At the summit of Thunder Mountain, Liu Xi stood alongside Xiao Yixian and Yao Tianhuo, while behind them were Venerable Lei, Feng Qing'er, Lin Yan, and the Han Yue–Han Xue sisters, all gathered to see them off.
Venerable Lei cupped his hands with a smile. "The gates of the Wind Lightning Pavilion will forever remain open for you, Master Liu. If you have need of anything, simply give the word, and the Pavilion will see it done."
Liu Xi smiled faintly and nodded. The Wind Lightning Pavilion had now become his foundation in the Central Plains—a foothold he could rely on, one that spared him from having to handle every matter personally.
"Lin Yan, Han Yue, Han Xue—our meeting is fate. Make good use of the pills I've given you. I look forward to seeing how much stronger you'll be next time."
Hearing this, Lin Yan's eyes gleamed with fiery excitement. Like a fan meeting his idol, he pounded his chest confidently. "Senior, rest assured! Next time we meet, I'll definitely have broken through to the Dou Zong realm so I can be of service to you!"
The Han sisters' eyes reflected both reluctance and admiration. All it had taken was a single casual sentence from Liu Xi for the Hong Clan to be forced to move out of Tianbei City overnight—leaving the Han Clan to dominate the region alone.
Han Yue bowed gracefully, her voice soft yet sincere. "Thank you, Senior. I am deeply grateful for your guidance and will never forget your kindness."
Though her words were calm, her beautiful eyes flickered with uncertainty as she stole a glance at the elegant Xiao Yixian. 'Perhaps only a woman like her—one who possesses both beauty and talent—truly deserves to stand by Senior's side. Will I ever have the chance to reach the Dou Zun realm myself?'
Feng Qing'er, dressed in a rainbow-hued gown with a faint purple sash accentuating her slender waist, stood gracefully with her alluring curves faintly visible through the flowing fabric.
Her rosy lips pursed slightly as her phoenix eyes fixated on Liu Xi, silent yet filled with some unspoken expectation.
Liu Xi, catching that gaze, felt a trace of awkwardness rise within. Feng Qing'er was, after all, of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe—and he already had ties with Zi Yan of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. When the day came for the dragons to unify the Beast Region, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe would inevitably be on the opposing side.
Yet now, this proud young woman seemed to have developed a fondness for him.
'Hah, my charm truly transcends species—enough to slay both dragon and phoenix alike,' Liu Xi thought with quiet amusement.
After a brief pause, he smiled lightly. "Qing'er, continue cultivating diligently. With your bloodline, stepping into the Dou Zun realm should come easily."
It was a simple encouragement, but it made Feng Qing'er's eyes sparkle. She smiled sweetly and lifted her slender, snow-white neck proudly. "Of course. I deeply admire your alchemy skills, Master Liu, but with my bloodline, when we meet again, I may already have reached the Dou Zun realm myself."
Everyone present exchanged odd glances. Even with the Heaven Demon Phoenix bloodline, a breakthrough to the Dou Zun realm was far from something that could be achieved "easily."
Xiao Yixian's calm gaze shifted toward Feng Qing'er, her eyes glimmering with subtle scrutiny. 'Has Young Master taken a liking to this woman? She's beautiful, talented, and of noble lineage… or perhaps he's thinking of taming the Heaven Demon Phoenix as a mount?'
Liu Xi gave a helpless chuckle. When the world faced destruction in the future, even a Dou Zun would be insignificant.
"Let's go. Until we meet again."
In an instant, Liu Xi, Xiao Yixian, and Yao Tianhuo soared into the sky as a massive Black Feather Eagle swooped down with a piercing cry.
Once aboard, Xiao Yixian leaned close to Liu Xi and asked softly, "Young Master, have you taken a liking to her?"
Liu Xi rolled his eyes. "Of course not. It's a messy situation. When the Ancient Void Dragons and Heaven Demon Phoenixes eventually clash, things will only get complicated. I can't just kill her now, can I?"
At that, Yao Tianhuo's eyes glinted mischievously. "You really won't consider it? If you added the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe to the Ancient Void Dragons, you'd control two of the three great beast tribes in the Beast Region."
Liu Xi laughed and shook his head. "We'll see. The grudge between the dragons and phoenixes runs too deep. There's no point making things harder for myself. Come on, let's head to the Burning Flame Valley."
As his words fell, the Black Feather Eagle spread its wings, conjuring a fierce gale as it transformed into a black streak that vanished toward the southern skies.
The Burning Flame Valley lay within the Scorching Fire Mountain Range in the southwest of the Central Plains. After more than a month of travel, they finally arrived.
Before them stretched a sea of fiery-red peaks, each crowned with rising plumes of white smoke that curled endlessly into the sky.
Even across the vast Central Plains, this mountain range was famous—partly because it housed the Burning Flame Valley, and partly due to its extreme environment.
Though not a peaceful or pleasant place, the rich Fire attribute energy here was unmatched. Cultivators of Fire Qi Methods found their training greatly enhanced—many risked the danger to practice within.
Liu Xi extended his hand, gathering a surge of violent Fire energy into his palm. As his cyan flame swept through it, the wild energy was instantly refined into pure elemental essence. Even for him, the speed of Dou Qi circulation quickened noticeably.
"Not bad. Cultivating here would benefit even me."
Yao Tianhuo chuckled. "Exactly. That's what drew me here in the first place. By accident, I ventured too deep and met the Valley Master of the Burning Flame Valley—Tang Zhen."
Seeing Liu Xi's satisfaction, Yao Tianhuo continued with a grin. "That man isn't ordinary. Not only is his strength impressive, but with the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame aiding him, he can even refine mid-tier pills despite lacking the talent of an Alchemist. If he had been born with the gift, his achievements in alchemy would be remarkable."
Liu Xi nodded in agreement. As a master alchemist himself, he knew how extraordinary that was—to wield a Heavenly Flame without the innate ability to refine was an achievement born of sheer will.
After a short while, Yao Tianhuo raised his finger toward the front. "Look ahead. Between those two towering peaks lies the headquarters of the Burning Flame Valley."
Liu Xi's gaze followed. Between the twin crimson mountains wound a long stone staircase that climbed from the base all the way upward, and at its end, faint ripples of spatial energy shimmered in the air—signaling that beyond lay another world altogether.
(End of Chapter)
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