Chapter 51 - Cang Xuan

(Guys the moment you all await will come in the next 2 chapters. As you all know all the major enemies in this arc have been killed by Zhou Yuan so I am not going to waste time here and will start from the time when Zhou Yuan has reached the first blessing Platform. He alone reached it as other people were not able to handle the pressure of the Genesis Qi flood.

You could say that I am lazy but it is the truth as this part of the story is extremely boring and overwritten.

In this Chapter Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao will meet Cang Xuan)

As soon as Zhou Yuan reached the highest Saint Stone Stage, a little stone path emerged from the clouds that surrounded the peak to the top of the mountain.

Zhou Yuan smiled as he shook his head, it seemed no one was able to reach the highest saint stone stage except for him.

Although he anticipated it, he was still a little disappointed as this seemed rather anticlimactic as he won the greatest blessing without a final boss fight scenario.

Even so, Zhou Yuan doubted that any one of the younger generations in the Cangmang continent was his match.

He started climbing all the while admiring the beauty of the surroundings.

He was not in a hurry as he knew that Yaoyao was safe and sound.

Faint mists swirled in the vicinity of the small cobbled path on which Zhou Yuan, as the path finally reached another mountaintop, it was replaced by a foresty overgrown path.

It looked like a miracle of nature and with all the vegetation on his sides it was a sight to behold.

Walking slowly all the while admiring the natural beauty of the place he saw a stone pavilion after several minutes.

In the stone pavilion, a beautiful figure in white leaned against a stone chair. Her white clothes outlined her slender curves, fine black hair hanging downwards, a bottle in one hand and a cup in the other as she leisurely poured for herself and drank.

There was also one empty cup which was there as if she had anticipated that he would reach this quickly.

Seeing Zhou Yuan, Yaoyao's eyes shined as she waved her hands toward him as if to signal him to come quickly.

Seeing such childish actions from Yaoyao caused Zhou Yuan to internally shake his head.

Even so, he still increased his speed and in an instant, he was at Yaoyao's side.

Yaoyao who was drinking wine, put the cup on the table and gently embraced Zhou Yuan from the side.

Zhou Yuan reciprocated the hug as he poured himself and Yaoyao wine.

They drank wine and conversed with each other for a while before they decided to go ahead and meet the master of this domain, the one who transported Yaoyao here, Cang Xuan.

The two walked out of the stone pavilion, heading deeper into the place.

They walked along the cobbled mountain path, passing through a dense forest before their footsteps finally came to a halt. To their front was a cliff.

Beyond the cliff were seemingly endless swirling mists.

A giant pine tree stood by the edge of the cliff, under the tree which was jade white, there was a stone chair on which a figure could be seen.

"So you're finally here, are you?"

The moment Yaoyao and Zhou Yuan's eyes fell upon the figure, a gentle and kind voice was transmitted over.

The figure raised his head. One would see that his jade-like skin was just like a baby's. Long hair scattered behind him, his face was that of a young man. His eyes however seemed to contain an ancientness that spoke of countless years of experiences.

"It is my honor to finally meet you, Patriarch," Zhou Yuan said in a tone full of respect as he bowed towards the figure.

Yaoyao on the side looked a little surprised as she heard the the tone in which Zhou Yuan talked.

She hadn't heard such a tone from Zhou Yuan ever since he talked to Grandpa Hei. From her conversation with him in the past, he had revealed that he did not respect people just because they were powerful, he respected their character or actions more.

This made Yaoyao understand that the figure before them was an extremely terrifying existence.

In fact… he was most likely the legendary Saint that had died.

Meanwhile, the figure was a little surprised, he did not expect the little lad to figure out his identity.

Zhou Yuan respected Cang Xuan very much, as the man had sacrificed his chance to run away to save Yaoyao, the man was the only saint who tried his best to solve the problem of Cang Xuan Heaven by becoming the heaven master and was not like other saints who went to other heavens.

His selfless acts continued even after his death.

He also helped Zhou Yuan countless times in the original work. 

