Chapter 51: Zhou Yuan Battles Qi Yue

The moment Zhou Yuan stepped onto the stone platform, the entire square erupted in a frenzy. Almost all eyes converged on him, making the platform the undeniable center of attention.

“Is that Prince Zhou Yuan? Wasn't it rumored he couldn’t open his meridians and cultivate?”

“That’s old news. Prince Zhou Yuan was already able to open his meridians during the imperial examination. Now, it’s said he has reached the level of five open meridians.”

“Five open meridians? How can he possibly contend with Qi Yue? Didn't you see how Su Youwei, who had seven open meridians, was defeated by him earlier?”

“It seems the Qi Royal Residence is guaranteed to win this prefectural examination.”

A wave of murmuring swept through the crowd. Based on apparent strength, most people believed Qi Yue was assured of victory, as he had been the strongest figure in the Great Zhou Prefecture for the past year or two.

On the high platform, even Zhou Qing and King Qi Yuan straightened their postures, their gazes fixed intently on the stone platform. They understood clearly that this confrontation between Zhou Yuan and Qi Yue would determine the future of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

On the highly anticipated stone platform, Qi Yue stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his white robes billowing, exuding an air of dignified confidence. He regarded Zhou Yuan with an indifferent gaze and remarked, “Your Highness, reaching this stage truly surprises me.”

Just a year ago, in Qi Yue’s eyes, Zhou Yuan was merely a crippled prince incapable of cultivation, not even warranting a second thought. Yet now, in just over half a year, Zhou Yuan seemed to have awakened, progressing from being unable to open any meridians to having five open.

Even Qi Yue was secretly astonished by such rapid progress.

“However, your progress ends here.” Qi Yue’s tone was nonchalant, as if Zhou Yuan’s fate was already firmly in his grasp, to be molded as he pleased.

Previously, Qi Yue had repeatedly attempted to cripple Zhou Yuan, but all his efforts had failed, causing him to lose patience. This prefectural examination presented his best opportunity; here, even if he rendered Zhou Yuan a cripple, Zhou Qing would be powerless to intervene.

“That remains to be seen.” Zhou Yuan’s expression was calm, but deep within his eyes, a distinct killing intent stirred.

Qi Yue’s previous actions had long since enraged Zhou Yuan, igniting a desire for retribution. Thus, Zhou Yuan harbored the same intention: to return every one of Qi Yue’s past machinations during this prefectural examination.

On the stone platform, their gazes met, and sparks of animosity mingled with killing intent.

In the square, all attention converged on them. As for the other ongoing matches, no one paid them any heed, for it was clear to all that this battle between Zhou Yuan and Qi Yue had the potential to unleash a storm across the Great Zhou Dynasty.

“Begin!”

The moment the referee’s low shout rang out, the stillness on the stone platform was shattered in an instant.

Qi Yue made the first move. With a powerful stomp, his figure surged forward like a blur of light, shooting straight towards Zhou Yuan.

He unleashed a punch, the force of which tore through the air, creating a sharp, whistling sound.

The approaching fist rapidly expanded in Zhou Yuan’s vision. He swiftly stepped diagonally, his figure blurring for an instant—he had activated the Dragon Step.

The fist whistled past, but found only empty air. Qi Yue’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had known previously that Zhou Yuan possessed a profound movement origin art, allowing him to blur his form and evade numerous attacks.

With his punch missing, Qi Yue immediately transitioned from a fist to a palm. Origin energy surged, and his hand swept out like a streak of blade light, tearing through the air.

Zhou Yuan clenched his fist, brimming with formidable power, and met the palm-blade sweeping towards his throat head-on.

Fist met palm, and the air exploded. A visible shockwave radiated outwards, kicking up all the dust from the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The next instant, both Zhou Yuan and Qi Yue unleashed a barrage of furious attacks. Their fists and palms moved so rapidly they left afterimages, striking at each other with unparalleled ferocity, like a relentless storm.

In a mere ten breaths, the two had exchanged dozens of powerful blows in a dazzling display that left onlookers breathless.

After another fierce impact, both Zhou Yuan and Qi Yue staggered, their feet scraping the ground as they were forced back several dozen steps.

A subtle stir went through the square, and surprise gleamed in many eyes. They had noticed that during the fierce exchange, Zhou Yuan, who had only five open meridians, had surprisingly not fallen significantly behind.

Initially, they had all expected Zhou Yuan to be completely overwhelmed by Qi Yue once the fight began.

“Seven open meridians are indeed formidable, far more troublesome than those fierce beasts,” Zhou Yuan remarked, rubbing his fist. In the Black Forest Mountains, he had slain many fierce beasts comparable to those with seven meridians, but none were as difficult to deal with as the Qi Yue before him.

Qi Yue’s expression grew somewhat grim. Although he had long been aware of Zhou Yuan’s unusual and exceptionally strong physique, only after engaging in combat could he truly grasp the extent of Zhou Yuan’s physical prowess.

