Chapter 990: Dust Settled

Outside the Abyssal Fall.

When the Genesis Qi beneath the starry sky solidified, the Saint experts present immediately sensed it. They exchanged bewildered glances, clearly astonished that the events here had alarmed a Grand Elder.

Some glances turned towards Jin Zhong of the Martial God Domain. To intervene and save the last wisp of Saint Dragon Qi within Wu Yao's body, it must have been the Grand Elder of the Martial God Domain.

Jin Zhong's face remained impassive; he offered no comment.

Zhao Xianxun's expression had been clouded since Zhao Mu Shen was eliminated. Now, he couldn't help but sneer, "The Martial God Grand Elder truly protects these juniors well. He's even willing to personally break the rules." He was filled with discontent, as he had hoped Zhou Yuan would genuinely exhaust Wu Yao to death, which would plunge the relationship between Tianyuan Region and Martial God Domain to an all-time low. To his disappointment, a Martial God Grand Elder unexpectedly intervened, thwarting his plans. How could he not be angry?

Jin Zhong said blandly, "If you have an issue with this, you can personally go to the Martial God Domain and question the Grand Elder."

Zhao Xianxun snorted coldly, casting a sharp, menacing glance in Xi Jing's direction.

Xi Jing ignored him. She gazed at the light mirror, her tightly clenched hands slowly relaxing. The fact that the last wisp of Saint Dragon Qi hadn't been taken by Zhou Yuan made her secretly breathe a sigh of relief. This was because now was indeed not the time to openly break ties with the Martial God Domain. However, she understood Zhou Yuan's actions; after all, he was merely reclaiming what was his. But for Tianyuan Region, the current situation was the best outcome. After all, Zhou Yuan had defeated Zhao Mu Shen and secured first place in the Nine Regions Grand Assembly, which would undoubtedly attract countless scrutinies. Some forces would likely be displeased. At such a time, Tianyuan Region would be at the center of attention, and provoking animosity with the Martial God Domain now would be unwise.

"Zhou Yuan, let that last wisp of Saint Dragon Qi remain in Wu Yao's body for now. There will be plenty of opportunities later," Xi Jing thought to herself. She believed that once Cang Yuan returned and Tianyuan Region's might was restored, as long as Zhou Yuan defeated Wu Yao fairly, even the Martial God Grand Elder would be unable to interfere. At present, being inferior in strength meant having to yield.

On the plain.

Zhou Yuan reined in the surging Genesis Qi throughout his body. He then glanced at Wu Yao, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards Su Youwei.

Watching his retreating back, Wu Yao gritted her teeth and said, "Zhou Yuan, you win this time. In the future, if you lose to me, I promise not to touch the Saint Dragon Qi within you." In her opinion, Zhou Yuan's cessation of his efforts must have been due to pressure from the Martial God Grand Elder. This action was somewhat difficult for the always competitive Wu Yao to accept, as she was never one to rely on others' influence. If she wanted to prove herself, she certainly didn't need external power.

Zhou Yuan retorted impatiently, "Lose to you? You're quite confident."

Wu Yao took a deep breath and said, "You certainly surpassed everyone this time, but there's no need to be overconfident. After the Nine Regions Grand Assembly, we will all begin breaking through to the Heavenly Sun Stage. At that point, you might not have much of an advantage."

Zhou Yuan neither confirmed nor denied. After he fully absorbed the innate spiritual energy born from the Saint remnant deep within this stone statue, he would also begin preparing to break through to the Heavenly Sun Stage. He refused to believe that his breakthrough to the Heavenly Sun Stage, after reaching the limits of the Divine Dwelling, would yield results inferior to Zhao Mu Shen's or Wu Yao's.

He came to Su Youwei's side and said, "You should restore your Genesis Qi here first." Both Su Youwei and Wu Yao were weak in Genesis Qi at this moment. In such a state, they couldn't compete with others for the remaining stone statues.

Zhou Yuan whispered, "I could have given this place to you, but being first in the Nine Regions Grand Assembly is very important to me..." Su Youwei smiled faintly and said, "You won this fair and square with your own strength. Why are you telling me this?" Her clear, beautiful eyes gazed at Zhou Yuan, smiling. Even if Zhou Yuan had truly given the spot to her, she wouldn't have accepted it, but his gesture filled her heart with a hint of sweetness.

Zhou Yuan plopped down. A trace of exhaustion flickered across his face. The battle with Zhao Mu Shen had been truly thrilling and intense. Now that he had completely relaxed, he felt as if all the bones in his body were turning soft. "That guy was really troublesome."

Su Youwei also sat elegantly beside him. While absorbing the Genesis Qi of heaven and earth, she pursed her lips and smiled, "But Your Highness is still the one who gets the last laugh. After today, I'm sure your name will truly shake all of Hunyuan Heaven."

