Chapter 890: Mystery Domain

The influence of the Grand Pavilion Master competition far exceeded Zhou Yuan's imagination. The moment the results were announced, the news not only spread throughout the Tianyuan Cave Heaven but also simultaneously reached the entire Tianyuan Region.

At this speed, it was likely that everyone in the Tianyuan Region would know about the newly appointed Grand Pavilion Master of the Four Pavilions in a very short time.

Moreover, this information would likely reach not only the Tianyuan Region but also other parts of Hunyuan Heaven, particularly among well-informed factions. Regardless, after this event, Zhou Yuan would no longer be an unknown figure in the Tianyuan Region, or even in Hunyuan Heaven.

At the very least, within the Tianyuan Region, he would replace Lu Xiao as the new leader among the younger generation of the Divine Palace stage.

As for other regions of Hunyuan Heaven, the first to receive this news was the Xuanji Region, which was reputed to be all-knowing, both in heaven and on earth.

Of course, the Xuanji Region could not truly be all-knowing; its reputation stemmed from its extensive intelligence network. Lists like the Divine Palace Ranking and the Heavenly Sun Ranking within Hunyuan Heaven were compiled by the Xuanji Region, effectively serving as a mark of quality.

The Xuanji Region had informants throughout Hunyuan Heaven, allowing it to learn about significant events almost instantly.

Zhou Yuan's past achievements hadn't been significant enough to warrant inclusion in the Xuanji Region's records. However, the moment the Grand Pavilion Master competition concluded, the results were immediately relayed to the Xuanji Region, as this event not only meant the Tianyuan Region gained a new elder but also impacted the Divine Palace Ranking.

Since Lu Xiao, ranked ninth, had been defeated, his position on the Divine Palace Ranking would naturally need to change...

The Xuanji Region. Its central hub was known as the Star Palace.

This was also an independently created space, where daylight was absent, replaced by an eternal canopy of stars that never dimmed or fell.

Beneath the starlight lay innumerable towering mountain peaks, each crowned with numerous palaces. Though seemingly haphazardly arranged, these palaces were constructed according to the trajectories of the stars, forming an exceptionally profound and mysterious barrier.

Within this barrier, atop a grand mountain, stood the Star-Gazing Pavilion.

The peak of the Star-Gazing Pavilion.

A green jade desk was laden with numerous jade slips, each containing significant, first-hand intelligence from across Hunyuan Heaven.

Behind the green jade desk, two girls knelt. Both were dressed in white gowns adorned with star patterns, highlighting their slender figures. The girl on the left, with her dark hair gently tied, possessed a remarkably clear and beautiful face. At that moment, her delicate hands held a jade slip, examining its contents.

"Oh?" Suddenly, she let out a soft exclamation.

"Sister Jiugong, what's wrong?" the girl beside her asked, looking over with curious eyes.

The beautiful girl, addressed as Sister Jiugong, replied with a hint of surprise, "News from the Tianyuan Region indicates that Lu Xiao actually failed in the competition for the Grand Pavilion Master of the Four Pavilions."

"Oh? Lu Xiao was defeated? Surely no one in the Tianyuan Region's Divine Palace stage could be his match? Was it Han Yuan or Mu Liu?" The other girl was also surprised. Her effortless recitation of these names clearly showed her comprehensive knowledge of the Tianyuan Region.

"If that were the case, it wouldn't surprise me."

Jiugong shook her head. "It's someone named Zhou Yuan. I've never heard that name before."

"I haven't heard of him either," the girl replied after a moment's thought. "But Hunyuan Heaven is vast and boundless, full of hidden talents. This Zhou Yuan is likely one of those individuals blessed with great fortune, who usually keeps a low profile but then suddenly makes a name for himself when the moment is right."

Jiugong nodded subtly, then chuckled faintly, "Since Lu Xiao lost, his position should indeed be adjusted."

She took a scroll from the desk and slowly unrolled it. The names at the top—Zhao Mushen, Wu Yao, Su Youwei, and others—clearly indicated that it was a Divine Palace Ranking scroll.

"Sister Jiugong, are you going to move your own position as well?" the other girl teased, glancing at the name ranked seventh, which belonged to the very Sister Jiugong of Xuanji Region standing before her.

Jiugong shot her a look. "The Xuanji Region values fairness above all else," she retorted. "My strength only warrants this position; why would I deliberately move higher just to embarrass myself?"

