I Cheated While Cultivating

“But if you want to see it, then there’s no harm in showing you. Come on! Haha!”

Chu Qingchuan burst into loud laughter.

At the same time, he raised the Golden Whip in his hand and stepped forward!

In an instant, his entire body lit up with crimson lightning, like countless serpents of thunder intertwining and booming, as if a palace of thunder was brewing inside him.

Chu Qingchuan, riding the crimson lightning, seemed to teleport in front of Zhou Heng, raising the Golden Whip high and smashing it down with the swirling red light!

Boom!

Thunder roared and lightning surged, as if heavenly punishment had descended, causing the wind and clouds to change color.

This move with the Golden Whip even stirred the surrounding heaven and earth’s energy, and within three feet, streams of crimson lightning snaked out of the void.

The entire arena began to shake, emitting thunderous roars.

Red Sky Nine Styles!

The first move!

Wild Dance of Red Thunder!

Such a sight made the spectators’ scalp tingle with fear and awe.

“Seventh Rank, is this really Seventh Rank?”

“I’m starting to doubt I’m a true Peak of the Seventh Rank. How come I’m not this powerful?”

“You took thirty years to reach Seventh Rank by yourself, but he invented his own martial arts and reached the Peak of the Seventh Rank before twenty. Can it be the same?”

“Too strong, is this what it’s like to be a disciple of a top Martial Dao Sect?”

“Can Zhou Heng really withstand such an attack?”

The crowd was astounded, as Chu Qingchuan’s strength exceeded the common martial artist’s understanding of the Peak of the Seventh Rank.

Too strong!

Absurdly strong!

Beyond imagination!

Just with this move alone, Chu Qingchuan could firmly secure a spot in the top thirty of the rankings!

No one expected that this newly emerged true disciple of the Shenxiao Sect would be so formidable. The crowd looked at Zhou Heng with worry.

Was the rising star of the Purple Lightning Thunder Blade about to be suppressed just like that?

Boom!!

Just then, purple thunder light suddenly exploded from the long blade in Zhou Heng’s hand, dazzling and gorgeous. The erupting purple thunder clashed with the Golden Whip and the crimson lightning, accompanied by the uplift of the “Purple Lightning” blade.

Spring’s Thunderous Strike!

This simple strike, which Zhou Heng had just learned at the Ninth Grade, had seemed somewhat flashy but insubstantial.

But now, he was at the peak of Eighth Rank, with Innate Pure Yang Inner Qi and many skills.

Moreover, he had begun to have a preliminary understanding of his own martial path, so the power of this strike was incomparably greater than before.

With the spring thunder’s explosion, all things come to life!

The Spring’s Thunderous Strike from Zhou Heng not only possessed the power of destruction but also the essence of endless life. The intertwining of creation and demolition was unpredictable and infinite in variations.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing and trembling rose as the Nine Annihilation Golden Whip collided with the Purple Thunder Sword. The thunder was loud, but quickly the whip was suppressed by the myriad changes of Spring’s Thunderous Strike, losing its edge.

Zhou Heng reversed the momentum with one move and didn’t pause, the Purple Thunder Sword that had just suppressed the Nine Annihilation Golden Whip suddenly rotated.

At the same time, he released his Innate Pure Yang Inner Qi, drawing upon the subtle forces of heaven and earth to form whirlwinds, interweaving with the Purple Thunder, and continued the assault on Chu Qingchuan!

Heavenly Spin and Thunder Turn!

This move was different from how it had been performed before.

In the past, Zhou Heng used this move purely by combining the blade’s edge with Inner Qi to stir up the whirlwind, then manipulating lightning in a way that made it difficult to control all variations of the technique.

But now he was the core of it all, mastering the whirlwind, the lightning, and wielding the combined force of wind and thunder in all directions with unobstructed power.

This was also a reflection of his recent insights into his own martial path.

Moreover, thanks to his innate Pure Yang Inner Qi holding a trace of the Secret Six Rank properties, it could resonate with the external world to a certain extent, allowing him, an Eighth Rank in stature, to draw upon some of the mighty forces of Heaven and Earth.

BOOM!

The wind and thunder roared and howled in approach!

Chu Qingchuan felt a numbness all over his body, as if penetrated by lightning, his expression turned stern, and he exclaimed in shock, “Madman, he’s actually drawing upon the elemental qi of Heaven and Earth with just an Eighth Rank body!”

