“Let’s go.”
Zhou Yuan could only let out a long sigh as he gazed upon her back. He placed Tutun on his shoulders and quickly caught up.
The thick forest began to disperse before them as their view abruptly widened.
A magnificent city proudly stood some distance away, an enormous Genesis Rune boundary extending from above the city, covering it like a dome.
Sounds of rustling wind were unceasing as figure after figure arrived from every direction atop their Genesis Qi and landed inside the city.
Zhou Yuan involuntarily swallowed a deep breath as he marvelled at this scene, while excitement gradually began to blaze in his eyes.
This was it! The nearest city to the Saint Remains Domain!
It was at this very place that the countless prided geniuses of the Cangmang Continent were beginning to converge.
Chapter 130 House of Geniuses
Saint Remains City sat at the central region of the Cangmang Continent, and was the largest city in the vicinity of the Saint Remains Domain.
The city was pretty famous even in the entire Cangmang Continent. Not only because it was built in a favorable location, but more so due to the powerhouse faction it represented.
The power of Saint Remains City was no weaker than the great clans and empires in the continent.
Over the years, Saint Remains City had borrowed the reputation of the Saint Remains Domain to continuously strengthened itself. Now, if based on just scale alone, not many cities could match it even in the entire continent.
This was especially so when the Saint Remains Domain showed signs of opening. During this period, Saint Remains City would become the focal point of the entire continent…
...
“What a magnificent city.”
Zhou Yuan could not help but sigh in admiration when the trio walked into the city and gazed upon the scenery within. Great Zhou City was like a child when compared to this place.
Spacious street after street where people came and went. It was a racket of activity.
An enormous Genesis Rune boundary descended from the sky, protecting the entire city in its embrace.
“It is likely that only a Divine Dwelling expert will be able to break this Genesis Rune boundary.” Mumbled Zhou Yuan to himself as he gazed upon the gigantic Genesis Rune boundary, feeling the power contained within.
A Genesis Rune boundary of this level would likely consume an incredible amount of Genesis crystals just for daily operation alone. This was why it was usually on warning mode, and would only reveal its fangs when an invasion occurred.
According to Zhou Yuan’s estimates, constructing a Genesis Rune boundary of this scale would require at the very minimum a master proficient in grade 5 Genesis Runes. It was hard to imagine how much the services of such a master would cost.
The fact that Saint Remains City had managed to stand tall in the central region of the continent for so many years was a testament to their solid foundations.
“There’s a place called the House of Geniuses in Saint Remains City where most of the geniuses lodge at after arriving here, and I suggest that we head there too. We can also obtain first hand information about the Saint Remains Domain there.” Luluo looked towards Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao. From the looks of it, she had done her homework.
Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao naturally had no objections.
Thus, the gang of three followed the streets until they arrived at the central district of Saint Remains City, where they were greeted by the sight of an extremely grand building.
The building was a marvel of construction, the dragon and phoenix statues that decorated it were so lifelike that one could almost feel a boundless aura from them.
Above the building was a board on which bold and flamboyant golden words were written.
‘House of Geniuses’
These three simple words seemed to emanate a feeling a pride. After all, those who could call themselves geniuses were definitely outstanding amongst their peers. As for ordinary people, they naturally had no place here.
Countless people gathered outside, yearning in their eyes as they looked towards the House of Geniuses.
The Zhou Yuan trio did not pause, walking directly towards the doors of the House of Geniuses under the attention of the crowd. Numerous guards were stationed at the door, making it appear that security was rather tight here.
“Please halt.”
When the trio approached, a middle-aged man walked out, a faint smile on his lips as he cupped his hands together towards them, “My humble self is called Xiao Luo, and I am a manager of the House of Geniuses. If you intend to enter, you will need to report your name, title or affiliations. Ordinary individuals are not allowed into the House.”
Luluo raised her eyebrows. “So many rules.”