The girl, still unconvinced, argued, "That's only because our Xuanji Region isn't skilled in direct combat. When it comes to true ability, Sister Jiugong isn't necessarily inferior to Wu Yao or Su Youwei!"

Jiugong's lips twitched noncommittally. Her gaze swept over the names of Wu Yao and Su Youwei, ranked above her on the list. Though she feigned indifference, a flicker of competitiveness sparked deep in her eyes. As one of the most exceptional and renowned women in Hunyuan Heaven, Jiugong was inherently proud and privately believed she was in no way inferior to those two.

Of course, a mere comparison of power held little meaning, and she wouldn't deliberately alter her position simply because of her inner pride.

Seeing Jiugong remain silent, the girl steered the conversation back. "Since Zhou Yuan defeated Lu Xiao, should we directly promote him to the ninth position?"

Jiugong pondered for a moment, then shook her head and said calmly, "The ninth position on the Divine Palace Ranking never truly belonged to the Tianyuan Region. You're well aware of the reason Lu Xiao was ranked ninth initially."

"What was Lu Xiao's proper ranking according to our initial assessment?"

The girl paused, then replied, "Fourteenth."

Jiugong sighed softly. "The Tianyuan Region truly declines year by year... This time, let's place Zhou Yuan at fourteenth."

The girl quickly protested, "Sister, if we do that, the Tianyuan Region will probably use all their connections to cause trouble again. Last time, they even sent someone to seek an audience with the Old Ancestor over this very matter..."

"After all, their Tianyuan Region is ranked among the Nine Regions. If their strongest prodigy is placed at fourteenth, it would be quite humiliating for them."

Jiugong's expression remained calm. "The last ranking was handled by Uncle Liu and his group, but this time, it's my responsibility."

"The Tianyuan Region has been steadily weakening since Grandmaster Cang Yuan's disappearance. Were it not for the lingering prestige of the Grandmaster, they might even risk falling out of the Nine Regions entirely. This is common knowledge, so why should our Xuanji Region help them conceal it?"

"I only care about fairness. Whatever position is deserved, that's what will be assigned!"

"If the five elders of the Tianyuan Region have any objections, they are welcome to find me. I'd be curious to see if those five esteemed individuals would deign to make the trip."

Seeing Jiugong's resolve, the girl could only nod.

With her small, jade-like hand, Jiugong took up a brush. With a single gentle stroke on the scroll, she erased Lu Xiao's name, then inscribed Zhou Yuan's name and his past achievements in the fourteenth position.

Her gaze lingered on the name, and she felt no impropriety in placing him at that rank. In truth, she didn't hold Lu Xiao of the Tianyuan Region in high regard. In her view, rankings on the list should only be earned through one's own merit and strength, not altered through various connections.

Lu Xiao, in fact, should have initially been ranked fourteenth. It was only due to the Xuanji Region's deference to the Tianyuan Region's reputation that he was subsequently placed at ninth.

This was a precedent not to be repeated, especially since the authority for this year's review rested with her.

As for Zhou Yuan, she felt no particular emotion; she simply viewed him as a potential dark horse, nothing more. As the current examiner of the Divine Palace Ranking, Jiugong had witnessed countless prodigies rise unexpectedly. Many of their achievements were comparable to Zhou Yuan's, with a select few even surpassing him.

She had yet to meet Zhou Yuan and was unaware of his true strength. However, if he was merely at the same level as Lu Xiao, Jiugong estimated that even holding onto the fourteenth position might be precarious for him. As the examiner of the Divine Palace Ranking, she knew perfectly well that the list was merely a superficial assessment and did not encompass every prodigy in Hunyuan Heaven. Indeed, she was aware of top talents in other regions who deliberately concealed their power; by true measure of strength, they would at least qualify to contend for a spot in the top ten.

The Tianyuan Region was truly declining.

She sighed inwardly, then sealed the scroll. "Submit the Divine Palace Ranking review list to the elders," she instructed. "If there are no issues, distribute it throughout the land as is."

The girl beside her took the scroll and swiftly departed.

Jiugong stretched her slender arms languidly, her gown elegantly outlining her shapely figure. Her gaze then drifted to the Divine Palace Ranking scroll on the desk, settling on the name in the first position.

Hunyuan Heaven boasted countless prodigies, yet only a select few earned the recognition of the deeply proud Jiugong—and this individual was one of them.

Zhao Mushen.

Compared to him, the new Grand Pavilion Master of the Tianyuan Region was likely still a long way off.