Xiao Tianxuan let out a bitter laugh. “If not because I used up too many trump cards to deal with the Wind Thunder Beast, I would not even fear those few super elites.”
There would be no deficient if he had been able to kill the Wind Thunder Beast with those trump cards, and he would have even grown his reputation, unfortunately...
While Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling were talking, they suddenly detected a disturbance from the mountains some distance away. They immediately exchanged a look, seeing the joy that was surging out in each other’s eyes.
Was it that little rat?
Their figures abruptly shot forth, landing on a giant tree several minutes later as their gazes looked to the front where several figures could be seen.
These figures had surrounded a certain location, a faintly visible cave that had been blocked with a boulder.
“So he’s been using Genesis Runes to conceal any Genesis Qi undulations. No wonder we couldn’t find him!” Xiao Tianxuan’s gaze swept across the cave, sensing the faint Genesis Rune undulations from behind the boulder as he icily chuckled.
“The rat is hiding inside. Break the boulder. Whoever brings him out will be rewarded 3 million Genesis crystals!” Xiao Tianxuan’s chilling voice echoed across the area.
The eyes of several figures brightened. 3 million Genesis crystals was no small sum.
“Heh heh, to think that a little Qi Nourishing rat would be worth such a fortune. I’ll be glad to take it!”
Voices rang out one after another. A dozen figures swiftly shot forward, streams of powerful Genesis Qi lashing at the boulder blocking the cave entrance.
Boom!
The entire mountain seemed to shake as the boulder was destroyed.
“Charge!”
The dozen figures had already begun dashing towards the cave as rock fragments shot outwards, each clearly intent on being the first to reach the target so as not to lose to the others.
Xiao Tianxuan smiled indifferently as he watched the dozen figures charge towards the cave. All of them had the strength of the Heaven Gate stage. There was no way Zhou Yuan would be able to escape.
Boom!
However, while Xiao Tianxuan was waiting for Zhou Yuan to be dragged out, an astonishing Genesis Qi ripple suddenly pulsed from the cave like an erupting volcano.
Rumble!
The Genesis Qi ripple was tyrannically domineering, causing cracks to form on the cave.
Thump thump!
When the astonishing Genesis Qi erupted, everyone also saw the dozen figures, that had just moments ago been menacingly charging into the cave, being flung out from the cave.
They tumbled on the ground like bottle gourds, bumping against the ground till their faces were a bloody mess.
“What’s going on?!” Xiao Tianxuan’s pupils shrank.
One of the figures that had been sent flying replied in a horrified voice, “He… he has ascended to the Heaven Gate stage!”
This caused even more frowns of confusion. Even if Zhou Yuan had ascended to the Heaven Gate stage, he would merely be at the initial level. However, the pulse of Genesis Qi earlier did not seem to be that of an initial Heaven Gate stage practitioner.
Bzzbzz!
While many were still puzzled, the Genesis Qi undulations from the cave grew more and more berserk as the entire mountain began to tremble.
Rumble!
Genesis Qi crazily converged towards the cave until a certain moment when it pierced through the walls of the mountain and dashed straight into the heavens!
Everyone watched as a dozen feet wide pillar of dark gold Genesis Qi soared into the sky, rapidly rising feet by feet...
“He has indeed ascended to the Heaven Gate stage!” Xiao Tianxuan’s voice was filled with iciness.
Gu Ling coldly snorted. “The phenomenon of Qi dashing through the Heaven Gate is measured in feet. Do you recall how many feet your Genesis Qi reached when you reached the Heaven Gate stage?”
Xiao Tianxuan indifferently answered, “Only 94 feet.”
His tone was normal, but clearly contained a faint trace of pride. Such an accomplishment was after all already top tier amongst those of the same generation.
A smile surfaced from the corners of Gu Ling’s ruddy little mouth. “The Genesis Qi of ordinary individuals usually reached about 20 feet when they advance to the Heaven Gate stage. Your 94 feet has already surpassed the great majority.”
Xiao Tianxuan sighed. “So what, I heard that when Wu Huang’s Qi dashed past the Heaven Gate, his seemingly endless Genesis Qi soared straight into the sky, reaching a height of 238 feet.”
