Chapter 327

Chapter 327: Seeds of Chaos in a Turbulent World

The mountains and rivers lay shattered, and all living things had withered away.

That was the scene of the apocalypse.

The earth was riddled with cracks; mountains had collapsed, rivers were severed, lakes had dried up, forests wilted, and oceans had turned to dust. Only blood-red rivers still flowed, and mountains made from piled corpses stood in their place, with death permeating the world.

Above, the broken heavenly realm was reflected. Immortal corpses fell from the sky, staining the heavens with immortal blood.

Beneath the earth, in the dim light of flames, a chilling and eerie darkness seeped through.

This was the sight of the world’s end.

Zhang Yang felt a pang of fear in his heart.

He caught sight of a mountain.

The mountain was broken, mostly in ruins, with only a small part remaining, where an immortal spear had pierced a powerful immortal, pinning him to the rock. The immortal’s blood stained the mountain red.

Atop that mountain, a flickering flame illuminated the desolate land.

Zhang Yang felt an ache in his heart; sorrow welled within him as if this place had once been his home, as if every immortal corpse was a family member, and every drop of immortal blood was his own.

He closed his eyes, suppressing the overwhelming grief in his chest, but a surge of rage followed.

Who had slaughtered the world?

Who had caused all beings to perish?

Who was destroying his home?

He took a deep breath, pulling himself out of that tragic vision. Yet his heart became clearer, as if the dust had been swept away by wind, he felt more awake and enlightened.

He still needed one more lamp to awaken his bloodline.

Three lamps.

One lamp illuminated the heavenly realm.

One lamp illuminated death.

One lamp illuminated the mountains and rivers.

What would the fourth lamp illuminate?

He faintly sensed it would reveal an even more terrifying truth, one that would help him awaken his bloodline and grant him deeper understanding.

He closed his eyes and contemplated deeply.

Unbeknownst to him, the remains of the Supreme Emperor’s portrait burned away by the flames of the third lamp, struggled as if trying to break free. In the end, it was consumed by the fire. Yet, a thread of exquisite essence escaped, like a spirit, and surged directly into Jin Zhihong’s body.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The sound of Jin Zhihong’s bones echoed like popping beans.

His aura suddenly turned cold, yet emanated a dominant and overwhelming presence.

"Roar!"

He suddenly threw his head back and let out a long, thunderous roar, sending a sound wave rippling through the entire mountainside, causing the ground to tremble.

Even someone as powerful as Yaoruoxian was caught off guard. Her holy light swirled around her as she resisted the force.

Su Guanchao, Nie Bahuang, and the other Butian Guards were all blown away by the shockwave, completely unable to resist.

"He’s no longer Jin Zhihong!" Yaoruoxian’s eyes gleamed with soul light. She had awakened the Holy Voice, granting her deep insight and perception on the level of the soul.

Jin Zhihong cast a cold glance at her before sharply turning his gaze toward Zhang Yang.

Swish!

He charged forward.

With this movement, he flawlessly displayed the power of the third level of the Opening the Sky realm. His strike fused the Holy Body, awakened ancestral bloodline, holy eyes, and more—making his attack resemble that of a saint.

Even though Yaoruoxian was confident, her heart raced. She knew that to resist this blow, she would need to at least reach the second level of the Opening the Sky realm. As someone at the ninth level of the Ascending to Heaven realm, she could still feel the immense gap.

After all, Jin Zhihong’s foundation was already extraordinarily complete—envied by all. But whether he could truly unleash it and achieve a result greater than the sum of its parts depended entirely on him. If he succeeded, he would shine throughout the Western Desert, becoming a top-tier Battle God-level genius, just like Yaoruoxian herself.

And right now, Jin Zhihong was demonstrating that potential.

However, it wasn’t just Yaoruoxian who noticed. Zhang Yang also sensed something, an unfamiliar soul attached to Jin Zhihong, one that extracted his ancestral bloodline, forcefully merging it into a terrifying blow.

Zhang Yang snorted coldly. The suppressed vision of the apocalypse resurfaced in his mind—the destruction of his hometown, the annihilation of all life, immortal corpses raining down like slain kin, fueling his killing intent once more.

