In a forest shrouded in darkness. 

A mountain wall suddenly fell apart, and a figure slowly strode out of it. He stood on a mountain cliff and peered at the steep peaks in the dark. The corners of his mouth tugged just slightly upward. The smile soon spread over his face and turned into a loud laugh.

Zhao Mushen was undoubtedly in a very good mood. The scheme he planned for so long had finally blossomed.

Wang Xuanyang had suppressed Zhao Mushen in various ways ever since Zhao Mushen stepped into the Heavenly Sun stage. Zhao Mushen knew that this was because Wang Xuanyang feared him and knew that Zhao Mushen was the only one in the Wanzu Region’s Heavenly Sun stage who could threaten his status. 

In fact, he was right.

Therefore, Zhao Mushen had never thought to expose his sharp edges from the beginning. Instead, he let Wang Xuanyang order him about, which gradually decreased Wang Xuanyang's wariness.

But Wang Xuanyang, who was very arrogant, had no idea that Zhao Mushen's plan was like a quagmire. It would surround him little by little and then finally pull him into its depths and bury him.

Everything of Wang Xuanyang’s had become a stepping stone for Zhao Mushen.

Zhao Mushen turned back to look at the cave and said with a smile, “Senior brother, the feng shui in Guyuan Heaven is pretty good. It’s a good place to bury one’s body. Oh, I almost forgot, you don't even have a corpse left.

“But you shouldn’t blame me. If you hadn’t suppressed me by all the means you could think of, I wouldn't have had to take this path. Also...you're too stupid. If you had continued to lead the Wanzu Region team, we would have suffered many injuries.”

He shook his head and said nothing else. Planning to leave, he circulated Genesis Qi around him, but then a somewhat surprised voice suddenly sounded from the forest. 

“Tsk tsk, I didn't expect all our efforts would benefit you in the end.”

Zhao Mushen's body suddenly stiffened, and he slowly turned his head. A shadow crept out from the top of a tree, staring at him. It was Zhou Yuan.

Zhao Mushen remained silent for a moment, then said, “How did you find this place?”

Zhou Yuan said with a smile, "How could he escape my perception? But you really surprised me. It seems you were the one who informed me about Wang Xuanyang’s plan.”

Zhao Mushen’s face was devoid of expression. 

Zhou Yuan studied Zhao Mushen with a complicated expression. “You likely intended for a battle to break out between both sides and for both sides to suffer damage. But to be honest, I should still thank you even though your intention from the start wasn’t good. If it weren’t for your information, something could have happened to Su Youwei.”

Zhao Mushen smiled faintly. “You don’t need to thank me. We are still enemies, after all. But if you really want to thank me, you can just let me go. I don't want to clash with you at this time.”

Zhou Yuan smiled. "Even if I am thankful, I can’t let you go that easily. You are more troublesome than Wang Xuanyang. If I let you go, I wouldn’t be able to eat or rest peacefully.”

The Heavenly Yuan Brush flashed out of his grip, pointing towards Zhao Mushen.

Zhao Mushen was a little speechless. 

This bastard just thanked me, but then he acted ruthlessly.

“But right now, you can't stop me alone," said Zhao Mushen.   

Zhou Yuan waved his hand. The Genesis Qi not far away fluctuated and turned into three figures. It was Dong Ye, Qin Lian and Su Youwei.

The three women likewise stared at Zhao Mushen with strange expressions. They hadn’t expected Wang Xuanyuan to ultimately be killed in Zhao Mushen’s hands. Everything in the world was strange and unpredictable.

Zhao Mushen slightly scrunched his brows as he looked at Dong Ye and the others. Although he had swallowed Wang Xuanyang, he hadn’t completely digested his power yet. Even if he had, it was impossible for him to go up against four people.

“Zhou Yuan, it’s not a good idea for you to kill me here,” Zhao Mushen said indifferently. “I left the Wanzu team a message. If I don’t return, they will know that you killed Wang Xuanyang and me. The Wanzu Region team will no doubt retaliate against you, and although you might be able to withstand it, you will still have to pay the price in the end.

“But if you let me control the Wanzu Region team, those things will not happen. We can even temporarily become allies. After all, our goal in Guyuan Heaven is the same. 

"As for what Wang Xuanyang did to Su Youwei—he is now dead, and your anger should be gone too.”

Zhou Yuan raised his brows as he listened to Zhao Mushen talk leisurely and confidently. But he also had to admit that what Zhao Mushen said made sense. Even if the Wanzu Region lost Wang Xuanyang, its overall strength shouldn’t be underestimated. If the Wanzu Region team were to retaliate, Zhou Yuan and the others would undoubtedly suffer considerable losses even if they survived, ultimately benefiting other forces.  

Zhou Yuan cast his gaze to Dong Ye and the others and saw a deep look on their faces. Then, they nodded to him.

He pondered for a moment, turned the tip of his Heavenly Yuan Brush, and said indifferently, “We can let you go, but if we find out that you can't restrain the Wanzu Region team, we will announce to the world that you swallowed Wang Xuanyang, and you will likely be in trouble yourself.”

Zhao Mushen was silent for a moment and then said, "Don't worry, I am not as stupid as Wang Xuanyang.”

But he was inwardly annoyed that Zhou Yuan and others could use that to threaten him.

"Can I go now?" he asked calmly.

Zhou Yuan grinned. "Wait."

"What else?" Zhao Mushen frowned.

"We have fought the entire night and finally wounded Wang Xuanyang, but you came and took advantage of it. That’s not fair. We aren’t your lackeys.”

