The Sky-Mending Pavilion Master Personally Welcomes! Ye Xuan's Deal!

Ye Xuan gazed at the Sky-Mending Pavilion, which had stood for endless ages, a glint of light flickering deep within his Double Pupils.

This would be the first stop on Shi Hao's rise to prominence.

It would also be the center where storms converged.

"Descend."

Ye Xuan spoke calmly.

"Screech—!"

The Azure Sky Roc let out a piercing cry that could shatter metal and split stone.

The terrifying pressure of a Array Forming Realm noble was unleashed without restraint.

The once-noisy mountain gate fell silent in an instant.

Everyone looked up in terror.

They saw a sky-covering cyan divine bird pressing down like a dark cloud.

Gale winds howled, sending the so-called geniuses still in the Blood Moving Realm and Cave Heaven Realm stumbling and pale-faced.

"Is that... a Primordial Remnant Species?"

"Heavens! It's a Array Forming Realm Fierce Bird!"

"Has some great figure arrived?"

Under the crowd's awestruck gaze.

The Azure Sky Roc slowly landed on a massive boulder before the mountain gate.

Ye Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the masses below.

Little Shi Hao jumped down. Though small in stature, his fearless, newborn-calf-defying-tiger spirit was anything but weak.

"Little Dot."

Ye Xuan pointed at the towering mountain gate, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Go."

"This will be the starting point of your fame in the Desolate Domain!"

"Remember, don't hold back for me."

"Whoever dares to defy you, beat them until they submit!"

Little Shi Hao grinned, revealing a row of small white teeth.

"Don't worry, big brother!"

"I'll make them know what it means to be the Young Supreme who Loves Drinking Beast Milk Most!"

Ye Xuan: "..."

Loves Drinking Beast Milk Most?

Hearing those words, the corner of Ye Xuan's mouth twitched a few times.

A massive shadow loomed over the mountain gate of the Sky-Mending Pavilion.

The Array Forming Realm peak Azure Sky Roc folded its wings, hovering in midair.

Even though it didn't deliberately release its ferocious aura, the oppressive pressure from its Primordial Demonic Bird bloodline still turned the faces of the young geniuses below pale and their legs trembling.

This was a noble-level Fierce Bird.

In the Eight Lower Realms, such beings often served as the guardian Sacrificial Spirit of an ancient kingdom, yet here it docilely acted as a mount.

"Which senior has graced the Sky-Mending Pavilion?"

An aged but vigorous voice came from deep within the pavilion.

Immediately after, several beams of rainbow light shot into the sky.

The leader was an old man in gray robes, with white hair and beard and deep, penetrating eyes.

Faint runic radiance swirled around him, and every step he took caused slight ripples in the void.

This was the Pavilion Master of the Sky-Mending Pavilion.

Behind him, four elders with graying hair followed closely, their expressions grave.

They had initially thought it was a pure-blooded creature from some Primordial Divine Mountain bringing its offspring for training, since such a display didn't seem like the work of humans.

But when they saw the white-clad figure on the bird's back, the gravity in their eyes instantly turned to shock.

A human?

It was actually a human youth?

Ye Xuan stood with his hands behind his back atop the Azure Sky Roc's head.

He didn't deliberately suppress his aura; the pressure of a Venerable realm peak flowed naturally like a great river.

Faced with that pressure, the Pavilion Master, who was only at Array Forming Realm peak—half-step Venerable—felt his breath catch, as if a mountain had been pressed onto his heart.

A powerhouse.

An absolute powerhouse.

This youth's strength was even ten times more terrifying than that Azure Sky Roc.

The Sky-Mending Pavilion Master took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, clasped his hands, and offered a bow with extreme courtesy.

"This old one is the Sky-Mending Pavilion Master. May I ask which Daoist friend has graced us with their presence?"

In this world where strength reigned supreme, precedence went to the accomplished.

Though Ye Xuan appeared young, his cultivation level was enough to sit as an equal with any Sect Master.

Ye Xuan gave a slight nod and returned the bow, his movements neither humble nor arrogant.

"I am Ye Xuan, here to bring my younger brother, Shi Hao, to cultivate at your pavilion for a time."

His voice was calm, yet it carried clearly across the mountain gate.

