Chapter 807: Counterattack

In front of a small building on Wind Island, people came and went continuously, forming long queues and creating a lively atmosphere. Chen Beifeng stood on the second floor, smiling as he watched the scene. He couldn't help but marvel at the immense allure of the Trace Capture Rune. Most of the people in the Wind Pavilion, perhaps eighty or ninety percent, seemed to have gathered here.

"Li Jian, you are truly practical," Chen Beifeng said with a faint smile, turning to look at a man behind him. The man's face was slightly pale, and his somewhat deep-set nostrils made his face appear rather solemn. Hearing Chen Beifeng's words, he bowed slightly, revealing a humble smile. "A wise bird chooses its tree," he said. "The entire Wind Pavilion will belong to the Wind Pavilion Master in the future, and I am merely reporting in advance." His words implied that he already recognized Chen Beifeng as the future Wind Pavilion Master.

Chen Beifeng burst into laughter, pointing at Li Jian. "You certainly know how to speak."

Li Jian replied, "Deputy Pavilion Master Ye Bingling won't be your match; she can't contend with you. I've advised her many times, but she's too stubborn."

Chen Beifeng smiled faintly. "No rush. She won't admit defeat until it's staring her in the face." He turned his gaze to the long stream of people below, saying rather proudly, "Now, the hearts of the Wind Pavilion are entirely in my grasp. No matter what tricks they play, they can't outmaneuver me."

Li Jian nodded in agreement. As long as Chen Beifeng controlled the Trace Capture Rune, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage, because he understood its allure too well. This was also the primary reason he decided to abandon Ye Bingling and align himself with Chen Beifeng. "In essence, it's that new Deputy Pavilion Master who's stirring up trouble," Li Jian said, a hint of jealousy flashing in his eyes. "Otherwise, Deputy Pavilion Master Ye Bingling wouldn't be causing such a fuss with you." Ever since Zhou Yuan arrived at the Wind Pavilion, Ye Bingling had placed immense trust in him, which made Li Jian quite uneasy. When Zhou Yuan offended Chen Beifeng and Wang Chen earlier, Li Jian had advised Ye Bingling not to get involved, but she refused to listen and insisted on protecting Zhou Yuan. Ye Bingling's reckless behavior was also one of the reasons for Li Jian's betrayal this time. Of course, how much male jealousy was involved remained unknown to outsiders.

At the mention of Zhou Yuan, Chen Beifeng's eyes subtly chilled. "Don't worry," he said indifferently, "he's just a grasshopper; he won't be jumping for long." Sensing the coldness in Chen Beifeng's words, a slight curve appeared at Li Jian's lips. He was quite pleased at the prospect of the new Deputy Pavilion Master facing misfortune.

As the two spoke, a commotion and confusion suddenly arose in the long queue below. Following this, some people began to leave, one after another, with hesitant expressions. Seeing this, Chen Beifeng frowned slightly. He beckoned Jin Teng over and asked, "What's going on?" Before Jin Teng could speak, some surprised voices already rose from below.

"I heard Deputy Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan created a new genesis rune that also works on wind spirit rune traces, and it boosts the effect by forty percent!"

"Forty percent?! How is that possible? Isn't that double the Trace Capture Rune's effect?!"

"Nonsense, right? For so many years, no one has been able to replicate the Trace Capture Rune, let alone a genesis rune with an effect far surpassing it!"

"I don't know, but the price is said to be the same as the Trace Capture Rune!"

"Deputy Pavilion Masters Zhou Yuan and Ye Bingling are already selling them at Wind Lake, but I hear quantities are limited..."

"Are they serious about this?"

"Let's go, let's go check it out first!"

As more and more whispers spread, an increasing number of Wind Pavilion members who had been queuing to purchase Trace Capture Runes began leaving in groups. Soon, the popularity of the area plummeted by more than half.

On the second floor, Chen Beifeng watched the departing crowd with an unsettled expression, then sneered, "What is that Zhou Yuan up to? Does he think tricking people away will resolve this trouble?" He didn't believe a single word of what those people had said! Create a new genesis rune? And its effect is twice as good as the Trace Capture Rune?! Is he trying to fool children? The Trace Capture Rune had been the primary reason for the Fire Pavilion's growth over the years. By relying on it, the Fire Pavilion had amassed a fortune in Origin Treasure Coins from the other three pavilions. For how many years had the other three pavilions envied them? Had no one tried to break free from the Trace Capture Rune's dominance during all these years? And did anyone succeed in the end? Not a single one! Yet now, a new Deputy Pavilion Master, who had only been in the Wind Pavilion for a month, claimed he had created a genesis rune twice as effective as the Trace Capture Rune? What in the world is he playing at?! Are the people below all fools? How could they believe such a thing? However, as more and more people left below, a surge of irritation rose within Chen Beifeng. He kicked the wooden railing in front of him, shattering it. Perhaps he didn't even realize the hint of disbelief and apprehension that flickered deep within him.

