In the heart of the ancient holy city, an exceptionally clear lake shimmered with ripples, and the sunlight from the sky poured down, reflecting dazzling beams of light… “Swoosh!” Suddenly, the serene surface of the lake rippled violently. A large spatial rift slowly tore open in the air, and a series of figures swiftly emerged, landing on the surrounding ground. In an instant, the relatively quiet city became bustling with activity.
Xiao Yan also leaped out from the spatial rift, finally appearing on top of a building. He glanced around but did not wait for the arrival of the Ancient Clan’s people. Instead, he moved directly, dashing swiftly toward the entrance of the ancient holy city. The strong members of the Ancient Clan seemed to overlook his actions, allowing him to depart without any obstruction, until he vanished from sight.
As he flew unimpeded out of the ancient holy city, Xiao Yan hovered in the air, gazing at the green grassline stretching to the horizon. He couldn’t help but breathe a long sigh of relief. Although the Ancient World was vast and teemed with more abundant energy than the outside world, for some reason, Xiao Yan always felt that the Central Plains offered a greater sense of freedom…
“Next, I’ll head straight back to the Falling Star Pavilion…”
Xiao Yan did not linger. He took out a map, determined his direction, and transformed into a rainbow beam, streaking northward like lightning. In a blink, he disappeared over the horizon.
During the journey, Xiao Yan did not stop for long. Under full speed and with several spatial wormholes, he approached the territory of the Falling Star Pavilion in just five days.
Upon entering the Falling Star Pavilion’s territory, Xiao Yan noticed a significant increase in the presence of strong aura. In many important cities, there were even two or three Dou Zun level experts stationed. This was a significant force, even by the standards of the Central Plains. However, Xiao Yan understood that with Teacher Ya Lao as the gold-plated banner, attracting these strong helpers was not difficult.
Reassuringly, along the way, Xiao Yan did not encounter any chaotic situations. Though the defenses were significantly strengthened, there was no sense of urgency or oppression typically associated with war.
Xiao Yan did not linger in these cities belonging to the Falling Star Pavilion and continued straight toward it. Within half a day, he arrived at the mountain range where the Falling Star Pavilion was located and transformed into a stream of light, rushing into its domain…
The atmosphere in the Star Realm was peaceful. Although its area could not compare to the vastness of the Ancient World, it was still comparable to a city, easily accommodating tens of thousands of people. On the expansive squares, a dense mass of Falling Star Pavilion disciples trained in formation, their powerful voices collectively resounding like distant thunder throughout the space.
Compared to before, the Star Realm now felt completely refreshed. Dangerous mountain ranges had been transformed into clusters of buildings, bustling with people coming and going. In the central peaks, numerous strong auras pervaded, giving the Star Realm a sense of being impregnable.
“Swoosh!” In the peaceful Star Realm, a flash of light suddenly appeared, zooming from afar, heading straight for the central peak.
“Who dares to intrude into the Star Realm?” Angry shouts echoed as the light appeared, followed by whistling sounds and the appearance of several elderly figures floating in the air, all shouting together: “Freeze!”
As these ten or so elders shouted, the space around them froze rapidly. Just when everyone thought the figure would stop, they were surprised to see that the light not only sped up but also broke through the frozen space, appearing ghost-like behind the elders.
“Ha ha, I didn’t expect the defenses to be so strict after being away for just half a year.”
As the light stopped, a young man in black robes with black hair appeared, smiling lightly.
“Who are you?” The elders, who had previously attempted to stop him, looked at Xiao Yan seriously. They sensed an invisible pressure from the young man, a pressure that only a few in the Falling Star Pavilion could exert.
The commotion in the sky caught the attention of the disciples training on the ground. Seeing Xiao Yan, they expressed amazement; this was the first time they had seen the guest elders acting together and failing to stop someone.
Seeing their puzzled looks, Xiao Yan gave a helpless laugh. After just half a year, hardly anyone recognized him…
“Junior Pavilion Master!” Finally, several elderly figures rushed out from the central peak. When they saw Xiao Yan, they exclaimed in surprise.
Hearing the joyful shouts, the guest elders and countless disciples of the Falling Star Pavilion were stunned, looking at Xiao Yan in disbelief. Xiao Yan was well-known in the Falling Star Pavilion, but since they had only recently joined, this was the first time they had seen him.
“So, he is our Junior Pavilion Master…”
“He’s quite handsome, isn’t he?”
“Stop dreaming, someone like Junior Pavilion Master wouldn’t look at us…”
“He’s also the champion of the Alchemist Conference, and a Dou Zun! I joined the Falling Star Pavilion because of his reputation, and I never thought I’d see such a legendary figure. Heh heh…”
As the whispers and excitement buzzed below, the guest elders, led by an elderly man in yellow, greeted Xiao Yan warmly. Despite his advanced age, he showed utmost respect to Xiao Yan, whose achievements far surpassed theirs.
“Elder, you’re too kind.”
Xiao Yan smiled, scanning the space around him with a hint of admiration. In just half a year, the Falling Star Pavilion had undergone a complete transformation. With so many strong guardians, even the Soul Temple would find it difficult to invade. From what he sensed, the Falling Star Pavilion’s strength was now no less than the Heavenly Mystery Sect or the Flower Sect, and perhaps even stronger.
“Ha ha, you’re finally back…” As Xiao Yan scanned the Star Realm, the space behind him rippled, and a familiar old figure appeared: Pharmacist Elder.
“Teacher.” Seeing him, Xiao Yan bowed respectfully.
“Greetings, Pavilion Master!” The guest elders nearby also greeted the Pharmacist Elder. Rarely seen, the Pharmacist Elder was a mysterious figure to them. It was surprising to see him appear personally to welcome the Junior Pavilion Master.
“You’ve become quite refined after visiting the Ancient Clan…” The Pharmacist Elder chuckled, waving at the guest elders and then inspecting Xiao Yan, showing a satisfied smile. “Impressive, in just half a year, you’ve advanced from a five-star Dou Zun to an eight-star Dou Zun. It seems your journey was fruitful…”
Hearing this, the guest elders were shocked. Such rapid progress was truly astonishing.
Xiao Yan smiled. The Pharmacist Elder’s keen eye could easily discern his strength. “Yes, let’s go down. I’ve been waiting for you for a while.”
“Okay.” Xiao Yan nodded, glancing around. His brow furrowed slightly. “Teacher, where are Little Healer Immortal and the others?”
“They returned, but they left again.”
“Left? Where did they go?” Xiao Yan was taken aback.
“Which is why we’ve been waiting for you. Not long after you entered the so-called Heavenly Tomb, we received intelligence and called Little Healer Immortal and the others back. Then, they headed to the Wutan Empire…”
“Wutan Empire?” The familiar name made Xiao Yan pause, and his expression changed drastically.
“Has something happened to the Flame Alliance?”
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