Chapter 380: Overbearing Resentful Dragon Poison

On the ravaged mountaintop, Xu Yan lowered his head, his face ashen, staring at the strange blood-red lines that had appeared on his arms. These lines exuded a malevolent aura, sending chills down one's spine.

Clearly, it was a terrifying poison.

"You think a little poison can make me wary?" Xu Yan said coldly. Immediately, the Genesis Qi within him surged, sweeping towards his arms in an attempt to expel the Rancid Dragon Poison from his body.

However, the moment his Genesis Qi came into contact with the Rancid Dragon Poison, he was horrified to find that any Genesis Qi touching it became polluted, turning blood-red, and he instantly lost control over it.

As a result, the eerie blood-red color on his arms intensified.

A hint of alarm finally appeared on Xu Yan's face. He glared at Zhou Yuan and demanded, "What kind of poison is this?!"

It was so potent that even a slight touch of Genesis Qi would contaminate it. He had never heard of such a formidable poison.

Zhou Yuan shook the blood from his palms and sat down on the ground. He glanced indifferently at Xu Yan and said, "If you're smart enough, don't use your Genesis Qi so easily from now on. Otherwise, if the infection deepens, you won't be able to be saved."

Zhou Yuan knew firsthand how terrifying the Rancid Dragon Poison was; it was virtually impossible to eradicate. Xu Yan was only superficially infected now, but if the infection became more severe and the poison erupted, he would experience unbearable agony.

"What?!" Xu Yan's face contorted as he glared furiously at Zhou Yuan. If he couldn't use his Genesis Qi, how could he possibly eliminate Zhou Yuan from the selection?

"You're too devious!" Xu Yan exclaimed angrily.

Only then did he realize that Zhou Yuan's seemingly reckless attempt to engage him in a physical battle using Genesis Qi was a ploy to infiltrate his body with the Rancid Dragon Poison during the Genesis Qi erosion.

However, Zhou Yuan merely raised an eyebrow and ignored his accusation. The Purple Sash Selection had few rules; everything depended on one's methods. If it was about being devious, then weren't the numerous Gold Sash disciples from Sword Cometh Peak who targeted him being equally underhanded?

And wasn't Xu Yan, a veteran Purple Sash disciple, being devious by using his full power to suppress Zhou Yuan and eliminate him from the selection?

Since everything was within the rules, he couldn't be blamed.

Furthermore, Zhou Yuan knew very well that with his current strength, truly defeating Xu Yan would be difficult. Therefore, he had long planned to take a risky approach, using this method to force a mutual defeat, leaving Xu Yan with no remaining strength to kick him out.

Now that both sides had lost all combat effectiveness, they could just wait it out...

Zhou Yuan's lips curved slightly. Ignoring the enraged Xu Yan, he began wiping the blood from his arms.

Zhou Yuan's nonchalant attitude infuriated Xu Yan, turning his face green. Several times, he nearly erupted in a furious attack, but upon seeing the strange blood-red lines coiling on his arms, he could only force himself to suppress the impulse with reason.

He could sense the terrifying nature of the blood-red poison. If he truly acted recklessly and caused irreversible damage, he would have nowhere to turn.

So, he could only stand rooted to the spot, afraid to move.

The scene instantly became awkward. The two had been fighting desperately moments before, but now, one sat and the other stood, completely motionless, merely staring at each other.

This strange sight, observed by countless disciples outside the mountain range, immediately caused a massive uproar.

"What are they doing?" "Why isn't Xu Yan attacking anymore? Zhou Yuan even sat down... Is he resting?" "What happened?"

Many disciples were bewildered, finding it both puzzling and amusing. One moment they were locked in a life-or-death battle, and the next, they were calmly sitting down as if to chat?

Countless puzzled whispers filled the air.

However, some sharp-eyed disciples, after a moment's hesitation, remarked, "Xu Yan's condition seems off." "It's likely not that he doesn't want to move, but that Zhou Yuan has forced him into a position where he *can't* move..." "During their Genesis Qi clash earlier, Xu Yan probably fell into Zhou Yuan's trap."

Other disciples nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this. The current situation indeed seemed to support that theory. Only this could explain why the usually rational Zhou Yuan had so recklessly initiated a Genesis Qi battle with Xu Yan earlier.

Clearly, it was deliberate. And Xu Yan, due to a moment of underestimation, had fallen victim to Zhou Yuan's ploy.

In the current situation, if both Zhou Yuan and Xu Yan remained motionless, time would be extended indefinitely until the large incense stick burned out. By then, Zhou Yuan would likely be the last one remaining...

