His crumbling surroundings was stealthily repaired as the entire place fell silent. All one could only hear were the gently stirring waves on the ocean.
There was no trace of the earth-shaking battle earlier.
As if it was just a dream.
However, Jin Zhang abruptly turned his head to look at where Yaoyao was originally standing, only to realize that it was now empty. He then lifted his trembling head, finding a beautiful figure silently standing atop a water pillar.
The same pillar where the core was located.
The core which he had been protecting, had been bafflingly taken over by Yaoyao...
“How did this happen?!” The numerous disciples In front of Spirit Rune Hall were stupefied.
Ye Ge took in a deep breath, the expression in his eyes turning extremely solemn as he slowly said, “To think that we would have the chance to observe the rare illusion Genesis Rune… her Genesis Rune mastery is truly terrifying. Jin Zhang had been trapped in her illusion rune since the beginning, and that intense fight had merely taken place in his imagination.”
Jin Zhang had appeared to have the upper hand in the fight, but what he did not know, was that he was only wasting his energy attacking empty air. On the other hand, Yaoyao had mostly likely been watching him randomly hurl out attacks from afar, while slowly walking out of the core area. In the meantime, she had slowly made her way over, and occupied the boundary core…
Truly… a bizarre tactic.
Ye Ge sighed softly and pursed his lips. As expected, everything was in the palm of Yaoyao’s hand. Fortunately for them, though Yaoyao had taken over one of the cores, she still needed Zhou Yuan’s coordination to break the boundary.
As long as Zhou Yuan was unable to take over the core on his side, there was ultimately nothing Yaoyao could do.
Ye Ge lifted his head and turned towards the other Genesis Qi mirror.
“Junior sister Xia Yu… looks like the rest is up to you…”
“In the first place, we did not have any expectations of Jin Zhang. Your fight is where the real show is, and there is no way Zhou Yuan can defeat you…”
Chapter 357 Spirit Suppressed
“Senior brother Jin Zhang has lost after all…”
“Zhou Xiaoyao is simply too formidable, to think that she is even capable of the extremely rare illusion rune! Moreover, even senior brother Jin Zhang was tricked!”
“Such illusion runes are extremely demanding on one’s Spirit. Since senior brother Jin Zhang fell for it, this means that Yaoyao’s Spirit is stronger than his…”
“It’s no wonder peak master Bai Mei has such a high opinion of her. Her Genesis Rune talent is truly unbelievable.”
“......”
The area in front of Spirit Rune Hall burst into noise the moment one of the matches ended, the faces of every disciple filled with shock.
Them had initially been under the impression that Yaoyao had been forced into the defense, and no one had expected that all of it would turn out to be the handiwork of a single illusion rune. Everything they had seen, including Jin Zhang himself, was merely an illusion.
Every single one of his earth-shaking attacks had merely been a waste of his energy.
Li Qingchan gracefully stood in front of a stone pavilion, amazement involuntarily rising in her eyes as she gazed at Yaoyao’s figure in the mirror. The latter’s victory had truly been both spectacular and bizzare.
None of them expected that she would actually deploy such an unusual tactic to easily secure the boundary core.
With the core now below her feet, a single thought was all it would take to shatter it. If there had only been one core in the boundary, Yaoyao would have already won.
Unfortunately...
Li Qingchan gently sighed as her eyes rotated to look at the other Genesis Qi mirror. To break this boundary, both cores had to be simultaneously destroyed.
Though Yaoyao had already succeeded, the other core was still firmly under Xia Yu’s grasp. Moreover, it seemed like Zhou Yuan didn’t stand a chance at all.
Li Qingchan regretfully said, “Yaoyao, I’ve already told you earlier that you should not pin your hopes on Zhou Yuan. Although he is fairly talented, he is ultimately still lacking.”
It was such a waste of Yaoyao’s brilliant performance..
“What a pity…” Su Wan also shook her head, regret filling her face.
Beside her, Gu Hongyi’s hands were tightly clenched, her eyes tightly glued to Zhou Yuan’s Genesis Qi mirror as she said, “Senior sister Su Wan, the match hasn’t ended yet!”
