After slowly absorbing the information from Mu Ni, Zhou Yuan couldn't help asking, ”Since my master has left behind the towers, why not just protect the two mystical creatures? Why do we have to go through a competition in the two iron towers? There’s no guarantee in the competition."

Since Cang Yuan had left behind such means, it showed everything that had happened was within his expectations. For people of their level, a momentary impulse represented a certain kind of foresight.

Mu Ni shook her head, saying, “Your thinking is too simple. After all, it’s only a means left by Cang Yuan and not his real self. If we anger supreme sovereign Wan Zu, he will inevitably use other means.

"The two iron towers stand tall and upright, and the rules are fairly fair to both sides, so supreme sovereign Wan Zu will tacitly approve of the battle and not create more trouble.

“Our priority now is to make a list of ten Heavenly Sun experts and Nascent Source experts. Chi Jing and the others will start the selection soon. This is a very important matter, and we must gather the strongest people.”

Zhou Yuan nodded his head in disappointment. Although his Genesis Qi foundation had reached 720 million and he wasn’t afraid of facing intermediate Heavenly Sun experts, both sides would no doubt only send out advanced Heavenly Sun experts in the mystical creature battle. Furthermore, their Genesis Qi foundations would be more than a billion each.

With Zhou Yuan’s 720 million Genesis Qi stars, he could show off among intermediate Heavenly Sun experts, but if he were to face top advanced Heavenly Sun experts such as Qin Lian and Mu Youlan, his strength would be inadequate. There was a huge gap between him and top advanced Heavenly Sun experts.

But the mystical creature battle was critical to the Tianyuan Region and would even affect the future ownership of the Ancestral Dragon Lantern. He wouldn't be able to eat and rest in peace if he couldn’t do anything because he couldn’t entrust his fate to other people.

Zhou Yuan suddenly peered at the Heavenly Fire Tree King on his shoulders, and his heart skipped a beat. He exclaimed, “Aunt Mu, can I borrow the Heavenly Fire Tree King’s power to take one of the places?”

He could previously suppress a Nascent Source expert with the Heavenly Fire Tree King’s power, so if he could borrow it again to compete in the mystical creature battle, he was sure he could crush all other competitors.

However, Mu Ni shook her head. "Supreme sovereign Wan Zu's decree is still hanging above the iron tower, which means that he will be watching. If you borrow power that doesn’t belong to you, he will be aware of it, and it could lead to other troubles.

“Moreover—”

Mu Ni swept her eyes over Zhou Yuan. He immediately felt as if her gaze was piercing through him.

“Too much of the Heavenly Fire Tree King’s power isn’t good for you.”

Mu Ni stretched out her hand and grabbed Zhou Yuan’s. At that moment, he could feel a frightening yet gentle force gush into his body. It roamed around the depths of his flesh and blood.

Zhou Yuan was shocked to see green wood shavings emerge on his skin. The odd substance turned to nothing when it met the air.

“Huh, what’s this?” Zhou Yuan asked puzzledly.

“It’s from the Heavenly Fire Tree King’s power corroding your body. If you rely on its power for too long, your body will gradually turn to wood, and soon you will become a human-shaped wooden sculpture," Mu Ni explained.

Zhou Yuan’s back became soaked with cold sweat. He didn't expect there to be side effects from using the Heavenly Fire Tree King’s power. Moreover, he didn’t realize it at all. He stared at the little jade tree on his shoulder and couldn’t help shaking his shoulder. He wanted to shake it off.

As though it sensed Zhou Yuan's disgust, the little jade tree’s branches dropped dispiritedly.

Seeing this, Mu Ni said, “Don't blame it. It’s not that it actively controls you. It’s just that your strength is too weak, so the tree’s strength corrodes it.”

Zhou Yuan nodded, smiling bitterly. He looked a little disappointed. It seemed that his plan of borrowing the Heavenly Fire Tree King’s power to compete for the mystical creature battle wouldn’t be successful.

“Do you want to participate in the mystical creature battle?” Mu Ni said with a gentle smile. “How strong is your Genesis Qi foundation now?”

“Seven hundred and twenty million,” Zhou Yuan muttered.

