The Creation of the Heavens and All Realms

Chapter 34: The Future God of War

“We owe this to the terrain of the mountain pass,” Zhou Tianci sighed. “If this pass didn’t have such a narrow, elongated passage, we probably wouldn’t be able to hold it even with three times as many troops.” When he first arrived at Shepan Mountain, Zhou Tianci had been relatively optimistic. He’d surveyed the terrain and found that the mountain passes were easy to defend but difficult to attack. Take the Seventh Pass, for example: the entire pass was only a hundred meters wide but over 1,000 meters long, with insurmountable cliffs on both sides—a topography that was extremely advantageous for defense. Zhou Tianci and his men held their positions on the inner side of the pass, letting the beasts charge forward. No matter how many beasts were outside, the number that could actually break into the valley would be limited to tens of thousands at most, and even fewer would come into direct contact with them. If it weren’t for this, who could possibly hold back a surging horde of over a million beasts? However, even with the advantage of the terrain, the human warriors could not outlast the beasts. Their numbers were simply too great—too numerous to count. Even if Zhou Tianci and his men slaughtered every beast in the valley, another wave would soon arrive from outside. The beasts had no fear of death, whereas the ordinary soldiers needed rest. If this continued, the outcome would likely be exactly as Gu Dali had predicted. “Forget about the rest—let’s prioritize the safety of our own people first,” Zhou Tianci whispered to Gu Dali. By “our own people,” he meant Lei Dong and his group, and if conditions permitted, his First Battalion as well. Gu Dali nodded in understanding. After paying a heavy price, the Guard Legion weathered this wave of the beasts’ assault, though everyone’s faces remained grave, showing not the slightest trace of joy at their victory. “Lord Zhou, Commander Sun requests your presence for a meeting,” a messenger entered Zhou Tianci’s tent. Zhou Tianci found this a bit strange, but he didn’t say much; he simply replied, “Lead the way.” Following the messenger, Zhou Tianci arrived at Sun Chong’s tent. There were only six people inside: Sun Chong, Yu Talan, and Tang Shaokong were all present. The remaining three were Late-Stage martial artists, whom Zhou Tianci paid no mind to. “Greetings, everyone. May I ask what important matter Commander Sun has summoned me here for?” Zhou Tianci gave a slight bow with his hands clasped and took a seat on a nearby chair. Sun Chong spoke up, “Brother Zhou, as you’ve seen from yesterday through today, our three legions have suffered heavy losses, and the situation at the Seventh Pass is not looking good.” Zhou Tianci nodded. “Indeed. Those ferocious beasts are charging in with reckless abandon. It seems the Yuan Jing holds a truly powerful allure for them.” The existence of Yuan Jing was no secret among Innate-level experts, so Zhou Tianci spoke openly about them, and Sun Chong and the others didn’t take issue with it. “I’ve discussed this with Commanders Yu and Tang, and we may need you to step up your efforts from here on out,” Sun Chong said, getting straight to the point without beating around the bush. Zhou Tianci furrowed his brow and said with displeasure, “Commander Sun, are you implying that I’m cutting corners?” Sun Chong quickly replied, “Of course not. We’ve all taken note of Brother Zhou’s contributions, and once the beast tide is over, we’ll definitely report them to General Liu. It’s just that our previous arrangements for you weren’t ideal—given your strength, guarding a single pass is a waste of your talent.” Sun Chong and his men had established ten checkpoints in the 100-meter-wide valley at the Seventh Mountain Pass—one every 10 meters, to be precise. Each checkpoint was under the command of a designated officer, with soldiers taking turns on guard duty. Zhou Tianci had been assigned one as soon as he arrived. Zhou Tianci understood what Sun Chong and the others were thinking and retorted, “Commander Sun, you’re overestimating me. I have only a little over 200 men under my command; defending a single pass is already a stretch. Your three elite legions, each with over 5,000 men, are only guarding three passes. By that calculation, I’m under even more pressure than you are.” Sun Chong was instantly at a loss for words; Zhou Tianci was speaking the truth. Tang Shaokong said coldly, “For a Xiantian-level expert like you to guard just one pass is far too easy. The three of us each have to be responsible for three passes!” “Even Commander Tang can handle three passes?” Zhou Tianci feigned surprise. “If Commander Tang can hold three passes, then why not hand all ten passes over to me? I’m certain I can hold them all.” “You…” Commander Tang Shaokong slammed his fist on the table in fury, but Zhou Tianci wouldn’t back down. “What’s the matter? Does Commander Tang want to spar?” Sun Chong was at his wits’ end. It had been Tang Shaokong who proposed assigning more checkpoints to Zhou Tianci, and he actually agreed with the idea. Within the valley, a single Innate-level expert could be more effective than an entire legion. He and Tang Shaokong were each in charge of three checkpoints, and often found themselves stretched too thin, leading to a rapid rise in casualties among their men. Zhou Tianci, on the other hand, despite having only a mere 200-odd men, had yet to suffer a single casualty. Precisely for this reason, Sun Chong hoped Zhou Tianci would step up his efforts, but since he had no personal connection with Zhou Tianci and was outmatched in strength, he could only resort to negotiation. Now that Zhou Tianci had flatly refused, Sun Chong was left with no recourse. Seeing Tang Shaokong at a loss for words after being cornered by Zhou Tianci, Yu Talan spoke up: “Gentlemen, please calm down. Commander Sun, Brother Zhou has a valid point. His forces are too small, and the pressure of defending his position is no lighter than ours. Let’s maintain the status quo.” Sun Chong readily agreed, “Very well, then. Brother Zhou, there’s one more matter I’d like to discuss with you. As you know, the Yuan Jing is about to form—in roughly three days’ time. When that happens, we commanders will enter the valley to assist General