"I did not expect you to figure out my identity Little lad", the figure's tone was filled with a little appreciation.

Saying so he began to move toward the duo, and he stopped in front of Yaoyao.

"It's nice to see you after so long"

Yaoyao stood there stumped for a moment.

"You... know me?"

"I know Cang Yuan, but knowing who I am, I guess you already knew that"

"As for me, the little lad here already guessed my identity but let me introduce myself"

"I am the Saint who died… you may call me patriarch Cang Xuan."

"Do you know where he is", Yaoyao asked with some hope in her voice. She had grown up under Cang Yuan's care and treated him as a grandpa. She was naturally worried about Cang Yuan but did not know how to find him.

"I do not"

"I see", Yaoyao's eyes dimmed a little.

Patriarch Cang Xuan shook his head. "But, you need not worry for him. The old guy's pretty capable, and will naturally seek you out when he feels that it's safe."

"Does elder know of my origins"

"It is not appropriate for me to speak of these matters, but you will discover the answers for yourself if you find a chance in the future."

He was avoiding Yaoyao's question.

Hence, Yaoyao did not ask any further on the topic.

"Anyway, you need not worry too much, everything will reveal itself in the future, For now, come take a seat. I have finally found people worthy of hearing me, I would like to tell you my story."

The duo nodded Acquising with his request.

The duo followed Cang Xuan to the stone table that was set in the middle of the overhang, taking a seat as requested.

With a wave of his hand, a mist formed around the tip of Cang Xuans fingers, slowly turning into a screen of sorts, revealing a sky filled with blood-red Genesis Qi.

The screen foretold a battle between 4 Saints in a 3 vs 1 scenario. Despite Cang Xuan being a Double-Lotus Saint, each of the Saints in the sky that had surrounded him was on a completely different level,

"This is the day of your death?"

"Yes, Zhou Yuan... this is the retelling of the day this Domain was created."

Despite such magnificent figures floating in the sky with authority that no one dared question, the more interesting and eye-grabbing addition to the tale was the small baby that Cang Xuan was holding.

"Patriarch those figures they are triple lotus saints aren't they?"

"Yes, you are correct, It seems that you are quite an intuitive person Zhou Yuan"

"Thanks for Patriarch's praise, it's just I got a glimpse at a similar figure when we visited the ruins of an Ancient Sect"

Cang Xuan secretly nodded as it was quite possible. In the ancient time, the Sacred Race had annihilated various old sects which defied them.

On the screen, the situation turned grave.

No matter how powerful, Cang Xuan was he was not a match for three triple lotus saints.

But Zhou Yuan knew that Cang Xuan was heavily weakened, and his authority over Saint Stamp was severely damaged otherwise killing a heaven master in their heaven is a near impossible task, more so a peak 2 Lotus saint like Cang Xuan who was considered a peak expert even in the omega shrine.

Cang Xuan was weakened two times otherwise he could have refined a 3 Lotus saint using his supreme art.

This is why Zhou Yuan respected Cang Xuan, the man most likely knew that he would be killed but he did not give up and begged for mercy as most would, he fought and managed to fool such people even on the verge of his death, he was also a decisive person as he destroyed the Saint stamp to make sure the sacred race doesn't achieve their goal.

On the screen a sudden change happened, It happened in a single instant. Cang Xuan stopped running, taking a final glance at the baby he was holding. He felt it, 3 indescribably powerful attacks converging all at once. He didn't attempt to block, instead, he tore open the space itself and slid the child inside.

It was a few moments after that, that his body was struck, and eviscerated in an instant.

Rays of gold light struck throughout the Heavens at his death, a phenomenon known as a Saints Death. Even just watching such an event brought shivers to Zhou Yuan. How frightening such power was.

"Would you all like to know who it was that I was protecting? Who that baby was?"

The unanimous silence of the duo gave him his answer.

"It was you, Yao Yao."

"But how can that be, I do not have any memory of this incident and the timelines do not match at all.", hearing his answer Yaoyao clenched her hand and asked Cang Xuan with a blank look.