Normally, only at the peak of the Seventh Rank could a martial artist begin to harness the elemental qi of Heaven and Earth, though some extremely rare martial arts might offer a glimpse of this marvelous power at the Eighth Rank.

But to forcibly draw on the power of Heaven and Earth elemental qi at the Eighth Rank was not merely to enhance one’s martial arts prowess; it would also shock the body.

If one’s physique were not robust enough, it was quite likely to be a case of damaging the enemy a thousand and self eight hundred!

However, what he didn’t know was that Zhou Heng had an added basic attribute of physique +2, and coupled with the congruity of the Pure Yang Body to the innate Pure Yang Inner Qi, let alone now when only a thread of elemental qi of Heaven and Earth was being harnessed, even if it was three to four times greater, he could withstand it.

RUMBLE!

The power of Zhou Heng’s slash, the Heaven-Spinning Thunder Turn bolstered by the mighty forces of Heaven and Earth, became even more formidable, nearly forming an ocean of wind and thunder spanning thirty to forty feet in all directions, intending to engulf Chu Qingchuan!

“Indeed a great saber technique, but still not as good as mine! Take my whip!” Chu Qingchuan bellowed loudly, his Inner Qi circulating throughout his body, his pale golden pupils lighting up with crimson thunder.

Instantly, he brandished the Nine Annihilation Golden Whip in his hand, unleashing two strokes of crimson lightning that formed two Thunder Nets, crashing into the surging purple electric wind and thunder.

Heavenly Net Thunderbolt!

Red Sky Nine Styles, second form!

At the same time, space twisted behind Chu Qingchuan, revealing a shadowy image of clouds interwoven with crimson thunder, covering a radius of thirty feet around him.

This greatly increased the power of the “Heavenly Net Thunderbolt” he cast.

Inner visions manifesting outwardly!

This caused everyone watching the battle to hold their breath, staring unblinkingly at the confrontation on the stage, as they saw patches of crimson thunder rise up.

They all knew Chu Qingchuan was going all out.

For a martial artist at the peak of the Seventh Rank, manifesting inner visions outwardly meant exerting their full strength. If one still could not triumph after this, it signified there was no chance of victory left.

Faced with the onslaught of the crimson sea of thunder, Zhou Heng felt not fear but joy, his body and mind refreshed, his will surging. Chu Qingchuan was unquestionably the strongest among the peak Seventh Rank opponents he had encountered to date.

He could finally fight with abandon, truly temper his martial arts, and perhaps even seize this opportunity to push forward the dawn of his martial insight, perfecting the construction of his inner vision of the small world.

Thus, Zhou Heng laughed heartily, raising his Purple Thunder Sword high, as golden light surged over his body, and gold tinted the purple lightning…

“Good! Take my blade as well!”

In a flash, purplish-golden lightning surged around the edge of Zhou Heng’s blade, layer upon layer, transforming into a world of thunder as if a sea of lightning had suddenly appeared in the midst of winter. With Zhou Heng’s slash, it ferociously smashed down towards Chu Qingchuan.

Winter Thunderbolt!!

However, as he slashed down, he suddenly felt a virtually imperceptible weakness surge within him, as if his body were being emptied.

But this sensation appeared only momentarily before it was quenched by his formidable physique and innate Pure Yang Inner Qi, producing no effect whatsoever.

The strike of Winter Thunderbolt was hammered down with full force!

At the same time, as Chu Qingchuan executed his two techniques, the various changes and mysteries involved also emerged in his mind, accompanied by a series of prompts.

“Chu Qingchuan is executing martial arts ‘Red Sky Nine Styles・Red Thunder Frenzy Dance’ [Absolute Fourth Rank] to attack you. You have successfully blocked and countered, and because you practice a similar type of saber technique at the same level, you have vicariously understood some of the nuances, increasing proficiency by +0.02.”

…

“Chu Qingchuan is executing martial arts ‘Red Sky Nine Styles・Heavenly Net Thunderbolt’ [Absolute Fourth Rank] to attack you. You have successfully blocked and countered, and because you practice a similar type of saber technique at the same level, you have vicariously understood some of the nuances, increasing proficiency by +0.03.”

…

“Observing Chu Qingchuan’s ‘Thundercloud Inner Vision’ strikes a chord, deepening your understanding of the Way of Thunder.

