"Hey, you big guy, just follow me for now!"

After claiming his spoils, Yun Xiao turned around and patted the back of the giant Vein Demon eagle, causing it to stand excitedly upright and chirp at him twice.

"This seems to be a mutant 'Green Winged Mad Eagle,' just perfect for transportation!"

At this moment, Yun Xiao finally took a close look at the giant Vein Demon eagle. With his knowledge, he recognized it as a Green Winged Mad Eagle at first glance but noticed it was slightly different from the usual ones, though he didn't dwell on it too much.

Back on the Hidden Dragon Continent, Yun Xiao had once tamed a flying Vein Demon, a Blood Winged Fire-Eyed Lion, and he deeply understood the benefits of having a flying Vein Demon for transportation.

However, upon arriving at the Tenglong Continent, taming a flying Vein Demon wasn't so easy. Firstly, his strength was limited, and secondly, those flying Vein Demons were high in the sky. Without achieving the Heavenly Rank Third Realm, how could a human Cultivator even think of taming one?

Even within the Spirit Fighting Commerce, flying Vein Demons were likely scarce, not to mention getting one to willingly carry you. Even if someone had one, there probably weren't many who would dare.

Who knew if that flying Vein Demon was just playing along? If a human Cultivator below the Heavenly Rank Third Realm were taken to great heights and then dropped, even the strongest Cultivator would be shattered to pieces instantly.

However, such concerns didn't exist for Yun Xiao. The excited look in the Green Winged Mad Eagle's eyes indicated that even if Yun Xiao wanted to drive it away, it would be reluctant to leave.

One must admit the Dragon Power of the Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu was not only the greatest deterrent to these Vein Demons but also a huge attraction. It seemed that under such an aura, their speed of cultivating Demon Meridian Qi would become slightly faster.

"Flying to the sky-high, there's hardly a chance for anyone to cause trouble, right?"

Perhaps this was Yun Xiao's real reason for keeping the Green Winged Mad Eagle. After all, along his journey, he had made too many enemies, most being first-class forces on the Tenglong Continent, including top-tier forces such as the Spirit Fighting Commerce.

Now, Yun Xiao's presence had been exposed, and Ye Suxin had escaped. In no time, he might find himself trapped in a Heaven and Earth Net on Sky Thunder Valley's territory.

But now, with the Green Winged Mad Eagle, the major forces couldn't possibly send a Heavenly Rank Expert to seek revenge, could they? As soon as he entered the Lianyun Mountain, the home of the Meridian Refining Master Association, even the Spirit Fighting Commerce wouldn't dare provoke him easily, right?

Whoosh... Whoosh...

When Yun Xiao leaped onto the back of the Green Winged Mad Eagle alongside Chi Yan, the giant flying Vein Demon flapped its wings, and a fierce wind arose. The scenery below became smaller and smaller in Yun Xiao's view.

Looking down from high above, the enormous Jiantian Lake looked like a piece of light blue jade, emitting a faint glow. Few would know, however, that on its shores lay several significant corpses, marking the site of a fierce battle that had taken place earlier.

"Lianyun Mountain, here I come!"

...

Tenglong Continent, Southeast of Central Region!

Here lies a massive mountain range stretching tens of thousands of miles and is regarded as a sacred land by countless Meridian Refining Masters on the Tenglong Continent. This place is called Lianyun Mountain, the headquarters of the Meridian Refining Master Guild.

In another month, Lianyun Mountain's triennial disciple selection tournament will take place, making the mountain lively. This is considered the first grand event of Lianyun Mountain that happens every three years.

In fact, even before the triennial disciple selection tournament begins, there is an internal competition at Lianyun Mountain for young disciples to determine who is truly the number one among the younger generation each year.

This serves as a kind of assessment for these young disciples by Lianyun Mountain. After all, if one ranks near the top one year but is surpassed by previously lower-ranked juniors the next, it would be quite embarrassing.

The Meridian Refining Master Association is located here, housing the "Heavenly Hospital" of the Medical Pulse branch, where many Medical Pulse Masters are gathered. Although both the Medical and Toxic branches exist within the Association, they have their territories.

The Heavenly Hospital, though called a "hospital," is actually a very large place. According to information known from external cultivators, if the young disciples are included, the Medical Pulse Masters at the Heavenly Hospital could number nearly ten thousand, indicating its enormous scale.

Of course, considering the population base of the entire Tenglong Continent, this mere ten thousand is just a small fraction. This shows how difficult it is to become a Meridian Refining Master and how much harder it is to become one recognized by Lianyun Mountain.

This is why the triennial disciple selection tournament at Lianyun Mountain sees countless talented Meridian Refining Masters trying to make their way into this sanctuary.

Here, you can access the best resources, receive hands-on guidance from high-level Meridian Refining Masters, and potentially gain the favor of numerous Elders or the Chairman after showcasing your talent, allowing you to soar to great heights.

