Chapter 1332: Core Anchor Point

Three days had passed since Zhou Yuan opened his eyes and gradually recovered.

Yellow sand swept across the landscape. The massive crater left by the previous intense battle was now more than half-filled by the wind-blown sand, resembling a vast yellow lake when viewed from a distance.

Zhou Yuan assessed his condition. The Genesis Infancy within his Divine Dwelling was once again radiating with inner light, indicating that his previous Genesis Qi expenditure had been fully recovered. However, the spherical cluster of four Saint Runes within his Divine Dwelling still appeared somewhat dim. It was clear that while Genesis Qi was easily replenished, the depletion of the Saint Runes would require time to heal.

Zhou Yuan sighed helplessly. There was no alternative; it was incredibly difficult to kill a third-stage Law Domain expert when outmatched. He simply couldn't have achieved it without paying a significant price.

“My strength is still insufficient,” Zhou Yuan murmured.

Yuan Quan, he mused, only ranked among the top ten Law Domain experts from the Saint Race participating in this conflict. Clearly, there were even stronger individuals within the Stone Dragon Secret Realm. Given how arduous it had been to defeat Yuan Quan, Zhou Yuan felt that he would struggle to contend with someone superior to Yuan Quan, even if he employed all his techniques.

Ultimately, his Genesis Infancy stage was still too much of a limitation.

Even with his Genesis Infancy at nine inches seven, it was still, at its core, Genesis Infancy.

Although they had now occupied Battle Zone 77, the conflict was far from over. According to the Saints’ plan, the battle between the two sides would continuously escalate, pushing forward until they reached the Stone Dragon’s most crucial point: its head.

The battles that would erupt there would be of paramount importance.

It was clear that forces from both sides would eventually converge at the dragon head for the final confrontation.

However, Zhou Yuan felt that participating in such a top-tier conflict would be incredibly difficult and perilous for his current strength. He might well encounter a Saint Race expert even stronger than Yuan Quan, who could easily push him to the brink of defeat.

“Your Highness, have you recovered?”

As Zhou Yuan’s thoughts turned, a delightful voice, filled with joy, came from beside him.

Zhou Yuan turned his head and saw Su Youwei, standing gracefully with her slender, delicate figure. He nodded, then his gaze swept to the not-so-distant team members, some standing, some sitting.

Upon seeing Zhou Yuan awake, the team members also showed expressions of joy. Their gazes, more than before, now held a deeper sense of genuine awe.

Zhou Yuan’s feat of slaying Yuan Quan had clearly left a profound impression on them.

“How have things been these past few days?” Zhou Yuan asked with a smile.

“Your Highness, during these three days of your recovery, we have completely occupied all the anchor points in this battle zone,” Su Youwei quickly replied.

Zhou Yuan nodded: “What about that core anchor point?”

“That one hasn’t been occupied yet,” Su Youwei replied, her lips curving into a smile. “We mainly wanted to wait for you to do it yourself, as it’s your greatest reward from this victory.”

Zhou Yuan smiled at her words. He stood up, and just as he was about to speak, his expression shifted. He then pulled out a jade stone which began to glow, forming a dragon silhouette composed of countless light points in the air before him.

“It’s a message from the Saints.”

Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly. The Saints, from outside the Stone Dragon Secret Realm, constantly monitored the situation within. Though unable to enter, they could project various messages, informing everyone of the overall conditions inside the secret realm.

At that moment, Ai Tuanzi, Zhao Mushen, Wu Yao, and others also gathered around.

Everyone gazed at the dragon silhouette formed by the light points, observing how the emerald green and crimson colors continuously encroached upon each other.

“Our Battle Zone 77 is here,” Wu Yao said, her slender finger pointing to a specific part of the dragon silhouette. The anchor points in that area had all turned green, signifying their control by the Heavens.

“The Heavens are still at a bit of a disadvantage,” Zhou Yuan remarked slowly after gazing at it for a moment.

According to the display on the dragon silhouette, the crimson light points still outnumbered the green ones. Fortunately, the Heavens were holding their ground firmly, and the overall gap between the two sides wasn’t significant.

