Chapter 971: ? The Rise of Heroes

Deep within the stone statue, crystal-like skeletal remains sat in a meditative posture, continuously releasing vast amounts of pure Genesis Qi. Zhou Yuan's consciousness focused on the remains. This person must have been a Nascent Source stage expert during their lifetime, as he detected no Domain Plane fluctuations from the remains. The remains of a Domain Plane expert would undoubtedly be far more formidable. He wondered if the deepest, most ancient, and colossal stone statue contained the remains of a Domain Plane expert.

The immense Genesis Qi inside the statue had transformed into a vast ocean, within which countless fish-like entities swam. These entities were crystalline and transparent, with scales shimmering with a faint rainbow luminescence. These were not ordinary fish, but rather strands of innate spiritual energy. Their sheer number, hundreds and thousands of them, made Zhou Yuan's heart pound faster.

However, he ultimately refrained from attempting to collect this innate spiritual energy. Time was precious now; he needed to use it to break through to the ninth layer of his Divine Dwelling. Once successful, he would naturally be able to contend for the energy within the most ancient statue. The innate spiritual energy contained within that particular statue would undoubtedly far surpass what was available here.

Having made his decision, Zhou Yuan no longer hesitated. A surge of Genesis Qi erupted from his body, rapidly reaching the unfathomable ocean of Genesis Qi deep within the stone statue. The Qi swirled above the ocean, forming a powerful whirlwind.

Whoosh!

The rotating storm, resembling a dragon drawing water, drew massive currents of Genesis Qi from the ocean. These currents surged upwards along the whirlwind, continuously pouring into Zhou Yuan's body. As the vast and pure Genesis Qi flowed into his body, Zhou Yuan's entire being trembled. The purity of the Genesis Qi was such that it required almost no refinement; it transformed from its transparent state directly into the cyan-gold Suppressing World Sky Serpent Qi.

Zhou Yuan directed the immense and seemingly endless Genesis Qi straight into his Divine Dwelling, then unhesitatingly unleashed it against the barrier of the ninth layer.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Inside the Divine Dwelling, Genesis Qi surged, producing a continuous, deep roar, like raging thunder. As the barrier steadily weakened, Zhou Yuan's mind suddenly stirred. This time, he once again felt a suppressive force emanating from within the ninth layer of his Divine Dwelling. Indeed, something was present there, hindering the breakthrough to the ninth layer.

This left Zhou Yuan utterly perplexed; he had never heard of such a thing. Could someone have secretly tampered with him? Yet, that seemed unlikely. After all, the ninth layer of his Divine Dwelling had been in a sealed state since its inception, inaccessible even to Zhou Yuan himself, its owner. How could anyone have interfered?

Pondering it from all angles, he found no answer. Zhou Yuan gritted his teeth. Whatever it was, he refused to believe that with the help of a Nascent Source stage expert's remains, he couldn't break through this mere ninth layer of his Divine Dwelling today! Once he successfully broke through, he would naturally discover what it was!

Boom! Boom!

With that thought, Zhou Yuan immediately increased his absorption of Genesis Qi. It grew more and more massive, pouring into his body with furious intensity. Under this torrent of Genesis Qi, Zhou Yuan's body began to subtly swell. Some terrifying Genesis Qi leaked out, forming turbulent currents around him.

Under Zhou Yuan's almost brutal Genesis Qi assault, the barrier of the ninth Divine Dwelling layer gradually thinned. At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before it was completely breached.

While Zhou Yuan was working with all his might to break through the ninth Divine Dwelling layer, significant developments were also occurring at the ancient stone statue in the deepest part of the starry sky. Zhao Mushen, Wu Yao, and Su Youwei almost simultaneously broke through the Genesis Qi light membrane, then, with a flash, appeared atop the ancient stone statue. The three stood in a triangular formation, each wary of the others.

They were arguably the most prominent Divine Dwelling stage practitioners of their generation in Hunyuan Heaven. Thus, when this confrontation between the three unfolded, countless gazes of admiration were cast upon them, even amidst the chaotic starry sky. Among the three, Zhao Mushen had risen to fame the earliest, bursting onto the scene and becoming renowned throughout the world. From the very first day of his prominence, he had firmly held the top spot on the Divine Dwelling ranking. Wu Yao and Su Youwei emerged later, but the two women's reputations were in no way inferior to Zhao Mushen's.

Wu Yao's strength lay in her relentless challenges. After entering the Divine Dwelling stage, she had undergone countless battles without a single defeat. There were even rumors that she had challenged a Heavenly Sun stage expert; although she didn't win, she managed to retreat unharmed. Compared to Wu Yao's assertive and sharp demeanor, Su Youwei appeared much gentler. Yet, no one dared to underestimate her for it, because among the Divine Dwelling stage practitioners in Hunyuan Heaven, purely in terms of Genesis Qi foundation, she was unparalleled. Even Zhao Mushen had to concede defeat on this point. A mutated ten-layered Divine Dwelling was a phenomenon rarely seen anywhere in the world!

These three had no prior record of direct confrontation, though Wu Yao and Su Youwei had briefly clashed once, without a decisive outcome. Therefore, as the trio faced off at this moment, not only those present but also the Domain Plane experts outside the Abyss of Falling Stars cast curious gazes upon them. These three were prodigies meticulously nurtured by their respective domains. In the future, they might even reach the Domain Plane realm, becoming the true pillars of their domains. Thus, even these powerful experts felt a spark of interest in their impending clash.

Outside the Genesis Qi light membrane of the ancient stone statue, Wang Xi, with his crimson hair, stood suspended in the void. He watched the three facing off, a trace of unwillingness flashing in his eyes, then he took a deep breath. His body suddenly ceased resisting, allowing the Genesis Qi light membrane to push him out. He positioned himself outside the Genesis Qi light membrane and sat cross-legged in mid-air. A faint crimson halo emanated from his body, and Wang Xi's already blood-red hair became even darker, as if fresh blood were dripping and flowing from it. A dense aura of blood fiend energy gradually brewed, converged, and intensified.

Someone witnessing this scene was immediately startled, exclaiming, "That Wang Xi is performing the 'Blood Fiend Yama Scripture' from the Blood Sea Domain!"

"Once this technique is activated, one's own blood begins to burn, causing immense pain. However, if endured, it will greatly boost one's strength."

"However, it's said that to reach the pinnacle of this technique, one must amplify it through slaughter and combat. Tsk, tsk, Wang Xi is building up his killing intent. And since he's guarding this spot, anyone who dares to vie for the first stone statue will have to get past him."

"And once Wang Xi's killing intent reaches its peak, he'll be able to break through the Genesis Qi light membrane and charge into the first stone statue, joining the contention against Zhao Mushen and the other two!"

Countless exclamations arose. At this stage of the Nine Domains Grand Assembly, it was truly a time for all the heroes to unleash their full capabilities. However, as for who would ultimately emerge as the greatest winner, even the Domain Plane experts outside the Abyss of Falling Stars could not give a definitive answer. Everything would only become clear once the dust settled – whether the old king remained supreme or a new king rose to power.