I Cheated While Cultivating

Chapter 386: Chapter 106: Return to Da Qi, The Shocking News about “Taiwei Monarch

Taizhou is located in a remote area and is the most marginal and impoverished state of Guangguo, its governor’s city naturally isn’t much to speak of.

In Zhou Heng’s view, this capital of a state couldn’t even compare to a small county in Da Qi, whether in terms of population, size, or infrastructure, not a single aspect was superior.

However, having such a governor’s city in a place akin to the outskirts of civilization was already quite impressive.

Moreover, Zhou Heng wasn’t here to judge the quality of the city, he had a purpose for his visit.

Before coming, he hadn’t bothered to disguise himself and was entirely dressed like a tribesman from the wilderness, so even though the horse he led seemed fine, there were few who were willing to pay him any attention.

Even though they were all located on the frontier, people living in the governor’s city of Taizhou felt a sense of superiority, believing themselves more distinguished than those living in other parts of Taizhou.

As for the tribes living in the ever-changing wild mountains and forests of Taizhou, many saw them as hardly different from animals, unworthy of being called human.

Zhou Heng’s current appearance, after all, was that of the Young Tribal Chief of the Great Wind Tribe, and naturally his clothing was much like that of his people, which to the locals of the governor’s city, was a symbol of barbarism.

No one wanted to approach such a person voluntarily, and even when he took the initiative, people were repulsed and kept their distance from him.

Zhou Heng had not anticipated this kind of situation and was rather surprised.

Originally, he had planned to carefully inquire about the route to the capital of the Central Dynasty upon arriving in the governor’s city of Taizhou.

After all, it was difficult to search for information about high-ranking beings such as Fuxi and Nuwa in Taizhou, a place on the fringe of the Central Plains.

Now, it was clear that he couldn’t ask directly.

Therefore, Zhou Heng had no choice but to use silver coins to pave the way, which finally led him to the path towards Zhongzhou.

He left his horse in the governor’s city of Taizhou and chose to fly.

However, while passing through other governors’ cities along the way, Zhou Heng would go down to gather information to see if he could find any clues about Fuxi and Nuwa.

In the beginning, the information Zhou Heng could obtain was not extensive, mostly just common knowledge, such as Fuxi and Nuwa being creator deities, the origin of civilization, the creators of the Human Race, and so forth.

But as he drew closer to the heart of Zhongzhou, the governors’ cities also became more prosperous, and the information Zhou Heng received became gradually more detailed.

Half a year passed.

By the time Zhou Heng arrived in Zhongzhou, he had gained a much deeper understanding of Fuxi and Nuwa, the legendary figures of the Xuanteng Realm.

What common people knew didn’t need further mention, but Zhou Heng learned some facts unknown to ordinary people—and even to many Grand Witches and Priests—from some of them.

Thirty thousand years ago, communication between heaven and earth was lost, and there were no more divine decrees from the gods—

In the minds of most people, this likely meant the gods had departed, no longer wishing to protect humanity, and Fuxi and Nuwa had left with them at that time.

However, according to some ancient records, there were clear signs before the “departure” of the gods that the deities Fuxi and Nuwa had already vanished.

Moreover, the “departure” of the gods was not silent and unnoticed, as many secret ritual texts recorded that before the gods disappeared, there had been huge upheavals lasting ten days and nights, with strange phenomena filling the skies.

The world was shrouded in darkness, the sun and moon lost their light, cold winds howled, and ghosts and spirits wailed…

Towards the end, there were even frequent blood-red rains from the sky that dyed the mountains and rivers on the earth red, and huge chunks of flesh fell from the sky, crashing onto the earth and becoming high mountains and great peaks.

The catastrophe experienced thirty thousand years ago was far from as peaceful as ordinary people imagined!

Although to this day, no one dares to confirm what exactly happened in the Divine Court back then, it’s undeniable that the supposed “departure” of the gods was not of their own volition, and it’s possible that it wasn’t a “departure” at all but a massacre by some unknown mighty existence.

Zhou Heng was shocked when he learned this news.

After all, the gods led by Fuxi and Nuwa in the ancient times of the Xuanteng Realm, according to his earlier knowledge, were certainly not weak, and they should at least be at the level of the Celestial Third Rank.

To possibly have been massacred?

This was too horrifying.

Moreover, after learning this information, Zhou Heng had a new doubt in his mind.

If the gods had already been wiped out back then, and Fuxi and Nuwa had disappeared even earlier without a trace, then what sort of existence had been responding to the Priests’ prayers and granting them Divine Power for nearly thirty thousand years?

At that moment, Zhou Heng stood outside Zhongzhou City, looking at the towering city walls ahead, a frown forming on his brow, and a guess emerged in his mind, “Could it be that the will of heaven and earth in this world was already tainted and taken over as early as thirty thousand years ago?

