The Creation of the Heavens and All Realms

Chapter 32: A Slap in the Face Delivered Right to Their Doorstep

Zhou Tianci’s sword energy was a clever maneuver; it contained not only his high-quality true qi but also the gathered military qi. Amplified by the Thousand Jun Sword, this flashy yet ineffective sword energy only reached a range of just over 50 zhang, terrifying both Gu Dali and Tang Shaokong. As Zhou Tianci said, this sword energy is a powerful weapon against those at the Post-Heaven realm; it simply cannot harm those at the Pre-Heaven realm. Gu Dali nodded and said, “I see. But that makes sense—a sword energy spanning dozens of zhang can only be wielded by a powerhouse at the Divine Power Realm who has transcended the Innate Realm, right?” “I am Tang Shaokong, commander of the Black Tiger Legion. I am stationed at the Seventh Mountain Pass under the orders of General Liu Yuntao, the General of the Western Campaign. Which noble has arrived here?” A boisterous voice echoed from afar, growing louder as it approached. Although Zhou Tianci served in the military, he wasn’t familiar with these commanders. However, since the speaker was the commander of the Black Tiger Legion, he must certainly be an Innate-level expert as well. “Greetings, Commander Tang. I am Zhou Shi, First Battalion Commander of the First Army of the Blood Battle Legion, here on orders to lead the First Battalion in guarding the Seventh Mountain Pass,” Zhou Tianci said as he stepped forward to greet him. Tang Shaokong’s eyes widened in disbelief. He could hardly believe that the sword energy spanning dozens of zhang moments ago had been unleashed by a mere battalion commander of the Blood Battle Legion—it was simply absurd. If battalion commanders in the army possessed such power, the Great State of Yu would have unified the world long ago! Tang Shaokong scrutinized Zhou Tianci from head to toe for a long moment, making him feel quite uncomfortable. “Are you really a battalion commander of the Blood Battle Legion?” Tang Shaokong asked hesitantly. “Of course. If Commander Tang doesn’t believe me, you may ask Commander Cao to confirm it,” Zhou Tianci replied calmly. Tang Shaokong set aside his doubts; he believed no one would dare impersonate an officer of the Northwest Legion. “Was that sword energy you emitted just now?” Tang Shaokong asked, his gaze scrutinizing. Zhou Tianci sensed the other man’s attitude and felt some resentment. After all, he had just made a significant contribution, yet now he had become the object of Tang Shaokong’s suspicion. “Just a trivial trick,” Zhou Tianci replied. Tang Shaokong felt a surge of anger. He hadn’t sensed any innate aura from Zhou Tianci and had instinctively assumed the other man was at the Acquired Realm. For a company commander at the Acquired Realm to treat him with such disrespect—his audacity knew no bounds! “Commander Cao isn’t here. I’m in charge of the Seventh Pass’s defenses. Since you’ve been transferred here, you’re under my command,” Tang Shaokong said coldly. He had no intention of openly clashing with Zhou Tianci right then—after all, the man had just distinguished himself, and nearly twenty thousand soldiers at the Seventh Pass had witnessed it. If Tang Shaokong were to fly into a rage, it would only undermine his own authority. “You’re just a lowly squad leader—it would take nothing more than a word from me to have you killed,” Tang Shaokong thought to himself. “Hey, let me take a look at that sword in your hand!” Tang Shaokong said suddenly. Zhou Tianci couldn’t be bothered with Tang Shaokong—he was merely at the True Qi Realm; Zhou could dispatch him with a single sword strike. But now wasn’t the time, so Zhou Tianci decided to hold his ground for the moment. Little did he expect that just as he turned away, Tang Shaokong’s gaze fell upon the Qianjun Sword. “Sorry, but this is my personal sword; I can’t just show it to anyone,” Zhou Tianci replied, rejecting the request without hesitation. According to Liu Yuntao’s arrangements, a total of three legions were stationed at the Seventh Mountain Pass: the Black Tiger Legion, the Rock Legion, and the Milky Way Legion. As for Zhou Tianci’s main force being assigned this mission, it was