Chapter 866: Preparing for War

In a quiet courtyard.

Xi Jing lay on a bamboo chair, her amazingly long legs crossed and propped up on a crossbar in front of her. She held an ancient book, casually flipping through its pages, and only looked up when Zhou Yuan walked in.

"Senior Sister," Zhou Yuan said, glancing at her exceptionally commanding long legs before quickly looking straight ahead.

Xi Jing gracefully rose. She was wearing a loose training outfit today; her chest appeared unremarkable, but her legs were straight. With her wine-red, shoulder-length hair, she exuded an indescribably valiant and distinctive charm.

Xi Jing said with a smile, "Little Junior Brother, you've performed exceptionally well these past few months."

Since she had sent Zhou Yuan into the Wind Pavilion, it had gained the upper hand in several confrontations with the Fire Pavilion, clearly demonstrating Zhou Yuan's capabilities.

"Without Senior Sister's support, how could I have achieved such results?" Zhou Yuan smiled; his words were not mere flattery. The Fire Pavilion was backed by the Heavenly Spirit Sect, and if he had no backing, he would have likely faced countless covert attacks long ago. For instance, he probably wouldn't have escaped when Lord Xiguang tried to assassinate him.

Xi Jing waved her fair, slender hand, then flicked a finger, and a red light landed in front of Zhou Yuan. It was a reddish copper sphere, its surface inscribed with mysterious patterns, and inside, golden flames blazed fiercely.

"These are the Heaven Sun Flames you were supposed to receive from the Heaven Flame Ceremony," Xi Jing said. "A total of 240,000 wisps. I've already sealed them for you; when you need to use them, simply control them with your Spirit."

Zhou Yuan took it, his eyes blazing with excitement. He finally had them; he had been waiting for the Heaven Sun Flame allocation for days.

"Also... we've received news that the various domains are now beginning discussions about the Nine Regions Grand Assembly."

Zhou Yuan's expression immediately turned serious at Xi Jing's words. He hadn't forgotten his mission in the Tianyuan Region.

"Has a date been set?" he quickly asked.

Xi Jing shook her head and said, "Not yet, but if all goes as expected, it should be within a year."

"Within a year..."

Zhou Yuan pondered slightly and said, "Then it seems I must quickly secure the position of Chief Pavilion Master and integrate the four pavilions."

"So confident you can defeat Lu Xiao?" Xi Jing asked, her slender eyebrows slightly raised.

"Because I cannot fail," Zhou Yuan said calmly.

The Ancestral Dragon Lantern is crucial for Yaoyao's recovery, and no matter how difficult it is, he cannot give up. For him to obtain the Ancestral Dragon Lantern, the first step is to become the Chief Pavilion Master of the Four Pavilions in the Tianyuan Region and integrate their collective power.

Xi Jing glanced at him and said seriously, "However, even if you truly defeat Lu Xiao, you are still a long way from obtaining the Ancestral Dragon Lantern."

"Lu Xiao's strength ranks ninth on the Hunyuan Heaven Divine Palace List," she continued. "But honestly, that position is somewhat due to our Tianyuan Region being one of the Nine Regions. If we were to truly discuss his strength, he might have to drop several ranks."

Zhou Yuan was genuinely surprised. Although he hadn't truly fought Lu Xiao, the dangerous aura the latter exuded was undeniable. Currently, if he didn't seize this opportunity to break through to the late Divine Palace stage, he might not even be able to defeat Lu Xiao. Yet, Xi Jing was now telling him that Lu Xiao's ninth rank on the Divine Palace List was somewhat inflated. This revealed just how terrifying the cultivators at the top of the Divine Palace List truly were. Is Hunyuan Heaven truly so formidable? No wonder it has the confidence to be called the greatest of all heavens.

"Then how strong are Wu Yao, ranked second, and Su Youwei, ranked third?" Zhou Yuan suddenly asked.

Hearing Zhou Yuan specifically mention these two, Xi Jing looked at him with some surprise and asked with interest, "You know them?"

Zhou Yuan didn't deny it, stating frankly, "They both come from Cangxuan Heaven. Wu Yao is my adversary, and Su Youwei is my friend."