The Sky-Mending Pavilion Master was taken aback.

Bringing a younger brother to cultivate?

He instinctively looked behind Ye Xuan.

Standing there was a little dot still drinking beast milk, staring with wide eyes and curiously taking in his surroundings.

That's it?

A Venerable-level Great Power personally delivering a milk-drinking toddler to take a master?

"Daoist, you flatter me."

The Sky-Mending Pavilion Master, after all, was the head of a sect and reacted swiftly, immediately plastering a smile on his face.

"Since he is Daoist Ye's younger brother, he must naturally be exceptionally gifted. My Sky-Mending Pavilion welcomes all talents from the world—this is a blessing we could only hope for, a blessing we could only hope for."

Having a Venerable owe him a favor—this deal was a sure win.

"Many thanks, Pavilion Master."

Ye Xuan nodded, then shifted the topic, his gaze turning toward the mist-shrouded region deep within the Sky-Mending Pavilion.

"Aside from my younger brother's enrollment, I also have an improper request."

The Sky-Mending Pavilion Master's heart skipped a beat. "Please, speak, Daoist."

"I wish to enter your Ancient Sacred Academy for a look."

The moment these words were spoken, silence fell over the entire scene.

The Four Elders standing behind the Pavilion Master instantly changed expressions.

"Impossible!"

One elder couldn't help but blurt out.

"The Ancient Sacred Academy is a Forbidden Zone of our Sky-Mending Pavilion, accessible only to the most outstanding disciples throughout the ages. Outsiders must never set foot inside!"

Though the other elders said nothing, their expressions were equally resolute.

This was a rule left by the ancestors, the very foundation of their heritage—how could they let an outsider casually pry into it?

The Sky-Mending Pavilion Master also showed a troubled look.

"Daoist Ye, this..."

Ye Xuan's expression remained unchanged, as if he had long anticipated this reaction.

His Dual Pupils slightly opened and closed, Chaos Qi swirling, his gaze seeming to pierce through time itself, seeing the Ancient Vine on the verge of withering within the Sky-Mending Pavilion.

"Everyone, rules are dead, but people are alive."

Ye Xuan looked at the Sky-Mending Pavilion Master, his voice calm yet striking straight to the heart.

"I observe your pavilion's fortune—though it blazes like a roaring fire and blooms like a tapestry of flowers, beneath this splendor, a great calamity is lurking."

"The Sacrificial Spirit is about to die, and wolves surround you on all sides."

"Once this calamity erupts, whether the Sky-Mending Pavilion can survive is an open question."

The Sky-Mending Pavilion Master shuddered, his pupils contracting sharply.

The fact that the Sacrificial Spirit was about to pass away was the highest secret of the Sky-Mending Pavilion, known only to him and a few core elders.

How had this youth seen through it?

"What does Daoist mean by this?" the Sky-Mending Pavilion Master asked, his voice tightening.

"If you let me enter the Sacred Academy."

Ye Xuan clasped his hands behind his back, speaking with confidence.

"Then when the Sky-Mending Pavilion faces trouble, I will surely lend a hand."

"I will ensure your legacy does not perish."

One sentence, heavy as a thousand jun.

The Four Elders exchanged uneasy glances, wanting to argue but not daring to.

A Venerable's promise was worth a fortune.

If the Sacrificial Spirit truly fell, Sky-Mending Pavilion would face utter annihilation.

When that time came, a Venerable-level external ally might be their only lifeline.

The Sky-Mending Pavilion Master fell silent for a long time.

He was weighing his options.

On one side, the unyielding rules; on the other, the sect's survival.

Finally, he raised his head, a flicker of resolve in his eyes.

"Fine!"

"Since it's Daoist Ye who speaks, I'll bend the rules just this once."

"The Sacred Academy—you may enter."

A smile curled at the corner of Ye Xuan's lips.

"The Pavilion Master is indeed a man of understanding."

The deal was struck.

Outside the Mountain Gate, at the Assessment Arena.

The place was already packed with a sea of people.

Genius youths from Various Ancient Kingdoms and Noble Mansions gathered together, each one outstanding and brimming with spirit.

In contrast.

That Little Dot, carrying a bundle bigger than himself and clutching a milk jug in his arms, stood out like a sore thumb.