Gu Ling also sighed when she heard this. “Its rumored that Wu Huang has a gold Qi Dwelling. Achieving such a feat is not strange at all.”
Her eyes seemed to swivel, a hint of mockery in her gaze as she looked towards the slowly rising dark gold Genesis Qi from the mountain top before them. “This kid has hidden for so long, believing that he will be able to turn the situation around once he reaches the Heaven Gate stage. I’m really interested to find out how many feet his Genesis Qi will rise to.”
Xiao Tianxuan laughed inside, no longer anxious for the time being. He intended to patiently wait till Zhou Yuan fully ascended, when the latter was full of confidence, to thoroughly beat him into the ground, a defeat so complete that it would leave a shadow in his heart that would be almost impossible to break free of.
Xiao Tianxuan placed one hand behind his back, a toying look in his eyes as he looked to his front.
The gaze of everyone in the area converged on this very spot.
Hence, under the attention of numerous gazes, the dark gold Genesis Qi that was still shooting out of the cave rose feet by feet at a steady pace...
Chapter 153 Measure
Bzzbzz!
Every gaze in the area was raised towards sky where a dark golden pillar of Genesis Qi was rising into the heavens.
This scene was not unfamiliar to everyone present. The same thing had also happened to them when they reached the Heaven Gate stage.
It was known as Qi dashing through the Heaven Gate, and was measured in feet.
Simply put, the higher one’s Qi rose, the more abundant one’s Genesis Qi was. Of course, there were also various other factors such as the grade of the Genesis Qi, the grade of the Qi Dwelling...
It was not always the case that the higher one’s Genesis Qi rose, the stronger one would be in the future. But at the very least, for a certain period in one’s cultivation, the higher one’s Genesis Qi soared, the bigger the lead one would have over others.
In a certain sense, this achievement represented one’s foundations. The sturdier and stronger one’s foundations, the greater the heights one’s Genesis Qi would reach when dashing past the Heaven Gate.
“That kid has really ascended to the Heaven Gate stage…”
“Already over 40 feet, that’s not bad at all…”
“But it seems to be rising still?”
“It will very likely approach its limit soon.”
“......”
Amongst the numerous whispers, the dark gold Genesis Qi pillar continued its unhurried ascent. A dozen breaths later, the whispers began to fade as everyone’s expressions changed slightly.
The dark gold Genesis Qi pillar had unknowingly reached a height of over 70 feet.
Such a height had already surpassed many of those present.
“Humph, he does have some ability.” Gu Ling’s pretty face had turned slightly cold. Back when she had advanced to the Heaven Gate stage, her Genesis Qi had only reached slightly over 70 feet. Zhou Yuan’s result was already comparable to her own.
Xiao Tianxuan did not remark, the expression in his eyes fluctuating indeterminately as he stared at the dark gold pillar. A faint sense of unease rose within him. He had discovered that even till now, the dark gold Qi pillar was still very concentrated and showed no signs of waning. In other words, Zhou Yuan still had a substantial amount of reserves.
It wa
s indeed as he had expected. The rate at which the dark gold Qi pillar climbed did not drop, but instead began to increase...
*Uproar*!
An uproar washed over the mountains, gaze after gaze filled with astonishment.
Swish!
After another ten breaths, the rising dark gold Qi pillar broke past the 90 feet mark, directly reaching a hundred feet under Xiao Tianxuan’s ashen complexion.
Numerous faces began to be colored by emotion. A hundred feet. This result was able to match the top tier geniuses...
Did Zhou Yuan really have such talent and potential?
One of the onlookers wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead as he muttered, “It’s already reached a hundred feet, it should be over now, right?”
However, the dark gold Qi pillar seemed to have heard this individual’s words. The moment it reached a hundred feet, its speed suddenly began to rise rapidly. The previous foot by foot progress had now turned into a ten feet by ten feet dash...
*Uproar*! *Uproar*!
Wave after wave of noise pulsed across the mountains as if unable to stop.
