Chapter 832: Sixth-Level Divine Mansion

When Zhou Yuan appeared at the entrance of the Fire Domain the next day, the Fire Pavilion members passing by were all deeply shocked, their expressions a mix of surprise and disbelief.

Their feelings towards the Pavilion Master of the Wind Pavilion were incredibly complex. The Four-Mother Rune he created had essentially put an end to the Fire Pavilion's comfortable days. However, it was undeniably an excellent item, far more effective than the Trace-Catching Rune. If they could use it, their cultivation speed would undoubtedly skyrocket.

Unfortunately, both the Fire Pavilion and the Mountain Pavilion were strictly regulating the Four-Mother Rune. Under the pressure of Lu Xiao and Han Yuan, members of both pavilions did not dare to openly purchase or use it.

However, this was clearly an unstoppable trend.

Accelerating the condensation speed of Genesis Runes was a major concern for members across all four pavilions. Therefore, whenever they were unobserved, some would secretly produce Four-Mother Runes acquired through undisclosed means.

For all these reasons, the Fire Pavilion members harbored a complex mix of hatred and admiration for Zhou Yuan.

As they watched Zhou Yuan enter the Fire Domain, they understood that the Wind Pavilion Master intended to condense the Fire Spirit Rune as his second Genesis Rune.

In a reception room, Fang Ao slammed his fist onto a nearby table, instantly shattering the ironwood furniture. A fierce expression contorted his face as he growled, "Does that brat truly have a death wish?"

"How dare he come to our Fire Domain to cultivate at a time like this? Is he deliberately trying to provoke us?"

Inside the room, several figures, all high-ranking members of the Fire Pavilion, were present. Lu Xiao sat at the head of the table, his face devoid of emotion.

"No, we can't let that scoundrel be so audacious. I'll go to the Fire Domain and teach him a lesson!"

"This time, I'll make sure he leaves with two broken legs!"

Fang Ao's eyes gleamed with malice as he rose to his feet.

"Stop right there!" Lu Xiao's face was frosty as he spoke in a cold tone.

Fang Ao halted, fuming, "Boss, that bastard is practically treading on our faces!"

Lu Xiao coldly retorted, "He is currently the Wind Pavilion Master. If you dare to lay a hand on him here, no one will be able to protect you! Use your brain! Do you truly believe our Tianyuan Sect can wield absolute power in the Tianyuan Region?"

Fang Ao's face turned livid, his clenched fists audibly grinding. Ultimately, he could only slump back into his seat. He knew Lu Xiao was right; if he dared to harm Zhou Yuan here, he would undoubtedly pay a steep price.

Observing Fang Ao's suppressed frustration, Lu Xiao disregarded him and turned to Zhu Lian, asking, "You've been studying the Four-Mother Rune for days now. Have you made any progress?"

Zhu Lian's expression turned grim as he slowly shook his head. "The core of the Four-Mother Rune is extremely elusive," he explained. "It disintegrates upon the slightest contact, making it impossible for me to analyze."

"What if we have one of the sect's Genesis Rune experts take a look?" Lu Xiao murmured.

"It's still no good," Zhu Lian replied. "That young man is incredibly cunning. The Four-Mother Rune he created is extremely sensitive; even the slightest contact causes it to self-destruct. So, even if someone with a stronger Spirit than mine were to try, it would likely still be very difficult to uncover its core."

Upon hearing this, even Lu Xiao, known for his composure, showed a flicker of irritation in his eyes.

The overwhelming popularity of the Four-Mother Rune had been a constant headache for him these past few days.

Moreover, due to the events at the Newcomer Ceremony, he had already been reprimanded by the elders of the Tianyuan Sect.

Lu Xiao took a deep breath of cool air, suppressing his inner frustration. After a moment of silence, he stated, "For now, let's keep a low profile. Rest assured, we will have our opportunity for retaliation."

He looked up, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Fire Domain, a deep chill flickering in his eyes.

In all his years, he had never felt so utterly suppressed.

What's more, his opponent was merely at the mid-Divine Palace stage, a level he had always disdained.

But Zhou Yuan, don't get too smug. Our real contest has only just begun!

