Chapter 1348: The Return of Zhou Yuan

Xi Jing opened her eyes, staring blankly at the scene before her. A familiar young figure hovered in the air, his hand still poised as if crushing a lightning spear, and his gaze, directed at her, held a smile.

"Zhou... Zhou Yuan?!"

Xi Jing stared at the face, silent for a few breaths, before finally whispering, her voice laced with unconcealable disbelief. She had never imagined that the person who had suddenly intervened to save her from certain death would be her junior brother, whom she had previously believed to have been killed by Taixuan!

"You're not dead?!"

Her shock quickly faded, replaced by a look of joy on Xi Jing's face.

Zhou Yuan nodded with a smile.

Xi Jing scrutinized Zhou Yuan, and a growing sense of solemnity filled her eyes. She found that facing him, she felt a subtle, almost imperceptible pressure. Furthermore, she could no longer sense his Genesis Qi strength; he seemed like an unfathomable abyss before her. This realization caused a turmoil deep within her. She couldn't comprehend how Zhou Yuan could have undergone such a monumental transformation in merely half a day.

While Xi Jing was momentarily distracted by her shock, the armies of All-Heavens, gathered within the shattered barrier behind them, also noticed Zhou Yuan's sudden appearance, instantly erupting into a monstrous clamor.

"Is that Zhou Yuan?!"

"He's not dead!"

"And how did he become so strong? He actually crushed Taixuan's lightning spear earlier! Am I seeing things?!"

"You're probably not seeing things... He really did it. It's terrifying!"

"His power seems to have greatly increased..."

Numerous exclamations erupted, and the armies of All-Heavens were dumbfounded. They stared at Zhou Yuan, who seemed like a god descended from heaven, utterly unable to comprehend what had transpired in just half a day to allow him to transform to such an extent. Many third-stage Law Domain experts also looked grim. Their heightened perceptions allowed them to sense just how terrifying Zhou Yuan had become. While puzzled by the terrifying increase in Zhou Yuan's power, they still felt a sense of relief. At this moment, having an additional top-tier combatant was undoubtedly a good thing. As for expecting Zhou Yuan to contend with Taixuan, they hadn't even considered it, given the immense psychological shadow Taixuan had cast over them.

Xu Beiyan's expression had been fluctuating ever since Zhou Yuan appeared. Deep in his eyes, rage and dread flickered as he roared inwardly, "How is he not dead?! How is this possible!" Xu Beiyan had previously orchestrated a scheme against Zhou Yuan, causing him to take a direct hit from one of Taixuan's devastating attacks. An assault of that magnitude would severely injure or even kill a third-stage Law Domain expert, so how could Zhou Yuan possibly still be alive?! What truly made Xu Beiyan's scalp tingle, however, was that the current Zhou Yuan made even *him* feel incredibly dangerous.

"Damn it! How did that little bastard not get crushed by Taixuan's palm strike!"

Xu Beiyan was furious. His scheme had been so perfectly executed that no one could detect any clues, and he had been secretly pleased with himself. But Zhou Yuan's sudden appearance now plunged his mood to rock bottom.

"He shouldn't have noticed my scheme, right?"

Xu Beiyan took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, then frowned slightly, a hint of worry appearing. If it had been the previous Zhou Yuan, he wouldn't have feared him; were it not for his apprehension of Cang Yuan and the Divine Maiden, he would have made Zhou Yuan disappear without qualms long ago. But now, Zhou Yuan clearly showed signs of transformation, which made Xu Beiyan rethink his previous underestimation and become cautious and wary.

As the armies of All-Heavens clamored at Zhou Yuan's appearance, Taixuan, in the distant void, also stared at Zhou Yuan with some surprise.

"You actually survived?" he said with a surprised smile. He knew perfectly well the power of his previous attack. How could Zhou Yuan, merely at the Origin Infant stage, possibly survive?

"However, you seem to have changed a lot..."

Strange light flowed in Taixuan's sacred eyes as they locked onto Zhou Yuan. His gaze narrowed slightly, and he said, "This is... you've opened a Law Domain?" Taixuan's strength was indeed formidable. While others couldn't discern it, he noticed that Zhou Yuan's Genesis Qi was different from before.

