Chapter 1034: 争塔

The Ancient Heavenly Fire Forest.

The battle here had concluded, and the ravaged land revealed the immense brutality of the previous conflict. The Heavenly Abyss Territory's army began to clear the battlefield, collecting the fallen bodies of their comrades. In the former main camp of the Five Great Alliances, the Heavenly Abyss Territory's army had taken up residence, asserting their control.

Zhou Yuan sat in a part of the camp, feeling a profound weakness as the Heavenly Fire Tree King's power receded from him. He felt languid, not wanting to move. The Heavenly Fire Tree King, in its form as a small emerald tree, remained rooted on his shoulder. It wasn't that it didn't want to leave immediately, but because Elder Mu Ni had previously placed a mark on it, ensuring that even if it tried to escape, it could be recaptured. The Heavenly Fire Tree King possessed some intelligence, and it could sense that Mu Ni bore no ill will towards it, so it ultimately did not insist on escaping.

Within the camp, numerous experts of the Heavenly Sun Stage came and went. When they caught sight of Zhou Yuan, their gazes became complex, as his reputation among many Heavenly Sun Stage experts in the Heavenly Abyss Territory had not been particularly favorable before. However, in this battle of Chiyun State, everyone could see the role Zhou Yuan had played. He had truly turned the tide. Had he not infiltrated the enemy camp and stolen the Heavenly Fire Tree King, the Heavenly Abyss Territory would have suffered far heavier casualties, and some of those casualties might have included themselves. Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that Zhou Yuan had saved their lives.

Zhou Yuan had undeniably proven himself. Faced with such immense contribution, even those most jealous of Zhou Yuan could only silently bury their thoughts. For they understood that if it had been them infiltrating a heavily guarded enemy camp and snatching the Heavenly Fire Tree King from under the nose of a Nascent Source Stage expert, it would undoubtedly have been a death sentence. Zhou Yuan had accomplished it, and regardless of the methods he used, this was enough to demonstrate that his capabilities surpassed theirs. Recalling the previous rumors now, they undoubtedly seemed extremely ridiculous. Some who had once believed those rumors now flushed with embarrassment upon seeing Zhou Yuan, secretly opting to take a detour and slip away.

Zhou Yuan, however, paid no mind to the surrounding gazes. His expression was languid, but in his heart, he worried about the situation on Xi Jing's side. As thoughts swirled in his mind, he suddenly saw a pair of long, slender legs stop in front of him. Zhou Yuan looked up. The owner of those legs was exceptionally tall, her body stained with blood, and her cold, striking beauty sent shivers down one's spine. It was Qin Lian. Behind her followed Mu Youlan, whose petite figure was almost entirely obscured by Qin Lian's.

“Still alive, that’s good.” Zhou Yuan smiled. Qin Lian gazed at Zhou Yuan’s face, her eyes equally complex. Then she said flatly, “I killed those Wang brothers. Ji Hu lost an arm and a leg, but unfortunately, he escaped.” “I also killed that bug from the Dragon Gu Palace,” Mu Youlan added softly.

Zhou Yuan secretly clicked his tongue. They were two beautiful girls, yet their words were so unsettling. Qin Lian pursed her lips and said, “We truly owe you for this.” Had Zhou Yuan not stolen the Heavenly Fire Tree King, even if she had managed to kill the Wang brothers, she would have paid a heavy price. Mu Youlan’s pale cheeks also flushed slightly as she nodded. Originally, they had strong reservations about Zhou Yuan taking on the targets from the hunting list. They had considered his actions reckless, even potentially jeopardizing the overall situation. But who could have foreseen that, in the end, Zhou Yuan would be the one to achieve the greatest merit in this war? This left both Qin Lian and Mu Youlan feeling somewhat ashamed afterward. Upon reflection, they realized the main reason was their initial distrust of Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan waved his hand, saying, “I’m also a member of the Heavenly Abyss Territory; this is what I should do.” He naturally knew the two women had previously doubted his abilities, but he considered it normal, as probably no one would believe that someone in the early Heavenly Sun Stage could possess a foundation of seven hundred million Genesis Qi. Normally, for someone in the early Heavenly Sun Stage to dare to infiltrate enemy territory would indeed be a suicidal act. In truth, Qin Lian and the others were also considering his safety.

Qin Lian, observing Zhou Yuan’s indifferent demeanor, nonetheless felt he might be a little upset. She bit her lip and said, “This was my fault. I shouldn’t have questioned your ability.” Mu Youlan also hastily said, “If you want to blame anyone, blame me. It was I who said those things in front of Sister Qin Lian.” Seeing the two women explain themselves in such a manner, Zhou Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle wryly. He scratched his head and said, “I genuinely don’t blame you. After all, you’re not Master Cang Yuan, so how could you possibly discern my potential?”

Qin Lian and Mu Youlan paused slightly. While his words might have been true, they sounded incredibly punchable. “Just kidding,” Zhou Yuan couldn’t help but smile. His interjection somewhat eased the expressions of Qin Lian and Mu Youlan. They then squatted down nearby, curiously asking, “How exactly did you manage to steal the Heavenly Fire Tree King? We heard there was even a Nascent Source Stage expert guarding it.”

Seeing their interest, Zhou Yuan casually recounted the process, naturally attributing the main reason to the power of the Heavenly Fire Tree King. Even so, the thrilling and perilous events he described caused both women’s expressions to subtly change. Zhou Yuan’s actions had undoubtedly been like walking on a knife’s edge, incredibly dangerous.

As the three chatted idly, their relationship subtly grew closer, no longer as distant as before. A while later, Zhou Yuan stretched and was about to speak when his expression suddenly shifted. Elder Mu Ni’s voice had entered his ears: “Come to the main camp immediately.” Zhou Yuan immediately stood up, waved to Qin Lian and Mu Youlan, and swiftly headed towards the central camp.

When Zhou Yuan entered the main camp, only Elder Mu Ni was present, her expression appearing somewhat grim. “What’s wrong?” Seeing her expression, Zhou Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Could it be that the two rare items have already been seized?” Mu Ni shook her head, saying, “It’s not that bad… Previously, Xi Jing and the others hurried to two destinations, but Grand Elder Wan Zu also sent people and issued a decree, aiming to capture the two rare items. Xi Jing and her group were outmatched…”

Zhou Yuan rubbed his chest, casting a slightly resentful glance at Elder Mu Ni, who had paused dramatically. “But fortunately, at the crucial moment, the two locations of the rare items revealed methods left behind by Cang Yuan. Only then was Grand Elder Wan Zu’s decree restrained.” “The methods left by Cang Yuan are two iron pagodas.”

“One is the Heavenly Sun Pagoda, and the other is the Nascent Source Pagoda.” “And the two rare items are at the very top of these two pagodas.” “The Heavenly Sun Pagoda is restricted to those in the Heavenly Sun Stage, and the Nascent Source Pagoda to those in the Nascent Source Stage. Each pagoda has five levels. For each level, both sides will send one person to contend. Whichever side first occupies three out of the five levels can ascend to the top and retrieve the rare item.” Mu Ni gazed at Zhou Yuan and slowly said, “These are the methods Cang Yuan left behind. As for whether we can ultimately secure them, perhaps it still depends on the strength of our Heavenly Abyss Territory.”

Zhou Yuan nodded gently. The appearance of these two iron pagodas would indeed save them from large-scale attritional warfare, significantly reducing casualties. However, the struggles within the pagodas themselves would likely become incredibly bloody and brutal. Both sides would undoubtedly not relent, sending forth their strongest Heavenly Sun Stage and Nascent Source Stage cultivators. This clash, it seemed, would draw worldwide attention.