Chapter 1060: Rebel

The moment the vast torrent of Genesis Qi from within the Tianyuan Region blasted the light barrier from behind, countless faces inside the Tianyuan Cave revealed expressions of utter horror and disbelief.

The entire atmosphere became deathly silent due to the sheer shock.

Gaze after gaze stared in horror and fear at the figure standing in the void. They couldn't imagine that Elder Bai Ye, a figure of paramount standing in the Tianyuan Region, would deliver a fatal blow from within at this most critical juncture.

That was Clan Leader Bai Ye, one of the Five Grand Elders!

When the Tianyuan Region was founded years ago, he followed Grand Master Cang Yuan and made immense contributions, earning countless accolades. Innumerable experts within the Tianyuan Region looked up to him as a goal for their efforts and aspirations.

Yet today, this very individual, one of the cornerstones of the Tianyuan Region, had rebelled.

At this moment, many couldn't help but slump to the ground, their eyes dazed, revealing the immense shock this scene had inflicted upon them.

The morale within the entire Tianyuan Cave nearly collapsed completely at that moment.

"How could this be...?"

Qin Lian's pretty face was pale, and her delicate body trembled. She couldn't fathom why Clan Leader Bai Ye, with his esteemed status, would choose to betray the Tianyuan Region.

Zhou Yuan, standing beside her, was also somewhat stunned, but for some reason, his eyes remained rather calm, devoid of excessive shock. Perhaps he had witnessed something similar before, during his time at the Cangxuan Sect.

From a certain perspective, Clan Leader Bai Ye bore some resemblance to Peak Master Lei Jun of the Cangxuan Sect. Both were typically very low-key individuals, but clearly, this was merely a camouflage.

No one had ever suspected that this consistently low-key Elder Bai Ye had secretly defected to the Wanzu Region long ago.

Was it because he, too, had lost faith in the Tianyuan Region?

However, it wasn't entirely unreasonable. As one of the Nine Regions, the Tianyuan Region had been steadily declining over the years due to the absence of a Grand Master. Even forces like the Three Mountain Alliance and the Scarlet Cloud Sword Sect, which previously wouldn't dare to challenge the Tianyuan Region, now dared to launch a joint invasion.

In such circumstances, if Grand Master Wanzu were to offer promises, even someone of Elder Bai Ye's standing might inevitably waver.

Zhou Yuan glanced around, sighed softly, and said, "It seems Elder Bai Ye had prepared for this long ago. No wonder Bai Yu and other core members of the Bai clan are nowhere to be seen today."

Hearing this, Qin Lian quickly looked around as well and indeed found no trace of Bai Yu.

"I was wondering earlier why Bai Yu wasn't around today. So that's why..." Mu Youlan said, gritting her teeth.

"Not just Bai Yu, but almost all strong individuals from the Bai clan are absent from the Tianyuan Cave," Zhou Yuan sneered. "Sister Xi Jing mentioned it once before, saying Elder Bai Ye sent them to guard the borders of the Tianyuan Region. Heh, our esteemed elder truly leaves no stone unturned."

Qin Lian and the others fell silent, undoubtedly feeling immense pain. After all, the Bai clan was a part of the Tianyuan Region, and they had fought side by side for many years. To be suddenly betrayed now was truly unbearable.

"Is our Tianyuan Region... going to be lost today?" Qin Lian whispered, her voice trembling slightly. At such a moment, even she, who was always strong, began to feel lost and helpless.

Zhou Yuan remained silent. He looked up at the figures in the void. Originally, the situation in the Tianyuan Cave could have been maintained, but with Bai Ye's rebellion, the situation was now on the verge of collapse. At this moment, even he felt a sense of pessimism.

As morale collapsed within the Tianyuan Cave, the four elders—Xi Jing, Sect Master Xuankun, Mu Ni, and Bian Chang—stared fixedly at Bai Ye's figure in the void above.

"Bai Ye, why did you betray us?" Xi Jing gritted her teeth, her voice imbued with a chilling frost.

