Chapter 452: Impact

What happened on the training platform of Saint Origin Peak eventually spread, as any information concerning clashes between contenders for the Chief position at this critical juncture would garner much attention.

Moreover, one of the participants in this confrontation was the one with the highest payout odds in Cangxuan Sect's history.

However, upon learning the detailed information, the disciples who had initially held mocking attitudes widened their eyes in surprise.

"What? Zhou Yuan defeated Wu Hai, from Elder Lu Hong's lineage on Saint Origin Peak, with a single punch?"

"But Wu Hai is in the early Eight-Layer Heaven stage! Even though he only recently advanced, he's probably a bit stronger than Yang Xuan from the Sacred Palace."

"And Zhou Yuan didn't even use a Heavenly Origin Weapon?"

"Wu Hai is truly useless, isn't he?"

"It's not that Wu Hai is useless; he was probably too careless. He likely didn't expect Zhou Yuan's strength to improve so much in just one month. If he had faced him with his full power, Zhou Yuan might not have found it easy to win." Some disciples analyzed rationally.

"But no matter what, this Zhou Yuan really does have some skill."

After receiving this information, many disciples began discussing it, but it didn't cause much of a stir. After all, neither Zhou Yuan nor Wu Hai were considered particularly prominent figures in the Chief selection. So, while their battle might have attracted some attention, it was quickly forgotten.

This was because the countless eyes within Cangxuan Sect were currently focused on the favored candidates for the Chief positions of the various peaks.

Compared to these dazzling figures, Zhou Yuan and Wu Hai were merely minor ripples.

***

**Saint Origin Peak, Lu Hong's Lineage.**

**Inside a Hall.**

Lu Hong sat in the head seat, his aged face somewhat grim. He stared coldly at Wu Hai, who stood before him with a fluctuating pale and green complexion, hands clasped. "Truly useless. You went to test Zhou Yuan, and yet such an accident occurred."

"Defeated by an Initial Qi Realm fourth-layer cultivator with a single punch, and you still have the nerve to return."

Wu Hai's face burned with shame. He said, "Zhou Yuan's strength seems to have improved significantly this past month. I was caught off guard and suffered a great loss."

Lu Hong ignored his explanation. He took a fist-sized jade stone from a nearby disciple. As Origin Qi was infused into it, images immediately emerged, showing the scene of Zhou Yuan and Wu Hai's earlier clash.

This was a Shadow Stone, capable of temporarily recording visual scenes.

Lu Hong's gaze fixed on Zhou Yuan's image. After a moment, as Zhou Yuan closed in on Wu Hai and unleashed a punch, his eyes flickered slightly.

"The power in that kid's punch is a bit too strong," a disciple beside Lu Hong commented.

"Although Junior Brother Wu Hai was caught off guard, he still managed to form many Origin Qi defenses in that instant. Yet, they were still destroyed by Zhou Yuan's single punch. Based on previous information, Zhou Yuan shouldn't possess this kind of strength."

"But what's strange is that Zhou Yuan's Origin Qi fluctuations are still only at the fourth layer. While there's been some improvement, it hasn't reached this level."

Other disciples in the hall also nodded in confusion.

The light from the jade stone in Lu Hong's hand gradually receded, and the images dispersed as the jade stone shattered into pieces.

"There's nothing strange about it," Lu Hong said indifferently. "It's because that kid has cultivated an external cultivation technique, making his physical body stronger. That punch was a superposition of his Origin Qi and physical strength, which is why it was so powerful."

He was, after all, a Divine Palace Realm expert. Others might not have discerned the peculiarity of Zhou Yuan's punch, but he saw through it at a glance.

"An external cultivation technique?"

Everyone was momentarily stunned, then they realized with a slight understanding.

No wonder Zhou Yuan's punch was so strong; it turned out he had also cultivated an external cultivation technique, enhancing his physical strength.

