Xiao Tianxuan wore a smile, the golden balls in his hand slowly revolving as he responded, “No need to get angry Little County Lord, if you are upset about that bit of Genesis crystals, I’ll pay you back.”
Luluo coldly snorted. Her concern was not those few hundred thousand Genesis crystals.
Xiao Tianxuan’s gaze shifted slightly, ultimately pausing on Zhou Yuan as he said, “I believe that this friend must be Zhou Yuan, right?”
“Is there anything I can help you with junior city lord?” Zhou Yuan’s voice was neither friendly nor cold.
“Hehe, nothing much, nothing much. I only wish to introduce someone to you.” Xiao Tianxuan chuckled and looked towards the sexy girl beside him.
The girl opened her long legs as she took a step forward, stopping in front of Zhou Yuan. Her long and narrow eyes seemed to glisten, but Zhou Yuan could sense the snake like gaze contained deep within them.
“Are you Zhou Yuan?” The sexy girl seemed to smile charmingly. “I am Gu Ling, and I come from the Black Yin Sect… the one that died at your hands, Gu Lang, is my younger brother.”
Only at this very moment did Zhou Yuan finally understand why he was being targeted after arriving at the House of Geniuses.
It turns out that the source of everything was this girl called Gu Ling.
Chapter 134 Gu Ling
“Gu Ling…”
Zhou Yuan’s eyes rippled for a moment as he looked at the sexy girl in black before him. However, almost no change could be detected on his face as he nodded and said in a calm voice, “Oh.”
Gu Ling was a little taken aback by Zhou Yuan’s indifference, but fury soon flashed in the depths of her eyes.
The group of guys behind Gu Ling were extremely dissatisfied with Zhou Yuan’s attitude, their tone hostile as they chided, “You’re pretty darn arrogant kid, why are you still not begging for forgiveness after killing Gu Ling’s brother?!”
The thug like way they spoke was rather inconsistent with their faint air of nobility. Together with the strong Genesis Qi that rippled around their bodies, these characteristics made it painfully obvious that they were the so-called ‘prided geniuses’.
Gu Ling revealed a heartbroken look at this moment as she softly said, “Don’t be angry everyone, there must be some misunderstanding between our friend Zhou Yuan and my Gu clan which led to such an outcome. Gu Lang only has himself to blame for his death.”
However, that appearance of hers only made them glare even harder at Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan indifferently watched this scene play out as if he was a bystander. This girl’s methods were superb. From the way she handed this group of geniuses, it was more than likely that they would fight to offer her the moon and the stars.
Xiao Tianxuan continued to rotate the golden balls in his hand as looked towards Zhou Yuan and said in a gentle voice, “My friend, whatever grudge you guys have with the Gu clan is not important. Since you have already killed Gu Lang, let it end at that.”
Zhou Yuan raised his eyebrows, but did not say anything. He knew that Xiao Tianxuan was not finished.
Sure enough, Xiao Tianxuan paused for a moment before continuing, “But the Gu clan’s supreme treasure you stole should be returned to Gu Ling.”
Xiao Tianxuan smiled slightly as he stared at Zhou Yuan. “Gu Ling has told me that as long as you return their supreme treasure, she will generously let bygones be bygones. If you feel that I am worthy, I can help resolve the grudge between the two of you and allow enemies to become friends.”
Zhou Yuan could not help but laugh. These fellows were indeed after the Saint Spirit Crystal. However, it had already been assimilated by him, and now tempered his Spirit night and day. They were dreaming if they believed that he would hand it over.
Zhou Yuan smiled and asked, “Is that why you purposely raised the bid earlier?”
Xiao Tianxuan was momentarily stunned, but soon responded in an uninterested tone, “It’s just a few Genesis crystals, I can repay you if you’re upset.”
A slight hint of mockery could be seen from the corners of his mouth, evidently secretly thinking how typical of a prince from a lowly remote empire to be so upset over a mere several hundred thousand Genesis crystals.
“No need, there may be a chance for me to get them back in the future.” Zhou Yuan shook his head, his tone cool and calm.
Xiao Tianxuan may believe that his actions during the auction were just a little lesson for Zhou Yuan, but the latter’s principle was that every action had a consequence.
