Chapter 4, The Power of Source Patterns

"You can't even defeat someone who hasn't opened their meridians; you might as well not go to the major exam and embarrass yourself." Zhou Yuanchong said with a smile to Xu Lin, who was staring at him intently.

Under the intense gaze of the many onlookers, Xu Lin descended like a fierce tiger from the mountain, delivering a powerful punch that struck heavily and unreservedly upon Zhou Yuan's arms

The fierce bull pattern! The screams rise again

Platforms for martial arts demonstrations stand tall, with numerous young individuals shouting and engaging in combat atop them. Their fists and feet generate a vigorous wind, exuding a formidable presence. Below the platforms, a large crowd of spectators gathers, occasionally erupting in cheers. Among them are many youthful and beautiful young women, whose captivating gazes further ignite the enthusiasm of the young men on stage, each employing their skills in an attempt to showcase their abilities and make a name for themselves.

Outside the arena, the original clamor gradually quieted down at this moment, as numerous young boys and girls gazed at Zhou Yuan on the stage with incredulous expressions

What? His Royal Highness Zhou Yuan is going to engage in combat with Xu Lin?

Your Highness. Behind him, Su Youwei's delicate face showed some anxiety as she followed closely, clearly wanting to dissuade Zhou Yuan from the idea of confronting Xu Lin

In the next moment, a faint glow suddenly appeared at his ankle, and subtle patterns of light could be seen spreading out.

Open the meridian

"You attacked first, so this time, it is my turn."

At the moment the sound fell, Zhou Yuan had already stepped forward, his body charging directly towards Xu Lin.

A scream erupted

With the assistance of the three source patterns, at this moment, Zhou Yuan's speed, strength, and physical quality were evidently no less than Xu Lin's. Therefore, when this punch landed, Xu Lin felt a tremendous force surging towards him, and then, his body was directly sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground outside the martial arts stage.

You! What are you hiding in your sleeve?! Despicable!" Xu Lin's eyes were filled with tears of pain as he roared at Zhou Yuan.

On the surface of his skin, a faint glow emerged, and anyone could sense Xu Lin's aura surging at this moment

Arrogant, you now possess speed, strength, and physical fitness that are less than one-tenth of mine, yet you still dare to attack?" Xu Lin coldly laughed as he saw Zhou Yuan charging towards him

When numerous students heard this news, they immediately erupted in incredulous exclamations, and some commoner students even stood up for Zhou Yuan, deeming the match to be exceedingly unfair.

Dong!

As soon as these words were spoken, the numerous young boys and girls surrounding the training platform exchanged glances, utterly perplexed by what Zhou Yuan was thinking. Clearly in a disadvantaged position, he still acted so recklessly.

The Great Zhou Prefecture, Training Ground

Previously, she would lose to Xu Lin largely because she did not take decisive action; otherwise, Xu Lin would not have even had the opportunity to use the source weapon. However, this lesson made her realize that striking a snake without hitting its vital point can lead to being bitten by the snake instead

However, it was not Zhou Yuan who made the move, but rather Xu Lin, who had previously unleashed a powerful punch.

However, his demeanor elicited expressions of sympathy from the crowd below. With Xu Lin's physical condition, having opened both meridians, this punch could likely result in Zhou Yuan suffering a fracture.

"How is that possible! His Highness Zhou Yuan has yet to open a single meridian, while Xu Lin has already opened two!"

Bang

Everyone suddenly realized that it was the source pattern

At this moment, Su Youwei's tense heart also relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief, and she reproached, "So it turns out that Your Highness is already able to engrave the source patterns onto your body."

This ... ...

Let us begin. However, Zhou Yuan did not intend to engage in further conversation with him. He spread his legs apart, resembling an old tree firmly grasping the earth, then waved at Xu Lin and said: "You may attack first"

As Xu Lin leisurely ascended a martial arts platform, the news of his impending duel with Zhou Yuan had already spread throughout the entire training ground, orchestrated by his covert manipulations.