Hearing this answer, even Xi Jing was stunned. She couldn't help but ask, "You're adversaries with Wu Yao? And Su Youwei is your friend?" She then chuckled and said, "These two are currently the two most dazzling jewels in Hunyuan Heaven. And they both have some connection to you? It seems there's a story here, doesn't there?"

"Tsk tsk, if this news gets out," she continued, "I'd say at least half of the top twenty on the Divine Palace List would want to spar with you."

Seeing Xi Jing's curious gaze, Zhou Yuan's lips twitched slightly, thinking, *Senior Sister, why are you interested in such gossip?*

Xi Jing smiled, then said, "However, at the Nine Regions Grand Assembly, both Wu Yao and Su Youwei will likely become two formidable obstacles in your path. No matter what history you have with them, you'll need to be careful."

"They are very strong now."

"If Lu Xiao were to face them... there would be no other outcome than a severe beating."

Zhou Yuan nodded, feeling a touch of emotion. He had a brief encounter with Wu Yao back in the Great Wu Dynasty's imperial capital, during which he was almost entirely suppressed. If not for Yaoyao's timely arrival, he would likely have only been able to flee. Therefore, he had already anticipated Wu Yao's strength. What he was lamenting now, however, was Su Youwei... The little girl who used to constantly follow him, calling out "Your Highness, Your Highness," had, after so many years, become so powerful.

"When we meet again, I wonder if she'll still remember the prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty?" Zhou Yuan felt a touch of melancholy. The current Su Youwei was clearly no longer the helpless little girl she once was. With her current perspective, the Great Zhou Dynasty might seem like a small puddle in her eyes, and the so-called "prince" perhaps even a joke. When a person becomes a dazzling gem in the spotlight, would they still recall wallowing in the mud of the past? That should be a not-so-pleasant memory, right?

Zhou Yuan shook his head, casting aside these thoughts. Su Youwei's achievements today were a result of her own hard work. No matter what choices she made, Zhou Yuan wouldn't blame her; they would simply go their separate ways from now on.

"I know the Nine Regions Grand Assembly won't be easy," Zhou Yuan said, looking at Xi Jing before him, his gaze firm and filled with surging confidence, "but I also believe that given enough time, I won't be weaker than anyone."

Facing Zhou Yuan's confident gaze, Xi Jing was deeply appreciative. She nodded gently and said, "You have spirit. No wonder Master valued you."

"Oh, right, the materials you mentioned needing earlier are quite special," she added. "I'm helping you search for them. There shouldn't be any major issues, but it will take some time."

Zhou Yuan nodded. The materials he had asked Xi Jing to help him find were precisely what was needed for Silver Shadow's evolution. He had gathered some, but a few were quite special and extremely rare.

As Xi Jing's voice fell, she waved her hand, and a jade box appeared before them. The box opened, revealing four beast soul crystals of different colors. From within each crystal, furious roars emanated, causing the air to ripple.

"These are the beast soul crystals you requested, all at the sixth-grade level."

As she spoke, she looked at Zhou Yuan thoughtfully and said, "Have you awakened the Heaven Primal Brush to Soul Devourer?"

Zhou Yuan smiled, "Senior Sister is brilliant."

Xi Jing's eyes held a hint of nostalgia, then a touch of jealousy. "Back then, I begged Master for so long, but he refused to bestow the Heaven Primal Brush upon me. And now you, boy, get it so easily."

Zhou Yuan let out a dry laugh, not daring to speak.

"However, it's certainly good that you're making more preparations," Xi Jing reminded. "The Heavenly Spirit Sect has been planning for the Chief Pavilion Master position for many years. Given that old fellow Xuan Kun's personality, he will undoubtedly provide Lu Xiao with as much help as possible. Of course, you don't need to worry too much, as he wouldn't dare go too far."

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll also begin my seclusion during this upcoming period."

Zhou Yuan held the reddish copper sphere in his right hand, feeling the scorching heat emanating from it. His gaze grew increasingly sharp. He knew that on the path to claiming the Ancestral Dragon Lantern, Lu Xiao was merely the first somewhat difficult obstacle. But no matter who the opponent was, if they stood in the way of Yaoyao's recovery, Zhou Yuan would only have one choice... to blast them apart!