Chapter 842: The Lord of Xiguang Mansion

At the Fire Pavilion in Genesis Cave Heaven, within the pavilion master’s building.

Lu Xiao stood with his hands behind his back by the railing, his indifferent gaze sweeping across the surroundings. Over the past month, the atmosphere in the Fire Pavilion had clearly quieted down compared to before. He knew this was because the Four-Origin Mark from the Wind Pavilion was becoming increasingly popular. As the Four-Origin Mark gained popularity, the prohibition he had issued began to face growing opposition.

Earlier, Han Yuan had come to complain to him, stating that he could no longer hold out at the Mountain Pavilion. If the Four-Origin Mark continued to be banned, his position as Mountain Pavilion Master would become unstable, as it was difficult to go against public resentment. Lu Xiao comforted him, urging him to persevere a bit longer. It took a lot of convincing to get Han Yuan to leave.

Although he had persuaded Han Yuan, Lu Xiao understood that the Four-Origin Mark had indeed become a great sword hanging over the heads of both pavilions, threatening to inflict heavy damage at any moment. However, if he allowed the Four-Origin Mark to enter the Fire and Mountain Pavilions, the Trace-Capturing Mark would inevitably suffer devastating damage. After all, at the same price, the Four-Origin Mark was twice as effective as the Trace-Capturing Mark, and anyone would know which to choose. Although most of the high-ranking members in the Fire Pavilion were prodigies from their Tianling Sect, a greater number of people actually came from various forces within the Tianyuan Region. If Lu Xiao were to suppress them forcefully, it could eventually lead to these individuals defecting to the Wind Pavilion.

“This Zhou Yuan…” A shadow of gloom flickered in Lu Xiao’s eyes. When he first met Zhou Yuan, he never imagined that this inconspicuous newcomer would cause him such immense trouble. Fortunately, that lad wouldn’t be causing trouble for much longer. By now, Fang Ao and his team should have succeeded, right? He wondered if Zhu Lian had obtained the core ingredient for refining the Four-Origin Mark. If so, the current situation could be turned around in an instant. Of course, even if they didn’t get it, it wouldn’t matter. As long as Zhou Yuan was gone, the Wind Pavilion wouldn’t be able to refine the Four-Origin Mark, and at that point, their Fire Pavilion’s Trace-Capturing Mark would still be the only option.

Thinking of this, Lu Xiao quietly breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of pity in his eyes. "Zhou Yuan, oh Zhou Yuan, your abilities are not bad, but unfortunately, you lack foresight. I hope you'll be a bit smarter in your next life, and don't think you can act recklessly just because you have a little skill."

However, just as this thought crossed Lu Xiao's mind, a terrifying surge of Genesis Qi pressure suddenly descended from the sky, directly enveloping the entire Wind Island. Immediately, countless Fire Pavilion members looked up in alarm. They saw a luminous Genesis Qi figure descending from above, its radiating pressure causing countless people to tremble with fear.

Lu Xiao’s expression changed slightly as he sensed the Genesis Qi pressure. Before he could speak, the luminous Genesis Qi figure shot directly towards their location, appearing beside Lu Xiao a few breaths later. As the Genesis Qi light dissipated, the figure revealed itself to be a middle-aged man. He wore silver robes, his face was stern, and tiny specks of silver light gleamed in his pupils. Just a glance from those eyes caused a needle-like prickling sensation in anyone he looked at.

Lu Xiao was startled upon seeing the newcomer, then quickly clasped his hands and bowed, saying, “Disciple Lu Xiao greets Manor Master Xiguang.” The man was none other than Xiguang, the Manor Master of Silverlight Manor, one of the Nine Manors of their Tianling Sect!

The middle-aged man, identified as Manor Master Xiguang, gave Lu Xiao a cold look and immediately demanded, “Where is Fang Ao?” Lu Xiao was taken aback, clearly bewildered by Manor Master Xiguang’s sudden question. Nevertheless, he replied, “Disciple-brother Fang Ao went out on a mission.” “What mission?” Xiguang pressed sternly.

Seeing Xiguang’s demeanor and reaction, Lu Xiao’s eyes flickered, and a sudden unease welled up in his heart. He cautiously asked, “May I ask what Manor Master Xiguang wishes to know?” Xiguang’s eyes were cold. He reached into his robes and pulled out a silver jade token, but at that moment, the token was shattered and dim.

Upon seeing the shattered silver jade token, Lu Xiao’s mind reeled. Even with his composure, he gasped in shock, “How is this possible?!” This Silverlight jade token was a Soul Jade Token from the Silverlight Manor, and this particular one undoubtedly belonged to Fang Ao. A Soul Jade Token represented the status of its owner; if it was shattered and dim, it signified that its owner had perished! That meant Fang Ao was dead?! No wonder Xiguang looked so menacing and hostile!

Lu Xiao’s mind was in turmoil, and he felt a momentary dizziness. Fang Ao had led people to ambush Zhou Yuan; could they have failed? But how was that possible? Zhou Yuan’s strength was only slightly greater than Chen Beifeng’s; he couldn't possibly be a match for Fang Ao!

