Chapter 178

Chapter 178: Breakthrough, Ascending to Heaven Realm

Zhang Yang, Yi Qianqiu, Ironback Blue Bull, Ling Yue, Xu Li, and Lang Xiaotian stood in stunned silence.

She was undeniably beautiful, but what was with the dragon horns?

A chi dragon was a dragon without horns.

How could Yuluan have dragon horns?

“Sister Yuluan, what bloodline do you have?” Zhang Yang asked.

Yuluan smiled softly. “Chi dragon bloodline.”

Zhang Yang and the others were visibly astonished.

It truly was the chi dragon bloodline!

Her surname, Yu, immediately reminded Zhang Yang of his earlier deductions about Yuluan’s origins back in Mo City. It suggested she was from the cursed land of Langya, one of the four great forbidden areas of the Southern Region.

She was a direct descendant of the former imperial family of the Langya Empire.

Only they, in the Southern Region, possessed the chi dragon bloodline—a bloodline that had once allowed them to establish an empire surpassing Eternal Night. Yet, that empire had collapsed three hundred years ago.

“But why does the chi dragon bloodline produce dragon horns?” Zhang Yang questioned.

Yuluan gently touched her horns and shook her head. “I don’t know either.”

Curious, Zhang Yang reached out to touch them. They felt soft and warm beneath his fingers, and he couldn’t help but be fascinated.

A charming blush spread across Yuluan’s lovely face as she swatted his hand away. “Enough of that,” she scolded.

Zhang Yang chuckled.

Yi Qianqiu observed and mused, “There are only two possibilities for the chi dragon bloodline to develop dragon horns. The first is that your bloodline has transformed into the chi dragon royal bloodline—a far superior version of the chi dragon bloodline. The second is that the chi dragon bloodline was merely a facade, and your true bloodline surpasses that of a chi dragon altogether.”

Zhang Yang declared, “It must be the second one.”

Yi Qianqiu looked puzzled.

Yuluan asked in confusion, “Why?”

“The Female Bandit wants to plunder all the heavens. How could the first option allow that?” Zhang Yang explained.

“You’re asking for trouble!” Yuluan’s cheeks flushed a lovely shade of red, making her look even more enchanting. This was something she had said privately to Zhang Yang and Xue Feishuang back in Mo City.

After some playful banter, Yuluan led the group in thanking Yi Qianqiu.

The transformation brought about by the pills was truly astonishing.

Yi Qianqiu smiled and said, “I’m also heading to the Vast Forest. We’re all family here, so there’s no need to thank me. If you really want to show your gratitude, just let me test the new pills I refine in the future.”

Those who understood the implications chuckled awkwardly, while those who didn’t thumped their chests in assurance, prompting Zhang Yang and Yuluan to stifle their laughter.

Finally, after some discussion, they decided to send Yi Qianqiu back first.

His condition was critical and required immediate recovery, but he couldn’t rely solely on the sacred life water.

Zhang Yang arranged for Lang Xiaotian to escort him with the Wolf King Guard Squad, using a beast scale imprinted with an ancient teleportation array to transport them directly to the vicinity of the Vast Forest.

Due to the Vast Forest’s unique nature, the ancient teleportation array couldn’t send them directly inside. The outskirts were embroiled in battle, with Xue Feishuang leading the fight alongside Qiu Lingshui and the Demon Slayer Team.

The route had to be carefully planned.

Thus, they utilized the ancient teleportation array to first transport them northeast of the Vast Forest before making their way back.

Before departing, Zhang Yang entrusted Lang Xiaotian with the holy bottle containing the saint’s inheritance, along with the seven-colored soil, gourd vine, and seven gourds—each a top-tier treasure.

After seeing them off, those who remained were the entire Snow Guards, numbering sixty-five.

With the addition of the Shura Specters from the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins, their strength was formidable.

“The Mountain River Pill Furnace, even with just its residual medicinal dregs and unextinguished flames, offers immense benefits for cultivation. Let us enter seclusion here for a while. I will take this opportunity to break through before we return to the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins.”

This was Zhang Yang’s decision.

No one opposed.

The sixty-five Snow Guards entered the Mountain River Pill Furnace to begin their seclusion.

Ironback Blue Bull lay down nearby, closing his eyes in light sleep. Though he had quickly digested the bull horns, fully refining them would take time.

Only Yuluan’s breakthrough had reached an extreme bottleneck; she wouldn’t be able to advance in the short term. Her recent progress had been rapid, and now, already at the seventh level of the Ascending to Heaven realm, she was strong enough to protect everyone.

