The Creation of the Heavens and All Realms

Chapter 24: The Alluring *Nine Transformations Mystical Art*

Zhou Tianci’s domineering words caused the expressions of the more than 60 people across from him to change abruptly; everyone instinctively drew their weapons in preparation for battle. Adventurers were, by nature, risk-takers; their cultivation might not be high, but their courage was certainly immense—they dared to draw their swords against anyone who threatened their lives! Seeing the Li Feng Adventurers’ Group’s reaction, Qi Shan felt a pang of unease. “Captain, there are only the three of us here. If these adventurers go all out… wouldn’t it be better to wait until our reinforcements arrive before taking action?” What Qi Shan was thinking, those adventurers were thinking as well. “Sir, we mean no harm. There are now hundreds of thousands of adventurers in the Wild Forest; even General Liu Yuntao, the General of the Western Campaign, would likely find it difficult to drive them all out. Moreover, I’ve heard that an adventurer party has already reached Shepan Mountain,” Li Tie stepped forward and said. “That being the case, why be so unreasonable, Sir? Why not have our two groups cooperate? The Wild Forest is teeming with ferocious beasts; this way, we’ll all be safer.” Zhou Tianci stood tall, holding his long halberd, as steady as a mountain. “Judging by your expressions, you’re not taking my words to heart?” Zhou Tianci retorted. “Your Excellency is really putting us in a difficult position…” Li Tie said. “Hahahaha!” Zhou Tianci suddenly burst into laughter. “They say adventurers are bold beyond belief, and seeing you today, it’s certainly true. A mere little adventuring party actually dares to make demands of me!” His eyes swept the area; more than sixty adventurers were arranged in a semicircle, subtly encircling the three of them. “People die for wealth, and birds die for food—we have no choice but to do this!” Li Feng stepped forward, a long staff in hand. Zhou Tianci looked up and sighed, “It seems you’ve also heard the rumors about the treasure… Very well, since that’s the case, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Seeing Zhou Tianci’s unyielding stance, Li Tie immediately panicked. He had originally planned to take advantage of the situation to coerce Zhou Tianci into allowing them to tag along—after all, there were only three of them—but he hadn’t anticipated Zhou Tianci’s temperament, which had instead left him in a bind. Li Tie knew full well that even if they killed Zhou Tianci and his two companions right now, they would still face certain death in the end. Once a battle broke out, it wouldn’t be long before the army a few li away arrived—and that was a large contingent; they stood no chance against it! However, at that moment, Li Feng and his men found themselves in a no-win situation. “You’ve gone too far—I won’t stand for this!” Li Ping suddenly roared as he stepped forward. Zhou Tianci watched him with interest. “Why don’t you accept this?” Li Ping, wielding a broadsword over two meters long, exuded a fierce aura: “There are plenty of things I won’t accept! The Barbarian Wilderness isn’t part of the Great State of Yu—what right do you have to bar us from entering? We aren’t soldiers of the Great State of Yu, so Liu Yuntao’s military orders don’t apply to us! You soldiers are just relying on your sheer numbers. If you’ve got the guts, let’s settle this one-on-one. If we lose, we’ll willingly withdraw from the Wild Forest; if we win, you can’t stop us from going to Shepan Mountain. How about it?” Li Feng and Li Tie exchanged glances, both feeling a mix of surprise and delight. They hadn’t expected their usually reckless Third Brother to have, quite by accident, provided a way out for both sides. Zhou Tianci glanced at the adventurers across from him, and an idea struck him. He hadn’t originally planned to let these people off the hook, but now, Zhou Tianci suddenly felt they might be of some use, so he changed his mind. “One-on-one duels are fine, but the terms need to be revised. If you win, I’ll allow you to follow my main force to Shepan Mountain. If you lose, all of you will have to follow my orders,” Zhou Tianci said. “That’s not fair!” Li Tie protested. Zhou Tianci shook his head. “You have no leverage to negotiate terms with me. Agree, and I’ll give you a chance to challenge me; refuse, and you’ll be killed without mercy!” Li Feng and the others hadn’t expected Zhou Tianci to be so domineering, but they had no choice. After discussing it among themselves, they had no option but to agree. This was largely because Li Feng was highly confident in his own strength; he had been at the peak of the Posthuman Realm for over a decade and had gone to great lengths to acquire several secret martial arts techniques. At the same time, Li Feng possessed extensive combat experience and formidable combat prowess; among all Posthuman martial artists in Jiangzhou, his strength ranked among the very best. Zhou Tianci stepped forward and said, “Don’t say I’m picking on you. To save time, let’s settle this in a single match. I see that the three of you have the highest cultivation levels among this group, so come at me all together.” “You want to take on all three of us by yourself?” Li Feng snapped angrily. “That’s right.” The Li brothers felt insulted. They had issued the challenge, specifying a one-on-one duel, yet their opponent was arrogantly proposing a one-against-three match—this was nothing short of looking down on them. Just as Li Ping was about to unleash a torrent of abuse, Li Tie stopped him. “Big Brother, let’s do as he says—three against one. We’re sure to win!” Li Tie urged. “Don’t forget the purpose of our journey!” Li Tie persuaded his two brothers, and the three of them—one wielding a staff, one a dagger, and one a sword—surrounded Zhou Tianci. “Sir!” Qi Shan looked a bit worried. He could tell that Li Feng was also at the peak of the Post-Heaven realm, and with two others at the late Post-Heaven stage, Zhou Tianci might not be able to win. Zhou Tianci waved his hand dismissively, unconcerned. “Let’s not waste any time. Let’s get started!” “Ah!” Li Ping roared, his