Chapter 458: The Battle for the Chief Position Begins

After the ten Holy Sons appeared, many elders also emerged in the sky, one after another. The lineup was extremely grand, further emphasizing the Cangxuan Sect's importance placed on the Chief Competition.

As time passed, a blazing sun hung high in the sky.

Master Qingyang glanced at the sky, nodded slightly, and then gently waved his sleeve.

A sonorous bell chime rang out.

At this moment, the immense commotion within the Cangxuan Sect reached its peak, as they knew this bell chime marked the official start of the Chief Competition.

"The Chief Competition officially begins now. Disciples, display the fruits of your arduous cultivation from this past year!" Master Qingyang's powerful and grand voice echoed in everyone's ears.

Immediately after, countless cheers also rang out.

"Senior Brother Zheng Shi, go for it!"

"Senior Sister Su Yun, you will succeed!"

Countless disciples cheered for their favored candidates, creating an astonishing uproar.

On Saint Genesis Peak, the situation was similar. However, in the Shen Taiyuan lineage, almost everyone was cheering for Zhou Tai and Zhang Yan, as they were considered the main contenders.

"Go, Little Yuan! I bet 20,000 Genesis Jade on you to win Chief!" someone suddenly shouted hoarsely. Everyone looked and saw it was Shen Wanjin.

Some were startled by his grand gesture and couldn't help but exclaim, "Shen Wanjin, are you crazy? You bet 20,000 Genesis Jade? With that money, you could have treated us to Hundred Fragrance Tower instead!"

20,000 Genesis Jade was a significant sum for most Purple Girdle disciples. Shen Wanjin could afford it, apparently because Zhou Yuan had extorted it from Wu Hai on his behalf some time ago.

No one expected Shen Wanjin to use it here.

However, in their eyes, this was undoubtedly extremely foolish. That much Genesis Jade would at least make a splash if thrown into water, but betting it on Zhou Yuan would be utterly pointless.

Shen Wanjin paid no attention to their incredulous gazes. After all, this Genesis Jade came from Zhou Yuan, so losing it wouldn't matter.

His reasoning was simple: as the most loyal fan, how could he not offer support at such a time?!

Zhou Yuan was also surprised by his gesture. He immediately shook his head with a chuckle and said nothing more, just waved at Shen Wanjin.

"Prepare to move out," Shen Taiyuan said, looking at Zhou Yuan, Zhou Tai, and Zhang Yan.

Hearing this, the three of them all nodded with solemn expressions.

The next moment, the three of them almost simultaneously shot into the sky, stepping on Genesis Qi, and headed towards the Chief Peak in front of them.

At the same time, several streaks of light from the Lu Hong and Lu Song lineages swiftly darted out amidst the cheers of the crowd.

A total of twelve figures streaked across the sky, swiftly approaching the Chief Peak.

As they entered a certain range around the Chief Peak, Zhou Yuan felt a sense of oppression emanating from it. Under that pressure, the flow of Genesis Qi in the world seemed to slow down.

Moreover, it seemed the closer they got to the summit, the stronger the oppression became.

However, Zhou Yuan was not alarmed by this, as Shen Taiyuan had previously explained that Genesis Runes were inscribed within the Chief Peak. These runes made the Genesis Qi in the area heavy, making it feel like carrying a mountain. The closer one got to the summit, the stronger the pressure became.

In this environment, even fighting would clearly consume more Genesis Qi.

This was also a test; disciples with insufficient strength would not even be qualified to ascend the peak.

Among the mist-shrouded giant peaks, platforms were carved out, winding upwards like massive stone steps, directly to the summit hidden by the clouds.

When the twelve figures entered the range of the Genesis Rune oppression, everyone saw their figures suddenly sink. Only when their internal Genesis Qi surged did they stabilize themselves.

The moment they stabilized, they shot upwards, landing on the various platforms, and then rapidly ascended the peak, climbing from one platform to the next.

Among the twelve figures, Yuan Hong, as expected, led the way, followed closely by Zhou Tai, Zhang Yan, and Lu Yan. Behind them were Zhou Yuan and the others.

Zhou Tai, Zhang Yan, and Lu Yan gradually drew closer. They exchanged glances, all fixing their gaze on Yuan Hong's figure at the very front, then nodded slightly.

Their speed suddenly surged. The next instant, they all attacked simultaneously, sending three torrents of Genesis Qi roaring out, directly striking Yuan Hong's figure.

