I Cheated While Cultivating

The old man’s face and voice seemed to carry a powerful psychic shock, or perhaps psychic contamination.

It made him lose all ability to think in an instant, all thoughts halted completely, and his whole being fell into a state of dizziness and pain, without the slightest intention to move.

And the only reason he was in this state was because of his base attribute of Spirit +1, otherwise, at such a close distance, bearing the psychic shock of a Loose Immortal, he would have died on the spot.

Just like Yun Xiu beside him.

Bang!

This girl, beautiful as a flower, passionate about the Martial Path, yearning to adventure in the world, often bringing Zhou Heng steamed buns, and caring for his safety, exploded into a mist of blood upon seeing the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal at such a close range.

Not a bone or a trace remained!

“Mortals are indeed fragile,” said the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal with an indifferent expression, grabbing a handful of the blood mist and staining his palm red, frowning and showing a look of disgust, “and truly filthy.”

“I will have your life!” roared He Mengqiu in rage.

Her body swelled with a violent aura, and behind her, layers of light shadows and bubbles condensed, each bubble seemingly containing an entire world.

These worlds burst with brilliance in the wake of He Mengqiu’s rage. She seemed to transform into an infinite number of bubbles condensed with billions of luminous rays, as if wielding the power of endless worlds, and she hurled herself towards the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal.

Boom!

The void trembled, the power He Mengqiu suddenly unleashed far surpassed the limit of a Sixth Rank martial artist, almost reaching the majesty of a Fifth Rank Dharma Phase, and she did it with all her might, regardless of her own life.

Even more powerful than the life-burning release of the Qing Dragon by the elderly patriarch of the Wang Family.

“A myriad of luminous bubble shadows Dharma Phase?” The Great Saintly Merciful Immortal confronted He Mengqiu’s near-suicidal attack with a faint smile, saying, “Interesting, but unfortunately, the cultivation is not thorough, a disgrace to your ancestor ‘Saint Meng’.”

“Whew!”

He blew out a breath.

Then, the space in front of the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal twisted, as if forming intense spatial storms.

The myriad of luminous bubble shadows were instantly shredded by this terrifying force.

The power, like that which carried the force of endless worlds, was blown away by the breath of the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal, scattering into fragments of light and shadow, ceasing to exist.

He Mengqiu’s all-out, life-risking attack was like child’s play, causing no harm to the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal, completely futile.

She herself was struck by the spatial storm from that breath, immediately pierced through body and spirit, her Dharma Phase prototype obliterated, and she fell gravely injured on the spot, teetering on the brink of death, crashing down from the sky with Zhou Heng, who was still in a dizzy state of pain.

The gap was too vast, wider than the heavens.

Furthermore, after striking down He Mengqiu, the spatial storm continued to hit the ground, and in an instant, the earth shook, houses trembled, and the whole Yuanhe Prefecture City was reduced to ruins.

All those below Seventh Rank died in this assault, blood flowing like rivers.

“Overseas Loose Cultivator, you’ve got some nerve!” The lord of the Prefectural City government office, who had intended to stand by and preserve himself, now burst forth from the ruins, pointing at the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal and scolding, “Aren’t you afraid of the Imperial Court of Da Qi…”

Boom!

A massive azure hand appeared out of nowhere beside the mansion lord, crushing him on the spot into a mound of flesh. This sixth-rank expert had no ability to resist at all, squashed like an insect without any chance to fight back.

“Too weak, really too weak,” the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal shook his head repeatedly, a look of disappointment on his face while at the same time, he reached out to grab the “Wordless Stele” from the ruins of the Wang Family’s compound.

However, just as the “Wordless Stele” began to lift, Dark Sky Emperor He, not far away, also raised his hand and pressed, pinning the “Wordless Stele” in the air.

“Great Saintly Merciful, the Loose Immortal of the Azure Dragon Palace from the overseas floating island,” Sha Mishe’s robe fluttered, his gaze icy as he spoke solemnly, “Do you dare to steal in front of me, thinking you are still a Celestial Man?”

“Though I am no longer a Celestial Man, I am far beyond a mere fourth-rank youngster like you!” The Great Saintly Merciful Immortal snorted coldly, unleashing an invisible mana that manipulated the laws of the universe, directly causing Sha Mishe’s power suppressing the “Wordless Stele” to “wither,” disappearing without a trace.

Right after, Sha Mishe’s body seemed to turn into a botanical garden.

Small fruit trees sprouted from his head, bearing fruit quickly, all resembling brains, and his chest also sprouted vines with fruits in the shape of hearts on them. His limbs, belly, back, and other parts, began to grow various plants.

“Trivial skills,” Sha Mishe said with a cold laugh, unperturbed.

