Chapter 1111: Winner

In the mountain forest, darkness had fallen.

A section of the mountain wall suddenly shattered, and a figure slowly emerged. He stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing at the treacherous, layered peaks shrouded in night, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The smile eventually broadened, transforming into a burst of laughter.

Zhao Mushen was, without a doubt, in a superb mood. His long-term planning had finally borne fruit today.

Ever since Wang Xuanyang had entered the Heavenly Sun Stage, he had subtly suppressed Zhao Mushen in various ways. Zhao Mushen knew this stemmed from Wang Xuanyang's deep-seated apprehension, as among their generation in the Heavenly Sun Stage of the Ten Thousand Ancestors Domain, only Zhao Mushen truly posed a potential threat to his position.

In truth, Wang Xuanyang's instincts weren't mistaken.

Therefore, Zhao Mushen never intended to show his true capabilities from the start. He obediently allowed Wang Xuanyang to manipulate him, feigning complete submission, which gradually eroded Wang Xuanyang's vigilance.

However, the arrogant Wang Xuanyang remained oblivious that Zhao Mushen's schemes, like quicksand, were slowly ensnaring him, ultimately dragging him into the depths to be buried.

Everything Wang Xuanyang possessed had become a stepping stone for Zhao Mushen.

Zhao Mushen glanced back into the cave, a faint smile on his lips. "Senior Brother," he mused, "the Ancient Origin Heaven has excellent geomancy; it's quite suitable for burying bones... Oh, I almost forgot, this time you don't even have remains left."

"Actually, you can't blame me, your junior brother, for this. If you hadn't resorted to various methods to suppress me, I wouldn't have needed to take this path."

"And... you truly were foolish. Had you led the Ten Thousand Ancestors Domain's team, we would have suffered devastating losses."

He shook his head, saying no more. With source qi surging around him, he prepared to withdraw.

"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect that after all our efforts last night, you'd be the one to reap the benefits." Just then, a voice, tinged with surprise, suddenly echoed through the forest.

Zhao Mushen's body stiffened. He slowly turned his head to see a shadow undulating on a treetop, from which Zhou Yuan's figure flickered into view, his gaze fixed on him with surprise.

Zhao Mushen was silent for a moment before remarking, "You actually found this place."

Zhou Yuan chuckled. "How could his meager tricks truly escape my perception?" he replied. "But you, on the other hand, genuinely surprise me. It seems now that the intelligence that brought me here came from you, didn't it?"

Zhao Mushen remained expressionless.

Zhou Yuan's gaze upon Zhao Mushen was somewhat complex. "Your initial intention was likely for us to be mutually destructive," he stated. "But to be frank, despite your ill intent, I still have to thank you. If it weren't for your information, Su Youwei might have been in danger."

Zhao Mushen offered a faint smile. "There's no need for thanks," he said. "We are, after all, still enemies."

"If you truly wish to thank me, simply let me depart. I have no desire for a conflict with you right now."

Zhou Yuan chuckled. "However, let's keep things separate. Gratitude aside, you're far more troublesome than Wang Xuanyang. Letting you go would truly leave me uneasy."

The Heavenly Yuan Brush materialized in his hand, its tip pointing directly at Zhao Mushen from afar.

Zhao Mushen was somewhat speechless. This scoundrel spoke of gratitude, yet his actions were utterly ruthless.

"Right now, you alone cannot stop me."

Zhou Yuan waved his hand. Nearby, source qi fluctuations flickered, eventually coalescing into three figures in the sky around the peak: Dong Ye, Qin Lian, and Su Youwei.

The three women likewise stared at Zhao Mushen with peculiar expressions. They, too, had never anticipated that Wang Xuanyang would ultimately fall by his hand. The ways of the world truly are wondrous and unpredictable.

Zhao Mushen's brows furrowed as he looked at Dong Ye and the other two. Although he had just absorbed Wang Xuanyang's power, he hadn't fully assimilated it. And even if he had, fighting four opponents simultaneously would be impossible.

"Zhou Yuan, killing me here is not your best option," Zhao Mushen said calmly.

