Chapter 141: Dangerous Situation

Before the lake, Zhou Yuan's expression turned grim as he looked at Wu Huang, whose face held a playful smirk. Running into Wu Huang here was clearly a great surprise.

This was truly unfortunate.

After all, given Zhou Yuan's current strength, he was indeed no match for Wu Huang.

So, Zhou Yuan's eyes flickered. The next instant, source qi surged from beneath his feet, and he immediately turned and shot away without hesitation.

For now, escape was his only option.

"Think you can escape?" However, Wu Huang merely smiled, a hint of mockery in his expression, as he watched Zhou Yuan turn and flee decisively.

He stomped his foot, and powerful crimson source qi erupted from his body, radiating intense heat. The nearby river water began to boil, and the ground quickly cracked and dried.

Wu Huang shot forward like a bolt.

In just a few breaths, he was directly behind Zhou Yuan. His palm glowing crimson, he struck downwards, and the ground below cracked from the impact.

"Dragon Step!"

Feeling the fierce wind from Wu Huang's palm, Zhou Yuan didn't dare to delay and swiftly activated the Dragon Step.

His figure blurred, and the whistling palm wind swept past him, barely grazing his body.

The ground shattered, and Zhou Yuan, leveraging the force of the attack, surged forward.

Though his palm missed, Wu Huang remained unhurried, his form clinging to Zhou Yuan like a shadow. A cat-and-mouse grin played on his face as he occasionally struck out, forcing Zhou Yuan into an increasingly desperate state.

In just a few minutes, Zhou Yuan repeatedly found himself in perilous situations, nearly being struck directly by Wu Huang on several occasions.

Under Wu Huang's relentless pursuit, Zhou Yuan was clearly beginning to show signs of fatigue.

"Oh, you pitiful, useless dragon of the Zhou clan..." Wu Huang walked towards Zhou Yuan, one hand behind his back, a look of mock pity on his face. "Don't worry," he said, "after I kill you, I'll also destroy your Great Zhou Dynasty. Your relatives will soon join you."

However, the instant he neared Zhou Yuan, the fatigue on Zhou Yuan's face abruptly vanished, replaced by a chilling intensity. Stomping his foot, Zhou Yuan stopped retreating and, instead, charged towards Wu Huang like lightning.

"Dragon Tablet Hand, Sky Breaker!"

He thrust out his palm, source qi surging. With a single strike, the air before him exploded.

"Third-Grade Source Pattern: Black-Gold Palm Mark!"

As he unleashed his most powerful attack, a radiant pattern appeared on Zhou Yuan's palm. A black-gold color emanated from his palm, appearing incredibly hard and possessing significant destructive power.

In a mere instant, Zhou Yuan unleashed astonishing power.

The most formidable palm strike, channeling all of Zhou Yuan's strength, slammed heavily towards Wu Huang.

Wu Huang's eyes narrowed slightly at this moment. He clenched his fist and punched out.

A deep thud resonated as the ground beneath their feet cracked instantly. Zhou Yuan's body shot backward, his feet leaving deep gouges on the ground.

Wu Huang's sleeve burst open, and he stumbled back more than ten steps.

His expression turned incredibly grim. Staring at Zhou Yuan, killing intent surged within him. "So, even a cornered rabbit will bite," he sneered.

"But you've truly enraged me!"

Powerful crimson source qi, like a torrent, roared forth from the top of Wu Huang's head, churning with an overwhelmingly potent heat.

Clearly, he was no longer interested in playing cat and mouse; he was ready to deliver a killing blow.

Zhou Yuan watched the scene, his expression growing increasingly solemn. He gently touched the silver ring on his finger, his eyes chilling.

If the worst came to pass, he would have no choice but to activate Silver Shadow. Now in the late stage of the Void Realm, he could undoubtedly use Silver Shadow's power to escape Wu Huang within a short time. The only unpredictable factor was how long he would remain unconscious after using it.

Falling unconscious without protection, especially in a dangerous, unknown place like the Sacred Remains, was clearly fraught with peril.

However... it was better than dying at Wu Huang's hands right now.

Wu Huang slowly ascended, standing on surging source qi. He looked down at Zhou Yuan, his gaze indifferent. "Wu Yao really should be here to see your pathetic state," he stated. "Then perhaps she'd finally stop doubting that I am the true dragon, wouldn't she?"

He shook his head, wasting no more words. He abruptly clasped his hands together, and instantly, the crimson source qi roared down like a torrent of lava, carrying immense power as it surged toward Zhou Yuan.

Where the torrent roared, the very air trembled slightly.

As the crimson torrent filled his vision, Zhou Yuan took a deep breath. A decisive look flashed in his eyes, and he slapped his Qiankun Bag, making the silver sphere appear in his hand.

However, just as Zhou Yuan was about to activate Silver Shadow, a peculiar sound, like the hum of a sword, suddenly resonated throughout the world.

The crimson torrent roared downwards. At that very moment, a black shadow shot forth from behind with astonishing speed. An incomparably sharp aura emanated from it, carving a deep mark into the ground.

The black shadow collided directly with the roaring crimson torrent. Their impact unleashed a violent shockwave, tearing apart all the surrounding ground.

As the dust gradually settled, Zhou Yuan looked on with surprise. Before him, a heavy, blunt-edged black greatsword stood upright in the ground.

The sword blade trembled slightly, emitting sharp sword qi.

Wu Huang's face darkened as he stared at the black heavy sword. "Sword Blind, Li Chunjun!" he snarled. "Why interfere?!"

"Sword Blind?"

Zhou Yuan's heart stirred. He turned his head and saw a figure in black slowly approaching in the distance. His steps were unhurried, yet after only a few breaths, he stood before Zhou Yuan, just behind the black greatsword.

He lifted his head, his eyes bound with black cloth. Facing Wu Huang's direction, he placed his hands on the sword hilt and said hoarsely, "I owe someone a favor for a meal."

Wu Huang's eyes were dark, and crimson source qi surged around him, clearly enraged.

"You should leave. I'll hold him back," the black-clothed youth, Li Chunjun, said, tilting his head slightly towards Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan placed the silver sphere back into his Qiankun Bag. He looked at the person before him, paused, then said, "Thank you."

Though he had a final resort, it was naturally best if he didn't have to use it.

Li Chunjun shook his head. "It's just repaying the favor for that roasted meat," he said.

Zhou Yuan smiled. "Don't kill him," he said, "because... I want to do it myself."

Li Chunjun paused, clearly not expecting Zhou Yuan to possess such nerve. He could sense that Zhou Yuan wasn't merely boasting, but genuinely harbored such an intention.

For the first time, a faint smile touched his otherwise impassive face. "Don't worry," he said, "I can't kill him right now anyway."

Zhou Yuan nodded with a smile, then looked up at the grim-faced Wu Huang. "I gave you such a grand opportunity," he said slowly, "and you still couldn't kill me. What does that tell you?"

"It means your destiny... is a fake."

Zhou Yuan burst out laughing, ignoring Wu Huang, whose face was so dark it seemed about to drip. He turned without hesitation, his figure transforming into a streak of light that rapidly vanished into the horizon.

From afar, a voice seemed to drift back.

"Wu Huang, I'll be back for your head!"