Chapter 406

Chapter 406: The Awakening of the Black Cloak

Jigui Wu was on the verge of swearing. What the hell do you know about Buddhism? This classic Buddhist teaching was filled with profound wisdom, even his former true self could have learned something from it. Yet Zhang Yang had strayed, somehow managing to erase his own fear. And not just any fear, this was a complete eradication of it. If fearlessness and resolve resided in the heart, then being without self and invincible was a matter of the body. When the two aligned, fear vanished entirely. Nothing could shake such a heart or such a body. It was a state that only the most exceptional cultivators on the immortal path, those with unmatched mental fortitude, could ever hope to achieve. So how the hell had he managed to grasp it? No, he was just going down the wrong path.

Jigui Wu wanted to argue Buddhist philosophy with Zhang Yang, but Zhang Yang wasn’t interested in words, he wanted to settle everything with his fists.

A terrifying, colossal head loomed on the horizon, casting a suffocating silence over the Crimson Flame Dynasty. Saints dared not act recklessly. Commoners knelt in terror. Fear surged from the depths of every soul. And yet, in that moment, Zhang Yang appeared.

He was like a beacon in the pitch-black night, piercing through the darkness and illuminating the hearts of everyone present. Bing Yuyan, Demon Sword Yi, Yue Guilong, Yan Chihuo, Lu Hengkong, Yan Mengqing, and Jin Zhihong, they all felt a strange surge of excitement, even a faint glimmer of hope. They found themselves rooting for Zhang Yang to defeat Jigui Wu, because Jigui Wu embodied their deepest fears. Only by shattering him could they rebuild themselves, deepen their martial insights, and grow stronger.

“Immortals are meant to be slain!”

When Zhang Yang roared those words, every heart ignited with fervor.

In that instant, Bing Yuyan’s body erupted with radiant light. Her Ice Path and Realm of Thunder merged seamlessly, as if she were on the verge of becoming an Immortal. Her reverence for the Immortal, rooted in the heritage of the Realm of Thunder, was shattered by Zhang Yang’s declaration.

Like her, many others snapped out of their stupor.

“You lowly mortal! You dare to step over me and preach to the beings of this vast world?” Jigui Wu bellowed, his fury boiling over. He could see Zhang Yang’s intentions clearly, and it infuriated him. But more than that, he was stunned by Zhang Yang’s audacity.

What kind of man was this? On this long street, Zhang Yang had more enemies than allies. Only a handful truly stood with him. Didn’t he realize that by doing this, he was only empowering those enemies? Jigui Wu couldn’t comprehend it. But he had no time to ponder, Zhang Yang was already upon him.

With his Divine Gold Holy Body, Zhang Yang moved at speeds exceeding ten times the speed of sound. His attack landed in an instant. This was no longer the Soul Binding Saint Power, it was the perfected Consummate Slaughter Thunder Saint Power!

Empowered by his belief in fearlessness and the state of being without self and invincible, Zhang Yang unleashed a punch that transcended the limits of martial arts beneath the Eternal Night. The void before him collapsed entirely. Jigui Wu’s chaotic counterattack was obliterated before it could even be unleashed. His Remnant Soul shattered into fragments, each crushed under the overwhelming force.

Boom!

The Remnant Soul was annihilated.

The terrifying Slaughter Sacred Thunder engulfed the area, unleashing indiscriminate destruction. Zhang Yang walked calmly through the storm of killing thunder, and as he passed, everything returned to nothingness.

Jigui Wu’s Remnant Soul was gone.

And the massive head that had loomed on the horizon quietly vanished.

The darkness that had enveloped the world began to recede.

The sun and moon reappeared in the sky.

The lights of the city began to shine once more.

The once-silent Crimson Flame Imperial Capital came alive with the sounds of its people.

Zhang Yang exhaled deeply, scanning the area for the Seventh Prince, but he was nowhere to be found.

He understood that, from this moment on, the Seventh Prince would be free of all constraints and destined to rise to great heights.

