Chapter 1170: Play and Murderous Intent

When Zhou Yuan passed through the distorted space again, he found himself in a vast desert, with yellow sand swirling everywhere. Behind him, the space rippled, and several figures emerged one after another.

The small team was primarily comprised of late Heavenly Sun Realm experts from the Five Great Heavens, but familiar faces like Li Qingchan, Zuoqiu Qingyu, and Li Chunjun were also among them. Thanks to Zhou Yuan's assistance in the previous mysterious fortune, they had all significantly improved, breaking through to the mid Heavenly Sun Realm. Their exceptional talents and current foundations made them formidable experts, even among those at the same level.

"You don't have to follow me," Zhou Yuan said with a helpless smile. "This path I'm taking will likely be the most arduous."

"Having benefited from you, we must contribute something," Li Chunjun said hoarsely.

Zhou Yuan had helped them immensely in the Ancient Origin Heaven, and they wished to reciprocate. While they knew their assistance might be limited given Zhou Yuan's current strength, they were determined to do what they could. Thus, despite the inherent dangers of following him, they remained unafraid.

"You can't carry every burden alone," Li Qingchan stated coolly.

Zuoqiu Qingyu's beautiful eyes curved as she said sweetly, "Don't worry, we know our place and won't hold you back."

Luliu pouted. "Honestly, I just feel there will be more opportunities if we follow you."

Their words, exchanged one after another, warmed Zhou Yuan's heart. "Senior Sister Qingchan, please take command of this team. Your role, and everyone else's, will be to plant the formation flags I've given you in specific positions whenever we encounter a formidable node. This will help suppress the barrier's power."

"However, the enemy will undoubtedly send people to obstruct you, so protecting these flags will be quite dangerous. Everyone, please be cautious."

Among the group, Li Qingchan was clearly the most rational and dependable. When Zhou Yuan faced powerful enemies and couldn't afford distractions, he would have to rely solely on her command.

Li Qingchan simply nodded slightly, offering no words.

Once his instructions were complete, Zhou Yuan said nothing further. He gazed at the desert before him, narrowed his eyes slightly, then stepped forward. His figure seemed to flicker, instantly reappearing a thousand feet away.

He advanced deeper into the desert. The team followed closely behind him, led by Li Qingchan.

After only a few minutes, Zhou Yuan halted his advance, his gaze turning icy as he looked straight ahead. In the desert, a prominent stone peak stood conspicuously. Powerful Genesis Qi fluctuations emanated from the peak, and sharp, wary gazes were fixed on their group.

Zhou Yuan's expression remained undisturbed. He observed that the strongest among the guardians possessed a Genesis Qi foundation of only around 3.3 billion. Before his breakthrough, such power might have posed a minor threat, but now, it presented no obstacle whatsoever.

Li Qingchan and the others, upon realizing the situation, breathed a slight sigh of relief. It seemed this first node would not be overly challenging.

However, just as they relaxed, the space above the stone peak suddenly rippled, and a figure slowly materialized. The figure exuded an abyssal aura, with a face like jade and intertwined dragon-and-phoenix pendants dangling from his ears. An air of profound mystery enveloped him.

"Jiatu?!"

Zhou Yuan's pupils constricted slightly the moment he saw this individual. This was none other than Jiatu, the most powerful Sacred Heavenly Pride from the Sacred Ancestor Heaven!

This left him slightly astonished. Jiatu was supposed to be guarding the final node; how could he appear here? Had he simply abandoned his post? Behind him, Li Qingchan and the others' expressions drastically changed. Their Genesis Qi surged, preparing for battle as if facing a mortal enemy. This formidable foe, who should have appeared only at the very end, had ambushed them the moment they entered the Saintly Evolution Grand Formation. This turn of events undoubtedly shattered their rhythm.

"You are the general commander of the Lower Five Heavens? Your name must be Zhou Yuan, correct?" Jiatu asked, his gaze deep as he faintly smiled at Zhou Yuan. "Do you truly believe your power is sufficient to break the Saintly Evolution Boundary Formation?"

Zhou Yuan replied, "Who can truly know if we can break it? And if you were truly as calm as you appear, you wouldn't need to waste words on me."

