Chapter 32: Ice and Fire Convergence Pattern

Time at the Great Zhou Palace seemed to fly by; half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Over these past two weeks, Zhou Yuan gradually adapted to the cultivation life in Class A. However, he was slightly disappointed that after opening his third meridian, the Jade Spirit Waterfall's effect was no longer as potent as it had been on the first day. Nevertheless, with the aid of the Jade Marrow Qi, Zhou Yuan's fourth meridian was slowly but surely opening up.

Fully opening it was only a matter of time.

One morning, after Zhou Yuan finished breakfast and exited the inner hall, he noticed a faint, graceful figure in the nearby flower garden, and his heart stirred.

The Jade Spirit Waterfall in the Great Zhou Palace was scheduled to open again today. However, its effect on Zhou Yuan had diminished, likely because his body was gradually accustomed to the Jade Marrow Qi.

To enhance the effect, Zhou Yuan needed to find another solution.

“Each time I enter the Jade Spirit Waterfall, a Spirit Gathering Rune is inscribed. This is a first-grade rune, and Sister Yaoyao's mastery of runes is exceptionally high, far surpassing the rune instructors of the Great Zhou Palace. I wonder if she knows a more effective first-grade Spirit Gathering Rune? If so, it could significantly improve my efficiency in absorbing the Jade Marrow Qi.” As this thought crossed his mind, Zhou Yuan's eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace, entering the stone pavilion in the flower garden.

Inside the stone pavilion, Yaoyao stood gracefully, holding a rune brush in her delicate hand. She was meticulously working on a scroll spread across the stone table. Her exquisite, fair face was fully concentrated, and in her seriousness, she exuded a unique charm.

Zhou Yuan quietly approached Yaoyao and gazed at the scroll. It appeared to be a landscape painting, with mountains stretching like winding dragons and vast rivers crisscrossing, their surfaces shimmering.

As Zhou Yuan gazed at the magnificent painting, his expression gradually turned solemn, and a hint of shock even appeared in his eyes. He vaguely realized that hidden within the painting were numerous rune traces.

The entire painting, astonishingly, concealed a profound rune!

The grade of this rune was undoubtedly high. At that moment, Zhou Yuan felt a chilling sensation throughout his body when he sensed the rune, as if he were facing something terrifying. An astonishing fluctuation slowly emanated from the scroll.

“This rune must be third-grade!” Zhou Yuan thought, startled.

Even powerful Heaven Gate Realm cultivators would not dare to underestimate a third-grade rune.

What shocked Zhou Yuan most was that Yaoyao could integrate runes into a landscape painting, demonstrating the profound depth of her rune mastery.

As Zhou Yuan became engrossed in the rune landscape painting, a small, jade-like hand blocked his view, bringing him back to reality.

“Your current rune mastery hasn't reached this level. Observing too deeply will harm your spirit,” Yaoyao's faint voice echoed in his ears.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan indeed felt a slight dizziness in his head. He quickly looked away and sighed in admiration, “Sister Yaoyao’s mastery of runes is truly impressive.”

He looked at Yaoyao, his eyes full of curiosity. “What's the highest grade of rune you can currently inscribe, Sister Yaoyao?”

Generally speaking, a third-grade rune can rival the strength of a Heaven Gate Realm cultivator. If it were fourth-grade, even Zhou Yuan's father, King Zhou Qing, would likely be wary.

Unfortunately, in the entire Great Zhou, no one Zhou Yuan knew, however skilled in runes, could inscribe a fourth-grade rune.

Yaoyao gently rolled up the painting in front of her and casually stated, “For now, I can only inscribe third-grade runes, but with sufficient preparation, a fourth-grade might not be out of reach.”

Zhou Yuan couldn't help but grin. A third-grade rune possessed power comparable to a Heaven Gate Realm cultivator. This meant that despite Yaoyao’s inability to use spirit energy and her delicate appearance, if she truly engaged in combat, leveraging the power of runes, even a Heaven Gate Realm cultivator would be powerless against her.

“Master told me to protect her. Who's protecting whom here?” Zhou Yuan couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh to himself.

As if knowing Zhou Yuan's thoughts, Yaoyao glanced at him and said, “Grandpa Hei isn't relying on your current abilities; he's looking at your future.”

Zhou Yuan's heart stirred as he recalled the day Cang Yuan sent him and Yaoyao away. At that time, Cang Yuan had clearly shown a sense of urgency, as if a crisis, one he wasn't even confident about, was approaching.

“Sister Yaoyao, do you know Master's origins?” Zhou Yuan asked tentatively.

Cang Yuan's strength was unfathomable. An unknown crisis that even he was uncertain about must be extremely terrifying, so Zhou Yuan wanted to know more to be prepared.

Upon hearing this, a hint of confusion appeared in Yaoyao's beautiful eyes. She took an ancient jade pendant from her pocket, on which a vibrant seven-colored fire lotus was intricately carved, looking remarkably lifelike.

She rubbed the jade pendant, gently shook her head, and whispered, “Grandpa Hei never told me.”

Zhou Yuan gave a bitter smile. Both Cang Yuan and Yaoyao were undoubtedly shrouded in mysteries that he couldn't fathom.

