen’s heart shook as astonishment surfaced in his eyes.
Zhou Yuan immediately understood everything as his expression turned grave. He never imagined that Lu Xiao would be so cautious. Even against the much weaker Wind Pavilion, instead of attacking directly, Lu Xiao had chosen to join forces with the Mountain Pavilion to first finish off the Forest Pavilion.
Once the Forest Pavilion was eliminated, the united forces of the Fire Pavilion and the Mountain Pavilion would have the absolute advantage. Zhou Yuan would not be able to make a comeback no matter what trump cards he had.
After losing in their previous bout, Lu Xiao had become so prudent. He was basically a composed old dog.
He had sent Wang Chen to keep an eye on the Wind Pavilion in hopes of stalling them. After all, anyone would believe that the Fire Pavilion’s main force would soon arrive with this scouting group constantly watching their movements. Who could have expected Lu Xiao to have instead given up on attacking the Wind Pavilion first so that he could direct his attention to the Forest Pavilion?
Grave expressions emerged on the faces of Yi Qiushui, Ye Bingling and the others. They also understood that once the Forest Pavilion was eliminated, it would be impossible for the Wind Pavilion to resist the combined might of the Fire Pavilion and the Mountain Pavilion.
Upon realizing that Zhou Yuan had seen through their plan, Wang Chen let out a mocking laugh. “Zhou Yuan, you’ve underestimated pavilion master Lu Xiao. Only defeat awaits you once our Fire Pavilion and the Mountain Pavilion finishes off the Forest Pavilion!”
Zhou Yuan’s expression was unmoved. Invisible Spirit fire gathered in his palm before being sent forth with a flick. The Spirit fire quickly enveloped Wang Chan and the remaining few dozen Spirits.
As Spirit fire burned, the Spirits of Wang Chen and the others rapidly faded.
“Zhou Yuan, your Wind Pavilion will lose for sure!” howled Wang Chen.
A split second later, his Spirit turned into a beam of fiery light as it dashed into the sky and disappeared.
Zhou Yuan’s expression was indifferent as his gaze swivelled around. Several thousand Wind Pavilion members stared at him, awaiting his command. He showed no hesitation as he waved his hand and roared, “Stop the collecting of Heavenly Sun Fire.
“We will immediately rush to rescue the Forest Pavilion and eliminate both the Fire and Mountain Pavilions!”
As his voice rang out, his Spirit had already shot off, several thousand Spirits closely following behind him.
Outside the Heaven Flame Cauldron, countless gazes were watching these developments in surprise. It seemed that Zhou Yuan had finally realized the Fire Pavilion’s intentions. What happened next was definitely going to be the climax.
Chapter 860 To the Rescue
A majestic scarlet copper mountain towered like a giant over the land, and the scarlet copper trees dotting its body shone with a dazzling light.
Currently, an intense battle was enveloping the giant mountain.
Several tens of thousands of Spirits hovered in the air, covering the entire sky. Boundless Spirit power swept outwards, rippling the surrounding space.
Four Spirits stood with their hands behind their backs at the center of this giant army. At the very front stood Lu Xiao and Han Yuan, the respective pavilion masters of the Fire Pavilion and the Mountain Pavilion.
Zhu Lian followed at Lu Xiao’s side, and standing beside Han Yan was a very thin man who had a pair of eyes that shone like a blade. This man was called Zhao Yin, and he was the Mountain Pavilion’s Spirit commander for the Heaven Flame Ritual. From the powerful Spirit undulations spreading from his body, it was clearly an individual that had stepped into the Transformative stage.
The four of them were currently gazing indifferently towards a certain spot in the distance.
Outside the giant scarlet copper mountain was a giant barrier made from Spirit power. Layers of mist like vortexes could be seen on the surface of the barrier, and nearly ten thousand Spirits continuously poured their Spirit power into the barrier from the inside. It was the Forest Pavilion.
On the Fire and Mountain Pavilions’ side, Spirits continuously unleashed an endless barrage of attacks. The attacks bombarded the Spirit barrier, causing giant ripples to emerge.
“Mu Qingyan is quite capable. To think that she can utilize the Forest Pavilion members’ Spirits to form a Thousand Spirit Cloud Eddy boundary,” Zhu Lian could not help but praise as he gazed at the giant Spirit barrier.
“Without the Fire Pavilion’s help, our Mountain Pavilion will likely be delayed for a long time even if we managed to triumph over the Forest Pavilion.” The man called Zhao Yin faintly nodded in agreement.
Lu Xiao indifferently said, “How much longer until it is broken?”
Zhu Lian did not dare to let Lu Xiao wait. He quickly estimated and replied, “I’m afraid we’ll need half a day.”
