Chapter 182: Rescue

Zhou Yuan moved like a golden python, cutting through the surging blue torrent and pressing forward rapidly. The massive stone steps continuously flew past beneath his feet.

In just a few minutes, Zhou Yuan displayed astonishing explosive power, leaping from the very back to surpass the second tier, and now even beginning to catch up with the first tier.

This display, as expected, caused widespread commotion both inside and outside the Sacred Remains Realm.

Everyone knew that advancing continuously against the deluge of blue torrent required abundant Genesis Qi. Insufficient cultivation would lead to exhaustion and being swept away.

Yet, Zhou Yuan's astonishing burst showed no signs of weakening; instead, it grew fiercer.

This left countless onlookers dumbfounded.

"How is this possible? He's only in the Heavenly Pass Stage; how can he possess such abundant Genesis Qi?" Many prodigies found it unbelievable.

Outside the Sacred Remains Realm, a relieved smile appeared on Mu Wuji’s usually stern face. He stared intently at the figure in the light mirror and murmured, "To possess such abundant Genesis Qi in the Heavenly Pass Stage... that indicates the quality of his opened Qi Dwelling must be high. At the very least, it's a purple Qi Dwelling, or perhaps even... a golden Qi Dwelling. I just wonder what specific quality of golden Qi Dwelling it is."

"A golden Qi Dwelling... no wonder that old master recognized his potential."

Mu Wuji smiled. Although a higher quality Qi Dwelling doesn't guarantee future achievements, it certainly provides a significant advantage at this stage and is sufficient proof of innate talent.

Mu Wuji's mood brightened. He glanced at Zhao Pan, the envoy from the Sacred Palace, and said with a chuckle, "It seems your judgment, Zhao Pan, is often a bit off."

He had noticed the contempt in Zhao Pan's eyes when he previously looked at Zhou Yuan.

Zhao Pan’s face remained expressionless. "You're celebrating too early," he said. "What if he catches up? If he truly enrages Wu Huang, he might not make it out alive."

Mu Wuji tapped his pipe. "I, on the other hand, believe things might not turn out as you expect," he said.

Zhao Pan sneered, his voice chilling, "I hope you can still say that when that boy is slain by Wu Huang later."

Mu Wuji scoffed, turning his gaze back to the light mirror.

"Then let's wait and see."

*Rumble!*

The blue torrent poured down as if endlessly. Formed from Heaven and Earth Genesis Qi, its impact was so powerful it could effortlessly destroy even a mountain in its path.

At this moment, on the seemingly endless blue stone steps, dozens of figures struggled and fought their way forward through the blue torrent.

At this point, Zhou Yuan had truly entered the first tier.

In the first tier, Wu Huang, Ye Ming, Li Chunjun, and others were at the very front, about ten steps apart. Behind them were other top prodigies, but the gaps between them were small.

After entering the first tier, Zhou Yuan’s explosive speed began to slow. Sweat appeared on his forehead, indicating that the preceding burst had caused significant exhaustion.

If he hadn't possessed a blood-red Qi Dwelling with its abundant Genesis Qi, he likely would have depleted his energy long ago and been swept away by the blue torrent.

Even so, the Genesis Qi within Zhou Yuan’s Qi Dwelling was considerably depleted.

After catching up to the first tier, he chose not to continue his burst. Instead, he slowed down to recover his Genesis Qi, as no one knew what challenges lay ahead.

Zhou Yuan looked up at the seemingly endless blue stone steps, his mind calming. His breathing became long and steady. As he inhaled, his chest slightly contracted, and the Heaven and Earth Genesis Qi transformed into a white line, which he directly drew into his body.

The Dragon Siphon Art!

This was the main reason Zhou Yuan dared to unleash such a frantic burst earlier, disregarding his Genesis Qi consumption. Relying on the Dragon Siphon Art’s rapid recovery, he could replenish his expended Genesis Qi very quickly.

With his exceptional recovery speed, the Genesis Qi surging around Zhou Yuan once again became abundant.

This astonished those who had been closely watching Zhou Yuan. Many had initially assumed that after his previous burst, Zhou Yuan wouldn't be able to sustain it much longer and would be swept away.

But to their surprise, his recovery speed far exceeded their imagination, and he quickly established himself firmly within the first tier.

The blue torrent continued to pour down relentlessly, and as time passed, everyone began to feel its force gradually intensify.

Faced with this situation, even the top prodigies in the first tier grew increasingly solemn.

They all noticed their internal Genesis Qi depleting at an accelerating rate.

