Chapter 353

Chapter 353: The Imminent Uprising in the Western Desert

The battle beneath the mountain had reached a stalemate. The most intense moments had already passed, and the onlookers now turned their attention to Zhang Yang, drawn by their growing curiosity about Heavenly Reaching Mountain.

After all, Heavenly Reaching Mountain was famed as one of the most mysterious peaks of the Western Desert. When starlight erupted from a place long avoided and surrounded by taboo, it naturally drew even more attention.

Their gazes followed the beam of starlight, just in time to witness the tribulation clouds scatter, revealing a ten-thousand-meter-tall figure, illuminated in brilliant starlight, growing clearer and more recognizable by the second.

“The Supreme Emperor!”

“Another Supreme Emperor!”

“How is this possible? This is the heavenly tribulation—a manifestation of Eternal Night’s will. Why did it take the form of the Supreme Emperor? What’s the connection?”

“The Supreme Emperor is tied to Eternal Night!”

“After Eternal Night, there were no more immortals. The Supreme Emperor was one of the most powerful saints born in the Western Desert post-Eternal Night. Why is this happening?”

“Could Eternal Night have branded the Supreme Emperor’s power, manifesting it as a calamity?”

The crowd burst into uproar.

They had never imagined that the final strike, the immense electric hand, belonged to the Supreme Emperor. The realization shook them to their core.

These were the people of the sacred dynasties of the Western Desert.

They understood clearly that the Taixu Dynasty, at present, was considered the strongest among them. Its goal was to crush the Cold Moon Dynasty and ascend to a position where all sacred dynasties would be forced to submit to its will.

Though this truth was well known, none dared to provoke the Taixu Dynasty openly.

Everyone understood that the dynasty had flourished for millennia thanks to the legacy left behind by the Supreme Emperor. It had grown powerful enough to contend with three or even four sacred dynasties simultaneously.

That alone made the Taixu Dynasty terrifying.

But if it was truly connected to Eternal Night?

Then it wasn’t just terrifying, it was apocalyptic.

That would mean extinction was on the horizon.

It would awaken a powerful desire to resist, because if they did not stand up now, their doom was inevitable.

Meanwhile, the forces of the Taixu Dynasty were jubilant and ecstatic on the battlefield.

“Supreme Emperor Ancestor!”

“Hahaha! The Ancestor Supreme Emperor has a divine connection with Eternal Night, we are under Eternal Night’s protection!”

“Brothers, charge! Victory will be ours!”

“Eternal Night is the sky of our Taixu Dynasty. The Western Desert is destined to belong to us!”

“You Cold Moon brats, your resistance is meaningless!”

Their morale soared; they were driven into a frenzy, their fighting spirit blazing like wildfire.

On the other hand, the Golden Moon Riders of the Cold Moon Dynasty were stunned and shaken. Their eyes were fixed on the ten-thousand-meter-tall Supreme Emperor, filled with disbelief and dread.

The moon-returning dragon reacted swiftly. He shouted,

“Sacred dynasties and forbidden grounds of the Western Desert—do you see now? The Taixu Dynasty doesn’t just aim to destroy us, they want to eliminate all of you!”

“They’ve already lost nine saints to Brother Zhang, their strength has plummeted. This is the weakest they’ve ever been! If you won’t reach out to your Lord of the Sacred Forest Emperor now, then when will you?”

His voice carried immense power, echoing across the sky.

At that moment, Zhang Yang also spoke.

Harnessing the starlight of Heavenly Reaching Mountain, his voice echoed not only through the Falling Star Mountain Range, but across the entire Western Desert.

This was a power capable of resisting the will of Eternal Night. Even though his activation was still limited, its impact was massive.

“After Eternal Night, there were no more immortals in the Western Desert.

This is because of the Supreme Emperor, a lapdog of Eternal Night.”

“To all sacred dynasties, empires, and forbidden grounds of the Western Desert, listen well!

All those geniuses who were cut down before reaching immortality…

The murderer was the Supreme Emperor.

A dog of Eternal Night.

A force cultivated by the Taixu Dynasty under the shadow of Eternal Night.”

“Now, the Taixu Dynasty, backed by Eternal Night and empowered by thousands of years of accumulation, possesses the strength to eliminate all the Sacred Dynasties and forbidden grounds in the Western Desert. If we do not unite now, the Western Desert will become the Taixu Dynasty’s heaven!”

“This is the moment to destroy the Taixu!”

His voice carried far and wide, inciting even greater fervor, for he had boldly branded the Supreme Emperor as a mere lackey of Eternal Night, declaring the Taixu Dynasty to be the earthly manifestation of Eternal Night’s will.

