The Creation of the Heavens and All Realms

Chapter 35: Growth in Strength and Entry into the Valley

“Once Lei Dong enters the Posthuman Realm, his strength will rival that of the Prehuman Realm. As long as he masters the combat techniques of the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art*, defeating Prehuman-realm opponents and challenging those of higher ranks will be as easy as eating and drinking.” Zhou Tianci felt a surge of anticipation; as long as he could train Lei Dong properly, he would gain another formidable general under his command! The *Nine Transformations Mystic Art* is difficult to cultivate, but its power is even greater! This art was derived from The Three Purities’ contemplation of Pangu’s creation of the heavens and earth, and is regarded as the Xuan Sect’s sacred protective art. It not only encompasses methods for attaining the Dao through strength but also contains powerful combat techniques. It can be said that this art was born for battle. Once practitioners have mastered the basics and become familiar with the combat techniques, challenging opponents of higher tiers becomes a breeze! “It’s a pity I don’t possess the Seed of Power; I can’t cultivate the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art* directly,” Zhou Tianci mused with a hint of regret—though it was nothing more than a passing thought. “No matter how excellent the *Nine Transformations Mystic Art* may be, it is not my path,” Zhou Tianci said, as calm as still water. “I possess the Tree of Indestructible Destiny within me. My future goal is to transcend Tian Dao and attain eternity; the Law of Strength is merely a part of my cultivation path.” Zhou Tianci once again sank his mind into his spiritual platform and began his meditation. Although Zhou Tianci possessed a “golden finger,” he had never slacked off in the slightest. While in the military camp, he was either training or practicing diligently; after entering the Wild Forest, he spent every spare moment contemplating the Law of Force. “Lei Dong, the Lord must have called you for something good, right?” Li Ping saw Lei Dong emerge from Zhou Tianci’s tent with a beaming expression and, being completely guileless, asked without hesitation. Lei Dong gave a sheepish smile. “My Lord taught me a technique for condensing inner energy.” To be honest, though Lei Dong was young, he was far more mature than a simple-minded fellow like Li Ping. He kept Zhou Tianci’s warning not to reveal the technique firmly in mind and answered Li Ping’s question in a way that skirted the main point. “Congratulations, Lei Dong,” Li Tie said with a smile, pulling Li Ping away just as he was about to ask another question. “That’s right. You already possess ten thousand jin of strength. Once you condense your energy and reach the Post-Heaven realm, your strength will increase even more. By then, even I won’t be a match for you,” Li Feng added. “Big Brother Li Feng, don’t joke around. How could I ever compare to you?” Lei Dong said modestly. Li Ping blurted out, “Once you enter the Posthuman Realm, you’ll definitely be stronger than Big Brother. He only has ten thousand jin of strength—about the same as you do now…” Upon hearing this, Li Feng shot Li Ping a disapproving glare, feeling truly exasperated with his brutally honest younger brother. “Big Brother, what do you think we should do?” After Lei Dong left, the three Li brothers gathered together, and Li Tie asked. Zhou Tianci had only summoned Lei Dong and not the three Li brothers—which spoke volumes. Li Feng sighed, “I’m torn myself. The Lord is immensely powerful and has been extremely kind to us; he’s certainly worth following. But I’m also worried…” “You’re worried that once we follow the Lord, the three of us will face dangers we can’t possibly withstand…” Li Tie said. Li Feng nodded. “The Lord is among the very best of the Innate-level cultivators. By following him, we might even have a chance to reach the Innate realm ourselves. But the gap between us and the Lord is simply too great—we’d be no match for his enemies.” Li Ping listened to his two older brothers’ words, remaining silent the whole time. “I share the same concern,” Li Tie said slowly. “The Master has surely noticed our hesitation. He hasn’t spoken up yet because he’s giving us time to make a decision. The Beast Tide will end in a few days. If we still can’t make up our minds by then, we’ll have no choice but to leave.” “Second Brother, you’re the most thoughtful of us all. What do you think we should do?” Li Feng asked. Li Tie looked deeply conflicted. “Eldest Brother, I think the choice is clear. It’s great to follow the Elder—why would we want to leave?” Li Ping couldn’t help but speak up. “Things are so good right now. We’ve met two Innate-level powerhouses, we know there are so many Innates in Jiangzhou, and we’ve seen just how massive and powerful Innate-level demon beasts are…” Li Feng and Li Tie exchanged glances, then suddenly burst into laughter. “Eldest Brother, I’ve realized that Third Brother may not seem very smart, but he possesses great wisdom,” Li Tie said with a hearty laugh. “I agree!” Li Feng nodded vigorously. “Third Brother is right. Before, all we ever dreamed of was getting into the circle of Innate-level powerhouses. Why give that up now? No matter how dangerous the future may be, whether or not we achieve the Innate realm, just getting to witness all that will have made it all worth it!” Zhou Tianci’s spiritual essence fused with the Tree of Eternal Creation, constantly absorbing the information within it. At the same time, on his spiritual platform, he was contemplating the Law of Force. Combining this with the insights he’d gained while slaughtering ferocious beasts over the past few days, Zhou Tianci’s mastery of the Law of Force had improved significantly. “The Law of Force is the very essence of power. Whether it be True Qi or physical strength, they are all manifestations of the Law of Force.” Zhou Tianci slowly came to realize that the countless forms of force across the myriad heavens and realms all share the same fundamental nature. Opening his eyes, Zhou Tianci suddenly drew the Thousand