"It's merely rare to encounter an ant bold enough to provoke me," Jiatu said blandly. "I find it amusing. However, you are rather irritating, so I plan to humble your spirit."

A strange smile curled on his lips. He then extended his palm, and the void before him twisted. A spatial rift tore open, from which Jiatu pulled out a figure.

Zhou Yuan's expression instantly changed when he recognized the figure: "Youwei?!"

The person he had dragged from the void was none other than Su Youwei!

"This woman must be quite important to you, correct?" Jiatu said, smiling. His hand gripped Su Youwei's pale, slender neck, while chains of Genesis Qi tightly bound her. "You fool, you've gravely underestimated my Saint Race's 'Saintly Evolution Grand Formation.' Once you entered here, you became mere lambs awaiting slaughter. Zhou Yuan, remember this: you are the one who doomed them all."

Su Youwei's face flushed crimson as she struggled frantically, but she could not break free.

Zhou Yuan's gaze turned exceptionally grim.

"Do you wish to save your little lover?" Jiatu snapped his fingers, and the space before Zhou Yuan rippled slightly, tearing open a spatial fissure. "Take your people and leave through here, and I will release her. Otherwise, do not blame me for being ruthless."

Li Qingchan and the others behind him saw this and their expressions couldn't help but change drastically. They wanted to speak, but ultimately remained silent. Jiatu's cunning was profound; following his path out would likely lead to the complete collapse of their grand strategy.

Jiatu chuckled softly. "Have you made your choice?"

"Boom!"

Zhou Yuan's response was an explosive burst, his figure shooting forward like a bolt of lightning. Afterimages blurred across the void as he surged directly towards the summit of the stone peak.

"How dare you!"

"Is a Saint Heavenly Pride someone a lowly ant like you can challenge?"

The strong practitioner from the Sacred Ancestor Heaven saw this and instantly let out a cold cry. His entire 3.3 billion Genesis Qi foundation erupted, transforming him into a torrent that collided directly with Zhou Yuan. The two collided like meteors, but in an instant, the Sacred Ancestor Heaven expert let out a horrific scream. His entire body erupted in that terrifying impact, disintegrating into a shower of blood mist.

Zhou Yuan's figure passed through the blood mist, landing directly atop the stone peak.

"Is that your choice? What a heartless man," Jiatu said with a sigh upon witnessing the scene. Then his eyes suddenly turned chillingly cold, and the Genesis Qi in his palm erupted.

*CRACK!*

Su Youwei's pale neck instantly twisted and snapped. Rampant Genesis Qi surged into her body, raging and extinguishing her life force. Jiatu casually discarded the lifeless body. "See?" he said. "You killed her."

Zhou Yuan watched with an indifferent gaze, then a sneer curled on his lips. "Jiatu, that you would resort to such a base trick reveals your inner unease. Are you truly afraid that I will succeed in breaking your formation?"

Jiatu's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh?"

"All of this is merely an illusion, including you."

Zhou Yuan walked up to Jiatu, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said calmly, "I know you intended to provoke me, to make me lose my reason and commit an error..." With an indifferent expression, he lifted his foot and stomped it down with sudden force. A terrifying Genesis Qi shockwave erupted from within him like a storm. The surrounding Saint Race experts who had charged him were immediately overwhelmed by the crushing Genesis Qi pressure, sent flying backward and spitting blood. "However, your objective was indeed achieved."

Amidst the swirling blood mist, Zhou Yuan struck with his palm, and Jiatu's figure gradually faded into an illusion. A chilling, almost palpable killing intent surged in his eyes, sending shivers down one's spine. Clearly, Jiatu's tactic of provoking him by "killing" Su Youwei before his very eyes had utterly ignited Zhou Yuan's murderous rage. It had been a long time since he had felt such an intense desire to kill someone. The last time was when that old dog Shengyuan from the Sacred Palace had injured Yaoyao, causing her to fall into slumber.

"Jiatu, await me at the final node. I will come to claim your life," he stated indifferently.

As Jiatu's figure dissipated, a laugh devoid of emotion, full of unknown meaning, echoed. "Heh, truly arrogant. Who do you think you are...? Merely a lowly ant, blind to your own insignificance. Consider it your honor to be toyed with by me. I await you... But do not perish midway at the hands of other Sacred Heavenly Prides, or you will disappoint me greatly."