Chapter 1415: Saint Seal Reappears

The world fell silent.

Only gazes, almost frozen in awe, were fixed on the ancient stone seal hovering silently above Zhou Yuan. At that moment, everyone understood what the seal represented: it was the Cangxuan Saint Seal!

The hushed atmosphere lasted for an unknown duration before it was abruptly shattered by thunderous cheers erupting from every corner of Cangxuan Heaven.

Who could have imagined that at this most crucial moment, the legendary Cangxuan Saint Seal would actually appear?!

Countless people wept with joy at that moment.

Grand Elder Qingyang and the others likewise gazed at the ancient stone seal, momentarily stunned, before their eyes gradually welled up.

"It seems to have worked?" They rubbed their eyes, then composed themselves. From the current situation, Zhou Yuan's plan had clearly succeeded: the Cangxuan Saint Seal had truly merged, and, moreover, it had actively manifested to protect him. For the inhabitants of Cangxuan Heaven, this was undoubtedly a glimmer of hope amidst despair.

In the void above, Saint Yuan Palace Master's previously nonchalant expression began to darken. He coldly watched Zhou Yuan, who was rapidly recovering from his injuries under the protection of the Cangxuan Saint Seal.

"The Cangxuan Saint Seal was clearly blocked by me..."

"And at this moment, the Cangxuan Saint Seal should be masterless. Why would it shield him?!" Saint Yuan Palace Master's heart seethed with fury. Old Ancestor Cangxuan had completely perished, leaving the Cangxuan Saint Seal without an owner. By all logic, it should fall to the strongest, yet it was protecting Zhou Yuan. What did this signify? It meant it had made a choice!

But why him?! How could a mere youth who hadn't even ascended to the Saint stage earn the Cangxuan Saint Seal's recognition?!

"Is that so strange?" Under the divine radiance of the Cangxuan Saint Seal, Zhou Yuan's injuries healed swiftly. He slowly rose to his feet, looking up at the grim-faced Saint Yuan Palace Master, seemingly aware of the fury simmering within him.

"This is the human will you so despise..."

"The Cangxuan Saint Seal is indeed masterless now, but precisely because it lacks a master's will to guide it, it acts purely on instinct."

"Right now, the beings of Cangxuan Heaven are all praying for me, cheering me on. This collective will naturally influences the Cangxuan Saint Seal, drawing it closer to me."

Zhou Yuan twisted his neck, feeling the surging power within him once more. He grinned, "But someone like you would never understand."

Saint Yuan's gaze was chillingly grim. He then took a deep breath and said dispassionately, "Zhou Yuan, do you truly believe that the Cangxuan Saint Seal's protection changes anything?"

"You haven't ascended to the Saint stage; it's impossible for you to truly control the Cangxuan Saint Seal. Do you imagine its power will allow you to contend with me?"

"Once I truly slay you and seize the Cangxuan Saint Seal, it will naturally submit to me. Then you will learn that so-called human will is utterly worthless; only power can command all."

The moment he finished speaking, a monstrous killing intent erupted. He waved his sleeve, and a chilling command reverberated through the heavens and earth.

"Lightning!"

Instantly, the heavens and earth rumbled. Rolling thunderclouds surged forth with immense power, and boundless lightning converged, forming a monstrous thunder beast that blotted out the sky, its vastness seemingly without end.

Saint Yuan flicked a finger, and immense Saint power surged into the thunder beast. Instantly, the beast roared heavenward, a vital force blossoming within it, transforming it into a truly living entity.

Upon seeing the thunder beast, ablaze with Saint power, Grand Elder Qingyang and the many other powerful experts of the third Law Domain stage couldn't help but blanch.

That power was even more terrifying than the previous great sun of holy energy.

"Crush him!" With an indifferent flick of Saint Yuan's finger, the thunder beast roared immediately, its voice like thunder, seemingly echoing throughout all of Cangxuan Heaven.

The thunder beast tore through the void, charging directly towards Zhou Yuan.

As the thunder beast lunged, Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed. He clearly sensed the immense power it contained and dared not be careless. He extended his hand, and the Cangxuan Saint Seal settled into his grasp.

"Old friend, we meet again. Shattering you back then was a necessity; please don't hold it against me," Zhou Yuan said with a smile to the Saint Seal in his hand.

The mottled patterns on the Saint Seal gradually brightened. At that moment, Zhou Yuan distinctly felt a connection re-establishing itself between him and this world.

Earlier, Saint Yuan, by his word, had severed Zhou Yuan's connection to the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi. But now, the Cangxuan Saint Seal had clearly restored it, and the connection felt even stronger.

Zhou Yuan now experienced a peculiar sensation, as if he had gained the authority to control this entire world.

Zhou Yuan gripped the Cangxuan Saint Seal tightly, savoring that unique, wondrous feeling. In that moment, he felt as though he had completely merged with the world itself.

Then, he raised his hand.

*Boom!*

The ground beneath them trembled violently. The next instant, earth and stone surged as an enormous earth dragon roared forth from the depths, coiling and winding, directly confronting the destructive thunder beast.

The earth dragon's massive body also contained the unique power of the Cangxuan Saint Seal.

The thunder beast and the earth dragon violently clashed. In that instant, lightning flashed erratically, and massive boulders were flung.

However, neither the thunder beast nor the earth dragon gained the upper hand. As the void shattered around them, both colossal creatures were torn apart, dissolving into scattered lightning and rubble.

This outcome, witnessed by countless beings in Cangxuan Heaven, ignited thunderous cheers. For this time, Zhou Yuan had actually managed to truly block an attack from Saint Yuan!

Grand Elder Qingyang and the others were visibly overjoyed. Previously, a casual strike from Saint Yuan had nearly obliterated Zhou Yuan, but now, with the aid of the Cangxuan Saint Seal's power, the vast disparity between Zhou Yuan and Saint Yuan seemed to have diminished.

For Cangxuan Heaven, this was indeed excellent news.

Zhou Yuan's body slowly ascended. Holding the Cangxuan Saint Seal, he chuckled, "While I cannot truly control Cangxuan Heaven, you too have only just ascended to the Saint stage. We're evenly matched."

Saint Yuan's face was utterly grim. He had never imagined Zhou Yuan would be so troublesome, to the extent that even after ascending to the Saint realm, he couldn't directly crush and slay him.

This fellow was truly like a monster; if you couldn't kill him, you would simply watch him grow stronger and stronger.

In that moment, Saint Yuan felt a powerful surge of regret. He regretted why he had overlooked such a major threat back then. Only now did he truly understand that allowing Zhou Yuan to leave Cangxuan Heaven had been like releasing a dragon into the sea.

Saint Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and said dispassionately, "The current situation indeed makes it difficult to declare a victor, but you also cannot defeat me. Furthermore, my control over Saint power is gradually deepening. Once I truly master it, you might not be able to resist."

"Zhou Yuan, I am willing to make a pact with you here. Let us divide Cangxuan Heaven equally and not interfere with each other from this point forward. What do you say?"

Countless people gasped and were shocked, clearly not expecting Saint Yuan Palace Master to actually propose such a concession.

However, his proposed division was rather difficult to accept, as no one wished to fall under Saint Yuan's control.

Countless eyes nervously turned to Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan held the Cangxuan Saint Seal, his fingers tracing the seal's mottled exterior. He was silent for a few breaths, then suddenly smiled.

"Saint Yuan, you made a mistake about one thing..."

"What?" Saint Yuan's eyes narrowed.

Zhou Yuan bared his teeth in a cold grin, and a chilling voice slowly emerged.

"Who told you... that I couldn't defeat you?"