Chapter 1379: Da Zhou City

Great Zhou City.

The Great Zhou City of today is incomparable to its past self. This majestic city stands beside a turbulent river, its towering walls stretching outwards as far as the eye can see. Within, buildings rise like a dense forest, grand and magnificent.

Over the years, with the support of the Cangxuan Sect, the Great Zhou Dynasty has flourished, ascending to become the strongest dynasty on the Boundless Continent. Every year, a hundred nations pay tribute, presenting a truly impressive spectacle.

However, during this period, Great Zhou City has been completely sealed off. A massive barrier has been activated within the city, forming a light shield that completely envelops it. The Genesis Qi fluctuations emanating from this shield are so potent that even Nascent Source experts would find it difficult to harbor any covetous intentions.

This barrier was personally deployed by Sect Master Qing Yang of the Cangxuan Sect, combining the power of all the peak masters. While its defensive capabilities might not rival the protective barriers of the Saint Sects, on the Boundless Continent, it stands as an absolute defense.

Naturally, there are exceptions to everything. The calamity currently faced by the Great Zhou Dynasty has even begun to strain this formidable barrier.

On the city walls of Great Zhou City, countless soldiers stood holding halberds, their expressions filled with apprehension.

Their gazes were fixed beyond the light shield covering the city, where the sky was overwhelmed by surging dark clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder roared within them, as terrifying Genesis Qi fluctuations emanated, causing the heavens and earth to tremble.

It was like an apocalyptic natural disaster poised to descend.

Boom! Boom! From the layers of dark clouds, torrents of violent Genesis Qi roared out intermittently, carrying lightning, and heavily striking the barrier outside the city.

Under this onslaught, the barrier's light shield continuously rippled outwards. The spread of each ripple made countless people within the city tremble with fear, their faces pale. They all understood that if the barrier shattered, the entire Great Zhou City would face utter destruction.

But in a battle of this magnitude, what choice did they have? Even if they wished to surrender, those outside the city would likely not spare them a glance, for in the eyes of such lofty experts, their lives were as worthless as weeds.

Thus, they could only pray that Great Zhou City's barrier defense would withstand the enemy's assault.

While the citizens within the city prayed, at the center of the city wall, all the core members of the Great Zhou Dynasty had gathered. They gazed with worry at the figures faintly discernible within the thick dark clouds, each emanating violent Genesis Qi fluctuations.

“The Saint Palace claims to be one of the Six Saint Sects of Cangxuan Heaven, yet despite its status, it oppresses a mere dynasty in such a manner!” The speaker was a black-armored middle-aged man with a somewhat sinister expression. He looked outside the city, his eyes filled with both anger and fear.

If Zhou Yuan were here, he would recognize this person. This was precisely the Black Poison King, the formidable figure from the Black Abyss whom Zhou Yuan subdued when he first left Great Zhou City and ventured there.

Over the years, leveraging the relationship between the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Cangxuan Sect, the Black Poison King had now become a late-stage Divine Dwelling expert. Consequently, he had established himself quite well within the Great Zhou Dynasty over these years, certainly far surpassing his former status as a petty warlord in the Black Abyss.

“Commander Hei, spare us the useless talk. With the Saint Palace's stature, they couldn't care less about the thoughts or wishes of a dynasty like ours.” A steady voice came from beside him. It was a middle-aged man in armor, with streaks of white in his temples. Beside him stood a man and a woman. The woman wore light armor, appearing graceful, slender, and quite capable, while the young man, though somewhat frail in appearance, had a faint glow at his brow, indicating his cultivation path was focused on spiritual power.

The Black Poison King glanced at the man and snorted in annoyance, but did not retort. Although he had fought numerous battles for the Great Zhou Dynasty over the years, accumulating considerable merits, he still paled in comparison to General Wei Canglan of the Great Zhou Dynasty, both in terms of seniority and achievements.

The young man and woman beside Wei Canglan were his daughter, Wei Qingqing, and his son, Wei Bin.

“General, this scene before us reminds me of Dragon's End City over a decade ago...” As Wei Canglan's words fell, a deep and authoritative voice came from the very front.

Wei Canglan looked over to see a middle-aged man in battle armor speaking with a hearty laugh. Beside him was an elegant woman in palace attire.

