In the entire northern region of the Central State, Qifeng Mountain was quite well-known, not because of phoenixes dwelling within its mountains, but because it was the location where the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion stood.
Qifeng Mountain was quite precipitous, with steep slopes, its peaks shrouded in a dense layer of mist. Looking down from above, one could see rolling forests and vast seas of clouds, giving it a rather ethereal, otherworldly feel.
The summit of Qifeng Mountain appeared as if it had been cleaved by a giant axe. Upon it, numerous buildings were hidden amidst the lush greenery, appearing and disappearing intermittently. And the most eye-catching structure on the entire mountaintop was undoubtedly a massive silver tower atop the highest peak.
This was an iconic building of the Wind and Lightning Pavilion, with each branch pavilion having one. The one belonging to the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion was currently called the North Thunder Tower.
The North Thunder Tower was covered in a brilliant silver hue, and faintly, one could hear the sound of thunder emanating from within. This was the sacred cultivation ground of the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion, and only those with exceptional talent possessed the qualification to enter and cultivate there.
On the sixth floor of the North Thunder Tower, there was a rather spacious hall. Inside, there were ten levels of stairs, arranged from low to high, upon which were densely displayed small black tablets, resembling tombstones.
These were the unique Soul Thunder Stele of the Wind and Lightning Pavilion. As long as a trace of soul imprint was left within, one could use it to ascertain the life or death status of the person who left the imprint.
Crack!
Suddenly, a Soul Thunder Stele in a corner toppled over without any wind, falling onto the steps and shattering into pieces.
From the shadows, several withered-looking elders abruptly opened their closed eyes. Upon seeing the location of the shattered Soul Thunder Stele, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The higher the position of a Soul Thunder Stele, the higher the status of the person in the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion. Those in the corners were all disciples. The death of one, or even ten or eight, would not affect the foundation of the pavilion.
"This is... Hong Chen, right..."
Recognizing the owner of the Soul Thunder Stele, an elder's heart stirred, and he immediately took out a jade slip and crushed it.
Not long after, a robust elder with gray hair, whose eyes faintly flickered with lightning, strode in.
"Sun Ao, what is it you need me for?"
"Elder Yang."
Seeing the gray-haired elder enter, the elder in the shadows quickly got up to greet him.
Even among elders, there were distinctions in status.
In the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion, apart from the Pavilion Master, the four elders—Feng, Yun, Lei, and Dian—held the highest status and possessed the greatest strength.
This gray-haired elder, named Yang Lei, was the "Lei" among them.
"Elder Yang, it's like this. Just now, a Soul Thunder Stele shattered. After my inspection, it was Hong Chen's stele."
"Who is Hong Chen?"
"It's normal for Elder Yang not to know. This brat only recently broke through to Dou Huang and has thus qualified to enter the inner pavilion, which is why he could leave his Soul Thunder Stele here. Normally, the life and death of such disciples are not of great importance; as long as the cause is investigated and our pavilion's reputation is maintained, it's fine."
"However, this Hong Chen is a bit different. He just received the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' and surely hasn't cultivated it yet. Now that he's dead, the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' will inevitably fall into the hands of an outsider. That's why I notified Elder Yang, hoping you could make a trip. Your strength is formidable, and your speed is even greater, so recovering the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' will naturally be simpler."
Understanding the reason, Yang Lei nodded slightly, a hint of killing intent appearing on his face.
"Leave this matter to me. In Tian Bei, my disciples of the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion are not so easily killed, let alone when it concerns the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement'."
After saying this, Yang Lei flicked his sleeve and immediately left with quick steps.
He still needed to investigate Hong Chen's whereabouts to make the pursuit more efficient.
Myriad Snake Gorge.
After his sudden enlightenment ended, Chen Xiao also placed dense rune seals within the canyon, marking it as claimed territory.
Having done all this, the two did not rush to leave.
Killing a disciple of the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion was bound to have consequences.
