After another second!
Lu Xiao stepped out, finally reaching the last step of the ladder.
At that moment, the purple qi pulsing around Lu Xiao’s body dissipated, and his tensed-up body relaxed, but he found that his back was drenched in cold sweat. He immediately became annoyed. How could he be forced to such an embarrassing state?!
Fortunately, he had climbed to the summit first, hadn’t he?
When he suddenly felt that the outside world seemed to have turned a little quiet, Lu Xiao drew a deep breath. His brows wrinkled slightly, and an uneasy feeling rose in his heart.
In the void, the five grand elders were also watching this scene. Then, they retracted their gazes. Given their ability, they naturally knew the result during that split second.
Sect master Xuan Kun’s face was cold as water, while Chi Jing’s expression was calm.
The two didn’t utter a word, so clan elder Mu Ni ran her eyes across the crowd, and a soft voice rang out.
“This round, Lu Xiao and Zhou Yuan reached the top at the same time!”
An earthshaking uproar broke out. Countless people couldn’t help but gasp in amazement. Although there wasn’t any intent to attack during the ladder round, it was still an incredibly thrilling competition.
Moreover, what shocked them the most was that Lu Xiao didn't dominate the round!
Instead, in the end, Zhou Yuan had snatched half of first place!
For someone with Lu Xiao’s fame, the outcome of a tie was more like a weak defeat. After all, before this event, everyone thought that Lu Xiao would achieve certain victory.
There were countless cheers from the outside world.
On the mist-shrouded mountaintop, Lu Xiao's face was ashen because he knew very well that if he didn't completely win, it was a failure. And he had to share the victory?!
It was an insult to the proud Lu Xiao!
He had to share the glory with Zhou Yuan, whom he didn’t even bother to glance at once before?! What qualification did Zhou Yuan have!
“That Zhou Yuan!”
Lu Xiao hissed through gritted teeth, but in the end he calmed the fury in his heart because he knew that the chief pavilion master battle had only begun!
And if he wanted to wash away this failure, it was very simple. As long as he won the position of chief pavilion master, all the glory would still fall upon him again.
This time he was going to make Zhou Yuan understand who the strongest person of the Divine Dwelling stage in the Tianyuan Region was!
Chapter 878 Second Round
Around the mountain, countless exclamations of surprise continued to sound.
It was obviously an extremely rare sight to see two people, Zhou Yuan and Lu Xiao, reach the summit simultaneously. The countless exclamations were largely directed at Zhou Yuan.
After all, the outside world had clearly witnessed Zhou Yuan’s imposing manner as he caught up to Lu Xiao.
Watching the competition, even experts of the Heavenly Sun stage—and those of the Nascent Source stage—were a little surprised by Zhou Yuan’s performance on the cloud ladder. After all, his opponent was the well-known Lu Xiao.
Although the Wind Pavilion had previously shown signs of rising due to Zhou Yuan’s leadership, in terms of fame and strength, Zhou Yuan was still inferior to Lu Xiao. Therefore, almost everyone thought the pavilion master of the Wind Pavilion would lose in the chief pavilion master battle. But unexpectedly, the dark horse was still as fierce as before and refused to relent even in the face of Lu Xiao.
After this, countless people thought much more highly of Zhou Yuan.
Based on the performance on the cloud ladder, the pavilion master of the Wind Pavilion indeed had the ability to compete against Lu Xiao for the position of chief pavilion master.
On the Wind Pavilion’s side, everyone was cheering with excitement. Even Yi Qiushui and Ye Bingling revealed looks of surprise on their faces. Evidently, they were thrilled that Zhou Yuan had managed to catch up to Lu Xiao and reach the summit at the same time.
The Wind Pavilion’s depressive atmosphere had turned fiery at this moment.
On the other hand, many people on the Fire Pavilion’s side looked at each other in dismay and went silent for a good while.
Zhu Lian and Zuo Ya also didn’t look too good. It was only after a long while that Zuo Ya grumbled, “This is just the beginning. When Zhou Yuan truly faces senior brother Lu Xiao on the battlefield, he will know why he shouldn’t be provoked!”
Hu.
