What Cao Shi did not know was that Zhou Yuan had originally planned on preparing nine dragons for the former. However, the latter had failed after reaching eight dragons, because the Genesis Qi in his body was unable to sustain the ninth Genesis Qi beast figure.
Zhou Yuan could not be bothered with any useless exchange of words, and had no intention of dragging the battle any longer after getting a grasp of Cao Shi’s strength. Zhou Yuan had after all used his secluded cultivation session to specially prepared this trump card for Cao Shi.
Hence, Zhou Yuan merely stared coldly at Cao Shi.
Roar!
Eight Genesis Qi beast figures roared at the heavens as an explosion of savageness swept outwards. A split second later, all of them abruptly shot forth, their giant shadows enveloping Cao Shi as his expression changed drastically.
“Have a taste of the sumptuous feast I’ve prepared for you.”
Chapter 299 Everyone Awed
Roar!
Eight Genesis Qi beasts roared as they wreaked havoc, their savage auras churning. The sky darkened as a strong stench blew past, causing dread to rise in anyone who saw this sight.
No one had expected Zhou Yuan to suddenly unleash such a terrifying trump card.
Similarly, no one had expected Zhou Yuan’s Nine Dragons Canon to reach this level.
At one side of the stone stage, Zhang Yan’s expression turned slightly rigid. The turn of events on the stage had exceeded his expectations. Zhou Yuan’s counter attack was indeed formidable, causing a chill to rise in one’s heart.
No one knew whether Cao Shi would be able to withstand such an attack.
In the vicinity of the stone stage, tense gaze after gaze watched the battle unfurl within it.
Cao Shi’s face had turned extremely grave. He could sense the ferocity of the eight roaring Genesis Qi beasts, the pressure he felt making his scalp turn numb.
However, he understood that he could not retreat at this point, a fierce and resolute look flashing in his eyes.
“So what if its eight dragons, I refuse to believe a second layer Alpha-Origin like you will be able to bring out all of its power!”
Cao Shi gritted his teeth. “You’re just putting up an act, appearing powerful on the outside but in reality empty on the inside!”
His palms abruptly slammed into each other as the Genesis Qi in his body began to circulate without holding anything back.
Rumble!
Silver snow like Genesis Qi swept out from the top of his head like a giant silver dragon. It coiled in the sky above him, the swirling Genesis Qi taking on the shape of a silver halo.
The halo slowly revolved. A split second later, the cries of millions of swords suddenly rang out from within it. The numerous disciples watched as countless silver sword shadows spilled out from the halo, filling the entire sky.
“High grade little Heaven Genesis technique, Melody of the Sword Sea!”
Countless silver sword shadows shot forth like an endless sea of blades, their cries converging together, before sweeping across the area. The sharpness they gave off seemingly piercing even space itself.
At the sight of Cao Shi’s counter attack, the expressions of numerous disciples changed slightly, turning a little grave.
“Senior brother Cao Shi is going all out, and has even used the Melody of the Sword Sea. That’s his most powerful trump card.”
The crowd was practically glued to the fight. It was clear that Zhou Yuan’s counter attack had made Cao Shi feel danger. Thus, he no longer dared to hold anything back, directly activating his strongest technique.
It was time to see whose trump card was stronger!
Bzz!
Under the attention of countless glowing eyes, the sword sea surged past, ultimately crashing into the Genesis Qi beasts.
Rumble!
A shockwave of Genesis Qi swept outwards, ripping tear after tear in the stone stage.
The first Genesis Qi beast only lasted for a dozen breaths before being shredded to pieces by the sea of swords. The second beast quickly followed up, but was soon torn to shreds.
In the short span of a few dozen breaths, the ferocious Genesis Qi beasts were slaughtered one after another.
This scene stunned many disciples, clearly surprised that the seemingly powerful Genesis Qi beasts would end up being so pathetic.
“Why is this happening?” Even Zhou Tai could not help but ask. The Nine Dragons Canon and Melody of the Sword Sea were both high grade little Heaven Genesis techniques. The former should not have been broken through so quickly, right?
