I Cheated While Cultivating

The Zhou Tian Boundary Officer is an organization tasked with tracking phantoms, exterminating them, and concealing their existence.

Where they appear, it often indicates traces of phantoms.

Zhou Heng had heard this from Cheng Jianjian.

“But I’ve been in Yuanhe Prefecture City for over half a month now, and I haven’t found any traces of phantom activity,” Zhou Heng pondered with confusion.

Moreover, the person just now was clearly looking in the direction of Bai’s family.

Could it be that Bai’s family has a phantom?

That seems unlikely. At such a close distance, I wouldn’t have failed to sense it unless the phantom is remarkably powerful.

“Big brother, what are you doing?” Bai Yuejian’s voice came from the yard.

Only then did Zhou Heng come back to his senses and smiled, “Nothing much, just watching the sunset clouds.”

He then walked inside and casually closed the large gate of the yard.

The Golden Crow sets in the west, the Jade Rabbit rises in the east.

Night falls.

Zhou Heng carefully washed his hands several times, then lay down on the bed in his room.

Now he has three Copper Fortune Bags and one Silver Fortune Bag.

“Open!”

“Congratulations! You’ve hit the jackpot! You have obtained a basic attribute: Spirit +1.”

“Congratulations! You have obtained Red Lotus Horse Gear [Copper] +1.”

“Congratulations! You’ve hit the jackpot! You have obtained the martial arts ‘Hundred Pace Flying Sword’ [Seventh Rank].”

“Congratulations! You have obtained a special skill card: Appraisal Card.”

“+1 Spirit: Can enhance spiritual perception, improve resistance to mental shocks, sustain clarity of self, and greatly strengthen the power of the divine soul.”

“Red Lotus Horse Gear [Copper]: Can be concealed or revealed, blossoming like a lotus in flames, brilliant and eye-catching. When worn by a horse, it grants the ability to breathe fire, walk on water, and run three times faster.”

“Hundred Pace Flying Sword [Seventh Rank]: The rudimentary form of the Sword Control Technique. When mastered, one can fly swords out of hand to combat enemies within a hundred paces, possessing immense power but consuming a substantial amount of inner qi.”

“Appraisal Card: When used on a person or object, it can identify their true information.”

Zhou Heng’s eyes lit up.

This time opening the Fortune Bags could truly be described as a bountiful harvest.

Both the +1 Spirit and Hundred Pace Flying Sword are immensely useful for him at present, greatly enhancing his abilities in all aspects.

Especially in compensating for his weakness in long-range attacks.

He had been thinking of eventually getting skills like One Yang Finger, Finger Flicking Magic, or Six Meridian Divine Sword, but he didn’t expect to directly obtain the even more powerful Hundred Pace Flying Sword.

The effects of the Red Lotus Horse Gear were also very impressive. If that jujube red horse were to wear this gear, it would practically turn into a fiery warhorse.

A normal Ninth Rank Warrior might not even be a match for it.

“Appraisal Card, this thing seems to be used for determining the real identity of some people or the true situation of some objects?” Zhou Heng thought for a moment, but hadn’t yet decided where to use it.

If this were peaceful Earth, that special skill card could entirely be used to appraise various kinds of information about girls.

But in this world full of dangers, it’s better to save it for an emergency.

After organizing the rewards from the Fortune Bags, Zhou Heng sat up, looked out the night window and fell into deep thought.

He had already sensed that the atmosphere of the Wang Family’s martial competition this time was unusual.

In the past, it was usually Eighth Ranks occupying the top five spots, with the occasional Seventh Rank being one or two at most.

But this time, aside from himself, an anomaly, the top five were all Seventh Rank.

And their strength was no small matter, far stronger than that of an ordinary Seventh Rank.

Li Tonghe needs no further mention, his strength is formidable, and Wan Hongyi is also a well-known expert from Shocking Thunder Manor.

The other two people, Si Ying and Lu Xiuming, although not as famous and not appearing particularly strong, Zhou Heng suspected they might very well be experts from Honghua Palace and Plague Emperor Sect.

This was because, when Zhou Heng observed their moves, thanks to the basic attribute bonus of Insight +1, he discerned a hint of a wicked aura on them.

Furthermore, though the martial arts used by Lu Xiuming were not of an evil path, they gave Zhou Heng an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Even though Zhou Heng was currently just guessing and suspecting, without a shred of evidence, that didn’t prevent him from being vigilant and wary of these two men with unclear identities.

