Chapter 86: Infiltration

A golden spear shadow ripped through the air, thrusting forward. A brush shadow whistled to meet it, deflecting the attack. The two collided with a crisp sound, sending energy waves rippling outwards.

Both Zhou Yuan and Qi Hao were forced back.

At this point, both men wore grim expressions, origin energy swirling around them. Faint traces of blood were visible on their bodies, clear evidence that the preceding fierce battle had left them both wounded.

This showed just how brutal the fight had been.

Qi Hao lowered his head, a cold sneer on his lips as he surveyed the bloodstains on his body. With a sudden stomp of his golden spear, he declared in a deep voice, "Golden Stone Indestructible!"

As his shout faded, golden light suddenly surged from beneath his skin, gradually turning Qi Hao's complexion golden, as if he were forged from pure gold.

All traces of blood vanished instantly.

A Mid-Grade Profound Origin Art: Golden Stone Indestructible!

Zhou Yuan's gaze sharpened at the sight. This "Golden Stone Indestructible" was an origin art that perfectly complemented the Golden Stone Primordial Qi, granting immensely powerful defensive capabilities.

Clearly, as the battle progressed, Qi Hao was progressively unveiling his true capabilities.

"Boom!" Enveloped in golden light, Qi Hao lunged forward again, his spear shadows sharp as icy stars, aiming for Zhou Yuan's vital points.

Zhou Yuan executed his Dragon Steps, evading several of the piercing spear tips. The tip of his brush, imbued with a wisp of azure light, struck Qi Hao's shoulder with lightning speed.

Yet, a crisp sound rang out. The brush tip scraped across Qi Hao's shoulder, only managing to leave a bloodied indentation. It penetrated barely a finger's breadth before being halted by the golden light.

Qi Hao let out a cruel laugh, sweeping his golden spear horizontally. The shaft struck Zhou Yuan hard in the chest with immense force, sending him flying backward to crash against a massive boulder, which splintered with cracks from the impact.

"He's truly troublesome," Zhou Yuan muttered, his brows furrowed as he felt the sharp pain in his back. With "Golden Stone Indestructible" activated, Qi Hao's defense had reached an astonishing level; even the Profound Radiance Art struggled to penetrate it.

"You truly surprise me," Qi Hao said grimly, his eyes brimming with killing intent. "A mere Initial Qi Cultivation Realm practitioner, yet you're able to contend with me to this degree, and your origin energy hasn't even run dry."

Zhou Yuan rubbed his chest. Had his physique not been exceptionally strong, that last spear strike would likely have caved in his ribcage.

"You're also a bit more troublesome than I anticipated," Zhou Yuan replied.

"Don't talk tough when death is at your doorstep," Qi Hao sneered. Golden origin energy surged around him as he raised his spear, pointing it at Zhou Yuan. With chilling killing intent, he declared, "Next time, you won't be speaking at all."

The instant his words fell, Qi Hao's figure shot forward. As he moved, his long spear dragged along the ground, leaving a trail of sparks and deep gouges in its wake.

"A Mid-Grade Origin Art: Heavenly Golden Split Origin Spear!"

Qi Hao's killing intent surged in his eyes as he thrust his spear forward with explosive force. Golden light blazed from the spear's shaft, its tip condensing an incredibly sharp aura. Where the spear tip passed, the very air was cleanly cleaved apart.

The ground beneath his feet ripped open with a tearing sound, leaving a deep gash in its wake.

This single spear thrust was incredibly formidable, clearly representing Qi Hao's peak combat power.

Outside the valley, those watching instantly changed their expressions, clearly sensing the ferocity of Qi Hao's spear. It seemed few within the Qi Cultivation Realm could hope to directly counter such a strike.

It appeared Qi Hao had been thoroughly provoked, ready to unleash his killing blow and end the battle.

"Prince Zhou Yuan is finished," someone declared. At this point, Qi Hao possessed formidable defense, impervious to Zhou Yuan's attacks, while his own offense was so savage and ruthless. How could Zhou Yuan possibly resist?

Many nodded in profound agreement.

Inside the valley, Qi Hao advanced with overwhelming momentum, bringing his killing strike. Zhou Yuan's expression grew increasingly solemn. He took a deep breath, and the origin energy within him surged.

The next instant, he gripped the Heavenly Yuan Brush, its tip dancing as if tracing out ripples of origin energy.