Cang Xuan only laughed at his words.

"You are not a normal person, and cannot be judged by normal means. I'm sure you have figured at least that much out by now. Though, if you are to look at your age as of now, you two are not so different."

A glass of wine was suddenly pushed in front of Cang Xuan.

"If it can be said that you are my savior, I devote this cup to you. Elder.", Yaoyao said with gratitude.

Although she did not know why, at the end of the day, the person before her had died while saving her. In addition, Yaoyao could sense that he was not lying.

It was also because this person saved her that she was able to meet Grandpa Hei, Tuntun, and most importantly... Zhou Yuan.

Patriarch Cang Xuan was stunned for a moment as he stared at the cup before him. Soon after, he chuckled and said, "I find myself liking this cup of alcohol."

He held it with both hands and downed it in one swift motion, seemingly wanting to bask in this moment a little more.

Yaoyao gazed at patriarch Cang Xuan and asked, "Who are the three figures that attacked old mister? They should be after me, right? And Grandpa Hei's departure is likely also related to them."

It was right then that the atmosphere shifted.

"They are the Sacred Race", Cang Xuan's voice was filled with murderous intent and malice.

It was clear that he did not like them one bit.

"Recorded in common history as the first race created by the primordial mass of creation"

"But this is not true at all, it is just that they are birthed with a much more advanced structure, allowing them to harness greater power than humans. In ancient times, they were the rulers of the world. Every other race was enslaved by them, living under their control until we rebelled. Despite us being able to escape their grasp we are still at a disadvantage"

Cang Xuan looked at Zhou Yuan and asked, "Zhou Yuan what do you know of our world?"

"In my knowledge, the world we live in is called Tianyuan World, it currently has 9 heavens, and of the nine Heavens, the Sacred race owns four, while the other five are shared by the various races."

Cang Xuan smiled in appreciation before continuing.

"Yes you are correct"

"Then why is the Sacred race after me?" Yaoyao frowned slightly.

Hearing Yaoyao's relentless question about her identity made Zhou Yuan feel a little bit Guilty as he knew her identity but he consoled himself as this was not to her benefit to know such things right now and if he expressed these things then they would undoubtedly arouse the suspicion from Cang Xuan and Yaoyao, as this was highly confidential information.

This could lead to several uncontrollable variables which might render his future knowledge useless.

All this time he had to appear curious otherwise Cang Xuan might catch on to his abnormality.

This was the greatest mystery for her. The Sacred race relentlessly hunted her down, and even a Saint-level expert like patriarch Cang Xuan had been willing to die to protect her.

Not to mention Grandpa Hei who had also been protecting her all this time.

In response to this question, patriarch Cangxuan was silent for some time, before he said, "I cannot give you an answer because the implications are far too great. Both of you are still too weak, knowing too much will only allow you to be more easily found by the great powers of the Sacred race."

He stared at Yaoyao and Zhou Yuan as he continued, "In the future, when both of you become truly strong, you will naturally find out."

"Don't be so disheartened, you are not the only reason that they wanted to kill me, The Sacred Race wants to reattain control over the 9 heavens, meaning they wanted to take control of the Cangxuan Heaven. The 5 heavens that are not controlled by the Sacred Race are protected by an array known as the Chaos Origin Sacred Killer Array. It was all for all purposes and intents used to stop the Sacred Race from entering the 5 Heavens. If the Sacred Race tried to enter heaven the 5 heavens they would either be mortally wounded or killed, even if they were Triple Lotus Saints."

"After the great war, the various races were freed from the Sacred race' enslavement and set up the Chaos Origin Sacred Killer Array, which restricted the entry of the apex level experts of the Sacred race into the five great Heavens. However, the Sacred race began to recruit members of the human race, creating a faction that served them, treated them as gods, and did their bidding."

"Sacred Palace is one such faction, they are the mangey dogs of the Sacred Race who were recruited by them in the Cangxuan Heaven."

