Chapter 479: Seven Chief Positions

Between heaven and earth, Sect Master Qing Yang's grand voice reverberated endlessly, its echoes lingering.

Seated on the chief's stone chair, Zhou Yuan listened to the countless disciples' congratulatory sounds, his heart surging with emotion. He clenched his fists, unable to hide his excitement.

His primary goal upon entering the Cangxuan Sect was to become stronger and contend with King Wu. Becoming the chief of Saint Genesis Peak was his first objective in achieving this.

Only by becoming a chief disciple could he legitimately enter the sealed main peak to search for the second Saint Rune left behind by Ancestor Cangxuan.

That Saint Rune had been stripped from a sacred artifact like the Cangxuan Saint Seal, possessing unimaginable power. If he could acquire it, it would be an immense stroke of luck for him.

For this, Zhou Yuan had not rested for a moment throughout the year, enduring numerous dangers and challenges. All of this effort was finally yielding returns now.

Now, he was clearly drawing closer to his original objective.

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions. Then, he looked up, past the Chief Peak, and saw a slender, graceful figure on a distant bluestone.

At that moment, Yaoyao, holding Tun Tun, raised her exquisite face, and their gazes seemed to meet.

Then, Yaoyao's red lips curved slightly, forming a subtle yet stunning arc.

She gently raised the wine gourd in her hand, making a gesture as if to toast, a sign of appreciation and affirmation for Zhou Yuan's efforts throughout the year.

She knew very well how much effort Zhou Yuan had put in for this during the past year.

He was worthy of the glory he now held.

Zhou Yuan smiled in return, then withdrew his gaze, turning his attention to the six other Chief Peaks in the distance, where battles were still ongoing.

After all, unlike Saint Genesis Peak with its mere three lineages, the other six peaks had dozens of them, so their conflicts were naturally more protracted.

Therefore, Zhou Yuan still had to wait for the other six peaks to conclude their battles before today's chief competition could truly end.

It was said that once it was over, they would receive the rewards befitting a chief disciple: the Cangxuan Seven Arts, which only the chiefs of each peak were qualified to cultivate!

For Saint Genesis Peak, that was the 'Grand Mysterious Saint Spirit Art'!

A high-grade Heaven Tier Genesis Art!

At the thought of this, even the composed Zhou Yuan's breathing quickened, his eyes slightly reddened. This was the highest-grade Genesis Art he had encountered so far.

Even the Minor Mysterious Saint Body he had cultivated was merely an offshoot of the Mysterious Saint Body, one of the Cangxuan Seven Arts.

It was hard to imagine how powerful the true high-grade Heaven Tier Genesis Art would be.

Zhou Yuan's mind wandered a bit, but he eventually settled down, sitting cross-legged on the stone chair, his eyes slightly closed, and began to recover the Genesis Qi within his body.

After all, the previous major battle had been extremely draining for him.

As Zhou Yuan regulated his breathing, time quickly passed. From the six peaks, earth-shattering commotions erupted intermittently, indicating that the battles were growing fiercer.

This situation continued until the setting sun began to dip below the horizon.

The dark red light of dusk illuminated the layered mountain ranges, painting them in crimson hues.

Dong! Dong!

When the tolling of bells echoed through the mountains, a thunderous cheer erupted within the Cangxuan Sect. The struggles on the other six Chief Peaks had finally concluded.

Concurrently, Sect Master Qing Yang's grand voice once again descended from the heavens.

"The Chief competition of Cangxuan Peak has ended. The Chief is Su Yao."

"The Chief competition of Snow Lotus Peak has ended. The Chief is Tang Muxin."

"The Chief of Hongya Peak is Chen Ze."

"The Chief of Spirit Mark Peak is Jin Zhang."

"The Chief of Thunder Prison Peak is Xie Yan."

"The Chief of Sword Cometh Peak is Baili Che."

Each time a peak's chief was announced, the disciples of that peak erupted in deafening cheers, all shouting the chief's name. Such momentum was considerably stronger than that from Saint Genesis Peak, as they held an absolute advantage in numbers alone.

Zhou Yuan opened his eyes and looked at the summits of the six Chief Peaks in the distance. On the chief's stone chairs atop those peaks, a figure was seated cross-legged on each.

Clearly, these were the chiefs of the six peaks.

Among these six chief disciples were veteran chiefs, as well as newly promoted ones who had overcome numerous obstacles, fought their way up, and ultimately defeated the previous chief disciples.

Regardless of whether they were old or new, these six disciples were true prodigies who had emerged from among the countless disciples of the Cangxuan Sect!

