Chapter 324

Chapter 324: Intentional

Star Tiger Mountain.

This was the place where Zhang Yang felt the pull of his bloodline.

Although the resonance wasn’t particularly strong, the direction it pointed to was unmistakable.

From a distance, the mountain resembled a majestic tiger king at rest, gazing solemnly toward the northwest.

Up close, it towered into the clouds, majestic, wild, and awe-inspiring.

The slopes were lush with dense forests and dotted with bizarre rock formations.

Since Zhang Yang’s bloodline guidance pointed away from the peak, perhaps even beneath the mountainside, they descended and landed at the base of the mountain before continuing their search.

“Are you here for Tiger Howl Wind too?” Demon Sword Yi asked with curiosity.

He knew that Zhang Yang was the Master of the Vast Forest, and gathering talented individuals was likely among his top priorities as he built the Eleventh Sacred Land of the Southern Region.

Zhang Yang asked, “Who is Tiger Howl Wind?”

Having landed here after being flung from the ancient teleportation array, Demon Sword Yi had become quite familiar with the affairs of the Falling Star Mountain Range and began to explain.

Tiger Howl Wind was a rapidly rising super genius from the Small Boundless realm of the Western Desert. His talent was so formidable that he was often compared to Demon Sword Yi himself.

Reaching the Small Boundless realm meant that he had already reached an advanced stage in martial cultivation.

By contrast, the three of them were either at the ninth level of the Ascending to Heaven realm or had just entered the Opening the Sky realm within the last six months, still far from the Small Boundless realm.

Although their breakthroughs had been swift, the pace of advancement would slow significantly from the Opening the Sky realm onward.

For Zhang Yang in particular, breaking through would be especially difficult without Spirit Saint Stones, ordinary Spirit Stones were nearly useless to him now.

Tiger Howl Wind wasn’t just a known super genius in the Immeasurable stage within the Western Desert, he was also a loose cultivator with no family background, having risen from obscurity on his own. He had begun his journey in the Falling Star Mountain Range and encountered incredible fortune along the way.

Unfortunately, his life hadn’t been without hardship. According to Demon Sword Yi, once Tiger Howl Wind reached the Immeasurable stage, he found it increasingly difficult to access cultivation resources. Aligning with a Holy Land, dynasty, or forbidden area was the most viable path forward.

He had aimed for the strongest, the Taixu Dynasty of the Western Desert.

But for reasons unknown, he had clashed with powerful figures within the dynasty. As a result, he was hunted down and forced to flee back to the Falling Star Mountain Range, hiding in Star Tiger Mountain, where his journey had originally begun.

Now, both the Sunlit Sacred Land and the Cold Moon Dynasty were extending olive branches to recruit him.

Demon Sword Yi noted that the prince of the Cold Moon Dynasty, the Moon-Returning Dragon, had nearly been killed in a plot orchestrated by the Taixu Dynasty.

Zhang Yang then realized: So that’s what happened to the Moon-Returning Dragon, he was set up.

He also knew that the Cold Moon Dynasty was in dire straits and desperately in need of talented individuals. Undoubtedly, Tiger Howl Wind’s remarkable talent had caught the attention of the Moon-Returning Dragon, prompting the prince to come in person—an act that demonstrated just how highly he regarded Tiger Howl Wind.

“I’m not interested in Tiger Howl Wind,” Zhang Yang said, not entirely indifferent, but clear-headed enough to avoid being tempted by someone whom the Moon-Returning Dragon had personally sought to recruit.

He had great admiration for the Moon-Returning Dragon, especially recalling how the prince had proactively shielded him during his moment of enlightenment, stopping Jin Zhihong from interfering. Even in that enlightened state, Zhang Yang had been aware of the gesture and never forgot it.

Little did he know that this casual statement would provoke a sneer.

“Ridiculous! Who are you to say you’re not interested in Tiger Howl Wind? Who do you think you are? A wild man wandering into Star Tiger Mountain, boasting and polluting my eyes?”

A mocking voice rang out.

A young man emerged, clad in fine robes, holding a folding fan, and walking forward with an entourage of elite guards. He swayed arrogantly with every step.