And the position of champion would naturally be his.

Realizing this, countless disciples gazed at Zhou Yuan's figure in the Genesis Qi mirror with a hint of shock in their eyes. Although Zhou Yuan appeared somewhat disheveled, sitting on the ground wiping blood from himself, it didn't stop a sense of awe and admiration from rising in the hearts of many disciples.

This was because they had witnessed too many unexpected things from Zhou Yuan.

If such surprises occurred only occasionally, people might not think much of it, but if they happened frequently, then perhaps they were more than just surprises.

Clearly, this newcomer, who had joined the Cangxuan Sect less than a year ago, was not as simple as they had imagined.

"How could this happen..." By the river, Lu Xuanyin's pretty face was pale as she stumbled and sat down on a rock, a look of despondency and despair appearing in her eyes.

She hadn't expected that even with Xu Yan personally intervening, he couldn't directly deal with Zhou Yuan. Instead, he had been dragged into this awkward, mutually detrimental situation by Zhou Yuan.

She looked at Zhou Yuan's figure in the Genesis Qi mirror, a hint of fear appearing on her cheek. After her repeated attempts to target him were thwarted by Zhou Yuan, a sense of fear began to grow in her heart towards him.

Such a person was truly too enigmatic.

On the highest peak, six figures emanating immense Genesis Qi fluctuations were also observing the mountaintop deep within the mountain range.

Sect Master Qing Yang and the five peak masters gazed at Xu Yan's figure. With their immense power, they instantly saw through his body and clearly discerned the strange blood-red surges within Xu Yan's arms.

"Oh..." Upon seeing the blood-red Rancid Dragon Poison, Sect Master Qing Yang let out a soft exclamation, clearly sensing an unusual fluctuation.

"What a formidable poison... I have never seen anything like it before," Sect Master Qing Yang said slowly.

The other peak masters nodded as well.

Peak Master Lianyi of Snow Lotus Peak smiled and said, "This young fellow named Zhou Yuan is truly surprising. With his Triple Heaven strength, he actually forced Xu Yan, who is at the Seventh Heaven, to cease fighting."

She cast a sidelong glance at Peak Master Ling Jun, her sarcasm unspoken.

Peak Master Ling Jun's face remained calm, but those familiar with him knew that Sword Cometh Peak had suffered a great loss of face today. Since Ling Jun was a person who valued his reputation, his mind was likely far from peaceful at that moment.

"He merely relied on poison," Peak Master Ling Jun said indifferently.

Sect Master Qing Yang shook his head and said, "In the Purple Sash Selection, everyone uses their own methods. Even poison is a form of strength. Zhou Yuan's power was inherently weaker than Xu Yan's, but he excels at finding opportunities, exploiting Xu Yan's dismissive attitude, and taking risks. He used his physical body as a battlefield to drag Xu Yan into a trap. Such seasoned combat experience is truly extraordinary."

Peak Master Ling Jun fell silent, no longer arguing. He knew all this well; it was simply that Sword Cometh Peak's significant defeat today had caused a ripple in his composure.

Sect Master Qing Yang looked at Zhou Yuan with an appreciative gaze and said, "This young fellow is truly remarkable. What a pity he ended up at Saint Genesis Peak..."

His voice was filled with regret. Since Zhou Yuan was currently under Elder Shen Taiyuan, even if he, as the Sect Master, cherished talent, it would be inappropriate to brazenly poach a disciple from another elder.

"I never expected Zhou Yuan to possess such a trick..." Li Qingchan's beautiful eyes were fixed on the Genesis Qi mirror. The mutually detrimental situation left her stunned for a while before she softly praised him. Once again, Zhou Yuan had earned her renewed admiration.

She had initially thought Zhou Yuan would have no chance of turning the tables in this situation.

But who could have predicted that he would once again perform a miracle, transforming an impossible-to-win situation into a mutual defeat? And while it was called a mutual defeat, by the rules, Zhou Yuan had actually won.

Because remaining seated like this was clearly more advantageous for Zhou Yuan.

It could even be said that once the situation turned out this way, the position of champion was already Zhou Yuan's.

"This fellow truly cannot be measured by conventional standards..." She looked at Yao Yao beside her and sighed, "You won the bet again this time."

Yao Yao lifted her flawless, jade-like face, her eyes fixed on Zhou Yuan's figure. However, she showed little joy; instead, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she felt a touch of annoyance.

"This fellow is truly too reckless..." "It's already the active phase of his Rancid Dragon Poison, yet he dared to provoke it..." "If the Rancid Dragon Poison erupts again, you're in for a treat."