Simply returning the money was not going to be so easy.
Zhou Yuan stared Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling and slowly said, “I can’t be bothered to elaborate on the Gu clan’s dirty deeds, but they did try to silence us. If not for our resourcefulness, our fates would be rather grim.”
“Therefore, I’m afraid that the likes of you are still not enough to resolve our grudge.”
“As for the supreme treasure of the Gu clan, don’t even dream that I’ll return it.” They nearly lost their lives for this treasure. Xiao Tianxuan must have a crazily high opinion about himself if he believed that it would be returned with a single sentence from him.
Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling’s expressions finally changed.
Xiao Tianxuan’s expression was now as dark as a storm as he asked, “Does this mean that you are not giving me face?”
“Hehe, do you really think you deserve so much face?” Luluo sneered.
Although they were currently in Saint Remains City and Xiao Tianxuan was the junior city lord, matters between the younger generation were settled by the younger generation. Hence, Xiao Tianxuan would not be able to use the power of Saint Remains City against them.
If he did, it was not like they did not have their own backers. No one would be the winner once the situation degenerated into a battle between numerous factions.
Without the power of Saint Remains City, Luluo naturally did not fear Xiao Tianxuan.
“Impudent, a mere prince from a tiny empire dares to be so insolent in such a place?”
The geniuses behind Gu Ling sneered in succession. They knew Luluo’s background and strength, and thus did not dare to pit themselves against her. Hence, the one they turned their fangs at in exchange was Zhou Yuan.
A blue robed young man nearest to Gu Ling ominously said, “Humph, a mere Qi Nourishing stage dares to be so arrogant. Aren’t you afraid of being slaughtered after entering the Saint Remains Domain?”
This person was called Lan Ting, and was likewise a prided genius from one of the influential clans in the Cangmang Continent. In the group, his strength was likely only second to Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling.
Zhou Yuan smiled as he gazed at these geniuses, a smile that was overflowing with eerie iciness.
“We’ll have to enter the Saint Remains Domain first to see who gets slaughtered.”
The group of geniuses shot angry glares over.
Gu Ling’s face was somewhat ugly, but this was quickly remedied by her as she sighed softly and said, “It seems that my Gu clan has indeed greatly offended this honorable friend. Why else would you refuse to give face to even the junior city lord and the rest of these amazing geniuses.”
Zhou Yuan swept a cold gaze at her. This woman was good. Her seemingly simple words had further deepened the enmity between him and the geniuses beside her.
“Woman, you’re being rather unreasonable.” However, a voice suddenly sounded out from Zhou Yuan’s side at this moment. The crowd looked, only to find that it was the white clothed Yaoyao.
She was currently disguised as a male, but her face was still unparallelled in the looks department. Even though Xiao Tianxuan and the rest were pretty decent themselves, they instantly dimmed in comparison to Yaoyao.
Gu Ling’s eyes brightened slightly at the sight of Yaoyao. Such a handsome pretty boy was truly rare.
However, her expression soon turned a little rigid due to Yaoyao’s words.
Yaoyao slowly fanned herself,
using some unknown method to make her voice neutral sounding as she indifferently said, “The supreme treasure of the Gu clan was indeed taken by us. If you want it back, there’s no need to use these tricks to incite these fools. The Saint Remains Domain is about to open, and when it does, feel free to throw everything you have at us inside. You will be able to take it back if you have the ability.”
“Of course, any action you take will be accompanied by a price. If you fail to snatch it back, no one can be blamed for what happens in the end.” Towards the end, Yaoyao’s words gave off a sliver of iciness that made one involuntarily shiver.
She stared at Gu Ling as she dished out the final few words. “If you want to play, we will gladly keep you company.”
The atmosphere became rather silent all of a sudden, everyone stunned by Yaoyao’s words. She had already made things very clear. Don’t dream of the treasure being returned. If they wanted to snatch it, bring it on, but make sure to be prepared for the consequences.
Gu Ling’s pretty face was a blend of green and white. Over the years, she had used her looks to make every male she met grovel under her skirt. Who could have imagined that she would be exposed by a male that was even prettier than herself today? This truly made her feel humiliated.
