Chapter 604: Holy Son Emerges

As Zhao Jing's burly body crashed to the ground, a low thud echoed, seemingly making the entire square tremble. Naturally, the hearts of countless onlookers also quivered in response.

All eyes were fixed on Zhao Jing, whose right arm had burst into a bloody mist, his fate unknown, their gazes filled with profound horror.

From the pavilion, Chief Liu Fu of Tian Gui Mansion, who had been leisurely holding a teacup, anticipating the Cang Xuan Sect's embarrassment, now wore a frozen expression. Shock and fear surged uncontrollably in his eyes.

With a *crack*, the teacup in his hand was crushed to smithereens by an involuntary squeeze.

"How is this possible..." He swallowed, his voice strained.

Yet, no one on the pavilion was in the mood to mock him; the chiefs from other sects were equally stunned, their faces betraying their shock as they witnessed the scene.

The sight of Zhou Yuan brushing past Zhao Jing, immediately followed by Zhao Jing's right arm exploding into a bloody mist, had been truly astounding.

No one had anticipated that Zhao Jing, who had held a decisive advantage throughout the fight, would be completely defeated by Zhou Yuan in the very next moment.

Zhao Jing was no ordinary individual; he was the second-ranked chief in the Saint Palace, a figure undoubtedly among the top five chiefs in the entirety of Cang Xuan Heaven!

The chiefs from various sects cast complex glances towards the young figure of the Cang Xuan Sect. Compared to the other chiefs, Zhou Yuan, the Chief of Saint Source Peak, seemed to rank last among the seven Cang Xuan Sect chiefs in terms of both reputation and seniority.

Consequently, the chiefs of other sects hadn't paid him much heed. Even after hearing of Zhou Yuan's past achievements, they had remained somewhat skeptical.

Now, however, faced with this stark reality, they had no choice but to discard their dismissive attitude. In its place came solemnity, apprehension, and even a hint of fear.

The Cang Xuan Sect's youngest chief disciple had proven everything through his power.

The female chief from the Hundred Flowers Immortal Palace let out a long breath, then turned to Zuoqiu Qingyu, remarking, "Qingyu, your friend is truly formidable."

He was formidable indeed, having directly and forcefully shattered Zhao Jing's arm in such a frontal assault.

Zuoqiu Qingyu blinked her alluring, peach blossom-like eyes. In truth, she was no less shocked than anyone else. While she had faith in Zhou Yuan, she had only expected him to be able to fight Zhao Jing to a standstill at best.

Yet, the current scene showed Zhao Jing clearly beaten to within an inch of his life by Zhou Yuan.

"How did this guy get so much stronger since we last met!" she murmured to herself, then turned her beautiful eyes to Chief Liu Fu of Tian Gui Mansion. "Hmph, I suppose no one doubts Zhou Yuan now, do they?"

Liu Fu bowed his head, silently wiping water stains from his clothes, his expression somewhat flustered. He dared not reply to Zuoqiu Qingyu, for he too was utterly shaken by Zhou Yuan's ferocity.

He wished to avoid provoking such a troublesome individual, so for now, silence was the best course.

Observing his discomposure, Zuoqiu Qingyu felt a surge of satisfaction. She then dismissed him from her thoughts, turning her beautiful eyes instead to the slender figure on the square, now the focus of countless gazes.

By the railing, Lü Chunjun and Ning Zhan also stared below, both wearing extremely solemn expressions.

"What a powerful punch," Ning Zhan said slowly. "His physical body has been cultivated to an exceptionally profound level; even Zhao Jing pales in comparison."

Their Northern Sea Dragon-Subduing Hall also practiced body cultivation methods, yet among their many chiefs, none had reached Zhou Yuan's level.

Perhaps, only among the Saint Sons could such an achievement be found.

Although Lü Chunjun was blind, he could sense the clash of those two astonishing powers. The stronger one, he knew, belonged to Zhou Yuan.

"That punch..." Lü Chunjun mused internally, then slowly uttered, "He has surpassed us once more."

Ning Zhan scratched his head, sighing helplessly, "He's truly a monster. I thought I could redeem myself this time, but seeing this, even another fight wouldn't change the outcome."

Lü Chunjun's lips twitched, as if forming a slight smile. He gently stroked the heavy sword on his back and said in a hoarse voice, "It's good to have a goal ahead. He gives me the motivation to pursue it."