Streams of black air poured out from his seven orifices, enveloping these plants that had just grown from his body, causing them to contract all sorts of diseases and die swiftly while what was purified flowed back into his body.

But while Sha Mishe was dealing with these plants, the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal had already captured the “Wordless Stele,” a smile appearing on his face.

“Qingxia God, you will soon be free from your bind. Your most loyal worshiper will release you, allowing you to regain your freedom!”

Clang!

Just at that moment, a sword cry echoed in all directions, a pure white streak of sword qi bursting through the dust clouds, rising from the ground and slashing towards the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal suspended mid-air.

Geng Metal Sword Energy Technique!

This was the last attack remaining from Zhou Heng’s secret sixth-rank sword talisman.

However, such an attack was simply incapable of inflicting any harm on the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal, not even hitting him, as he easily sidestepped and avoided it.

Zhou Heng, though he had by now barely regained consciousness, was still utterly confused and for the moment, couldn’t distinguish which method would be most effective.

After dodging the Geng Metal Sword Qi, he attempted to activate the Qingxia God Snake Scale, summoning the projection of the Qingxia God from when he was at the fifth rank, trying to use it to withstand the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal.

But just as the aura of the Qingxia God began to rise from Zhou Heng, the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal in the sky raised his eyebrow and said in a deep voice, “Whether you are the reincarnation of the Purple Thunder Supreme God or not, daring to steal the divine power of the Qingxia God is a crime deserving of death!”

With that, he stamped his foot downward.

The vital energy of heaven and earth surged, and laws intertwined, instantly solidifying into a gigantic footprint.

Boom!

With that stomp, the earth caved in, fissures sprawling out from the impact, with terrifying force crushing Zhou Heng instantly into a blob of flesh, beyond recognition in death.

Yet at that very moment, the flesh that was once Zhou Heng suddenly emitted a bright layer of silver glow, pulled by a strange force. Encased in this glow, the flesh disappeared without a trace, leaving no sign of its presence.

“Life-saving talisman?” The Great Saintly Merciful Immortal’s eyes revealed a trace of gloom, and he clenched his teeth, “Had I still possessed Celestial Man’s mana, how could a mere insect have escaped death with a life-saving talisman… I must free Qingxia God as soon as possible, only then can I…”

At the Bai family’s location at this very moment.

Both the innkeeper couple and Bai Jingtian had perished in the spatial storm created by the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal’s breath, their bodies shattered and their deaths tragic.

Only a seven-year-old girl slowly climbed from the ruins, her pupils shining with a greenish glow as she stared straight at the “Wordless Stele” in the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal’s hand.

The dramatic upheaval at Yuanhe Prefectural City caused much of Yuanhe Mansion’s land to tremble.

Waves towering to the sky churned in the Qingxia River.

At this moment, only one ferryman remained on the river, the old Boatman who had previously ferried Zhou Heng across the river and told him the legends of the Qingxia God.

His boat was still in the Qingxia River, immovable by even the towering waves.

There was also one passenger on board.

He was a middle-aged man in a blue robe, carrying a longsword on his back and with two tufts of small mustache; his facial features were soft and his gaze gentle, with a faint smile on his lips.

He was an elder of the Five Elements Sect, ranked sixteenth on the Earth Rankings, the father of Liu Changsheng.

“Azurewood Divine Sword” Liu Gaoyang.

The old Boatman looked up in the direction of Yuanhe Prefectural City, sighed lightly, and said, “That prefectural city is destroyed, and its people are dead; why didn’t you intervene?”

“If I had intervened, the Loose Immortals of the Thirty-Six Heavens wouldn’t have obtained the Qingxia God’s life-tooth, and thus couldn’t have performed the secret technique to unlock the seal,” Liu Gaoyang stood with his hands behind his back, speaking indifferently. “Jiang Predecessor, you are a prestigious Second Rank Tao Lord who has ferried here for five thousand years; don’t you wish to regain your freedom?”

“Heh, young man,” the old Boatman chuckled, “Even if I regained my freedom, where would I go? Besides, the task of sealing the Qingxia God here was an entrustment from my master.”

“Half a year ago, there was a disturbance in the Wood Element Path; surely you, Tao Lord, must have sensed it,” Liu Gaoyang turned his head, speaking in a grave tone. “The Primordial Spirit of the Qjngxia God has already been reincarnated, and even the ‘Azurewood Dao Seed’ is gone, isn’t it?”

“Is that so?” the old Boatman smiled.

“Tao Lord, don’t play dumb,” Liu Gaoyang said earnestly. “Your ‘Sealing Dao Seed’ and the Qjngxia God’s ‘Azurewood Dao Seed’ have been entwined for five thousand years, and their mutual influence on each other is unavoidable.

