Divine Retribution

As Xiao Yan's feet touched the ground beneath the tower, the eyes of the countless Gold-Eating Rats surrounding the stone steps snapped open. Their fur stood on end again, and powerful sonic waves silently emerged, causing the energy of this area to fluctuate rapidly.

Xiao Yan looked up at the rolling thunderclouds in the sky.

This thundercloud came too suddenly. But he's already stepped forward; he can't just back down now.

Left with no other choice, Xiao Yan had to grit his teeth and fly forward. Fiery red wings appeared on his back, and he pushed his Dou Qi to its limit. He desperately exerted his speed, climbing towards the Tianshan Summit.

Chirp chirp chirp

On the stone steps, a hundred meters after Xiao Yan rushed forward, the piercing sound of rats descended like a storm from the sky, burrowing into Xiao Yan's body without leaving a trace.

Unlike the original storyline, Xiao Yan did not fly with Nalan Yanran this time. Relying on his powerful Dou Qi, he withstood the Rat Tide Sonic Wave. Although his speed decreased slightly, he managed to hold on.

"Snort."

Ye Feng's lips curled slightly, and with a thought, he lightly tapped his finger, causing a bolt of lightning to descend from the thunderclouds in the sky and strike Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan used his Qi Transformation Wings, narrowly avoiding the lightning. Looking back at Jin Shi, the Clan Chief of the Gold Devouring Rat Clan, he saw that the latter's eyes were also filled with shock.

Of all places to strike, why did the lightning in the sky have to strike Xiao Yan?

boom

Another bolt of lightning struck from the sky.

"Swallow!"

With nowhere to dodge, countless tentacles suddenly sprouted from Xiao Yan's body. The lightning that struck him was absorbed by him.

"Devour?"

Ye Feng was stunned for a moment.

In the original storyline, Xiao Yan didn't have the ability to devour. He believes the current Xiao Yan possesses this ability because he subverted the original storyline.

"It has the aura of the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame."

Ye Feng possessed the Emperor Flame. He discovered that those flame-shaped tentacles carried the aura of the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame.

"Could it be... that he took the tuber of the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame?"

Ye Feng guessed a possibility.

He guessed that Xiao Yan's ability to devour was derived from the tuber of the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame.

The reason why the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame can be formed is because its tuber can absorb the essence of flames, thus giving birth to the Heavenly Flames Green Lotus Earth Core Flame.

The tuber of the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame possesses the ability to devour flames. Yao Chen, with his vast knowledge, might know how to refine the tuber into a treasure. However, this would destroy the Heavenly Flames of an entire region. The Azure Green Lotus Earth Core Flame will never again be born in that lava area.

"They actually destroyed a rare and precious treasure."

Just as Ye Feng was about to suppress Xiao Yan, a strange change occurred in the sky.

The lightning in the sky wasn't just one bolt at a time, but rather it was a violent storm that relentlessly bombarded Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan relied on his ability to absorb power to continuously devour the energy within the lightning. However, the power of the lightning storm exceeded his expectations, and Xiao Yan was ultimately injured by it, forcing him to retreat back to Tianshan Platform.

"We lost."

Some people sighed with regret.

If it weren't for the thunderstorm in the sky, Xiao Yan would never have failed.

Xiao Yan stared intently at the Jin Shi. "Is this also part of the assessment?"

"No, it's just a coincidence," Jin Shi explained.

Xiao Yan retreated, and the Wu Yun in the sky gradually dissipated.

"Damn, I feel like it's targeting me." Xiao Yan looked up at the sky, his hands slightly clenched.

He was about to pass the test when Wu Yun appeared in the sky, followed by a thunderstorm.

As he retreated, the Wu Yun in the sky disappeared.

This is clearly a deliberate attack on him.

"Could it be that he did this?" Xiao Yan looked at Ye Feng.

Ye Feng is known as the Chaos Saint. His cultivation is extraordinary and unfathomable. Xiao Yan believes that only Ye Feng possesses such abilities.

"Perhaps this is related to your obtaining the tuber of the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame," Yao Chen said, holding a different opinion from Xiao Yan.

"The tuber... what does it have to do with it?"

"Xiao Yanzi, I've said this before. The Green Lotus Earth Core Flame is a natural treasure. We can obtain the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame, but we cannot let Green Lotus Earth Core Flame disappear. If you take the tuber, the Azure Green Lotus Earth Core Flame in that lava field will disappear. The Tianshan Blood Pool is a gift from heaven and earth to cultivators. Perhaps what you did angered heaven. Heaven and earth will not allow you to enter the Tianshan Blood Pool for training."

"Is that so?"

"It's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't."

"Teacher, my fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven. Perhaps what just happened was just a coincidence."

"I also hope it's just a coincidence."

"My devouring ability is not strong enough yet. Once my devouring ability becomes stronger, I am confident that I will be able to devour the entire thunderstorm just now."

"Xiao Yanzi, what are you planning to do next?"

"Let's go to Central Plains. I heard that the Pill Domain is going to hold Pill Gathering."

After his defeat, Xiao Yan left the Tianmu Mountain Range and headed straight for the Pill Domain in the Central Region.

Ye Feng stared at Xiao Yan's back.

"Master, what's wrong?" Mu Qingluan asked.

"He's been Divine Retribution," Ye Feng said.

"Divine Retribution? Was it the thunderstorm just now?"

"Um."

Ye Feng nodded.

The thunderclouds were indeed created by Ye Feng's manipulation. However, the subsequent thunderstorm was Divine Retribution —a divine punishment spontaneously formed by heaven and earth.

Divine Retribution has different levels. The Divine Retribution we just experienced was only the lowest level.

Perhaps Xiao Yan's act of destroying a Heavenly Flames was not bad enough, so he only brought down the lowest level of thunderstorm.

"Is there really such a thing as Divine Retribution?" Mu Qingluan asked.

"Certainly."

"So, does that mean the heavens and earth possess consciousness?"

"You can understand it that way. You can also understand it as a law. When someone breaks the law, they will suffer a certain degree of punishment." Ye Feng explained as he continued, "Qin Luan, do you know who he is?"

"Who is he?"

"Xiao Yan, Yao Chen's disciple."

"Yao Chen ... Pavilion Master ...they..." Mu Qingluan gazed at Xiao Yan walking away and said with relief, "Master has been searching for so long, and finally we have news of the Pavilion Master. That's wonderful."

"Azure Luan, your master is Wind Venerable, right?"

"Yes, Master."

"Azure Luan, there is something I feel I need to tell you."

"What's up?"

"I've heard a bit about your teacher, Wind Venerable, and the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill that Yao Chen gave him. Yao Chen was just conducting an experiment back then."

"An experiment?" Mu Qingluan looked at Ye Feng with surprise.

"Yes. Your teacher was just his experiment. He simply gave your master a pill that he had refined, the efficacy of which was unknown. Your master broke through to the Dou Zun realm because of this."

"What?"

Mu Qingluan was dumbfounded.

She had heard this story from Wind Venerable countless times. Wind Venerable was deeply grateful and confided in Yao Chen. However, the truth was that his master was merely someone else's experiment!