Chapter 204

Chapter 204: Strange

Ye Kuanglan had been notified by the Flower Phantom.

Upon sensing the disturbance, the Flower Phantom had immediately used the Qian Kun Spirit Plate to send a message.

Ye Kuanglan had rushed over as quickly as possible.

What he saw was Zhang Yang and the others surrounding and attacking the Seventh Prince. The moment he caught sight of the prince, the obsession and hatred buried deep within him erupted. He ignored everything else and charged directly at the Seventh Prince.

The Seventh Prince was in grave danger.

Zhang Yang’s fists were nearly unstoppable—each strike sent blood spurting from the prince’s mouth, his injuries worsening by the second.

At the same time, Ye Kuanglan’s sword was incomparably sharp.

"Roar—!"

At the brink of life and death, an endless surge of black light erupted from the Seventh Prince, rising like a tidal wave toward the sky.

Boom!

Thunder rumbled violently.

A black spot appeared in the sky—it was the remnants of lightning tribulation power that had shattered during Zhang Yang’s first Ascension to Heaven calamity. Now, it had been drawn forth by the Seventh Prince.

Black lightning descended like a divine punishment from the heavens.

The Seventh Prince, disregarding the imminent danger of being struck down by Zhang Yang and Ye Kuanglan, suddenly stopped resisting and leaped into the sky.

Swish!

He collided with the black lightning.

Then, in the blink of an eye—

The black lightning vanished.

And the Seventh Prince disappeared!

This shocking scene left Zhang Yang and Ye Kuanglan exchanging stunned glances.

It was completely unexpected.

Yuluan and the Flower Phantom also ascended into the sky to investigate.

Yet, there was no trace of the Seventh Prince.

He had truly vanished.

"Why?"

Zhang Yang was puzzled.

He had already developed deep suspicions about the connections between Eternal Night, his heavenly tribulations, and the Ghostly Divine Platform.

But now, the Seventh Prince seemed mysteriously linked to them as well.

The tribulation power had been meant to destroy him, yet the prince had somehow absorbed it effortlessly—even using it to his advantage.

Why?

Zhang Yang’s confusion deepened.

He now felt an even greater urgency to uncover the Seventh Prince’s true identity and origins.

The so-called title of "prince of the Great Xia Empire" seemed increasingly insignificant in comparison.

He knew the Seventh Prince must have fled to Phoenix City, but he did not pursue him.

Phoenix City’s defenses were far too formidable. If he attempted an attack now, he would fail. He needed to break through to a higher realm before he had any real hope of success.

They descended into Falling Phoenix Valley.

Inside the valley, the flames had died down.

Only the Fire Maiden remained, standing alone with a sorrowful expression—clearly devastated.

She was grieving.

Her family’s hatred burned in her heart.

After enduring a millennium, their only hope had been meticulously cultivated—only to fall into the hands of their sworn enemy.

Regret weighed heavily on her.

She had even aided them, making her feel as if death would be preferable.

Zhang Yang spoke calmly, "Feeling frustrated and regretful is meaningless. We should find the Phoenix Soul and revive the Daybreak Phoenix Luan tribe."

The Fire Maiden, though tearless, gritted her teeth and said, "You’re right. We must kill that imposter, Mu Lin’er."

She turned to Zhang Yang and Ye Kuanglan and said, "I hope you can help me."

She ignored Yuluan and the Flower Phantom—

Because Yuluan had already taken off in pursuit.

As a natural bandit, Yuluan had spotted the fleeing Three Thousand Alchemists. Without hesitation, she and the Flower Phantom had set off to rob them.

"Go ahead," Zhang Yang replied.

The Fire Maiden continued, "Once Mu Lin’er completes her rebirth, she will become the true body of the Daybreak Phoenix Luan. Within the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins, she will be like a favored child of heaven—standing at an almost invincible position.

"It’s not just about killing her; even surviving against her will be difficult.

"To stop her from completing her rebirth, we must strip away her Phoenix Mark. The only way to do that is to find the Rebirth Fire.

"If we succeed, even if she emerges, she will no longer be the complete Phoenix Woman.

"She will struggle to control the power of the ruins. Her strength will be her own, and she will find it difficult to harness external forces on a large scale."

Zhang Yang declared, "Leave this to me. I have two top informants by my side. Together, we will find the Rebirth Fire."

The combined efforts of Yi Ren Zui and the Flower Phantom had the power to break through any information barrier.

Even Qiu Yuwan would have to take a backseat.

Zhang Yang had absolute confidence in this.

The Fire Maiden then turned to Ye Kuanglan and said, "You should stay. I will imprint an ultimate sword technique in this valley. I observed your recent battles, and you have the potential to master it."

