Chapter 1185: Ancient God?

Seeing the abyss-like crack on the ground, everyone from the five heavens felt a chill, especially those familiar with Zhou Yuan, whose expressions turned grim.

They had previously witnessed Zhou Yuan consistently dominate and win against opponents. A situation like this, where he was almost instantly defeated, was virtually unprecedented.

This alone demonstrated how terrifying Jiatu's strength truly was.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, Jiatu stood in the void, looking impassively at the crack in the ground below. A hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.

"He wasn't killed by a single palm strike?"

In the instant his power was unleashed, Jiatu sensed a strange force emanating from Zhou Yuan's body, significantly neutralizing his attack.

A loud roar echoed from within the abyss, followed immediately by a figure shooting skyward.

The figure was, of course, Zhou Yuan, though he looked somewhat disheveled. His upper garment was torn, his arms were a bloody mess, and some bones were even fractured.

His expression was grim. Jiatu's sudden, powerful strike, delivered with such speed and force, had truly taken him by surprise.

A Genesis Qi intensity of 5.6 billion was unimaginably terrifying.

During that collision, if Zhou Yuan hadn't swiftly activated the Heavenly Punishment Law Domain to weaken his opponent's power, and if his physical body hadn't been protected by the Glazed Profound Light, that palm strike could very well have killed him.

Zhou Yuan gave his arm a slight shake, and the twisted bones quickly snapped back into place. The torn flesh rapidly healed due to his powerful physical regeneration.

However, Zhou Yuan didn't pay much attention to his physical injuries. Instead, he gazed at the dark silver Genesis Qi swirling around Jiatu, a storm raging in his heart.

He wasn't surprised by the strength of the opponent's Genesis Qi, but rather...

In the instant their powers connected, he vaguely sensed that Jiatu's Genesis Qi bore a striking, yet subtly different, resemblance to the Ancestral Dragon Scripture he cultivated.

In his perception, although Jiatu's Genesis Qi was also of extraordinary quality, it wasn't as pure as his own.

Zhou Yuan's eyes flickered. He felt that the Genesis Qi this person cultivated might be related to the Ancestral Dragon Scripture.

"Your Genesis Qi is quite impressive," Zhou Yuan said slowly.

He wanted to glean some information from Jiatu.

Jiatu, who had initially seemed disinclined to speak, suddenly smiled upon hearing this. "You have some insight," he said. "The Genesis Qi I cultivate originates from the Ancient God Scripture, passed down by the gods of my Saint Race. Only the most talented individuals of each generation are granted the opportunity to cultivate it."

Clearly, the "Ancient God Scripture" he cultivated was a source of great pride for Jiatu; Zhou Yuan's question had hit just the right spot.

"Ancient God Scripture?"

Zhou Yuan's eyes flashed. It wasn't the Ancestral Dragon Scripture?

Yet, Zhou Yuan had an inexplicable feeling that there might be some connection between the two.

But the Ancestral Dragon Scripture had been given to him by Yaoyao; such a mysterious cultivation method was rare in the world. What was the origin of this Ancient God Scripture, which seemed to be related to it?

Could Yaoyao have some special connection to the Saint Race?

If that were true, given the deep enmity between the various races and the Saint Race, how could Master Cang Yuan have kept Yaoyao by his side, raising her with such heartfelt dedication?

Zhou Yuan's brow furrowed. Yaoyao's identity was far too mysterious. If she could awaken this time, he would definitely ask Master Cang Yuan to explain everything clearly. There were some matters he now had the right and standing to know.

These thoughts flashed through his mind, but Zhou Yuan quickly suppressed them. The most important task at hand was still to deal with Jiatu.

Only by defeating Jiatu could he obtain the Ancestral Dragon flesh and blood, allowing Yaoyao to awaken.

Furthermore, Jiatu evidently hadn't noticed the peculiar similarity between their Genesis Qis, which surprised Zhou Yuan. Despite Jiatu possessing a stronger Genesis Qi foundation, he remained unaware, while Zhou Yuan, with a comparatively weaker Genesis Qi, had perceived it.

"Is it because the Ancestral Dragon Scripture seems more orthodox?" Zhou Yuan wondered.

However, speculating at this moment was pointless, as Zhou Yuan could already feel the formidable Genesis Qi surging around Jiatu once again.

Against such a powerful Jiatu, Zhou Yuan's current state was no match. Even with the protection of the Heavenly Punishment Law Domain and the Glazed Profound Light, this passive defense couldn't last indefinitely, as maintaining the Law Domain required considerable expenditure.

Thus, if it continued, Zhou Yuan's situation would only become increasingly perilous.

Zhou Yuan's eyes flickered, and without hesitation, he extended his hand. A silver sphere materialized.

It was the Silver Shadow.

However, this time Zhou Yuan didn't transform the Silver Shadow into a human form. Instead, he made a hand seal, and the silver sphere immediately liquefied, flowing down and spreading across his skin. But it wasn't the usual full-body armor.

Instead, it formed intricate silver patterns that interwoven into mysterious and abstruse marks, gradually seeping into his skin. From a distance, it looked like a mystical silver tattoo.

Of course, the most striking feature was the pair of silver wings that extended from Zhou Yuan's back.

The silver wings, about a zhang (approx. 3.3 meters) long, gleamed brightly in the sunlight, exuding an aura of sanctity.

As the silver patterns and wings formed, the Genesis Qi in the heavens and earth seemed to be drawn by some force, continuously converging towards Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan slowly clenched his five fingers. He looked down at the silver patterns on his palm, a hint of awe flashing in his eyes.

This was the Silver Shadow's new form, which Zhou Yuan called the Divine Silver Mark.

The Silver Shadow's ability to evolve into this form was a benefit gained from the Mysterious Trace Stele. Its Genesis Qi foundation had now surged to 3.5 billion. However, this level of Genesis Qi strength wasn't particularly effective against a powerful opponent like Jiatu.

After all, Genesis Qi strength wasn't a simple addition. Zhou Yuan's 4.3 billion foundation combined with the Silver Shadow's 3.5 billion wouldn't simply result in 7.8 billion.

However, when merged with Zhou Yuan's body in the form of the Divine Silver Mark, it could significantly enhance his combat power.

This was one of the trump cards he had prepared for Jiatu.

Zhou Yuan's eyes turned cold. With a clench of his hand, the Heavenly Yuan Brush appeared, its brush tip like a spearhead, pointing remotely at Jiatu.

"Oh?"

Jiatu, observing this, raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. Zhou Yuan's Genesis Qi foundation hadn't changed, but his aura had become significantly more powerful.

Yet, his expression remained composed; he even nodded as if in appreciation.

It was as if he were watching a chosen prey in an arena suddenly display a strength that piqued his interest.

But no matter how wildly the prey erupted, it remained just that: prey. Its sole purpose was entertainment.

And once the amusement was over, the prey would be slaughtered.

"Zhou Yuan, let's see now, how much more entertainment can you bring me?"

The moment his voice fell, Jiatu's figure vanished from his original spot once more.

A terrifying assault descended again.