When they returned to the sect, the two immediately separated, and Zhang Yong quietly headed toward his peak.
When he arrived at the summit, Qing Feng was crying bitterly.
Zhang Yong approached him and nudged his shoulder.
"Senior brother, what's wrong?"
When Qing Feng looked at Zhang Yong, he smiled as if he had seen salvation. He immediately stood up and grabbed Zhang Yong's shoulders.
"Younger brother, you're back!"
He began shaking Zhang Yong's body back and forth, but soon realized he was trying to move a steel boulder.
"Huh? You've become a rock too?"
Zhang Yong scratched the back of his head calmly.
"Yeah, something like that happened. What's going on?"
Qing Feng replied happily,
"I thought you were dead. You were gone for nearly a month. You have no idea what I would have done to myself."
Zhang Yong joked,
"Would you have thrown yourself off a cliff?"
"I would."
"…!" Zhang Yong was left stunned. Qing Feng's expression was dead serious.
Zhang Yong let out a nervous laugh.
"Actually, senior brother, I should thank you. The pendant you gave me protected me, but unfortunately, it was destroyed."
Qing Feng waved his hand with a smile.
"It's fine, it was a one-use item anyway. By the way, news has arrived about the Alchemy Competition. It's in three months."
Zhang Yong asked directly,
"And the location?"
Qing Feng answered,
"Flame Province. It's the desert-like region to the west of the kingdom. The journey takes half a month."
Zhang Yong nodded and clasped his hands together.
"Alright. Thank you, senior brother. I'll train for three days before returning to where I left Su Ming."
Qing Feng patted Zhang Yong on the shoulder and spoke quietly.
"Alright. Oh, and Zhang Yong, don't constantly put your life in danger. We brothers and the master would be devastated—especially with the master's current condition. So, please..."
A secret joy filled Zhang Yong's heart when he heard those words. He nodded silently and turned to leave.
He headed toward his residence. When he opened the door, the place was covered in accumulated dust.
"Right, it's been over two months since I returned here. I've been sleeping in the shop all this time."
He shut the door again without caring to clean the place and walked quietly to the lake behind the mountain, sitting in front of it.
At the pond, Zhang Yong activated the Eternal Dream Reality technique.
Within that white void, he began to question:
"Its name is the truth of the Eternal Dream … but an eternal dream? Eternity means infinity—something without beginning or end. But could such a thing even exist? Infinity?"
Doubt began to flood his heart. What did the Eternal Dream Emperor know? Why did he create this technique?
"This life itself is an eternal dream, isn't it? That's what the Emperor realized. But does it have limits? The only limits that exist are human limits… but do they truly exist? If life is an eternal, unreal dream, then doesn't that make limits unreal as well? They're illusions created by the human mind. Nothing defines your limits except yourself. I can understand the Eternal Dream Emperor now. But the limits humans set are their desires themselves. What truly binds them isn't the chains, but the consequences of those chains. Humanity's true shackles are its emotions and desires."
"Emotions such as love and hatred, sorrow and joy, shock and fear, disdain… these seven emotions humans carry. And among their hidden desires—the desire for strength, love, power, wealth, knowledge. So long as humans are swayed by these things, they remain bound by their limits."
"That's why most decisions made from the heart and emotions end in disaster. Even rational decisions may fail, but the chance is lower than with emotions. Nothing in this world is fixed or unchanging."
"And because we are human, following purely rational choices may lead to regret in the heart. Some of those decisions may be cruel, but this too is because we possess a living conscience. That's why emotions sometimes mix into our choices."
"But what if someone had no heart or conscience when making decisions? Then there would be no restrictions, no limits. That very state… is what's called madness."
Zhang Yong is mad. But he still has a faint conscience—fragile, like a candle about to quietly burn out. That's why he is incomplete
Zhang Yong opened his eyes again and gazed at the sky.
"Limits… the limits of heaven. To understand them is to understand the heavens. Yes, that's comprehension: Understand humans to control humans. Understand fate to control fate. Understand the heavens to control the heavens."
"This… is the heaven path , the Heavenly Dao..."
(You have successfully attained enlightenment.)
(The high-grade technique 'the truth of Eternal Dream ' has advanced into the profound-grade technique 'Eternal Dream Domain'.)
Zhang Yong clenched his fists with joy and activated the technique. A domain spread around him, expanding outward. Even without looking behind, he could sense everything around him. He could see all within a range of ten meters.
"So this is what they call spiritual sense—the ability to perceive everything within a domain."
This was a tremendous gain for Zhang Yong. Not only had his comprehension increased, but his technique had evolved. Truly a great harvest.
Days later, Zhang Yong returned to the small world. Unexpectedly, the herb field contained many matured herbs—some second-grade, and even a few third-grade. The Thief King was tending to them with great care.
Zhang Yong walked up to him.
"Hehe, it seems you really enjoy caring for plants."
