Chapter 1429: Eight Saints

Eight figures lined up in front of Zhou Yuan, and powerful, terrifying auras swept out, causing the entire world to tremble violently. At the same time, the green light that had been obscuring the connection between Zhou Yuan and Cangxuan Heaven in the sky was swept away and vanished.

"Master!" Zhou Yuan watched Cang Yuan and the others arrive, silently exhaling in relief. If reinforcements hadn't come, his situation would have been dire, as even with control over Cangxuan Heaven, he couldn't directly confront two Ancient Saints.

Cang Yuan turned his head and smiled at Zhou Yuan, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Zhou Yuan, you've done very well."

Zhou Yuan's performance this time was truly perfect. Not only did he suppress Sheng Yuan, but he also thwarted the Saint Race's scheme. Most importantly, he became the Heavenly Lord of Cangxuan Heaven. It was precisely because he now governed Cangxuan Heaven that they were able to leverage its power to arrive.

The other seven Grand Sovereigns of the Twin Lotus realm also glanced at Zhou Yuan, their eyes showing some surprise, before subtly nodding in his direction. Their demeanor suggested a newfound sense of equality. Although Zhou Yuan himself had not yet fully entered the Saint stage, as the Heavenly Lord of Cangxuan Heaven, his power was already comparable to that of an ordinary Saint. Therefore, in a sense, Zhou Yuan was now qualified to ascend to the highest echelons of the Heavens. For this reason, they showed him a certain level of respect.

Zhou Yuan also sensed their changed attitude and immediately returned their nod. He couldn't help but feel a touch of emotion; previously, when he was called the "number one under the Saints," these veteran Grand Sovereigns had merely smiled, showing no particular change in their demeanor towards him. Now, however, with his control over Cangxuan Heaven, their attitude had become quite noticeable. This clearly showed that taking control of a Heaven Domain had indeed propelled him to great heights.

Cang Yuan didn't speak much with Zhou Yuan. His gaze quickly shifted to the two figures in the void ahead, and his aged face gradually grew solemn and wary. "It's quite surprising that a mere Cangxuan Heaven could draw two Ancient Saints from the Saint Race," Cang Yuan said in a low voice.

"Cang Yuan..." Ancient Saint Heizhao's eyes flickered with black flames. He swept his gaze over the eight Twin Lotus Saints, who stood ready for battle, and said blandly, "What, are your three Ancient Venerables too busy to come?"

Cang Yuan chuckled, "A few of us wanted to experience the might of Ancient Saints firsthand, so we volunteered to come."

"You?" Mojie smirked, a hint of mockery in his tone.

Heizhao didn't even bother to speak. In his eyes, burning with black flames, a murderous intent seemed to emanate, causing the very world to change color. Ancient Saint Heizhao puffed out his cheeks, then exhaled billions of black sparks. These sparks intertwined in the void, forming an enormous, fiery ghost mask. A piercing shriek emanated from the ghost mask's mouth. The next moment, a black wind, carrying black flames and a wailing sound, swept directly towards Cang Yuan and the others. Wherever the black wind and sparks passed, all life seemed to be obliterated; even the Yuan Qi of heaven and earth was reduced to nothingness.

"Be careful, this is the Black God Blazing Wind!" Seeing the black wind ravage the land, a Twin Lotus Saint next to Cang Yuan said with a grave expression. They were, of course, extremely familiar with the two Ancient Saints before them and understood just how terrifying and tyrannical the black wind spat out by Ancient Saint Heizhao was. In ancient times, many Saints from the Heavens were annihilated by this black fire.

Cang Yuan's expression was equally solemn. The howling black wind reflected in his eyes. He then extended his palm, and space twisted within it. The next moment, an ancient, mottled oil lamp materialized. Zhou Yuan, who was behind them, saw the oil lamp and his eyes flashed. He was far from unfamiliar with this object, as he had once striven for it for a long time. It was the Ancestral Dragon Lantern!

