The Creation of the Heavens and All Realms

Chapter 45: Refusal

Zhou Tianci was somewhat puzzled as to why Liu Yuntao was paying attention to Lei Dong, and said, “His name is Lei Dong; he’s one of my men.” Liu Yuntao scrutinized Lei Dong from head to toe for a moment, then spoke up, “Could you hand him over to me?” “What?” Zhou Tianci wondered if he’d heard wrong. Liu Yuntao remained silent, but Lü Fei, after sizing up Lei Dong, explained on his behalf: “Commander Zhou, please don’t misunderstand. The General has recognized Lei Dong’s natural talent. If I’m not mistaken, Lei Dong possesses innate superhuman strength. Although he hasn’t yet reached the ‘Post-Heaven’ realm, his strength is certainly on par with that of a peak ‘Post-Heaven’ cultivator, isn’t it?” Zhou Tianci nodded. “Commander Lü has a keen eye.” “Hehe, it’s not that I have a keen eye—it’s just that I’ve seen people like him before.” Lü Fei said with a smile, “There are many people in this world born with extraordinary physical strength—they possess a natural talent for physical cultivation that ordinary people lack. However, very few of them manage to break through to the ‘Post-Heaven’ realm. For people like this, the ‘Post-Heaven’ realm is a major hurdle; the stronger their physical strength, the harder it is for them to break through. But once they do reach the ‘Post-Heaven’ realm, their combat prowess far surpasses that of ordinary people. Lei Dong is exactly that kind of person.” Zhou Tianci wasn’t particularly surprised; he knew Lei Dong’s talent better than anyone. “Then why did the General single out Lei Dong?” Zhou Tianci asked. Lü Fei replied, “Among martial artists with physical cultivation talent, there is a very special category of people whose physical strength reaches the human limit even before they begin training. Such individuals are extremely rare; in decades, I’ve only encountered two—one is the General, and the other is Lei Dong.” Although Lü Fei didn’t say it outright, everyone understood that Liu Yuntao had taken a liking to Lei Dong’s talent. Many looked at Lei Dong with envy; Liu Yuntao was a late-stage Innate-level powerhouse, and being chosen and trained by him meant Lei Dong had a very high chance of achieving the Innate realm in the future. Being scrutinized by so many Innate-level cultivators, Lei Dong suddenly felt immense pressure. “If you agree, I’ll take Lei Dong as my disciple,” Liu Yuntao said again. The *Seven-Colored Spirit Jade Body* cultivation technique he practiced had extremely demanding requirements; one could not even begin the practice without innate divine strength. Those with innate divine strength were extremely rare, and having encountered one now, Liu Yuntao had no choice but to set aside his pride and ask his subordinate for permission. Zhou Tianci did not make things difficult for him and said to Liu Yuntao, “It is Lei Dong’s good fortune that the General has taken a liking to him. However, although Lei Dong follows me, he is not my servant, and I cannot decide his future with a single word.” Zhou Tianci then turned to Lei Dong: “Lei Dong, the General of the Western Campaign has recognized your talent and wishes to take you as his disciple. Are you willing?” Lei Dong was at a loss, stammering in panic, “Sir, are you abandoning me?” Zhou Tianci smiled and shook his head. “Not at all. You can now choose for yourself—whether to follow me or the General. It’s entirely up to you.” Lü Fei said, “Commander Zhou, what are you—” Facing the gazes of the others—some filled with surprise, some with indifference, and some with schadenfreude—Zhou Tianci laughed nonchalantly. By saying this, he had effectively rejected Liu Yuntao’s request. No matter which choice Lei Dong made next, Liu Yuntao would not owe Zhou Tianci a favor—something that seemed utterly inconceivable to everyone else. Zhou Tianci had actually refused a favor from a General of the Western Campaign at the Innate Gangqi Realm—all for a kid who hadn’t even reached the Postnatal Realm! To be honest, Zhou Tianci really didn’t care. Liu Yuntao might be powerful and influential, but what did that have to do with Zhou Tianci? Lei Dong was a subordinate he held in