Chapter 201: Saint Clan

"The Saint Race?"

When these two words were uttered amidst the mist, space itself seemed to subtly ripple, and the surroundings fell silent, as if all creation was being suppressed.

Observing Patriarch Cang Xuan's solemn expression, Zhou Yuan could vaguely sense the oppressive weight these two words carried. Suddenly, he recalled what he had witnessed in the War Puppet Sect's underground palace in the Black Abyss.

It seemed that a long time ago, many powerful sects existed in the vast Black Abyss. Later, because a so-called Saint Race prodigy died there, the Saint Race brought down a divine punishment, wiping out all living beings in the Black Abyss...

Ruthless and powerful. This was Zhou Yuan's only impression of the so-called Saint Race. He had thought it would be far removed from him, but unexpectedly, he heard it again here...

"What is the Saint Race?" Zhou Yuan couldn't help but ask.

Yao Yao also turned her clear eyes to Patriarch Cang Xuan. She had read many ancient texts, but still hadn't found much information about the so-called Saint Race.

Patriarch Cang Xuan looked up at the sky, his expression complex, seemingly mixed with hatred and apprehension.

"When heaven and earth first opened, and before all things were born, the first race emerged from the primordial chaos. That race is the origin of the Saint Race."

Patriarch Cang Xuan slowly continued, "The Saint Race is exceptionally gifted and extremely powerful. In the primordial era, they were the rulers of heaven and earth. All other races, whether human or beast, were beneath them, enslaved and controlled."

"Later, various races revolted, and a great war erupted, which finally led to their liberation from slavery."

"But even now, the Saint Race still holds a superior and inviolable position. Members of the Saint Race are held in high esteem, and other races dare not oppose them, being wantonly trampled upon."

"Only our human race, resilient and self-reliant, struggled and rose from insignificance. Countless ancestors paid immense prices to protect the human legacy, allowing our race to gain a foothold in this world. But even so, our human race still remains at a disadvantage."

Patriarch Cang Xuan sighed lightly and asked, "Do you know this realm you are in?"

"Cang Xuan Heaven?" Zhou Yuan asked.

Patriarch Cang Xuan said, "And beyond Cang Xuan Heaven?"

Zhou Yuan was somewhat astonished. Cang Xuan Heaven was already impossibly vast to him; how could he know what lay beyond it? His current cultivation level was simply too low.

"To be precise, the realm we are in is called the 'Tian Yuan World.' The Tian Yuan World has Nine Heavens, and 'Cang Xuan Heaven' is one of them."

Zhou Yuan was dumbfounded. Only now did he realize how insignificant he was. What he had perceived as the boundless and vast Cang Xuan Heaven was, in fact, just one of the Nine Heavens... How immeasurably vast and boundless, then, must the entire Tian Yuan World be?

"Of the Nine Heavens in the Tian Yuan World, the Saint Race occupies four exclusively, while the remaining five are shared by various other races," Patriarch Cang Xuan said calmly.

Only then did Zhou Yuan truly grasp how domineering the Saint Race was, with just one race occupying nearly half of the Tian Yuan World.

"Then, why does this Saint Race pursue me?" Yao Yao asked, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

Clearly, this was the greatest secret. The Saint Race continuously pursued her, and Patriarch Cang Xuan, despite his revered status as a Saint, was willing to perish to protect her. And Grand-Elder Hei, too, had constantly protected her.

Patriarch Cang Xuan was silent for a moment before saying, "I cannot answer that question. It involves too much, and you are still too weak. Knowing too much would only attract the attention of powerful Saint Race experts."

He gazed at Yao Yao and Zhou Yuan, saying, "In the future, when you are truly strong, you will naturally learn."

Yao Yao bit her red lip lightly, remaining silent.

Patriarch Cang Xuan smiled and added, "Furthermore, the Saint Race's scheme against me wasn't entirely because of you."

