Chapter 293: Six Thousand Seven Hundred Breaths of Shock

Inside the main hall, silence reigned. All eyes, filled with disbelief, were fixed on Zhou Yuan, evidently stunned by his time of over six thousand breaths.

Over 6,700 breaths!

To put it in perspective, even the most exceptional disciples in Saint Genesis Peak's history, during their first cultivation session using the Primeval Stone and Primordial Cattail, only managed 5,800 breaths.

Zhou Yuan, however, surpassed that record by almost another thousand!

How did he manage this?

Everyone found it incredible.

Even purple-belt disciples like Zhou Tai and Zhang Yan looked astonished. They clearly understood the significance of that number: at the very least, in the Alpha Origin Stage, Zhou Yuan's cultivation speed would far exceed theirs.

This was because the amount of Primeval Qi he transported back in a single session was several times greater than theirs.

"Junior Brother Zhou Yuan is truly extraordinary; no wonder Master Shen values him so highly," Zhou Tai remarked with some relief. His gentle and straightforward nature meant he felt no threat from Zhou Yuan's displayed potential. Instead, he was pleased that Saint Genesis Peak had produced such a gifted disciple.

However, not all disciples shared this sentiment. At that moment, Cao Shi, for instance, was staring at Zhou Yuan with an expression that flickered between dark and uncertain.

He had no thoughts about Saint Genesis Peak's current awkward position within the Cangxuan Sect. In his view, that was a matter for Master Shen and the other elders, not him; after all, he was merely a gold-belt disciple.

Zhou Yuan's arrival, however, threatened his interests and status. Not only was the Golden Spring Cave Dwelling he coveted granted to Zhou Yuan, but even his position as the third-ranked gold-belt disciple had been taken.

This naturally infuriated him. In his opinion, no matter how talented or potentially gifted Zhou Yuan was, he was still a newcomer. How could he possibly be qualified to climb above him?

Of course, this was largely fueled by jealousy.

He had spent many years painstakingly climbing the ranks within Saint Genesis Peak, gradually advancing from an ordinary inner-mountain disciple to his current standing. Yet, Zhou Yuan, immediately upon entering the inner mountain, had ascended to prominence in a single bound. How could he possibly accept this?

There are always those in this world who fail to examine themselves.

Moreover, the surrounding disciples were now looking at Cao Shi with strange gazes. After all, he had been leading the taunts just moments ago, only for Zhou Yuan to deliver a fierce counterattack that left him stunned.

Under their stares, Cao Shi's eyes grew dark, clearly filled with shame and fury.

He had wanted to say something to salvage the situation but ultimately swallowed his words. He simply glared coldly at Zhou Yuan, gritting his teeth and thinking, "Kid, enjoy your moment of glory. In five days, I'll make you understand what rules are!"

The Primeval Qi Zhou Yuan transported back had indeed shocked him, but what did that matter? Zhou Yuan was, after all, only at the second layer of the Alpha Origin Stage.

And he, Cao Shi, was an expert at the fifth layer of the Alpha Origin Stage!

There was a significant gap between them.

So, Cao Shi intended to make Zhou Yuan understand that no matter how great his potential, it was still just potential. For now, Zhou Yuan was not qualified to challenge him.

"No matter how good your potential, you'll need to transform it into actual strength first. For now, you'd best behave yourself!"

As many astonished gazes converged on him, Zhou Yuan opened his eyes. He sensed his Qi Dwelling, where Genesis Qi flowed abundantly. Inside, numerous Genesis Qi stars twinkled, emitting peculiar fluctuations.

Zhou Yuan's Qi Dwelling now contained over four hundred Genesis Qi stars, far more than when he first broke through to the Alpha Origin Stage.

The previous session of transporting Primeval Qi had directly added nearly ten Genesis Qi stars to his body, demonstrating the high efficiency of this cultivation.

A satisfied smile appeared in Zhou Yuan's eyes. According to his estimation, at this rate, it wouldn't be long before he successfully broke through to the third layer of the Alpha Origin Stage.

"In this cultivation session, the Primeval Qi I transported back lasted for over 6,700 breaths."

"Normally, even with the Primeval Stone and Primordial Cattail, I should only be able to reach around 6,000 breaths. The extra 700-plus breaths must be due to the Saint Soul Crystal."

Zhou Yuan was somewhat amazed, having never expected the Saint Soul Crystal to have such a function. He had overlooked it before, but now it seemed the Saint Soul Crystal was clearly a cultivation treasure no less potent than the Primeval Stone or Primordial Cattail.