Jun Sword and slowly thrust it forward. With a sharp “hiss,” a small hole appeared in the tent. Outside the tent, a boulder over ten zhang tall suddenly shattered into pieces on the ground. “My mastery of force has only just begun,” Zhou Tianci said, gazing at the shattered boulder with an expression devoid of joy or sorrow. “With just this single sword strike, my strength has doubled compared to before!” “What a fierce strike!” Sun Chong watched Zhou Tianci test his sword, unable to hide the shock on his face. For him, shattering a boulder posed no difficulty, but the extraordinary mastery displayed in that seemingly ordinary strike was far beyond his reach. “I wonder if it’s a good or bad thing that the City of Tears and Blood now has such a powerful figure,” Sun Chong thought, his heart filled with concern as he considered the city’s situation. Two days passed in a flash. Outside the Seventh Mountain Pass, countless hordes of ferocious beasts stretched out like a boundless ocean. Zhou Tianci and his men had been fighting for two full days and nights, yet the number of beasts showed no sign of diminishing. On the contrary, the defending forces had suffered heavy casualties. As far as Zhou Tianci knew, more than half of the Pan Shi Legion had been killed or wounded, nearly every member of the Black Tiger Legion bore injuries, and two-thirds of the Tianhe Legion had also suffered casualties. Not to mention the other units—even Zhou Tianci’s own squadron had suffered over 20 deaths and nearly a hundred injuries, most of them minor, thanks to the efforts of Zhou Tianci and Gu Dali. “Old Gu, go get some rest. I’ll take care of this here,” Zhou Tianci said to Gu Dali. Gu Dali didn’t refuse and handed the pass over to Zhou Tianci. He had been fighting nonstop for 12 hours straight and had already gone through five great halberds. Zhou Tianci ordered Lei Dong and the others to withdraw as well, remaining alone to guard the pass. Wielding his Thousand-Jun Sword without pause, he cut down every approaching beast that drew near. “Whoosh!” With a soft hiss, more than a dozen ferocious beasts were cleaved in two by the Thousand-Jun Sword, their blood pooling on the ground—among them a top-tier beast, the Fire-Headed Ape. Renowned for its immense strength and explosive power, the 16-zhang-tall Fire-Headed Ape was split cleanly in two by the sword’s energy and collapsed before Zhou Tianci. Zhou Tianci’s control over his power was becoming increasingly effortless; his seemingly casual sword techniques harbored astonishing power. No matter how powerful the beast—even those standing over ten zhang tall—could not cause Zhou Tianci’s sword energy to falter in the slightest. “This must be their final frenzy…” Zhou Tianci could sense that the spiritual energy permeating the valley was waning, indicating that the Yuan Jing was nearing formation. Once the Yuan Jing was formed, the spiritual energy attracting the beasts would vanish, and the beasts near Shepan Mountain would disperse. “The beasts are dispersing, but what about the demon beast?” Zhou Tianci still had one lingering question. The Yuan Jing formed even faster than Zhou Tianci had anticipated; by evening, the beasts on the outermost perimeter had already begun to disperse. Without the spiritual energy of the Yuan Jing, those beasts seemed to regain what little sentience they possessed, learning to seek safety and avoid danger. Some even began attacking one another, waging a fierce battle in the distance… “Old Gu, the Yuan Jing is about to form. You can set off now,” Zhou Tianci said to Gu Dali. Gu Dali also knew the beast tide was about to subside. He picked up his long spear and prepared to leave: “Then I’ll be on my way. Brother Zhou, I’ll never forget the debt I owe you for saving my life. If I make it out of the Barbarian Wilderness alive this time, I’ll entrust my life to you from now on!” Gu Dali sensed Zhou Tianci’s invitation to join him. He already respected Zhou Tianci’s strength and character and was willing to follow him; these words served as a promise to Zhou Tianci. “Take care!” Zhou Tianci patted him on the arm. After seeing Gu Dali off, Zhou Tianci summoned Lei Dong and the three Li brothers. “Tomorrow I’ll be heading into the valley with Sun Chong and the others. I’m leaving everything here in your hands. The beast tide is about to end, and the ferocious beasts outside will gradually disperse. Just wait for my return,” Zhou Tianci said. “Yes, sir!” the four replied. Zhou Tianci turned to Lei Dong: “Lei Dong, your cultivation is improving rapidly. You’ll be able to condense your inner energy very soon, won’t you?” Lei Dong nodded happily: “Yes, Sir. I can feel a force growing stronger within me.” “That’s a sign that your Jingli is about to coalesce, but don’t break through just yet. Wait until I return. Your power is too great; refining your tendons at this stage is extremely dangerous,” Zhou Tianci cautioned. “I’ll keep that in mind, Your Excellency,” Lei Dong said solemnly. “As for you…” Zhou Tianci turned to the Li brothers, “Gather the surviving adventurers and take great care to protect yourselves. Once we return to the City of Tears and Blood, I’ll find a way to help you advance to the Innate Realm!” The three Li brothers exchanged glances and knelt together. “As you command, Your Excellency. We entrust our very lives to you!” Zhou Tianci nodded. He knew he had completely won over the Li brothers. Once Gu Dali returned and Lei Dong advanced to the Post-Heaven realm, he would finally have his first group of capable subordinates. Early the next morning, Sun Chong sent someone to summon Zhou Tianci. The party of four left the Seventh Mountain Pass and headed into the valley. As they walked deeper into the pass, the scenery changed dramatically from what lay outside. The vast grasslands were refreshing to the soul; there was no sign of battle here—it felt more like a utopia. “Truly a treasure trove,” Zhou Tianci remarked, sensing the spiritual energy within the valley. The concentration of spiritual energy in the Shepan Mountain valley was far higher than in the City of Tears and Blood, making it ideal for cultivation.