A bloody smell seeped out.
“Those are the bounty lists...
“Every parchment describes an extremely difficult and fierce Heavenly Sun expert...and the higher they are hung, the stronger they are and the more Heavenly sun experts they have killed,” Yi Yan explained.
Zhou Yuan's expression tensed, and he then shifted his line of sight to the hall’s scarlet wall and ran his eyes over the parchment papers fluttering in the wind.
“Cao Ying, intermediate Heavenly Sun stage, silver-snow Heavenly Sun, estimated to have a foundation of 440 million Genesis Qi stars and has killed three intermediate Heavenly Sun experts from the Tianyuan Region.”
“Liu Xueshou, intermediate Heavenly Sun stage, silver-snow Heavenly Sun, estimated to have a foundation of 470 million Genesis Qi stars.”
“...”
As Zhou Yuan ran his eyes across the wall, he only found intermediate Heavenly Sun experts and above listed.
He suddenly looked up to see who the trickiest opponent was.
There were two smiling pale faces on a gently fluttering parchment.
“It’s two people?”
“Wang Qingshan, Wang Haiyuan, twin brothers with advanced Heavenly Sun stage strength and purple-gold Heavenly Suns. They have never separated no matter how strong or weak their opponents are, and their joint attacks are always well-coordinated and astonishing. It is rumored that even Heavenly Sun experts with glass Heavenly Suns have died in their hands.”
Zhou Yuan was surprised to hear the two were twin brothers, but what surprised him the most was that the twin brothers had killed experts of the same level with glass Heavenly Suns.
Given that they each only possessed a purple-gold Heavenly Sun and they could still kill experts with glass Heavenly Sun, they clearly possessed a terrifying combined strength.
“They are my targets. I was transferred to Chiyun Prefecture just to kill the two because they've killed a lot of our people,” a voice sounded behind Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan turned around to see that Qin Lian had come to stand behind him without him knowing.
“Have you succeeded?” Zhou Yuan asked with a smile.
Qin Lian shook her head. “They are extremely cunning and had fled during our battle.”
The twin brothers’ strength shouldn’t be underestimated since they could escape from Qiu Lian, who was ranked sixth on the Tianyuan Region’s Heavenly Sun List. It was no wonder that everyone said that there were hidden dragons among the Heavenly Sun experts in Hunyuan Heaven.
Qin Lian looked at Zhou Yuan and let out a sigh. She then said helplessly, “If you must, choose from the silver-snow Heavenly Sun experts at the bottom.”
“Thank you, elder Qin Lian, for warning me,” Zhou Yuan said with a smile.
He knew Qin Lian had good intentions, but silver-snow Heavenly Sun experts couldn’t satisfy his appetite. He didn’t have so much time to give experts of that level a hard time.
As he lifted his palm, three nails in the center of the wall vibrated, and three parchments floated down.
Many Heavenly Sun experts couldn’t stop their expressions from changing.
The three targets listed on the parchment were all intermediate Heavenly Sun experts with purple-gold Heavenly Suns!
Not only did Zhou Yuan select three targets at once, but they were also all intermediate purple-gold Heavenly Sun stage experts!
More than 80% of the Heavenly Sun experts in the hall wouldn’t dare to accept those targets.
Zhou Yuan, however, selected them without any hesitation.
Inhaling sharply, the onlookers gazed at each other.
Zhou Yuan...is crazy!
Chapter 1011 Accept
When the cold parchments fell into Zhou Yuan’s hand, he rubbed his fingers and ran his eyes over them.
Zhang Zihao, intermediate Heavenly Sun stage, purple-gold Heavenly Sun, estimated foundation of 630 million Genesis Qi stars.
Cao Xiao, intermediate Heavenly Sun stage, purple-gold Heavenly Sun, estimated foundation of 660 million Genesis Qi stars.
Bei Gongqiao, intermediate Heavenly Sun stage, purple-gold Heavenly Sun, estimated foundation of 750 million Genesis Qi stars.
In the War Service Hall, many eyes were fixed on the parchment. Everyone in the hall saw everything clearly, and many looked at Zhou Yuan like he was a lunatic.