purely a coincidence. Tang Shaokong had only just arrived when Sun Chong of the Rock Legion and Yu Tabo of the Milky Way Legion followed close behind. At first, the two remained silent, but when Tang Shaokong mentioned Zhou Tianci’s Thousand-Jun Sword, they, too, were taken aback. “How dare you disobey military orders!” Tang Shaokong flew into a rage on the spot, reaching out with his massive hand toward Zhou Tianci. Black true qi coalesced into a gigantic claw in his hand, enveloping Zhou Tianci’s upper body. Zhou Tianci flew into a rage. He had been prepared for the possibility that the Thousand-Jun Sword might be exposed, but he hadn’t expected Tang Shaokong to act so brazenly. Seeing the matter-of-fact expressions on the faces of those around him, Zhou Tianci decided to change his plan. “Since Commander Tang wishes to spar, I’ll have no choice but to oblige!” Zhou Tianci laughed loudly twice and struck Tang Shaokong’s palm with a fist. He used only one-third of his strength, yet with a loud “thud,” Tang Shaokong’s giant claw of true qi was pierced by Zhou Tianci’s single punch. “Innate Realm!” Everyone except Gu Dali and a few others cried out in astonishment. The force of the punch shattered Tang Shaokong’s massive qi palm and continued toward him. With Zhou Tianci’s strength, even one-third of his power amounted to 100,000 jin; moreover, having mastered the Law of Strength, his command of power far surpassed that of anyone else. Caught off guard, Tang Shaokong took the full brunt of the blow and was sent reeling back six or seven meters. “You’ve got some nerve, actually fighting me!” Having been bested, Tang Shaokong immediately flew into a rage. He swung his long sword with ferocious force; the blade was shrouded in thick black mist—none other than the Black Tiger Legion’s “Black Tiger Malevolent Qi.” Facing Tang Shaokong’s full-force strike, Zhou Tianci gave a cold smile. Without drawing his sword, he struck the side of the broadsword with his right fist at lightning speed. The sheer force of his blow was too much for Tang Shaokong to withstand, and the broadsword was instantly knocked out of his hand. In that moment, both men unleashed their full potential, and in the end, no one could even make out where the broadsword had flown. Tang Shaokong stared at his split right hand, feeling as if he were in a dream. As a legion commander, he had actually been struck by a battalion commander’s bare fist, causing his weapon to fly out of his hand—and in front of over ten thousand people, no less. Would he even be able to hold his position in the army anymore? Zhou Tianci saw Tang Shaokong staring at him with bloodshot eyes and smiled indifferently. As the saying goes, “Those who humiliate others will themselves be humiliated.” Tang Shaokong had practically handed his face over for him to strike; now that his face was swollen, he had only himself to blame. Perhaps Zhou Tianci’s smile provoked Tang Shaokong, causing him to charge forward relentlessly even after losing his long sword. “His mental fortitude is abysmal…” Zhou Tianci said disappointedly. He shifted slightly to the side to dodge Tang Shaokong’s attack, then grabbed the back of his neck with his right hand and subdued him in an instant. “I have no idea how a guy like this managed to reach the Xiantian realm, let alone become a legion commander!” Knowing full well that there was no possibility of reconciliation with Tang Shaokong, Zhou Tianci spoke without reservation. As soon as his words spread, Sun Chong and Yu Tabo’s expressions immediately turned sour. After all, Tang Shaokong was their colleague, and seeing him humiliated like this by Zhou Tianci left them deeply displeased. Displeased as they were, the fact that Tang Shaokong was completely helpless against Zhou Tianci spoke volumes about Zhou’s strength. Sun Chong reflected to himself that even if he had stepped in personally, the outcome likely wouldn’t have been much better. The other soldiers were also stunned. The fight had ended too quickly—in the blink of an eye, Tang Shaokong had been lifted into Zhou Tianci’s grasp. This made everyone wonder: Was this really a battle between Innate-level warriors? Commander Tang had looked so formidable just