Cang Yuan formed a hand seal with one hand, directly activating the Ancestral Dragon Lantern. A strange light flickered from its long spout. The next moment, an ancient, primordial hum seemed to reverberate, and a powerful suction burst forth, as if an Ancestral Dragon was inhaling the world. Whoosh! The rampaging black wind was directly ensnared by this suction, then transformed into rolling black smoke, all of which was drawn into the Ancestral Dragon Lantern. Inside the Ancestral Dragon Lantern, black smoke swirled before gradually converging into the wick. The tiny flame there seemed to grow brighter.

"The Ancestral Dragon Lantern?!" With the black wind absorbed, the eyes of both Ancient Saints Heizhao and Mojie narrowed. Their gazes lingered on the ancient oil lamp, a hint of wariness flashing in their eyes. The Ancestral Dragon Lantern was ranked second on the Register of All-Heavens Saint Treasures. This artifact had an illustrious reputation in ancient times; among the Saint Race, not only ordinary Saints but even Ancient Saints like them had suffered greatly because of it.

"No wonder you dared to intercept us," Mojie said slowly, "You came prepared."

Heizhao remained expressionless. He specialized in fire arts, and the Ancestral Dragon Lantern was his ultimate counter. In ancient times, he had been put in a difficult situation by this very lamp, and encountering it again, he still found it extremely troublesome.

Cang Yuan, without further ado, exchanged glances with the other seven Saints. He then raised his palm, and the Ancestral Dragon Lantern slowly ascended. From his fingertip, a drop of blood, as brilliant as gold, flew out and fell into the Ancestral Dragon Lantern. The other seven Saints likewise squeezed out a drop of their Saint blood essence, which also entered the lamp. As soon as the eight drops of Saint essence blood entered the Ancestral Dragon Lantern, they were absorbed by the wick. Instantly, the flame on the wick dramatically expanded, fully illuminating the entire Ancestral Dragon Lantern. From the lantern's spout, a chaotic-like flame roared forth. The moment the flame appeared, the entire world seemed to return to primordial chaos, silent and still.

"Ancestral Dragon Chaos Blaze, Obliterate!"

As Cang Yuan's roar echoed, the space around Mojie and Heizhao shattered violently. The Chaos Blaze swept out, instantly incinerating all their escape routes and making it impossible for them to move for a moment. *Roar!* Two pillars of chaotic flame rose, trapping Mojie and Heizhao within them. At that moment, the two seemed to be banished into primordial chaos. Within it, they would lose all their senses, seemingly destined to sink forever.

"So powerful..." Zhou Yuan's heart trembled at the sight. Cang Yuan and the other eight Twin Lotus Saints, working together and utilizing the power of the Ancestral Dragon Lantern, were actually able to trap two Ancient Saints. Such divine might was truly astonishing.

"Zhou Yuan, we've only temporarily trapped them. Given their abilities, they will inevitably break free; it's only a matter of time." Cang Yuan took a deep breath, his gaze turning to Zhou Yuan with a solemn expression. "Whether we overcome this crisis depends on you."

"What do you need me to do?" Zhou Yuan immediately asked.

Cang Yuan looked up, his gaze piercing through layers of void to the boundary of Cangxuan Heaven. "You have just taken control of Cangxuan Heaven, but you haven't yet entered the Saint stage yourself, making it difficult to fully activate this Heaven Domain's primordial qi. Otherwise, by channeling the primordial qi into the Hunyuan Saint-Slaying Grand Formation, you would certainly break the hold of the two Ancient Saints of the Saint Race and perfect the formation. At that point, Mojie and Heizhao would naturally not dare to remain in this Heaven."

"This is also where your opportunity lies. As the Heavenly Lord, you are naturally entitled to this Heaven Domain's blessing. Zhou Yuan, quiet your spirit and perceive the Heaven's Heart; merge your will with it. Only then will you truly control Cangxuan Heaven." Cang Yuan turned and gazed at Zhou Yuan, a look of expectation in his eyes. "That moment might just be your opportunity to enter the Saint stage!"

Zhou Yuan's heart abruptly pounded, and an uncontainable fervor instantly surged into his eyes. Those few words stirred emotions within him far more intensely than when he had previously controlled the Cangxuan Saint Seal. This was, after all, the true lifelong pursuit of all cultivators.