Chapter 605: Golden Toad

Beyond the incredibly majestic mountains, violent Genesis Qi gales formed a protective wind barrier. This barrier was so formidable that even Chief Disciples of the various sects found it impenetrable; only the combined power of the Holy Sons could tear open a passage through it.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

At that moment, the numerous imposing figures streaking out from the wind barrier were precisely the Holy Sons of the various sects who had been exploring the mountains.

Their emergence was clearly to greet and escort the disciples of their respective sects.

The entire city erupted in excitement, with countless eager eyes fixed on the figures soaring through the sky.

Inside the manor, the contingents from the various sects were even more agitated, knowing that the magnificent ancient mountain range before them was one of the true core areas of the Profound Origin Heavenly Cave.

Once inside, the rewards would undoubtedly be far superior to anything they had obtained previously.

The reception by the Holy Sons of their respective sects was a prerequisite for entering.

The appearance of the Holy Sons also eased the standoff between the Cangxuan Sect and the Sacred Palace. Disciples from both sides still glared fiercely at each other, but the Genesis Qi surging around them had somewhat subsided.

Zhou Yuan also looked up at the figures flying out from the wind barrier and smiled slightly, wondering if Yao Yao had emerged. After nearly a month apart, he had begun to miss her.

And of course, there was Tuntun.

Amidst countless eagerly anticipating gazes, one figure, moving at the fastest speed and carrying an astonishing aura, appeared directly above the manor, then slowly descended.

All eyes converged on him, and many people's expressions changed, with deep fear surfacing in their eyes.

The person who appeared wore a white robe and had a tall, upright physique. His golden hair, in particular, shone brilliantly under the sunlight, and combined with the powerful Genesis Qi vibrating around him, he truly looked like a celestial being.

What was most unsettling was that his eyes were also golden, with vertical pupils. His gaze, when cast upon someone, sent shivers down their spine.

Zhou Yuan's gaze also settled on this person, his expression slightly grim, clearly sensing the dangerous aura. He looked at Tang Muxin and the others beside him, noting their terrified expressions.

"Who is he?" Zhou Yuan asked.

Tang Muxin took a deep breath and replied, "He's Jin Chanzi from the Sacred Palace. He ranks fifth on the Cangxuan Heaven Holy Son list, and third among the Sacred Palace's Holy Sons. His strength is incredibly formidable."

Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed, clearly not expecting such ferocity from the newcomer.

He could feel that with Jin Chanzi's appearance, the bustling atmosphere of the entire manor seemed to cool considerably, and all gazes directed towards him from every direction carried deep fear.

His presence alone intimidated all the various factions, a testament to Jin Chanzi's widespread and fearsome reputation.

Huo Tian and the others also saw Jin Chanzi's arrival, but their expressions were a mix of excitement and unease. Their Sacred Palace Chief Disciples' performance this time had been subpar.

Especially now, Zhao Jing was still lying on the ground, his condition unknown.

They were all aware that Jin Chanzi was ruthless in his methods, and if he learned of their dismal performance, he would likely be enraged.

Amidst their excited yet uneasy gazes, the figure in the sky identified the Sacred Palace contingent and descended. His golden vertical pupils swept the area, finally spotting the confronting Cangxuan Sect disciples nearby and the unconscious Zhao Jing on the ground.

"What happened?" Jin Chanzi asked, his tone indifferent.

The other Sacred Palace Chief Disciples were struck dumb with fear.

Huo Tian, steeling himself, stepped forward and began to report the full details of the incident.

After a moment, when Huo Tian finished speaking, he looked up at Jin Chanzi. The latter's face was expressionless; he merely glanced at Huo Tian and slowly began, "You're saying that two of my Sacred Palace Chief Disciples were killed by a single Chief Disciple from the Cangxuan Sect...?"

"...And Zhao Jing had an arm crippled by the same opponent?"

Huo Tian nodded with difficulty.

Jin Chanzi stared at him, then smiled and said, "You Chief Disciples are truly competent, aren't you? My Sacred Palace has suppressed the Cangxuan Sect for years; are you planning to completely disgrace us this time?"

Huo Tian and the other Chief Disciples' faces fell, but they dared not retort.

