Sound Valley

"You've reached the Half-Saint level? Congratulations, congratulations!" Yao Dan scrutinized Yao Ling with blazing eyes, making her lower her head shyly. "However, Ling'er, this newly refined Heavenly Flame of yours seems somewhat different from the Nine Nether Wind Flame."

At those words, Yao Ling shot Xiao Yan another vicious glare, while Xiao Yan's expression turned strange as well. Explaining this matter clearly would truly take quite a bit of effort.

"Forget it. Matters between young people are not something this old man should pry into too much." Seeing the awkwardness between them, Yao Dan chuckled and did not press further. Changing the subject, he said, "Xiao Yan, Hei Qing of the Ancient Void Dragon clan has asked for your help with an urgent matter within their clan. Will you go?"

"I'll go!" Xiao Yan was startled. What kind of emergency could make the Ancient Void Dragon clan endure such hardship and come directly to the Yao Clan?

"Very good. Then I'll send you two there directly. First, you can keep each other company and look after one another. Second, it will serve as a small gesture of friendship between my Yao Clan and the Ancient Void Dragon clan."

"Clan Leader, can't you send someone else? There should be at least thirty or forty senior members of the clan at the Half-Saint level, right?" Before Xiao Yan could speak, Yao Ling complained tearfully. "Right now, I don't want to see this gentleman at all."

"Ling'er, you are the treasured jewel of my Yao Clan. If you had said this half a month ago, I would have sent someone else." Yao Dan let out a long sigh. "But now, this mission to the Ancient Void Dragon clan truly cannot be done by anyone but you, because from now on, I should address you as 'Young Vice Clan Leader.'"

"This..."

Yao Ling suddenly remembered that according to the Yao Clan's ancestral rules, any clan member who reached the Half-Saint level before the age of fifty was qualified to contend for the positions of Young Clan Leader and Young Vice Clan Leader. Among the Yao Clan members under fifty, only she and Yao Tian had reached the Half-Saint level. This should have been a tremendous occasion of joy, but she had been so troubled and distracted lately that she had actually forgotten about it.

"Young Vice Clan Leader, although the Ancient Void Dragon clan has splintered apart and fallen into civil war over the years, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. If they reunify, their strength will not be much weaker than that of my Yao Clan. Looking across the entire Yao Clan, only your status is high enough, while your strength is neither so great as to make the Ancient Void Dragon clan uncomfortable nor so weak that they would look down on us." Seeing Yao Ling's tone soften, Yao Dan continued to persuade her patiently.

"Hmph! Clan Leader, I'll gladly accept this position, but remove the word 'Vice' first. Brother still hasn't emerged from seclusion, so I should have been carrying out the Young Clan Leader's duties in his stead anyway."

Seeing that Yao Ling had tacitly accepted the matter, Yao Dan took an exquisitely decorated sandalwood treasure box from his Storage Ring and carefully handed it to her. He then instructed, "Young Clan Leader, inside this sandalwood treasure box is a Nine-grade Treasure Pill. If you meet the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon clan during this trip, present this treasure box to her as a congratulatory gift from my Yao Clan. If you do not meet her, then act according to the circumstances."

"I will obey the Clan Leader's orders." Yao Ling accepted the treasure box, glanced at Xiao Yan, then said coldly, "This gentleman, let's be on our way. The sooner we leave, the sooner we return."

"Youth truly is wonderful." Watching the two depart, Yao Dan stroked his beard and smiled. "Yao Chen, come in. The Clan Leader has an important matter to discuss with you."

"Please sit. There is no need to be so restrained. We can discuss matters while drinking tea. This tea is Eight-grade Pu'er Tea that Elder Shen Nong sent over some days ago. Even I rarely get to drink tea this rich and mellow." Seeing Yao Chen's unease, Yao Dan directly invited him.

"This tea is not something a junior like me would dare drink. If the Clan Leader has something he needs Yao Chen to do, just say it. Yao Chen will do his utmost." Yao Chen declined Yao Dan's kindness, but his mind was filled with countless questions. Was he going to refine another Nine-grade Profound Pill? But the Clan Leader had not even taken the Nine-grade Profound Pill refined last time...

"The Starfall Pavilion you founded in Central Continent has gained tremendous renown and prospered increasingly over the past few years. I summoned you this time because I want to turn your Starfall Pavilion into the Yao Clan's front organization and office in Central Continent." Seeing Yao Chen's frankness, Yao Dan went straight to the point. "The Hun Clan's movements have grown increasingly frequent in recent years. My Yao Clan must also take some measures."