In any case, judging from the five victors in the end, this martial competition appears to have been intervened in by various forces, intent on laying their hands on the Middle Ancient wordless stele.

Wan Hongyi from Shocking Thunder Manor can almost be confirmed to have been instigated by Honghua Palace and Plague Emperor Sect. Zhou Heng had seen his name in a booklet he found at Tongtian Pavilion before.

If Si Ying and Lu Xiuming are indeed as he speculated, then it shows that Honghua Palace and Plague Emperor Sect are most likely determined to acquire the wordless stele and may have other hidden methods and experts.

“This is getting a bit serious,” Zhou Heng scratched his nose with a finger, sighed softly, and muttered to himself, “All I wanted was to kill two Eighth Rank martial artists from Plague Emperor Sect, but why does trouble find me wherever I go?”

After pondering for a moment, he gathered his thoughts, cleared his mind, and washed his face.

Preparing to go out to keep an appointment.

The dishes and desserts at Osmanthus House were quite tasty.

In the private room of Osmanthus House.

The dishes and desserts were all very exquisite, obviously the result of the chef’s meticulous cooking, and not cheap in price.

If it were up to Zhou Heng himself, he definitely would not have come here.

Yun Xiu poured a cup of osmanthus brew for Zhou Heng, herself, and He Mengqiu, signaling the beginning of the meal.

Her invitation to Zhou Heng had no other purpose.

“It’s just old friends having a meal together.”

“Catching up on old times.”

Although she invited the guest, it was He Mengqiu who paid, and this Sixth Rank expert certainly isn’t short on money.

Yun Xiu was very interested in the experiences Zhou Heng had over the past month.

Zhou Heng briefly recounted his previous experience in Yuyang County, as the information had already been described on the list of renowned individuals. He just elaborated a bit more on it.

“Brother Heng, in the past month, my master and I have traveled to three prefectural cities, covering thousands of miles, and have seen many people and events. I originally thought my experiences were quite exciting, but I never imagined that yours were even more legendary!” Yun Xiu’s eyes shone brightly as she looked at Zhou Heng, but then she thought of something and her expression became worried as she said, “By the way, Brother Heng, from what you just said, are you really the reincarnation of a powerful being?”

Talking about the events in Yuyang County naturally couldn’t avoid mentioning the extermination of Xuan Yang with the Five Thunder Righteous Method, especially since quite a few people knew about it; there was no need for him to hide it.

On the other hand, the excuse of being the reincarnation of a powerful being could explain why he knew many unusual and unheard-of yet extremely powerful martial arts, avoiding all sorts of unfounded suspicions from others.

All things considered, the speculation about being the reincarnation of a powerful being was more advantageous than detrimental for Zhou Heng.

Of course, he wouldn’t admit it outright.

“Actually, I’m not very clear either, I just saw some fragmented images and some vague information,” Zhou Heng said with a troubled look, turning to He Mengqiu beside him, “Does senior He understand such a situation?”

“You unconsciously performed an extremely formidable Taoist formula that annihilated that monster?” He Mengqiu furrowed her brows slightly, then said, “If that’s the case, then you are probably indeed the reincarnation of a powerful being.

“Zhou Heng, you need to be careful. This is not necessarily a good thing. Although this might bring you many powerful martial arts, once the will of that powerful being awakens in you, you will no longer be yourself.”

“I understand,” Zhou Heng nodded earnestly, his heart slightly surprised. When he mentioned the reincarnation of a powerful being just now, He Mengqiu’s emotions showed a rather noticeable fluctuation.

What’s going on here?

Could it be that He Mengqiu is also related to the reincarnation of a powerful being?

Normally, given Zhou Heng’s current realm and cultivation, he would not be able to detect any emotional fluctuations from a Sixth Rank expert like He Mengqiu.

But thanks to the combined bonus of his foundational attributes “Spirit +1” and “Insight +1,” he managed to do something that would have otherwise been impossible.

“Work hard in your cultivation,” He Mengqiu said with a smile, “As long as you cultivate quickly enough, you can stay ahead of the awakening of the powerful being. However, martial cultivation in isolation doesn’t bring progress; you ultimately need to interact with others. Being favored by Pure Yang Palace is a good opportunity.”

