Chapter 198: National Fortune Damaged

Zhou Yuan descended slowly, his face calm, as he gazed at the spot where Wu Huang's spirit had vanished. Wu Huang's spirit escaping was somewhat unexpected, but fortunately, Zhou Yuan had managed to seize two-thirds of the Sacred Dragon Qi from Wu Huang's body using the Resentful Dragon's Poison. Losing most of his Sacred Dragon Qi would undoubtedly inflict severe damage and numerous after-effects on Wu Huang.

When King Wu originally took the Sacred Dragon Qi from Zhou Yuan, it was strictly speaking divided into three parts: one part each for the "Python" and "Sparrow" of Great Wu, and another part that transformed into the national destiny of the Great Wu Dynasty. Now, Zhou Yuan had only managed to retrieve a portion of it.

Zhou Yuan raised his palm, where a blood-red mist swirled, radiating intense resentment—it was the Resentful Dragon's Poison. After absorbing two-thirds of the Sacred Dragon Qi from Wu Huang's body, the Resentful Dragon's Poison seemed to intensify, and its form gradually transformed from a blood mist into a somewhat blurry, miniature blood-colored dragon shadow.

"The power of the Resentful Dragon's Poison has increased," Zhou Yuan murmured. He could feel it becoming even more overbearing, which caused him some concern. While it was a potent weapon, it also made Zhou Yuan extremely wary. After all, for over a decade, he had been tormented by it, living a life worse than death.

"You and I are one body; you can't enjoy this Sacred Dragon Qi all by yourself."

As Zhou Yuan spoke, the Profound Python Qi, coiled within his Qi Manor, began to circulate. A faint hissing sound emerged as the dark-gold Genesis Qi formed a python shape in his Qi Manor. With a gaping maw, it unleashed a peculiar suction force. As the suction emanated, the Resentful Dragon's Poison in his palm vibrated, and a low dragon roar could be heard. Threads of Sacred Dragon Qi detached from the Resentful Dragon's Poison and continuously merged into the Profound Python Qi.

Roar! Roar! The Resentful Dragon's Poison roared, as if resisting. However, its resistance had little effect. Zhou Yuan could not allow it to devour the Sacred Dragon Qi, grow stronger, and potentially cause him great trouble in the future. Clearly, the Sacred Dragon Qi was extremely beneficial to the Profound Python Qi.

As the Profound Python Qi continuously absorbed threads of Sacred Dragon Qi, Zhou Yuan noticed that its dark-gold color subtly became brighter. Moreover, its quality seemed to be gradually improving. A light flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes. As expected, the Sacred Dragon Qi was of great use to the Profound Python Qi. According to his estimation, if this continued, the quality of the Profound Python Qi would definitely be able to advance from Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade!

Although it was only a one-grade increase, Zhou Yuan was well aware of the immense difference it would make. Sixth-Grade Genesis Qi was something that even the major dynasties across the entire Cangxuan Continent might not possess.

"It's a pity that Wu Huang ultimately managed to take some of the Sacred Dragon Qi with him. Otherwise, the Profound Python Qi might have even completed an evolution and directly advanced to the Seventh-Grade 'World-Suppressing Heavenly Flood Dragon Qi'!" Zhou Yuan felt a touch of regret. The current amount of Sacred Dragon Qi could, at most, raise his Profound Python Qi by one grade, but it wasn't enough to evolve it to the Seventh Grade.

However, he wasn't one to fret over gains and losses. Retrieving a portion of the Sacred Dragon Qi this time had already exceeded his expectations. As for Wu Huang, recovering from such severe injuries wouldn't be easy.

"Sacred Dragon Qi..." Zhou Yuan slowly clenched his fingers, took a deep breath, and his gaze turned sharp. "I will take it all back, sooner or later!"

Suppressing his emotions, he allowed the Profound Python Qi within him to continuously absorb the Sacred Dragon Qi from the Resentful Dragon's Poison. Then, he looked up towards the deeper parts of the White Jade Plaza. There, the clouds and mist suddenly dispersed, revealing a small bluestone path. Zhou Yuan pondered for a moment, then stepped onto the bluestone path. He wanted to see what kind of fortuitous encounter awaited him after all the effort he had made to get here.

Great Wu Dynasty.

In the main hall where officials held court, a figure in a dragon robe sat upon the throne, exuding a powerful, awe-inspiring majesty. Above his head, Genesis Qi subtly coalesced, forming what appeared to be a congratulatory cloud, from which streams of Genesis Qi light continuously cascaded. He was a middle-aged man with a majestic face, though his eyes were somewhat sunken, giving him a stern and cold appearance. This person was none other than King Wu, the monarch of the Great Wu Dynasty!

At this moment, he had his eyes slightly closed, listening to the officials' reports. Suddenly, King Wu's eyes snapped open. His gaze pierced beyond the hall, where above the Great Wu Royal Palace, a dragon's roar suddenly reverberated. With that roar, the Genesis Qi of the entire world became turbulent. The ground trembled, and the entire royal palace descended into chaos.

King Wu's expression suddenly turned grim. A light gleamed in his eyes as he looked at the sky above the royal palace. In his perception, the royal palace had always been surrounded by dragon and phoenix aura. These two phenomena encircled the palace, symbolizing the national destiny of Great Wu. But now, while the phoenix aura remained, the dragon aura was rapidly dimming at an alarming rate.

