The fact that the other party could not even be bothered to deny anything made Zhou Yuan narrow his eyes. From his brief contact with Zhao Mushen, Zhou Yuan could sense that though the other party seemed kindly, he was extremely proud.
There was no disdain in his eyes when he looked at Zhou Yuan; one wouldn’t feel disdain when looking at an ant at one’s feet.
“Zhou Yuan, there’s no need to try to delay for time. If you don’t move, I’ll let your Tianyuan Region leave safely. I don’t have much interest in a group of small fry.” Zhao Mushen smiled as he looked towards the crowd successively entering the spatial crack. “You should know that many will be injured if I take action now.”
Zhou Yuan’s expression turned calm as he said, “Alright, I won’t move.”
Zhao Mushen smiled, seemingly trusting the former.
The two of them faced each other in the sky while the several-hundred-strong Tianyuan Region team squeezed into the spatial crack below in a panicky manner.
Yi Qiushui was at the very back, her eyes filled with worry as she gazed at the two individuals in the sky. How could she not know that Zhou Yuan was being closely watched by Zhao Mushen?
But she also understood that what she needed to do now was leave as quickly as possible. She would only become a burden to Zhou Yuan if she lingered.
Yi Qiushui took a deep breath as her hand suddenly jerked. Countless tree branches flew out from her spatial bag and hurtled towards Zhou Yuan, filling the sky with shadows.
Meanwhile, she cast aside all hesitation and decisively dashed into the spatial crack, quickly disappearing into it.
Zhou Yuan’s gaze flickered when Yi Qiushui threw the branches into the sky. In the next instant, his figure turned to a black blur and disappeared.
Branches hurtled through the air, casting countless shadows on the ground.
Zhou Yuan’s figure leaped between the shadows at an unimaginable speed, stealthy as a phantom as he shot towards the spatial crack.
Celestial Shadow Art!
In the air, Zhao Mushen was not angered by Zhou Yuan’s disappearance. He merely smiled and said, “What a strange yet amazing technique. No wonder you dared to stay behind.”
The lotus symbol between his brows began to glow.
A pair of lotuses appeared in Zhao Mushen’s pupils. Mystical light blossomed from his eyes as the world around him became clear.
The darkness retreated, and the shadows disappeared.
The leaping shadow Zhou Yuan had turned into was now clearly within Zhao Mushen’s sight.
“It seems that you’ve yet to accept your fate.” Zhao Mushen chuckled softly. “However, escaping from my hands won’t be as easy as you think. Did you really think that I was merely watching you earlier? I was using a secret technique to lock onto your presence. No matter how you run, you won’t be able to escape my subsequent attack.
“Zhou Yuan, you are far too weak.”
Zhao Mushen clapped his hands together as a faint glow condensed between his palms. He then pulled apart the light, swiftly forming an inch-long glowing shuttle.
The glowing shuttle was very streamlined, its sharp tip flickering with a dangerous and sharp light. As it hummed, it tore even space itself apart.
Nine-colored light swirled around the shuttle, making it extremely beautiful.
However, lethal power pulsed beneath the beautiful light.
As Zhou Yuan zipped towards the spatial crack at full speed, Zhou Yuan felt an extremely dangerous undulation, causing the corner of his eye to twitch. He immediately increased his speed.
The Genesis Qi in his body exploded without reservation.
Swish!
Two breaths later, Zhou Yuan’s figure appeared at the edge of the spatial crack, and his foot stepped into it.
In the sky, Zhao Mushen’s expression remained indifferent. A low voice rang out as he gently flicked his finger.
“Nine Spirit Soul Breaker Shuttle.”
Swish!
The light shuttle trembled in his palm before vanishing.
Bzzbzz!
Only an extremely strong individual would sense the space rippling faintly. An undetectable streak of light pierced through the air, accompanied by deadly force as it shot straight towards Zhou Yuan’s nape.
With half a foot already in the spatial crack, Zhou Yuan felt a prickling pain all over his skin. It was the feeling that an extremely dangerous attack was coming.
The sensation told him that if he were hit, even his strong body would be pierced easily.
