Chapter 343

Chapter 343: He Is Unique

Inside the Tiger King Palace, a heavy silence fell over the room.

Even Lie Qingshan, who had asked the question, felt a complex mixture of emotions. His heart filled with sighs and envy.

The other thirty-two people, including Tiger Howl Wind, Chasing Wind, and Mu Shan, looked as though they had been frozen in place, completely stunned.

Cold Thief Tian and his Thief Guards stared blankly at Zhang Yang, convinced they must have misheard him.

Demon Sword Yi opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Yaoruoxian looked at Zhang Yang, dazed. His existence was so astonishing that it left her briefly entranced, confused, and disoriented.

What nearly drove them mad was Zhang Yang’s next frustrated muttering.

“It’s already been eleven months, and I’ve only reached the ninth level of the Ascending to Heaven Realm. I still haven’t stepped into the Opening the Sky Realm. I’m falling behind.”

“Damn it, I was boasting to Chi Sheng that I’d become a saint in three to five years and dominate the world without rivals. At this rate, I’m too slow—I need to push harder.”

Everyone grit their teeth. Was he trying to kill them with jealousy?

In less than a year, he had gone from nothing to the ninth level of the Ascending to Heaven Realm, and he thought that was slow?

Even the exceptional Yaoruoxian, hailed as one of the top geniuses in the vast world, had trained for over a decade to reach the same level. And that had only been possible after being inspired by Zhang Yang and enduring multiple life-and-death challenges.

“Master, be a little more low-key,” Flower Phantom whispered.

Zhang Yang looked surprised. “Low-key? I’ve been progressing so slowly—how can I be low-key?”

Some of them wanted to slam their heads against the wall in disbelief.

He thought this was slow?

That was beyond crushing.

As Cold Thief Tian gradually calmed down, he finally understood why Zhang Yang was so indifferent about giving away the Great Path Sacred Fruit or speaking casually about killing saints. To him, reaching sainthood within three to five years from nothing was completely reasonable. The only opponent he seemed to truly respect was Eternal Night.

Even Yaoruoxian found herself dazed.

A storm of emotions swirled within her, and for the first time, her identity as a genius and her lofty aspiration to become an immortal felt almost laughable in front of Zhang Yang.

She recalled his words.

He had given her a year to prepare for the next tribulation, and when she had suggested one month, he agreed immediately, probably because, to him, a month was already enough to widen the gap between their realms.

How could she possibly catch up to someone who was already far ahead?

She felt completely lost.

Demon Sword Yi was equally speechless. After a long silence, a single thought formed in his mind: Was opposing the Demon Sword Forbidden Area and the Vast Forest nothing more than seeking death?

If the Demon Sword Forbidden Area didn’t want to perish, the only option left was to… eliminate Zhang Yang!

Having successfully shocked everyone, Zhang Yang remained composed. Aside from Yaoruoxian and Demon Sword Yi, the rest were excited and invigorated. They were now completely confident in their decision—they believed this would be the strongest holy place in the vast world.

“To establish a holy place, we first need a stable foundation,” Zhang Yang said. “Although Star Tiger Mountain has natural Forbidden Law Patterns, it’s still not enough. If too many saints gather here, it could be destroyed.”

He paused and continued, “I know of several places within the Falling Star Mountain Range that hold great opportunities, some of them could serve as our foundation.”

He thought of the Eye of the Massive Stone that he had seen inside the Reincarnation Well on Ghost Island.

Everyone rejoiced at the news.

Only Flower Phantom looked uneasy, she knew the Lord of the Sacred Forest had a terrible sense of direction.

Zhang Yang, however, was self-aware. He carefully recalled all the places of opportunity he had seen and began to describe them. Flower Phantom painted as he spoke, creating a rough map based on his descriptions. With that map, and the knowledge of where the real secrets lay, finding those places would be far easier.

Everyone was eager to take action.

Zhang Yang assigned Flower Phantom, Chasing Wind, and twenty Great Boundless Thief Guards to begin the search.