"The dragon aura is diminishing?!" King Wu abruptly rose, his face contorting in disbelief. "Something happened to Huang'er?!"

"The Genesis Qi of heaven and earth is shifting eastward!"

"East... that's the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

King Wu's eyes turned terrifyingly cold. "You Great Zhou Dynasty, you truly refuse to die!" Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, the diminished national dragon aura was clearly heading towards the Great Zhou Dynasty, simultaneously causing the world's Genesis Qi to shift eastward. He sharply turned to his officials and commanded sternly, "Quickly, immediately dispatch men to the Saint Remains Domain to find the Crown Prince! You must ensure his safety at all costs!"

Great Zhou Dynasty.

Inside the royal palace, Zhou Qing was strolling through the flower garden with Qin Yu when his steps suddenly faltered. He looked up, a mix of shock and uncertainty in his eyes. Genesis Qi surged in his eyes, and he immediately saw a surge of destiny suddenly appear above the Great Zhou Royal Palace. It then coiled, subtly forming a dragon shadow. Throughout the land of Great Zhou, the Genesis Qi of heaven and earth seemed to become more potent and vibrant.

"This... is this the national destiny?!" Zhou Qing stood frozen, letting out a disbelieving cry. When their Great Zhou Dynasty was at its peak, it naturally had national destiny protecting it. But after the Wu family's rebellion, Great Zhou weakened, and much of its national destiny dissipated, leaving them barely clinging on. Who would have thought that today, this national destiny would reappear!

Zhou Qing stared blankly at the scene. Moments later, his eyes turned red, and he choked out, "It's Yuan'er!"

"It must be Yuan'er who reclaimed the Sacred Dragon Qi!"

"Yuan'er must have encountered Wu Huang in the Saint Remains Domain, and he took back a portion of the Sacred Dragon Qi from him!"

Zhou Qing quickly pieced together some clues, instantly feeling a sense of disbelief. He gripped Qin Yu's hand and said excitedly, "Yuan'er must have defeated Wu Huang!"

"Really?!" Qin Yu also found it hard to believe, but tears of joy welled up in her eyes. For days, she had been constantly worried about Zhou Yuan. After all, those who went to the Saint Remains Domain were the top prodigies of the Cangxuan Continent, and Zhou Yuan's foundation was undoubtedly weaker compared to theirs. Yet now, she was hearing that Zhou Yuan had defeated Wu Huang...

Zhou Qing nodded vigorously. "Otherwise, it would be impossible for a dragon aura to appear and protect our Great Zhou!" He couldn't help but burst into laughter, though unstoppable tears welled up in his tiger-like eyes. "Good! Good! From now on, let's see who dares to call Yuan'er the 'Crippled Dragon' of my Zhou family!"

For years, he had been stifled by King Wu and the Great Wu Dynasty. He had struggled to maintain the Great Zhou Dynasty, but it felt like perpetual darkness, with no glimmer of hope. And his inability to protect Zhou Yuan, allowing him to suffer calamity from birth, filled him with immense self-reproach.

Until now... He looked up, gazing in the direction of the Great Wu Dynasty. At this moment, he seemed to envision King Wu's incandescent rage.

"King Wu... you thought that by seizing my son's Sacred Dragon Fortune back then, you could cast him into an abyss..."

"You thought you had already secured your victory, didn't you?"

"But, it seems now..."

"You haven't truly won yet!"

"And my Great Zhou has not truly lost!"

An ancient palace sat atop a mist-shrouded mountain peak. Inside a pavilion, a purple-clad girl opened her phoenix-like eyes. Her beauty was enchanting and subtly bewitching; even at such a young age, she possessed the potential to charm all beings. Especially her temperament, noble and mysterious, like a phoenix. She was none other than Wu Yao of the Great Wu Dynasty.

Earlier, she had experienced a sudden premonition, a subtle sensation.

"Wu Huang... I told you that sooner or later, you would be defeated by your arrogance and conceit," the girl murmured softly to herself. She and Wu Huang were born of the same parents, and she had also received a portion of the Sacred Dragon Qi, so she naturally sensed the changes in it. Clearly, Wu Huang must have failed. And he had been defeated by the so-called "Crippled Dragon" of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

However, Wu Yao showed no significant emotional fluctuation regarding Wu Huang's defeat and the reclamation of the Sacred Dragon Fortune by another. She was inherently a cold and detached person. Furthermore, she could sense Wu Huang's twisted affection for her, which she disliked.

"Zhou Yuan..." She softly uttered the name, then a captivating smile graced her red lips. She murmured, "It seems you truly are that Sacred Dragon. Even after falling into such an abyss, you can still climb back out..." She slightly raised her phoenix-like eyes, as if piercing through space, seeing a certain figure in the Cangxuan Heaven.

"I know you must want to reclaim all the Sacred Dragon Qi, don't you? What a coincidence, because I, too, wish to enjoy this Sacred Dragon Qi all by myself..." Wu Yao's slender, jade-like fingers gently brushed away a strand of dark hair that fell across her smooth cheek. Her dignified phoenix eyes slowly closed, and a faint whisper seemed to emerge.

"Zhou Yuan, continue to grow stronger... because the day you and I meet will be the day I devour you..."

"Be careful, won't you? After all, I'm not an idiot like Wu Huang..."

"Hehe..."