A transparent Spirit stamp slowly sank in the air. Though it appeared incorporeal, the overwhelming pressure it possessed filled Zhou Yuan’s entire face with a grim expression.

Although only one lesser stage separated the initial and mid Corporeal stage, the gap between them was extraordinary. This could be seen from how Zhou Yuan’s Spirit had yet to reach the mid Corporeal stage even after several months of training.

Although a large portion of the time had been spent on Genesis Qi cultivation, it did not mean that he had forsaken his Spirit cultivation. He could feel that his Spirit was already at the peak of the initial stage, and only a single step separated him from the mid stage...

It was this tiny step that had obstructed Zhou Yuan for so long.

Zhou Yuan knew that all he lacked was a breakthrough opportunity.

The pressure from the giant Spirit stamp poured down from above, invading every pore, while the Spirit above Zhou Yuan’s head beared every last ounce of it. Though the pressure attempted to overwhelm him, Zhou Yuan did not feel the least bit panicked, and instead calmly began to circulate Primal Chaos Divine Grindstone Visualisation Method.

He had been searching for an opportunity for a Spirit breakthrough all this time, and this was that moment. Under the dreadful pressure, he did everything he could to withstand it so that he would reach his limits.

Only at his limit would he be able to take a tiny step forward once again, breaking through the long standing obstruction that stood before him.

If fate did not bestow a chance onto him, he would have to create it himself.

Zhou Yuan concentrated as he steadied his heart, turning it into a deep, rippleless pool.

As the Primal Chaos Divine Grindstone Visualisation Method began to circulate, he could feel his Spirit begin to glow. Under the tremendous pressure, instead of gradually falling apart, his Spirit slowly grew increasingly corporeal and condense.

Above Zhou Yuan’s head, the giant Spirit stamp continued its descent at an extremely slow speed, already no more than a few dozen feet from Zhou Yuan’s Spirit...

If the giant stamp touched his Spirit, it would surely be injured.

Even so, Zhou Yuan remained as calm and stable as a rock.

...

In front of Spirit Rune Hall, countless gazes stared at the slowly falling stamp, the disturbing sight making the hearts of many disciples beat faster.

"What is Zhou Yuan up to? Why isn’t he moving? Does he really intend on taking that stamp head on with his Spirit?"

"That’s way too foolish. Little senior sister Xiao Yu’s Spirit has already stepped into the mid Corporeal stage, far surpassing his Spirit cultivation!"

"What a fool. If he doesn’t admit defeat soon, it won’t be a pretty sight when the giant Spirit stamp lands."

"......"

Numerous whispers spread as the many disciples watched the slowly descending stamp gradually approach Zhou Yuan’s Spirit. It was obvious that the stamp would ultimately crush the latter’s Spirit.

When that happened, it would be Zhou Yuan’s crushing defeat.

Ye Ge was also focused on Zhou Yuan’s figure, but the former’s brows were slightly furrowed. His sharp senses could detect that the falling Spirit stamp was becoming slower and slower...

Zhou Yuan’s resistance was evidently growing stronger and stronger.

"What is Zhou Yuan up to?"

Ye Ge was silent for a moment, before his pupils suddenly tightened as he mumbled, "Could he be... purposely allowing himself to fall into danger to push himself to his limits, allowing his Spirit to break through into the mid Corporeal stage?!"

Ye Ge’s expression changed slightly. If his conjecture was true, Zhou Yuan’s decisiveness and courage would be very commendable.

This would undoubtedly be a gamble. If he lost, his Spirit would be injured, and recovery would certainly take a long time.

Ye Ge stared at the slowly descending giant Spirit stamp above Zhou Yuan’s head.

If Zhou Yuan failed to ascend before the stamp crushed his Spirit, he would lose this gamble...

"Zhou Yuan, I don’t believe that you will be able to achieve a breakthrough in such a short amount of time..."

...

In another location in the boundary.

Yaoyao stood on a water pillar, while Jin Zhang stood on the surface of the ocean, no longer having any intent to attack. He knew that he would be even less than Yaoyao’s match without the aid of the boundary core.

However, he was not worried because the core’s position would change as time flowed. When that happened, he would have a chance to occupy it again.

