The area of the Beast Realm, while not as vast as the Central Provinces, is far from insignificant. The successive, unending ranges of mountains—stretching without visible end—convey a distinct sense of wild, untamed spirit. Though the Beast Realm is said to boast a hundred thousand mountains, this is merely an approximate figure. In reality, the number is undoubtedly far greater. These mountain ranges extend deep into regions beyond human reach. Over the centuries, countless treasures have been accumulated within these endless ranges, waiting patiently to be uncovered by those fortunate enough to find them. This ancient site was discovered in the Bone Mountain range within the Beast Domain, a region of considerable renown. The Bone Mountain is famed for its awe-inspiring ocean of bones—countless beast skeletons scattered across its expanse. Over time, these bones gradually release unique vital energies embedded within them. While these energies have little effect on humans, they serve as a valuable nourishment for the Beast Beings, making the Bone Mountain a favored gathering place for many such creatures. Located in the southwest of the Beast Domain, the party, concerned that the Spirit Infant Fruit might be claimed by others, promptly set out again without delay toward the Bone Mountain upon entering the Domain. The Beast Domain is undoubtedly agitated due to the emergence of that ancient relic. As Xiang Yan and his companions journeyed toward the Bone Mountain range, they encountered numerous powerful figures with destinations identical to their own—some of these beings were魔兽 capable of taking human form, while others were human强者 who had come from outside the Domain. Clearly, the news of the ancient relic's awakening had already spread far and wide. Witnessing this scene, Xiang Yan couldn't help but furrow his brow. He hadn't expected the relic to attract such widespread interest. The individual strong figures were not a concern, but he was genuinely worried that several powerful factions would also arrive in large numbers—should that happen, things would indeed become quite challenging. "It's said that within this ancient site lies a Heavenly Rank Combat Technique. Surely, even the major factions would come for that. Our focus, however, is solely on the Spirit Infant Fruit. Should things go south, we'll simply take the fruit and make our exit—this mess isn't exactly easy to wade through." Gazing at the mountains swiftly retreating behind him, Xiao Yan's expression was deeply thoughtful. He wasn't uninterested in the Heavenly Rank Combat Technique—far from it. Indeed, despite reaching this point, he had never actually seen one in action. He was genuinely curious, but he understood the priorities. Right now, the most pressing matter was to help Yao Lao regain his peak strength. Without that, the gap between the Xingyun Pavilion and the Huan Pavilion would become overwhelming. At any moment, the Huan Pavilion might uncover their true strength and strike, leaving the Xingyun Pavilion in peril. Of course, if things still turned out as expected after securing the Spirit-Infant Fruit, then perhaps there would be room to consider other options—after all, a Heavenly-Stage Technique, one said to exist only in legend, likely wouldn't fall far short of Xiao Yan's Devastating Fire Lotus in power. "The Bone Mountain is drawing near. Two senior elders from Xingyun Pavilion have been investigating here. We should first join them and then discuss our next steps, shall we?" Gazing at the dense, pale-white mountain range in the distance, Mu Qingluan's expression had grown increasingly serious. Even at this distance, she could sense numerous powerful presences. "Agreed," Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Now, the Bone Mountain was truly a melting pot of humans and serpents, with various factions and powerful individuals all present. If they charged ahead without a clear understanding of the situation, they would likely become targets of everyone's attention. Seeing Xiao Yan agree, Mu Qingluan then withdrew an ancient jade from her storage seal and gently crushed it. Shortly after the jade was broken, a figure swiftly moved through the mountain range, approaching them, and soon materialized on the great crane, looking at Xiao Yan and his companions with evident relief. A gray-robed elder arrived. On his chest, he wore a senior badge from the Star-Fallen Pavilion. Yet the elder now appeared slightly disheveled, as though he had just engaged in a brief encounter with someone. "Fu Senior, what's happened? Where is Qi Senior?"慕青鸾 was momentarily startled by his appearance, then asked. "Aah…" Hearing this, the elder known as Hu chuckled苦笑, then spoke with growing irritation, "Originally, together with Qi Elder, we were dispatched by the two Masters to investigate the current situation in the Bone Mountain Range. Now, numerous powerful factions and individuals have arrived, each seeking a suitable place to settle and await the full activation of the ancient ruins. Fortunately, we managed to find a mountain peak relatively close to the ancient ruins, allowing us to be the first to monitor its developments. However, just as we were setting up our camp there with a group of disciples from the Starfall Pavilion, we encountered representatives from the Wind and Thunder Pavilion." "Aah, no choice. The Fenglei Pavilion has even sent Lord Leif himself personally. Before we could even argue with him, we were abruptly sent away. Qi Changlong was so furious that he was injured by the pavilion's senior cultivators and is now resting under the care of several disciples, unable to move. Thus, it falls to me to welcome you." The elder sighed, though his face still carried a clear sense of resentment, clearly displeased with the pavilion's firm and domineering manner. Xiao Yan smiled and waved his hand, then glanced at Mu Qinglun, who was intently staring at him. After a brief pause, he said, "Let's go see Master Qi first." "Ah, I'll show you the way," Elder Hu nodded with a smile and turned to walk ahead. "Hey, Xiao Yan, what do we do now? Fenglei Pavilion has completely overlooked Xingyin Pavilion's dignity. If we don't make a strong showing, we're going to end up being the subject of ridicule." Looking at Elder Hu walking ahead, Mu Qinglun murmured softly. Xiao Yan smiled slightly without saying anything, but upon seeing that smile, Mu Qinglun felt a little more at ease. Since they had known each other, she had never seen Xiao Yan suffer a real loss—even when he had been severely injured and unconscious for a year before, it had cost a Five-Star Battle Sovereign one of his arms. A group of people wandered through the mountains for quite some time before finally settling on a remote, modest hill. There, twenty-some disciples from the Xingyin Pavilion were stationed, though they appeared unusually weary and furious—clearly having been abruptly removed from their camp by the Fenglei Pavilion's guests without any courtesy. The arrival of Hu Elder brought a subtle lift in spirits, and upon seeing the group following behind, led by Mu Qingluan, the morale began to truly rise. Many eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan, the direct disciple of the Pavilion's Master who had been in seclusion at the stone tower for a full year. “Cough….” As soon as the words had finished, Qi Elder couldn’t help but cough violently, with a faint trail of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth—clearly injured internally. “Damn it! Those bumbling wind-and-thunder hall members! If my entire Star-Down army had arrived, they wouldn’t have been able to act so arrogantly!” Seeing Qi Elder’s condition, the Star-Down disciples around him felt their anger surge once again. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, then slowly turned around under the gaze of the onlookers. "Young Master, what's this?" Ruan, the senior elder, was momentarily stunned and quickly replied. "Let's go... Let's create a scene." The calm voice that echoed out instantly caused the blood in the bodies of the Xingyin Pavilion disciples to boil.