Chapter 442: Water and Fire Dragon Forging Platform

Zhou Yuan and Yao Yao left the Dao Seeking Hall.

"Yuan Hong from Lu Hong's lineage seems quite powerful. Even with the Heavenly Yuan Brush, you might not be a match for him right now," Yao Yao said casually.

Zhou Yuan didn't deny it. Instead, he nodded and chuckled, "After all, he's the top disciple personally groomed by Lu Hong. I heard that Yuan Hong was even personally assigned by Peak Master Lingjun back then, so he's certainly no simple character."

"This time, Lu Hong's lineage is determined to secure the position of chief disciple."

At this point, Zhou Yuan's expression turned somewhat serious. If the chief disciple position fell into the hands of Lu Hong's lineage, no one could guarantee whether they would ultimately be able to unseal the main peak. If that happened, and the main peak came under the control of Lu Hong's lineage, the difficulty for Zhou Yuan to find the second Sacred Rune would likely increase significantly. And in the worst-case scenario, the second Sacred Rune might even fall into Lu Hong's hands, making it highly improbable for them to hand it over.

"Regardless, this chief disciple position cannot fall to Lu Hong's lineage," Zhou Yuan said gravely. Even if it went to Elder Lu Song's lineage, that would be much better than Lu Hong's.

Yao Yao casually remarked, "Well, I could step in. It wouldn't be difficult to win the chief disciple position."

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan gave a helpless smile. "If you made a move, Lu Hong's lineage would probably go crazy. Besides, strictly speaking, you're not even part of Shen Taiyuan's lineage. Furthermore, this is a challenge I have to face. If I relied on you for everything, why would I even come to the Cangxuan Sect?"

The path of cultivation inherently involves defeating many powerful adversaries. If Zhou Yuan had to rely on Yao Yao every time he encountered trouble, he would gradually fade into obscurity.

Yao Yao looked at Zhou Yuan with her beautiful eyes and smiled slightly. "At least you have some self-awareness." These were trials meant for Zhou Yuan; if he had to rely on her for this, it would be quite disappointing for her.

Zhou Yuan rolled his eyes. These constant tests were truly exhausting.

As they spoke, they arrived at the foot of the main peak.

At the foot of the main peak, perpetually shrouded in mist, and outside a dilapidated ancient hall, Zhou Yuan and Yao Yao descended to find an elderly figure sweeping withered leaves. Elder Xuan raised his cloudy eyes, glanced at Zhou Yuan, and then his gaze settled on the gracefully beautiful and ethereal Yao Yao standing beside him. The moment he looked at Yao Yao, Elder Xuan's eyes seemed to narrow slightly. He had lived for a very long time and seen countless people, but this unbelievably beautiful girl before him gave him a sense of unfathomable mystery. Although he had seen Yao Yao once when Zhou Yuan and his group first entered the Cangxuan Sect, he hadn't observed her too closely then. Now, with close proximity, that feeling became stronger.

"Senior, she accompanied me here. I hope it's not a disturbance?" Zhou Yuan said, cupping his fists.

Elder Xuan slowly withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and rasped, "It's fine." He turned his attention to Zhou Yuan, observing him, and said, "Your vital energy is abundant, boiling like a furnace. I presume you've initially cultivated the Taiyi Greenwood Mark?"

Zhou Yuan nodded. Since the first Taiyi Greenwood Mark was condensed yesterday, his blood and flesh seemed to be in a constant state of boiling. With just a slight circulation, immense vigor emanated from him, making him difficult to tire.

"If that kid Gu from Hongya Peak saw you like this, he'd probably snatch you away to Hongya Peak to cultivate their external tempering techniques. In his words, you'd be called an external tempering prodigy," Elder Xuan chuckled.

Zhou Yuan smiled. The "kid Gu" Elder Xuan mentioned was likely Peak Master Gu of Hongya Peak. In the Cangxuan Sect, in terms of seniority, perhaps only Elder Xuan, apart from the Peak Master of Leiyu Peak, could address Peak Master Gu in such a manner. However, from this, Zhou Yuan once again experienced the profoundness of the "Taiyi Greenwood Mark." Cultivating this technique was equivalent to creating an external tempering prodigy, and its power was self-evident. Of course, this was just the initial stage. For significant progress in the future, the "Taiyi Greenwood Mark" still needed to be cultivated to a profound level. A mere single Greenwood Mark would only have an effect in the early stages of external tempering.