“Previously, I speculated that the world guiding information obtained by the Star Officer of the Heavenly Prison might be this world’s spontaneous cry for help, but if it’s as I now suspect, the purpose of that world guiding information requires further consideration.”

If it’s not a call for assistance, then.

It might be a trap!

And, Zhou Heng felt increasingly uneasy the closer he got to this city.

Therefore, after arriving outside the city, he did not enter immediately but chose a mountain peak from which he could gaze upon the Emperor’s capital city and performed the “Celestial Man’s Qi-Watching Technique.”

To observe the qi flows of this Emperor’s capital city.

But with one look, Zhou Heng was almost blinded; a gigantic purple pillar shot up from the center of Zhongzhou City, enveloping the entire city within it.

It also reached up to the ninth heaven, pointing directly to the origin of the rules of this world!

“This is practically heaven and earth’s proclamation in the mortal realm!” Zhou Heng was astounded, the scene before him utterly confirming his previous guess.

…Thousands of years ago, a youth with an iron sword emerged from the Great Wilderness, subduing all realms, unifying the eight desolates, founding the Central Dynasty, proclaiming himself Emperor, enacting feudalism, and governing all directions…

Since already proclaiming himself Emperor, this Emperor’s capital city indeed embodies the will of heaven and earth.

“If I had entered Zhongzhou City unguarded, I might have exposed myself to the will of the world of the Xuanteng Realm without any defenses, and by then, this strand of my Divine Soul would hardly escape,” Zhou Heng pondered with a slight frown, already considering whether he should return to Da Qi now.

At this point, he had been in the Xuanteng Realm for nearly a year.

Although he had not completed the mission of the Zhou Tian Boundary Officer, it wasn’t urgent. There was no rule that said it had to be completed in one go, and he could continue the next time he arrived in the Xuanteng Realm.

Fortunately, one of his two main goals for coming here had been achieved.

He had completed cultivating the Yin Virtue Energy.

The Five Virtues are now complete!

Having finished cultivating the Three Treasures Wish-Fulfilling Fist, I can further deduce the perfect way of the Five Virtues with the help of the Mystery Yellow Pagoda Technique and the Positive-Negative Dual Yi Divine Light. I am poised to walk my own path of the Five Virtues and coalesce my Dharma Phase, stepping into the realm of Sect Fifth Rank.

Regarding the objective of investigating Fuxi and Nuwa’s information, while en route to Zhongzhou City, Zhou Heng had already checked nearly everything he could.

Of course, he hadn’t delved into many factions’ secret teachings, nor the secrets hidden within Zhongzhou City itself. These are likely to hold even greater investigative value.

“Next time,” Zhou Heng decided in his heart.

The result of the recent divination left him unsettled. Although much remained unclear, it was wise to be cautious. It was best to leave first!

Zhou Heng was always decisive in his actions, and, once his mind was set, he immediately turned and left the outskirts of Zhongzhou City, heading to a concealed spot he had found on his way there to store his physical body in this world.

After securing his physical body, he pinched his fingers to form a spell, connecting to the Divine Soul Star Gate, attempting to return.

But just as Zhou Heng’s divine soul left his body and before the power of the Divine Soul Star Gate had descended, suddenly, a terrifying will, strong beyond Zhou Heng’s imagination, surged forth.

This terrifying will immediately intercepted Zhou Heng’s strand of divine soul and surged towards the descending power of the Divine Soul Star Gate.

Following that, this will began to flow in reverse, attempting to trace the power descending through the Divine Soul Star Gate back to its source and thus invade the Divine Soul Star Gate!

“Hum!”

At that moment, Zhou Heng felt a thunderous roar within his divine soul’s perception, as if some colossal being had violently shuddered. Immediately after, he “saw” strands of purple starlight stretch across the sky.

At the same time, the overlapping voices of many treasures’ scriptures began to echo in his ears.

“Great Luo Heavenly Palace… dwelling high in the North Pole… title of Jade Ladle Profound Honor… governing heavenly patterns and earthly designs… traversing the Yellow Path within the Purple Enclosure… Grandmaster of Ten Thousand Manifestations… Hierarch of Ten Thousand Stars… Middle Heaven’s Ziwei…”

Accompanied by the chanting of Ziwei’s scriptures, Zhou Heng’s consciousness quickly regained clarity.

Then he saw those strands of purple starlight coalesce into a torrent, like a purple Star River rushing forward, instantly overwhelming the terrorizing will of utmost strength.

The power of the Divine Soul Star Gate finally succeeded in descending, enveloping Zhou Heng’s strand of divine soul, and returned to the Purple Tenuity Palace.

Meanwhile, as Zhou Heng left the Xuanteng Realm.

Above the high skies of this world, the clouds churned violently, sketching out a vast human face, with the wind howling like the roar of a deity.

“Ziwei!”

…

A strand of divine soul returned to its original body, and Zhou Heng within the Star Gate opened his eyes.

