Chapter 1160: General Commander

A tremendous rumble! The extraordinary phenomena in the heavens and earth were noticed not only by Zhou Yuan. Guan Qinglong, Jiang Jinlin, and others also sharply raised their heads, their eyes filled with wild joy and anticipation as they gazed at the distant horizon.

Such a vast fluctuation of ancestral qi far surpassed anything they had encountered before. Even the ancestral qi surging from the ancient stone tablets they had previously seen was less than one-thousandth of the current ancestral qi fluctuations.

In this Genesis Ancient Heaven, there was only one thing that could possess more potent ancestral qi than these mystic relics: the nine main ancestral qi veins of the Genesis Ancient Heaven! This was also their ultimate objective in coming to Genesis Ancient Heaven!

Normally, the nine main ancestral qi veins of Genesis Ancient Heaven remained hidden and undetectable. However, only as more and more ancestral qi tributaries and mystic relics were developed, causing the ancestral qi in the heavens and earth to subtly lose balance, would these nine hidden main veins truly manifest. And now, without a doubt, was the most perfect moment.

“The nine main ancestral qi veins have appeared!” Guan Qinglong’s voice rang out, echoing in everyone’s ears. The atmosphere instantly ignited. The forces from the three heavens all gazed fervently at the distant sky, their eyes holding intense anticipation and longing, as well as a hint of trepidation.

Contending for the main ancestral qi veins was precisely their mission in coming to Genesis Ancient Heaven. If they succeeded, not only would they themselves gain immense opportunities, but they would also significantly boost the destiny of their respective heavens, which concerned the future strength of their entire heavens. However, after several clashes with the Saint Race, they also deeply understood how difficult this struggle would be. It would inevitably demand an enormous price, and no one was confident they could leave Genesis Ancient Heaven alive. But they also knew they had no retreat.

The atmosphere grew momentarily silent and heavy. Anxious gazes shifted around, then paused on Guan Qinglong, before quickly shifting and converging on the young man who had just completed his breakthrough. At present, they didn't have much confidence in the upcoming final battle, as the Saint Race was too powerful, and the most mysterious and formidable Saint Ancestor Heaven had yet to appear. Therefore, they desperately hoped for a pillar strong enough to support the overall situation. Previously, Guan Qinglong had been their pillar, but they all understood that even he would likely not have a significant advantage against the mysterious Saint Ancestor Heaven. Thus, the only one who could give them some hope now was perhaps Zhou Yuan, who had just completed his breakthrough, because his strength was now greater than Guan Qinglong’s.

Guan Qinglong also noticed this. However, he showed no anger; his gaze was only slightly complex. He was not so narrow-minded and naturally wouldn't resent Zhou Yuan surpassing him. He just hadn't expected this day to arrive so soon. At the same time, he felt a bit fortunate. Without Zhou Yuan's breakthrough, the morale of the three heavens would likely suffer, and if that happened, how could they contend with the Saint Race? Now, the forces from the three heavens needed a pillar upon whom to place their hopes. That person was not Guan Qinglong, nor Jiang Jinlin, because they were not yet qualified... Only Zhou Yuan!

However, Jiang Jinlin, who was nearby, was not as magnanimous. His expression turned somewhat grim. After all, he was considered the supreme commander of the Myriad Beasts Heaven, yet now, even his own forces from the Myriad Beasts Heaven placed their hopes on Zhou Yuan. So, he couldn't help but prepare to speak. But Ai Qing, beside him, immediately stopped him, whispering, “What are you trying to do? With the nine main veins appearing, everyone feels immense pressure. Only Zhou Yuan can take on this great responsibility and boost morale right now. If you try to obstruct him, you'll be going against everyone. Even the various tribes of Myriad Beasts Heaven won't support you then.” Jiang Jinlin’s face alternated between green and pale. Ai Qing’s words were extremely harsh, but he understood they were the truth. Given Zhou Yuan’s current strength and prestige, if he remained stubborn, there would likely be significant internal divisions even within Myriad Beasts Heaven, which would only severely damage his reputation. Thus, he could only forcefully swallow the words he was about to utter.

Ai Qing glanced at Jiang Jinlin, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. This person, considered a prominent figure among the Heavenly Sun stage cultivators of Myriad Beasts Heaven, had not performed well in Genesis Ancient Heaven this time. In contrast, Zhou Yuan, whom she hadn't given much thought to at their first meeting, had, in just a month, made her understand what 'world-changing' truly meant. Such a person was a true chosen one. Compared to him, Jiang Jinlin, the proud son of the Xuan Dragon Clan, truly paled in comparison.

