Chapter 29
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Chapter 29: Cruelty
Previously, Zhang Yang had trained at a height of three hundred seventy meters.
This time, he soared to five hundred forty meters—a testament to how remarkable the power boost from his breakthrough truly was.
At this altitude, the wind howled violently.
He sat cross-legged, ready to cultivate.
The wind roared around him.
Inside the Skyfire Pill Furnace, Chi Zhenyi observed through the cracks, his heart pounding with excitement.
His years of research on immortals left him certain—
Zhang Yang’s training could indeed allow him to absorb the wind as part of his strength.
But there was one thing Chi Zhenyi couldn’t understand.
The Divine Strength Technique Zhang Yang practiced was strong, but it wasn’t particularly extraordinary. Many had trained in it, yet none had ever, in their ignorance, stopped their elemental energy from condensing the way Zhang Yang had.
As he pondered over it, only one explanation made sense.
It was Zhang Yang’s physique.
His body, even in an unconscious state, instinctively sought the strongest form.
What kind of physique was that?
Chi Zhenyi didn’t know—he had never seen anything like it—but he was filled with excitement. He felt an overwhelming urge to guide Zhang Yang in laying the foundation for the path to immortality, to help him prove himself as an immortal.
For the first time, he deeply desired to reshape his true form and resume his martial arts journey.
He wanted to live again.
Although it would be difficult, Zhang Yang had shown him that there was a chance to surpass the sages, a chance to unveil the mystery of the Eternal Night. No matter how hard it was, he longed for revival.
Half an hour later, Zhang Yang stopped his practice.
“How was it?” Chi Zhenyi asked immediately.
Zhang Yang replied, “I can absorb the wind, but the quality of the wind in this world seems poor; I’m absorbing too little.”
“Hahaha…”
Chi Zhenyi laughed heartily. It truly worked!
“By the way, you said it’s too slow?”
“Yes, at this rate, it might take me a month to reach Level Six of the Returning to Origin Realm.”
“A month is slow?”
“Isn’t it? It’s been less than ten days since I started practicing martial arts, and now a small breakthrough is going to take a month?”
Chi Zhenyi didn’t want to speak anymore.
Ten days?
From zero to the fifth level of the Returning to Origin realm?
He suddenly realized the person before him was truly a monster.
Chi Zhenyi pondered for a moment before saying, “Actually, there could be other options, like wind-related treasures—Wind Gathering Pearls or the True Spirit of Wind. These could help you break through much faster, but they’re extremely rare.”
Zhang Yang had no such treasures. Looking up at the mountain peak, he murmured, “I wonder if the ancestors of the Howling Wolf Palace left any treasures at the top of Wolf God Mountain.”
“Wolf God Mountain? Is this really Wolf God Mountain?!” Chi Zhenyi exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes. The palace master of the Howling Wolf Palace cut off the peak and replaced it with a fake one, while the real summit was moved to the Vast Forest,” Zhang Yang explained.
Chi Zhenyi’s joy was uncontrollable. “Could it be that the heavens are not done with me yet? If Wolf God Mountain is truly here, then the Heavenly Sacrifice Altar of the Howling Wolf Palace might be here too. If it is, I will have a chance at revival!”
“The Heavenly Sacrifice Altar? It exists,” Zhang Yang confirmed. “I once heard Palace Master Li mention that Wolf God Mountain houses the most mysterious Heavenly Sacrifice Altar of the Howling Wolf Palace, but its purpose and secrets have long been lost.”
“Hahaha…”
Chi Zhenyi laughed excitedly. In his eagerness, he tried to emerge, but the terrifying pressure forced him back. He let out two painful wails, yet he continued laughing in exhilaration.
“The Heavenly Sacrifice Altar—I know how to use it! It can allow my spirit to reshape my true self! Five hundred years ago, the Howling Wolf Palace stirred up conflict with Cangmang Sacred Land. Before it could even begin, those bastards invaded, forcing us to seal this place with immortal arts. Since then, the Heavenly Sacrifice Altar has remained unused. After accumulating energy for five hundred years, it should be enough! I might be able to reshape my true form in ten years… maybe even eight!”
Zhang Yang asked, “Why should I let you use it?”
Chi Zhenyi grinned. “I can be your backing—I’m very powerful.”
“In the Vast Forest, if I achieve Nine Extremes Returning to Origin—no, if I just absorb wind and thunder and reach Level Seven of the Returning to Origin Realm—I will be invincible,” Zhang Yang said confidently.
“How can you have such a peculiar thought process? Do you really want to stay holed up here until you become a sage? Don’t you want to explore the Southern Region? Visit the Eastern Region, the Western Desert, or the Central Plains?” Chi Zhenyi asked.
Zhang Yang thought for a moment before nodding. “That does make sense.”
Chi Zhenyi continued, “As long as I reshape my true form, they won’t dare to bully the weak with their strength anymore.”
Zhang Yang said, “Alright, but I can’t climb up there yet.”