“Taoist Formulas ‘Palm Thunder’ [Eighth Rank] proficiency +200; Taoist Formulas ‘Golden Book of the Five Thunder Righteous Methods’ [Sect Fifth Rank] proficiency +0.1; Martial Arts ‘Purple Thunder Seven Strikes’ [Absolute Fourth Rank] proficiency +10.”

…

RUMBLE!

The purplish-golden world of thunder and crimson Heavenly Net Thunderbolt collided, interweaving thunder and electrical light, the Golden Whip and the Purple Sword clashing, a contest of Qi, with their physical bodies and inner visions also colliding!

“`

Buzz! Buzz!

The black steel stone arena let out a soul-shaking hum as the two types of lightning clashed; the five-foot-tall platform was ground down layer by layer, quickly shrinking to four feet!

Moreover, with the collision of purple-gold and crimson lightning, along with the exchange of inner qi between Zhou Heng and Chu Qingchuan, as well as the spillover effects of their two sharp weapons, this exceptionally hard arena soon shrank further to three feet!

Clang!

After the clash of metal, Zhou Heng, holding the Thunder Sword, leaped high with a sudden whirl of golden light around his body. With a twist of the blade, he incredibly wrapped up the crimson lightning shot by Chu Qingchuan, adding it to his Purple Thunder Sword.

“How, how is this possible?!” Chu Qingchuan was stunned, never having imagined such a scenario where the lightning he conjured could be “absorbed” by his opponent.

“You’ve heard of the saying, ‘Fight fire with fire,’ haven’t you?” Zhou Heng laughed out loud, his figure aloft as he fiercely flung the Purple Thunder Sword in his palm.

He immediately cast the swath of crimson lightning out, slamming it into the enveloping purple-gold thunder enveloping Chu Qingchuan!

This move contained the technique of turning defense into offense, but it was more than just that; it included his understanding of the Thunder martial arts and the Taoist formulas, as well as his knowledge of the Red Sky Nine Styles.

And at its core, it embodied his martial will to “embrace all things”—a martial technique Zhou Heng invented that was still in its nascent form!

Boom! Boom!

When the two thunders collided, they were both annihilated, bursting apart with such formidable impact that the remaining three-foot arena was leveled to the ground.

Crackle!

A loud sound of explosion rang out, and one of the two combatants was sent spiraling backward through the air, tearing a long trail of turbulence along his path!

It was Chu Qingchuan.

Bang!!

Chu Qingchuan, sent flying, crashed hard into a green stone wall more than thirty feet away, making a thunderous noise and instantly creating a huge hole in the wall.

But after this crash, the soaring Chu Qingchuan did not show any signs of slowing down. He continued breaking through five more walls before finally crashing to the ground.

The force of this fall was immense as well, lifting countless pebbles and dust into the air tens of feet away, and the ground there too took a heavy pounding.

Silence!

Unparalleled silence. Thousands in the audience were speechless, and you could hear a pin drop.

Every person present.

All eyes were on the man still standing on the platform, watching this victor.

Zhou Heng!

The Purple Lightning Thunder Sword!

This was indeed, incredibly strong!

On the platform.

Zhou Heng stood with his sword, feeling exceptionally exhilarated, sensing that his innate Pure Yang inner qi had experienced an unprecedented sense of release, immensely invigorating!

At the same time, a reward notification sounded.

“Congratulations! For defeating an evenly matched opponent, ‘Chu Qingchuan,’ Fortune Bag [Silver] +1”

…

“Such an impressive Thunder martial technique!” Wang Xiuye couldn’t stop marveling at the figure standing on the platform.

The recent bout had been very enlightening for him.

It also gave him an insight into another aspect of Zhou Heng’s strength. The Purple Lightning Thunder Sword truly lived up to its reputation, and fighting fire with fire was not Zhou Heng’s only tactic.

And there was Chu Qingchuan, the young talent from the Shenxiao Sect, who was already so formidable right after starting out. Should he progress further, he’d likely become one of the top ten experts in the rankings someday.

“Hmm, considering how Zhou Heng and Chu Qingchuan are looking, they’ll probably end up friends through fighting. Should I take this opportunity to invite them both over and make their acquaintance?”

Wang Xiuye was contemplating how to cozy up to Zhou Heng and Chu Qingchuan to enhance their relationship and engage more deeply when he suddenly felt someone behind him.

Who could approach him soundlessly?!

Instantly, his hair stood on end and his sense of alarm peaked. He quickly tried to put some distance between them by using his movement technique, but the person behind him followed closely like a shadow.

