Chapter 322

Chapter 322: I Am Your Slave Tragedy

The air atop the mountain suddenly grew still.

Zhang Yang stared at her closely.

In that moment, it became clear just how much Yaoruoxian had changed.

He felt a sense of anticipation.

The atmosphere softened as Yaoruoxian quietly replied,

“Alright.”

That was all she said.

Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow.

Was it really that easy?

Although Yaoruoxian had transformed through self-despair and risen like a phoenix reborn, her innate pride remained. She no longer looked down on all beings, but now regarded them with admiration. Her understanding of that stubborn little flower had revealed this change.

Yet she was still Yaoruoxian.

Asking her to bow her head and become a slave for a month—was that even possible?

Zhang Yang remained slightly on guard, yet there was a hint of anticipation.

After all, men often harbored their own improper fantasies.

To have a woman so captivating, one who seemed like a celestial being in the eyes of the world, massaging his shoulders like a servant… brought an indescribable sense of satisfaction and joy. It was surreal, beyond words.

He chose a rock to sit on and gazed into the distance.

He could feel Yaoruoxian approaching, her delicate, jade-like hand settling on his shoulder. And then there it was.

Pain.

“Ah!”

He leapt to his feet, rubbing his shoulder furiously.

Gritting his teeth, he exclaimed, “Are you trying to kill me?! That’s not a massage, you’re trying to crush my bones!”

Yaoruoxian remained proud.

Yet she lowered her head to fulfill her promise.

She was still a rose with thorns.

As a Holy Body, even without using true essence, martial arts techniques, or Saints’ laws, she could easily overpower anyone at the same level.

Especially since her Holy Body far surpassed that of a newly developed one, it radiated terrifying strength.

With a single squeeze, she could make bones creak and crack.

Zhang Yang was not yet a Holy Body.

His bloodline was only half-awakened approaching the state of a Holy Body.

But he knew well that half-awakened was just a nice way to put it. In reality, with two flickering flames having entered his body, he wasn’t even halfway there. At best, he was one-tenth awakened, if not less.

Now, however, the journey toward full awakening had truly begun.

He had no idea what kind of earth-shattering transformation might occur once his bloodline fully awakened.

Would he directly attain the rank of a super Holy Body?

Or perhaps something even more terrifying: a Celestial Body?

In any case, that would come only after full awakening, and for now, he still had a long way to go before reaching the Holy Body threshold.

So when fighting those with a Holy Body, the martial arts techniques he used—those imbued with holy power, had to be of extremely high quality. He also needed to supplement them with Nine Extremes True Essence to stand a chance at victory.

If he were a true Holy Body, even a small-scale holy power technique could crush everything in its path.

“Let me give you a massage,” Yaoruoxian said again, her fingers dancing lightly—graceful and skilled, almost like magic.

Zhang Yang stared at her.

This woman had truly changed. She had become open-minded, flexible—no longer so rigid.

And to think, at first… she had seemed like a goddess descended from the heavens.

Then, she had taken on a slightly demonic air.

But after her transformation, she shed those demonic aspects and gained clarity and agility. She no longer acted with the frantic desperation she had shown during the Nine Battles Tribulation. Now, there was a playful glint in her eyes, a hint of mischief.

With clenched teeth, Zhang Yang said, “Alright, Yaoruoxian, are you trying to play tricks on me? Fine. If you won’t massage me, then how about dancing for me instead?”

He was not someone who could be easily pushed around.

Crossing his arms, he looked at her with a smirk.

It was a challenge.

In the past, Yaoruoxian would have responded without hesitation, declaring that anyone who looked upon her would die, no matter how many dared. To her, it had been meaningless. Just death.

But now, her response had changed.

She even smiled a radiant, stunning smile that lit up the mountaintop like the first breath of spring. The flowers and grass seemed to lose their color, the Daybreak Sun dimmed, and only she remained dazzling.