Zhang Yan’s taunt face finally relaxed slightly as he began to smile, “It seems that junior brother Zhou Yuan’s Genesis Qi cannot match up. He’s after all only at the second layer Alpha-Origin stage.”
Many disciples nodded in agreement. They had originally believed Zhou Yuan’s counter attack to be pretty deadly, but it turns out that it was only a false front.
In the vicinity of the stone stage, only Yaoyao’s pretty face remained unchanged. Of course, Shen Taiyuan’s gaze was also flickering slightly, a look of thought on his face.
“Haha, junior brother Zhou Yuan, is this all you amount to?” Cao Shi laughed loudly at this moment, the worry from before already gone completely as he ridiculed, “The Nine Dragons Canon has become the Nine Worms Canon in your hands!”
He was under the impression that Zhou Yuan’s Genesis Qi had been lacking, and had just barely managed to use the Nine Dragons Canon. This led to his Genesis Qi being more scattered than usual, making the eight Genesis Qi beasts appear strong on the outside, while in actuality mere husks on the inside. Hence, a single touch was all that was needed to blow them apart.
However, Zhou Yuan remained impassive in response to the former’s taunting mockery. With a thought, the remaining Genesis Qi beasts continued to charge forward in a ferocious manner.
Boom! Boom!
However, the outcome was still the same. Genesis Qi beast after beast was being slashed to shreds by the sea of sword. In the blink of an eye, only specks of scattered Genesis Qi remained of the first seven beasts, leaving only the final one floating in the air.
“I shall finish this in one go. Junior brother Zhou Yuan, you’d better behave better in future!” With a cry from Cao Shi, the seemingly endless sea of swords swept forth, shooting straight at the last Genesis Qi beast.
Once the last Genesis Qi beast was torn to shreds, Zhou Yuan’s attack would not no more, deciding the victor of this battle.
Bzz!
The sea of swords buzzed loudly as they rushed towards the final Genesis Qi beast.
The eighth Genesis Qi beast coiled in the sky, its shape similar to that of a python. At this current moment, it seemed to be trembling faintly.
A pair of tightly shut snake eyes slowly opened at this moment.
Rumble!
The instant they opened, berserk and ferocious Genesis Qi suddenly erupted.
Rumble!
The originally hundred feet tall Genesis Qi pillar abruptly began to swell, reaching over five hundred feet. The power of this Genesis Qi beast was even stronger than all of its seven predecessors!
“What?!”
The power pulsing from the Genesis Qi instantly astonished numerous disciples, filling their faces with confusion. They could not understand why the final Genesis Qi beast would be so powerful.
Zhang Yan’s expression also changed slightly as he fell into thought for a brief moment. His heart immediately shuddered as the expression in his eyes fluctuated. “Zhou Yuan is really cunning!”
The reason why the previous seven beasts were so weak was not because Zhou Yuan’s Genesis Qi was insufficient, but because he had intentionally gathered the majority of his power in the eighth Genesis Qi beast!
On the other hand, Cao Shi spent a great amount of energy with the intention of finishing this in one fell sweep, causing him to exhaust quite a substantial amount of Genesis Qi up till this point. However, all he had achieved was
blasting apart a few empty husks.
Zhou Yuan’s true killing blow was hidden in the eighth beast!
Roar!
Gasp after gasp was heard as the eighth beast roared. It opened its giant maw, seemingly appearing to block out the sky as it lunged towards the sea of swords.
Fwoosh!
A single gulp was all it took to instantly swallow the sea of swords.
The silver sword shadows that had entered the Genesis Qi beast’s body were instantly destroyed by the savage power inside...
Everyone was stunned, including Cao Shi.
“How can this be?! Why is this Genesis Qi beast so strong?!” Cao Shi’s complexion had turned deathly pale. Just moments ago, he had believed victory to be already in his grasp, but who could have expected such a reversal to happen in the blink of an eye. It felt akin to being thrown out of the heavens.
The surroundings of the stone stage was silent as numerous disciples looked at each other. They too were surprised by such a turn of events.
Zhang Yan’s expression fluctuated indeterminately, his brows tightly furrowed together. He had likewise been certain of Cao Shi’s victory...
