Chapter 1019: Tower Base

"Is this it?" Hidden in the shadows, Zhou Yuan gazed at the enormous crystal spire erupting from the ground in the distance. The spire was covered in incredibly complex and profound source patterns. Clearly, the person who crafted this spire possessed a terrifyingly deep mastery of source patterns.

Zhou Yuan felt a stinging sensation in his Spirit when he merely glanced at some of those source patterns, even before observing them with his Spirit Sense. He quickly averted his gaze.

From the top of the crystal spire, beams of light continuously shot into the sky, empowering the five allied armies.

Their power seemed endless.

Zhou Yuan stared at the spire for a moment but did not venture further. He sensed that dozens of powerful experts, whose Spirits had reached the Transformation stage, were constantly scanning the area around the spire. Furthermore, he detected an extremely subtle yet powerful aura.

It was a Nascent Source expert!

The five alliances actually had a Nascent Source expert guarding this place!

This showed how much importance they placed on this location.

"This is troublesome," Zhou Yuan murmured, his expression turning serious. The power of the crystal spire was said to come from the "Heavenflame Tree King." To stop this, he would need to rescue or steal the Heavenflame Tree King.

Clearly, this would not be an easy task.

However difficult, Zhou Yuan had to try. He couldn't afford to stand by and watch the Tianyuan Region's Scarlet Cloud Province front collapse, creating a weakness in the overall situation. If that happened, there would be no hope of acquiring the Ancestral Dragon Lamp.

Zhou Yuan exhaled, muttering softly, "Heavenly Punisher Saint Rune."

A half-zhang (approx. 1.5 meter) Law Domain quickly expanded, centered around Zhou Yuan.

The Law Domain was invisible, yet Zhou Yuan could feel its presence. Within it, a sense of divine mastery arose, though he knew it was likely an illusion. The power of this half-zhang Law Domain came from the Heavenly Punisher Saint Rune, and he could only control a small portion of it. Moreover, to be frank, a high-end item like a Law Domain, even one limited to half a zhang, was beyond Zhou Yuan's current full command.

Therefore, this half-zhang Law Domain was not invincible.

However, if used at the right moment, it could be considered a divine artifact.

For instance, now, with the cover of this half-zhang Law Domain and the concealment of the Shadow Immortal Art, even if he passed right in front of a Nascent Source expert, they would likely struggle to detect him.

Of course, it was precisely because he possessed this ability that Zhou Yuan dared to take such a risk.

Zhou Yuan moved, vanishing into the shadows once more. He then flickered and darted through the darkness, rapidly approaching the distant crystal spire.

As he drew closer, Zhou Yuan noticed numerous Spirit Sense probes densely sweeping the surroundings. Yet, these probes passed over him without detection, as he was virtually integrated with the entire world under the Law Domain's shroud.

After approaching within a certain range of the spire, Zhou Yuan stamped his foot. His body transformed into a faint black light, like a black snake, and he burrowed directly into the ground.

Once underground, the Law Domain expanded, causing the soil to automatically part. Zhou Yuan swiftly moved towards the base of the spire, which was embedded deep in the earth.

He sensed that the spire's power emanated from deep beneath the ground.

This subterranean infiltration lasted for about several dozen breaths.

The soil in front of Zhou Yuan parted, revealing a colossal hollow base of the spire. Innumerable massive chains extended from it, covered in ancient source patterns. In the center of these chains, he saw a huge ball of light.

Inside the light ball, he could vaguely discern what appeared to be a mass of flames, yet within the flames, the faint silhouette of a large tree was visible. That silhouette exuded an ancient and vast aura.

Vast, endless Source Qi was continuously being drawn out and then transported away through the chains.

This Source Qi was exceptionally pure and brimming with vital energy, identical to the power of the light beams empowering the five allied armies.

"This is the Heavenflame Tree King?" Zhou Yuan's heart trembled slightly. Judging by this power, it was indeed extraordinary. As he understood, the Heavenflame Tree King was a rare natural wonder, born from heavenly flames, with a long lifespan. If measured purely by its Source Qi, it could likely rival a Law Domain expert.

Unfortunately, such a miraculous entity found it extremely difficult to develop sentience, which prevented it from converting its Source Qi into true power.

However, it possessed an innate ability to avoid misfortune. Even Elder Mu Ni, when she came here previously, couldn't locate it. He wondered how the five alliances had managed to capture it this time.

Zhou Yuan sighed inwardly, then his gaze moved above the myriad chains. There, several stone platforms floated, each with a figure seated cross-legged on it. Judging by the Source Qi fluctuations they emitted, all of them were Heavenly Sun stage experts.

And on the central-most stone platform, a grey-robed old man sat, who was, surprisingly, a Nascent Source expert!

The defense was truly airtight.

Clearly, the five alliances had invested an unimaginable amount of power into the Scarlet Cloud Province front. It was likely that they had coveted the Heavenflame Tree King from the very beginning, and this was their true purpose for choosing this battlefield.

However, no one in the Tianyuan Region had apparently considered this. Perhaps because even Elder Mu Ni had failed to find the Heavenflame Tree King years ago, everyone had naturally assumed that even the Law Domain experts of the five alliances wouldn't be able to do so either.

But they had, against all odds, found it.

And they had also discovered how to utilize the Heavenflame Tree King's power.

Zhou Yuan's eyes flickered in the shadows. He found it hard to believe that the five alliances, relying solely on their own resources, could have achieved this. It was more likely that Grand Lord Wan Zu was behind it; only someone of his caliber could have found the Heavenflame Tree King.

"That old bastard!" Zhou Yuan gritted his teeth in anger. All his plans were on the verge of success, only to be utterly ruined by Grand Lord Wan Zu just as triumph was within reach.

However, Zhou Yuan also understood that against such a being, he was currently no more than an ant. Any amount of anger would be futile, so it was best to deal with the immediate problem first.

Zhou Yuan glanced at the defenses on the stone platforms. He wasn't worried about them; with the half-zhang Law Domain and the Shadow Immortal Art, he could pass right under their noses without detection.

The question was, how could he take the Heavenflame Tree King with him?

Zhou Yuan pondered for a moment, then transformed into a wisp of shadow, silently gliding. He attached himself directly to one of the chains, then navigated through its shadows, swiftly approaching the source of the Heavenflame Tree King.

In just a brief moment, he reached the source.

However, upon arriving, Zhou Yuan hesitated to move closer. At the end of the chain, he sensed traces of extremely powerful source patterns. These patterns possessed a unique power: Saint Fire!

That's right, Saint Fire, which only a Saint could produce!

Zhou Yuan had sensed it from Ancestor Cang Xuan and others back then.

This Saint Fire could even incinerate a Law Domain.

"It's Grand Lord Wan Zu after all!" Zhou Yuan cursed inwardly. The five alliances didn't have any Saints.

Zhou Yuan felt anxious. The Saint Fire was merely a minuscule residue, but if he got too close, his half-zhang Law Domain might not remain undetected.

What should he do?

Could he just retreat? Absolutely not!

Just as Zhou Yuan's thoughts raced, he suddenly felt a subtle perception extending towards him.

Had he been discovered?

Zhou Yuan's heart tightened. With a shift of his Law Domain, he prepared to quickly retreat.

However, just as he moved, his eyes suddenly flashed, and astonishment appeared in them.

Because he discovered that the perception was transmitting a message to him—a cry for help.

And the source of that plea...

Zhou Yuan's gaze shifted to the end of the chains, where the Heavenflame Tree King, trapped within, was unmistakably located!