Inside the Fire Domain, the surroundings glowed crimson like a forge.

Zhou Yuan strolled through the area, gazing at the sky above the Fire Domain. Thick, fiery red clouds hung there, with magma surprisingly flowing within them.

That was Fire Spirit Magma.

Within the magma lay countless source traces of Fire Spirit Runes. By burning Origin Return Coins, one could summon the Fire Spirit Magma, which, upon contact, would not only inflict a burning pain but also leave behind Fire Spirit Rune traces within the body.

Zhou Yuan leaped onto a broken cliff, sat down cross-legged, and casually took out a handful of Origin Return Coins, burning them.

*Whoosh!*

Soon, a massive glob of crimson magma descended from the sky, continuously cascading over Zhou Yuan's body.

Intense burning pain surged through him, but Zhou Yuan's expression remained unfazed. He had long grown numb to such pain after his time in the Wind Domain.

He crushed a Fire-Mother Rune between his fingers, and instantly, a Genesis Rune formed on his chest, creating a small vortex.

The crimson magma enveloped Zhou Yuan's body, and countless crimson light points rapidly streamed towards the vortex on his chest. After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the magma cooled, solidifying into layers of dark, falling stone.

Zhou Yuan opened his eyes and looked at the back of his hand, where crimson light points, the source traces of the Fire Spirit Rune, had appeared slightly above his Wind Spirit Rune.

"The effect is quite good," Zhou Yuan chuckled softly.

"It seems I'll be spending a considerable amount of time in this Fire Domain from now on..."

He stretched, took a brief rest, then grabbed a handful of Origin Return Coins in each hand and burned them simultaneously.

From the sky, a large mass of magma whistled down, resembling a meteor streaking across the heavens.

Zhou Yuan remained in the Fire Domain for an entire month.

Over the course of that month, with the seemingly inexhaustible supply of Origin Return Coins, coupled with the aid of the Fire-Mother Rune and his robust Spirit, Zhou Yuan's Fire Spirit Rune directly achieved nearly 70% completion!

This pace startled even Zhou Yuan himself. At this rate, he might be able to fully condense the Fire Spirit Rune in scarcely another month.

Condensing two Genesis Runes in less than half a year was a feat likely unparalleled since the appearance of the Four Spirits Origin Return Pagoda.

Moreover, during his month of cultivation in the Fire Domain, Zhou Yuan encountered no obstruction from the Fire Pavilion. This surprised him somewhat; it seemed Lu Xiao was intelligent enough to know that if anything happened to Zhou Yuan in the Fire Domain, the Fire Pavilion would be the first to face consequences.

Since no one came to trouble him, Zhou Yuan was content with the peace and dedicated all his focus to condensing the Fire Spirit Rune.

One day.

*Whoosh!*

Crimson magma coiled around Zhou Yuan like a giant python. Countless crimson light points surged forth, rushing towards Zhou Yuan's chest like birds flocking to a forest. After a considerable period, the magma began to cool, transforming into large pieces of black stone that fell away.

A puff of crimson energy escaped Zhou Yuan's nostrils. He slowly opened his eyes, gazed at the back of his hand, and a satisfied smile touched his lips.

The Fire Spirit Rune had officially reached 70% completion!

Zhou Yuan stretched contentedly, preparing to stand up, but the next instant, his expression subtly changed, and a surge of wild euphoria erupted from deep within his eyes.

In that very moment, he felt a strange tremor within his Divine Palace.

His Spirit perceived within his body that the barrier between the fifth and sixth layers of his Divine Palace had suddenly grown thin!

It was a clear sign that the sixth layer of his Divine Palace was about to be breached!

Zhou Yuan's heart swelled with joy. Over the past month, while condensing the Fire Spirit Rune, he had not neglected refining his Divine Palace. He simply hadn't expected that today, the fifth layer of his Divine Palace would finally be fully refined and begin connecting to the sixth!

Once his sixth layer of Divine Palace was breached, he would effectively reach the peak of the mid-Divine Palace stage! Another step forward in the future would then bring him to the late Divine Palace stage!

Most importantly, with the sixth layer of his Divine Palace breached, his Genesis Qi reserves would once again experience a massive surge!