The next day.
When the prepared Zhou Yuan walked out of the little house in the cave dwelling, he saw Yaoyao gracefully standing in a pool of light nearby, her slim figure dressed in black today. The scene of sunlight being reflected off her fair and pretty face was so dazzling that one could not turn away.
Although she still wore her typical nonchalant expression, Zhou Yuan could feel that the expression in her eyes was a little colder than usual. Evidently, she was still a little mad over what happened at Spirit Rune Peak.
When Yaoyao saw Zhou Yuan approach, she gently tossed an object towards him. Zhou Yuan hastily caught it, discovering that it was a ring with faint Genesis Runes surfacing on its body.
“That Genesis Rune boundary requires two individuals to work together and simultaneously attack two points at its core. When this ring begins to heat up, you must quickly destroy the core on your side, or my side will also fall into a deadlock.” Explained Yaoyao.
Zhou Yuan nodded at words, before he slipped the ring onto his finger.
“Let’s go.”
Zhou Yuan grinned as he walked forward with swagger, “We, the twin menace will definitely crush Spirit Rune Peak today, and make sure that they will never dare to stop sister Yaoyao ever again!”
The corners of Yaoyao’s red lips lifted slightly as she rolled her eyes at him. However, that eye roll caused even the heart of someone like Zhou Yuan, who was used to the sight of her beauty, beat a little faster, as he secretly sighed inside. Women truly were the root of all trouble… it was no wonder even an influential figure like Ye Ge would go to all that trouble for her.
Beside them, Tuntun also leapt into Yaoyao’s arms, as it bared its fangs and growled. It clearly also understood that someone had upset Yaoyao yesterday, causing it to be given the cold shoulder. In fact, it was so angry that if no one had stopped it, it would have went ahead and eaten that bastard called Ye Ge.
Two humans and a beast walked out of the cave.
The moment they left, they were greeted with the sight of numerous figures gathered in front of the cave. At the very front of the group was Zhou Tai, Shen Wanjin and many other fellow brother disciples.
Upon seeing Zhou Yuan looked over with a puzzled gaze, Zhou Tai awkwardly scratched his head and said, “Junior brother Zhou Yuan, everyone already knows about what happened at Spirit Rune Peak. Technically speaking, junior sister Yaoyao also belongs to our group, and even though Spirit Rune Peak is more powerful than us, we cannot possibly let them look down on us.”
“Therefore, we will also be following you guys to Spirit Rune Peak today to cheer the both of you on.”
The other disciples echoed in agreement. It seemed like all of them were filled with indignation at this injustice.
The corners of Zhou Yuan’s mouth twitched. None of these bastards had shown even a sliver of camaraderie when he encountered trouble in the past. However, the instant they heard that Yaoyao was facing some difficulty, it was as if all of them had been pumped full of drugs, and were now unafraid of even Spirit Rune Peak.
Zhou Yuan resentfully shook his head, but did not say anything about it. He merely nodded as he began to circulate his Genesis Qi, creating a cloud that carried him and Yaoyao into the air.
Behind him, Zhou Tai and the rest of the brother disciples cheered, before they quickly followed.
The group sped off into the distance. After an incense stick of time, the magnificent Spirit Rune Peak appeared within their sights, along with countless glowing figures that were swarming over from all directions, before eventually descending towards Spirit Rune Peak.
The bustling scene startled Zhou Yuan. These people were obviously not from Spirit Rune Peak, but disciples from the other peaks...
“It actually caused such a huge commotion?” Zhou Yuan exclaimed in astonishment. Even his cave match some time ago had not attracted so many disciples.
“Who do you think you are? Yaoyao’s fame in the Cangxuan Sect already far exceeds what little you have accomplished.” Just as he was marvelling at the crowd, a cold and clear voice sounded from behind him. Almost immediately after, a cloud that gave off cold Genesis Qi floated down.
Atop the cloud, was Li Qingchan in a white dress.
Her appearance instantly drew all the surrounding gazes over.
Yaoyao lifted her head, swept a glance at Li Qingchan and said, “Are you here to watch the show?”
Li Qingchan looked at Yaoyao and replied, “I owe you a favour. If you do not wish to head into that Genesis Rune boundary, I can find another way to help you destroy it.”