Xiao Tianxuan’s and Gu Ling’s expressions grew uglier and uglier.
130 feet, 150 feet, 200 feet...
In the short span of a dozen breaths, the dark gold Qi pillar had already reached 200 feet!
The place had become very silent, disbelief on everyone’s faces.
“Still not stopping?” A trembling voice rang out, the owner looking at the Qi pillar as if it was a monster. The number of individuals whose Qi could reach 200 feet in the Cangmang Continent could be counted one one hand!
The names of every one of these geniuses was well known in the Cangmang Continent.
Trembling gaze after gaze watched the dark gold Qi pillar continue its climb. In the end, it gradually reached its limit, stopping at a whopping height of 484 feet!
484 feet!
The entire mountain range was dead silent.
Cold sweat had appeared on everyone’s foreheads. They never heard of anyone who had ever been able to reach this height!
Just how much Genesis Qi was required to achieve this?
One must know that even some of the advance Heaven Gate experts present may not be able to achieve such a feat. Yet, Zhou Yuan had done it moments after reaching the Heaven Gate stage...
Which is to say, the amount of Genesis Qi he had at the initial Heaven Gate stage was not any less than an advance Heaven Gate stage expert!
How had Zhou Yuan done it?!
Within the silence, Xiao Tianxuan’s expression was already extremely ugly. Zhou Yuan had never been able to enter the former’s eyes, and had all along only been akin to a troublesome rat.
Yet, the little rat had now clearly shown Xiao Tianxuan just how huge a gap there was between their potentials...
After all, even Wu Huang’s greatness would be thoroughly suppressed by the result of 484 feet.
Gu Ling’s teeth were tightly clenched. Zhou Yuan dominance was clearly not something she wished to see. Even so, her heart still trembled faintly. From the scene before her eyes, she knew that Zhou Yuan’s future was definitely limitless.
His talent was not to be underestimated!
Beside Gu Ling, Xiao Tianxuan suddenly icily said, “He… must die.”
The intense killing intent within his voice made even Gu Ling shiver for a moment.
She turned her head, and saw that Xiao Tianxuan’s expression was calm and collected. However, Gu Ling could also clearly see the fear that had flitted across his eyes, fear that was soon replaced by ruthlessness.
Previously, Xiao Tianxuan had merely viewed Zhou Yuan as a rat, but now, the former was beginning to feel threatened, very deeply threatened.
Genesis Qi that reached 484 feet at the Heaven Gate stage already spoke volumes about his sturdy foundations and talent. Such a person would definitely accomplish amazing things in the future if all went well.
However, for Xiao Tianxuan and Saint Remains City, this person would become a huge threat.
Since the grudge had already been made, he had to make sure cleanly cut off such a threat.
“Whoever kills Zhou Yuan will be awarded 5 million Genesis crystals.” Xiao Tianxuan’s deep voice slowly echoed.
The eyes of numerous individuals in the area began to fill with greed. 5 million Genesis crystals was no small sum. It seems that Xiao Tianxuan’s killing intent towards Zhou Yuan had already reached its peak.
However, although many were tempted, some of the smarter individuals present decisively decided to withdraw from the area after some thought, clearly no longer planning on interfering in the grudge between Xiao Tianxuan and Zhou Yuan.
The previous Zhou Yuan was merely a Qi Nourishing small fry, hence why they did not mind eliminating the former for Xiao Tianxuan. However, the situation was now different.
Zhou Yuan had broken through to the Heaven Gate stage, and had displayed his extremely terrifying potential. The small fry had turned into a huge whale all of a sudden...
It was naturally fine if such a person was killed here, but if he were to escape and allowed to grow, his revenge would surely be catastrophic.
Those present were elites amongst their generations, and there were few fools amongst them. After some considerations, everyone naturally made their decision.
Xiao Tianxuan’s face twitched faintly as he watched several people withdraw. Soon after, the murder in his eyes intensified.
There were still quite a number of people left in the area, but none of them acted rashly, choosing instead to cautiously observe for the time being.
It was at this moment that a clear whistle rang out in the mountains. As the whistle dashed into the sky, the mountain top crumbled, a figure shooting out before slowly landing on the ground.