An expressionless Zhou Yuan gazed at Cao Shi and waved his sleeve. The final Genesis Qi beast suddenly roared as it ferociously pounced towards the latter, making him hastily retreat in terror.
The savage aura that assaulted his face made Cao Shi’s heart shiver. The sight of Zhou Yuan’s cold gaze making his heart shudder even more violently, as he hurriedly yelled, “I, I admit defeat!”
If he was hit by the Genesis Qi beast, he would surely be heavily injured.
Bang!
The instant the words left his mouth, the Genesis Qi beast that was only a few feet away suddenly exploded, the berserk shockwave blowing Cao Shi several steps back.
Huu.
Zhou Yuan cast an indifferent glance at the panicked Cao Shi as he let out a long drawn out breath. The Genesis Qi around his body gradually receded, seemingly thinner than before. It was clear that the eighth dragon of the Nine Dragons Canon earlier had depleted his Genesis Qi.
This was something everyone could see, but no one dared to say anything this time. The strength Zhou Yuan had just displayed made them feel a chill rise in their hearts.
Zhou Yuan was after all still at the second layer Alpha-Origin stage, but even the fifth layer Cao Shi had suffered greatly at the former’s hands. Such battle power was terrifying.
Moreover, the current Zhou Yuan was obviously even stronger than he was during the peak selection ceremony.
Such rapid progress made one’s heart shiver involuntarily.
“Thanks for letting me win.” Zhou Yuan cupped his fists together with a calm expression.
Fear and anger interlaced on Cao Shi’s face that was not a pretty sight to look at currently. Such an outcome was something he had never even considered.
Around the stone stage, all the disciples stared at Zhou Yuan in amazement regardless of what faction they hailed from. There was no longer any gazes that questioned his actions, now replaced by a sliver of wariness.
In the past, numerous senior disciples had not thought much of this champion of the peak selection ceremony. Zhou Yuan was after all just a new disciple, and titles meant little. However, Zhou Yuan had now proven his worth to them...
In the silence, Shen Taiyuan stroked his beard, a gratified smile appearing on his strict and aged face. Zhou Yuan’s victory had also somewhat exceeded his expectations.
He had originally been under the impression that Zhou Yuan was merely being rash, especially since youngsters were quite easily provoked. But from what he could see now, it was clear that he had underestimated Zhou Yuan.
He softly chuckled as his gaze swept towards his disciples.
“Zhou Yuan had won this battle. In accordance to the agreement, he shall be the third participant in the cave match next month. Is there any of you who still has objections?”
Numerous disciples shook their heads.
Shen Taiyuan nodded as he looked towards Zhou Yuan and said, “Since that is the case, you shall be the third participant. In a month, you shall represent our faction and contest for the purple Genesis cave dwelling.”
“Understood.” Zhou Yuan cupped his fists and responded.
Shen Taiyuan and the rest of the new disciples cheered in excitement. Zhou Yuan battle made them feel proud as fellow new disciples.
The corners of Zhang Yan’s mouth twitched when he saw this. He knew that with this battle, Zhou Yuan had established a place for himself in the inner mountains. In the future, it was likely that not many disciples would respond if anyone were to attempt suppressing Zhou Yuan based on seniority.
After all, the strength Zhou Yuan had displayed in this battle was enough to convince everyone.
He glanced at the deathly pale Cao Shi, and could only curse inside.
“Useless.”
He had originally intended for Cao Shi to show Zhou Yuan his place, and lessen his value in Shen Taiyuan’s eyes. However, it had all been ruined by Cao Shi.
Zhou Yuan had ultimately managed to solidify his position.
Chapter 300 Stir
The result of Zhou Yuan and Cao Shi’s match swiftly spread in Saint Genesis Peak, undoubtedly stirring up the waters. Many had originally believed this match to be an unimportant squabble that had been started by Zhou Yuan.
Even though Zhou Yuan was the champion of the latest peak selection ceremony, it had been a competition only amongst the outer mountain disciples. Cao Shi on the other hand was a veteran gold sash disciple, and a formidable individual amongst his fifth layer Alpha-Origin peers. These two were clearly not supposed to be on the same level.
As such, many had dismissed the match with a laugh. But who could have expected the final result to turn out in such a manner...