Liu in securing the Yuan Jing. According to General Liu’s orders, you’ll be joining us then, Brother Zhou.” “No problem at all,” Zhou Tianci replied without hesitation. “As a member of the Northwest Legion, I naturally must obey General Liu’s orders. But what will happen to this place after we leave?” “Rest assured,” Sun Chong explained. “Once the Yuan Jing forms, the spiritual energy will be drawn inward, and its attraction to the beasts will diminish. As long as we hold out until the final day, the number of beasts will drop sharply, and the soldiers will be safe.” Back at the camp, Zhou Tianci summoned Gu Dali. “Brother Gu, Sun Chong just told me that the Yuan Jing will form in three days at the latest, and the beast tide will end. At that time, we Xiantian cultivators will head into the valley to vie for the Yuan Jing. I’m wondering what your plans are?” Zhou Tianci asked. Gu Dali stroked his beard and said, “Naturally, I’ll be joining in as well. Yuan Jing not only aids Post-Heaven cultivators in advancing to the Innate Realm, but it also enhances True Qi and the Primordial Spirit in the early stages of the Innate Realm. It is an extremely precious treasure—how could I possibly miss out on this?” Zhou Tianci shook his head and said, “Brother Gu, you shouldn’t get your hopes up. There will be over 200 Innate cultivators in the valley then. Even if you manage to snatch a Yuan Jing, you’ll likely never make it out alive!” “Heh heh, I was just saying that—I know my limits,” Gu Dali chuckled. “Whether or not I snatch the Yuan Jing is secondary; my deep-seated grudge against the Huang family is what matters most. As long as I get the chance, I’ll make the Huang family pay the price.” Zhou Tianci understood Gu Dali’s thirst for revenge and didn’t try to stop him. He simply cautioned, “In that case, you’d better be extra careful. If the Huang family recognizes you, even I might not be able to save you. The Four Great Clans have sent over 60 Innate-level cultivators this time—not even the Northwest Legion could stand up to them!” “Don’t worry, I understand.” After finishing his conversation with Gu Dali, Zhou Tianci called Lei Dong in. “Lei Dong, this is a cultivation technique. Study it carefully on your own.” Zhou Tianci handed Lei Dong a sheet of paper. “This technique is extremely precious. Copy it down right here. Once you’ve finished, destroy this paper immediately. Under no circumstances should anyone else see it, and don’t mention this technique to anyone.” Lei Dong accepted it excitedly; though young, he understood the ways of the world. For a cultivation technique to be called “precious” by a先天-level powerhouse like Zhou Tianci, it must surely be extraordinary! “Yes, sir!” Lei Dong said as he knelt. What Zhou Tianci gave Lei Dong was indeed no ordinary cultivation technique, but rather the foundational section of the *Nine Transformations Mystic Art* that he had obtained from the Tree of Eternal Creation. Zhou Tianci had given this matter careful consideration before passing the technique on to Lei Dong. Lei Dong was his first follower in this world—and his most loyal one. Over this period, Zhou Tianci had gained a thorough understanding of Lei Dong’s character; he was someone who knew how to repay kindness, and such a person was worthy of Zhou Tianci’s guidance. Most importantly, Lei Dong possessed the natural talent required to cultivate the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art*! As the foremost body-refining divine art of the Primordial Era and the supreme path to attaining the Dao through strength, the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art* is naturally not something just anyone can cultivate. It follows the path of attaining the Dao through strength and delves into the laws of power; to cultivate this divine art, one must possess the “seed of power.” In layman’s terms, this “seed of power” refers to a natural talent for divine strength—just like Lei Dong’s innate divine strength. Innate divine strength does not mean possessing the greatest physical strength; no matter how great Lei Dong’s strength might be, it could never surpass that of the Purple-Patterned Python. Rather, it refers to the traces of the laws of power within his body. It is precisely because of this that Lei Dong’s strength far exceeds that of ordinary people; even before entering the Post-Heaven realm, his strength is already on par with that of a peak Post-Heaven cultivator. Only with the Seed of Power does one have the opportunity to comprehend the Law of Power and cultivate the *Nine Transformations Mystic Art*. Half an hour later, Lei Dong finally memorized the cultivation technique. “This cultivation technique is a supreme divine art for refining the body,” Zhou Tianci advised. “You possess innate divine strength and exceptional aptitude; you have the talent to practice this technique. Remember, this technique differs from others in that it focuses solely on refining the physical body and strength, not on cultivating spiritual energy or true qi.” “If that’s the case, won’t I be unable to reach the Innate Realm?” Lei Dong asked in confusion. During his time with Zhou Tianci, Lei Dong’s horizons had broadened considerably. Previously, he had set the Acquired Realm as his goal; now, his goal had shifted to the Innate Realm. “You can still advance to the Xiantian realm without True Qi—this is known as the ‘Physical Xiantian’!” Zhou Tianci said solemnly. “The strength of a Physical Xiantian is far greater than that of an ordinary Xiantian, and it can even surpass that of demon beasts of the same level!” Upon hearing this, Lei Dong’s eyes lit up: “Surpass demon beasts?” “Of course!” Zhou Tianci patted Lei Dong on the shoulder. “I have very high expectations for you. Your future extends far beyond the Xiantian realm. When I one day conquer this world, you will be the War God under my command! Don’t let me down!” Lei Dong nodded firmly: “Master, I won’t let you down!” Under Zhou Tianci’s guidance, it took Lei Dong two hours just to get a basic grasp of the foundational sections of the *Nine Transformations Mystic Art*; it was unclear how long it would take him to truly master it. Zhou Tianci, however, wasn’t in a hurry—after all, a cultivation technique like the *Nine Transformations Mystic Art* wasn’t something that could be mastered so easily.