Anyone who opens a meridian will experience an improvement in their physical fitness with each meridian they unblock. Their strength, speed, and reaction time will far exceed those who have not opened their meridians. It can be said without reservation that an individual who has opened a meridian can easily overpower dozens of those who have not.

Zhou Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then winked at Su Youwei and said: "We are friends, and it is only natural to help friends resolve some troubles"

You, you actually engraved the source patterns onto your body?!" Xu Lin also came to his senses, looking at the black source patterns on Zhou Yuan's arms, he said in disbelief.

Iron Skin Pattern, Light Body Pattern, Barbarian Bull Pattern

However, just when they were unable to engrave the source patterns on the jade tablet, Zhou Yuan had already begun to apply what he had learned... The gap between them is truly not insignificant

Upon hearing these words, Xu Lin felt a sudden blockage in his heart as he sensed the numerous mocking gazes around him. Unable to contain himself any longer, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and then everything went dark before him, causing him to faint.

Dong!

Amidst the numerous murmuring gazes, Zhou Yuan slowly rolled up his sleeves. Subsequently, everyone beheld a complex pattern of light on his arms, which emitted a faint black glow that spread out and ultimately enveloped Zhou Yuan's arms, giving the appearance of transforming his skin into a sheet of black iron, incredibly hard.

It seems you are quite confident in yourself, Zhou Yuan said as he gently adjusted his cuffs

Under the gaze of numerous eyes, Zhou Yuan, who continuously activated three source patterns, unleashed a fist imbued with formidable power, which struck him with incredible force, as reflected in Xu Lin's astonished expression

As Xu Lin's malicious thoughts surged, the crowd, which had been densely surrounding his stage, suddenly parted, revealing a slender youth who strolled forward.

Zhou Yuan's body seemed to become much lighter at this moment, and his speed surged dramatically, bursting forth like a cheetah

Zhou Yuan's lips seemed to curl into a smile

Now let me show you the difference between those who have opened their meridians and those who have not

Is that so

The youth's appearance is slightly slender, with a scholarly demeanor and an air of gentle elegance, resembling a frail scholar who seems easily susceptible to the elements

In this Great Zhou Prefecture, the popularity of the training ground is evidently quite strong

"Oh, Your Highness actually dared to come here. I thought you would sneak back to the palace instead," Xu Lin said with a smile, looking at Zhou Yuan who had walked up to him, teasingly.

Your Highness, this time it was my fault, and I have caused you trouble. In the future, I will not be careless again, nor will I show any mercy

Xu Lin is truly a bully; he must have used some despicable means to coerce His Highness Zhou Yuan

He knows that, starting from tomorrow, he will likely become the fresh subject of ridicule among the many students in the Da Zhou government...

Everyone was dumbfounded, staring at this scene. Xu Lin clenched his fists, and the continuous screams echoed; his entire fist was a deep red, as if it had struck solid steel.

Many students stared in shock at the intricate light pattern, and finally, someone exclaimed, "That is the Iron Skin Pattern that the instructor taught earlier!"

Su Youwei stopped in her tracks, her pearly teeth biting down on her red lips. She knew that if Zhou Yuan were to bear such a reputation, it would have a tremendous impact on his reputation.

... ...

Amidst the various gazes around him, Zhou Yuan directly headed towards the training platform where Xu Lin was located

In other words, the three source patterns taught by the instructor have been fully comprehended by Zhou Yuan and have even been applied to himself

His entire robe began to flutter and make a rustling sound at that moment

Xu Lin stood on the stage, hearing these voices, and merely smiled faintly. Regardless of what others said, after today, the fact that Zhou Yuan had been severely beaten by him would undoubtedly spread throughout the Great Zhou Mansion, and this would certainly have some impact on the latter's reputation, thus becoming a topic of ridicule among the people