Su Wan looked at the Genesis Qi mirror and helplessly shook her head as she watched Zhou Yuan being chased by four stone serpents.
“You really don’t know when to give up…”
“How can he possibly be Xia Yu’s match…”
...
Boom!
Four stone serpents flew across the sky, Genesis Qi surging around their bodies. Four stone tails were suddenly swung, transforming into blurred shadows as they descended from the sky and viciously swatted at Zhou Yuan.
Four serpent tails sealed off all possible paths of escape.
The brush in Zhou Yuan’s hand swiftly darted across the air, drawing stroke after after as the surrounding Genesis Qi was sucked over.
“Metal Turtle Shell Rune!”
A Genesis Rune extended above Zhou Yuan’s head, rapidly growing into a hundred foot wide glowing turtle shell that gave off a feeling of invincibility.
Dong!
The four serpent tails slammed viciously against the turtle shell, causing cracks to appear immediately. With a loud bang, Zhou Yuan’s body shot downwards, creating a huge crater in the ground.
Zhou Yuan could not help but whimper a little as he lay face up inside the crater. These stone serpents were truly ferocious, and each one was likely no weaker than Wei Youxuan.
With four of them were working together, they became an even more formidable force.
Roar!
The four stone serpents roared. They did not give Zhou Yuan any chance to catch his breath, charging downwards once again to attack him. The tremendous pressure that pulsed from their bodies made the ground crack and crumble.
Though the four stone serpents rapidly grew in Zhou Yuan’s eyes, there was only calmness on his face.
Boom!
Just as the stone serpents were about to reach him, the ground around Zhou Yuan suddenly crumbled as four earth spikes abruptly shot out. The spikes were covered in glowing runes.
Ch!
The four earth spikes were as swift as thunder. They pierced directly into the bodies of the stone serpents, shattering the runes within them.
Zhou Yuan grinned as he watched the four stone serpents crumble. However, his smile had barely surfaced when his eyes abruptly widened. He had just discovered that as the four serpents crumbled, invisible Spirit undulations were rapidly gathering together, ultimately transforming into a giant transparent Spirit stamp that immediately descended with a loud rumble.
Rumble!
Even though there was no visible disturbance from the ground, Zhou Yuan’s expression rapidly changed the instant the Spirit stamp fell.
He never expected the meek looking Xia Yu to be formidable in battle. It turns out that the stone serpents from earlier were merely decoys, and the real killing move was the giant Spirit stamp hidden within them.
This wasn’t an attack aimed at killing him. Instead, she clearly intended on purely using the might of her Spirit to suppress him, and leave him with no way of retaliation.
Zhou Yuan sat up as the spot between his brows began to flicker. A Spirit slowly rose from within, coming to a stop above his head. This Spirit looked exactly the same as Zhou Yuan, and was fairly corporeal. It was his materialized Spirit.
Zhou Yuan’s Spirit raised both of its arms as Spirit force spread from it, unwaveringly resisting the slowing descending Spirit stamp.
Atop the mountain peak, Xia Yu looked a
t Zhou Yuan before she slowly said, “Senior brother Zhou Yuan, my Spirit has already stepped into the mid Corporeal stage, while yours is only at the initial stage. It is useless no matter how you resist.”
Zhou Yuan did not answer. The Spirit above his head continued to circulate its Spirit power to push back the giant Spirit stamp.
Xia Yu did not say anything else when she saw this. Her hand formed a seal, and the giant Spirit stamp slowly began to descend.
As the giant Spirit stamp slowly descended, Zhou Yuan could feel an enormous pressure. He frowned slightly as his eyes flickered in thought. A moment later, a cold expression surfaced on his face.
“Mid Corporeal stage huh…”
He muttered to himself, before he took in a deep breath and slowly shut his eyes.
All of his Spirit power poured out. Due to the tremendous pressure from above, a faint light began to appear on the Spirit above his head.
The Saint Spirit Crystal revolved between his brows as strand after strand of a cooling aura poured out, before being absorbed by the Spirit above his head.
