Chapter 67
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Chapter 67: The "Simplicity" of Growth
Whoosh…
After a long exhale, Shang Zhu stood still and commanded, “Everyone, gather.”
The sixteen others, who had been busy packing, quickly assembled.
Shang Zhu turned his back to them, gazing up at the sky.
“From now on, we will face the Demon Slayer Team in battle. There are few of us, so we must act as one. It would be best if we could master the same forbidden law. Now, show me the Storm of Sword Rain forbidden law together.”
Tang Zhuo, Chen Mo, and the others exchanged puzzled glances.
What’s the point of practicing a forbidden law now? Who has the mood for that?
“Now. Show me,” Shang Zhu ordered.
As palace master, his authority remained absolute. Even though they didn’t understand and were reluctant, the sixteen still gathered to perform the same forbidden law.
After executing the forbidden law, Shang Zhu added, “Now unleash all your power into the ground.”
“Palace Master, that will destroy this place!” Tang Zhuo exclaimed in shock.
Shang Zhu replied calmly, “Let it be destroyed. We don’t need it anymore.”
Tang Zhuo felt even more confused, but faced with Shang Zhu’s resolute attitude, he gritted his teeth and shouted, “Apply your strength!”
The sixteen activated the Storm of Sword Rain forbidden law with all their might, directing its full power into the ground.
In the next moment, dazzling brilliance erupted from the Divine Forbidden Gate.
The protective forbidden laws cast within and around the palace were triggered. The superior Storm of Sword Rain forbidden law intertwined with the others, creating the ultimate storm of sword rain.
As the storm raged, the palace, pavilions, houses, walls, flowers, and trees were all shredded and flattened like withered grass and rotted wood.
Tang Zhuo and the others looked on in pain, but shock soon overtook them.
Because from within the ruins, black-clad figures emerged—screaming as they were engulfed, drowned, and torn apart by the storm.
“Assassins from the Black Cloak Pavilion!”
“People from the Demon Slayer Team!”
The members of the Divine Forbidden Gate were filled with both fury and shock.
Shang Zhu closed his eyes, fully understanding the meaning behind Zhang Yang’s parting words: it had been a warning that the Demon Slayer Team was about to strike, and their assassins were already hiding in the shadows.
But Shang Zhu understood something even more chilling—if Zhang Yang hadn’t appeared, this group from the Southern Region’s second-ranked killer organization, the Black Cloak Pavilion, would have already launched their attack.
In their weakened state, with only seventeen left, they would have been slaughtered.
It was Zhang Yang’s presence that had deterred them, at least temporarily. Those under Lu Fang from the Demon Slayer Team didn’t dare act openly against him.
And that gave Shang Zhu his chance for revenge.
Though this group wasn’t directly responsible for the fall of the Divine Forbidden Gate’s headquarters, they were part of the Demon Slayer Team, and that was enough.
Enough to vent their hatred.
Enough to spill blood.
And it was Zhang Yang who had created this opportunity for them.
“Kill!” Shang Zhu roared. “Leave no one alive!”
Tang Zhuo and the others had already gone mad, each one shouting wildly as they unleashed the Storm of Sword Rain forbidden law with everything they had.
The terrifying wave of light spread over a hundred meters, enveloping all the assassins who had not yet died.
“Kill!”
Tang Zhuo and the other sixteen shouted in unison, each voice filled with fury.
Immediately, a rain of swords descended from within the light barrier, forming an immeasurable storm of blades that poured down without end.
No matter how many assassins remained, they could not withstand the onslaught; every single one was slain without exception.
When the storm ended and the light barrier faded, the area had become nothing but ruins. Rivers of blood flowed, and corpses lay piled high.
More than five hundred assassins had come.
The entire process unfolded under the watchful eyes of Zhang Yang and Li Kunhai.
They had not left but stood at a distance, observing and prepared to intervene if necessary.
Li Kunhai remained entirely hands-off, acting solely as an observer. He wanted to see whether Zhang Yang was capable of taking on responsibilities beyond mere martial prowess.