"Pavilion Master, your sudden enlightenment this time..."
Heavenly Flame Honored One endured it again and again, but ultimately couldn't suppress his curiosity. Everyone has it.
"The harvest was significant. You should be able to see it not too long from now."
Chen Xiao was in an exceptionally good mood and deliberately kept him in suspense.
He hadn't expected that after completing the advance payment, he would also receive a sudden enlightenment as a bonus.
With this sudden enlightenment, Chen Xiao had thoroughly sorted out his own foundation and gained a deeper understanding of the cultivation techniques he practiced.
He even had a direction for further refining his cultivation techniques!
Of course, advancing from the high-tier Earth rank to the Heaven rank was a huge threshold. Even with a direction, it wouldn't be something that could be accomplished in a short time.
Besides the cultivation techniques, the greater gain was in the art of formations.
The inheritance obtained from the False Heaven was like a rich treasure trove. Although Chen Xiao had used it frequently before, he had only grasped the superficial aspects.
But now, it was different. After a day of sudden enlightenment, he had explored a considerable portion of this treasure trove and could now utilize more methods.
Finally, there were the ultimate moves that Chen Xiao had never used in front of others. After further refinement, Chen Xiao also wanted to know what kind of scene it would be when they were truly revealed to the public.
And judging from the current situation, that opportunity was fast approaching.
Heavenly Flame Honored One responded helplessly. Since Chen Xiao wouldn't say, he had no choice but to enter the storage ring and ponder to himself.
The sun and moon revolved, and a new day dawned.
As the morning sun rose, what entered Chen Xiao's sight was not the first ray of the rising eastern sun, but a gray-haired elder descending from the sky.
This person was none other than Yang Lei, who had tracked him all the way from the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion.
Last night, he had already found out why Hong Chen had left the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion and immediately followed the path towards Tian Bei City, investigating all the way.
Unfortunately, traces of wolf packs rampaging across the desert were everywhere, but there were no signs of combat from Dou Huang level or above.
After searching for most of the night, Yang Lei found nothing.
"Kid, have you seen any disciples of my Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion, or heard any commotion of strong individuals fighting?"
Arriving in the sky above Myriad Snake Gorge, Yang Lei noticed Chen Xiao within and immediately shouted.
Chen Xiao glanced at the spot where Hong Chen had been incinerated and asked instead of answering, "Someone from the Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion?"
Yang Lei's expression gradually turned grim. Having found nothing after searching for half the night, his mood was already poor. Now, some brat with no Dou Qi fluctuations was ignoring him – how could he tolerate that?
Without any hesitation, Yang Lei reached out with one hand, Dou Qi surging, condensing into a giant Dou Qi hand that grabbed towards Chen Xiao.
Since polite words wouldn't work, he would force the information out!
As for whether Chen Xiao could withstand his grasp, or whether he would live or die afterward, what did that have to do with him?
The Dou Qi hand arrived in the blink of an eye. However, to Yang Lei's utter surprise, Chen Xiao not only showed no fear but instead sneered and shook his head.
Just as Yang Lei was confused, the Dou Qi hand seemed to be held back by an invisible force, preventing it from advancing further when it was still three zhang away from Chen Xiao.
What shocked Yang Lei even more was that Chen Xiao lightly raised his hand, as if brushing away a speck of dust, causing the Dou Qi hand to explode violently!
Before Yang Lei could figure things out, he felt an invisible force descend, like mountains and rivers pressing down, making it impossible for him to remain airborne. Under the immense pressure, his body uncontrollably fell.
His strength seemed to have vanished. Yang Lei tried his best to stabilize himself but couldn't.
Finally, with a muffled thud, the dignified Dou Zong expert fell from the sky like a sack.
Ignoring the pain from his injuries, Yang Lei struggled to get up and saw Chen Xiao walking towards him step by step.
"The Wind Thunder Northern Pavilion arrived quickly, which I am satisfied with. However, I do not like your attitude."
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