Though the giant Spirit stamp’s descent was extremely slow, there seemed to be no way to stop it as it slowly inched downwards. At this rate, Zhou Yuan’s Spirit would eventually be suppressed.
Anyone could tell that Zhou Yuan had completely fallen into a disadvantage.
However, Zhou Yuan looked as if he was oblivious to his plight. Despite the overwhelming pressure from above, his Spirit continued to face the slowly descending giant Spirit stamp.
Countless disciples in front of Spirit Rune Hall secretly shook their head. Zhou Yuan had caused so many commotions previously, but it seemed that he had finally met his match this time...
“He’s finally going to suffer!” A smile had already emerged on Lu Xuanyin’s face. She never imagined that she would see Zhou Yuan hit his first setback, not by her hand but at Spirit Rune Peak.
Beside her, Xu Yan smiled faintly. Zhou Yuan was ultimately only a new disciple, and even though he was quite talented, he still lacked experience and maturity. After today, he should finally learn that in the Cangxuan Sect, a mere gold-sash disciple had no right to do as he pleased...
Nearby, Su Wan gently patted Gu Hongyi’s shoulder, indicating that she should look on the bright side.
However, Gu Hongyi tightly bit her lip, her gaze never straying from the Genesis Qi mirror.
In front of Spirit Rune Hall, numerous disciples watched the slowly descending giant Spirit stamp above Zhou Yuan’s head...
All of them knew that the moment it landed would also be the moment of Zhou Yuan’s loss.
Chapter 358 Spirit Lifts Stamp
A transparent Spirit stamp slowly sank in the air. Though it appeared incorporeal, the overwhelming pressure it possessed filled Zhou Yuan’s entire face with a grim expression.
Although only one lesser stage separated the initial and mid Corporeal stage, the gap between them was extraordinary. This could be seen from how Zhou Yuan’s Spirit had yet to reach the mid Corporeal stage even after several months of training.
Although a large portion of the time had been spent on Genesis Qi cultivation, it did not mean that he had forsaken his Spirit cultivation. He could feel that his Spirit was already at the peak of the initial stage, and only a single step separated him from the mid stage...
It was this tiny step that had obstructed Zhou Yuan for so long.
Zhou Yuan knew that all he lacked was a breakthrough opportunity.
The pressure from the giant Spirit stamp poured down from above, invading every pore, while the Spirit above Zhou Yuan’s head beared every last ounce of it. Though the pressure attempted to overwhelm him, Zhou Yuan did not feel the least bit panicked, and instead calmly began to circulate Primal Chaos Divine Grindstone Visualisation Method.
He had been searching for an opportunity for a Spirit breakthrough all this time, and this was that moment. Under the dreadful pressure, he did everything he could to withstand it so that he would reach his limits.
Only at his limit would he be able to take a tiny step forward once again, breaking through the long standing obstruction that stood before him.
If fate did not bestow a chance onto him, he would have to create it himself.
Zhou Yuan concentrated as he steadied his heart, turning it into a deep, rippleless pool.
As the Primal Chaos Divine Grindstone Visualisation Method began to circulate, he could feel his Spirit begin to glow. Under the tremendous pressure, instead of gradually falling apart, his Spirit slowly grew increasingly corporeal and condense.
Above Zhou Yuan’s head, the giant Spirit stamp continued its descent at an extremely slow speed, already no more than a few dozen feet from Zhou Yuan’s Spirit...
If the giant stamp touched his Spirit, it would surely be injured.
Even so, Zhou Yuan remained as calm and stable as a rock.
...
In front of Spirit Rune Hall, countless gazes stared at the slowly falling stamp, the disturbing sight making the hearts of many disciples beat faster.
“What is Zhou Yuan up to? Why isn’t he moving? Does he really intend on taking that stamp head on with his Spirit?”
“That’s way too foolish. Little senior sister Xiao Yu’s Spirit has already stepped into the mid Corporeal stage, far surpassing his Spirit cultivation!”
“What a fool. If he doesn’t admit defeat soon, it won’t be a pretty sight when the giant Spirit stamp lands.”
“......”
Numerous whispers spread as the many disciples watched the slowly descending stamp gradually approach Zhou Yuan’s Spirit. It was obvious that the stamp would ultimately crush the latter’s Spirit.