Their actions immediately caused an uproar among the countless disciples outside Chief Peak; they clearly hadn't expected the people from the two lineages to first join forces against Yuan Hong.

The violent Genesis Qi roaring from behind caught Yuan Hong's attention. However, he showed no panic. Thousands of feet of massive Genesis Qi roared out, coiling around him like a giant python.

Boom!

The three torrents of Genesis Qi roared forward, and as they collided, violent shockwaves spread out.

Behind them, the other five candidates from the Lu Hong lineage, seeing this, changed their expressions slightly and accelerated, intending to provide support.

However, Zhou Yuan and two other disciples from Elder Lu Song's lineage blocked their path.

"Senior Brother Yuan Hong, are you alright?" Wu Hai shouted loudly, glancing coldly at Zhou Yuan.

Yuan Hong glanced at the situation behind him, waved his hand, and said indifferently, "I'll entertain them. You just take care of those three."

He looked at the three figures rapidly closing in, a hint of mockery appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Are you planning to gang up on me? That's somewhat clever, but do you really think you can defeat me just by teaming up?"

"If you dare, follow me!"

He sneered, and his figure shot upwards, swiftly darting towards the mist-shrouded mountainside of Chief Peak, clearly intending to move the battle to a higher altitude.

Zhou Tai, seeing this, turned to Zhou Yuan and the other two and said, "Junior Brother Zhou Yuan, please delay them for a while longer. Once we deal with Yuan Hong, we'll come and help you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the three figures had already shot into the sky, rapidly pursuing Yuan Hong.

In this Chief Competition, they had to first concentrate their strongest forces to eliminate Yuan Hong, the biggest threat. Otherwise, neither of their lineages would have a chance at becoming Chief.

The four figures swiftly darted away, passing through the clouds and quickly disappearing from sight.

Zhou Yuan watched their swiftly departing figures, his expression unchanged. He turned to look at the two disciples from the Lu Song lineage beside him, a man and a woman.

The man was named Han Yan, with a sturdy build and a somewhat simple appearance, while the woman, Han Yu, was petite and exquisite, and quite pretty.

The two of them were siblings.

Seeing Zhou Yuan's gaze, Han Yan gave him an honest smile, while Han Yu subtly pouted. She and Lu Yan were very close, intimate friends, so her impression of Zhou Yuan was naturally influenced by Lu Yan, making her feel he was somewhat of a hindrance.

"Brother Zhou Yuan, we can only try our best to delay them for a while longer," Han Yan said.

There were three of them against five opponents, an absolute numerical advantage for the other side. Once they engaged, they would definitely be at a disadvantage.

"By staying here, we're already prepared to fight them to the bitter end," Han Yu said, glancing at Zhou Yuan. "We don't expect to escape unscathed. As long as we can hold them off and buy Senior Sister Lu Yan and the others some time, it will be a success."

"We'll do our best," Zhou Yuan said with a faint smile.

Hearing his less-than-resolute reply, Han Yu was clearly somewhat displeased but ultimately said nothing more, as she hadn't held much hope for Zhou Yuan to begin with.

Han Yan and Han Yu, with Genesis Qi surging around them, stared gravely and warily at the five figures not far away.

Meanwhile, the five disciples from the Lu Hong lineage watched them with playful expressions.

Wu Hai's mocking gaze fixed on Zhou Yuan as he chuckled, "So this is your plan: hold us off, then concentrate your strength to deal with Senior Brother Yuan Hong?"

"I have to say..."

"Your approach is truly a pipe dream."

All five of them burst out laughing. From their demeanor, they didn't seem worried about Yuan Hong's side.

Wu Hai's grim gaze locked onto Zhou Yuan. He then said to the other four, "Leave this guy to me. I want to redeem myself."

He still believed that his previous defeat by a single punch from Zhou Yuan was merely due to being caught off guard and careless. If they fought again, it wouldn't be so easy for Zhou Yuan to win.

The other four, hearing this, knew that Wu Hai wanted to wipe away his previous defeat, so they naturally didn't object.

"Go!"

Seeing this, Han Yan and Han Yu moved their figures, swiftly darting in another direction.

"Brother Zhou Yuan, be careful yourself!"

The four disciples from the Lu Hong lineage, seeing this, merely smiled then swiftly followed, with a playful, cat-and-mouse demeanor.

As they departed, only Zhou Yuan and Wu Hai remained on the platform, facing each other once more.

Wu Hai stared grimly at Zhou Yuan, a sinister grin slowly spreading across his lips.

"Zhou Yuan, do you know how I'm going to deal with you this time?"