Xiguang looked at the stunned Lu Xiao, his eyes gleaming with an even colder silver light. He demanded, “What happened?” Lu Xiao looked at the chilling gaze of Manor Master Xiguang, and a shiver ran down his spine. He couldn't help but take two steps back. He knew that this Manor Master Xiguang was famously unreasonable and ferocious within the Tianling Sect; Fang Ao’s temper was entirely learned from him. If Xiguang lost his temper today, even if Lu Xiao wasn't from Silverlight Manor, he would likely suffer greatly. So, he dared not conceal anything and whispered, “Fang Ao took people out to ambush Zhou Yuan, the Master of the Wind Pavilion. Now that something has happened, it must be related to Zhou Yuan.” He then recounted the matters concerning Zhou Yuan and the Four-Origin Mark, as this was their reason for acting.

“A newly appointed pavilion master dares to kill my disciple, Xiguang’s disciple? Where did he get such audacity?!” Xiguang’s eyes immediately flared with a terrifying killing intent after listening. In his view, even if Fang Ao failed and fell into the opponent’s hands, the opponent should have shown him respect and handed Fang Ao over for punishment. But this lad dared to act on his own, clearly showing no regard for Manor Master Xiguang! As for Zhou Yuan being killed by Fang Ao, that wasn’t something he needed to consider. What was the standing of his Tianling Sect in the Tianyuan Region? What did it matter if a Wind Pavilion Master was accidentally killed? At most, he would have Fang Ao resign from his deputy pavilion master position and bring him back to Silverlight Manor for self-reflection.

Seeing Xiguang on the verge of exploding, Lu Xiao quickly tried to calm him, saying, “However, this matter is still uncertain. Disciple-brother Fang Ao’s Soul Jade Token might have shattered accidentally. Perhaps we should wait a little longer. If their mission went smoothly, they should be returning soon, and then we will naturally know the full story.” He added, “After all, Manor Master Xiguang is aware of Disciple-brother Fang Ao’s strength. It’s truly hard to imagine him falling into the hands of a Zhou Yuan.”

Lu Xiao indeed harbored deep doubts in his heart. He genuinely did not want to believe that Fang Ao had been defeated by Zhou Yuan. After all, his plan this time was foolproof, so even with Fang Ao’s shattered Soul Jade Token right before him, he still couldn't believe it.

Xiguang fell silent for a moment upon hearing this. In truth, he also found it hard to believe that his favored disciple would fall into the hands of a mere Divine Palace stage mid-level young man. “Alright, I’ll wait for now,” Manor Master Xiguang said with a grim look in his eyes. “If it truly was that lad’s doing, then remember this: this incident wasn’t you plotting to ambush him. Instead, Fang Ao and his team were on a mission, coincidentally encountered Zhou Yuan, had a dispute, and Zhou Yuan, being malicious, directly attacked and killed Fang Ao and the others.” Lu Xiao’s eyes flickered. This Manor Master Xiguang was clearly preparing an excuse for future action. If they could pin the blame on Zhou Yuan, even if they truly killed him, there would be room for contention and negotiation. This Silverlight Manor Master, though fierce in nature, was clearly quite cunning. So he quickly nodded and then ushered Manor Master Xiguang into the building.

However, Lu Xiao and Manor Master Xiguang's wait did not last the two or three days they anticipated. For in the twilight hours after Manor Master Xiguang's arrival, a disheveled figure rushed into the Fire Pavilion, ultimately crashing into the Pavilion Master's building.

“Zhu Lian?!” Upon seeing the disheveled figure burst in, Lu Xiao, who was serving tea to Xiguang, was startled. He quickly looked behind Zhu Lian and asked, “Where are Fang Ao and the others?” Zhu Lian knelt on the ground, his face utterly terrified, and he gasped hoarsely, “Dead, all dead! All killed by Zhou Yuan!”

Lu Xiao’s body trembled, his eyes filled with disbelief. Immediately, he lost his composure and roared, “With your numbers, how could you all have been wiped out?!”

Zhu Lian said with a pale face, “We miscalculated. Zhou Yuan’s Genesis Qi reserves reached the twenty-million level; even Fang Ao was no match for him! If I hadn't fled quickly, I would probably have died there too!” Lu Xiao’s pupils sharply contracted. Twenty million Genesis Qi reserves?! When Zhou Yuan fought Chen Beifeng before, he only reached a maximum of fifteen million!

However, before he could say anything more, a heart-palpitating killing intent erupted behind him. Xiguang slammed the teacup in his hand onto the table, and both the cup and the table instantly turned to dust. His face was grim. He straightened his sleeves, and a chillingly indifferent voice resonated through the building, sending shivers down one's spine. “Monitor the teleportation barrier at Genesis Cave Heaven. The moment that little bastard appears, apprehend him immediately. Furthermore, notify the Wind Pavilion to prepare to collect their pavilion master’s corpse.”