He possessed the power of seven open meridians, and his physical capabilities had been repeatedly enhanced. Yet, he was now unable to gain an advantage over Zhou Yuan, who had only five open, which was truly frustrating.

“Seven Open Meridians!”

Following Qi Yue’s furious roar, origin energy from heaven and earth surged towards him, pouring into his body. Instantly, streams of origin energy shimmered across his skin, and a formidable aura erupted from him.

Crack!

The stone slabs beneath Qi Yue’s feet quietly shattered at that moment, demonstrating the immense power he had accumulated within his body.

Zhou Yuan’s eyes narrowed, his expression growing serious. Even a lion uses its full might to catch a rabbit; moreover, Qi Yue was certainly no harmless prey.

“Five Open Meridians!” Zhou Yuan’s body, too, surged with origin energy, and formidable power spread throughout his limbs.

Whoosh!

Qi Yue moved. Amplified by his seven open meridians, his speed increased severalfold. He appeared behind Zhou Yuan almost in a blink.

“Thunderbolt Fist!”

Qi Yue held nothing back, his eyes chilling. He immediately unleashed a Profound Origin Art. The air exploded, the floor beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, and his aura turned ferocious.

This punch was undoubtedly more powerful than the one he had used against Su Youwei earlier.

“Dragon Tablet Hand, Mountain Shatterer!”

Zhou Yuan’s palm struck horizontally, incredibly heavy, as if bearing the weight of a mountain. He brought this formidable force to bear, colliding head-on with the sharp fist light whistling from behind.

Shockwaves ripped outwards from beneath their feet, brutally tearing apart the solid floor wherever they spread.

“You dare block me?! Let’s see you block this!”

A savage gleam flashed in Qi Yue’s eyes as he lunged forward like a leopard. His fists, feet, and elbows transformed into deadly weapons, whistling through the air, creating a veritable storm of attacks aimed at Zhou Yuan’s vital points.

He had pushed his power to its absolute limit, determined to gain the upper hand and crush Zhou Yuan’s confidence.

This relentless, storm-like assault made countless onlookers’ skin crawl.

Facing Qi Yue’s utterly savage onslaught, even Zhou Yuan’s expression subtly shifted. It felt as though his entire field of vision was consumed by his opponent’s attacks, and even employing the Dragon Step proved insufficient to evade them.

Yet, despite the surprise, Zhou Yuan remained unpanicked. His Spirit within his glabella flickered subtly, and his perception extended outwards. Instantly, the seemingly overwhelming onslaught transformed in his eyes.

Aided by his Spirit’s perception, the trajectory of each of Qi Yue’s attacks became incredibly clear to him.

With this clarity, he responded decisively.

Origin energy swirled around his fists and feet. His counterattacks were not as ferocious as Qi Yue’s; instead, they appeared somewhat slow. Yet, with each seemingly deliberate move, he precisely struck the weakest points of Qi Yue’s attacks, neutralizing their formidable power with a mere touch.

It was like deflecting a thousand pounds with four ounces.

Qi Yue’s expression grew increasingly grim. He could feel that his attacks, despite their ferocity, consistently failed to breach Zhou Yuan’s defenses. The latter’s seemingly unhurried counterattacks perfectly neutralized every one of his blows.

Zhou Yuan unleashed another powerful punch, striking Qi Yue’s elbow. The immense force caused Qi Yue’s arm to jolt violently, and his entire body seemed to momentarily freeze.

“It’s only polite to return a favor. Try this move!”

Zhou Yuan’s eyes flashed as he abruptly transformed his hand into a striking palm. Simultaneously, origin energy surged within his body, coursing through his meridians into his palm, causing the very air to hum and vibrate.

An astonishing aura radiated from Zhou Yuan’s body.

“Dragon Tablet Hand, Earth Splitter!”

With a low roar, Zhou Yuan unleashed a horizontal palm strike. Immediately, brilliant origin light emanated from his palm, and as the blow landed, the air transformed into a whistling blast.

This palm strike was aimed directly at Qi Yue.

Qi Yue’s expression abruptly changed at this moment. He clearly perceived the astonishing sharpness of Zhou Yuan’s counterattack and immediately crossed his arms in front of him, origin energy shimmering around them.

“High-Grade Origin Art: Gold-Stone Arm!”

However, Zhou Yuan paid no heed. His incomparably fierce palm strike landed heavily on Qi Yue’s crossed arms, unleashing an explosive sound. A powerful force erupted at that instant.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

With that single blow, Qi Yue reeled as if struck by a heavy impact. His arms trembled violently, and he stumbled backward across the stone platform, leaving shattered imprints with every desperate step.

The clamor across the square swelled with each of Qi Yue’s retreating steps, growing stronger in waves.

Qi Yue forcefully regained his balance. Hearing the widespread clamor, his face darkened to the point where it seemed about to drip water. He glared furiously at Zhou Yuan, a low, murderous growl escaping from between his gritted teeth.

“Zhou Yuan, you’re asking for death!”