"I've left a message with the Ten Thousand Ancestors Domain team," he explained. "If I don't return by a certain time, they will know that you killed both Wang Xuanyang and me. At that point, the Ten Thousand Ancestors Domain team will undoubtedly retaliate against you. You might be able to withstand it, but you will inevitably pay a heavy price."

"However, if I were to lead the Ten Thousand Ancestors Domain team, these issues wouldn't arise. We could even temporarily set aside our enmity and become allies, as our factions in this Ancient Origin Heaven are, after all, somewhat aligned."

"As for what Wang Xuanyang did to Su Youwei, he is now dead, so your grievances should be settled."

Zhou Yuan watched Zhao Mushen speak so eloquently, his brows slightly raised. He had to admit, however, that there was some truth to what the man said. Even with the loss of Wang Xuanyang, the Ten Thousand Ancestors Domain's overall strength remained formidable. If they were to retaliate, even if suppressed, Zhou Yuan's side would incur significant losses, which would only serve to benefit other factions without effort.

Zhou Yuan's gaze shifted to Dong Ye and Qin Lian. Seeing their thoughtful expressions, they subtly nodded at him.

He pondered for a moment, the tip of the Heavenly Yuan Brush twirling in his hand, then slowly said, "Letting you go is not out of the question. However, if we discover that you cannot restrain the Ten Thousand Ancestors Domain's team, we will then expose the fact that you absorbed Wang Xuanyang. You will likely face considerable trouble then."

Zhao Mushen was silent for a moment before replying calmly, "Rest assured, I am not as foolish as Wang Xuanyang."

Still, a sense of displeasure lingered within him. This leverage had, after all, fallen into Zhou Yuan's hands.

"May I leave?" he asked indifferently.

Zhou Yuan grinned. "Wait," he said.

"What else do you want?" Zhao Mushen's brows furrowed deeply.

Zhou Yuan chuckled. "We fought hard all night here, finally managing to injure Wang Xuanyang, and you just waltzed in and reaped a massive benefit. That hardly seems fair, does it?"

"We're not your free muscle."

"What do you propose?" Zhao Mushen said coldly.

Zhou Yuan: "How about five Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures for each of us?"

A vein throbbed on Zhao Mushen's forehead. "I saw earlier that Wang Xuanyang's Qiankun Pouch was lost, so it must have fallen into your hands," he countered. "I'm not a captain in the Ten Thousand Ancestors Domain; how could I possibly possess so many Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures?"

Seeing his reaction, Zhou Yuan relented. "Alright then, three for each of us. What? Still can't manage? Fine, two then. No less than that; any less, and we might as well just eliminate you now."

Seeing Zhou Yuan's Heavenly Yuan Brush pointing at him once more, Zhao Mushen's face visibly paled. With a cold snort, he then flung out eight streams of light.

Zhou Yuan swept his sleeve, drawing them in. After inspecting them, he remarked with a hint of lament, "Zhao Mushen, you're really in a sorry state, aren't you?"

Zhao Mushen seethed inwardly. Back in the Ten Thousand Ancestors Domain, he had been constantly suppressed by Wang Xuanyang, and it had been incredibly difficult to even hoard these Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures. Now, Zhou Yuan not only confiscated them but dared to express disdain.

"May I leave now?" he asked icily.

Zhou Yuan simply waved a hand.

With a cold snort, Zhao Mushen moved, transforming into a streak of light that shot through the air, vanishing from sight within a few breaths.

At this moment, Dong Ye, Qin Lian, and Su Youwei approached Zhou Yuan's side.

"I can't believe Wang Xuanyang just died like that," Dong Ye sighed.

"Congratulations on your promotion to second on the Heavenly Sun Ranking," Zhou Yuan chuckled.

Dong Ye pouted. "Who cares about that kind of second place?"

"You certainly squeezed Zhao Mushen dry; his face was practically green," Qin Lian commented.

Zhou Yuan shook his head. "That was all for show. His gains from this situation far outweigh these few Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures."