Why had the lamp that illuminated the mountains and rivers been sealed by the Supreme Emperor’s Scroll?

Supreme Emperor, what is your true intention?

No matter what you try to conceal, your actions demand judgment!

Suddenly, Zhang Yang turned and charged out.

Standing still elegant, like a jade tree swaying in the wind.

His body moved like a divine dragon soaring through the sky.

Blinding lightning burst forth in all directions.

The Slaughter Sacred Thunder enveloped Zhang Yang completely.

He unleashed his strongest punch.

Consummate Slaughter Thunder Saint Power!

At that moment, Yaoruoxian’s gaze sharpened. Brilliant holy light surged from her, as if she glimpsed deeper truths.

Yes—both of them wielded Consummate Slaughter Thunder Saint Power, but Zhang Yang’s was infused with the exquisite aura of Great Perfection—something unseen since the era of the Eternal Night.

The Great Perfection of Slaughter Thunder Saint Power was rooted seventy percent in both past and present lives.

Though not flawless, its enchanting aura surpassed perfection, producing a power that was even more terrifying.

Boom!

An unmatched force struck.

In an instant, holy light was torn apart, holy might collapsed, and holy power surged, creating shockwaves that nearly shattered the entire mountainside.

Jin Zhihong’s fierce attack was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, swept away by the violent wind.

Crack!

The overwhelming force, though it had enhanced his powerful body, now worked against him. He slammed into the mountain wall, shattering stone as he crashed through and was flung outward.

After delivering the punch, Zhang Yang felt a rush of exhilaration, an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Swish!

He stepped forward, his movement so intense that the very mountains and rivers seemed to reverse. In a flash, he caught up to Jin Zhihong.

Then he struck again.

This time, his holy power martial arts techniques began to transform.

He had just caught a glimpse of Soul Binding Saint Power.

Killing Jin Zhihong was easy, but the key lay in destroying the soul that had attached itself to him.

If he killed Jin Zhihong directly, it would give that foreign soul the opportunity to fully seize control of his body.

Bang!

His speed was blistering, his strikes merciless, giving the severely injured Jin Zhihong no chance to react.

To be precise, the attached soul had reacted—but it couldn’t properly control Jin Zhihong’s body. That lack of coordination revealed it had not yet mastered its host. Jin Zhihong’s own will still remained strong.

Zhang Yang’s fist landed squarely on Jin Zhihong’s chest.

Jin Zhihong screamed in agony.

The parasitic soul was blasted from his body, shattering in mid-air.

Such a commotion instantly drew attention from atop Star Tiger Mountain.

People rushed down to witness the scene.

Among them were the Crown Prince of the Cold Moon Dynasty, Moon-Returning Dragon, Su Yuewu, Gu Jianyun, and others.

Also present was the young man Zhang Yang had seen before, through the Eye of the Massive Stone at the Reincarnation Well in the Abyss of the Buried Immortals. This man was now surrounded by demon race survivors like Prince Sparrow, Prince Ma, and Mouse Prince. Though those princes had vanished, replaced by a new group of formidable experts.

One among them was a towering figure from the Small Boundless Realm, full of explosive vitality. He was the fastest to arrive, yet he made no move—only watched coldly from the sidelines.

Inside the mountain, Yaoruoxian, Su Guanchao, Nie Bahuang, and others also rushed out.

Only Demon Sword Yi continued to battle the Silver Tiger formed by Forbidden Law Patterns.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the remnant soul including the still-dazed Jin Zhihong, who watched in disbelief.

The soul, initially hazy, quickly absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, forming a more tangible shape and revealing its true face.

“Supreme Emperor Ancestor!” Jin Zhihong cried out in shock.

It was both shocking and, somehow, unsurprising.

The remnant soul of the Supreme Emperor looked at Jin Zhihong with utter disdain. Just one glance sent Jin Zhihong’s blood surging; a thread of blood energy left his body and merged into the remnant soul, which immediately began to glow with a metallic luster, transforming into a formidable battle form.

It locked eyes on Zhang Yang, its gaze brimming with murderous intent, and said coldly. “In the brief moment that is eternity, I left behind only one thought, a thought with a single purpose: to destroy you, the source of this era’s chaos!”