Chapter 984: Breakthrough

As the countless Genesis Qi stars in the void behind Zhao Mu Shen began to show signs of merging, people from various regions beneath the starry sky were visibly shaken, their hearts churning with immense shock. No one had anticipated that Zhao Mu Shen's ultimate move would be to directly attempt to break through to the Heavenly Sun Stage right then and there!

Should he succeed, he would become the only Heavenly Sun Stage expert present. At that point, no strategy could possibly bridge the immense gap between their cultivation levels. The minimum Genesis Qi foundation for the Heavenly Sun Stage is one Heavenly Sun, which is equivalent to one hundred million Genesis Qi stars. However, given Zhao Mu Shen's deep foundation, if he breaks through to the Heavenly Sun Stage, his quality would undoubtedly surpass that of ordinary Heavenly Sun practitioners. He would effortlessly reach the levels of the Silver Heavenly Sun and Violet-Gold Heavenly Sun, and even have a significant chance at achieving the ultimate Glazed Heavenly Sun.

Even though he had faced setbacks against Zhou Yuan earlier, it's likely that even Zhou Yuan himself wouldn't dare to underestimate Zhao Mu Shen in the slightest. No one would dare to underestimate this man who has dominated the Divine Dwelling Stage in Hunyuan Heaven for so many years. The moment Zhao Mu Shen steps into the Heavenly Sun Stage, the Nine Regions Grand Meeting will undoubtedly reach its decisive conclusion. At that point, no matter how extraordinary Zhou Yuan's abilities, it would be impossible for him to turn the tide.

Wang Xi, Li Tongshen, Yuan Kun, and Jiu Gong, the top prodigies from various regions, watched this scene with complex expressions. Zhao Mu Shen had, without a doubt, advanced beyond them once more. This individual was indeed incredibly difficult to surpass. At the Myriad Ancestors Domain's location, numerous team members held their breath. Liu Qingshu's radiant face was filled with pride; Zhao Mu Shen's performance truly solidified his status as a king among Divine Dwelling Stage cultivators. Liu Qingshu acknowledged that Zhou Yuan had indeed been underestimated for forcing her Senior Brother into such a difficult position. Yet, she thought, no matter how outstanding Zhou Yuan proved to be, there could only be one victor in the Nine Regions Grand Meeting. She gazed dreamily at Zhao Mu Shen's figure from afar. Once he successfully broke through today, he would transcend the Divine Dwelling Stage, and his breakthrough would likely cause significant ripples on the Heavenly Sun Ranking in Hunyuan Heaven. This would undoubtedly mark the beginning of a new legend of a king.

On the battle-scarred plain, Wu Yao and Su Youwei watched the scene, their lips pressed tightly together. If anyone among their generation in the Divine Dwelling Stage across all of Hunyuan Heaven could rival Zhao Mu Shen's breakthrough speed, it would be only the two of them. Unfortunately, a single misstep had left their internal Genesis Qi depleted, making a forceful breakthrough highly improbable for them. Moreover, they lacked Zhao Mu Shen's unique ability to directly absorb ample innate spiritual energy from deep within the stone statue. This undoubtedly meant they would fall one step behind Zhao Mu Shen.

In the void beyond the Abyss of Falling, the experts of the Law Domain Stage were secretly astonished by the scene. Zhao Mu Shen certainly possessed significant courage, as attempting a breakthrough during combat carried numerous risks of unforeseen complications, which could undoubtedly lead to immense danger. However, it appeared Zhao Mu Shen had long prepared for this. The light barrier surrounding him, formed by the combined Genesis Qi of Wu Yao and Su Youwei, and his own, seemed impenetrable. With their combined might, even Zhou Yuan exerting his full strength would likely find it difficult to breach. It was an impenetrable fortress, a veritable iron turtle shell.

Zhao Xianxun's expression softened slightly. He calmly remarked, "Elder Xi Jing, if your Tianyuan Region manages to secure second place in this Nine Regions Grand Meeting, it would be a significant improvement compared to your last-place finish previously. I presume you'll be able to account for that."

Xi Jing's eyes sharpened. "You're celebrating a bit too soon," she retorted. "Aren't you afraid something unexpected might happen during Zhao Mu Shen's breakthrough, causing him to perish on the spot?"

Zhao Xianxun smiled faintly. "Then you truly underestimate Zhao Mu Shen's profound foundation," he replied. "This breakthrough will be absolutely foolproof for him."

