Chapter 742: Saint Yuan's Escape

The moment the two golden lotuses shattered, Palace Master Shengyuan’s face instantly turned ashen. A mouthful of blood spewed from his mouth, and the powerful aura surging around him rapidly receded at that very instant.

Palace Master Shengyuan’s Dual Lotus realm had been forcibly forged by absorbing the power of a Saint Race supreme expert; it was never a true Dual Lotus realm. Now that the Dual Lotuses were shattered, it meant the power from the Saint Race had dissipated. Consequently, Palace Master Shengyuan reverted to his original state, falling back to his previous Pseudo-Saint realm.

Naturally, the powerful figures across the land could sense Palace Master Shengyuan’s diminished strength. They were all shocked, as no one had expected Shengyuan, who had just seemed invincible and assured of victory, to be completely overturned in such a short time. As a result, the experts from the Saint Palace all changed color, their eyes filled with panic.

Meanwhile, figures like Sect Master Qingyang and Heavenly Sword Venerable could not help but show signs of pleasant surprise. This sudden reversal was nothing short of a divine blessing for them. After all, they were well aware that, having fought to this extent, they had exhausted almost all their trump cards. If not for the appearance of this mysterious black-robed elder, Shengyuan would surely have been the ultimate victor today.

“How is this possible... how is this possible!” Palace Master Shengyuan let out an unwilling roar. Both were in the Dual Lotus realm, yet he couldn't believe the immense disparity between them. Of course, beyond his unwillingness, there was a greater sense of inner dread. He finally understood that even with the Saint Race's power, he still couldn't compare to a true Dual Lotus realm expert. After all, he was still merely a Pseudo-Saint!

In the void, Cang Yuan stared coldly at Palace Master Shengyuan. With a thought, two golden lotuses pierced through the void, heading directly for the latter, clearly intending to kill him. However, Shengyuan also perceived Cang Yuan’s killing intent. Before the two golden lotuses could seal the void, his body self-destructed amidst countless shocked gazes. The vast shockwave pushed the two golden lotuses back.

“Alright, I concede defeat today!”

“But don’t get too smug, the Saint Race won’t let you off!”

“And as for Zhou Yuan, once I recover and obtain the Cangxuan Saint Seal, I will surely slaughter everyone you know in Cangxuan Heaven!”

Although Shengyuan’s body had self-destructed, a voice filled with murderous intent echoed throughout the heavens and earth. Shengyuan’s aura completely vanished.

At this point, Shengyuan clearly understood that he had fallen today. Fortunately, the Cangxuan Saint Seal had now shattered into countless fragments, scattered across Cangxuan Heaven. With some time, he should be able to reassemble it. As for the mysterious black-robed elder, Shengyuan presumed he wouldn’t dare to stay in Cangxuan Heaven for too long. The moment he appeared, Shengyuan had sensed boiling fluctuations from the Saint Race’s supreme experts beyond the boundary wall. This black-robed elder was clearly also an enemy of the Saint Race. Now that his location was exposed, if he lingered in Cangxuan Heaven for too long, the Saint Race would surely find a way to descend, encircling and killing him just as they had ambushed Old Ancestor Cangxuan years ago. And once the black-robed elder left, and he recovered from his injuries, who else in Cangxuan Heaven could possibly suppress him, Shengyuan? In the future, when he obtained the Cangxuan Saint Seal and truly entered the Saint realm, he would have his chance for revenge.

Therefore, after his defeat, Shengyuan didn't hesitate at all. He immediately self-destructed his physical body and decisively fled.

Palace Master Shengyuan’s escape also caused a stir throughout the land. Powerful figures from various forces secretly clicked their tongues, as no one had expected such an outcome for this momentous battle today.

The experts from the Saint Palace, seeing Palace Master Shengyuan flee, also retreated without hesitation, daring not to linger. Lei Jun expressionlessly glanced at Sect Master Qingyang and the others, then transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished. Peak Master Hongya snorted coldly, wanting to stop him, but was held back by Sect Master Qingyang.

“No need to rush,” Sect Master Qingyang calmly said. “There will be a time to settle this later.”

Lei Jun had betrayed the Cangxuan Sect and was the biggest factor in Old Ancestor Cangxuan’s demise back then. Although Old Ancestor Cangxuan hadn’t personally resolved the matter, they, as his disciples, had to see it through.

Meanwhile, as Palace Master Shengyuan and the Saint Palace retreated, the previously tense atmosphere in the area gradually relaxed. However, more gazes, filled with a touch of awe, remained fixed on Cang Yuan in the sky. Cang Yuan’s strength had shaken everyone. When the various powerful figures looked at him, it was as if they were seeing Old Ancestor Cangxuan, who had once dominated all of Cangxuan Heaven many years ago.

However, Cang Yuan was extremely unfamiliar to all the top experts in Cangxuan Heaven. Thus, before they could ascertain his background and temperament, even Sect Master Qingyang, Heavenly Sword Venerable, and the others dared not approach and disturb him.

High in the sky, Cang Yuan looked at the spot where Palace Master Shengyuan had vanished and let out a faint cold snort, but he did not pursue. Instead, he turned around and came to Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao’s side.

“Master Cang Yuan, Shengyuan escaped? If he’s left alive, he’ll be a lingering problem,” Zhou Yuan said with some concern. He had clearly heard the vicious words Shengyuan uttered before his escape.

Cang Yuan said, “Trying to kill a Saint, even a Pseudo-Saint, is not a simple matter. Furthermore... the Saint Race has now discovered my whereabouts, so I cannot remain in Cangxuan Heaven for too long.”

“As for Shengyuan, he absorbed the Saint Race’s power, had his physical body destroyed, and was repeatedly forced back down in cultivation. These will all be immense blows to him. In the short term, he won’t be able to cause any trouble.”

Zhou Yuan nodded helplessly. He desperately wanted to use Cang Yuan’s power to completely eradicate Shengyuan, but clearly, he had been thinking too simply. Though Shengyuan was severely wounded now, he remained a hidden danger. After all, he was still the only Saint realm expert in Cangxuan Heaven, even if he was merely a Pseudo-Saint. Zhou Yuan wasn’t worried about himself, but he was concerned for Zhou Qing, Qin Yu, and the Great Zhou. The feud between him and the Saint Palace was now a blood debt. If they ever had an opportunity, they would surely retaliate against him.

As the two spoke, the vast aura emanating from Yaoyao beside them gradually subsided. Her brilliant golden hair also turned as dark as ink. The unsettling indifference in her eyes slowly faded as well.

Zhou Yuan was overjoyed to see her return to her usual appearance. Although the previous Yaoyao was powerful, she had subtly made him uneasy. Only now did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Yaoyao gazed at him, seemingly smiling. She took a barefoot step forward, then her delicate body suddenly trembled. A blush appeared on her pale cheeks, and the next moment, a mouthful of blood mist, seemingly tinged with starlight, directly spurted from her cherry lips. Her slender body then slowly collapsed forward, finally falling into Zhou Yuan’s embrace.

The smile on Zhou Yuan’s face froze little by little. As the blood mist landed on his face, his heart, in that instant, felt as if it had plummeted into a bottomless abyss. He felt cold all over.