“So he does have a little ability.” Lu Hong snorted, an icy look flashing across his aged face. He had personally opened his mouth to recruit Zhou Yuan back then, but ended up being rejected by the latter. Hence, Lu Hong naturally did not want to see things go well for Zhou Yuan.
Yuan Hong slowly said, “However, a senior brother from Sword Cometh Peak secretly informed me that Zhou Yuan’s eight dragon baptism is likely the work of senior sister Li Qingchan, because Zhou Xiaoyao had helped senior sister Li Qingchan to deal with senior brother Kong Sheng.”
These words were akin to thunder, causing an explosion of noise in the hall.
“Senior sister Li Qingchan helped Zhou Yuan obtain an eight dragon baptism?!” Disbelief was revealed in the eyes of numerous male disciples. There was no one who did not know that senior sister Li Qingchan was akin to a cold goddess of an ice mountain, and always made sure to keep her distance with the opposite sex. Many outstanding disciples admired her, but did not dare to confess.
Hence, when they heard that Zhou Yuan’s eight dragon baptism was due to senior sister Li Qingchan’s aid, they found it very difficult to swallow.
What was so good about him that he could enjoy the favor of senior sister Li Qingchan?
Yuan Hong’s expression turned slightly grave as he looked towards Lu Hong. “There’s nothing to be feared about Zhou Yuan, but that Zhou Xiaoyao…”
If Zhou Xiaoyao truly had the qualifications to interfere in battle between Kong Sheng and Li Qingchan, it would mean that her strength was extremely terrifying. If she participated in Saint Genesis Peak’s competition for the chief disciple, even Yuan Hong did not fancy his chances.
Lu Hong’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Zhou Xiaoyao is indeed no ordinary individual… but there’s no need to be overly worried. Strictly speaking, she’s not considered a disciple under Shen Taiyuan.”
Yaoyao was regarded with extreme importance by Spirit Rune Peak master Bai Mei, making it difficult for any of the three elders from Saint Genesis Peak to recruit her. In the end, Yaoyao became a rather unique existence in Saint Genesis Peak.
But this was also why she would not be able to participate in the selection battle for the chief disciple.
Moreover, from Yaoyao’s usual behaviour, she seemed to hold zero interest in the power struggles between the three factions...
Yuan Hong gave a faint nod when he heard this, his expression returning to its usual calmness.
Lu Hong said, “There’s only a few days till the cave match…”
His gaze swept across the hall, ultimately stopping on the three golden mats at the very front, or to be more precise, the first seat, Wei You.
The latter’s slender body was currently dressed entirely in black, a certain faint sternness visible between his brows.
Upon sensing Lu Hong’s gaze, Wei You smiled slightly, a sliver of pride visible on his face as he softly said, “Relax teacher Lu, it’s just a baptism. Although an eight dragon baptism is very effective, it can’t turn a sheep into a wolf.”
“Whoever dares to reach for the purple Genesis cave dwelling will have his hand chopped off by me.”
Though he seemed to downplay his words, there was a certain seriousness within them, a sign of the absolute confidence he had in himself.
“Hehe, senior brother Wei should try to leave some face for them and not win too easily. After all, we disciples of the same peak will occasionally meet each other.” Flattered a disciple by the side with a smile. His words were similarly filled with confidence towards Wei You.
The other disciples roared with laughter.
None of them were the least bit worried about the upcoming cave match, appearing as if victory was already in their grasp.
Lu Hong nodded, his cold face relaxing a little as he sneered in his heart. Shen Taiyuan was truly short sighted to be so happy for the past two days. It was just a new disciple obtaining an eight dragon baptism by some fluke, did he really believe that it would change anything?
Fine, I’ll let you be happy for now. When the cave match arrives, you will naturally understand how repulsive your disciples are compared to my talented disciples. You should have followed Lu Song’s example long ago, and obediently pull back to the sidelines instead of obstructing my way.
