Chen Yan had once been a disciple of Wind Ravine Valley for eight years. For most of that time, his position was that of a Supervisor in the Spirit Plant Valley of Qingjin Ravine. Within the sect, he could barely be considered middle management. And because his sister was Si Youyou, who was quite highly regarded and considered by the world to have talent surpassing even Qin Qingyu, he had managed to bask in a bit of her reflected glory.
At the very least, he was familiar with the faces of the various Peak Elders of Wind Ravine Valley.
An unfamiliar woman.
That was Chen Yan's first thought upon seeing the female cultivator standing before him, dressed in light blue daoist robes.
He quickly realized that, with his current spiritual sense and cultivation level, he was completely unable to see through this woman's realm.
This indicated she was at least at the level of the upper three realms.
And judging from the words this woman had just spoken...
The two young Wind Ravine Valley disciples guarding the mountain gate both looked at the female cultivator in light blue daoist robes who had appeared behind them with confused expressions.
"Senior Sister, may I ask who you..."
Before the two young Wind Ravine Valley disciples could even finish speaking, Chen Yan smiled and made a respectful bow.
Yin Xia nodded. She didn't seem the least bit surprised that Chen Yan had recognized her identity.
Compared to the calmness of Chen Yan and Realman Shuangyu, the faces of the two young Wind Ravine Valley disciples changed drastically, instantly draining of color.
"...Ancestor... Ancestor Yin?"
Yin Xia didn't speak. She simply raised her hand and lightly snapped her fingers.
Before they could even begin to react, in an instant, heaven and earth transformed.
By the time Chen Yan regained his senses, the environment he found himself in was the main hall of Cangxiu Ravine.
It was also the very place where Realman Shuangyu had ascended to immortality all those years ago.
At this moment, there were only two people within Cangxiu Hall.
Namely, Chen Yan and Yin Xia.
Chen Yan was not the least bit shocked by this display of power from Yin Xia.
Because back when he was at Kongshan Sect, Grand Elder Qi Yi of the Pivot Court had once used this very technique on him.
In the blink of an eye, he had been pulled from the summit of Kongyuan Hall, right in front of Yun Yichen, all the way to the Training Grounds of the outer court.
"You still haven't told me."
Yin Xia tilted her head slightly, staring at Chen Yan's face as if very interested.
"Why are you here?"
"Where does Realman Yin think Chen should be?"
Upon hearing this, Realman Shuangyu raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled.
"I don't know. It's just that you shouldn't be in Wind Ravine Valley."
"Listening to Realman Yin's meaning, are you afraid Chen will die here?"
"Young man, you're actually quite amusing."
Yin Xia laughed.
Although it wasn't visible on her expression, this Immortal Ascension Realm great power's heart held a certain degree of displeasure.
Because Chen Yan's counter-question didn't seem to place his own posture beneath Yin Xia's, but rather spoke to her with an attitude of equality.
From his every action and movement, what was revealed amounted to just four words:
What can you do to me?
Chen Yan was very clear that every one of the current Immortal Ascension Realm great powers in the world wanted his life.
It was just that none of them dared to let him die.
One reason for this was their transaction with Mr. You.
But the more important reason was that no one knew what kind of disaster would be unleashed upon the mortal world if the karmic backlash from Chen Yan's death over sixty thousand years were to descend.
After all, not everyone was Kong Yang.
"Since Realman Yin believes Chen should not be here, is it because you, Realman, have calculated this junior's cause and effect?"
Chen Yan asked lightly.
"Cause and effect?"
Realman Shuangyu gave a disdainful smile, then shook her head.
"Not all who ascend to immortality dabble in those speculative, opportunistic tricks."
That was indeed true.
Not all Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators were skilled at toying with cause and effect.
And those Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators who were adept at peering into the heavenly secrets, the combat power they themselves could unleash, compared to those Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators who did not actively pry into cause and effect, still had a gap.
Because peering into heavenly secrets and toying with cause and effect meant the self would suffer more karmic backlash. This backlash affected the Dao Basis, causing the Spiritual Platform to become unstable. Naturally, their strength would be a notch below those Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators who did not actively come into contact with heavenly secrets and cause and effect.
The several Immortal Ascension Realm great powers in Wind Ravine Valley's history were each skilled in techniques of slaughter and intimidation, not in toying with cause and effect.
This also had some relation to Wind Ravine Valley's cultivation philosophy: carefree and unfettered, following one's heart.
But this did not mean that Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators skilled in slaughter and intimidation techniques were guaranteed to defeat those Immortal Ascension Realm great powers skilled at manipulating heavenly secrets and cause and effect.
Similarly, it did not mean that those Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators who did not actively pry into cause and effect were unaware of its terrifying aspects.
"I've only come to Wind Ravine Valley to request a few pills. Once I get them, I'll leave."
Chen Yan said.
"What pills?"
Realman Shuangyu asked.
"Nine Revolutions Chaos Heaven Tempering Meridian Pills."
Chen Yan did not avoid the subject, directly making his request to Realman Shuangyu before him.
"Fine."
Yin Xia said, and she snapped her fingers once more.
In the next instant, Wind Ravine Valley's Supreme Pivot Elder, Jiang Chao, appeared within the great hall.
Chen Yan certainly recognized this Supreme Pivot Elder.
To this day, he had a deep impression of this old man who, before the great demon's egg ended the world, had returned to the square in front of Cangxiu Ravine's main hall with his last breath to deliver a message.
And the calm smile that had been on Chen Yan's face until just a moment ago also froze slightly for an instant at this very moment.
Wait a minute.
Snapping her fingers to instantly pull him into the main hall of Cangxiu Ravine was one thing.
But she could also, with just a snap of her fingers, instantly pull a Dao Union Realm great power here?
Chen Yan was very clear about the gap between the realms above immortality and those below it. After all, back then, the not-yet-fully-hatched Great Demon's Egg that Kong Yang had effortlessly dealt with was capable of accomplishing the feat of ending the world.
Let alone Yin Xia, Realman Shuangyu, who was on the same level as Kong Yang.
"Jiang Chao pays his respects to Ancestor Yin!"
Upon seeing Realman Shuangyu, Jiang Chao immediately made a respectful bow.
"Currently, how many Nine Revolutions Chaos Heaven Tempering Meridian Pills does our Wind Ravine Valley have?"
Yin Xia asked.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chao showed an astonished expression.
He was Wind Ravine Valley's Supreme Pivot Elder.
Before Realman Shuangyu returned and ascended to immortality once more, Jiang Chao had always been Wind Ravine Valley's primary representative figure. And unlike Kong Yang, Yin Xia had never involved herself in any affairs of the Pivot Court.
This meant Jiang Chao was still the helmsman of Wind Ravine Valley.
But now, Ancestor Yin had summoned him to Cangxiu Hall for an audience. He had thought, given the current situation with the destruction of Mirage Palace, there might be some important instruction.
Yet instead, she was asking him how many Nine Revolutions Chaos Heaven Tempering Meridian Pills the valley currently had?
If she had asked about something like Azure Nether Sword Pills or Great Void True Pills, those extremely rare pills that consumed countless materials and time to refine, with only two or three appearing over thousands of years, that would be one thing.
But Nine Revolutions Chaos Heaven Tempering Meridian Pills? This kind of pill with high refinement difficulty and little practical effect, a niche medicine, how was he supposed to know how many were left?