Within Zhou Yuan, vast origin energy surged forth entirely, converging at the brush tip.

"Die!" Qi Hao roared, and the golden spear tip rapidly expanded in Zhou Yuan's eyes.

The origin energy at Zhou Yuan's brush tip finally reached its peak potency. He flicked his arm, and a fierce roar resounded in his mind: "Emperor Seal!"

The brush tip trembled. As the mighty origin energy condensed, it seemed to transform into a brilliant light at the tip, emitting incredibly domineering fluctuations.

This was precisely the Emperor Seal, a Mid-Grade Profound Origin Art cultivated by Zhou Yuan, possessing considerable power.

The two attacks, each containing the full power of its wielder, finally collided under the watchful eyes of many.

The moment of impact unleashed a veritable storm. The ground beneath their feet was scoured away layer by layer, and the surrounding rocks were ground into dust, layer by layer.

"What an intense clash," people exclaimed. "I never imagined a late-stage Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator and an initial-stage one could fight to such a degree."

In the deep valley, violent shockwaves erupted, tearing deep gashes into the ground. Zhou Yuan and Qi Hao, caught at the epicenter, were flung backward as if struck by a massive blow, slamming hard into the mountain wall.

A trace of blood appeared at the corner of Zhou Yuan's mouth. He looked somewhat disheveled, with several bloody marks on his body, but his gaze remained sharp as he looked across at his opponent.

There, Qi Hao's form was also embedded in the mountain wall, but he quickly tore himself free. Compared to Zhou Yuan, the golden light around him had only dimmed slightly. Clearly, the defense offered by Golden Stone Indestructible allowed him to withstand the impact far more easily than Zhou Yuan.

Qi Hao calmed the turbulent energy within him, his gaze turning sinister as he looked at Zhou Yuan.

"You're remarkably tenacious... you're still alive."

Qi Hao sneered, "But it seems you've sustained considerable injury?"

"It seems you've lost. With my Golden Stone Indestructible, my defense vastly surpasses yours. Therefore, I will be the one left standing!"

Qi Hao, long spear in hand, slowly advanced toward Zhou Yuan, the killing intent in his eyes growing more intense with each step.

Many onlookers shook their heads subtly at this sight. It seemed the battle was drawing to a close. Despite Zhou Yuan's flawless performance, he still appeared to fall short when facing Qi Hao, whose overall strength vastly surpassed his own.

Thanks to his formidable defense, Qi Hao had indeed remained the last one standing.

"What a shame..."

Qi Hao closed in on Zhou Yuan step by step, sensing that the latter's origin energy seemed somewhat erratic at that moment—the perfect opportunity to finish him off.

Zhou Yuan gazed at Qi Hao, who was slowly approaching with eyes full of killing intent. Surprisingly, there was no trace of panic on Zhou Yuan's face; instead, it was utterly calm.

"I never thought you'd wear such an expression even as death approaches," Qi Hao said coldly. "Truly irritating."

"I just feel rather sorry for you..." Zhou Yuan said with a faint smile.

Qi Hao's pupils constricted.

"Because you don't even know who truly won or lost..." The smile on Zhou Yuan's lips seemed to grow unsettling at that moment.

"Playing tricks now, are we? Just die!" Qi Hao said grimly. Without hesitation, his long spear moved, a cold gleam accompanying its merciless thrust directly toward Zhou Yuan's heart.

However, in the face of Qi Hao's killing strike, Zhou Yuan made no attempt to block, his expression utterly indifferent.

"Rip!" The sharp spear tip suddenly stopped, as if frozen in mid-air, just an inch from Zhou Yuan's heart.

Qi Hao's pupils constricted frantically, an expression of utter horror emerging on his face. In that instant, he realized his body had suddenly lost all control.

"You—what have you done?!" Qi Hao gasped in horror.

Zhou Yuan glanced at the bloodied marks on his own body and said calmly, "Did you truly think I was foolish enough to trade blows with you, spear for spear, knowing you possessed the defense of Golden Stone Indestructible?"

Zhou Yuan gripped the Heavenly Yuan Brush by his side, its sharp tip slowly pointing towards Qi Hao.

At that moment, on the speckled shaft of the Heavenly Yuan Brush, specifically after the 'Civil and Martial Mark', a light suddenly emerged. Then, an ancient origin pattern slowly began to clarify...

The Heavenly Yuan Brush's second origin pattern, named "Erosion."