Chapter 165: Zhu Ying

"Zhu Ying? East Xuan Continent?" Zhou Yuan and Luluo's expressions changed slightly at the same time.

Zhou Yuan stared at the red-haired woman named Zhu Ying, frowning, "It seems your East Xuan Continent has coveted our Cangmang Continent's Sacred Remains for a long time."

Their timing was incredibly precise. They used methods to sneak in right when the Sacred Remains opened, which clearly indicated a long-standing plot.

"Hmph, East Xuan Continent rat, why did you ambush me?" Luluo glared at Zhu Ying, her small face unfriendly.

"To leave my name on the Sacred Stele, of course." Zhu Ying smiled faintly. "There aren't many impressive top prodigies in your Cangmang Continent, so I had to ask for your help."

"Just you? Little Han, deal with her!" Luluo scoffed, clearly enraged by the sneak attack. She wasted no time and immediately gave the order.

Little Han flapped its wings, and a chilling Origin Qi immediately gathered, fierce and overbearing, turning the very air into countless ice crystals.

Little Han transformed into a streak of cold light and shot towards Zhu Ying with astonishing speed.

Seeing Little Han approach, Zhu Ying curled her red lips and stomped her foot, her body shooting skyward. At the same time, a crimson light burst from her sleeve, coiling and writhing like a fiery python.

*Whoosh!* The crimson light whistled down, instantly coiling around Little Han. It was a fiery red long whip that seemed to burn with flames, binding Little Han tightly. No matter how it struggled, it couldn't break free.

"Hehe, how do you like my Crimson Flame Beast-Binding Whip?" Zhu Ying chuckled.

"Little Han!" Luluo was shocked. She clearly hadn't expected Zhu Ying to possess a method for suppressing Origin Beasts. With a single move, Zhu Ying had bound the unprepared Little Han.

"Infernal Demon Seal!" Zhu Ying, showing no mercy after trapping Little Han, flashed forward, appearing directly in front of Luluo. Her jade-like hand formed a seal, and she unleashed a powerful strike.

Crimson Origin Qi surged out, vaguely forming a burning fist print. A demonic roar emanated from it, carrying an unparalleled, violent force as it slammed towards Luluo.

Luluo gritted her teeth, and her fair, delicate hand struck out. Potent Origin Qi surged, letting out a sharp whistling sound.

The two clashed directly. Zhu Ying gracefully retreated, while Luluo's delicate body trembled, forcing her to stumble backward repeatedly. A flush spread across her smooth face, indicating a disturbance in her qi and blood.

"Tsk, tsk, without that Origin Beast, your strength seems rather ordinary," Zhu Ying chuckled.

Luluo's face turned ashen with anger. Many of her techniques were designed to be used in conjunction with her Origin Beast to unleash maximum combat power, but due to her mistake, Little Han was restrained by the opponent almost immediately.

"If these are all your abilities, then today, your Cangmang Continent will lose one of its top prodigies." Zhu Ying sighed, seemingly with regret, but the smile on her lips was exceptionally cold.

As her voice faded, she shot forward again. Crimson Origin Qi erupted from her body like a volcano, and as the energy surged, large trees around them spontaneously burst into flames.

Her body, like a fiery shadow, darted directly towards Luluo, her fingertips gleaming with a cold, intense heat.

"Do you think I'm afraid of you?!" Luluo, provoked by Zhu Ying's aggressive demeanor, gritted her teeth, ready to unleash her Origin Qi and fight this woman to the death.

However, just as she was about to act, she saw a figure step in front of her.

She looked, then paused, "Zhou Yuan?" She quickly added, "Get out of the way! This crazy woman is really hard to deal with!"

Although she knew Zhou Yuan had entered the Heavenly Pass stage, he was only in the early phase. Zhu Ying, on the other hand, was likely at the quasi-Prime Origin stage, even more formidable than Xiao Tianxuan.

With Zhou Yuan's current strength, he clearly wouldn't be a match for her.

Zhou Yuan waved his hand. "Go figure out a way to release Little Han. This woman... I'll handle her."

In her current state, without Little Han's assistance, Luluo couldn't use many of her techniques and likely wasn't a match for Zhu Ying.

"You..." Luluo hesitated.

"Heh, are people from your Cangmang Continent all so ignorant of their limits? A Heavenly Pass stage early phase, daring to stand in my way." Zhu Ying found the scene amusing, but the light in her eyes was full of mockery.

"Since you want to play the hero, I'll indulge you."

Zhu Ying sneered. Crimson light swirled around her, and her red hair danced, making her resemble an infernal demon. She clenched her slender hand into a fist and punched.

The air exploded, and the ground beneath her feet was directly torn open by the force of her punch, forming a deep fissure.

This punch was powerful enough to pierce through a late-phase Heavenly Pass stage cultivator.

Zhou Yuan looked at the violent incoming attack, his eyes devoid of fear, instead brimming with a burning anticipation.

"Quasi-Prime Origin stage, huh... I'd like to see just how strong you are."

"Profound Python Scales!"

Zhou Yuan clenched his fingers as well. Dark-gold Origin Qi surged from his Qi Manor, enveloping his body, and golden Profound Python scales began to appear on the surface of his fists.

"Third-grade Origin Pattern, Black Gold Palm Mark!"

As Zhou Yuan's low roar echoed in his mind, another layer of black-gold color, impenetrable and strong, appeared on the surface of his fists, which were already covered in golden Profound Python scales.

Zhou Yuan's body tensed like a bow, and he shot forward violently, tearing through the air. He formed a fist and unleashed a punch without hesitation, clashing head-on with Zhu Ying.

"You have a death wish!" Zhu Ying scoffed. This was the first time she had seen someone at the early Heavenly Pass stage dare to face her head-on.

"Zhou Yuan!" Luluo couldn't help but cover her wide eyes.

"Dragon Stele Hand, Sky-Breaking!"

The moment of impact, Zhou Yuan's fist seemed to become slow and heavy. A ripple of power spread out, causing space to undulate and the ground beneath them to collapse.

This single punch was not only amplified by Origin Qi but also reinforced by the golden Profound Python scales and the third-grade Origin Pattern, Black Gold Palm Mark. Its power was utterly ferocious.

The two fists, both containing terrifying power, crashed heavily into each other the next instant.

A deep thud reverberated, and the space seemed to fall silent for a moment. Immediately after, an overwhelmingly powerful shockwave surged outward, causing the surrounding ground to crumble inch by inch, rocks to tear apart, and large trees to explode with cracking sounds, shattering into countless splinters of wood that filled the air.

The entire area was instantly a mess.

Luluo stared wide-eyed at the scene. She saw both Zhou Yuan and Zhu Ying retreating dozens of steps.

However, at this moment, Zhu Ying's face was extremely grim. Luluo's gaze swept over her and noticed a bruise on her palm, with drops of blood trickling from her fingertips.

In contrast, many of the golden scales on Zhou Yuan's fist were shattered, but he showed no injuries.

Clearly, Zhou Yuan had gained a slight advantage in their previous terrifying clash.

Luluo's mouth gaped open in astonishment.

Zhou Yuan slowly unclenched his fingers, and the golden scales receded. He looked up at the ashen-faced Zhu Ying and chuckled faintly, "Even though you're quasi-Prime Origin... when it comes to toughness, you're not as tough as I am."