I Cheated While Cultivating

Chapter 351: Chapter 71 The Ancient Great Clarity Tao

The Heaven Sword Sect is, after all, one of the top Martial Dao Sects in Southern Jin, possessing both a Celestial Man and a Tao Lord.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Zhou Heng would never stand up for Fang Wen without sufficient benefit.

In such a matter, if he were to express support for Fang Wen, it would signify not merely his own stance, but that of the Pure Yang Palace as well.

This is no small matter.

Fang Wen certainly wouldn’t naively think he could sway them without good reason.

He must have something up his sleeve.

“If Brother Fang wishes to reestablish the Sword Pavilion, then go ahead and do so,” Zhou Heng said with a smile. “What do you need me for?”

“A Sword Pavilion that no one acknowledges is meaningless even if rebuilt,” Fang Wen said earnestly. “I know Brother Zhou has concerns, but I am confident enough to persuade you.”

“Oh?” Zhou Heng replied, his smile broadening. “I’m all ears. However, Brother Fang, let me be clear, swaying me alone is pointless—you need to convince Pure Yang Palace as well.”

“Of course,” Fang Wen nodded, lowering his voice. “I previously found the ruins of the Sword Pavilion in that Cave Sky and was pulled by a mysterious force into another world.

“There, I not only received the vast majority of the Sword Pavilion’s inheritance but also found an extremely important clue about the inheritance of the ancient Dao of Taiqing!”

“Eh?” Zhou Heng narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled. “My Pure Yang Palace isn’t a sect that branched off from the Dao of Taiqing; you should be talking to the Taixu Viewpoint for that.”

The Dao of Taiqing was a sect from the Ancient Mythological Era; its specific history is no longer verifiable, and he also learned through the inheritance of the Reaching Vacuity Sect that the source of both the Taixu Viewpoint and the Reaching Vacuity Sect was the Dao of Taiqing.

“Does Pure Yang Palace really have no interest in the Dao of Taiqing’s inheritance?” Fang Wen countered with a laugh upon hearing Zhou Heng’s comment. “This is, after all, the root of Taixu Viewpoint’s inheritance.”

“Brother Fang has good plans,” Zhou Heng said, not hiding his genuine thoughts and nodding slightly. “Indeed, this is a good condition. However, I have one question: what does the Longevity Way think of this matter?”

Fang Wen was not a Loose Cultivator; rather, he was a True Disciple of the Longevity Way.

Now he was looking to establish his own sect outside, and what he intended to establish was the Sword Pavilion, a sacred site from the Middle Ancient era. Normally, the Longevity Way would never allow its disciples to do such a thing.

“Brother Zhou can rest assured, I’ve already taken care of it on my sect’s side,” Fang Wen said in a deep voice. “Once I have re-established the gates of the Sword Pavilion and it’s time for the grand reopening, my sect’s elders will even come to congratulate me.”

“That is most excellent,” Zhou Heng nodded with a smile, not asking for further details. “Please wait here, then, Brother Fang. I shall go to the Golden Peak and discuss this matter with my senior brother.”

“Thank you, Brother Zhou,” Fang Wen said, brimming with joy. “Then I will wait here for your good news.”

…

At the Golden Top of Jade Void Peak.

“Fang Wen, the Sword Pavilion, the inheritance of the Dao of Taiqing?” Yan Shouyi was a bit surprised upon hearing this, then smiled. “Interesting. It seems Brother Fang has quite the fortune. His future achievements will be boundless.”

“Indeed, I can feel that he’s extremely powerful,” Zhou Heng nodded. “Compared at the level of Secret Sixth Rank, I’m afraid very few martial artists could surpass him.”

“How do you think he compares to you, Junior Brother?” Yan Shouyi smiled.

“I could take ten Fang Wens with one hand tied behind my back,” Zhou Heng said, shaking his head with a light chuckle. “I cannot be measured by common standards anymore.”

“Haha, that’s the first time I’ve heard someone describe themselves in such a way,” Yan Shouyi laughed heartily, clearly in a good mood. “So, what are your thoughts on this matter, Junior Brother?”

“I’m inclined to support Fang Wen and stand by him in the establishment of the Sword Pavilion,” Zhou Heng revealed his decision, which he had already contemplated on his way to the Golden Peak.

“And why is that?” Yan Shouyi inquired.

“It’s the result of weighing the pros and cons,” Zhou Heng stated solemnly. “By supporting Fang Wen, we gain the inheritance of the Dao of Taiqing, allowing us to understand the Taixu Viewpoint better and gaining an advantage in future conflicts.

“Moreover, Fang Wen has immense potential, and the Sword Pavilion itself is an extremely strong inheritance. If he can revitalize the Sword Pavilion, the Pure Yang Palace gains an ally, and the world gains another powerful inheritance, increasing hope against external enemies.

“Compared to these benefits, there is only one downside to supporting Fang Wen’s reestablishment of the Sword Pavilion, and that is the enmity we would face from the Heaven Sword Sect.”

“No, you are wrong,” Yan Shouyi shook his head.

