Chapter 1356: Holy Spirit's Shadow

When Taixuan's physical body vanished, leaving a solitary Saint Pupil suspended in the air, the expressions of both the Saint Race and the experts from the All-Heavens drastically changed.

The Saint Race reacted most strongly because they understood best what Taixuan's action signified. It meant he had sacrificed his physical body and divine soul, pushing his Saint Pupil to its absolute limit—a life-sacrificing technique.

Clearly, the current situation had driven Taixuan to desperation. If he didn't resort to such extreme measures, he might very well lose this battle today.

At that point, not only would his own life be in jeopardy, but it would also affect the Saint Race's overall strategy. The Saints of the Saint Race would not easily forgive him for such a result, so rather than that, it was better to fight back desperately.

Although Taixuan sacrificed his physical body and divine soul, a wisp of his essence would remain within the Saint Pupil. If he could ultimately eliminate Zhou Yuan, the ancient Saints within the clan could intervene, offering a glimmer of hope for his resurrection.

Therefore, they were not overly surprised by Taixuan's choice.

However, their gaze towards Zhou Yuan remained inevitably complex. The disdainful look, as if regarding a lower race, had largely vanished. No matter how arrogant they were, they had to acknowledge the strength Zhou Yuan had displayed.

After all, even the strongest Law Domain expert of their Saint Race had been pushed to such a desperate state by Zhou Yuan.

"However, this is where it ends..."

The top experts of the Saint Race had grim expressions. As members of the Saint Race, they knew best how terrifying a Saint Pupil was once it evolved into a Nine-Star Saint Pupil. Even though Taixuan's was forcefully evolved by external power, within the Saint Race, a Nine-Star Saint Pupil was exclusive to Saints.

With the power of a Saint, it was enough to sweep aside everything.

In the void, Zhou Yuan's expression also grew extremely solemn. His gaze, fixed on the Nine-Star Saint Pupil, was filled with apprehension. The faint, almost imperceptible dangerous fluctuations emanating from it made him feel the aura of death.

Taixuan was indeed worthy of his title as the Saint Race's strongest Law Domain expert... His methods seemed endless, leaving no room for even the slightest relaxation.

The solitary Nine-Star Saint Pupil, still streaked with blood, rotated its iris and locked onto Zhou Yuan. A mocking gaze seemed to appear within it.

Faintly, a Death God-like whisper emerged: "Zhou Yuan, you're dead."

A blood-red aura began to rise from within the Nine-Star Saint Pupil, which simultaneously started to gradually dim.

Zhou Yuan watched the inexplicable blood-red aura ascend, sensing boundless danger from it. Without hesitation, he activated his Genesis Qi, unleashing a torrent of Genesis Arts, forming an overwhelming offensive that blasted towards the mass of blood-red aura.

However, an assault of such magnitude was swallowed by the blood-red aura without causing the slightest ripple, like pebbles thrown into a bottomless black hole.

Zhou Yuan's expression grew increasingly solemn; he sensed something ominous.

The blood-red aura made his divine soul tremble slightly, a premonition of impending doom.

"What exactly is this thing?!" Zhou Yuan's eyes flickered with doubt and alarm.

The blood-red aura grew more and more intense, eventually forming a faint, almost imperceptible giant shadow above the Nine-Star Saint Pupil.

The shadow was indistinct, but upon its appearance, an almost imperceptible, supreme pressure emanated from it. On its blurry face, a pair of eyes, indifferent and ruthless as a deity's, seemed to be observing the world.

When this supreme, pressure-emitting phantom appeared, outside the Stone Dragon Secret Realm, numerous Saints from the Heavens collectively changed expressions. Even Ancient Venerable Jin Luo's face immediately darkened.

"Is that... the Shadow of the Saint God?!" a Saint muttered in a low voice.

Ancient Venerable Jin Luo's face became grim. He said, "It is indeed the Shadow of the Saint God. However, a Nine-Star Saint Pupil forcibly elevated by external power shouldn't be able to summon the Shadow of the Saint God. An ancient Saint of the Saint Race must have tampered with it beforehand."

