Chapter 18

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Chapter 18: Madness

Xue Feishuang faced an impossible dilemma.

On one side was the Green Sparrow Palace—her home, her sect.

On the other was Zhang Yang—the disciple she had accepted in her master’s stead. He was pure-hearted and devoted, willing to endure hardships for the sake of his junior brother.

How could she make such a choice?

The Seventh Prince’s voice turned impatient. "I do not have time for your indecision. You have half a minute to decide."

The pressure mounted. Xue Feishuang’s heart pounded as she looked toward her mentor, Mu Lanxin.

Mu Lanxin, a middle-aged beauty with a commanding presence, was the Grand Elder of the Green Sparrow Palace. She was also one of the most formidable Boundless powerhouses beneath the saints of the Southern Region.

Yet, despite the overwhelming situation, her voice remained gentle.

“Frost, I will not force you into a difficult position.”

At that moment, Xue Feishuang’s tears fell like rain.

With a choked sob, she knelt to the ground. "Master, I have been an unfilial disciple, bringing such great trouble upon you. I am ashamed beyond words—I have no right to face you or our sect."

Lowering her head, her body trembled as she spoke.

"I thank you, Master, for your years of nurturing and guidance. From this moment forward, I will leave the Green Sparrow Palace. I am no longer your disciple."

She had made her choice.

She would abandon her sect.

Mu Lanxin sighed softly. She said nothing—not because she didn’t care, but because she had to take responsibility for the Green Sparrow Palace.

Against the Seventh Prince and his army of one hundred thousand men…

Against the Great Xia Empire, its two holy lands, and countless allied sects and noble families…

The Green Sparrow Palace simply could not resist.

But Xue Feishuang’s sacrifice was not enough to satisfy the Seventh Prince.

His expression remained as cold as ever.

"Leaving your sect? Do you think that is sufficient? How laughable!" His tone was filled with disdain. "Do you take me for a fool? Do you think I gathered these forces for mere theatrics? If Zhang Yang is not killed, I will wipe your sect from existence."

Xue Feishuang gritted her teeth. Her voice was filled with suppressed fury. "Seventh Prince, if you wish to kill, then do it yourself! Why must you drag the innocent into this?"

"Innocent?" The Seventh Prince let out a cruel laugh. "Hahaha! In my eyes, there is no such thing as ‘innocent.’ Anyone who dares to defy my will must die!"

His piercing gaze bore into her.

"Now, answer me. Will you kill Zhang Yang?"

Xue Feishuang turned to look at Zhang Yang.

Watching the entire ordeal unfold, Zhang Yang was consumed by rage, yet he felt utterly powerless. He couldn’t break free from his bindings, nor could he save the Green Sparrow Palace. All he felt was overwhelming fury toward the Demon Slayer Team and the Seventh Prince, his killing intent burning like an unquenchable flame.

However, the look in Xue Feishuang’s eyes made his heart tremble. Desperately, he shouted, “Sister, don’t! Sister, please!”

Xue Feishuang gently caressed his face, her voice soft yet resolute. “Sister can no longer stay with you.”

Turning to the Seventh Prince, she continued, “The blame for all of this lies with me. I wanted to prove myself, to earn my title, which led to my conflict with my junior brother and the death of Xiao Hu. It’s all my fault—I’ve brought danger upon my sect. If atonement is needed, then let my life be the price.”

“Sister!!!”

Zhang Yang struggled violently.

But Xue Feishuang seemed deaf to his cries. She sat down, closing her eyes, as her true essence surged within her.

Bang!

She severed her own heart vein.

“Ahhh!!!”

Zhang Yang roared in anguish, frantically pulling at the golden ropes. The bindings creaked under his immense strength, faint cracks appearing on their surface. Veins bulged across his forehead as he bellowed, “Seventh Prince! I, Zhang Yang, swear—I will kill you! I will kill you! I must kill you!”

The Seventh Prince remained indifferent, his cold gaze betraying no emotion. He merely stated, “Kill her.”

At those words, the blue light from the Spirit Communication Stone shattered.

In the next instant, Bai Teng lunged at Zhang Yang like a bolt of lightning, his blade swinging straight for Zhang Yang’s head.

“Get lost!”

Maddened by fury, Zhang Yang lashed out with a powerful kick.

At that moment, he had entered a battle state so primal that he relied purely on instinct, his actions reminiscent of a wild beast. Completely ignoring Bai Teng’s incoming blade, his foot struck Bai Teng’s abdomen like a thunderclap.

Had Zhang Yang not been restrained, that kick would have been fatal. Even so, Bai Teng let out a bloodcurdling scream as he was sent flying backward, feeling as if his insides had been shattered.

“Yang Shihu, fire a volley of arrows!” Yun Liuhuo shouted.

Having witnessed Zhang Yang’s terrifying combat strength firsthand, Yun Liuhuo knew how formidable he was. That was why they had worked together to restrain him with the Earth Sealing Divine Technique. Now came the second step—raining arrows upon him.

