Chapter 498: Main Vein

The reopening of Saint Genesis Peak's sect gate was a major event that naturally caused considerable ripples within the Cangxuan Sect. It signified that the Cangxuan Sect's Seven Peaks were once again living up to their name.

This was also crucial for Saint Genesis Peak. With its sect gate open, when new disciples join the sect in the future, Saint Genesis Peak will be able to proactively select some talented individuals. Previously, it could only choose from those rejected by the other six peaks, a situation that had led to a cycle of the weak getting weaker.

With a growing influx of fresh talent, Saint Genesis Peak's strength would eventually grow little by little.

In addition, the Saint Genesis Peak Master Seal was recovered. Since Zhou Yuan's contributions were central to the reopening of the sect gate, Grand Elder Qingyang unsurprisingly placed the Peak Master Seal in the hands of Elder Shen Taiyuan.

This meant that Elder Shen Taiyuan became Saint Genesis Peak's acting peak master.

The "acting" prefix was added primarily because the most basic requirement for a peak master in the Cangxuan Sect, established long ago, was to have reached the Origin Infant stage.

In the Cangxuan Heaven, reaching the Origin Infant stage is generally considered to be at the pinnacle. Such individuals are even capable of establishing a first-rate sect. Outside the Saint Continent, they could even dominate several continents and become renowned overlords.

However, Elder Shen Taiyuan was currently only at the Heavenly Sun stage, still some distance from the Origin Infant stage. Therefore, even with the Peak Master Seal, he could not yet become a true peak master.

Nevertheless, Elder Shen Taiyuan's status within the Cangxuan Sect surged significantly, enough to make other elders deeply envious. As an acting peak master, the cultivation resources he could enjoy would surpass those of other elders, undoubtedly increasing his chances of reaching the Origin Infant stage.

With Elder Shen Taiyuan becoming the acting peak master, the position of Saint Genesis Peak's main lineage also fell to Zhou Yuan's faction.

From then on, within Saint Genesis Peak, Shen Taiyuan's lineage became the main lineage with the highest status. Other branches would follow its lead and obey its commands.

Of course, most importantly, the main lineage would receive a larger share of Saint Genesis Peak's cultivation resources than other branches, which would undoubtedly give them an advantage in the future.

This time, everyone could see that Elder Shen Taiyuan and his lineage had become the biggest winners within the sect.

Consequently, many elders in the sect envied Shen Taiyuan. In previous years, he had been considered somewhat marginalized among them; sticking to Saint Genesis Peak was seen by others as having no future. An ordinary person would have likely applied for a transfer long ago, yet Shen Taiyuan was exceptionally stubborn, holding fast to Saint Genesis Peak and refusing to leave.

Now, however, the elders couldn't help but sigh at Shen Taiyuan's immense luck. To encounter such a monstrously talented disciple like Zhou Yuan, who single-handedly turned the entire situation around, allowed Shen Taiyuan to instantly reverse his fortunes and become a highly sought-after figure within the sect.

In the future, he might even become the Cangxuan Sect's seventh peak master.

Because of his initial gamble on Zhou Yuan, Shen Taiyuan was now truly triumphant.

Several days after Saint Genesis Peak's sect gate reopened.

"Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan."

That day, when Zhou Yuan finished his cultivation and returned to his dwelling, he saw several figures standing outside. The leader, who appeared to be a deacon from Saint Genesis Peak, greeted him with a smiling fist salute upon his return.

Zhou Yuan quickly returned the gesture. Looking at the group, he asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Haha, I'm here on Elder Shen's orders," the deacon said with a smile. "Now that you are Saint Genesis Peak's chief disciple, this Violet Origin dwelling is a bit too humble for you. The main peak has been cleaned up, and many cultivation areas that were previously inaccessible have been discovered. Elder Shen has specially arranged a top-tier chief disciple dwelling for you."

Since Saint Genesis Peak reopened, the entire peak had been buzzing with activity these past few days. Shen Taiyuan had dispatched all available personnel to thoroughly search and clear the main peak, which had been dormant for many years.