"He truly is an ambitious brat. He even wants to cultivate both internally and externally? He thinks too highly of himself, doesn't he?" Lu Hong said, a hint of mockery playing on his lips.

Origin Qi cultivation is divided into two paths: internal and external.

Internal cultivation accumulates Qi, with Origin Qi accumulating bit by bit in the Qi Residence during daily cultivation. When engaging in combat, the vast Origin Qi can move mountains, overturn seas, and wield unfathomable power.

External cultivation, on the other hand, involves forging the Origin Qi cultivated daily into one's flesh and blood. At that point, relying on physical strength alone can shatter mountains and cleave the earth, which is extremely domineering.

Both have their advantages, but generally speaking, most cultivators stick to a single path.

This is because cultivating both internally and externally tends to slow down progress in both aspects.

Furthermore, external cultivation requires one's blood essence to always be abundant, and replenishing it is one of the biggest headaches for external cultivators, consuming a great deal of time and energy.

Therefore, generally, few choose to cultivate both internally and externally, as it makes progress difficult on both paths, far slower than focusing on one.

It was precisely for these reasons that Lu Hong couldn't help but mock Zhou Yuan when he saw that he was cultivating both internally and externally.

In his opinion, only those who are overly ambitious would believe that dual cultivation could make them extraordinary.

Inside the hall, many disciples shook their heads, mockery in their eyes. Even Wu Hai sighed and gritted his teeth, saying, "So that's it. This time, I was too careless and let him get close. If we were to fight again, I would just need to intercept him with Origin Qi attacks and exhaust his blood essence. Then his physical strength naturally wouldn't be able to manifest."

Lu Hong's expression gradually returned to indifference. After understanding the reason, he no longer paid much attention to Zhou Yuan.

"In this Chief selection, the Chief position must fall to our lineage." Lu Hong looked at the many disciples in the hall. At the very front were the six disciples representing their lineage in this Chief selection.

"Peak Master Ling Jun takes this matter extremely seriously, and I'm not afraid to let you know, that when he arranged for us to transfer to Saint Origin Peak, he made an agreement with the Sect Master and the other Peak Masters."

"If our lineage fails to secure the Chief position, then Sword-Comes Peak will have one-fifth of its cultivation resources stripped away. You should all understand how significant this is."

Upon hearing this, even the usually expressionless Yuan Hong's demeanor changed. The other disciples couldn't help but be moved, their eyes filled with shock.

One-fifth of Sword-Comes Peak's cultivation resources—that was a scale they couldn't even imagine.

Lu Hong's expression also became serious. If they failed, Peak Master Ling Jun would undoubtedly be in a thunderous rage. It was precisely because of this that he had instructed Wu Hai to test Zhou Yuan, someone he couldn't even be bothered to look at.

He needed to ascertain the true strength of all the contenders from the other two lineages to prevent any surprises.

"If we fail this time, we will be transferred back to Sword-Comes Peak. By then, our lineage might not have it easy," Lu Hong said slowly.

His gaze turned cold as he stared at everyone.

"Therefore, in this Chief selection, the Chief position must fall to our lineage!"

"Yes!" Wu Hai and the others responded solemnly.

Yuan Hong also nodded gravely, then a sinister smile appeared on his lips.

"Master Lu, rest assured. Among the people from the other two lineages, besides Zhou Tai, Zhang Yan, and Lu Yan, who have a bit of ability, the rest are like chickens and dogs in my eyes—not worth worrying about."

"As for Zhou Yuan..."

Yuan Hong chuckled lightly, a hint of disdain in his eyes. From beginning to end, he had never taken seriously this newcomer who had risen to fame in Cangxuan Sect in just one year.

Lu Hong nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes as he looked at Yuan Hong. The latter was the culmination of his many years of effort and the stabilizing force for this Chief selection.

He believed that with Yuan Hong stepping forward, no disciple from the other two lineages would be able to contend with him.