high regard—otherwise, he wouldn’t have passed down the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art* to him. How could Zhou Tianci possibly let go of such a subordinate just to owe someone a favor? Upon hearing Zhou Tianci’s words, Lei Dong replied without hesitation, “Sir, of course I’ll follow you.” Zhou Tianci’s expression remained unchanged, though he was inwardly pleased. Still, he said, “Have you thought this through? To be valued by the General of the West is something countless people dream of. Once you miss an opportunity like this, it won’t come again!” Lei Dong’s resolve was unwavering: “Sir, you saved my clan, saved my family, saved my life on multiple occasions, and taught me martial arts. I have no way to repay this debt of gratitude—I vow to serve you for the rest of my life!” “Lei Dong, you don’t have to repay me in this way…” Lü Fei couldn’t help but interject. Liu Yuntao said, “Never mind. It’s good to repay a debt of gratitude. Let’s all set out!” Liu Yuntao didn’t want to bring up Lei Dong’s matter again, and Lü Fei didn’t feel it was appropriate to say anything more either. However, whether intentionally or not, the other commanders and Zhou Tianci found themselves unconsciously putting some distance between themselves and Liu Yuntao. In their view, Zhou Tianci had failed to give Liu Yuntao face this time; even though Liu Yuntao hadn’t said anything, he must surely be feeling uncomfortable inside. Even if Zhou Tianci was powerful, he was still no match for Liu Yuntao. “Brother Zhou, why did you have to do that?” Cao Ming asked with a frown. Zhou Tianci smiled. “Brother Cao, although Lei Dong is under my command, I won’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to do. It’s his choice, and I don’t think the General would hold a grudge against me over something so trivial.” Cao Ming didn’t quite understand Zhou Tianci’s decision: “By doing this, you’re ultimately making him lose face. Besides, Lei Dong hasn’t even reached the day after tomorrow yet. Is it really worth it?” “There’s no question of whether it’s worth it or not. Since Lei Dong has joined me, as long as he doesn’t let me down, I won’t let him down either. Don’t worry about me. Let’s go,” Zhou Tianci said as he mounted Blood Tiger. Lei Dong and the three Li brothers overheard the conversation between Zhou Tianci and Cao Ming, and all four felt a warm glow in their hearts. Lei Dong was deeply moved by Zhou Tianci’s defense of him; his loyalty to Zhou Tianci had reached its peak. The three Li brothers, too, could relate; they knew they’d chosen the right person to follow. Just as Zhou Tianci stood up for Lei Dong today, he would stand up for them tomorrow. The biting wind howled, and overnight, the City of Tears and Blood had transformed into an icy fortress. A vast expanse of white blanketed the city; on the streets, the snow lay more than two feet deep. In the residential district to the east of the city, rows of icicles hung from the eaves—some as short as a foot, others over three feet long—glistening in the sunlight after the snowfall. “Huff, puff!” In a small courtyard, Lei Dong was practicing his martial arts in the snow, clad only in a thin set of martial arts attire. In the kitchen nearby, his younger sister, Lei Ling, was preparing breakfast. “Not bad, Lei Dong. You’ve already mastered the basics of the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art*,” Zhou Tianci praised after Lei Dong finished his practice. “Once you reach a certain level of understanding of the combat techniques within the art, your strength will experience an explosive surge. Defeating an Innate-level opponent with a Posthuman-level attack will be a breeze!” “Sir, how could a ‘Post-Heaven’ cultivator possibly be a match for a ‘Pre-Heaven’ cultivator?” Li Feng, standing behind Zhou Tianci, couldn’t believe it. Zhou Tianci smiled. “As long as one is strong enough, the gap between cultivation realms is not insurmountable. Take Lei Dong, for example. After refining his energy into his body and entering the Post-Heaven realm, his physical strength reached 30,000 jin—equivalent to the True Qi Realm. With Lei Dong’s mastery of strength, combined