As long as the other boundary core wasn’t broken, he would have nothing to fear on his side, and could drag Yaoyao back into a deadlock.

Jin Zhang raised his head slightly, looking in a certain direction.

Junior sister Xia Yu, as long as you manage to stall Zhou Yuan, it will be our victory...

...

Time slowly flowed.

The giant Spirit stamp was now a single foot from Zhou Yuan’s Spirit!

The seemingly endless pressure that poured down caused sweat to drench Zhou Yuan’s entire body and dampen his clothes.

It was at this moment that the pressure suddenly multiplied, and the stamp began to fall even faster, descending little by little under the countless watching eyes.

The distance slowly shortened from a foot to two inches...

Sighs of pity could be heard in front of Spirit Rune Hall.

From the looks of it, a loss was already unavoidable.

Gu Hongyi tightly bit into her lip as her eyes dimmed slightly. Beside her, Su Wan patted the former’s shoulder and consoled, "He’s already pretty remarkable to have endured till now. Xia Yu is the number one gold sash disciple of Spirit Rune Peak after all, and one of the strongest contenders for champion in the upcoming purple sash selection. There is no shame in losing to her."

"He’s lost at last!" In another corner of the place, a gloating smile surfaced on Lu Xuanyin’s pretty face.

Xu Yan chuckled and said, "Truly a pity. Looks like he won’t be able to enjoy the present I originally prepared for him for the purple sash selection."

Zhou Yuan’s Spirit would surely be injured once he lost, and would take several months at least to recover. This would naturally make it impossible for him to participate in the purple sash selection.

Under the many pitying and gloating gazes, the giant Spirit stamp descended once again. Two inches... one inch...

Ye Ge’s expression relaxed slightly at this moment as he softly said, "To have persisted for so long, Zhou Yuan’s Spirit is more tenacious than expected."

An ordinary initial Corporeal stage Spirit would have been defeated long ago, while it had taken all the way till now for Zhou Yuan to reach his limit.

Sighs seemed to envelope the mountain as the falling stamp finally came into contact with the Spirit above Zhou Yuan’s head.

In the next instant, Zhou Yuan’s Spirit would be forcibly suppressed.

On the mountain peak, relief finally began to flood Xia Yu’s fair little face when she saw this as she breathed a sigh of relief. He’s been dealt with at last. Zhou Yuan was clearly only at the initial Corporeal stage, but he was as tough as a rock, making him a difficult opponent to deal with.

"Thankfully, I’ve not betrayed the expectation of the many fellow disciples of Spirit Rune Peak." A faint smile appeared on Xia Yu’s face.

The moment her smile appeared, however, a faint buzz suddenly sounded from the giant Spirit stamp.

The smile on Xia Yu’s face froze slightly as she abruptly looked towards the source of the noise, only to see Zhou Yuan’s tightly shut eyes finally slowly crack open at this moment.

An extremely sharp glimmer seemed to flash across his pupils, making Xia Yu’s heart shiver slightly.

Zhou Yuan lowered his head and looked at the ring on his finger, which had begun to heat up.

His gaze lowered slightly as the Spirit above his head suddenly opened its eyes. A halo of spirit light immediately pulsed, circling around his Spirit.

Next, Xia Yu’s pupils aburptly shrank.

She had just seen Zhou Yuan’s Spirit extend its arms, and prop them against the falling stamp. It was as if thunder was rumbling loudly in her ears as the giant Spirit stamp was slowly pushed up by Zhou Yuan’s Spirit.

Like a giant slowly lifting a mountain.

"How can this be..." Mumbled Xia Yu, her face was filled with astonishment.

At the same time, the innumerable disciples in front of Spirit Rune Hall, who were still sighing over Zhou Yuan, also saw this scene, causing earth-shaking cries of surprise to erupt.

"Oh my god... Zhou Yuan’s Spirit has lifted the stamp?!"

"How is this possible?! He’s only at the initial Corporeal stage. How can he possibly lift the stamp made from little senior sister Xia Yu’s Spirit?!"

"....."

The area in front of Spirit Rune Hall had fallen into an uproar.

The relaxed smile on Ye Ge’s face slowly turned rigid at this moment.