Chapter 853: Another Trump Card

"What...what did you do to me?"

When Yi Qiushui uttered these words, her face was filled with shock and bewilderment. Her Spirit realm was only at the early Manifestation stage, while Ye Bingling was at the middle Manifestation stage, significantly stronger than her. They had tested this difference many times before. Yet, in the recent exchange, Yi Qiushui had shattered Ye Bingling's Spiritual Needle! If she hadn't witnessed it herself, Yi Qiushui would likely not have believed it. So, she could only stare wide-eyed at Zhou Yuan. She was well aware of her own strength, and the ability to break Ye Bingling's Spiritual Needle must have been due to something Zhou Yuan had done earlier...

Ye Bingling's elegant, cold face was also somewhat stunned at this moment. A moment later, she snapped back to attention, her gaze fixed intently on Zhou Yuan.

"How did you do that?!"

Zhou Yuan held the Heavenly Yuan Brush, lightly tapping it against his palm. He remained silent, but deep within his eyes, there was an uncontainable hint of pleasant surprise.

Earlier, he had a flash of inspiration: to attempt to split "Soul Devourer" into individual hairs. The inspiration came from the four ancient Genesis Runes of the Wind Spirit Mark, which collected Genesis Traces in the Four Spirits Returning to Source Tower, gradually condensing into complete sub-runes. Although sub-runes lacked the full power of their parent runes, they still retained some residual ability. Soul Devourer possessed immense destructive power against spirits, capable of devouring an opponent's spirit to nourish oneself. If he could find a way for the Wind Pavilion members to also possess such an ability, even if its power was reduced, it would significantly enhance the Wind Pavilion's spiritual combat strength. However, splitting off Genesis Traces was not a simple task. Zhou Yuan certainly couldn't do it on his own; after all, the Four Spirits Returning to Source Tower achieved it due to the mottled Divine Mill hidden deep within.

Fortunately, while Zhou Yuan lacked a Divine Mill, he possessed the Heavenly Yuan Brush. This former sacred artifact, even in its weakened state, still held mysterious power. So, when Zhou Yuan seized this inspiration, he easily used the Heavenly Yuan Brush to divide hairs and imbue them with the Genesis Trace of the Soul Devourer Rune. Zhou Yuan then wrapped these hairs around the user, so that when their spirit energy was activated, their spiritual attack would carry a trace of Soul Devourer power. This was why Yi Qiushui was able to shatter Ye Bingling's Spiritual Needle earlier.

From previous experiments, the Soul Devourer Genesis Trace attached to a single hair of the Heavenly Yuan Brush could unleash approximately five spiritual devours. After five uses, the attached Genesis Trace would dissipate. This number wasn't large, but if used at a critical moment, it would be enough to turn the tide and reverse a losing situation. As for quantity, the Heavenly Yuan Brush had an endless supply of hairs. Although extracting several thousand might cause some damage, these injuries could fully recover after a period of nurturing, leaving no lasting drawbacks.

However, appearing directly as hairs would inevitably attract attention. Although Senior Sister Chi Jing had mentioned that brush-type Genesis Weapons were not uncommon in the Heaven Abyss Territory, he still felt it was prudent to maintain some discretion. Therefore, if he were to use the Soul Devourer Genesis Trace to enhance the Wind Pavilion's spiritual combat strength, he would need to find a way to package the Soul Devourer Genesis Trace in a different form.

Zhou Yuan's mind raced, his eyes growing increasingly excited. If his idea was truly viable, then during this year's Heaven Flame Ritual, he would no longer fear the Fire Pavilion. Overcome with excitement, Zhou Yuan couldn't hold back. He immediately told Yi Qiushui and Ye Bingling, "I'm leaving the spiritual training to you for the foreseeable future. I need to go into seclusion for a few days." With that, before the two women could respond, he moved swiftly and darted away.

Yi Qiushui and Ye Bingling were annoyed that he had left without a clear explanation, stomping their feet in frustration. But in the end, they could only exchange helpless glances.

"That guy is always so impulsive," Ye Bingling commented, her lips pursed.

Yi Qiushui nodded, then her eyes brightened slightly as she said, "But it looks like he's come up with something incredible..."

"So secretive, never telling us anything clearly," Ye Bingling huffed, though there was also a hint of joy in her eyes. Zhou Yuan wasn't one to act without purpose; his current behavior undoubtedly meant he had come up with a good plan. After all, the scene where Yi Qiushui shattered her Spiritual Needle was quite miraculous.

"In that case, this year's Heaven Flame Ritual should be quite a show," Yi Qiushui chuckled softly.

Ye Bingling couldn't help but sigh, "That guy truly is capable. If I had become the Wind Pavilion master, our Wind Pavilion would probably never have reached where it is today." She was inherently proud. When Zhou Yuan first arrived at the Wind Pavilion, she merely regarded him as a newcomer and initiated contact not because she sensed anything extraordinary about him, but simply because they were both subordinates of Lord Chi Jing. However, as their interactions deepened, Zhou Yuan's demonstrated abilities caused Ye Bingling to change her attitude, leading to her complete admiration now. "No wonder Lord Chi Jing values him so highly; he really is much more capable than I am."

Hearing this, Yi Qiushui's bright eyes flickered as she quietly asked, "Have you heard the rumors circulating in the Heaven Abyss Realm lately?"

When Ye Bingling heard this, her face instantly froze, though a faint blush appeared beneath the frost. "Those are just fools gossiping. Lord Chi Jing is the Phoenix of our Heaven Abyss Territory; how could she possibly..." Recently, subtle rumors had indeed spread throughout the Heaven Abyss Realm, claiming that Lord Chi Jing highly valued Zhou Yuan, but not because of his abilities. Instead, they suggested that Zhou Yuan was Lord Chi Jing's consort.

Yi Qiushui felt a bit awkward too and nodded in agreement. However, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of unease. She knew Zhou Yuan's background best: he had been in the Heaven Abyss Territory for less than a year and had no prior connections. Yet, Lord Chi Jing seemed to hold him in exceptionally high regard, not only entrusting him with the significant responsibility of Wind Pavilion Vice-Master upon his arrival but also frequently backing him up. It had to be said, Lord Chi Jing was indeed very good to Zhou Yuan... Could there truly be something more between them? But she was aware of Zhou Yuan's personality: seemingly gentle, yet in reality fiercely proud. The idea of him being a consort was surely impossible. Then, could they perhaps be mutually interested? At this thought, Yi Qiushui immediately shook her head, inwardly scoffing, "What nonsense are you thinking? While Zhou Yuan's talent is extraordinary, Lord Chi Jing's status is immense. What kind of peerless prodigy hasn't she seen? How could Zhou Yuan possibly catch Lord Chi Jing's eye?" But once such a thought took root, it became deeply embedded, causing Yi Qiushui's expression to change repeatedly as she pondered whatever was on her mind.

In the following days, Zhou Yuan remained in seclusion, and the Wind Pavilion's spiritual training was left to Yi Qiushui and Ye Bingling. Time quickly passed, and in the blink of an eye, the Heaven Flame Ritual quietly arrived.