Chapter 506: Countermeasure

Ever since Li Qingchan and Ye Ge visited that day, Zhou Yuan noticed that Yaoyao seemed to have undergone some changes. The most significant change was that she spent more time immersed in the Spirit Rune Hall, and each time she returned, she would be carrying numerous ancient Origin Rune texts, engrossed in deep study.

Zhou Yuan asked if she needed help, but Yaoyao merely waved him away dismissively. He could only shrug helplessly. Yaoyao's newfound seriousness was a good thing; after all, her temperament had always been quite indifferent, seeming to lack interest in most matters. Only when interacting with Zhou Yuan would she show some emotion. Now, she seemed slightly angered by the aggressive stance of Sword Cometh Peak, and this emotion undoubtedly made her appear more vibrant.

So, Zhou Yuan let her be, no longer disturbing her, and continued to pour all his energy into refining the Saint Spirit Seed. Thus, over this past month, Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao divided their tasks, each immersing themselves in cultivation and study.

News of Snow Lotus Peak and Spirit Rune Peak's visit and their purpose eventually spread, sparking much discussion within Saint Genesis Peak. Many disciples felt it was a pity, as they believed that with the assistance of those two peaks, their upcoming Genesis Pool Festival would achieve better results than before, and they wouldn't have to worry about the threat from Sword Cometh Peak. However, since Snow Lotus Peak and Spirit Rune Peak's conditions were directed at Yaoyao, the other disciples naturally had no say in the matter. Moreover, in their eyes, Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao were now the true leaders among Saint Genesis Peak's many disciples. They couldn't interfere with the leaders' decisions; they simply planned to follow them into battle when the time came, as there was nothing else they could do.

Nevertheless, as the Genesis Pool Festival drew nearer, an atmosphere of tension and apprehension began to brew throughout Saint Genesis Peak. After all, compared to the colossal Sword Cometh Peak, Saint Genesis Peak still seemed far too insignificant.

Deep within the mountains.

By the cliff edge, Zhou Yuan sat cross-legged on a bluestone. Between his palms, a ball of Genesis Qi had formed, its interior a chaotic void – it was a Saint Spirit Seed. This particular Saint Spirit Seed appeared exceptionally robust and condensed, having been formed by the fusion of seventy-seven beast souls.

Deep within Zhou Yuan's eyes, the Saint Rune flowed, allowing him to clearly observe the countless chaotic and conflicting fluctuations within the Saint Spirit Seed. He then quickly pinpointed their source, suppressing and stabilizing them. With the miraculous aid of the Barrier-Breaking Saint Rune, refining the Saint Spirit Seed was undoubtedly much easier for him. Of course, this ease was only relative to before. As the number of fused beast souls gradually increased, even with the Barrier-Breaking Saint Rune, Zhou Yuan began to feel the strain. Now, merging another beast soul into the Saint Spirit Seed required almost his full effort, with no room for even the slightest imperfection, taking nearly half a day.

Buzz!

The Saint Spirit Seed embryo emitted a faint vibration, which gradually subsided, and its glow intensified by several points.

"Seventy-eighth one, fusion successful."

Joy appeared in Zhou Yuan's eyes. After a full month of effort, he had finally completed most of this Saint Spirit Seed. Now, he was incredibly close to the ninety-soul mark. Once ninety beast souls were fused, the Saint Spirit Seed would be initially formed, subtly revealing the formidable power of some high-grade Heaven Origin Arts.

"At this rate, I can initially refine the Saint Spirit Seed in just ten more days!" Zhou Yuan thought with excitement.

"You've got some real skill, kid."

As Zhou Yuan was rejoicing, an ancient voice came from nearby. Elder Xuan stood not far away, his face showing surprise as he gazed at the seed embryo before Zhou Yuan. He hadn't been here for a while, and his arrival today left him astonished by Zhou Yuan's cultivation progress. It was important to note that most former chief disciples of Saint Genesis Peak who practiced this technique took half a year or even longer to reach Zhou Yuan's current stage. Yet, he had accomplished it in just one month. What incredible talent must that be?

