Chapter 524: Two Peaks Battle

Above the Origin Pool, five figures and a beast stood suspended in mid-air, locked in a tense standoff. The air itself seemed to solidify.

In the distance, scouts from the various peaks watched the scene, visibly moved. Who could have imagined that Sword Cometh Peak, with its overwhelming strength, would be pushed to a point where even its two Holy Sons and Chief Disciple had to personally enter the fray against Saint Genesis Peak?

"Zhou Yuan and Zhou Xiaoyao are truly formidable," someone murmured in awe.

Many disciples nodded in agreement. Under normal circumstances, Saint Genesis Peak would not even be qualified to contend with Sword Cometh Peak, even with Zhou Yuan, Zhou Xiaoyao, and the fierce, mysterious beast on their side.

But could these few individuals alone really eliminate nearly ten thousand Sword Cometh Peak disciples?

If a full-scale battle were to erupt, those ten thousand Sword Cometh Peak disciples alone could easily corner the two individuals and the beast. That is, unless the latter resorted to an indiscriminate killing spree, but this was clearly an internal sect competition, not a fight to the death, and many tactics were consequently restricted.

In the present situation, Sword Cometh Peak's numerical advantage had vanished. To turn the tide, they could only rely on the direct intervention of their Holy Sons and Chief Disciples.

"Now, the strength of both sides appears to be on an even keel..."

"Kong Sheng and Zhou Xiaoyao are both formidable; one is the Second Holy Son, and the other is unfathomable. When these two clash, it's genuinely hard to predict a victor."

"The mysterious little beast is also extraordinary. It's rumored that Zhao Zhu was injured by it recently, so he surely wouldn't dare to underestimate it again."

"All things considered, the biggest variable lies with Zhou Yuan and Baili Che."

"Baili Che is no Yuan Hong. While Zhou Yuan is also a Chief Disciple, the competition for Chief Disciple at Saint Genesis Peak is clearly less intense than at other peaks."

"If Baili Che defeats Zhou Yuan, he can break the barrier and rescue the remaining Sword Cometh Peak disciples, thus returning the situation to Sword Cometh Peak's control."

"This is getting interesting. Quick, send the message back!"

Whispers continuously spread among the scouts from other peaks, and eventually, several figures turned and departed, clearly intending to swiftly relay the news of these events back to their respective peaks.

They knew that when this news reached the Holy Sons of the various peaks, they would undoubtedly be astonished.

Who could have imagined that Sword Cometh Peak, which had launched such an overwhelming offensive, would be pushed to such a degree by Saint Genesis Peak, a peak with only a few hundred disciples?

As the standoff unfolded high above, the roughly one hundred elite Sword Cometh Peak disciples who had broken free from the barrier turned their fierce gazes toward the hundreds of Saint Genesis Peak disciples.

They, too, were seething with frustration. Since they couldn't vent their anger on Zhou Yuan and his companions, their fury had nowhere to go but onto the disciples of Saint Genesis Peak.

They had always held a condescending view of Saint Genesis Peak disciples and, even with their reduced numbers, did not believe these disciples were worthy of a direct confrontation.

"Get out of the way!"

The Sword Cometh Peak disciples surged forward, charging directly at the barrier, aiming to destroy it from the outside and rescue their trapped comrades.

Zhou Tai's expression grew grim as he watched the charging Sword Cometh Peak disciples. He spoke in a deep voice, "Everyone, Junior Brother Zhou Yuan and Junior Sister Xiaoyao expended immense effort to dismantle Sword Cometh Peak's overwhelming advantage, while we... we've done nothing..."

"Although Junior Brother Zhou Yuan is Saint Genesis Peak's Chief Disciple, he is not obligated to ensure our smooth progress. The path of cultivation demands that we strive for ourselves."

"If we fail to hold the barrier and allow Sword Cometh Peak's disciples to breach it, then we will have forfeited any right to enjoy this Origin Pool Festival."

"So, what should we do now?" He gazed at the crowd, his breathing heavy, his eyes burning with the intensity of a lion or tiger.

