Chapter 637: Dog Daring

High in the sky, Zhou Yuan crushed the bronze mirror. The surging Genesis Qi around him gradually receded, and he then looked towards the distant mountain where Zuoqiu Qingyu and the others were, nodding in their direction.

However, this was not the time for pleasantries. Zhou Yuan quickly turned his gaze to Soul-Subduing Mountain, which was shrouded in poisonous gas. A hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes; he dared not delay. His body moved, transforming into a streak of light that shot directly into the mountain. He had to find Yao Yao quickly!

As Zhou Yuan’s figure entered Soul-Subduing Mountain, he immediately felt a significant suppression on his spirit at his glabella, clearly due to the Soul-Subduing Stones within the mountain. This caused Zhou Yuan’s heart to sink, indicating that this place truly had the effect of suppressing spirits. Although his spirit was suppressed, Zhou Yuan’s Genesis Qi remained abundant. Therefore, he rapidly swept through Soul-Subduing Mountain at a low altitude, with Genesis Qi emanating around him to resist the pervasive emerald green poisonous gas.

Hiss! Hiss! The poisonous gas collided with the Genesis Qi around him, emitting hissing sounds. The potency of the poison made Zhou Yuan’s eyes narrow slightly.

"Yao Yao!" Zhou Yuan bellowed, his voice wrapped in Genesis Qi, spreading like rolling thunder throughout Soul-Subduing Mountain. However, there was no echo whatsoever. This intensified the anxiety in Zhou Yuan's heart. If anything had happened to Yao Yao here... just the thought caused blood vessels to visibly appear in his eyes. At that point, even if he slaughtered everyone from the Sacred Palace, it would likely not alleviate even a fraction of his immense pain and regret.

His figure frantically moved through Soul-Subduing Mountain. Several minutes later, he reached the deepest part, but it was still empty, only permeated by the emerald green poisonous gas. The light in Zhou Yuan’s eyes faded, and his steps grew heavy. He walked step by step, finally collapsing to his knees, his fingers gripping the ground tightly. An indescribable emotion furiously pounded against his heart, a pain so intense it felt as though his heart was being torn apart.

"Yao Yao... Yao Yao..." he murmured. Even the Genesis Qi within his body showed signs of going berserk at that moment.

"Hey, what are you doing?" However, just as Zhou Yuan's eyes were growing increasingly bloodshot, a clear, questioning voice suddenly echoed in the empty mountain. Zhou Yuan's body stiffened. He slowly turned his head and saw a familiar figure emerging from the ground not far away. She patted the dirt off her clothes, her clear, ethereal eyes fixed on Zhou Yuan. Who else could it be but Yao Yao?

"Yao Yao?! You?" Zhou Yuan stared blankly at her. How could Yao Yao emerge from the ground?

Yao Yao looked at Zhou Yuan, a faint smile gracing her beautiful face. She said, "You didn't think this Soul-Subduing Mountain could hold me, did you? I was originally going to deal with those two guys, but then I suddenly noticed that this Soul-Subduing Mountain actually concealed a seven-colored treasure trove, so I ignored them for a bit." She raised her delicate hand, revealing a cluster of seven-colored light within her palm. Her red lips curled slightly as she said, "See? I've acquired another Seven-Colored Spirit-Building Wonder. Now, you should be able to repay most of that debt." She smiled, seemingly a little smug.

A figure suddenly rushed towards her, causing Yao Yao to be slightly startled. She raised her delicate hand, and spiritual power condensed between her smooth brows. However, the next moment, when she recognized the familiar aura, her spiritual power paused. Then, she felt Zhou Yuan collide with her. He directly extended his arms and tightly embraced her slender body, holding her with great force, his arms like iron bands. The sudden rush of his presence caused a momentary panic to appear on Yao Yao's usually placid, beautiful face. She tried to push Zhou Yuan away, but having forgotten to use her spiritual power, her weak strength had no effect on him.

"Yao Yao... You're safe, that's truly wonderful." Zhou Yuan held the girl tightly in his arms. He greedily breathed in her scent, murmuring continuously. He couldn't imagine what a blow it would be to him if anything had happened to Yao Yao today.

Yao Yao's delicate hands, which had been pushing against Zhou Yuan's chest, stopped. She lightly bit her red lips. This was the first time she had heard such panic and helplessness in Zhou Yuan's voice. This guy, even when his meridians were unopened and he couldn't cultivate years ago, had never been so panicked or desperate. Yet, at this moment, Yao Yao could clearly feel Zhou Yuan's terror. And this emotion clearly stemmed from her. This caused ripples to spread through Yao Yao's usually calm state of mind, and a sense of tenderness touched the depths of her soul. That feeling brought a faint blush to Yao Yao's jade-like cheeks. That moment was enough to amaze time itself.

"Alright, I'm fine," Yao Yao said. Her delicate hand slipped through Zhou Yuan's arm and gently patted his back, her voice softer than ever before. Listening to Yao Yao's voice, the terror in Zhou Yuan's heart finally subsided. He sighed in relief, and only then did he notice the soft, warm beauty and wonderful curves he held in his arms, causing him to tighten his embrace slightly.

"Yao Yao's figure is really good," a thought flashed through his mind. Strictly speaking, this was the first time he had truly held Yao Yao in his arms. Zhou Yuan lowered his head slightly and saw Yao Yao's long, pale neck and her sparkling, adorable earlobe. Then, as if possessed, he leaned in and gently bit the crystal-clear earlobe.

Immediately after, Zhou Yuan felt the delicate body in his arms suddenly stiffen. Zhou Yuan also snapped back to reality at that moment, jolting awake. He quickly released Yao Yao. Her beautiful face was completely flushed, but her lovely eyes were glaring at him with a coldness that also held a hint of shame and indignation.

Zhou Yuan quickly forced himself to say, "Yao Yao, you have to believe me, it was just a moment of impulse." Yao Yao's eyes lowered slightly, and she said eerily, "Zhou Yuan, you are truly... incredibly audacious!" As Yao Yao's voice fell, her delicate hand clenched, and a long whip, condensed from spiritual power, instantly materialized.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan's scalp immediately tingled. "Yao Yao, let me explain!" The spiritual whip suddenly lashed out, subtly shaking the air, and struck fiercely towards Zhou Yuan. As the spiritual whip landed on him, Zhou Yuan immediately let out a pained cry, clutching his head and scrambling away like a rat.

*Whack! Whack!**Ah! Ah!*

Outside Soul-Subduing Mountain, Zuoqiu Qingyu, Li Chunjun, and Ning Zhan heard the wails and howls emanating from within. They immediately exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty. Could it be that a Saint Son of the Sacred Palace was also guarding this Soul-Subduing Mountain? To make Zhou Yuan scream so miserably?!