Chapter 629: More Miserable

On Green Peak, Zhou Yuan was seated cross-legged on a massive boulder. At this moment, he stared with a somewhat troubled expression at the seven-colored flames flickering before him. This was precisely the Seven-Colored Soul-Building Treasure they had obtained from the seven-colored treasure trove.

"Twelve Six-Colored Soul-Building Treasures..." Zhou Yuan sighed. Although he had finally acquired the coveted Seven-Colored Soul-Building Treasure, he had inexplicably accumulated a hefty debt.

Obtaining twelve Six-Colored Soul-Building Treasures would not be an easy task, even within the Grand Xuan Mountain Range. After all, Six-Colored Soul-Building Treasures only appeared in six-colored treasure troves, and each time such a trove emerged, it inevitably led to intense competition, consuming a great deal of time and energy.

"So, your goal for entering the Mystic Origin Cave has finally been met, albeit just barely. Are you still not satisfied?" As Zhou Yuan felt helpless, a playful chuckle came from behind him.

Zhou Yuan turned his head to see Yao Yao slowly approaching, holding Tuntun. He immediately rolled his eyes exasperatedly. If Yao Yao hadn't spoken up then, he would have had no intention of acquiring this Seven-Colored Soul-Building Treasure.

Yao Yao came to Zhou Yuan's side and said, "While twelve Six-Colored Soul-Building Treasures might be a bit troublesome, pressure creates motivation, doesn't it?" Although she spoke earnestly, Zhou Yuan clearly detected a hint of amusement deep within her eyes.

Zhou Yuan pursed his lips but said nothing more. He knew Yao Yao was acting in his best interest. After all, his initial goal for entering the Mystic Origin Cave was to obtain a Seven-Colored Soul-Building Treasure, and at the very least, he had secured that basic objective. However, repaying the debt of twelve Six-Colored Soul-Building Treasures would take some time.

"Here." Yao Yao extended her delicate hand, where three dazzling orbs of light shimmered, emanating powerful Genesis Qi fluctuations. These were unmistakably three Six-Colored Soul-Building Treasures.

"Tuntun and I acquired these recently. With the one you already have, that makes four," Yao Yao said. Zhou Yuan's eyes brightened at the sight. He didn't stand on ceremony, understanding that their relationship didn't require such formalities. Furthermore, if Yao Yao needed it, he would unhesitatingly give her even the Seven-Colored Soul-Building Treasure right in front of him.

"The nodes of the super barrier in the Grand Xuan Mountain Range are now starting to break. If my guess is correct, the ultimate grand opportunity hidden within should soon appear," Yao Yao said slowly, standing tall with a slender waist like a willow branch, her beautiful eyes fixed on the depths of the Grand Xuan Mountain Range.

Zhou Yuan's gaze sharpened upon hearing this. He was naturally extremely curious and eager about that ultimate grand opportunity.

"The third Sacred Rune is also said to be in this Mystic Origin Cave, but I haven't found any clues so far. I wonder if I'll encounter it here," Zhou Yuan mused. When he obtained the "Earth Sacred Rune," he learned that clues to the third Sacred Rune should be found in this Mystic Origin Cave. After witnessing the power of the "Earth Sacred Rune," Zhou Yuan fully understood the immense strength of the four Sacred Runes that had been stripped from the "Cangxuan Sacred Seal." Currently, his mastery of both the Obstacle-Breaking Sacred Rune and the Earth Sacred Rune was likely superficial at best. Yet, even so, these two Sacred Runes were already Zhou Yuan's trump cards, clearly demonstrating their formidable power. Therefore, Zhou Yuan was equally expectant regarding the third Sacred Rune. The Mystic Origin Cave only opened once in a long while. If he couldn't obtain it this time, he wouldn't know when the next opportunity would be.

"The real battle will likely begin when that ultimate grand opportunity finally appears," Yao Yao said, sitting elegantly beside him, leaning gently against a green pine, her delicate hand supporting her chin. She glanced at Zhou Yuan and calmly remarked, "With your current strength, defeating a low-ranking Sacred Son from the Sacred Palace already requires your full effort. If you encounter the top Sacred Sons from other sects, your chances of winning probably aren't high."

Zhou Yuan nodded gently, his expression slightly grim, and said, "So, for the next period, I plan to attempt a breakthrough." He raised his hand, and two seven-colored flame lotus seeds appeared, emitting extremely pure Genesis Qi fluctuations and a strange fragrance. These were the flame lotus seeds obtained from the seven-colored treasure trove.