They didn't expect Zhou Yuan to not give up but choose three difficult targets.
The three people Zhou Yuan selected were considered well-known in Chiyun Prefecture, particularly Bei Gongqiao, who possessed a foundation of 750 million Genesis Qi stars. His strength had reached the pinnacle of the intermediate Heavenly Sun stage, and he even showed signs of refining the third Heavenly Sun.
He was considered one of the strongest among all intermediate Heavenly Sun experts.
In the past few months, more than ten Heavenly Sun experts on the Tianyuan Region’s side had lost their lives to him. From this fact alone, it was obvious how strong and ruthless his means were.
In the face of an opponent of that level, many Heavenly Sun experts present in the hall would immediately flee for their life if they encountered him on the hunting ground. Otherwise, if they were one step too late, they could end up losing their lives.
But Zhou Yuan dared to take on a powerful enemy that even they wouldn’t cope with. Many Heavenly Sun experts thought Zhou Yuan was too arrogant, and they looked at him with strange expressions.
It seems he isn’t putting on a show but seeking death!
While everyone watched with a strange expression, Qin Lian took a deep breath, and a trace of anger flashed in her eyes. She was angry with Zhou Yuan’s reckless behavior. She wouldn’t pay much attention to Zhou Yuan if he were just an ordinary Heavenly Sun expert since Heavenly Sun experts were killed on the battlefield every day.
But Zhou Yuan was different because he was supreme sovereign Cang Yuan’s official disciple. If anything happened to him or the enemies killed him, it would greatly impact the Tianyuan Region’s reputation.
“Chief pavilion master, I understand how you are feeling, but I hope you won’t create trouble for us. You know what identity you have, and in order to protect you, we would lose even more things, including lives,” Qin Lian said loud and clear.
If Zhou Yuan wanted to enter the battlefield, they no doubt would have to make preparations. At the very least, Yi Yan, a Nascent Source expert, would have to watch the enemies’ Nascent Source experts. The top Heavenly Sun experts would similarly have to watch opponents of the same level to prevent them from finding Zhou Yuan.
In other words, the battlefield would become even more chaotic because of Zhou Yuan joining the war. It would make sense for them to go to all the trouble if Zhou Yuan really had the ability to kill the target he had chosen, but...
Qin Lian pursed her red lips, and her eyes grew sharp. Could Zhou Yuan really do it? Given Zhou Yuan’s talent, Qin Lian believed he would be able to do so in the future, but that would take some time. Zhou Yuan was too impatient!
Facing Qin Lian's piercing gaze, Zhou Yuan only smiled helplessly and said, “I will take responsibility for all the consequences.”
He knew that Qin Lian wasn't targeting him, but he didn’t know what he could say to her. Tell her that he possessed a foundation of 720 million Genesis Qi stars? If she didn’t believe him, should he then prove it publicly and expose his strength and trump cards?
Who knew whether there were spies from the top five forces here?
Some things were better kept a secret because there would be greater benefits when the secrets were revealed.
Gritting her teeth, Qin Lian stared at Zhou Yuan for a good while, then finally shook her hand and turned away. Her ponytail swung behind her, showing her anger and the disappointment in her heart.
Zhou Yuan watched her as she left, and then he turned to Yi Yan, saying, “Elder Yi, you won’t stop me, right?”
Yi Yan gave a wry smile. He took a deep look at Zhou Yuan a
nd said, “Although your decision is puzzling, you have never disappointed us since coming to the Tianyuan Region. Perhaps this is why the supreme sovereign favored you and not us.
“If you're really determined to accept targets from the bounty list, allow me to make some arrangements first.”
As Qin Lian had said, if Zhou Yuan joined the war, they would have to prepare protection for him. At the very least, they had to prevent Nascent Source experts from entering the battlefield.
“Sorry to trouble you, elder Yi.” Zhou Yuan expressed his thanks. No matter how crazy he was, he wouldn’t be arrogant enough to face a Nascent Source expert.
Yi Yan waved his hand. “I will tell someone to bring you more information about those three people, but you also have to be careful.”
He turned away when he finished speaking.
