Chapter 269

Chapter 269: The Wind Rises Again

With a single battle, silence fell over the Southern Region.

The Top Ten Saint-level Forces fell eerily quiet, none dared to claim that war beneath the Saint realm would result in anything less than a one-sided massacre in the Vast Forest.

With a single battle, Bing Yuyan’s sword finally surpassed her beauty, becoming the symbol of her legend.

Now, she could lift her head high and officially declare herself the invincible Battle God.

With a single battle, the Vast Forest once again cemented its dominance over the Southern Region.

Who would dare to say that their newly established sacred land was merely for show?

As the Southern Region fell into silence, another piece of shocking news emerged.

On the day the Green Sparrow Palace moved into the Vast Forest, with Chi Zhenyi’s assistance and the Small Tree King’s mobilization of the entire forest’s resources, the Green Sparrow Palace Master Li Qingsparrow successfully completed her breakthrough.

She stepped into the Ascending the Heavens realm, becoming yet another Saint in the world.

Though she would likely require a long period of closed-door training before emerging in her full glory, the world already recognized her as a Saint.

This event sent shockwaves through the Southern Region.

People understood that this was the effect of the Great Path Sacred Fruit.

At the same time, they realized that Bing Yuyan and Mu Lanxin were also at the Great Boundless Perfect Stage.

Then, Mu Lanxin made an announcement.

She would enter closed-door training to challenge the Saint realm.

Before people could fully absorb this news, the Small Tree King stretched lazily and spoke.

"The Great Path Sacred Fruit tree is planted here. It’s time for me to enter seclusion as well. To break through the shackles imposed by the Cangmang Sacred Land… I will step into the Sacred Tree realm, with Saint as my starting point."

And with that, the Small Tree King entered closed-door training, aiming to ascend to the Sacred realm.

The Southern Region was in a frenzy.

It felt as if the Vast Forest had stirred wave after wave of excitement, completely reshaping the landscape of the Southern Region. If they succeeded, they would undoubtedly add two more Saints to their ranks.

And what about Bing Yuyan?

People suddenly realized that the Vast Forest was now powerful enough to stand against any Saint-level force.

Time and again, anticipation brought silence over the Southern Region. But beneath that silence, a more terrifying undercurrent was brewing.

A group of people arrived at Golden Autumn Mountain, weeping.

Golden Autumn Mountain was a newly formed peak in the Golden Cauldron Sacred Land, pulled from the earth by an overwhelming force, the force of one person.

That person was Qiu Yinong, the master of Golden Autumn Mountain.

Her mountain stood alone.

On that mountain, there was only her.

No disciples. No master. No servants or maidens.

Atop the mountain stood the Golden Autumn Divine Palace, bathed in sunlight, shimmering with brilliance.

Before the palace gates, Qiu Yinong stood, gazing into the distance. Behind her was a group of men, women, young, and old, all from the Golden Cauldron Sacred Land.

They were the grieving relatives of those slain by the Great Boundless.

At the forefront stood Ying Wuji’s daughter.

“In battle, life and death are inevitable. One cannot blame others,” Qiu Yinong said lightly. “However, the Grand Elder once guided me in my training and took care of me. I must repay that debt.”

She continued, her tone calm yet resolute.

“The world claims I resemble her, but they do not know that long ago, when I was merely at the Small Boundless realm, I had already begun cultivating the Immortal Body through its third transformation, determined to surpass the Holy Body she failed to attain five hundred years ago.

After a decade of relentless effort, I finally achieved the Holy Body, breaking through my own shackles and transcending myself.”

A cold smile graced her lips.

“To compare me to her is an insult.”

“I am simply Qiu Yinong!”

“I want history to remember me as an indomitable force, not as a mere imitation of Bing Yuyan.”

Then, she paused slightly, an enchanting presence blooming in her deep, ocean-like eyes. Her next words came as a whisper, yet they resonated with profound weight.

“The first Great Boundless of the Southern Region… I find that title very interesting.”

Her voice sharpened.

“Spread the word. I challenge Bing Yuyan to a battle at Swan Lake, exactly one year from today.”

“If we fight, we fight to the death.”

At her command, the gathered crowd erupted in excitement and hurried off to spread the news.

Thus, the Southern Region was shaken once more.

Two extraordinary women. Both possessing unparalleled Holy Bodies.

Their impending battle sent shockwaves through the land.

Especially because these two women were not just warriors, they were legends.

One had been hailed as the first beauty of the Southern Region five hundred years ago.

The other, born centuries later, was deemed equally stunning.

So, who was stronger?

When Bing Yuyan heard the challenge, she did not hesitate for a moment.

“Let’s fight!”

