Chapter 332

Chapter 332: The Rise of Killing Intent

Zhang Yang’s earlier suspicion regarding the Supreme Emperor’s sinister identity was not baseless.

The first time the Supreme Emperor appeared, he stirred up massive waves, which in hindsight seemed designed to subtly suppress the awakening of something deeper within the Great Terror in the Cabin something on Ghost Island. This interference had caused Zhang Yang to miss the existence of the second lamp until much later.

During his second appearance, the Headless Monk had been influenced by the second lamp.

By the third encounter, Zhang Yang discovered that the third lamp had been sealed within a portrait by the Supreme Emperor himself, preventing Zhang Yang from obtaining it. He had even attempted to kill Zhang Yang, convinced that Zhang Yang was the root of the chaos plaguing the world.

It was then Zhang Yang realized something important: the so-called world-destroying demon in the Southern Region was not someone like the Seventh Prince, who slaughtered countless beings. Instead, it was a being whose aim was to extinguish the entire world of Eternal Night. From the Eternal Night’s perspective, the deaths of countless living beings were inconsequential.

His earlier suspicion that the Seventh Prince was the world-destroying demon had been wrong. There was more to the Seventh Prince than met the eye.

Thus, Zhang Yang’s doubts about the Supreme Emperor’s identity intensified.

Now, with his deductions about the Abyss of the Buried Immortals and the mysteries it held, his suspicions solidified into two conclusions:

First, the Abyss of the Buried Immortals had once been a Sacred Land of the Immortal Path—one that Eternal Night had failed to erase, leaving behind scattered remnants.

Second, the Supreme Emperor was a lackey of the Eternal Night, suppressing everything related to the immortal path within the Abyss in order to protect the interests of Eternal Night.

Everything now made perfect sense.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yang recalled the Ghostly Divine Platform.

One of its creators—the Ghost King had been poised to deliver the final blow during Zhang Yang’s Ascending to Heaven calamity, hunting him down with precision and malice.

Moreover, if his calamity had indeed triggered the Eternal Night, then the Ghost King, too, must have been a lackey of the Eternal Night.

Thus, both the Ghostly Divine Platform and the Taixu Dynasty had essentially become extensions of the Eternal Night’s power in the Southern Region and the Western Desert.

The Ghostly Divine Platform, having acted as the hidden hand behind nearly every major event in the Southern Region since the arrival of the Eternal Night, had revealed its allegiance through countless monstrous deeds.

Whether in the Southern Region, the Western Desert, or across the vast world, these forces worked to prevent the birth of new sacred lands and stifle the rise of anyone outside the established Saint-level powers. In doing so, they directly stunted the growth of martial arts and perfectly aligned themselves with the Eternal Night’s objective: suppressing the immortal path.

After all, without Saints, who could explore the path to immortality?

Zhang Yang firmly believed what he had declared aboard the Ghost Ship of the Buried Immortals:

“Saints crawl across the ground!”

This was no false claim; rather, it had become a tragic reality following the arrival of the Eternal Night.

The immortal path had been severed by the Eternal Night.

But the Saint path had not.

Before the Eternal Night’s descent, Saints were not a rarity. It would not have been an exaggeration to say they were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, because the number of immortals had once been truly staggering. In the eyes of immortals, Saints were little more than ants. And without a broad and solid foundation, how could true immortality be attained?

Zhang Yang believed the Eternal Night had achieved two devastating feats.

First, it erased the possibility of Great Perfection among Saints, severing the middle of the immortal path.

Second, it fostered loyal lackeys, upheld a rigid social hierarchy, and obliterated the mortal path of defying heaven ultimately erasing any chance of challenging the rule of the Eternal Night.

Looking at the current world, could the Southern Region produce even three hundred Saints?

No, it could not.

The same was true for the Western Desert, the Eastern Domain, the Northern Plains, and the Central Province.

Across the entire world, the total number of Saints didn’t even reach fifteen hundred.

In a normal era, having ten thousand or even a hundred thousand—Saints would not have been strange. Only with such a foundation could the broken path be restored and the Eternal Night overthrown.

“But then, what exactly is the Eternal Night?” he wondered. “Why does the vast world possess a vast heaven, only for the Eternal Night to appear afterward?”

Zhang Yang felt more confused than ever.

However, the desire to shatter the Eternal Night had already taken deep root in his heart.

Chaos in the troubled world. A world-destroying demon.

It had all been about him.

He once hadn’t known. But now, as each lamp entered his body, revealing more and more truths, and as he witnessed the wrath of the Supreme Emperor, a known lackey of the Eternal Night, fixated entirely on him—he could no longer remain ignorant.

