Chapter 1116: 苍玄 Sky Situation

Night had fallen over the land, and bonfires burned in the mountains and forests, resembling stars in the night sky.

Zhou Yuan, Zuoqiu Qingyu, Lvluo, and others gathered around a bonfire.

As they looked at Zhou Yuan, Zuoqiu Qingyu and Lvluo still felt a slight sense of unreality. This feeling intensified, especially when they noticed the many powerful cultivators from Tianyuan Region around them treating Zhou Yuan with an attitude of awe and respect.

“Zhou Yuan, have you been to Hunyuan Heaven all these years? And joined Tianyuan Region?” Lvluo asked quietly.

Zhou Yuan smiled and nodded.

“I heard them calling you an 'Elder.' Is that your nickname?” Zuoqiu Qingyu keenly picked up on how others addressed Zhou Yuan. The title 'Elder' was clearly not something one could easily attain anywhere.

Furthermore, before arriving in Guyuan Heaven, they had extensively studied the various other Heavens. Thus, they understood Tianyuan Region and the significance of being an Elder there.

Knowing its true meaning, Zuoqiu Qingyu didn't dare to consider it literally. Instead, she preferred to believe it was a special nickname.

Zhou Yuan smiled, showing no intention of concealing the truth. “I am indeed an Elder of Tianyuan Region,” he said. “And it’s exactly as you’re thinking, not a nickname.”

The next moment, Zuoqiu Qingyu and Lvluo stared at him, somewhat dumbfounded.

This shock was even more intense than when Zhou Yuan had driven away Tong He.

Zuoqiu Qingyu slowly turned to look at Qin Lian and the others. The Genesis Qi pressure they exuded was even more potent than that of the white-haired man who had ridden the giant crane. Such individuals were undoubtedly at the pinnacle of power even within Tianyuan Region.

“He must be joking, right?” Zuoqiu Qingyu stammered.

Seeing her reaction, Qin Lian couldn't help but smile, then stated seriously, “Zhou Yuan is indeed one of our five Grand Elders of Tianyuan Region; it’s not a joke.”

Zuoqiu Qingyu’s mouth twitched slightly. “But... as far as I know, the Grand Elders of Tianyuan Region are all Law Domain experts?!”

The Law Domain stage, in their Hundred Flowers Immortal Sect, only their Sect Master had reached it!

That was a top-tier expert within Cangxuan Heaven. Although Zhou Yuan was now much stronger than he had been, he was clearly a world apart from the Law Domain stage.

“Zhou Yuan is Grand Master Cang Yuan’s direct disciple,” Qin Lian explained. “According to the rules set by Grand Master, he is qualified to become an Elder of Tianyuan Region.” She understood how unbelievable it seemed for Zhou Yuan, with his Heavenly Sun stage cultivation, to hold such a title, and thus empathized with Zuoqiu Qingyu and Lvluo’s reactions.

“Grand Master’s direct disciple...”

Zuoqiu Qingyu and Lvluo exchanged glances, then finally offered a bitter smile. So this guy had such a profound opportunity; no wonder.

A Grand Master... that’s a Saint stage cultivator. In their Cangxuan Heaven, it seemed no Saint had emerged since Patriarch Cangxuan’s demise.

“Enough about me, tell me about yourselves... Weren't you with the main forces of Cangxuan Heaven? Why are you out here alone?” Zhou Yuan waved his hand, asking with some confusion.

Hearing his words, Zuoqiu Qingyu and Lvluo's faces both darkened.

“Sigh, don't even mention it. Shortly after the main forces of Cangxuan Heaven entered Guyuan Heaven, a major incident occurred.”

Lvluo gritted her teeth, saying angrily, “It’s all those bastards from Sheng Palace!”

“What happened?” Zhou Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. The mention of Sheng Palace caused a chill to rise from the depths of his eyes. The old grievances from back then hadn’t faded with time; instead, they had intensified.

After all, his departure from Cangxuan Heaven to Hunyuan Heaven was, in a sense, also due to Sheng Palace's coercion.

Of course, more importantly, they were still the culprits behind Yaoyao's long slumber!

