Chapter 191: Heavenly Turtle Barrier

On the White Jade Plaza, Zhou Yuan and Wu Huang exchanged powerful blows, their Genesis Qi exploding outwards, shattering all the surrounding flagstones. Both Zhou Yuan and Wu Huang were sent flying backward.

Stomping his foot on the ground, Zhou Yuan forcibly stabilized himself. His brows furrowed slightly as he looked down, noticing that most of the golden scales on his body were shattered, with faint traces of blood seeping through.

This clearly showed how brutal their previous fierce battle with Wu Huang had been.

"It's a good thing I have the Black Python Scales for protection; otherwise, taking such direct hits would be a serious disadvantage," Zhou Yuan thought to himself. After all, Wu Huang possessed the strength of the Alpha Origin stage, and his physical prowess alone was superior to Zhou Yuan's. Without the Black Python Scales, Zhou Yuan wouldn't have dared to engage him in such a head-on confrontation.

"Hm?"

As a thought crossed his mind, Zhou Yuan suddenly sensed something and sharply looked up towards Wu Huang. In the sky above, crimson clouds billowed, emitting an astonishing Genesis Qi fluctuation that caused the temperature of the entire plaza to rise.

"What incredible Genesis Qi fluctuations!"

Zhou Yuan's expression changed, and his gaze became serious.

Wu Huang had actually secretly channeled his Genesis Qi during their intense battle to unleash a Genesis Art of astonishing power. What a formidable tactic!

Wu Huang stood suspended in mid-air, stepping on Genesis Qi. He gazed down at Zhou Yuan with cold indifference and said lightly, "Originally, I intended to save this low-grade Heaven Genesis Art for Ye Ming or Li Chunjun... I never expected to use it on you in the end."

"A low-grade Heaven Genesis Art?!"

Zhou Yuan's pupils contracted slightly. Wu Huang had actually mastered a Heaven Genesis Art?!

Although he had never cultivated a Heaven Genesis Art, Zhou Yuan was well aware of its immense power. A Genesis Art of that caliber was capable of defeating opponents far above one's own level.

"This is really troublesome," Zhou Yuan sighed softly. Wu Huang was indeed the most formidable opponent he had ever encountered.

Inside and outside the Saint Remains Domain, many eyes gazed at the crimson clouds in the sky with astonishment.

"Wu Huang is truly unfathomable; he even managed to cultivate a Heaven Genesis Art!"

"The key is that he activated it. Most Alpha Origin cultivators wouldn't necessarily be able to unleash it."

"It looks like the battle is about to end. Zhou Yuan simply can't withstand that."

Many people expressed regret, clearly feeling sorry for Zhou Yuan. However, there was nothing to be done; reality was harsh. Zhou Yuan, this dark horse, had already astonished everyone by getting this far, but the opponent he faced this time was simply too powerful.

"Zhou Yuan, if you regret it now, destroy your Qi Mansion, and I can spare your life," Wu Huang said with a faint smile, staring at Zhou Yuan. His demeanor suggested he believed the situation was completely under his control.

Zhou Yuan also smiled and calmly replied, "You're useless. After all these years ahead of me, you're still forced into such a state by me now. Wu Huang, you don't seem as formidable as I thought."

Wu Huang's eyes turned extremely cold. He said chillingly, "Since you wish to die, I shall grant your wish. Rest assured, when I conquer your Great Zhou later, I will hang your corpse from the flagpole."

As his voice fell, his face suddenly contorted into a malevolent grimace, and he clasped his hands together, his Genesis Qi erupting.

"Heaven Genesis Art, Crimson Sandstorm Burst!"

Above Wu Huang, the crimson clouds vibrated, and suddenly, countless crimson grains of sand swept down like an overwhelming torrent. Each grain of sand contained explosive power.

As they whistled down, the area within a hundred feet below was completely enveloped.

"Crimson Sandstorm Burst?!" Mu Wuji's expression instantly changed upon seeing this scene. He looked coldly at Zhao Pan and said, "How do I recall this Heaven Genesis Art belonging to the Saint Palace?"

Zhao Pan chuckled lightly, "Perhaps you misremembered. Our Saint Palace possesses countless Genesis Arts, so it's natural to have similar ones."