Zhang Yang gave him a brief glance, too disinterested to respond. Another Liu Feijue-type, he thought, just another arrogant brat relying on family background. With his current cultivation and status, Zhang Yang had long stopped caring about such people.

But the man continued arrogantly, shouting, “What are you looking at? I, Tong Lieyang, have arrived. Don’t you know to come forward and pay your respects?”

Zhang Yang’s expression turned cold. Ignoring such trash didn’t mean he would allow them to provoke him.

He turned to Demon Sword Yi and said calmly, “Go. Slap him ten times.”

Demon Sword Yi was visibly displeased but helpless, he was the hired muscle now, after all.

Though furious with Zhang Yang, he was equally enraged at Tong Lieyang. Why did you have to run your mouth and drag me into this mess? he thought. He stepped forward and raised his hand.

Smack!

Fueled by frustration, the slap was thunderous, sending Tong Lieyang spinning five times in place.

Tong Lieyang hadn’t even registered what had happened. Dazed and bleeding from the mouth, he could only feel the sting in his cheeks.

His guards were frozen in place, completely suppressed by Demon Sword Yi’s overwhelming aura. They couldn’t even move.

“You dare hit me? Do you know who I am?!” Tong Lieyang screamed.

Smack!

A second slap landed on his left cheek, causing it to swell instantly.

“I am the son of the Divine Tiger King of the Crimson Flame Dynasty! If you hit me, you’re dead meat!”

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Demon Sword Yi continued, slapping him repeatedly while Tong Lieyang screamed in fury and pain.

Soon, the full ten slaps were delivered.

Then Demon Sword Yi blinked and threw in an eleventh for good measure, just enough to soothe his pride. Now it’s not completely following orders, I’m not just a thug, he thought.

Zhang Yang, of course, saw right through it and scoffed. “Know your place. Tell him who you are, let him understand that his so-called status means nothing to someone like Demon Sword Yi.”

Demon Sword Yi’s mouth twitched. This was deliberate.

Revealing his identity would only create unnecessary trouble. Tong Lieyang had significant backing.

The Crimson Flame Dynasty was on par with the Great Xia Empire in the Southern Region. Its ruler, the Divine Tiger King was said to be on the verge of breaking into the Ascending to Heaven realm and becoming a saint.

If that happened, the Divine Tiger King would become a peak figure within the Crimson Flame Dynasty, perhaps even entering the imperial clan. Tong Lieyang’s status would then rise accordingly, potentially rivaling that of a crown prince.

Was Zhang Yang trying to provoke a feud between the Demon Sword Forbidden Area and the Crimson Flame Dynasty?

Although Demon Sword Yi wasn’t afraid, it was uncomfortable, especially being forced into it.

He finally said coldly, “Remember my name, Demon Sword Yi. I’m the top figure of the new generation in the Demon Sword Forbidden Area of the Southern Region. If you want revenge, come find me. Or go to the Battle God of the Southern Region, Zhang Yang. Either way, it makes no difference.”

He patted Tong Lieyang’s swollen face and added, “Learn to respect others. Don’t overestimate your own importance.”

Tong Lieyang clutched his face, shivering with pain. But as Demon Sword Yi turned and walked away, his eyes glinted with bitter resentment.

Zhang Yang didn’t care that Demon Sword Yi had revealed his identity. He knew perfectly well that whether it was this thug or that slave, neither one was to be underestimated.

In the end, the advantage remained his.

He quickened his pace up the mountain.

About halfway up, a group blocked their path, cultivators from the Cold Moon Dynasty and the Sunlit Sacred Land. They had clearly teamed up to prevent others from getting close, hoping to secure Tiger Howl Wind for themselves.

Upon seeing Zhang Yang and his group, they stepped forward to stop them.

Zhang Yang merely shrugged. He hadn’t intended to go directly to the summit anyway.

Instead, following the pull of his bloodline, he turned aside and moved laterally through the mountain paths. As he advanced, the resonance grew stronger, guiding him behind the mountain to a series of steep cliffs.

He pointed forward and said, “Open it.”