“What? Zhou Yuan defeated Cao Shi?!”
Lu Yan was with elder Lu Song when she heard the news, disbelief immediately flooding her pretty face as she immediately asked, “How can it be? Did you make a mistake?”
The disciple that had mae the report merely smiled bitterly as he explained, “The news has already spread, and so many people have personally seen the battle. Zhou Yuan has indeed beaten Cao Shi.
Lu Yan’s face turned spicy hot with embarrassment. She had so certain of Zhou Yuan’s defeat, hence this outcome was in truth quite shameful for her.
“Hehe, it seems that you’ve underestimated Zhou Yuan.” Elder Lu Song grinned widely.
Lu Yan gently gritted her teeth and snorted. “Who knows whether elder Shen’s faction was just putting up a show. Elder Shen may have forced Cao Shi to lose to Zhou Yuan.”
She was still unable to believe it. Zhou Yuan was only a second layer Alpha-Origin, right? Even if he had defeated the fourth layer Lu Feng during the peak selection ceremony, there was a huge gap between Lu Feng and Cao Shi.
Elder Lu Song shook his head. “I understand old Shen’s character. He’s inflexible and stubborn, and no matter how highly he regards Zhou Yuan, he will never use such a method to help the latter.”
The disciple that had come to inform them also said, “It seems that Zhou Yuan’s Nine Dragons Canon has reached the eighth dragon level.”
“Oh?” Elder Lu Song, who was currently watering a plant, paused for a moment as he remarked in surprise, “This little guy does have some ability. Even amongst the inner mountain disciples, there are very few who can reach this level in the Nine Dragons Canon. In his fight with Lu Feng, he had only been at the fourth dragon…”
“I’ve previously heard of Zhou Yuan’s excellent comprehensive ability with regards to Genesis techniques, but I never imagined that it would be so superb.” He sighed.
Lu Yan pouted when she heard Lu Song continuously praise Zhou Yuan. “If you think so highly of him, why didn’t you recruit him?”
Elder Lu Song sighed. “At present, Lu Hong’s momentum is practically unstoppable, and I no longer have the drive to vie with him,
leaving only that stubborn old Shen who is still unwilling to admit defeat. Since that is the case, why should I compete with him over Zhou Yuan. You can take it as me letting him hope.”
“In that one in a million chance that Zhou Yuan really does turn out to be an amazing genius blessed by the heavens, and manages to obstruct Lu Hong’s faction, it would be good for us too, because as things stand, we’ll likely never be able to raise our heads again in the future.”
Lu Yan’s pupils swiveled in thought as she said, “Since Zhou Yuan has defeated Cao Shi, he will become one of the participants for the upcoming cave match. Grandfather, who do you think will end up winning the purple Genesis cave dwelling?”
Lu Song chuckled and answered, “Though Zhou Yuan is talented, he has after all only recently joined the inner mountains, it is likely that it took everything he had to defeat Cao Shi this time. If my prediction is not wrong, once he used the Nine Dragons Canon, he barely had any Genesis Qi left to continue the fight.”
Upon hearing this, the disciple who had come to report immediately said, “Teacher Shen has incredible foresight. It is indeed true that Zhou Yuan exhausted nearly all of his Genesis Qi after using the Nine Dragons Canon. I’m of the opinion that if Cao Shi had gritted his teeth and took it, the one who lost would not have been him.”
Lu Song nodded in agreement. “He’s after all a second layer Alpha-Origin, making his cultivation lacking… so even if he replaces Cao Shi, he would not be of much help to elder Shen’s side.”
“I’ve heard that Lu Hong is sending Wei Youxuan, Feng Yu and Chen Ying… these three are certainly elites amongst his gold sash disciples, each one boasting incredible strength, and may even be concealing their true power.”
“That’s why even with Zhou Yuan’s sudden addition, Lu Hong’s side still has a better chance of victory.”
“In such a situation, a mere Zhou Yuan changes nothing.”
Only after hearing Lu Song speak such words did Lu Yan finally nod in satisfaction.
Lu Song could not help but laugh when he saw this. “He has never provoked or offended you, why do you always seem so happy when things aren’t going well for him?”
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 164
