Chapter 163
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Chapter 163: Perception in the Shadows
The change lay within his Nine Extremes True Essence.
Zhang Yang’s combat strength was immense, and the Nine Extremes True Essence played a crucial role in that power. It allowed him to dominate opponents in the Touching Heaven Realm, effortlessly crossing four or five Minor Realms in battle. The complete suppression of his opponent’s elemental energy by the Nine Extremes True Essence was the foundation of his overwhelming strength.
For this reason, he had always longed for more Nine Extremes True Essence.
Normally, only upon breaking through a Minor Realm would the amount of Nine Extremes True Essence double, further amplifying his combat power.
But now, despite being unable to break through, he had continued to cultivate madly, allowing the Nine Extremes True Essence to accumulate far beyond its usual limits.
At this moment, it had grown—tripled in quantity.
Three times!
What did this mean?
One had to understand—the increase in Bodily Strength granted by the Nine Extremes True Essence significantly enhanced his ten divine powers. This meant that, overall, his combat power had surged by far more than threefold.
“Does this mean I can sweep through the Ascending to Heaven Realm while still in the Touching Heaven Realm?”
The realization stunned even himself.
The only regret he had was that he still hadn’t broken through.
Yet, if he did—if his Nine Extremes True Essence merely doubled as usual—then with this new foundation, he would undoubtedly be capable of challenging all first-level Ascending to Heaven Realm opponents.
“The immortal path is truly an invincible journey.”
“I want to become an immortal!”
His desire for immortality burned even more fiercely.
However, no matter how hard he cultivated, he remained stuck at the same bottleneck. At this point, further training yielded no additional growth in his Nine Extremes True Essence, nor was he absorbing much energy from the Spirit Stones anymore.
Moreover, his bloodline stirred restlessly. Though he didn’t understand why, it felt as if something had awakened within him, making it difficult for him to remain calm.
He turned his gaze to the Spirit Stones around him.
A hundred thousand Spirit Stones—completely consumed.
In the Touching Heaven Realm, the usual consumption for breaking through a Minor Realm was at most ten to twenty thousand Spirit Stones. The fact that his Nine Extremes True Essence had tripled meant the energy expenditure had been immense.
He exhaled deeply.
Still, his bloodline continued to stir.
From its very depths, strange sensations emerged—something foreign, yet oddly familiar.
It was as though a new insight was rising within him.
“Is it the heavenly lightning tribulation?”
The thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
It was an indescribable feeling—one that seemed to come directly from his bloodline.
He lifted his gaze toward the sky.
The Daybreak Phoenix Ruins remained eerily still.
There was no thunder, no lightning—nothing visible at all.
“Bloodline… lightning tribulation… breaking through Great Realms… could there be a connection?”
A flood of unanswered questions filled his mind.
He closed his eyes, sinking into deep contemplation, searching for answers through his profound intuition.
Time passed.
After a long while, his eyes slowly opened.
He muttered under his breath, “Should I fight against the lightning tribulation?”
“Where is the lightning tribulation?”
“Is it being blocked by the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins?”
His thoughts raced.
He closed his eyes once more, reaching out—not with his hands, but with his very being, attempting to sense the unseen lightning tribulation that lay beyond.
This profound intuition, born from the stirring perception of his bloodline, allowed Zhang Yang to discern the direction of the lightning tribulation.
As if guided by an unseen force, he moved toward the sensation.
The location turned out to be the entrance and exit of the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins.
Though he was often directionally challenged, this perception led him unerringly to his destination.
Upon arriving near the entrance, he was struck with shock.
Inside the passage lay nine charred bodies, lifeless beyond any hope of revival.
The ground bore the marks of countless lightning strikes, and the acrid stench of burning flesh lingered in the air.
Unbeknownst to him, these were nine of the eighteen royal guards Luan You’er had dispatched to guard the area, tasked with preventing Zhang Yang from escaping and revealing the secrets of the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins. Instead, they had met their end at the hands of the lightning tribulation.
The lightning had struck briefly before vanishing, as the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins reinforced the area once more, sealing it shut.
Zhang Yang stood within the passage, gazing outward.
The endless dark lightning churned as he arrived, as if finding an outlet for its fury. It madly assaulted the light gate at the entrance, yet the gate remained unshaken.
He was taken aback.