"Interesting..." Taixuan smiled faintly.

Zhou Yuan's gaze lingered on Taixuan for a moment, then he turned to Xi Jing and the other third-stage Law Domain experts. "I'll handle him next," he said. "You all keep an eye on the other Saint Race members."

"You want to fight him alone?!"

All the third-stage Law Domain experts were startled by his words, and even Xi Jing's expression changed slightly. She quickly urged, "Zhou Yuan, don't be impetuous. Your strength has greatly increased, but with our assistance, your chances of victory will be greater!" She worried that Zhou Yuan, being young and hot-blooded, wanted to reclaim his honor after being severely wounded by Taixuan earlier. However, the current situation was not the time for him to act alone.

Zhou Yuan smiled helplessly. "You probably won't be able to intervene in our fight," he said.

Everyone was speechless, staring intently at Zhou Yuan. If the situation weren't so critical, they would have truly wanted to ask, "Kid, how did you become so arrogant after only half a day?" Although Zhou Yuan had previously intercepted one of Taixuan's attacks, that was not Taixuan's full power. Furthermore, none of them truly believed that the current Zhou Yuan could withstand him.

Finally, after a moment of hesitation, Xi Jing said, "Let's trust Zhou Yuan." After speaking, she whispered to Zhou Yuan, "Be careful. If things go wrong, retreat temporarily. We'll be ready to help you at any time." She stared at Zhou Yuan, then retreated. Seeing this, the other third-stage Law Domain experts could only give Zhou Yuan an annoyed look before also retreating.

"You actually intend to fight me alone?" Seeing this, Taixuan couldn't help but smile, though there was no hint of amusement in his eyes, which were instead filled with cold indifference. "You don't know your place, you pesky little worm," he sneered.

"You want to die? It's not difficult."

"You want to be a hero in front of me? Are you even worthy?"

The moment Taixuan's voice fell, the void above Zhou Yuan suddenly tore open, and an enormous fist print descended with overwhelming force. Thousands of stars seemed to flicker on the fist print, and as it fell, even the surrounding space began to shatter. Xi Jing and the others behind them all changed color. They could sense that Taixuan's attack this time was born of true rage. This punch was far more terrifying than the one that had previously severely wounded Zhou Yuan!

"Zhou Yuan, be careful!" Xi Jing urgently warned.

The others also frowned tightly. Only Xu Beiyan, however, revealed a subtle, grim smile at the corner of his mouth. This fool, so arrogant; good, if he dies by Taixuan's hand, then he won't have to worry anymore.

However, amidst those numerous terrified gazes, Zhou Yuan's expression remained calm. He stomped his foot, and suddenly, vast Genesis Qi surged from the top of his head into the sky. This Genesis Qi displayed an incredibly brilliant purple-gold hue, and upon closer inspection, one would even notice faint, shimmering dragon scales on its surface. As soon as this Genesis Qi appeared, it erupted with majestic, overwhelming power, sweeping across all directions. Many Law Domain experts present couldn't help but change their expressions, staring with a hint of shock at the dragon-like Genesis Qi surging into the sky.

"This is..."

"Ninth-grade Genesis Qi?!"

Amidst those many shocked gazes, the purple-gold dragon Genesis Qi soared into the sky. The next instant, a gigantic dragon fist suddenly burst forth from it. The dragon fist was incredibly fierce, its scales shimmering with dazzling light, carrying a primordial, vast power. A single punch was enough to shatter the firmament. The dragon fist met it, clashing directly with the descending star-filled fist print.

Boom! Boom!

Ten thousand-zhang waves of Genesis Qi erupted from the void. Then, countless gazes suddenly dimmed as they witnessed the clash: the dragon fist unleashed an earth-shattering roar, and the descending star-filled fist print violently shattered at that very moment! Countless light particles scattered, like a rain of light.

Meanwhile, the faces of the All-Heavens armies were stunned. The next moment, they suddenly roared, their faces flushed red, as boundless excitement surged wildly through them, almost bringing them to tears. This was because, ever since the appearance of the almost invincible Taixuan, it was the first time his offensive had been broken by someone's sole power!