She chuckled softly. “I’m showing myself to you, not to the flowers, the grass, the mountains, the wind, the sky, or the earth. So no I won’t dance.”

Zhang Yang couldn’t help but look at Yaoruoxian with newfound respect.

This woman had truly changed.

Yaoruoxian continued, “Am I your slave? Then that makes you the one facing a tribulation. You’ll learn what it means to have me as your calamity.”

Ah, forget it, who said she had changed? She hadn’t changed at all. She was still as fierce as ever.

She had somehow turned the act of being a slave into someone else’s misfortune.

Zhang Yang became intrigued.

From the Nine Battles Tribulation to now becoming a “slave tribulation,” he couldn’t quite believe it.

But there was still plenty of time left in the month.

Let’s see if this so-called tribulation would truly turn her into a slave.

Zhang Yang cracked his knuckles. He intended to defeat Yaoruoxian once again—and this time, completely make her submit.

Yaoruoxian, equally fired up, showed no signs of backing down. Her fighting spirit was high.

This would be a unique kind of battle, a contest of wits, courage, and heart.

Even a battle of emotion. For they were rivals, yes, but also friends. Teacher and student. Opposites and yet equals.

As their tension slowly eased, and both calmed after their playful clash, Zhang Yang’s thoughts drifted elsewhere toward his bloodline.

Awakening his bloodline that was his true purpose in coming to the Falling Star Mountain Range.

The journey to the Abyss of the Buried Immortals might have seemed focused on the Nine Battles Tribulation with Yaoruoxian, but in truth, it had also been part of his search for the sacred lights. He had already obtained the Dim Light of Death.

Now, it was time to continue searching for the others.

The lights.

At that thought, the image of the Headless Monk emerged in his mind.

Once, a verse from the Headless Monk had sparked Yaoruoxian’s understanding of the Saints’ laws. Today, she had reached an even deeper revelation. Zhang Yang, too, had gained insight, not in martial arts or technique, but within his own bloodline.

Back then, the Headless Monk had turned and spoken Buddhist words, and through the dim fire within his bloodline, those words had resonated deeply.

So, Zhang Yang sat down to meditate, boldly and unguarded.

Yaoruoxian watched in a daze.

After all, he was her enemy. If she killed him now, she wouldn’t have to endure the humiliation of being a slave. They were fundamentally adversaries.

The Vast Forest had always stood against the Saint-level forces of the Southern Region.

She herself came from the Demon Sword Forbidden Area. Killing Zhang Yang should have been her mission.

For a brief moment, a wave of impulse surged through her.

She wanted to strike to end the man who had seen her at her lowest.

Her hand rose, but then fell back down just as quickly.

“To defeat you,” she whispered, “it must be done fairly.”

“Once, my goal was to become an immortal.”

“Now, it is to defeat you.”

With that realization, clarity rushed into her mind.

A quiet smile formed on her lips as she turned and walked to the edge of the cliff, gazing out into the distance.

Before her stretched vast forests and mountains. Birds soared through the open skies.

Fluffy white clouds drifted slowly above.

For the first time, she saw the true beauty of the world. She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth of the sun, the softness of the wind, the joyful chirping of birds, and the distant roars of beasts. She felt nature embracing her.

One sat. One stood.

At least for now, they no longer had to worry about ambushes or sudden strikes from each other.

The battle would be clean, honest and exhilarating.

Following the insights inspired by the Headless Monk, Zhang Yang activated the two flames within him, stirring his bloodline and trying to perceive what new changes might come. To his delight, he felt a faint pull.

It was the third lamp.

He remembered how the second lamp had been tainted by darkness in the Reincarnation Well. That taught him the other lights wouldn’t necessarily be like the first.

Indeed, this call was incredibly weak, only because he now held two lamps and had stirred his bloodline could he sense it at all.

But it was enough.

He rose immediately and set off, following that subtle sensation, on the path to finding the third lamp.