Yang Shihu, the younger brother of Yang Shilong—whom Zhang Yang had killed—hailed from the renowned Yang family, an elite clan of archers.

Without hesitation, he drew his bow, leading a dozen archers behind him as they took aim.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Arrows rained down like a deadly storm.

Zhang Yang, still bound by the golden ropes, found dodging nearly impossible. Blocking was no easy feat either.

He roared, swinging his arms and legs in an attempt to deflect the barrage, but he couldn’t avoid them all.

Thud! Thud!

Two arrows struck him—one piercing his left thigh, the other embedding itself in his right chest.

“Shoot again!” Yun Liuhuo roared in horror.

This was the Earth Sealing Divine Technique—executed by twenty-nine highly skilled cultivators. Though suppressed to Level Six of the Returning to Origin Realm, their collective combat power was still overwhelming.

And yet, even under such circumstances, Zhang Yang still fought back.

This monster had to die.

Yun Liuhuo himself grabbed a bow, preparing to fire.

But just then—

A thunderous bellow echoed through the vast forest.

The Ironback Blue Bull had arrived!

Unbeknownst to them, the Ironback Blue Bull had been silently trailing Zhang Yang and Xue Feishuang. Realizing something was wrong, it had bolted back, unnoticed.

What no one knew, however, was that the Bull—famous for its terrible sense of direction—had been running wildly, its confused rampage coincidentally alerting the Golden Ape King.

Now, the Night Stalker was also on its way.

And leading the charge—

The Golden Ape King and its three hundred golden apes.

As their roars shook the forest, an army of beasts stormed toward the battlefield.

The Ironback Blue Bull, the fastest of them all, charged straight into Yang Shihu and the archers, throwing their formation into chaos and disrupting their plan to execute Zhang Yang.

This brief moment of reprieve allowed Zhang Yang to struggle with all his might.

His sister had died for him.

The sheer devastation ignited something deep within him, pushing him beyond his limits.

Blood poured from his wounds, but instead of weakening him, it only fueled his rage.

His entire being surged with an unfathomable power.

The cracks on the golden ropes widened—bit by bit.

And then—

A massive fire furnace descended from the sky, engulfing Xue Feishuang’s lifeless body before soaring away.

“Sister!!!”

Zhang Yang’s eyes widened with fury as he clearly saw that the person before him was Gu Qianshan—a man known for training warriors, not refining pills.

“Ahhh!!!”

His rage intensified, pushing him further into madness.

The two golden ropes binding him cracked, threatening to snap at any moment.

Even Pavilion Master Li, who had always looked down on Zhang Yang, was visibly startled. He shouted, “This monster is too powerful! Bai Teng, Chu Yuming—attack and kill him now!”

Before he even finished speaking, a figure suddenly dashed forward.

Yun Dongji!

He had nearly died at Zhang Yang’s hands, but thanks to Yun Liuhuo’s desperate intervention and the healing pill from Pavilion Master Li, he had fully recovered. Not only that, but he had successfully broken through to Level Six of the Returning to Origin Realm.

Among everyone present, he was the most wary of Zhang Yang.

The moment Yang Shihu and the others were distracted, Yun Dongji charged forward from behind, striking first with his sword.

Zhang Yang, still caught in his frenzy, raised his right hand and caught the sword—despite the golden ropes pulling painfully at his wrists.

Snap!

He shattered the blade with his grip and flung Yun Dongji aside like a ragdoll.

Just then, Bai Teng lunged forward again, attempting another attack.

Boom!

But Zhang Yang kicked him away once more.

However, this gave Chu Yuming the perfect opening.

As the leader of the Underworld King Squad, Chu Yuming’s strength far exceeded that of Xiao Hu. Armed with spiritual weapon gauntlets, his punch carried a force strong enough to shatter stone.

“Ahhh!!!”

With his hands and feet still partially restrained, Zhang Yang had no way to block or dodge—so instead, he tilted his head forward to meet the punch directly.

Boom!

Their collision echoed through the battlefield.

Crack!

Chu Yuming’s right arm twisted unnaturally, his bones dislocating under the impact. He stumbled back with a muffled groan, his expression twisted in pain.

Zhang Yang’s forehead was split open, blood streaming down his face—but he didn’t care. He pulled harder on the golden ropes, his veins bulging with exertion.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a blade gleamed with cold light as it pierced through the air toward him.

The sword was fast.

The man was even faster.

It was Pavilion Master Li.

Zhang Yang turned his bloodied face toward him, his eyes burning with murderous intent.

He didn’t dodge.

Thud!

The sword plunged straight into his chest.

Snap!

A sickening crack rang out as Zhang Yang ripped his right hand free from the golden rope.

Pavilion Master Li barely had time to react before—

Boom!

His head was ripped away from his body.