There was no secret that could be kept forever in the four pavilions, so when the Wind Pavilion’s first day of Spirit training exercises ended, the horrible results of the training soon spread throughout the four pavilions.

“Haha, Zhou Yuan really is being too unrealistic. He really thinks that with his Wind Pavilion’s bad foundation he can compete with my Fire Pavilion at the Heaven Flame Ritual?” Zhu Lian, in the Fire Pavilion’s pavilion master building, couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

The other deputy pavilion masters all wore mocking smiles. Zhou Yuan had made huge changes to the Wind Pavilion in the past few months and had even created four Mother Runes. If this were to continue, the Wind Pavilion would indeed have the possibility to continue growing stronger.

But the mastery of Spirit power couldn’t be changed overnight. The Wind Pavilion had always come last in the Heaven Flame Ritual in previous years!

But now that Zhou Yuan suddenly wanted them to improve, how would it be that easy?

“Although the Wind Pavilion’s mastery of Spirit power is bad, Zhou Yuan is cunning and mustn’t be underestimated,” Lu Xiao reminded, his face calm.

Zhu Lian nodded. “Don’t worry, the Fire Pavilion has also begun to practice. I will keep an eye on them.”

Back when they were in Yu Prefecture, he was so frightened by Zhou Yuan that he had fled in a panic. Thinking about it now, he understood that based on combat strength alone he couldn’t be compared to Zhou Yuan and it would be difficult for him to get back at Zhou Yuan under normal situations, but the Heaven Flame Ritual gave him a great opportunity.

In this event where Spirit power was the most important, his role was even greater than Lu Xiao’s.

This time, he could avenge the insult he had suffered and properly humiliate Zhou Yuan!

Although Zhou Yuan was said to possess powerful abilities, the Fire Pavilion had an absolute advantage in the Heaven Flame Ritual. In a situation like that, no matter what Zhou Yuan did, Zhu Lian would suppress him.

“By the way, what did the Forest Pavilion say?” Zhu Lian asked, looking at Lu Xiao.

He naturally was talking about the matter of allying with the Mountain Pavilion and the Forest Pavilion in the Heaven Flame Ritual to crush the Wind Pavilion.

Lu Xiao said indifferently, “I haven’t heard back from him yet, but I believe that Mu Liu is a smart person and should know that my Fire Pavilion is sure to beat the Wind Pavilion this time. If he doesn’t see this, then don’t blame us for tidying them up as well.”

Zhu Lian nodded. This was forcing the Forest Pavilion to stand with them. If Mu Liu was indecisive and couldn’t make a decision, then after they cleaned up the Wind Pavilion, the Forest Pavilion would be their next target.

During the Heaven Flame Ritual of previous years, the Fire Pavilion did have a little manner and had left a mouthful of flesh for the Forest Pavilion, but the situation was different this year. If the Forest Pavilion made an unwise decision, they would be left with cold leftovers, like the Wind Pavilion. No, this year they wouldn’t even be left with one bite!

For a period of time, the four pavilions had become much quieter because they were all making preparation for the upcoming Heaven Flame Ritual.

In order to attract the many heaven pride cultivators of Hunyuan Heaven to Tianyuan Region, supreme sovereign Cang Yuan had set up two very attractive cultivation training benefits. The first one was obviously the Four Spirits Origin Tower, and the other was the annual Heaven Flame Ritual.

The Four Spirits Origin Tower depended on one person’s cultivation, while the Heaven Flame Ritual focused more on a group as a whole. This was obviously deliberately set up by the supreme sovereign Cang Yuan, perhaps to create a sense of teamwork.

However, to become the bait used by the Tianyuan Region to attract heaven prides of other regions, the effect of the Heaven Flame Ritual was naturally beyond imagination. Ninety-nine Heavenly Sun stage experts were required to provide the Heavenly Sun Flame with all their strength, and the effect of the Heavenly Sun Flame, after the growth and purification in the Heavenly Sun Cauldron, would be increased to an unimaginable level.

Once absorbed and refined, that Heavenly Sun Flame would not only strengthen one’s bodily strength but also nourish one’s Genesis Qi, making it purer and stronger.

In the face of such a previous cultivation resource that only experts of the Heavenly Sun stage could possess, even someone as strong as Lu Xiao would salivate, so why wouldn’t other people?

Moreover, for many members of the four pavilions, the appeal of the Chief Pavilion Master Battle wasn’t as great as the Heaven Flame Ritual.

Although the battle for the position of chief pavilion master would determine the person with the greatest glory, there were only a handful of people who could fight for it, and 99% would only be bystanders. But the Heaven Flame Ritual was different. It was a grand ceremony that looked at one’s pavilion as a whole.

All of them had to participate in the competition.

Therefore, although the four pavilions had calmed and quietened down for a period of time, everyone could feel that there was an undercurrent surging beneath the calmness.

Ten days later.

Wind Pavilion, the roof of its pavilion master building.

The sky was getting darker, but members of the Wind Pavilion were still practicing their Spirit in the surrounding training grounds. After ten days of training, the majority of the members didn’t look as pathetic as ten days before.

However, in Zhou Yuan’s eyes, their Spirit control was still very rough, and they could at most only just barely form the Spirit into needles to attack.

Of course, Zhou Yuan also knew that he couldn’t judge them from just his view. After all, the number of times where these people had only used Spirit power and not Genesis Qi was terrifyingly few.