Standing atop the cloud- and mist-shrouded mountain, Zhou Yuan drew a deep breath. The mighty Genesis Qi within his body gradually subsided. During his eruption of strength, he had also activated his Genesis Qi to its peak.
But in the end, he didn’t overtake Lu Xiao and instead climbed to the summit at the same time as him.
Zhou Yuan felt a little regretful about this result, but he wasn’t disappointed. He had been able to test Lu Xiao’s background and discovered that, without relying on any foreign objects, his Genesis Qi foundation was around 23 million.
This was more than his foundation of 20 million, but fortunately, Zhou Yuan possessed the world subduing serpent qi and was able to regain some face by reaching the summit at the same time as Lu Xiao.
Therefore, without the use of any external means, the two sides were equally matched.
Of course, this comparison wasn’t realistic. When the difference between each other’s foundation wasn’t particularly huge, the outcome of the battle would depend on what other means they had.
But at the very least, when Zhou Yuan faced Lu Xiao again, he would no longer be as afraid as he was when he had first met him a few months ago.
That was his progress.
And this speed of progress would make any enemy of his a little fearful.
While these thoughts were churning in Zhou Yuan’s mind, time quickly passed by, and the Genesis Qi of the universe suddenly began to pulse. The chief pavilion master token on the top of the mountain was humming, and the clouds around the summit grew thicker.
Seeing this change, Zhou Yuan knew that Mu Liu and Han Yuan had also reached the top of the mountain.
The first round of the chief pavilion master battle had come to an end.
The fog in front of him thickened and eventually swallowed his figure, but he didn’t panic. He could feel that the surrounding space was beginning to ripple, so he didn’t dare to move carelessly.
After waiting quietly for a while, he felt the fog subside.
“This is the battlefield?”
Zhou Yuan’s eyes flashed. Since the venue has changed to such a place, the next round should be the highlight of the chief pavilion master battle.
Chi Jing’s clear voice rang out from the void.
“The second round of the chief pavilion master battle, the battle of the four pavilions!
“Because the fire pavilion master Lu Xiao and the wind pavilion master Zhou Yuan reached the summit at the same time, the two will be separated in the first round and randomly assigned another opponent.”
On the Fire Pavilion’s side, Zuo Ya curled her lips. “That boy is lucky. If he faced senior brother Lu Xiao in the first round, he would be sent out right away and the people of the Wind Pavilion wouldn’t be able to act arrogant anymore.”
As he stood on the white jade square, Zhou Yuan’s eyes flashed. He avoided Lu Xiao in the first round? If he was randomly assigned another opponent, it should be either Mu Liu or Han Yuan, right?
I hope it’s not Mu Liu. After all, we are considered friends. It would be best if it was Han Yuan. This guy is always following Lu Xiao and creating trouble for the Wind Pavilion. He is like a venomous snake hiding in the dark.
Also, that guy has also abused senior sister Chi Jing’s trust in the past. Although it can’t be considered a betrayal because he was only a little Divine Dwelling expert back then and didn’t really have the qualification to be truly valued by senior sister Chi Jing.
Since Chi Jing hadn’t mentioned much about this matter, it was clear that she didn’t attach much importance to Han Yuan. But even if Chi Jing didn’t care, Zhou Yuan wanted to help his senior sister get revenge if he had the chance.
While Zhou Yuan was thinking about this, on the other end of the square, the fog roiled violently, and subtle footsteps sounded as a figure slowly strode out.
He was clad in a black robe with powerful black Genesis Qi rising from his body, and he emitted a chilling aura.
Who else would it be besides Han Yuan?
Han Yuan walked out of the fog, and seeing Zhou Yuan on the other side, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
Zhou Yuan also revealed a wide smile. He made a furtive glance at the void above. He was indeed facing off against Han Yuan as he wished. He wondered if the arrangement was really random or if his senior sister had manipulated the result.
But there was no use thinking about it. Since he was going to face Han Yuan, he should fight without any distractions.
And Mu Liu presumably must have met Lu Xiao now, right? I hope he can last. Although he knew that Mu Liu wasn’t weak, it was unlikely that he could beat Lu Xiao.
