Chapter 1162: White Little Deer

When the calm voice emanated from behind the mountain range, the forces from the Three Heavens stirred restlessly. Many people showed anger, feeling that Qiankun Heaven was being truly arrogant and disrespectful.

Zhou Yuan's expression, however, remained unperturbed, as the other party's reaction was well within his expectations. After all, his position as Supreme Commander of the Heavens was a nomination by Hunyuan Heaven, Myriad Beasts Heaven, and Cangxuan Heaven, but Qiankun Heaven was not among them. Moreover, Qiankun Heaven and Hunyuan Heaven had the most past conflicts and rivalries. Qiankun Heaven prided itself on being no weaker than Hunyuan Heaven, and thus, they didn't readily accept Hunyuan Heaven's title as the leader of all heavens. Now, the Three Heavens, led by Hunyuan Heaven, had actually elected a Supreme Commander without Qiankun Heaven's presence or consent. There was no way they would accept this.

Jiang Jinlin glanced at Zhou Yuan and said, "I've heard that Qiankun Heaven's commander this time is no simple figure. He hails from Brahma Palace, which is the foremost of Qiankun Heaven's eight major powers and boasts ancient foundations. I've heard from the elders in my clan that their generation's leading expert at the Heavenly Sun Stage is a once-in-a-millennium prodigy. In terms of talent and potential, he's probably no weaker than Captain Zhou Yuan."

A hint of schadenfreude flickered in his eyes. Having been constantly outshone by Zhou Yuan, Jiang Jinlin naturally felt a degree of displeasure. If someone emerged who could truly rival Zhou Yuan now, it would certainly make for an interesting spectacle.

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly. "I don't really care for this position," he said. "If Captain Jiang Jinlin weren't unable to shoulder such a heavy responsibility, I'd honestly love to just hand it directly to you."

Jiang Jinlin's face twitched. He understood perfectly what Zhou Yuan was implying: that he lacked the capability to hold such a position.

Guan Qinglong said calmly, "I still have confidence in Captain Zhou Yuan." He then made a gesture, and immediately, the vast forces from the Three Heavens descended majestically from the sky, a dark, dense mass spreading out before the mountain forest.

"Even if Qiankun Heaven has objections, we should discuss them clearly face-to-face," Guan Qinglong's powerful voice boomed. "If you have better ideas, our Three Heavens will not blindly refuse them."

Soon after his voice faded, a disturbance emerged from the depths of the mountain range. The ground trembled slightly, and figures poured out like a tide from within the mountains. It was the main contingent of Qiankun Heaven and Five Elements Heaven, a force whose scale was actually not much smaller than that of their Three Heavens. At this moment, the main forces of all Five Heavens had truly converged.

Zhou Yuan's gaze swept across the entire assembly, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. Qiankun Heaven was indeed formidable; it was no wonder they could contend with Hunyuan Heaven. Even a quick scan revealed numerous powerful Genesis Qi fluctuations among their ranks. According to his estimation, Qiankun Heaven likely had no fewer than five experts whose Genesis Qi reserves surpassed three billion. Compared to Qiankun Heaven, Five Elements Heaven was considerably weaker, though still notably stronger than Cangxuan Heaven. This left Zhou Yuan feeling a little helpless, as it seemed Cangxuan Heaven's reputation as the weakest was here to stay.

Zhou Yuan's gaze fixed on the vanguard of the Qiankun Heaven and Five Elements Heaven armies. There, a figure emerged: a man clad in a long robe, adorned with shimmering patterns of earth, wind, water, fire, and lightning.

"I am Li Fu of Five Elements Heaven. Greetings to my friends from Hunyuan Heaven, Myriad Beasts Heaven, and Cangxuan Heaven."

Though the man's features were ordinary, his eyes were remarkably striking, with occasional flashes of fire, lightning, and other Five Elements energies, radiating the very essence of the Five Elements. Zhou Yuan, Guan Qinglong, and Jiang Jinlin all cupped their fists in acknowledgment. Li Fu's strength was indeed formidable; their senses confirmed his Genesis Qi reserves totaled an impressive 3.6 billion. He was clearly the commander of Five Elements Heaven.