His goal was clear: to direct hatred toward the Taixu Dynasty and force them to confront the united wrath of the entire Western Desert.

And the brilliance of his strategy lay in its undeniable logic, regardless of whether people believed it or not, they would be forced to face the implications.

Because the ten-thousand-meter-tall Supreme Emperor had clearly embodied the tribulation power derived from Eternal Night’s will.

Because the Taixu Dynasty had indeed shown signs of ambition to dominate the entire Western Desert.

Because, despite its immense heritage and large number of saints, the Taixu Dynasty had just lost nine saints in this very battle, a staggering blow by any measure.

Undoubtedly, this moment presented both a grave danger for the future and a fleeting opportunity for the present to all Sacred Dynasties and forbidden grounds of the Western Desert.

The blade was placed before them, would they grasp it or not?

What made the situation even more compelling was that verification was possible.

Lu Hengkong, Marquis Xia Houzun, and other influential figures of the Sacred Dynasties had witnessed everything with their own eyes.

Could this lead to a joint assault on the Taixu Dynasty by all forces of the Western Desert?

No one could say for certain.

But what could be said was that anything was possible.

This revelation caused the soaring morale of the Black Wolf Riders and Zhu Yue Army, which had surged earlier from excitement, to collapse completely. The realization struck them hard, this wasn’t their triumph; it might be the beginning of the end for the Taixu Dynasty.

In stark contrast, the Golden Moon Riders, who had just been on the verge of collapse, were suddenly filled with hope. For the first time, it seemed the crisis facing the Cold Moon Dynasty might actually be resolved.

Even Gu Qianmu clenched his fists in excitement. He understood Zhang Yang’s brilliance, without even deeply involving himself in the Western Desert or directly confronting the Taixu Dynasty, he had managed to create a possibility for its downfall. It was a slender thread of hope, yet it was real—and enough to help the Cold Moon Dynasty claw its way out of despair.

“Zhang Yang, you will pay for this! How dare you slander the Taixu Dynasty!”

“We only intended to destroy the Cold Moon Dynasty, you’re twisting the truth!”

“It’s normal for the invincible Supreme Emperor to carry the mark of Eternal Night’s power. You’re ignorant! Stop spreading nonsense!”

Jin Zhihong, Jin Liuli, and others shouted in protest, but their voices were drowned out by the escalating chaos of the battlefield.

At this moment, a more ruthless side of Jin Liuli emerged. The serpent-like beauty swept her icy gaze over the battlefield and roared:

“Focus all forces, kill the moon-returning dragon!”

Her cry stirred the entire army.

This was the key!

Compared to the nearly impossible task of killing Zhang Yang, targeting the moon-returning dragon, who was actually present on the battlefield, seemed far more achievable.

Jin Liuli’s decisiveness had to be acknowledged, but her contribution would go no further than this.

Because Yaoruoxian, who had previously appeared slightly distracted still processing the shock of Zhang Yang’s rapid ascension, suddenly snapped back to clarity. Seeing Jin Liuli attempt to change the tide with one command, Yaoruoxian returned to battle with a vengeance, becoming a fearsome force that drove Jin Liuli into retreat, forcing her into a state of disarray and embarrassment.

Meanwhile, the entire battlefield was surging with a dangerous undercurrent, as the Black Wolf Riders and Zhu Yue Army charged madly toward the moon-returning dragon’s position.

But Zhang Yang simply smiled, and acted.

Once again, starlight surged from Heavenly Reaching Mountain. This time, it did not shoot into the sky, but instead rushed toward the saint battle unfolding on the opposite side of the mountain’s base.

He intended to aid Lie Qingshan in defeating the last remaining saint of the Taixu Dynasty.

This single move shifted the battlefield entirely.

Everyone within the Taixu Dynasty turned pale, because if Lie Qingshan triumphed in his battle, just a flick of his finger would be enough to wipe them out.

Jin Zhihong, filled with rage, roared:

“Retreat! Everyone, retreat!”

But it was already too late.

The terrifying starlight enveloped the saint of the Taixu Dynasty just as Lie Qingshan’s massive seal surged forward, slamming into his opponent and sending him stumbling backward.

Boom!

Though powerful, the saint could not withstand the combined force of the Heavenly Reaching Mountain’s starlight.

With a single strike, he was defeated.

Lie Qingshan now stood unchallenged. His overwhelming Holy Might spread like wildfire across the battlefield.

From the peak of Heavenly Reaching Mountain, Zhang Yang’s cold voice rang out:

“Kill all those from the Taixu Dynasty!”