That position should have been his.
“Everyone is very busy due to the reopening of Saint Genesis Peak. May I be so bold as to enquire why elder Shen has called for a peak meeting at such a time? If there’s nothing urgent, I still have many pressing matters to attend to.” Said Lu Hong.
He purposely said elder Shen with a little more emphasis, since Shen Taiyuan was only a substitute peak master, and not the real deal.
An abundant amount of very noteworthy cultivation resources had been rediscovered due to the unsealing of the main peak, and Lu Hong intended to do everything in his power to grab as much of it as possible. He would then slowly accumulate more and more to strengthen his faction, allowing him to one day take over the master faction position. Regardless of everything, he had the support of Sword Cometh Peak.
Although they had failed in the chief disciple selection, and he had received an angry scolding from peak master Ling Jun, the latter understood that pointing fingers and blaming would only be a waste of breath, but as long as Lu Hong’s faction stayed in Saint Genesis Peak, a chance would eventually arise.
Shen Taiyuan swept a calm gaze at him and slowly said, “There is indeed a rather important matter on the agenda. In fact, it actually concerns you.”
“Oh?” Lu Hong raised an eyebrow.
Shen Taiyuan continued, “The main reason why elder Lu Hong’s faction transferred to Saint Genesis Peak back then was to help reopen the main peak. Since Zhou Yuan has managed to achieve this instead, it appears that there’s no longer any reason for elder Lu Hong’s faction to remain here. Hence, I hope that elder Lu Hong will transfer your faction back to Sword Cometh Peak today.”
These words caused the entire hall to fall silent.
Lu Hong’s expression abruptly turned stern as he icily said, “Shen Taiyuan, what did you say? You want to chase us out of Saint Genesis Peak?!”
Shen Taiyuan smiled faintly and replied, “Not chasing, but requesting…”
“Shen Taiyuan, you seem to be very brave. My faction transferred to Saint Genesis Peak on peak master Ling Jun’s instructions. Have you informed him of your intentions?” Lu Hong sneered.
Saint Genesis Peak had been reopened, and the seal main peak was seeing the light of day once more. There was an abundance of cultivation resources within the main peak that would make anyone drool, making this the perfect chance to snatch up as big of a share as possible. Hence, there was no way that Lu Hong would willingly withdraw from Saint Genesis Peak.
Shen Taiyuan’s expression remained impassive as he said, “Saint Genesis Peak has reopened, while the peak master seal has also been found. Peak master Ling Jun should not have any relation to the internal affairs of the peak, so why do I need to report to him?”
Lu Hong froze. If it was before, a mere elder like Shen Taiyuan would have no right to touch the former’s faction. However, with the peak master seal currently in his hands, he was considered equal in status to peak master Ling Jun, and naturally had the authority to request the withdrawal of Lu Hong’s faction from Saint Genesis Peak, especially since they had not been a part of Saint Genesis Peak in the first place.
Lu Hong gnashed his teeth as he retorted, “I will never agree to this. If you insist on forcing your way, I will report this matter to the sect master! Don’t think for a moment that being the substitute peak master will allow you to do as you please!”
Shen Taiyuan merely retrieved a golden letter from his sleeve and said, “No need to trouble yourself, I’ve already reported this matter to the sect master, and he has agreed to transfer your faction back to Sword Cometh Peak.”
He lifted his hand as the letter was sent drifting towards Lu Hong.
Lu Hong caught it, opened it and swiftly scanned it twice as his expression turned deathly pale. He raised his head, glaring at Shen Taiyuan as he shouted, “Shen Taiyuan, you’re too vicious!”
Shen Taiyuan remained expressionless.
Lu Hong took in a deep breath, before he icily said, “Shen Taiyuan, Saint Genesis Peak only has three factions at the moment. If we are transferred out, the only ones left will be the two of you. With the Genesis reservoir ceremony just around the corner, are you going to let Saint Genesis Peak lose all face in the ceremony?”
His frosty gaze shifted towards Zhou Yuan as he mocked, “Do you really think you can depend on this chief disciple to lead your two factions in the Genesis reservoir ceremony?”