Yaoyao shook her head as her red lips moved, “As long as it is related to Genesis Runes, there is no reason for me to retreat. Since they want to humiliate themselves, I am naturally happy to oblige.”
Li Qingchan slowly said, “That boundary was selected personally by peak master Bai Mei. It is only thanks to his guidance that the Spirit Rune Peak disciples were able to set it up…”
She then glanced at Zhou Yuan, before she continued, “Are you thinking about bringing Zhou Yuan along? I am afraid he is only going to be a burden.”
She was very direct when she spoke, and she did not bother trying to cover anything up just because Zhou Yuan was also present.
“You should also know what Ye Ge is after. Therefore, instead of asking him for help in the end, why don’t you allow me to help you?” Said Li Qingchan.
However, Yaoyao still shook her head and said, “Zhou Yuan can do it.”
With these final words, she led the way towards Spirit Rune Peak with Zhou Yuan following behind.
Li Qingchan frowned slightly as she watched the former’s back and mumbled to herself, “What a stubborn person… though Zhou Yuan is fairly talented in Genesis Runes, I’m afraid that he won’t be as useful as you imagine in a boundary of this level.”
“Hence, you will ultimately come to me for help.”
Her words were filled with confidence, evidently already certain that Zhou Yuan would be useless today.
By the time Yaoyao and Zhou Yuan arrived in the vicinity of Spirit Rune Hall, it was already packed with people. Countless gazes looked over, only to have their breaths taken away by the sight of Yaoyao walking up the stone steps.
As for the one walking beside her, he had been completely ignored.
The two of them walked up the steps, eventually coming to a stop in front of Spirit Rune Hall. They found numerous Spirit Rune Peak disciples standing before them with Ye Ge at the head of the group, standing with his hands behind his back.
Ye Ge first looked at Yaoyao, before he turned his attention to Zhou Yuan. When the gazes of these two individuals met, lightning seemed to noiselessly flash in the background.
“Junior sister Yaoyao, are you prepared today?” Asked Ye Ge with a smile.
His body leaned a little to the side he spoke in a polite manner, “If junior sister Yaoyao needs my help, all you have to do is to ask.”
Ye Ge was already a handsome guy with great manners. As a result, this gentle smile of his made many of the female disciples nearby to be secretly lovestruck.
In comparison, Zhou Yuan, who stood beside Yaoyao, appeared way too unremarkable. He was only a gold sash disciple after all, and there was simple too huge of a gap between him and Ye Ge, who was one of the ten great Chosens.
Behind Ye Ge, several of the Saint Peak Rune disciples who knew his intentions, smiled as they said, “Junior sister Yaoyao, senior brother Ye Ge has never treated any girl so well.”
Their gazes stealthily swept across Zhou Yuan, as a trace of disdain surfaced within their eyes.
They had heard of Zhou Yuan before, and he did seem to be fairly capable. However, Genesis Qi cultivation was basically going to be useless here. The only way to break the boundary was with Genesis Runes.
Therefore, they believed that a disciple like Zhou Yuan, who focused on Genesis Qi cultivation, could not possibly be too skilled in Genesis Rune. It was likely that he had been forcibly d
ragged along by Yaoyao to make up the numbers.
Yaoyao may not be aware that the Genesis Rune boundary before her would only become more difficult to break through with someone dragging her down.
Hence, not only would Zhou Yuan be of no use today, he would likely also become a burden to Yaoyao. However, this was good news as well. When that happened, Yaoyao would finally realize how incapable Zhou Yuan was, while also naturally coming to appreciate how outstanding Ye Ge was.
Yaoyao’s expression did not change in the face of their words, however, cold glint in her eyes intensified.
Ye Ge astutely detected the iciness in Yaoyao’s eyes, and quickly waved his hand to stop the crowd’s chatter. He was beneath someone like him to utilise such means to belittle others.
“Can we begin?” Yaoyao indifferently asked.
Ye Ge chuckled and nodded his. With a wave of his hand, the disciples behind him quickly scattered, revealing a path that led straight into mist-covered Genesis Rune boundary.
Ye Ge smiled as he said, “Please go ahead junior sister Yaoyao!”
