Chapter 169
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Chapter 169: The Formidable Chi Zhenyi
A suffocating silence fell over the battlefield.
The arrival of the ten great saints plunged the Vast Forest into an oppressive stillness.
Within the depths of the forest, the inhabitants gathered, their expressions grim. They feared that these saints had come prepared—equipped with the means to suppress the Vast Forest completely. If that were true, they were in grave danger.
At the same time, an unsettling tremor spread beneath their feet. A vast and terrifying power stirred, converging toward Wolf God Mountain from all directions.
Why was this happening? Who was behind it?
For now, they had no answers.
The Small Tree King’s voice broke through the tension, his laughter cold and mocking.
“Mu Kaitian, Demon Warlord… Five hundred years ago, you joined forces to invade my Cangmang Sacred Land. Yet, what was the result? You left empty-handed! You couldn’t even leave a scratch on the Vast Forest. Now that you’ve returned, do you really believe the outcome will be any different? The Vast Forest remains a forbidden land—untouchable to the likes of you. It will forever be your nightmare.”
His words seemed to lift the spirits of the people within the Vast Forest, offering them a sliver of reassurance.
The Small Tree King, born of the Vast Forest itself, was deeply connected to the Cangmang Sacred Land. His confidence in their survival was not unfounded.
Mu Kaitian remained impassive.
Suddenly, a beam of demonic light shot forth from the Demon Warlord’s third eye, streaking toward the colossal tree that loomed over the battlefield.
“How dare this lowly demon tree display such insolence before me? It deserves annihilation!”
The demon light tore through the void with violent force.
The giant tree swayed fiercely, shaking the very heavens as a torrent of divine radiance erupted from its form, clashing directly with the incoming demon light.
Boom!
A deafening explosion shattered the void itself.
Yet, even as the impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, the demon light pierced through the fractured space, continuing its relentless path toward the giant tree.
Liao Qingshan stood still, his expression cold and composed. The Purple Crystal Holy Seal rested in his hand, brimming with boundless power. As a saint, his laws were absolute, capable of overwhelming even higher-realm opponents.
But then—
“Awakened?”
His sharp gaze shifted toward the summit of Wolf God Mountain.
There, at the peak of Wolf God Mountain, an immense surge of power gathered and erupted, flooding into the Heavenly Sacrifice Altar.
And then, Chi Zhenyi awakened.
The moment his eyes opened, it was as if time itself had reversed, revealing everything that had transpired since his seclusion in an instant. In that brief moment, he comprehended it all.
He understood that the Small Tree King had lifted the barriers and channeled the essence accumulated over five hundred years within the Vast Forest into the Heavenly Sacrifice Altar, allowing him to rematerialize in an instant.
The combined power of the Vast Forest and the Heavenly Sacrifice Altar, gathered over five centuries, had achieved the miraculous return of Chi Zhenyi.
Though the process appeared seamless, it concealed immense risks beneath its surface.
However, two crucial factors made it possible. First, the Vast Forest was a place of boundless vitality—thriving, pure, and untouched by any impurities.
Second, there was the ancient phoenix tree.
It was said that phoenixes only roosted in trees worthy of their presence.
Among the countless ancient phoenix trees, many mysteries remained unknown to outsiders.
This was why the Small Tree King had once confidently declared to Zhang Yang that, after gradually releasing the barriers for two to three months, he could fully restore Chi Zhenyi in a single decisive move.
In an instant, Chi Zhenyi grasped everything and raised his gaze to the sky.
Boom!
The terrifying demon light exploded like a brilliant firework.
At that moment, the ten great sages revealed expressions of shock.
The Third Eye of the Demon Warlord was said to be invincible—capable of determining the fate of the Southern Region with a single glance.
Yet, something even more astonishing occurred.
A pair of ethereal eyes materialized in the sky, gazing down upon the ten great sages as if they were mere ants. A voice followed, sending shivers through everyone present.
“Demon Warlord, do you seek death? I can grant you that.”
The words were filled with utter disdain, treating the Demon Warlord as nothing more than an insect.
The War of the Saints was stunned into silence.
In the Southern Region—no, in the entire vast world—who dared to belittle the Demon Warlord in such a manner?
Though the Demon Warlord had not yet reached the pinnacle of a saint, his boundless combat prowess had instilled fear in every sage.
Now, he was being dismissed so casually.
The Demon Warlord’s expression twisted in humiliation.
Yet, before he could respond, another figure—one even more formidable than the Demon Warlord—Mu Kaitian, stepped forward.
To the shock of all, Mu Kaitian bowed deeply to those eyes and spoke with reverence.
“Master Chi.”
He addressed him as Master.
The name Chi instantly conjured the image of a single figure known throughout the saintly realm.
“Chi Zhenyi, one of the two sages of the Southern Region!”
“Wasn’t he supposed to be dead? How could he be in the Vast Forest?”