“From what I can see, they won’t last even a single day in the ceremony without us!”
Rage rose in the eyes of Zhou Tai, Lu Yan and the other disciples from the two factions, clearly hearing the contempt in Lu Hong’s words.
Zhou Yuan also lifted his eyes and cast a glance at Lu Hong, but did not say anything.
“There’s no need for you to worry about such matters.” Shen Taiyuan waved his hand and calmly said, “I’ve already given you sect master’s letter, and this matter is already set in stone. I hope that your faction will move out of Saint Genesis Peak in three days and return to Sword Cometh Peak.”
Lu Hong’s eyeballs nearly popped from their sockets as fire spewed from his eyes. If they were chased out of Saint Genesis Peak, they would no longer have any chance left. Moreover, being sent away with their tails between their legs would likely make them a laughing stock when they returned to Sword Cometh Peak.
After all, they failed far too terrible in this mission.
Lu Hong nearly fainted from the anger in his heart. He never imagined that he would fall to such a dire position in a single year!
“It’s all because of that blasted brat!” Lu Hong gritted his teeth, a sinister look in his eyes as he stared at Zhou Yuan.
However, he did not dare to do anything in the end. He could only take in two deep breaths, before looking towards Shen Taiyuan as he icily said, “Shen Taiyuan, you will regret this. Saint Genesis Peak will definitely lose all face in the Genesis reservoir ceremony. Let’s see how you will explain things as the substitute peak master then!”
He could not bear to stay a moment longer, and immediately rose and left with a wave of his sleeves.
His disciples silently followed in a dejected and crestfallen manner.
After their departure, the hall was silent for a while as the disciples from the two factions looked at each other, before suddenly bursting into enthusiastic cheers that shook even the hall itself.
Lu Hong’s factions had been nothing but hostile towards the other two factions, like fire and water. Now that they were finally chased out, Saint Genesis Peak could be peaceful again.
*Cough*!
On the chief seat, Shen Taiyuan coughed to suppress the cheering. His stern gaze swept across the crowd, causing their necks to shrink back.
Shen Taiyuan’s gaze eventually paused on Zhou Yuan, becoming a little kinder as he slowly said, “Zhou Yuan, as the chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak, you have the duty of leading the disciples during the Genesis reservoir ceremony to obtain some blessings.”
“I know that Lu Hong’s faction will only be a problem if they were to participate under Saint Genesis Peak’s banners, so I’ve helped you deal with them today.”
“Whether or not our Saint Genesis Peak disciples will obtain any results in the Genesis reservoir ceremony will likely depend on you.”
Zhou Yuan’s expression shivered a little. He was fully aware that allowing Lu Hong’s faction to stay behind would only make it more difficult for him to control the overall situation. However, as the chief disciple, he could not really say anything about this. He never expected that Shen Taiyuan would help him resolve this potential problem.
What’s more, Shen Taiyuan would also offend peak master Ling Jun, putting the former under a tremendous amount of pressure.
In the hall, Zhou Tai, Zhang Yan, Lu Yan and the other disciples looked towards Zhou Yuan, as they bowed and cupped their fists together. “We’ll be depending on chief disciple for the Genesis reservoir ceremony.”
After the chie
f disciple selection, Zhou Yuan’s reputation had clearly reached the apex in Saint Genesis Peak. With the exception of Lu Hong’s faction, all the other disciples viewed him as their leader and would willingly listen to his commands.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Yuan’s expression turned solemn as he cupped his fists together towards the crowd, and took in a deep breath.
“I will do my best.”
Chapter 501 Discussion
The events of the peak meeting swiftly spread to the entire Saint Genesis Peak, causing the disciples from the two original factions to cheer upon hearing it. They had after all suffered a great deal of grievances at the hands of Lu Hong’s faction, unable to strike back before Zhou Yuan’s appearance due to the latter’s overwhelming might. Moreover, Lu Hong’s faction had also never bothered hiding their disdain for the other two factions.
This naturally created an irreconcilable grudge between the two parties.
