Chapter 1456: Confronting the Ten Thousand Ancestors

As Green Willow was suppressed directly to the ground, the saints present couldn't help but flinch, a sharp intake of breath drawing a chill deep into their bodies. Having not seen him for over a year, Zhou Yuan now appeared sharper and more formidable than before. The keenness hidden deep within him, like a blade unsheathed, soared skyward, sweeping across the land.

Green Willow seemed stunned; he likely hadn't expected Zhou Yuan to be so disrespectful as to directly suppress him. After a few breaths, his old face flushed purple. A vast surge of saintly power suddenly erupted as he attempted to roar free, but the mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and stars pressing down on his body remained utterly unmoving. Green Willow was only at the One-Lotus stage, the same as Zhou Yuan. However, in terms of sheer saintly power, Zhou Yuan, having undergone unique transformations over the past year, clearly held an advantage. Furthermore, currently within Cangxuan Heaven, bolstered by the power of this realm, Zhou Yuan's combat prowess was such that he showed no fear even when facing an veteran Dual-Lotus stage venerable like Great Venerable Wanzu. Thus, it was not as easy for Green Willow to escape the suppression as he had imagined.

Meanwhile, the colossal tree that had been holding back Great Venerable Wanzu finally reached its limit, suddenly shattering into a myriad of shimmering light particles.

“Zhou Yuan, release him!” Great Venerable Wanzu demanded, his face tinged with a steely pallor.

Great Venerable Zixiao also interjected, advising, “Heaven Lord Zhou Yuan, do not act on impulse.”

Hearing this, the intensity on Zhou Yuan’s face suddenly faded. He smiled and nodded. “Since both Great Venerables have spoken, I must, of course, show respect.” With a flick of his finger, the immense power suppressing Green Willow’s body finally receded.

Great Venerable Wanzu’s face was like still water. Zhou Yuan had claimed he would show respect, but in reality, he had first cast Wanzu’s dignity to the ground and stomped on it, only to then pick it up with a smile. After all, everyone knew Green Willow was aligned with him. Zhou Yuan’s public suppression of Green Willow was a direct affront to his own standing.

Great Venerable Zixiao, standing nearby, wore a hint of helplessness on her beautiful face. She, too, had not anticipated Cang Yuan’s disciple would be so assertive. She understood perfectly that while Zhou Yuan appeared to be acting against Green Willow, his true target was Great Venerable Wanzu. He was using his power to demonstrate to Great Venerable Wanzu that he was no longer the junior who could be easily manipulated. Most importantly, he wanted Wanzu to understand that this was Cangxuan Heaven, and here, short of an Ancient Venerable's arrival, Zhou Yuan held the ultimate authority. Wanzu had no right to order him about.

“Zhou Yuan!”

Freed from the suppression of Cangxuan Heaven’s power, Green Willow finally regained control of his body. His face was purple with rage, and fury blazed in his eyes. “I will not let this go today!” Green Willow roared, his humiliation complete. Being openly suppressed by Zhou Yuan in front of so many people meant his reputation would be ruined if word spread.

Zhou Yuan turned to Green Willow, a cold glint in his eyes, and said indifferently, “If you wish to continue, I will see it through to the end.” Under the chilling, blade-like gaze, Green Willow’s furious demeanor faltered slightly. He still retained some sense of reason, understanding that within Cangxuan Heaven, he stood no chance against Zhou Yuan. Yet, to simply back down would be an even greater humiliation. For a moment, Green Willow’s expression shifted erratically.

“Green Willow, stand down.”

Great Venerable Wanzu finally spoke. The veteran Dual-Lotus Saint from the Heavens fixed a deep gaze on Zhou Yuan. He clearly understood that Zhou Yuan's deeper motive for suppressing Green Willow was aimed directly at him, which was why he had intervened. However, he had not anticipated that Zhou Yuan would be able to briefly obstruct his attack. Hearing this, Green Willow cast a resentful glance at Zhou Yuan before finally retracting his vast and surging saintly power.

“Zhou Yuan, have you finished your games?” Great Venerable Wanzu asked in a low, heavy voice.

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly. “What are you implying, Great Venerable Wanzu? He startled my parents, so it’s only reasonable for me to ask for an apology.” Ever since his arrival, Great Venerable Wanzu had exhibited the arrogance typical of an old venerable. Clearly, he found it difficult to accept the stark reality that the junior he once viewed as an ant was now, in some sense, his equal. Furthermore, during his time in Hunyuan Heaven, when Zhou Yuan sought the Ancestral Dragon Lantern to awaken Yaoyao, Great Venerable Wanzu had repeatedly interfered. While his actions were primarily aimed at Cang Yuan, they undeniably caused significant trouble and anger for Zhou Yuan, even leading to his ten fingers being severed. However, at that time, Zhou Yuan was utterly powerless against Great Venerable Wanzu, forcing him to suppress his anger. Now, with their direct confrontation, while Zhou Yuan wasn't about to completely sever ties, fostering a peaceful relationship would be difficult. Their gazes locked, and a subtle frost imperceptibly spread across the surrounding ground.

