Chapter 1092: Return to the City

By the time the main force of the Tianyuan Region returned to Hunyuantian Town, it was already evening on the second day. Everyone looked travel-worn, yet they could not conceal the excitement and eagerness constantly surfacing in their eyes. Their first harvest in Hunyuantian had far exceeded their wildest imaginations.

This was especially true for the rogue cultivators. Although they initially followed orders, they often carried an air of laziness and insubordination, which was normal given their free lifestyle and unaccustomedness to constant supervision. However, everything changed after they experienced the ancestral qi infusion. The surging foundation of Origin Qi completely galvanized the hearts of these rogue cultivators.

In the past, in Hunyuantian, they would even risk their lives in battles just for a minuscule increase in their Origin Qi foundation. Yet, the gains they received from the previous ancestral qi infusion far surpassed the resources they would have acquired by risking their lives countless times. After experiencing it firsthand, they finally understood just how powerful the opportunities in the Ancient Yuan Heaven were.

Their gazes, filled with deep obedience and admiration, converged on the young figure at the very front. They would never forget that Zhou Yuan had made all of this possible. The leader of their main force possessed abilities beyond their imagination; following him was indeed a great opportunity for them. They had to seize it firmly!

Many rogue cultivators exchanged glances, each seeing a fervent resolve in the other's eyes. Han Jinhe, Xue Qingmei, Wang Su, and the other deputy leaders among the rogue cultivators also noticed the change in their subordinates' attitudes. This made their expressions slightly complex, as previously, they were the most respected figures among the many rogue cultivators, and their words were truly heeded. This was also the primary reason Zhou Yuan had appointed them as deputy leaders. However, after this experience, Han Jinhe and the others realized that their standing among the rogue cultivators might be surpassed by Zhou Yuan.

Although they acknowledged this, they did not feel any dissatisfaction. They greatly approved of Zhou Yuan's methods. After all, they had come to Ancient Yuan Heaven to seize opportunities and improve themselves. If Zhou Yuan could truly lead them to great benefits, they would not mind genuinely following his lead and being at his command.

The entry of the Tianyuan Region's large contingent into the town naturally attracted countless gazes. Many passing factions cast their eyes upon them, and when they saw the undisguised excitement on the faces of the Tianyuan Region members, they couldn't help but feel surprised and puzzled. After all, news had spread in recent days that the Tianyuan Region had acquired an area with sparse ancestral qi, due to Wang Xuanyang's machinations.

Many factions were secretly gloating and pleased. If the Tianyuan Region missed out on a good area, it undoubtedly meant more opportunities for them. While the overarching goal was for Hunyuantian to compete for ancestral qi, who wouldn't want their own side to achieve it? Not to mention that their own factions would benefit more when guiding the ancestral qi towards Hunyuantian, those who facilitated this guidance would also enjoy the first wave of ancestral qi benefits. Thus, many factions secretly wished that the Tianyuan Region would choose those "broken" places every time. Yet, why did the returning Tianyuan Region team look so jubilant, without a hint of dejection?

Zhou Yuan paid no attention to the surprised and scrutinizing gazes from the various factions. He led the team directly back to the Tianyuan Region's resting quarters and then said, "Now, everyone rest and recuperate. We will wait for the next activation of the 'Qi Observation Platform.'" Everyone assented loudly and then dispersed. However, most returned to their resting places, eager to enter secluded cultivation. They wanted to quickly adapt to the surging Origin Qi they had acquired from the ancestral qi infusion. In a perilous place like Ancient Yuan Heaven, every bit of increased strength meant a greater chance of survival. They did not want to suffer the same fate as the dozens of companions whose bones were now buried in the mountains.

Zhou Yuan watched as everyone dispersed, then turned to Qin Lian and said, "Go inquire about the situation of the various factions. See how many have returned successfully and what their results are."

The Qi Observation Platform could monitor the flow of ancestral qi within a radius of tens or even hundreds of thousands of miles. Such a vast area could not be fully scanned in a single detection. Therefore, there would be at least five more detections before the region could be thoroughly explored.

Qin Lian nodded upon hearing Zhou Yuan's words, then, without daring to look him in the eye, she quickly turned and scurried away. Earlier, she had mistaken the dragon pattern on her Heavenly Sun as a virulent poison transmitted by Zhou Yuan. After Zhou Yuan's explanation, Qin Lian almost wanted to find a crack in the ground to hide in, and she hadn't dared to meet his gaze on the entire journey back, clearly utterly embarrassed.