However, Zhou Yuan also understood that he could not stop at this juncture. Otherwise, Zhao Mushen would completely seal off his escape route. If that happened, there would be almost zero chance of survival against the overwhelming Zhao Mushen and his elite Wanzu Region team.
Hence, Zhou Yuan did not hesitate, and he stepped into the spatial crack. Spatial ripples surged, enveloping his body.
Swish!
When Zhou Yuan’s figure disappeared, however, the shuttle arrived and chased into the spatial crack after him.
The surrounding Genesis Qi undulations gradually calmed down.
Zhao Mushen nonchalantly gazed at the spatial crack as he muttered to himself, “You’ll be lucky to survive my Nine Spirit Soul Breaker Shuttle.”
With the exception of Wu Yao, Su Youwei and Wang Xi, the other top ten rankers on the Divine Dwelling List would have to carefully face this attack of his, or they would pay a grave price.
Once hit, the target’s Spirit would be smashed to pieces. It was an extremely brutal attack.
He had already locked onto Zhou Yuan’s presence so the shuttle would not dissipate until Zhou Yuan’s Spirit was destroyed.
Too many experts had died to his shuttle over the years.
And now, one more would soon be added to that list.
“The supreme sovereign told me to capture you...but I’m afraid that I’ll only be able to bring back a corpse now.”
Zhao Mushen shook his head as he smiled in a somewhat helpless manner. He then turned away from the spatial crack and leisurely left.
An opponent of Zhou Yuan’s level honestly did not interest him much.
Fortunately for him, his target had now been dealt with.
Next, it was time for him to enjoy the nine regions tournament. He hoped that Wu Yao and Su Youwei would not disappoint him too much.
Chapter 943 Withdraw
Zhou Yuan’s figure flashed through the spatial passage.
The Fallen Abyss’s interior was very peculiar. After leaving a mini domain, one would find oneself in a very open, street-like spatial passage.
Space occasionally distorted within the passage, and substances that appeared to be spatial membranes floated in the air. Behind each membrane was a mini domain, and they seemed countless, making an extremely surprising sight.
Zhou Yuan wore a grave expression as he pushed his speed to the limit.
He did not dare to relax even a little after entering the spatial passage because he could still faintly sense an extremely sharp undulation rapidly approaching from behind.
It was likely Zhao Mushen’s attack.
It felt as if someone was menacingly aiming a knife at his back.
“He’s really quite impressive.” Zhou Yuan frowned a little. Logically speaking, Zhao Mushen’s Genesis Qi attack should have lost Zhou Yuan once he hid in the spatial crack. However, it appeared that Zhao Mushen’s attack was still tightly locked onto him.
From their initial encounter, Zhou Yuan could see that the king of Hunyuan Heaven’s Divine Dwelling List was indeed very extraordinary.
Swish!
While these thoughts swirled in Zhou Yuan’s head, the area behind him suddenly shook. A streak of light shot out, heading straight towards Zhou Yuan’s nape.
Zhou Yuan was finally able to see what it was.
It was a sleek, glowing shuttle that gave off a graceful charm. However, the sharp qi contained within made even Zhou Yuan’s expression chang
e slightly.
Bzz!
The shuttle seemed to sense Zhou Yuan’s presence, its speed abruptly rising.
Zhou Yuan’s expression changed once more. His figure blurred as he shot away like a shadow.
Within the spatial passage, one object chased another at extremely fast speed.
As time passed, however, Zhou Yuan found that the glowing shuttle remained as bright as before, with no signs of dimming. It could continuously absorb the surrounding Genesis Qi to replenish its energy while pursuing him. In fact, the shuttle seemed to be growing increasingly powerful as time passed.
In other words, it would not stop until it hit him.
Most importantly, the gap between them was gradually being closed.
Zhou Yuan’s eyes flickered in thought. After being chased for so long, he could already gauge the shuttle’s strength. Furthermore, his initial Transformative stage Spirit had keenly sensed a Spirit-destroying undulation concealed within the shuttle.
The shuttle could hurt not only his physical body but also his Spirit.
What a domineering attack!
Zhao Mushen’s attack might not seem extraordinary, but there was a ruthlessness hidden within it.