Ai Qing’s slender, beautiful eyes fixed on Zhou Yuan, a glint in them. She then stepped forward, and a melodious voice, like a phoenix's cry, emerged from her red lips: “Elder Zhou Yuan, now that the nine main veins have appeared, a great battle is imminent. To contend with the Four Heavens of the Saint Race, I propose that Elder Zhou Yuan be appointed as the Supreme Commander for the five heavens, leading the forces of all five great heavens.” As soon as these words were uttered, gasps of surprise immediately arose. No one had expected Ai Qing to make such a bold suggestion. It was known that in previous Genesis Ancient Heaven contests, a supreme commander for all five great heavens was extremely rare. The reason was simple: it was difficult for anyone to command the full respect of all sides. Following the gasps, countless joyful voices simultaneously erupted. “We request that Elder Zhou Yuan be appointed Supreme Commander for the five heavens!” “We shall follow Supreme Commander Zhou Yuan’s lead!”

Ai Qing’s suggestion clearly aligned with what most people were thinking. With the battle imminent, if the strength of the five great heavens could be unified, it would naturally be the best strategy. However, in the past, no one possessed such power and prestige. But Zhou Yuan’s foundation of 4.3 billion Genesis Qi was certainly enough! Faced with the sudden offer of the supreme commander position, Zhou Yuan was also somewhat astonished, clearly a little taken aback.

Chu Qing rubbed his bald head and chuckled, “If Junior Brother Zhou Yuan takes on this supreme commander role, our Cangxuan Heaven has no objections.” Guan Qinglong also nodded gently, saying, “Having someone to lead is better than being a scattered mess. Our Hunyuan Heaven naturally has no objections either.”

Numerous gazes turned towards Jiang Jinlin. At this moment, his face was ashen. Clearly, Ai Qing’s move had also taken him by surprise. If Zhou Yuan became the supreme commander, wouldn't that truly mean he was superior to him? By then, even he would have to follow Zhou Yuan’s orders. However, as Jiang Jinlin remained silent, he also sensed some of the Myriad Beasts Heaven forces looking at him with displeasure. So he could only bite the bullet and say, “We only have three heavens here. The forces from Qiankun Heaven and Five Elements Heaven are not present. How can we decide on a supreme commander for all five great heavens? I've heard that the leading figure of Qiankun Heaven's Heavenly Sun stage cultivators in this generation is extremely renowned and a prodigy rarely seen in Qiankun Heaven in a thousand years.”

Among the five heavens, although Hunyuan Heaven was mostly the strongest, it was not an invincible existence. Qiankun Heaven was the most threatening heaven to Hunyuan Heaven. It was said that in the very beginning, the title of 'Head of All Heavens' belonged to Qiankun Heaven, but Hunyuan Heaven had later risen to prominence, gradually surpassing it. However, Qiankun Heaven's strength was still not to be underestimated, and it was constantly looking for opportunities to reclaim the title of 'Head of All Heavens.' Therefore, underestimating Qiankun Heaven would be extremely unwise.

Zhou Yuan felt a bit helpless. He actually had little interest in the supreme commander position, so he intended to use Jiang Jinlin's words as an excuse to decline. However, Guan Qinglong looked at him with keen eyes and said gravely, “Elder Zhou Yuan, we are asking you to take on the role of supreme commander not out of any selfish motive. It's just that the Saint Race's strength this time is exceptionally formidable. If our five heavens remain a scattered mess, as in the past, I fear that in this Genesis Ancient Heaven contest, all five of our heavens will suffer a crushing defeat. The price we would pay would be unimaginable, and in the worst-case scenario, it could even be a precursor to the complete annihilation of our five heavens by the Saint Race. Therefore, since you possess such strength, you should not decline!”

Chu Qing also nodded gently, saying, “If Qiankun Heaven disagrees, we can simply have another contest when they arrive.” With both of them expressing their stance, Jiang Jinlin found himself the focus of everyone’s gazes once more. He cursed inwardly, but this time he knew his excuses were useless, because he noticed even Ai Qing, standing beside him, was looking at him with a slightly cold expression. Thus, he could only grit his teeth and say, “Myriad Beasts Heaven also has no objections.”

Countless gazes turned to Zhou Yuan, filled with eagerness and anticipation. Seeing this, Zhou Yuan understood that he had no choice but to accept the position today. So he simply bothered to say no more, merely nodding gently. In his view, it was just a meaningless title anyway.

With his nod, countless faces broke into expressions of great joy. The next moment, waves of congratulatory shouts rose and fell, shaking the mountains. “Hail Supreme Commander Zhou Yuan!” “Hail Supreme Commander Zhou Yuan!”