I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

Chapter 325 Better safe than sorry! Successfully lured! Seized the sacred beast!

Zhou Yuan stood on a low hill in a remote, uninhabited grassland, his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant horizon.

According to the information he gathered from Junxian and along the way, this place was only about half a day away from Hulan Holy City, given his speed.

However, he was not in a hurry to continue his journey.

He slowly closed his eyes, and his powerful divine sense, comparable to that of someone in the early stages of the Nascent Soul realm, spread out silently like an invisible tide.

Sensing the subtle disturbances in the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth over a wider area, as well as the "traces" of cultivators' activities.

A moment later, Zhou Yuan slowly opened his eyes, his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly.

"Something's not right—" he muttered to himself, a sharp glint in his eyes.

Over the past half-day, as he gradually approached Hulan Holy City, his powerful divine sense clearly detected that the auras of Nascent Soul cultivators active in this area were appearing far too frequently!

Moreover, it was not a chance encounter; many auras lingered and lingered near the holy city, or moved and converged in a regular pattern in the outer regions.

Although most of these auras were well concealed, they still couldn't escape his divine sense, which was comparable to the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

"Based on this frequency and number—" Zhou Yuan quickly calculated in his mind, "At this moment, there are probably more than forty Nascent Soul cultivators gathered in or around Hulan Holy City! There may even be more, reaching fifty!"

Moreover, some of their auras seemed exceptionally deep and refined; these must be the renowned late-stage Nascent Soul Grandmasters from the grasslands.

A playful smile curved his lips. "It seems the news of my inquiries into the whereabouts of the Holy Maiden and the Sacred Beast in Junxian has reached here. My friends on the grasslands are certainly giving me a warm welcome." "Ah, are they laying a trap, waiting for me to walk right into it?"

Faced with such a formidable force, Zhou Yuan felt no fear.

With his current cultivation level, magical treasures, supernatural powers, especially his almost inexhaustible mana and powerful spiritual attack methods, he is a formidable force.

Even if he were surrounded by dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators, he was confident that he could fight his way out and even kill a group of them.

However, this does not mean he would foolishly rush headlong into the opponent's home turf and confront their carefully laid out dragon's den, which may contain ancient formations, combined attack techniques, and several late-stage cultivators of the same level.

"It's not that I, Zhou, am afraid of them."

Zhou Yuan's gaze remained calm. "However, knowingly jumping into a trap is the act of a reckless fool. My goal here is that Heavenly Azure Sacred Beast, not to wage a final battle against the entire cultivation world of the grasslands. There's no need to waste precious time and mana on such pointless expenditures."

He quickly made a decision: "Since you are so sure that I will head straight for Hulan Holy City and lay my trap there—then I will not go. I will wait here and see what you can do to me."

He swayed and landed on the low hill, found a relatively flat boulder, and sat down cross-legged.

He did not deliberately conceal his figure, but his aura was like a drop of water entering the sea, blending into the surrounding environment. Unless one's cultivation level far surpasses his or one possesses a special secret technique, it would be extremely difficult to accurately locate him on the vast grassland.

He waited patiently, like an experienced hunter waiting for his prey to lose patience and reveal a weakness.

Hulan Holy City, deep within the temple.

The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

The once spacious and magnificent hall was now teeming with people.

Forty-six Nascent Soul stage immortal masters from various tribes of the grasslands were arranged on both sides according to the strength and seniority of their respective tribes.

Among these people were elderly men with white hair, middle-aged men with a robust aura, and women with beautiful faces but sharp eyes.

They wore distinctive clothing and ornaments representing their respective tribal totems, radiating varying degrees of intensity.

However, they have all reached the imposing aura of the Nascent Soul stage.

With so many Nascent Soul cultivators gathered together, the spiritual pressure they exuded was enough to cause any Core Formation cultivator to mentally collapse.

Throughout the main hall, visible layers of spiritual runes flowed continuously across the floor, walls, and dome.

Countless powerful restrictions that had been set up beforehand were like lurking venomous snakes, ready to unleash a fatal blow at any moment.

