Chapter 291: The Primordial Wall

After Shen Taiyuan finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall became noticeably awkward. Many new disciples exchanged glances, while the older disciples also looked rather uncomfortable.

After all, it was undeniably a bit embarrassing.

The peak-suppressing Genesis Art, originally intended exclusively for the chief disciple of their peak, had now become an item almost every one of the Ten Holy Sons possessed.

Regardless of their internal discomfort, they were helpless to change this outcome. The truth was, over the past few years, the chief disciples of Saint Genesis Peak had consistently lagged behind their counterparts from the other six peaks. This was precisely why Saint Genesis Peak lacked even a single representative among the Ten Holy Sons.

This was despite the fact that their current generation's chief disciple had yet to be chosen.

Within the Cangxuan Sect, a common jest circulated among disciples: any new entrant to the ranks of the Ten Holy Sons would, as their first order of business, visit Saint Genesis Peak to effortlessly claim the "Great Mystical Saint Spirit Art."

This humorous anecdote clearly illustrated the dire straits of Saint Genesis Peak.

From his elevated position, Shen Taiyuan's expression flickered for a moment before gradually settling. While the situation was humiliating, after so many years, he had grown numb to it.

Yet, despite his numbness, Shen Taiyuan yearned for a change in this state of affairs. He often felt a sense of embarrassment when encountering other elders of the Cangxuan Sect.

This was precisely why he now placed such high hopes on Zhou Yuan.

Saint Genesis Peak had, with great difficulty, finally welcomed the top-ranked participant from the Mountain Selection Ceremony. While Shen Taiyuan didn't expect Zhou Yuan to be a true prodigy like Chu Qing, he hoped that, at the very least, Zhou Yuan could safeguard Saint Genesis Peak's "Great Mystical Saint Spirit Art" and prevent other Holy Sons from easily claiming it.

Shen Taiyuan gazed deeply at Zhou Yuan, the meaning in his eyes undeniably clear.

"Kid, I have high hopes for you."

Upon receiving Shen Taiyuan's intense gaze, Zhou Yuan couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. "My primary reason for coming to Saint Genesis Peak is to seek the second Saint Rune sealed by Ancestor Cangxuan," he mused, "does he really need to place so much importance on me?"

Nevertheless, putting other matters aside, he was indeed quite interested in the "Great Mystical Saint Spirit Art."

As a High-grade Heaven Genesis Art, this type of technique was considered exceptionally powerful throughout the entire Cangxuan Heaven, naturally piquing his strong interest.

Deep down, he also harbored a hidden ambition: he was intensely curious about the immense power that would emerge if all seven arts were successfully combined to form a true Saint Genesis Art.

However, it was evident that collecting all seven arts would be an extremely difficult feat.

After all, even Chu Qing, the proclaimed leader of the Ten Holy Sons, had only managed to acquire five of them. If he wasn't mistaken, the remaining two arts belonged to Snow Lotus Peak and Sword-Coming Peak.

This was because the chief disciples of those two peaks were Kong Sheng and Li Qingchan, who ranked second overall.

Both possessed extraordinary strength. While there might be a slight difference between them and Chu Qing, as the challenged party, they held a geographical advantage, benefiting from the Genesis Qi amplification of their respective peaks. This would undoubtedly be enough to compensate for any subtle disparity in their individual power.

Thus, Chu Qing's previous defeat most likely came at the hands of either Kong Sheng or Li Qingchan.

The flicker of ambition in Zhou Yuan's eyes gradually subsided. Uniting all seven arts was still a distant goal; for now, he needed to progress one step at a time.

"Alright, let's put that aside for now. You all may begin today's morning practice."

Shen Taiyuan's gaze swept across the hall, quieting the murmuring. He then addressed the new disciples, "You have just entered the sect. It is crucial to make the most of every morning practice; cultivating here will be of great benefit to you all."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a formidable wave of Genesis Qi surged forth from Shen Taiyuan.

At that very moment, Zhou Yuan and the others noticed that the ancient meditation mats beneath them began to glow, their light forming a circular shield that enveloped their bodies.

"This is..." Zhou Yuan murmured, feeling the light shield. It contained a strange, wonderful power, remarkably similar to soul force.

