Chapter 8: Chapter VIII: Great Zhou Institute Part V
The echoes of applause reverberated through the arena as Yao Long declared, "Alright, the show is over, everyone can scatter now." He skillfully tossed and caught the jade piece in his hand, a playful smile dancing on his lips as he acknowledged the numerous spectators who were still in awe of the dazzling display they had just witnessed.
Upon hearing Yao Long's words, the crowd smiled back and began to disperse, but there was an additional trace of amazement in their gazes when they took one final look at Long Yao before leaving. This was because the fact that Yao Long was able to defeat his opponent without even opening his meridian channels was beyond impressive.
However, the scene they had witnessed today shattered their preconceived notions. It made them completely drop their skepticism about Yao Long's abilities.
Yao Long didn't want to rely solely on his meridian channels' powers. Instead, he wielded a different kind of strength - Genesis Runes. With Genesis Runes, he proved that even someone like Xu Lin, who had already opened two meridian channels, was no match for him.
In this world, status was admittedly also a kind of power. However, the power that was most easily acknowledged by others was undoubtedly one's own power, gained through the culmination of one's efforts. It was a power that wouldn't be changed by one's status or position.
"Hey, don't lose it again, alright." Yao Long tossed the jade piece at Su Youwei, who had walked over to join them. A gentle breeze swept through the arena, causing her uniform to hug her body, accentuating the fine and exquisite curves of a young lady that could cause one to have rather wild thoughts.
Su Youwei blushed slightly, biting her red lips in a charming display of embarrassment as she caught the jade piece. "Instructor mentioned some Genesis Runes that can temporarily strengthen one's entire body. If you manage to learn them, you will not be hurt by the backlash of power," she said after mulling over the thought for a while.
Zhou Yuan nodded thoughtfully, "The grade of such Genesis Runes is not low."
"It's okay, even though I look like this, I have a strong body," Yao Long replied with a warm smile.
It was said that Genesis Runes were divided into nine grades. However, the ones Yao Long had used were only of the elementary level and could not even be considered grade one. Hence, he was not able to learn such powerful Genesis Runes for the time being.
Su Youwei bit her red lips, her worry evident as she turned to Zhou Yuan, "You'll have to work hard, Your Highness. In the newcomer exam next month, unless you are able to open your eight meridian channels, it is unlikely that you will be able to achieve a top ten ranking."
If Zhou Yuan did badly in the newcomer exam, bad rumors would surely spread, and it could affect his standing in the Great Zhou Institute.
Zhou Yuan massaged his hand, his determination evident in his eyes as he replied, "Don't worry, I know what I have to do."
His eyes slightly narrowed as he thought about the upcoming trip to the ancestral grounds two days later. He hoped it would help him solve the major issue of his eight meridian channels not appearing. If not, the only thing left would be to invest all of his energy into studying Genesis Runes, although he couldn't fully resign himself to that path.
When Su Youwei saw Zhou Yuan fall silent, she knowingly changed the topic, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Yao Long, shall I help you apply some ointment?"
"Forget it, if I accept such a great gesture from a pretty girl, I'm afraid that someone would see and surely employ some underhanded tactics against me." Yao Long playfully smiled in response, knowing that Su Youwei was rather popular in the Great Zhou Institute.
Su Youwei unhappily rolled her eyes at him, "Since you are so timid, I'll not bother with you any further. I still have to go to the library to tidy up the books."
This was a part-time job she had found for herself to earn a little income. After all, her family situation was not good, and she still had a grandfather to care for. Thus, she usually found some work to do in the Great Zhou Institute during the school term.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan hesitated a little before saying, "There is only a month left till the newcomer exam, and time is of the essence. I feel that you should spend more time on opening your meridian channels. If needed, I—"
"Your highness."
Zhou Yuan was interrupted before he could finish by Su Youwei, who had a determined glint in her eyes. Her voice was soft and gentle but contained a strength that could not be ignored. "You've already helped me a lot. You brought me to this place where I can change my destiny, and I am grateful to you from the bottom of my heart. However, you've said before that we are friends, right?"
Zhou Yuan was taken aback as he gazed at the girl before his eyes. The depths of her glistening eyes seemed to hide something that would be difficult to sense for an outsider. It was that final shred of dignity at the bottom of her heart that needed to be preserved.
Understanding the potential consequences, Su Youwei had carefully maintained their relationship from the beginning. Zhou Yuan was the prince of the Great Zhou Empire, a status that was high as could be, while she, on the other hand, was a commoner. The gap between the two was significant, which easily drew criticism from others.
She wasn't afraid of such criticism, but she didn't want to be looked down upon by Zhou Yuan. Therefore, she put in her greatest efforts after entering the Great Zhou Institute to become independent and bridge the gap in status between them. She also worked hard in her cultivation to change the perception others had of her.