…
While the entire Saint Genesis Peak was abuzz due to Zhou Yuan’s eight dragon baptism, the main actor was not wasting away his time going around bragging to everyone. Instead, he cooped himself up in his cave dwelling and cultivated in peace, digesting the benefits from the eight dragon baptism.
He knew that an eight dragon baptism did not mean anything significant, and it had been his good luck to obtain one. If not for Tuntun and Li Qingchan, he would not have reached an eight dragon baptism.
Even so, he would not undervalue himself either, because borrowing the power others would at times also be a type of strength.
Abandoning one’s advantages and insisting on bashing one’s head against a brick wall was nothing but foolishness.
Hence, Zhou Yuan concentrated on digesting the gains from the eight dragon baptism. What he needed to do next was to deal with the upcoming cave match.
This was going to be his first real battle after coming to Saint Genesis Peak.
To obtain that purple Genesis cave dwelling and become a purple sash disciple as quickly as possible to gain the qualifications to participate in the chief disciple selection at the year end, he needed to perform during the cave match.
In the depths of the cave dwelling, Zhou Yuan opened his eyes, the light within them gradually withdrawing as the surging Genesis Qi in his body retreated back to his Qi Dwelling.
After several days of cultivation, Zhou Yuan had finally gained full control over his increased Genesis Qi.
He lowered his head and slowly clenched his fist as he released a soft laugh.
There was finally going to be a challenging battle. Zhou Yuan hoped that the disciples under Lu Hong would not disappoint.
Chapter 332 Commotion over the Cave Match
The buzz brought about by news of Zhou Yuan’s eight dragon baptism only lasted for a few days, before gradually fading away. What took its place was the hype for the upcoming cave match between Lu Hong and Shen Taiyuan’s factions.
The majority of Saint Genesis Peak being sealed off had led to the lack of cultivation resources such as cave dwellings. As such, every cave dwelling ended up being fiercely contested by numerous disciples.
The cave match this time would decide which faction the purple Genesis cave dwelling would ultimately go to.
It was an event that undoubtedly drew everyone’s attention. After all, a cave dwelling of such quality was considered a high class cultivation resource even in the entire Cangxuan Sect, and ordinary disciples would only dream of owning one.
In addition, many disciples understood that though the match seemed to be for the purple Genesis cave dwelling on the surface, it was also part of the power struggle in Saint Genesis Peak.
Lu Hong’s faction had practically dropped from the sky into Saint Genesis Peak, and began snatching away numerous cultivation resources from Shen Taiyuan and Lu Hong’s factions in an overbearing manner. The former clearly intended on being dominant faction.
In response, elder Lu Song had chosen to give in, while the old fashioned Shen Taiyuan opted to face them head-on, clearly unwilling to let an outsider take away their power and influence.
Saint Genesis Peak was already at a low point. If they were to let Lu Hong lord over them too, everyone would surely forget that they even existed, making it even more difficult for them to obtain cultivation resources for their disciples in the future.
Such an outcome would undoubtedly lead to them losing all their disciples, forcing the two elders into retirement, becoming elders without any authority in the sect.
Before the upcoming cave match, Lu Hong’s faction had won the majority of the matches between the three factions. This was also the main reason why they c
urrently seemed so unstoppable.
Hence, Shen Taiyuan could only place his hopes into winning the upcoming match to stop their streak, because if they were allowed to continue winning, it would be a deadly blow to the morale of Shen Taiyuan’s faction.
Moreover, when news of this spread, the other peaks will look down even more on Saint Genesis Peak, and believe them to be useless, causing no one to even pity them if they ended up being replaced.
This was why Shen Taiyuan really did not want to lose the upcoming cave match.
…
After several days of anticipation, the day of the cave match finally arrived.
On one of the mountains in Saint Genesis Peak was an enormous cave dwelling. Runes flickered at the entrance to the cave, forming a barrier that sealed it.
Even so, extremely pure and vigorous Genesis Qi still managed to seep out from the cave, making the greenery at its entrance appear even more vibrant than normal.
This was obviously a purple Genesis cave dwelling.
Outside the cave was a steep cliff surrounded by swirling mists. Several giant boulders had been cut and placed upon it, creating a spacious stone stage.
