Chapter 299

Chapter 299: Identity

The origins of the ghostly figure remained shrouded in mystery, its presence radiating an undeniable aura of danger.

Yet, its fixation was not on Yaoruoxian.

It was on Zhang Yang. Or more precisely, on the enigmatic bloodline coursing through his veins. Those privy to deeper truths, like Jin Zhihong and Yue Guilong, withdrew discreetly, unwilling to entangle themselves in this unfolding confrontation.

Something far more ominous had entered the battlefield.

"Your persistence tires me," Zhang Yang countered, his voice glacial with intensity. His killing intent toward the ghostly figure had crystallized ever since their first lethal encounter.

Amusement tinged the specter’s response. "Centuries have dulled my curiosity, but this… this intrigues me enough to intervene."

Zhang Yang’s lips curled in derision.

The Stone Skin’s significance transcended mere value, for Ghost Island’s skeletons, it represented salvation. The life-boosting forbidden law etched upon it bore a saint’s final sacrifice, channeling essence, life, will, and holy blood into imperishable scripture. Even the formidable Yaoruoxian had once been forced to retreat before such primordial power.

"State your terms," Zhang Yang demanded.

The specter regarded him with mocking pity. "Foolish child. Here, I am eternity incarnate. Your breath became mine to claim the moment you trespassed these shores. A mere thought from me can alter the very fabric of this realm."

Zhang Yang’s brow furrowed as he studied the boastful entity. Though its claims reeked of madness, the specter’s unfathomable nature lent them a terrible plausibility.

Turning to Yaoruoxian, the specter intoned, "My awakening debt is settled."

The enchantress maintained her aloof silence, but Zhang Yang noted subtle cracks in her customary detachment. This ice-hearted sovereign of battles now harbored ripples of uncertainty, so ingrained was her belief in emotional invulnerability.

The observation steeled Zhang Yang’s resolve. The Nine Battles Tribulation would be conquered.

"You will acknowledge defeat with full clarity," Zhang Yang declared. "Make your move, wraith."

Laughter, like grinding tombstones, answered him. "Your bravado amuses me! Let true power enlighten your ignorance."

With deliberate slowness, Zhang Yang activated the Stone Skin.

Nine Extremes True Essence ignited the life-boosting forbidden law, unleashing torrents of vital energy that engulfed the White Jade Skeleton.

Death’s grip shattered as vibrant life force surged through ancient bones. The once-lifeless undead now pulsed with undeniable vitality.

The White Jade Skeleton trembled in exhilaration, its bony hands clenching in triumph.

The transformation stirred a covetous hunger among the undead. Lesser skeletons pressed closer, desperate to bask in the rejuvenating energies.

"The Stone Skin is mine!" the White Jade Skeleton rasped, its jade bones gleaming with renewed vigor. "Take your accursed Moonlight Saint Stone!"

Yet envious whispers rippled through the undead throng.

"Share its power, White Jade! Break the Yin-Yang Spring’s curse! End the Blood Skeleton’s tyranny!"

One skeletal voice rose above the others.

"The Yin-Yang Spring purges the aura of decay to extend our lifespans. But as long as the Blood Skeleton controls it, you, White Jade Skeleton, shall not become another tyrant!"

A chorus of jubilant cheers erupted.

Zhang Yang marveled in silence. Even skeletal beings pursued longevity.

The Yin-Yang Spring…?

Controlled by the Blood Skeleton!

So even Ghost Island was rife with power struggles. Where life exists, conflict arises. Even among the dead, the law remained unchanged.

"HAHAHAHA…"

The specter’s laughter grew increasingly derisive, its distorted form quivering with malicious delight.

The sinister cacophony silenced the chattering skeletons, quelled White Jade Skeleton’s fervor, and deepened the furrow in Zhang Yang’s brow.

With a sneer, the specter proclaimed:

"Stone Skin tainted by holy blood! The life-boosting forbidden law! Truly splendid… But you wretched living dead! Have your hollow skulls ever grasped your true nature? Your existence isn’t rooted in life, it is sustained by death itself!"

A dreadful hush fell over the skeletal assembly.

"When you bathe in the Yin-Yang Spring, you foolishly seek the life-giving Yang… while ignoring the deathly Yin coursing through your bones."