moments ago when he slew that ferocious beast, yet now he lay there like a dead dog. Could this all be an act? “Ahem…” Sun Chong took two steps forward. “Young man, we’re all soldiers of the Northwest Legion. Why don’t you let Commander Tang go first?” Zhou Tianci casually tossed Tang Shaokong to Sun Chong: “I never intended to do anything to him anyway.” Sun Chong caught Tang Shaokong and continued, “I am Sun Chong, Commander of the Rock Legion. This is Commander Yu Tabo of the Milky Way Legion…” Zhou Tianci, showing great respect, clasped his hands and said, “So it’s Commander Sun and Commander Yu. I am Zhou Shi of the Blood Battle Legion. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Zhou Tianci did not perform a military salute, but no one took issue with it at that moment. In the military, strength reigns supreme; Zhou Tianci had already demonstrated Innate-level power, so even as merely a battalion commander, he still had the right to stand on equal footing with a commander. “I never expected the Blood Battle Legion to have a master like Brother Zhou,” Sun Chong remarked with admiration. “Commander Sun, you flatter me. I only advanced to the Innate Realm by a stroke of luck.” Sun Chong smiled and said, “According to military regulations, Innate-level experts automatically hold the rank of Commander. I’ll immediately send someone to report Brother Zhou’s attainment of the Innate realm to General Liu. I’m confident that once this mission is complete, our Northwest Legion will have another Commander. But for now, we should focus on working together to complete the mission. What do you think, Brother Zhou?” Zhou Tianci smiled as well: “I wholeheartedly agree with Brother Sun.” “Brother Zhou, you truly understand the bigger picture! I’ll have someone arrange accommodations for you right away!” Sun Chong said. No sooner had Zhou Tianci and his men settled in than Liu Yuntao, in the valley, received a confidential report from Sun Chong. “The Blood Battle Legion has gained another Innate?” Liu Yuntao was startled upon seeing Zhou Tianci’s name. He might not have remembered other battalion commanders from the Blood Battle Legion, but Zhou Tianci had left a deep impression on him. “Cao Ming, take a look…” Liu Yuntao handed the confidential report to Cao Ming. Cao Ming took it and glanced at it. He was startled at first, then remarked with admiration, “I didn’t expect Zhou Shi to achieve the Innate Realm so quickly. It seems he, too, has encountered a great stroke of luck.” Liu Yuntao nonchalantly destroyed the confidential report and said, “Zhou Shi harbors some secrets. He broke through after the original Blood Battle Legion was wiped out; just over a month ago, he was still at the mid-Posthuman stage. Even I didn’t expect that in just one month, he would achieve the Innate Realm and so easily subdue Tang Shaokong. Tang Shaokong’s cultivation level isn’t high, but his Black Tiger Malevolent Qi is astonishingly powerful.” “Commander Sun also mentioned that Zhou Tianci obtained a divine weapon. Based on my speculation, he likely encountered a remarkable stroke of luck in the Barbarian Wilderness,” Cao Ming continued. “Over the past few hundred years, countless powerful cultivators have lost their lives in the Barbarian Wilderness, including quite a few Innate-level cultivators. I suspect Zhou Shi may have inherited the legacy of one such Innate-level cultivator—such things have happened before.” “Perhaps,” Liu Yuntao replied noncommittally. “Tell Sun Chong that Zhou Shi will follow his instructions; have Zhou Shi join them for the final showdown.” After establishing his authority by dealing with Tang Shaokong, Zhou Tianci’s standing in the barracks had changed dramatically. Qi Shan and others, who had always held him in great awe, now dared not even breathe a word in his presence—let alone the ordinary soldiers. As for Tang Shaokong, although he glared at him every time, he no longer harbored any intention of attacking him. “Demonstrating one’s strength may easily attract the enemy’s attention, but the benefits are also clear,” Zhou Tianci thought to himself. That night, Zhou Tianci sat in meditation to cultivate, but before long, the battle horn sounded once more.