"It is extremely rare for someone to achieve such a foundation in the initial Heavenly Sun stage, but Qin Lian, Bai Yu, Bian Buji and Mu Youlan will no doubt each occupy one of the final five places because they are considered the top Heavenly Sun experts in the Tianyuan Region.

"The last place is still to be discussed, but it will definitely be another top advanced Heavenly Sun expert, and their Genesis Qi foundation will need to be at least 1.3 billion to be chosen.”

Zhou Yuan scratched his head. It seemed that the requirements to be chosen was more difficult than he had expected. The condition of 1.3 billion Genesis Qi stars was 600 million higher than his current foundation. This couldn’t be compensated by any Genesis techniques. His foundation would only soar if he makes a breakthrough and reaches the intermediate Heavenly Sun stage.

However, he had only made a breakthrough less than a month ago. How would it be that easy to break through again? If he were to borrow some foreign means to force a breakthrough, it could damage his foundation, and the gain wouldn’t outweigh the loss.

But when a disappointed look crossed Zhou Yuan’s face, Mu Ni suddenly said with a smile, "However, it’s not impossible.”

Zhou Yuan stared at her in astonishment.

“Didn't Cang Yuan give you his Heavenly Yuan brush? How many of its runes have you awakened?”

“Six runes!” Zhou Yuan answered immediately.

“Do you know what the seventh rune is called?”

Zhou Yuan shook his head.

"The seventh rune is called Promotion, and it has the ability to raise your level a little for a while. You are now at the initial Heavenly Sun stage, so if you awaken the seventh rune, you can possess the strength of the intermediate Heavenly Sun stage in a short period of time,” Mu Ni said with a smile.

Zhou Yuan's eyes widened. This seventh rune of the Heavenly Yuan brush actually possesses such an abnormal ability?! It can raise your cultivation level! Although there is a time limit, it’s still amazing.

"The Heavenly Yuan brush with the seventh rune awakened can be regarded as a quasi-saint weapon. It isn’t surprising that it possesses that ability. Moreover, the promotion effect reduces as one grows stronger. For example, it is impossible for Law Domain experts like us to raise our cultivation level a little,” Mu Ni explained.

Zhou Yuan secretly smacked his lips. As expected, the Heavenly Yuan brush’s powers only manifested as one’s cultivation level increased.

“But it’s extremely difficult to awaken the seventh rune. I have tried many times before but still haven’t succeeded.” Zhou Yuan smiled bitterly. He had never stopped nourishing the Heavenly Yuan brush, but the seventh rune hadn’t shown any movements in almost one year. The difficulty of awakening the seventh rune wasn’t less than breaking through to the intermediate Heavenly Sun stage.

"As the Heavenly Yuan brush’s level increases, its awakening will become more and more difficult." Mu Ni nodded, and then her eyelashes suddenly fluttered. “Therefore, it requires the mysterious power of something extraordinary.”

Zhou Yuan’s face lit up with understanding. He shifted his gaze to the Heavenly Fire Tree King on his shoulder.

Under their watchful gazes, the Heavenly Fire Tree King shuddered as if sensing something wrong. Its jade light flashed as it transformed into a stream of light to escape.

However, it had only just moved when a slender jade-like hand stretched towards it from the void and grasped it firmly.

As Mu Ni looked at the little jade tree in her palm, a gentle smile curved her lips. "Little Tree King, let us borrow some power, okay?”

The Heavenly Fire Tree King trembled uncontrollably.

Noticing the pitiful look on its face, Zhou Yuan asked, "It won't have much impact on it, right?”

Mu Ni smiled. "Don't underestimate its power. If its Genesis Qi didn’t lack offensive power, there would be no way we could win in a fight against it. We are only going to borrow some of its power to help you awaken the seventh rune. It’s only going to stay in low spirits for a while.”

She raised her hand and gazed at the Heavenly Fire Tree King, saying, "You were planted by Cang Yuan in the past. If not for his strength, you wouldn’t have been able to grow to this day and possess spiritual intellect. If you help out, it will be considered a great contribution to the Tianyuan Region, and afterward, nobody in the Tianyuan Region will treat you badly.

"So, whether it is for repaying Cang Yuan or for your future, you should know what decision to make, right?”

As Mu Ni spoke gently, light flowed around the Heavenly Fire Tree King. The tree froze for a long while, then finally drooped its branches as though finally accepting its fate.