Chapter 867: Closing the Door

On Wind Island, when Zhou Yuan returned, Yi Qiushui immediately sought him out to report: "The Fire Pavilion and Mountain Pavilion have suddenly lifted their blockade on the Four-Origin Pattern, allowing it to be sold in both pavilions."

Zhou Yuan's eyes flickered upon hearing this. He glanced at Yi Qiushui, whose pretty face showed a hint of joy, and asked, "What do you think?"

Yi Qiushui hesitated for a moment before replying, "It must be because the backlash was too strong for them to suppress."

Zhou Yuan smiled. "I don't think that's the most important reason... The Grand Pavilion Master Competition is next month. All the contention and outcomes will be decided there."

Yi Qiushui's expression shifted slightly. "Are you saying Lu Xiao no longer intends to play these small tricks? He wants to defeat you fairly and squarely in the Grand Pavilion Master Competition, and once he secures the position of Grand Pavilion Master, the entire Four Pavilions will be under his control?"

At that point, Lu Xiao could even demand Zhou Yuan hand over the crafting method for the Four-Origin Pattern using various excuses. If Zhou Yuan refused, he might even be removed from his position as Wind Pavilion Master!

Beside them, Ye Bingling's elegant, cold face also became extremely serious. It was clear that Lu Xiao's current retreat was not a surrender, but rather a strategic withdrawal to gather even more formidable power for his next strike. This time, it would likely be devastating.

"He's very smart," Zhou Yuan said calmly. Lu Xiao's choice was indeed the most impeccable and decisive. As long as he genuinely secured the Grand Pavilion Master position, all previous disadvantages could be reversed in an instant.

"Has Lu Xiao himself made any moves?" Zhou Yuan asked.

Yi Qiushui shook her head, musing, "It's said that Lu Xiao hasn't shown himself much since the Heaven Flame Ritual. If I'm not mistaken, he must be preparing for the Grand Pavilion Master Competition."

"What should we do?" Ye Bingling's beautiful eyes were filled with worry. The pressure from Lu Xiao was immense. Despite how much the Wind Pavilion had gained the upper hand in its recent clashes with the Fire Pavilion, she knew clearly that this was only because Lu Xiao, the Fire Pavilion's strongest trump card, had yet to make his move. Although Zhou Yuan's current strength was formidable, even Ye Bingling lacked much confidence if he were to face Lu Xiao. Lu Xiao's renown in the Tianyuan Region wasn't merely due to the Heavenly Spirit Sect.

"There's nothing to worry about. My goal in coming to the Wind Pavilion was never just to become the Wind Pavilion Master," Zhou Yuan said with a faint smile, revealing his ambition without reservation. A true confrontation between him and Lu Xiao was inevitable. "For the coming period, I'm entrusting the Wind Pavilion to both of you. I'll be going into seclusion starting today."

Zhou Yuan waved to the two women, then strode out.

Watching his retreating figure, Yi Qiushui and Ye Bingling exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes. It seemed Zhou Yuan had been aiming for the Grand Pavilion Master position from the very beginning. This guy... he truly had a huge appetite. But then, they inwardly sighed. While they naturally hoped Zhou Yuan could become the Grand Pavilion Master, Lu Xiao... was truly a ferociously formidable obstacle. And if Zhou Yuan were to fail, the Wind Pavilion's recent momentum would likely be severely suppressed. A worried expression appeared on both women's faces.

***

The Seclusion Chamber.

In the center stood a silent bronze cauldron. Zhou Yuan was currently seated cross-legged inside it. Inside the cauldron, numerous ancient patterns were inscribed, glimmering faintly. An intense heat permeated the space, making the cauldron's interior incredibly hot—hot enough to melt metal.

Zhou Yuan was quite satisfied with the environment. This was the Wind Pavilion Master's exclusive seclusion chamber, far more effective than other chambers on Wind Island.

He extended his palm, and a crimson bronze sphere appeared. Inside the crimson sphere, golden flames burned fiercely, resembling molten gold lava.

"Heaven Sun Flame..."

Zhou Yuan's eyes showed a hint of fervor. Without hesitation, he moved his spirit, directly opening the crimson sphere. The next moment, countless golden flames roared out, filling the entire cauldron like fiery dragons. The temperature inside the cauldron immediately surged to a terrifying level.

Zhou Yuan's clothes instantly disintegrated. With his eyes slightly closed, he inhaled deeply, and the golden Heaven Sun Flame transformed into a fiery thread, whistling into his nostrils.

Intense heat!

The moment the surging Heaven Sun Flame poured into his body, even with Zhou Yuan's physical strength, he trembled violently. An indescribable burning pain spread through him, as if his body was being incinerated into nothingness. Zhou Yuan's face contorted, his eyes bloodshot, but he clenched his teeth tightly, not even uttering a muffled groan.

He guided the Heaven Sun Flame circulating within him, finally sending it rushing into his Divine Dwelling. Within his Divine Dwelling, the six layers were fully connected. Inside, tens of millions of Origin Qi stars shimmered, and vast, boundless Origin Qi surged. The moment the Heaven Sun Flame surged into his Divine Dwelling, it was like a spark igniting a barrel of oil. Instantly, tendrils of Heaven Sun Flame rapidly expanded, transforming into a sweeping sea of fire that directly engulfed the tens of millions of Origin Qi stars.

The golden flames scorched the Origin Qi stars, and immediately, faint wisps of mist began to emanate from them. The Origin Qi stars also seemed to begin shrinking in size. However, despite this reduction in size, Zhou Yuan observed that the light emanating from the Origin Qi stars became increasingly intense and brilliant. It felt as if the Origin Qi contained within them was being purified by the Heaven Sun Flame, refining away subtle impurities that were otherwise imperceptible...

"Is this the effect of Heaven Sun Flame? It's truly incredible."

Feeling the changes in the Origin Qi stars, a sense of awe welled up in Zhou Yuan's heart. At the same time, he felt a longing for the Heaven Sun Realm. After all, once one broke through to the Heaven Sun Realm, they could naturally generate Heaven Sun Flame and temper their Origin Qi day and night. Through such tempering, the Origin Qi cultivated by Heaven Sun Realm experts would naturally be of a higher grade and quality than that cultivated by those in lower realms...

Moreover, as the Heaven Sun Flame surged through his Divine Dwelling, Zhou Yuan also noticed subtle signs of melting appearing in the Divine Dwelling barrier leading to the seventh layer... This brought even greater delight to Zhou Yuan. Once this Divine Dwelling barrier melted, he would be able to break through to the seventh Divine Dwelling, fully entering the late-stage Divine Dwelling Realm! He also held great anticipation for how much his Origin Qi foundation would grow after breaking through to the seventh Divine Dwelling.

"No wonder the Heaven Flame Ritual is one of the two major benefits the Tianyuan Region offers to attract talented individuals from all corners..."

Zhou Yuan sighed inwardly, then focused his mind. He knew this tempering process would take a considerable amount of time, but he wasn't in a hurry. He had ample time over the next month... At this moment, Lu Xiao, Han Yuan, and Mu Liu were likely also doing their best to improve their strength, preparing for the Grand Pavilion Master Competition. Naturally, he couldn't afford to fall behind. And once he broke through to the seventh Divine Dwelling and entered the late-stage Divine Dwelling Realm, Zhou Yuan was confident that he wouldn't be much weaker than any of the three of them.

Thinking of the Grand Pavilion Master Competition a month away, a fierce fighting spirit ignited within Zhou Yuan. He had been striving for this day since he arrived in the Tianyuan Region. Now, all previous obstacles had been overcome, so he had to pass this final test, no matter what. No one would stop him!