Chapter 337: Zhou Yuan's Strength

When Cheng Ying stood before Zhou Yuan, all eyes from across the mountains converged on him, unblinking. Feng Yu's previous defeat had been too swift, almost instantaneous; before anyone could react, he was already thoroughly beaten.

So they also wanted to see clearly again whether Zhou Yuan's earlier outburst was a fluke or if he had truly become that powerful.

And Cheng Ying, clearly, would provide that answer.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Under countless gazes, Cheng Ying's eyes were filled with apprehension as he firmly fixed them on Zhou Yuan.

He took a deep breath, not hesitating for a moment. Inside his Qi Palace, hundreds of Genesis Qi stars radiated light, and powerful Genesis Qi surged through his body. It then erupted from the top of his head like a pillar of smoke, sweeping down to envelop him.

A formidable pressure of Genesis Qi emanated from him.

Cheng Ying was also a master of the Fifth Heaven, his strength no less than Feng Yu's.

With Feng Yu's previous downfall as a lesson, he naturally dared not show any contempt, immediately pushing his internal Genesis Qi to its limit.

As Cheng Ying unleashed his internal Genesis Qi, Zhou Yuan, standing before him, showed little emotion on his handsome face. His eyes were as deep as an abyss.

Under the gaze of numerous onlookers, Cheng Ying gave Zhou Yuan no chance to strike first. He intended to seize the initiative. Immediately, his Genesis Qi roared, and his figure shot out like a blur.

Cheng Ying soared through the air, his hands suddenly coming together. Potent Genesis Qi surged from his sleeves.

"Owl Shadow Kill!"

A dozen streams of Genesis Qi shot out, faintly forming a gigantic shadow. The shadow, like a night owl soaring across the sky, swiftly swooped down towards Zhou Yuan below.

From the very start, Cheng Ying employed a killer move; such an offensive was clearly a Minor Heavenly Genesis Art of considerable power.

A piercing shriek echoed as the fiercely sharp Shadow Owl Genesis Qi tore through the air, finally striking Zhou Yuan, who stood still without moving.

The entire ground collapsed, and smoke and dust filled the air.

"Genesis Plume Sword!"

Having landed a hit, a ruthless glint flashed in Cheng Ying's eyes, yet he showed no intention of stopping. Instead, he clenched his hands, and Genesis Qi flowed within his palms, instantly transforming into more than a dozen plume-like long swords.

The long swords bore special patterns, exuding a chilling sharpness.

With a flick of his wrist, the more than ten plume-like Genesis Qi swords shot out, piercing straight into the swirling dust, causing the ground to crack.

Boom! Boom!

Cheng Ying's attacks were ruthless, pouring down like a torrential rain. Wave after wave of astonishingly powerful Minor Heavenly Genesis Arts were fully unleashed, directly blasting into the dust-filled area in the quickest possible time.

On the surrounding cliffs, the spectating disciples were slightly moved. Cheng Ying's ruthless decisiveness greatly surprised them.

Cheng Ying had no intention of a prolonged battle at all. The moment he attacked, he almost entirely depleted his own Genesis Qi, simultaneously transforming it into an overwhelming offensive that engulfed Zhou Yuan.

Facing such a sudden, torrential assault, few disciples in the Fifth Heaven would dare not evade its edge.

However, surprisingly, Zhou Yuan stood his ground, enduring the full force of the rain-like assault.

"This Zhou Yuan is truly too arrogant, not even bothering to dodge..." a disciple couldn't help but whisper.

"Tsk tsk, he just endured all of Cheng Ying's attacks head-on. What is this guy thinking?"

In the stone pavilion, Lu Xuanyin gritted her teeth and exclaimed, "How arrogant!"

Her beautiful eyes were fixed intently on the dust. After enduring such a furious barrage from Cheng Ying, Zhou Yuan surely wouldn't be in a good state!

Many gazes were tightly focused on the scene.

Cheng Ying descended from the air, his face pale. The sudden outburst of attacks earlier had consumed nearly ninety percent of his internal Genesis Qi.

He stared at the chaotic scene with ruthless eyes.

"Zhou Yuan, perhaps you didn't expect that while you can strike like lightning, I can be even more ruthless, right?" He had left himself no retreat with this assault, because if Zhou Yuan didn't fall, then he would be left without any means of retaliation.

A mountain wind whistled through the cliffs, blowing away the pervasive dust.

The scene gradually cleared, revealing the extensive devastation.

All eyes were cast upon it, and then pupils constricted sharply.

