Chapter 352: Gold Chapter, Summer Rain

Zhou Yuan walked slowly through the mist, his eyes scanning the surroundings with full vigilance. He could faintly sense light patterns continuously emerging within the mist, clearly indicating the presence of Genesis Runes.

This barrier was like a labyrinth; haphazardly rushing forward would likely lead one directly into a Genesis Rune trap, ultimately being overwhelmed by a massive amount of Genesis Runes. Therefore, every step here required extreme caution.

"I've already separated from Sister Yaoyao..." Zhou Yuan murmured to himself. Evidently, Yaoyao must have headed in a different direction within the barrier. He looked down at the ring on his finger and lightly rubbed it. It seemed he also needed to speed up; otherwise, if Yaoyao reached the barrier's core and he wasn't ready, he would only hold her back.

His gaze flickered slightly. After a moment, his forward steps suddenly halted. He stared at the mist ahead, where a subtle, unusual fluctuation emanated. However, Zhou Yuan did not stop; instead, he decisively stepped forward.

The moment his foot landed, he felt the surrounding scenery instantly change. Intense heat assailed him, crimson filled his vision, and the surrounding mist instantly transformed into a world of lava. The scorching heat caused a stinging sensation on Zhou Yuan's skin.

Gurgle!

Huge bubbles suddenly rose from the lava river flowing ahead. The next instant, the bubbles burst, transforming into a massive lava hand, roughly a hundred feet in size, which slammed down fiercely towards Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan clenched his hand, and the Heavenly Yuan Brush appeared in it. Its tip swiftly outlined profound traces in the empty space before him, like lightning.

"Ice Peak Rune!"

As the last stroke fell, the floating Genesis Rune instantly burst forth with brilliant light. Genesis Qi from heaven and earth roared in, and as cold air permeated, a hundred-foot-tall, sharp ice peak shot directly out from the rune, colliding with the incoming giant lava hand. As the two collided, lava and ice splattered everywhere.

Simultaneously, countless streams of lava light rose from the lava river, surging overwhelmingly towards Zhou Yuan.

"Great Golden Bell Rune!"

Zhou Yuan's brush tip swept, and the Genesis Rune bloomed with light above his head, finally resembling a faintly discernible golden bell that enveloped his entire body.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Countless streams of lava light struck the golden bell, producing crisp sounds and sending ripples across its surface. Zhou Yuan, however, maintained a calm expression. Enduring the myriad attacks, he stepped forward, directly onto the lava river, heading towards the opposite bank. Various attacks continuously erupted from the lava river, but Zhou Yuan resolved them all using Genesis Runes.

After several minutes, he reached the opposite bank. The moment his foot landed, the surrounding lava world instantly dissipated, transforming back into surging mist. Zhou Yuan knew he had passed one level of the barrier.

"Although the power isn't weak, it's not unbearable," Zhou Yuan murmured to himself, but without joy. Instead, his brows furrowed slightly. He knew that given the formidable nature of this barrier, the power of its challenges shouldn't be limited to this extent. Therefore, the primary reason was that nearly eighty percent of the barrier's power had been redirected elsewhere. And that place was clearly where Yaoyao was located. The reason he was able to pass so easily was that Yaoyao had absorbed the majority of the barrier's power.

Zhou Yuan pursed his lips, feeling no sense of setback. At this moment, doing what he ought to do was naturally the greatest help he could offer Yaoyao. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back into the mist.

In front of the Spirit Rune Hall, countless disciples intently watched the two giant Genesis Qi light mirrors in mid-air.

"That Zhou Yuan, he certainly has some ability..." a disciple remarked upon seeing Zhou Yuan pass the lava level, noting that Zhou Yuan's Genesis Rune tracing earlier had been quite fluid. However, some disciples from Spirit Rune Peak retorted, "What can you discern from his side? Look at Zhou Xiaoyao's instead. Eighty percent of the entire barrier's power is likely concentrated on her."

This remark drew agreement from many disciples, as their gazes were all focused on the light mirror showing Yaoyao. Within the mirror, complex Genesis Runes continuously formed under Yaoyao's Genesis Rune brush, drawing abundant Genesis Qi from heaven and earth to fully withstand the violent attacks from that level. The scene was truly earth-shattering. The commotion and spectacle on her side were clearly far more powerful than on Zhou Yuan's, causing countless disciples to secretly click their tongues in awe. Evidently, Yaoyao had attracted the vast majority of the barrier's power. Thus, from the overall spectacle, Zhou Yuan's situation undoubtedly appeared much less impressive compared to Yaoyao's.

"Zhou Xiaoyao's Genesis Rune talent is truly astonishing," Xu Yan couldn't help but exclaim from a corner, watching Yaoyao in the light mirror. She faced countless violent Genesis Rune attacks without a hint of fear, casually outlining runes that dissolved all incoming assaults.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xuanyin bit her lip. Though extremely unwilling, she couldn't refute the statement.

On the stone steps, Ye Ge stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He watched Yaoyao, who casually walked forward, effortlessly dissolving numerous Genesis Rune attacks, and the admiration in his eyes grew increasingly intense. Only such an outstanding girl could truly impress him.

However, even though Yaoyao was irresistibly breaking through the levels, Ye Ge's expression remained quite calm. His gaze swept over the light mirror showing Zhou Yuan, and he suddenly let out a faint laugh. He knew that the key to breaking the formation wasn't Yaoyao's side, because with her Genesis Rune talent, even the presence of a Golden Seal disciple would likely be unable to stop her. Therefore, the real challenge to breaking the formation lay with Zhou Yuan. As long as Zhou Yuan was blocked, even with Yaoyao's overwhelming advantage, they still wouldn't be able to successfully break the barrier. Therefore, Ye Ge wasn't worried in the slightest.

"Junior Sister Yaoyao, I told you that only with my help can you pass through this Genesis Rune barrier," Ye Ge murmured to himself, a strong sense of confidence radiating from his eyes. "Although such forceful means are somewhat ignoble, 'a fair lady is a gentleman's good pursuit.' Only the truly incapable would do nothing..."

Time slowly passed in front of the Spirit Rune Hall. In the Genesis Qi light mirrors, Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao continuously advanced through levels. As they delved deeper, the power from within the barrier evidently grew stronger. They were rapidly approaching the barrier's core.

"Almost time..." Ye Ge suddenly murmured to himself.

Yaoyao held the jade-like Genesis Rune brush lightly in her hand. As her lotus steps moved gently, the scenery before her began to change, transforming directly into a boundless ocean. She stood on the surface of the sea, her eyes calmly looking forward. She watched as whirlpools surged up from the sea surface, and finally, a giant water pillar slowly rose. On top of the water pillar, a golden-robed disciple sat quietly in meditation.

"Spirit Rune Peak Chief Golden Seal greets Junior Sister Yaoyao," the golden-robed youth said with a slight smile.

As Zhou Yuan's stepping foot slowly landed, he found himself standing on a mountain peak. He looked up and saw a towering giant peak standing in the world ahead. At the summit of that giant peak, there was a petite figure. She was a girl with clear, bright eyes and a very pure appearance. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail that fell to her hip, and her eyes held a hint of shyness as she looked at Zhou Yuan.

"Spirit Rune Peak's Xia Yu greets Senior Brother Zhou Yuan..." the girl said softly.

In front of the Spirit Rune Hall, the numerous disciples watching this scene unfold in the Genesis Qi light mirrors suddenly erupted in excitement, their eyes burning with fervor, as they clearly understood. Today's formation-breaking challenge had finally reached its most crucial moment.