“This is bad. If he truly resides here, then the Vast Forest is one of the strongest Major Holy Lands in the Southern Region.”
“He alone is enough to uphold a holy land!”
Such was the might of Chi Zhenyi.
A pair of eyes, a single sentence, and the War of the Saints was already on edge.
Within the Vast Forest, excitement surged through its inhabitants. Their gazes turned toward Wolf God Mountain with renewed hope.
They knew that from this moment on, they had nothing to fear.
The two leaders of the Snow Guards, Ling Yue and Xu Li, dropped to their knees in unison.
“Master!”
In that instant, they became Sons.
Bing Yuyan, the Incredibly Enchanting Woman, let out a soft sigh of relief, though her heart churned with mixed emotions. Zhang Yang had once again proven to be full of surprises, making it seem as though he was capable of anything.
Yet, the thought of having to call him Master made her curse him inwardly. Still, outwardly, she maintained the demeanor of an untouchable goddess.
Beyond the Vast Forest, Mu Kaitian remained bowed, his posture one of deep respect.
It was well known that, in his youth, Mu Kaitian had received Chi Zhenyi’s favor—not only gaining his guidance but also being aided on multiple occasions. To call him Chi Zhenyi’s named disciple would not have been an exaggeration.
Yet now, they stood on opposite sides, swords and daggers drawn.
The world-pressing eyes turned toward Mu Kaitian.
“Have you come to challenge my Vast Forest?”
The voice was neither cold nor warm, making it impossible to discern its true intentions.
Mu Kaitian responded, “I did not know Master Chi was here. If I had known, I certainly wouldn’t have come.”
With that, he bowed once more and turned to leave, his steps decisive.
This enraged the Demon Warlord.
With a cold snort, he sneered, “Chi Zhenyi, your so-called invincibility is a thing of the past. Even if you did not perish back then, you could never return to your former peak. I do not believe you are still unbeatable.”
The Third Eye on his forehead flashed ominously with demon light.
He sought to challenge Chi Zhenyi.
Gasps rippled through the War of the Saints.
Everyone knew that the Demon Warlord, bearing the title Battle God, had long vowed to become the strongest saint in the Southern Region.
Now, he stood face-to-face with a legend and dared to challenge him.
But—
Smack!
A sudden, crisp slap resounded through the battlefield.
The next moment, the Demon Warlord was sent flying.
He tumbled through the air before crashing into the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop. His left cheek was grotesquely swollen, and as he coughed violently, several teeth flew from his mouth, mingled with blood.
Where he had once stood, a handsome middle-aged man now occupied the space. His black hair cascaded down his back, his sharp eyes glinting with brilliance.
It was Chi Zhenyi.
As for the Demon Warlord, he lay sprawled on the ground, humiliated beyond belief.
Chi Zhenyi’s voice rang out once more, filled with boundless disdain.
“Damn it, you little brat—who do you think you are, daring to challenge me?”
The scene and the voice rendered the world silent, leaving the people in the Vast Forest staring in shock.
Ling Yue trembled and murmured, “Master is invincible!”
No one had expected the mighty Demon Warlord to be casually slapped away.
What an enormous gap in strength.
Humiliated and furious, the Demon Warlord shouted, “Impossible! How can you have returned to your peak state?”
“Little brat, recognize reality. You are far from being my match,” Chi Zhenyi replied, his tone carrying an unmistakable arrogance.
Hidden in the shadows, Bing Yuyan felt an eerie familiarity with that voice—it strongly reminded her of Zhang Yang. Could it be that, having just reformed his Holy Body, Chi Zhenyi’s earlier spiritual state had been influenced by that scoundrel?
Then, Chi Zhenyi continued, “I have already reached the highest level of a sage. There is still a difference in realm between us. How dare you attack me? Are you seeking death?”
The Demon Warlord roared, his voice wild with defiance. “I refuse to believe you are truly invincible!”
He formed a Sage Seal with his hands, and his Third Eye boiled with power. With a deafening cry, he summoned an immense surge of demon light. From the shadows, a colossal beast emerged—the legendary Golden-Winged Great Roc.
However, this was not the mixed-blood variant that Kou Feiyan had summoned back in Mo City—that one had been immature. This Roc was fully grown and of pure blood.
With an earth-shaking screech, the Golden-Winged Great Roc spread its massive wings, which loomed over the sky like the heavens themselves, before swooping down to devour Chi Zhenyi.
Chi Zhenyi scoffed. “A brat like you, ignorant of the heights of heaven and the depths of the earth, dares challenge me? Maybe if you reached the highest level of a sage, you would have a chance—but now? You do not.”
He simply clenched his fist and struck.
Boom!
The enormous form of the Golden-Winged Great Roc shattered in an instant.
The Demon Warlord trembled violently, blood leaking from his seven orifices as he staggered backward.
Chi Zhenyi let out a cold snort and reached out to seize him.
The War of the Saints was stricken with fear.
Was he going to kill the Demon Warlord?
