Chapter 449: One Punch

On the training platform, the mountain wind howled. Countless eyes stared at the young figure who had just landed, filled with astonishment, clearly shocked by Zhou Yuan's earlier words. No one had expected that, when confronted by Wu Hai, who was clearly looking for trouble, Zhou Yuan not only showed no sign of backing down but retaliated with an even stronger stance. One must remember, this was Wu Hai, a top-five disciple of the Lu Hong lineage!

The disciples of the Shen Taiyuan lineage also exchanged glances. Normally, Zhou Yuan was quite mild-mannered, but the Zhou Yuan before them now had no trace of gentleness. While such a strong response was satisfying, it would only provoke Wu Hai even more.

"This guy… he really has some nerve," Lu Yan murmured, staring at the scene in a daze. She couldn't help but sigh, realizing she had been wrong earlier; this Zhou Yuan simply didn't know what fear was. "However, courage alone won't solve anything. Now that he's said that, Wu Hai certainly won't let this go."

Other disciples next to Lu Yan nodded, saying, "This Zhou Yuan truly isn't one to suffer a loss."

"Senior Sister, will you still intervene later?"

Lu Yan pondered, then crossed her arms, fixing her gaze on Zhou Yuan. Playfully, she said, "Given his unexpected boldness, if he gets into trouble later, I might lend a hand." Zhou Yuan's willingness to appear despite Wu Hai was a bit surprising to her, so she didn't mind helping him out. Of course, Zhou Yuan needed to suffer a bit first; despite his talent, he was indeed a little too arrogant. Let Wu Hai teach him that mere words wouldn't change anything.

Amidst the many astonished gazes, the smile on Wu Hai's face faded. He stared at Zhou Yuan, a playful smirk curving his lips. Then, he tilted his head slightly, looking at the many disciples behind him, and chuckled, "Did you hear what he just said?"

The other disciples burst into laughter. "Looks like this guy's completely lost his mind from anger…" "Does he think Senior Brother Wu Hai is like those opponents he's faced before?" "He does have some courage, though, even if he's a bit foolish." The disciples of the Lu Hong lineage looked on mockingly, none of them truly taking Zhou Yuan seriously, for the one standing before them was among the very best of their lineage.

Unperturbed by the laughter, Zhou Yuan flicked his finger. Shen Wanjin's figure was enveloped by the snowy white hairs and sent behind him. "Are you alright?" Zhou Yuan glanced at him.

Shen Wanjin scratched his head, awkwardly saying, "Big Brother Yuan, I'm fine. How about we just run away?"

Zhou Yuan's gaze lingered on the fresh red handprint on Shen Wanjin's face. He said nothing more, but his eyes grew much colder. He waved his hand at Shen Wanjin. "Step back for now."

Seeing this, Shen Wanjin forced a bitter smile. He wanted to say something but ultimately swallowed his words, though a hint of emotion flickered in his eyes as he looked at Zhou Yuan's back. He knew very well that Zhou Yuan was determined to stand up for him. Although Shen Wanjin always boasted of his thick skin and usually didn't care about such humiliations, watching Zhou Yuan's back now made his nose sting slightly.

Zhou Yuan raised his head, staring at Wu Hai, and smiled. "Have you thought it over?"

Wu Hai also smiled, extending a finger and gesturing at Zhou Yuan a few times. "You brat… you're quite interesting."

However, the next moment, a formidable torrent of Genesis Qi, like a storm, erupted from Wu Hai's body, sending the surrounding disciples stumbling back. A powerful Genesis Qi pressure emanated from him. It was no weaker than the Yang Xuan he had encountered in Blackflame Province; in fact, it was even slightly stronger.

Wu Hai's expression turned cold, a scornful arc forming at the corner of his mouth. "You ignorant fool!" He spread his five fingers, then clenched his fist abruptly. A mighty surge of Genesis Qi shot skyward, instantly transforming into hundreds of sword shadows. The sharp sword aura they exuded sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Hundreds of Genesis Qi sword shadows shot forth like bolts of lightning, striking at Zhou Yuan's vital points with extreme speed. Each of these sword shadows alone was enough to terrify a sixth-level disciple. With hundreds gathered together, even a seventh-level expert would not dare to underestimate them.

"Senior Brother Wu Hai has made his move; looks like he's truly angered," the disciples of the Lu Hong lineage chuckled upon seeing this. The disciples of the Shen Taiyuan lineage nearby, however, showed expressions of worry.

Swish! Swish! The Genesis Qi sword shadows whistled past as Zhou Yuan's figure began to move. His form rapidly blurred, darting out like a wisp of smoke. Whoosh! Whoosh! The sword shadows sliced through the wisps of smoke, narrowly missing him and leaving bottomless sword marks on the hard ground. Zhou Yuan moved with ghostly speed, dodging every single Genesis Qi sword shadow as he flickered about.

Seeing this, Wu Hai raised his eyes and moved a finger. More Genesis Qi sword shadows covered the sky and earth, swarming towards Zhou Yuan in pursuit.