“Ah?” Zhou Heng was puzzled.

“The Heaven Sword Sect wouldn’t dare to show hostility towards us,” Yan Shouyi said with a smile. “So, there are only benefits and no drawbacks. Why not do it?”

“Haha, right, of course, why not!” Zhou Heng nodded and laughed.

…

After receiving Zhou Heng’s response, Fang Wen left the mountain.

The grand reopening of the Sword Pavilion was set for the eighth day of the second month of the following year. The specific location had not been chosen by Fang Wen yet, but an invitation would be sent when the time came, so there was no rush.

However, before descending the mountain, Fang Wen, to show his sincerity, directly gave Zhou Heng an Absolute Fourth Rank Sword Dao technique.

The Heavenly Sword Technique.

This was an Absolute Fourth Rank Martial Arts technique, consisting of just one sword move, created by the Sword Saint before reaching enlightenment. It had no flashy flourishes—just a peerless sword light for attack, tremendously powerful.

More importantly, it was said that the founder of the Heaven Sword Sect was inspired by the Heavenly Sword Technique and glimpsed the mysteries of the realm of Celestial Men, and the establishment of the Heaven Sword Sect was also influenced by the Heavenly Sword Technique.

It was, in essence, a martial arts technique reborn to target the Heaven Sword Sect.

Zhou Heng was quite pleased with it.

Thanks to his insights into the Sword Technique of Conviction and his previous experience with various sword techniques, mastering the Heavenly Sword Technique was simple for him. In about an hour, he had advanced this Absolute Fourth Rank technique to the seventh layer.

It was now fully combat-ready.

This added another technique to Zhou Heng’s arsenal and prepared him for his journey to Southern Jin.

Next was the trip to Southern Jin.

Zhou Heng had originally planned to leave after the Zhou Tian Boundary Officer gathering on the eighteenth of July, but before the time arrived, he received a mask message from the Five Emperors’ Inner Seat.

—The gathering was cancelled because a Demon Lord emerged from the West Wasteland, and the onslaught of the Evil Gods from beyond the heavens suddenly accelerated. Azure Dragon and Tianyi, the two leaders, were still fending off the evil demons and couldn’t get away.

So, Zhou Heng set out directly for Southern Jin.

…

After the second day of February’s Morning Sun Wine Gathering, the borders between Jiangzhou, Yuzhou, and Jinzhou, where Qi and Jin met, no longer held stationed troops or strict checks. The gates in the boundary walls remained open.

The border lines were essentially nominal, with even ordinary people free to enter and exit at will, facing no restrictions whatsoever.

Zhou Heng walked out from the border city wall gate within Yuzhou territory.

At first, he hadn’t felt any difference when setting foot on the land of Southern Jin compared to his time in Da Qi.

After all, although Southern Jin was a foreign country, in the states and prefectures that were either close to, or directly bordering Da Qi, the people’s living habits and accents were almost the same as in Da Qi, making it hard to tell them apart.

This was Zhou Heng’s first time stepping out of Qi Country’s borders, and the moment he set foot into Southern Jin, he felt a tremendous change—he could no longer sense the presence of the Purple Tenuity Palace.

Although previously he needed to pass through specific entrances to enter the Purple Tenuity Palace, when he was within the borders of Da Qi, no matter where he was, he could feel its existence.

Now, that feeling was gone, replaced by another vast celestial region hanging in the void, where he could vaguely sense the presence of a palace different from the Purple Tenuity Palace.

It lacked the mysterious nobility of the Purple Tenuity Palace but possessed an equally endless and majestic aura.

Moreover, outside this palace, he sensed the existence of a fiery red giant bird, its essence bursting with the intense and blazing power of stars, with seven mansions shining brightly.

These were the stars of the Taiwei Enclosure and the Vermilion Bird’s seven mansions.

However, all Zhou Heng could do was sense their presence; he couldn’t truly make contact with them, let alone interfere.

“It seems that my star position as the Ziwei Emperor might be largely incomplete,” Zhou Heng stood atop a mountain peak, gazing at the skies of Southern Jin, lost in thought.

The Ziwei Emperor was the lord of all stars, ruling over the heavens. Though he resided in the Taiwei Enclosure, his influence should govern the Three Enclosures and the Twenty-Eight Mansions, even the stars in their entirety.

But now, it seemed his sphere of influence was limited to the Purple Tenuity Palace alone.

Nevertheless, Zhou Heng wasn’t particularly concerned about perfecting the authority of the Ziwei Emperor at the moment.

For one thing, he hadn’t fully unlocked the privileges of the Taiwei Enclosure, so there was no need to expand; for another, his cultivation realm was still relatively low, and both his power and cultivation realm had considerable room for growth, so there was temporarily no need to advance in this aspect.

“The most urgent matter right now is to head to the place where Jia Ye Temple is located,” Zhou Heng’s mouth curved slightly upwards, as he had a complete action plan in mind.