“They can just about do some simple defense and attack,” Zhou Yuan muttered to himself. If he were to command them in the centre, he would be able to form some large-scale Spirit offensive.

But Zhou Yuan also knew that this alone was simply not enough to compete with the Fire Pavilion.

Fortunately, Zhou Yuan didn’t really put the chance of winning on them. The key to victory this time was the Spirit Lantern Art he had prepared.

Thinking of the Spirit Lantern Art, Zhou Yuan withdrew his gaze from the distance and began to focus his mind on the Cangxuan art he had been studying for ten days.

The Spirit Lantern Art was special,because it was a Genesis technique that utilized Spirit power, and its activation method did not rely on Genesis Qi but on one’s Spirit.

These ten days of studying allowed Zhou Yuan to constantly appreciate the mysteriousness of the Spirit Lantern Art, and it was this deep research that gave Zhou Yuan some confidence in the upcoming Heaven Flame Ritual.

Zhou Yuan asked Yi Qiushui to prepare ten sets of materials needed to practice the Spirit Lantern Art using the profit from the sales of the four Mother Runes. In these ten days, Zhou Yuan had tried and failed three times.

But Zhou Yuan wasn’t dispirited by this. As long as he learned from his failures, he had confidence that he could master the Spirit Lantern Art before the Heaven Flame Ritual.

With this thought in mind, Zhou Yuan closed his eyes again and continued to formulate the practice method of the Spirit Lantern Art.

However, he had just closed his eyes when his Spirit flashed. His eyes sprang open, and he peered at the woods outside the pavilion master building, saying, “Since pavilion master Mu Liu is here, why don’t you show yourself?”

As Zhou Yuan’s voice faded, the trees swayed lightly, and a figure slowly strode out from the woods and appeared on the roof with a flash.

It was the pavilion master of the Forest Pavilion, Mu Liu.

“It’s so late, why has pavilion master Mu Liu come to the Wind Pavilion?” Zhou Yuan sounded a little surprised.

Mu Liu, as always, had an incredibly clean look, and there wasn’t a speck of dust on him. Even his hair seemed to have been washed several times, and he looked outstandingly handsome. He scratched his head awkwardly and muttered, “I have been thinking about it for many days and have finally come to find you.”

“What’s going on?” Zhou Yuan asked puzzledly.

Mu Liu curled his lip. “Lu Xiao has allied with the Mountain Pavilion and plans to completely suppress the Wind Pavilion in the Heaven Flame Ritual. They must want to prevent you from continuing to grow stronger. Lu Xiao must be furious this time. He even came to ask the Forest Pavilion to join forces with them.

“He offered us 30% of the Heaven Sun Flame to unite with them and make the Wind Pavilion fail miserably this time!

“Zhou Yuan, if the three pavilions join forces, no matter what power you have, it’s impossible to turn it around.”

Zhou Yuan’s pupil shrank a little. He didn’t expect Lu Xiao would be willing to pay such a price to curb his cultivation progress.

As Mu Liu had said, if the three pavilions were to join forces, any means he had would be useless, including the Spirit Lantern Art.

“Zhou Yuan, although I don’t like Lu Xiao, I have to consider the benefits for the many members of the Forest Pavilion. He has given a great offer.”

“I understand.”

Zhou Yuan nodded. He and Mu Liu weren’t considered friends, and it was already very kind for him to come warn him, but he didn’t really intend to let Lu Xiao rope in the Forest Favilion.

“The Fire Pavilion’s offer is good, but I wonder if pavilion master Liu is willing to take a gamble?”

“What do you mean?” Mu Liu raised his brow.

Zhou Yuan squinted, a cold light flashing within them as he said loud and clear, “Our two pavilions will join forces to crush the Fire and Mountain Pavilions and will equally share the Heaven Sun Flame!”

Mu Liu looked surprised. “Even if we join forces, we can’t beat the Fire and Mountain Pavilions.”

“I will deal with the Fire Pavilion. The Forest Pavilion will only need to block the Mountain Pavilion,” Zhou Yuan calmly said.

“How can the Wind Pavilion beat the Fire Pavilion?” Mu Liu couldn’t help but ask.

“We’ll have to try.” Zhou Yuan smiled.

“You give me the feeling of an egg trying to crush a stone. This is too crazy. I don’t think I can convince the others of the Forest Pavilion.”

Zhou Yuan’s eyes drooped as he said, “If the Forest Pavilion is willing to join forces with us, no matter whether we win or not in the Heaven Flame Ritual, I can provide 300 high-grade mother runes to the Forest Pavilion every month at the price of ordinary mother runes.”

“Ch,” Mu Liu gasped, his eyes blazing. “The four mother runes said to have a 50% effect?”

He had long heard about the four high-grade mother runes, but unfortunately they were only provided to high-level members of the Wind Pavilion, and it was impossible to purchase any!

Zhou Yuan nodded.

Mu Liu’s expression changed uncontrollably. He froze for more than a dozen breaths, and finally, a fierce glint flashed through his eyes.

That bastard Lu Xiao thinks he can make I, Mu Liu, surrender by just throwing out some bones? He has underestimated me!

“Since you dare propose such a crazy plan, you must have something. My intuition is always very accurate. Fine…

“This time, I, Mu Liu, will join your crazy plan!”

“It’s decided!”