Her efforts had been successful. As the fastest channel-opening genius since the founding of the Great Zhou Institute, everyone began to value her talent. Even Zhou Yuan's father, Zhou Qing, had heard of her name.
"Don't worry, Your Highness, I will not slack off in my training," Su Youwei said with a sweet smile. Her bright and beautiful smile was filled with confidence.
Yao Long nodded, acknowledging her determination. He pondered for a moment before suddenly taking out the Genesis Gathering Jade he had used as a wager in the fight against Xu Lin previously. Subsequently, he lifted Su Youwei's fair hand and placed the jade piece on her palm.
"Don't take this the wrong way; I am not giving but lending this to you. I have already opened three meridian channels and can't make use of it for now," Yao Long said, anticipating her rejection.
When Su Youwei heard Yao Long's words, she swallowed the words that were about to exit her mouth before giving him a playful glare. "This fellow, how could he say it in such a manner!" she thought to herself.
"I'm leaving!" Su Youwei kept the Genesis Gathering Jade, and with a soft snort, she brushed past Yao Long and Zhou Yuan.
"So defiant yet lovable…" Yao Long watched the graceful and slim figure of the girl as she departed and shook his head. Just as he was also about to leave, he suddenly sensed something.
Yao Long and Zhou Yuan raised their heads at the same time and looked towards a building in the distance, only to find a figure in white looking back at them with a gaze as sharp as a blade.
"It's Qi Yue," Yao Long said, his eyebrows raised slightly. In the novel, he didn't like him, not even a little.
The figure in white was Qi Yue, the heir of Qi Manor.
A slight smile surfaced on Qi Yue's face when he felt Yao Long and Zhou Yuan's gaze. He cupped his fists together in greeting before turning to leave.
Yao Long chuckled coldly in his heart, but maintained a polite smile as he nodded his head, bidding farewell to Qi Yue and leaving with Zhou Yuan.
Atop the building, Qi Yue watched Yao Long and Zhou Yuan's leaving figures. A playful look emerged on his face as he mumbled to himself, "I never imagined that His Highness's friend would unknowingly be so proficient in the Dao of Genesis Runes…"
A pretty figure walked out from behind Qi Yue. She was tall and slender, with beautiful looks, but her slightly thin lips gave her a somewhat unkind appearance. Compared to Su Youwei, the girl lacked some charm.
This was Liu Xi, the daughter of Marquis Liu in Great Zhou. Liu Xi came from a noble family and was also very talented. In the past, she was undoubtedly the most dazzling pearl in the Great Zhou Institute. However, ever since Su Youwei's appearance, Liu Xi's radiance had been suppressed, causing her to develop a deep-rooted aversion towards the commoner girl.
Liu Xi disdainfully glanced in the direction Yao Long and Zhou Yuan had left, coldly snorting. "Genesis Runes are after all a side path. No matter how great one's attainments, one would still be unable to transform oneself, and there will remain a limit to one's lifespan. Carelessness might even result in being killed by an ordinary person."
Qi Yue laughed and nodded upon hearing her words. "The highly ranked students partaking in this newcomer exam have already cast their lot in with me. We have to bring Yao Long to our side. If our prince Zhou Yuan gets him to join us, the power balance will be disturbed."
He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "However, Yao Long and Su Youwei's talents are indeed astonishing, and their future prospects are very bright. If there is a chance, we need to do all we can to pull them over to our side."
A look of unhappiness flitted across Liu Xi's face when she heard these words. She frowned and replied, "She is merely a lowly lass who has opened three meridian channels. If we cannot win her over, we should find an opportunity to cripple her. Even though he is so handsome, we can cripple him too."
Liu Xi's family was a noble one, and she was also a highly talented individual. However, ever since Su Youwei arrived, the latter's brilliance had overshadowed Liu Xi's achievements, causing her to develop resentment towards the commoner girl.
Qi Yue chuckled, not bothering to address Liu Xi's dislike for Su Youwei. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on Yao Long and Zhou Yuan's disappearing figures.
"Looks like this Zhou Yuan no longer has any confidence in himself. That's why he intends to support geniuses to rely on in the future…"
"Zhou Yuan... Ah... Zhou Yuan. The sacred dragon of the Zhou clan has truly become a crippled dragon."
"Since that is so, your Zhou clan is going to be done for."
——————————————————————————————————————————————
Please read my original novel called The Nameless Monster by Yuan_T, I hope you like and support this novel that I wrote and that you can join forces make this novel of mine a world hit!
See you there,
The author, Heavens_Sovereign
——————————————————————————————————————————————
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Heavens_Sovereign
Heavens_Sovereign ——————————————————————————————————————————————
Please read my original novel called The Nameless Monster by Yuan_T, I hope you like and support this novel that I wrote and that you can join forces make this novel of mine a world hit!
See you there,
The author, Heavens_Sovereign
——————————————————————————————————————————————
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone