Chapter 936: ? Squad

The region containing the Abyss of Falling displayed signs of distortion, creating a distinct boundary from the outside world. Now, that perpetually sealed boundary has been forcefully ripped open by the Genesis Tier experts of the Nine Regions.

Zhou Yuan gazed at the torn rift, his eyes gleaming with a peculiar light. He was profoundly interested in the Innate Spiritual Qi within the Abyss of Falling, especially since, having broken through to the ninth layer of the Divine Dwelling, he was now considering his advancement to the Heavenly Sun Stage. Naturally, an ordinary Heavenly Sun Stage wouldn't satisfy his aspirations.

In the sky, Zhao Xianxun calmly stated, "Originally, two minor challenges remained in these three trials, but it seems they no longer hold much significance. Thus, after our deliberation, we've decided to open the Abyss of Falling directly."

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan, standing below, subtly pursed his lips, sensing that the decision was aimed at them. Of the three trials, the most challenging was the Nine Dragon Slaying. Did Lord Zhao Xianxun, upon witnessing the Tianyuan Region's successful completion, intend to skip the remaining two stages just to thrust them directly into the main event against powerful adversaries? It truly felt as though he was eager to see the Tianyuan Region encounter misfortune.

Zhou Yuan's thoughts churned, but his expression remained impassive. Regardless of whether the other party genuinely wished misfortune upon the Tianyuan Region, their best course of action was simply to focus on their own tasks. After all, skipping the remaining two trials would at least conserve some energy.

"The Abyss of Falling is now open. I trust you are all familiar with the rules here. Make your preparations," Zhao Xianxun reiterated. As his voice faded, a stir went through the Nine Regions' contingents below.

Within the Abyss of Falling, numerous Genesis Tier experts had once perished. When they died, their collapsing Genesis Realms altered the very rules of heaven and earth in this place, giving rise to many unusual phenomena. As a result, the Abyss of Falling contained numerous barriers, each resembling a self-contained miniature space with its own profound mysteries. Within these small spaces, the concentrated power of Genesis Realms gave birth to vast amounts of Spiritual Qi. The competition during the Nine Regions Conference was precisely for control of these small spaces.

Securing more of these small spaces meant a greater share of Spiritual Qi for each region's forces, representing a tremendous opportunity for everyone. After all, isn't the fierce struggle within the Abyss of Falling ultimately for this very Spiritual Qi? Furthermore, in some highly dangerous small spaces, Innate Spiritual Qi was born. Such locations were essential battlegrounds for the top prodigies on the Divine Dwelling Rankings.

Zhou Yuan looked at Lu Xiao and the others, stating, "We will divide into five teams, led by myself, Lu Xiao, Han Yuan, Mu Liu, and Ye Bingling."

The moment various forces enter the Abyss of Falling, they will be continuously and randomly teleported into numerous small spaces. Generally, the more teams that are teleported into a given small space, the greater its inherent danger, and potentially, the more abundant and potent the Spiritual Qi generated there. This mechanism necessitates that the Nine Regions' forces divide into multiple contingents to quickly seize the maximum number of small spaces and, consequently, the most Spiritual Qi. Naturally, such a division must not result in overly small groups; otherwise, they would likely be unable to compete against the larger forces of other regions.

Following past conventions, teams from each region typically consisted of around four hundred to seven hundred members, considered the optimal range. This time, the Tianyuan Region had only two thousand members, so Zhou Yuan divided them into five contingents, each comprising approximately four hundred individuals. The other eight regions possessed larger forces, with the Wanzu Region, having the most members, likely dividing into ten or even more teams. This undoubtedly provided them with an initial advantage. The final ranking of the Nine Regions Conference was determined by the total amount of Spiritual Qi acquired. Zhou Yuan would have preferred to form more teams, but such widespread dispersion of strength would only lead to all their groups being overwhelmed without significant gains. Dividing into five contingents was virtually their limit.

Zhou Yuan held a glowing scroll, their credential for entering the Abyss of Falling. As he channeled Genesis Qi into it, countless specks of light burst forth from the scroll, floating down to settle upon the two thousand members of the Tianyuan Region.

"Each of you must carefully sense these marks. Should you face a life-threatening danger, you may shatter them." Zhou Yuan looked intently at the crowd and slowly stated, "Everyone, while Spiritual Qi is valuable, do not let greed or overconfidence lead you astray. Preserving your lives is paramount." Shattering a mark will instantly transport the individual out of the Abyss of Falling, thereby disqualifying them. While some are always reluctant to do so, the ultimate price of hesitation is their very life. In this Nine Regions Conference, no one will readily show mercy in the pursuit of Spiritual Qi.

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in silent understanding.

In the sky, Zhao Xianxun briefly glanced at the scroll credential in Zhou Yuan's hand, a strange glint in his eyes that quickly vanished. With his gaze lowered, his calm voice resonated once more: "If all forces are prepared, then proceed."

The instant his voice faded, Zhao Mushen of the Wanzu Region was the first to shoot forth. Behind him, the vast forces of the Wanzu Region followed closely, resembling a terrifying swarm of locusts, their momentum awe-inspiring. Thousands of individuals surged into the rift, vanishing in a flash, as if instantly devoured by a massive spatial maw.

The Wanzu Region's movement immediately shattered the tranquility of the area. The other regions also began to mobilize, and the Genesis Qi across the entire world surged violently at that moment.

"Let's go!" Zhou Yuan also gave a low shout, his figure shooting forward. Lu Xiao and the others followed closely behind. The two thousand individuals swept through the air, ultimately plunging into the rift and vanishing in an instant.

As all the Nine Regions' forces entered the Abyss of Falling, the area fell silent once more.

With a smile, Zhao Xianxun said, "Gentlemen, the Nine Regions Conference has officially commenced. Let us wait patiently here." As his voice faded, he swept his sleeve, and surging Genesis Qi gathered from the surroundings, gradually forming a compass-like light projection in the void. On the compass's surface, numerous tiny specks of light became visible. These light specks, each distinct in color, represented the various contingents of the Nine Regions. While they couldn't directly interfere with the activities within the Abyss of Falling, the credentials themselves had been jointly forged by the Genesis Tier experts of the Nine Regions, allowing them to roughly perceive some of the changes occurring inside.

Other Genesis Tier experts also settled into a cross-legged position mid-air, with Genesis Qi transforming into auspicious clouds beneath them. Heavenly Genesis Qi converged around their bodies, giving rise to numerous peculiar and extraordinarily mystical phenomena.

"I am truly curious which region will be the first to be completely eliminated in this Nine Regions Conference," Zhao Xianxun chuckled softly, his gaze subtly sweeping towards Xi Jing nearby, a profound, unreadable smile playing on his lips.

Meanwhile, in the distant Falling City, countless eyes, having stared at the now empty light mirror in the sky, regretfully withdrew their gazes. They knew that the true excitement lay in the battles unfolding within the Abyss of Falling. That was the genuine Nine Regions Conference! However, they could no longer feast their eyes upon it. Nevertheless, it didn't matter; when the final results were announced, everything would still ignite a fervent reaction.

Thus, within Falling City, countless individuals began to speculate on the final rankings of this Nine Regions Conference. As anticipated, the Wanzu Region and Zhao Mushen were predicted to top the list, with Wu Yao and Su Youwei following close behind. As for Zhou Yuan and the Tianyuan Region, they remained an overlooked dark horse, attracting little attention. Evidently, despite the astonishing achievement of the Nine Dragon Slaying, the vast majority of people still did not favor Zhou Yuan and the Tianyuan Region. After all, this time, they would be facing the formidable forces of the other eight regions!