“Where are you going?”

“`

A voice tinged with a faint smile sounded in Wang Xiuye’s ears, and at the same time, a pristine white palm pressed onto his shoulder, immobilizing him in place, rendering him unable to move.

Wang Xiuye turned his head to look at the newcomer, seeing a young man of unremarkable appearance but with an air of arrogance between his brows. He immediately furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice, “Li Wuwang? What do you intend to do?”

“To spar with you,” Li Wuwang replied with a grin. “I’ve heard you claim to be able to shake mountains with three palms, and you want to shake my Dragon Spear. Although I don’t think you’re worthy, since you’re ranked higher than me, I’ll give you this opportunity.

“Follow me to the stage!”

…

In a tavern not far from the stage.

Ma Quan held a plague box in his hand, his face ashen and eyes brimming with fury, while the young disciple beside him kept his head down, submissive and humble, not even daring to breathe heavily.

This member of the Plague Emperor Sect, at the Sixth Rank of Innate level, was somewhat questioning his life choices.

He looked unbelievingly at Zhou Heng standing on the stage, his voice filled with shock and doubt, “How is this possible, this damn thing can’t be possible! Even if he has a Pure Yang Body, it’s not possible to ignore my plague qi like this!

“Could it be that this kid, dammit, has a body impervious to all diseases?”

During the match between Zhou Heng and Chu Qingchuan, he had actually released “qi and blood deficiency, vulnerability to external evil” plague qi, intending to make Zhou Heng fall ill and succumb quickly.

This would lead to a rapid decline in Zhou Heng’s martial prowess, leaving him powerless against Chu Qingchuan’s attacks, and he would be beaten to death on the spot!

Moreover, since Chu Qingchuan’s Nine Annihilation Golden Whip and Red Sky Nine Styles were both extremely firm and yang techniques, they would erase any trace of plague qi in Zhou Heng’s body upon killing him, effectively concealing any evidence of Ma Quan’s involvement.

Such a quiet and unnoticeable method of using another’s hand to kill had initially filled Ma Quan with pride, but he had not anticipated that Zhou Heng would seem completely unaffected by the plague qi, unscathed!

How could this be?

“Don’t worry, even if he truly was harmed by the plague qi, he wouldn’t suffer from it.” Just then, a gentle yet indifferent female voice arose.

“Who?!” Ma Quan exclaimed in alarm.

But the moment he turned to look towards the source of the voice, his gaze was captivated by a pair of light purple eyes.

Ma Quan felt a momentary trance, and the light and shadows around him rapidly changed, and after a moment, it was as if he had entered a different world.

Daylight turned to night, dark clouds covered the moon, stars were not to be seen, and smoke filled the air. The inn he was in turned into a grave-filled burial mound, boundless as far as the eye could see.

Ma Quan turned around bewilderedly, leaned on a tombstone near him, and then his gaze suddenly froze, his face showing a look of horror.

Written on the tombstone was—

Name: Ma Quan.

Cause of Death: Afflicted by Numerous Diseases.

The instant he saw the tombstone, he immediately felt his body rapidly weaken.

Sores started appearing on his face, neck, and all over his body, a bloody taste surged up his throat, and he began coughing violently.

But after just a couple of coughs, his lungs were expelled from his mouth.

They were covered in pitch-black, viscous tumors.

“No, nooo!!!”

…

On the shores of the Eastern Sea, Ningyu Town.

This place was once a town with over a thousand households, living off fishing, and occasionally making some shell ornaments to sell in the county city, helping to supplement their families’ income.

Although not very wealthy, the residents had been happy and content with their lives, leading a bustling existence.

But now, Ningyu Town was devoid of any signs of life. Nearly four thousand people, men and women, young and old, even newborn babies, had all lost their flesh and turned into towering, skin-and-bone dry corpses.

These corpses were piled up carelessly in the center of the town like weeds.

Standing beside this mountain of corpses was a person clad in a black cloak.

He tossed a mass of light, made from the flesh and blood of those thousands of people, into the air. The blood light hovered in the air, emitting strands of purple-black aura, which seemed to slightly distort the surrounding void.

The man in the black cloak quickly kneeled down, prostrating himself in worship.

“I humbly welcome the arrival of Demon Lord Cang Hua’s law!”

————

ps: A large chapter of 4800 words, another one coming before 12 o’clock.