Chapter 285

Chapter 285: All Beings Like Pigs and Dogs

Zhang Yang stared at Yaoruoxian’s figure as it disappeared into the distance.

Bathed in the rays of the rising sun, she looked truly celestial.

But after this encounter, he found her very essence and character utterly disgusting.

What did it mean to have the world’s greatest comprehension?

What did it mean to win through comprehension and look down on others?

At first glance, it was simple arrogance, but the more he thought about it, the more something felt off.

Because Yaoruoxian had deliberately chosen the martial technique left by the Star Flame Saint, a technique known as Star Summon.

There was significant depth to this choice.

Everyone knew that Zhang Yang cultivated only strength.

All of his martial arts were based on divine power and holy power.

At most, he had the Three Steps of Mountains and Rivers, which he had refined into pure speed, abandoning all other profound mysteries.

He never practiced any other martial arts.

Did Yaoruoxian know this?

Of course, she did. And yet, despite knowing this, she chose to compete with him using a non-strength-based martial technique for their third battle. What was her intention? What was her plan?

This wasn’t fairness, this was a shameless scheme and a malicious calculation!

For someone who had never trained in non-strength martial techniques, being forced to do so would deeply affect his martial heart.

He was gradually forming his own path, and this was nothing short of an attempt to disrupt his way.

Zhang Yang’s eyes burned with murderous intent.

This woman… from the very first battle, she had been scheming against him.

During their second battle, she had never intended to truly fight—her target had been Yuluan all along.

And now, for their third battle, she was once again using underhanded methods.

Was this what the Nine Battles and Tribulation were about?

Zhang Yang stepped forward, ascending into the sky as he chased after her like lightning.

His heart was filled with the desire to kill.

Yaoruoxian seemed to sense his intent.

With a sudden burst of energy, her speed increased three to five times, nearly reaching the threshold of sound.

At that moment, Zhang Yang caught a glimpse of her true foundation.

She was at the seventh level of the Ascending to Heaven realm!

This revelation made Zhang Yang look at her in a new light.

Even with his extraordinary growth rate, he had only managed to narrow the gap by one small realm.

Since their first clash, Yaoruoxian had actually broken through three small realms in succession.

Even though he despised her, he had to admit, she was indeed highly talented.

Apart from the Seventh Prince, she was the only person he had encountered who could truly compete with him in realm growth.

Zhang Yang unleashed his full speed, he broke through the sound barrier, explosive sonic booms resounding in his wake.

The two of them crossed thirty to forty miles in the blink of an eye.

Ahead lay a special area where the temperature rose dramatically.

The flowers and trees growing in the region were all heat-resistant, adapted to the scorching environment.

There, in the center of it all, stood a stone furnace, towering at ten meters high.

Inside the furnace, a great fire raged.

The faint presence of Holy Intention indicated that it was Saintly Fire, but this fire was restricted.

It was well known that the Star Flame Saint was one of the three strongest saints in the Western Desert, his status comparable to Chi Zhenyi and Ghost King Youye in the Southern Region.

His level on the path of a saint was among the best in the world, and his Saintly Fire should have been complete.

What was displayed here was merely a fraction of its true form.

This was because the Star Flame Saint had left this as an opportunity for the new generation.

The definition of “new generation” varied across regions.

In the Western Desert, it referred to anyone under fifty.

In the Central Plains, however, those under a hundred were still considered new generation.

At such an age, reaching the level of the path of a saint was incredibly difficult.

If the opportunity was too advanced, it would be nothing more than an ornamental display, a fraud.

But this… this was a true great opportunity.

The two of them arrived simultaneously, landing in front of the inheritance stone furnace.

Beside the furnace stood a stone tablet, detailing information about the inheritance.

It was left behind by a disciple of the Star Flame Saint who had once passed through this place.

Yet, neither Zhang Yang nor Yaoruoxian paid it any attention.

They shared a common trait, neither of them had much interest in the Star Flame Saint’s inheritance.

Zhang Yang even felt a strange repulsion from his bloodline, as if looking down on it.

He had dismissed even the Thunder Saint Monarch’s level, let alone the inheritance of a mere saint.

Yaoruoxian suddenly spoke, her tone calm.

"I am very fair and won’t take advantage of you. I’ll take a look, then leave without delving deeper, you can rest assured about this."

Zhang Yang scoffed.

Sorry! He truly didn’t believe her.

