After a night of heavy drinking and cutting loose, Zhou Yuan threw his entire being into practicing the Mythic Saint Body the next day.

Although he had obtained all seven Cangxuan arts, the Mythic Saint Body was obviously going to be the quickest one he could master. As for the others, he currently sorely lacked the time to comprehend and practice them.

After all, the Great Wu Empire was already gathering its army to wage war on the Great Zhou Empire, and Zhou Yuan’s father was likely trying to buy as much time as possible in anticipation of his return.

Hence, Zhou Yuan needed to make full use of every second he had, and did not have any time to waste.

Saint Genesis Peak, the rear mountains.

Zhou Yuan’s half naked body sat on the fire and water dragon tempering platform as he looked towards the old hunched figure on the cliff and said, “Old Xuan, I’ll have to trouble you again.”

Old Xuan leaned on his bamboo broom as he unhurriedly asked, “Do you really want to raise it to the fourth level?”

The water and fire dragon tempering platform had eighteen levels, each level several times more intense than the previous. While Zhou Yuan was practicing the little Mythic Saint Body in the past, merely the first and second levels had already tortured him till he wished he was dead. Despite all this, the little kid wanted to attempt the fourth level.

Zhou Yuan’s eyes were determined as he solemnly nodded his head.

The Mythic Saint Body training was much more difficult, and would not be easy to master even with his little Mythic Saint Body foundations.

In the process, he likewise needed to train very hard.

Although the pain would be great, it should be within bearable limits.

Old Xuan was silent for a moment before his elderly face turned serious. “You’d better prepare yourself. Don’t die on the fire and water dragon tempering platform because your Great Zhou Empire will be finished if you do so.”

Zhou Yuan grinned. “I won’t!”

Old Xuan did not waste any more time and gently swept the broom in his hand.

Bzz!

The ground began to shake a split second later as the great river below the cliff began to churn violently, causing giant waves to rise.

The scales on the two stone dragons coiled around the left and right cliffs began to light up one by one. In the end, two torrents of berserk to the limit fire and water Genesis Qi spouted out.

Half the world turned scorching hot, while the other half turned chillingly cold.

Rumble!

Fire and water burst forth, ultimately meeting at the spot where Zhou Yuan was seated, instantly drowning his figure.

Zhou Yuan’s body began to violently tremble. His skin and flash began to be torn open at a speed that could be seen by the naked eye, causing blood to gush out. However, he tenaciously gritted his teeth, guttural roars that had been suppressed to the limit escaping his throat as his face twisted in pain.

Old Xuan watched the figure that bitterly persisted within the raging fire and water as his gnarly hands slightly tightened around the bamboo broom, ready to sweep in to save Zhou Yuan at any moment.

This kid would not be allowed to die here.

Meanwhile, he also sighed inside. Even he had not expected the little one before him to become the leader of the Cangxuan Sect Chosen in a short two years.

Most importantly, he had also become the first disciple in the sect’s history to gather all seven arts through the Chosen challenge...

“If master was still around, he would likely be happy that such a talented genius has been produced in our sect…” mumbled old Xuan.

Meanwhile, on another peak in the distance.

Yaoyao was seated on the edge of a cliff, her long, slender legs hanging off the edge. The fair legs seemed to sparkle like crystals under the sunlight.

She gently swung them back and forth while she peered towards the painfully howling Zhou Yuan far away.

Yaoyao gently stroked Tuntun, pursing her lips slightly as she softly said, “This battle belongs to him. We cannot interfere.”

Although seeing Zhou Yuan suffer in this manner was a little unbearable, Yaoyao understood that the eventual fight with Wu Huang and the Great Wu Empire was part of Zhou Yuan’s destiny.

As such, the Cangxuan Sect’s decision to not directly help Zhou Yuan deal with King Wu was in truth better for Zhou Yuan.

Both Wu Huang and King Wu were obstacles Zhou Yuan needed to overcome on his cultivation journey, obstacles that he needed to overcome by himself. Only then would he truly be able to escape the shadow the Great Wu Empire had once cast on him.

Only by directly smashing through all these obstacles would he finally be able to properly align his thoughts, and shift his gaze away from King Wu to an even further goal.

Yaoyao would willingly help Zhou Yuan sweep away all of these obstructions, but she did not want her help to make him lose his drive instead. Hence, there were many occasions over the past two years where she had chosen to silently stand behind him and watch him over numerous trials and challenges, even if the price was a body riddled in wounds. The path of cultivation was difficult after all. For Zhou Yuan to travel even further and even reach the end, he needed to face such obstacles by himself.

Especially this time...

It was very likely that even Zhou Yuan himself did not want her and Tuntun to interfere.

In her arms, Tuntun also cast a glance at the figure within the raging fire and water as it shook its tail and barked.

“Are you saying he will win…”

Yaoyao pulled back a stray strand of black hair that had fallen by her cheek as a faint smile rose from the corners of her lips.

“There’s no doubt that it will be so.”

...

The training in the rear mountains did not stop after an entire day.

Zhou Yuan’s howls of pains echoed in the mountains from dawn till dusk.

His tenacity made even old Xuan’s expression change slightly, making him understand a little why Zhou Yuan had been able to achieve what so many disciples had failed to in the Cangxuan Sect.

However, although Zhou Yuan suffered the greatest of pains under the torturous tempering of the fire and water, it was not for nothing.

His body grew stronger as each day passed.

The little Mythic Body’s jade skin and silver bone gradually began to evolve into the mythic-jade skin and star-silver bone.

The transformation process took about half a month.

On a certain day.

Old Xuan’s eyelids suddenly jerked atop the cliff as he cast his gaze towards the meeting point of the fire and water torrents, where the seated figure seemed to be slowly rising to his feet.

No Genesis Qi spread from his body, but raw physical might poured out as his flesh moved, slowly pushing apart the churning fire and water.

Roar!

A bare-torsed figure suddenly roared at the sky.

The roar boomed like thunder, instantly destroying the two torrents of fire and water.

Rumble!

His foot slammed into the ground, flinging his figure into the air. He landed with a loud thud on the cliffside, pulverizing the rock under his feet.

Old Xuan looked over, and found jade light flowing across Zhou Yuan’s entire body. The jade glow was even more clear and crystal-like compared to before, while a beast-like power flooded out of his body like a tsunami.

A gratified look appeared on old Xuan’s elderly face.

“Congratulations Zhou Yuan, you’ve truly mastered the Mythic Saint Body.”

After over twenty days of tough training, Zhou Yuan had finally evolved his little Mythic Saint Body into the Mythic Saint Body!

Light surged in Zhou Yuan’s eyes as he felt the surging raw might in his body. He felt that his body had now become the strongest amongst this generation of Cangxuan Sect disciples.

It had surpassed even Shang Chunqiu.

Phew.

Stream of white qi puffed out from Zhou Yuan’s nose before he bowed towards old Xuan.

“When will you be leaving?” asked old Xuan.

Now that Zhou Yuan’s physical body was complete, he would likely be unable to wait any longer.

Zhou Yuan’s eyes were filled with spirited battle intent as he said in a low voice, “Tomorrow.”

Old Xuan hugged his bamboo broom as he softly chuckled. “Come back alive. After so many years, you’re the first disciple to have gathered all seven Cangxuan arts. The road you will walk in the future should be much much longer, and a mere Great Wu Empire should not be your final destination.”

Zhou Yuan raised his head and peered into the distant sky. Sunlight reflected off his pupils, making it seem as if a scarlet-red flame was burning within them.

King Wu, there are some things that do not belong to the Great Wu Empire...

So, are you ready?