Zhou Yuan scratched his head and said, "Aren't you going to change how you address me? You're now the pearl of the Purple Cloud Region, and my identity as His Royal Highness of Great Zhou is practically a joke in Hunyuan Heaven!" However, the usually compliant Su Youwei stubbornly shook her head, indicating she didn't want to discuss this topic with Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan could only sigh helplessly. Although Su Youwei appeared gentle and compliant, she was actually extremely persistent. No one could change her mind once she had made a decision.

The two sat together, chatting idly. Their relaxed demeanor conveyed a sense of trust and intimacy.

Not far away, Wu Yao sat quietly, meditating and restoring her Genesis Qi. Occasionally, her phoenix eyes would cast a glance, seemingly nonchalant, but deep within them was a hint of envy. Ever since her mother's death, she had been utterly alone. Even after coming to the Martial God Domain, she had poured all her energy into cultivation. Of course, she also wished to have true friends with whom she could confide, but unfortunately, everyone she met was not pure-hearted. She admired Su Youwei, but because of Zhou Yuan, Su Youwei harbored considerable animosity towards her.

A trace of sadness flickered in Wu Yao's eyes. She stared blankly into the distance, and faintly, a kind face emerged before her — her mother's face. Her mother's gaze was still as full of concern and warmth as it had been in her childhood. Wu Yao lowered her head. The usually strong and resilient girl felt a rare pang of bitterness at the tip of her nose in that moment.

However, this moment of vulnerability lasted only a few breaths before she took a deep breath and suppressed it to the deepest part of her heart. *Wu Yao, you once told your mother at her tomb that you would become the strongest person in the world, so that she could truly rest in peace. Therefore, keep striving.*

Feeling the Genesis Qi gradually recovering within her, Wu Yao stood up. Without another word to Zhou Yuan, her delicate body moved, transforming into a streak of light that shot skyward, finally breaking through the Genesis Qi barrier. At this moment, the sound of rushing wind came from behind. Wu Yao looked back and saw Su Youwei arriving through the air.

Wu Yao glanced at Su Youwei and said indifferently, "The second stone statue is yours. I'm tired this time and don't wish to continue fighting with you."

Su Youwei smiled faintly, "Second and third don't hold much meaning. Wu Yao, you are excellent. I originally wanted to have a real match with you, but it's not possible this time. I hope there will be an opportunity in the future." Wu Yao paused slightly, because she keenly sensed that Su Youwei's former hostility towards her seemed to have significantly diminished at this moment.

She nodded her head slightly and said, "Anytime."

Su Youwei said nothing more. With a graceful movement, her body transformed into a streak of light and directly descended towards the third stone statue.

Wu Yao watched her graceful figure. A moment later, she descended towards the second stone statue.

As the two women took their positions, the situation under the starry sky gradually became clear. Wang Xi no longer fixated on the first stone statue, as an existence more terrifying than Zhao Mu Shen had appeared there. Moreover, Wu Yao and Su Youwei were not to be trifled with. Thus, he could only occupy the fourth stone statue, exactly matching his previous ranking... No, with Zhou Yuan's sudden rise this time, Wang Xi's ranking would probably drop to fifth in the future.

As expected, the fifth, sixth, and seventh stone statues were still occupied by Li Tongshen, Jiu Gong, and Yuan Kun.

Surprisingly, the last two remaining stone statues were entirely taken by the Myriad Ancestors Domain. Zhao Mu Shen's elimination had completely spurred on the Myriad Ancestors Domain's team. Their prodigies fought ferociously, and after several rounds of bloody battles, they paid a considerable price to secure their foothold on these two statues. Of course, the other domain teams mostly didn't want to overly antagonize the Myriad Ancestors Domain. After all, the Myriad Ancestors Domain had suffered immense humiliation this time, and in their rage and shame, they might resort to anything. Furthermore, with Zhao Mu Shen eliminated, even if the Myriad Ancestors Domain's prodigies snatched the last two stone statues, it could no longer shake up the overall situation.

At this point, the overall situation of the Nine Regions Grand Assembly was essentially settled.

On top of the first stone statue, Zhou Yuan also lay down, looking up at the starry sky. He exhaled deeply, as if expelling all the weariness from his heart, but his eyes were filled with excitement. After more than a year of continuous effort, he had finally achieved his first goal since arriving in Hunyuan Heaven: securing first place in the Nine Regions Grand Assembly!

He gazed into the void, and Yao Yao's serene face appeared before his eyes. Her clear gaze seemed to speak, making his heart tremble. Zhou Yuan extended his hand and gently clenched it towards the void.

"Yao Yao, I've taken first place in the Nine Regions Grand Assembly. Perhaps we'll meet again very soon."