Chapter 1183: Non-life or Death

Xiulei sat cross-legged in the void, his eyes glinting with amusement as he looked down at Zhou Yuan. Although he had been defeated by the latter, it was now Zhou Yuan who found himself in an impossible predicament.

The gateway leading to the final core was right before him, yet Zhou Yuan had no way of entering. This was because as long as most of the crucial nodes remained intact, no matter how extraordinary Zhou Yuan's methods were, he would be utterly powerless against that spatial gate, which was forged from the combined strength of countless experts from the Saint Race.

"Zhou Yuan, give up."

"Your talent is remarkable. If you were to join my Saint Race, you would surely gain some recognition. Once my Saint Race unifies the All-Heavens, perhaps you could even ensure the safety of your family and friends."

Xiulei's voice was flat, carrying an air of condescending charity.

However, Zhou Yuan paid no heed to his words, his eyes fixed solely on the light barrier before him.

Seeing this, Xiulei let out a cold snort. "Stubborn fool."

"In that case, you can die alongside all the Heavenly Sun experts from the Five Great Heavens."

Just as his voice faded, the node suddenly vibrated violently, and ripples of chaotic fluctuations appeared in the void.

Xiulei's expression changed abruptly. "Why is the grand formation shaking?!"

Zhou Yuan also noticed the change at the same moment. His gaze immediately shifted to the innermost light points on the barrier before him. His pupils contracted slightly as he saw those light points rapidly dimming at an alarming speed.

This indicated that their life force was dissipating. It was a sign of extremely severe injury.

Zhou Yuan reached out a finger and gently touched some of those light points. Instantly, a series of images flashed through his mind like lightning.

Bai Xiaolu sat by the formation flag. Her body was smaller than ever, looking like a five or six-year-old girl. Her skin, which once shimmered with a glazed luster, was now dull and lifeless. Bai Xiaolu glanced behind her. There was a huge pit filled with a pool of blood, and a shattered corpse floated silently upon it. Her own condition was also dire; she was barely clinging to life. This battle was arguably the most brutal she had ever experienced.

"I'm out of strength, Zhou Yuan. If you can't deal with Jiatu, we'll all die..."

Guan Qinglong, his body withered, took arduous steps, each one seeming to drain him of all his power. Behind him, a heavily armored figure stood motionless, its body completely enveloped by unique blue light patterns. The Saint Heavenly Proud from the Saint Race was not dead, merely sealed by Guan Qinglong. However, Guan Qinglong now lacked the strength to finish her off. Fortunately, he could still use this opportunity to complete his task.

Guan Qinglong reached a certain spot, trembling as he pulled out a formation flag and, with all his remaining strength, plunged it into the ground. His body collapsed, kneeling beside the flag. His cloudy eyes lifted to the void, their vitality slowly fading.

"Captain Zhou Yuan, the rest... is up to you."

Chu Qing planted the formation flag and then sat down cross-legged. He was covered in blood, one arm completely gone. Behind him stood two headless corpses. By sacrificing an arm, he had fought to the death with Mishan and Mishi. However, compared to the others, the price he paid was relatively the smallest.

Wu Yao stumbled slightly. A foot-long silver needle had pierced straight through her abdomen, and blood dripped continuously along it. Yet, her pair of narrow, phoenix-like eyes were filled with chilling resolve. Before her, the Saint Heavenly Proud named Guyan had her mouth wide open, as Wu Yao's delicate hand slowly withdrew from her chest. With the withdrawal of her hand, her life also ebbed away.

"How... how could this be..." Her pupils dilated. She couldn't believe she would fall here.

Wu Yao, however, had no mood for superfluous words. With unsteady steps, she went to a certain spot and planted the formation flag.

*Pfft.* A mouthful of blood spurted from her lips, making them even more vivid red.

