Chapter 1089: Rare Treasure

Qin Lian was startled by Zhou Yuan's sudden, full-force outburst. However, when she heard his angry roar, she couldn't help but feel both amused and annoyed; he had already claimed these wondrous treasures as his own.

The Flying Golden Rat King had been entrenched here for many years, so surely *it* was the true owner, wasn't it?

With Qin Lian's discernment, it was clear that these wondrous treasures, nurtured by this ancestral qi branch, were nearing maturity. The Golden Rat King had delayed consuming and refining them, likely waiting for them to reach absolute perfection. Unfortunately for it, who would have thought that today would bring a formidable adversary like Zhou Yuan?

As Qin Lian's thoughts churned, Zhou Yuan, having transformed into a Great Blazing Demon, shot out. His colossal, giant-like figure appeared as if teleporting directly above the Golden Rat King, which had just swallowed a wondrous treasure and was rapidly increasing in power.

"Hiss!" The Golden Rat King let out a savage roar, baring its fangs at Zhou Yuan with menacing ferocity.

Its response, however, was Zhou Yuan's iron fist, wreathed in magma-like energy. With one punch, the searing heat warped the surrounding void. Behind him, two Celestial Suns materialized, their dazzling brilliance boosting his Genesis Qi reserves to 2.3 billion!

Boom!

Zhou Yuan's punch landed squarely on the Golden Rat King's head, erupting like a volcano with sweeping magma. The Golden Rat King shrieked in agony, its massive body hurled backward, crashing into the ground and forming a deep crater.

The Golden Rat King's head was torn and bleeding profusely. However, having swallowed the wondrous treasure, its power had evidently surged, so it wasn't instantly killed by Zhou Yuan's ferocious punch.

"More resilient now, are we?" Zhou Yuan sneered, his demonic figure shooting down again, leaving a trail of afterimages in the void.

The Golden Rat King hastily transformed into a golden streak to dodge.

Boom! Boom!

Inside the cavern, one man and one rat engaged in a frenzied chase, their violent attacks turning the place upside down.

Qin Lian did not join the pursuit. Instead, she appeared by the several stalactites, channeling her Genesis Qi to form a protective shield around them, preventing them from being affected by the battle's aftermath. If they were to be destroyed, both she and Zhou Yuan would be heartbroken.

In the dust-filled cavern, Zhou Yuan's colossal demonic figure descended from above, his feet carrying mountain-like force as he stomped heavily onto the Golden Rat King's back.

Boom!

The ground cracked, forming a large crater, and the Golden Rat King was pinned down firmly.

It struggled frantically, trying to escape.

But Zhou Yuan's iron fists were already raining down again. Snowy-white hairs coiled around his fists, forming a reinforced impact surface, with sharp barbs glinting menacingly.

"Origin Shatter!"

The snowy-white hairs instantly turned pitch black, a profound color that made one's heart tremble.

Boom, boom, boom!

Zhou Yuan's fiery red eyes, like those of a blazing demon, pulsed with ferocity. His heavy fists transformed into countless blurry strikes, all crashing onto the Golden Rat King's formidable body.

Tremendous roars continuously echoed throughout the cavern.

The ground in that area was continuously collapsing.

Several minutes later, the deafening roars gradually subsided.

Qin Lian looked down, seeing a dark, colossal crater emerge as the dust cleared. Deep within the crater, Zhou Yuan's massive, demon-like physique had returned to its original form.

Beneath his feet, the previously fierce and menacing Golden Rat King was utterly disfigured, like a mass of pulp, with blood splattered throughout the deep pit.

Zhou Yuan looked at the Golden Rat King's pathetic state with a hint of helplessness. Its physical body was simply too formidable; he had to exert his full power, otherwise, with its tenacious life force, he might not have been able to kill it even after a full day of fighting.

"My apologies..."

Zhou Yuan offered an unconvincing apology. Then, with a wave of his hand, a piece of the Golden Rat King's flesh rose. He casually crushed it, revealing a gleaming wondrous treasure within.

It was a deep yellow crystal with nine apertures, like eyes, emitting an indescribably profound aura.

On this Nine-Orifice Stone Crystal, Zhou Yuan could also sense an ancient essence identical to ancestral qi.

"So this is a wondrous treasure nurtured by ancestral qi?" Zhou Yuan opened his palm, examining it curiously.

Legend had it that such wondrous materials were required to forge true Saint-tier treasures, making this item exceptionally rare and precious.

