Chapter Seventy-Seven: Invitation to Join

Ye Zihan gazed at Chen Yiyan with great excitement. With Chen Yiyan joining the Reversal Pavilion, its strength would ascend to a new level, and Ye Zihan firmly believed that Chen Yiyan would make tremendous contributions to the Pavilion in the future.

Ye Zihan nodded and said, "That's right. The founding purpose of the Reversal Pavilion is to overthrow the Illusory Gods Hall. In time, we will send all those tyrants of the Illusory Gods Continent straight to the King of Hell, to avenge my master." He looked at Chen Yiyan, knowing that Chen would now be his stronghold in the Beast Domain, surely aiding the Pavilion in days to come.

Yan Chen also glanced at Chen Yiyan. Now that Chen had agreed to join the Pavilion, their strength had grown considerably, and Yan Chen was deeply pleased. Of course, if more sects were to join, it would be his greatest wish.

"Let’s drink! No need for so many words. Today marks the day brother Chen Yiyan joins our Reversal Pavilion, so we must toast!" Yan Chen declared, downing his glass of spirits in one gulp, then beaming at Chen Yiyan and Ye Zihan.

Chen Yiyan quickly followed, drinking his wine in a single draught, even savoring the last drops from the rim, for his joy could not be contained.

Ye Zihan, seeing how well Chen Yiyan and Yan Chen conversed, was equally delighted. Now, Yan Chen and Chen Yiyan were the backbone of the Pavilion. Aside from Song Tielin, who had attained the Five Elements realm, Chen Yiyan and Ye Zihan himself were the strongest; Yan Chen was not far from reaching that realm.

Now, Ye Zihan's sole hope was for the Reversal Pavilion he founded to grow swiftly and become a renowned sect across the Illusory Gods Continent—his future goal and lifelong pursuit.

Chen Yiyan looked from Ye Zihan to Yan Chen and asked, "I wonder, what business brings you two to the Beast Domain this time? Is there anything I can help with?" He was eager to learn their true purpose, for warriors of their caliber rarely ventured into the Beast Domain unless for compelling reasons.

More importantly, young prodigies like Ye Zihan and Yan Chen seldom came to places like the Beast Domain or Demon Abyss, for such lands were perilous and ill-suited for their training.

Yet this time, Chen Yiyan had seen both Ye Zihan and Yan Chen in the Beast Domain, so he surmised they had important matters at hand. As it was his first time befriending cultivators from the human world, he wished to assist them in any way he could.

Yan Chen glanced at Ye Zihan and replied, "Brother Chen Yiyan, you should ask Ye Zihan about that. I am merely accompanying him here. Initially, we planned to go to the Demon Abyss, not the Beast Domain, but since we've arrived, we ought to take our time." Yan Chen confessed openly, for their original intention had been the Demon Abyss, but after some reconsideration, they had decided to explore the Beast Domain first.

For Ye Zihan, reviving his two masters was a cause worth risking everything for. So long as there was hope, he would never abandon the chance. Such miraculous resurrection arts had long been lost in the human world, but since Hongyan and Lanyu had left behind a fragment of their souls, Ye Zihan believed revival was still possible.

He looked at Yan Chen and Chen Yiyan, bowed his head with a sigh, and said, "We do have business in the Beast Domain—seeking the forbidden art of resurrection. Brother Chen Yiyan, do you know where such a method might be found?" Ye Zihan desperately wished to save his teachers, Hongyan and Lanyu, for without them, he would not be who he was today.

The ‘Illusory God Technique’ he practiced was left to him by Hongyan and Lanyu, so Ye Zihan was ever grateful. Especially now, the Illusory Gods Hall plotted to assassinate the continent’s prodigies, and chief among their targets was his own sister, Ye Zixue.

Remembering the words of the Hall’s Seventh Elder chilled Ye Zihan’s heart, for Ye Zixue was his only beloved kin, and he would never let anyone harm her. She was now the Ye family’s prodigious daughter, destined to be the jewel in everyone’s eye.

Should the Illusory Gods Hall truly strike at the Ye family, Ye Zihan knew from the elders’ disposition that the family could not protect his sister. Thus, he longed to strengthen both himself and the Reversal Pavilion, for this would be his force to dominate the continent.

