Countless experts in the outside world stood dumbstruck at the sight of the Saint flame being blown out by Zhou Yuan. Some even rubbed their eyes repeatedly, thinking they were hallucinating.

That was a Saint flame!

Even sect master Qing Yang and the other top experts would be turned into nothingness upon contact.

But it had been blown out by a boy of the Divine Dwelling stage?

That was simply impossible.

Sect master Qing Yang, old man Bai Mei and others dazedly looked at each other. They likewise couldn’t understand what had happened.

Palace master Sheng Yuan was also stunned. At this moment, he even doubted whether his own Saint flame had been real.

While the whole world fell silent, Zhou Yuan lifted his head and grinned at Sheng Yuan. “I didn’t expect the person who always hid in the back and schemed like a mouse would begin to touch the Saint stage.”

Hearing these words, palace master Sheng Yuan was taken aback before his pupils rapidly shrank. A look of horror emerged on his usually calm and composed face.

“Patriarch Cang Xuan?!” His voice had become shrill. One could easily imagine his emotions rapidly fluctuating inside.

Palace master Sheng Yuan’s eyes were wide with shock as he stared at Zhou Yuan. Although the young man still had the appearance of Zhou Yuan, he could feel a frightening presence gradually emerging from Zhou Yuan’s body.

It was a presence he was all too familiar with.

Back then, that presence had been practically godlike and had suppressed the entire Cangxuan Heaven. Even Sheng Yuan had only dared to plot in the dark, and did his best to not show any ambition on the outside.

His shrill voice instantly made all top experts’ scalps go numb.

Every gaze shot over in shock disbelief.

Everyone’s eyes filled with awe and respect.

Even the expressions of veteran experts like the Heavenly Sword Sovereign changed abruptly. All the top experts present had once lived in the shadow of the former heaven master of the Cangxuan Heaven.

“Master?” sect master Qing Yang and others were equally shocked.

Peak master Lei Jun’s body trembled uncontrollably as his always indifferent expression rapidly changed.

Under countless awe-struck gazes, patriarch Cang Xuan looked at palace master Sheng Yuan, “Long time no see Sheng Yuan.”

Palace master Sheng Yuan was aghast. He instinctively flinched and drew back, reappearing far away in a flash.

“Sheng Yuan, why are you running? He’s just a Spirit fragment who manifested with the help of Zhou Yuan’s body and you are a Saint expert!” a furious roar rang out.

“Lei Jun, you!” sect master Qing Yang and the others glared at the person who had spoken.

Lei Jun’s face was devoid of expression as he stared at palace master Sheng Yuan. If the latter ran away, their plan would fail completely.

Lei Jun’s roar fell into everybody’s ears and managed to jerk Sheng Yuan back to his senses. His face immediately flushed red with embarrassment. He had feared patriarch Cang Xuan too much in the past and had lost his composure the moment he saw patriarch Cang Xuan appear.

The corners of palace master Sheng Yuan’s mouth twitched. The various sects had witnessed the previous scene and were most likely laughing at him now.

The high and mighty palace master Sheng Yuan was at the Saint stage, but didn’t even have the courage to face patriarch Cang Xuan? And his first reaction was to flee?

Palace master Sheng Yuan drew a deep breath. He was no ordinary individual after all. He suppressed his embarrassment and turned back to patriarch Cang Xuan with a forced smile and a dark gaze.

“So a fragment of your Spirit hid in the Cangxuan Saint Stamp when you died.

“But you’re merely a Spirit fragment right now. At best, you’re some left over power that lived to this day with the help of the Cangxuan Saint Stamp.” After calming down, palace master Sheng Yuan studied the present ‘Zhou Yuan’.

After discovering the strangeness of ‘patriarch Cang Xuan’, his tensed body relaxed a little.

Under countless awed gazes, patriarch Cang Xuan slowly rose and took a step forward in the empty void, arriving above Blackwater.

“Your insight has improved a little. However, this residual force should be enough to prevent you from taking the Cangxuan Saint Stamp.”

‘Zhou Yuan’ chuckled before turning to sect master Qing Yang with a sigh, “Qing Yang, I didn’t expect that you and I would see each other again.”

