Chapter 283

Chapter 283: Lighting Up the Heavenly Court

The black tiger… had been waiting for someone?

Zhang Yang’s heart pounded. Could it be that the black tiger would follow him? If he had such a being at his side, would the Vast Forest not become truly invincible, standing fearless before any Sacred Land? This could be an unparalleled Holy Beast, surpassing even God King Taiyi and Shui Lianyi!

Just as his thoughts raced, the black tiger spoke again.

“Do you not wish to know why I have been waiting for you?”

Zhang Yang blinked, suddenly realizing that this was the true question.

He composed himself. “Please tell me, senior—why have you been waiting for me?”

The black tiger’s lips curled into a playful smile.

“Because once you arrive, I can leave.”

Zhang Yang hesitated for a moment, confused.

The black tiger sighed deeply. “I was born here, grew up here, and grew old here, never once leaving this place.”

Zhang Yang was shocked.

Given the black tiger’s realm, it must have had an astonishing lifespan. Holy Beasts often lived far longer than Saints.

This meant… it had remained here for at least a thousand years.

The black tiger continued, “From the moment of my birth, I was given a vague command to guard this place.”

“More precisely, to guard that tiny flame.”

His voice carried a weight of eternity.

“I do not know where this fire came from, nor do I understand its mysteries. I only know that it fell alongside the Falling Star Mountain Range from the heavens, and its origin cannot be traced.”

Zhang Yang’s heart pounded.

This tiny flame was no ordinary existence. Because the Falling Star Mountain Range had fallen before, or perhaps at the very beginning of, Eternal Night. That era was far too distant. Even immortal flames had been extinguished by Eternal Night. Otherwise, why would the power of the Immortal Path be so difficult to find in this era?

At most, immortal artifacts still remained, and even those were incredibly rare, scattered across the world. It had been countless years since any Sacred Land had been able to use them.

Zhang Yang couldn’t help but doubt. If immortal artifacts were truly intact, then why had the so-called Seven Little Cauldrons, which had been refined inside the Golden Cauldron since childhood, failed to enter the Heavenly Area of the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins, where only a Battle God-level genius like Mo Ding Tian could step?

Zhang Yang took a deep breath.

“Please enlighten me, senior.”

The black tiger shook its head.

“I have nothing to teach. I do not know this fire’s origin, its mysteries, its purpose, or its power. Everything depends on your bloodline.”

His gaze grew distant.

“When you take this tiny fire away, I will finally leave—to see the world.”

Zhang Yang’s mind spun with possibilities.

He couldn’t let such a Holy Beast leave the Vast Forest—it would be a tremendous loss.

Just as he was about to speak, the black tiger seemed to see through his thoughts.

It chuckled softly.

“I do not have much time left.”

“Perhaps ten years. Perhaps eight.”

“And then, I will return to dust.”

Its words were calm, as if merely stating a simple truth.

“In this lifetime, I have been bound to this place.

I only wish that in my final years… I may travel the vast world and witness its magnificent landscapes.”

Zhang Yang smiled. The black tiger’s gaze flickered with surprise.

Then Zhang Yang asked, “Senior, tell me, do you believe it is possible to break the mystery of Eternal Night?”

The question hung in the air. For the first time, the black tiger paused. Then, slowly, it turned its gaze toward the tiny flame inside the palace.

“There is a possibility.”

Its voice was quiet, yet undeniably firm.

For it had spent its entire life guarding this flame—and its trust in it was absolute.

Zhang Yang’s eyes flashed with determination. “I have been practicing martial arts for ten months now.”

The black tiger’s eyes brightened instantly.

An invisible Holy Might erupted, shaking the very heavens and earth.

"I am at the sixth level of the Ascending to Heaven Realm," Zhang Yang declared.

“My cultivation is slow because I require Spirit Saint Stones for my training. Once I obtain enough Spirit Saint Stones or even higher-grade Spirit Immortal Stones, I could reach the Saint Realm in as little as three to five years… perhaps six or seven.”

His voice remained steady.

“Do you think I am speaking nonsense, senior?”