Mu Wuji's face turned ashen. This Zhao Pan was truly shameless. As an envoy, he had secretly interfered, even bestowing a Heaven Genesis Art upon Wu Huang!

In the sky, countless crimson grains of sand swept down, almost transforming the area into a desolate zone of destruction. Anyone caught within such a place would almost certainly perish.

Everyone secretly shook their heads. This time, Zhou Yuan was truly in grave danger.

Amidst the countless gazes of pity, Zhou Yuan's expression was exceptionally solemn, yet he showed no sign of panic. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, "Wu Huang, did you truly think you were the only one secretly preparing tactics earlier?"

Wu Huang's eyes narrowed slightly.

Zhou Yuan let out a cold snort, then suddenly flicked his sleeve. A strong gust of wind swept across, clearing away the scattered debris on the ground. As the fragments were swept away, everyone saw numerous scrolls planted in the ground around Zhou Yuan.

Fluctuations emanated from the scrolls.

"Those... are Spirit Rune Scrolls?!" Seeing the scrolls, everyone exclaimed in surprise.

"What is Zhou Yuan planning to do?"

"Those Spirit Rune Scrolls look like they're at most third-grade Spirit Runes. Trying to stop the 'Crimson Sandstorm Burst' with them seems highly improbable."

Wu Huang sneered, "Putting on a show won't save you!"

He, too, had sensed that the Spirit Rune Scrolls were only third-grade and nothing to be concerned about.

Ignoring him, Zhou Yuan extended his hand and gently clenched it. The Heavenly Yuan Brush, previously stuck in the distant ground, shot back, rapidly shrinking, and transformed into its written form, landing in his palm.

Holding the Heavenly Yuan Brush, Zhou Yuan swept its tip through the air. Lines of spirit energy appeared out of nowhere, gradually converging to form a Spirit Rune.

"Break!"

Zhou Yuan stomped his foot, and the surrounding Spirit Rune Scrolls instantly shattered, releasing bursts of light. The lights intertwined, eventually forming layers of tortoise shell-like radiance.

The layers of light overlapped, appearing profoundly intricate and mysterious.

At the same time, the complex Spirit Rune in front of Zhou Yuan also erupted with light, resembling lines that connected all the tortoise shell-like light patterns.

In just a few breaths, a tortoise shell-like light barrier, spanning dozens of feet, formed around Zhou Yuan, shielding him within.

Although these third-grade Spirit Rune Scrolls originally posed no threat, after being connected in this manner, they seemed to gain a tremendous boost. The Genesis Qi solidified, resembling an ancient tortoise shell.

"This is..."

Witnessing this scene, gasps of astonishment erupted both inside and outside the Saint Remains Domain.

Mu Wuji also stared in amazement, while an envoy skilled in Spirit Runes exclaimed, "He actually constructed a Spirit Rune barrier! What incredible Spirit Rune mastery!"

"So it's a Spirit Rune barrier..." Mu Wuji's eyes gleamed with surprise. It was well known that constructing a Spirit Rune barrier was extremely complex because it comprised many individual Spirit Runes that had to connect perfectly without a single error. This demanded exceptionally precise perception and control of soul force.

A Spirit Rune barrier like this, even many masters proficient in fourth-grade Spirit Runes, might not be able to successfully construct.

Yet, it had been successfully constructed by Zhou Yuan.

"Although this Spirit Rune barrier is based on third-grade Spirit Runes, its defensive power is exceptionally outstanding. It might truly be able to withstand Wu Huang's killing move," Mu Wuji couldn't help but smile.

"I truly underestimated Zhou Yuan."

Even he hadn't been very optimistic about Zhou Yuan this time, but who would have thought Zhou Yuan still had a trick up his sleeve.

Amidst countless astonished gazes, Zhou Yuan stood within the Spirit Rune barrier. He looked up at the overwhelming crimson sand sweeping down, and with a gentle touch of the Spirit Rune Brush in his hand, the entire Spirit Rune barrier instantly erupted with brilliant light. The ancient tortoise shell seemed to possess an indestructible power.

"Wu Huang, let my 'Heavenly Tortoise Barrier' test just how powerful your Heaven Genesis Art truly is!"