“Looks like running away won’t solve the problem…”
Zhou Yuan took a deep breath. He had already sensed Li Qiushui and the other’s location. They had exited through a spatial membrane some distance ahead of him. If he missed it, he would be left all alone.
If that happened, it would be impossible for him to fight against a team of several hundred people, no matter how strong he was.
Hence, he needed to block the shuttle when he reached that spatial membrane!
Having made his decision, Zhou Yuan cast aside all hesitation and shot forward. A few dozen breaths later, a spatial membrane appeared in front of him, and he charged straight into it.
When his figure disappeared, the shuttle at his heels instantly pierced the spatial membrane.
……
In a mini domain.
Several hundred dejected figures were currently gathered. They were the Tianyuan Region team that had escaped. The events that had transpired earlier had dealt a substantial blow to their morale.
Yi Qiushui stood on a boulder as she continuously glanced towards a certain spot behind them. Her eyes were filled with anxiousness and worry.
Shang Xiaoling and the others tried to console her, but they had no faith in their own words. Although Zhou Yuan was not weak, he was facing the strongest Divine Dwelling stage expert in Hunyuan Heaven!
Hence, the group could only awkwardly wait. If Zhou Yuan lost, the team would fall apart.
Bzz!
While they were waiting, the space behind them suddenly shattered as a figure dashed out.
Several hundred individuals burst into emotional cheers when they saw the familiar silhouette.
However, Zhou Yuan could not spare them any attention as he swiftly sped towards a nearby mountain valley.
Swish!
Almost immediately after he moved, the shuttle shot out from right behind him, pulsing with deadly energy as it pierced through the air and zipped towards his nape like a lightning bolt.
Zhou Yuan managed to reach the valley first.
Boom!
Boundless Genesis Qi instantly exploded from his body without reservation, and he revealed all his 38 million Genesis Qi stars and activated his four spirit runes, adding another 13 million stars!
Four Spirits Origin Diagram!
Another 6 million!
A total of 57 million Genesis Qi stars twinkled in the air as majestic Genesis Qi unfurled. The surrounding valley began to crumble.
Zhou Yuan howled at the sky as the Heavenly Yuan Brush appeared in his hand.
He stared at the rapidly approaching shuttle of destruction. This time, he no longer attempted to avoid it. With a stomp of his foot, the ground crumbled, and he shot into the air.
Dazzling rays of light exploded from the Heavenly Yuan Brush.
“Genesis Breaker!”
The snow-white hairs turned pitch black.
“Million Whale!”
The cry of an ancient whale rang out. A several-hundred-foot-long whale appeared in the sky and swept down into the Heavenly Yuan Brush.
The black brush in Zhou Yuan’s hand was akin to a dragon, its sharp tip pulsing with dreadful energy. It tore through the air, thrusting straight towards the glowing shuttle.
Boom!
A loud noise boomed like thunder.
Visible to the naked eye, Genesis Qi rippled from the collision. The valley floor burst open, and layer after layer of dirt and rock flew into the air as if a powerful force had scraped up three feet of earth.
Yi Qiushui and the rest, who had been rushing over, hurriedly retreated.
At the clash’s epicenter, Zhou Yuan stared at the Heavenly Yuan Brush’s tip, where the shuttle was emitting dazzling light and pulsing with terrifying power. Wave by wave, it disintegrated the brush’s hairs, but the hairs quickly regrew.
The two forces had fallen into a temporary deadlock.
Veins throbbed on Zhou Yuan’s forehead, and the flesh on his arms tore open, making him look exceptionally wretched. He did not dare to relax because the shuttle would deal a fatal blow to him if it got past the Heavenly Yuan Brush.
Fortunately, the deadlock only lasted a dozen breaths before a faint cracking was heard.
The shuttle fractured, then suddenly exploded.
The instant it burst, a tiny, almost undetectable transparent figure shot towards Zhou Yuan’s head like a phantom.
However, the strange attack did not escape Zhou Yuan’s senses. He was already prepared. With a wave of his sleeve, a Spirit lantern appeared with a flame jumping within it.
“Spirit Lantern Art!”
