Chapter Sixty-Nine: A Complete Transformation

Song Tielin never expected Ye Zihan to come up with a name as audacious as “Defiant Pavilion.” He smiled and said, “Brother Ye Zihan, thank you for giving our Streaming Light Fortress such an excellent new name. From now on, the Streaming Light Fortress will cease to exist; Defiant Pavilion will rise in its place!”

Song Tielin was extremely satisfied with Ye Zihan’s choice. The Phantom God Palace claimed itself the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, and since Ye Zihan had a deep blood feud with them, it was only fitting to name their new force “Defiant Pavilion.”

Yan Chen chuckled, “Ye Zihan, how did you even think of such a rebellious name as Defiant Pavilion? Are you not afraid that sticking your neck out will make you a target?”

Though Yan Chen said this, he understood his worries were unnecessary. By keeping Defiant Pavilion’s power hidden, they could avoid total annihilation.

Ye Zihan glanced at Mo You, then at Huang He and the others, and said, “Brother Yan Chen’s concerns are valid. Henceforth, Defiant Pavilion must act with discretion. Unless absolutely necessary, we must conceal our strength.” Ye Zihan was well aware of the power Phantom God Palace wielded—their elders alone had already shaken him deeply. He understood that for Defiant Pavilion to make its mark on the Phantom God Continent, time and accumulation were essential.

“That’s right! Whoever dares to oppose our big brother—I, Mo You, will be the first to stand against them! After all, I am the famed Thousand Phantom Blood Dragon. Anyone who goes against Brother Ye Zihan, I’ll destroy them first!” Mo You, still arrogant and untested, had not yet learned humility and so boasted loudly.

Huang He and Song Tielin nodded in agreement. Mo You belonged to one of the three great ancient beast clans, the Thousand Phantom Blood Dragons, and with such a force behind him, his words carried weight.

Huang He smiled and said, “Brother Ye Zihan, now that Streaming Light Fortress has been renamed Defiant Pavilion, we are family. But who should be the chief of the former fortress?”

He spoke the truth; Streaming Light Fortress had two chiefs and ten leaders, but now that they submitted to Ye Zihan, their titles needed revision.

Ye Zihan smiled. “Seventh Chief, and Brother Song Tielin, you will remain heads of Branch Mountain and Clear Water Mountain’s spheres of influence. You will still lead, for Defiant Pavilion aims not only to establish its reach here, but in every corner touched by Phantom God Palace.”

Ye Zihan had no intention of hiding his ambition; he was frank about his determination to challenge Phantom God Palace.

Song Tielin felt reassured; he’d been worrying about this very issue, but Ye Zihan’s words dispelled their doubts. Looking at Ye Zihan, Song Tielin nodded and said, “Then how should we address you, Brother Ye Zihan? We can’t simply call you by name without respect.”

It was clear Ye Zihan was now the leader of Defiant Pavilion, and Song Tielin, as former chief of Streaming Light Fortress, needed to adjust his address.

Ye Zihan scratched his head, momentarily unsure how to respond.

Yan Chen, watching Ye Zihan’s troubled expression, laughed. “Ye Zihan, still unsure how you should be addressed? Let me help you with a suitable title.”

He looked at Ye Zihan with a hint of mischief—he was happy for his brother, who had finally found a purpose and founded a force as promising as Defiant Pavilion.

“No matter what my big brother’s future position is, he’ll always be my big brother! Yan Chen, just say what you mean without all this pretense. From now on, you can call Ye Zihan ‘big brother’ just as I do—consider yourself elevated!” Mo You, a bit defiant, insisted his big brother would always be his big brother. Ye Zihan’s abilities were already impressive, and his future boundless.

Ye Zihan stroked the palm-sized Mo You and smiled. “Brother Yan Chen, don’t mind this little fellow. Mo You always speaks out of turn; don’t take it to heart.” He gently patted Mo You’s tiny body.

Mo You, hearing this, glared at Yan Chen, then drooped his head and lay on Ye Zihan, looking quite dejected.

Ye Zihan glanced at Mo You, then smiled at Yan Chen. “Brother Yan Chen, what title have you thought of for us? Speak freely—no one will blame you if it’s not perfect.”

Ye Zihan trusted Yan Chen’s wisdom, so consulting him was a sound decision.