However, Zhou Yuan felt it was understandable. After all, the Dragon Claw Heavenly Sun was extremely rare. Even he, had it not been for Senior Brother Zhuan Zhu's explanation, might not have known that his tattooed Heavenly Sun was actually the Dragon Claw Heavenly Sun, which surpassed the Glazed Heavenly Sun. Although Qin Lian was a top figure in the Heavenly Sun Stage, she had never encountered the Dragon Claw Heavenly Sun before and naturally knew little about such information. The Glazed Heavenly Sun was renowned for its purity and refinement, so when she suddenly saw strange patterns appear on her own Heavenly Sun, she naturally felt a bit flustered.

Zhou Yuan watched Qin Lian's scurrying figure and couldn't help but smile. Then, he turned and returned to his room, immediately entering a state of secluded cultivation to digest and adapt to the greatly increased Origin Qi foundation within his body.

As night fell like a black curtain over the land, Qin Lian successfully returned with news. "Approximately sixty percent of the factions have now returned. Among the other eight regions, four have also returned successfully. The various factions have decided to reactivate the Qi Observation Platform once about eighty percent of the forces are back, which should be in two days," Qin Lian reported, relaying all the information she had gathered.

Zhou Yuan nodded gently and asked, "What kind of harvest did those four returning regions get?"

"The first to return were the Martial God Region, Violet Heavens Region, Mysterious Machine Region, and Blood Sea Region. It is said that the first three were quite fortunate and each found an ancestral qi branch vein in their chosen areas. However, the Blood Sea Region was not as lucky; the ancestral qi branch vein they found was so sparse it was almost nonexistent," Qin Lian explained.

Zhou Yuan was not surprised by this, as he had known the outcome when these four regions made their selections. The regions chosen by the Martial God Region, Violet Heavens Region, and Mysterious Machine Region had dense ancestral qi, making the probability of containing a branch vein quite high. However, the area chosen by the Blood Sea Region, though seemingly dense, was actually insubstantial. Perhaps a branch vein would form there in a few centuries, but not at present.

"The Myriad Ancestors Region hasn't returned yet?" Zhou Yuan asked with a smile.

Qin Lian nodded.

Zhou Yuan didn't ask anything further, saying with a hint of amusement in his eyes, "Then let's wait. Perhaps there will be a good show when they return."

"What do you mean?" Qin Lian's eyes shifted. The area the Myriad Ancestors Region had gone to was the very place Wang Xuanyang had taken from her, which should have been theirs. Qin Lian had always resented this, but now, hearing Zhou Yuan's implications, it seemed there was something fishy about that area too?

Zhou Yuan did not elaborate, only saying mysteriously, "You'll know when they return."

Qin Lian, feeling helpless, gave Zhou Yuan a glance, exchanged a few more words, and then left.

Over the next two days, Zhou Yuan gradually gained complete control over the increased Origin Qi through his cultivation. During this period, various factions also returned to the town one after another. Some were overjoyed, but more often, they returned empty-handed and dejected. The town gradually grew livelier.

It was at this moment that the Myriad Ancestors Region, the only one of the Nine Regions yet to appear, finally returned to town.

"Bang!"

Zhou Yuan's door was roughly pushed open. Qin Lian rushed in, her eyes fixed on Zhou Yuan with fervent excitement, her voice eager: "The Myriad Ancestors Region is back!"

Zhou Yuan opened his eyes and smiled, "What's the outcome?"

"It's said that upon reaching that area, they encountered fierce attacks from countless ancient beasts, suffering significant casualties. The crucial part is that even after clearing out the ancient beasts, and digging three feet deep into the ground there, ultimately..." Qin Lian took a deep breath, her eyes shining brilliantly as she looked at Zhou Yuan, showing a hint of admiration for the first time. "...they found absolutely nothing!"

Qin Lian's chest rose and fell slightly, her heart clearly not calm. She knew very well that this outcome should have originally belonged to their Tianyuan Region, but at that time, as the one who chose the place, she would undoubtedly have faced immense pressure. All of this, however, had changed because of Zhou Yuan's intervention.

Therefore, the usually aloof Qin Lian now gazed at Zhou Yuan and genuinely whispered, "Zhou Yuan, thank you." She added, "You are truly the most suitable leader for this Tianyuan Region team."