Jin Chanzi shook his head and said indifferently, "Ning Mo and Fan Yao were so incompetent; it's good they died, lest they waste my Sacred Palace's cultivation resources. This Zhao Jing is somewhat surprising, but since he's a failure, he will be punished according to the palace rules upon his return. And you all will also face consequences," he added, his gaze sweeping over Huo Tian and the others.

Huo Tian and the others dared not retort.

"Bring that fool back; don't let him make a spectacle of himself here," Jin Chanzi said.

Huo Tian quickly ordered his disciples to carry Zhao Jing back.

Jin Chanzi stared at Zhao Jing's shattered arm and asked with interest, "Which Chief Disciple from the Cangxuan Sect possesses such ability?"

Huo Tian hesitated, then replied, "Reportedly, it's the new Chief Disciple of Saint Origin Peak, named Zhou Yuan. His name hasn't been heard of before."

"Zhou Yuan?"

Jin Chanzi's vertical pupils seemed to twitch slightly, and then a strange curve slowly appeared at the corner of his lips as he murmured, "How interesting."

Huo Tian didn't understand the meaning of his words but was wise enough not to ask further.

Jin Chanzi then took two steps forward, his golden vertical pupils looking towards the Cangxuan Sect's direction, and said with a smile, "Who is Zhou Yuan?"

Zhou Yuan glanced at Jin Chanzi and stepped forward.

Jin Chanzi's gaze seemed quite interested as he continuously sized up Zhou Yuan, looking him up and down. After a moment, a hint of disappointment appeared in his eyes. Was this truly the target their Sacred Palace Master had personally instructed them about?

He didn't seem particularly remarkable. What made him worthy of such importance from the Palace Master?

"So you're the one who killed two of my Sacred Palace Chief Disciples and crippled Zhao Jing's arm?" Jin Chanzi asked casually.

Tang Muxin interjected, "If Your Excellency feels aggrieved, you can wait for our Cangxuan Sect Holy Sons to arrive. As a Holy Son, you don't need to stoop to deal with matters between us Chief Disciples, do you?"

Her eyes showed caution, and she was also reminding Jin Chanzi that, given his status as a Holy Son, intervening in disputes between Chief Disciples would, according to unwritten rules, be beneath him and diminish his prestige.

Jin Chanzi smiled slightly, ignored Tang Muxin, and simply stared indifferently at Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan also stared directly at him, without any evasion or fear like the others. He said, "The Sacred Palace's actions are too overbearing. Since Your Excellency is a Holy Son, you should perhaps rein them in."

His words made many people's hearts skip a beat. This fellow was too bold, daring to speak like this in front of Jin Chanzi.

Jin Chanzi was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing.

Tang Muxin and the others watched him warily.

After laughing for a while, Jin Chanzi said, "Don't worry, I am a Holy Son of the Sacred Palace after all. How could I lower myself to deal with a beardless boy? If I did that, where would my dignity be?"

Tang Muxin and the others relaxed slightly, choosing to ignore the sarcasm in Jin Chanzi's words. After all, given Jin Chanzi's status and strength, no one dared to challenge him.

Jin Chanzi's gaze swept over Tang Muxin and the others, whose bodies had begun to relax. Suddenly, a strange curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"However, what is dignity? Have I, Jin Chanzi, ever cared about it? I don't like you, so I'll simply kill you now."

His chilling laughter slowly filled the air.

Then, amidst countless terrified gazes, Jin Chanzi violently waved his sleeve, and an extremely powerful torrent of emerald green Genesis Qi roared forth.

Where the Genesis Qi torrent passed, the plaza was split in two. Then, with lightning speed, it slammed into Zhou Yuan, who had no time to dodge, under the horrified gazes.

Zhou Yuan's figure was struck heavily, sent flying back thousands of feet. Along the way, he tore through countless walls and stone pavilions within the manor.

His body ultimately slammed into a pavilion, which then collapsed, burying him beneath its rubble.

The entire manor fell into a deathly silence at that moment.

Countless disbelieving gazes were fixed on the smiling Jin Chanzi. No one had expected that this Holy Son, ranked third in the Sacred Palace, would be so unpredictable and completely disregard his status, directly attacking Zhou Yuan at a moment no one could have imagined.

That single strike must have directly killed the Cangxuan Sect's Chief Disciple, right?

(Two chapters today.)