Yan Chen nodded. “Indeed, I’ve already thought of a title. According to the customs of Phantom God Continent, since your force is called Defiant Pavilion, its leader should be called Pavilion Master. Of course, you can still call Brother Song Tielin ‘Brother Song’.”

He laid out his idea plainly, knowing the others would be satisfied—it was the most fitting title he could imagine.

“Excellent! Truly a resourceful young brother! With talents like Yan Chen in Defiant Pavilion, how can we not rise?” Song Tielin, at the Five Elements stage, enthusiastically praised the suggestion. “Pavilion Master” was perfectly in line with the continent’s customs.

Huang He, former Seventh Chief of Streaming Light Fortress, smiled. “I have no objections. Let’s call Brother Ye Zihan ‘Pavilion Master.’ It shows respect and resolves our awkwardness.”

Huang He knew Ye Zihan’s future was limitless. Already a Four Symbols realm expert, Ye Zihan would surely ascend higher. Following him was the right choice.

Ye Zihan looked at Huang He and Song Tielin, then smiled at Yan Chen. “Thank you, Brother Yan Chen, for coming up with this title. From now on, I, Ye Zihan, am the Pavilion Master of Defiant Pavilion. If anyone has any concerns, speak now—we can discuss further.”

He surveyed the gathering. There was no opposition; those who had once objected had been persuaded. On Branch Mountain, resistance to Ye Zihan had all but vanished.

“Alright, brothers, from now on Streaming Light Fortress no longer exists. We have a new name—Defiant Pavilion. From now on, we follow Brother Ye Zihan as our leader and call him Pavilion Master.” Song Tielin was gratified to see his brothers accept Ye Zihan’s leadership. He believed following Ye Zihan was the best path for their continued growth.

Though Ye Zihan was only sixteen, he had already reached the Four Symbols realm—a remarkable feat. Huang He, the Seventh Chief, was hardly any stronger, and yet this youngster had already achieved such heights. Ye Zihan’s future was destined to be extraordinary.

“Yes, from now on, let’s all address Ye Zihan as Pavilion Master!” Huang He, standing beside Song Tielin, called out loudly to the crowd, establishing Ye Zihan’s authority as the new leader.

Swiftly, the former members of Streaming Light Fortress were organized by Huang He and Song Tielin. Turning their backs to the Ten-Thousand Mountains, they faced Ye Zihan to perform the grand ceremony of worship—Defiant Pavilion’s first ritual, a moment of great significance.

Ye Zihan, watching these steadfast men, was exhilarated. Defiant Pavilion would soon stand against Phantom God Palace. His teachers, Red Flame and Blue Rain, had perished because of Phantom God Palace. The palace even sought to eradicate his younger sister, Ye Zixue. Their enmity was irreconcilable, and Ye Zihan knew his quest for vengeance would be arduous.

“Pavilion Master!” Huang He bowed to Ye Zihan.

“Pavilion Master! Pavilion Master!”

Soon, the crowd outside Clear River City at Water Splash Hollow called out to Ye Zihan, their voices echoing through the valley, startling flocks of beasts and birds.

“Very well, thank you, everyone! From now on, Defiant Pavilion’s future rests with you all. I, Ye Zihan, will never betray your trust. One day, Defiant Pavilion will make its name on Phantom God Continent, not just here.”

Ye Zihan’s ambition was vast. He envisioned Defiant Pavilion not as a small force limited to Branch Mountain and Clear Water Mountain, but as a power spanning the entire continent.

Phantom God Palace now aimed to eliminate the weakest of the nine great clans—the Ye family. Time was short for Ye Zihan, especially for his younger sister, who was in the greatest danger. Her extraordinary talent had already drawn the palace’s attention. To maintain eternal rule over the continent, Phantom God Palace had to destroy any challengers at their inception.

Ye Zixue, an exceptional talent, was now their prime target. Gifted with both fire and earth elemental energy, skilled in both summoning and sealing arts, she was one of the continent’s rare prodigies—though not alone, all such talents were superlative experts. The palace regarded Ye Zixue as a latent threat, a thorn in their side.

Though Phantom God Palace dared not oppose all the sects of the continent, they could certainly eradicate the weakest of the nine—the Ye family—and eliminate Ye Zixue before she could become a true threat.

Ye Zihan’s task now was to find the forbidden methods to resurrect his teachers, Red Flame and Blue Rain, by seeking them across the realms of the Mortal World, Beast Domain, and Demon Prison. He needed a map of Demon Prison, for this would shape his path forward.