Chapter 131: Assigning Roles

Ye Zihan had already explained the situation regarding the "Heaven-Defying Pavilion" he had founded, and for this, Huan Ji and the others naturally offered their unconditional support and joined.

Originally, the Heaven-Defying Pavilion only boasted a few experts: Ye Zihan, Chen Yiyan, Mo You, and Yan Chen, with the addition of Song Tielin, who was at the Five Elements realm at best. Everyone else was relatively weak. However, with the inclusion of Huan Ji and her followers, the pavilion instantly possessed strength comparable to any major family in the human realm.

Among them, the most powerful was Mo Wuhuan, who had reached the peak of the Eight Trigrams realm. He was the sole survivor among the subordinates once conquered by the Heavenly Demon Huan Ji. In the past, the Heavenly Demon had subjugated many experts of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces realms, but many had slowly perished or been killed by others. Now, only Mo Wuhuan remained. Most of the elders, led by the Great Elder Xuan Wuji, were Seven-Star realm experts whom Mo Wuhuan had recruited later; Xuan Wuji himself was at the peak of the Seven-Star realm.

In addition, there was the Nameless City’s guard legion. The commander, Ji Qianjun, was also at the peak of the Seven-Star realm, and his subordinates included several commanders who possessed similar Seven-Star strength.

Upon careful calculation, the Heaven-Defying Pavilion now held power equivalent to any of the Ten Earth Cities. Even the Ye family, where Ye Zihan had once belonged, did not possess such strength; aside from the family head, Ye Aotian, who was at the late stage of the Eight Trigrams realm, the rest were merely Seven-Star experts—and according to Ye Zihan’s knowledge, the Ye family did not have many of those.

Now, the Heaven-Defying Pavilion had nearly twenty Seven-Star experts, a prospect Ye Zihan had never dared to imagine before.

"The master is truly wise; we shall do exactly as you say," Mo Wuhuan seized the opportunity to flatter him. As for Huan Ji, her arms had returned to normal, and she maintained a human form, appearing bewitching and alluring. Her voluptuous figure radiated infinite charm, though Ye Zihan and the others, having seen her true form, remained unmoved. Despite having acknowledged Ye Zihan as her master, Huan Ji maintained the dignity of a powerhouse and did not stoop to Mo Wuhuan’s level of sycophancy.

"Enough of that nonsense. From now on, you don't need to call me master; just call me Pavilion Master. Once I defeat those vying for the position of Lord of Nameless City, I will rename it 'Heaven-Defying City.' This city shall be the foundation of our pavilion."

Ye Zihan was unimpressed by Mo Wuhuan’s flattery. He glared at him and continued, "From now on, Mo Wuhuan, you shall serve as the Great Elder of the sect, commanding the other elders. As for Ji Qianjun, you will be responsible for managing and guarding the Heaven-Defying Pavilion. I am the Pavilion Master, while Yiyan, Yan Chen, and Mo You will serve as Deputy Pavilion Masters."

Ye Zihan distributed the roles one by one, already possessing the aura of a leader. Having endured trials and tribulations, he had grown from a naive child into a powerful figure capable of taking responsibility.

"Then, Master... or rather, Pavilion Master, what about me?" Huan Ji, standing to the side, smiled charmingly, full of grace.

"You?" Ye Zihan frowned slightly; he was unsure how to place her.

"I have decided on a position for you: Guardian Dharma King. You will serve as the Guardian Dharma King, with a status below the Pavilion Master and Deputy Pavilion Masters, but above the elders and the guard legion."

Ye Zihan made his final decision, leaving no room for the Heavenly Demon to refuse. Huan Ji nodded readily; after all, it was just a title.

"Very well, everyone return to your duties. Huan Ji, now that you have escaped the Demon Abyss, focus on recovering your strength and fulfilling your responsibilities as Guardian Dharma King. Do not let minor characters tarnish the dignity of our pavilion. Pay special attention to the Hall of Illusionary Gods. We are determined to oppose and destroy them, which will surely invite their retaliation, so your duty is of utmost importance. Improving your strength brooks no delay. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," Huan Ji replied solemnly. Although she had been indifferent before, Ye Zihan’s words made her take it seriously. She knew the power of the Hall of Illusionary Gods well; even in her prime, she would not have dared to claim she could fight them, let alone now.