The experiences in the Xuanteng Realm flashed through his mind, and Yin Virtue Energy twisted around his fingertips, indicating that he was ready to begin cultivating the Three Treasures Wish-Fulfilling Fist.

However, not a hint of joy was in his heart, as the strong, inexplicable terror of that will still haunted him.

“Was that the will of the Xuanteng Realm that has been eroded, or a great power that is currently eroding the Xuanteng Realm?” Zhou Heng stepped out of the Star Gate and mused, “If it weren’t for this place being the Purple Tenuity Palace, I might have been traced by that terrifying will.”

The mystic vine realm was far too dangerous, and he felt it was necessary to make this clear, to temporarily halt the Zhou Tian Boundary Officer’s exploration of the mystic vine realm.

However, just as he stepped out of the Divine Soul Stargate, The Supreme and Tianyi promptly came up to greet him.

“Ziwei Master, you have finally returned.”

“Ziwei Master, there has been a mishap!”

The Supreme and Tianyi looked solemn and anxious, as if they had been waiting for Zhou Heng for a long time.

“What?” Zhou Heng’s brow furrowed at the statement as he asked, “Elders, please calm down, what happened?”

“Half a year ago, a ‘Taiwei Monarch’ emerged in the Southern Jin’s Zhou Tian Boundary Officer, beginning to forcibly expand star positions in the celestial region.” The Supreme managed to stabilize his emotions and said gravely, “We have already lost the places of two Star Officers now.”

“This matter has alarmed both the Azure Dragon and Tianyi, but even they are unable to influence the authority of the Taiwei Monarch.” Tianyi’s complexion grew overcast as he said, “Essentially, this is a matter of authority over stellar positions, and unless we directly go to war with the Southern Jin’s Boundary Officer, there is simply no way to stop it.”

“Could something like this really happen?!” Zhou Heng was astounded and quite shocked.

The Southern Jin’s Zhou Tian Boundary Officer controlled the celestial region star positions centered around the “Taiwei Enclosure” and the “Vermilion Bird’s Seven Lodgings,” while Da Qi’s control was centered around the “Ziwei Enclosure” and the “Azure Dragon’s Seven Lodgings.” Traditionally, they had not encroached upon each other’s domains.

Although there had been some movement from the Southern Jin’s Boundary Officer recently, it was only a probing expansion of a bit of the celestial border, insignificant in scope. He hadn’t expected that in just half a year’s time, they would actually have begun seizing the places of Star Officers.

Furthermore, the appearance of a “Taiwei Monarch” seemed to carry implications of supremacy over the ordinary Star Officer positions.

“Ziwei Master, you’re back!” At that moment, the inner circle of the five emperors also emerged from the Purple Tenuity Palace, and upon catching sight of Zhou Heng, they expressed their joy, walking over as they said, “Ziwei Master, there has been a mishap…”

“Hmm, The Supreme and Tianyi have already briefed me,” Zhou Heng nodded gently, now having a general understanding of The Supreme’s, Tianyi’s, and the others’ intentions.

If high-ranking Tao Lord level Star Officers like the Azure Dragon and Tianyi were unable to influence the authority of the Taiwei Monarch, it meant that the position of the “Taiwei Monarch” held an extremely high meaningful rank, indeed above that of a normal Star Officer.

The Southern Jin’s Zhou Tian Boundary Officer was eroding the star positions of this side’s boundary by relying on the authority of the Taiwei Monarch, which reigned over ordinary Star Officers, and Da Qi, in order to counter, would have to use an authority also greater than ordinary Star Officers.

This position was held by Zhou Heng as the “Ziwei Master.”

In theory, this star position is not only higher than ordinary Star Officers but should also rank above the so-called “Taiwei Monarch,” who ought to bow and speak in submission.

“What realm is that Taiwei Monarch of Southern Jin?” Zhou Heng inquired.

“Absolute Fourth Rank,” The Supreme said with gravity, “But this is only a preliminary assessment, because if he were a Celestial Man, the authority he demonstrates over stellar positions would likely be much stronger. It wouldn’t just be a matter of taking one or two star positions.”

“Ziwei Master, do you have a method to counterattack?” Tianyi, ever the more impatient one, eagerly asked Zhou Heng.

“This may only be possible once I break through to the Sect Fifth Rank realm,” Zhou Heng pondered briefly and replied in a deep voice, “I need some time.”

Among the various permissions he had obtained thus far, none facilitated the retaking of eroded star positions.

“Then we shall wait for the good news from Ziwei Master,” The Supreme, Tianyi, and the inner circle of the five emperors said in unison, though in their hearts, they were prepared for a protracted battle with the Southern Jin’s Boundary Officer.

In their eyes, it had been less than a year since Zhou Heng had begun cultivating True Qi. To cultivate the Dharma Phase and step into the Sect Fifth Rank was not so easily achieved.

“Hmm,” Zhou Heng nodded gently, then added, “By the way, regarding the mystic vine realm, I need to clarify the situation…”