Chapter 1391: Mao Sui Volunteers

The atmosphere in the main hall was rather peculiar, as numerous astonished gazes settled on the serene face of Zhou Yuan.

No one had anticipated that Zhou Yuan would first propose the formation of the Cangxuan Alliance and then immediately nominate himself. Ordinarily, such a matter would require extensive discussion among all parties. Even if a leader were eventually chosen, that person would typically decline the position multiple times to demonstrate humility and propriety.

However, Zhou Yuan's direct approach, skipping all the usual steps and arriving straight at the conclusion, caught everyone completely off guard. Wouldn't such an aggressive move appear somewhat ungraceful?

In that peculiar atmosphere, Zhou Yuan lifted his gaze, his expression unruffled. "In these years, I have traveled among the heavens," he stated. "I won't claim vast experience, but to say something that might sound arrogant: everyone present knows the true foundation of Cangxuan Heaven. For me, this place is indeed a little too small."

A silence fell over the main hall. The numerous powerful figures exchanged glances, yet ultimately, no one could refute his words.

The Zhou Yuan before them was no longer the junior from the Divine Dwelling stage he once was. The immense reputation he had forged across the heavens was something no one from Cangxuan Heaven had achieved in millennia. Moreover, Zhou Yuan was now hailed as the foremost expert below the Saints in all the heavens. If he desired, top-tier heaven domains such as Hunyuan Heaven or Qiankun Heaven would offer incredibly high prices to retain him. Compared to those domains, Cangxuan Heaven was indeed a small pond.

They now understood the implication of Zhou Yuan's words: he didn't even value the foundation of Cangxuan Heaven, let alone this so-called Cangxuan Alliance. The leadership position they held in such high regard held no appeal for Zhou Yuan.

"My directness is merely to avoid needlessly wasting time and energy on this step. You all know how much trouble would erupt if this position were assigned to the Four Sacred Sects. You have been squabbling over this issue for years, and this time, I do not have the luxury to wait for a resolution. Furthermore, the Cangxuan Alliance is being established solely to counter the Sacred Palace. Thus, the moment the Sacred Palace is destroyed, the Cangxuan Alliance will be disbanded."

Zhou Yuan slowly directed his gaze towards the four Sect Masters. "Do the four of you believe I possess the necessary qualifications?" he asked. His tone was calm, yet under his watchful gaze, even the four Sect Masters subtly felt a sense of pressure.

Behind Sect Master Qingyang, Liu Lianyi, the Peak Master of Snow Lotus Peak, watched Zhou Yuan with keen interest. She quietly murmured, "Tsk tsk, truly remarkable. This young man seemed so docile and clever when he was cultivating in the Cangxuan Sect. I never imagined that after more than a decade, his power would have reached such a formidable level..." When Zhou Yuan departed Cangxuan Heaven after that great battle, Liu Lianyi's physical body had been destroyed. Fortunately, her soul remained intact, and from her current appearance, it was evident she had recovered.

The white-browed elder from Spirit Rune Peak chuckled, remarking, "On the path of cultivation, the capable lead. With Zhou Yuan's current strength, indeed no one in Cangxuan Heaven can compare. Regardless, he hails from our Cangxuan Sect, so it appears we will also bask in his glory this time."

"Back when Zhou Yuan was in the Cangxuan Sect, he had quite a few conflicts with Sword Peak. Ling Jun, what do you say? Looking back now, perhaps you were a bit short-sighted back then?" Gu Tianhong from Hongya Peak chuckled softly.

Peak Master Ling Jun, who had remained silent, felt his face twitch slightly. He replied somewhat unnaturally, "Back then, it was merely competition among disciples. There was no 'conflict' as you call it."

The other three Peak Masters exchanged glances, each secretly amused.

"Cough..."

As Liu Lianyi and the others conversed in hushed tones, Sect Master Qingyang, who was in front, cleared his throat softly. He then turned his gaze to Zhou Yuan and stated, "Given your current strength and prestige, you are more than capable of taking on this position. My Cangxuan Sect has no objection to this."

The other three Sect Masters, upon hearing this, muttered inwardly, *Zhou Yuan is, after all, from your Cangxuan Sect. Of course, you wouldn't object to him becoming the Alliance Head and leader of Cangxuan Heaven...* Nevertheless, they ultimately sighed inwardly, as Sect Master Qingyang's words were indeed logical. Zhou Yuan's current strength likely surpassed theirs, and his prestige was immeasurably greater. In a sense, Zhou Yuan was undeniably the most suitable candidate. Their current dilemma stemmed simply from their momentary difficulty in accepting the fact that a junior, whom they once viewed as beneath them, had now surpassed them.