Xi Jing's gaze darkened slightly; she no longer wished to see Zhao Xianxun's faintly smug smile. Her attention shifted back to the light mirror, where the Genesis Qi barrier around Zhao Mu Shen was growing increasingly brilliant, and the Genesis Qi stars had indeed begun to show signs of merging. Just as Zhao Xianxun had stated, Zhao Mu Shen's foundation and reserves were exceedingly strong. He should have been qualified to break through long ago, having merely suppressed his progress, likely in preparation for this precise moment. The Myriad Ancestors Domain had clearly gone to great lengths to secure first place in the Nine Regions.

In the current situation, Zhou Yuan's only chance to turn the tide lay in preventing Zhao Mu Shen's breakthrough. Otherwise, once Zhao Mu Shen succeeded, any of Zhou Yuan's strategies would become futile. First place in the Nine Regions would then be irrevocably out of his grasp. However, she was acutely aware of how challenging it would be to shatter the Genesis Qi barrier, formed by the combined might of Zhao Mu Shen, Wu Yao, and Su Youwei. This was tantamount to expecting Zhou Yuan to single-handedly contend against three of the most exceptional prodigies. "Zhou Yuan... from now on, it's all up to you," Xi Jing murmured inwardly.

Boom! Boom!

In the void, Zhou Yuan's expression was stern. Torrents of Genesis Qi surged around him, and from his sleeves, black and white divine lightning roared forth like ethereal dragons, heavily striking the Genesis Qi barrier. Intense ripples spread across the barrier, but it ultimately withstood Zhou Yuan's "Yin-Yang Thunder Pattern Seal." Zhou Yuan stood suspended in the air, ceasing his futile attacks. Even his lesser Saint Arts had yielded minimal results; any further assaults would only be a pointless waste of Genesis Qi.

He knew he had to stop Zhao Mu Shen's breakthrough. Zhou Yuan's face was grim. Yet, shattering that Genesis Qi barrier to halt Zhao Mu Shen's breakthrough was far easier said than done. He wondered if even his ninety-nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand Genesis Qi foundation wasn't enough. Zhou Yuan's eyes flickered, and then he gritted his teeth fiercely. He resolved to "add more fuel to the fire!"

His figure plummeted from the sky, landing heavily on the plain, causing the ground beneath his feet to crack slightly. He formed hand seals with both hands. A low shout of "Earth Sacred Mark!" echoed in his mind. Within his Divine Dwelling, the Earth Sacred Mark instantly burst forth with dazzling light. A massive invisible ripple, originating from Zhou Yuan's feet, suddenly swept outwards.

Rumble! In that instant, the colossal stone statue itself seemed to tremble violently. Zhou Yuan's expression abruptly changed as he felt an incredibly terrifying surge of Genesis Qi rising from deep within the earth, then rushing into his body like a flood. That Genesis Qi was indescribably pure and carried a hint of immense power. Zhou Yuan realized it was power from the remains deep within the stone statue. His heart trembled slightly. This power was even stronger than that from the remains within the previous stone statue he had encountered. Evidently, the being whose remains these were must have been a Law Domain Stage expert in life!

Boom! Boom!

Torrential Genesis Qi raged within his body. Zhou Yuan dared not be negligent, guiding the immense Genesis Qi into his Divine Dwelling. Immediately, his Divine Dwelling trembled violently, its entire interior seeming to be overwhelmed by surging floodwaters. His ninety million plus Genesis Qi stars frantically flickered, absorbing and expelling the surging Genesis Qi. Zhou Yuan's skin began to crack, blood seeping forth, and his entire physical body felt as if it were on the verge of collapse. At that moment, a green pendant hanging around his neck suddenly erupted with terrifying vitality. This life force permeated his entire body, instantly stabilizing his crumbling physique. It was the "Vitality Jade Marrow" that Elder Mu Ni had previously gifted to Zhou Yuan!

Blood vessels snaked across Zhou Yuan's eyes, and his face appeared exceptionally ferocious. Ignoring the blood covering his body, he instead poured all his focus into his Divine Dwelling, frantically absorbing the vast, pure Genesis Qi. Zhao Mu Shen intended to complete his breakthrough at this very moment. Zhou Yuan, naturally, refused to be outdone. Although his current foundation would still require some time before he could attempt a breakthrough to the Heavenly Sun Stage, this didn't mean he had exhausted all his options. He still had other means! That was to further enhance his own Genesis Qi foundation! To truly break through the one hundred million limit! Once he surpassed that limit, Zhou Yuan had a premonition that at that point, even the combined Genesis Qi of Zhao Mu Shen, Wu Yao, and Su Youwei would be utterly crushed by him!

Zhou Yuan's bloodshot eyes fixed on Zhao Mu Shen within the distant Genesis Qi barrier, his face twisted and ferocious. He was determined to see who would break through this limit first.