Zuoqiu Qingyu sighed softly and slowly began, “This matter probably goes back to your actions from all those years ago. When you shattered the Cangxuan Saint Seal, its fragments scattered across Cangxuan Heaven. In the years that followed, various forces have been searching for and contending over them, which has indeed sparked numerous conflicts.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan also sighed inwardly. The allure of a supreme treasure like the Cangxuan Saint Seal was immense; when it shattered and its fragments scattered, it was bound to ignite widespread greed. However, there was no other choice at the time. Had he not acted, the Cangxuan Saint Seal would surely have fallen into the hands of Palace Master Shengyuan, which would have brought a great catastrophe upon Cangxuan Heaven.

“Fortunately, aside from Sheng Palace, the five great Sacred Sects have remained relatively rational. They are also collecting Saint Seal fragments while simultaneously maintaining a vigilant stance against Sheng Palace.”

“After all, Palace Master Shengyuan of Sheng Palace is currently the only Pseudo-Saint in Cangxuan Heaven...”

“Are his injuries healed?” Zhou Yuan frowned. He recalled that during the great battle back then, Palace Master Shengyuan should have been severely wounded.

Zuoqiu Qingyu shook her head. “From the look of the situation, he probably hasn’t fully recovered; otherwise, Cangxuan Heaven would have experienced major upheavals by now. But even so, Sheng Palace’s influence in Cangxuan Heaven is still increasingly formidable.”

“In the search for Saint Seal fragments over these years, Sheng Palace and the five great Sacred Sects have repeatedly clashed, and countless battles have erupted, with both sides suffering considerable losses.”

As she spoke, Zuoqiu Qingyu’s expression grew somewhat somber. “However, this situation is becoming increasingly unfavorable for the five great Sacred Sects as time passes. I once heard our Sect Master mention that Palace Master Shengyuan’s recovery is accelerating.”

Zhou Yuan slowly said, “Have the five great Sacred Sects not considered joining forces to eliminate Sheng Palace?”

Although Sheng Palace is strong, if the five great Sacred Sects truly united, they might not necessarily lose, right?

Lvluo explained, “While the five great Sacred Sects are united in their opposition to Sheng Palace, it’s impossible for them to be entirely of one mind. To eliminate Sheng Palace, they would have to confront Palace Master Shengyuan. Even if he hasn’t fully recovered, he is still a Pseudo-Saint, after all…”

“If he were cornered, at least half of the Law Domain experts from the five great Sacred Sects would likely perish.”

“That price is too heavy; even the five great Sacred Sects wouldn't dare to initiate such a conflict lightly.”

“Therefore, the current strategy of the five great Sacred Sects remains focused on collecting the Cangxuan Saint Seal fragments. As long as Palace Master Shengyuan doesn’t obtain all of them, he cannot become a true Saint.”

Zhou Yuan nodded gently, a hint of regret in his eyes. In truth, now was the optimal time to deal with Palace Master Shengyuan. However, the five great Sacred Sects clearly couldn’t afford such a monumental cost. After all, everyone had their own self-interests; the loss of even one Law Domain expert from their own sect would be a devastating blow, potentially even causing them to lose their standing as a Sacred Sect.

“This is the current situation within Cangxuan Heaven; it’s a complete mess.”

“As for why we appeared here alone...”

Zuoqiu Qingyu bit her lip, and a hint of anger appeared on her charming face. “That, of course, is also thanks to Sheng Palace!”

“The moment our main forces from Cangxuan Heaven entered Guyuan Heaven, Sheng Palace immediately clashed with our five great Sacred Sects’ contingents. However, no battle erupted at the time; Sheng Palace’s forces chose to withdraw.”

“We thought they had temporarily decided to settle things peacefully...”

“But unexpectedly, seven days later, Sheng Palace launched a night raid on our Cangxuan Heaven base camp. Various forces from Cangxuan Heaven suffered heavy casualties and were forced into a continuous retreat.”

“Although Sheng Palace is strong, it's not strong enough to defeat the combined forces of the five great Sacred Sects, is it?” Zhou Yuan asked, somewhat surprised.

Zuoqiu Qingyu and Lvluo exchanged glances, and both women's faces turned exceptionally cold at this moment.

“Because Sheng Palace somehow invited a team from the Saint Race...”

By the bonfire, the residual chatter quietly faded away at this moment.

Zhou Yuan’s expression also gradually darkened.