Chapter 1165: 迦图

"Monopolize all nine main veins?!" When Bai Xiaolu uttered these words, everyone nearby paled, their eyes immediately filling with a mix of anger and shock. Even Zhou Yuan's gaze turned grim; he hadn't imagined the Saint Race's ambition could be so vast!

"Can they really seize all nine main veins?" Guan Qinglong's voice was grave. "Such a thing has never happened before." He explained that in the Guyuan Heaven, certain rules applied: to secure even a single main vein, one typically needed to consolidate the power of an entire Heaven Domain, then suppress and capture it. And naturally, all rivals vying for it had to be fended off beforehand.

For countless years, the Nine Domains had thus maintained a system where each Heaven Domain secured one main vein, with only varying degrees of strength among them. The idea of one entity dominating all nine main veins had never materialized, largely because these nine veins possessed unique spiritual properties, instinctively resisting any such attempt at complete control.

The others nodded in agreement. Bai Xiaolu slowly stated, "Indeed, this has never happened before, but that's because the Saint Race lacked the necessary means. Now... they are clearly prepared."

Zhou Yuan's heart stirred. Gazing at the mysterious grand array that connected heaven and earth and distorted space, he murmured, "Is it that great array barrier?"

Bai Xiaolu's brows furrowed. "Our Qiankun Heaven once obtained some intelligence," she said. "If I'm not mistaken, that barrier is probably the 'Saint Derivation World-Transforming Array.' It was jointly developed by the Saint Race's Saints, and once deployed, it possesses the terrifying power to even devour and absorb heaven and earth."

"Using this barrier, they can suppress the nine ancestral qi main veins, then capture and funnel them into the Saint Race's Four Heavens."

"However, our intelligence from Qiankun Heaven suggested that this barrier hadn't been fully developed yet. But now, it appears the Saint Race might have deliberately spread false information to deceive us."

Her expression was exceptionally grim.

"No wonder Shengzu Heaven has been searching everywhere, relocating Mysterious Traces. They intend to use the power of these Traces as crucial pivot points to establish the barrier..."

"We're too late. This barrier has now taken form, connecting heaven and earth and distorting space. It will create a celestial wall, keeping us out. We... can only watch as they use the barrier's power to suppress and refine the nine main veins."

Regret flickered in Bai Xiaolu's eyes. If only she had known about Shengzu Heaven's plan earlier, she truly should have informed the other Heaven Domains and initiated a blockade. But now, with the "Saint Derivation World-Transforming Array" complete, their chances of turning the tide were virtually nonexistent.

Around her, Guan Qinglong, Jiang Jinlin, Chu Qing, and others also wore grim expressions. They gazed with intense unwillingness at the grand array barrier spanning the distant heavens. They had struggled to reach this point, only to find the nine main veins within sight, yet Shengzu Heaven had completely severed their hopes. How could they possibly accept this?

If the main forces of the Five Great Heaven Domains were to learn of this, it would be an utterly devastating blow to their morale.

However, this couldn't be concealed... the activity from the barrier ahead was simply too massive.

Already, forces from the Five Great Heaven Domains were continuously streaming up the mountain peak from behind, their faces etched with shock and fear as they gazed into the distance, followed by overwhelming confusion and despair.

A ripple of panic was already spreading through the main forces.

Just as unrest began to spread among the Five Great Heaven Domains' forces, movement emerged from the vast array that spanned the distant heavens and earth. As space warped, it seemed to layer upon itself, revealing mountain peaks that shimmered in and out of view.

On one of these peaks, several figures emerged, casting mocking glances toward the location of the Five Great Heaven Domains' main forces. Clearly, they had detected their arrival.

From a peak within that grand array, a lone figure materialized, staring indifferently in their direction.

Zhou Yuan and the others immediately fixated on this figure, for even from such a distance, they sensed an indescribable aura of danger emanating from him.

The man wore a dark robe, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were as deep as stars, exuding an unfathomable aura, and a faint golden glow occasionally flickered across the vertical mark between his brows, adding to his mystique.

From his earlobe hung an earring crafted like intertwining dragons and phoenixes, upon which a strange light shimmered.

He gazed at Zhou Yuan's group with a faint, unreadable smile, then a soft chuckle drifted from him, echoing through the air: "Friends from the Five Great Heaven Domains, do you enjoy this gift I've prepared for you?"

Bai Xiaolu's eyes narrowed on the figure. Gritting her teeth, she uttered, "He is Jiantu! The strongest Saint Prodigy of Shengzu Heaven!"