Overall, he found himself quite satisfied, though he noted some areas where Zhang Yang’s considerations still fell short. For instance, he believed the members of the Divine Forbidden Gate should have found an excuse to take the initiative, which might have minimized unnecessary losses. Capturing a survivor to interrogate whether this operation had been ordered by Lu Fang or the Seventh Prince would also have been worthwhile. Still, Zhang Yang’s performance remained commendable.
Li Kunhai did not realize how impressive it already was for Zhang Yang to have reached this point—especially with the guidance of Xue Feishuang and Yuluan. Whenever they had time, they not only taught him martial arts but also advised him on how to handle affairs and observe situations with care.
Since Zhang Yang needed thunder for his cultivation, which only came during storms, he spent his free time watching and learning from the highest point of Howling Wolf Palace.
Thus, Zhang Yang grew rapidly. Although he still seemed somewhat immature, he was no longer as excessively simple as he once had been.
Of course, a degree of “simplicity” remained part of his nature. Since stepping into the martial path, he felt there was little that could not be solved with one punch. And if one punch didn’t work, then two punches would do. Why complicate matters unnecessarily?
The seventeen surviving members of the Divine Forbidden Gate experienced a straightforward release of pent-up rage. At Shang Zhu’s command, they quickly gathered their belongings, taking everything they could. Anything they could not carry, including a small palace imbued with numerous forbidden laws, was meant to be destroyed.
However, Zhang Yang intervened.
He instructed them to use their forbidden laws to integrate the palace’s foundation.
Then, using divine power, he lifted the entire small palace with one hand and left with it.
The members of the Divine Forbidden Gate and Li Kunhai watched in stunned silence.
This act gave them renewed confidence in their fight against the Demon Slayer Team.
In the end, the palace was placed in a corner of the now-expanded courtyard of Howling Wolf Palace, and additional pavilions were built around it, establishing it as the new residence of the Divine Forbidden Gate.
Although the Divine Forbidden Gate now had only seventeen members, their strength was undeniable.
Upon arrival, they voluntarily offered some of their treasures to share with Howling Wolf Palace. Under the leadership of Grand Elder Tang Zhuo, the other sixteen began laying down a series of defensive forbidden laws both inside and outside the palace, followed by the setup of offensive forbidden laws.
By now, Howling Wolf Palace had become wealthy, possessing enough resources to support many unique forbidden laws—even some that the Divine Forbidden Gate itself could not use.
This, in turn, provided enormous security for Howling Wolf Palace.
Moreover, Shang Zhu knew that the Grand Elder of Howling Wolf Palace, Lang Yaozu, had reached the Small Boundless Perfect Realm, just as Tang Zhuo once had. Shang Zhu took out the life essence seed from before and offered it to Lang Yaozu to absorb, then promptly announced his own retreat to break through to the Great Boundless rank.
With that, their true power began to take shape.
The known Great Boundless ranks now numbered four: Li Kunhai, Shang Zhu, Tang Zhuo, and Lang Yaozu.
In addition, there were two hidden powers: Bing Yuyan and the war statues.
Of these, the hidden ones were particularly formidable. Bing Yuyan’s strength, combined with the Ice Spirit Holy Sword, made her claim of being invincible below the Saint level sound slightly exaggerated—but in truth, very few outside that realm could stand against her.
Only one of the war statues had reached the Great Boundless rank, but its exact power remained a mystery, leaving people eager with anticipation.
Another thrilling piece of news for Zhang Yang was that among the treasures provided by the Divine Forbidden Gate, there was actually a divine light orb that perfectly matched his cultivation needs for light.
Now, only two things remained for him to complete his path: light and darkness.
Though it was unfortunate that there was only one divine light orb, its power still led to noticeable growth for Zhang Yang after he absorbed it.
In the following days, he patiently absorbed sunlight for cultivation. However, due to the rainy season, his progress slowed and became intermittent, allowing him to experience, for the first time in his life, the frustration of sluggish cultivation.
All he could do was endure and press on.
Amid this busy and tense atmosphere, everyone understood that with each passing day, the forces of the Demon Slayer Team drew closer. As a result, they all worked diligently.
On the thirteenth day of relative calm, an astonishing and delightful event occurred.
And the protagonist of this event was none other than… the Ironback Blue Bull!