"After all, I was once the foremost expert in Cang Xuan Heaven, and the Cang Xuan Sect was founded by me. Back then, the Cang Xuan Sect was the number one sect in Cang Xuan Heaven."

"The Cang Xuan Sect?" Zhou Yuan's heart stirred slightly. That barefoot elder in Saint Remains City seemed to be from the Cang Xuan Sect. He hadn't expected that Patriarch Cang Xuan, right before him, was the founding patriarch of the Cang Xuan Sect.

"Then, what is the relationship between the Sacred Palace and the Saint Race?" Zhou Yuan suddenly asked. He remembered the envoy from the Sacred Palace. Currently, the Sacred Palace also seemed to be the strongest force in Cang Xuan Heaven.

Upon hearing the words "Sacred Palace," Patriarch Cang Xuan's eyes flashed with disdain. He sneered, "What relationship could there be? They are nothing but lapdogs of the Saint Race. During the Primordial Great War, after various races broke free from the Saint Race's enslavement, they set up the 'Primordial Saint Execution Array' in the five Great Heavens. This array restricted the most powerful Saint Race experts from entering these five Heavens. In response, the Saint Race adopted a strategy of recruiting humans to their side, forming factions that revered the Saint Race, worshipped them as deities, and carried out their will."

"If not for the Sacred Palace's interference back then, creating a flaw in the 'Primordial Saint Execution Array' and allowing a supreme Saint Race expert to descend, I would have annihilated them long ago!"

As he spoke, a chilling killing intent surged in Patriarch Cang Xuan's eyes.

"Of course, while the Saint Race's attack on me had something to do with you, part of the reason was also for the 'Cang Xuan Saint Seal' which I wielded," Patriarch Cang Xuan said, looking at Yao Yao.

"Cang Xuan Saint Seal?" Zhou Yuan blinked. What was that now?

Patriarch Cang Xuan's expression turned solemn as he slowly said, "When heaven and earth first opened, and the Nine Heavens took form, nine objects were born from the primal origin. These are known as the 'Nine Seals of the Heavens,' and the Cang Xuan Saint Seal is one of them."

"One who wields a Saint Seal can be considered the sovereign of a Heaven, also known as a Heavenly Lord!"

"And I, was the previous Heavenly Lord of Cang Xuan Heaven!" Patriarch Cang Xuan smiled faintly. On his handsome, youthful face, there was little arrogance, yet an inherent majesty was clearly revealed.

"Heavenly Lord..." Zhou Yuan secretly clicked his tongue in awe. What a domineering title! The lord of a Heaven? From the sound of it, Patriarch Cang Xuan before him was incredibly formidable.

"The Sacred Palace coveted the Cang Xuan Saint Seal, intending to replace me and become the new Heavenly Lord of Cang Xuan Heaven. That's why they lured a supreme Saint Race expert here," Patriarch Cang Xuan said, his eyes cold.

"Then... did they succeed?" Zhou Yuan couldn't help but ask.

Patriarch Cang Xuan gave a sardonic chuckle. "Although they killed me and split my soul for sealing, they underestimated my methods. I scattered the Cang Xuan Saint Seal; how could they possibly obtain it?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan subtly let out a breath of relief. He held no good feelings towards the Sacred Palace; furthermore, outside the Saint Remains City earlier, that Sacred Palace envoy had secretly helped Wu Huang try to kill him. Naturally, he didn't want to see the Sacred Palace grow powerful.

Patriarch Cang Xuan looked at Zhou Yuan and suddenly asked, "Do you know the origin of the Saint Rune you obtained?"

Zhou Yuan froze, then sensing something, his eyes widened as he asked, "Could it be?"

Patriarch Cang Xuan smiled faintly and nodded slowly. His words, when they reached Zhou Yuan's ears, were like a clap of thunder, leaving him utterly stunned.

"That's right, the Saint Rune you obtained originated from the 'Cang Xuan Saint Seal'!"