The entire hall had been transformed into an impenetrable cage, just waiting for the target to step inside.

However, three days passed.

Inside the main hall, apart from the low hum of the protective barrier in operation and the occasional whispers, there was a deathly silence.

The anticipated presence of the intruder never appeared within the Holy City's warning zone.

Lin Yinping, seated in the main seat, had a face veiled in frost beneath her white veil. Her delicate brows were furrowed, and her beautiful eyes were filled with surprise and impatience.

"What happened?"

Her cold voice, tinged with suppressed anger, broke the silence in the hall. "The Junxian tribe's message clearly stated that Zhou Yuan had already set off. Given his speed, he should have arrived at the Holy City in three days! Why is there still no movement? Did he change his mind along the way? Or—did he realize something?"

Below, a burly, bearded Nascent Soul mid-stage Immortal Master spoke in a deep voice: "Holy Maiden, in my opinion, Zhou Yuan who came from the south that day probably heard rumors that our Holy City was teeming with powerful figures, and was too afraid to come! Hmph, what 'Number One in the South'? He's nothing but a coward with an undeserved reputation!"

Upon hearing this, many immortal masters in the hall nodded in agreement, their faces showing disdain.

"Exactly! I doubt he'd dare trespass on my holy city!"

"They've probably already slunk away back to the south with their tails between their legs!"

"You've made us wait here for days in vain, what a waste of our time!"

Lin Yinping frowned even more deeply. Although she hoped that Zhou Yuan would back down, she still felt a vague unease in her heart.

If Zhou Yuanruo were truly such a coward, how could he have cultivated to the late Nascent Soul stage in just two or three hundred years and earned such a formidable reputation? There must be something else going on here.

"Holy Maiden, since Zhou Yuan isn't coming, we can't just waste our time here."

An elderly man with a gloomy face and a gaunt build, in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, spoke slowly, his voice hoarse, "Why don't we send people out to search? If this person is still on the grasslands, he must not have gone far. If we mobilize most of our forces and conduct a thorough search, we will surely be able to find him! At that time, it is better to surround and kill him outside than to wait passively here."

Upon hearing this, Xu Changqing nodded slightly: "Elder Xuan Gui is right. Rather than waiting here for trouble, we should take the initiative."

If Zhou Yuan is indeed lingering nearby, he must be up to something. If we divert some men to expand the search area, we might be able to force him to reveal himself or cut off his escape route.

Sun Erniang also chuckled and said, "I also think we should go out and look for him. It's so boring staying cooped up in this hall all the time. If I could personally take the head of 'the number one person in the south,' that wouldn't be bad."

Lin Yinping pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Very well. Then I'll trouble Immortal Master Xu and Immortal Master Sun to each lead half of the immortal masters to search carefully in the east and south directions of the Holy City. The rest of the immortal masters will stay in the Holy City and strengthen vigilance to prevent being lured away from the mountain. If any discoveries are made, send a message immediately, and do not act rashly, lest we be defeated one by one."

"Um!"

Xu Changqing and Sun Erniang nodded and immediately began selecting manpower.

Soon, more than half of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the main hall, along with the two great immortal masters, transformed into streaks of different colors and left the holy city, dispersing to search the vast grasslands.

The nascent soul energy within the holy city immediately decreased by more than half.

Zhou Yuan sat quietly on the low mountain for several days, his powerful divine sense constantly spreading around him like a spider web.

When he sensed the auras of a large number of Nascent Soul cultivators moving and dispersing in the direction of Hulan Holy City, he knew that his waiting had come to an end.

"Oh, so you finally couldn't hold back and came out to search? And you've sent out quite a few people." Zhou Yuan smiled slightly. "It seems that Her Highness the Holy Maiden is still too young and lacks patience."

He stood up and stretched his limbs. At this moment, although the number of Nascent Soul cultivators in Hulan Holy City was still considerable, at least half of their high-end combat power had left, undoubtedly lowering their overall defense and responsiveness by a level.

