Chapter 181: Chasing

Within the Land of the Holy Ruins, countless prodigies gazed at the majestic Holy Mountain inside the Holy Tower. They naturally noticed the torrent of azure light pouring down from the endless stone steps. Even from a great distance, they could distinctly feel the terrifying impact. Under that azure torrent, the prodigies swept up in it appeared as insignificant as ants.

Whispers arose among the onlookers. "Wu Huang, Ye Ming, Li Chunjun, and the others are truly formidable," someone commented. "They adapted so quickly to the onslaught of the azure torrent and are now steadily moving forward." "They are indeed top prodigies; others clearly fall short in comparison." Many also noticed Zhou Yuan, who was lagging at the very back. After all, his previous performance in the Land of the Holy Ruins had been exceptionally eye-catching.

"What's wrong with Zhou Yuan? How did he end up last?" someone wondered aloud. "Zhou Yuan is only at the Heavenly Gate stage. His burst power might be good, but his Genesis Qi cultivation probably isn't as strong as the others, so he's performing poorly now." "It looks like he'll be swept out of the Holy Tower and disqualified soon…" "Still, it's quite an achievement to have made it this far." Many harbored a sense of schadenfreude regarding Zhou Yuan's performance. Unable to enter the Holy Tower themselves to seize fortune, they naturally wished to see others suffer misfortune.

Outside the Land of the Holy Ruins, Zhao Pan, the envoy from the Sacred Palace, watched Wu Huang, who was leading the first echelon on the azure stone steps. A satisfied expression appeared on his face. "Excellent, Wu Huang," he murmured. "Keep pressing forward, straight to the summit of the Holy Mountain. To enter my Sacred Palace, you must trample other prodigies underfoot and become the strongest one!" Zhao Pan smiled, then his gaze shifted slightly downwards until he spotted the figure lagging at the very back. A sarcastic curl instantly formed on his lips. "Indeed, a useless person. He's not even worthy of being Wu Huang's opponent." He secretly shook his head.

"What is this boy... doing?" Mu Wuji, the envoy from the Cangxuan Sect, lightly tapped his pipe and frowned as he watched Zhou Yuan. While it was true that resisting the azure torrent required abundant Genesis Qi, Mu Wuji didn't quite believe Zhou Yuan would be stopped here. "Zhou Yuan, oh Zhou Yuan," Mu Wuji thought, "that old master values you so highly. You really must strive harder, otherwise, how can I report back?" He took a puff from his pipe, a wisp of smoke escaping his nostrils, and his expression grew solemn amidst the smoke.

"Hmm?" In the very next moment, Mu Wuji's eyes suddenly narrowed. At the same time, the other five envoys also let out low exclamations of surprise. With their keen eyesight, they had all witnessed that at this instant, a powerful dark-golden Genesis Qi suddenly erupted from within Zhou Yuan. The strength of this Genesis Qi was absolutely no weaker than that of the prodigies who had already entered the Alpha stage! Mu Wuji's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, scolding softly, "This little brat, he was intentionally falling back to feign weakness?" However, he didn't know that Zhou Yuan had no such intention. He had been momentarily flustered purely because of Yaoyao's disappearance, causing him to be swept to the very back by the azure torrent. "Boy, show me your true capabilities," Mu Wuji thought. "Let me see why that old master recommended you so highly…"

On the azure stone steps, dark-golden Genesis Qi erupted from Zhou Yuan's Qi Dwelling like a volcano. This Genesis Qi brought with it immense power, flowing through his limbs and bones. Although Zhou Yuan was currently at the mid-Heavenly Gate stage, in terms of the abundance of his Genesis Qi, he would likely not be inferior even when facing a true Alpha stage expert. After all, when he first broke through to the Heavenly Gate stage, his Genesis Qi could already surge over four hundred zhang high, comparable to many at the late Heavenly Gate stage. Now, having advanced further, and relying on his crimson Qi Dwelling and the "Mysterious Python Breathing Technique" he cultivated, Zhou Yuan was utterly fearless even when genuinely comparing the abundance of Genesis Qi with Alpha stage experts. The dark-golden Genesis Qi roared around Zhou Yuan's body. The surging azure torrent that crashed against him was actually torn apart, creating a gap about a zhang wide by the dark-golden Genesis Qi. *Thump!* Zhou Yuan suddenly took a powerful step, his figure shooting forward. *Bang, bang, bang!* The azure torrent in front of him seemed to be torn apart, the collision of Genesis Qi emitting low rumbling sounds. Amidst countless astonished gazes, Zhou Yuan's footsteps swiftly ascended layer after layer of stone steps, surging rapidly forward.

