Chapter 6

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Chapter 6: Another Breakthrough

For half a day, Zhang Yang had the Ironback Blue Bull maintain a slow jog, yet Yuluan still hadn’t caught up.

This puzzled him.

Especially when he recalled the conversation between Su Shentong and Liu Changfeng earlier.

"They mentioned that after deciding the victor, they’d help Yun Liuhuo hunt the Night Stalker to assist him in earning a title. That means they must be heading toward Yun Liuhuo’s location."

"But Senior Sister said her title battle with Yun Liuhuo wasn’t in this direction. Does that mean I’m heading the wrong way?"

"Bull, find high ground so we can get our bearings."

The Ironback Blue Bull, incredibly fast as always, charged up a nearby hill.

Upon reaching the summit, Zhang Yang spotted a man and a beast locked in a tense standoff not far away.

The beast was a towering golden ape, three meters tall, covered in shimmering golden fur.

The man, however, was in dire straits. He leaned heavily on a black spear, using it to support himself. His clothes were in tatters, and he was covered in wounds—wounds inflicted by a blade, not the golden ape.

Between the man and the beast stood a small tree, barely half a meter tall, bearing golden fruits.

The injured man’s gaze was fixed on the fruit, his throat moving as he swallowed dryly. Panting, he muttered, “I need the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit to heal…”

"Roar~~"

The golden ape pounded its chest, its deep, resounding cries making its intent clear—the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit was not up for grabs.

The man gritted his teeth. “I am the Night Stalker, a great hero—I refuse to die here!”

He tightened his grip on the black spear and forced himself to lift it again, ready for another fight.

But his injuries were too severe. The strain pulled at his wounds, and a fresh wave of pain nearly knocked him unconscious.

"Roar!"

Sensing its advantage, the golden ape suddenly leaped, lunging at him.

Zhang Yang, perched on the hill, had incredibly sharp hearing. For a moment, he was stunned.

"The Night Stalker?"

So he was another key figure in the title battle?

Seeing the golden ape seize the opportunity to finish him off, Zhang Yang shouted, "Bull! Save him!"

The Ironback Blue Bull, empowered by Zhang Yang’s Blood Contract and possessing the ancient giant elephant bloodline, unleashed its full speed, moving like a streak of blue lightning. In an instant, it reached the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit tree—then suddenly stopped, sending Zhang Yang hurtling through the air.

The golden ape turned its head at the sound, just as Zhang Yang closed in and threw a punch.

Giant Elephant Power!

Zhang Yang had mastered three powerful martial arts techniques, and he knew that Diamond Dragon Strength was far superior to the others, so he used it sparingly.

Even so, Giant Elephant Power was no small force.

The golden ape instinctively raised its arm to block—but it was futile.

Boom!

The three-meter-tall beast was sent flying more than ten meters from the impact of Zhang Yang’s punch.

Zhang Yang landed beside the Night Stalker and grabbed him firmly.

"Golden Sun Spirit Fruit!" the Night Stalker gasped urgently.

Zhang Yang turned to look—only to find, to his shock, that the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit tree was sinking rapidly into the ground.

He suddenly picked up on faint sounds—like a heartbeat and steady breathing coming from beneath the earth.

"Someone’s underground?"

There was no time to think. He had to act.

Stepping forward, Zhang Yang clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground with all his might.

He was still three or four meters away from the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit tree. If someone below was trying to take it, the Night Stalker would be doomed without its healing power.

So he went all in.

Diamond Dragon Strength!

Giant Elephant Power!

Demon Elephant Power!

In that moment, it felt as if dragons roared and elephants trumpeted in unison.

Boom!

His heavy punch struck the earth.

The ground beneath his fist instantly cracked apart, and the area surrounding the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit tree erupted.

A man gripping the tree was suddenly launched into the air.

Zhang Yang dashed forward, grabbed the tree, and yanked it toward him while simultaneously flinging the man more than twenty meters away.

The man tumbled six or seven times before stabilizing himself. Then, his furious voice rang out.

“Kid, you’ve got guts! You dare steal what I want? Do you even know who I am? I am Xiao Hu from the Demon Slayer Team’s Underworld King Squad!”

Zhang Yang remained unimpressed. “Demon Slayer Team? Never heard of it.”

Then, he recalled something his Senior Sister had told him.

"Heavenly materials and earthly treasures belong to no one. Whoever has the ability to claim them, wins."

He smirked. “If you want it, let’s see if you have what it takes.”