"How formidable is this lightning tribulation? How can I possibly withstand it?"
He was no fool, something was clearly amiss.
Even before the reinforcement of the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins, the light gate had been nearly impossible for a saint to breach. It would have taken the combined efforts of multiple saints to break through. Otherwise, they would have long since succeeded in seizing the holy treasure and the saint’s inheritance.
The uniqueness of the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins lay in the fact that, while saints could exist and act within, they could not enter from the outside. Only those already inside, such as holy corpses could move freely within.
A twinge of apprehension crept into Zhang Yang’s heart.
After careful observation, he confirmed that the light gate was indeed unshakable. With that assurance, he stepped closer.
Standing before the light gate, he peered outside.
His gaze lifted to the sky, where the vast expanse seemed like a terrifying beast poised to crush the heavens. As he neared the light gate, the lightning reacted instantly, growing even more frenzied in its assault.
Yet, at the same time, the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins responded. A thick burst of divine light surged outward, spreading like a dancing Phoenix Luan, successfully blocking the lightning tribulation from breaking through.
Now, Zhang Yang felt reassured.
He waved to the people outside.
The crowd had already noticed his presence. Many pointed at him, while others erupted into angry insults.
Among them stood Yilie, Liu Taixu, Mu Yujing, Ying Wuji, Baishi, and others from the Great Boundless.
Even a visibly weak and pale Ghost King Futian stood among them, his gaze filled with venom.
Naturally, Qiu Yinong, Yi Ren Zui, Lou Pingfan, Qiu Yuwan from Embrace Moon Tower, and many other powerful figures were present as well, positioned at the front due to their high status.
Zhang Yang’s gaze swept over the crowd, lingering not on Lou Pingfan, but on Qiu Yinong.
That peerless beauty of the Southern Region.
The woman whose sword had subdued the South—Autumn Beauty.
A sly smile tugged at his lips as he actively waved at her.
Qiu Yinong, who had been barely containing her rage, immediately lost control.
Her surging sword path power exploded outward, radiating a terrifyingly oppressive sword aura. Even the strongest Great Boundless Perfect Stage cultivators found it difficult to endure.
The most unfortunate among them was the severely weakened Ghost King Futian, who had barely clung to life—only to nearly collapse under the pressure.
He grumbled in anger, but the issue was clear: when Qiu Yinong went berserk, she cared for no one.
Her eyes held only boundless killing intent for Zhang Yang.
"I will kill you with my own hands!"
She vowed fiercely, her teeth clenched.
In response, Zhang Yang smirked.
Casually, he plucked a strand of his own hair, then blew it away.
The severed strand fluttered through the air.
In that moment, it was as if time had rewound, transporting them back to the auction at Trapped Dragon Pavilion in Mo City—the moment of Qiu Yinong’s greatest humiliation.
“Ah!!!”
Qiu Yinong erupted in fury, her body bursting with immeasurable sword light.
She completely forgot about Ghost King Futian’s plight.
With a vengeful roar, she charged straight at Zhang Yang.
Gasps filled the air.
Many were stunned, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Why had Qiu Yinong lost control?
What did Zhang Yang’s gesture mean?
What unspeakable history lay between them?
“Calm down!”
A thunderous roar shook the sky—Ying Wuji’s voice, resonating with the power of a tiger’s might.
His shout snapped Qiu Yinong back to her senses.
She halted her steps, stopping just before the lightning tribulation.
Zhang Yang, ever the provocateur, raised an eyebrow and beckoned to her.
"Aren’t you trying to pursue me? Come on, be more enthusiastic. Don’t be afraid of a little danger. Who knows? I might just be tempted to accept you."
He grinned.
"But you have to understand… I’m still too young, and you’re, well, quite ‘old.’"
His tone was teasing, yet deliberately infuriating.
"It’s really not easy for me to accept you. You need to work harder."
Qiu Yinong was on the verge of losing her mind.
The crowd exchanged uncertain glances, their curiosity piqued.
Just what had happened between Zhang Yang and Qiu Yinong that the world had yet to learn?
Though his words seemed lighthearted, Zhang Yang had not come merely to tease Qiu Yinong—he had come to expose the truth of the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins to the people outside.
And judging by Mu Yujing and Ghost King Futian’s rapidly darkening expressions, they knew it too.
They realized something significant was about to unfold.
