Chapter 502: Please Request Aid

The night was cool, a thin veil draped over the land.

When Yaoyao returned to her cave dwelling from Lingwen Peak, stepping into the moonlight, she found the stone table laden with a lavish meal. A quick glance revealed that all the dishes were light, just as she preferred.

By the stone table, Zhou Yuan watched her with a beaming smile, saying eagerly, "Sister Yaoyao, you're finally back! Please, have a seat."

Yaoyao gave him a puzzled look, then gracefully took her seat. "You're being overly solicitous," she stated, "What do you want?"

Zhou Yuan immediately looked embarrassed. "That's a bit harsh, isn't it?" he replied.

Yaoyao ignored him. With slender, elegant hands, she picked up her chopsticks and casually sampled a dish. Her red lips gleamed, looking quite tempting. A languid voice drifted from them: "Really nothing?"

Zhou Yuan cleared his throat. "Sister Yaoyao," he began, "are you perhaps interested in the Genesis Pool Festival?"

Baili Che's visit today made it clear that Sword Peak intended to vent their frustration on Sacred Origin Peak. Given Zhou Yuan's temperament, there was no chance he would yield in the slightest.

With relations now openly hostile, Sword Peak would undoubtedly employ various tactics at the Genesis Pool Festival to humiliate Sacred Origin Peak.

Zhou Yuan had only recently become the chief disciple of Sacred Origin Peak. Failure to secure opportunities for their disciples at the Genesis Pool Festival would undoubtedly disappoint many and cast doubt on his leadership.

While Zhou Yuan held no particular attachment to his position as chief, he found Sword Peak's arrogance intolerable.

Despite Zhou Yuan's firm stance, he had to confront the reality that Sacred Origin Peak's overall strength was indeed quite weak.

With only two lineages, they couldn't even match one-tenth the numbers of other peaks.

Furthermore, Sacred Origin Peak had only him, the chief disciple, to represent them; a Saint Child was entirely out of the question.

Their top-tier power was also extremely limited.

Therefore, if Zhou Yuan wanted Sacred Origin Peak to avoid a dismal performance at the Genesis Pool Festival, he had to bolster their strength. After much deliberation, it became clear that no one was a more formidable asset than Yaoyao.

While their fundamental strength remained weak, if he could just get Yaoyao to participate in the Genesis Pool Festival, he wouldn't have to fear the opposing Saint Children, which would alleviate many of his concerns.

"So that's what this is about," Yaoyao remarked, giving Zhou Yuan a knowing half-smile.

In fact, she had already caught wind of some news today on Lingwen Peak. Everyone could sense the widespread resentment emanating from Sword Peak, and Shen Taiyuan's expulsion of Lu Hong's lineage from Sacred Origin Peak at this particular moment only added fuel to the fire.

The Genesis Pool Festival was inherently a competition among the peaks, so Sword Peak would surely seize this chance to deliver a harsh lesson to Sacred Origin Peak and release their pent-up anger.

Even Peak Master Lingjun was likely aware of this situation. While he didn't explicitly endorse it, he also didn't reprimand, which in itself indicated a tacit approval.

Evidently, Peak Master Lingjun also harbored some resentment.

The other peak masters, having accepted cultivation resources from Sword Peak this time, found it difficult to interfere. Thus, it seemed Sacred Origin Peak, now without allies, would likely not escape Sword Peak's retribution.

Zhou Yuan nodded, his gaze fixed on Yaoyao, full of expectation.

Yaoyao, meanwhile, gently bit her chopsticks with her pearly teeth, then offered a faint smile. "I'm not particularly interested in that Genesis Pool Festival," she stated.

Given her nature, she clearly preferred to immerse herself in studying Genesis Runes within the Spirit Mark Hall or her own cave dwelling. The Genesis Pool Festival, with its inter-peak rivalries and conflicts, would likely be a chaotic and troublesome affair.

Zhou Yuan's face stiffened, and he looked crestfallen. If Yaoyao truly refused to go, he would be in quite a predicament.

Yaoyao didn't look at Zhou Yuan, continuing to eat in small, deliberate bites. After a long moment, she finally stopped, satisfied, and stood up. Her lips curved slightly as she regarded the dejected Zhou Yuan.

"While I'm not interested in the Genesis Pool Festival," she said, "I suppose I can make an effort to go, considering you didn't move your cave dwelling previously."