"How shameless!" a Saint exclaimed furiously. This was merely a struggle below the Saint level, yet the Saint Race had not only employed many underhanded tricks, but now they had even conjured the Shadow of the Saint God. They were completely shameless.

Although that Shadow of the Saint God was merely an insignificant projection, it nonetheless possessed the power of a true Saint. Perhaps they could resolve it, but for Zhou Yuan in his current state, it was absolutely impossible.

After all, no matter how strong Zhou Yuan was, he was only at the Law Domain stage, and a Law Domain expert could not contend with the power of a Saint.

That gap was far greater than the one between the Law Domain and Genesis Infant stages.

"What should we do?" a Saint asked, looking at Ancient Venerable Jin Luo. The Saint Race had gone to such lengths, resorting to any means necessary. If they didn't act, the Shadow of the Saint God would likely directly obliterate Zhou Yuan.

Ancient Venerable Jin Luo fell silent for a moment, then calmly said, "Prepare yourselves."

The other Saints nodded, a murderous intent rising in their eyes.

The Saints could identify the mysterious shadow, but the many Law Domain experts within the Stone Dragon Secret Realm could not. However, this did not prevent them from sensing the terror of the mysterious shadow. The faintly emanating power made their divine souls tremble.

The excitement they had felt earlier due to Zhou Yuan's advantage was instantly extinguished.

"This is outright cheating," someone gritted their teeth and said.

Everyone gave a bitter smile. They understood the feeling of indignation, but this was a war, not a fair duel. Here, there was only victory or defeat, life or death.

All their gazes turned towards the young figure standing in the void. Although they knew that placing all the pressure on Zhou Yuan was too heavy a burden, he was, after all, their last glimmer of hope.

Under countless horrified gazes, Zhou Yuan also frowned deeply as he stared at the blurry, mysterious shadow. That kind of power was something even he, in his current state, could not contend with.

This was because they were two different levels of power.

However... if he had encountered such an attack elsewhere, there would likely be no hope at all. But here, it was not utter despair...

"If you're going to cheat, I'm not afraid of you," Zhou Yuan murmured, staring at the now dim Nine-Star Saint Pupil.

"When it comes to trump cards, I'm probably better than you."

Zhou Yuan extended a finger, its tip glowing brilliantly with the combined power of his Genesis Qi and divine soul. His fingertip swept across the void, moving like a soaring dragon and dancing phoenix, leaving behind a series of extremely ancient traces.

These seemed to form a mysterious pattern so ancient that even Saints would be moved by it.

As his fingertip completed each stroke, Zhou Yuan's vast and immense Genesis Qi dissipated at an astonishing rate. Even the divine soul in his glabella began to dim.

However, his current strength was, after all, different from before. With Zhou Yuan's final, difficult stroke, the ancient pattern fully took shape.

At this moment, the Shadow of the Saint God's indifferent and ruthless gaze fell upon him, and its gigantic palm gently descended.

As the giant palm descended, everything turned to annihilation.

Both the tangible and intangible were reduced to nothingness beneath its single palm.

Facing that destructive palm, Zhou Yuan remained unmoved. The ancient pattern before him gradually faded, as if merging into this very world.

Under countless horrified gazes, he raised his head, looked at the descending Saint God's palm, and declared proudly, "What if it's the Shadow of the Saint God? Don't forget where this is! This is the Ancestral Dragon Land. Do you think a mere residual shadow like you can run wild here?!"

The moment Zhou Yuan's voice fell, everyone felt the entire Stone Dragon Secret Realm tremble violently.

Outside the Secret Realm, the Saints also watched with constricted pupils as the colossal stone dragon actually opened its dragon eyes. Its head then turned, its mouth opened, as if it could swallow the heavens and devour the earth.

A primal and ancient dragon roar, seemingly piercing through time and space, resounded. In that instant, a supreme power, truly transcending all existence, burst forth from the dragon's mouth!

Directly targeting the Shadow of the Saint God!

The Saints gasped, "Is that... the power of the Ancestral Dragon's will?!"