massive frame charging toward Zhou Tianci like a tank. At the same moment, Li Ping’s long sword came crashing down; the black blade sliced through the air, emitting a piercing whistle. The Li brothers had developed perfect coordination through countless battles. As soon as Li Ping moved, Li Feng and Li Tie moved as well. Li Feng’s long staff swept horizontally toward Zhou Tianci’s waist, while Li Tie’s long sword stabbed in from Zhou Tianci’s right side. Their movements weren’t as dramatic as Li Ping’s, but both targeted Zhou Tianci’s vital points, posing an even greater threat. Facing the three-man assault, Zhou Tianci smiled faintly. Without anyone noticing, he swung his long halberd—his movement appearing slow yet actually swift, striking first despite being the last to move. With a “bang,” the halberd clashed with Li Ping’s long sword, deflecting it with a single, light tap. “Impossible!” Li Ping was immediately sent flying backward. His hands were shattered by the impact, blood gushing from them, yet he seemed to feel no pain—only utter shock. After deflecting Li Ping’s broadsword, Zhou Tianci remained impassive. Before Li Feng and Li Tie’s attacks could reach him, he had already withdrawn his spear. His movements were as swift as lightning—so fast that onlookers could barely follow them. Two more “thuds” rang out as Li Feng’s iron staff and Li Tie’s sword were sent flying, while Zhou Tianci had not moved an inch from start to finish. “Impossible!” Li Feng and Li Tie let out the same exclamation as Li Ping, while the other adventurers were all stunned by Zhou Tianci’s prowess. Qi Shan’s eyes widened in disbelief at the scene unfolding before him. He knew Zhou Tianci was a formidable fighter—he always made short work of ferocious beasts—but now he was facing one Peak Post-Heaven adventurer and two Late Post-Heaven adventurers. For Zhou Tianci to win in practically a single move seemed utterly absurd! Lei Dong looked at Zhou Tianci, his eyes brimming with admiration. Zhou Tianci sheathed his long spear and chuckled softly, “The outcome is decided. What do you think?” The three Li brothers were ashen-faced and remained silent for a long moment. “You’re truly masterful, sir. We’ve lost,” Li Feng said dejectedly. “Sir, are you at the Innate Realm?” Zhou Tianci shook his head. “Not yet.” The three Li brothers sank into despair once more. “We were overconfident. With your skills, Sir, you could likely wipe us all out single-handedly,” Li Tie said. “We accept our defeat and are at your disposal!” Seeing the three Li brothers submit, Zhou Tianci smiled; he intended to bring them under his control. The dangers of Shepan Mountain went without saying—an extra pair of hands meant an extra measure of strength. “Get ready. You’ll be joining us on this mission,” Zhou Tianci said. “He’s becoming more and more mysterious…” Qi Shan watched Zhou Tianci’s retreating figure, his mind filled with doubts. According to the information he had, it had been less than a month since Zhou Tianci had broken through to the mid-Post-Heaven Realm. Half a month ago, when he had fought valiantly on the Blood Battle Platform, he hadn’t possessed such formidable strength. How could Zhou Tianci’s cultivation have advanced so rapidly in such a short time? Zhou Tianci was quite satisfied with having recruited the three Li brothers. His journey through the Barbarian Wilderness had made him realize that, in the world of cultivation, the principle that “unity is strength” remains as true as ever. Military discipline was too strict; if he wanted to secure more resources, he needed to establish his own faction. Lei Dong was the first subordinate Zhou Tianci had chosen, and the three Li brothers were just about good enough to meet his standards. “Although I haven’t broken through to the Posthuman Realm yet, my combat prowess is already on par with that of a Prehuman Realm expert!” Zhou Tianci said with great confidence. “Even though my understanding of the Law of Strength is barely scratching the surface, the Tian Dao Laws are the Tian Dao Laws—they point directly to the source and are countless times more powerful than any martial arts secret technique!” Zhou Tianci was brimming with confidence. In just a few short days, his strength had undergone a dramatic transformation—all thanks to his comprehension of the Laws. “The Law of Force contained within the Thousand-Jun Stone is extremely limited—a mere drop in the ocean compared to the complete Law of Force. But to me, this is already boundless. As long as I can grasp even a sliver of it and harness its power, no matter how many Innate-level cultivators come at me, not even a single spear thrust from me would be enough to defeat them!” The Tree of Eternal Creation contains the complete laws of the Primordial Era. Not only that, but within the Three Thousand Laws lies information about cultivators of the Primordial World’s laws—these, too, are part of the Primordial Era’s legacy. “The Tree of Eternal Creation not only manifests the laws within my Primordial Spirit but also transmits to me the cultivation techniques corresponding to those laws from the Primordial World. It is truly wondrous. According to the information transmitted by the Tree of Eternal Creation, as long as I can comprehend the Law of Strength, I will be able to obtain the *Nine Transformations Mystic Art*, the premier physical cultivation technique of the Primordial Era. This *Nine Transformations Mystic Art* was created by a Sage of the Tian Dao; it is the sole path to attaining the Dao through strength and is perfectly aligned with the Law of Strength!” At this thought, Zhou Tianci’s heart burned with fervor. How vast the Primordial World was, teeming with countless Da Luo Golden Immortals—all of them powerhouses who had embarked on the path of the Laws! Above the Da Luo Golden Immortals stood the lofty Sages, and above the Sages lay the Tian Dao. Who knew how many cultivation paths aligned with the laws these mighty beings had created? If he could obtain these techniques and combine them with the power of the Tree of Eternal Creation, it would likely not take long before Zhou Tianci could reign supreme across the heavens!