Once the inventory was complete, he naturally made sure to first allocate the best cultivation dwelling to Zhou Yuan, a place undoubtedly far superior in quality to the Violet Origin dwelling.

And this deacon, bringing so many people, was clearly planning to help him move.

"I also spoke to Zhou Xiaoyao about this earlier," the deacon added, "but she said she wanted to wait for you to return before making a decision."

Zhou Yuan paused slightly at these words. He thoughtfully glanced inside the dwelling. They had lived in this Violet Origin dwelling for a year, and the entire place was managed by Yaoyao; every detail and every object within it was her daily effort. If they were to move now, it would undoubtedly cause some disruption.

Yaoyao was usually quite detached, but once something truly caught her attention, it meant she had invested some emotion in it.

And clearly, there weren't many people or things that could make Yaoyao invest emotion. Furthermore, Zhou Yuan wasn't sure if Yaoyao would invest her emotions again if they moved to a different place.

Zhou Yuan certainly didn't want to see Yaoyao become indifferent to everything again. After all, living in this dwelling, occasionally watching Yaoyao meticulously tend to the flower and herb gardens, was an extremely pleasant sight.

"Martial Uncle," Zhou Yuan said slowly after a moment of thought, "let's not rush this matter for now."

While the chief disciple dwelling was certainly appealing, in his opinion, if it made Yaoyao happier, he would rather choose the latter option. After all, he could always work a little harder to compensate for the former.

The deacon was somewhat surprised. Noticing Zhou Yuan's expression, he seemed to understand and immediately smiled, saying meaningfully, "Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan truly has a thoughtful heart."

"In that case, I won't say more," he continued. "The chief disciple dwelling will still be reserved for you; you can move whenever you wish."

The deacon smiled, then led his people away.

Zhou Yuan watched them leave, then turned and re-entered his dwelling. Inside, it was bright and quiet. He then saw a graceful figure standing beneath a spiritual peach tree by the stream, gazing intently at every sight and object within the dwelling.

This spiritual peach tree had also been personally transplanted by Yaoyao. It had been listless at first, but after nearly a year of Yaoyao's care, it had burst forth with vitality once more.

He slowly walked over.

Yaoyao, holding Tun Tun, turned and glanced at him. Her clear eyes showed no discernible emotion as her red lips parted slightly. "When do we start moving?" she asked.

Zhou Yuan smiled and said casually, "No need to move. I declined. This place is quite good; let's just stay here for now."

Yaoyao was momentarily stunned. Her bright eyes, imperceptibly, seemed to grow clearer and more luminous. She bit her red lip lightly, staring at Zhou Yuan. "Why not move?" she asked. "That dwelling would be better for your cultivation."

Zhou Yuan looked at the flower and herb garden not far away, where hundreds of flowers bloomed in vibrant competition, swaying gracefully. He slowly said, "Because you like it here."

Yaoyao was stunned once more. After a moment, she eyed Zhou Yuan with interest, leaning slightly closer, a faint fragrance accompanying her. With a half-smile, she said, "Not bad. Where did you learn such a trick?"

Zhou Yuan rolled his eyes, but he could tell that Yaoyao was undeniably much more lively than before.

"If you want to move, I can agree," Zhou Yuan said unhurriedly.

Yaoyao's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. "Say that again?" she said.

Zhou Yuan felt a chill wash over him and instinctively recoiled.

Yaoyao let out a soft hmph, turned, and walked away with Tun Tun in her arms. After a few steps, she slightly tilted her head, revealing her breathtakingly beautiful profile. Her small red lips, at that moment, curved into a rare, bright smile.

"Zhou Yuan, I really like it here... So, thank you," her soft voice quietly reached him.

Zhou Yuan watched her slender figure, whose steps had become perceptibly lighter. A smile appeared on his face. To make this little "granny" so happy, losing a few cultivation resources was nothing.

He clearly understood the priorities in his heart.