“With war raging and sweeping across the Heavens, are you two truly going to neglect the important matters at hand?” Seeing their attitudes, Great Venerable Zixiao finally couldn't hold back. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she spoke, a hint of displeasure in her voice.

Upon hearing her words, both Great Venerable Wanzu and Zhou Yuan withdrew their gazes.

“Has the Saint Race stirred up trouble again?” Zhou Yuan asked, frowning.

Great Venerable Zixiao nodded slightly, her beautiful face solemn. “This time, the Saint Race has emerged from a sub-space, attempting to bypass the Primordial Saints Grand Formation and infiltrate the Heavens directly. The Genesis Rune Temple has already issued a summons. All Saints and Law Domain experts across the Heavens have been deployed to establish defenses within those layers of illusory, bubble-like sub-spaces. Under no circumstances can the Saint Race be allowed to forge a stable passage there. Great Venerable Wanzu and I have been dispatched this time to guard the sub-space beyond Cangxuan Heaven,” Great Venerable Zixiao said softly.

Great Venerable Wanzu added indifferently, “As the Heaven Lord of Cangxuan Heaven, you are to gather all Law Domain experts within Cangxuan Heaven and then follow our directives and commands.” His words clearly established a hierarchy, implying that he and Great Venerable Zixiao were in charge, and everyone in Cangxuan Heaven, including Zhou Yuan, was expected to follow their command.

Zhou Yuan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, a hint of amusement gracing his face. He ignored Great Venerable Wanzu and instead looked at Great Venerable Zixiao. “Great Venerable Zixiao, did the three Ancient Venerables of the Genesis Rune Temple personally state that you two would lead here in Cangxuan Heaven?”

It was a standard arrangement for the Genesis Rune Temple to send personnel to Cangxuan Heaven for joint defense. In the past, Cangxuan Heaven was leaderless and lacked a Saint to oversee it; thus, if Great Venerable Wanzu and others had arrived, they would naturally have assumed command. But the present Cangxuan Heaven was different: Zhou Yuan had attained the Saint stage and wielded authority, making him, in essence, the controller and spokesperson of Cangxuan Heaven. At this juncture, even if the Genesis Rune Temple sent Saints for defense, they would typically be there to assist him, not to undermine his authority and seize control. Such an action would not only confuse the various powerful figures within Cangxuan Heaven as to whom to obey, but it would also diminish his authority as Heaven Lord. At a critical time like this, such a move would be ill-advised. Zhou Yuan believed the three Ancient Venerables would surely understand this and not resort to such tactics. Therefore, it was more likely that Great Venerable Wanzu was merely using this situation as an opportunity to usurp authority.

In response to Zhou Yuan’s question, Great Venerable Zixiao hesitated, then shook her head. Her voice was clear and melodious as she said, “The three Ancient Venerables have not made such a statement.”

Zhou Yuan nodded in thanks to Great Venerable Zixiao, then turned to Great Venerable Wanzu, whose expression was somewhat frosty, with a faint, unreadable smile on his face.

Great Venerable Wanzu met Zhou Yuan’s gaze squarely, his eyes unreadable. “Is it so difficult to accept this, given my seniority and power?”

Zhou Yuan shook his head, stating seriously, “If Master Cang Yuan were here, such a request would be acceptable. But… you, no.” Regardless of their past grievances, the saying remained true: changing commanders on the eve of battle was a grave taboo. Zhou Yuan would not concede.

Great Venerable Wanzu’s eyes seemed to deepen considerably at that moment. His face betrayed no emotion, and even his voice was utterly calm. “It seems you believe I am not qualified…”

“In that case…”

“Then I shall simply subdue you. Since Cang Yuan failed to teach you respect for your elders, I shall have to do so on his behalf.”

The moment his indifferent words ceased, a vast, galaxy-like surge of saintly power erupted skyward. At that instant, all of Cangxuan Heaven seemed to rumble, and a terrifying pressure permeated the firmament. The saints present, sensing that divine wrath, were all inwardly startled. They knew Great Venerable Wanzu was genuinely enraged. He no longer wished to waste words; he intended to forcibly subdue Zhou Yuan.