And so, the duel between the two supreme beauties was set in stone.

The date: One year from today.

The location: Swan Lake.

Countless people eagerly anticipated the arrival of this historic battle.

The palace had grown eerily silent. Everything of value had already been taken away.

Now, only Zhang Yang and Bing Yuyan remained.

They sat across from each other at a stone table in Zhang Yang’s courtyard.

The air was cold and tranquil.

“Why accept the challenge?” Zhang Yang asked.

“Why not?” Bing Yuyan replied.

Zhang Yang’s gaze was sharp.

“I had planned for you to establish dominance as the first Great Boundless of the Southern Region after this battle, gaining merit for our sacred land. That would have earned us even greater support.”

This had been his strategy all along.

Yet something puzzled him.

Qiu Yinong was an Eight-Life Great Boundless at the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins.

If she had broken through, she could have easily leveraged the Great Path Sacred Fruit, the absolute advantage of the Holy Body, and the laws of the Saints to prove her path effortlessly.

So why had she chosen a life-and-death duel instead?

“My path to Great Boundless has not yet reached its end,” Bing Yuyan said, a proud smile curling at the corners of her lips.

Zhang Yang’s eyes gleamed.

The Great Boundless realm had already been perfected, and she was on the brink of proving her path.

Yet now, she was saying she had not yet reached her limits.

That could only mean one thing, that Bing Yuyan still had untapped potential.

She continued, her voice laced with excitement.

“The Realm of Thunder heritage, infused with the essence of the immortal path… I don’t fully comprehend it yet, but I know I can use it to revisit my martial journey, fill in the gaps, and completely refine myself.”

A playful glint shone in her eyes.

“At that time, I will suppress my realm and battle you.”

Zhang Yang was stunned.

The Beautiful Woman actually wanted to challenge him.

Bing Yuyan’s expression turned serious.

“Back in the Vast Forest, the frustration you caused me… I have never forgotten it. You forced even the Ghost King Youye to concede defeat. That humiliation still lingers.”

Her eyes burned with ambition.

“From that moment on, I vowed to surpass you.”

“I have ambitions, Zhang Yang.”

Zhang Yang studied her closely and realized, she had changed.

From the Vast Forest to the Green Sparrow Palace, he had come to thoroughly understand Bing Yuyan.

She had her flaws, but she had just as many strengths.

The true Bing Yuyan was pure yet domineering—one who always followed her heart.

A smile tugged at Zhang Yang’s lips.

“I look forward to the day you challenge me.”

Then, he leaned forward slightly, his tone turning serious.

“Of course, before that, you must first defeat Qiu Yinong.”

His gaze sharpened.

“Let me tell you about this woman’s strength in detail.”

Zhang Yang explained that Qiu Yinong possessed both the Holy Body and the Saints’ laws. Moreover, her Saints’ laws were inspired by his fully developed Diamond Dragon Holy Power, a testament to their profound strength. He withheld nothing in his explanation.

Bing Yuyan listened, her beautiful eyes glowing with excitement. She felt an undeniable thrill at having found a worthy opponent, as if Qiu Yinong were a mirror reflecting her own ambition.

She was very satisfied with this rival.

"Holy Body, Saints’ laws," she murmured. "You need a year to reach the Great Boundless Perfect Stage? Then, within this year, I will master the Saints’ laws!"

She was equally proud and unwilling to concede defeat.

After a moment, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more between you and her that you haven’t mentioned," she said, eyeing Zhang Yang. "What exactly is going on between you two?"

Zhang Yang, uninterested in explaining, simply remained silent.

Bing Yuyan stood up and stretched lazily. "I’m not interested in your affairs," she said casually. "I should return to my retreat."

She tossed him a storage bag and added, "This is a treasure I obtained by slaying five hundred Great Boundless cultivators. I’ll leave one bag with you as a backup, keep some for myself, and use the rest as supplies for the Vast Forest."

Then, she stepped closer, looking down at him as he sat still. Zhang Yang wasn’t bad-looking, perhaps even handsome.

She reached out and patted his shoulder. "Even though you’re quite shameless and lecherous, I still like you a lot."

As she spoke, she pinched his cheek playfully, giggling as she walked away.

Her laughter echoed through the Green Sparrow Palace.

"The liking I mentioned is purely as friends, so don’t misunderstand," she called out teasingly. "If you can’t have me, you might find yourself troubled."

Zhang Yang was left speechless.

This Beautiful Woman was becoming more of a rogue.

After sitting in silence for a while, he finally stood up, turned his gaze to the Southern Region, and called out:

"I, Mighty Battle God Zhang Yang, challenge the entire new generation of the Southern Region! The battle will take place at the Green Sparrow Palace, one month from now!"