Chapter 998: 秦莲

Upon hearing Zhou Yuan’s words, Lv Xiao’s gaze immediately darted over. When he saw the group of figures approaching, especially the tall woman leading them, his face instantly paled, and his heels couldn't help but tremble slightly.

The other Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples beside him all lowered their heads, like ostriches.

Zhou Yuan watched this scene with a hint of surprise. Was this woman named Qin Lian truly so imposing? Did she really scare these Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples to such an extent?

“Who is that Qin Lian?” he asked Yi Qiushui.

Yi Qiushui covered her red lips with a small hand and replied, “She was once a prominent figure throughout the Tianyuan Region. Today, she ranks sixth on the Heavenly Sun List. During her generation’s Nine Regions Grand Meeting, she led the Tianyuan Region to a fifth-place finish, which is the best result in the past century apart from yours.”

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhou Yuan’s eyes. He knew very well the difficulty of the Nine Regions Grand Meeting. Since its establishment, even in its peak periods, the Tianyuan Region had only ever ranked in the top three. For Qin Lian to achieve fifth place was already extremely remarkable.

“Senior Sister Qin Lian is a disciple of the Heavenly Spirit Sect—no, she should now be considered the youngest elder within the sect. In the Heavenly Spirit Sect, she’s the 'demoness' who makes countless disciples tremble with fear.”

“Her duty is to manage and instruct all disciples, and her methods of discipline are rather harsh and overbearing. The reason Lv Xiao and the others are so afraid is probably because they were strictly disciplined by her in the past. Although our Tianyuan Region has been somewhat weaker in recent years, among the Four Pavilions, most of the most outstanding individuals in each generation have still been Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples.”

Yi Qiushui glanced at Zhou Yuan and said, “Until you appeared this time…”

Zhou Yuan understood. Because of his appearance, this generation of Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples had been completely overshadowed and suppressed by him. In Qin Lian's eyes, this would undoubtedly make Lv Xiao and the other Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples seem incompetent. No wonder Lv Xiao and the others trembled at the mention of her name.

They must have been left with deep psychological trauma from her.

Yi Qiushui sighed, “Outside, people say that the last glory of the Tianyuan Region would end with Senior Sister Qin Lian’s generation, because after her, each generation of young people in the Tianyuan Region grew progressively weaker. If you hadn't appeared this time, the Tianyuan Region would certainly have ranked last at the Nine Regions Grand Meeting, and we might not even have been able to secure a single stone statue.”

This was highly probable, because without Zhou Yuan, they would have to rely solely on Lv Xiao. Lv Xiao's strength... not to mention competing with the top talents from the other eight regions, he probably wouldn't even have absolute confidence against the next tier of competitors.

If that had been the outcome, the Tianyuan Region would have become a laughingstock.

As the two spoke in low voices, the formidable group finally arrived before the Four Pavilions' contingent.

Zhou Yuan immediately directed his gaze toward the woman at the very front.

She had an exceptionally tall physique, with straight and slender legs. Dressed in clean, crisp green robes, her face was beautiful, especially her sword-like eyebrows, which made her gaze as sharp as a sword's gleam, difficult to meet directly.

Behind her head, a bamboo-jointed ponytail was tied, extremely long, almost like a scorpion's tail, hanging down to her ankles and swaying gently as she walked.

When her footsteps halted, the surrounding atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment.

“Senior Sister Qin… Elder,” Lv Xiao and the other Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples said cautiously.

Qin Lian's face was devoid of expression. She glanced at Lv Xiao and the others, her voice as cold as winter: “You disappoint me greatly. For all these years, you have been the worst generation of Divine Dwelling Stage disciples in the Heavenly Spirit Sect. When I sent you into the Four Pavilions, I warned you that if you didn't want to be trampled upon, you had better train your hardest.”

“Unfortunately, none of you listened because you thought it was enough to be dominant in the Four Pavilions.”

“If not for special circumstances this time, you would have made our Tianyuan Region lose all face!”

Mu Liu, Han Yuan, and the others nearby felt their scalps tingle, as Qin Lian spoke with such severity, leaving no room for dignity. She was practically calling Lv Xiao and the others useless to their faces.

Lv Xiao and the others' faces flushed red, but more than that, they felt shame.

“Senior Sister Qin Lian, please calm your anger. I believe Lv Xiao and the others have tried their best. After all, you can't expect everyone to be as outstanding as you.” A laughing voice came from behind Qin Lian. It was a man in white robes, handsome in appearance, and with an air of authority even in his smile.