Powerful flames spurted from the lantern, swallowing the tiny light figure.
A piercing shriek erupted from the tiny light figure. It squirmed in the flames like a worm as it stubbornly tried to charge towards Zhou Yuan’s head. However, when it was still an inch from Zhou Yuan’s head, the Spirit fire burned it into nothingness.
When the light figure completely vanished, the powerful Genesis Qi swirling around Zhou Yuan’s body also dissipated.
His tense body began to relax little by little as sweat poured down his back.
Zhou Yuan stared at the faint remnant glow as he pursed his lips. Specks of silver surfaced from under his skin, a sign that Silver Shadow was about to be activated. If he failed to block the attack at the very last moment, he would have had no choice but to summon Silver Shadow.
Fortunately for him, he had ultimately managed to neutralize Zhao Mushen’s attack.
Outside the valley, Yi Qiushui and the others cheered upon seeing that nothing had happened to Zhou Yuan.
Their eyes were filled with respect. The fact that Zhou Yuan had successfully escaped from Zhao Mushen’s hands and even neutralized his attack was more than proof of their leader’s strength.
Zhou Yuan was indifferent to their cheers. He did not feel that blocking a single attack from Zhao Mushen was something to be proud of.
He lowered his head and gazed at his arms. They were covered in wounds due to the backlash of the clash.
A casual attack from Zhao Mushen had forced Zhou Yuan to use his full strength, even nearly bringing out a trump card like Silver Shadow. Zhao Mushen’s power had surpassed Zhou Yuan’s expectations.
If they fought a real battle, Zhou Yuan’s life would definitely be at risk.
Zhou Yuan expressionlessly watched the wounds on his arms slowly recover.
This clash allowed him to understand Zhao Mushen’s strength. However, Zhou Yuan did not lose spirit but instead began to burn with competitive battle intent.
He spat out a breath of air as he turned towards the sky, his gaze seemingly penetrating space to see Zhao Mushen’s figure.
“Zhao Mushen, you have won this round…”
He slowly
shut his eyes before suddenly opening them, revealing a look of determination.
He had already decided that he would do everything he could to unlock the ninth Divine Dwelling.
“Zhao Mushen, when I unlock my ninth Divine Dwelling, we shall properly settle this debt…”
Chapter 944 Clash between Law Domain Experts
In a scattered mess of a mountain valley.
When the wounds on Zhou Yuan’s arms finally closed, he leaped into the air and landed next to the cheering Tianyuan Region crowd at one side of the valley.
“Zhou Yuan, are you alright?” Yi Qiushui was the first to rush forward, her pretty oval-shaped face filled with worry.
Although they had been separated by some distance, she had still been able to sense how terrifying Zhao Mushen’s attack had been. Most importantly, the attack had actually followed Zhou Yuan through the spatial passage.
Zhou Yuan shook his head and said, “Zhao Mushen is very strong. If I stayed behind to fight, I would most likely have lost.”
Shang Xiaoling and the others suddenly rushed over and blurted out in succession, “Chief pavilion master, you’re already very amazing. That’s the Zhao Mushen! If word spreads that you managed to safely retreat from under his eyes, it would definitely cause quite a commotion.”
Zhou Yuan chuckled. He naturally understood just how big Zhao Mushen was in the hearts of the Divine Dwelling stage practitioners of the Hunyuan Heaven. Hence, he did not blame Shang Xiaoling and the others for being filled with respect and fear when they talked about Zhao Mushen.
However, Zhou Yuan did not say anything else on the topic. He gazed at the group and said, “It was our bad luck to have met the Wanzu Region and Zhao Mushen, but since we managed to retreat unscathed, there is no need for us to dwell on it.
“We’ll continue searching these mini domains, and if we encounter another team, scout them out first and report back to me before we decide our next course of action.”
Zhou Yuan then disseminated a series of instructions. The Tianyuan Region group obediently listened before scattering to carry out his commands.
Zhou Yuan found a boulder and sat down.
He urgently needed to inspect his seal first. Otherwise, they would only face more trouble if Zhao Mushen managed to pursue them. After all, it was not possible for Zhou Yuan’s team to keep withdrawing.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 492