He left Cold Thief Tian, Mu Shan, and six other Great Boundless Thief Guards behind to organize Star Tiger Mountain and begin establishing the Chasing Stars Holy Land.

Then, he took Saint Lie Qingshan, Yaoruoxian, Demon Sword Yi, Tiger Howl Wind, along with his ten sworn brothers and ten more Great Boundless Thief Guards, and set off for the location of the fourth lamp, its direction revealed to him through a bloodline calling.

This arrangement also served to help Tiger Howl Wind and the other thirty-two get familiar with Cold Thief Tian and his men.

He brought such a large group along because he suspected the fourth lamp was hidden deep within the Falling Star Mountain Range, where powerful beasts could appear.

Though many said no saints resided in the mountain range, Zhang Yang had already seen the terrifying Black Tiger holy beast and had his doubts.

With Saint Lie Qingshan accompanying them, the journey proceeded smoothly. Even when they ventured deep into the Falling Star Mountain Range, if a Great Boundless-ranked beast appeared, Lie Qingshan could simply release a trace of holy power to scare it off.

It didn’t take long before they arrived at the foot of a towering mountain.

The mountain rose high into the clouds.

Its majestic appearance left everyone in awe. Compared to this colossal peak, Star Tiger Mountain seemed strikingly small.

This was the highest peak in the Falling Star Mountain Range.

It was known as Heavenly Reaching Mountain.

Legends claimed that this mountain could pluck stars from the sky.

However, a mysterious force prevented anyone from climbing it. Even saints found it nearly impossible to ascend, and descending from a great height was equally unfeasible.

No one knew what secrets lay hidden within Heavenly Reaching Mountain.

Its mystery had earned it a place among the eight wonders of the Western Desert.

The mountain’s enigmatic nature had long fascinated countless saints, yet none had ever truly explored its depths.

They began their ascent.

Within the mountain’s towering presence, they felt like ants.

Even the so-called ancient, towering trees appeared insignificant here.

They chose not to fly, opting instead to walk along the mountain paths, hoping to feel the mountain’s essence and discover what made it so unique.

Yet no one sensed anything particularly unusual.

Only Zhang Yang could feel the call of his bloodline growing stronger. He was certain the fourth lamp was somewhere on this mountain, and anticipation filled his heart.

If the fourth lamp triggered his bloodline once again, would it lead to complete awakening?

“Why are we here?” Demon Sword Yi asked, using his newly acquired third eye to peer into the mist.

Zhang Yang simply shook his head and remained silent.

Demon Sword Yi mumbled, “Whatever, if you won’t say anything…”

He still recalled how Zhang Yang had discovered the Supreme Emperor’s portrait on Star Tiger Mountain. The experience had been so miraculous that Demon Sword Yi couldn’t help but hope for another astonishing discovery.

But something else troubled him.

Since learning that Zhang Yang had reached the ninth level of the Ascending to Heaven Realm in under a year, Yaoruoxian had taken a heavy blow. Her gaze had become vacant, and her spirit seemed dazed.

They continued climbing and reached an altitude of ten thousand meters—about halfway up the mountain. From here, they could overlook the endless expanse of surrounding ranges, until they were suddenly blocked by an invisible force.

Even with Lie Qingshan’s saintly powers, they couldn’t move forward another inch.

No one was surprised. Instead, they turned to Zhang Yang, curious about what he would do next.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yang appeared entirely unfazed. He walked straight ahead, unaffected by the invisible barrier, gradually ascending the mountain before their stunned eyes.

Everyone was shocked.

Lie Qingshan smiled. He had long been used to Zhang Yang’s surprises, this was no exception.

Tiger Howl Wind and the others experienced a complex wave of emotions. Zhang Yang’s constant miracles had gradually numbed their sense of amazement.

Demon Sword Yi looked on with envy.

Yaoruoxian murmured to herself, “He truly is unique.”