Chapter 202: Four Sacred Runes

"No wonder this Sacred Rune is so powerful," Zhou Yuan exclaimed, slowly coming back to his senses after a long moment of shock, a genuine sigh escaping him.

The Sacred Rune had the astonishing ability to identify weaknesses in various Genesis Arts, enabling him to dismantle an opponent's techniques with minimal effort. This capability was nothing short of miraculous. During his previous battle with Wu Huang, if the Sacred Rune hadn't allowed him to exploit the weaknesses in his opponent's Genesis Arts – using a small force to overcome a larger one – Zhou Yuan would undoubtedly have paid a far greater price for victory. That's why Zhou Yuan finally understood when he learned that this Sacred Rune originated from the "Cangxuan Sacred Seal."

"This Sacred Rune is called the 'Barrier-Breaking Sacred Rune,' and it can reveal the weaknesses of all things. It is one of four Sacred Runes that I peeled off from the 'Cangxuan Sacred Seal'," Old Ancestor Cangxuan said with a faint smile.

"One of four Sacred Runes you peeled off?" Zhou Yuan keenly picked up on the key detail.

"Years ago, I was ambushed by powerful experts from the Saint Race. They attempted to seize the 'Cangxuan Sacred Seal,' which was under my control, but they didn't anticipate my preparedness. I sealed the Sacred Seal itself and stripped off its four Sacred Runes, weakening its power and preventing the Saint Race from pinpointing its location," Old Ancestor Cangxuan explained with a nod.

Zhou Yuan secretly clicked his tongue in amazement. So there were four of these mysterious Sacred Runes in total. If this single "Barrier-Breaking Sacred Rune" was already so formidable, he couldn't imagine the power of the other three.

Old Ancestor Cangxuan gazed at Zhou Yuan with a smile, then suddenly spoke with a serious tone, "Young man, I see you possess extraordinary talent. I have an important task to entrust to you."

Zhou Yuan had a bad feeling. "Senior, you're not planning to ask me to search for the 'Cangxuan Sacred Seal,' are you?" he asked.

"Clever," Old Ancestor Cangxuan praised.

Zhou Yuan immediately shook his head. "Senior, you overestimate me," he said. "How could a mere Heavenly Pass realm cultivator like me be qualified to lay hands on such a supreme treasure!" He wasn't being irrational. While the Cangxuan Sacred Seal was indeed a supreme treasure, Zhou Yuan knew it was a hot potato. Putting aside the Saint Race, even the Saint Palace was an unimaginably formidable power in his eyes. If he were to obtain the Cangxuan Sacred Seal and the Saint Palace discovered it, the resulting catastrophe would clearly be beyond his capacity to handle.

"You good-for-nothing!"

Old Ancestor Cangxuan shot Zhou Yuan a glare, yet he was somewhat surprised by Zhou Yuan's refusal. After all, if an ordinary person learned of such a supreme treasure, their reason would likely be overwhelmed by insatiable greed. In a way, he appreciated Zhou Yuan's clear-headedness.

"Young man, do you want to protect her?" Old Ancestor Cangxuan asked, casting a glance at Yaoyao standing nearby.

"That is my promise to Master Cang Yuan," Zhou Yuan said without hesitation.

Old Ancestor Cangxuan scoffed, "Then do you know who is looking for her now? Are they someone you can afford to provoke? Do you really believe you can protect her?"

Zhou Yuan replied calmly, "I don't know if I can protect her, but I will use every ounce of my strength. I promised Master Cang Yuan that if anyone tries to harm Yaoyao, they will have to step over my dead body first."

Yaoyao's bright eyes flickered. She cast a slight glance at him, her red lips curving into a subtle pout. "For the past year or two," she said, "I've been the one protecting *you*." Despite her words, a hint of a smile played in her eyes.

Zhou Yuan's face flushed. "You have to give me time to get stronger!" he retorted.

"Now that's more like it," Old Ancestor Cangxuan chuckled, then continued, "But I must tell you, if the 'Cangxuan Sacred Seal' falls into the hands of the Saint Palace, their Palace Master will become the Lord of Cangxuan Heaven. At that point, his perception will far exceed anything you can imagine; he might even be able to locate Yaoyao. Furthermore, you already possess one of the Sacred Runes. Therefore, once the Saint Palace Master obtains the 'Cangxuan Sacred Seal,' his first priority will undoubtedly be to recover the four Sacred Runes to fully restore its power. And you... will inevitably be his first target."

Zhou Yuan's expression involuntarily shifted. He clearly hadn't realized that even this Sacred Rune would be such a liability. "Senior, didn't you say the Cangxuan Sacred Seal was sealed by you and no one could find it?"

