Chapter 963: The Heroes Meet Again

Ancient statues stood deep within the starry sky, emanating a mysterious aura.

There were nine such statues, erected in sequence. Each subsequent statue was larger than the one before it, with the last one reaching an astonishing height of ten thousand feet. It appeared ancient and weathered, like a deity overlooking the entire starry expanse.

Zhou Yuan gazed at the statues, feeling his Divine Dwelling vibrate wildly within him, almost causing his Genesis Qi to go out of control.

He managed to suppress it with great difficulty, his breathing becoming heavy. He knew the unusual activity in his Divine Dwelling was undoubtedly due to sensing the presence of Innate Genesis Spirit.

This meant that the nine mysterious statues contained a vast amount of Innate Genesis Spirit!

The quantity was incomparable to the paltry few he had encountered before.

Evidently, the further along the sequence the statues were, the taller they became, and the more immense the Innate Genesis Spirit they contained.

Zhou Yuan's gaze was fixed on the last statue, the ten-thousand-foot one. This statue would undoubtedly trigger the fiercest competition at the Nine Regions Grand Meeting. Whoever could occupy it would likely claim the title of champion!

His eyes glinted with rising battle intent.

As Zhou Yuan directed his gaze towards the nine ancient statues deep in the starry sky, numerous whooshing sounds suddenly echoed through the space. He swept his eyes across, seeing many teams descending one after another from various spatial rifts.

The previously silent starry sky instantly became bustling.

“So many teams?”

Behind Zhou Yuan, Yi Qiushui suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “Have all the teams that weren’t eliminated been brought in?”

Zhou Yuan glanced around and nodded softly, saying, “The Nine Regions Grand Meeting has entered its most crucial phase.”

“At this stage, ordinary team members won't be of much use.”

He gestured with his chin towards the nine ancient statues standing silently deep in the starry sky, explaining, “They are the key to determining the rankings of the Nine Regions Grand Meeting, and ordinary people can’t even get close to them.”

He could feel an extremely vast amount of Heaven and Earth Genesis Qi emanating from within the nine ancient statues. This Genesis Qi formed a luminous membrane that ordinary individuals simply couldn't penetrate. Therefore, to approach and occupy the ancient statues, it would undoubtedly require the top Divine Dwelling stage experts from each region to take action.

Other teams that entered here would undoubtedly be relegated to spectators outside.

“Send the signal and gather our people,” Zhou Yuan told Yi Qiushui.

As all the teams poured into the area, numerous signals were already erupting in the starry sky, calling together forces from various regions.

Hearing this, Yi Qiushui gave a slight nod. She immediately took out a signal flare and tossed it into the sky.

The flare exploded in mid-air, its flame forming the shape of a pagoda.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Soon after the signal was sent, whooshing sounds suddenly came from the distant starry sky. Two teams were seen rapidly approaching their location.

The leaders were precisely Lu Xiao and Ye Bingling.

Upon seeing Zhou Yuan, expressions of relief immediately appeared on their grim faces.

“Chief Pavilion Master.”

The two teams finally arrived, cupping their fists in respectful salute to Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan looked at both teams and could tell they had endured tough battles, as both had suffered significant casualties.

Noticing Zhou Yuan’s gaze, Ye Bingling said somewhat shamefacedly, “Our team acquired one thousand strands of Genesis Spirit, but we lost one hundred thirty-two members, all of whom were eliminated.”

Lu Xiao also spoke with a complicated expression, “My team acquired one thousand three hundred strands of Genesis Spirit, and we lost eighty-nine members, all eliminated.”

Zhou Yuan said softly, “You've worked hard. Tianyuan Region was already the weakest this time, and you’ve done your best to remain until now. Furthermore, Han Yuan’s team has been completely eliminated.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiao, Ye Bingling, and the others immediately changed expression.

An entire team eliminated? Who could be so ruthless?

“It was Xu Ming of the Myriad Puppets Region,” Yi Qiushui said, gritting her teeth.

