Chapter 488: Heart and Nature

The winding mountain path, like a stone dragon, lay isolated and coiling between heaven and earth. Mist surged all around, obscuring vision, making everything appear mysterious and eerie.

At this moment, a lone figure was slowly climbing that long mountain path.

That figure was, of course, Zhou Yuan, who had entered the trial mountain path.

At this moment, his face was pale and bloodless. The Genesis Qi flowing through his body had also become extremely weak, as only three hundred of the original four thousand vibrant Genesis Qi stars in his Qi Dwelling remained.

Most of the Genesis Qi he had cultivated so diligently over many years had mysteriously vanished.

Given the inability to discern whether this was reality or an illusion, this situation was enough to instill fear.

If it were someone with a weaker resolve, they would likely have gone limp and been unable to continue.

But Zhou Yuan did not stop. He gritted his teeth, staring fixedly ahead. Having come this far, if he were to retreat now, wouldn't all his previous endurance have been in vain?

"Three hundred Genesis Qi stars," he thought. "Can I last until the end?"

Zhou Yuan tightly pursed his lips. Still, he reasoned that no matter what, when his Genesis Qi was completely depleted, something else ought to happen.

With these thoughts in mind, Zhou Yuan took another step.

Stone steps, one after another, passed beneath his feet.

Within his Qi Dwelling, Genesis Qi stars began to vanish in succession.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the last three hundred Genesis Qi stars were finally nearing their end.

Zhou Yuan's steps halted on a stone stair, his expression fluctuating, because at that moment, within his Qi Dwelling, the very last Genesis Qi star gradually dimmed and then completely vanished.

All the Genesis Qi in his body had now completely disappeared.

At that instant, an immeasurable weakness surged from within him. That kind of weakness, Zhou Yuan had not felt in many years.

Back when he was unable to open his Eight Meridians, his body had constantly been filled with this sensation.

The power he had painstakingly cultivated for many years was now completely gone.

Zhou Yuan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them. He turned around, looking at the long mountain path behind him. After a moment of silence, he had a feeling.

He felt that if he were to walk back now, all the vanished Genesis Qi should return.

However, if that happened, he would undoubtedly fail the trial mountain path.

Or...

...continue forward.

Zhou Yuan looked up at the mountain path ahead, which still stretched beyond sight. At this point, he had no Genesis Qi left, and due to its disappearance, his physical strength also showed signs of weakening.

Continuing forward would undoubtedly mean enduring more. Would the Genesis Qi return then? That was uncertain.

What was the choice to make?

Zhou Yuan stood rooted to the spot, silent for a long time. The hesitation in his eyes gradually faded.

"Whether what's before me is real or an illusion, what does it matter?" he resolved. "Back when my Eight Meridians were hard to open, I never gave up. Even if the Genesis Qi truly vanished, I can just cultivate it back! As I am now, I at least still possess the ability to cultivate. Back in those bewildered times, I still waited for the dawn. Why should these present circumstances defeat me?"

A look of determination appeared in Zhou Yuan's eyes. Then, without the slightest hesitation, his somewhat heavy steps lifted once more, and he firmly put them down again.

Even without Genesis Qi, he could not possibly allow himself to give up!

The path of cultivation requires nothing but unyielding courage. If one is hesitant and timid, it would be difficult to achieve anything on this path.

One's heart must be resolute to achieve success.

On the mountain path, Zhou Yuan's figure slowly climbed again. Although his steps were heavy, his eyes, on the contrary, began to grow brighter. The previous hesitation and fear were gone.

Instead, there was unshakeable resolve.

His steps were taken one by one, even though each one was as heavy as a mountain.

As Zhou Yuan took each difficult step, he did not notice that behind him, the entire ancient stone path suddenly erupted with brilliant light.

Immediately afterward, the stone stairs began to dematerialize, turning into wisps of golden light that shot skyward.

Countless golden lights danced in the space behind him, finally catching up to the slowly climbing figure in front and pouring into his body one after another.

Zhou Yuan's body violently trembled.

He finally sensed something and sharply turned his head, only to see golden lights filling the sky, like birds returning to their nests, all pouring into his body.

Within his Qi Dwelling, the Genesis Qi stars that had originally vanished began to reappear one by one, emitting brilliant and bright light.

Abundant Genesis Qi once again filled his limbs and bones.

That power had finally returned!

A radiant glow appeared on Zhou Yuan's face, and a relieved smile surfaced on his lips. He finally understood that this mountain path was a test of one's temperament.

A normal person, if they lost the Genesis Qi they had painstakingly cultivated for many years, would inevitably feel panic and fear; even Zhou Yuan was no exception to this.

But when faced with such a situation, what choice should one make?

Should one abandon moving forward and cautiously stick to the old ways, or maintain that unyielding spirit?

On the path to becoming a true powerhouse, Genesis Qi was not the most important thing. What mattered was one's temperament and resolve; when one possessed the latter, the former would naturally return.

This disappearance of Genesis Qi, though brief, was for him a deeply memorable trial.

Zhou Yuan slightly closed his eyes as the long stone path behind him gradually vanished. Countless golden lights danced, continuously surging into his body, and after a long while, they finally calmed down.

After all the golden lights had entered his body, Zhou Yuan sensed it slightly, then sharply opened his eyes, with surprise evident in them.

Because within his Qi Dwelling, those dazzling and bright Genesis Qi stars had, at this very moment, unexpectedly surged to a count of five thousand!

Moreover, every single Genesis Qi star was remarkably bright and stable, not something hastily formed.

In such a short period of time, he had gained a thousand Genesis Qi stars!

This was basically equivalent to over a month's worth of Zhou Yuan's arduous cultivation!

Clearly, this was a reward for passing this mountain path.

The smile on Zhou Yuan's lips grew even brighter; his previous suffering and fright were not for nothing.

In the space between heaven and earth, the pervasive mist began to ripple. And that indifferent voice, belonging to Elder Xuan, resonated once again.

"Trial's three stages. First stage, passed."

As this voice fell, Zhou Yuan noticed the long stone path beneath his feet began to vanish, and the surrounding environment gradually started to change.

He stood still, without panicking, waiting for the transformation to complete.

Zhou Yuan raised his head, gazing at the distorted world before him. This trial mountain path, so this was only the first stage. It truly was perilous and strange; no wonder so many chief disciples couldn't pass it.

But if the first stage was already so difficult, what about the next two stages?

With Zhou Yuan in such a focused and vigilant state, the changes in the surroundings finally completed.

His surroundings had once again undergone a complete transformation.