The current situation was a drastic change from before. Zhou Yuan had seemingly appeared from the sky and brought about a complete reversal. Lu Hong’s faction no longer dared to act as haughtily as before, especially since even the chief disciple position had landed in Zhou Yuan’s hands.
In addition, elder Shen Taiyuan was currently in possession of the peak master seal, making him the substitute peak master. As such, this faction’s status had also instantly risen.
Shen Taiyuan had even made the bold and daring move of using the authority of the substitute peak master to request Lu Hong’s faction’s return to Sword Cometh Peak. This was naturally a very welcomed development to the other two factions, because Saint Genesis Peak would finally be of one mind and heart with the removal of this poisonous barb.
Although Saint Genesis Peak’s strength would fall substantially due to losing Lu Hong’s faction. The disciples from the remaining two factions felt more confident than before. After all, didn’t they have a chief disciple that had created several amazing miracles?
Who could dare say for certain that the Saint Genesis Peak with only two factions would not be able to create a sensation once more in the Genesis reservoir ceremony?
…
Saint Genesis Peak, in a certain stone pavilion.
Zhou Yuan was seated within it, while Zhou Tai, Zhang Yan and Lu Yan sat opposite him.
“Who could have expected that the chief disciple position of Saint Genesis Peak would land on junior brother Zhou Yuan’s head.” Zhou Tai gazed at Zhou Yuan and sighed. However, his words were mainly in admiration. After all, the chief disciple position had been won by Zhou Yuan through his own strength, and no one had any doubts about it.
He chuckled and looked towards Zhang Yan as he teased, “Junior brother Zhang Yan was the least optimistic about junior brother Zhou Yuan before.”
Zhang Yan immediately felt rather awkward as he let out a dry laugh. However, he responded in a straightforward manner, quickly lifting his tea cup as he said, “I was indeed blind previously, and did not realize junior brother Zhou Yuan’s abilities. I will use this tea in place of wine to apologize.”
He put the cup to his lips and downed it in a single fluid gulp.
He had previously felt ill will towards Zhou Yuan due to how Shen Taiyuan was giving so much attention and emphasis to the latter. Zhang Yan had felt that Zhou Yuan did not deserve to be regarded so highly, hence resulting in his previous attitude.
However, the eventual outcome made him understand the gap of judgement ability between himself and Shen Taiyuan. In addition, he was not someone who refused to accept reality, thus why he had cleanly apologized.
Zhou Yuan chuckled upon seeing this and returned the gesture by downing his own cup of tea.
By the side, Lu Yan bit her lips when she saw this, feeling somewhat ashamed and embarrassed. Her beautiful eyes seemed to flow as she looked at Zhou Yuan, no longer overly fierce and critical like before.
“Saint Genesis Peak has recently reopened, and we’ll have to work together to make Saint Genesis Peak stronger. There’s no need to worry over such small matters.” Said Zhou Yuan with a carefree smile.
“I’ve invited the three of you here with the intention of discussing the upcoming Genesis reservoir ceremony. I’ve only been around for a year after all, and have yet to experience it, so I’ll be needing you guys to help me understand its various intricacies.” Zhou Yuan went ahead with the main topic.
With the mention of the Genesis reservoir ceremony, the trio’s expressions turned serious.
Zhou Tai slowly said, “Though it had felt great when teacher Shen requested Lu Hong’s faction to leave Saint Genesis Peak… without them, our strength has dropped drastically.”
“I believe chief disciple Zhou Yuan already has a rough understanding of the ceremony?” Asked Lu Yan as she looked towards Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan nodded.
“Every year, the sect will stimulate the Origin Dragon vein during the ceremony to increase the influx of Origin Dragon Qi into the reservoir. This will result in more and stronger aquatic beasts, which also makes it the most dangerous period in the Genesis reservoir.”
“This is a huge threat to the disciples from the various peaks, and a small mistake may even result in being surrounded by the aquatic beasts and be team wiped.”
Lu Yan slowly said, “If a team is wiped out too early, the amount of Genesis essence collected will definitely be extremely small, and the eventual evaluation will naturally not be good. You should understand that entering the Genesis reservoir may not be a big deal for people like us, but for the disciples below purple sash, they only have this single chance over the entire year.”