"It's time to go and meet that saintess and the 'sacred beast' beside her."

Zhou Yuan no longer concealed his presence, but instead openly released his aura, transforming into a pale golden streak of light, and flew unhurriedly towards the direction of Hulan Holy City. He did not choose to launch a sneak attack, but instead revealed himself openly.

He wanted to see how the saintess would deal with him, this "uninvited guest," after losing most of her high-end combat power.

Several hours later, the majestic city walls and towering temple spire of Hulan Holy City were already in sight.

Zhou Yuan did not slow down and flew straight towards the main gate of the Holy City.

His undisguised late-stage Nascent Soul aura was like a torch in the night, instantly detected by the warning array and the Nascent Soul cultivators remaining in the Holy City!

"Enemy attack—!!"

A sharp alarm instantly rang out over the Holy City! The dozen or so Nascent Soul Immortal Masters who remained, along with Lin Yinping and the Holy Temple's guards, immediately sprang into action!

The city's protective array shone brightly, and layers of thick light curtains rose up, completely enveloping the entire holy city.

Several beams of light shot into the sky from the direction of the temple, hovering behind the light curtain above the city gate. Leading them was none other than the Holy Maiden Lin Yinping!

Behind her followed six or seven immortal masters whose auras ranged from the early to mid-stages of the Nascent Soul realm; all of them were elites left behind.

Everyone's expressions turned solemn, as if facing a formidable enemy, as they gazed at the rapidly approaching golden beam of light.

The light stopped about a hundred feet away from the Holy City's light barrier, and the radiance faded, revealing Zhou Yuan's young and calm face.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping indifferently over Lin Yinping and the others behind the light screen, as if he were looking at an ordinary scene.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou! Now that you're here, why linger outside the city? Why not come into our Holy Temple for a chat, and let us show you the hospitality of hosts!"

Lin Yinping suppressed her surprise and vigilance, forced a cool smile onto her face, and said loudly, her voice coming through the light screen with a hint of politeness and probing.

She secretly resented that Zhou Yuan had to appear at the exact moment when Xu Changqing and Sun Erniang were out searching with their men!

Could it be that he had been secretly spying on her all along? This made her feel uneasy.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan chuckled softly, shook his head, and spoke in a calm voice that clearly reached the ears of everyone in the city: "The Holy Temple is heavily fortified and fraught with danger. I'm too timid to go in and never come out. It's better to speak here openly."

He actually exposed the ambush in the temple!

Lin Yinping's smile froze, and her pupils contracted slightly.

She hadn't expected Zhou Yuan to be so straightforward, and she certainly hadn't expected him to seem to know everything about the layout of the Holy City!

The Nascent Soul Immortal Masters behind her also changed their expressions slightly, and their gazes toward Zhou Yuan became even more wary.

Lin Yinping took a deep breath, quickly adjusted her mindset, and looked at Zhou Yuan outside the light screen with a complicated expression.

Sensing at close range, she could clearly perceive that Zhou Yuan's cultivation was indeed at the late Nascent Soul stage, but his aura seemed slightly "new," as if he had just broken through not long ago. The depth and sophistication of his realm seemed to be less than that of Sun Erniang.

This put her at ease, but she was even more astonished that this person had reached this realm in less than three hundred years of cultivation. His talent was simply monstrous!

Today, should we, or are we, completely antagonize such a person?

Lin Yinping's mind raced, and she hesitated.

If she could lure Zhou Yuan into the Holy Temple, and with the combined strength of everyone and the pre-arranged restrictions, she was 70-80% confident she could keep him there.

But if he doesn't come in and stays outside the city—are we going to launch a full-scale attack?

Given Zhou Yuan's demonstrated speed and rumored combat prowess, it's hard to say whether he can be captured.

Moreover, once a fight breaks out, regardless of victory or defeat, both sides will completely break off relations.

After a moment's hesitation, Lin Yinping decided to find out their purpose before making a decision.