Xiao Tianxuan’s expression was also rather ugly. He had not expected that this pretty boy would be even less respectful than Zhou Yuan.
Fools? He had actually said that geniuses like them were fools?
Fury surged in his heart, but surprisingly, Xiao Tianxuan did not say anything in response. He knew that the Spirit cultivation of this seemingly Genesis Qi-less outrageously pretty boy had reached the Corporeal stage. That was true power that could match the Alpha-Origin.
Anger also festered in the hearts of the other geniuses, but they too did not say anything. However, the gazes that looked towards Zhou Yuan grew even more hostile. It was obvious that they had pushed all of their rage onto Zhou Yuan.
A soft persimmon was easier to squeeze after all.
Zhou Yuan rubbed his nose as he gave Yaoyao a thumbs-up in his heart. These words were really too domineering. What were these fellows that had been duped by a single girl if not fools?
“Hehe, what an domineering young master…”
While everyone was silent, a charmingly lovely chuckle was suddenly heard.
Everyone raised their heads, only to find a young lady wearing a black dress leaning against the wall nearby. A flirtatious set of eyes were currently filled with interest as they stared at Yaoyao.
Chapter 135 Zuoqiu Qingyu
The sudden voice caused everyone to lift their heads and looked towards the young lady in a black dress leaning against the wall nearby with her hands across her chest. Several pairs of eyes brightened slightly the moment they saw her.
The girl in black was bare-footed, a string of silver bells around the ankles of her fine jade-white legs. A faint mist seemed to linger beneath her feet, making it seem as if she never touched the ground. Her facial features were extremely pretty, and overflowed with seductive charm, like an enticing little enchantress.
Xiao Tianxuan’s eyes turned a little graver as he gazed at the girl in black and said, “Zuoqiu Qingyu.”
The pupils of the geniuses around him also shrank slightly, clearly having heard of this name before.
“Is it that Zuoqiu Qingyu of the Zuoqiu clan?” Zhou Yuan’s eyes also rippled slightly. It was rumoured that she too was one of the strongest amongst the younger generation of the Cangmang Continent.
Luluo’s eyes widened as she curiously stared at the little enchantress before them. She had naturally heard of the latter’s reputation, but this was the first time she was seeing this individual in person.
However, every one of these gazes were practically nonexistent to the girl called Zuoqiu Qingyu. Her peach blossom like eyes focused only on Yaoyao.
Her figure suddenly moved, accompanied by the clear twinkling of bells as she appeared in front of Yaoyao like a phantom.
“So quick!”
Practically everyone present was shocked. None of them had been able to clearly see her movements.
“Hey, what’s your name? I’m Zuoqiu Qingyu, let’s be friends!” Zuoqiu Qingyu beamed as she looked at Yaoyao, the former’s limpid eyes filled with curiosity.
This person was actually as pretty as herself!
In addition, the thing that drew her interest the most was Yaoyao’s demeanor, especially those eyes that seemed to be both penetrating and empty. When Zuoqiu Qingyu made her entrance earlier, everyone else had their breaths taken away. He was the only one that seemed to have no reaction at all.
Zuoqiu Qingyu could sense that Yaoyao was not pretending, and was truly not interested in the former.
Yaoyao was also slightly taken aback at the sudden appearance of Zuoqiu Qingyu so close to her, but soon regained her wits. She was currently disguised as a guy after all.
However, Yaoyao was not interested in explaining things and casually answered, “Zhou Xiaoyao.”
“Heehee, your name is as pretty as mine.”
The corners of Zhou Yuan’s lips twitched. Zuoqiu Qingyu was a little narcissistic, but she did have the assets that were worthy of such narcissism.
Yaoyao paid no attention to Zuoqiu Qingyu. She looked towards Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling and said, “Remember my words. If you want it back, come and snatch it after entering the Saint Remains Domain. Such useless and petty tricks are better kept under the table.”
Her tone was light, not even the slightest hint of anger, but it contained a cold authority that no one dared to retort against.
She turned around to leave after finishing, leaving behind a group of stunned young men and women.