The black tiger fell silent. Its gaze shifted back to the tiny flame, its expression unreadable. Then it murmured, “Could it be that this tiny flame exists to help you achieve immortality… and break Eternal Night?”

Zhang Yang’s heart thudded.

“Do you think that’s possible, senior?”

The black tiger did not answer immediately.

Then, in a voice filled with deep certainty, it said:

“I do not know if what you say is true… but I do know this… If Eternal Night is to be broken… this tiny flame will play a vital role. I believe in this tiny flame.”

A shiver ran down Zhang Yang’s spine. His heart roared with excitement.

He knew that the black tiger would have a chance to enter the Vast Forest.

But the key to everything was this tiny flame.

Without hesitation, Zhang Yang activated his half-awakened bloodline.

It roared like a surging river.

The hidden Shattered Heavenly Realm reappeared.

An invisible power erupted, sending waves through his boiling bloodline.

Then, at last he understood.

The true response to this tiny flame was not in his martial arts.

Nor was it in his cultivation.

It was the Shattered Heavenly Realm.

In that moment, the Heavenly Realm became clearer than ever before, yet within it, countless mysteries remained, hidden, distant, and waiting to be unraveled.

In the central palace, a veil seemed to cover everything, making it impossible to see clearly inside. Zhang Yang could only glimpse fragments of the shattered interior, which was why it was called half-awakened.

It was this very central palace that resonated with the tiny flame.

Above the palace hung a broken plaque that once bore three characters. Now, only the middle character remained—cracked and barely recognizable, while the two on either side had been reduced to partial strokes.

The middle character was… "Xiao!"

Zhang Yang had no way of guessing what the other two characters had been.

At that moment, as the Shattered Heavenly Realm appeared, his bloodline surged with extraordinary strength. Wisps of blood energy seeped from his skin, moving toward the tiny flame within the palace entirely of their own accord.

The black tiger stood up, its gaze locked onto the scene before it.

To him, anything related to the tiny flame was of utmost importance—not a single detail could be missed.

The blood energy gathered like a great river, flowing steadily toward the palace gates.

The black tiger held its breath.

The palace appeared ordinary, yet the tiny flame held a profound aura, so much so that even the black tiger dared not approach. An invisible deterrent surrounded the palace, instilling in him both an irresistible urge to enter and an overwhelming fear, a torment he had endured for a long time.

And yet, the blood energy faced no obstacles. It passed freely through the palace gates, heading directly toward the tiny flame.

Soon, the blood energy merged with it.

In the next instant, the bean-sized flame trembled as if stimulated. This was the first time Zhang Yang had ever seen the tiny flame shake since his arrival.

Unbeknownst to him, it was also the first time the black tiger had witnessed such a thing. The quivering flame seemed to absorb nourishment, drawing in the blood energy continuously.

Zhang Yang watched as more and more of his blood essence was being consumed. When he finally felt that he had lost too much—fearing it might affect him, the tiny flame suddenly shuddered violently.

Boom!

The flame erupted, shooting up over two meters high.

Buzz!

The damaged palace instantly vaporized, vanishing without a trace. The black tiger let out a startled cry, leaping thousands of meters into the air.

Zhang Yang, however, felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity calling to him. He stepped forward. Standing half a meter from the flame, he could feel its warmth.

Aside from that—Nothing. Even his Baxiang Power remained unaffected.

Even the Baxiang Divine Fire showed no signs of reacting.

He pondered for a moment before stretching out his hand.

Gently, he touched the flame.

Boom!

The flame exploded. Countless sparks burst forth, intertwining into an indistinct pattern. Though blurry, the pattern seemed to carry ancient significance.

Then, like rivers converging, the sparks rushed into Zhang Yang’s body, merging directly into his bloodline.

Instantly, Zhang Yang saw wthin his bloodline, an entire world unfolded.

Countless fireballs rained from the sky, each one streaking toward the central palace of the Shattered Heavenly Realm, the "Xiao" palace.

Yet, the "Xiao" palace remained silent and still. The fireballs landed, then, smoothly merged into the palace walls.

And in the next moment, Boom!

The "Xiao" palace erupted with dazzling light, radiating outward, illuminating the entire Shattered Heavenly Realm.