Chapter 374: Ten Peaks Below

The roar of excitement spread across the mountains, reflecting the profound shock felt by many disciples. This excitement even reached the highest peak.

On that peak, six powerful and renowned figures of Cangxuan also turned their gaze towards the depths of the mountain range. They, too, were aware of the duel's outcome, and for a moment, even Headmaster Qingyang and the others showed a hint of surprise on their faces.

"Heh, interesting," Headmaster Qingyang chuckled, a hint of appreciation in his eyes. As the head of the Cangxuan Sect, he was naturally pleased to see such outstanding disciples emerge within the sect.

Peak Master Lianyin of Snow Lotus Peak gazed with surprised eyes at the figure in the mountain depths, then turned to Peak Master Lingjun of Sword Cometh Peak, remarking with a half-smile, "Peak Master Lingjun, Sword Cometh Peak has been constantly recruiting exceptionally talented disciples over the years. But now, it seems your efforts haven't amounted to much, have they? To be utterly defeated by a single disciple from Saint Origin Peak."

Her relationship with Peak Master Lingjun had never been amicable, and seeing Sword Cometh Peak suffer such a setback was a rare opportunity, so Peak Master Lianyin naturally couldn't resist a taunt.

Peak Master Lingjun smiled faintly and said, "This disciple, Zhou Yuan, is indeed a rare talent."

He glanced towards the other elders of Sword Cometh Peak. Upon sensing his gaze, they all lowered their heads, looking embarrassed. Many of the defeated disciples were from their own lineage.

"It seems the Golden Sash disciples of my peak are indeed in need of more rigorous training," Peak Master Lingjun stated, his voice devoid of emotion.

Upon hearing this, the elders' hearts sank. Although Peak Master Lingjun's voice betrayed no emotion, his words clearly conveyed his dissatisfaction. It appeared that the performance of Le Tian and the others had caused Peak Master Lingjun to lose face. After this, a period of punishment was likely inevitable.

As elders of Sword Cometh Peak, they understood Peak Master Lingjun's character quite well. Had Le Tian and the others succeeded in defeating Zhou Yuan today, Peak Master Lingjun would likely have ignored any criticism about Sword Cometh Peak using superior numbers, as he only valued results, not the methods used to achieve them. But now that Le Tian and his group had lost, causing Sword Cometh Peak to suffer a significant loss of prestige within the Cangxuan Sect, these disciples would undoubtedly be deemed incompetent in Peak Master Lingjun's eyes.

Considering the punishment Le Tian and the others would face, the elders could only sigh inwardly. Le Tian was, in fact, a remarkably talented disciple, otherwise he wouldn't have been the top Golden Sash disciple of Sword Cometh Peak. But this time, he would undoubtedly lose significant favor in Peak Master Lingjun's eyes.

While the mountains and valleys reverberated with shock, in the flattened valley, Zhou Yuan gently rubbed his throbbing brow. His indifferent gaze then fell upon Lu Xuanyin, whose face was now deathly pale.

Of the Sword Cometh Peak disciples, she was the only one left standing. Confronted by Zhou Yuan's impassive stare, Lu Xuanyin's already pale face grew even whiter. The outcome before her had delivered the most profound shock. She had never imagined that the disciples of Sword Cometh Peak would be utterly defeated by Zhou Yuan. This outer-sect youth, whom she once wouldn't have bothered to even look at, had, without her realizing, become so incredibly powerful. It turned out that the outer-sect youth she had once dismissed was now beyond her ability to easily contend with!

"W-what do you want?!" Lu Xuanyin stammered, her voice trembling, as she tried desperately to resist being intimidated by Zhou Yuan's imposing aura.

Zhou Yuan clenched his hand, and the Heavenly Yuan Brush expanded. His eyes immediately sharpened. He shot forward, the sharp tip of the brush, like a spear, tore through the air, carrying an unrivaled ferocity directly at Lu Xuanyin's face.

A sonic boom echoed. The white brush tip rapidly expanded in Lu Xuanyin's pupils. The surge of killing intent made her scalp tingle; she had a terrifying premonition that Zhou Yuan truly intended to end her with a single blow.

Throughout his journey, Zhou Yuan had certainly cultivated a formidable ruthlessness, though he usually restrained himself when facing fellow disciples. However, he felt a genuine aversion towards Lu Xuanyin, believing that if not for her, he might not have encountered so much trouble. Thus, in his fury, a palpable aura of menace emerged.

Under his menacing presence, Lu Xuanyin recoiled in terror, as if she had forgotten how to resist. Only when the sharp gale of wind brushed past her, leaving a faint red mark on her smooth cheek, did she finally shriek, "I surrender!"

The white brush tip, carrying a sharp gale, stopped mere inches from Lu Xuanyin's face. The force of the wind scattered her long hair, leaving her looking utterly disheveled. Zhou Yuan held the Heavenly Yuan Brush firmly in his hand, giving Lu Xuanyin a cold, piercing glance.

A beam of Genesis Qi descended from above, swiftly whisking away the thoroughly shaken Lu Xuanyin.

Zhou Yuan retracted his brush and stood still. He clearly couldn't kill Lu Xuanyin here, as that would result in punishment from the sect. However, he was satisfied that this battle had likely scared the woman out of her wits. Furthermore, their actions had caused Sword Cometh Peak to lose significant prestige, likely leading to considerable trouble for them later. In the future, they probably wouldn't have the energy to bother him again.

He raised his palm, and numerous imprints swirled towards him, settling onto the back of his hand. A total of twenty-six imprints. These were the contributions from Le Tian and the other defeated Sword Cometh Peak disciples. With these imprints, he could ascend to the top of a peak. At the very least, becoming a Purple Sash disciple this time was a certainty.

After collecting the imprints, Zhou Yuan looked up at the disciples from various peaks who had gathered around the valley, all of whom had been spectating his clash with Sword Cometh Peak. When the surrounding disciples met Zhou Yuan's gaze, they stiffened slightly, their faces showing gravity and apprehension. They began to retreat, signaling their lack of intent to challenge him. Clearly, Zhou Yuan's overwhelming display in utterly defeating Sword Cometh Peak had left a significant psychological impact on these disciples.

Only Su Wan of Cangxuan Peak moved, her lithe figure landing not far from Zhou Yuan. "I didn't realize you were so capable," she said. "To actually wipe out Sword Cometh Peak completely."

Zhou Yuan smiled back at her. He felt a certain appreciation for Su Wan; he remembered that she was the only one who had been willing to step forward and help him earlier, even if she was ultimately stopped by Wang Chen of Thunder Prison Peak.

"The Ten Peaks are nearby. Shall we go together?" Su Wan asked.

Zhou Yuan pondered for a moment, then nodded with a smile. The spiritual core in his brow was throbbing painfully, and having Su Wan accompany him would allow him to recover.

So, the two proceeded together. The surrounding disciples from other peaks scattered, giving them a wide berth. Zhou Yuan, now radiating the formidable aura of having crushed Sword Cometh Peak, was perceived as a terrifying figure no one dared to obstruct. The rest of their journey was unobstructed.

Zhou Yuan and Su Wan gradually slowed their pace. Ahead of them, a colossal mountain stood, its shape resembling ten fingers, forming the Ten Peaks. Beneath each peak, imposing stone gates stood. Clearly, passing through these gates would allow them to ascend the peaks and reveal how the top position of the Purple Sash selection would be determined.