Chapter 367: Surround and Hunt

Outside the mist-shrouded mountains, the atmosphere was electric. Countless disciples watched with excitement as the Genesis Qi mirrors in the sky displayed fierce battles unfolding within each one.

Those qualified for the Purple Sash Selection were almost all top-tier Golden Sash disciples within the Cangxuan Sect, holding respectable positions in their daily lives. Therefore, when they gathered to compete, the spectacle was so captivating that many disciples couldn't tear their eyes away.

In the winding river outside the mountains, eliminated disciples were constantly being swept up by a beam of light and dropped into the water, with frequent splashes.

"Wow, Senior Sister Su Wan from Cangxuan Peak is amazing! She's already secured five imprints in less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn!""Senior Brother Mu Chunlei from Snow Lotus Peak also has five imprints.""And Senior Brother Letian from Sword Cometh Peak, and Junior Sister Xia Yu from Spirit Rune Peak... Tsk, tsk, they truly live up to their reputations as the top Golden Sash disciples from each peak and lineage; their achievements are astounding.""They are indeed very strong. Other disciples just don't quite measure up to them."

Many disciples, watching the Genesis Qi mirrors, buzzed with discussion.

Some disciples, however, were focused on Zhou Yuan. As they looked at his Genesis Qi mirror, a sudden gasp of surprise erupted: "Is that Senior Brother Luo Dao from Sword Cometh Peak? He actually encountered Zhou Yuan first!"The exclamation immediately drew many astonished gazes.

The numerous disciples, watching the two figures confronting each other in the Genesis Qi mirror, all began to whisper.

"To run into Senior Brother Luo Dao... Zhou Yuan is really unlucky.""Yeah, Senior Brother Luo Dao ranks among the top three Golden Sash disciples from all the lineages of Sword Cometh Peak. He's no ordinary opponent.""Hmm, I saw Senior Brother Luo Dao's previous battles; he's already defeated three disciples.""Heh heh, so Zhou Yuan is about to defeat his fourth, right? But now, he's finally met his match."

The confrontation between Zhou Yuan and Luo Dao was clearly quite a spectacle, immediately attracting the attention of more and more disciples and quickly becoming the talk of the arena.

Gu Hongyi also witnessed this scene, her graceful eyebrows furrowing slightly. She had naturally heard of Luo Dao, whose strength was indeed considerable. It was unexpected that Zhou Yuan's first encounter from Sword Cometh Peak would be him.

"Junior Brother Zhou Yuan doesn't have very good luck, does he?" Senior Brother Qin Lan, standing beside Gu Hongyi, narrowed his eyes, speaking with a half-smile."And most importantly, disciples from Sword Cometh Peak like Letian and Lu Xuanyin are all heading in that direction. If Zhou Yuan gets tied up with Luo Dao, he'll likely find himself with no escape route very soon."

Gu Hongyi cast a cold glance at him but said nothing, though her delicate hands clenched involuntarily. Zhou Yuan's situation indeed looked grim. *Be careful, Zhou Yuan!*

"Oh, are they about to fight?" Qin Lan suddenly smiled, staring at the Genesis Qi mirror.

"Heh heh, what nerve! He dares to meet Luo Dao's sword with his bare hand? Doesn't he know that the Genesis Qi of Sword Cometh Peak disciples is the sharpest in our Cangxuan Sect?" A sneer curled Qin Lan's lips.He had just seen Zhou Yuan extend his palm and grasp at the sword light.

The surrounding disciples also let out low gasps of surprise, and some female disciples couldn't help but close their eyes, as if Zhou Yuan's hand would be severed the next moment.Gu Hongyi's pretty face also paled slightly.Only the sneer on Qin Lan's lips grew wider. He stared intently into the Genesis Qi mirror, seemingly eager to witness Zhou Yuan's utterly discomfited moment.

Under his intense gaze, all the disciples watched as Zhou Yuan's hand instantly turned golden, gripping the sword light as it slid past, creating dazzling sparks.There was no splatter of blood.Then, Zhou Yuan instantly closed the distance to Luo Dao, and a gravity-infused punch slammed into the latter's lower abdomen.The battle ended abruptly.

The faces of many disciples froze at that moment, watching in disbelief as Luo Dao slowly collapsed...Just one punch.Luo Dao, ranked third among all the Golden Sash disciples of Sword Cometh Peak's lineages, lost just like that?A collective gulp was heard.This was completely different from what they had imagined!

The sneer on Qin Lan's lips also stiffened bit by bit at that moment. Then, his mouth twitched as he exclaimed, "How is that possible?! How could he take Luo Dao's sword qi with his bare hand?"With Luo Dao's strength, even someone like Wei Youxuan, if they tried to block with a bare hand, would have their hand severed. How could Zhou Yuan, with only third-layer strength, manage it?

