I Cheated While Cultivating

“Indeed,” The Supreme nodded, his eyes lighting up with a bit of excitement as he smiled and said, “When we descend into other worlds, we essentially pop out of nowhere. To gather information, especially the deeper secrets, would undoubtedly raise the difficulty quite a bit, but now it’s different.”

“Yes,” Zhou Heng nodded lightly and smiled, “If one descends by attaching a thought of the divine soul to a body, then one can inherit the original identity. Naturally, there would no longer be an issue with identity, making actions much more convenient.”

“However, there’s one more thing I need to confirm with you, Lord of Stars.” Heavenly Principle suddenly said, “This descent by possession, does it involve forcibly occupying the body of a living person, or is it done in some other way?”

“One can only possess bodies equivalent to Lower Third Rank corpses,” Zhou Heng explained and then added with a smile, “And it is not limited to just human corpses.”

“Haha, that certainly makes things even more convenient,” The Supreme laughed.

“However, I’d ask both of you esteemed seniors to not be hasty. I am thinking of announcing this matter at our next meeting,” Zhou Heng raised his hand and retracted the purple portal, “After all, this matter involves the entire organization and should not be decided rashly.”

“That is how it should be. Lord of Stars is very considerate,” The Supreme nodded.

“That’s also good,” Heavenly Principle expressed his agreement.

“With that, I shall take my leave,” Zhou Heng smiled, took a look around, and said, “I will leave the task of explaining the changes in this world of Purple Tenuity Palace to the two seniors.”

“Rest assured, Lord of Stars,” both of them said.

Immediately after, Zhou Heng left the Purple Tenuity Palace on his flying sword, finding his way back across the Bridge of Starlight toward Taihua Mount in Yong State.

Previously, while he was exerting the great powers of the Purple Tenuity Palace, he had discovered that Yan Shouyi was also within the Imperial City.

Given that, Cheng Jianjian and Zhu Zhenzhen would be safe.

Moreover, with such a major event happening, the Imperial City of Zhongzhou would definitely be in the eye of the storm. Yan Shouyi would surely take them back to the mountain, so Zhou Heng had come directly back.

It was also a good opportunity to find out what had taken place in the Imperial City of Zhongzhou after he had returned to Purple Tenuity Palace.

…

At the stone pavilion on the Golden Top of Jade Void Peak, Zhou Heng and Yan Shouyi sat opposite each other.

“Brother, are you saying, after I left, another battle broke out in the Imperial City of Zhongzhou?” Zhou Heng asked with some surprise, “What were they fighting over, and who was fighting whom?”

“Zhou Yuansheng sensed that something was amiss with Zhou Yin here and came northward, and Cui Tianhe also realized that things were not right, descending as well,” Yan Shouyi said with a smile, “Both of them, while retrieving their juniors, also clashed with the Celestial Man of the Zhao Family.”

“Haha, that is indeed expected,” Zhou Heng also started to laugh, “Zhao Zhen schemed against so many of us, and both Zhou Yin and Cui Tianhe shoulder the heavy responsibility of their family heritages. With such an incident, their Celestial Men definitely wouldn’t let things go easily.”

“Not to mention bloodline-hereditary noble families, even we, members of a sect, wouldn’t let things go easily either,” Yan Shouyi glanced towards the direction of Zhongzhou and said with a cold smile, “Members of the Qing Emperor Palace, Infinite Temple, and Longevity Way who are all geniuses also arrived, accompanied by three Celestial Men, especially Longevity Way…”

“Is it because Fang Wen has gone missing?” Zhou Heng inquired.

“Exactly, Luo Shichang is nearly frantic,” Yan Shouyi nodded slightly, puzzled, “Junior brother, are you aware of Fang Wen’s situation?”

“Yes,” Zhou Heng nodded, “At that time, I forcibly harnessed the power of Purple Tenuity Palace. While breaking out of that Cave Sky world, I also released everyone who was trapped inside. I realized then that Fang Wen was already gone.”

Yan Shouyi was aware of the existence of Zhou Tian Boundary Officer and even the details involved; he also knew that Zhou Heng was one of its members. Naturally, there was nothing for him to hide.

“So, it’s very likely that he had disappeared before you broke out of the Cave Sky?” Yan Shouyi frowned upon hearing this and said, “That really means he’s missing without a trace. It’s quite a pity.”

In fact, he had always quite admired Fang Wen. Since ancient times, Martial Artists who could forge their unique path at the Lower Third Rank were few and far between, truly rare.

“Indeed, it’s a pity; I haven’t even had the chance to face him in combat yet.” Zhou Heng also felt regretful, but he quickly remembered his previous doubts, “Senior Brother, you must have already heard about what happened in that Cave Sky from Jiang Jian and the others, right?”

“Yes, I’ve heard, and also from the disciples of Infinite Temple and Qing Emperor Palace.” Yan Shouyi nodded, his voice grave, “In that world within the Cave Sky, there were many Sects and noble family estates that mysteriously disappeared during the Tianyang Battle, along with several county cities and towns.”