Chen Yiyan looked at Ye Zihan and Yan Chen, surprised to find such a story behind Ye Zihan’s illustrious reputation—an ocean of blood and vengeance, with the mighty Illusory Gods Hall as his adversary.

Somewhat embarrassed, Chen Yiyan replied, "I don’t know where in the Beast Domain such forbidden arts might be found, but rest assured, I’ll help inquire in the future. Should I obtain news of resurrection, you’ll be the first to know." Now part of the Pavilion, Chen Yiyan was eager to help Ye Zihan resolve his troubles.

Ye Zihan, seeing Chen Yiyan’s discomfort, smiled and said, "It’s all right. We never held too much hope. If we cannot find what we seek, we’ll proceed slowly. We can’t afford to rush; impatience is useless." Ye Zihan was clear-headed, unwavering in his resolve to revive his two masters.

Yan Chen clapped Chen Yiyan’s shoulder and laughed, "Haha, brother Chen Yiyan, no need to worry. Though you can’t help us find the resurrection art, your sincerity is enough. Do you know the way to the Demon Abyss? We hope to visit it someday, as there may be forbidden arts there, too." Yan Chen had never placed much hope in the Beast Domain; finding a Five Elements master like Chen Yiyan was their greatest gain.

Hearing their words, Chen Yiyan felt his anxiety ease. Now a brother to Ye Zihan and a member of the Pavilion, he felt responsible for its fortunes, and his brothers’ troubles were his own. He truly wanted to help Ye Zihan find the forbidden resurrection art.

"Thank you for your understanding, brothers. Long live understanding, haha." Chen Yiyan smiled at Ye Zihan and Yan Chen, his heart lightening as they explained their intentions.

Ye Zihan laughed and said, "Haha, long live understanding. Finding such talent in Xuanwu City has been our greatest gain in the Beast Domain—so even if we don’t find the forbidden resurrection art, we’re happy." He spoke sincerely, for his goal was to recruit suitable members for the Pavilion, and Chen Yiyan’s joining was cause for celebration.

Chen Yiyan, hearing Ye Zihan’s words, laughed even more freely. They had come for the Pavilion’s sake, and seeking forbidden arts was only secondary. Recruiting him was their greatest achievement.

He laughed and said, "Thank you for seeing such worth in me, brothers. If you hadn’t stopped me at the martial arena in Xuanwu City, I’d probably still be fighting in the ring, haha." Chen Yiyan’s purpose in competing was not the ring itself, but to find worthy companions; now, Ye Zihan and Yan Chen were such friends, his own reward.

Though he no longer fought in the arena, rumors of him had spread throughout Xuanwu Marsh’s Xuanwu City. Even the inn where they dined was filled with cultivators from the Illusory Gods Continent watching them. Chen Yiyan had challenged many young prodigies in Xuanwu City, and now his fame was inevitable.

The martial arena was the city’s heart, bustling with people. Everyone knew of Chen Yiyan’s existence, and many in the inn had witnessed him slaying prodigies in the arena.

When Chen Yiyan entered the inn with Yan Chen, many cultivators left immediately. Whenever they saw Chen Yiyan, the Five Elements master, they remembered the hellish scenes of him defeating contenders in the arena’s center—like a vision of the underworld.

"You old fellows, don’t be so false—or rather, don’t be so modest. You are now the backbone of the Reversal Pavilion, so your task is to make its name known across the Illusory Gods Continent." Even Mo You couldn’t resist saying a few words. Usually, he would not intrude while Ye Zihan and Yan Chen dined, as he had little interest in mortal delicacies.

For Mo You, only heavenly treasures and rare medicinal herbs were enticing, as he had grown up consuming such things. Many apothecary owners in the human world had been driven to bankruptcy by Mo You’s appetite, making him a public menace across the continent.

Of course, Mo You would never admit to being a scourge, for no one wants to debase themselves to elevate another’s moral standing. Lately, Mo You seldom stole food, as Ye Zihan forbade such behavior, and he could eat delicacies when hungry.

Yet, every time Ye Zihan offered him mortal cuisine, Mo You invented countless excuses to refuse, since he genuinely disliked it and never felt hunger. He consumed heavenly treasures not out of hunger, but because the more he ate, the stronger his martial skills became—his power was literally cultivated through eating.