Chapter 156: Harvest

The battle between the two sides ended unexpectedly quickly. Before the people in the mountains and forests could even react, Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling had vanished, leaving only their exasperated roars lingering in the air.

Everyone slowly came back to their senses, gazing at the ravaged battlefield, and collectively swallowed hard.

Who could have imagined that the young lord of Saint Remains City would be utterly defeated and forced to flee?

He possessed the peak strength of the late Heavenly Pass Stage; among the younger generation across the vast continent, those capable of surpassing him were few and far between. Yet today, he was defeated by Zhou Yuan, who had just broken through to the early Heavenly Pass Stage.

What's more, even after unleashing a killer move like the Minor Heavenly Origin Technique, he was still defeated by Zhou Yuan.

The gazes directed at Zhou Yuan gradually shifted, now containing less scrutiny and more reverence.

A profound silence fell over the mountain. Everyone knew that after this battle, Zhou Yuan's name would undoubtedly spread throughout the Saint Remains Land.

Zhou Yuan, however, paid no attention to the myriad gazes. He extended a hand, and dark golden Genesis Qi swirled back, simultaneously retrieving a Cosmos Bag.

Zhou Yuan held the Cosmos Bag, tossing it gently in his hand.

"That guy certainly ran fast," Zhou Yuan murmured, shaking his head slightly. Clearly, he had underestimated Xiao Tianxuan's trump cards; that fellow was laden with treasures for self-preservation and escape.

"Even if he managed to escape, I doubt he'll be feeling too well."

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly. At the last moment, he had infiltrated two streams of Grievance Dragon Poison into Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling's bodies. These poisons would ensure they experienced a fate worse than death.

Zhou Yuan himself had endured that very sensation for over a decade.

"Let's see what this guy has left," Zhou Yuan mused, gripping the Cosmos Bag. Dark golden Genesis Qi surged, and a faint Genesis pattern emerged at the bag's opening, resisting external forces.

This resistance, however, posed no significant hindrance to Zhou Yuan. After more than a dozen impacts of Genesis Qi, the Genesis pattern gradually faded and then shattered.

With a thought, Zhou Yuan clearly perceived the contents of the Cosmos Bag.

He clenched his hand, and first to appear were eight golden crystal cards. These were Genesis Crystal Cards from the Heavenly Crystal Pavilion, with the gold signifying each card could be exchanged for one million Genesis Crystals.

Eight golden Genesis Crystal Cards thus represented eight million Genesis Crystals.

"...Truly a magnate," Zhou Yuan muttered, his mouth twitching slightly even after seeing the eight golden cards. When he left Great Zhou, Zhou Qing had only provided him with five hundred thousand Genesis Crystals. Yet, Xiao Tianxuan's Cosmos Bag contained eight million Genesis Crystal Cards.

This was an immense fortune.

"However, these eight million are likely Xiao Tianxuan's entire net worth," Zhou Yuan chuckled. Even if Xiao Tianxuan was the young lord of Saint Remains City, losing eight million Genesis Crystals would undoubtedly be a devastating blow, akin to having flesh torn from bone.

"Now, if I meet Luoluo, I'll have the money to repay her."

Zhou Yuan continued to examine the Cosmos Bag. It contained numerous valuable items, including various rare Genesis materials, which clearly attested to Xiao Tianxuan's considerable wealth.

"Oh, is this a Lightning-Attracting Stone?"

A dark, mottled stone, covered in tiny holes, suddenly appeared in Zhou Yuan's hand. Faint lightning seemed to flicker within it. Upon seeing this item, a hint of pleasant surprise flashed in his eyes.

To cultivate the Minor Heavenly Origin Technique "Great Wind-Thunder," he needed to draw wind and thunder into his body during a thunderstorm to create a specific imprint. Only then would the "Great Wind-Thunder" he eventually mastered possess the violent and fierce power of wind and thunder.

This "Lightning-Attracting Stone" would enable Zhou Yuan to smoothly draw lightning into his body, significantly accelerating his cultivation of "Great Wind-Thunder."

