Chapter 1132: Reconnecting

When the forces of the Sacred Race and the Sacred Palace retreated in disarray, the troops from Tianyuan Region and Cangxuan Heaven did not pursue them. Watching the numerous figures flee in such a state, they felt a mix of emotions. Who could have imagined that the Sacred Race, once so mysterious and unfathomable in their minds, would ever experience such a moment of humiliation?

Silence filled the great canyon. All eyes turned to the young figure standing at the very front, their gazes filled with deep gratitude and reverence. The various factions of Cangxuan Heaven understood that if Zhou Yuan had not appeared today, they would surely have been doomed. Therefore, after a brief silence, the forces of Cangxuan Heaven bowed with clasped fists in Zhou Yuan's direction.

Zhou Yuan looked at the crowd. Many faces showed sorrow. Although the Sacred Race forces had been repelled, Cangxuan Heaven had still suffered considerable losses, with many fellow disciples perishing in the preceding battle. These forces from Cangxuan Heaven had truly experienced profound loss. He gently waved his hand, unable to offer words of comfort. After all, this was war, not merely a sect trial. At this moment, he understood even more deeply that the Sacred Race was indeed the mortal enemy of all races. When the two sides met, there was no room for reason, only a fight to the death.

Their positions were, after all, diametrically opposed. The Sacred Race considered themselves the supreme rulers of all Heavens and the kings of the Heaven Origin World, believing themselves to be the most noble and powerful, while all other races were only fit for enslavement and submission. It was said that in ancient times, the Sacred Race was even more powerful, suppressing other races to the point where they could not even raise their heads, treating them as mere beasts to be slaughtered or bullied at will. During the darkest periods, the races were almost suffocated by the oppression; many were even exterminated by the Sacred Race during that time. However, thanks to the enduring destiny of the races and their collective efforts, coupled with the emergence of some astonishingly talented and mighty beings, they gradually stabilized the situation. After several great battles across heaven and earth, the races finally established the current Five Great Heavens.

Although what Ji Mo had said earlier was unpleasant, even Zhou Yuan had to admit that the four Heavens occupied by the Sacred Race were indeed the places with the most abundant Heaven Origin energy among the nine Heavens of the Heaven Origin World. From a certain perspective, calling them the "Upper Four Heavens" was not self-aggrandizement.

Zhou Yuan's gaze was solemn. This was his first true personal encounter with a Sacred Race expert, and the power displayed by the latter had truly shocked him. With his current strength, even within Hunyuan Heaven, he felt that only Guan Qinglong could pose a threat to him. If he were not being modest, he could be considered the second most powerful individual in the Heavenly Sun Stage of Hunyuan Heaven, effectively replacing Wang Xuanyang's position. Yet, despite this, he had still failed to kill Ji Mo today. One must know that Saint Spirit Heaven, where Ji Mo resided, was only ranked third among the Sacred Race's four Heavens. He truly wondered how formidable the Sacred Race prodigies from the second-ranked Saint King Heaven and the most mysterious and powerful Saint Ancestor Heaven would be.

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, putting away the solemnity and apprehension in his eyes. Then his figure descended towards a certain spot in the great canyon. This was where the Cangxuan Sect disciples, led by Chu Qing and Li Qingchan, were gathered.

When they saw Zhou Yuan approach, the Cangxuan Sect disciples visibly became more reserved, their eyes filled with reverence. In terms of seniority, most of them were actually above Zhou Yuan, and even Chu Qing and Li Qingchan (who were his direct seniors) were considered a younger generation amongst the disciples present. However, in this place, seniority and experience held little weight; everything was determined by strength. After all, when facing the Sacred Race, no amount of seniority or experience you displayed would save you from the blade. Although Zhou Yuan was once the Saint Son of Cangxuan Sect, he was now the captain of the Tianyuan Region in Hunyuan Heaven.

Yet, amidst those gazes of reverence, Zhou Yuan's face showed a smile of genuine joy. Hearing Zhou Yuan address them this way, almost all the Cangxuan Sect disciples brightened up and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This showed that Zhou Yuan still acknowledged his former identity in the Cangxuan Sect. This immediately made many Cangxuan Sect disciples feel a greater sense of familiarity with him.

Chu Qing's long hair was gone, replaced once again by a gleaming bald head. He rubbed his head and sighed, "Junior Brother Zhou Yuan, I never imagined that you would be the one to come and rescue us in the end. You've truly moved me, your Senior Brother, beyond words. If I could, I'd even be willing to introduce Junior Sister Qingchan to you."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Li Qingchan, who was beside him, glared with knitted brows and kicked Chu Qing in the back of his knee, sending him directly to one knee before Zhou Yuan.

"Still spouting nonsense," Li Qingchan said coldly. "This guy was quite decent earlier, but as soon as the crisis passed, he reverted to his old ways."

Zhou Yuan chuckled drily. Senior Brother Chu Qing was still as unreliable as ever.

"Senior Brother Chu Qing, please spare me such a grand gesture," Zhou Yuan said, helping Chu Qing up.

Chu Qing grumpily pulled his hand away from Zhou Yuan. The surrounding Cangxuan Sect disciples let out low chuckles, breaking the reserved and slightly sorrowful atmosphere for a moment.

Li Qingchan's clear, cool eyes fixed on Zhou Yuan, and she said softly, "This time, we truly owe you a great debt of gratitude." She understood that if Zhou Yuan had not arrived like a divine being, she would likely be leading the Cangxuan Sect disciples in a desperate, disheveled flight for their lives right now. And countless fellow disciples would have perished here.