"Mo You!" Ye Zihan suddenly plucked the creature from his head, pinched its nose, and scolded it, "Don’t you slack off either. You are a Thousand-Nether Blood Illusion Dragon with noble bloodline and extraordinary talent. Your strength used to be above mine, but now you have fallen behind; it is all because of your laziness. If you work hard, you will certainly be no weaker than my elder brothers. You have plenty of demon crystals now; waste no time refining them and strive to enter the Nine Heavens realm soon."

"Alright, Brother, I know. Actually, I was refining them while I was eating. Our clan only needs sufficient crystals and the right realm to improve our strength rapidly. My previous weakness was simply because I wasn't full. Now that I have so many crystals, I will definitely surpass you soon."

*Whoosh!*

Mo You grumbled discontentedly, clutched a half-eaten crystal, and dove into Ye Zihan’s sleeve. Ye Zihan could only sigh at the creature's behavior.

"Yan Chen, Yiyan, don't slack off either. We have all experienced brutal battles since leaving the Demon Abyss. Now that your injuries have mostly healed, seize the time to absorb your insights and strive for further advancement. Tomorrow is the final showdown against the other geniuses who passed the trials. Su Zi from the Misty Rain Pavilion will surely be there. Don't you want your revenge?"

Ye Zihan goaded them. Yan Chen and Chen Yiyan were the type to never let a slight go unpunished, especially when defeated by a woman. It was a great humiliation, and at the mere mention, their expressions darkened.

"Furthermore, because we brought Huan Ji out, the difficulties others faced in the Demon Abyss were likely reduced, meaning more people than usual will have cleared the trials. The challenges we face will be significant, so everyone must strive for a breakthrough before tomorrow’s final battle."

"Hmph! Those wretched women dared to bully me; I must avenge myself tomorrow!" Yan Chen was clearly furious.

"Also, Zihan, for tomorrow’s battle, we need suitable weapons. My axe was broken by those guys, and Yan Chen’s Clear Wind Sword is shattered too."

Chen Yiyan flipped his hand, revealing his halved axe. His weapon was of the Night-tier, exceptionally rare, but that was relative to his previous strength. Having nearly reached the Nine Heavens realm and enduring numerous intense battles, the weapon was now effectively scrap.

"Indeed, I brought this Clear Wind Sword from home and used it all the way here, but it was destroyed. It won't be easy to find a suitable replacement," Yan Chen complained.

"Master, oh, I mean, Pavilion Master," Mo Wuhuan, who had been waiting nearby, called out.

"Do you have something else?" Ye Zihan frowned.

"I happen to possess some rough knowledge of weapon forging, and I am a dual-class practitioner—a Gold Hunter and a Fire Shadow Warrior. If you and the Deputy Pavilion Masters trust me, I can help repair your weapons," Mo Wuhuan said with a smile.

"Oh? You can forge weapons?" Ye Zihan was surprised.

"Hehe, the weapons of the subordinates who destroyed the Deputy Pavilion Masters' gear were actually ones I forged when I was bored."

Chen Yiyan and Yan Chen twitched at the realization that their weapons had been destroyed by gear forged by someone "bored."

"Very well, leave it to you. Can you finish by tomorrow?" Ye Zihan didn't dwell on it; having a weapon crafter was a huge boon.

"I guarantee the task will be completed."

Chen Yiyan and Yan Chen handed over their broken weapons to Mo Wuhuan. Afterward, guided by attendants, they went to their assigned quarters to cultivate and prepare for their breakthrough to the Nine Heavens realm.

Ye Zihan also did not dare to slack off. After experiencing several intense battles, he felt an urgent need to integrate his combat experience and strive to reach the mid-stage of the Nine Heavens realm.