“Seventh Prince, I’ll be waiting for your challenge,” he murmured to himself, then turned and left with Bing Yuyan.

The long street remained eerily quiet.

The members of the Zi Tian Pavilion, once arrogant and untouchable, were now subdued. There was no outrage over their comrades’ deaths at Zhang Yang’s hands, only shock and awe. They retreated silently into the Pavilion, some choosing to enter seclusion immediately.

Those who had been lurking in the shadows also vanished without a word, fleeing the scene in silence.

Yan Chihuo let out a long sigh. “What a night. Even the immortals showed up.”

Grand Princess Yan Mengqing whispered, “And one of them was killed.”

She raised her gaze to watch Zhang Yang’s retreating figure. Her eyes, intense and mesmerizing, seemed to burn with a fire that could melt steel. She knew then that this man, who had dared to challenge an immortal, had carved an indelible mark into her heart.

And she was certain he had done the same for everyone in the Crimson Flame Imperial Capital, including the saints.

They each returned to their thoughts, their hearts racing with excitement.

They knew that sleep would not come easily tonight.

And they understood that the events of this night would have far-reaching consequences, far greater than Zhang Yang’s previous blows to the Taixu Dynasty. Everyone, especially those within that dynasty, now realized a chilling truth: if Zhang Yang did not fear immortals, why would he fear them?

It was simple. Either they would kill him or he would bring the Taixu Dynasty to its knees.

With Zhang Yang’s reputation spreading rapidly across the Western Desert, if they didn’t act soon, the Taixu Dynasty might run out of time.

Zi Tian Pavilion

The bodies of Wind Dragon and Ji Shaolong had already been dealt with.

Inside the pavilion, the atmosphere was heavy with silence.

As the elite of the Taixu Dynasty, they struggled to come to terms with the humiliation of Zhang Yang’s brazen challenge and the deaths he had caused at their doorstep.

But it was the appearance of Jigui Wu—and the destruction of his damaged immortal soul, that truly shook them to their core.

Some immediately chose to enter seclusion.

Among them was Ye Wolf, one of the top assassins of the Western Desert.

Soon, others followed: Nie Bahuang, Su Guanchao, Xiao Xiong, Li Xingkuang, Summer God Blade, and more.

Jin Zhihong, Jin Zhihu, and Jin Liuli, however, stayed behind.

They were too restless to retreat.

“Liuli, you’re afraid of Zhang Yang,” Jin Zhihong said, breaking the silence.

Jin Liuli’s expression shifted slightly. “Not after tonight,” she replied in a low voice.

She had seen Zhang Yang face the immortal soul without flinching, and it had stirred something deep within her. What had once frightened her was Zhang Yang himself, but now she was determined to overcome that fear.

“Good,” Jin Zhihong said firmly. “The strength of the Taixu Dynasty isn’t something others should underestimate. Our patience now will lead to a greater victory. After tonight, we must set aside our pride and focus on truly strengthening ourselves. That’s what matters most.”

Jin Zhihu and Jin Liuli nodded in agreement.

Since attaining the Holy Body and Holy Eyes, Jin Zhihong’s status had risen significantly.

He was about to say more when he suddenly sensed something and turned his gaze toward a room on the left.

Jin Zhihu and Jin Liuli felt it too, though not as strongly.

That room held the body of the Black Cloaked Strategist.

Taixu Emperor Jin Shengtian had once vowed to return with Zhang Yang’s head, and the Black Cloaked Strategist’s corpse had been preserved in the Zi Tian Pavilion, protected by forbidden laws and secret techniques to keep it intact.

The three exchanged glances and approached the room, pushing the door open.

Around the lifeless body of the Black Cloaked Strategist, faint strands of soul light had begun to emerge.

The light seeped into his body.

Then, impossibly, a faint heartbeat could be heard. The Black Cloaked Strategist’s eyes fluttered, and slowly they opened.