"If not for the Sacred Palace's meddling, resulting in a vulnerability in the Chaos Origin Saint Killer Array that in turn allowed the apex-level experts of the Sacred race to descend, I would have long wiped them off the face of this world!"

At this point, chilling killing intent rose in patriarch Cang Xuan's eyes.

"The primary reason why I was hunted by the apex level experts from the Sacred Race was that they wanted to steal the Saint Stamp of Cangxuan Heaven, which gives the owner complete control over their respective Heaven, so Yaoyao was not the sole reason why they wanted to hunt me down."

"They killed me and divided my Spirit into parts that were sealed, but they still failed to get the stamp as the Cangxuan Saint Stamp was also split and scattered by me"

"Zhou Yuan, do you know the origins of the saint Rune that you found at the bottom of the golden pool?", Cang Xuan asked with a mysterious smile.

"From the way you are foreshadowing it Patriarch, I would guess that its origin is the Saint Stamp"

"Bingo, It was my last resort of sorts in case the Sacred Palace managed to find all the pieces. Without the runes, all the pieces can't come together."

"Even before I was hunted by the Sacred Race Experts, I was already long prepared for such a scenario. I had sealed the main vessel, while splitting off the four Saint Runes on it, weakening its power and preventing the Sacred race from finding its location."

"This Saint Rune you have is called the Decoder Saint Rune and can find the vulnerabilities in all things. It's also one of the four Main Saint Runes that I split off from the Cangxuan Saint Stamp." Patriarch Cangxuan smiled faintly.

"I see", Zhou Yuan said, "Don't worry patriarch I will do my best to collect all the saint runes and stop the sacred palace from finding the Saint Stamp, and become the next heaven master."

Hearing his answer Cang Xuan was stunned for a moment as he was going to ask Zhou Yuan to collect the Saint Runes but did not expect Zhou Yuan to be so proactive.

"Why? You should also know that if by any chance Sacred Palace finds out even a small hint about this, you will be their target."

"Patriarch I promised Master Cang Yuan to protect Yaoyao, they have to step over my dead body before they even touch a single strand of her hair, for her sake, I am willing to fight the entire Sacred Race, not to mention dogs of Sacred Race like Sacred Palace"

"If I want to grow powerful enough to protect her, then the Saint Runes will be very beneficial for me in my journey to become strong", Zhou Yuan did not lie because it would be detrimental to lie in front of a saint expert even if he had died.

Hearing his answer Cang Xuan was not mad on the contrary he was very relieved as he would not have to worry about Yaoyao's safety if she was in Zhou Yuan's care.

From what he had observed, Zhou Yuan's talent and Qualifications even surpassed his at the same stage, and that was saying something as Cang Xuan had the talent to become a third lotus saint in some thousand years if he had not died.

If he left the Cangxuan Heaven like other saints and did not become a heaven master he could have become a Third Lotus Saint more easily as Cangxuan Heaven's Genesis Qi was very disordered which prevented a saint's advancement, in fact in late stages of cultivation it slowed down the cultivation speed of a person in comparison with other Heavens.

So overall he was very satisfied with Zhou Yuan.

Hearing Zhou Yuan's answer Yaoyao on the side blushed feeling a flutter in her stomach.

"Very well, I intend for you to find all the Saint Runes before you complete the Saint Stamp. Each Rune will lead you to the next, but I will tell you where the Second Rune is. In the Cangxuan Sect, there is a peak called Saint Genesis."

"When I died I locked it away. The second Rune is there. The Saint Genesis Peak was sealed by me in my tower before I died, making it such that no one could enter there. After the two of you enter Cangxuan Sect and pass the peak selection ceremony, you can use my signet to enter Saint Genesis Peak, break the seal, and reopen it."

"And you also have to keep this matter confidential, all the talks that happened here should not reach the ears of anyone in the Cangxuan Sect."

"I see, is there any significant reason for this Patriarch?", Zhou Yuan calmly asked.

