Chapter 1481: Counterattack on the Holy Clan

The news of the Third God’s awakening swept through every corner of the heavens like a mighty wind, immediately drawing countless cheers. The beings of the heavens, previously filled with fear and anxiety, now erupted with immense hope.

They might not have had a detailed understanding of the Third God, but thanks to the propagation by the God Palace of Return to the Ruins, they knew the Third God was the heavens’ last hope. Furthermore, upon the Third God’s awakening, the fiercely attacking Saint Race army unexpectedly chose to retreat without hesitation, completely disregarding the imminent conquest of the heavens.

This clearly indicated a profound apprehension and fear of the Third God.

The morale of the beings in the heavens was greatly boosted.

And especially when the news spread that the Third God would lead the heavens’ army to counterattack the Saint Race’s domain, the beings of the heavens wept tears of joy, their reverence for the Third God reaching its absolute peak.

After all, with the Saint Race’s massive offensive over the years, countless beings had lived in constant dread, perpetually fearing that the Saint Race would breach their defenses, invade the heavens, and transform the land into mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

However, the Third God’s emergence not only startled away the Saint Race army but also enabled the heavens’ army, which had always been at a disadvantage, to push back into the Saint Race’s domain. This clearly demonstrated the extraordinary might of the Third God.

At this moment, the shadow that had loomed over the beings of the heavens for several years finally showed signs of receding, leading to a grand celebration across the heavens.

The heavens’ army gathered even faster than anticipated.

Within ten days, an army comprising the heavens’ most formidable powers was fully assembled and ready to depart. The Third God led the vanguard, followed by the Four Ancient Sovereigns, and then the Saints and elite Dharma Domain experts of the heavens.

This represented the sum total of all the heavens’ top-tier power accumulated over millennia.

On this day, the Primordial Saint-Slaying Grand Array, which encompassed the heavens, actively opened.

Countless beings across the heavens gazed at the rising army’s luminous forms, kneeling in prayer. They hoped this battle would definitively resolve the grave threat posed by the Saint Race, allowing the heavens to enjoy eternal peace.

At a high platform in the royal palace of Great Zhou City, Zhou Yuan looked up at the void, watching the streaks of light vanishing into the distance. The heavens’ counterattack, led by the Third God, had officially begun.

Zhou Yuan’s gaze dimmed slightly. The Third God possessed the exact same appearance as Yaoyao, yet he couldn’t detect even a sliver of familiarity in her.

Zhou Yuan couldn’t know what had become of Yaoyao’s human side—whether it was merely suppressed by her divinity or completely annihilated.

“Is this the power of a primordial deity?”

Zhou Yuan slowly clenched his fists, his eyes filled with unwillingness. Facing the Third God, even a mere wisp of divine pressure was enough to make him and the other so-called Saints feel the immense disparity between them.

Footsteps suddenly sounded behind him, bringing with them a refreshing, faint fragrance.

“Your Highness.”

Hearing the soft voice, Zhou Yuan composed himself and turned to look at the exquisitely beautiful girl. “Youwei,” he said, “there’s nothing for me here. You don’t need to stay.”

Su Youwei raised her pretty face, gazing at the traces of Genesis Qi vibrations left by the multitude of light forms streaking through the depths of the void. She offered a faint smile. “With the Third God leading the heavens’ army,” she said, “my presence won’t make a difference, nor will my absence. Even if I went, I’d likely just be shouting encouragement from the sidelines.”

Her words were direct, and everyone implicitly understood that for this grand offensive, everyone, including the Four Ancient Sovereigns, would merely be there to lend support and boost morale. The one truly fighting would be the Third God alone.

“Your Highness, do you believe this offensive can destroy the Saint Race?” Su Youwei asked.

Zhou Yuan fell silent for a moment. “Although the Third God awakened first,” he replied, “the Saint God might not be entirely unprepared. In my view, to destroy the Saint Race, we must first eliminate the Saint God.”

