Chapter 397

Chapter 397: Battle God of the Western Desert

Accompanying the moon-returning dragon were Yue Buqun and Chi Ying Tian.

Yue Buqun, one of the top Great Boundless experts in the Western Desert, was dedicated to guarding the moon-returning dragon. He rarely spoke and treated the prince with immense respect, never flaunting his own status as royal uncle.

Chi Ying Tian had come to thank Zhang Yang. With the help of the Heart of the Saint Pearl, he had successfully refined the holy sword and named it the Heavenly Moon Holy Sword.

Heaven represented Chi Ying Tian, and Moon symbolized the Cold Moon Dynasty together, the name signified his loyalty to the dynasty.

“Brother Zhang, tell me how did you manage to kill five saints that night?” the moon-returning dragon asked impatiently.

He knew Zhang Yang must have relied on the Mother-and-child Bead, which had already been returned to him.

Yue Buqun, Chi Ying Tian, Cold Thief Tian, Tiger Howl Wind, and Demon Sword Yi all gathered around.

They wanted to know.

Zhang Yang didn’t embellish or boast. He recounted the experience plainly.

Yet to their ears, it sounded perilous beyond belief.

“You’re insane!” Demon Sword Yi exclaimed. “You were already being hunted, and you still dared to fight back? You went into the Taixu Palace to kill people, you’re completely insane!”

Zhang Yang smacked him on the head and spat, “Psh! Psh! Psh! Don’t you know how to speak? What’s insane about that? That’s called courage!”

Demon Sword Yi scoffed, “That’s just madness.”

Zhang Yang raised his hand to smack him again, but he ducked behind the moon-returning dragon, still unwilling to leave. He couldn’t resist wanting to hear more. Even though he didn’t know why he had said those words, he felt a rush of excitement and adrenaline. As he looked at Zhang Yang, his expression shifted. For the first time, he thought to himself how incredible it would be to fight alongside him.

This was the first time he had the urge to join Zhang Yang in battle. It was simply too thrilling.

Everyone looked at Zhang Yang as if he were a living legend.

The moon-returning dragon gave a big thumbs-up and exclaimed, “With countless heroes in the world, I alone admire Brother Zhang.”

“The Lord of the Sacred Forest in the Southern Region dominated his generation, known far and wide as the Battle God of the Southern Region. Now, in the Western Desert, Brother Zhang has stirred up a storm unseen in a thousand years. Why not crown him the Battle God of the Western Desert?”

A melodious voice drifted in from the doorway.

Yan Mengqing, having listened to Zhang Yang’s simple and modest retelling, utterly devoid of arrogance, could no longer hold herself back.

She was shocked and amazed, particularly by the humility in Zhang Yang’s tone, the total lack of conceit. It was something she had never encountered before. In that moment, she completely abandoned the notion that Zhang Yang might be trying to humiliate her, and with a burst of emotion, she stepped forward and said those words.

“Good!”

“I support this proposal.”

“Hahaha, the most talented one should be known as the Battle God. All this time, no one in the Western Desert has dared to claim the title of Battle God of the Western Desert, and it’s the title that Taixu Emperor Jin Shengtian desires most. If the Lord of the Sacred Forest were to take it, wouldn’t that drive Jin Shengtian mad?”

“We all agree. We believe this movement will attract countless supporters, that’s more than enough.”

“Battle God of the Western Desert!”

Everyone erupted in loud cheers.

Amid the applause, Yan Mengqing stepped forward.

The moon-returning dragon whispered, “The Grand Princess has been guarding the area ever since the Treasure Gathering Night Banquet.”

She had changed "waiting" to "guarding," a subtle shift that altered the meaning completely.

Yan Mengqing glanced at the moon-returning dragon, a smile in her eyes, showing her gratitude.

“Did Yan Donghuang not come?” Zhang Yang asked.

With that question, Yan Mengqing, whose mood had improved, nearly snapped. After waiting here for three full days and nights, couldn’t he at least show some concern?

Still, Yan Mengqing maintained her gentle smile and replied, “Our ancestors will naturally protect the Crimson Flame Dynasty. Since that day, no saint has dared to act recklessly.”

This was exactly what Zhang Yang had hoped to hear.

With no saints around, he could handle any other threats himself.

He was especially eager to see Bing Yuyan sweep across the Western Desert and seize the title of the greatest Great Boundless figure in the region.

As for the title Battle God of the Western Desert, he didn’t care much for it. He had never paid attention to such titles. Initially, he had proclaimed himself Battle God of the Southern Region solely to provoke the Top Ten Saint-level Forces of the South.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Yang turned to the moon-returning dragon, curious to hear whether he had brought any good news.

The moon-returning dragon glanced around the group.

So, everyone left.

Yan Mengqing, as she departed, carried a trace of displeasure in her heart. She realized Zhang Yang had never looked at her any differently. He treated her calmly, without the slightest special attention, he hadn’t even mentioned the Phoenix Flame Holy Sword or acknowledged her three days and nights of waiting, as though she were no different from an ordinary guest. This left her feeling deeply unsettled.

Everyone exited.

The moon-returning dragon then used forbidden laws to seal off the space from eavesdropping before he said, “Thanks to what you did in the Taixu Imperial Capital, our Cold Moon Dynasty seized the opportunity to negotiate thirty-seven trades. My father asked me to thank you personally, we all know this was made possible because of you.”

“Additionally, among those trades were several related to the Mother-and-child Bead. At present, all the required materials have been collected—except for the Ruyi Iron Heart. Once we obtain that, we can forge a second set of the Mother-and-child Bead.”

“This second set will be given to you.”

Zhang Yang’s eyes lit up with excitement, he was genuinely thrilled.

He had personally tested the power of the Mother-and-child Bead in the Taixu Imperial Capital. Not only was it effective, but it could suppress even the most powerful saints, reducing their strength to just below his own. In other words, he could control their lives and deaths as he wished.

Although the bead’s effects were limited in duration, possessing it gave him immense strategic flexibility.

“I’ll find a way to get the Ruyi Iron Heart,” Zhang Yang said.

The moon-returning dragon nodded. “It should be found in the Burial Land; they have rich iron mines. However, the Ruyi Iron Heart is extremely rare, and they are not easily persuaded to part with it. Just because we couldn’t obtain it doesn’t mean you can’t. Given what you’ve accomplished in the Western Desert, they may be eager to build a relationship with you. My father suggests you try negotiating directly with the Son of the Burial Land, Yun Tianhuang.”

“I’ll give it a try.”

Zhang Yang was overjoyed.

He couldn’t wait.

The moon-returning dragon watched his eager expression and couldn’t help but smile. Who would’ve imagined that this impulsive young man would grow into someone who now commanded respect across the Western Desert?

He murmured to himself, “The greatest fortune of my life was meeting you.”

Downstairs, everyone was still present.

Zhang Yang casually called out, “I have something to take care of,” and left.

The others remained, but Yan Mengqing immediately followed him.

As they exited the Bi Tian Pavilion, Zhang Yang said, “Grand Princess, I really don’t have the Phoenix Flame Holy Sword.”

“I’m not here for the Phoenix Flame Holy Sword,” Yan Mengqing replied earnestly. “I’m here to assist. If the Lord of the Sacred Forest needs anything, I can contact our ancestors at any time.”

Zhang Yang didn’t know how to respond.

Yan Mengqing added, “And please remember, I will retrieve the Phoenix Flame Holy Sword for the dynasty myself.”

Zhang Yang’s lips twitched. “Rely on yourself? Are you trying to provoke me? That sword is right here in my hands.”