The eyes of sect master Qing Yang, old man Bai Mei, peak master Ling Jun and others reddened. They darted forward emotionally and bowed respectfully to ‘Zhou Yuan’.

Patriarch Cang Xuan smiled, “I’m only temporarily borrowing Zhou Yuan's body, you don’t need to bow to him.”

Sect master Qing Yang and the others almost couldn’t control their tears. Who else would still care about such formalities at such a time. Their master really had not changed all these years.

“Master.” old Xuan also arrived, emotions overflowing as he looked at patriarch Cang Xuan.

Seeing these familiar faces, patriarch Cang Xuan’s eyes filled with warmth. Immediately after, he shifted his gaze towards peak master Lei Jun.

Peak master Lei Jun stared right back with an expressionless face.

Patriarch Cang Xuan slowly said, “Lei Jun, you really surprised me.”

“Did you not keep me at your side for me to adore you?” replied Lei Jun in an indifferent voice.

Patriarch Cang Xuan smiled, “You might think so, but when I died, I even suspected Qing Yang and the rest but never you.”

Lei Jun was silent for a moment before uttering, “What’s the point of saying this now?”

Patriarch Cang Xuan waved his hand. “I did not say any of this in hopes that you would turn back onto the right path. The knot in your heart should have been to defeat me and it's honestly quite impressive to have such ambition.”

“Patriarch, he used Lianyi causing her to self-destruct her own Spirit. We can’t let him off!” Deep hatred poured out in the eyes of peak master Ling Jun.

Patriarch Cang Xuan responded, “My goal today is Sheng Yuan. As for Lei Jun, when you guys need not give any consideration to my relationship with him if you find an opportunity in the future.”

At these words, sect master Qing Yang and the others understood that he was telling them to settle things later on.

“As for Lianyi--”

He let out a long sigh as a complicated look appeared in his eyes.

Patriarch Cang Xuan waved his sleeve, causing the Cangxuan Saint Stamp in the mysterious domain to tremble before a beam of light shot out and landed in front of him.

The light gathered into a crystal bead which seemed to contain a faint silhouette that was in deep slumber.

“This is--” peak master Ling Jun stared at the silhouette inside the bead before he said in a trembling voice, “This is Lianyi’s spirit?”

“I can still use some of the Cangxuan Saint Stamp’s power, and because she destroyed herself here, I was able to protect her Spirit in the Cangxuan Saint Stamp.

“Ling Jun, keep her with you and always keep her warm and safe. There will come a day where she will be resurrected.”

Peak master Ling Jung carefully received the crystal bead. His body trembled violently as tears flowed down his cheeks.

It was hard to imagine how much grief and despair he felt when peak master Lianyi self-destructed.

Patriarch Cang Xuan had given him a glimmer of hope.

“Thank you, patriarch.” Ling Jun’s voice was hoarse.

Patriarch Cang Xuan shook his head before his gaze shifted towards the Life Executioner Painting in the sky. In the painting, Yaoyao had likewise sensed the patriarch’s presence.

She hesitated as the cracking of the seal between her brows finally began to stop.

She knew that Zhou Yuan should no longer be in danger since patriarch Cang Xuan had appeared.

Space rippled around Yaoyao as she took a step forward, finally leaving the Life Executioner Painting and reappearing above Blackwater.

Palace master Sheng Yuan’s expression abruptly changed abruptly as the vigilance in his eyes increased.

He wasn’t afraid of facing either Yaoyao or patriarch Cang Xuan’s Spirit fragment alone, but if the two were to join forces, it would not bode well for him.

However, while palace master Sheng Yuan’s mind was racing with such thoughts, Yaoyao’s expression began to change. She lifted her head and stared at the endless heavens.

At the same time, patriarch Cang Xuan’s face gradually grew more and more solemn. He could faintly feel an indescribable force trying to break through the boundary walls of Cangxuan Heaven.

That power--

Patriarch Cang Xuan narrowed his eyes. It was the sacred race.

He cast a deep and complicated glance at Yaoyao.

Looks like it was still too late.