“As long as you reach Level Six of the Returning to Origin Realm, you’ll be able to. Absorbing wind at Level Six is far superior to absorbing elemental energy at the same level,” Chi Zhenyi asserted. “You need to work hard in your training.”
Zhang Yang had every intention of doing so—he, too, wanted to reach Level Seven of the Returning to Origin Realm as quickly as possible, so he could stand up to the strong.
He immediately resumed his training.
An hour later, a roar echoed from the base of the mountain.
Through the Blood Contract, Zhang Yang recognized the voice of the Ironback Blue Bull—it was an urgent matter!
Quickly, he stored the Skyfire Pill Furnace and rushed down the mountain.
At the base, Lang Xiaotian was anxiously waiting. Seeing Zhang Yang, he hurried forward and bowed. “Wolf King, we just received news that the Demon Slayer Team has gathered thirty battle squads—three thousand troops in total—and entered the Vast Forest ahead of schedule. They are led by the Golden Guards commander, Jin Yuguan. Lady Yuluan sent me to invite you back to discuss the battle plan.”
“That was fast,” Zhang Yang muttered.
The Seventh Prince had originally spoken of mobilizing one hundred fifty battle teams. Now, with only thirty, it was clear that the issue regarding the Great Xia Martial Lord Seal had enraged them, prompting them to send a vanguard force instead.
Without hesitation, they rushed back to the Howling Wolf Palace.
As they arrived, they saw Yuluan emerging with the Snow Guards.
Inside, the atmosphere was heavy—everyone looked grim.
“That bastard Jin Yuguan captured all twenty-nine of our Snow Guards and took them to the frontlines,” Yuluan said through gritted teeth. “He sent a message demanding we hurry to meet them. If we delay, he will execute three of our people as a warning.”
Zhang Yang’s killing intent surged instantly.
The Snow Guards!
Ever since the old man who raised him had passed away, the first people Zhang Yang had grown close to were Xue Feishuang, Yuluan, and the Snow Guards.
The key point was that those twenty-nine had already left the Snow Guards, yet they had still been captured.
“Set off!”
Filled with killing intent, Zhang Yang was ready for battle.
Thus, the seventy-one Snow Guards, the five hundred wolf cavalry of the Wolf King Guard Squad, and three hundred golden apes all mobilized.
Together, this force of nearly nine hundred warriors consisted of those below the Ascending to Heaven realm but above the Returning to Origin realm.
Even when facing three thousand enemy soldiers, their momentum remained strong.
They marched at full speed.
Soon, they arrived near Bi Bo Lake.
The area was vast and open, making it an ideal battlefield for a confrontation between the two armies.
On the opposite side stood the enemy cavalry.
At the forefront rode a middle-aged man on a golden horse, clad in golden armor, with a golden sword strapped to his back. His skin bore a faint golden hue, and his sharp gaze was piercing. This was Jin Yuguan, the leader of the Seventh Prince’s Golden Guards. He was at the ninth level of the Opening the Sky realm, aiming to break into the Small Boundless realm. However, in this place, he was merely at Level Six of the Returning to Origin realm.
Before him knelt twenty-nine former Snow Guards, their faces bruised and battered, their appearances wretched—clear signs of torture.
Each of them was bound, and behind them stood executioners, sharp blades pressed against their necks.
“Are you the fool Zhang Yang, who dared to provoke our Seventh Prince and destroy a piece of the Great Xia Martial Lord Seal?” Jin Yuguan asked, locking his gaze onto Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang coldly replied, “That’s me.”
He glanced at the twenty-nine former Snow Guards, their heads bowed, and said in a deep voice, “They are no longer part of the Snow Guards. What you’re doing is excessive.”
“Excessive?” Jin Yuguan laughed, as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke. “It seems you don’t understand the consequences of offending the Demon Slayer Team. Your sister already paid with her life as an apology, and we spared the Green Sparrow Palace. Let this serve as a lesson to you about what happens when you cross the Demon Slayer Team.”
He pointed at the kneeling twenty-nine and shouted, “These people are connected to you, so their families have been completely wiped out—from the elderly to infants, none were spared. The only reason they are still alive is so they can be executed here, as a warning to you. This is the price of defying the Demon Slayer Team. Kill them!”
Jin Yuguan gave Zhang Yang no chance to react, showing no intention of using these captives to bargain. His cruelty was absolute.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
It happened too suddenly. Too cruelly.
The executioners had been given clear instructions; they did not even need to raise their swords high. Their blades were sharp enough to slice through effortlessly.
Twenty-nine heads rolled to the ground.
The twenty-nine former Snow Guards didn’t even have time to utter a sound.
They died right before Zhang Yang’s eyes.
Blood splattered in all directions.
Zhang Yang had never imagined such a scene—let alone the possibility that the families of these twenty-nine, from the young to the old, had also been slaughtered.
Rage erupted within him like a storm, consuming him entirely.
“Go to hell!”
He didn’t know any advanced techniques; he only possessed raw divine power. Gripping the Wolf King Spear, he unleashed six bursts of divine energy and hurled it forward.
He was out for blood.