The Thief King turned to Zhang Yong, slightly shocked.
"You're back! Tell me, what did you do to those kids?"
Zhang Yong furrowed his brows in confusion.
"What do you mean? …Ah, right. The Illusion Array, isn't it? Yes, it's designed to replay a person's most regretful moment in life, to train their mind in a single lesson—eradicating their enemy."
The Thief King's jaw dropped.
"You're not human. What if their minds shattered from that?"
"Did they shatter, or did they continue?"
The king hesitated, then replied,
"They… continued."
Zhang Yong smirked mockingly. "Then, as I told you, they will develop the desire to kill their enemy directly."
Zhang Yong turned, leaving the Thief King behind, and walked toward the academy.
At that moment, Su Ming was sitting quietly, his gaze empty, as if he were about to cry.
"What's wrong with you, man?" Zhang Yong asked upon seeing his gloomy state.
Su Ming looked at Zhang Yong for a moment before turning his gaze back to nothingness. "Ah, Zhang Yong, it's you."
Zhang Yong stepped back slightly. "Whoa, your state is worse than the depressed. What's wrong with you?"
A bitter smile appeared on Su Ming's face as he pointed toward the academy's rooms. "Almost everyone has already reached the rank of Master."
Zhang Yong was surprised. "And what of it?"
Su Ming stood up and grabbed Zhang Yong's collar with force. "What of it?! It took me a year and a half to leap from Warrior to Master, and this group did it in seven damn months!"
Zhang Yong sighed, hiding his mockery in his heart. "Alright, calm down. Our strength should be enough. We'll head out toward the enemies now."
"Huh?" Su Ming was a little stunned. "Are they even ready?"
"Just gather them," Zhang Yong pointed at him calmly.
After a short while, everyone was gathered in the academy's courtyard.
Once nobodies, now they had become something.
Their bodies were stronger, their cultivation levels higher, considering the time they had spent here.
They all bowed upon seeing Zhang Yong. "We are glad our leader has returned safely!" they shouted together.
Zhang Yong stood before them with both hands behind his back. "Good, you didn't disappoint me. Are you ready for revenge?"
Without hesitation, they all bowed, their voices firm, carrying joy and a bloody resolve. "Yes!"
"Then prepare yourselves. Su Ming, organize the ranks. I'll step away for a moment."
Zhang Yong left them briefly and looked at the man he had kept imprisoned in that room. His hair had grown too long, and a rough beard now showed on his face.
"It's time for you to come out," Zhang Yong said.
A joyful smile appeared on the man's face. "Finally, after all this time."
Zhang Yong grabbed him and dragged him out. Everyone else was already prepared, holding swords crafted by Qing Feng.
Zhang Yong raised the token, and they exited the small world.
Zhang Yong released the man harshly and growled, "Then leave. I've done what I swore."
The man laughed heartily and left immediately.
Su Ming walked forward and asked, "Are you really going to let him go after all he's done?"
Zhang Yong's gaze hid a dark fury. "Su Ming, do you really think he'd tell us where his leader is?"
Su Ming stroked his chin, thinking. "Didn't he swear he'd tell you what he knew?"
Zhang Yong sighed at Su Ming's foolish thinking. "Yes, but such an oath isn't absolute. It can easily be broken through loopholes. If he told me his leader's old location, it wouldn't be considered a lie. And if his leader has any brains, he wouldn't stay in one place. He'd change locations. That's why we'll follow him. There should be some way of communication."
The group followed the man, and as Zhang Yong had predicted, he headed west of the city, toward a distant mountain.
From afar, Zhang Yong observed everything through his Eye of Judgment and smiled. "Yes, that bastard lied."
Su Ming turned and asked, "Should we move now?"
Zhang Yong smiled casually and signaled the whole group. He had seen more than three hundred soldiers there.
Their own group had twenty-nine members in total.
"Alright, boys! Time for a massacre. Each of you kill more than ten men!"
Atop the mountain, the man approached the guard standing before a large place resembling a one-story mansion.
He knelt on one knee. "I have a report for the master!"
The guard raised his spear toward the man, his gaze stern. "How dare you come here?"
Immediately, a deep voice came from inside the mansion. "Let him in."
The guard clasped his fists together, then opened the door. Upon entering, the man saw a large figure in his thirties, with hair black as night and eyes glowing blood-red.
At his side stood a young boy who looked about seven years old.
Seeing the two, the man's body trembled slightly, and he bowed. "Greetings, Master, and Young Master."
"Report," the man said coldly, his eyes filled with disdain, as if life itself bored him.
The man swallowed nervously. "Master, while gathering for the experiments and filling the crystal, we were obstructed by a group. They tried to extract information from me, but I directed them toward a far location while making their leader swear to let me go."
The man's expression turned icy. In a flash, he grabbed the informant's face and lifted his whole body into the air. "What did you say, fool? They wouldn't let you go that easily. You've brought them here!"
