Chapter 326

Chapter 326: Illuminating the Mountains and Rivers

Yaoruoxian, who had been suppressing Su Guanchao and Nie Bahuang with ease, heard that word again, “slave.” It stirred a storm of frustration and unrest in her heart. No matter how much she tried to rationalize or adapt, she could never truly accept that label, even if it had been forced on her.

Her pride demanded release, and the only release she knew was bloodshed.

She shifted to the side and struck out with a punch into the void.

Jin Zhihong froze for a brief moment upon hearing the word "slave," his eyes wide as he looked at Yaoruoxian charging toward him. That expression of disbelief and confusion cut deep into Yaoruoxian’s heart, fueling her fury further.

They were both Holy Bodies.

The impact of their clash was overwhelming.Holy Might collided, Holy Intentions clashed, and the Saints’ Laws locked horns with his holy eyes. Despite Jin Zhihong’s higher realm, he was still pushed back under Yaoruoxian’s sheer pressure.

Seeing this, Su Guanchao and Nie Bahuang rushed in to assist.

The three of them joined forces to resist Yaoruoxian.

But Yaoruoxian, her fighting spirit blazing, resembled a transcendent fairy radiating divine brilliance. With every sweep of her arms, holy light surged, blanketing the battlefield in radiant waves.

She suppressed the three top experts with surprising ease.

It had to be said that Yaoruoxian was indeed a terrifying powerhouse.

However, it was also clear that Jin Zhihong was particularly unfortunate. Facing Yaoruoxian was, to him, no different from facing Zhang Yang. The psychological trauma from the Abyss of the Buried Immortals still haunted him, and it weighed heavily on his ability to unleash his full strength.

Otherwise, relying on his superior cultivation alone. His Holy Body and holy eyes, he would’ve been more than capable of fighting Yaoruoxian on equal footing, and perhaps, he might not have lost at all.

But psychological demons often posed the greatest obstacles.

No matter how much frustration he felt, Jin Zhihong couldn’t express it. The memory of Yaoruoxian’s unmatched grace and terrifying presence during the Abyss expedition played over and over in his mind, destabilizing him.

Still, this only indicated that once Jin Zhihong overcame his inner fears, he had the potential to become truly invincible.

As for the rest of the Butian Guards, they were no match for Zhang Yang.

With just a release of his Holy Might, he sent them flying, blood spraying from their mouths as they hit the ground.

Zhang Yang slowly approached the Supreme Emperor’s portrait.

The events of the Abyss of the Buried Immortals and the River of Death had unleashed unimaginable waves, but none compared to the sheer presence of the image before him.

The Supreme Emperor appeared as if in his prime, around thirty years old.

He was handsome, with thick, lustrous black hair and a broad, smooth forehead that glowed faintly. His slightly elongated face gave off an imposing coldness.

His thick, blade-like eyebrows and deep-set eyes radiated a majesty that felt inescapable, even within a painting.

His high nose, thin lips, and slightly upturned corners of his mouth exuded both pride and disdain.

The portrait as a whole projected a sense of oppression, as if it could crush the soul of any viewer.

It was hard to imagine who could have painted such a work so vivid, so lifelike, it could make anyone with a weak will fall to their knees in fear.

As Zhang Yang stood before it, the call of his bloodline grew stronger.

He was now absolutely certain, the third lamp was sealed within this Supreme Emperor’s portrait.

This also confirmed that the Supreme Emperor’s portrait was no ordinary artifact.

Zhang Yang simultaneously activated the Slaughter Thunder Saint Power and Baxiang Saintly Power.

In an instant, Sacred Thunder and Saintly Fire surged forth together, crashing with immense force against the Supreme Emperor’s portrait.

This action triggered a furious roar from Jin Zhihong, who attempted to rush forward to stop it, but he was forcibly suppressed by Yaoruoxian.

The thunder was Sacred Thunder, and the fire was Saintly Fire. Even without triggering their explosive effects, their impact was formidable.

Yet, the Supreme Emperor’s portrait remained unscathed, only swaying slightly, as if a breeze had brushed past it.

Zhang Yang’s eyes gleamed with fierce light as he exclaimed, “Holy weapon!”

