Chapter 1049: Shock

The moment Zhou Yuan swallowed the rune orb, countless onlookers were filled with utter horror. No one had imagined Zhou Yuan could be so audacious.

This wasn't just seeking death; it was an extreme form of it!

In the direction of the Tianyuan Region, Qin Lian's face was ashen, and her body trembled. She whispered, "Zhou Yuan, you lunatic! You absolute madman!"

From her perspective, Zhou Yuan's act of directly confronting and swallowing the rune orb seemed incredibly desperate, like a final, defiant counterattack born of utter despair.

But was there truly any need for this?!

With his talent, even if the Tianyuan Region were destroyed, he might still have a chance to rise again in the future. There was no need to sacrifice his life here!

Qin Lian stared blankly at the black iron tower, her mind numb.

Behind her, Yi Qiushui covered her mouth, her legs weak. If not for Ye Bingling holding her up tightly, she might have already collapsed to the ground. Even so, her eyes were red-rimmed, and she let out soft sobs.

They had witnessed the power of the previously exploding rune orbs, which even the iron tower erected by Grand Elder Cang Yuan could not withstand. What could Zhou Yuan, a Heaven Sun stage initial cultivator, possibly amount to against such terrifying force?

Although Zhou Yuan had repeatedly created miracles before, those had always been within similar power levels. However, the rune orb clearly possessed power far beyond what the Heaven Sun stage could achieve.

Therefore, Zhou Yuan's chances of survival at this moment seemed slim.

Chi Jing watched the scene emotionlessly, her wine-red short hair gently fluttering. A monstrous killing intent surged in her bright eyes. She murmured, "Little Junior Brother, if you fall here, I will make sure one of their Law Domain experts is buried with you."

Sect Master Xuankun and the others remained silent, their faces grim. They knew that Chi Jing, though seemingly calm, was likely on the verge of an internal explosion.

"Huh, wait... why hasn't it exploded yet?"

Suddenly, Sect Master Xuankun felt something was wrong and blurted out.

At his words, even Chi Jing was momentarily stunned, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. Yes, why hadn't the rune orb detonated yet?

This situation was also noticed by powerhouses from other factions a few seconds later. Immediately, their previously horrified faces showed bewilderment, and they began whispering among themselves.

"What's going on? Why didn't the rune orb explode?"

"Could something be wrong with it?"

"Could Zhou Yuan have diffused it?"

"How is that possible?! The power of that rune orb would be difficult for even a Nascent Source stage expert to stop. How could he, a Heaven Sun stage initial, possibly diffuse it?!"

"Then why hasn't it exploded?"

"This..."

Everyone's faces were filled with uncertainty and doubt, but they couldn't understand why the rune orb had suddenly fizzled out.

Even the normally composed Five Great Alliances began to stir with unease.

Law Domain experts like Hong Jiuyuan frowned as they watched. The previous rune orbs had all achieved their desired results smoothly. Why had this last one failed? What exactly had Zhou Yuan done?

On the azure jade battle platform.

Lu Qing, who had been laughing moments ago, abruptly stopped, his expression one of surprise and confusion as he looked at Zhou Yuan.

At this moment, Zhou Yuan stood still, his eyes closed.

However, the rune orb he had swallowed earlier remained silent, like a dud shell.

"What's going on?" Lu Qing was filled with doubt, but he dared not approach. If the rune orb merely had a delayed detonation, getting too close would put him in harm's way.

Even at this point, he didn't believe Zhou Yuan truly had the ability to withstand the rune orb's explosion. In his view, the delay was likely due to some unknown reason with the orb itself.

"Zhou Yuan, no matter how much you struggle, you can't change the outcome!" Lu Qing's eyes were shadowed.

However, at that very moment, Zhou Yuan slowly opened his tightly closed eyes.

His gaze met Lu Qing's, and for a brief moment, Lu Qing visibly stiffened.

Inside and outside the tower, the air seemed to solidify.