"What do you want?" said Zhao Mushen coldly.  

Zhou Yuan said, "Give each of us five ancestral qi treasures."   

The veins on Zhao Mushen’s forehead visibly pulsed. “Wang Xuanyang’s spatial bag was missing, so it must be in your hands now. I am not the captain of the Wanzu Region team, so how could I have so many ancestral qi treasures?”

"Then three each? What? Still can't give that? Then two. I can’t go any lower. If it’s any fewer, we might as well just kill you here now.”

Zhao Mushen turned a little pale when Zhou Yuan pointed the Heavenly Yuan Brush at him again. He finally grunted and threw out eight streams of light.

Zhou Yuan flung his sleeve and swept them towards him. After examining them, he let out a sigh. "Zhao Mushen, you’re quite miserable.”

Zhao Mushen inwardly seethed. It wasn’t easy to obtain those ancestral qi treasures with Wang Xuanyang always suppressing him, but Zhou Yuan had not only snatched them but also even dared to express his dissatisfaction with them.

"Can I go now?" Zhao Mushen asked coldly. 

Zhou Yuan waved dismissively.  

Zhao Mushen let out a cold grunt and, with a slight movement, turned into a stream of light and whizzed through the air, disappearing after a few breaths.

Dong Ye, Qin Lian and Su Youwei came to Zhou Yuan's side.

"I didn't expect Wang Xuanyang to die like that." Dong Ye sighed.

"Congratulations, you are now ranked second on the Heavenly Sun List,” said Zhou Yuan with a smile.

Dong Ye pursed her lips. "Who wants to be second?”

"You squeezed so much from Zhao Mushen that his face turned pale," Qin Lian said.

Zhou Yuan shook his head. “He did that for us to see. That guy's harvest is far more than those few ancestral qi treasures.” 

Su Youwei stared in the direction where Zhao Mushen had disappeared, and said, "Zhao Mushen is much more troublesome than Wang Xuanyang. You should be careful in the future.”

They had never thought that their encirclement and their suppression of Wang Xuanyang were all manipulated by Zhao Mushen. He was much more shrewd than Wang Xuanyang, the simple fool.

"I still feel that we shouldn’t have let him go," Dong Ye said.

"We can't stop him." Zhou Yuan shook his head. Noticing the puzzled gazes on the three women’s faces, he flicked his sleeve and tore the ground with a streak of Genesis Qi. Then, Su Youwei and the others saw countless silver beads hidden below the ground.

There was berserk energy fluctuating with them.  

“Are those Yin Lightning Beads?" Dong Ye asked in surprise.  

"Why did he hide so many Yin Lightning Beads under the ground? Although the destructive power of those things isn’t small, it likely can't hurt us,” asked Qin Lian puzzledly.

Su Youwei's beautiful eyes flashed, and she whispered, “He likely didn’t plan to use them to wound us but to cause strong fluctuations in Genesis Qi and cause Earth Disasters.”

Zhou Yuan nodded with a smile. "Yes, if an Earth Disaster occurs, we will all be in a panic, and at that time, he has the best chance to escape. That guy is very cunning and not easy to catch, so it's better to end on a good note.

“Also, what he said makes sense.”  

Dong Ye sighed. "That guy is so scheming.”

Zhou Yuan said with a smile, "But there is no need to dwell on this. At least we got rid of Wang Xuanyang, and Zhao Mushen didn't take all the benefits…anyway, how are you?”

He suddenly turned to Su Youwei.

He was referring to the matter of Su Youwei looting Wang Xuanyang's Genesis Qi.

Su Youwei smiled. "The harvest this time is indeed good, and my strength should soar after I enter closed-door cultivation.”

“That’s good.” Zhou Yuan smiled and immediately took out all the ancestral qi treasures he had obtained. “Let’s split them.”

He gave half, which was exactly fourteen, to Dong Ye and Su Youwei.

Dong Ye received seven without any hesitation, and a hint of a smile bloomed on her frosty face. After all, seven ancestral qi treasures could be regarded as a great harvest.

Su Youwei, however, didn’t accept her share and pushed it back towards Zhou Yuan. "I will give my share to His Highness. I have already obtained enough benefits.”

“You—are you stupid!" Dong Ye fumed when she saw this.

Who would decline ancestral qi treasures? 

Su Youwei shook her head firmly, gazing at Zhou Yuan with her big bright eyes.

Zhou Yuan felt his head ache.   

“Why are you dilly-dallying? This is a little token from her.” Qin Lian couldn't stand watching any longer, and she took the ancestral qi treasures under Dong Ye's gaze, which was almost shooting out flames. Qin Lian said with a smile, “Youwei, don't worry. I will leave them to Zhou Yuan.” 

“Qin Lian, you!” 

Dong Ye glared at Qin Lian, but in the end, she could only grunt and drag away Su Youwei. “Let’s go.”

Being pulled away by Dong Ye, Su Youwei looked a little helpless, and she could only turn her head back every few steps and wave to Zhou Yuan.

Once the two women disappeared in the distance, Qin Lian handed Zhou Yuan all the ancestral qi treasures and said teasingly, “The token of a beautiful woman. If you can abduct the little beauty from the Zixiao Region for our Tianyuan Region, we will gain another pillar in the future.”

Zhou Yuan shot a glare at her, placed the ancestral qi treasures into his spatial bag, and stretched in relief.

Now that they had dealt with Wang Xuanyang, they could turn their focus back to searching for ancestral qi veins.

Their opportunities in Guyuan Heaven had only just begun.    

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