He had never imagined a painting could actually be a holy weapon. While many scrolls were known to be holy weapons, it was the first time he had seen a portrait used in such a way.

In the midst of the clash, Jin Zhihong let out a hearty laugh. “So it was painted by the Supreme Emperor himself! His realm must have transcended imagination, perhaps even surpassing the path of a Saint. A mere painting becomes a holy weapon! Hahaha! My Taixu Dynasty is destined to rule the Western Desert, no, the world! If you defy us, you’re doomed to fail. We are the destined vict—ah!”

He was abruptly struck by Yaoruoxian and stumbled backward.

Still, Jin Zhihong had begun to break through his inner shackles. With the Supreme Emperor’s portrait and the truth of his ancestral bloodline before him, he started unleashing more of his strength, slowly beginning to contend with Yaoruoxian.

Zhang Yang wasted no time, he directly stirred his bloodline.

The Illuminated Heavenly Realm and the Light of Death appeared simultaneously. It was as if his blood boiled in a fierce storm, fusing with the light of the two lamps and pouring out through his skin, all rushing toward the Supreme Emperor’s portrait.

The first two lamps responded to this.

Especially the second lamp, the Dim Light of Death which had previously been tainted by dark impurities. Now, those impurities were being purged by the light of the first lamp.

This time was no exception.

As Zhang Yang’s blood energy entered the portrait, the holy weapon-level scroll began to glow with a radiant light.

Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes, killing intent surging within.

Within the portrait were dozens of fire points, a clear sign that the third lamp had been broken before being sealed inside.

Who had done this?

The flames were extraordinarily mystical. How could they have been shattered?

He was filled with questions.

The fire points absorbed the blood energy, and with the light of the two lamps enhancing them, they erupted with a roaring blaze, transforming into fist-sized fireballs.

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

The Supreme Emperor’s portrait quickly became riddled with holes.

Jin Zhihong, locked in combat, was visibly shocked.

That was a holy weapon!

It was about to be burned away.

Worse yet, if the Supreme Emperor’s portrait was destroyed, it would be a devastating blow to the prestige of the Taixu Dynasty.

Enraged, Jin Zhihong felt his ancestral bloodline surge violently. Light as clear as glass radiated from his body as he fully unleashed his combat power, surpassing even his usual peak as he collided fiercely with Yaoruoxian.

Boom!

Yaoruoxian met his attack head-on but was blasted back more than ten meters.

Jin Zhihong followed up with several thunderous strides, his realm advantage finally manifesting. With a wild roar, he charged toward Zhang Yang.

Yaoruoxian tried to intercept him, but she was just a moment too late. Su Guanchao and Nie Bahuang launched a flurry of attacks to block her, making it impossible to stop Jin Zhihong’s charge.

He rushed forward like a furious dragon, unmatched in power and ferocity.

His inner shackles had broken. Now, he was terrifyingly powerful.

He charged like a dragon determined to crush the world.

But Zhang Yang remained focused on the Supreme Emperor’s portrait. Without turning his head or shifting his stance, he clenched his right fist and threw a sideways punch.

Bang!

Jin Zhihong was struck and sent flying.

Zhang Yang calmly withdrew his fist as his blood energy surged again, violently pouring into the fiery clusters atop the portrait, causing the flames to blaze even brighter.

But then, within the Supreme Emperor’s scroll, strands of light erupted from the flames, as if the portrait had recognized its true master and shot directly into Jin Zhihong’s body.

His ancestral bloodline roared in response, transforming and evolving. His Holy Body, his holy eyes, even his combat ability, everything began to shift subtly.

The fire clusters, having absorbed sufficient blood energy, began to merge, forming a massive flame that overwhelmed the portrait.

Zhang Yang continued to channel blood energy without pause.

As the flame reached its peak, the already fragile Supreme Emperor’s scroll could no longer withstand it.

Boom!

The flames erupted violently, and the portrait exploded into countless sparks that surged into Zhang Yang’s skin, merging into his bloodline.

Above the shattered heavenly realm, clusters of fiery meteors rained down.

As they landed, they lit up the land below, a land of shattered mountains and broken rivers.