"Come with me," Elder Xuan said. His bamboo broom touched the ground, and he turned and walked away. Zhou Yuan and Yao Yao exchanged a glance. Yao Yao gave a slight nod, and then the two followed.

Under Elder Xuan's guidance, the two once again stepped into the main peak, which was currently under a seal. Fortunately, with Elder Xuan leading the way, they passed through without triggering any of the seals. This left Zhou Yuan somewhat speechless. It was likely that, besides Elder Xuan, they were among the very few who had ever entered the main peak of Saint Genesis Peak within the entire Cangxuan Sect.

The trio walked for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn halfway. Elder Xuan finally stopped, and Zhou Yuan looked up, gazing forward, a look of astonishment appearing on his face.

Before them was a massive river, and in its center stood a stone pillar, resembling a platform. On the mountain walls on either side of the stone platform, two stone dragons were coiled. The dragons wrapped around the peaks, their wide-open mouths positioned to the left and right of the platform, directly facing it.

"What is this?" Zhou Yuan asked curiously. His gaze fell upon the two stone dragons coiled around the mountains. Within their massive mouths, faint luminous patterns flickered, emitting peculiar fluctuations.

Elder Xuan looked at the two stone dragons, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. "This is the Water-Fire Dragon Forging Platform."

"Water-Fire Dragon Forging Platform?" Zhou Yuan murmured.

"Those two stone dragons, one of water and one of fire, are inscribed with ancient Genesis Runes and extend deep underground, drawing in water and fire energies," Elder Xuan explained. "Once activated, the mouths of both stone dragons will simultaneously spew out water mist and fire. The water mist is extremely cold, and the fire is extremely hot. With alternating cold and heat, the physical body within it can undergo the most intense tempering. Of course, the pain involved is extraordinary. Those without strong willpower should not enter the platform."

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan shivered slightly, as if he could already imagine the horror.

"If you wish to cultivate the Minor Profound Saint Body, then this is the best place," Elder Xuan smiled. "And this was once the master's cultivation ground."

Zhou Yuan was somewhat surprised. "Even Ancestor Cangxuan cultivated here?"

Elder Xuan nodded. "Do you see the stone scales on the foreheads of the two stone dragons? There are eighteen in total. Each time a scale lights up, it signifies an increase of one intensity level, with the maximum being eighteen levels. In his time, the master was constantly under the eighteenth level. When that level was active, half of the entire Cangxuan Sect would be experiencing extreme heat, and the other half extreme cold. Of course, that's unimaginable for you. Forget about the eighteenth level; if you can endure even the first level of intensity, you should be able to achieve initial mastery of the Minor Profound Saint Body."

Zhou Yuan gasped. Eighteen levels... it was hard to imagine how terrifying that would be. If he were in it, he would probably be reduced to ashes in an instant.

Elder Xuan looked at Zhou Yuan, whose expression was changing, then smiled and pointed his withered finger at the stone platform. "So, are you brave enough to go up and give it a try?"

Zhou Yuan licked his lips. Although his eyes were solemn, there was no trace of fear. He knew that to contend with Lu Hong's lineage in the chief disciple competition two months later, he had to improve. Otherwise, Yuan Hong would be a formidable mountain blocking his path, making progress difficult. And now that Elder Xuan had presented him with such an opportunity, he naturally wouldn't shrink back because of a little pain.

Therefore, facing Elder Xuan's smiling challenge, he didn't hesitate at all. He pushed off with his toes, his figure nimbly darting forward, finally landing on the stone platform and sitting cross-legged. He directly showed his determination through his actions.

Seeing this, Elder Xuan gave a faint smile and said no more. With a gentle sweep of the bamboo broom in his hand, the colossal stone dragons coiled around the two peaks immediately began to vibrate. Then, Zhou Yuan saw that on one peak, scorching mist began to rise, while on the other, chilling air spread, forming white frost. The ground trembled, and the great river churned.

The next instant, a low dragon's roar seemed to sound. From the mouth of one stone dragon, a hundred-zhang-wide torrent of white water, carrying an intensely chilling aura, erupted. From the other, a crimson torrent, like molten lava, spewed forth. The two torrents roared past, converging at the stone platform, and Zhou Yuan's figure was instantly engulfed by the deluge.

A miserable cry now echoed through the mountains and forest.