At this moment, there is no turning back; otherwise, I would become a prince who flees at the last minute. Zhou Yuan smiled at Su Youwei and said

As the words fell, he had already stepped onto the training platform

Accompanied by Xu Lin's thunderous shout, a subtle flow of light suddenly appeared around him, the dust beneath his feet was swept away, and the source energy of heaven and earth surged into his body with his breath

As he gazed at the heavy punch coming his way, Zhou Yuan did not evade; instead, he crossed his arms in front of him, adopting a defensive posture

Nature is Zhou Yuan

Since Your Highness is so eager to embarrass yourself, I shall not hold back. Being so looked down upon by Zhou Yuan ignited a surge of anger in Xu Lin's heart. With a cold laugh, he stomped his foot hard on the ground, and his figure shot out like a sharp arrow, his five fingers clenched into a fist, and he swung a punch directly at Zhou Yuan.

It is unexpected that even His Highness would be driven to anger for the sake of a beauty, though it is merely a matter of lacking some rationality Xu Lin shrugged, clearly regarding Zhou Yuan's impulsive behavior as an attempt to win Su Youwei's favor

The expressions of many students changed slightly. At this moment, Xu Lin already had source energy flowing within him, and as the source energy circulated through his meridians, it would undoubtedly cause Xu Lin's strength and speed to surge dramatically.

Ah

A deep voice sounded, and then everyone unsurprisingly saw that Zhou Yuan's feet had directly carved out several meters of marks on the ground, barely managing to stabilize his body.

Hoo Hoo

No one expected that this encounter would yield such a result

Just as they were screaming, Zhou Yuan, who was already close to Xu Lin, suddenly shook his shoulder violently, and a faint light emanated from beneath his clothing. Although it was not clearly visible, everyone could distinctly feel and perceive that Zhou Yuan's fist, at that moment, was filled with a sense of overwhelming power.

The surrounding gazes were also filled with astonishment as they looked at Zhou Yuan. Could it be that His Highness is still resorting to underhanded tactics?

His punch, accompanied by a rush of air, was immensely powerful; even a stone would be cracked by it.

Su Youwei raised her delicate face, her beautiful eyes gazing at Xu Lin on the martial arts stage. In that moment, her eyes slightly narrowed, revealing a hint of sharpness.

Amidst the solemn gazes of numerous students, Zhou Yuan also fixed his eyes on Xu Lin, murmuring to himself: "Opening two meridians..."

That is... that is the Light Body Pattern! Someone with sharp eyes spotted the glowing pattern around Zhou Yuan's ankle and immediately screamed.

He rubbed his wrist, then jumped down from the training platform, reaching into Xu Lin's embrace to retrieve a jade token, which represented the quota for the major examination

On the training platform, Zhou Yuan slowly retracted his fist, and the luminous patterns on his arm seemed to have exhausted their power, quickly fading away.

Xu Lin's face turned ashen, filled with a sense of anger as if he had been mocked. He coldly said, "Do you really think that with just a single iron skin pattern, you can defeat me today?"

Su Youwei gazed at his silhouette, a faint smile gracing her lips, warmth flowing through her heart. Soon, her eyes lowered slightly, having made up her mind; as long as Xu Lin dared to harm Zhou Yuan, she would ensure that the latter understood what a woman's resentment and revenge truly entailed

At this moment, even Su Youwei couldn't help but cover her small mouth, her delicate face filled with disbelief, for within this brief span of a few breaths, Zhou Yuan had consecutively activated three source patterns

"Do you really think that I haven't opened my meridians and that I am as weak as a person who can't even tie up a chicken?" Zhou Yuan said with a smile

Although he had previously seen Xian Yuan carve the Iron Skin Pattern in the church, it was merely on a jade tablet. To carve it on the body, one must be well-versed in the locations of acupuncture points and even meridians, in order to avoid injuring oneself with the source pattern. Therefore, carving the source pattern on the body is far more difficult than on a jade tablet.

Swish