She spoke again, her tone softening slightly: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, you have come from afar. May I ask what brings you here? If there is anything my Tianlan Clan can do for you, please feel free to speak."

"It's very simple." Zhou Yuan looked directly at Lin Yinping and got straight to the point. "I've heard that your noble family recently successfully communicated with the upper realm and summoned a Heavenly Azure Sacred Beast," he said, his curiosity piqued. He wanted to see for himself what this being from the upper realm looked like. "I wonder if Your Highness, would you be so kind as to grant me this favor?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the grassland cultivators behind the light screen, including Lin Yinping, instantly darkened!

The way they looked at Zhou Yuan was full of vigilance and hostility!

The sacred beast is the future hope and foundation of their Tianlan clan. How could they easily allow an outsider, especially a top cultivator from Tiannan, to watch it at will?

Who knows what he's up to?

"presumptuous!"

"The sacred beast is a sacred object of our race; how dare you look at it as you please!"

"Arrogant! Leave the Holy City immediately, or don't blame us for being impolite!"

'

Several hot-tempered Nascent Soul Immortal Masters immediately shouted in anger.

Lin Yinping's expression turned completely cold, her voice icy: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, the sacred beast is a sacred object worshipped by our Tianlan Clan. This matter is of great importance and cannot be seen by outsiders. If you have come only to see the beast, you will likely be disappointed. Please leave!"

"Oh? In that case, never mind. I'll take my leave."

To Lin Yinping and the others' surprise, Zhou Yuan did not stop them or force his way in. Instead, he answered decisively and then his figure blurred, transforming into a pale golden streak of light. Without looking back, he sped off towards Fang Ai, who was far from the Holy City, and disappeared into the distant horizon in the blink of an eye.

This sudden and decisive departure left Lin Yinping and the others behind the light curtain stunned. They had expected Zhou Yuan to try to persuade them, or even take force, but they hadn't expected him to leave so cleanly and decisively.

"He... just left like that?" a Nascent Soul Immortal Master asked in astonishment.

Lin Yinping frowned, feeling that things were not so simple.

Zhou Yuan went to great lengths to find out about her and the sacred beast's whereabouts, even traversing the entire grassland to come here. Was it really just to exchange a few words outside the Holy City, catch a glimpse of the sacred beast, and then give up so easily after being rejected? This doesn't make sense!

"Something's not right!" Lin Yinping's heart skipped a beat, a sudden alarm bell rang in her ears. "He definitely has ulterior motives! Quick! Immediately send a message to Immortal Master Xu and Immortal Master Sun, informing them that Zhou Yuan has just appeared and has now departed to the southeast! Tell them to immediately surround and intercept him! Also, strengthen the security of the Holy City, especially the area where the Sacred Beast is located!"

"Yes!" Immediately, a celestial master was dispatched to deliver the message.

Lin Yinping turned and strode quickly towards the plaza deep within the temple, where the sacred beast resided. A sense of unease crept into her heart; she felt Zhou Yuan's departure was strange, and she needed to personally verify the sacred beast's safety.

However, just as she stepped into the Sacred Beast Plaza, preparing to communicate with the Sacred Beast Shi Xing telepathically to confirm its status, "BOOM—!!!"

A deafening roar echoed from the southeast of the Holy City, approximately seven hundred miles away! Immediately following, an extremely violent surge of magical power spread out like a tsunami, clearly felt by the cultivators of the Holy City even from seven hundred miles away!

"Oh no! It's Zhou Yuan! He hasn't gone far at all! He's right there!" Lin Yinping's expression changed drastically, and she instantly understood Zhou Yuan's intention! He wasn't trying to escape, but rather to lure the snakes out of their hole! He had calculated that she would send Xu Changqing and Sun Erniang to search, and he had calculated that she would send people to chase after him. He wanted to defeat them one by one in the wilderness!

"Sacred Beast! Follow me!"

Without hesitation, Lin Yinping leaped onto the head of the crimson bull-headed, dragon-bodied sacred beast that was still dozing and seemed indifferent to the outside world. She communicated with it using a secret technique, urging it to take off immediately.