Suppressing the emotions in his heart, Zhou Yuan looked up and saw the numerous gazes still filled with shock.

His expression remained quite calm, as he had experienced such a situation once before in the outer mountain. He also now understood the significance of over six thousand breaths.

The silence in the hall gradually dissipated. Many disciples met Zhou Yuan's gaze, but this time, even the older disciples showed less scrutiny in their eyes.

Previously, their doubts about Zhou Yuan stemmed from their belief that he didn't warrant the level of importance Master Shen Taiyuan placed on him.

But now, Zhou Yuan had at least demonstrated some potential. While transporting Primeval Qi couldn't determine everything, it at least showed that Zhou Yuan possessed some extraordinary abilities.

"Zhou Yuan, you did very well."

At the same time, a voice spoke. The disciples looked over to see Shen Taiyuan gazing intently at Zhou Yuan, his usually stern and unsmiling face now showing a rare hint of a smile.

Evidently, Zhou Yuan's earlier performance had greatly pleased him.

"Furthermore, congratulations on breaking the Saint Genesis Peak record for the first time a disciple used the Primeval Stone and Primordial Cattail to transport Primeval Qi," Shen Taiyuan said with a smile, pointing towards the hall wall.

There, a glow appeared, and in the spot that was previously ranked first, a line of characters emerged.

"Zhou Yuan, 6,743 breaths!"

Zhou Yuan was slightly surprised, not expecting to have broken the record by accident.

"However, do not grow arrogant because of this. Such a record is merely a small encouragement and does not guarantee long-term success. Therefore, continue to cultivate diligently and strive hard in the future," Shen Taiyuan warned, immediately tempering his praise, fearing Zhou Yuan might become complacent.

"This disciple understands," Zhou Yuan replied with a smile. He merely shrugged off such records, knowing well that they held little ultimate significance. After all, a greater amount of transported Primeval Qi didn't necessarily mean greater future achievements.

To progress vigorously in cultivation, one still needed diligent hard work, accumulating over time to build a solid foundation for a breakthrough.

Shen Taiyuan nodded, growing more satisfied the more he looked at Zhou Yuan. Heaven had not forsaken Saint Genesis Peak; at such a dismal time, they had welcomed another astonishingly talented disciple.

However, he immediately recalled the agreed-upon fight between Zhou Yuan and Cao Shi five days later. After a slight hesitation, he spoke again, "Your potential is extremely high; there's truly no need to compete at this moment."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Cao Shi's eyes flashed, and he suddenly interjected, "Master Shen, please rest assured. Even if Junior Brother Zhou Yuan loses five days from now, if the Purple Origin Cave Dwelling were to fall to our lineage in the future, as long as other fellow disciples have no objections, this disciple is willing to withdraw and yield it to Junior Brother Zhou Yuan."

His seemingly righteous declaration drew surprised glances from many disciples. They clearly hadn't expected Cao Shi, who had repeatedly targeted Zhou Yuan, to choose to back down.

However, this concession caused some older disciples to slightly frown, as if they felt Master Shen was being unfair to Cao Shi. This evoked a sense of shared misfortune among them, and for a moment, they couldn't help but feel a slight resentment towards Zhou Yuan.

After all, in the eyes of many disciples, Zhou Yuan had already received numerous benefits, many of which had been taken from the older disciples.

Zhou Yuan observed Cao Shi's self-righteous performance with cold eyes, seeing right through his intentions. It was merely a tactical retreat to advance, aimed at eliciting sympathy from other disciples and turning them against him.

For now, it seemed to be having some effect, as Zhou Yuan indeed lacked significant prestige at this moment and couldn't command universal respect.

Therefore, he shook his head and said, "Master Shen, since the agreement has been made, it naturally cannot be changed. Otherwise, how would this disciple establish himself in the future?"

He couldn't be bothered with Cao Shi's petty tricks, as they would have little effect. As long as the match took place as scheduled in five days, Zhou Yuan would personally make Cao Shi understand despair.

Hearing this, Shen Taiyuan said no more and merely nodded.

"Very well then. Today's morning lesson is concluded. You may all disperse."

The disciples bowed in agreement.

Cao Shi also bowed with cupped fists. As he lowered his head, a cold sneer curled at the corner of his mouth as his peripheral vision swept over Zhou Yuan.

*Kid, what good is potential? At least for now, dealing with you is still as easy as turning over my hand!*

*In five days, when you fall by my hand, I'd like to see how disappointed Master Shen and the other disciples will be in you.*