Chapter 901: Static Cultivation of Four Origin Patterns

Half a month passed quickly after Zhou Yuan acquired the "Yin-Yang Thunder Pattern Mirror," a minor Saint Art. During this period, the situation within the Four Pavilions also underwent significant changes.

First, in the Fire Pavilion, nearly half of the high-level personnel were replaced following Zhou Yuan's intervention. This undoubtedly caused significant upheaval. The newly appointed officials in the Fire Pavilion were at odds with established figures like Lu Xiao and Zhu Lian, as these changes were seen as undermining the Heavenly Spirit Sect's foundation. Consequently, after deliberation, Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples like Zhu Lian and Zuo Ya chose to fiercely oppose these new Fire Pavilion officials in every possible way.

Although Lu Xiao rarely made appearances, his allegiance ultimately lay with the Heavenly Spirit Sect, so he implicitly approved of Zhu Lian and Zuo Ya's methods. This undoubtedly exerted immense pressure on the high-ranking officials who were not Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples, as they simply could not compare to the Heavenly Spirit Sect in terms of power and resources. Even calling upon a single high-ranking member from the Heavenly Spirit Sect would be enough to place enormous pressure on them.

Fortunately, however, they knew that Lu Xiao was no longer the most influential figure within the Four Pavilions; they were not without options! The newly appointed Chief Pavilion Master was the true pillar of the Four Pavilions. Consequently, these high-ranking officials who were not Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples began to align themselves with Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan, who had been patiently waiting, seized the opportune moment to declare his stance, sternly reprimanding Zhu Lian, Zuo Ya, and others. This deterred them from acting too brazenly. As a result, the vast majority of Fire Pavilion members began to side with Zhou Yuan, enabling his directives and commands to be smoothly communicated throughout the pavilion.

Zhu Lian and Zuo Ya grew somewhat desperate over these changes. Ultimately, Zuo Ya could no longer bear it and reported the matter directly to the Heavenly Spirit Sect's high command. Sect Master Xuankun did not intervene personally, but with his tacit approval, some high-ranking Heavenly Spirit Sect officials began to challenge Zhou Yuan within the Tianyuan Region, claiming he had destabilized the Four Pavilions and was unfit for the Chief Pavilion Master position.

However, these challenges did not achieve much. Not only did Xi Jing step in to suppress them, but even Elder Mu Ni, who usually stayed out of Tianyuan Region affairs, voiced her support. After all, the Fire Pavilion had more non-Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples, and their collective backing significantly bolstered Zhou Yuan's legitimate standing. Faced with the overt support of the two elders, the Heavenly Spirit Sect's high-ranking officials could only retreat disgruntedly. It was even rumored that Sect Master Xuankun's expression was displeased during those days.

After this incident, Sect Master Xuankun was furious and severely reprimanded Lu Xiao, Zhu Lian, and Zuo Ya, effectively branding them as incompetent. Zhu Lian, Zuo Ya, and the others finally ceased their actions, and the morale of Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples within the Fire Pavilion was severely impacted. The Fire Pavilion's resistance was completely dismantled, and Zhou Yuan's most significant impediment within the Four Pavilions vanished.

The very next day, Han Yuan, the Pavilion Master of the Mountain Pavilion, personally visited Zhou Yuan. His demeanor clearly indicated that if even the Fire Pavilion had been so thoroughly subdued by Zhou Yuan, the Mountain Pavilion would face an even worse fate if he failed to cooperate. Thus, Han Yuan, always a pragmatist, quickly decided to concede. Zhou Yuan did not act overly aggressive in response to Han Yuan's concession. After a brief admonishment, he allowed Han Yuan to depart. From then on, the Four Pavilions had a clear answer: Zhou Yuan, as the Chief Pavilion Master, would be the undisputed authority within them.

As the internal situation of the Four Pavilions gradually stabilized, Zhou Yuan became a hands-off manager. After entrusting all affairs to Yi Qiushui, he began his secluded cultivation.

Within the Mountain Domain of the Four Spirit Origin-Returning Pagoda, Zhou Yuan ultimately chose the Mountain Spirit Pattern for his third Origin Pattern. This Origin Pattern had the effect of enhancing the physical body, whereas the remaining Forest Spirit Pattern focused on physical restoration. Since he already possessed the Taixu Azurewood Mark for that purpose, the need for the Forest Spirit Pattern was not as urgent.

The high skies of the Mountain Domain were filled with a yellowish-brown mist. This mist was not actual vapor but was formed by countless tiny yellow sand particles. These sand particles filled the air, constantly swirling and raging, and the essence marks of the Mountain Spirit Pattern were hidden within them. Although the yellow sand particles were minuscule, they were as hard as refined iron. When they swept across the body, they immediately created countless tiny puncture wounds. As the sand came into contact with blood, it would dissolve, allowing the embedded essence marks to gradually merge into the body.

Zhou Yuan sat cross-legged on a barren mountaintop, placing a high-quality Mountain Mother Pattern onto his body. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, thousands of Origin-Returning Treasure Coins appeared simultaneously and immediately ignited.

Whoosh!

The next instant, a tornado of yellow sand roared down from above, directly heading towards Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan watched the dragon-like sandstorm with a calm expression, gradually closing his eyes and allowing the overwhelming yellow sand to surge forth and envelop his body.

The refinement of the Mountain Spirit Pattern took Zhou Yuan an entire month. This process was not particularly difficult. With his prior experience refining the Wind and Fire Spirit Patterns, Zhou Yuan was already well-versed in condensing essence marks. Coupled with the use of the Mountain Mother Pattern and tens of thousands of Origin-Returning Treasure Coins, he found refining the Mountain Spirit Pattern in a month to be not overly extraordinary.

Of course, this was merely his own perspective. It is worth noting that for others in the Four Pavilions, even Lu Xiao, refining a complete Origin Pattern typically took at least six months. Yet, Zhou Yuan managed to reduce this time significantly, by several times. This was, of course, due to multiple factors: the emergence of the Four Mother Patterns, the strength of his own Divine Soul, and the special attention he received from the Primal Chaos Divine Mill at the core of the Four Spirit Origin-Returning Pagoda. It was the convergence of these many factors that enabled Zhou Yuan to accomplish the remarkable feat of refining the Mountain Spirit Pattern in just one month.

After refining the Mountain Spirit Pattern, Zhou Yuan did not publicize it at all. He didn't even inform Yi Qiushui or Ye Bingling, as he believed there was no significant reason to widely disseminate such information. Consequently, after refining the Mountain Spirit Pattern, Zhou Yuan didn't rest for a moment, immediately shifting his focus to the final Origin Pattern: the Forest Spirit Pattern. He aimed to gather all four Origin Patterns into himself. For some reason, after refining the third Mountain Spirit Pattern, he had an inexplicable feeling that when all four patterns truly converged, something unique would happen.

Time flowed swiftly during Zhou Yuan's period of seclusion. Approximately a month and a half into Zhou Yuan's seclusion, the long-peaceful Tianyuan Region began to stir once more. This unrest stemmed from two causes. Firstly, the date for the Nine Regions Grand Assembly was finally set. This was a major event that garnered attention from all top forces across the Hunyuantian, and in terms of scale, it was undoubtedly one of the most prominent. The second reason for the unrest was the Three Mountains Alliance, located north of the Tianyuan Region. They had once again caused trouble in the northern areas, openly challenging the Tianyuan Region's authority and sparking widespread anger.