The eyes of the hundreds of Saint Genesis Peak disciples gradually turned bloodshot. Gritting their teeth, they let out a fierce roar: "Stop them!"

Zhou Tai grinned, revealing a row of stark white teeth. Without another word, he fixed his bloodshot eyes on the charging Sword Cometh Peak disciples and sneered, "Sword Cometh Peak... I've long found you insufferable. This time, let's have a proper fight!"

Waves of powerful Genesis Qi surged skyward.

Hundreds of Saint Genesis Peak disciples roared and launched themselves forward, propelled by Genesis Qi, colliding head-on with the elite disciples of Sword Cometh Peak.

Mid-air immediately erupted into chaos.

As the disciples of the two peaks clashed in fierce combat, Kong Sheng, high above, gave Zhou Yuan an impassive glance before telling Baili Che, "Deal with him quickly and destroy the barrier as soon as possible. Save as many as you can."

His tone was calm, clearly implying that of the two individuals and the beast on the opposing side, Zhou Yuan would be the easiest to handle.

Baili Che chuckled softly upon hearing this. His gaze swept over Zhou Yuan, a sneer playing on his lips as he said with a hollow laugh, "Don't worry, Senior Brother. Some people don't know their own limits, and it's time they learned exactly where they stand."

Having been outmaneuvered by Zhou Yuan today, leading to so many Sword Cometh Peak disciples being ensnared, Sword Cometh Peak had suffered a significant loss of face. Baili Che was now consumed by a furious rage that clearly needed to be unleashed upon Zhou Yuan.

Kong Sheng nodded faintly, then his wary gaze shifted to Yaoyao. Without another word, he shot skyward, clearly intending to draw his battle away from the main conflict.

Yaoyao's bright eyes calmly followed his retreating figure, then she turned to Zhou Yuan and asked, "Are you alright?"

Zhou Yuan smiled, replying, "I've long wanted to experience the might of Sword Cometh Peak's Chief Disciple. I just hope they don't choose their Chief based on who has the sharper tongue."

He paused, then added, "As for you, be extra careful. Kong Sheng is not to be underestimated."

To be ranked as the Second Holy Son in the Cangxuan Sect, Kong Sheng's power was clearly not to be underestimated.

"Second Holy Son... is that impressive?"

Yaoyao's rosy lips curved slightly as she spoke indifferently, then her slender form moved, riding the wind to pursue Kong Sheng.

Zhou Yuan watched her graceful figure depart, then gave a thumbs up, declaring, "Truly a heroine among women."

A disdainful look came from the side; it was Tun Tun, clearly disapproving of his flattering behavior.

Zhou Yuan glared at it and snapped, "What are you staring at? Go deal with that thing!"

Tun Tun, however, extended a paw and gestured emphatically.

"What? You want a share of the Origin Marrow too?" Zhou Yuan laughed in exasperation, pointing at Tun Tun. "You little beast, why didn't you dare say that when Yaoyao was here?"

Genesis Qi surged beneath Tun Tun's four paws, forming small clouds. It then lay down and wagged its tail at Zhou Yuan.

Seeing its almost defiant behavior, Zhou Yuan rolled his eyes. He could only give it a light kick and say, "Fine, fine. If you win, you'll get everything. If you lose, you can go starve."

Only then did Tun Tun shake its head and stand up, a fierce glint in its dark golden beast eyes as it locked onto Zhao Zhu before darting off in another direction.

Zhao Zhu snorted coldly, casting a chilling glance at Zhou Yuan. "Junior Brother Baili," he said, "do me a favor and teach this insolent brat a lesson."

With that, he swiftly darted away, pursuing Tun Tun.

With the three individuals and the beast now gone, only Zhou Yuan and Baili Che remained in the sky, confronting each other.

Baili Che's gaze fixed on Zhou Yuan, cold and piercing. "Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan," he said slowly, "we've finally crossed paths..."

A faint, unsettling smile played on his lips.

"Tell me," he continued, "how should I deal with you to properly vent my frustration?"

As he spoke, increasingly potent and formidable Genesis Qi, like a brewing storm, surged forth from his body. The sheer pressure caused the surrounding space to subtly tremble.