The Creation of the Heavens and All Realms

Chapter 23: Zhou Tianci’s Plan

“It’s not just a lot—it’s absolutely overwhelming!” Chen Xiangrong’s eyes filled with fear as he recalled the scene. “I’ve never seen so many ferocious beasts. They all charged into Shepan Mountain as if they’d gone mad. It was terrifying!” Chen Xiangrong paused for a moment before continuing, “Seven years ago, a total of 30 legions—150,000 men—entered the Barbarian Wilderness. Thirty legions were stationed at the nine mountain passes of Shepan Mountain. After the beast tide passed, fewer than 100,000 returned to the City of Tears and Blood. It was pure luck that I made it back safely. I never thought I’d face a second beast tide in my lifetime, but who would’ve imagined…” Hearing Chen Xiangrong’s words, Zhou Tianci fell silent as well. He knew firsthand just how powerful the Northwest Legion was; a single battalion of theirs could easily wipe out thousands of beasts. With 30 legions comprising 750 battalions, just how many beasts could they possibly have killed? “Beast tide, beast tide—I only now understand the true meaning of that term,” Zhou Tianci sighed. After Chen Xiangrong left, Zhou Tianci couldn’t help but ponder the reason behind the beasts’ assault on Shepan Mountain. Although the beasts lacked sentience, they still possessed the instinct to seek benefit and avoid harm; there must be something special within Shepan Mountain that was attracting them. “It seems Liu Yuntao took personal charge precisely because of the treasure within Shepan Mountain. He deployed the Northwest Legion into the Barbarian Wilderness to guard the mountain pass and block the ferocious beasts outside—all to make it easier to retrieve the treasure…” Zhou Tianci thought to himself. He, too, had a keen interest in the treasure within the mountain; if it could attract Innate-level experts, it must be truly extraordinary. “Perhaps this journey into the Wilds Forest will present an opportunity for me as well!” Zhou Tianci felt a faint sense of anticipation. By the third day, Zhou Tianci and his companions had already ventured more than 300 li deep into the Wilderness. “This must be what the true Wild Forest is really like, right?” Zhou Tianci, having led his men in slaying over a hundred beasts that had ambushed them, had gained a whole new perspective on the Wild Forest. Looking at these beasts—all of which possessed strength at the mid-Postnatal realm or higher, with an increasing number rivaling humans at the peak of the Postnatal realm—he realized this place was far more dangerous than Yutou Mountain. Chen Xiangrong wiped the blood from his face and gave a bitter smile. “Squad Leader, this is just the beginning. The Wild Forest stretches across the Mainland—who knows how vast it is? We’re only in a small corner of its northern reaches. There are countless ferocious beasts and demon beasts in this forest. If it weren’t for the military aura left behind by previous legions along this path, the number of beasts ambushing us would be ten times greater!” Zhou Tianci nodded silently; his powerful spiritual perception told him that Chen Xiangrong was certainly not exaggerating. Ever since they had ventured 200 li into the Wild Forest, Zhou Tianci had been constantly sensing the threats all around them, and the deeper they went, the stronger those threatening auras became. “Lei Dong, are you all right?” Zhou Tianci asked, turning back. During the battle moments ago, Lei Dong had been ambushed by a Crimson Blood Scorpion and had nearly been poisoned. This scorpion was a highly venomous creature; its venom was so potent that even beasts with physiques far surpassing those of humans couldn’t withstand it—let alone Lei Dong. Had it not been for Zhou Tianci’s keen senses, which allowed him to slay the Crimson Blood Scorpion in time, Lei Dong would have met his end right there. Lei Dong felt a chill run down his spine as he reflected on the narrow escape: “I’m fine. You’ve saved my life yet again, Sir. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to repay this debt of gratitude in my lifetime.” Zhou Tianci gave him a light pat on the shoulder: “You trust me, and I consider you a brother. Don’t talk about any debt of gratitude.” “Mm-hmm,” Lei Dong replied, looking at Zhou Tianci with a gleam in his eyes. That evening, while resting, Zhou Tianci sat alone in the tent practicing his cultivation, and Lei Dong volunteered to stand guard for him. Zhou Tianci was pleased with this. Over the past few days, the bond between Zhou Tianci and Lei Dong had grown rapidly. Lei Dong had expressed his desire to follow Zhou Tianci, and after observing him for several days, Zhou Tianci had already decided in his heart to take Lei Dong under his wing. Their close relationship was no secret within the entire detachment; even squad leaders like Qi Shan tacitly acknowledged that Lei Dong was part of Zhou Tianci’s inner circle. “This expedition into the Barbarian Wilderness is exceptionally dangerous. I must break through to the Innate Realm as soon as possible to ensure we return unscathed. If there truly is a treasure on Shepan Mountain, I might even be able to join the competition for it!” Zhou Tianci mused to himself; he was now just a hair’s breadth away from the Innate Realm. “Internal vision of the Primordial Spirit, sensing the Spirit Platform, refining True Qi, and channeling energy like a dragon—the four steps of the Xiantian realm. I’ve already completed more than half of them. As long as I can refine my True Qi, relying on the power of my Primordial Spirit, I’ll immediately grasp the subtleties of the Xiantian realm!” Zhou Tianci sensed that his breakthrough was just a matter of a day or two away, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. Strictly speaking, the Xiantian realm marks the true beginning of the cultivation path. In the Houtian realm, one strengthens the body by refining tendons, bones, and marrow—all of which rely on spiritual energy to fortify the physical form and hold no profound mysteries. Even at the peak of the Houtian realm, one remains nothing more than a mortal flesh-and-blood