However, she did not make any further remarks, and instead said in a flat voice, “Thousand Beast Empire, Luluo.”
The pupils of the middle-aged man shrank when he heard this, the smile on his face suddenly becoming warm and welcoming. “Oh it's the Little County Lord of the Thousand Beast Empire, I have long heard of your name, please pardon me for my lack of manners.”
“Can we enter now?” Luluo could not be bothered with him and directly headed into the House of Geniuses.
However, although she successfully entered, when it came to Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao, the guards extended their spears, stopping the two in their tracks.
“What do you think you are doing?” Luluo’s gaze turned icy.
Xiao Luo smiled as he cupped his hands together and explained, “The Little County Lord is indeed a talent amongst talents, and can naturally enter the House of Geniuses. But these two need to report their names.”
Several people cast their gazes down from the building at this moment, gazes filled with mockery and interest.
A Qi Nourishing stage and someone that did not even have any Genesis Qi. Did these two really think they could enter the House of Geniuses?
With so many gazes looking at them as if they were monkeys, Zhou Yuan’s brows knitted together as he said in a toneless voice, “Great Zhou Empire, Zhou Yuan.”
Xiao Luo smiled superficially and said, “I seem to be rather ill-informed. According to our sources, there is no one from the remote Great Zhou Empire who is worthy of being called a genius.”
He looked earnest on the surface, but his words were tinged with a hint of mockery.
He then looked towards Yaoyao and said, “Please report your name.”
However, Yaoyao merely swept him a cold look. She did not reply, but instead clenched her hand as a Genesis Rune scroll appeared within it. Rays of light exploded from between her brows, her Spirit shaking as the grade four Genesis Rune trembled on the verge of activation.
*Uproar*!
The undulations from the grade 4 Genesis Rune gave rise to a storm of noise. Even the various geniuses that had already entered in the upper floors of the building cried out in surprise.
“Grade 4 Genesis Rune?”
“Corporeal stage Spirit?!”
Xiao Luo’s pupils violently shrank as fear flitted across in his eyes. It was obvious that he had not expected this unbelievably pretty guy to possess such a powerful Spirit.
Grade 4 Genesis Runes were a match to an Alpha-Origin expert. Such strength was first class even amongst the geniuses of the Cangmang Continent.
“This young master has truly concealed your power well, it is I who had no eyes.”
Xiao Luo let out an awkward chuckle. Soon after, however, his eyes flashed as he cast his gaze towards Zhou Yuan and sincerely said, “My friend, these two may enter the House of Geniuses, but over the years, there has never been a case of a Qi Nourishing stage practitioner entering our House. So I can only ask you to make a detour to somewhere else.” Zhou Yuan’s frown deepened. He could faintly sense that this person seemed to be purposely making things difficult for them. But this was their first time here, the other party should not know who they were, right?
Luluo’s face turned frosty. “You dare to chase out someone I brought?”
Xiao Luo smiled and explained, “I hope that Little County Lord can empathize that we are just doing our jobs. I’m sure that you must also know the rules of the city lord residence.”
He had already brought out his backer through his words. It was clear that the rules of the House of Geniuses were set by the city lord residence.
Zhou Yuan’s face remained cool and collected. “What are the qualifications of a genius?”
Xiao Luo chuckled. “One must be of the younger generation plus be able to reach the Heaven Gate stage, if not, one naturally cannot be considered a genius.”
Zhou Yuan gave a slight nod. “How strong are you?”
Xiao Luo answered with a faint smile, “Mid Heaven Gate stage.”
Zhou Yuan grinned as iciness flashed in his eyes.
Rumble!
Dark gold Genesis Qi abruptly exploded from Zhou Yuan’s body as his figure dashed forward. In a flash, he had appeared in front of Xiao Luo.
His five fingers tightly clenched as a punch was sent flying, punch winds blasting apart the air.
Green scales had also appeared on his fist, giving off a faint shine.