"What speed!" Countless exclamations erupted from the Land of the Holy Ruins. In their eyes, Zhou Yuan now seemed to have transformed into a streak of dark-golden light, breaking through layers of azure torrent and continuously overtaking the prodigies who had previously been ahead of him. In just a few dozen breaths, Zhou Yuan had crossed over a hundred steps, leaping from the very last position to rapidly approach the second echelon. Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling also noticed the commotion behind them. Their gazes swept back, and their faces immediately paled in shock, as Zhou Yuan had already appeared not far behind them. "Has this bastard taken some kind of drug? How is he so fierce all of a sudden?!" Xiao Tianxuan's face was grim. He had originally thought Zhou Yuan was lagging so far behind due to insufficient Genesis Qi reserves, but now, upon seeing it, the abundance of his Genesis Qi was in no way inferior to that of an Alpha stage expert. "He's just showing off," Gu Ling sneered. "He's completely unleashing his Genesis Qi in one burst; it looks powerful, but it won't last. Such an act is foolish. These stone steps seem endless, and who knows how long it will take to get out. If he acts so recklessly, his Genesis Qi will soon be depleted, and he'll be swept directly out of the Holy Tower, losing his qualification." She and Zhou Yuan had a deep-seated enmity, so she naturally didn't want to see him succeed. All her thoughts were of Zhou Yuan suffering miserably, to quell the resentment in her heart. Xiao Tianxuan also nodded. Earlier, he and Gu Ling had been made to wish for death by the Resentful Dragon Poison Zhou Yuan had inflicted upon them. If not for Wu Huang's help at the end, they might truly have been killed. Fortunately, they had also benefited from their misfortune, gaining some fortune that qualified them to enter the Holy Tower. As various thoughts flashed through his mind, Xiao Tianxuan watched Zhou Yuan's figure, relentlessly breaking through the azure torrent as he advanced, trying to wait for the moment when Zhou Yuan's Genesis Qi would be exhausted and he would appear in a sorry state.

However, his wait was destined to be fruitless. Zhou Yuan's expression remained calm; he didn't even glance their way. Dark-golden Genesis Qi surged, continuously smashing apart the oncoming azure torrent, and his steps remained steady and swift. The stone steps rapidly passed beneath his feet. He was now only a few dozen steps away from Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling's second echelon. Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling's expressions had already turned slightly unpleasant. *Thump! Thump!* Zhou Yuan paid no attention to them. His steps were swift, and in just two minutes, his figure suddenly surged forward. Amidst countless exclamations, he entered the second echelon, moving abreast with Xiao Tianxuan, Gu Ling, and the others. Zhou Yuan didn't spare a glance for the astonished looks of others. He raised his head and looked ahead. A few hundred steps in front, Wu Huang and a group of other top prodigies were showcasing their unique abilities, rapidly ascending. Lü Luo, Zuoqiu Qingyu, and Zhen Xu were also closely following them.

At this point, the gap between these prodigies was gradually becoming evident. The top prodigies in the first echelon were steadily pulling further and further ahead of those behind them, to the point of despair for some. Zhou Yuan's eyes slightly narrowed. Having fallen behind earlier, he clearly needed to exert even greater effort to catch up now. A puff of white mist escaped Zhou Yuan's mouth, and his gaze became extremely sharp. Dark-golden Genesis Qi, tinged with traces of blood-red light, erupted from within him. In the next instant, he stomped his foot and shot forward. The torrent ahead was violently torn apart. Xiao Tianxuan, Gu Ling, and the others watched in astonishment as Zhou Yuan's speed suddenly surged. Only then did they realize that Zhou Yuan had still been holding back earlier! "How is this possible?! He's only at the Heavenly Gate stage!" Xiao Tianxuan roared inwardly, a sense of frustration washing over him. However, his internal roar went unheeded, as many prodigies were now staring in shock at Zhou Yuan's figure. With his dark-golden Genesis Qi surging, he seemed to have transformed into a golden python. The giant python bravely surged against the pouring azure torrent, as if there was a transforming dragon gate awaiting it ahead. In that instant, it was as if the azure torrent itself momentarily froze. A distance of several hundred steps was covered by Zhou Yuan in just a few minutes. Such a commotion was naturally noticed by the top prodigies in the first echelon. They all turned their heads, their faces filled with surprise as they saw Zhou Yuan, who seemed to have transformed into a golden python, rapidly closing in. "This guy…" Ye Ming's face showed astonishment. "An interesting person…" Li Chunjun murmured. "To be able to catch up with us, merely at the Heavenly Gate stage, this kid is truly extraordinary!" Ning Zhan exclaimed. Lü Luo, while breaking through the torrent at full speed, also called out, "Go, Zhou Yuan!" "He's really catching up… This guy actually has some skill," Zuoqiu Qingyu's cherry lips parted slightly, her pretty face filled with surprise. Wu Huang, who was at the very front, also slightly tilted his head. He stared at the rapidly approaching golden figure, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes. "Zhou Yuan, are you really so eager to rush here and die?!"