"Clan Leader, you wish to bind my Starfall Pavilion together with the Yao Clan. I certainly have no objection, but the number of Dou Zun experts in Starfall Pavilion can be counted on one hand. If the Yao Clan takes in my Starfall Pavilion, it would be no different from poverty relief." Yao Chen spoke gravely.

"Haha, it doesn't matter. Poverty relief or not, my Yao Clan has no shortage of resources. If there are not enough experts, we can simply pile heavenly treasures upon them. I cannot say we can produce Dou Sheng experts, but raising several Half-Saints and peak Dou Zuns would be no problem at all." Yao Dan laughed heartily. "My Yao Clan lacks nothing but a legitimate reason."

Starfall Pavilion, located within the Tianxing Mountain Range in the Southern Domain of Central Continent, lay an immense distance from the Yao Clan in the far south of Central Continent. Naturally, such a journey was nothing to two Dou Shengs. In roughly an hour, the two Dou Shengs were already drinking and making merry with the people of Starfall Pavilion.

"Everyone, this old man truly cannot hold his liquor any longer, so I shall take my leave first. May you all drink to your heart's content and not stop until you are thoroughly drunk!" After three rounds of drinks, Yao Dan took the opportunity to excuse himself. No one tried to stop him. Given Yao Dan's overwhelming strength and lofty status, his willingness to visit Starfall Pavilion was already an immense honor. How could they dare ask anything of him?

Inside a secluded quiet room within Starfall Pavilion, Yao Dan released all of his Soul power without hesitation, probing the situation throughout Central Continent. Naturally, his search was extremely concealed given the strength of his Soul power. Only an expert such as the Hall Master of Soul Hall could detect a trace of it.

On a green grassland tens of thousands of miles away from Starfall Pavilion, a cowherd boy of eight or nine suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward Starfall Pavilion. His eyes were filled with the weathered vicissitudes of countless years.

"A total of two Three-star Dou Shengs, five Two-Star Dou Shengs, seventeen One-star Dou Shengs, and only a little over fifty Half-Saints. Although some independent cultivators in Central Continent are not weak, relying on them to oppose the Hun Clan would be nothing more than a fool's dream..." As his soul search neared its end, Yao Dan's brows gradually twisted into a tangled knot.

His Soul power then turned toward the Extreme North Domain of Central Continent for one final search. The Extreme North Domain had always been a desolate place with few traces of human habitation. Moreover, the Yao Clan itself was located in the far south, so he knew very little about the Northern Domain of Central Continent.

"One peak Dou Zun, two Nine-star Dou Zuns who have undergone three transformations..." Yao Dan suddenly sensed a void within the range of his soul search. His body shook. With his strength as a Seven-star Dou Sheng at the Heaven Realm Great Perfection, how could there possibly be a place beyond his detection?

He tried concentrating his Soul power to probe that void again, only to find that no matter how much soul force poured into it, it vanished like mud oxen sinking into the sea. This made his heart tremble. Central Continent truly hid some secrets!

"Invite Venerable Feng here. This old man has something to ask him." Yao Dan withdrew all his Soul power into his body and spoke softly. Though his voice was not loud, it spread throughout Starfall Pavilion with the aid of his Soul power.

"Clan Leader Yao Dan, what would you like to ask?" Venerable Feng hurried over, inwardly becoming uneasy. With Yao Dan's strength, even destroying the entire Starfall Pavilion would likely be no more than a wave of his hand. How could he dare treat such an expert lightly?

"Hmm, there seems to be a valley in the extreme north of Central Continent. There appear to be several quite capable experts within it. Sir, do you know the name of this valley?" Yao Dan asked as if casually, though enormous waves were churning within his heart.

"The Extreme North Domain of Central Continent has always been sparsely populated and desolate. If there are experts in some valley, they can only be the experts of Sound Valley, I suppose? Sound Valley has always been mysterious, but its strength is not weak. Even Soul Hall seems to have suffered quite a few losses at its hands." Venerable Feng pondered for a moment before speaking solemnly. "However, with your strength, Sound Valley probably amounts to nothing."

"Heh, Venerate, you jest." Yao Dan forced a smile. Just as he was about to say more, he saw Yao Chang rushing over at high speed. His heart skipped a beat, and his voice halted.

"There is a cowherd boy of eight or nine outside the pavilion who wishes to meet the Clan Leader. That boy's strength is at least not beneath mine!" Yao Chang said hurriedly. Despite his strength as a Mid Two-Star Dou Sheng, he could not see through that boy at all!