Yaoyao stared at the Genesis Rune boundary. Without further ado, she raised a foot and advanced.
Zhou Yuan was one step behind, following her forward.
When he walked past Ye Ge, Zhou Yuan tilted his head slightly, only to realize that Ye Ge was also looking at him. Their gazes met as both of them smiled faintly.
Ye Ge smiled and said, “I hope that junior brother Zhou Yuan will be able to assist junior sister Yaoyao.”
“Of course, there is no need for you to worry.” Zhou Yuan nodded as he stepped forward, now standing shoulder to shoulder with Yaoyao.
They ultimately arrived right in front of the mist boundary. Under the attention of the crowd, they exchanged a look, before taking a step forward into the Genesis Rune boundary.
Their bodies disappear into the mist.
The numerous disciples in the area were boiling with excitement. All of them were eager to find out whether Yaoyao and Zhou Yuan would be able to break the Genesis Rune boundary created by the combined efforts of numerous Spirit Rune Peak disciples...
Chapter 352 Two Guardians
The entire place seemed to erupt into a frenzy the moment Yaoyao and Zhou Yuan’s figures disappeared into the mist boundary, many disciples whispering among themselves, as they debated the outcome of today’s event…
While they were talking, Genesis Qi suddenly gathered in the air above Spirit Rune Hall, ultimately taking the form of two giant Genesis Qi mirrors under the countless gazes of the watching disciples.
As the mist in the mirrors faded, two figures gradually surfaced.
The two figures were revealed to be Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao, who had just stepped into the boundary moments ago.
Evidently, their every move was being projected by these mirrors.
The noise slowly died down, as numerous disciples turned their gazes towards the mirrors, attentively watching the two figures within...
“Zhou Yuan simply does not understand his place. The cave match ended not too long ago, and he’s already creating such a huge commotion again…” At a certain spot in front of Spirit Rune Hall, Lu Xuanyin with her arms crossed, a cold gleam appearing on her face as she gazed at the Genesis Qi mirror.
Next to her, was a faintly smiling Xu Yan. The lingering trace of amazement in his eyes due to the sight of Yaoyao earlier was only gradually beginning to fade at this moment as he chuckled and said, “You’ve overestimated him this time. He currently does not have the qualifications to receive such lavish treatment from Spirit Rune Peak.”
“Zhou Xiaoyao is the real star of today’s show.”
At the mention of this name, Lu Xuanyin tightly pursed her lips, clearly somewhat displeased. Nonetheless, she had no choice but to admit the cruel reality that Yaoyao’s popularity in the Cangxuan Sect had far exceeded her own.
“Can they really break this Genesis Rune boundary?” Asked Lu Xuanyin.
She naturally hoped that Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao would fail, because if they succeeded, Yaoyao’s skyrocketing popularity would likely surge even higher.
Xu Yan fell silent for a moment, before he slowly said, “I am afraid it’s not going to be easy. Zhou Xiaoyao must be insanely talented in Genesis Runes for peak master Bai Mei to regard her so highly. However, this Genesis Rune boundary is extremely intricate, and requires two individuals working in perfect sync in order to break through.”
“If she cooperated with Ye Ge, it would be extremely easy to break the boundary. However, she chose Zhou Yuan…”
“According to the rules, one cannot rely on Genesis Qi but instead one’s mastery over Genesis Runes to break this Genesis Rune boundary. However, Zhou Yuan does not seem to have any outstanding talent in Genesis Runes.”
“Therefore, it was a mistake for Zhou Xiaoyao to ask Zhou Yuan for help, because he would only end up dragging her down.” Towards the end, even Xu Yan shook his head as if lamenting the beauty’s poor judgement...
He paused for a moment, before he continued, “Moreover, according to what I know, this boundary is split into two parts, each part possessing its own core. In addition, there is a disciple guarding each core.”
“The two core guardians are renowned individuals from Spirit Rune Peak… and a battle with them will be unavoidable if the boundary is to be broken.”
“Yaoyao’s side may not be a problem, but as for Zhou Yuan… I am afraid he will not be able to triumph over his opponent.” At this juncture, a playful smile appeared on Xu Yan’s lips.