However, as Zhou Yuan was examining the Nine-Orifice Stone Crystal in his hand, snowy-white hairs unexpectedly erupted from his palm, instantly coiling around the crystal. Then, with a whoosh, they vanished in a flash.

This sudden development startled Zhou Yuan.

"Heavenly Yuan Brush?!"

He quickly peered into his Divine Dwelling, where the Heavenly Yuan Brush floated silently. Its snowy-white hairs hung down, coiling densely to form a sphere, from which light emanated.

It was precisely the Nine-Orifice Stone Crystal.

Zhou Yuan could clearly see a peculiar power being transmitted from the hairs into the Heavenly Yuan Brush. Under this power, the mottled body of the brush seemed to deepen in color.

Moreover... a faint glow emanated from the Heavenly Yuan Brush's eighth pattern.

"The Heavenly Yuan Brush can devour these wondrous treasures to evolve itself?!" Zhou Yuan was both surprised and delighted. The Heavenly Yuan Brush's power now surpassed that of ordinary top-tier Heaven Genesis weapons, even bordering on quasi-Saint Genesis weapons. However, he knew it still had a significant gap to bridge before becoming a true Saint Genesis weapon.

Yet, as the Heavenly Yuan Brush's grade increased, its awakening and evolution became progressively more difficult. Now, the wondrous treasures of the Ancient Origin Heaven presented Zhou Yuan with another opportunity.

As if sensing Zhou Yuan's gaze, the Heavenly Yuan Brush vibrated, emitting a humming sound.

Zhou Yuan understood its meaning: it wanted more ancestral qi treasures.

Zhou Yuan grimaced. Well, it seemed he would now have to work hard to "feed" this little ancestor.

"Alright, alright, I'll get more for you," Zhou Yuan said resignedly, though he felt more joy than anything else. After all, if the Heavenly Yuan Brush awakened and evolved, it would significantly boost his own strength.

Having said that, Zhou Yuan prepared to exit his Divine Dwelling.

But at that very instant, he paused, a flicker of surprise and doubt in his heart. At that moment, he felt another unusual fluctuation emanating from within his body.

This fluctuation was extremely faint, almost imperceptible if not sensed carefully.

Zhou Yuan, cautious by nature, did not ignore it. Instead, he calmed himself and began to sense it.

Under his careful perception, the subtle fluctuation indeed reappeared...

Following that faint ripple, Zhou Yuan's thoughts stirred. Within his Divine Dwelling, numerous silver liquids gathered, gradually forming a silver sphere before him.

The silver sphere was smooth as a mirror, with subtle ripples occasionally appearing on its surface.

Zhou Yuan stared blankly at the silver sphere.

"This... Silver Shadow?!"

Zhou Yuan's expression became exceptionally complex. He never imagined that the source of that faint fluctuation would be the Silver Shadow!

This had never happened before.

This was the first time the Silver Shadow had actively sent him a message. Of course, this was likely because the Silver Shadow's grade was far inferior to the Heavenly Yuan Brush.

"Have you also developed a trace of sentience?" Zhou Yuan extended his hand curiously, holding the silver sphere. It seemed that years of nurturing had forged a connection between the Silver Shadow and him.

Ripples appeared on the Silver Shadow's smooth surface, but its sentience was clearly much weaker than that of the Heavenly Yuan Brush.

"What do you want?" Zhou Yuan asked.

The Silver Shadow's sudden fluctuation at this moment surely had a reason.

The Silver Shadow couldn't express complex thoughts, only causing ripples to continuously appear on its surface.

Zhou Yuan pondered for a moment. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He looked at the Heavenly Yuan Brush floating nearby and mused, "You also want ancestral qi treasures?"

If there was anything unusual in his Divine Dwelling today, it was only that ancestral qi treasure.

The Silver Shadow immediately trembled violently, its ripples becoming frantic.

Zhou Yuan smiled and quickly reassured it, "Alright, alright, I understand. Don't worry, I won't neglect you."

Zhou Yuan held deep affection for the Silver Shadow, which had followed him since his humble beginnings. Countless times, in life-or-death situations, he had relied on the Silver Shadow's power to turn the tide.

However, as his strength continuously improved, the Silver Shadow struggled to keep pace. But Zhou Yuan felt that perhaps the ancestral qi treasures in the Ancient Origin Heaven would also be an opportunity for the Silver Shadow's evolution.

In the deep pit, Zhou Yuan opened his eyes. He looked at his empty palm and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

It seemed feeding one 'little ancestor' wasn't enough... now he had to feed two.