Chapter 1212: One Injury, Two Escapes

The moment Zhou Yuan's figure vanished, the three Great Nascent Source experts all blanched and rapidly retreated.

In their previous confrontation, they had already witnessed Zhou Yuan's formidable power. His 6.3-inch Nascent Source contained a profound Origin Qi foundation of 74 billion, a strength far beyond their own. Although each of them possessed a foundation of 60 billion, totaling more than Zhou Yuan's, such an accumulation was unfortunately meaningless. Otherwise, could not countless Nascent Sources overwhelm a Saint?

“Join forces, defend together!” the bald man roared sharply. He was quick-witted, knowing that if they separated, Zhou Yuan would defeat them one by one. Only by combining their strengths could they resist him. The gaunt old man and the beautiful woman also immediately moved closer without hesitation.

However, they were still a step too slow. The instant the bald man's voice faded, the space before him suddenly shattered. A ray of light shot out, and the next moment, an overwhelming surge of Origin Qi directly engulfed him.

“Saint Origin Art, Sever Mountains and Rivers!”

The terrifying pressure, like a majestic force, enveloped him. The bald man's hair stood on end, and a sense of fatal crisis surged within him, so he immediately drew his blade and unleashed his strongest attack. A blade light, like a white dragon's ribbon, flashed forth. As the blade descended, countless mountains and rivers seemed to shatter beneath it, displaying an unparalleled dominance.

However, as the blade light struck, a fist shimmering with sacred, glass-like luster directly met it head-on. That punch appeared ordinary, but as its force surged, the void constantly shattered. The terrifying physical power, amplified by vast Origin Qi, made the bald man's eyelids twitch in horror. The bare fist clashed hard against the blade light, creating a metallic clang that reverberated through the air. The resulting shockwave utterly shattered the surrounding void, sending countless spatial fragments spiraling out like a sky full of stars.

But in an instant, the blade light abruptly shattered. The glass-like fist pierced through it and directly slammed into the chest of the horrified bald man. That punch, like the power of a falling meteorite, was earth-shattering.

The bald man's chest instantly caved in. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward in a disheveled manner. As he retreated, his physical body began to disintegrate, flesh and blood tearing apart. Moments later, the bald man's physical body completely shattered. A faint light shot up from within, fleeing in panic. His physical body had been directly annihilated by a single punch from Zhou Yuan, leaving him no choice but to escape as a Nascent Source!

At this moment, the gaunt old man and the beautiful woman, who had been about to close in, were utterly terrified, their faces etched with fear. They looked at Zhou Yuan as if he were a god of slaughter. They never imagined that the bald man would be killed by a single punch from Zhou Yuan! He was an experienced Great Nascent Source expert! He held some renown throughout the Hunyuan Heaven. Such a figure could be considered a formidable power anywhere, even enough to establish a sect in a somewhat remote area. Yet, here he was, his physical body annihilated by Zhou Yuan.

“How can he be so terrifying?!” Their hearts were filled with overwhelming dread. They had cultivated for many years and were well-traveled, yet this was the first time they had encountered such a fierce individual. While they had heard of Zhou Yuan's achievements in the Heavenly Sun Stage, they had always looked down upon them, relying on their own strength as Nascent Source experts and scoffing at the supposed shallowness of the Heavenly Sun Stage. But now, they finally began to understand the almost overwhelming fear that Heavenly Sun Stage practitioners felt when facing this person. They had initially seized the opportunity to enter this space, hoping to take the lead and claim the first功. But now, it seemed they had merely brought a coffin to their own doorstep.

At this moment, both lost all will to fight and immediately transformed into two streaks of light, fleeing in separate directions. In mere moments, out of the three Great Nascent Source experts, one had his physical body destroyed and two fled.

Zhou Yuan watched their disheveled figures, but did not pursue them. He simply watched as they escaped from the space, knowing that today's battle had only just begun, and there was no need to waste energy on such small fry.

As his battle concluded with astonishing speed, in the distant battlefield, Zhao Lefu, Xue Qinglong, Yi Yan, and their three opponents at the Nascent Source Perfected Stage, all stared at the scene, momentarily distracted. Zhao Lefu, Xue Qinglong, and Yi Yan were deeply shaken. Xue Qinglong, in particular, was fiercely proud and unyielding, almost unlike a woman. Previously, she had been concerned that Zhou Yuan might cause trouble, and had harbored some resentment about his presence here. But now, it was clear her own perspective had been too narrow. However, she could hardly be blamed, for in all her years of cultivation, she had never truly seen a monster like Zhou Yuan – one who, upon breaking through, directly entered the Great Nascent Source Stage, with an Origin Qi foundation that rivaled even Nascent Source Perfected experts.