"Quite an unexpected gain," Zhou Yuan commented as he put away the Cosmos Bag. He felt a slight regret that it didn't contain the Minor Heavenly Origin Technique called "Crimson Demon Wheel," but then he understood. Minor Heavenly Origin Techniques were treasures even for Saint Remains City, making it highly unlikely Xiao Tianxuan would carry one on him.

Nevertheless, the spoils from this encounter were already substantial.

Putting away the Cosmos Bag, Zhou Yuan's gaze swept over the figures scattered across the mountain. "The battle's over," he said blandly. "What are you all still doing here? Waiting to claim a bounty from me?"

He naturally harbored no goodwill towards those who had come seeking him for a bounty.

Hearing Zhou Yuan's words, the figures on the mountain offered awkward smiles. Had it been the Zhou Yuan from before, they might have retorted angrily, but the current Zhou Yuan had even forced Xiao Tianxuan to flee, possessing terrifying combat prowess. Naturally, they dared not provoke him further.

Consequently, all the figures on the mountain slunk away.

Zhou Yuan paid them no further mind. He was just about to depart, intending to find a suitable location to cultivate the "Great Wind-Thunder."

However, at that very moment, he suddenly felt a sensation, lifting his head to gaze at the Saint Tablet positioned impossibly high in the sky.

The Saint Tablet vibrated.

As the Saint Tablet vibrated, nearly all the prodigies throughout the Saint Remains Land sensed it. They immediately looked up, and a look of profound shock gradually spread across their faces.

Light converged on the Saint Tablet, and for the very first time, ancient characters slowly began to emerge on its surface.

It was a name—the first to ever appear on the Saint Tablet.

That name was... Zhou Xiaoyao?

Zhou Xiaoyao fought Wu Huang, and Wu Huang retreated.

These nine brief characters, however, sent monumental ripples throughout the Saint Remains Land. Countless prodigies stared dumbfounded at the Saint Tablet, utterly shocked by the information displayed.

They, of course, knew who Wu Huang was: one of the paramount figures among the younger generation on the vast continent, and a foremost contender for the great fortune within the Saint Remains Land this time.

Yet now, the Saint Tablet proclaimed that Wu Huang had been forced to retreat by someone?!

Who was this Zhou Xiaoyao? Why did she possess such terrifying strength?

Moreover, countless fierce battles had erupted across the Saint Remains Land, yet even Zhou Yuan's intense clash with Xiao Tianxuan wasn't recorded by the Saint Tablet. Only this specific battle received the Saint Tablet's acknowledgment. What did that signify?

It indicated that the intensity of this battle had reached a level recognized by the Saint Tablet, suggesting an unimaginable ferocity.

Amidst the mountain forests, Zhou Yuan too stared wide-eyed at the Saint Tablet. After a long moment, he couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

Others might not know who Zhou Xiaoyao was, but he certainly did: it was Yaoyao!

Yaoyao actually encountered Wu Huang? And even engaged him in battle? Judging by this, Yaoyao seemed to have repelled Wu Huang, likely gaining the upper hand.

Zhou Yuan scratched his head, recalling what Yaoyao had told him before they entered the Saint Remains Land.

She had said at the time that if she encountered Wu Huang in the Saint Remains Land, she would make the first move against him. He hadn't expected her to actually do it...

A warmth spread through Zhou Yuan's heart. He knew that for someone with Yaoyao's indifferent nature, her deliberately seeking out trouble with Wu Huang was most likely because of him.

"Even Yaoyao's name is on the tablet now. It seems I need to redouble my efforts..."

"From the current situation, it seems that for a name to appear on the tablet, the battle's intensity must likely reach that of the Alpha Stage to be considered a truly prominent achievement..."

Many thoughts raced through Zhou Yuan's mind. Finally, he no longer hesitated. Tapping his toe, dark golden Genesis Qi surged forth, forming what appeared to be dark golden clouds. Standing atop the Genesis Qi, he shot into the sky.

"It's time to first complete the cultivation of 'Great Wind-Thunder,' and then I'll go meet up with Yaoyao and the others..."