In the midst of the devastation, Zhou Yuan still stood his ground. Golden Genesis Qi surged around his body, faintly appearing to transform into a gigantic golden python, protecting him within its coils.

He stood within the golden python-like Genesis Qi, his expression calm and unperturbed.

Countless gasps of astonishment echoed across the cliffs.

Zhou Yuan had endured Cheng Ying's furious assault head-on and was still completely unharmed!

"He actually blocked all of Cheng Ying's attacks with just his own Genesis Qi..." a disciple exclaimed in horror.

"His Genesis Qi is actually this profound!"

They all understood clearly that to fully withstand those attacks solely with Genesis Qi meant that Zhou Yuan's own Genesis Qi had far surpassed the level of the Fifth Heaven.

As countless exclamations of horror rose and fell, Cheng Ying's expression also drastically changed. The Genesis Qi fluctuations emanating from Zhou Yuan's body made him feel a terrifying danger.

He had only ever felt such a dangerous sensation when facing masters who had entered the Sixth Heaven.

"His Genesis Qi is no less than that of the Sixth Heaven!" The thought sent chills down Cheng Ying's spine. Zhou Yuan was only at the Third Heaven of the Alpha Origin Stage, so why was his Genesis Qi so incredibly profound?!

As Cheng Ying stood in horror, Zhou Yuan also raised his head, his indifferent gaze locking onto Cheng Ying.

Cheng Ying's scalp tingled, and he rapidly retreated.

However, Zhou Yuan's figure instantly blurred, like a wisp of smoke, almost teleporting directly in front of Cheng Ying.

"I adm—" Cheng Ying's pupils contracted, and he quickly blurted out, attempting to concede. He understood that at this moment, he had no chance of winning; Zhou Yuan, before him, far exceeded his imagination.

However, Zhou Yuan's sharp punch arrived first, landing directly on Cheng Ying's chest. Genesis Qi exploded, tearing his robes to shreds. Cheng Ying screamed, flying backward, and ultimately crashing heavily into the mountain wall, becoming embedded within it, utterly disheveled.

Silence once again fell around the cliffs.

Those gazes, as if looking at a monster, turned towards Zhou Yuan.

If in the first match they could still attribute it to Feng Yu being caught off guard, this time, it was clearly Cheng Ying who launched a full-power attack first. Yet, in the end, he couldn't even break through Zhou Yuan's Genesis Qi defense.

This made everyone understand.

Zhou Yuan wasn't relying on luck... he genuinely possessed such formidable strength.

Within the Fifth Heaven, no one was his match.

In the stone pavilion where Lu Song was, Lu Yan stood in stunned silence. At this moment, no matter how much she resisted, she had to admit that Zhou Yuan, in just over a month, had grown at an astonishing speed to a level that shocked everyone.

Lu Song also said slowly, "This young man, during the Selection Ceremony, could only fight Lu Feng of the Fourth Heaven with all his might. Yet, in just one month, he has become virtually unrivaled among those below the Sixth Heaven..."

He glanced at Lu Yan and said, "Back then, Chu Qing took half a year to enter the inner mountain and become a Purple Sash disciple... But Zhou Yuan, in just one month, already qualifies for the Purple Sash selection."

"This speed is truly unmatched."

Lu Yan wanted to object, but in the end, she could only stamp her foot unwillingly. At this very moment, even she had to admit that she had indeed underestimated this new disciple...

Lu Song glanced in the direction of Shen Taiyuan and sighed, "Old Shen isn't unlucky after all. Who knew he'd actually stumble upon such a promising talent."

Around the cliffs, many spectating disciples gradually recovered, though this time there wasn't as much shock, perhaps because they were somewhat prepared.

Those disciples who had come wanting to see Zhou Yuan humiliated, though somewhat reluctant, also knew that Zhou Yuan's performance today was enough to make him famous within the Cangxuan Sect.

Crack.

The teacup in Lu Hong's hand was crushed by his palm at that moment, tea dripping down. His aged face was filled with cold sternness.

He slowly wiped away the water and looked towards Wei Youxuan, saying faintly, "Wei Youxuan, it's your turn."

Within that faint voice, however, lay a furious rage that made many disciples tremble.

Wei Youxuan also took a deep breath at this moment. He floated down, his cold eyes fixed on Zhou Yuan, then he extended a finger and pointed towards the mountain wall.

"That spot, I'm saving it for you."

Wei Youxuan's voice echoed among the cliffs, causing all the spectating disciples to swallow nervously.

They knew that today's cave trial had probably just truly begun.