Upon hearing his evaluation of the situation, Lu Xuanyin’s eyes brightened slightly as she smiled and said, “Many are here because of Yaoyao. If she ends up failing due to Zhou Yuan, I am pretty sure that most of them would be pissed at him. Things will become very entertaining when that happens.”
Xu Yan smiled as he nodded.
“This is the price to pay for basking in the limelight too often…”
…
“Hongyi, is that the Zhou Yuan you keep bringing up? It doesn’t seem like there is anything special about him.”
At another corner, several pretty girls were gathered together. The most attention grabbing amongst them was a tall girl dressed in red. Her long legs would haunt the dreams of any man, while a red whip hung from her tiny waist, giving her a wild yet sexy look.
That beautiful and familiar face obviously belonged to Gu Hongyi, who had chosen to join Cangxuan Peak.
At this current moment, there was a long-haired girl standing beside Gu Hongyi, who was blessed with a great figure. It was this very girl who had spoken earlier with a grin.
When the other girls heard this, they also grinned as they nodded, “But he seems to be quite a troublemaker. It has not even been two months since he joined the inner mountains, and he’s already caused so many commotions.”
Gu Hongyi’s lips curled slightly downwards. “At the very least, he ends up victorious each time. Moreover, he is going to take part in next month’s purple sash selection. This already puts him far ahead of his peers, alright?”
The beautiful girl with long hair merely pursed her lips into a smile and said, “Well, that depends on whether he can be ranked among the top ten. Otherwise, what kind of accomplishment is joining just to gain experience?”
“Furthermore…” Her beautiful eyes rotated in thought as she softly said, “I’ve heard that Lu Xuanyin has asked numerous senior brothers from Sword Cometh Peak peak to help deal with him during the upcoming purple sash selection.”
Gu Hongyi immediately frowned. Soon after, she smiled at that long-haired girl and said, “Senior sister Su Wan, you are the strongest gold sash disciples from our Cangxuan Sect, and will most definitely become the champion of the upcoming purple sash selection. You have to help if you see Zhou Yuan in trouble.”
The beautiful girl with long hair was Su Wan, the hot favorite to clinch the championship for the upcoming purple sash selection, and also Cangxuan Peak’s number one gold sash disc
iple.
Su Wan smiled playfully as she said, “Aren’t you being too biased? There are many other disciples from our Cangxuan Sect taking part as well. Why didn’t you ask me to assist them?”
Gu Hongyi frowned slightly and said, “They have nothing to do with me.”
With regards to Gu Hongyi’s directness, Su Wan did not know whether to laugh or to be mad. All she could do was to use her fingers to prod her junior’s slim waist as she said, “You ungrateful lass. Do you know how many times these disciples have secretly fought over you ever since you came to Cangxuan Peak?”
Gu Hongyi had great looks and a powerful background. Therefore, she was naturally extremely popular in Cangxuan Peak. In fact, the elders of the peak were beginning to have a headache as more and more disciples fought over her in secret.
“Pointless.” Said Gu Hongyi with a slight frown.
Su Wan shook her head helplessly. She lifted her gaze towards the Genesis Rune boundary and said, “But let’s not talk about the purple sash selection for now. After all, whether he can win today’s battle is still up in the air…:
“A Genesis Rune boundary of this level is not something a gold sash disciple can deal with. When the time comes, he will not only get stuck, but will likely even burden Zhou Xiaoyao…”
From her tone, it was clear that she felt that Zhou Yuan was simply too ignorantly arrogant. In her eyes, he appeared too eager to thrust himself into the limelight with no consideration of his own strength.
A worried look flashed across Gu Hongyi’s eyes. She too knew that the Genesis Rune boundary before them was not simple at all.
However, owing to the faith she had in Zhou Yuan, she still said, “Zhou Yuan is not a reckless individual. Since he chose to enter the boundary, he must have some confidence.”
Su Wan shook her head as she softly said, “According to what I know, there are two individuals guarding the boundary core. One of them is the chief disciple of Spirit Rune Peak, senior brother Jin Zhang…”
“To think that it would be senior brother Jin Zhang…” A solemn expression appeared on Gu Hongyi’s face. Jin Zhang’s reputation in Spirit Rune Peak was inferior only to Ye Ge’s…
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 192