The Heavenly Sacred Beast seemed somewhat reluctant to snort, but it eventually stood up, its crimson wings suddenly unfurling, and a gust of wind howled forth!

With a low roar, it carried Lin Yinping and transformed into a streak of crimson light, soaring into the sky at an astonishing speed disproportionate to its size, hurtling towards Fang Ai, from which the magical energy fluctuations originated! The sacred beast itself seemed to possess some special sensing ability, capable of locking onto Zhou Yuan's aura across extremely long distances!

Lin Yinping must get to the scene as soon as possible to join Xu Changqing, Sun Erniang and the others, otherwise, the scattered grassland immortal masters may be defeated one by one by Zhou Yuan!

Half a day later.

It is a desolate hilly area tens of thousands of miles away from the holy city of Hulan.

Zhou Yuan stopped his escape light and landed on a small hill. He turned around and looked at the sky behind him.

His divine sense clearly perceived that a crimson streak of light was chasing after him at an astonishing speed.

In a flash of light, it was none other than the Heavenly Azure Sacred Beast and Lin Yinping standing atop its head!

"Huh? They actually caught up. And they're not slow."

Zhou Yuan's eyes flashed with surprise, but his expression quickly cleared. "It seems that the sacred beast was behind this. With its special senses from its avatar in the spirit realm, it was able to pinpoint my location so accurately. Otherwise, with my speed and ability to conceal my divine sense, Lin Yinping, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, would never have been able to keep up."

He stopped in his tracks, no longer fleeing. Instead, he turned around, facing the rapidly approaching crimson streak of light, a triumphant smile playing on his lips.

"Since you, the sacred beast, have personally delivered yourself to my door, then I won't stand on ceremony."

He took a deep breath, and his body magic began to circulate rapidly. On the wind and thunder wings on his back, azure wind and thunder light suddenly shone!

"Crackling sound—!"

A crisp clap of thunder rang out! Zhou Yuan's figure vanished from the spot! In an instant, a golden-blue lightning bolt appeared seven hundred miles away, blocking the path of Lin Yinping and the sacred beast!

"What?!"

Standing atop the sacred beast, Lin Yinping suddenly saw a black-robed figure appear less than a hundred feet in front of her like a ghost, startling her so much that she turned pale and cried out in alarm!

She hadn't seen Zhou Yuan move at all! What kind of escape technique was that?!

"Holy Maiden Qi, thank you for presenting this generous gift to me."

Zhou Yuan wore a faint smile, but his gaze was already fixed on the crimson sacred beast and Lin Yinping standing on it.

Without further ado, he raised his right hand and struck out with a palm towards Lin Yinping and the sacred beast from afar!

"boom!"

A gigantic azure hand, formed entirely from pure magical power, as large as a small mountain and with clearly defined patterns, appeared out of thin air. It unleashed a terrifying, overwhelming pressure, slamming down towards Lin Yinping and the sacred beast! The palm wind howled, even the air itself seemed to explode, producing a piercing sonic boom!

"How dare you!" Lin Yinping was both shocked and furious. She hadn't expected Zhou Yuan to attack so suddenly, and with such a ferocious attack right away!

Her reaction was equally swift. With a flick of her slender hand, a silver-white, soft silk magic weapon, like a ribbon of silver, flew out from her sleeve. It grew longer in the wind, transforming into layers of silver light curtains that blocked the giant blue palm!

"BOOM—!!!"

The giant cyan palm collided violently with the silver light barrier! A deafening roar erupted! The silver light barrier trembled violently, its light flashing wildly, clearly unable to withstand the terrifying force!

Bianbian held on for less than a breath before the silver light screen shattered with a "crack," and the Milky Way Silk let out a soft cry as it flew back with dim light!

Lin Yinping was struck as if by a heavy blow. She let out a muffled groan, her delicate body trembling violently. Both she and the sacred beast were forced back a hundred feet by the terrifying residual power of the giant blue palm!