"You know... when I train in that Sword Prison, whenever I feel I can't endure any longer, I think of him."

Ning Zhan paused, then said, "Even if you're blind, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, should you?"

*Whoosh!* A sharp sword qi shot from Lü Chunjun's fingertip, like a crescent moon, hurtling fiercely towards Ning Zhan.

Ning Zhan chuckled, cupping his palm. As Origin Qi surged, it formed an earthy-yellow Origin Qi dragon head that swallowed the sword qi in one gulp. The Origin Qi then vibrated intensely before gradually settling down.

"Just a joke."

On the square, Tang Muxin, Baili Che, and the others were equally dumbfounded, staring at Zhao Jing as he slowly collapsed. After a long moment, they finally turned their incredulous gazes toward Zhou Yuan, who stood before them.

"Junior Brother Zhou Yuan, your strength has grown even more!" Tang Muxin exclaimed, taking a deep breath.

They had previously been perplexed by Zhou Yuan's decision to directly confront Zhao Jing, but now that confusion was entirely dispelled. In their eyes, Zhao Jing was extremely formidable, yet to Zhou Yuan, he was nothing more than a paper tiger, easily torn apart.

The other chiefs also wore complex expressions, especially Baili Che, whose face alternated between pale and ashen. He had just called Zhou Yuan an idiot, but now he realized that it wasn't Zhou Yuan who was foolish, but his own discernment that was lacking.

And now, Zhou Yuan was immeasurably stronger than when they had last clashed.

So, no matter how unwilling Baili Che was to admit it, he knew that Zhou Yuan had completely surpassed him.

Zhou Yuan looked at Tang Muxin and the others, smiling as he clasped his hands and said, "Thankfully, I didn't mishandle it, or we would have disgraced the Cang Xuan Sect."

"It seems we misjudged again," Chief Xie Yan of Thunder Prison Peak said slowly.

"Since this matter originated with me, it's only natural that I conclude it. I certainly didn't mean to steal Senior Brother Xie Yan's thunder," Zhou Yuan chuckled.

Xie Yan, usually stern and unsmiling, twitched the corner of his mouth, then shook his head.

"Be careful, Huo Tian might go berserk," Tang Muxin suddenly warned.

Zhou Yuan turned, his gaze falling upon the Saint Palace in the distance. The chiefs there were now gradually recovering from the shock of Zhao Jing's collapse.

Huo Tian, their leader, wore a terrifyingly grim expression. He slowly raised his head, his cold gaze locking onto Zhou Yuan, and a voice as chilling as a winter wind echoed through the manor.

"Excellent, truly an excellent Chief of Saint Source Peak of the Cang Xuan Sect!"

"I truly misjudged you; it turns out you were the one most deeply hidden..."

"Since your Cang Xuan Sect is so formidable, then today, my Saint Palace will have a taste of your power!"

The instant his voice faded, Origin Qi surged from the bodies of the other chiefs and all Saint Palace disciples, their grim gazes locking onto the Cang Xuan Sect's side.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan's expression remained unfazed. "If you wish for a fight," he stated, "then my Cang Xuan Sect will naturally accompany you to the very end."

He extended his palm and waved it lightly.

Simultaneously, behind the Saint Palace disciples, streaks of Origin Qi suddenly soared into the sky. Hundreds of figures swiftly arrived, led by Jin Zhang.

The seven chiefs of the Cang Xuan Sect were also gathered together at this moment.

The arrival of the reinforcement team caused a slight commotion within the Saint Palace. Huo Tian's expression grew even grimmer. He stared intently at Zhou Yuan; they had initially held an absolute advantage in this situation, but with the latter's appearance, everything had shifted.

The current situation placed them in an awkward predicament.

The two sides were now evenly matched. If a conflict erupted, they would undoubtedly suffer heavy losses, ultimately benefiting opportunists.

And so, under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers in the manor, both sides stood in a tense standoff. Clearly, neither wished to truly instigate a conflict, and for a time, the atmosphere was awkward.

This awkward atmosphere, however, did not last. Suddenly, a colossal roar reverberated through the heavens and earth.

The colossal sound drew all eyes, and then countless individuals witnessed it: in the distant mountain range, numerous violent Origin Qi gales were ripped apart, creating fissures, from which many powerful glowing figures swiftly emerged.

The moment those glowing figures appeared, the manor erupted into a fervent buzz.

"The Saint Sons of the various sects have emerged!"