The many new disciples also watched the scene with curiosity.

Meanwhile, the older disciples in front, already familiar with the routine, closed their eyes and began to cultivate. Their soul lights flickered between their brows as they directly entered a meditative state, journeying to the Primeval Heaven to transport Primeval Qi.

"Everyone's soul has been enhanced..." Zhou Yuan thought in surprise. As the older disciples began to circulate their souls, he sensed that their soul power had indeed been amplified.

Zhou Yuan pondered for a moment, then, without hesitation, he slightly closed his eyes and activated the soul between his brows.

His soul separated from his body, ascended, and in an instant, entered the mysterious Primeval Heaven.

Inside the Primeval Heaven, a mysterious yellow Primeval Qi permeated the air, though fierce gales raged, threatening to tear at one's soul.

Zhou Yuan's soul stood in the void. With a slight lift of his hand, he observed a faint light shield surrounding his soul. This shield not only amplified his soul's strength but also protected him from the fierce gales within the Primeval Heaven.

"So that's it," he realized. "It's due to the Primeval Rock beneath my feet and the meditation mat. These are two Genesis Treasures capable of amplifying the soul and strengthening its defenses, allowing us to remain in the Primeval Heaven for a longer duration, and thus transport more Primeval Qi back."

Zhou Yuan's eyes widened in understanding, a hint of pleasant surprise in his realization. So, the morning practice, held every three days, offered such advantages. With this amplification, his efficiency in transporting Primeval Qi would significantly improve.

With this thought, he no longer hesitated. His consciousness stirred, and his soul force instantly spread outwards, as if transforming into a massive hand, grasping the Primeval Qi that permeated the space.

*Hum!*

The amplification of his soul significantly boosted Zhou Yuan's efficiency. Wisps of mysterious yellow Primeval Qi were drawn in, swirling around his soul, gradually forming a vortex of enigmatic yellow energy.

Feeling this surge in efficiency, Zhou Yuan's spirits were greatly invigorated.

"I wonder how many breaths of Primeval Qi I can transport in a single attempt with this level of amplification?"

When he was on the outer mountain, Zhou Yuan's first attempt at transporting Primeval Qi lasted over 2,300 breaths. As he gained proficiency, he eventually managed to sustain each transportation for 3,000 breaths.

Now, with such a significant amplification, Zhou Yuan was curious to see just how much he could achieve.

A deep silence settled over the hall.

Many disciples had closed their eyes to cultivate, their soul lights flickering between their brows, clearly in the midst of transporting Primeval Qi from the Primeval Heaven.

From his elevated position, Shen Taiyuan observed the many disciples. His gaze finally settled on Zhou Yuan, his eyes glinting subtly.

"I wonder how much Primeval Qi this young man can transport on his first attempt with the amplification provided by the Primeval Rock and Primeval Mat?"

The quantity of Primeval Qi one could transport determined their cultivation speed within the Primeval Realm, effectively serving as an indicator of potential. Thus, this situation offered Shen Taiyuan a subtle opportunity to assess Zhou Yuan's capabilities.

While it wouldn't allow for a complete judgment, it would certainly provide a glimpse into his true talent.

Shen Taiyuan's gaze shifted to the smooth wall of the hall, where a faint glow emerged. Upon closer inspection, individual names could be seen, appearing prominently on its surface.

This was the Primeval Wall, which recorded the amount of Primeval Qi transported by numerous disciples of Saint Genesis Peak throughout history during their very first attempts using the Primeval Rock and Primeval Mat.

Shen Taiyuan recalled a time when Saint Genesis Peak was still relatively glorious, producing many exceptionally talented disciples. The top ten ranked individuals on this Primeval Wall, during their first cultivation session using the Primeval Rock and Primeval Mat, had managed to transport Primeval Qi that sustained for over 6,000 breaths.

However, following that era, Saint Genesis Peak gradually declined. In recent years, not a single disciple from Saint Genesis Peak had managed to break into the top ten on this Primeval Wall, a fact that was undeniably embarrassing.

Shen Taiyuan sighed softly to himself, then fixed his gaze on Zhou Yuan, muttering.

"Zhou Yuan," he murmured, "let me see just how capable you, the top-ranked participant of the Mountain Selection Ceremony, truly are..."