Zhou Yuan’s gaze then shifted to Ye Bingling, Yi Qiushui and Mu Liu behind him. They were all staring blankly at him.
“Zhou Yuan, do you really intend to hunt down those intermediate purple-gold Heavenly Sun experts?” Yi Qiushui asked.
A skeptical look came to Ye Bingling’s face as she said, “Don’t bring us into a difficult situation. We just want to earn some war credits. Do you really have to add to our difficulty?”
The relationship between the two sides wasn’t shallow, so they naturally spoke bluntly to each other.
Zhou Yuan curled his lips and said, “Don’t worry, if there really is a pit, I will jump in first. If you want war credits, you should follow me!”
He smiled, rolled up the parchment papers and leisurely strode out of the War Service Hall.
He couldn’t break into the hunting zone alone and needed a team to assist him in finding his targets. Of course, everyone else was just supporting figures, and he still had to rely on himself in the final battle.
Yi Qiushui, Ye Bingling and Mu Liu stared speechless at one another. They could tell Zhou Yuan wasn’t joking.
“Why is that guy so confident?” Mu Liu said, scratching his head.
In truth, he also found it a little unbelievable. Even if Zhou Yuan has refined a glass Heavenly Sun, he would still be at the initial Heavenly Sun stage, so he shouldn’t dare to face enemies with a foundation of over 600 million Genesis Qi stars, right? After all, he should only possess a foundation of 400 to 500 Genesis Qi stars at the initial Heavenly Sun stage!
They exchanged glances with one another but still couldn't think of what made Zhou Yuan so confident. Perhaps grand elder Chi Jing had given him some treasure or means to protect himself.
“That guy is playing so big this time. I just hope he can withstand the consequences.”
They sighed, then hurriedly followed.
Many people in the hall stared in bewilderment at Zhou Yuan as he left, and a moment later, buzzing noises erupted in the hall.
The majority shook their heads and frowned. The little grand elder seemed determined. Hopefully, he could come back alive. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be good for the Tianyuan Region if something happened to him, given his identity.
Watching this scene, Li Qingyue curled a corner of his lips in a sneer.
“He doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. If he wants to die, nobody can stop him.
“I look forward to seeing what you will do when you lose!”
Chapter 1012 Team
Within a few days of Zhou Yuan coming to Scarlet Flame City, the matter regarding him choosing to hunt three intermediate Heavenly Sun experts in the War Service Hall had already spread among the Heavenly Sun experts.
Unsurprisingly, this matter led to a lot of ridicule and laughter. The majority of people thought the little grand elder was too arrogant and that perhaps he still hadn’t put away the mentality that he was the Divine Dwelling stage king and was invincible.
But when he returned from his defeat, he would surely realize that no matter how mighty he was in the Divine Dwelling stage, he had to be smart and keep a low-profile when at the initial Heavenly Sun stage.
According to the military rules, Heavenly Sun stage experts who wanted to enter the hunting area needed to prepare a team composed of Divine Dwelling experts.
The team wasn’t there to fight but to scout out places, set up Genesis Runes and search for targets. Once they found the target, they were to step back and leave the battle to the Heavenly Sun expert.
This was the only way for Divine Dwelling experts to obtain war credits in the war zone. Otherwise, a Divine Dwelling expert on the battlefield would be similar to a little rabbit breaking into a wolf’s den.
Therefore, the Divine Dwelling experts would carefully choose the right Heavenly Sun expert as their leader because that person’s strength would determine how much danger they would face and affect the efficiency of gaining war credits.
Although Zhou Yuan had a resounding reputation, many Divine Dwelling experts didn’t dare to join him because the targets he chose were too fierce. Even if Zhou Yuan had broken through to the Heavenly Sun stage, the hunting area would be just as dangerous for him as an initial Heavenly Sun expert, and the slightest carelessness could result in his team being wiped out.
Therefore, to protect their lives, not many Divine Dwelling experts dared to join Zhou Yuan’s team. As a result, it took Zhou Yuan almost three days to gather ten people for his team.
“It appears that all of us are already acquainted.”