Old Ancestor Cangxuan chuckled faintly. "It was indeed sealed by me, but the Saint Palace has never ceased their search. Their Palace Master is no fool; if things continue like this, he will sense it sooner or later."

Zhou Yuan was left speechless.

Seeing Zhou Yuan's troubled expression, Old Ancestor Cangxuan's tone softened. "Moreover, I'm not asking you to search for the 'Cangxuan Sacred Seal' right away. You can first locate the other three Sacred Runes. That way, even if the 'Cangxuan Sacred Seal' were to fall into the Saint Palace's hands, their Palace Master wouldn't be able to become the Lord of Cangxuan Heaven through it." He glanced sideways at Zhou Yuan. "I find it hard to believe you're not interested in those three Sacred Runes," he said.

Zhou Yuan licked his lips. To say he wasn't interested would be a lie. Having already experienced the formidable power of this "Barrier-Breaking Sacred Rune," he naturally yearned to discover the capabilities of the other three. However, Cangxuan was right. The Saint Race clearly desired to capture Yaoyao, and if the Saint Palace, acting as the Saint Race's pawns, were to obtain the Cangxuan Sacred Seal, it would pose an immense threat to Yaoyao. Although he currently lacked the power to directly confront the Saint Palace, he was willing to create some covert problems for them, at least preventing them from acquiring the complete Cangxuan Sacred Seal.

"Then... where do I find the other three Sacred Runes?" Zhou Yuan asked after a moment of contemplation. At present, he wasn't qualified to seek out the Cangxuan Sacred Seal itself, but he could certainly locate the four Sacred Runes that had been peeled off from it.

Seeing Zhou Yuan finally nod, Old Ancestor Cangxuan smiled. "The second Sacred Rune," he said, "I sealed within the 'Holy Origin Peak' of the Cangxuan Sect."

"Cangxuan Sect's Holy Origin Peak?"

Old Ancestor Cangxuan nodded with a smile. "My Cangxuan Sect has seven peaks," he explained, "each with countless disciples, all performing their duties and cultivating their own techniques. And the Holy Origin Peak is precisely where I, the Old Ancestor, used to meditate in seclusion."

"So if I want to obtain that second Sacred Rune, I'll need to join the Cangxuan Sect?" Zhou Yuan asked.

Old Ancestor Cangxuan chuckled. "What, are you reluctant?" he asked. "Even if my Cangxuan Sect isn't what it once was, it remains one of the most powerful sects in all of Cangxuan Heaven."

Zhou Yuan smiled. Naturally, he was willing to join the Cangxuan Sect. He certainly needed strong backing for his endeavors; otherwise, if the Saint Palace came for him, he wouldn't be able to withstand them without support.

"I sealed the Holy Origin Peak before my demise, making it inaccessible to anyone. If the two of you enter the Cangxuan Sect later, after the Mountain Selection Ceremony, you can use my seal to enter Holy Origin Peak, break the seal, and reopen it."

"That's a lot of trouble," Zhou Yuan grumbled, pulling a face. "You're the founding ancestor of the Cangxuan Sect. Can't we just present your seal to the Sect Master directly and ask him to permit us to enter Holy Origin Peak to search for the Sacred Rune?"

"No," Old Ancestor Cangxuan said slowly. "The secret of the Sacred Runes is of immense importance, and no one within the Cangxuan Sect knows about it. Therefore, you must not reveal it. And furthermore..."

Old Ancestor Cangxuan paused for a moment. "I suspect that my demise back then wasn't solely due to external factors..."

Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed. Could it be that there was a traitor within the Cangxuan Sect?

"That sounds very dangerous."

Zhou Yuan's face was etched with a bitter expression. He fixed his gaze on Old Ancestor Cangxuan and said meaningfully, "Senior, the tasks you entrust are never easy. But if you want a horse to run fast, it needs to be well-fed..."

Old Ancestor Cangxuan couldn't help but chuckle in exasperation, seeing Zhou Yuan so brazenly asking for something. "Don't worry," he retorted playfully, "you won't starve!"

He extended his palm, and golden light converged in its center, gradually forming a single drop of golden liquid. It resembled a drop of golden blood. The moment that golden droplet appeared, it conjured a howling storm in the world, drawing in countless streams of Genesis Qi.

"What is that?" Zhou Yuan asked, staring fixedly at the golden droplet and swallowing hard.

Old Ancestor Cangxuan gave a faint smile. "This is precisely what you all yearned for when you ventured into the Saint Vestige Remains... a single drop of my sacred blood."