From her manipulations in the first battle to her schemes in this third battle, he had gained a deep understanding of her so-called ‘pride’, a pride woven into her very soul, yet utterly false.

Yaoruoxian said, "The Saintly Fire may seem simple, but it is a secret set by the Star Flame Saint. I can assure you that, at the deepest part of the inheritance stone furnace, the Saintly Fire is immensely powerful. As for how powerful? I do not know. However, the martial arts technique on the path of a saint—Star Summon, lies within."

She added calmly, "This battle is fair."

"Let’s begin."

She spoke as if she were both a contestant and a referee, or perhaps even a celestial being, high above, issuing divine decrees.

Zhang Yang coldly replied, "This battle is not fair."

"You’re afraid," Yaoruoxian said.

Zhang Yang sneered. "Why should I fight you? In your so-called nine battles, why should I follow your lead? If you say fight, we fight? This may be necessary for you, but what does it mean to me?"

Yaoruoxian’s brows furrowed slightly.

Zhang Yang scoffed. "I gain nothing, yet you methodically complete one battle after another. On the surface, it seems fair, but from the very beginning, you’ve only considered yourself."

Yaoruoxian clasped her hands behind her back, her entire being radiating an ethereal presence. Even though Zhang Yang had seen her true, despicable nature, there was still an illusion of purity about her, like a celestial being untouched by the mortal world.

Which only made him despise her even more.

"Speak. What do you want?"

Yaoruoxian’s voice carried an air of superiority, as if indulging him with her patience.

Zhang Yang smirked. "Don’t you like to portray yourself as a celestial being? Then I will bring you back down to earth."

He sneered. "If you lose, you will dance for me."

His goal was clear, to strike Yaoruoxian psychologically.

But to his surprise, she responded with utter calm.

"Okay."

She showed no embarrassment, no anger, no hint of hesitation, not even the slightest negative emotion.

Zhang Yang was momentarily stunned.

He narrowed his eyes. "Without clothes."

Yaoruoxian remained indifferent. "Okay."

She had not reacted to his provocation at all.

Zhang Yang felt an inexplicable sense of irritation. "Are you really going to dance in front of everyone?"

Yaoruoxian remained composed. "Okay."

Now, it was Zhang Yang’s turn to be caught off guard.

"Why?"

Even he did not understand what this meant.

Was she truly so confident in her victory? That was impossible. He refused to believe she had that level of certainty.

Then, Yaoruoxian spoke again, her voice serene and detached.

"What does it matter to the dead?"

Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow. "The dead? What if I ask you to dance in front of a million people?"

Yaoruoxian looked at him as if he were a fool.

"A million, ten million, is there a difference? Just slaughter them."

Zhang Yang’s gaze shifted, turning sharp and unreadable. His voice grew cold.

"What are all beings to you?"

Yaoruoxian’s answer was chilling. "Ants? Pigs and dogs?"

She added indifferently, "Is there a difference?"

Zhang Yang recalled the first time he had met Yaoruoxian. His instincts had always been unnervingly accurate.

Back then, he had sensed a terrifying coldness within her, a pride so absolute that it regarded all living beings as insignificant, mere stepping stones for her path.

At the time, he had dismissed the thought. He had not believed that anyone could be so utterly heartless, even with his sharp intuition.

But now, Yaoruoxian’s stance was clear.

She had always been this way.

"You are quite interesting," Yaoruoxian remarked, her expression shifting slightly. "I admit, you are my greatest stumbling block on the path to immortality. Choosing you as my tribulation target proves that. But you have pity for ants? That is truly amusing."

Her voice was filled with amusement and scorn.

"Beings? Do they deserve pity?" she continued. "They are just pigs and dogs. When people eat pigs and dogs, do they ever consider the feelings of those creatures? I observe them just as they see pigs and dogs, there is no difference. In the end, I will ascend to immortality, soaring far above, beyond their reach. We will exist in two completely different worlds. Shouldn’t you, too?"

Zhang Yang’s gaze turned icy.

"I see beings as people, like myself. If I wish to attain the path of immortality, I must break the rules. I must give mortals a chance to rise, to grant them a path to change their fates. Even if only one in ten thousand succeeds, I must offer them that opportunity."

His voice was firm, resolute.

"You, however, see them as pigs and dogs."

He clenched his fist, his killing intent surging.

"I have made my decision." His voice rang with finality, "I will kill you!"