Su Youwei's clear eyes gazed at the spot where Zhao Mushen had vanished. "Zhao Mushen is far more troublesome than Wang Xuanyang," she stated. "We'll need to be much warier of him in the future."

None of them had previously imagined that their encirclement of Wang Xuanyang had been entirely orchestrated by Zhao Mushen from the shadows. Such cunning was vastly superior to anything the simple-minded Wang Xuanyang could conceive.

"I still don't think we should have let him go," Dong Ye remarked.

"We couldn't have stopped him," Zhou Yuan replied, shaking his head. Noticing the three women's puzzled gazes, he suddenly waved his sleeve. Source qi swept forth, tearing open the ground below. Su Youwei and the others then saw countless silver beads hidden beneath the earth.

They emanated violent fluctuations.

"Are those Yin Thunder Pearls?" Dong Ye asked, surprised.

"Why would he hide so many Yin Thunder Pearls underground?" Qin Lian wondered, a hint of confusion in her voice. "While they possess considerable destructive power, they likely couldn't harm us."

Su Youwei's beautiful eyes flickered slightly. "Perhaps he didn't intend to harm us with these," she whispered, "but rather to use them to create intense source qi fluctuations, thereby triggering a geomantic disaster."

Zhou Yuan smiled and nodded. "Exactly," he affirmed. "If a geomantic disaster had erupted, we would have been in disarray, and that would have been his prime opportunity to escape amidst the chaos. He's incredibly cunning and not easily caught, so it was better to part ways amicably."

"And there was indeed some truth to his words."

Dong Ye exhaled softly, remarking with a hint of apprehension, "This fellow's cunning truly runs deep."

Zhou Yuan chuckled. "Still, no need to dwell on it. At the very least, Wang Xuanyang has been eliminated, and Zhao Mushen didn't manage to claim all the spoils... How are you feeling?"

As he spoke the last part, he looked at Su Youwei.

He was, of course, referring to Su Youwei's earlier absorption of Wang Xuanyang's source qi foundation.

Su Youwei offered a radiant smile. "This indeed was a significant gain," she said. "After some time in seclusion, my strength should see a substantial improvement."

"That's good to hear."

Zhou Yuan smiled, then produced all the Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures he had acquired earlier.

"Let's divide them up now."

He allocated half of them, exactly fourteen, to Dong Ye and Su Youwei.

Dong Ye, without hesitation, took seven. A faint smile touched her usually frosty face; after all, seven Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures were a considerable gain.

Su Youwei, however, did not accept them. Instead, she pushed her seven back towards Zhou Yuan. "I'll leave my share to Your Highness," she said. "I've already gained sufficient benefits."

"Are you being foolish, girl?" Dong Ye exclaimed upon seeing this.

There's no sense in refusing Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures that are practically being handed to you.

Su Youwei, however, shook her head quite resolutely, her clear eyes fixed on Zhou Yuan.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan felt a slight headache coming on.

"The girl has made up her mind; why are you still dilly-dallying?"

Qin Lian, unable to stand by, directly took the Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures under Dong Ye's fiery gaze. With a smile, she said, "Youwei, don't worry, I'll make sure all of these go to Zhou Yuan."

"Qin Lian, you!"

Dong Ye shot Qin Lian a fierce glare, but ultimately could only let out a cold snort. Annoyed, she pulled Su Youwei away. "Come on, let's go," she muttered.

Pulled along by Dong Ye, Su Youwei could only offer a helpless wave to Zhou Yuan, looking back every few steps.

After the two women disappeared into the distance, Qin Lian handed all the Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures to Zhou Yuan, remarking teasingly, "A beauty's kindness is indeed profound. If you could manage to charm this little beauty from the Purple Cloud Domain into joining our Heaven Abyss Domain, I'm sure our Heaven Abyss Domain would gain another pillar of strength in the future."

Zhou Yuan rolled his eyes at her, then tucked the Ancestral Qi Divine Treasures into his Qiankun Pouch before stretching with a sigh of relief.

With the hidden threat of Wang Xuanyang finally resolved, they could now fully concentrate on searching for Ancestral Qi Veins.

The opportunities in the Ancient Origin Heaven had only just begun.