Zhou Yuan's gaze sharpened slightly. This individual exerted immense pressure on him; even with his current 4.3 billion Genesis Qi reserves, he felt a threat that seemed almost tangible.

Yet, no one responded to Jiantu's mocking question. Instead, they all fixed him with icy stares.

Jiantu, however, was clearly unbothered, or perhaps, he had never held the people of the Five Great Heaven Domains in high regard. In this struggle for Guyuan Heaven, he had led Shengzu Heaven, largely abstaining from direct combat with the other Heaven Domains in the initial phase. While this was partly due to preparations for the grand array, at a deeper level, it might have been an unspoken disdain.

"You are rather uninteresting," Jiantu remarked with a smile, observing the silence from the Five Great Heaven Domains.

"It seems you haven't entirely collapsed yet. In that case, I'll give you another demonstration." He chuckled, extended his hand, and clapped.

*Boom!* As his clap echoed, a colossal transformation swept through the heavens and earth. Deep within the grand array, like a shifting starry sky, a massive black hole slowly materialized, radiating an immense power.

Under this immense power, a colossal upheaval began in the core region of Guyuan Heaven. Zhou Yuan and the others could vaguely discern it: in a boundless ocean, the sea was being torn apart, and limitless ancestral qi surged from the seabed. It was as if an indescribable force had gripped an unseen colossal dragon.

In a vast desert, yellow sands raged, and the colossal shadow of a yellow dragon could be seen struggling.

From a bottomless swamp, churned mud swept forth, turning the terrain upside down.

Chasms tore open, and ancestral qi surged upward.

Nine distinct geological features within Guyuan Heaven's core region were utterly shattered. Clearly, beneath them lay the hidden nine main veins!

Now, all nine main veins were being drawn into the black hole high above, an endless stream of ancestral qi rising and converging into it.

Shengzu Heaven had already begun capturing the main veins!

This sight, witnessed by countless individuals from the Five Great Heaven Domains, instantly caused their eyes to redden with fury. Some couldn't help but unleash desperate, unwilling cries.

The situation was spiraling slightly out of control.

But it wasn't just them; even Guan Qinglong and Jiang Jinlin clenched their fists, veins throbbing visibly on their foreheads.

Bai Xiaolu lowered her head. Faced with such a desperate predicament, even she was at a loss for what to do. The immense power emanating from the grand array made any approach unthinkable.

Jiantu watched the rising tide of despair from their side with a faint smile, then waved his hand as if shooing away ants. "Never mind," he said. "Just leave. Don't even dream of touching the nine main veins. While we are currently preoccupied, go find some other residual ancestral qi or Mysterious Traces. Consider it a small compensation for your losses."

He seemed to offer the Five Great Heaven Domains a path out of pity, even if that path only led to picking up mere scraps.

Bai Xiaolu and the others were trembling with rage, yet his words did have an effect. Among the Five Great Heaven Domains, some individuals, now desperate, were indeed preparing to disperse and search for any residual ancestral qi. After all, if they couldn't claim the main prize, they might as well salvage some remnants.

This was a clear sign of their morale crumbling. Bai Xiaolu, Guan Qinglong, and the others watched this scene with grim faces, but they were at a loss on how to intervene.

Their morale plummeted.

However, just as even they stood in bewildered despair, Zhou Yuan stepped forward.

His gaze, fixed intently on Jiantu's distant form, he slowly asked, "Do you truly wish for us to leave so badly?"

"Or are you perhaps worried about something yourself?"

The smile on Jiantu's face subtly receded. He narrowed his eyes at Zhou Yuan, responding with an air of intrigue, "Oh? Are you suggesting I'm worried about what havoc you ants from the lower five heavens could wreak?"

Zhou Yuan stared at Jiantu for a long moment before his gaze finally shifted to the "Saint Derivation World-Transforming Array" that enveloped the heavens and earth.

Deep within his eyes, sacred patterns rapidly swirled, making his pupils appear profoundly mysterious.

Simultaneously, his calm voice resonated throughout the heavens and earth.

"You must be worried that your grand barrier array, which isn't truly complete yet, still harbors some flaws."

Countless eyes from the Five Great Heaven Domains gazed at Zhou Yuan, a hint of bewilderment in their collective stare.

Meanwhile, Bai Xiaolu, Guan Qinglong, Jiang Jinlin, and the other top Heavenly Sun experts slowly widened their eyes, staring at Zhou Yuan with a mixture of disbelief and dawning realization.