He landed on the ruins of the mountain top, opened his mouth and violently inhaled.
The pillar of dark gold Genesis Qi that had reached 484 feet rapidly shrunk, and was eventually swallowed into the figure’s stomach.
Rumble!
Powerful Genesis Qi undulations began to pulse from the figure’s body, his aura surging as the air around him trembled.
Clothes flapping wildly, the young figure turned around and looked in Xiao Tianxuan’s direction. The revealed face naturally belonged to Zhou Yuan.
He stared at Xiao Tianxuan, a smile seemingly appearing on his face.
“5 million Genesis crystals is truly a huge sum, even I am a little tempted to hand my head over to you…”
His five fingers slowly closed into a fist as he paused.
“However, before thinking about that, I believe that it is time for us to settle our debt…”
Chapter 154 Golden Magical Python Scales
Atop the mountain peak.
Zhou Yuan’s clothes fluttered, his eyes suffused with a sliver of iciness as he stared at Xiao Tianxuan some distance away.
Not only had the latter caused him to pay extra in the auction for no good reason, Xiao Tianxuan had even placed a bounty on Zhou Yuan, causing him no small amount of trouble. It was now finally time for these debts to be cleared.
Xiao Tianxuan did not seem to mind Zhou Yuan’s icy gaze, instead, mockery appeared on the former’s face as he coldly said, “What bold words.”
“Do you truly believe that advancing to the Heaven Gate stage makes you invincible? Who here is not also at the Heaven Gate stage?”
“Moreover, so what if your Genesis Qi can reach over 400 feet? At the end of the day, you are merely an initial Heaven Gate practitioner.”
His gaze turned towards the numerous restless individuals in the area as he continued to speak, “My bounty I previously placed on his head is still valid. Whoever can take his life will be awarded 5 million Genesis crystals.”
Those that stayed were clearly aiming for the bounty. 5 million was no small sum after all, and was more than enough to buy the cultivation resources they needed.
Hence, several gazes filled with ill inten
t began to turn towards Zhou Yuan.
It was just as Xiao Tianxuan had said. Zhou Yuan’s feat of reaching over 400 feet was indeed stunning, and was more than a testament to his solid foundations. When all was said and done however, he was still only an initial Heaven Gate stage practitioner.
Turning their Genesis Qi into a pillar that was over 400 feet tall was something that several of the advance Heaven Gate stage practitioners present were also capable of.
The current Zhou Yuan was merely an initial Heaven Gate stage practitioner. Although he was one cultivation level higher, this did not make much of a difference to the advance Heaven Gate stage practitioners present.
Therefore, it was not long before a bald man walked out. He had a fierce looking face while cruelness flickered in his eyes. He displayed a savage smile to Zhou Yuan as he said, “I’ve butchered quite a few geniuses, but its my first time dealing with someone like you.”
Boom!
Vigorous Genesis Qi exploded from his body, revealing that he was an advance Heaven Gate stage expert.
Bang!
His body lowered slightly and his foot powerfully slammed into the ground, causing it to crack as his figure was sent shooting forward like a cannonball, charging straight at Zhou Yuan.
“Mid grade Black Genesis technique, Metal Devil Head!”
The bald man’s shout was akin to thunder. One could only watch in surprise as he used his head as a weapon, Genesis Qi surging over it as the smooth head took on a gleaming metallic black luster. The terrifying charge blasted away the surrounding air, an attack that was forceful and unyielding to the limit.
The bald man’s attack looked rather comical, but its ferocity still made the expressions of several people present change slightly.
Surprise flitted across Zhou Yuan’s eyes as he watched the black figure ferociously charge towards him. Every individual specialized in a different kind of offense, while this person’s most deadly weapon was his gleaming bald head.
“If it was before breaking through to the Heaven Gate stage, I would have to be a little more cautious about this headbutt.” Zhou Yuan softly chuckled. He did not move to avoid the attack, merely slowly closing his five fingers into a fist as tiny scales emerged on the back of his hand, scales that appeared golden.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 88