“This Elder Zhou Yuan is truly exceptional. It seems the Nascent Source realm will no longer be peaceful from now on,” one of the three formidable Nascent Source Perfected enemies facing Zhao Lefu and his group remarked with a sigh, as they watched the scene.

“How could someone taken as a direct disciple by a Grand Master be ordinary?” a long-haired man said indifferently. “Although he repelled those three, it's not necessarily a good thing. With them out of the picture, the next ones to enter will likely be true Nascent Source Perfected experts.”

“Grand Master Cang Yuan has set up a barrier in this space, limiting the number of people who can enter, but Grand Master Wanzu has also made plans to counter it, so he won't last much longer. In today's contest, the Tianyuan Region is sure to lose.” This person was Xu Hao, a Nascent Source Perfected expert from the Wanzu Region, ranked twelfth on the Nascent Source List. The other two Nascent Source Perfected experts beside him also nodded. They glanced at the barrier in the void, which held many figures captive. “It’s a pity Brother Lü Tai was targeted,” one said. “Otherwise, if he had entered here, no one on their side would be able to stop him.”

He spoke without concealment, so Zhao Lefu, Xue Qinglong, and the others heard him. Their expressions merely shifted. Even Xue Qinglong, as proud as she was, did not refute him, instead only silently accepting it. This was because the Lü Tai they spoke of was ranked third on the Nascent Source List, possessing terrifying strength. Even Zhao Lefu admitted to being no match for him. Such a figure had clearly been accounted for by Grand Master Cang Yuan, and thus was trapped within the barrier, unable to descend. Otherwise, if he were to appear, there would likely be no one on their side who could stop him.

However, Zhou Yuan, standing on a mountain peak with his hands behind his back, paid no attention to their standoff. He had no intention of interfering, instead gazing beyond the confines of the space. Outside, powerful forces clashed in waves, bringing boundless destruction.

As Grand Master Wanzu contended with Cang Yuan, he naturally sensed the struggle within the space at all times. Thus, when the three Great Nascent Source experts were defeated by Zhou Yuan, he became aware of it. “Cang Yuan, you have indeed taken on a disciple of extraordinary potential,” Grand Master Wanzu said faintly.

Cang Yuan smiled and replied, “If Zhou Yuan becomes a Saint in the future, you old fellow will probably have to avoid my lineage.”

Grand Master Wanzu shook his head. “Becoming a Saint is not that easy. Although even Ancient Venerable Jin Luo has given him a favorable assessment, it would be underestimating the Saint Stage too much if a mere assessment could grant sainthood.” As he spoke, he cast a glance at the massive barrier covering the entire space. “Furthermore, whether he becomes a Saint or not is a matter for the future. For today’s situation, let’s see if he can even survive it.”

The moment his voice fell, a sudden anomaly appeared within the vast barrier shrouding the space. One of the trapped Nascent Source Perfected experts immediately found a flaw, and his figure shot out, transforming into a streak of light as he broke through into the space. Upon his arrival, the man unleashed his speed to its utmost, tearing through the air directly towards the central mountain in this space, evidently intending to destroy the Ancestral Dragon Lantern.

Zhao Lefu, Xue Qinglong, and Yi Yan couldn't help but slightly change their expressions upon seeing the figure who had broken into the space, as they recognized him. “It’s Song Huang!” Their gazes met, and all three frowned deeply, for the newcomer was no ordinary person; he was also renowned on the Nascent Source List. However, all three of them were currently firmly entangled. Even with a slight advantage, they found it difficult to repel their enemies, so who could possibly stop Song Huang, a renowned figure on the list? After all, this person was incomparable to the three Great Nascent Source experts Zhou Yuan had dealt with earlier.

As their thoughts raced, a torrent of Origin Qi thousands of feet long shot through the void, powerfully blasting towards Song Huang's location. Sensing the attack, Song Huang had no choice but to halt. With a flick of his sleeve, the void twisted, and vast Origin Qi astonishingly formed a gigantic pagoda. The pagoda descended, instantly crushing the torrent of Origin Qi into countless specks of light.

Song Huang's figure was revealed; he was a white-robed man. With an indifferent expression, he gazed to his right and spoke faintly, “Zhou Yuan, do not seek death. Your past achievements do not intimidate me.”

Zhou Yuan stepped out into the air. He stared at the white-robed man before him, who emanated a dangerous aura. His expression remained calm, showing no fear despite the opponent being a Nascent Source Perfected expert. Instead, his eyes emitted a sharp, cold glint. Without any superfluous words, he uttered a single, frigid word. His voice, like thunder, boomed through the air.

“Scram.”