All the Tianyuan Region members showed angry expressions. For Xu Ming, a prominent leader of a main team, to be so ruthless towards their Tianyuan Region’s secondary team, it truly showed no regard for rules.

Zhou Yuan waved his hand, stopping the angry crowd. “Ultimately, it’s because we weren’t strong enough. I will remember this matter.”

After speaking, he looked up at some distant floating islands.

Now, as various signals rose, the numerous teams that had previously poured into this space finally converged, forming a grand and spectacular force.

Zhou Yuan suddenly felt a chilling gaze fall upon him. He immediately looked into the distance, towards a floating island.

He saw many figures gathering there, and from a high vantage point, a figure with a dark expression stared at him—it was Xu Ming of the Myriad Puppets Region.

Noticing Zhou Yuan’s gaze, a mocking smile instantly appeared on Xu Ming’s lips. His lips moved, as if silently speaking, “Chief Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan, do you like the gift I sent you?”

The so-called gift was clearly a reference to Han Yuan’s eliminated team.

Zhou Yuan’s expression remained indifferent. He merely glanced at Xu Ming before turning his attention elsewhere. He paid no mind to the other party’s provocation, deciding to let him gloat for now. There would be plenty of opportunities for revenge later.

On the distant floating islands, besides the Myriad Puppets Region, the other six regions were also consolidating their teams, with large contingents continuously converging.

He saw the forces of the Azure Heaven Region. At the very front of their team, the familiar graceful figure of Su Youwei reappeared.

Beside Su Youwei, Xue Jingtao was constantly speaking, occasionally casting malicious glances in Zhou Yuan’s direction. He was likely talking about Zhou Yuan’s previous expulsion of them.

Su Youwei’s clear and beautiful face remained calm, showing no signs of emotion.

Further away, at the forefront of the Martial God Region’s forces, Wu Yao stood proudly, radiating a sharp aura. Her narrow, phoenix-like eyes immediately sought out Zhou Yuan, though it was clear she was not surprised that he had made it this far.

Because, in a sense, she was the one who had never underestimated Zhou Yuan.

But she would defeat him.

Because she wanted to prove that she was the most perfect bearer of the Sacred Dragon Qi Fate.

As the various teams gathered, the Myriad Ancestors Region undoubtedly had the most formidable presence. At the head of their large contingent, Zhao Mu Shen stood with his hands behind his back, his aura as profound as an abyss, exuding an unfathomable sense that made many experts wary.

Beside Zhao Mu Shen stood a graceful beauty, Liu Qingshu.

Both Zhao Mu Shen and Liu Qingshu were also staring at Zhou Yuan.

A hint of surprise flickered in Zhao Mu Shen’s deep eyes. He gazed intently at Zhou Yuan, recognizing that Zhou Yuan's presence here meant his previous ambush had been foiled.

Beside him, Liu Qingshu glared at Zhou Yuan, gritting her teeth with resentment. She then said, “Senior Brother, you mustn’t let that ungrateful fellow off! When I encountered him before, I kindly offered him some Genesis Spirit, but he acted aggressively and drove us all away, showing no respect for our Myriad Ancestors Region!”

“I underestimated him,” Zhao Mu Shen chuckled lightly, shaking his head slightly, but a hint of interest rose in his eyes.

His previous failure had clearly not disturbed Zhao Mu Shen’s mood. Zhou Yuan surviving his earlier pursuit was fine; he might as well capture him alive now and bring him back.

His abyss-like eyes fixated on Zhou Yuan, and at that instant, an astonishing pressure slowly emanated from his body.

The bustling starry sky suddenly fell silent. Countless gazes of apprehension were cast his way. Was Zhao Mu Shen actually going to make a move here?

Against whom?

Their eyes followed Zhao Mu Shen’s gaze, and they were all startled.

It was Zhou Yuan!

Zhao Mu Shen was actually going to attack Zhou Yuan here?!

Zhou Yuan was truly unlucky!