"Pathetic! You barter for sacred life water, believing it grants longevity? Feeble-minded fools! Consider this, why must you scurry back for spring baptisms after every trade with surface dwellers?"

"Because death festers in your marrow. To exist, you must perpetuate this corruption! Your survival depends on balancing death’s embrace with life’s flicker."

The White Jade Skeleton’s skeletal frame stiffened.

The other skeletons’ earlier enthusiasm dissolved like mist, their bony hands falling slack.

Some had long suspected this truth but clung to denial.

For what were they, without this fragile hope?

Mere caged birds, awaiting final demise.

Even the dead yearned for hope, however hollow.

How much greater, then, was the desperation of those who had already tasted death’s finality?

Zhang Yang’s voice cut through the tension. "What concern is the spring to you?"

The ghostly figure’s form rippled with dark amusement.

"Concern? Blood Skeleton!"

A towering crimson silhouette emerged beyond the skeletal crowd.

Its crystalline bones glowed with hematite brilliance, sending a chill through the gathered observers.

"Your servant heeds!"

The Blood Skeleton knelt, its posture flawless in obeisance.

A dreadful silence engulfed the gathering.

Even Zhang Yang had not anticipated the ghostly figure’s supreme authority, the Blood Skeleton, Ghost Island’s undisputed ruler, knelt as nothing more than a vassal.

The specter’s voice boomed across the void.

"Now comprehend your futility! The Stone Skin means nothing without my command! No Yin-Yang baptism equals true demise. Therefore… to whom does the Moonlight Saint Stone rightfully belong?"

The White Jade Skeleton’s soul fire blazed chaotically within its skull.

The surrounding skeletons rattled in dismay.

Even Yue Guilong sighed. "This defeat stems from circumstance, Brother Zhang, not weakness."

The outcome became inevitable, no path to victory remained for Zhang Yang.

"Yield!" The ghostly figure’s triumphant snarl echoed through death’s realm.

The Blood Skeleton lifted its skull, its voice devoid of warmth.

"When the master decrees your defeat, defeat you shall embrace."

A tide of melancholy washed over the White Jade Skeleton.

Even the master of the Moonlight Saint Stone lowered his skeletal crown in submission.

Amid the shifting tides, only Zhang Yang remained unshaken.

His gaze ignored the assembly, fixed solely upon Yaoruoxian.

"An unprepared stage, breached by external meddling."

"Yet I consent to his inclusion."

His voice rang clear, a blade of reason slicing through the chaos.

"Yaoruoxian," he challenged, "if victory is claimed through such intervention… Would you dare declare this fifth battle yours?"

All eyes turned to the ethereal woman.

Zhang Yang’s words ignited scornful whispers.

"Sore loser," someone hissed.

"He consents through gritted teeth, then pressures the celestial maiden—how graceless in defeat!"

"Son of the Southern Region, your shame outshines your title!"

"Beautiful one, do not be swayed by his tricks; seize the victory that is rightfully yours!"

Mocking jeers echoed from the Taixu Dynasty’s forces, joined by the of the Blood Skeleton’s skeletal adherents.

Yet Yaoruoxian remained serene, untouched by the clamor. Her luminous gaze never wavered from Zhang Yang, ignoring the ghostly figure completely.

"Your consent binds us," she stated evenly. "Should defeat find me, your claim stands."

Now, Zhang Yang’s laughter erupted; rch, thunderous, triumphant.

Yaoruoxian feared to lose! The celestial maiden, who had once floated above mortal concerns, whose pride had rested upon cloud-borne pavilions, now trembled in her self-assurance.

Consider her earlier triumphs: The first battle’s Thousand Men’s Forbidden Law had required acolytes, but its design, power, and artistry were hers alone. The second, third, and fourth battles, all extensions of her indomitable will.

Yet now, in this fifth confrontation, she was adrift. No longer commanding events, she clung to another’s intervention, her path to victory reduced to dust.

Here lay the fairy’s secret dread. Chaos reigned in her heart. The stench of fear was undeniable.

"Flawed victory remains victory," Yaoruoxian maintained.

Zhang Yang smiled brightly, like noon in summer. "Really? You think that ghost’s tricks will cause my defeat?"