Chapter 329: Evaluation

Above the Origin Pool, under the gaze of countless disciples, the clouds and mist slowly dispersed. The immense Heaven and Earth Origin Qi also gradually receded, signaling that the baptism was nearing its end.

Envy filled the eyes of many disciples. The Eight Dragon Baptism was highly beneficial even for the Ten Holy Sons, let alone Zhou Yuan, who was only at the Second Layer of the Alpha Origin Stage. They presumed he must have reaped even greater rewards.

As the clouds and mist gradually thinned, Zhou Yuan's figure became increasingly clear.

He sat cross-legged on the ancient stone pillar, eyes briefly closed before slowly opening. A faint golden light flashed within his gaze, and Origin Qi surged around him, accompanied by a subtle, sibilant hiss, like that of a dragon-python.

Everyone present could sense that the Origin Qi fluctuations emanating from Zhou Yuan's body had grown significantly stronger, as if ascending to a new level.

The Third Layer of the Alpha Origin Stage!

A slight tremor went through everyone's hearts. As expected, this baptism had directly enabled Zhou Yuan to break through, elevating him in one step to the Third Layer of the Alpha Origin Stage.

Numerous eyes were filled with envy. It was rumored that Zhou Yuan had only entered the Second Layer of the Alpha Origin Stage a little over a month ago, yet he had now broken through again. Furthermore, observing his Origin Qi, it was clearly exceptionally robust, indicating a natural rather than forced breakthrough.

The moment Zhou Yuan opened his eyes, he immediately focused on his Qi Palace. A smile then spread across his face.

Inside his Qi Palace, the number of Origin Qi stars had reached over seven hundred!

It was noteworthy that at the Second Layer of the Alpha Origin Stage, he had only condensed just over four hundred Origin Qi stars within his Qi Palace!

This recent breakthrough had almost doubled his Origin Qi stars.

The quantity of Origin Qi stars in the Qi Palace directly correlates with the richness of one's Origin Qi. This meant that, thanks to the Origin Marrow baptism, the Origin Qi within Zhou Yuan's body had almost doubled.

"Normally, a disciple at the Fifth Layer of the Alpha Origin Stage would condense around five hundred Origin Qi stars in their Qi Palace," he mused. "Yet I am only at the Third Layer, and my Origin Qi is already significantly more robust than that of an average Fifth Layer disciple."

A hint of exhilaration sparked in Zhou Yuan's eyes. If his Qi Palace had held this many Origin Qi stars during his previous fight with Cao Shi, he likely would have completely overwhelmed his opponent.

"With my current abundance of Origin Qi, opponents at the Fifth Layer are no longer a threat."

Zhou Yuan let out a sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted. This breakthrough was clearly extraordinary for him, and with this newfound strength, he now felt absolute confidence in the upcoming Cave Trial.

Zhou Yuan rose from the stone pillar, his gaze lingering on it with an eager expression.

Having experienced the profound benefits of the Origin Marrow baptism, he clearly yearned for more.

This type of Origin Marrow baptism was immensely beneficial for cultivation.

Unfortunately, he was still only a Gold Sash disciple. He had already used his eligibility by claiming the first place slot in the Mountain Selection Ceremony. If the Origin Pool were to open again, he would no longer be qualified to enter.

"It seems I must become a Purple Sash disciple as soon as possible," Zhou Yuan mused. Only then would he be eligible for the bi-monthly Origin Marrow baptism.

Many thoughts raced through his mind, but Zhou Yuan momentarily set them aside. He looked up to find countless astonished eyes fixed upon him.

This attention was clearly a direct result of his earlier Eight Dragon Baptism.

Zhou Yuan, however, remained quite calm. He had anticipated this reaction, fully understanding the significance of the Eight Dragon Baptism. Before today, Chu Qing was the only one among the current generation of Cangxuan Sect disciples to have achieved it.

"Clap, clap."

From the side, a sudden round of applause broke out. Elder Miao looked at Zhou Yuan with astonishment in her eyes. "Zhou Yuan," she said, "congratulations! To achieve the Eight Dragon Baptism as a Gold Sash disciple is unprecedented in our Cangxuan Sect. I imagine that from today, your name will be known throughout the sect."

A look of deep appreciation graced her features; Zhou Yuan's performance today was truly astounding.

Zhou Yuan's expression remained humble. He cupped his fists and bowed to Elder Miao, replying, "Elder Miao, you overpraise me. It was merely a baptism, nothing more."

Observing that Zhou Yuan remained modest and composed, even after such a remarkable display, Elder Miao's admiration for him deepened further.