This was where the cave match would be held.
Very few people would come here in the past, but today, it had become the most bustling place in Saint Genesis Peak.
Figures continuously streamed in from the sky, landing all around the mountain, making the place appear very crowded, the noisy din from the crowd breaking the usual peace of the area.
Elder Lu Song was seated in a stone pavilion atop a nearby cliff. Behind him stood Lu Yan and a few of his other purple sash disciples.
Outside the pavilion were even more gold sash and black sash disciples, quite an impressive number of them in total.
“Why are there so many people here today?” Lu Song had a tea cup in his hand, a slightly puzzled look in his eyes as he scanned the surroundings. Many figures were still streaming over at this time.
Moreover, these figures clearly did not belong to Saint Genesis Peak.
This observation was quite baffling to him. A cave match like this would at most affect one’s own peak, and have practically nothing to do with the disciples of the other peaks. So why had so many people come today? Since when had a cave match of their Saint Genesis Peak been able to draw so many disciples from the other peaks to watch?
Lu Yan frowned, but said in a gloating manner, “What else can it be? They must be here for Zhou Yuan.”
Lu Song raised his eyebrows.
“A few days ago, elder Miao from Snow Lotus Peak said in front of everyone that Zhou Yuan’s future prospects were limitless., and he may even be able to match senior brother Chu Qing in the future.” Said Lu Yan with a smile, but anyone could hear the sliver of disdain in her voice.
“What status do you think senior brother Chu Qing has in the hearts of the numerous disciples? Elder Miao’s words would naturally give rise to curiosity and disagreement. Since they’ve heard that Zhou Yuan will be participating in the cave match today, they will naturally come and see whether or not he is as remarkable as she claimed…”
Only then did Lu Song understand. Looks like the disciples from the other peaks were not here with friendly intent.
If Zhou Yuan did not give an amazing performance today, the entire sect would likely soon hear of it. Who knows how much jeering and mockery he would have to face then.
Chu Qing was just too dazzling after all, making it such that even a less than extraordinary performance from Zhou Yuan would instead make him appear incompetent in comparison, even if it would only be incompetant when compared to Chu Qing.
“Elder Miao really has a large mouth. How can one so casually make such remarks.” Lu Song frowned. Even if he had high expectations of Zhou Yuan, he would never say such words in public.
Now that such a crowd had been drawn, Zhou Yuan would definitely be under tremendous pressure.
Although Lu Song had chosen not to fight with Lu Hong, deep in his heart the former was still leaning towards Shen Taiyuan. There was after all no benefit to Lu Song’s own factions if Lu Hong’s side were to win another cave match and suppress Shen Taiyuan’s faction even more.
Lu Yan, on the other hand, was clearly ignorant to the situation. She placed her arms across her chest and said, “Zhou Yuan was asking for it. Stubbornly jumping into the limelight even though he’s just a new inner mountain disciple, does he really believe he’s the same as senior brother Chu Qing?”
“The tallest tree will always be the first to be blown down. Without enough ability, one should try to be a little less prominent such as to protect oneself.”
Anyone could tell that as Chu Qing’s fanatical supporter, Lu Yan was very disapproving at elder Miao’s evaluation. In Lu Yan’s opinion, the two were on completely different levels. How could Zhou Yuan possibly be compared to senior brother Chu Qing.
It was only an eight dragon baptism, and who knew what the future would be. To say Zhou Yuan was comparable to senior brother Chu Qing based on this achievement alone was truly unconvincing.
As such, Lu Yan strongly believed that after the cave match, elder Miao’s high praise of Zhou Yuan would instead become the same material used to ridicule him. In fact, it may even become akin to a boulder placed upon Zhou Yuan’s shoulders, making him unable to raise his head.
Lu Song glanced at her and nonchalantly said, “If they lose, it will only grow the reputation Lu Hong’s faction, making them even more bold and overbearing. What good is this to us?”
Lu Yan froze for a moment, before she resentfully said, “It’s not like they’re depending on him… he’s only a third layer Alpha-Origin, and it probably there just to make up the numbers.”