“When the Wood Element Path was disturbed half a year ago, all the seals in the world loosened to varying extents. Clearly, the Sealing Dao Seed was affected as well.

“Tao Lord, knowing well that the Primordial Spirit and Dao Seed of the Qingxia God are no longer present, why do you still insist on staying here? I ask you to step back shortly after, and I will forever be grateful for your benevolent act in allowing my ascension.”

“Over the years, have the people of the Five Elements Sect become so indifferent that they disregard the lives of hundreds of thousands?” the old Boatman scoffed coldly. “Are your ancestors aware of this?”

“Tao Lord, you must be aware that as long as I can entrust my Primordial Spirit to the void and attain the position of Celestial Man, I will be able to harness the spirit and power of the Wood Element Path,” Liu Gaoyang’s expression became anxious as he said, “In doing so, I can resurrect all the lives lost within half an hour, including those from Yuanhe Prefectural City. Does this not count as valuing their lives?”

“…” The old Boatman was silent for a moment, chuckled dryly with his head lowered, and then said, “I won’t stop you later.”

“Thankyou, Predecessor!!” Liu Gaoyang exclaimed joyfully at these words.

“Ah!”

Zhou Heng suddenly awoke, drenched in cold sweat, looking at his hands and feet, and his intact body in astonishment.

“Life-saving Talisman? Does that mean… I’m back at home in Huangtong Mansion City??”

He stood up, scanned his surroundings, and indeed found himself in the house he rented in Huangtong Mansion City. A plethora of complicated emotions surged within him.

Yun Xiu died.

And He Mengqiu’s fate remained unknown.

The entire Yuanhe Prefectural City had become ruins, with countless dead or injured.

That Loose Immortal was not even human!

In the eyes of that Great Saintly Merciful Immortal, all so-called “mortals” seemed like mere insects to be squashed at will.

“If my spirit had been strong enough, if I had stayed conscious, things wouldn’t have turned out like this. I could have easily swiped him with the five- colored divine light and suppressed him!” Zhou Heng lamented in his heart.

But it was a helpless situation; the might of a Loose Immortal was just too overwhelming.

His mere presence, without even doing anything, just the concept of his existence alone was enough to cause any living being who saw him up close to die on the spot.

Just like Yun Xiu.

“However, all this is not unchangeable!” Zhou Heng’s thoughts raced, recalling the recent events. “There’s still a chance within at most two minutes; but how do I get there?”

Now he was in Huangtong Mansion City, more than ten thousand miles from Yuanhe Prefectural City, a distance not manageable in a short time for an Eighth Rank Martial Artist.

“Let’s hope the Qingxia God excels at swift travel.” He thought of the Qingxia God scale he had intended but had not managed to use before. He planned to summon the projection of a Fifth Rank Qjngxia God and travel to Yuanhe Prefectural City at the fastest speed possible.

Just then, a crane’s cry came from the sky.

Zhou Heng recognized the sound.

He hurriedly opened the door and looked up into the sky.

Saw You Ziheng riding atop a massive white crane descending from the heavens; he held a longsword wreathed in purple mist, and with a look of puzzled awe, asked Zhou Heng, “Were you just killed?”

“Elder You, no time to explain; hurry to Yuanhe Prefectural City!” Zhou Heng shouted urgently.

“How fast do you need to go?” You Ziheng didn’t ask for the reason.

“As fast as possible!” Zhou Heng said.

“Alright!” You Ziheng nodded, drew out the longsword from the purple mist with his right hand, and then grabbed Zhou Heng with his left hand, “Let’s go!” Boom!

A thunderous roar erupted, and You Ziheng, carrying Zhou Heng, turned into a beam of purple sword light that shot into the sky, breaking through the air and the clouds, disappearing into view.

The white crane stood dazedly in the courtyard, raising its wings, scratching its head, a picture of confusion.

With the power of the Divine Weapon, You Ziheng flew with his sword, crossing ten thousand miles in the blink of an eye, passing the waves of the Qingxia River, sweeping past Liu Gaoyang and the old Boatman, and returning Zhou Heng to Yuanhe Prefectural City.

By then, Yuanhe Prefectural City was already enveloped in a green light.

The Qingxia God’s life-tooth hovered high in the sky, with the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal in a frenzied state of excitement, chanting continuously, urging his mana, forming hand seals, and activating the power of the life­tooth.

The Black Plague Emperor lay defeated and heavily wounded on the ground, immobile.

He Mengqiu was still alive but barely hanging on.

“Elder You, if you return to your previous location afterward, I ask that you come here as quickly as possible,” Zhou Heng said succinctly, then jumped from the sword light.

“Restart!!”