Chapter 952: 推演

"Hey, it seems they're still not giving us two any face." At the foot of the ice mountain, Yuan Kun looked at Xue Jingtao in front of him, his expression somewhat displeased, then turned to Zhou Yuan beside him.

Xue Jingtao, upon hearing this, smiled slightly and said, "What are you talking about, Senior Brother Yuan Kun? Miss Jiugong doesn't mean to disrespect you at all; she merely arrived first and seized the initiative." He glanced briefly at Zhou Yuan and slowly added, "However, Miss Jiugong said that her 'Sublime Midday Golden Light Barrier' isn't something that just anyone Senior Brother Yuan Kun finds can break."

Zhou Yuan shifted his gaze from the shimmering golden light on the ice mountain to Xue Jingtao. He couldn't help but sense the malice directed at him in the other's words. He said calmly, "Are you from Zixiao Region?"

Xue Jingtao smiled and replied, "I am Xue Jingtao of Zixiao Region. What instructions does Chief Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan have for me?"

"What are you meddling in here for?"

Xue Jingtao explained, "This Golden Light Barrier requires a considerable number of people. Without our team, Miss Jiugong would surely find it hard to manage. Therefore, Miss Jiugong sincerely invited us, and we intend to assist her this time." He spoke with a hint of pride, as if the Golden Light Barrier was partly their creation.

Zhou Yuan's tone was flat. "For Su Youwei's sake, I advise you to leave early and not get involved carelessly. You are not qualified to participate in this kind of conflict. Don't suffer heavy losses and then regret it when it's too late."

Upon hearing this, Xue Jingtao's expression soured. He stared grimly at Zhou Yuan, then sneered, "Chief Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan, even if you can't break this 'Sublime Midday Golden Light Barrier', there's no need to resort to such low-level tactics, is there?"

"Are you trying to persuade us to leave so that the Golden Light Barrier will collapse on its own?" he asked contemptuously. "Don't play these games. Since Miss Jiugong trusts us, we will naturally stand firmly by her side."

"If you truly have the ability, first break through this Golden Light Barrier. If you can't, then get out of here quickly and stop wasting time!" With these impassioned words, Xue Jingtao didn't linger, turning and leaving directly.

Zhou Yuan watched him depart, his eyes calm and unperturbed. He had spoken earlier only out of consideration for Su Youwei. While observing the Golden Light Barrier, he had noticed that the nodes controlled by the Zixiao Region team were particularly vulnerable, becoming easy targets if subjected to external force. Clearly, this was Jiugong's deliberate act. After all, her cooperation with Xue Jingtao was not one of equals; Jiugong's team was the primary force. If Su Youwei were here, she would certainly not play such tricks, but Xue Jingtao obviously didn't have that privilege. However, Xue Jingtao hadn't understood this, instead thinking highly of himself and believing his role was crucial... Since that was the case, Zhou Yuan wouldn't feel bad for him.

"That young woman, she really doesn't know what's good for her." Yuan Kun said indignantly from the side, "Brother Zhou, since the gentle approach won't work, let's go for the aggressive one. If our two teams charge directly, I refuse to believe we can't break her barrier!"

Zhou Yuan quickly stopped him, saying, "If our two teams force our way in, while it might not be impossible to break through, we would certainly pay a significant price. There's no need to be so reckless right from the start!"

Yuan Kun frowned, "Then what should we do?"

Zhou Yuan, a little helpless, pointed at the golden light enveloping the ice mountain and said, "This Golden Light Barrier also has discernible patterns. By gradually analyzing and unraveling them, we can naturally deconstruct it piece by piece and cause it to collapse on its own."

"Brother Yuan Kun, can you see the countless flowing Genesis Runes within that golden light?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Kun stared with his small eyes for a long time, so hard that tears almost welled up, before awkwardly admitting, "Brother Zhou Yuan, I know absolutely nothing about Genesis Runes; I can't understand them." In his view, it was just a mass of golden light. Although the Genesis Qi fluctuations within it were somewhat peculiar, expecting him to discern the Genesis Runes or their trajectories was simply impossible.

Zhou Yuan's mouth twitched slightly, realizing he had been speaking to a brick wall all this time. No wonder Yuan Kun had been helpless against the Golden Light Barrier before; his own Genesis Rune mastery was so poor.

Seeing Zhou Yuan's expression, Yuan Kun became even more embarrassed, saying sheepishly, "Since Brother Zhou understands Genesis Runes, then you go ahead and scout it out first. I'll cooperate at any time. But I must also remind you, Xuanyi Region excels at combining Genesis Qi and Genesis Runes, employing quite unique methods. And Jiugong is a top talent among them. The Golden Light Barrier she set up is not a simple Genesis Rune barrier."

Zhou Yuan smiled and nodded, then his figure moved, appearing outside the massive Golden Light Barrier. He then moved through the air along the light shield.

His eyes shimmered with light. The Golden Light Barrier before him changed in his vision; countless Genesis Runes flowed like fish. However, as he continued to observe, a look of surprise also appeared in his eyes.

Because he discovered that the Golden Light Barrier indeed contained not just pure Genesis Runes, but also numerous Genesis Qi nodes. The combination of the two caused the golden light to bloom brilliantly. This dazzling golden light, when encountered, would make one's spirit tremble, causing unconsciousness and easy subjugation.

"It truly is quite remarkable." Zhou Yuan observed for a full incense stick of time, nodding involuntarily. The methods of Xuanyi Region were indeed somewhat astonishing. The combination of Genesis Runes and Genesis Qi made it far trickier than ordinary Genesis Rune barriers. This barrier had genuinely piqued his considerable interest.

Inside the ice mountain.

Xue Jingtao stood on a cliff, his eyes mockingly surveying the outside. Through the Golden Light Barrier, he could see Zhou Yuan, who had been moving around for about an incense stick's time.

"Heh, does this Chief Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan really think a few quick glances will let him find a way to break it?" Xue Jingtao turned to his fellow disciples from Zixiao Region beside him, saying playfully. The others, who were close to him, immediately burst into laughter. "That's just wishful thinking. Even Yuan Kun tried earlier, but after much effort, he was still driven away by us." "If even Yuan Kun was humiliated here, and Zhou Yuan's ranking isn't even as high as his, does he really expect to break the Golden Light Barrier?"

Xue Jingtao chuckled softly, a hint of disdain in his eyes. Still, he waved his hand and said, "Give the order: everyone hold your nodes tightly and operate the Golden Light Barrier at full power. Don't give him the slightest opportunity." Someone behind him acknowledged and quickly turned to relay the message.

Xue Jingtao stood with one hand behind his back, his eyes coldly fixed on the figure outside the Golden Light Barrier. He muttered, "Zhou Yuan, this time, I'm going to make sure you lose face. Let's see what excuse you'll have to appear before Junior Sister Youwei again."

Outside the Golden Light Barrier.

Zhou Yuan, who had been suspended in mid-air for a long time, had countless streams of light flickering in his eyes. He was performing extreme deductions. Based on the flow patterns of the Genesis Runes, he gradually pinpointed the numerous nodes of the Golden Light Barrier.

The light in his eyes slowly became calmer. A faint smile appeared on Zhou Yuan's lips.

Finally, he had a grasp of it. This Jiugong indeed possessed extraordinary methods... but unfortunately for her, she had encountered him this time.