Lu Song sighed. How could he not know that Shen Taiyuan’s chances were indeed not optimistic.
While the two of them were conversing, a disturbance was suddenly felt in the mountain as countless gazes filled with interest cast towards a certain direction.
A group of figures was slowly walking over.
At the front was Shen Taiyuan, while Zhou Tai, Zhang Yan, Zhou Yuan, Yaoyao and the rest followed behind.
Their numbers were quite impressive. It was clear that all of the disciples under Shen Taiyuan had come this time to at least bolster their presence.
When Shen Taiyuan arrived, he was immediately stunned for a moment by the black sprawling mass of figures in front of the mountain. He too had not expected the cave match to draw such a crowd.
He frowned, but did not say anything as he continued to walk forward. With a nod to Lu Song, Shen Taiyuan entered another stone pavilion at the edge of a cliff.
Zhou Yuan stood inside the pavilion, feeling the countless unfamiliar gazes that were tinged with amusement. This told him that these disciples from the other peaks were likely here for him.
Yaoyao joked from the side, “How lively, looks like you’re going to become famous.”
Zhou Yuan chuckled helplessly. They were more likely here to watch him make a fool of himself.
However, he was not angered by their presence, his eyes calm and serene. Regardless of why they had come, there was still only one goal he had today.
To win the purple Genesis cave dwelling.
Not long after Shen Taiyuan’s group arrived, a clamor was heard as another wave of figures aggressively surged into the area, their astonishing presence drawing the attention of everyone present.
The one leading them was naturally Lu Hong.
However, Zhou Yuan saw a familiar figure at Lu Hong’s side.
Dressed in black that outlined a set of enchanting curves, her legs were long and slender, her waist supple and slim, while her eyes gave off a haughty and cold aura.
It was Lu Xuanyin.
The moment she appeared, her cold and haughty eyes immediately locked onto Zhou Yuan as a smirk appeared on her pretty face.
At the same time, hatred also began radiating from her eyes.
“Zhou Yuan,
since you took the number one spot from Lu Feng, and stole the fame he should have had, I shall personally witness how you will be thoroughly humiliated today!”
Chapter 333 Cave Match Begins
The moment Lu Hong’s group appeared, every gaze in the area could not help but converge towards them. One had to admit that when compared to the other two factions of Saint Genesis Peak, the former surpassed the other two in presence.
However, the other two groups could not be blamed for being too weak, because it was Lu Hong’s faction that was too strong. Lu Hong’s faction had already been a formidable force back in Sword Cometh Peak. What’s more, they had taken in quite a number of talented disciples over the years, making it basically impossible for the other two factions to match Lu Hong’s faction in terms of disciples.
Lu Hong stood with his hand behind his back at the very front, his expression indifferent.
When he arrived, he merely cast a glance at Shen Taiyuan and Lu Song, before stepping into the last stone pavilion.
The disciple under him crowded around the pavilion, a rather imposing sight.
Only three figures had been allowed to follow Lu Hong into the pavilion. One was naturally his first disciple, Yuan Hong, while another was Lu Xuanyin.
Although she was not Lu Hong’s disciple, Lu Hong was her elder in their clan.
Beside Lu Xuanyin was a tall figure with excellent posture. A faint smile hung from the lips of the youth who had a head full of red hair. His eyes were imposing and gave off an invasive feeling, evidence that he was clearly no kind spirit.
He was called Xu Yan and was also not Lu Hong’s disciple, but from the same teacher as Lu Xuanyin. His father was an elder in the Cangxuan Sect who was quite famous in Sword Cometh Peak, while he himself was a purple sash disciple.
Xu Yan’s gaze swept across Zhou Yuan at this moment and asked with a grin, “Xuanyin, is that the one who stole Lu Feng’s number one spot in the peak selection ceremony?”
Lu Xuanyin faintly nodded in response, still somewhat indignant as she said, “He was so cunning, managing to catch Lu Feng off-guard and clinch victory by some stroke of luck.”
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 181