Their status was second only to the Ten Saint Sons!

Across the entire world, a deafening wave of sound converged, one louder than the last, causing the mountains to tremble slightly.

These sounds were clearly congratulating the seven newly appointed chief disciples, who were now the center of everyone's attention.

"Seven chief disciples, step forward."

Sect Master Qing Yang's gentle yet grand voice echoed through heaven and earth.

From the other six peak summits, six figures shot out simultaneously. Under the gaze of countless eyes, they landed in the central position among the seven Chief Peaks, where a colossal peak stood.

This colossal peak was taller than the seven Chief Peaks and served as the place where chief disciples received their rewards each time.

Zhou Yuan tapped his foot, and golden Genesis Qi formed a cloud beneath him, carrying him soaring skyward until he also landed on that peak's summit.

As he landed, six gazes fell upon him, some filled with interest and inquiry, and certainly some with doubt.

"Junior Brother Zhou Yuan, you've only been in the sect for a mere year, yet you've managed to become a chief disciple of a peak. Such speed is unprecedented in our Cangxuan Sect," a man said with a smile, praising him.

The man was Jin Zhang, the chief of Spirit Mark Peak. Yaoyao had clashed with him when she broke through the barrier in front of the Spirit Mark Hall earlier.

However, this person was rather magnanimous. Although he had lost to Yaoyao, he didn't hold any prejudice against Zhou Yuan because of it. One could say he had been thoroughly convinced by Yaoyao's strength.

Zhou Yuan sensed Jin Zhang's goodwill and offered a humble smile in return.

"Jin Zhang, you're making too much of a fuss. Don't you know how much 'water' there is in being a chief of Saint Genesis Peak?" A light laugh, tinged with mockery, came at this moment.

Zhou Yuan looked up and followed the gaze to see a young man in a green robe standing with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression indifferent. On his sleeve, the embroidered emblem of Sword Cometh Peak was visible.

Clearly, this person was likely the chief disciple of Sword Cometh Peak, Baili Che.

Baili Che's indifferent gaze swept over Zhou Yuan, his eyes filled with doubt and a hint of coldness. However, his attitude was understandable, as Zhou Yuan's defeat of Yuan Hong had, in a way, caused Sword Cometh Peak to lose face.

Everyone in the Cangxuan Sect knew that Elder Lu Hong's lineage shifting to Saint Genesis Peak was at Peak Master Ling Jun's instruction.

Now that Elder Lu Hong's lineage had failed, Peak Master Ling Jun was certainly enraged.

Thus, as a member of Sword Cometh Peak, this chief disciple naturally held a strong dislike for Zhou Yuan.

Facing Baili Che's targeting and mockery, Zhou Yuan's expression remained unfazed. After all, the moment he defeated Yuan Hong, he knew that Sword Cometh Peak's perception of him would likely worsen.

"Heh, Baili Che, your words are a bit biased. Although Saint Genesis Peak is somewhat in decline with only three lineages, Elder Lu Hong's lineage would still rank high even within Sword Cometh Peak. And Yuan Hong's strength, if he were in Sword Cometh Peak, would also make him a strong contender for the chief position. Now that even he has lost to Zhou Yuan, you can't say there's too much 'water' involved." A pleasant chuckle came from the side.

Zhou Yuan looked over and saw a beautiful young woman smiling at them. From the embroidered emblem on her sleeve, it was clear she was the chief of Cangxuan Peak, Tang Muxin.

Zhou Yuan was somewhat surprised that she would speak up to help him.

As if sensing his surprise, Tang Muxin said with a beaming smile, "Junior Sister Hongyi has certainly spread your name quite a bit within Cangxuan Peak. Now that I see it, you truly are quite remarkable."

Zhou Yuan then realized that Tang Muxin had spoken up to assist him because of Gu Hongyi.

Baili Che frowned upon seeing Jin Zhang and Tang Muxin speak up for Zhou Yuan, a newly appointed chief. But in the end, he merely scoffed and stood with a flick of his sleeve.

The other chief disciples did not intervene. They simply glanced at Zhou Yuan with interest before averting their gazes.

On the peak's summit, the seven figures, the center of all attention, stood quietly with hands at their sides.

Shortly after, they sensed a vast aura descending from the sky. A luminous lotus slowly floated down, eventually landing atop the summit.

The seven of them, including Zhou Yuan, looked up and saw six majestic figures before them, seated cross-legged on the luminous lotus. Their gazes were as profound as an abyss or the sea, unfathomable, like divine might.