Zhang Yang focused on his own breakthrough.

Having already endured the Ascending to Heaven calamity, breaking through was now effortless—achievable with just a single thought.

His Nine Extremes True Essence had tripled in size due to the first calamity, surpassing the usual limits for the Ascending to Heaven realm. Another breakthrough felt as simple as piercing through a sheet of paper.

Then came the transformation.

His dantian rumbled, expanding.

If, at the Touching Heaven realm, his dantian had been like a valley, now it felt like a vast mountain range—a true and profound change.

The once swollen Nine Extremes True Essence surged like a dragon in the sea, expanding nearly twice its size again due to the breakthrough, yet still bubbling freely within his dantian.

Then came changes in his body. It was as if he had forged an unseen connection with the heavens and the earth; with each breath, he felt as though he could be lifted into the sky.

In the Ascending to Heaven realm, one could ascend into the heavens and soar freely at the pinnacle of the Nine Heavens.

Zhang Yang’s heart surged with excitement. He could continue refining his strength, but ever since stepping into the world of martial arts—or rather, ever since learning that martial artists could fly through the heavens—he had developed an insatiable longing to soar.

It was a dream shared by all warriors.

"Roar—"

Overcome with exhilaration, he let out a long howl. With a mere thought, he shot into the sky like an arrow, piercing through the clouds.

He danced through the air, laughing heartily.

People often said that martial artists appeared as gods standing upon the clouds in the eyes of mortals. Now, he had finally achieved it.

He streaked across the sky, testing the Three Steps of Mountains and Rivers. His speed surpassed light, swifter than the wind, as fast as thunder, with mountains and rivers swirling beneath his feet.

“So refreshing!”

Zhang Yang exulted, his joy overflowing.

He wanted nothing more than to find someone to spar with.

Only in battle could he release this surging energy.

“Zhang Yang!”

A sudden, booming voice rang out.

Zhang Yang’s eyes widened, excitement blazing in them. His entire being surged with uncontrollable joy and an overwhelming thirst for battle.

The one who had bellowed—was none other than the Seventh Prince!

To this day, he was the only opponent Zhang Yang acknowledged.

The only other person known to have endured the Ascending to Heaven calamity.

Both stood at the first level of the Ascending to Heaven realm.

As the Seventh Prince’s roar echoed across the heavens, he tore through the void, closing the distance in an instant.

He was not alone.

Two formidable figures flanked him.

One, cloaked in a swirling, ominous aura—wild and ferocious—was Ghost King Fulong, an Eighth Level Ascending to Heaven expert from the Ghostly Divine Platform.

The other, radiating sinister demonic energy, with a sword’s edge as sharp as a demon’s fang, was Demon Sword Master Yaolun, also an Eighth Level Ascending to Heaven expert from the Demon Sword Forbidden Area.

Moreover, additional experts from the Ghostly Divine Platform and the Demon Sword Forbidden Area were rapidly approaching from a distance—elite forces from both forbidden zones.

They had been reassigned here due to the altered realm restrictions of the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins, only to cross paths in this fateful confrontation.

Three top experts, united in a coordinated assault.

Their power surged to its peak in an instant, poised to deliver a fatal strike.

Seventh Prince!

Ghost King Fulong!

Demon Sword Master Yaolun!

Each wielded extraordinary combat prowess. Though the other two could not match the Seventh Prince directly, their realms were seven Minor Realms higher than Zhang Yang’s—enough to bridge any gap.

In a flash, the winds shifted, and the clouds churned.

"Kill!"

Zhang Yang’s heart burned with the fervor of battle, his intent to destroy searing through him. He launched forward like a cannonball, tearing through the void as he clashed violently with the Seventh Prince.

Bang!

Fist met fist—brute force against brute force. Their physical prowess was pushed to the limits, their bodies now tempered by the Ascending to Heaven realm.

Hum!

From the point of impact, a shockwave of energy exploded outward, momentarily forcing Ghost King Fulong and Demon Sword Master Yaolun to stagger, their momentum briefly halted.

But only for a fleeting second.

A transparent beam and a streak of green light erupted from below.

Close behind, Yuluan and Ironback Blue Bull intercepted the two formidable experts, their strikes laced with deadly intent.

Meanwhile, Ling Yue and Xu Li led the Snow Guards, engaging the approaching forces from the two forbidden zones.

In the blink of an eye—leaders faced leaders, warriors clashed with warriors.

And at the heart of it all, the battle between Zhang Yang and the Seventh Prince revealed the difference in their strength.