She cast a glance at Yuluan, who was busy robbing the alchemists, and explained, "Her bloodline is too strong. It is not a pure sword path, making it unsuitable for cultivation."

This was a clarification meant for Zhang Yang.

Ye Kuanglan did not refuse—he felt the pressure too.

Once, he had been peerless.

But now, both Zhang Yang and the Seventh Prince were pushing him to his limits.

Moreover, he had recently learned of a white crane, a god-like beast of the sword path, as well as Yaoruoxian, all of which further intensified his sense of urgency.

He needed to become stronger.

So, he decided to stay and accept the ultimate sword technique.

Meanwhile, the Flower Phantom contacted Yi Ren Zui to search for the Rebirth Fire while also reaching out to the other three phantoms to investigate the Phoenix Woman’s rebirth site.

Zhang Yang soon reunited with Yuluan, who had successfully robbed the Three Thousand Alchemists.

The two traveled eastward, moving like celestial lovers.

After this battle, Zhang Yang had gained an even deeper understanding of the overwhelming power of holy martial arts techniques.

Just like the Saints’ laws of Yaoruoxian—

At first glance, it might seem like just another technique, but in reality, it carried a dominion akin to holy power martial arts. However, Yaoruoxian was neither Zhang Yang nor the Seventh Prince, and without the Nine Extremes True Essence, her power remained limited.

Now that Zhang Yang understood this key principle, he was determined to work tirelessly until he mastered a complete holy power martial arts technique—one that would allow him to crush all opponents with absolute dominance.

Thus, he set his sights on the terrifying dragon bones he had seen atop the Path of the Dead Saint.

He was only half a step away from Quasi-Holy Power.

But this wasn’t just about understanding the saint’s path or deciphering the holy power manual.

It was also about his comprehension of dragons.

His Diamond Dragon Strength had originated from the Diamond Dragon, which he later evolved into Diamond Dragon Divine Power. Now, it had further transformed into Quasi-Holy Power.

Yet, he still lacked a deeper understanding of dragons.

This realization became even clearer as he and Yuluan secluded themselves, complementing each other’s insights and making great strides in their understanding.

If he could witness a dragon again, he might finally eliminate the "quasi" in Quasi-Holy Power.

Just imagining the invincible might of a fully realized Diamond Dragon Holy Power sent a thrill of anticipation through him.

He accelerated at full speed.

Although his sense of direction was questionable, with Yuluan leading the way, he had nothing to worry about.

"Hmm?"

Yuluan suddenly stopped, her brows furrowing as she took out the Langya Divine Jade.

Zhang Yang glanced at it and immediately noticed the faint glow emanating from the jade, as if it were breathing, subtly absorbing the essence released by Yuluan.

His gaze sharpened.

Yi Ren Zui had warned them through the Flower Phantom to be cautious.

Yuluan had been extra vigilant, yet she had still fallen victim to the Langya Divine Jade’s influence.

Though imperceptible, the essence she released held immense value.

Her Chi Dragon Royal Bloodline was far beyond that of ordinary chi dragons. A trace of royal aura lingered within her, and if gathered in sufficient quantity, it could greatly enhance a chi dragon’s bloodline.

Zhang Yang and Yuluan exchanged a knowing glance.

Without a word, they smiled at each other.

Then, hand in hand, they suddenly vanished.

Moments later, a shadowy figure rushed over, landing exactly where they had just stood.

Extending his hand, he gathered the lingering strands of Chi Dragon Royal Aura and let out a sinister grin.

"As expected from the Chi Dragon Royal Bloodline," he muttered. "If I can obtain her bloodline, I will achieve super evolution."

"Do you really think you have any hope?"

A cold voice pierced through the air.

The man’s expression darkened as he turned sharply—

Zhang Yang and Yuluan stood behind him, their gazes icy and unwavering.

His name was Langya Yu.

Zhang Yang held the Langya Divine Jade in his hand.

Under Langya Yu’s wide-eyed stare, he gently squeezed.

Crack!

The Langya Divine Jade shattered into pieces.

"Puh!"

Langya Yu coughed up blood, staggering backward, his face turning deathly pale.

His once handsome features twisted into a snarl as he glared at them.

"I knew you’d discover it sooner or later."

His voice dripped with malice.

"It doesn’t matter. My primary goal was to confirm Yuluan’s bloodline. Now that I know she possesses an unprecedented Chi Dragon Royal Bloodline, that’s enough."

His cold gaze locked onto Yuluan.

"Your bloodline belongs to the cursed land of Langya. You have two choices—hand it over willingly, or I will annihilate you along with the cursed land of Langya and seize your bloodline by force!"