Word Count: 2,225 Words
******
It was evening.
"That Yan Alliance, who exactly are they? Could they have backing from a faction in the Central Plains?" Shi Nian, the Sect Leader of the Profound Lion Sect, asked with a grave expression.
The Sect Leaders of the Profound Lion Sect, Medicine Bone Sect, Thunderbolt Sect, Netherworld Ghost Gate, and other factions had gathered in a secret mansion. Except for the Sky Serpent Mansion, nearly all the prominent factions participating in this Great Meeting of Factions were present.
Ting Hao, the Sect Leader of the Thunderbolt Sect, waved his hand dismissively. "That Yan Alliance isn't worth our concern. While their younger generation shows some promise, they have only a single 1-star Dou Ancestor. The faction we should really be worried about is the Sky Serpent Mansion."
Everyone's expressions grew exceedingly grave at the mention of the Sky Serpent Mansion.
The Sky Serpent Mansion possessed the greatest number of Dou Ancestors. Moreover, their Mansion Lord, She Tianhao, was not only a 7-star Dou Ancestor but had nearly defended the stage for the Sky Serpent Mansion in the previous meeting. He had consecutively defeated Ting Hao and Shi Nian, only losing to the leader of the Netherworld Ghost Gate when his Dou Qi was completely exhausted.
And today, Qing Lin's strength was making everyone lose sleep. With such ability and such rapid cultivation speed, she might surpass every person here in fewer than ten years!
"It seems the rumors about the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils are true. That new Saintess of the Sky Serpent Mansion truly possesses them!" Shi Nian muttered with a gloomy expression.
All the faction heads present harbored ambitions to unite the North-Western Region, so naturally, they disliked seeing a single faction's strength far exceed their own.
"Perhaps we need to form a closer alliance. Otherwise, when that Saintess fully rises, the Sky Serpent Mansion will pick us off one by one."
Some leaders, though harboring ulterior motives, could only nod in agreement, if only to prevent the Sky Serpent Mansion from growing even stronger.
However, none of these factions, not even the Sky Serpent Mansion, realized that the Yan Alliance's rise was far from simple.
'Perhaps... I can head to the Central Plains sooner than expected,' Xiao Yan murmured to himself elsewhere, gazing up at the bright moon in the sky.
He had initially believed that he would need another year or two to handle everything on his plate, but now it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.
…
Early the next morning, in the dueling square within the mountain range of the Sky Serpent Mansion, ten massive stages stood towering among the peaks.
"Let's have our Yan Alliance occupy a stage and join in the fun," Xiao Yan said with a smile.
What drew the greatest attention in the Great Meeting of Factions were the battles between each faction's top experts. The previous two days had only featured contests among the younger generation, but from today onward, anyone who could ascend the stage would be considered a true hero of their faction!
There were ten stages in total, and each faction could plant its banner on one, thus occupying that stage.
If other factions came to challenge, the defenders would dispatch experts of equivalent rank to engage in battle.
In the past, Hai Bodong had challenged two stages consecutively, defeating two Dou Emperors of the same level, which led to him being dubbed the 'Ice Emperor'!
Stronger factions typically would not take a stage on the first day. They would only ascend in the final days, and if no one could challenge them successfully, the flags on those stages would represent the top ten factions of the North-Western Region for that session.
In the end, one ultimate stage would remain. Among the top ten factions, any that wished to claim the title 'Martial Alliance Leader' would stand upon that final stage, facing challenges from all sides. Should they remain standing at the end, they would be recognized as the strongest faction in the North-Western Region.
Originally, the Great Meeting of Factions had only this single stage defense competition, but over time, it gradually evolved to include various other events.
As a newly rising faction, the Yan Alliance would naturally plant a banner on the first day to display the strength of their experts and accept all challengers.
Zi Yan lit up with excitement at Xiao Yan's words. She grabbed the Yan Alliance banner and was about to bolt onto the stage when Xiao Yan quickly held her back.
"Xiao Yan! What are you doing?!"
Xiao Yan shrugged helplessly. "If you go first, how will we handle those at the Dou Emperor realm? Wait until Big Brother and Second Brother have been challenged down. It won't be too late for you to jump in then."
He tossed the banner to Xiao Ding. Besides Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, the Yan Alliance had two Dou King elders from the Misty Cloud Sect, as well as Yue Mei, totaling five Dou Kings.
These Dou Kings would be the vanguard.
Xiao Ding nodded. He spread his Dou Qi wings behind him and flew onto the nearest stage under countless gazes, planting the Yan Alliance's banner at the center of the platform.
"Which faction does that flame-like emblem represent?"
"That's the Yan Alliance, the faction that's been making waves these past few days. That alchemist who used four kinds of flames to refine a pill and that runner-up sword goddess are both from this faction."
Nobody belittled Xiao Ding simply because he was only a Dou King. After all, it was never the strongest who took the stage at the beginning; Dou Ancestors would appear only in the final segments.
What took Xiao Yan by surprise was that the Gold Geese Sect had not yet made a move. Instead, Mulan Valley from the Mulan Empire, one of the three great empires, couldn't sit still any longer.
"Hah, just a mere 2-star Dou King. Let me have a go at you!" An elder wearing the attire of Mulan Valley unfolded his Dou Qi wings and flew onto the stage.
His strength was the same as Xiao Ding's; both were 2-star Dou Kings.
Usually, these stage challenges were between those of the same level. If one's strength was several stars higher than the opponent's, it wouldn't be considered honorable.
Xiao Yan quietly observed the battle on stage. Xiao Ding was his eldest brother, so naturally, he did not lack Dou Techniques and skill. However, his greatest strength lay in strategy; he was controlling the flow rather than overwhelming his opponent.
"Big Brother should be able to win," Xiao Li nodded to himself.