Clang!
A melodious bell suddenly rang out across the world.
Chi Jing’s voice directly sounded again, “The second round of the chief pavilion master battle.
“Zhou Yuan, the pavilion master of the Wind Pavilion, will face Han Yuan, the pavilion master of the Mountain Pavilion!
“Lu Xiao, the pavilion master of the Fire Pavilion, will face Mu Liu, the pavilion master of the Forest Pavilion!”
The atmosphere in the outside world began buzzing again. Countless people stared and gazed intently at the two squares that formed on the towering mountain. They all understood that only the two people who emerged victorious would have the eligibility to compete for the chief pavilion master token!
The real show of the chief pavilion master battle was finally going to start.
Chapter 879 Battle against Han Yuan
On the square swirling with white mist, Zhou Yuan stared at Han Yuan without a ripple of emotion in his eyes. In truth, there wasn’t much hostility between Han Yuan and him. Even though Han Yuan often followed Lu Xiao and created trouble for the Wind Pavilion, Zhou Yuan understood that this was because he didn’t have a choice.
But whatever the reason, since they were facing off against each other, he naturally had no reason to let him go.
Han Yuan was staring back at Zhou Yuan, a somewhat complicated expression on his face. “A few months ago, I thought an idle pavilion master had joined the Wind Pavilion, but I didn’t expect him to be a fierce tiger instead.”
When Zhou Yuan first came to the Wind Pavilion and took the role of pavilion master, Han Yuan obviously didn’t pay much attention to him. At that time, Zhou Yuan’s strength wasn’t worthy of his admiration, but who would have thought that in a short period of half a year, Zhou Yuan would not only sit stably as the pavilion master of the Wind Pavilion but also lead the Wind Pavilion to rise in power and fame.
The strength that Zhou Yuan had shown was already qualified enough to compete with Lu Xiao.
“Grand elder Chi Jing indeed has a good eye,” Han Yuan muttered.
“It was really unwise for pavilion master Han Yuan to join another side back then,” Zhou Yuan stated calmly.
In his view, it was incredibly foolish of Han Yuan to leave the Wind Pavilion and join the Mountain Pavilion as its pavilion master, because to Chi Jing, a Divine Dwelling expert or pavilion master wasn’t particularly important. But no matter what, it would anger a grand elder, which in the long run, would be disadvantageous to him.
Unless he reached the Nascent Source stage in the future and had the power to speak in the Tianyuan Region, no one would be willing to deepen the ill feeling between them and Chi Jing for him.
Han Yuan chuckled, “I was just a little cultivator with no background and no training resources. I had to rely on fighting, snatching and underhanded methods to climb to the point where I am today. Do you think I can do whatever I want when caught between the Profound Crystal Clan and grand elder Chi Jing?”
“Back then Lady Chi Jing was only just appointed to grand elder, and her power was still weak. If I hadn’t thought for myself, I would have perhaps been killed in a certain mission.”
There was a hint of bitterness and weakness in his smile.
No one would want to offend a grand elder. He was currently still useful, but if the Profound Crystal Clan had no use for him in the future, he would perhaps be thrown out to endure Chi Jing’s anger.
This was the sorrow of a nobody.
Zhou Yuan didn’t speak. The Divine Dwelling stage was indeed considered nothing in the eyes of the five grand elders. If Chi Jing wasn’t his senior sister, she wouldn’t have given him so much attention. And if caught in the game between the higher-ups, anybody without supporters was bound to suffer. Even Zhou Yuan almost fell into the schemes of hall master Xi Guang of the Heavenly Spirit Sect. If he wasn’t careful enough or didn’t have the support of his senior sister Chi Jing, then perhaps the pavilion master of the Wind Pavilion would have already perished. How would he be enjoying his fame right now?
But even if his actions were understandable, they were still what they were.
Looking at Zhou Yuan’s eyes which were gradually growing sharper, Han Yuan didn’t say anything else. What he said before was not to acknowledge his mistake or apologise. As someone who had worked extremely hard to get to where he was now, he was also an incredibly strong and tough person.