"Yes there is a very important reason, I suspect that my death was not solely because of an outsider, but also because of a mole inside Cangxuan Sect."

"Worry not Patriarch I will make sure that anyone in the Cangxuan Sect doesn't even get a wind of what was discussed here."

Cang Xuan nodded, he appreciated the vigilance Zhou Yuan displayed.

He thought of something and smiled.

"You have impressed me very much Zhou Yuan, I have observed your fights, and your talent is something I have never seen before, Once you collect all of your Sacred Dragon Blessing, Even I can't guess the heights you will reach."

"My saint blood was won by you through your efforts so allow me to give you this gift.", As he said this Cang Xuan pointed his finger as a light shot from his finger and merged into Zhou Yuan's forehead.

As soon as the light merged into his forehead, information about a new technique appeared in Zhou Yuan's Mind.

'Taiyi Green Wood Mark'

Zhou Yuan was overjoyed, this technique was exactly what he was craving as this would fasten his progress in External Cultivation once he started it.

"Once you unlock the Saint Genesis Peak there will be a gift for you in my tower. This technique was created by me, the one I have given you is the Lesser Saint Technique, this one is a derived version of the Saint Genesis Technique."

"But do not underestimate its power, it improves the Yuan Master's regenerative ability and vitality as well as their overall physical strength with life energy. At its highest level, you can also Regenerate your own body from scratch as long as your head is still intact."

"That Saint Genesis Technique is there in my Personal Tower. My signet is infused with my signature Genesis Qi which will let the Technique come to you so you won't have any difficulty in acquiring it, this can be considered your other gift."

Hearing all these Zhou Yuan was overwhelmed for a while.

"Thank you, Patriarch, I will not let you down"

"Don't think much of it, just think of it as my investment in you, I can't bear to let a person of talent fade into mediocrity, it will be a huge loss to the human race as a whole."

Saying this Cang Xuan extended his hand as golden rays of light gathered towards it, gradually taking the shape of a drop of golden liquid.

Just the Genesis Qi fluctuations from it shocked Zhou Yuan, he could feel the boundless Genesis Qi contained within it, the purity level causing him to nod appreciatively.

This also allowed him to see that he still has many levels to go in terms of Genesis Qi purity.

"This is the blessing for which many people travel hundreds of kilometers in hopes of attaining it."

"This is your reward which you have achieved after defeating and surpassing countless people"

This drop of Saint blood held the wonders of a Saint.

It was said that absorbing it would wash one's bones of impurities and strengthen them. When taken by practitioners that had yet to open their meridian channels, it would take them past the Channel Opening stage, and directly to the Qi Nourishing stage. Moreover, their foundations would be unimaginably solid.

However, no one would be willing to use such a valuable thing on someone who had yet to open any meridian channels...

In addition, the Saint's blood could reconstruct one's foundations. If one encountered problems in one's cultivation that led to instability in one's foundations, the reconstruction process would be able to perfectly fix these problems.

Most importantly of course, there were numerous marvels contained within the Saint blood, which were extremely beneficial to one's future cultivation progress.

Zhou Yuan looked at the Saint Blood and sat down under the pine tree.

He gave Yaoyao a brief nod, before closing his eyes.

Patriarch Cang Xuan flicked his finger, and the golden Saint's blood transformed into a flash of gold as it shot out. It rapidly expanded in the air, turning into a viscous golden mist that flowed into Zhou Yuan through his nose.

Boom!

A loud boom instantly exploded in Zhou Yuan's mind. He felt as if a volcano was erupting in his body.

Scorching golden mist frantically washed through his four limbs and bones like lava.

In his Qi Dwelling, the Azure Gold World Subduing Heavenly Serpent Qi hissed and began greedily devouring the golden mist.

Viscous golden mist filled every corner of Zhou Yuan's body, slowly seeping into his flesh, blood, and bones...

At this moment, glowing specks of gold began to surface in the blood, flesh, and bones within his body.

The Genesis Qi undulations from Zhou Yuan's body steadily rose…

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END

4095 Words