Chapter 279

Chapter 279: A Death at the Front Door

Yuluan wasn’t the only one changed by this moment.

Ling Yue, Xu Li, and even the Beast creatures felt something deep within themselves shatter. The fear that had been instilled in them since childhood, the belief that Saints were invincible had cracked and begun to crumble.

From the very beginning of their martial training, they had been conditioned to revere Saints as untouchable beings. This belief had been engraved into their memories, into their very bones.

But now, in this moment, standing before the corpse of a beheaded Saint…

That belief was no longer absolute.

Witnessing a Saint desperate to survive, trembling before death, and realizing that a Saint could indeed be killed, all of this struck a heavy blow to their reverence. Though it did not manifest as dramatically as it had for Yuluan, it planted the seeds of fearlessness in their hearts. What followed would depend on their fates and abilities.

Xue Feishuang exhaled in relief and handed Zhang Yang a communication stone.

“This is from the Dawn Goddess. She asked Yuluan to deliver it to me. Yuluan hasn’t heard its contents.”

Curious, Zhang Yang infused the Nine Extremes True Essence into the stone.

The voice of the Dawn Goddess resonated within.

“Yuluan seems to have a faint bloodline connection to an unmatched female Battle God from the Immortal Era.”

“This bloodline was recorded before the Eternal Night. It is believed that the unmatched Battle God scattered her bloodline across the vast world before her fall. Many remarkable female immortals seen before the Eternal Night may have been connected to this lineage.”

“Over time, this bloodline has deeply intertwined with others, but the method to awaken it has been lost. A thousand years ago, I observed two individuals showing signs of awakening. Both ultimately failed, but they left behind brilliant achievements on the path to sainthood.”

“Observing Yuluan, it appears that Zhang Yang’s bloodline may be influencing her awakening. However, the conditions required for this process are exceedingly harsh. The Chi Dragon bloodline must first fully awaken, followed by immense fortune. Only with the essence of immortality might there be a chance of activation.”

“However, Yuluan carries shadows from her childhood experiences. If she cannot overcome them, the Chi Dragon King bloodline will never fully awaken, leaving her aware of her hidden potential yet unable to act upon it.”

“With the arrival of a new era following the Eternal Night, this moment holds boundless potential. Breaking Yuluan’s inner shackles and fully awakening the Chi Dragon King bloodline is crucial. To achieve this, she must slay a Saint herself.”

“Lastly, I must remind you, Zhang Yang’s bloodline is unfathomable, beyond my comprehension. However, it will significantly aid Yuluan in awakening her deeper bloodline. If possible, keep her close to Zhang Yang.”

As Zhang Yang listened, his emotions were complex.

He had assumed that the Dawn Goddess, Shui Lianyi, did not care much for her disciple, Yuluan. Yet, this message revealed otherwise—she had invested in Yuluan far more than he had imagined.

He had also believed his bloodline was mysterious and undetectable to others. Yet, Shui Lianyi had seen through its effects, pinpointing how it influenced Yuluan.

Looking back, he realized that Yuluan had indeed been the woman who had remained by his side the longest, especially after her bloodline had entered a half-awakened state.

He couldn’t help but acknowledge that he had underestimated the Saints.

Saints like Chi Zhenyi and Shui Lianyi had reached an unfathomable level. They were not mere immortals; they stood on the threshold of something greater, perhaps just one step away from true immortality, yet unable to cross that line.

Then he recalled the Divine King Taiyi’s proactive attempt to kill him.

Had Taiyi sensed something unique about him?

He also thought back to the moment when he had faced heavenly tribulations, when the Ten-Thousand-Meter Ghost King had revealed himself to strike him down.

All these incidents made Zhang Yang feel as if he were a fire, silently igniting dry wood, a single spark setting off a wildfire.

"If my bloodline holds such power, perhaps I can achieve even more."

He silently made his decision.

Xue Feishuang retrieved the communication stone and said, “Lie Qianlong from the Taixu Sacred Gate in the Northern Plains is coming.”

Zhang Yang asked, “Who?”

Xue Feishuang smiled. “Someone who can uncover who made deals with Lie Qianlong… Lou Pingfan.”

As the most prosperous city in the Southern Region, the capital of Daxia truly deserved to be called a land of heavenly splendor.

Despite the political unrest of the past year—marked by the deaths of dukes and marquises, ordinary people remained unaffected, continuing their lives with vibrant energy.