Xiao Hu’s expression darkened. “You’ll regret offending the Demon Slayer Team—you’re already dead!”

With that, he put two fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply.

Immediately, figures emerged from the grass, trees, and rocks surrounding them—more than thirty men, all clad in matching black outfits.

Xiao Hu’s grin turned cruel. “Brothers, take him out! Kill him!”

The men brandished their blades and charged at Zhang Yang with a chorus of battle cries.

At the same time, the golden ape Zhang Yang had sent flying let out a furious roar—it had recovered and was charging straight at him.

Zhang Yang’s eyes flashed.

"Bull, protect the area!"

Zhang Yang set the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit tree on the ground and helped the Night Stalker sit down, leaving the Ironback Blue Bull to guard them.

Then, he quickly turned to face the rapidly approaching golden ape.

With a thunderous roar, the beast lunged at him.

Yet Zhang Yang remained surprisingly calm, without a trace of nervousness—even he was surprised by his own composure.

His keen eyesight allowed him to perceive every point of force and every possible attack method in the golden ape’s movements, as if they had been meticulously analyzed and clearly mapped out in his mind.

In that moment, he felt like a born war god. With a simple step to the side, he effortlessly dodged the golden ape’s wild charge.

Bang!

As the beast passed, Zhang Yang reached out and firmly grasped its left arm.

Then, he activated Giant Elephant Power and Demon Elephant Power simultaneously.

With the combined force of these two abilities, the golden ape felt as light as a feather, offering no resistance. Using its own momentum, Zhang Yang spun and hurled the massive beast into the ground with tremendous force.

Boom!

The earth trembled violently.

The golden ape let out a howl of despair.

Meanwhile, Xiao Hu—who had burrowed underground—was once again sent flying into the air.

His men were still rushing toward Zhang Yang when, without hesitation, Zhang Yang swung the golden ape again—this time, using it as a weapon to smash through them.

Bang!

Xiao Hu screamed as he was sent flying.

What was even more astonishing was that Zhang Yang, showing no particular strategy, simply swung the golden ape wildly, crashing into the group of charging men like an unstoppable force.

Bang! Bang! Bang…

In the blink of an eye, bodies were sent soaring in all directions.

For the final blow, Zhang Yang hurled the golden ape at Xiao Hu just as he was struggling to get up.

"Aaagh!"

Xiao Hu’s scream rang out again as he was brutally smashed away.

By the time the dust settled, not only had Xiao Hu taken a severe beating, but even the golden ape—now terrified—limped away, desperate to escape.

Within moments, all of Xiao Hu’s men had fled.

From a distance, Xiao Hu’s furious shouts echoed in the air.

“You’ve offended the Demon Slayer Team! You’re finished! You hear me? Finished!”

Zhang Yang curled his lips in disdain.

"The Demon Slayer Team?"

He had never even heard of them.

Ignoring the threat, he walked over to the Night Stalker.

“Thank you,” the Night Stalker said weakly.

Zhang Yang handed him a Golden Sun Spirit Fruit and asked, “Will this help you heal?”

The Night Stalker nodded. “The Golden Sun Spirit Fruit absorbs Golden Qi from the tree and has incredible healing properties. It also expands meridians and aids cultivation.”

Without hesitation, he swallowed the fruit whole, then took out five or six pills and shoved them into his mouth before finally sitting cross-legged to begin his recovery.

Zhang Yang didn’t disturb him. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit tree.

Golden Qi…

Currently at the late stage of the Dust Washing realm, Zhang Yang knew that to enter the Returning to Origin realm, he needed to absorb Golden Qi and merge it into his vitality.

So, he, too, sat down to cultivate.

Up until now, Zhang Yang had always found cultivation effortless—as easy as drinking water.

This time was no different.

Activating the Divine Strength Technique, he felt a surge of pure Golden Qi flowing from the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit tree. It entered his body through every pore, gathering in his dantian and merging seamlessly into his vitality.

Rumble!

A deep sound resonated from within him.

Zhang Yang had broken through.

By refining Golden Qi, he had officially reached the first level of the Returning to Origin realm.

It was still… so simple!

However, when he opened his eyes, he saw something unexpected—

The Golden Sun Spirit Fruit tree had withered.

Its once-lustrous fruits had shriveled into nothingness.

And sitting nearby, the Night Stalker stared at the lifeless tree with utter despair on his face—

Because he still needed the Golden Sun Spirit Fruit to heal.