Chapter 560: Collecting

Three-colored streams of light shot up from the break in the Profound Copper Wormwood Tree, painting the sky in vibrant hues. A peculiar fragrance filled the air.

Gu Hongyi, Zhou Tai, and the other disciples gazed at the three-colored light streams, their eyes filled with ecstasy. The rest of them were itching to move, barely able to contain themselves.

Despite their excitement, they didn't lose their composure. Instead, they turned their gaze to Zhou Yuan, who stood at the front. As their captain, they had to await his orders.

Furthermore, if Zhou Yuan hadn't acted decisively earlier to kill the green worm hidden within the copper tree, it would have been quite difficult for them to destroy it today.

Zhou Yuan also watched the three-colored light streams continuously gushing from the broken tree trunk, a hint of awe in his eyes. He could feel his Qi Mansion trembling slightly as the three-colored Profound Origin Essence appeared, as if it greatly coveted and yearned for them.

This demonstrated the powerful allure of Profound Origin Essence for the Qi Mansion.

“Everyone, divide into seven groups to collect the Profound Origin Essence,” Zhou Yuan instructed, looking at the disciples. “Keep one group on vigilant guard, and then rotate shifts. The commotion from this Profound Origin Essence is significant, and it might attract a lot of attention.”

Upon hearing this, the other disciples' expressions immediately turned serious. Indeed, the Profound Origin Essence was causing quite a stir, and with many factions present in the area, discovery would undoubtedly lead to trouble.

Within this Profound Origin Grotto-Heaven, Profound Origin Essence was simply too precious, enough to incite conflict.

After a brief discussion among dozens of disciples, ten figures swiftly moved out, positioning themselves around the hilltop to maintain constant vigilance for any external movements.

“Prepare to collect,” Zhou Yuan said, nodding. “How much you gather will depend on your individual capabilities.”

As soon as he spoke, all the disciples present dispersed, found a suitable spot, and channeled their Genesis Qi skyward from the tops of their heads, directing it to envelop the three-colored light streams.

Zhou Yuan immediately sat cross-legged at the break in the tree trunk, the most concentrated spot for Profound Origin Essence. He made no gestures of humility; as the captain and the strongest person present, he was entitled to the best treatment.

Golden Genesis Qi rose from above Zhou Yuan's head, forming a rotating orb of light. An opening at the top of the orb emitted suction, drawing in wisps of the three-colored light streams.

These three-colored light streams were not yet pure Profound Origin Essence. They required continuous compression and refinement during collection to become true Profound Origin Essence, which could then be used to condense 'Divine Building Treasures'.

Collecting and refining Profound Origin Essence was a meticulous process requiring patience. Zhou Yuan was in no hurry; he calmed his mind. After roughly the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he felt a stir in his heart and made a gesture with his palm.

The golden orb of light slowly descended, its bottom splitting open to reveal a burst of brilliant three-colored radiance.

The other disciples looked over, their eyes filled with envy. They had barely refined half of their own, while Zhou Yuan had already completed his, clearly indicating a significant gap in their abilities.

The refined three-colored light stream was somewhat viscous, resting quietly in Zhou Yuan's palm, cool as jade. Zhou Yuan could feel the profound power it contained; his Qi Mansion vibrated continuously, and the ten thousand Genesis Qi stars within it glowed.

“So this is the true Profound Origin Essence…”

Zhou Yuan gazed at the somewhat viscous three-colored light stream in his palm, a flicker in his eyes. Then he opened his mouth slightly and swallowed it in one gulp.

The viscous three-colored light stream surged into his body, directly entering and slowly flowing within his Qi Mansion.

Three-colored halos emanated from it, and any Genesis Qi stars touched by this radiance quietly became even brighter, as if purified.

However, a single stream of Profound Origin Essence was clearly nowhere near enough to condense a 'Divine Building Treasure'.

Zhou Yuan had anticipated this, so he wasn't disappointed. With a wave of his hand, the golden Genesis Qi orb rose again, hovering above the broken tree trunk, continuing to draw in the gushing three-colored light streams and refine them into Profound Origin Essence.

Judging by the scale of the eruption, the Profound Origin Essence here should be sufficient for several days of collection. For now, they simply needed to gather it without worry.

“I hope we can collect in peace for the next few days,” Zhou Yuan muttered, glancing into the distance.

However, Zhou Yuan knew it was a pipe dream to collect all the Profound Origin Essence here quietly and smoothly. The gushing essence created a significant commotion, and its peculiar fragrance was impossible to conceal.

This area was home to many different factions, and if they discovered the essence, they would undoubtedly act.

A cold glint flickered in Zhou Yuan's lowered eyes. This was his claimed territory. If anyone was foolish enough to try and seize it, they would have to contend with his Sky Origin Brush.

On the first day, there was little activity around the hilltop, allowing Zhou Yuan and his group to collect in peace. However, this tranquility was shattered on the second day.

As Zhou Yuan had anticipated, figures began to appear intermittently near the mountain.

These were various factions, drawn by the commotion and peculiar fragrance emanating from the site.

These figures, scattered in small groups, hid in the shadows, their eyes fixed greedily on the three-colored radiance gushing from the mountaintop. They naturally recognized it as three-colored Profound Origin Essence!

This was an incredibly rare find, especially in the early stages of entering the Profound Origin Grotto-Heaven!

After a day of searching, they had, at most, only seen two-colored Profound Origin Essence. Yet here, there was three-colored Profound Origin Essence on such a massive scale, indicating incredibly rich reserves.

Driven by greed, some individuals grew restless and attempted to infiltrate the mountain. Fortunately, Zhou Yuan had a team constantly monitoring the surroundings, who immediately detected and expelled them.

“This place was discovered by our Cangxuan Sect! Anyone who dares to trespass, beware of our merciless hand!” Under Zhou Yuan's instructions, a disciple roared, their voice like thunder, spreading out as a warning.

The name of the Cangxuan Sect still managed to deter some of the greedy individuals. Moreover, they could see that a significant number of Cangxuan Sect disciples were present on the mountain, representing a formidable force. With their current numbers, those outside were likely not qualified to get involved.

However, they didn't give up. Instead, they deliberately began spreading news of the discovery. As a result, in just half a day, more and more forces from various factions appeared around the hilltop.

The gradually gathering forces began to exert pressure on Gu Hongyi, Zhou Tai, Lu Yan, and the other disciples. They realized that the reputation of the Cangxuan Sect simply couldn't deter these deeply greedy individuals here.

Fortunately, even though more people gathered at the base of the mountain, they were clearly from smaller factions. They mistrusted each other and were disorganized, making true cooperation difficult.

However, this situation finally began to change on the third day.

A team of over thirty people arrived at the location.

That team possessed a formidable aura, clearly distinct from the others. They hailed from the 'Little Thunder Gate,' a first-rate force on the Shengzhou Continent. While there was a gap between them and the Cangxuan Sect, they still commanded considerable renown.

Once the Little Thunder Gate contingent appeared, the scattered forces at the foot of the mountain quickly consolidated under their leadership. Thus, the combined strength gathered at the base of the mountain finally began to pose a genuine threat to the Cangxuan Sect disciples.