Seeing Yaoyao's somewhat low spirits, Zhou Yuan didn't dare to press further. He quickly changed the subject and asked, “Sister Yaoyao, are you familiar with Spirit Gathering Runes?”

“Spirit Gathering Runes are very common first-grade runes; there’s nothing particularly special about them,” Yaoyao said nonchalantly.

“Then, is there a Spirit Gathering Rune that's most effective yet still within my capacity?” Zhou Yuan gazed at Yaoyao intently.

Runes, as they are called, cannot be inscribed casually. For example, with Zhou Yuan's physical condition, if a third-grade rune were inscribed on him, even if he could activate it, it would severely damage his body.

Yaoyao pondered for a moment, then casually sketched a rune in the air before her. “Is this the Spirit Gathering Rune you were using before?” she asked.

Zhou Yuan nodded. The rune Yaoyao sketched was indeed the most common Spirit Gathering Rune, the same one inscribed by the instructors of the Great Zhou Palace.

Yaoyao held the celadon-like rune brush in her delicate hand, its end lightly resting against her pointed chin. After a moment of thought, she said, “Spirit Gathering Runes come in many types. I certainly know ones with better effects than this.”

Zhou Yuan’s spirits were instantly lifted. He gazed at Yaoyao eagerly. “Could you help me inscribe one?”

Noticing Zhou Yuan’s expectant gaze, Yaoyao clenched her small fist and rested it against her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Understanding her unspoken cue, Zhou Yuan immediately took out a jade bottle from his sleeve. “This is Hundred-Flower Brew,” he said. “I went to great lengths to get it.”

Yaoyao took the jade bottle, sniffed it lightly, and then smiled contentedly. Her delicate hand rotated the celadon rune brush as she instructed, “Take off your upper garment.”

Zhou Yuan unhesitatingly removed his upper garment. After this period of training, his physique had become much more robust and well-defined.

“This rune of mine is called the Ice-Fire Spirit Gathering Rune,” Yaoyao said calmly. “Among first-grade Spirit Gathering Runes, it's considered top-tier, but it will cause you some discomfort.”

“No problem, go ahead,” Zhou Yuan replied nonchalantly.

Yaoyao nodded slightly, no longer hesitating. The tip of the rune brush, shimmering with a faint glow, landed on Zhou Yuan's back. As the brush moved, rune traces began to emerge.

As more rune traces appeared on his back, Zhou Yuan gradually felt an unusual sensation. It was as if intense heat and piercing cold were alternating on his back, causing his body to cycle between the two, accompanied by severe stinging pain.

Zhou Yuan gasped; the alternating sensation of ice and fire was clearly unpleasant.

“Done.”

In just a few minutes, Yaoyao withdrew her hand. With a flick of her brush, a complex rune, with ice and fire seemingly flowing within it, had formed on Zhou Yuan's back through the intricate tracing of rune marks. It was exceptionally peculiar.

As the rune took shape, Zhou Yuan indeed felt the surrounding Heaven and Earth Qi begin to gather towards him. The effect was far stronger than that of an ordinary Spirit Gathering Rune.

“Truly amazing!”

Zhou Yuan's eyes widened in surprise. The effect of this Ice-Fire Spirit Gathering Rune was more than double that of an ordinary Spirit Gathering Rune!

“With this Ice-Fire Spirit Gathering Rune, the Jade Marrow Qi I absorb from the Jade Spirit Waterfall this time will be significantly enhanced!” Zhou Yuan felt a surge of excitement. After all, Class A was only allotted three hours in the Jade Spirit Waterfall. Since he couldn't extend the duration, he could only focus on absorbing as much Jade Marrow Qi as possible within those three hours.

“Unfortunately, three hours is still too short. If I could stay longer, the time it would take me to open my fourth meridian would also be shortened,” Zhou Yuan said with a hint of regret.

“This Ice-Fire Spirit Gathering Rune is truly effective. If Su Youwei could have one too, she should be able to open her fifth meridian very quickly.” At this thought, Zhou Yuan's heart stirred. Su Youwei's cultivation talent was exceptionally high, and he naturally didn't want her progress to be delayed.

“Sister Yaoyao…” Zhou Yuan looked at Yaoyao with a fawning expression. “Could you help one of my friends inscribe this Ice-Fire Spirit Gathering Rune as well?”

Upon hearing this, Yaoyao’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she immediately replied, “Don't even think about it.”

She had a strong aversion to uncleanliness. If Zhou Yuan hadn't been with her for so long, she wouldn't have helped him inscribe the rune.

Zhou Yuan quickly said, “She's a girl.”

Upon hearing it was a girl, Yaoyao’s pretty face softened slightly.

“Sister Yaoyao, it must be boring for you to stay in this palace all day. You could come with me to the Great Zhou Palace, take a stroll, and clear your head,” Zhou Yuan quickly pressed on.

Yaoyao hesitated for a moment. She had indeed been in the palace for over a month and was getting a bit bored.

“Alright, I'll go with you, but I'll only help one,” Yaoyao nodded slightly, adding a caveat. She didn't want Zhou Yuan to bring a dozen girls later and truly drive her mad.

Zhou Yuan quickly nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. One was clearly enough; he only wanted to help Su Youwei. As for others, once he mastered the Ice-Fire Spirit Gathering Rune himself, he might consider helping them if their relationship was good.