It was King Zhou Qing of Great Zhou and Queen Qin Yu.

Over a decade had passed, and both had changed somewhat, but they still possessed a graceful demeanor. Zhou Qing, in particular, exuded a powerful aura, a result of the Great Zhou Dynasty's flourishing prosperity in recent years.

The many important ministers behind them fell silent. Over a decade ago, the Great Wu Dynasty attacked Great Zhou, and both sides fought a decisive battle outside Dragon's End City. That battle truly determined the ultimate fate of both dynasties.

It was then that Great Zhou rose, ultimately establishing its dominance over the Boundless Continent.

And at the mention of the Battle of Dragon's End City, everyone inevitably recalled the legendary figure in the Great Zhou Dynasty... His Highness Zhou Yuan!

Over the past decade, tales of His Highness had become familiar to nearly every citizen of Great Zhou.

Countless youths regarded him as their idol in those thrilling stories.

Beside Zhou Qing, Queen Qin Yu suddenly had red eyes and whispered, “I wonder how Yuan'er has been all these years...”

Zhou Qing was also silent for a moment, then looked at an old man with a head full of white hair beside him, and said, “Peak Master Shen, I've asked you about my son's whereabouts for years, and you've always avoided answering. Now, it's possible that the Queen and I won't have a future. Can't you ease our minds a little?”

The old man, addressed as Peak Master Shen, was Shen Taiyuan of the Saint Origin Peak of the Cangxuan Sect. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh and said, “Information from Cangxuan Heaven is quite restricted. The last time I heard anything was several years ago. However, rest assured, he is very safe now, and he has reached a level you wouldn't even dare to imagine.”

He raised his head, gazing at the terrifying Genesis Qi fluctuations emanating from the layers of dark clouds outside the city, and sighed, “Perhaps, this trouble today is also because the Saint Palace has grown wary of Zhou Yuan, and thus wishes to use this as leverage...”

Zhou Qing was taken aback, and asked, “Is that boy now comparable to Peak Master Shen?”

Shen Taiyuan glanced at Zhou Qing and chuckled, “If we hadn't known each other for so many years, I would even think you were mocking me.”

On the city wall, all the important ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty were dumbfounded. Shen Taiyuan had guarded the Great Zhou Dynasty for so many years, and in the eyes of many, he was practically invincible. After all, in this small Boundless Continent, even Heavenly Sun experts were considered top-tier, let alone Shen Taiyuan, a pseudo-Law Domain expert.

Yet now, according to Shen Taiyuan's words, His Highness of Great Zhou was actually stronger than him?!

And this trouble today might be due to the Saint Palace's apprehension toward His Highness Zhou Yuan?

This struck them as incredibly unbelievable. What kind of existence was the Saint Palace? It was a titan of the entire Cangxuan Heaven, with strength beyond what a dynasty could ever imagine. So, what level of power was required to make even the Saint Palace wary?

Zhou Qing was also stunned for a long moment, then grinned proudly and said, “Truly worthy of being my Zhou family's Sacred Dragon!”

His gaze turned towards the layers of dark clouds on the horizon outside the city, and a look of resolve appeared in his eyes.

“It seems the Saint Palace intends to capture the Queen and me, to threaten Yuan'er with us, heh...”

He turned his head to look at Qin Yu. As their gazes met, both understood the other's thoughts.

They reached out their hands, clasping them tightly together.

Today, even if they were to die here in Great Zhou City, they would absolutely not allow themselves to fall into the enemy's hands alive, to be used as leverage against Yuan'er...

Just as his gaze became resolute, outside the city, amidst the churning dark clouds, a section of black cloud formed into a throne. On the throne, a figure exuding overwhelming Genesis Qi pressure sat languidly. A pair of cold, cruel eyes swept towards the city wall, and then a cold voice reverberated through the heavens and earth.

“I am Pang Yang, Hall Master of the Golden Saint Hall of the Saint Palace...”

“I gave you three days, but you did not give me the answer I desired. Now, can anyone tell me...”

“Do you... intend to surrender... or be massacred?!”

As those last two words were uttered, terrifying killing intent, like a freezing current, permeated the entire Great Zhou City.