“Impudent!”
Xiao Luo’s expression changed as he loudly shouted. Vigorous Genesis Qi erupted from his body and he also sent out a full power punch. He intended to give some proper guidance to this arrogant little brat.
Bang!
Under the numerous watching eyes of the crowd, two fists ferociously slammed into each other.
A wave of air swept outwards as Xiao Luo’s expression rapidly changed, horror surfacing in his eyes. At the moment of impact, he had felt an unparalleled power rush towards him.
The power of that punch was definitely not something a Qi Nourishing stage should have!
Boom!
The air rippled as Xiao Luo’s body jerked and was sent catapulting backwards. He smashed into a stone pillar and spit out a mouthful of blood.
The upper levels of the House of Geniuses had turned silent, while amazement appeared in numerous gazes. It was clear that no one had imagined that the mid Heaven Gate stage Xiao Luo would be blown away by a single punch from an advance Qi Nourishing stage kid.
Their gazes were now different when they looked towards Zhou Yuan again. It was indeed true that those who could reach this place were not ordinary at all.
Under the watching gazes of the crowd, Zhou Yuan slowly withdrew his fist, his eyes unchanged as he looked towards Xiao Luo. “It seems that your mid Heaven Gate stage is nothing to be proud about.”
As his words faded, he paid no further attention to Xiao Luo and walked into the House of Geniuses. This time, no one dared to stop him.
However, Zhou Yuan’s brows were still slightly furrowed.
Just who exactly was secretly targeting him?
Chapter 131 Heavenly Luo Halberd
The trio had finally successfully entered the House of Geniuses and were led to their room by a servant.
“It seems that someone is out to get us.” Once they were in the room, Luluo’s eyebrows knitted together. Someone as sharp as her had naturally realised that there were some problems with Xiao Luo’s attitude.
Zhou Yuan frowned. It was the first time they had come here, and none of them knew anyone, why were they being targeted?
On the way here, the only one they had offended was the Gu clan.
Could the Gu clan’s hands have reached all the way here?
Luluo seemed to be able to read Zhou Yuan thoughts, shaking her head as she said, “The faction behind the House of Geniuses is the city lord residence. I doubt that Gu clan can make them do anything.”
Zhou Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. The city lord residence? Why was this faction making things difficult for them?
The trio thought about this matter for a while, but were unable to arrive at a conclusion. Hence, they could only drop it for the time being.
Luluo wrinkled her nose as she said, “No need to be too worried. Although the city lord residence is strong, they do not dare to do as they please. It's not like we don’t have any powerful backers.”
Zhou Yuan nodded.
“I’ll head out and ask around for some information while also looking up where to buy the Underworld Spirit Fruit and the Blood Vermillion Grass.” Luluo grinned. She was clearly someone who was unable to sit still for long.
Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao nodded. The House of Geniuses was a mix of both good and bad characters that they did not intend to mingle with. They would rather stay in the room to train.
Thus, Luluo went out alone, but it was not long before she slipped back in again, her face brimming with excitement.
“There’s news!”
Zhou Yuan was somewhat surprised. That was fast.
Luluo eagerly blurted out, “There will be an auction tonight in the House of Geniuses, and both the Underworld Spirit Fruit and Blood Vermillion Fruit have been mentioned. Moreover, the ones gathered here are the various geniuses from all over the Cangmang Continent so any treasure can be put on sale regardless of where they came from. Hence, there’s likely going to be quite a few gems.”
From the looks of it, she was extremely fond of such rare and lively events.
Zhou Yuan was also a little thrilled at this news. There was finally information about the Underworld Spirit Fruit and Blood Vermillion Fruit.
As long as he could obtain these two Genesis resources, his Spirit would be able to ascend to the advance Illusory stage, allowing him to begin learning grade 3 Genesis Runes. When that happened, he would no longer have to fear advance Heaven Gate stage opponents.