Bai Ye lowered his gaze slightly and said, "Xi Jing, Grand Master Cang Yuan has been missing for so many years because his choices were flawed. If the Tianyuan Region continues like this, it will eventually crumble. Given the circumstances, I naturally had to find another path for the Bai clan."

"The Grand Master will return eventually!" Bian Chang exclaimed angrily.

Bai Ye said indifferently, "But when will that be? Should we wait another thousand years? Will the Tianyuan Region even exist then? Without it, why should we stubbornly cling on?"

Sect Master Xuankun's eyes were gloomy as he slowly said, "Is it because Grand Master Wanzu made you some promises?"

Bai Ye's white pupils flickered slightly; he didn't deny it, smiling as he said, "Indeed, Grand Master Wanzu promised to help me comprehend the Saint stage. Of course, I want to experience that supreme realm."

Only by becoming a Saint can one truly wield power in this world; otherwise, even a Law Domain expert can only remain inferior.

In Bai Ye's eyes, the flames of ambition blazed.

Sect Master Xuankun shook his head and said, "Ambition has clouded your judgment. If the Saint stage were truly so easy to enter, his Wanzu Region wouldn't have had only one Grand Master Wanzu for all these years!"

Mu Ni also said coldly, "For your own selfish desires, you've dragged the Bai clan into peril. Have you considered the fate of your Bai clan if the Wanzu Region's plot fails today?"

Bai Ye gave a faint smile and said, "Are you still waiting for Grand Master Cang Yuan to return? If he truly returns, I would be delighted, because Grand Master Wanzu would likely be even more pleased then."

Clearly, he knew some secrets, which was why he acted with such brazen confidence.

"Since you are so incorrigible, today I will have to clean house for Master." Xi Jing's wine-red short hair gently fluttered, and in her bright eyes, a killing intent that could instantly drop the world's temperature was gathering.

She opened her rosy lips, and a speck of green light ascended.

Within the green light was a glowing green pearl, which seemed to contain a world of storms.

The moment Xi Jing made her move, she conjured the Wind God Pearl, demonstrating the depth of her fury at Bai Ye's betrayal.

The Wind God Pearl flickered, shattering the void, and enveloped in terrifying power, it appeared above Bai Ye as if teleporting, crashing down with a thunderous impact.

As the Wind God Pearl descended, that part of the void instantly collapsed, bringing with it an aura of world-ending destruction.

Bai Ye watched the descending Wind God Pearl, his expression unchanged. He made no defensive moves, instead allowing the Wind God Pearl, enveloped by the collapsing void, to descend and shatter his body.

"Heh heh, Xi Jing, you should focus on how to protect this Tianyuan Cave for now. I'm not interested in playing with you."

As his body shattered, a faint chuckle slowly resonated.

Xi Jing, Sect Master Xuankun, and the others wore grim expressions. This was a Genesis Qi avatar... Bai Ye's true body was likely no longer in the Tianyuan Cave. They had never actively probed him before, which was why they hadn't discerned this.

Rumble! Rumble!

However, before they could track Bai Ye's true body, the entire Tianyuan Cave suddenly began to tremble violently.

Xi Jing sharply raised her head, looking towards the entrance of the Tianyuan Cave. There, the previously stable light barrier had begun to develop enormous cracks, with Genesis Qi fragments continuously falling from it.

Witnessing this scene, even Xi Jing felt a chill spread through her entire body.

She knew that with two wondrous artifacts shattered, the light barrier's foundation had been severely compromised. This protective barrier, personally set up by Cang Yuan, was about to break.

Moreover, this barrier was connected to the nine hundred prefectures of the Tianyuan Region. Once it broke, the Tianyuan Cave would lose the support of the world's Genesis Qi. The abundant vitality here would then vanish, and this cultivation haven of the Tianyuan Region would gradually transform into a desolate land, devoid of Genesis Qi.

That moment, perhaps, would mark the Tianyuan Region's fall from its place among the Nine Regions.