While Xiao Tian was recovering his mood, outside the distant Qifeng Mountain, a figure rapidly rushed towards the mountain peak.
The rushing figure looked dusty and weak.
"Pavilion Master, something terrible has happened!" Elder Lightning could not help but cry out as he arrived in front of the North Thunder Tower, his voice utterly mournful.
On the top floor of the North Thunder Tower, Tian Leizi—Fei Tian—was cultivating on a silver throne.
Hearing the voice from outside, he could not help but frown, then slowly opened his eyes, looking very displeased.
Elder Lightning ran wildly, reaching the top floor, and instantly knelt before Fei Tian.
"What happened? Why are you in such a sorry state? Where are the others?" Fei Tian looked at Elder Lightning in front of him; if he had not been familiar with him, he almost would not have recognized him.
At this moment, Elder Lightning had none of his former prestige; he was like a stray dog.
"They are all dead—they are all dead! Boo hoo hoo~" Elder Lightning cried bitterly, on the verge of collapse.
He had escaped death, then tirelessly traversed space wormholes to return to the Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion.
Only upon returning here did he finally calm down, no longer able to control his emotions.
"Why are you crying? What exactly happened?" Fei Tian looked at Elder Lightning in front of him and could not help but scold him.
However, Elder Lightning had no other reaction, still crying uncontrollably.
Fei Tian could no longer bear it. He stepped down from the throne, came before him, lifted him up, and slapped him on both sides of his old face.
Slap! Slap!
A crisp sound echoed in the space, even drowning out the thunder.
This move had a good effect; Elder Lightning instantly sobered up, all his emotions ceased, and he turned to look at Fei Tian in a daze, as if asking what had happened.
"Are you sober?" Fei Tian said in a deep voice.
Elder Lightning's mind had not caught up yet, and he nodded blankly; for no other reason, if he did not nod, he would at least get two more slaps.
"Then quickly tell me what exactly happened!" Fei Tian fixed Elder Lightning to the ground, looked at his hands—which were covered in snot and tears—and frowned as he wiped them on Elder Lightning's body.
As he wiped, he found his hands had turned black, and he immediately felt a surge of anger, wanting to strangle Elder Lightning.
Elder Lightning saw Fei Tian frown, thinking the other party was displeased that he still had not spoken. Not wanting to be beaten again, he quickly adjusted his emotions.
"This and that… that and this…"
Elder Lightning rambled on for more than ten minutes, explaining everything in detail, even adding gestures, looking exactly like a beggar dancing.
After listening, Fei Tian's pupils contracted violently, and his body trembled a few times. "You mean that idiot Shen Yun went to snatch a Dou Zun's medicinal pill and was killed by him?"
"Then after you went to Tianbei City, Lei Lang kept provoking the other party, which ultimately led to him and Feng Butong both dying? And you barely escaped with your life?"
Elder Lightning nodded.
"My God!" Fei Tian stumbled, retreating a few steps.
"What about the opponent's strength?" Fei Tian took a deep breath, secretly hoping that the opponent was only a low-level Dou Zun, so that at least Thunder Venerable, the Pavilion Master of his main pavilion, could back him up.
"Terrifying. I felt an aura on them that was stronger than a Honored One—perhaps even a Honored One would not be their match."
As a core figure of the Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion, he was naturally qualified to meet Thunder Venerable, and had even seen Thunder Venerable make a move.
But he clearly felt that the opponent's strength was stronger than Thunder Venerable's.
"My God! You guys went out once and caused such big trouble. Is a Dou Zun someone you can provoke?"
Fei Tian felt a headache coming on, and could not help but grab his clothes and roar.
"That is not my business—it was all Shen Yun's doing." At this moment, Elder Lightning also quickly distanced himself from Shen Yun.
"Were you not usually like brothers?" Fei Tian directly flung him, sending him against the wall.
"Pfft~" Suddenly, Elder Lightning, who had crashed into the wall, spat out a mouthful of blood. His face was pale, and his aura was weak.
Fei Tian glanced at him coldly, showing no sympathy. "You barely escaped with your life, yet you dare to come back and cry? Do you think crying will solve anything?"
Elder Lightning struggled to his feet, kneeling once more. "Pavilion Master, I know I have failed you. But that person… he is truly terrifying. He killed Elder Feng and Elder Lei as easily as crushing ants. I only survived because… because he deliberately let me go."
"What?" Fei Tian's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He deliberately spared you? Why?"
Elder Lightning hesitated, then spoke with difficulty. "I… I think he wanted me to deliver a message."
"What message?"
"He said…" Elder Lightning swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "He said that if the Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion wishes to seek revenge, they are welcome to try. But he also said that if you are wise, you will forget this matter ever happened."
The silence that followed was deafening. The thunder that perpetually crackled around the North Thunder Tower seemed to still, as if even the heavens were holding their breath.
Fei Tian's face twisted through a myriad of emotions—rage, humiliation, fear, and finally, a cold, calculating calm.
"He dares to threaten my Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion?" Fei Tian's voice was low and dangerous. "Does he think that just because he is a Dou Zun, he can trample upon the dignity of our pavilion?"
Elder Lightning lowered his head, not daring to speak.
"However…" Fei Tian continued, his tone shifting, "if what you say is true, and this person's strength surpasses even Thunder Venerable, then we cannot act rashly."
He turned and walked back to his throne, sitting down heavily. His fingers drummed against the armrest, the rhythm matching the distant rumble of thunder.
"Summon the other elders. We must discuss this matter carefully. And send word to the main pavilion—Thunder Venerable must be informed."
Elder Lightning hesitated. "Pavilion Master, what about the Hong Family? They were our affiliated force in Tianbei City. With them gone, our influence in that region—"
"The Hong Family is finished," Fei Tian interrupted coldly. "They provoked a Dou Zun and paid the price. We will not waste resources avenging dead fools. What matters now is understanding who this person is and what his intentions are."
He paused, his silver-gray eyes flashing with lightning. "And if necessary, we will find a way to deal with him. No one—no one—humiliates the Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion and lives to boast about it."
Elder Lightning nodded, but deep in his heart, a seed of doubt had taken root.
He had seen the power of that young man. He had felt the absolute, overwhelming difference in strength. And he knew, with a certainty that chilled him to the bone, that the Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion was walking a path toward destruction.
But he said nothing. He was, after all, merely an elder. And elders who spoke too much tended to meet unfortunate ends.
As he turned to leave, Fei Tian's voice stopped him.
"Elder Dian."
Elder Lightning froze. "Yes, Pavilion Master?"
"You did well to survive and return. But if you ever show such cowardice before me again…" Fei Tian's eyes glinted. "I will personally ensure you join Shen Yun and the others on the road to the Yellow Springs."
Elder Lightning shuddered, bowing deeply. "I understand, Pavilion Master."
He retreated from the throne room, his steps unsteady, his heart heavy with dread.
The storm was coming. And when it arrived, the Wind Lightning Northern Pavilion would either stand victorious or be swept away into oblivion.