A massive, deep crater appeared on the ground. Ashes drifted throughout the world, as if everything had been destroyed. Suddenly, a slender hand covered in mud reached out from the edge of the deep crater, and a graceful figure struggled to pull herself out. Su Youwei was covered in gruesome wounds, and blood continuously seeped from her jade-like skin, indicating extremely severe internal injuries. Yet, she paid no mind to the excruciating pain from her internal injuries. Although her demeanor was gentle, her inner spirit was incredibly resilient. Her achievements over the years were not solely due to the full support of the Zixiao Region; her inherent toughness was equally significant. She stared indifferently into the depths of the crater, then turned and walked to a spot, pulling out a formation flag and planting it.

After completing this, she finally crouched down, tiredly hugging her knees, and slightly lifted her beautiful face, which was stained with blood.

"Your Highness, I didn't hold you back, did I?"

On the ground, half a torso slowly crawled forward, leaving a gruesome trail of blood in its wake. At this moment, Zhao Mushen's lower half was completely shattered, his intestines even dragging on the ground. Yet, he paid little mind to it, for after completely devouring that Saint Heavenly Proud, he could feel his own flesh and blood regenerating. Earlier, when he had devoured that individual, he had been reduced to nothing but a bare head.

"Heh... So what if she's a Saint Heavenly Proud? Can you be crueler than me?" he chuckled hoarsely.

Then he took out the formation flag and planted it. He felt the node begin to vibrate and raised his head.

"Hmph, Zhou Yuan, I hope you don't disappoint me."

Zhou Yuan's fingers left the light points, and the images flashing through his mind abruptly ceased. He stared at the dimming light points, silent for a long moment. Even from those brief glimpses, he could imagine how tragic and brutal those battles must have been. This was indeed a victory bought with their lives.

Zhou Yuan raised his head, looking at the increasingly violent vibrations of the node. The entire Saint Genesis Grand Formation was now in disarray, no longer as perfect and vast as before.

*Crack!* Cracks even began to appear on the spatial gate itself, spreading rapidly.

"Regardless of the final outcome, your efforts have been worthy of everyone."

Zhou Yuan ignored Xiulei's furious and terrified expression, then slowly stood up. With a movement, he appeared before the spatial gate.

At this moment, the Saint Genesis Grand Formation vibrated even more intensely. Simultaneously, both the Saint Race and the forces from the Five Great Heavens ceased their fighting. They looked up to see Zhou Yuan standing before the spatial gate in the depths of the void. This was due to the disarray of the Saint Genesis Grand Formation, which could no longer maintain its concealment.

And under the gaze of countless eyes, Zhou Yuan unleashed a punch. With that punch, platinum Genesis Qi roared forth like a dragon. He unleashed his entire Genesis Qi foundation.

*Boom!* The furious dragon-like punch slammed directly into the spatial gate. Cracks continuously spread across it until, with a resounding crash, it exploded into countless streaks of light.

Beyond the gate was a swirling spatial vortex. It led to the core of the Saint Genesis Barrier. Breaking it would thwart the Saint Race's scheme, but everyone knew it wouldn't be easy, for the Saint Race's strongest Saint Heavenly Proud was stationed there. Their last hope was the figure standing before the spatial vortex.

"Captain Zhou Yuan, the All-Heavens will surely win!"

Suddenly, from within one of the barriers, the forces of the Five Great Heavens roared hysterically. The sound seemed contagious, as more and more voices rose.

"The All-Heavens will surely win!"

"The All-Heavens will surely win!"

A chorus of hoarse, desperate cries resounded, ultimately echoing majestically throughout the entire Saint Genesis Grand Formation.

Bai Xiaolu and the others listened weakly and calmly to the majestic sound. They knew that if this battle could truly be won, Zhou Yuan's name would reverberate throughout the All-Heavens. Of course, if they lost, everything would be over. All of them would die here.

Zhou Yuan, standing before the spatial vortex, also heard those voices. Without looking back, he took a step, unhesitatingly entering the spatial vortex. Facing the Saint Race's strongest Heavenly Sun stage expert, even Zhou Yuan at this moment wasn't entirely confident. But no matter what, he couldn't back down.

This battle... it was either life or death. There was no other path.