Chapter 940: First Confrontation

Zhao Mushen stood in the void, his expression calm as he watched the Tianyuan Region members attempting to retreat through the spatial rift. His gaze then shifted to Zhou Yuan, and he said with a faint smile, "Chief Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan, are you planning to leave already?"

Zhou Yuan smiled, responding frankly, "Our forces are no match for yours, and I can't defeat you yet. Why would we stay if not to leave?"

Zhao Mushen chuckled slightly. "From what you're saying, you only feel you can't beat me *now*? Does that imply you think you'll be able to in the future?"

Zhou Yuan shrugged noncommittally.

At the same time, his hand, hidden behind his back, subtly gestured to Yi Qiushui and the others, urging them to quickly pass through the spatial rift and leave immediately.

Zhao Mushen appeared oblivious to Zhou Yuan's small gestures, simply watching him with interest.

"It seems you're quite interested in me?" Zhou Yuan asked, raising an eyebrow, having noticed Zhao Mushen's gaze.

"Why do you say that?"

"For your Law Domain expert to personally intervene, ensuring we encountered each other in this first round—isn't such elaborate effort a sign of interest?" Zhou Yuan replied.

Zhao Mushen chuckled. "Your perception is quite sharp."

Seeing that the other party didn't even bother to deny it, Zhou Yuan narrowed his eyes. His initial interaction with Zhao Mushen revealed a seemingly peaceful demeanor that masked an extreme arrogance deep within.

The way he looked at Zhou Yuan contained no trace of contempt, just as one wouldn't feel contempt for an ant beneath their foot.

"Zhou Yuan, don't try to stall for time. If you stand still, I can let the Tianyuan Region members leave safely. I genuinely have little interest in a group of minor characters." Zhao Mushen said with a faint smile, watching the people successively enter the spatial rift.

"You know, if I were to act now, the casualties among them would be considerable."

Zhou Yuan's expression settled. "Alright, I won't move."

Zhao Mushen smiled, appearing to believe him.

Thus, the two stood in confrontation in the void, while below, hundreds of Tianyuan Region team members, with a hint of panic, successively dove into the spatial rift.

Yi Qiushui was among the last to leave. She looked up at the two figures in the sky, her beautiful eyes filled with anxiety. She knew full well that Zhou Yuan had been targeted by Zhao Mushen.

Yet, she also understood that her immediate task was to leave quickly; staying would only become a burden to Zhou Yuan.

Yi Qiushui took a deep breath, then suddenly shook her hand. Countless branches flew out from her Qiankun Pouch, raining down on Zhou Yuan in a vast torrent, casting widespread shadows.

Simultaneously, she no longer hesitated, decisively rushing into the spatial rift and quickly vanishing.

The moment Yi Qiushui unleashed the myriad branches, Zhou Yuan's gaze flickered. In the next instant, his figure transformed into a black light and vanished.

The countless branches, thrown into the void, created shadows beneath the sunlight.

Zhou Yuan, now a phantom figure, leaped through these shadows with unimaginable speed, moving silently like a specter, darting towards the spatial rift.

Shadow Immortal Art!

In mid-air, Zhao Mushen watched Zhou Yuan's vanishing figure, but showed no anger. He simply chuckled faintly, "What a marvelous movement-type Genesis Art. No wonder you dared to stay here."

The lotus-shaped light imprint on his brow glowed faintly at this moment.

Following that, lotus flowers also appeared within Zhao Mushen's pupils. In that instant, divine light burst forth from his eyes, and the entire world seemed to become three-dimensional and crystal clear in his sight.

Darkness receded, and shadows vanished.

Zhou Yuan, who had transformed into black light and was leaping through the shadows, became perfectly clear to him.

"It seems you're really unwilling to give up."

Zhao Mushen chuckled softly. "But escaping from my grasp won't be as easy as you think."

"Did you truly believe I was merely confronting you just now? At that very moment, I had already locked onto you with a secret art. Therefore, my next attack—no matter where you flee—will be impossible to evade."

"Zhou Yuan, you're too weak."

Zhao Mushen clasped his hands together. A faint glow materialized between his palms. In the next instant, the glow elongated as he pulled his hands apart, and gradually, a light shuttle, roughly an inch long, rapidly took shape.

The light shuttle was streamlined, its tip gleaming with extreme sharpness. Even the void tore slightly when it vibrated.

Entwined around the shuttle was a nine-colored radiance, making it appear dazzlingly beautiful.

Yet, beneath this splendor lay a deadly danger.

Zhou Yuan, who was darting at full speed towards the spatial rift, felt an extremely dangerous fluctuation forming at that very instant. His eyelid twitched, and his speed immediately surged again.

The Genesis Qi within him erupted without reservation.

Two breaths later, Zhou Yuan appeared just outside the spatial rift, one foot poised to step inside.

In the void above, Zhao Mushen's expression remained indifferent. He lightly flicked his finger, and a soft whisper emerged.

"Nine Spirit Soul-Shattering Shuttle."

The moment the words faded, the light shuttle in his palm trembled slightly and then vanished instantly.

Buzz!

Only those with extremely strong cultivation could perceive it: the void rippled subtly, and an imperceptible streak of light, carrying a deadly menace, shot directly through space towards Zhou Yuan's back.

As the light shuttle hurtled towards him, Zhou Yuan, who already had one foot inside the spatial rift, felt a stinging sensation on his skin. It was his body detecting an extremely dangerous attack.

That sensation told him that if he were hit, even his body, which had achieved minor success in cultivation, would likely be easily pierced.

However, Zhou Yuan also knew he couldn't stop now. Otherwise, Zhao Mushen would completely block his escape route, and facing such a formidable Zhao Mushen and the elite forces of the Myriad Ancestors Domain, his chances of survival would be slim.

Therefore, without hesitation, he stepped directly into the spatial rift. Spatial fluctuations surged, obscuring his figure.

However, precisely at the moment Zhou Yuan's figure vanished, a streak of light shuttle tore through the air, also chasing that spatial fluctuation, and disappeared in a flash.

The Genesis Qi fluctuations between heaven and earth gradually subsided.

Zhao Mushen stood in the void, his gaze indifferent as he watched the spatial rift return to calmness. He muttered to himself, "If you can survive my Nine Spirit Soul-Shattering Shuttle, then consider yourself extremely lucky."

With this move, anyone in the top ten of the Divine Dwelling Ranking, apart from Wu Yao, Su Youwei, and Wang Xi, would pay a huge price for even a slight misstep.

Because once this Soul-Shattering Shuttle hits, it will shatter the opponent's spirit, making it incredibly vicious.

He had previously locked onto Zhou Yuan's aura. Once this shuttle was unleashed, it would not dissipate until Zhou Yuan's spirit was annihilated.

Over the years, countless powerful enemies had perished by this shuttle.

Now, perhaps there would be one more.

"Originally, the Grand Elder said to capture you... but now, it seems I might only be able to bring back a corpse..."

Zhao Mushen shook his head, smiling with a hint of resignation. He then turned around casually and walked away without even glancing at the spatial rift.

He simply wasn't very interested in opponents of this caliber.

Fortunately, the matter was resolved effortlessly.

Next, it was time for him to enjoy this Nine Regions Grand Meeting. He hoped Wu Yao, Su Youwei, and the others wouldn't disappoint him too much.