Gu Hongyi, beside him, let out a sigh of relief. She then glanced at him coolly. Though she said nothing, the contempt in her eyes made Qin Lan's face burn instantly.He had been making sarcastic remarks just moments before, and in an instant, all his previous words had turned into slaps to his own face.

"Senior Brother Qin Lan, if you're going to watch, please do so quietly. It wouldn't hurt to accumulate some good karma with your words." Gu Hongyi said calmly, yet her words were exceptionally sharp, giving Qin Lan no face whatsoever.

Qin Lan's face alternated between green and white, but he dared not do anything to Gu Hongyi. He could only suppress his anger, casting a gloomy glance at Zhou Yuan's figure in the Genesis Qi mirror, raging inwardly: "What's there to be proud of? Just wait until Letian shows up, then you'll see!"

On the peak where the disciples of Shen Taiyuan's lineage resided, many senior and junior brothers burst into cheers upon seeing this scene. They had also been worried about Zhou Yuan moments before.

By the cliff edge, Li Qingchan withdrew her gaze and said, "Zhou Yuan is quite decisive. To dare to meet a Sword Cometh Peak disciple's attack with his bare hand, that's considerable courage."Yao Yao, meanwhile, said casually, "Just a small fry."

Hearing this, Li Qingchan's ice-cold, pretty face couldn't help but show a flicker of surprise. She then said, somewhat annoyed, "To you, he might indeed be a small fry, but Zhou Yuan probably doesn't have that kind of ability yet. Luo Dao likely never expected him to dare to do that, otherwise, he might not have been defeated in one move.""Moreover... although he defeated Luo Dao, he was tainted by the 'Jade Confusing Fragrance' that Luo Dao wore. That's a unique scent from Sword Cometh Peak, so it's likely that Sword Cometh Peak disciples will track him down next.""At that point, it will be the most troublesome time for him.""Tsk, tsk, to single-handedly contend against an entire peak's disciples in the Purple Sash Selection, that has never happened in the Cangxuan Sect..."

Yao Yao pondered for a moment, then said seriously, "Then it will happen next."

Li Qingchan paused, her beautiful eyes fixed on the rapidly moving young figure in the Genesis Qi mirror. After a moment of silence, she said, "I hope he doesn't disappoint you."

In the dense forest, Zhou Yuan's figure swept past like a wisp of green smoke, faint afterimages appearing in mid-air.He was using his speed to its absolute limit.

Although he couldn't smell the fragrance emanating from his body, he could detect a subtle, persistent odd scent clinging to him, which he found difficult to get rid of immediately.

His gaze swept across his surroundings.He suspected that Sword Cometh Peak disciples were currently converging on him from all directions, forming a siege.

His eyes flickered slightly as he muttered to himself, "Since you want to hunt me down, I'll find a good place and prepare a big gift for you."As his voice faded, his figure flashed out and disappeared into the dense forest.

Not long after Zhou Yuan's figure vanished, the sound of rushing wind suddenly echoed, and two figures landed on a thick tree trunk.The two figures, a man and a woman, were none other than Letian and Lu Xuanyin from Sword Cometh Peak.

"He runs really fast," Lu Xuanyin said, her pretty face cold.Letian still wore a smiling expression and said, "It seems he noticed."

Lu Xuanyin frowned, "This kid is going all out, desperately fleeing. It's quite troublesome to pursue him."Letian said nonchalantly, "Startled beasts will always run for their lives, but once they can no longer run, they can only be butchered. The other disciples from Sword Cometh Peak have already formed an encirclement in this area; he won't be able to escape."

Letian rubbed his face and sighed, "To deal with just one Zhou Yuan, it requires so many outstanding disciples from my Sword Cometh Peak to hunt him down. It's quite a blow to our reputation.""However, I've always disliked surprises when doing things. So, I believe that if we're going to do it, we must prevent all contingencies and completely extinguish all his hope."

Lu Xuanyin, standing beside him, nodded in agreement, "This kid is indeed quite unsettling; he's always doing the unexpected."Her bright eyes turned to Letian, and she smiled, "But unfortunately for him, he met Senior Brother Letian this time."

She highly approved of Letian's meticulous way of doing things. After all, if so many disciples from their Sword Cometh Peak couldn't deal with Zhou Yuan, it would indeed be a significant blow to their peak's reputation.

Letian gave a reserved smile, then, with narrowed eyes, looked in the direction where Zhou Yuan had disappeared. He waved his hand, a playful smile on his face."Prepare to close the net...""Next, it's time for Junior Brother Zhou Yuan to witness the methods of our Sword Cometh Peak..."