Fear surged through the man as he felt death close. "I made several detours on the way here. They won't track me."
The moment he said those words, a sudden surge of energy erupted at the mountain's base. The master released him, and he fell to the floor. "Send all the men down the mountain!"
On the other side, a massacre unfolded. Pools of blood and scattered limbs covered the ground as Zhang Yong's group stormed the mountain's base.
Zhang Yong commanded loudly, "Boys, slaughter them! Su Ming, lead them. I'll deal with the leader first."
Su Ming nodded as Zhang Yong split from the group. He leapt high, stomped the ground beneath his feet, and shot forward, flying above everyone's heads.
From afar, he spotted the mansion atop the peak. Gripping his sword like a spear, he immediately enveloped it with Muramasa's aura and hurled it powerfully toward the mansion.
The blade pierced through the door, shattering it, and stabbed deep into the ground.
The guards at the entrance were stunned, but before they could react, Zhang Yong landed right at the doorway, grabbed their heads, and twisted them 360 degrees. Then, he retrieved his sword and looked inside.
There stood a man, strangely familiar to him.
"You! You survived the King's Tomb!" Zhang Yong said in disbelief.
"Oh, you survived. So why wouldn't I?" the man replied with a cold smile. "I'll finish what I left undone that day."
Zhang Yong was at a loss for words. The man drew a dagger and slit his wrist. Suddenly, blood began freezing over itself, forming a sword of blood in his hand.
Zhang Yong didn't delay. He stomped the ground and charged at the man, swinging his sword.
The blades clashed fiercely, the man parrying with ease.
"Heh? Your strength increased again? This is going to be fun," the man smirked with excitement.
He raised his blood sword high, slammed it down, and pressed Zhang Yong's sword downward toward his head.
In that split second, Zhang Yong blocked it with the lower edge of his sword's hilt.
The force of the strike pushed him back, but he dug his feet into the ground.
Even with the power of the Heaven-Defying Body, Third Stage, he couldn't leave a mark.
Zhang Yong frowned and lunged again, flicking his hand to send his Death Dagger flying at the man.
The man waved his blood sword and deflected it carelessly, but Zhang Yong closed the distance, their swords colliding with tremendous force.
Muramasa's aura burst violently around Zhang Yong's blade, and with a powerful push, he sent the man crashing through the mansion wall and out into the open.
The man coughed a bit of blood, but without delay, he grabbed the dagger and hurled it back toward Zhang Yong's neck.
With a swift reaction, Zhang Yong stretched his fingers, catching the dagger midair, though his fingers bled profusely.
He then swung his arm and threw it back at the man with immense speed.
The man dodged to the side quickly, smiling. "Impressive. I like you. You and I aren't that different after all. Why do you walk the righteous path?"
Zhang Yong scowled, eyes locked on him. "I do what I want because I want to."
Zhang Yong charged forward, leaping high, arching his back, then slammed down powerfully, shattering the ground. The man jumped back.
"I agree with you," the man continued. "In the end, the righteous path is full of hypocrites. They claim to protect the empire, but what have they really done?
Killing. They slay beasts, harvest their materials to craft their tools.
If killing has a benefit, they won't hesitate for a second.
That's the same reason they hunted the Thief King. Was it really because he stole? Yes, theft is a crime. But behind that excuse, what they truly wanted were his treasures. Isn't that still theft? Even if you steal from a thief, it's still stealing.
Human nature—greedy, lustful, angry, and more.
Only a few can abandon such things.
People like you and me, we're tired of this nonsense. Humans are selfish animals, doing whatever they want. So why should I bow to someone above me and scorn those beneath me? If humans are beasts, why should we be different?"
Zhang Yong suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter, his body shaking from it. "Ah, you fool. How ridiculous. The demonic path or the righteous path? Only people of this world care about that nonsense. Those names are meaningless garbage. In this world, there is no righteous or demonic, only strong and weak. Nothing is perfect—no matter how much one tries to fix the world, it will remain irreparable.
The so-called righteous and demonic paths are nothing more than individuals choosing one road over another.
And of course, when one chooses a path, they should be ready to be killed by the other."
With those words, Zhang Yong tightened his grip on his sword and charged at the man. The man's earlier words were meant to shake Zhang Yong's belief in the righteous path, but who would have known he didn't care about such things at all?
The blades clashed again with force, both men smiling.
The man laughed once. "A pity. I thought we could be companions. But it seems I, Fu Liang, will never have a companion in this life. Let's finish this."
With a final push, bloody red tendrils shot out of Fu Liang's back, reaching for Zhang Yong. But he quickly leapt back.
In that instant, the man advanced, swinging his sword down diagonally and slashing across Zhang Yong's chest.
Zhang Yong staggered back, his grip on the sword tightening. He looked at the blood from the wound on his chest and laughed. Smearing the blood across his face, he sneered.
"Losing feels wonderful. But you're the only one who will taste it"