“What do you think that world might be?” Zhou Heng asked.

“What do you think, Junior Brother?” Yan Shouyi smiled and said, “I saw with my own eyes how you resisted the corruption of an Evil God, so you must have some speculations, right?”

“Senior Brother flatters me, that was only a momentary power; I fear I might not have the opportunity to use such mighty strength again.” Zhou Heng shook his head first, then nodded and said, “However, I do have a few speculations about that Cave Sky.

“I speculate that the Cave Sky world was probably used as a massive ‘altar’ for the sacrifices to summon an Evil God, carried out by Emperor Taiyang during the Tianyang Battle era.

“Those mysteriously vanished Sects and noble families, as well as the county cities and towns, were probably all part of the ‘sacrifices’ prepared by Emperor Taiyang to please the Evil God”

“And the Evil God that Emperor Taiyang sought to summon back then is likely the same one that Zhao Zhen wanted to summon this time, the ‘Dongyue Taishan Emperor’… Senior Brother, how much do you know about the events that happened during the Tianyang Battle?”

“Very little.” Yan Shouyi shook his head and said, “Master once said that too many unthinkable events occurred during that hundred years of the Tianyang Battle, even he does not wish to speak much of it.”

“Even Master does not wish to speak much of it?” Zhou Heng was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

Even Yan Shouyi, the current head of Pure Yang Palace, was unclear about that period of history.

Furthermore, his nominal Master, a Tao Lord who had personally experienced the Tianyang Battle, should have known quite a lot, yet was unwilling to speak of it.

What exactly had happened during that hundred years?

“Let us not dwell on this for now, Junior Brother, there is something you should be cautious about in the future,” Yan Shouyi suddenly changed the subject.

“What is it?” Zhou Heng asked, puzzled.

“Da Qi might be descending into chaos,” Yan Shouyi said with a light sigh.

“Because of Zhao Zhen’s actions?” Zhou Heng quickly understood and said, “His public sacrifices to summon an Evil God, involving numerous top-tier Sects and noble families, offending many Celestial Men, losing the people’s hearts?”

“Not just because of these reasons, but also the discovery of that Cave Sky world,” Yan Shouyi said, standing with his hands behind his back, facing the sea of clouds with a heavy voice, “Junior Brother, you just speculated that the Cave Sky world might have been an altar used for sacrifices to the Evil God during the Tianyang Battle era.

“Others are likely to guess the same, and thus they will realize how mad Emperor Taiyang was, how many Sects he sacrificed, how many counties, many Celestial Men as well as Tao Lords, and the lives of countless creatures, all became sacrifices.

“It’s a horrendous affair, especially considering what Zhao Zhen did previously, which is also a kind of sacrifice for summoning an Evil God. This will cause many powers in the world to have a great concern.”

“Worried that the Zhao Family might produce another Celestial Man who desires to summon an Evil God?” Zhou Heng said gravely.

“No, the concern is that another Emperor Taiyang, nearly insane, might emerge,” Yan Shouyi turned to look at Zhou Heng and said, “Given this, further suppressing the development of Da Qi, pressing down on the livelihood of its citizens, will most likely be the choice of both Northern Zhou and Southern Jin.”

“Because the Da Qi Royal Family, like the Emperor Taiyang of the Central Dynasty before them, follows the Human Emperor’s Way?” Zhou Heng speculated.

“Exactly,” Yan Shouyi nodded lightly and said, “The cultivation of the Human Emperor’s Way requires the wealth of the people, a prosperous citizenry, and vast territories to gather the hearts of the people and verify the fruits of the Human Emperor’s Way.

“That’s also why, over the past three thousand years, Northern Qi and Southern Jin have been suppressing Da Qi both openly and covertly; in the future, they are likely to be even more brazen.”

“Will the Pure Yang Palace be affected as well?” Zhou Heng frowned.

“After all, Taihua Mount is located within Da Qi’s borders, and many disciples of the Pure Yang Palace are also subjects of Da Qi,” Yan Shouyi said. “Those over a hundred years old and detached from worldly affairs might be fine, but the young disciples of the Lower Third Rank are still involved in the mundane world and are inevitably impacted.”

“I understand,” Zhou Heng nodded and said, “If anyone offends the disciples of Pure Yang, I will not let them off lightly.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble junior brother for this,” Yan Shouyi said with a smile.

“However, I have some doubts,” Zhou Heng inquired, “Why would the Taixu Viewpoint and the Tang Family of Southern Jin also help Zhao Zhen? Could it be that they too wish for the Evil God to descend?”

“The Crown Prince Tang Kaiyuan of Southern Jin has disappeared, and his purpose remains unknown,” said Yan Shouyi with a light shake of his head. “As for the Taixu Viewpoint, it is certainly a question that should be well addressed.”

As he spoke, Yan Shouyi waved his sleeve, and the clouds outside the Golden Peak dispersed, revealing a three-legged golden tripod with an almost invisible silhouette within it—none other than Yang Wuji, the master of the Taixu Viewpoint.

