Chapter 1418: Saint's Demise

Four ancient halos stood in the void around the Holy Lotus Throne. Vast power surged out like a torrent, and under the scouring of this ancient power, everyone watched as the Holy Lotus Throne, supposedly impervious to all laws, gradually melted away.

Understandably, Palace Master Shengyuan was the most horrified by this outcome.

His face instantly contorted, his earlier composure vanishing as he cried out, "How is this possible?!"

He was now a true Saint, and under the protection of the Holy Lotus, he should have been invulnerable to all forms of harm. Yet, his Holy Lotus was completely overwhelmed by Old Ancestor Cang Xuan's assault.

This dealt a considerable blow to Palace Master Shengyuan's confidence.

"Shengyuan, there's nothing to be surprised about," Old Ancestor Cang Xuan said with a faint smile. "Though a Saint is powerful, they are not beyond restraint. Even I, who once governed Cang Xuan Heaven, eventually met my fate. What makes a newly ascended Saint like you believe you're invincible?"

Palace Master Shengyuan's face turned ashen, his eyes blazing with fury, yet beneath it lay a tremor of fear concerning the current predicament.

However, Shengyuan was a cunning and formidable figure, and he quickly suppressed his emotions. Gritting his teeth, he declared, "Cang Xuan, don't get ahead of yourself. I haven't lost yet!"

He abruptly formed hand seals, and a low roar resonated throughout Cang Xuan Heaven: "Holy Lotus Golden Art!"

As his roar faded, the Holy Lotus beneath him suddenly erupted with billions of golden rays. These rays seemed to contain countless golden runes, tiny as specks of dust, yet extraordinarily mysterious.

Bathed in the golden light, the Holy Lotus transformed into a brilliant gold, appearing as if forged from pure gold.

With Shengyuan's full resistance, the Holy Lotus's dissolution did, indeed, gradually cease...

However, Old Ancestor Cang Xuan, witnessing this, showed no urgency. Instead, he shook his head and said, "Shengyuan, a Saint wields immense power, but no matter how vast, can it truly compare to an entire heaven realm?"

"Our struggle has endured for countless years. Now, it's time for it to conclude."

As Old Ancestor Cang Xuan let out a soft sigh, anomalies began to manifest across the land.

The ground vibrated, slowly tearing open as countless earth-brown torrents surged skyward.

Fierce winds howled, creating countless violent gales that swept across the heavens.

Within the void, immense floods swept in, obscuring the sky and blocking out the sun.

Volcanoes erupted, and vast seas of fire spread, causing the world's temperature to rise abruptly.

Four ancient, primordial powers surged into the four halos, making them intensely brilliant. At this moment, the golden light on the Holy Lotus, resembling pure gold, began to melt away once more, bit by bit.

As the golden light dissipated, even the Holy Lotus's petals began to show signs of melting.

Throughout Cang Xuan Heaven, countless beings who witnessed this scene could not help but cheer, their eyes filled with the joy of narrowly escaping disaster.

From the current situation, it was clear that Palace Master Shengyuan had once again fallen into a severe disadvantage.

Beyond Cang Xuan Heaven, the Saints of the Heavens quietly breathed a sigh of relief. With their sharper discernment, they could clearly see that Palace Master Shengyuan was now in a desperate situation. Old Ancestor Cang Xuan was using Zhou Yuan's power as a foundation to channel the primordial energy of Cang Xuan Heaven.

This power was even more profound and mysterious than a Saint's might. Palace Master Shengyuan was now undeniably doomed.

It seemed the crisis in Cang Xuan Heaven was finally about to be resolved.

Within Cang Xuan Heaven.

Ancient power saturated the sky. The golden Holy Lotus was gradually fading, and its sacred petals were withering.

The Holy Lotus continued to shrink, ring by ring, signifying the collapse of Palace Master Shengyuan's defenses.

Shengyuan, seated within the Holy Lotus, slowly regained his composure from the initial shock and terror. The four ancient halos were reflected in his eyes, and for a moment, his face seemed lost in a daze.