"While these flame lotus seeds are valuable for cultivation, just two might not be enough to guarantee your breakthrough," Yao Yao said lightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on them. Zhou Yuan scratched his head helplessly. He knew two flame lotus seeds might not be enough, but he had no choice but to try his best.

As Zhou Yuan felt helpless, Yao Yao's small hand, like white jade, extended towards him again. In her hand, eight crystal-clear lotus seeds floated, emitting a seven-colored glow.

"This..." Zhou Yuan looked at Yao Yao in surprise.

"These are the two I got earlier; you know they aren't very useful to me. And the other two are Tuntun's," Yao Yao said with a faint smile.

Tuntun, in Yao Yao's arms, let out a grunt.

"Shouldn't we just forget about Tuntun's?" Zhou Yuan felt a bit awkward. Yao Yao's were fine, but Tuntun, being greedy, was clearly very tempted by the seven-colored lotus seeds. Its willingness to hand them over was probably due to Yao Yao's subtle intimidation.

"It's just greedy; to be honest, their actual effect on it isn't strong," Yao Yao said softly, cradling Tuntun in her hands and blinking her beautiful eyes. "Tuntun, isn't that right?" Tuntun, gazed upon by Yao Yao's smiling eyes, felt its fur bristle. It ultimately covered its eyes with its paws and let out a wronged whimper.

"Where did the other four come from?" Zhou Yuan asked, puzzled.

Yao Yao smiled slightly. "Of course, I exchanged them from Li Qingchan and the others, and in your name."

Zhou Yuan froze, a sudden sense of dread rising in his heart. "What do you mean?"

"Four Six-Colored Soul-Building Treasures for one seven-colored lotus seed... I exchanged four for you, which means when you repay them later, you'll owe them sixteen. Add that to the previous twelve, and it's a total of twenty-eight Six-Colored Soul-Building Treasures. Alternatively, two Seven-Colored Soul-Building Treasures would also suffice," Yao Yao explained earnestly.

Zhou Yuan was stunned. A moment later, he felt his vision blur. His debt, which he hadn't even begun to repay, had instantly more than doubled.

Seeing Zhou Yuan's pale face, Yao Yao said earnestly, "Sharpening the axe doesn't delay the chopping. You must first enhance your own strength before you're qualified to compete."

Zhou Yuan's mouth felt dry. He then looked empathetically at Tuntun. It seemed that among the two of them and the beast, Yao Yao was truly a little devil king, her word absolute law, leaving no room for objection from either man or beast.

Tuntun grunted, its eyes seemingly saying, "You look even more miserable."

"Alright, well, no point worrying when you're deeply in debt anyway," Zhou Yuan eventually concluded with a sigh of resignation.

Regardless, he needed to break through to the Eighth Layer first.

Yao Yao then nodded slightly, indicating he was teachable.

"Oh, by the way, have you truly mastered your Grand Mystic Sacred Spirit Art yet?" Yao Yao suddenly asked.

Zhou Yuan nodded. His Grand Mystic Sacred Spirit Art was only half-complete; it wasn't truly mastered because he still hadn't fused with the nine primary beast souls. But how easy was it to fuse with those nine primary beast souls? Those nine primary beast souls were extremely violent. One wrong move could even destroy the Sacred Spirit Seed he had initially cultivated, so Zhou Yuan had always been cautious.

Yao Yao nodded slightly, then clenched her delicate hand, and a jade bottle appeared. Inside the bottle was half a bottle of golden-glowing blood, from which a faint, invisible pressure emanated.

"When you fuse next, refine this. Its sacred beast might will likely suppress the primary beast souls, making the process much smoother," Yao Yao said.

Zhou Yuan curiously took the jade bottle. Staring at the exceptionally unusual blood within, he mused, "This blood, why does it look familiar?"

A few seconds later, he looked at Tuntun, who was now sprawled limply on Yao Yao's long legs, a look of utter despair in its beast eyes.

Yao Yao said casually, "This is Tuntun's blood. I was afraid it couldn't handle so much at once, so I spread it out over two months, taking a little each day to get this much."

Zhou Yuan was speechless. Finally, he looked at Tuntun and sighed softly.

"Brother, you're truly worse off."