The man in white robes turned his gaze toward Zhou Yuan and said, “This must be Chief Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan, I presume? Our Tianyuan Region truly owes it to you for turning the tide at this Nine Regions Grand Meeting. Haha, but Chief Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan should really hurry and break through to the Heavenly Sun Stage, otherwise, in this upcoming conflict, those in the Divine Dwelling Stage can only do miscellaneous tasks.”

“If you're worried about unforeseen circumstances, Chief Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan could follow us. We will protect you then.”

The man smiled, his words carrying a subtle implication. He seemed to want to convey to the other Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples that while this Chief Pavilion Master was excellent, there was no need for too much pressure. It was as if, in this conflict concerning the Tianyuan Region, Zhou Yuan, being in the Divine Dwelling Stage, might still need the protection of them, the Heavenly Sun Stage powerhouses.

Zhou Yuan glanced at the man in white robes. Yi Qiushui, beside him, whispered, “His name is Li Qingyue. He was the previous Chief Pavilion Master of the Four Pavilions, and he's now at the mid-stage of the Heavenly Sun realm.”

Zhou Yuan was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected this person to be the previous Chief Pavilion Master.

It was evident that Li Qingyue harbored some unidentifiable emotions towards him. Zhou Yuan considered it for a moment, assuming it was a mix of displeasure and jealousy. After all, as the previous Chief Pavilion Master, his achievements paled in comparison to Zhou Yuan's.

Zhou Yuan said indifferently, “After today, I will enter seclusion to break through to the Heavenly Sun Stage.”

Li Qingyue smiled and said, “Then I hope you succeed. However, if you truly do break through, by the rules, you will lose your status as Chief Pavilion Master. At that point... as a senior, I would be able to directly recruit you into my team.”

If he were no longer the Chief Pavilion Master, Zhou Yuan would lose his special status, which was comparable to an elder's. He would become a normal Heavenly Sun Stage novice. In a combat situation, Li Qingyue would indeed have the authority to command Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan shook his head, no longer paying attention.

Li Qingyue was about to say more, but sensing a cold gaze directed at him, he immediately fell silent.

Qin Lian stepped forward and said indifferently, “Forget about you, the previous Chief Pavilion Master. Since the Tianyuan Region's establishment, no Chief Pavilion Master from any generation can compare to the current one. So, there's no need for you to feel jealous, because it's not even your turn to be compared.”

Li Qingyue shrugged, feeling a bit awkward.

Qin Lian came before Zhou Yuan. Her tall figure allowed her to look him straight in the eye, her bamboo-jointed ponytail, like a scorpion's tail, swaying gently behind her.

As she stood before Zhou Yuan, an extremely astonishing pressure of Genesis Qi subtly emanated from her body. This Genesis Qi carried an intensely Yang energy that was difficult for ordinary people to bear, causing the surrounding space to slightly distort, as if burning.

Lv Xiao and the others nearby, unable to withstand it, quickly retreated.

Only Zhou Yuan remained calm, his vast Genesis Qi roaring within his Divine Dwelling, resisting the pressure from the woman in green robes before him.

The pressure lasted for more than ten breaths before gradually receding.

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly and said, “Does Elder Qin Lian also have some advice for me?”

This group seemed somewhat aggressive, but Zhou Yuan wasn't surprised. After all, in this generation of the Four Pavilions, he had almost completely suppressed the Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples, and it was inevitable that Qin Lian, Li Qingyue, and the others, as Heavenly Spirit Sect members, would want to assert themselves and try to suppress him.

Qin Lian stared at Zhou Yuan's face, scrutinizing him for a moment before finally nodding.

“You are very capable. I hope you break through to the Heavenly Sun Stage soon. With your abilities, I eagerly anticipate you creating waves in the Heavenly Sun Stage as well, and enhancing the prestige of our Tianyuan Region.”

“Additionally, on behalf of the Heavenly Spirit Sect, I want to thank you. If it weren't for you, the Tianyuan Region team led by Lv Xiao would have utterly disgraced the Heavenly Spirit Sect at this Nine Regions Grand Meeting.”

Zhou Yuan looked at Qin Lian with a hint of surprise. This 'demoness' who made countless Heavenly Spirit Sect disciples tremble seemed not as unreasonable as he had imagined.