Chaos! it belonged to the world of Eternal Night.

Destruction! It was directed at the world of Eternal Night.

Looking back on his experiences, he recalled how dark clouds had once loomed over the Southern Region, pressing ominously upon the land. Was the Eternal Night trying to suppress that crimson lightning?

Yet, the crimson lightning had broken through, striking him directly and awakening his bloodline. Was it giving him a chance to change? Could it have been a counterattack from the vast heaven?

No. It seemed more likely to be connected to the broken world within his bloodline.

Lost in thought, he grew dazed and eventually decided not to ponder further.

What he could confirm was this:

The Supreme Emperor was indeed a lackey of the Eternal Night.

The Taixu Dynasty represented the Eternal Night’s strength in the Western Desert.

“The Supreme Emperor must die! The Taixu Dynasty must be destroyed!”

“The Ghost King must be killed! The Ghostly Divine Platform must be eliminated!”

Zhang Yang could feel the killing intent surging within him.

He didn’t yet know which Saint-level force in the other three regions also served the Eternal Night—but he was certain they, too, needed to be wiped out.

After a long time, Zhang Yang finally emerged from his thoughts.

He didn’t reveal his deductions—not out of fear that he might be wrong, but because the truth was too shocking. Speaking it aloud might alert the Eternal Night.

Neither he nor the Vast Forest was yet strong enough to contend with that overwhelming force.

He needed more time to grow.

By now, the series of events sparked by the Supreme Emperor’s remnant soul had come to an end. Many who had been observing the Abyss of the Buried Immortals for so long were beginning to disperse.

Tiger Howl Wind, the master of Star Tiger Mountain, extended an invitation to all.

Lu Hengkong, the Son of the Sunlit Sacred Land, who was expected to attend, unexpectedly declined and appeared to be in a hurry to leave.

The moon-returning dragon certainly intended to go; he had not abandoned his goal of forming an alliance with Tiger Howl Wind.

Zhang Yang was also invited. At first, he had planned to refuse. With each lamp that entered his body, his bloodline grew more harmonized, and he was eager to travel south to the Falling Star Mountain Range to seek out the fourth lamp. However, since the moon-returning dragon had dragged him along—hoping to discuss the Taixu Dynasty and the Supreme Emperor, it didn’t seem like it would take much time, so he agreed.

The group made their way back to Star Tiger Mountain.

There, they saw Demon Sword Yi descending the mountain in high spirits.

From a distance, both Zhang Yang and Yaoruoxian noticed something was different about him.

There was a vertical eye on his forehead.

The Demon Warlord of the Demon Sword Forbidden Area had three eyes, but that did not mean everyone else in the forbidden area did. Demon Sword Yi had never possessed three eyes; this was undoubtedly a fortuitous gain.

He made no effort to hide it. After everyone had departed, he explained how he had obtained it within the mountain’s belly. After dealing with the Silver Tiger, he had accidentally discovered that beneath the Forbidden Law Patterns lay another hidden secret. Upon opening it, he had unexpectedly acquired a third eye.

Zhang Yang sighed inwardly. It was indeed a stroke of great fortune. While he and Yaoruoxian had gained nothing, Demon Sword Yi had received such an astonishing reward.

He could tell that the third eye was extraordinary, radiating a faint Holy Might—like a terrifying holy eye, but far stronger than Jin Zhihong’s.

“A strong underling is a good thing,” Zhang Yang muttered to himself.

Demon Sword Yi’s expression immediately darkened. Being called an underling was truly unpleasant.

Their group soon reached the summit of Star Tiger Mountain.

To their surprise, there were forbidden laws inscribed at the peak. Tiger Howl Wind explained that the inscriptions had been there when he first discovered the place.

At the center stood an ancient palace, Tiger Howl Wind’s residence.

The palace was quite expansive.

It included dedicated areas for hosting guests, cultivation chambers, resting quarters, and even a garden for growing flowers.

They were invited into the grand hall and the flower garden.

Though called a hall, it resembled more of a small palace complex. Open spaces were scattered with rare and exotic flowers, their fragrances wafting gently through the air.

There were pavilions for flower appreciation, and everyone settled comfortably among them.

The moon-returning dragon suddenly bowed deeply to Zhang Yang and said, “I was ignorant and mistakenly assumed Brother Zhang was merely the Son of the Vast Forest. I didn’t expect that Brother Zhang is actually the Lord of the Vast Forest!”

He had finally realized Zhang Yang’s true identity.