Yet, the blue stone steps still stretched endlessly before them.

Before they knew it, another incense stick’s worth of time had passed.

*Boom.*

Suddenly, Zhou Yuan’s expression shifted. He looked upward with a slight frown, having faintly sensed subtle vibrations moments before.

The next instant, Zhou Yuan’s pupils sharply contracted, and his expression drastically changed. He saw a hundred-zhang-high wave suddenly form in the torrent ahead, casting a massive shadow as it surged forward and slammed down fiercely upon everyone.

That massive blue wave, also purely formed from Heaven and Earth Genesis Qi, was incomparably ferocious. Its sheer momentum alone hinted at its terrifying power.

The sudden appearance of the massive wave made Wu Huang, Ye Ming, and the others blanch. It had come so abruptly that even they were caught somewhat off guard.

As they hastily strengthened their Genesis Qi, the massive blue wave crashed down fiercely.

The impact force in that instant surged several times over.

*Boom!*

Faced with such an impact, even Wu Huang and the others at the very front felt their bodies shake and were repeatedly knocked back. Fortunately, their foundations were solid, and they managed to forcefully halt their retreat.

*Thud! Thud!*

The top prodigies behind them also suffered the impact, each desperately clinging to the ground.

After the massive wave passed, a sudden shriek rang out. Zhou Yuan looked up and saw Zuoqiu Qingyu’s delicate body flying backward. She possessed extremely agile movement techniques, capable of evading many impacts, but the preceding wave contained a strange power that directly disrupted her footwork. Her balance lost, she was immediately swept away by the blue torrent, tumbling down the stone steps.

Zuoqiu Qingyu’s smooth, charming face, like that of a mischievous sprite, turned somewhat pale. She desperately tried to stabilize herself, but the ceaseless impact of the blue torrent jolted her body so severely that her internal Genesis Qi couldn't condense.

In the end, she could only reluctantly give up, her eyes filled with unwillingness. She clearly hadn't expected to fail here.

However, just as Zuoqiu Qingyu was about to give up, a rushing sound suddenly pierced the air. A white streak shot out, entered the blue torrent, and directly coiled around her slender, delicate waist.

Zuoqiu Qingyu looked over in surprise. On the nearby stone steps, Zhou Yuan held a large black brush, its snow-white bristles extending wildly from the tip, forming the white streak that had coiled around her.

Zhou Yuan clenched his teeth, steadfastly resisting the torrent’s impact ahead. He lightly flicked the Heavenly Yuan Brush, its bristles retracting and pulling Zuoqiu Qingyu toward him.

As the bristles retracted to the brush tip, Zuoqiu Qingyu gracefully twisted and clung to Zhou Yuan’s back, her fair wrists tightly wrapped around his neck, and her rosy lips exhaling fragrant breath.

"Are you alright?" Zhou Yuan shifted uncomfortably, feeling a slight awkwardness from the softness and warmth against his back.

Zuoqiu Qingyu was still a bit shaken. After a moment, she gradually recovered, her eyes looking at Zhou Yuan’s profile with a hint of gratitude. She whispered, "Thank you."

She understood clearly that Zhou Yuan had taken a significant risk to save her. Once caught by the blue torrent, with one’s Genesis Qi scattered and unable to condense, it essentially meant being disqualified from the Sacred Tower.

Zhou Yuan smiled. "You saved Yaoyao, so of course, I had to save you too," he said.

Zuoqiu Qingyu’s emotions settled, and she immediately reverted to her usual mischievous nature. She giggled, exhaling fragrant breath close to Zhou Yuan’s ear. "I suddenly think you're quite handsome," she purred. "How about coming back to the Zuoqiu family with me to be our son-in-law?"

Zhou Yuan's mouth twitched. *Does she have to be so wild?!*

Seeing Zhou Yuan's expression, Zuoqiu Qingyu giggled. She lowered her head slightly, opened her rosy lips, and lightly bit Zhou Yuan’s earlobe.

The warm sensation on his earlobe nearly made Zhou Yuan’s legs go weak, almost sending him tumbling headfirst into the blue torrent.

"Hehe, consider this your reward," Zuoqiu Qingyu’s sly, clear laughter echoed. With a twist of her delicate body, she transformed into a streak of blue light, darting out like a swimming fish, re-entering the blue torrent and rushing straight upward.

Zhou Yuan watched her retreating figure with a mixture of exasperation and amusement, shaking his head.

"She's truly a mischievous sprite."

"I kindly saved you, and you dare to tease me!"