"Previously, the Peak Master would occasionally express regret over your choice of Saint Origin Peak. At the time, we didn't understand why, but after seeing you today, I comprehend it somewhat," Elder Miao sighed.

"Based on your performance, your future accomplishments may not be inferior to Chu Qing's. It appears Saint Origin Peak is destined to see another Holy Son emerge."

Her words undoubtedly revealed her high estimation of Zhou Yuan.

Elder Miao's remarks were not whispered, and thus were overheard by the surrounding disciples, immediately sparking an uproar.

They were astonished that Elder Miao held Zhou Yuan in such high esteem, even suggesting his future achievements could rival Chu Qing's!

And who was Chu Qing? He was the preeminent disciple of their generation in the Cangxuan Sect, the leader of the Ten Holy Sons! His accomplishments were renowned not just within the Cangxuan Sect, but throughout the entire Cangxuan Heaven.

Compared to Chu Qing, Zhou Yuan was undeniably on a different level entirely.

"That's preposterous!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan was particularly indignant. Unable to openly refute it, she still scoffed under her breath, "Senior Brother Chu Qing is an unparalleled prodigy; how can this Zhou Yuan possibly compare to him?"

"While this Zhou Yuan certainly has some talent, what does a single Eight Dragon Baptism truly signify? Senior Brother Chu Qing, upon entering the inner mountain, became a Purple Sash disciple in just six months, and a year later, he was ranked among the Holy Sons! His rate of ascent is the fastest in the history of our Cangxuan Sect."

"For Elder Miao to claim he can rival Senior Brother Chu Qing based solely on this is simply unconvincing."

The disciples beside Lu Yan subtly nodded in agreement, as even they felt Elder Miao's high praise for Zhou Yuan was somewhat exaggerated.

While Zhou Yuan's performance was indeed impressive, to assert that it guaranteed his future ability to rival Senior Brother Chu Qing was an exaggeration. After all, Senior Brother Chu Qing was a person of extraordinary talent, deeply admired by all contemporary disciples of the Cangxuan Sect. For Zhou Yuan to truly compare, his current accomplishments were clearly insufficient.

Amidst the widespread uproar, Zhou Yuan remained calm. He displayed no elation from Elder Miao's effusive praise. After cupping his fists to Elder Miao once more, he descended from the altar and made his way back to the mountain peak from which he had arrived.

With Zhou Yuan's departure, everyone knew the Origin Marrow baptism had definitively concluded.

On a distant mountain peak, Li Qingchan watched Zhou Yuan descend from the altar, her beautiful eyes subtly shifting. She murmured to herself, "Can he truly rival Chu Qing in the future?"

"While I do harbor some doubts, Zhou Yuan, I truly hope you possess such talent. If you do, then the Cangxuan Sect will certainly be far from lonely."

"In the future, let me observe whether you will indeed be like a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss, soaring straight to the heavens, or if you will fade away, returning to obscurity."

Li Qingchan's eyes gradually steadied, and her exquisite face regained its usual coolness. She then propelled herself into the sky on a streak of Origin Qi, swiftly departing. Many admirers sighed wistfully as they watched her graceful figure disappear into the distance.

As Li Qingchan departed, Kong Sheng and Ye Ge also left without lingering. However, before leaving, both of their gazes clearly lingered on Zhou Yuan for an extra moment.

The disciples, scattered across the mountain, began to disperse.

Lu Yan also cast a glance in Zhou Yuan's direction, then pursed her red lips, muttering to herself, "Zhou Yuan, making a splash with this Origin Marrow baptism means nothing. The Cave Trial between your lineage and Elder Lu Hong's lineage is approaching rapidly. If you participate and fail to impress, then Elder Miao's high praise for you today will likely only lead to your complete humiliation."

A hint of schadenfreude touched Lu Yan's beautiful face. Elder Miao's words had clearly elevated Zhou Yuan's reputation, ensuring that more people would become aware of and pay attention to him.

However, if Zhou Yuan's performance failed to live up to such high praise, one could only imagine the extent of ridicule he would invite.

She waved a hand and turned to leave with her fellow disciples.

"Junior Brother Zhou Yuan, let's go too," Zhou Tai said, seeing the crowd disperse.

Zhou Yuan smiled and nodded. He was naturally aware of the many gazes filled with various emotions, but he remained relatively calm, showing no resentment despite the widespread skepticism.

He knew such reactions were futile; true recognition would only come from his own strength, not from the judgment of others.

Therefore, the upcoming Cave Trial, and that Purple Origin Cave Mansion...

It would unequivocally be his.