Zhou Yuan smiled but offered no explanation. After all, he had relied on the miraculous Barrier-Breaking Saint Rune; otherwise, it would have been difficult to achieve such progress in just one month.

"Elder Xuan, I'm heading back now."

With a flick of his sleeve, he put away the box of beast soul crystals beside him, greeted Elder Xuan, and then soared into the sky on a surge of Genesis Qi.

Elder Xuan watched Zhou Yuan's disappearing figure with an amused smile. It seemed Zhou Yuan might become the fastest person in Cangxuan Sect's history to cultivate the Grand Mysterious Saint Spirit Art. He was rather looking forward to that day.

When Zhou Yuan returned to his cave dwelling, he immediately saw the elegant figure in the stone pavilion under the peach tree by the stream, intently poring over an ancient text. Zhou Yuan smiled and, without disturbing her, was about to slip past quietly. However, Yaoyao lifted her exquisite face at that moment and beckoned to him.

Zhou Yuan paused, then walked over and sat down beside her. Savoring the girl's enchanting fragrance, he chuckled, "So, what have you been researching? Do you have a plan now?"

Yaoyao said calmly, "Compared to Saint Genesis Peak, Sword Cometh Peak simply has greater resources and more disciples. Kong Sheng and Zhao Zhu alone are nothing to fear."

Zhou Yuan rubbed his nose, silently lamenting for Kong Sheng and Zhao Zhu. The two Saint Seeds of Cangxuan Sect always seemed insignificant in Yaoyao's eyes.

"Sword Cometh Peak's advantage lies in its vast number of disciples. Once Saint Genesis Peak clashes with them, even without Kong Sheng and the other intervening, we would likely be utterly defeated. In such a situation, even if I stopped Kong Sheng and his group, it probably wouldn't change anything," Yaoyao stated slowly.

Zhou Yuan's expression also subtly hardened as he nodded. This was indeed the problem that had been troubling him lately: Saint Genesis Peak's foundation was too weak. If Sword Cometh Peak swept through, their ordinary disciples would be instantly overwhelmed. At that point, no matter how he and Yaoyao resisted, it wouldn't shake the overall situation. If all the other disciples were wiped out, leaving only the two of them, collecting Genesis Marrow would be like trying to put out a forest fire with a cup of water.

Yaoyao's slender, jade-like hand gently caressed the cover of the ancient book. She said lightly, "If that's the case, then we can only first neutralize their massive advantage."

"Neutralize their advantage?" Zhou Yuan was taken aback. Sword Cometh Peak's advantage lay in its nearly ten thousand disciples, many of whom were elites. To neutralize such an advantage, relying solely on his and Yaoyao's strength would likely be insufficient, wouldn't it? Even if all those people just stood there and let them attack, it would take a good long while to defeat them!

Yaoyao glanced at Zhou Yuan, seemingly aware of his thoughts. Her red lips curled slightly as she said, "How foolish. All you think about is brute force." She pulled a book from a pile of ancient texts beside her and slowly opened it. Instantly, a massive, ancient Origin Rune barrier formation diagram appeared before Zhou Yuan's eyes.

"I've studied the environment within the Genesis Pool and searched throughout the Spirit Rune Hall, discovering that this particular barrier formation is extremely suitable for deployment there. If we succeed in setting it up, we can eliminate about seventy to eighty percent of Sword Cometh Peak's nearly ten thousand disciples..."

"In that case, Sword Cometh Peak's advantage will naturally be gone."

As Yaoyao spoke with a casual yet domineering tone, Zhou Yuan's gaze fixed on the barrier formation diagram. Four ancient characters imprinted themselves into his vision, causing his pupils to contract slightly.

"Misty Heaven Barrier!"