with the combat techniques of the *Nine Transformations Mystic Art*, he can harness that 30,000 jin to project the power of 50,000 or even 100,000 jin. That already surpasses the True Qi Realm and is on par with the True Essence Realm. Do you think he could defeat a cultivator of the Pre-Heaven Realm?” “If that’s really the case, then Lei Dong is simply too extraordinary.” ”Gu Dali walked over, his expression complex. As a physical cultivation expert in the early Xiantian Realm, his physical strength was no more than 50,000 jin. Relying on the secret technique of the *Flying Bear Leaning on the Mountain Force*, Gu Dali could briefly unleash 100,000 jin of power—which was still only on par with Lei Dong at the early Posthuman Realm. If Lei Dong’s cultivation advanced even further, Gu Dali feared he would no longer be a match for him. Lei Dong heard everyone praising him but said nothing, merely smiling. Zhou Tianci couldn’t help but admire him inwardly—Lei Dong had the innocence of a child, was resourceful, and possessed both passion and perseverance; he was indeed well-suited to cultivate the *Nine Transformations Mystic Art*. “Brother Zhou, what kind of technique is this *Nine Transformations Mystic Art*? I’ve never heard of it before. It allowed Lei Dong to easily advance to the Post-Heaven realm and cultivate 30,000 jin of strength—its power must be far greater than my *Flying Bear Leaning on the Mountain Force*.” ” Gu Dali said, suddenly sounding a bit hesitant. “You see, Old Gu here is just like Lei Dong—we’re both your subordinates. It wouldn’t look good if my strength were too low. Could you let me get a glimpse of the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art* as well?” Upon hearing this, the Li brothers also looked at Zhou Tianci with eager anticipation. Divine martial arts, divine weapons, and all manner of treasures—these are the eternal pursuits of martial artists. Zhou Tianci smiled helplessly. “Old Gu, it’s not that I won’t let you practice the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art*—it’s that you lack the aptitude. The *Nine Transformations Mystical Art* is an extremely powerful physical cultivation technique; in fact, I only obtained a small portion of it by chance. Old Gu, you should know that the more powerful a physical cultivation technique is, the higher the aptitude requirements. To practice this art, one must possess at least Lei Dong’s level of aptitude.” “Huh?” Gu Dali was dumbfounded, and the three Li brothers couldn’t help but feel disappointed. They knew all too well about Lei Dong’s physical cultivation talent—even Liu Yuntao had been tempted by it. “But don’t be too disappointed,” Zhou Tianci consoled them. “I’m currently studying the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art* and plan to simplify it so that ordinary people can practice it as well. While it won’t be as powerful as the original version, it will still greatly increase your strength.” “Is… that really possible?” Gu Dali was highly skeptical; modifying a cultivation technique was no easy task and required a very high level of cultivation. Zhou Tianci replied, “Since I’ve said it, I’ll certainly make it happen. Just give it a little more time.” Zhou Tianci wasn’t bragging. Given his strength and cultivation level, modifying the entire *Nine Transformations Mystical Art* was, of course, impossible—to achieve that, he’d have to surpass The Three Purities Sages. However, modifying the foundational parts of the *Nine Transformations Mystical Art* was still feasible; after all, Zhou Tianci had also grasped the Law of Force. “Sir, dinner’s ready,” Lei Ling said softly as she approached cautiously. Zhou Tianci ruffled Lei Ling’s hair. “Thank you for your hard work, Lei Ling. Come on, let’s all go eat!” After breakfast, Gu Dali couldn’t help but complain, “Brother Zhou, how much longer are we going to stay here? It’s been over two months since we returned from the Barbarian Wilderness. Logically speaking, you should have become a legion commander by now. But for so long, Liu Yuntao seems to have forgotten all about you—he hasn’t assigned you any duties or even asked about you. What does this mean?”