“Pavilion master Zhou Yuan must still have a bit of resentment towards me. If that’s the case, let’s fight! To tell you the truth, I also have the ambition of achieving the chief pavilion master position. If I defeat you, I will finally face Lu Xiao!”
Boom!
Mighty black Genesis Qi erupted from Han Yuan’s body, blotting out the sun and sky. The Genesis Qi illuminated the void, revealing countless Genesis Qi stars. From a cursory look, there were at least 20 million stars.
The pressure of the mighty Genesis Qi was like giant waves of tens of thousands of feet, spreading out in all directions that made even outsiders smack their lips in amazement. The Mountain Pavilion’s pavilion master was indeed not an ordinary person.
But in the face of Genesis Qi of that level, Zhou Yuan’s robe didn’t flutter once. He simply stood there calmly. If he hadn’t broke through to the advanced Divine Dwelling stage, he really would have had to exert all his strength to withstand an opponent like Han Yuan.
However, because he had reached the advanced Divine Dwelling stage, he was now stronger than Han Yuan based purely on Genesis Qi foundation.
Even though his Genesis Qi was only a few hundreds of thousands more, with the tyrannical power of the world subduing serpent qi, Zhou Yuan was confident that he could easily suppress Han Yuan if it was based on foundation alone.
Of course, Han Yuan was most likely aware of this. He had already witnessed Zhou Yuan’s present Genesis Qi foundation in the cloud ladder round, and he knew that if he didn’t resort to other means he would be no match for Zhou Yuan.
Therefore, Han Yuan stretched out his palms, and two ancient light runes, one yellow and one red, slowly emerged on the back of the hand.
Mountain spirit rune!
Fire spirit rune!
The moment the two Genesis Runes appeared, Han Yuan’s Genesis Qi stars, which filled the sky, suddenly skyrocketed to 26 million!
The outside world was stunned by the sight, and some advanced Divine Dwelling stage experts even secretly smiled bitterly. Compared with Han Yuan, even if they were of the same cultivation level, they couldn’t even reach half of what he had achieved. It was no wonder he could become the mountain pavilion master, while they could only cheer and shout.
Zhou Yuan squinted his eyes, but there still wasn’t so much as a ripple of emotion. The Genesis Qi foundation of 26 million could perhaps d
eter others, but that didn’t include him.
Han Yuan studied Zhou Yuan’s expression and smiled, “Pavilion master Zhou Yuan must have also refined two Genesis Runes? Could it be the wind spirit rune and the fire spirit rune?
“Therefore I know that it is ridiculous to compete with pavilion master Zhou Yuan with just two Genesis Runes.”
Han Yuan’s attitude piqued Zhou Yuan’s interest. “It seems that pavilion master Han Yuan has come prepared. In that case, reveal them all; otherwise a foundation of 26 million can’t stop me.”
Now that he possessed a foundation of 21 million Genesis Qi stars, with the addition of both the complete wind spirit rune and fire spirit rune, his Genesis Qi strength was at the 28 million level, and there was no need to fear Han Yuan’s 26 million Genesis Qi stars.
But Han Yuan should also know this, yet he was still so confident, which meant he had to have another trump card up his sleeve.
Han Yuan smiled. “It’s not any special preparation. It’s just that I don’t have many cultivation resources, and since I’m in the Four Pavilions, where there is a precious place for cultivation like the Four Spirit Origin Tower, I naturally always spend all my time there.
“The reason I followed Lu Xiao and worked so hard without even complaining once was to get a share of more origin coins.
“I originally planned to keep my trump card for the fight against Lu Xiao, but I didn’t expect pavilion master Zhou Yuan to suddenly appear. Now I have no choice but to reveal this hidden trump card that I have been hiding for such a long time.”
As Han Yuan’s laughter faded, an ancient green Genesis Rune slowly emerged between his brows.
The appearance of the Genesis Rune caused Han Yuan’s Genesis Qi to sharply soar once again and finally reach the level of 29 million!
Zhou Yuan’s pupils shrank abruptly, and his eyes were fixed on the Genesis Rune in the center of Han Yuan’s eyebrows.
It was the forest spirit rune!
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 461