"It seems Captain Li Fu has also discovered a Mysterious Vestige and gained considerable benefits," Guan Qinglong said slowly. "For Li Fu to possess such profound reserves, he must have encountered a significant stroke of luck; otherwise, he couldn't have reached this level."

Li Fu offered them a gentle smile. "Presumably, you are Captain Guan Qinglong of Hunyuan Heaven?" he said. "Truly keen eyesight you have. We did indeed discover a Mysterious Vestige earlier, and it was there that we also encountered the main forces of Sacred Underworld Heaven. Our Five Elements Heaven fought them and were almost defeated. Fortunately, Captain Bai of Qiankun Heaven arrived just in time to help us repel Sacred Underworld Heaven."

Sacred Underworld Heaven, though the lowest-ranked among the Saint Race's Four Heavens, would be foolish to underestimate.

"I see."

Everyone understood, though it wasn't particularly surprising, as there was more than one Mysterious Vestige in the vast Ancient Origin Heaven.

Guan Qinglong said, "Captain Li Fu, could you please ask Captain Bai of Qiankun Heaven to come out and meet us? With a major war imminent, it would be best for our Five Heavens to unite."

Upon hearing this, Li Fu said somewhat awkwardly, "Captain Bai does not wish to see you."

Zhou Yuan, Guan Qinglong, Jiang Jinlin, and the others all frowned. Even if Qiankun Heaven harbored grievances, they should have appeared and addressed them directly. Hiding and refusing to meet was simply exasperating.

Li Fu said with a hint of helplessness, "Captain Bai said she's only heard of a Guan Qinglong from Hunyuan Heaven, but never of any Zhou Yuan, so what right does he have to be the Supreme Commander of the Five Heavens?"

Guan Qinglong's expression darkened, while Jiang Jinlin stifled a chuckle.

However, no anger was visible on Zhou Yuan's face. Instead, he slowly stepped forward and smiled faintly. "I am Zhou Yuan of Hunyuan Heaven," he stated. "If Captain Bai has an issue with me, she can come and tell me to my face. Hiding behind the scenes, acting all timid and indecisive—what, is she a woman?"

"As for my qualifications, won't you know once you try me?"

Upon hearing Zhou Yuan's words, Li Fu's expression immediately shifted. But before he could speak, a cold snort echoed from the mountain range behind.

"Hmph!"

As the cold snort fell, the mountain range suddenly trembled. Then, the forces from the Three Heavens watched in astonishment as a colossal peak, so immense it blotted out the sky, directly rose from within the mountains. What shocked them was not the colossal peak itself, but the sight of a figure supporting it with a single hand from beneath.

"Boom! Boom!"

With a flick of that figure's hand, the mountain descended with a whistling sound, casting a colossal shadow that enveloped Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the scene. He could clearly discern that the assailant was supporting the mountain purely with physical strength, without employing even a hint of Genesis Qi. Supporting a mountain with one hand. Such physical prowess was indeed formidable. However, to think this could intimidate Zhou Yuan was a touch too naive.

Zhou Yuan slowly clenched his fist, and searing lava patterns spread across his body. A tyrannical aura permeated the air, and the ground beneath his feet instantly transformed into a pool of magma. He stood his ground, allowing the mountain to crash down, and then unleashed a single punch. His figure, compared to the mountain, seemed like an ant. Yet, as his punch erupted, the mountain instantly froze in mid-air. The next instant, a terrifying heat burst forth from within it, and the entire mountain was utterly shattered into a shower of dust by the scorching force of that punch. After the opportunity presented by the stone tablet, the Great Blazing Demon technique Zhou Yuan cultivated had also reached the Grand Completion stage.

Having pulverized the mountain with a single punch, his gaze now fixed on what lay ahead. There, a figure descended from the sky. And when he saw that figure, he couldn't help but be momentarily stunned. Because it was a small girl dressed in white, with skin as white as snow and an utterly adorable appearance. Yet, on her delicate little shoulder, she was currently shouldering a colossal golden hammer, its immense shadow nearly engulfing her tiny frame.

"I am Bai Xiaolu, the Captain of Qiankun Heaven."

"Do you want to clash with me?!"