Everyone was visibly affected.
At that moment, even those with the dullest reflexes could tell that things weren't unfolding as they had anticipated.
Not a trace of the predicted one-sided domination or brutal humiliation had materialized. From the very start, the battle had never headed in that direction.
In other words, from the moment Shao Yuan had stepped onto the stage, he had never once been suppressed by Xiahou Zong.
The number one genius, Xiahou Zong, was facing unprecedented difficulties.
How could this be?
Even Xiahou Zong's most die-hard supporters felt a seed of doubt sprout within them at that moment. This scene was something they had never foreseen.
With the battle developing like this, what were the odds that Xiahou Zong could still completely dominate his opponent?
Though the spectators couldn't compare to Xiahou Zong, they possessed a basic sense of judgment. It was clear to all that Xiahou Zong had completely abandoned any semblance of standard strategy and was deploying his ultimate techniques from the very start.
This summoning of deities and demons was Xiahou Zong’s strongest and final killing move. Seeing Xiahou Zong summon these four deities and demons, it was obvious he was straining slightly.
Upon sensing the formidable aura of those four divine figures, everyone felt that with their appearance, Shao Yuan was likely doomed to perish without even a proper burial.
Yet what left everyone utterly dumbfounded was that Shao Yuan, unexpectedly, also summoned a series of battle puppets to match them. Although they didn’t seem to overpower the four deities and demons in sheer momentum, the control over these puppets was noticeably more nimble.
What was truly terrifying was that when Shao Yuan revealed that diagram, the void itself visibly changed. The turbulent winds, boiling clouds, flashing lightning, and rolling thunder generated by Xiahou Zong’s four deities and demons were all instantly and completely swallowed up.
Moreover, in everyone’s eyes, the void above the arena had undergone a severe transformation. Space became chaotic, twisting violently within itself, as if sliced into countless smaller pockets, forming an incredibly complex arrangement of dimensional spaces that was dizzying to behold.
How could this be happening?
Experts saw the profound technique; laymen merely saw the spectacle.
This scene immediately drew the focused attention of the major powers.
The Great Saint Lord’s eyes lit up, a surge of wild joy rising within her. She was genuinely, immensely delighted. This Shao Yuan was truly capable of creating surprises.
“Xiahou Zong summons deities and demons, using the memories of his divine reincarnation to commune with divine consciousness and condense deity magical bodies. This kind of summoning, at most, brings forth just a sliver of divine awareness. Although powerful, it is not invincible. What Shao Yuan is doing, however, is not summoning, but control. It appears he is controlling battle puppets. Once such a puppet is imbued with a divine consciousness, its combat power becomes virtually indistinguishable from a true, flesh-and-blood being!”
The Great Saint Lord certainly knew quality when she saw it. After all, she had held the position of Eternal Sacred Land's Great Saint Lord for quite a number of years now. While the Sacred Land's strength had been declining, its foundational heritage and accumulated wisdom still remained. The Great Saint Lord's knowledge and discernment were naturally superior to most.
Yan Qingsang was so excited he nearly roared out loud, pumping his fist furiously in the air. "Brother, ****, ****! Kill Xiahou Zong, and my cousin is yours!"
His bloodshot eyes burned even brighter than when he himself had been fighting on the platform.
Wu You's eyes were also filled with pleasant surprise at this moment. He sighed, "Losing to Shao Yuan—I, Wu, truly have no grievances about that. It seems we all underestimated Brother Shao Yuan."
"Shao Yuan, Shao Yuan..." The young geniuses of the Sacred Land murmured, each wearing a complicated expression.
Young Master Sui Chen's face was the ugliest of all. As the foremost among the Sacred Land's Five Young Masters, when he had faced Xiahou Zong, he hadn't even exchanged a single blow before conceding.
And now look at Shao Yuan—not only had he refused to surrender, he had fought Xiahou Zong to a standstill. In fact, he even seemed to hold a subtle advantage in momentum.
How could Young Master Sui Chen possibly bear this?
"Great Saint Lord, what are Brother Shao Yuan's chances of winning?" Wu You couldn't help but ask.
Even Elder Ziche Min was visibly moved as he looked toward the Great Saint Lord, his excitement no less intense than Yan Qingsang's.
He was the one who had brought Shao Yuan into the Eternal Sacred Ground personally. If Shao Yuan could truly create a miracle and defeat Xiahou Zong, then he, Ziche Min, would undoubtedly be the greatest contributor.
He had brought in such a genius, and it was he who had pushed aside all objections to secure his admission.
The Great Saint Lord spoke in a deep voice, "Xiahou Zong's Four Great Divine Demons are not to be underestimated. If Shao Yuan's four battle puppets can withstand the Four Great Divine Demons, then in this battle, Xiahou Zong will certainly be the ultimate loser. If the four battle puppets cannot withstand the Four Great Divine Demons, then the outcome of this battle remains very difficult to judge."
The Great Saint Lord's assessment was relatively reliable and also somewhat conservative. In truth, she had a intuition, an instinct that told her Shao Yuan's probability of winning this battle had already surpassed seventy or eighty percent.
As for Xiahou Zong, while he couldn't yet be called completely exhausted of tricks, it was true he didn't have many viable options left.
And Shao Yuan, on the other hand, was like a bottomless abyss, impossible for anyone to fathom the depth of. This kind of genius was even more terrifying, truly unfathomable.
No one knew just how many more tricks Shao Yuan had up his sleeve.
"Brother Shao Yuan, you must win," Wu You sighed softly. "You are the Sacred Ground's only spark. You must let everyone in the Divine Nation know—the Sacred Ground will forever be the Sacred Ground. The dignity of the Sacred Ground can never be offended by anyone, absolutely no one!"