“Victories and defeats are gradually being determined across the various battle zones,” Su Youwei murmured. “Soon, forces from both sides will likely begin to converge towards the Dragon Head Battle Zone.”

Everyone’s gaze turned towards the Stone Dragon’s head. The sheer number of light points there, each one dazzlingly bright, indicated that the anchor points in that area were exceptionally strong, far surpassing those in other battle zones.

The Dragon Head Battle Zone would determine the ultimate victor of this conflict. However, their team likely lacked the qualifications to participate directly, at best serving as mere observers.

Zhou Yuan gazed at the luminous dragon silhouette for a moment before putting away the jade stone. “Don’t dwell on the rest,” he stated calmly. “Let’s first secure the core anchor point of this battle zone.”

With that, his figure moved, transforming into a streak of light that swiftly darted forward.

In that direction, he had already sensed the existence of the core anchor point.

As soon as he moved, the entire team immediately followed.

The team journeyed deeper into the desert. After approximately half an incense stick’s worth of time, the desert climate began to change. A sea appeared in their view, its surface dotted with islands of various sizes.

After a quick scan, Zhou Yuan pinpointed one of the islands. With a flick of his sleeve, a black light shot through the air, piercing into the island’s center with a resounding boom.

Boom! Boom!

As the Dragon-Moving Nail plunged in, the surrounding sea suddenly trembled violently. Towering waves, tens of thousands of feet high, surged across the surface, a truly magnificent sight that obscured the sky.

“Huh?”

Zhou Yuan, however, noticed something else: as the tsunami swept forth, wisps of mysterious airflow suddenly emerged from the ocean, drifting through the air like swimming fish.

“Are those… Ancestral Dragon Remnants?!” Zhou Yuan’s pupils contracted slightly. These mysterious wisps of energy were indeed Ancestral Dragon Remnants!

Evidently, the insertion of the Dragon-Moving Nail had disturbed the balance of this area, causing the previously hidden Ancestral Dragon Remnants to emerge.

Concurrently, the other team members also noticed the wandering wisps of mysterious energy. As they realized what these were, their breathing grew heavy, and their eyes gleamed with undisguised covetousness.

In their past searches through the chaotic void, it was rare to find even a single wisp of Ancestral Dragon Remnant, even after a month. Yet here, there were so many, making it impossible for them to remain calm.

“First, gather all the Ancestral Dragon Remnants, then we’ll distribute them based on contribution,” Zhou Yuan instructed, not bothering to stop them.

“Yes!”

Everyone was greatly invigorated and eagerly rushed out, hunting the wandering Ancestral Dragon Remnants everywhere.

“It truly lives up to its designation as a core anchor point of the battle zone,” Zhou Yuan murmured, nodding slightly. The previous anchor points they had encountered offered no such bounty.

Tuntun suddenly appeared above Zhou Yuan’s head, sniffing the air. A thought echoed in Zhou Yuan’s mind: “These Ancestral Dragon Remnants are all emerging from beneath the sea.”

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan’s expression shifted, and his gaze turned towards the sea surface. Simultaneously, the Barrier-Breaking Saint Rune appeared within his pupils.

Instantly, the seawater became transparent to his vision. His gaze pierced through numerous obstacles, reaching directly into the deepest part of this sea region. A moment later, his sight settled upon a particular trench.

Under the scrutiny of the Barrier-Breaking Saint Rune, a vortex became visible. From within this vortex, wisps of Ancestral Dragon Remnants continuously drifted out. Deeper still, at the very heart of the vortex, Zhou Yuan spotted a single drop of chaotic liquid floating. Within this chaotic liquid, an incredibly subtle, ancient dragon silhouette seemed to faintly appear and disappear, emanating an indescribable aura of primordial antiquity.

Zhou Yuan stared at the chaotic liquid within the underwater vortex, his mind trembling violently. A flash of insight struck him, instantly revealing the item's origin. That was…

Ancestral Dragon Soul Marrow?!