When that happened, it would be Zhou Yuan’s crushing defeat.
Ye Ge was also focused on Zhou Yuan’s figure, but the former’s brows were slightly furrowed. His sharp senses could detect that the falling Spirit stamp was becoming slower and slower...
Zhou Yuan’s resistance was evidently growing stronger and stronger.
“What is Zhou Yuan up to?”
Ye Ge was silent for a moment, before his pupils suddenly tightened as he mumbled, “Could he be… purposely allowing himself to fall into danger to push himself to his limits, allowing his Spirit to break through into the mid Corporeal stage?!”
Ye Ge’s expression changed slightly. If his conjecture was true, Zhou Yuan’s decisiveness and courage would be very commendable.
This would undoubtedly be a gamble. If he lost, his Spirit would be injured, and recovery would certainly take a long time.
Ye Ge stared at the slowly descending giant Spirit stamp above Zhou Yuan’s head.
If Zhou Yuan failed to ascend before the stamp crushed his Spirit, he would lose this gamble...
“Zhou Yuan, I don’t believe that you will be able to achieve a breakthrough in such a short amount of time…”
...
In another location in the boundary.
Yaoyao stood on a water pillar, while Jin Zhang stood on the surface of the ocean, no longer having any intent to attack. He knew that he would be even less than Yaoyao’s match without the aid of the boundary core.
However, he was not worried because the core’s position would change as time flowed. When that happened, he would have a chance to occupy it again.
As long as the other boundary core wasn’t broken, he would have nothing to fear on his side, and could drag Yaoyao back into a deadlock.
Jin Zhang raised his head slightly, looking in a certain direction.
Junior sister Xia Yu, as long as you manage to stall Zhou Yuan, it will be our victory...
...
Time slowly flowed.
The giant Spirit stamp was now a single foot from Zhou Yuan’s Spirit!
The seemingly endless pressure that poured down caused sweat to drench Zhou Yuan’s entire body and dampen his clothes.
It was at this moment that the pressure suddenly multiplied, and the stam
p began to fall even faster, descending little by little under the countless watching eyes.
The distance slowly shortened from a foot to two inches...
Sighs of pity could be heard in front of Spirit Rune Hall.
From the looks of it, a loss was already unavoidable.
Gu Hongyi tightly bit into her lip as her eyes dimmed slightly. Beside her, Su Wan patted the former’s shoulder and consoled, “He’s already pretty remarkable to have endured till now. Xia Yu is the number one gold sash disciple of Spirit Rune Peak after all, and one of the strongest contenders for champion in the upcoming purple sash selection. There is no shame in losing to her.”
“He’s lost at last!” In another corner of the place, a gloating smile surfaced on Lu Xuanyin’s pretty face.
Xu Yan chuckled and said, “Truly a pity. Looks like he won’t be able to enjoy the present I originally prepared for him for the purple sash selection.”
Zhou Yuan’s Spirit would surely be injured once he lost, and would take several months at least to recover. This would naturally make it impossible for him to participate in the purple sash selection.
Under the many pitying and gloating gazes, the giant Spirit stamp descended once again. Two inches… one inch…
Ye Ge’s expression relaxed slightly at this moment as he softly said, “To have persisted for so long, Zhou Yuan’s Spirit is more tenacious than expected.”
An ordinary initial Corporeal stage Spirit would have been defeated long ago, while it had taken all the way till now for Zhou Yuan to reach his limit.
Sighs seemed to envelope the mountain as the falling stamp finally came into contact with the Spirit above Zhou Yuan’s head.
In the next instant, Zhou Yuan’s Spirit would be forcibly suppressed.
On the mountain peak, relief finally began to flood Xia Yu’s fair little face when she saw this as she breathed a sigh of relief. He’s been dealt with at last. Zhou Yuan was clearly only at the initial Corporeal stage, but he was as tough as a rock, making him a difficult opponent to deal with.
“Thankfully, I’ve not betrayed the expectation of the many fellow disciples of Spirit Rune Peak.” A faint smile appeared on Xia Yu’s face.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 195