Under the blazing sun, the streets were crowded.

Shops stood wide open, bustling with people moving in and out, painting a scene of prosperity.

But on this day, a tremendous Holy Might suddenly descended from the sky.

It felt as if the heavens were collapsing.

The terrifying pressure swept across the entire Imperial Capital, causing every soul to tremble. Countless people looked up in fear.

In an instant, the once-bustling capital fell into utter silence.

Only within the palace did holy light erupt, illuminating the skies, pushing back against the overwhelming Holy Might in an effort to shield the palace from harm. Yet, even that sacred power struggled to extend beyond its walls.

A voice echoed through the silence.

“Master Chi has arrived. Please forgive our lack of hospitality.”

A Saint appeared above the palace.

It was none other than Mu Kaitian, the founding emperor of the Great Xia Empire, a formidable Saint whose name was written in the annals of the Southern Region’s history.

In the void, endless light gathered, forming a colossal face.

The face of Chi Zhenyi.

It loomed over the capital, vast as the sky itself, dimming even the majestic Daybreak Sun that ruled the heavens.

The capital remained silent.

The palace stood still.

Mu Kaitian bowed deeply in respect.

Yet, even as he did, the sheer pressure radiating from Chi Zhenyi caused cracks to appear in the void. His gaze, cold and piercing, forced Mu Kaitian back, the space around him shattering under its weight.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three Saints appeared in flashes of light, stepping forward to stand behind Mu Kaitian. Together, they attempted to resist the overwhelming might.

Even so, they barely held their ground.

Chi Zhenyi had not even revealed his true form, yet his presence alone was enough to instill terror.

Mu Kaitian spoke, his voice calm but cautious. “Why does Master Chi exert such pressure over Great Xia? You were once a guiding force in its founding.”

Chi Zhenyi’s voice was cold. “So you still remember the bonds of the past?”

His gaze sharpened.

“If that is the case, then why did you send Lie Qianlong of the Taixu Sacred Gate in the Northern Plains to assassinate the Master of the Vast Forest?”

Mu Kaitian’s expression shifted slightly. “You must be mistaken. Great Xia would never…”

“Bring out Shen Zhihua!” Chi Zhenyi commanded.

Shen Zhihua was a name nearly forgotten by the people of Daxia. Once the queen of the sixth-generation emperor, she had reigned for a hundred years.

The faces of Mu Kaitian and the three saints behind him darkened.

“Master Chi, someone must be scheming against us,” Mu Kaitian said.

Chi Zhenyi replied indifferently, “Should I storm the palace and drag her out myself? Do you think the ancestral saints hidden within the palace since before your Mu family established this empire can stop me from killing?”

Mu Kaitian fell silent.

He knew all too well how powerful Chi Zhenyi was—especially now that he had returned to his prime, rather than remaining in his old state.

At his peak, Chi Zhenyi’s strength surpassed what others could only dream of. He had reached an unprecedented level of power.

Once one of the two great saints of the Southern Region, he might now be capable of challenging the world’s strongest saint, Zhan Tianque.

A frosty voice echoed through the air.

“Shen Zhihua is here.”

A goddess-like figure emerged in the sky.

She was Shen Zhihua, the sixth-generation emperor’s queen.

Chi Zhenyi’s gaze was cold as he said, “You conspired with Lie Qianlong to harm the Master of the Vast Forest. Do you confess your crimes?”

Shen Zhihua’s expression remained indifferent. “I am the sixth queen of the empire and a saint. How could a mere saint from the Vast Forest make me confess? What crime would I acknowledge?”

She sneered, her tone filled with contempt. “Chi Zhenyi, this is not your era. Even so, you are just one person. Do not fool yourself into believing the Vast Forest holds such power. You cannot run rampant here, your time is long past.”

Chi Zhenyi did not even look at her. Instead, he turned his gaze to Mu Kaitian and asked indifferently, “Is this her personal stance, or does it represent the Great Xia Empire?”

Mu Kaitian lowered his head, silent and submissive.

Shen Zhihua scoffed. “You don’t need to pressure the elder. I’ll tell you—”

“Die.”

Chi Zhenyi’s voice was calm.

Shen Zhihua’s words stopped abruptly.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she slowly collapsed backward, breathless and lifeless.

Once the sixth queen of the empire… the saint Shen Zhihua was dead!