The annual internal assessment at Lianyun Mountain is quite lively. Among the Medical Pulse Masters of the Heavenly Hospital, Vice Chairman Qian Sanyuan is the leading figure. At this moment, his gaze is intently fixed on a lithe black-clad figure on the center stage, nodding in satisfaction as he strokes his beard.

"Vice Chairman, the disciple you took in from the Hidden Dragon Continent a year ago is quite something!"

Sitting next to Qian Sanyuan was Elder Guan Rufeng, the Second Elder of Lianyun Mountain, who once accompanied the former to Xuanyin Hall.

He is the true Dean of the Heavenly Hospital. At this moment, his gaze is also on a certain figure on the central main stage, his voice filled with a hint of envy.

"Haha, it's all luck, just luck!"

Upon hearing Guan Rufeng's words, Qian Sanyuan laughed heartily. Yet, for some reason, when looking at the lithe black-clad figure on the stage, an image of a slender figure in coarse clothing involuntarily popped into his mind—an impression perhaps indelible in this lifetime.

"Speaking of which, that kid should have already arrived at the Tenglong Continent, right? How come there's no news about him? That kid is not someone who stays out of trouble!"

As thoughts turned in his mind, Qian Sanyuan murmured aloud. In fact, over the past year, he spent most of his time in seclusion, striving towards higher levels, paying little attention to external happenings.

Back then, Yun Wei had given Qian Sanyuan a Heavenly Breath Pill at the Countries Hidden Dragon Conference. After some time, Qian Sanyuan had become a genuine Heavenly Rank expert.

Moreover, Qian Sanyuan, with his accumulated foundation, not only had his Meridian Qi Cultivation break through to the Heavenly Rank Floating Life Realm, but his Meridian Refining Technique had also broken through to the Heavenly Rank Low Level, bringing him double happiness.

"Vice Chairman, are you talking about that Yun Xiao who won the championship at the Countries Hidden Dragon Conference?"

Hearing Qian Sanyuan's murmurs, a peculiar light flashed in Guan Rufeng's eyes. Having a good relationship with Qian Sanyuan and being fellow Medical Pulse Masters, he was quite well aware of the events at the Countries Hidden Dragon Conference.

To be honest, knowing Qian Sanyuan's fortune, Guan Rufeng somewhat regretted not going along. Otherwise, if granted a Heavenly Breath Pill, his cultivation stuck at Half-step Heavenly Rank might have improved.

From the news Qian Sanyuan brought back, Guan Rufeng also learned a name—Yun Xiao. Although talents from the Hidden Dragon Continent were unimpressive in the eyes of these Tenglong Continent experts, someone whom Qian Sanyuan highly respected surely had extraordinary talent.

Moreover, Guan Rufeng knew that Qian Sanyuan came close to failure while refining a Fire Pu Pill. It was this young man named Yun Xiao who turned the tide, ultimately successfully refining the genuine Five Elements Pu Pill—a Heavenly Rank Elixir, drawing a Heavenly Dao Pill Tribulation and causing a sensation at the time.

Thus, Guan Rufeng could guess that this young man named Yun Xiao possessed not only remarkable talent in Meridian Qi cultivation but his Meridian Refining Techniques could likely rival the talented individuals of Lianyun Mountain.

Therefore, while Qian Sanyuan was often in seclusion, Guan Rufeng continually followed news from the Southern Domain of Tenglong Continent. Surprisingly, he indeed spotted the name so highly praised by Qian Sanyuan in certain pieces of intelligence.

"It's that kid. Honestly, I somewhat regret not forcibly bringing him back to Lianyun Mountain at the time, causing us to miss out on such an unparalleled genius in Meridian Refining!"

In fact, compared to Yun Xiao's Vein Energy Combat Power, Qian Sanyuan valued his talent in Meridian Refining techniques even more. At least, he knew Yun Xiao was likely several degrees stronger than Mo Qing, who was contending in the Ring for Meridian Refining Techniques.

"Vice Chairman, I have some information here. Would you like to hear it?"

Hearing Qian Sanyuan's words, Guan Rufeng suddenly teased a bit. However, he knew the vice chairman's naturally kind disposition wouldn't be angered by such things.

"Could it be news about Yun Xiao?"

Sure enough, Qian Sanyuan, noticing Guan Rufeng's tease, instead brightened. With his cunning mind, he had already guessed some details from the latter's words.

"It does relate to Yun Xiao—though I'm not sure if it's the Yun Xiao you're referring to, Vice Chairman!"

Guan Rufeng, the highest leader of the Heavenly Hospital in Lianyun Mountain, spoke while taking a few sheets of letter paper from his Waist Storage.

However, upon seeing these sheets again, Guan Rufeng couldn't help but feel amazed. The information therein astounded even him, a Lianyun Mountain Second Elder at Half-step Heavenly Rank.

Qian Sanyuan eagerly accepted the letters. After opening them one by one, his expression gradually transformed, ultimately revealing a mix of shock and an inevitable sense, a truly complex reaction.