In a courtyard of Scarlet Flame City, Zhou Yuan couldn’t help smiling as he swept a glance over the team led by Yi Qiushui and Ye Bingling. This was because he was extremely familiar with all the faces. In addition to Yi Qiushui and Ye Bingling, there were also Mu Liu, Han Yuan, Shang Xiaoling, Ling Feng and some other members of the Four Pavilions.
“I can’t believe you can still smile,” Yi Qiushui said snappily. “They are the only ones in the entire Scarlet Flame City who would dare join your team. The others ran away faster than rabbits when they heard you were recruiting.”
Zhou Yuan chuckled, looking at Han Yuan and the others. “Then why did you all come?”
Han Yuan said with a smile, “Chief pavilion master, other people might not understand you, but do you think we don’t know what kind of person you are? You’re not reckless, and since you dared accept a mission, you must have some confidence in winning. If we follow you, we will no doubt earn a good amount of war credit.”
Han Yuan sincerely admired Zhou Yuan’s ability because he had witnessed Zhou Yuan rising step by step.
Therefore, Han Yuan, who could be called an opportunist, willingly went to find Yi Qiushui and recommended himself when he learned that Zhou Yuan was recruiting team members.
Shang Xiaoling pursed her lips and said, “You are our boss. Although you’re much stronger than us now, if you need help, you only need to tell us, and we’ll be there.”
Shang Xiaoling and the others had suffered a lot until Zhou Yuan recruited them into the wind pavilion. Therefore, in their eyes, they owed Zhou Yuan. Although they might not even have the qualification to be his little brothers due to Zhou Yuan’s present status, as long as Zhou Yuan had an order, they wouldn’t refuse, regardless of the difficulty.
Zhou Yuan was touched by Shang Xiaoling’s, Ling Feng’s and the others’ serious expressions. He nodded. “Don’t worry, since you’re going to follow me, I guarantee I will bring you all back safely. We are going there to earn war credit, not to throw away our lives.”
Hearing Zhou Yuan’s simple but confident words, everyone could not help but relax.
Mu Liu smiled and said, “Zhou Yuan, tell me, did grand elder Chi Jing pass any special treasure or means to you?”
The others also looked pensive. If so, it would explain why Zhou Yuan acted so confidently.
Zhou Yuan shot an irritated glance at him, and he didn’t bother responding to him. He directly turned to leave the courtyard.
He said, “Now that everybody is ready, let’s set off.”
At the city gate.
Leading a group of people
out of the city gate, Zhou Yuan glanced up at the huge wall to see two figures staring at him.
It was elder Yi Yan and Qin Lian.
Zhou Yuan nodded at them from afar before he transformed into a stream of light and shot into the sky, heading into the war zone in the distance.
Yi Qiushui, Ye Bingling and the others quickly followed.
Yi Yan sighed as he peered in the direction they left. My granddaughter doesn’t know what sort of devil she’s following and even dares to do something so dangerous. I tried to dissuade her, but that girl is too clever. She immediately pulled a long face and wouldn’t let me speak.
Qin Lian’s icy face was devoid of expression as she said indifferently, “Elder Yi, I should also go now. I will create a scene in the war zone to hopefully draw the advanced Heavenly Sun experts’ attention onto me. This way, it should be safer on his side.”
“I have to trouble you.” Yi Yan nodded. “I will also watch the Nascent Source experts in the war zone.”
Qin Lian retracted her gaze. “I hope that our little grand elder wouldn’t be so reckless after this. Since he is the supreme sovereign’s official disciple, he should assume some responsibility, not create problems for others to clean up.”
From her words, it was clear she was very dissatisfied with Zhou Yuan’s actions.
She soared into the sky when her voice faded. She moved at lightning speed, and her momentum was tremendous. Wherever she passed, she attracted everyone’s attention.
Yi Yan understood her intention from her tremendous momentum. He peered in the direction Zhou Yuan and the others left, muttering, “Zhou Yuan, Zhou Yuan, we have done what we can. The rest will have to depend on you.”
If the trip was successful, the previous rumors surrounding Zhou Yuan would destroy itself. But if he failed, not only would he lose face and the prestige he had earned in the nine regions tournament, even supreme sovereign Cang Yuan would be called a bad judge of character.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 525