“What is this?” Zhou Heng was taken aback, not having expected that someone was being suppressed in the sea of clouds beside the Golden Peak, and it looked as though it had been done by Yan Shouyi.

“This is Yang Wuji, the master of the Taixu Viewpoint. He came to me for tea earlier and prevented me from leaving, so he has been suppressed for a hundred years,” Yan Shouyi spoke as if it were a very ordinary matter.

“Yang Wuji?!” Zhou Heng was immediately shocked. This was the man known as the number one Celestial Man of Da Jin, who had been honored for over two thousand years, and once rivaled Yan Shouyi in fame.

Suppressed just like that?

Just how powerful was his senior brother?

“Master Yang, have you also been beguiled by an Evil God?” Yan Shouyi asked, temporarily allowing Yang Wuji to sense the outside world so that he could hear his words.

“Heh,” Yang Wuji just sneered, saying nothing.

“With Master Yang’s cultivation realm, surely there is more than this,” said Yan Shouyi.

“Hmph,” Yang Wuji snorted coldly.

“Senior brother, I’ve just had an idea,” Zhou Heng said, a thought flashing through his mind. “Why not let me ask a few questions?”

“That would be fine,” Yan Shouyi agreed with a nod.

“Hehe,” Yang Wuji looked at Zhou Heng with contempt, paying him no mind.

“Your real purpose, it seems, is to obtain the core inheritance of the Zhi Xu sect,” Zhou Heng said gravely. “Tianyizi is none other than the reincarnation of Yuan Zhenzi, the former head of the Zhi Xu sect.

“That world which was used as an altar actually belongs to him. You obstructed my senior brother because you wanted to buy time for Yuan Zhenzi to obtain the core inheritance of the ‘Zhi Xu sect,’ right?”

Yang Wuji was silent this time, but then he scoffed coldly again and stopped paying attention.

“The decline of the Zhi Xu sect had the hand of Taixu Viewpoint in it, didn’t it?” Zhou Heng continued without concern, “I once saw in an ancient book that the Zhi Xu sect and the Taixu Viewpoint were originally one during the Ancient Mythological Era?”

“Who are you, whose reincarnation are you?” Yang Wuji’s eyes flared with divine light, glaring across the space at Zhou Heng, “Which grand figure, which Saint from the past, are you?!”

Just now, Zhou Heng had disclosed the core secret of the relationship between the Taixu Viewpoint and the Zhi Xu sect.

The Zhi Xu sect and the Taixu Viewpoint share the same origin!

This was something only successive heads of both sects would come to know after they retired; even Yang Wuji had only come to know of it through a fortuitous circumstance.

How could someone else know about it?

“Ah, I remember now, isn’t your origin called the ‘Tai Qing Way’?” Zhou Heng said, feigning a sudden recollection, and smilingly added, “That explains it.

“You’re willing to help Zhao Zhen to summon the Evil God not for his sake, but so that Tianyizi can obtain the complete Zheng Xu sect’s inheritance. Then it can be combined with your own Taixu Viewpoint’s inheritance to perfect the Tai Qing Way’s inheritance, right or not?”

The relationship between the Zhi Xu sect and the Taixu Viewpoint was something he had seen in the information transmitted from that ‘Qing Yu Daoist’ statue.

It was the perfect time to use that information.

“Only, what puzzles me is why Tianyizi, the reincarnation of the Zhi Xu sect’s leader, would end up in the Taixu Viewpoint?” Zhou Heng joked lightly. “Could it be that he was lured there by the methods of an Evil God?”

This was merely an attempt by Zhou Heng to provoke a reaction with a teasing remark, yet Yang Wuji responded intensely.

“Nonsense, sheer nonsense!” Yang Wuji finally couldn’t hold back, shouting angrily with bulging eyes, “Ignorant child, what do you know to be spouting such rubbish?!”

Yan Shouyi observed thoughtfully from the side, his gaze flickering slightly.

“Master Yang seems to care a great deal about Tianyizi, or Yuan Zhenzi,” he remarked.

Zhou Heng shook his head and chuckled lightly, “Could it be that you were close friends with Yuan Zhenzi, and so you would risk the descent of the Evil God to help him recover his true self?”

“Yan Shouyi, your junior brother…” Yang Wuji turned his gaze toward Yan Shouyi and said, “Truly a Saint reincarnated, it appears he knows quite a bit.”

“My junior brother is certainly extraordinary,” Yan Shouyi bowed his hands with a smile, “Thank you for the compliment, Master Yang.”

“Heh,” Yang Wuji snorted coldly again, then turned to Zhou Heng and said, “Since you already know everything, why beat around the bush, amusing yourself at my expense?”

“…?” Zhou Heng was puzzled, his mind filled with question marks.

How could I already know everything?

I merely used the information from that world to work with your demeanor and do a bit of artistic refining for provocation.

This now means I know everything?

Have you thought of something?

What do I know?