Her blood was churning, and a trickle of blood had already seeped from the corner of Bai Shayuan's mouth. Her beautiful eyes were filled with horror!

She knew there was a gap between her and the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, but she hadn't realized the gap was this vast! The opponent's hammer-wielding palm strike possessed such power!

Just as Lin Yinping was knocked back and the sacred beast became unsteady due to the impact, Zhou Yuan moved!

He did not pursue Lin Yinping, but instead, with a flicker of his figure, like a ghost, he instantly appeared beside the crimson sacred beast!

At the same time, with a thought, a small cauldron with three legs and two handles, engraved with countless mysterious runes, flew out from above his head, grew in the wind, and instantly transformed into the size of several stalks!

Void Heaven Cauldron!

Ding Kou Ai Qi aimed at the crimson sacred beast that had just regained its footing and was about to roar and retaliate!

"!"

Zhou Yuan let out a low shout, and the vast magical power of the late-stage Nascent Soul stage in his body, as well as the power of the second layer of the Tongbao Technique that he had initially refined, were frantically poured into the Void Heaven Cauldron!

"Buzz—!"

The Void Cauldron suddenly erupted with dazzling golden light! The runes on the cauldron seemed to come alive, flowing rapidly!

From within the mouth of the cauldron, a terrifying suction force, seemingly capable of devouring everything, suddenly erupted!

At the same time, countless fine, yet incredibly strong, shimmering with mysterious golden light, blue threads shot out from the cauldron!

As if it possessed a life of its own, Shun Caijun wrapped himself around the massive body of the crimson sacred beast, binding it tightly!

"Moo—!!!"

The Heavenly Sacred Beast let out a roar of shock and rage, struggling desperately as its crimson demonic power surged wildly, attempting to break free from the cyan reinforcing threads!

But the lifting line, which was of unknown origin, was incredibly strong and grew tighter and tighter!

Furthermore, a strange force invaded its body along the lifting line, interfering with the circulation of its demonic power, making it difficult for it to break free for a time!

"The Sacred Cauldron?! This—how is this possible?! How could you possibly possess the Sacred Cauldron?!"

Seeing this scene from afar, Lin Yinping gasped in shock, her beautiful eyes suddenly filled with disbelief, astonishment, and horror!

She recognized the small cauldron!

Similar to the sacred cauldron she controls!

However, as shocked as he was, regret and anger also welled up in his heart!

She understood! Zhou Yuan's target from the beginning wasn't her, but the sacred beast!

He deliberately revealed himself to lure her out with the sacred beast, all in order to forcibly take the sacred beast outside!

And yet, she foolishly delivered the sacred beast directly to him!

Just as Lin Yinping was filled with shock and anger and lost her composure, the suction force of the Void Heaven Cauldron and the cyan lifting line suddenly intensified!

Although the crimson sacred beast struggled desperately, it was only an avatar that had not yet regained its intelligence and whose strength was equivalent to a level seven. Under the power of the Void Heaven Cauldron, this heaven-reaching spiritual treasure, it was powerless to resist!

"Whoosh—!"

With a flash of crimson light, the Heavenly Azure Sacred Beast, several meters long, along with the azure threads wrapped around it, was forcibly sucked into the Void Heaven Cauldron!

A flash of golden light appeared at the mouth of the cauldron, and it quickly shrank back to the size of a palm. It spun around and flew back into Zhou Yuan's palm.

Zhou Yuan held the Void Heaven Cauldron, feeling the struggle and restlessness of the sacred beast avatar within the cauldron, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Holy Maiden Qi, thank you for your gift. I, Zhou, will gladly accept this beast."

He smiled faintly at Lin Yinping, who was pale-faced, trembling, and whose eyes were filled with anger and despair in the distance.

With a hammer blow, he didn't linger any longer, and the wind and thunder wings behind him flashed with lightning again!

"Crackling sound—!"

As thunder roared, Zhou Yuan's figure transformed into a golden-blue lightning bolt, hurtling towards Fang Ai, which was in the opposite direction from Hulan Holy City.