Lu Xiao frowned. “Too long. Although I’ve dispatched Wang Chen to delay the Wind Pavilion, Zhou Yuan is extremely crafty and may have realized what we’re up to.”
Zhu Lian bitterly chuckled. “Mu Qingyan’s Thousand Spirit Cloud Eddy boundary boasts extremely strong defensive properties. If they are determined to defend, there’s really nothing we can do for a time. The only option is to slowly exhaust their Spirits.”
Lu Xiao knew that it was useless to say anything else, and he could only nod in acknowledgement.
“No need to be anxious, brother Lu. Zhou Yuan might not be able to guess our plan. He might still be foolishly waiting for the Fire Pavilion to attack them.”
Han Yuan laughed. “Moreover, I feel that you think too highly of him. The Fire Pavilion should be capable of easily crushing the Wind Pavilion. If you had immediately attacked them, they would have been wiped out long ago.”
Lu Xiao indifferently said, “Zhou Yuan is too unfathomable. The Heaven Flame Ritual was originally slated to be overseen by my Heavenly Spirit Sect, but grand elder Chi Jing had suddenly decided to interfere out of nowhere, forcing the sect master to change it into a free-for-all. If I somehow fail, it will be very difficult to explain. Hence, it is not wrong to practice a little more caution.”
Han Yuan felt that Lu Xiao was making a mountain out of a molehill and that there was no need to invest so much thought for a mere Wind Pavilion. However, he also understood that this matter would affect sect master Xuan Kun’s reputation, and Lu Xiao did not dare to be careless.
“After we finish off the Forest Pavilion, Zhou Yuan will have no chance regardless of what tricks he prepares!” Han Yuan chuckled.
Lu Xiao nodded. He urged Zhu Lian and Zhao Yin, “Increase the attacks and break this Spirit barrier as soon as possible so we can eliminate the Forest Pavilion.”
Zhu Lian and Zhao Yin did not dare to tarry. The two Transformative stage Spirits personally took action, directing angry wave after angry wave of boundless Spirit power to crash into the giant Spirit barrier.
As the Fire Pavilion’s and Mountain Pavilion’s attacks intensified, the Forest Pavilion felt even more pressured.
Mu Liu stood on a peak, his handsome face filled with iciness. The Fire Pavilion and Mountain Pavilion suddenly joining hands to besiege them had indeed caught them off guard. After all, this was the first time something like this had happened over many years of Heaven Flame Rituals.
There had never been a ritual as bitter as this.
Mu Liu clenched his jaw in anger before turning towards a boulder behind him where Mu Qingyan was seated. She was tightly gritting her teeth as she continuously directed the ten thousand Forest Pavilion Spirits to replenish various spots in the barrier, desperately defending against the onslaught.
However, as time passed, Mu Liu began to see the Spirits of more a
nd more Forest Pavilion members turn into a streak of fire and disappear. It was the protective mechanism of the Heaven Flame Cauldron activating once the Spirit weakened to a certain level.
If this continued, it was only a matter of time before they were wiped out.
“Mu Liu, you bastard. We can’t hold out for much longer!” cursed Mu Qingyan.
Mu Liu awkwardly scratched his head as he displayed a bitter smile. If he had his physical body, his strong Genesis Qi foundations would allow him to charge out to engage the enemy in battle. Unfortunately, he was merely a Spirit that had only reached the Corporeal stage. Even if he did charge out, he would only be instantly exterminated.
Mu Liu helplessly said, “I can’t do anything. Who could have expected them to be so shameless and go after our Forest Pavilion first? This makes no sense at all.”
Mu Qingyan glared at him. “Isn’t it because you got scammed by Zhou Yuan to cooperate with the Wind Pavilion?”
Mu Liu shrugged. “What can we do now?”
“What else? We can only wait for the Wind Pavilion to realize something is wrong and come to our aid!”
Mu Qingyan muttered, “However, I fear that Zhou Yuan will still be stupidly waiting for the Fire Pavilion to attack them. Even in that one in a million chance he realizes something is amiss, he might not dare to bring the Wind Pavilion over since both the Fire Pavilion and Mountain Pavilion are here.”
Mu Liu shook his head. “If Zhou Yuan was that kind of person, he would not have dared to kill Fang Ao. He may usually appear gentle, but he’s actually very ruthless.”
“I hope you’re right.” Mu Qingyan gave a slight nod. She did not continue the conversation and instead cast all her attention into directing the Forest Pavilion. She needed to personally oversee the Thousand Spirit Cloud Eddy boundary, or it would soon crumble under the enemy’s barrage.
However, she also knew that even a boundary like this would not last for long under such tremendous pressure. Its demise was only a matter of time.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 452