All eyes stared at Zhou Yuan, almost in a daze.

Even the Law Domain experts couldn't remain calm; their eyes were filled with disbelief.

Because only at this moment could they finally confirm that the rune orb, forged by Grand Elder Wanzu, had indeed been diffused by Zhou Yuan. This fact caused an indescribable shock to them. After all, it was the work of a Grand Elder!

They simply couldn't comprehend how Zhou Yuan had managed to do it.

"This..."

Sect Master Xuankun, Clan Leader Mu Ni, and the others stared with wide eyes, speechless. This sudden turn of events even made their hearts race as Law Domain experts.

Chi Jing was also stunned for a long moment. Then, seeing the questioning looks from Sect Master Xuankun and the others, she hesitated slightly. "Perhaps Master left Zhou Yuan some protective means, allowing him to diffuse the rune orb."

This explanation made sense. Everyone could see that the ability to diffuse the rune orb couldn't have come from Zhou Yuan's own power. And to counter the means of a Grand Elder, only another Grand Elder of the same rank could do it.

Sect Master Xuankun and the others nodded in understanding, then let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, in the Tianyuan Region's camp behind them, earth-shattering cheers erupted.

The shift from despair to hope was incredibly dramatic.

Qin Lian and Mu Youlan exchanged glances. If this scene hadn't unfolded right before their eyes, they would never have believed it.

"Sister Qin Lian, it's a good thing you strongly supported Zhou Yuan's participation in the battle, or else this time would have truly been dire," Mu Youlan said, patting her chest with delight.

Bai Yu, standing nearby, looked a little unnatural. "It's only because a Grand Elder left him some protective means," he said.

Bian Buji shook his head. "No matter what means he's hiding, his sheer courage to swallow that rune orb into his body is admirable enough."

He glanced at Bai Yu. "If it were you, would you dare to swallow it?"

Bai Yu was speechless, his expression shifting. He couldn't answer. They had all witnessed the power of the rune orb. Regardless of one's own methods, swallowing it was like ingesting a massive bomb; one wrong move, and it would mean being reduced to dust.

Given his cautious nature, even if he had the means, he likely wouldn't dare to do such a thing.

He paused, then spoke again: "However, even if Zhou Yuan diffused the rune orb, he might not be able to handle Lu Qing's 1.6 billion Genesis Qi foundation. I still maintain that his 1.5 billion Genesis Qi foundation, temporarily gained through external forces, might not be as stable."

Hearing this, Qin Lian, Mu Youlan, and Bian Buji frowned slightly. Although Bai Yu's words were unpleasant, they were indeed true.

Even if Zhou Yuan had diffused the rune orb, Lu Qing remained a dangerous and formidable opponent for him.

While a deafening clamor erupted outside, the atmosphere on the azure jade battle platform remained somewhat stagnant.

Lu Qing's lips twitched slightly and continuously. Clearly, the sight before him had caused immense shock, and he, too, couldn't imagine how Zhou Yuan had done it.

"It seems the means prepared for you by that Grand Elder weren't entirely foolproof," Zhou Yuan said, lightly twisting his neck. Then he grinned at Lu Qing, revealing a chilling set of white teeth.

Lu Qing's face alternated between pale and green, but he eventually took a deep breath to calm his shocked emotions, then stared grimly at Zhou Yuan.

"As expected of a Grand Elder's direct disciple, you truly have many tricks up your sleeve."

"But it doesn't matter if the rune orb failed. As long as I deal with you next, the outcome will still be the same."

Behind him, surging Genesis Qi churned, and three Heaven Suns faintly appeared. An immense pressure swept out, covering everything.

Although the situation was somewhat out of control, Lu Qing wasn't truly panicked. After all, he was a genuine late Heaven Sun stage expert with a 1.6 billion Genesis Qi foundation, while Zhou Yuan had merely, and barely, reached a 1.5 billion foundation through external means.

If it came down to a true battle of skill, Lu Qing was confident he still had an overwhelming chance of victory!