"Mm, but it won't be easy," Xiao Yan agreed.
"What about you? Not going up there for some fun?" Xiao Li smiled, patting Xiao Yan's shoulder.
"No thanks. I'll be heading to the other side to refine pills soon, so I need to conserve some energy." Xiao Yan spread his hands. The alchemist competition was still the same as before: refining pills simultaneously and judging them by grade and quality.
Back then, Gu He had been dubbed 'Pill King Gu He' by enthusiasts in the North-Western Region because he could refine tier 6 pills in his early forties. They believed he might one day match the achievements of Gu Tong.
Sure enough, after an intense contest, Xiao Ding emerged victorious by a narrow margin, defeating his opponent at the cost of considerable energy and Dou Techniques. He then stepped down to let a Dou King elder of the Misty Cloud Sect take over.
The stage defense wasn't about one person guarding the stage but a collective effort by the faction. This way, one could roughly gauge the strength gap between two factions.
As the Yan Alliance occupied one stage, other stages gradually had factions planting their flags. Xiao Yan did not recognize many of these emblems, and many of their leaders had only peak Dou Emperor strength, lacking any Dou Ancestors, comparable to the former Jia Ma Empire.
These sects and empires were bound to fight with everything they had. A poor performance could lead to disaster and possible annexation by nearby powers.
Meanwhile, the two Dou King elders of the Misty Cloud Sect weren't especially strong; a single Dou King elder from Mulan Valley defeated them both consecutively.
This was normal. After all, the overall strength of the Misty Cloud Sect was inherently inferior to Mulan Valley.
"Hahaha! So this is the Yan Alliance that's been in the limelight these few days? It doesn't seem like much!" The Mulan Valley elder laughed heartily onstage.
Clutching a silver spear, Xiao Li flickered through arcs of lightning before appearing on the stage. His gaze was cold as he said in a deep voice, "My cultivation is two stars above yours. Defeating you holds no meaning. Let someone else from your faction come forth."
Seeing Xiao Li's formidable, pure lightning-type Dou Qi, Xiao Yan felt completely at ease. Not to mention they still had Yue Mei, a 9-star Dou King, to hold the line. Right now, the fights were only among Dou Kings. When battles advanced to the Dou Emperor realm, having the monstrous Zi Yan around meant there was truly nothing to worry about.
Cloaked in his Spiritual Strength, Xiao Yan no longer paid attention to the battles on stage. He slowly walked toward the alchemist competition venue on the other side.
That was his battlefield.
This location was similar to the venue where Yue Er had competed two days earlier, with numerous stone platforms arranged for alchemists. However, the difference this time was that there were far fewer participants. At a glance, there were only around thirty people.
This made sense, because this was not a competition for the younger generation. Rather, it represented the highest level of alchemists among the factions in the North-Western Region. If a faction only had 5th-tier alchemists, it was better not to come and embarrass themselves.
The weakest alchemists participating in this competition were peak 5th-tier alchemists, all aiming to challenge tier 6 pills. In other words, if you couldn't refine a tier 6 pill, you didn't even qualify to participate.
"Hey, look, it's the Yan Alliance."
Xiao Yan leisurely walked into the center of the venue, and the moment he arrived, he became the focus of the crowd perched around the mountainside.
These past few days, if any faction had been the hottest topic, it was naturally the Yan Alliance. After all, people loved new things. For a powerful faction like the Sky Serpent Mansion, it was normal for them to take first place; there wasn't much to discuss.
But with the Yan Alliance entering the Great Meeting of Factions for the first time and achieving remarkable results, many were curious to see just how powerful their top talents might be. Could they continue their streak of miracles? Some faction leaders near the three great empires in the western area were even considering whether to join the Yan Alliance.
"He's so young. Could he already be a peak 5th-tier alchemist?"
Xiao Yan was currently wearing the robe of a 5th-tier alchemist, and given his young age, naturally, no one would think his strength had reached tier 7.
"Hmph, even if you can successfully refine a tier 6 pill, so what? Do you know how many alchemists remain at tier six their entire lives, unable to cross the chasm to tier 7?" A childish voice came from behind Xiao Yan. It was Gu Tong.
Xiao Yan turned around and looked down at the elder trapped in a child's body. He smiled faintly and said, "I don't know how many alchemists stop at tier 6 forever, but I'm certain that won't be me."
"Boy, don't spout such conceited words. Be careful you don't wind up biting your tongue or even losing your life. People should learn to keep a low profile," Gu Tong said, his eyes narrowing.
Just as Gu Tong adopted the demeanor of a senior alchemist lecturing a junior, Xiao Yan waved his hand dismissively, interrupting him. "And what if I don't?"
Then he continued with a chuckle, "Brat, you're just a little kid who hasn't even grown all your hair, acting all mature and trying to lecture me. What qualifies you to preach?"
Boom!!
Gu Tong's eyes turned fierce. A wild wind erupted, searing hot like a fiery dragon circling his body. The fearsome blaze surged toward Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's lips curved slightly. With a hum, a burst of green fire likewise erupted from him. The Green Lotus Core Flame took the shape of a cyan lotus that enshrouded him completely.
No matter how the Wind and Thunder Fury Flame raged, it couldn't shake the lotus.
A clash of Heavenly Flames!
"Green Lotus Core Flame!" This time, Gu Tong was one hundred percent certain. Xiao Yan also possessed a Heavenly Flame, and it was the Green Lotus Core Flame, ranked just below his own Wind and Thunder Fury Flame.
A hint of greed flashed in Gu Tong's eyes. He said, "Boy, since you're so arrogant, do you dare to make a bet with me?"
A glint of surprise and amusement flickered deep in Xiao Yan's eyes, but his expression remained composed as he said, "What do you want to bet?"
"A bet on Heavenly Flames!"