“And as for which of these two primordial deities is stronger or weaker, no one knows at this moment.”

Su Youwei said softly, “Your Highness, why did you take on the troublesome God-Slaying Cursed Poison? I feel as if Your Highness is… giving up on yourself.”

The God-Slaying Cursed Poison was a terrifying substance capable of causing trouble even for the Third God. Such a cursed poison was something even the Four Ancient Sovereigns dared not handle, yet Zhou Yuan had accepted it. To many, including Su Youwei, this act seemed like a desperate form of self-abandonment.

Zhou Yuan’s eyes were profound. He gently patted the stone pillar in front of him and said calmly, “The God-Slaying Cursed Poison is the only power in this world capable of threatening primordial deities. It is indeed very dangerous, but if utilized well, it might also be an unprecedented opportunity.”

Su Youwei’s expression tightened. Her beautiful eyes widened slightly as she stared at Zhou Yuan. “Your Highness, you mean to…”

“I want to use this to try and reach that so-called… realm of gods,” Zhou Yuan stated, enunciating each word carefully.

At this moment, even Su Youwei was stunned. She had never imagined that such ambition lay beneath Zhou Yuan’s seemingly self-abandoning act.

The realm of gods…

Throughout history, countless peerless prodigies had poured everything into attempting to reach it, but none had ever succeeded. Even Ancient Sovereigns like Jin Luo, Dilong, and Chiji were far from attaining that realm.

Yet now, Zhou Yuan claimed he wanted to try.

If not for her blind trust in Zhou Yuan, even Su Youwei might have thought he had gone mad at that moment.

The shock lingered for a long time before Su Youwei bit her lip and said with difficulty, “Your Highness… this is an extremely perilous endeavor.”

Zhou Yuan was currently only at the peak of the One-Lotus realm, not even having reached the Three-Lotus realm. Yet he spoke of ascending to the heavens in a single leap, a feat no one would consider even remotely possible.

“You’re being too conservative,” Zhou Yuan said with a frank smile. “This isn’t an extremely perilous endeavor; I feel it’s probably a death sentence.”

“Then why are you still going?!” Su Youwei exclaimed, a hint of desperation in her voice.

“Now that the Third God has awakened and the heavens’ crisis is resolved, why do you need to do something so suicidal?!”

Zhou Yuan gazed towards the boundary wall, where the Primordial Saint-Slaying Grand Array was slowly opening and the army was moving into the distance. He seemed to vaguely discern the graceful figure in white leading the vanguard.

That intense divine might instilled a sense of fear in all beings.

“I won’t give up,” he murmured, vigorous flames burning deep within his eyes.

Zhou Yuan turned his head and looked at Su Youwei, a smile forming on his lips. “I promised Yaoyao that if she couldn’t contend with her divinity herself, I would do everything in my power to help her.”

“So whether it’s an extremely perilous endeavor or a death sentence, I won’t give up.”

Su Youwei gazed at the smile on his face, which was filled with unshakeable resolve. Her eyes gradually welled up with tears.

In the end, however, she didn’t utter any more words of dissuasion. Instead, she wiped away the moisture from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, revealing a pure and exquisitely beautiful smile. “Then Youwei will wait here for Your Highness to return successfully.”

“Furthermore, Your Highness… no matter what you intend to do, I will support you. Even if you choose to directly confront the Third God, I will stand by your side.”

She gazed into Zhou Yuan’s eyes, which shone brightly and captivatingly, dazzling like stars.

Zhou Yuan gazed at her bright, beautiful eyes and remained silent for a moment. He wanted to say something, but ultimately couldn’t find the words. He simply waved his hand gently, then turned resolutely and stepped forward.

The space before him twisted, forming a swirling vortex. Its depths were pitch black, radiating a sense of heart-pounding dread.

Zhou Yuan, however, showed no hesitation, allowing the vortex to slowly engulf his figure.

As Su Youwei watched his form vanish, a soft murmur escaped her lips.

“Your Highness, Youwei has no other wish than for your safe return.”