His visit to Southern Jin was indeed to explore the Yao Palace’s Hundred Halls Chart in the Yulong Prefecture and meet with Cheng Jianjian, but the most important thing for him was to trouble the Jia Ye Temple.

Seeking a coherent thought and heart of cultivating fortune and virtue.

Luckily, Yulong Prefecture in Kunzhou was on the way to the area under Jia Ye Temple’s influence, so there was no conflict.

…

Though Southern Jin also had thirty-three states, its territory was much more extensive than Da Qi.

Many of the states and prefectures were vast in area.

Especially the few that bordered Da Qi, the smallest of which was almost equivalent to the sum of Da Qi’s Yuzhou and Jiangzhou.

And since Kunzhou was located in the central region of Southern Jin, Zhou Heng was once again reduced to traveling by horse, as in the old days.

As for flying, it wasn’t impossible.

But he wasn’t familiar with the powers and division of states and prefectures in Southern Jin, and couldn’t accurately avoid the airspace of the great sects, noble families, and government offices of the states and prefectures, so he might easily cause unnecessary conflicts without being cautious.

Before obtaining a complete and detailed map of Southern Jin, he was better off riding a horse.

——Whether it’s Da Qi or Southern Jin, some of the more powerful forces have restrictions over their own airspace, and in most cases, they do not allow unfamiliar martial artists to fly over their heads.

Fortunately, Zhou Heng had gained quite a lot from opening several Fortune Bags previously, obtaining some Dragon Horse Pills and treasure-level horse gear, which allowed him to upgrade his Red Date Horse long ago.

The Red Date Horse had been fed to an extremely formidable level.

Its true form was over three zhang in height, and more than ten zhang in length, covered in red dragon scales all over its body, and even had two small lumps growing on its forehead, looking as if horns were about to emerge.

Although it temporarily lacked any mystical abilities other than growing and shrinking, in terms of pure physical strength, it had even surpassed the average Secret Sixth Rank martial artist, extremely powerful indeed.

Combined with a Secret Sixth Rank treasure-level horse gear “Thundering Charge,” obtained from the Fortune Bag, which created flashes of lightning and fire as it ran, its speed was faster than the majority of martial artists in the True Energy Realm.

However, riding such a horse was somewhat too conspicuous.

Zhou Heng made the Red Date Horse return to the size of a normal horse and adorned it with scale armor and a helmet to cover the dragon scales on its body and the lumps on its head.

After some careful dressing up, the Red Date Horse finally regained some semblance of a normal horse’s appearance.

“Old buddy, you really don’t make things easy for me,” Zhou Heng said with a smile as he patted the horse’s neck while riding the Red Date Horse, his gaze looking towards the large city ahead, “Yulong Mansion City, that’s an interesting name.”

“Huff puff,” the Red Date Horse snorted loudly, shook its head, and rubbed against Zhou Heng’s palm, continuing forward.

Perhaps because it was finally walking on flat land, its mood was also very good.

By now, Zhou Heng had already crossed the border jurisdictions of Qi Jin and arrived at Miao State in the northern part of Southern Jin. This place had many rivers, lakes, and marshes, with a moist climate and frequent rain all year round, rightfully called “Water State.”

Before reaching Yulong Mansion City, Zhou Heng had already ridden the Red Date Horse across thirty thousand li of waterways. Although the Red Date Horse could already walk on water, it still preferred the land.

“Haha, don’t worry. Once we get into this prefecture city, I’ll let you have a good meal and a good sleep,” Zhou Heng commented as he looked at the sky, noticing the Golden Crow was setting in the west, with dusk nearing, and laughed, “We’ll continue our journey early tomorrow morning.”

“Huff puff!” The Red Date Horse shook its head, indicating agreement.

Afterward, the pair approached Yulong Mansion City, only to be stopped by the soldiers guarding the gate.

“Young hero, please turn back,” the gate-guarding soldier said bluntly, “Yulong Mansion City is currently not receiving outsiders. If you need to continue your journey, you can take a detour to the west.”

“Why?” Zhou Heng asked in surprise, “I have a travel permit.”

Of course, the travel permit was from the people of Southern Jin. He had prepared it before crossing the Qi Jin country border and had encountered no obstructions on his journey so far.

Why was he now being denied entry to Yulong Mansion City?

“Even with a travel permit, it’s not possible. Please leave, please leave,” the gate-guarding soldier waved his hand, his expression impatient.

“This…” Zhou Heng frowned slightly, looked up at the sky, and noticed something was amiss with the weather, with dark and sinister energies lurking around. He then spoke gravely, “Is there a monster causing havoc in the city?”

Ordinary soldiers likely didn’t know about the existence of evil spirits, but if there was a problem inside the city, it was likely to be attributed to monster troubles.

“You, how did you know?” The gate-guarding soldier’s eyes widened, and his attitude immediately became respectful, “Are you a Middle Third Rank martial artist?”

“Indeed,” Zhou Heng nodded lightly.

“That’s great!” The soldier’s eyes brightened as he respectfully said, “Please follow me to meet the official. Something indeed has happened inside Yulong Mansion City.”