"We also have no objection," the three Sect Masters nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan's expression softened. "Thank you, four Sect Masters, for your cooperation," he said. "The Cangxuan Alliance is formed to mobilize the various forces within Cangxuan Heaven to collectively resist the Sacred Palace. However, I am not familiar with these local matters, so I will have to entrust their execution to the four Sect Masters."

While his current reputation was formidable, it was clear that for the local powers within Cangxuan Heaven, the Four Sacred Sects still held greater authority.

The four Sect Masters nodded in agreement. "This is our responsibility," they affirmed.

Sect Master Qingyang hesitated for a moment before saying, "The biggest challenge in confronting the Sacred Palace remains Saint Yuan..." The mention of "Saint Yuan" caused the faces of the other three Sect Masters to darken slightly. Since the battle years ago, the three Sect Masters had certainly deepened their own strength, but they understood that Saint Yuan's power had advanced far more terrifyingly. Even though the current Saint Yuan was not yet a true Saint, whenever they approached the vicinity of the Sacred Palace, they would invariably sense an extremely perilous aura. After careful deliberation, the four Sect Masters had to concede that even if they united their forces now, they likely wouldn't be able to pose the slightest threat to Saint Yuan. It was fortunate that the Palace Master Saint Yuan had not ventured outside the Sacred Palace all these years; otherwise, the current state of affairs in Cangxuan Heaven would likely be far different.

Zhou Yuan slowly stated, "I will handle Palace Master Saint Yuan."

The four Sect Masters were astonished by his declaration. They stared at Zhou Yuan with wide eyes. Although Zhou Yuan now held the title of "Number One below Saints," they knew that Saint Yuan was a semi-Saint! While he was not a true Saint, regardless of the specifics, anyone associated with the term "Saint" was certainly no ordinary individual.

Zhou Yuan, could he actually contend with a semi-Saint?!

Facing their skeptical gazes, Zhou Yuan calmly stated, "It's not that I'm entirely confident, but regardless, one must try to truly know." Even the current Zhou Yuan harbored no contempt for a semi-Saint like Saint Yuan, for he had encountered more Saints than all four Sect Masters combined, giving him a clearer understanding of a Saint's power.

The four Sect Masters fell silent, unable to help but feel a touch of envy for Zhou Yuan's unyielding spirit. He displayed no hint of fear, even when confronting a semi-Saint. Perhaps it was precisely this valiant mindset that enabled his strength to surpass theirs in just over a decade.

"However, if I am to fight Saint Yuan alone, I also have a request," Zhou Yuan said again.

The four Sect Masters all looked at him.

Zhou Yuan pondered for a moment, then spoke deliberately, "I hope you can collect all the Cangxuan Saint Seal fragments, excluding those already held by the Sacred Palace, and hand them over to me."

These words caused a shock even greater than his earlier self-nomination for the alliance leadership. Beyond the Cangxuan Sect, even some high-ranking members of the other three sects stirred uneasily, their expressions darkening. After all, the Saint Seal fragments currently held by each sect had been painstakingly acquired through years of intense competition. Furthermore, while the Alliance Head was ultimately a nominal position, the opportunities inherent in the Cangxuan Saint Seal were very real. What if, one day, someone were to uncover the secret to controlling the Cangxuan Saint Seal fragments? Wouldn't that be an instantaneous ascent to immense power? Now Zhou Yuan was asking for all of them to be handed over to him. How could they possibly agree to such a sacrifice?

Zhou Yuan observed the tumultuous main hall, his face expressionless. Yet, everyone could sense a somewhat chilling, oppressive aura spreading throughout the room. Thus, the commotion gradually subsided.

Zhou Yuan stared at the four Sect Masters without speaking, but the hint of disappointment in his eyes made them feel somewhat awkward. Without further words, he simply waved his sleeve, and a ball of light flew forth, hovering before them. Upon the orb, four sacred runes circulated, and at its very core rested a mysterious fragment.

"These four sacred runes were stripped from the Cangxuan Saint Seal, and the fragment within is indeed a piece of the Saint Seal itself."

Upon hearing Zhou Yuan's calm voice, many eyes in the main hall suddenly blazed with intensity. However, this fervor was short-lived. Zhou Yuan's next sentence was like a bucket of cold water dousing everyone, rendering them utterly silent and subdued.

"I am willing to hand this over. However, whoever takes it must then take responsibility for Saint Yuan. What do you say?"