Zhou Yuan's head shot up in surprise. "Really?" he exclaimed.

Yaoyao teased, "There's no other way. If I don't go, you alone would probably be utterly humiliated by those two Saint Children from Sword Peak."

Zhou Yuan's expression darkened. "You think I'm afraid of them?" he retorted.

At a time like this, even if it was bravado, he couldn't afford to show weakness.

Though reason told Zhou Yuan that he still had some way to go before matching a Saint Child.

Yaoyao didn't call out Zhou Yuan's bravado. She strolled to the peach tree by the stream, settled into the hanging basket, and gently swayed. "However," she stated, "even if I go, I will only contend with Sword Peak's two Saint Children. This won't compensate for Sacred Origin Peak's weak foundation, so the final outcome will still rest on your own abilities."

"At the very least," she continued, "the chief disciple of Sword Peak will likely be a formidable rival. To have risen through the ranks among the numerous geniuses of Sword Peak and claimed the chief position, Baili Che is certainly not to be underestimated."

Zhou Yuan's expression subtly tightened, and he nodded. While he disliked Baili Che's arrogance, he had to concede that the latter possessed the justification for such pride. Yuan Hong, though considered a leading talent in Sword Peak, was undoubtedly a step below Baili Che.

Therefore, in Baili Che's view, Zhou Yuan's victory over Yuan Hong to become Sacred Origin Peak's chief was highly overrated.

"It's a pity the Genesis Pool is an oceanic region," Zhou Yuan said with a hint of regret, "otherwise, I would have liked to test the power of the 'Earth Saint Rune.'"

He had recently experimented with the second Earth Saint Rune he acquired from the main peak. This rune could draw upon the earth's Origin Qi to strengthen the body, making it incredibly formidable and domineering.

However, this rune came with a limitation: it required an earth-based terrain to function effectively.

Given that the Genesis Pool only contained scattered islands, activating the Earth Saint Rune in such a terrain would significantly diminish its power.

The power of this Saint Rune was immeasurable. Perhaps in the future, when Zhou Yuan's strength grew, he could overcome its terrain-based limitations, but clearly, he was far from achieving that now.

The loss of this potent ability undoubtedly reduced Zhou Yuan's combat effectiveness.

"It seems then that over the next two months, you'll need to find a way to enhance your own strength," Yaoyao advised. "Baili Che, despite his apparent arrogance, is certainly no fool; he will undoubtedly make extensive preparations for the Genesis Pool Festival."

Zhou Yuan nodded, then fell into thought. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He clasped his hand, and a transparent jade bottle appeared, glowing with golden light and shimmering currents within.

This was the substance Zhou Yuan had obtained during the trial, having crushed the golden sun using the Divine Grinding Mark.

Zhou Yuan didn't recognize the item and was hesitant to absorb it without knowing what it was. He thought it opportune to show it to Yaoyao for her assessment.

Yaoyao took the jade bottle, a flicker of surprise crossing her beautiful face. After a moment's thought, she said, "This, this appears to be the legendary 'Soul Refinement Nectar,' a rare and wondrous item. For the soul, it is an exceptionally potent tonic."

"Out in the world, even a single drop of this can cause a frenzy. How did you manage to acquire so much..."

Zhou Yuan's expression brightened slightly. "Can I use it to advance my Spirit to the late Solid Manifestation stage?" he asked.

"Of course," Yaoyao replied with a slight smile. "However, this 'Soul Refinement Nectar' is quite potent and needs to be properly prepared. Leave that to me."

"If I prepare it successfully, you should be able to achieve your breakthrough with just one-third of this amount."

"And as for the rest..."

She slipped the jade bottle into her sleeve, then looked at Zhou Yuan with her beautiful eyes, saying leisurely, "Consider it your tribute to me."

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan could only purse his lips in resignation. Still, he wasn't particularly reluctant; he'd be content if he could simply break through to the late Solid Manifestation stage. And knowing Yaoyao's character, she would never claim something for herself unless it was genuinely beneficial to her.

Zhou Yuan let out a soft breath. If he broke through to the late Solid Manifestation stage, he would have little to fear from Baili Che.

Of course, he couldn't afford to relax. Over the next two months, he also needed to begin comprehending the Grand Profound Saint Spirit Art he had acquired.

If he could master that art, Baili Che wouldn't even be able to cause a ripple.