“If we mess up, it will be a huge loss for them.”
“Hence, you need to pay extra attention to such matters this time. As the new chief disciple, let’s disregard what the other peaks will say, but if we do poorly in the Genesis reservoir ceremony, the Saint Genesis Peak disciples below purple sash will be very disappointed.”
Zhang Yan nodded in agreement as he sighed and said, “Junior brother Zhou Yuan, this responsibility is very heavy.”
Zhou Yuan nodded with a solemn expression. He understood that many Saint Genesis Peak disciples had placed their hopes onto the upcoming ceremony.
“Of course, doing well will also be tremendously beneficial. Due to the rapid increase in quantity and quality of the aquatic beasts during the ceremony, a nine dragon baptism may even appear…”
“Do you know why the Chosens will be present at every Genesis reservoir ceremony? They’re hoping for these very conditions, because a nine dragon baptism can only appear during the Genesis reservoir ceremony.” Lu Yan hurriedly added on, afraid that she had dampened Zhou Yuan enthusiasm.
However, it was extremely difficult to attain a nine dragon baptism, and even Chu Qing had never enjoyed one over the years.
“Nine dragon baptism huh?” Zhou Yuan was tempted. He had already tasted an eight dragon baptism, making it and any baptism below less effective for himself. Hence, the nine dragon baptism had definitely roused his interest.
It could strengthen his Genesis Qi foundations.
However, he quickly put away such thoughts. Although he had yet to experience the difficulty level of the Genesis reservoir ceremony, there was no way that it would be easy. Moreover, Saint Genesis Peak’s current state was indeed very pitiful, especially when compared to the other peaks that had several dozen factions, vastly superior numbers, chief disciples and even Chosens.
On the other hand, all they had were a meagre two factions and a few hundred disciples in total. Their chief disciple had only recently taken his position, and was still very fresh, while a Chosen was nowhere to be seen.
Zhou Yuan was silent for a while, before he asked, “How has our performance been over the previous years?”
The trio exchanged a look, clearly feeling rather embarrassed as they answered, “Usually a low grade evaluation. Everyone will get a two dragon baptism, while our best is only a three dragon baptism.”
“That’s only with Sword Cometh Peak’s help, although they charged twenty percent of our Genesis essence as a protection fee.” Zhou Tai laughed bitterly. “However, I’m afraid Sword Cometh Peak won’t be lending us any aid this year.”
Zhou Yuan had won the chief disciple position, causing a huge loss for Sword Cometh Peak. It would already be very forgiving if Sword Cometh Peak did not hit them while they were down during the ceremony, let alone hoping that they would lend a helping hand.
Lu Yan glanced at Zhou Yuan as she grinned cheekily. “I’ve heard you are on pretty good terms with senior sister Li Qingchan of Snow Lotus Peak. How about you go over and suggest our Saint Genesis Peak gives them a protection fee this time? Since you’re also quite handsome, maybe we’ll even get away with ten percent.”
The corners of Zhou Yuan’s lips twitched. Wasn’t this some kind of pretty boy seduction tactic? That would be too pathetic!
“Hehe, though there aren’t many people in Saint Genesis Peak, you guys seem to be quite busy…”
While they were conversing, a faint laughter was suddenly heard. Zhou Yuan and the rest lifted their heads, to find a figure slowly walking over. In a few flickers and steps, he appeared inside the pavilion.
Zhou Tai and the rest were startled by the appearance of this individual, and could not help but blurt out, “Bai Liche?!”
The visitor was the chief disciple of Sword Cometh Peak.
He paid no heed to Zhou Tai and the rest, merely sweeping them a faint gaze of disdain with unfriendly arrogance in his eyes.
He sat down at the stone table, and poured himself a cup of tea. His attitude of showing no regard for the others made a sliver of anger flash in the eyes of the Zhou Tai trio.
Lu Yan icily snorted. “This is Saint Genesis Peak, what’s a Sword Cometh Peak chief disciple like you doing here?”
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 271