"Deputy Pavilion Master, should we go see what tricks Zhou Yuan is playing?" Jin Teng asked in a low voice, his eyes filled with suspicion. Li Jian also nodded, confidently stating, "That Zhou Yuan must be resorting to deception. It's absolutely impossible for him to have created a genesis rune with a better effect than the Trace Capture Rune, as they claim!" Chen Beifeng's eyes grew cold. He waved his hand and said, "Let's go, let's see. If that brat is spreading false information, I'll make sure he pays for it today!" As his voice fell, his figure shot up into the sky. Behind him, Jin Teng, Li Jian, and others hurriedly followed.

In the center of Wind Island, a vast lake lay like a mirror, surrounded by continuous training grounds. At this moment, a square near the lake was exceptionally bustling, and in the distance, streaks of light constantly broke through the air. Everyone arriving gathered towards the center of the square, where a small canopy had been set up. Zhou Yuan, Ye Bingling, and others stood behind it. On the stone platform in front, stacks of jade slip genesis runes were displayed—these were the Wind Mother Runes. A dense crowd surrounded the canopy, but they all stared at the jade slip genesis runes with suspicion, no one stepping forward yet.

"Everyone," Zhou Yuan announced, looking around, his voice carrying clearly, "the genesis rune I created is called the Wind Mother Rune. As I've stated before, within the Wind Domain, it can boost the absorption effect of wind spirit rune traces by forty percent. Its price is the same as the Trace Capture Rune." Ripples of commotion spread through the crowd. Everyone was shocked, but beyond the shock, there was more doubt. After all, a forty percent increase in effect was truly astonishing—it was double that of the Trace Capture Rune...

"Hmph, utter nonsense!" A cold snort suddenly rang out, and several figures descended from the sky. The leader was Chen Beifeng. Chen Beifeng stared coldly at Zhou Yuan and Ye Bingling. "The Trace Capture Rune has been unique among the four pavilions for years. I wonder how long Deputy Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan spent creating this Wind Mother Rune?"

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly. "About four or five days, I suppose."

Chen Beifeng burst into laughter, looking up at the sky. "Creating a genesis rune that far surpasses the Trace Capture Rune in four or five days? I think you've lost your mind!" The others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with even greater doubt. They were seasoned members and, of course, knew how many genius rune masters had tried to decipher the Trace Capture Rune over the years. Yet, they all failed. The Trace Capture Rune had stood firm to this day, becoming the foundation of the Fire Pavilion's growth. But now Zhou Yuan claimed he created a genesis rune stronger than the Trace Capture Rune in just four or five days. The credibility was indeed extremely low.

"Everyone," Chen Beifeng declared righteously, "Deputy Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan has probably been consumed with anxiety these past few days and, with no other options, resorted to this stunt. But rest assured, if anyone is truly deceived by him, just speak up. I, Chen Beifeng, will be the first to hold him accountable today!" Cheers immediately erupted from the surroundings, making Chen Beifeng appear imposing. Zhou Yuan watched Chen Beifeng's performance with a hint of weariness. Too lazy to waste more words, he simply said languidly, "Some people have already taken free Wind Mother Runes to the Wind Domain. They should be back soon, I presume." He knew well how incredible it was to create the Wind Mother Rune in just a few days, and he didn't blame others for not believing him. Therefore, at this moment, talking more was useless; it was best to let facts speak for themselves.

Chen Beifeng frowned. Zhou Yuan's attitude evoked a flicker of unease deep within him. Still, he gritted his teeth and turned his gaze to the silent Ye Bingling. "Deputy Pavilion Master Ye, you are a veteran of the Wind Pavilion. Are you also going to participate in this boy's farce?" However, Ye Bingling completely ignored him, her frosty gaze fixed coldly on Li Jian beside him. Li Jian's expression became somewhat unnatural under Ye Bingling's stare. He then glanced at Zhou Yuan and said, "Deputy Pavilion Master Ye, this Deputy Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan is clearly out of his mind. You shouldn't get involved with his reckless actions, lest you get implicated." Hearing this, Ye Bingling merely gave him a look of disgust. Her gaze cut through Li Jian's heart like a knife. He lowered his eyes, a glint of resentment in them. *Hmph, foolish woman. When your lies are exposed later, let's see what face you have left to compete for the Pavilion Master position!*

*Whoosh! Whoosh!* Just then, a rapid whooshing sound suddenly echoed through the sky, and everyone saw over a dozen figures descending. These individuals had flushed faces and somewhat dazed eyes, breathing frantically as if they had experienced a powerful shock. They were precisely the ones who had taken the free Wind Mother Runes for testing earlier. Seeing their expressions, the others immediately frowned. Could it be that Zhou Yuan and Ye Bingling had really tricked them? Chen Beifeng, however, was delighted. He looked at them with a gentle expression and said in a deep voice, "Were you all played for fools by them? Don't worry, there's no need to fear their status. With me here today, they wouldn't dare to do anything!"

However, those people ignored Chen Beifeng entirely. They caught their breath and finally, with flushed faces, roared, "The Wind Mother Rune is invincible!"

"Forty percent effect, not a shred of falsehood!"

"The Trace Capture Rune can't even compare!"

"Today, I'm absolutely blown away by you, Deputy Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan!"

As their nearly hysterical roars echoed one after another, the countless clamors on the square suddenly froze. Meanwhile, the smile on Chen Beifeng's face gradually stiffened. His heart began to sink continuously at that moment, leaving him chilled to the bone, as if plunging into an abyss.