He clearly hadn't expected that even as a Saint, his ambitions remained unfulfilled; instead, he had been forced into a desperate corner.

After a prolonged moment of disorientation, he finally let out a self-deprecating laugh, looking at Old Ancestor Cang Xuan and Zhou Yuan. "I genuinely believed I had won this time. I never anticipated such a result."

"Ten years ago, I couldn't have imagined this outcome in my wildest dreams."

Old Ancestor Cang Xuan calmly stated, "To be honest, even I didn't expect it. But you didn't lose to me; you lost to him."

The "him" referred, of course, to Zhou Yuan.

Old Ancestor Cang Xuan truly hadn't foreseen that the seemingly casual move he made all those years ago would, over a decade later, become the decisive factor.

Palace Master Shengyuan fell silent for a moment. He knew this truth, of course, but found it difficult to admit. In his eyes, Zhou Yuan had been less than an ant back then. Who could have predicted that this very ant, whom he had utterly disregarded, would ultimately dismantle all his schemes?

"Zhou Yuan, your future accomplishments will likely surpass even Cang Xuan's." Palace Master Shengyuan finally nodded, acknowledging Zhou Yuan's crucial role.

Zhou Yuan, however, was unfazed by this acknowledgment. He simply smiled faintly and remarked, "Are these the well wishes of a dying man?"

Upon hearing this, Palace Master Shengyuan couldn't help but chuckle. "That might be true for ordinary people, but it certainly doesn't apply to me. The path I've chosen, once decided, I will never regret."

He fixed his gaze on Zhou Yuan and Old Ancestor Cang Xuan, smiling. "This time, I have indeed lost. However, it doesn't necessarily mean you've won."

Zhou Yuan and Old Ancestor Cang Xuan's eyes both narrowed at his words.

Old Ancestor Cang Xuan, without hesitation, intensified the refining process by fully activating the four ancient halos.

Shengyuan was clearly aware of this, yet he remained impassive, merely offering the two a smile that seemed both sickly and crazed.

"Do you know what my ultimate mission was?"

Without waiting for a reply, he continued slowly, "My ultimate mission was to seize the Cang Xuan Saint Seal, become the Lord of Cang Xuan Heaven, and then... I would sacrifice the entire Cang Xuan Heaven, offering it to the Holy God. At that moment, He would awaken completely and bring an end to the world."

Shengyuan's voice was soft, drifting lightly, yet it caused Zhou Yuan, Old Ancestor Cang Xuan, and the many Saints of the Heavens to blanch dramatically.

No one had ever imagined that Shengyuan's ultimate scheme would be so utterly insane!

This monster actually intended to sacrifice the entire Cang Xuan Heaven?!!

"You madman, you cannot be allowed to live!"

Old Ancestor Cang Xuan's eyes blazed with monstrous killing intent. The next moment, he poured all his strength into activating the Chaos Refining Saint Gourd, causing his already ethereal body to rapidly become transparent.

However, under his desperate activation, the Holy Lotus beneath Shengyuan rapidly dissolved, quickly exposing its true form to the power of the four halos.

Yet, Shengyuan merely smiled and continued, "It seems my greatest scheme cannot be fully realized now. Fortunately, this worst-case scenario wasn't entirely unforeseen..."

He stared at Zhou Yuan and Old Ancestor Cang Xuan. "As I said, while I have lost, you haven't truly won."

"Cang Xuan, Zhou Yuan, I hope you can manage the situation that follows. Otherwise, more than half of Cang Xuan Heaven's inhabitants will accompany me."

The moment his voice faded, his palms came together, and cracks suddenly spread across his body. Particularly on his forehead, where light had formed a lotus seal, the seal was now slowly shattering.

The entire world suddenly churned with activity. As fierce winds howled, an immense, mournful cry seemed to echo throughout.

Old Ancestor Cang Xuan and the many Saints, witnessing this scene, involuntarily constricted their pupils as horrified murmurs arose.

"The wailing of heaven and earth..."

"This is... a Saint's demise!"