The current him was amongst a gathering of geniuses of which several possessed the strength of the advance Heaven Gate stage. If Zhou Yuan did not raise his battle power, he would be disadvantaged when he met them in a fight.
“Then we’ll have a look at the auction tonight.” Zhou Yuan decided. The current him needed to the Underworld Spirit Fruit and Vermillion Blood Grass far too much.
Time flowed as night began to envelope the enormous Saint Remains City. The outside of the city was pitch-black darkness, while the inside was brightly lit.
Under the House of Geniuses was a vast underground room that was the chosen venue for the auction.
At this current time, several geniuses from all over were flooding into the room. It was obvious that many were interested in the auction tonight. After all, the Saint Remains Domain was about to open, and everyone wanted to make themselves as strong as possible. Obtaining a powerful Genesis weapon or treasure would certainly be hugely beneficial to them.
Luluo’s reputation was clearly much greater than Zhou Yuan’s. Hence, the group of three easily acquired a VIP room for themselves. The room had a view looking down from above, the transparent glass allowing them to clearly see the entire place and the auction stage.
“The other VIP rooms are likely occupied by the super geniuses of our Cangmang Continent.” Luluo smiled craftily at Zhou Yuan as she continued, “Wu Huang may even be amongst them.”
The hand holding Zhou Yuan’s cup trembled slightly, but he did not reply. The expression in his eyes however turned a little graver.
He knew that Luluo’s words were likely true.
Zhou Yuan took a small sip of the wine in his cup as its fiery taste entered his mouth. He had the faint premonition that his meeting with Wu Huang was not far off.
The one that has my sacred dragon blessing, you’ve been having a pretty good life…
Dong!
While Zhou Yuan was lost in thought, the sound of a gong suddenly reverberated throughout the auction area. The noise quickly died down as excited gaze after gaze focused on the stage.
The stage lit up and an elderly figure walked out. The moment he appeared, powerful Genesis Qi undulations spread from his body.
This elder was clearly an Alpha-Origin expert.
When Zhou Yuan saw this,
he uttered in amazement, “To think that they’ve actually sent an Alpha-Origin expert to host this auction, impressive.”
“The latter part of the auction will definitely be hosted by the city lord residence. This Alpha-Origin expert is likely also a member of the city lord residence.” Said Luluo.
Zhou Yuan nodded.
While they were conversing, the elder on the stage swept his gaze around the place as his voice rang out in everyone’s ears, “Since everyone has come here from far away, I shall dispense with the pleasantries. A long time has been spent preparing for this auction, and I believe that everyone will be very interested in our selection.”
“Let’s begin.”
The atmosphere intensified as the elder’s final word faded, every gaze in the place now tightly glued to the former.
The elder merely waved his hand and a dozen steel tower like men carried out a certain item, their footsteps heavy as if they were lifting a mountain.
The elder reached out a gnarly hand and lifted the black cloth that covered the item. A heavy night-black halberd instantly appeared in everyone’s sights.
The heavy halberd was several feet long and covered all over in veined patterns. An astonishing killing intent spread from it, causing the hairs of anyone who felt it to stand on end. However, it was a pity that there were several cracks on the heavy halberd, making it apparent that this weapon was a damaged article.
The elder slowly said, “This is a damaged quasi-Heaven tier Genesis Weapon. It is known as the Heavenly Luo Halberd.”
*Uproar*
The auction area practically exploded. To think that the first item would be a quasi-Heaven Genesis Weapon. Although it was damaged, it could still be considered Heaven tier, and a quasi-Heaven tier weapon was not ordinary at all.
“Amazing, the first item is already a quasi-Heaven Genesis Weapon. Looks like they really put some thought into aweing the crowd.” Zhou Yuan could not help but exclaim in admiration. One must know that the highest tier Genesis Weapon in the entire Great Zhou Empire was the Nine Flames Spear owned by his father.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 77