"I am also a Cangxuan Sect disciple. I met Qingyu and Lulou earlier, but I still arrived a bit late," Zhou Yuan said slowly. He could see that Cangxuan Sect had suffered many casualties as well.

Chu Qing patted Zhou Yuan's shoulder and said, "Don't dwell on it. Their deaths here are due to my failure as the senior disciple. It has nothing to do with you." Zhou Yuan could detect a hint of sadness hidden beneath Chu Qing's usually lackadaisical expression. However, this usually carefree senior disciple was now showing the responsibility expected of him. Furthermore, Zhou Yuan understood that if Chu Qing had not stepped forward during the most difficult moments, the Cangxuan Sect and even the various forces of Cangxuan Heaven might not have been able to wait for his rescue.

Zhou Yuan did not dwell on this topic. He shifted his gaze and then saw a familiar figure behind Li Qingchan.

"Senior Brother Kong Xuan, I trust you've been well," Zhou Yuan said with a smile. The figure was none other than Kong Xuan, the former Saint Son of Sword Cometh Peak in the Cangxuan Sect. When Zhou Yuan was in the Cangxuan Sect, he had quite a few conflicts with Kong Xuan. To be precise, he didn't quite get along with the entire Sword Cometh Peak, including their peak master Ling Jun. However, these were merely minor past grievances. Zhou Yuan did not hold them in his heart. After all, when he returned to the Great Zhou Dynasty from the Cangxuan Sect, among the Cangxuan Sect disciples who escorted him along the way, there were also disciples from Sword Cometh Peak led by Kong Xuan.

Kong Xuan's expression was slightly unnatural. He nodded somewhat stiffly in greeting. His personality was rather proud, and Zhou Yuan was now so dazzling, which made him unsure how to face him. Zhou Yuan understood his mindset, so he just smiled. Just as he was about to look away, he suddenly saw a puff of smoke rise, and then, to his astonishment, he saw a barefooted middle-aged man holding a smoking pipe. The man was smiling amiably as he watched him.

"Martial Uncle Mu Wuji?" Zhou Yuan exclaimed in surprise. He had a particularly deep impression of this person. It was this very individual who had guided him into the Cangxuan Sect at the Saint Remains Domain in the vast Cangmang Continent. In a sense, he was Zhou Yuan's guide.

"Heh heh, so you still remember me," Mu Wuji grinned.

Zhou Yuan chuckled, "If it weren't for your guidance back then, where would the current Zhou Yuan be?"

Mu Wuji said with emotion, "If I hadn't guided you into the sect back then, I daresay our Cangxuan Sect's Heavenly Sun Stage generation might have gone extinct today." He looked at Zhou Yuan, a wisp of green smoke curling from his pipe. He chuckled softly and said, "Zhou Yuan, your current achievements are all thanks to your own efforts. My fortune in guiding you into the Cangxuan Sect back then might be considered the greatest achievement of my life."

Zhou Yuan's expression was sincere. "Without the Cangxuan Sect, there would naturally be no me today." Looking back at Cangxuan Sect from his current standing, its overall strength might still not compare to that of Tianyuan Region. But Zhou Yuan understood that if Cangxuan Sect had not given him so much support back in Cangxuan Heaven, he might not have even had the chance to avenge the Great Zhou and kill King Wu in the end. After all, behind Wu Huang stood the Sacred Palace.

While Zhou Yuan reminisced with Chu Qing and the others, the leaders of other factions from Cangxuan Heaven also approached with their teams: Hundred Flowers Immortal Palace, Sword Inquiry Sect, Heaven Ghost Mansion, North Sea Dragon Suppressing Palace. The leaders of the Four Great Saint Sects all expressed their gratitude to Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan responded to each of them, then looked at a few familiar figures behind them, smiling.

"I never expected us to meet again here."

Besides Zuoqiu Qingyu and Lulou, whom he had met earlier, Li Chunjun, Ning Zhan, and Zhen Xu were also present. The companions who had once left the Cangmang Continent together to venture into Shengzhou were reunited here once more.

"Now I probably can't even defeat one of your legs," Ning Zhan said with a hint of regret. Even a battle-addict like him understood that the gap between him and Zhou Yuan was too vast now, making a sparring match impossible.

Zhen Xu was as cold as ever, merely nodding slightly to Zhou Yuan, but the glint in his eyes was noticeably brighter than usual. He could sense that the Zhou Yuan before him showed no difference from his past self, despite the disparity in their strengths.

Li Chunjun expressionlessly held his rusty iron sword and said hoarsely, "That sword light of yours just now was truly formidable."

Zuoqiu Qingyu rolled her eyes at the three of them. "You're truly three blocks of wood."

Lulou giggled, extending her fair, small fist, and said excitedly, "Everyone's still alive! This is so memorable. Let's touch fists!"

Zhou Yuan looked at these companions with whom he had once strived together, and a warmth spread through his heart. He then extended his fist with a smile. Zuoqiu Qingyu also smiled charmingly and bumped her fist against his. Ning Zhan, Li Chunjun, and Zhen Xu exchanged glances and also smiled faintly, extending their fists.

The five fists met, and Zhou Yuan let out a soft chuckle. "Everyone, live well. When I return to Cangxuan Heaven, I might still need your help then."

The four's eyes all flickered. They knew about Zhou Yuan's grievances with the Sacred Palace, and at the same time, their hearts trembled slightly, not from fear, but from excitement. They understood Zhou Yuan's meaning: When he returned to Cangxuan Heaven again, perhaps, the true decisive battle with the Sacred Palace would begin.