"Senior Sister, can Zhou Yuan withstand this?" a disciple beside Lu Yan asked, watching the clash in the arena.

Lu Yan calmly replied, "Without the assistance of a Heavenly Origin weapon, Zhou Yuan is likely no match for Wu Hai head-on. While he can only dodge for now, this is clearly not a long-term solution. Once a flaw appears in his movements, Wu Hai's assault will overwhelm him like a torrential rain. His Genesis Qi cultivation is still a bit too weak in the end… this is his fatal flaw." At this point, she felt a tinge of regret. If Zhou Yuan's Genesis Qi cultivation could improve further, he might truly become a dark horse in this chief disciple competition. But unfortunately, he still lacked the necessary refinement at the moment.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Innumerable sword shadows swept in, and a wisp-of-smoke-like figure slid backward. The ground in front of him was instantly pierced and torn by the sword shadows. Zhou Yuan looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he gazed at Wu Hai, who wore a mocking smile nearby. Faint jade light began to emerge on the surface of Zhou Yuan's skin.

He stomped his foot, shattering the ground, and shot directly towards Wu Hai. His speed suddenly accelerated! The Genesis Qi sword shadows rained down, but they couldn't keep up with Zhou Yuan's speed.

"Oh? His speed has increased?" Wu Hai sneered upon seeing this, suddenly clasping his hands together. Formidable Genesis Qi gathered, finally forming a three-foot-long green blade before him. The green blade seemed to be wreathed in lightning, and a faint rumble could be heard. "Profound Thunder Sword Shadow!"

Wu Hai thrust his palm forward, and the lightning-infused sword shadow shot out with a whoosh, creating a sonic boom. It was fierce and powerful.

The lightning-infused sword shadow rapidly grew larger in Zhou Yuan's eyes. However, he showed no signs of dodging; instead, his expression remained calm as he extended a palm, directly reaching for the lightning-infused sword shadow.

"You're asking for death!" Wu Hai's lips curled into a sinister grin.

"Reckless!" Lu Yan couldn't help but exclaim, her pretty face slightly changing. She hadn't expected Zhou Yuan to dare confront Wu Hai's Genesis Art attack with his bare hand, without even using a Heavenly Origin weapon.

Rip! Amidst the many exclamations, Zhou Yuan's palm finally collided with the lightning-infused sword shadow. His five fingers extended, grasping at the sword's tip. Many disciples couldn't help but close their eyes, believing that in the next instant, Zhou Yuan's entire palm would be severed.

Rip! The slender palm finally made contact with the lightning-infused sword shadow, causing sparks to fly instantly. However, at that very moment, the ferocity on Wu Hai's lips suddenly froze. His pupils abruptly contracted. He saw no blood splash; Zhou Yuan's palm firmly grasped the tip of the lightning-infused sword, as if the sharp sword aura it contained caused him no harm whatsoever.

Squeak! Squeak! No matter how the lightning-infused sword shadow struggled, it could not escape Zhou Yuan's grasp.

"What?!" Astounded gasps immediately erupted around the training platform. Lu Yan also froze, an expression of disbelief appearing on her pretty face. She could hardly believe that Zhou Yuan had managed to receive such a fierce attack from Wu Hai with his bare hand, without any enhancement from a Heavenly Origin weapon.

"Crack!" Amidst countless astonished gazes, Zhou Yuan's expression remained calm. Jade light surged on his palm, and with a sudden clench, he crushed the lightning-infused sword shadow. The next instant, his figure shot forth, appearing directly in front of Wu Hai.

His face expressionless, he clenched his five fingers and threw a punch. Jade light burst forth from the skin of his entire arm, while Genesis Qi surged within his body like a flood. A terrifying power, like a volcano, suddenly erupted. With that single punch, the very space around them faintly seemed to crack.

Wu Hai's hair stood on end. He hurriedly formed hand seals, and Genesis Qi immediately roared forth, rapidly forming countless layers of Genesis Qi defenses in front of him. However, as Zhou Yuan's jade-glowing fist struck, these defenses shattered almost instantly. In less than a breath, all defenses were broken.

Then, Zhou Yuan's fist landed heavily on Wu Hai's chest, accompanied by a sharp sonic boom. Zhou Yuan's expression remained impassive, while horror surged in Wu Hai's eyes.

A visible shockwave erupted at that moment. Under the gaze of countless astonished eyes, Wu Hai spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his body shooting backward like a cannonball. Bang! Bang! Bang! The ground was torn open. Finally, Wu Hai slammed violently into a mountain wall. The entire wall cracked and collapsed, and massive rocks rolled down, burying his body.

Silence fell over the entire mountain. The jade light on Zhou Yuan's body gradually receded. He raised his head, looking at the collapsed mountain wall, and a low murmur seemed to escape his lips.

"Idiot…"

"I told you to jump down yourself…"

"Wasting my time."