Zhou Yuan and Luluo hastily ran after her, while Zuoqiu Qingyu’s eyes spun in thought for a moment before also following.
Xiao Tianxuan’s handsome face was somewhat ugly as he watched their leaving figures. The matter today was supposed to be have been easily resolved; Zhou Yuan should have given him face as the junior city lord and returned the Gu clan’s supreme treasure to Gu Ling.
He was initially debating whether he should make Zhou Yuan apologize and make amends to Gu Ling after returning the treasure. Who could have expected that the other party would have no intention of giving him any face.
Now, not only did they fail to get the treasure back, they had even been intimidated quite a bit.
By the side, a stormy look flashed in Gu Ling’s long and narrow eyes, but she made sure to reveal nothing on her face as she let out a bitter laugh and said, “I’ve really wasted junior city lord’s painstaking efforts, I had thought that this matter could be solved peacefully.”
Her words only fanned the flames of rage in Xiao Tianxuan’s heart as he replied in a low voice, “Humph, although that person’s Spirit is at the Corporeal stage, he’s still too arrogant. So what if your Spirit is strong, if you carelessly allow someone to close in, you will still be killed in a single blow.”
The other geniuses echoed in agreement. Though it was true that those who focused solely on Spirit cultivation could borrow the power of Genesis Runes, their bodies were exceedingly weak and a single slip may result in the destruction of their physical bodies.
“Moreover…”
Iciness flashed in Xiao Tianxuan’s eyes. “I’ve heard that Zhou Yuan seems to have a grudge with Wu Huang of the Great Wu Empire.”
“I wonder, will he be able to protect Zhou Yuan from Wu Huang with just his Spirit”
Gu Ling’s eyes immediately brightened when she heard this.
Only a handful of individuals amongst the younger generation of the Cangmang Continent could compare to Wu Huang. He was after all someone who had slayed an Alpha-Origin expert with the strength of the advance Heaven Gate stage.
Though that handsome pretty boy did possess a Corporeal stage Spirit, he would not be able to find any advantage against Wu Huang.
“The Saint Remains Domain is filled with myste
ry and anything can happen there, and he cannot possibly protect Zhou Yuan all the time. Once they’re separated, killing Zhou Yuan will be as easy as a flip of the hand.”
Xiao Tianxuan looked towards Gu Ling as he continued, “That’s why there’s no need to worry. A mere Qi Nourishing stage kid won’t be able to create any splashes.”
Gu Ling smiled faintly, her gaze seemingly much gentler when she looked towards Xiao Tianxuan.
Xiao Tianxuan suddenly said, “The envoys from the six sacred sects will arrive at Saint Remains City tomorrow. I believe that the Saint Remains Domain will open soon.”
Joy and anticipation were revealed in the eyes of Gu Ling and the other geniuses.
The Saint Remains Domain was surrounded by a giant holy river. It was said that even a leaf would sink when it fell into the waters of the holy river, while fog dominated the sky above the river all year long.
This fog was extremely strange. Anyone who entered would immediately lose their sense of direction, and a single wrong turn was all it would take to fall into the river and drown.
Fortunately, the mist would grow thinner every once in a while. As long as a powerful practitioner took advantage of this timing, a route could be torn open, allowing people to be sent in.
There were no practitioners of this level in the Cangmang Continent, only the six sacred sects had such power. Hence, they would send out envoys to help open the Saint Remains Domain, which also gave them first pick of the prided geniuses that managed to distinguish themselves from the rest.
The arrival of the envoys from the six scared sects meant that the Saint Remains Domain everyone yearned for even in their dreams was about to open.
...
“I’m so mad! That bastard Xiao Tianxuan. I’ll definitely teach him a lesson if we meet in the Saint Remains Domain!” Along the way, Luluo was still seething, clearly rather miffed that Xiao Tianxuan had actually dared to not give her face.
Zhou Yuan chuckled, but did not say anything about this topic. Although there were some twists and turns, they had ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Underworld Spirit Fruit and Vermillion Blood Grass. Tonight, he would borrow the power of these two Genesis resources to absorb a drop of Spirit source energy. Once he did so, he would surely break into the advance Illusory stage.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 79