Chapter 358

Chapter 358: Beautiful Woman, We Need to Settle Accounts

When the new holy land had been established in the Vast Forest, Zhang Yang had barely lifted a finger. But this time, with the founding of the Falling Star Holy Place, he couldn’t avoid involvement. He was so busy it felt like his feet barely touched the ground as he handled one matter after another.

Fortunately, he wasn’t completely alone in managing everything.

In the Vast Forest, there was Xue Feishuang.

In the Falling Star Holy Place, there was Yuluan.

These two women, with their unique statuses, were fully capable of representing him. Both were exceptionally skilled at handling administrative duties. Otherwise, Xue Feishuang would never have received a noble title so early, and Yuluan who had learned much from observing her, was now capable of consulting her directly.

The key was that both the Vast Forest and the Falling Star Holy Place were formed from alliances of diverse powers, which made internal conflict almost inevitable. They needed someone to hold them together. With Zhang Yang present, he could naturally manage such conflicts. But because of his rapid cultivation, few dared to disturb him. Everyone wanted to give him the space he needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible.

The identities of Xue Feishuang and Yuluan allowed them to mediate disputes and speak on Zhang Yang’s behalf.

So, once the most chaotic period had passed, Zhang Yang didn’t hesitate to step back.

At one point, Yuluan even shouted at him and pulled his ear—an act many people witnessed, cementing her position within the Falling Star Holy Place.

Because of that, her ability to handle matters became even smoother.

With a lighter heart, Zhang Yang realized he still hadn’t had time to enter seclusion and break through to the Opening the Sky realm.

Then, Yaoruoxian came to see him alone.

These days, her eyes always held a trace of confusion. She was still reeling from her crushing defeat in the Nine Battles Tribulation.

The knowledge that Zhang Yang had cultivated for less than a year had dealt her a devastating blow.

The battle at Heavenly Reaching Mountain had shaken the world.

Although her gaze still showed a bit of confusion, it wasn’t as lost as before. She only asked Zhang Yang one question:

“What do you think of the battle at Heavenly Reaching Mountain?”

Zhang Yang recognized the weight of this moment, it was a pivotal point in Yaoruoxian’s internal transformation.

Once, she had been far too proud, and perhaps rightly so. But after her humiliating defeat in the Nine Battles Tribulation, she had begun to understand: every being could be a teacher. She had started to develop empathy. Still, she hadn’t fully changed. Her occasional coldness toward others revealed that her heart still clung to remnants of the past.

But now… now was the right moment.

“I’m somewhat satisfied,” Zhang Yang said. “After all, we struck a blow to the absolute dominance of the Taixu Dynasty, disrupted the balance of the Western Desert, tarnished the name of the Supreme Emperor, and provoked Eternal Night. It looks impressive on the surface… but it’s not a complete victory. It still feels hollow. So, I’m not celebrating. Instead, I need to stay cautious.”

He paused, then added, “With such a huge disturbance, whether in the Southern Region or Western Desert, there will surely be more people who want to kill me. I’m in greater danger now than before. In that sense, I didn’t perform well.”

There had been many gains, but the risks had multiplied.

Anyone who could incite action from a celestial being, whether from the Southern Region, the Western Desert, or the other three regions—was bound to attract lethal attention. The threat was endless.

That’s why Zhang Yang didn’t feel any joy.

He wasn’t afraid of danger, but he knew full well he had yet to reach the immeasurable stage. He was still far from standing above the world.

“Whew…”

Yaoruoxian exhaled deeply and fixed her gaze on Zhang Yang. “I’m going into seclusion.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.

Zhang Yang watched her slender back, dazed.

If the humiliation of being named a slave after the Nine Battles Tribulation hadn’t been enough of a blow, then the series of events that followed had been even more brutal, far worse than death.

How could someone raised in constant praise survive such a trial?

How would she get through this?

Even Zhang Yang didn’t know.

He could only be sure of one thing that Yaoruoxian was showing signs of complete seclusion. If she broke through, it would be nothing short of miraculous. But if she failed… she might truly fall from grace. Or even die.

Inner struggle was always the deadliest.

Sometimes, a single passing thought or fleeting emotion could destroy a person entirely.

“No matter what happens in the future,” Zhang Yang muttered to himself, “the title of slave will be a thing of the past.”

“The reason I still refer to you this way… is because I know you haven’t undergone a true transformation. At best, you’ve only come to recognize that every being has worth, thanks to a fleeting blossom.”

He took a deep breath, then prepared to enter seclusion himself to break through to the Opening the Sky realm.

But just as he was about to begin, Flower Phantom suddenly brought news of a shocking discovery.

Was it surprising?

What the Eye of the Massive Stone had seen in the Reincarnation Well was, indeed, astonishing.

Just as Zhang Yang had barely managed to handle that situation, Tiger Howl Wind arrived, claiming that a brother of his, one from a powerful family in the Western Desert, wanted to reach out to his clan and attempt to gain their support.

No sooner had Zhang Yang dealt with that than someone else came looking for him.

He was quickly at a loss for words.

And this was with Yuluan already shouldering the majority of the workload.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Then, Demon Sword Yi rushed over, bringing urgent news: Yaoruoxian had exited seclusion and disappeared.

He had witnessed the events at Heavenly Reaching Mountain, and the battle there had deeply affected him as well. But his focus remained entirely on his younger sister. He was always the first to know about any movement she made.

Zhang Yang immediately rushed to the place where she had secluded herself.

The location was empty, except for a small flower, quietly blooming in a pot.

“What happened to Xian’er? Zhang Yang, you’d better give me a reasonable explanation; otherwise, I’ll take you down!” Demon Sword Yi said, panic creeping into his voice.

Zhang Yang replied calmly, “She’s likely undergoing an unprecedented transformation of the heart. I don’t know the details, but if she pulls through… I may have to consider her my strongest rival in the future.”

Demon Sword Yi blinked. “Really? Truly?”

In his mind, Zhang Yang was so monstrous in power that no one, not even the Seventh Prince could qualify as a rival. The best counterpart would simply be someone who could survive a beating at the same level without dying.

Zhang Yang nodded solemnly.

Demon Sword Yi then asked, “But what if she fails?”

Zhang Yang shook his head and said nothing.

Demon Sword Yi’s heart sank. Without another word, he rushed off to search for Yaoruoxian.

Zhang Yang remained, silently staring at the small flower.

His mind drifted back to that day on the mountaintop, beneath the Daybreak Sun, when he saw that little woman with disheveled hair breaking down, and the small flower that had straightened stubbornly after being trampled.

Would she, like that flower, be stepped on and still rise again?

That was the cruelty of life’s storms.

Yaoruoxian was officially beginning her trial.

After a long while, Zhang Yang turned away, closed the door, and steeled his resolve. Since nothing pressing demanded his attention for the moment, he returned to his residence to enter seclusion.

But when he opened the door, he stopped.

Someone had taken over the space.

It was still that unparalleled beauty, stunning and unmissable—Bing Yuyan.

Seeing her, Zhang Yang felt his palms heat up involuntarily, tempted to swat her bottom.

The impulse had nothing to do with decency. It was a reflex, triggered by the memory of what he had seen in the underground chamber beneath the Green Sparrow Palace, in the Reincarnation Well.

The woman in those revealing clothes had been her.

She had drawn countless degrading pictures of him, yet had he ever done anything that disgraceful?

He shut the door behind him and huffed. “Beautiful Woman, don’t you think we need to settle the score about you secretly painting me in such embarrassing ways?”