being. Only upon reaching the Innate Realm can a cultivator use their Primordial Spirit to observe themselves, others, and the world—and only then can they perceive the core and essence of this world. The Innate Realm marks a metamorphosis for the cultivator; while stepping into it does not immediately make one transcendent, a complete transformation is undeniably real. To put it simply, the lifespan of an Innate-level cultivator far exceeds that of a Post-Heaven cultivator. The maximum lifespan for a Post-Heaven martial artist is 150 years; regardless of who they are or what cultivation method they practice, 150 years is the absolute limit for the Post-Heaven realm. In contrast, Innate-level cultivators easily surpass 200 years of age, and those skilled in health preservation can even live to be 300 years old. According to records from the Great State of Yu, the longest-lived Xian Tian practitioner reached 400 years! “Right now, my twelve meridians and 365 acupoints are already filled with spiritual energy. The next step is to condense this spiritual energy into true qi. True Qi is as fine as silk threads; though its quality isn’t much higher than that of spiritual energy, it is, after all, my own. No matter how much spiritual energy one possesses, it still belongs to Heaven and Earth…” Zhou Tianci continuously refined and absorbed the spiritual energy. Through his Primordial Spirit’s inner vision, he could see strands of True Qi being born within his Dantian’s Purple Palace. Condensing True Qi is a painstaking process. If it weren’t for Zhou Tianci’s powerful Primordial Spirit and the assistance of the Tree of Indestructible Creation, it would have taken far longer to condense all the spiritual energy within his meridians and acupoints. “Having devoured the Law of Force from the Thousand-Jun Stone, the Tree of Eternal Creation is beginning to reveal even greater power. Although the energy it now feeds back to me has diminished, the laws it manifests are unmatched by any treasure!” Zhou Tianci couldn’t help but smile. After a night of cultivation, Zhou Tianci had already transformed two-thirds of the spiritual energy in his body into true qi. At that moment, within his dantian’s Purple Palace, a cluster of true qi, as fine as threads, swirled and coiled. This cluster of true qi was constantly absorbing spiritual energy, transforming it into true qi, and channeling it throughout Zhou Tianci’s meridians. Zhou Tianci was now just a hair’s breadth away from reaching the Xiantian realm! Stepping out of the tent, Zhou Tianci saw Lei Dong lifting a massive boulder to train. The boulder was the size of a millstone and weighed no less than 3,000 jin. “Lei Dong, has your strength increased again?” Zhou Tianci asked, noticing how effortlessly he was handling it. Lei Dong tossed the boulder aside, leaving a large crater in the ground. “It seems so. I don’t know why, but my strength has been increasing rapidly these past few days since I’ve been with you, Sir. At this rate, I might never even reach the ‘Post-Heaven’ realm in my lifetime.” Lei Dong was a bit discouraged by his own growing strength. Zhou Tianci, however, said, “Don’t lose heart. Innate superhuman strength is a gift ordinary people can only envy. Your future extends far beyond the ‘Post-Heaven’ realm.” Lei Dong scratched the back of his head, unsure what Zhou Tianci meant. Zhou Tianci offered no explanation and simply walked away with a smile. “What happened last night?” Zhou Tianci asked Qi Shan, who had been on night watch, during breakfast. Qi Shan replied, “Several waves of ferocious beasts charged the camp, but fortunately, we were well-prepared, so there were no casualties. However, Captain, I noticed an adventurers’ group tailing us.” “Oh?” Zhou Tianci raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t the General order the expulsion of all adventurer groups? How dare anyone still follow us?” “Adventure groups are a lawless bunch—it’s not surprising. So, Squad Leader, what should we do now?” Qi Shan asked. Zhou Tianci wiped his mouth. “Let’s go. We’ll go meet those bold fellows.” Li Feng had been ordered to leave by Liu Yuntao but refused to accept it. Determined to seize the opportunity to advance to the Xian Tian realm, he didn’t leave but waited quietly instead. Finally, on the seventh day, Li Feng’s men happened to spot Zhou Tianci’s group, and soon after, the Li brothers led their adventurers in pursuit. “Big Brother, since we’ve already found out that Liu Yuntao and the Four Great Clans are headed for Shepan Mountain, why are we still following them?” Li Ping asked in confusion, about five li away from Zhou Tianci’s camp. “We don’t have a map of Shepan Mountain, and even if we did, we wouldn’t be able to reach it on our own,” Li Feng explained. “These troops have secret military routes and can fend off packs of ferocious beasts. It’s much safer to follow them.” “A smart move!” No sooner had Li Feng finished speaking than a voice rang out from the distance. The three Li brothers immediately sprang to their feet, and the others quickly grabbed their weapons and formed a defensive formation. “We’ve been spotted!” Li Tie whispered. “You’re quite bold. The General of the Western Campaign has already issued an order: anyone found tailing the Northwest Legion is to be killed without mercy!” No sooner had the words left his mouth than Zhou Tianci appeared, with Qi Shan and Lei Dong following close behind. Upon seeing the three men, Li Feng’s expression changed drastically. As an adventurer, he was no stranger to military ranks and recognized Zhou Tianci and Qi Shan’s status at a glance. Being discovered by a battalion commander and a platoon leader from the Northwest Legion was a major headache for Li Feng. “Sir, we had no other choice…” Li Tie said, clasping his hands in a bow. Zhou Tianci waved his hand dismissively: “No matter what the reason, no one can escape military law.” “Then how does Your Excellency intend to deal with us?” Li Tie asked. “If you know what’s good for you, leave now, and I’ll let this matter drop. If you refuse to comply, not a single one of you will be spared!”