“Thankyou,” Zhou Heng said earnestly.

When Zhou Heng returned from the Sweet Osmanthus Building, the night had grown deeper.

It was past the time of Hai.

However, as he reached the front door, he didn’t push it open to enter. Instead, he stopped, putting on the sharp hand gloves he carried with him.

“You’ve followed for quite a while. Tired, aren’t you?”

Under the veil of night, all was silent, with no one behind Zhou Heng.

Yet as his words fell, the shadows by the wall suddenly twisted, as if a curtain had been lifted, and a tall man clad in pitch-black scaled armor and wearing a mask revealed himself.

This person was of the Seventh Rank, and his ability to blend into such a peculiar place must be the use of some kind of secret treasure.

“Who are you, and what brings you here?” Zhou Heng asked, his gaze solemn, ready to strike at any moment. He didn’t lower his guard just because the other party was from the Zhou Tian Boundary Officer.

“Zhou Tian Boundary Officer, Ziwei Court, Xuan Ge,” the man said indifferently.

Ziwei Court, Xuan Ge?!

Although Zhou Heng maintained a placid exterior, his heart was shaken to its core.

The southern district of Yuanhe Prefecture City was a bustling hub for traders and shops.

Chenglin Book Society was a medium-sized bookstore located there.

It wasn’t particularly eye-catching.

Lin Ziran, the bookstore’s owner, had arrived here ten years ago. He personally took on the role of a bookseller, soliciting manuscripts from all over. In these ten years, he had indeed published some bestsellers.

However, most of these bestsellers were sensational stories about the lives of renowned figures from the people’s rankings, the earth’s rankings, and the heaven’s rankings. Although many people enjoyed them, they were not respectable enough to be widely promoted, and few were willing to advertise them.

Chenglin Book Society usually stayed open late because many poor families sent their children to read books for free, and they often stayed until late in the evening.

But today, Lin Ziran closed the doors of the bookstore early.

As night fell, he used a dagger to slice open his wrist and used the blood that gushed forth to draw a complex large rune in the backyard of the bookstore.

Then, without even stopping the bleeding, he placed the pre-prepared bronze incense burner in the center of the blood-colored rune and inserted three sticks of sandalwood to light.

As wisps of incense smoke rose, the blood-colored rune emitted a faint glow.

Lin Ziran’s expression became one of utmost reverence and excitement. He formed a hand seal with utmost respect, knelt down in front of the incense burner, and cried out loudly.

“With the greatest reverence, I welcome the arrival of the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal’s law! I have found a clue to the body for the Venerable God’s reincarnation, please descend, Immortal!”

At the same moment he kowtowed.

Countless miles away, in the vast ocean, there was a suspended island floating above the clouds, adorned with magnificent palaces and pavilions.

Suddenly, a beam of clear light burst out from within the palace, shooting up into the sky, within which one could faintly discern a huge ethereal figure, weaving the rhythm of laws and order.

However, as the clear light soared into the sky, parting the clouds, it vanished without a trace, leaving no sign.

The very next instant, in the backyard of Chenglin Book Society in Yuanhe Prefecture City.

The sandalwood scents surged violently all at once and quickly condensed, the blood-colored rune on the ground shone brightly and transformed into clear light.

Lin Ziran’s expression turned to ecstatic joy.

Next, the puffs of sandalwood smoke coalesced into the form of an old man with white hair and beard, wearing a wide robe and large sleeves, and a kindly face.

Although the old man had a kindly face, his eyes were indifferent, lacking human emotions; he seemed like a dispassionate Immortal, looking down upon all mortal affairs from high above.

The old man said indifferently, “Mortal, you say there is a clue to the body for the Venerable God’s reincarnation?”

Lin Ziran bowed deeply with immense respect and said, “Indeed, indeed, I have been in close contact with that person and felt the aura of the Purple Thunder Venerable God upon him. After observing and summarizing his martial arts characteristics, I speculate he might be the reincarnation of the Purple Thunder Supreme God.”

“Purple Thunder Supreme God?” The old man nodded slightly and said solemnly, “This is indeed an unexpected joy, but remember, our primary goal is to liberate the Purple Thunder Venerable God. Do not forget the mission of the Thirty-Six Heavens.”

“I shall bear it in mind and dare not forget, even at the peril of my life,” Lin Ziran repeatedly kowtowed to show his determination.