I Cheated While Cultivating

Yet they dared not express their anger.

The strength of “Purple Lightning Thunder Blade” was too formidable, and his martial arts talent was nothing short of astonishing.

They still couldn’t figure out whether Zhou Heng had secretly learned a vast amount of the Chang Xing Sect’s martial arts, or if he had managed to learn them simply by observing during their exchanges.

In the crowd, Pei Luoling covered her lips with a folding fan, her eyes sparkling brightly as she watched Zhou Heng, and poked her brother Pei Luoshu, giggling, “Brother, did you see that? He’s so awesome, really awesome!”

“Weren’t you just worried that he’s no match for Hong Wanzai?” Pei Luoshu rolled his eyes, feeling that he could never understand a woman’s thoughts. He really wanted to go home and practice, even if it meant getting beaten black and blue by the trainer.

“Hmph, that was a legitimate concern!” Pei Luoling argued stubbornly, though her gaze never left Zhou Heng, thinking to herself, “Once he finishes, I’ll find him and have him tell me a story. But I’ll have to ditch my brother first.”

Atop a distant peak.

Cheng Jianjian’s expression had become serious.

She clutched the jade gourd at her waist, ready to take out her secret treasure to assist Zhou Heng at any moment. Zhou Heng had really attracted hate with his statement just now. It was very likely that a Chang Xing Sect expert couldn’t help but make a move.

And within the crowd, the Taoist in the simple robe slightly narrowed his eyes, glancing at Zhou Heng, then raised his head to look at the Chang Xing Sect’s summit hall.

Wondering something unknown.

…

Inside the Chang Xing Sect’s main hall.

There sat six people, including the sect leader Wan Fengchun, as well as Liu Songshan and four other elders. They represented the core leadership of the Chang Xing Sect.

Currently, they were all focused on a light screen in the center of the hall, which showed the scene and sounds from outside the gate. They could hear every single word of Zhou Heng’s statement crystal clear.

Fight everyone I encounter!

These words entered the ears of everyone present and felt extremely harsh.

How many years has it been?

How many years since someone dared to be so brazen in front of the Chang Xing Sect?

Fifty years?

A hundred years?

Ever since the sect leader reached Fifth Rank and became a Grandmaster, making the Chang Xing Sect the strongest sect around Huangtong Mansion City, no one had dared to do such a thing.

And now they were being bullied right at their doorstep by an Eighth Rank martial artist, which was a complete loss of face!

But this was a disciple of Pure Yang Palace… a true legacy disciple.

Bang!

Liu Songshan slammed his hand on the table and stood up, pointing at Zhou Heng in the light screen, grinding his teeth, “This boy has gone too far, not only has he killed our disciples but also dares to provoke us at our door, causing us to lose face. He deserves to die. Sect leader, let me handle him!”

He was a middle-aged man who looked to be around fifty, with a hooked nose and slender eyes that were filled with anger and hatred towards Zhou Heng.

It was as if he wanted to rush out and tear Zhou Heng to pieces right then and there.

“Silence!” Wan Fengchun barked, an old man who appeared to be in his seventies but had actually lived for several centuries. He said in a heavy voice, “Have you forgotten who Zhou Heng is? He is a true legacy disciple of Pure Yang Palace!”

“Brother Liu, do not be impulsive.” Sitting on the other side was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties, frowning and sighing, “There are also rumors in the martial world that Zhou Heng is actually the sixth-generation true legacy disciple of Pure Yang Palace.

“That is to say, he is the junior brother of the current sect master, ‘Inhabitant of True Yang’ Yan Shouyi, and the disciple of the fifth-generation sect leader of Pure Yang Palace, Chen Dongxuan, who has condensed his Dao Seed and achieved the position of Tao Lord.

“He’s the junior brother of a Celestial Man, the disciple of a Tao Lord; even if the news is not necessarily true, there’s no smoke without fire. We should be more cautious.”

“Brother Liu, don’t be too angry. Zhou Heng has come because you oppressed his friends and elders, hasn’t he?” Among those present, there wasn’t a unified front, as a sallow-skinned middle-aged man sneered, “It’s quite justified for him to come seeking revenge now.”

“Qian Zheng! Who are you taking sides with?” Liu Songshan burst out in anger upon hearing this, glaring at the sallow-faced man, “If he hadn’t killed my promising disciple, why would I target his master and friends?”

“Isn’t it because your disciple acted improperly, attempting to cripple someone’s martial arts during a public competition, and got struck back instead?” Qian Zheng continued to sneer, facing Liu Songshan head-on.

The two of them were the most likely candidates to compete for the next sect leader of Chang Xing Sect. With not much difference in their qualifications, Qian Zheng naturally would not miss any opportunity to ridicule and suppress Liu Songshan.

“Enough, both of you stop!” Wan Fengchun grew impatient, turning to Liu Songshan, “You go to the front of the mountain gate and apologize to Zhou Heng, and be sincere about it. You, a distinguished Sixth Rank Innate, apologizing to an Eighth Rank should be enough to put an end to this matter.”

“What??” Liu Songshan looked at Wan Fengchun incredulously, his eyes bulging with burning rage as he pointed at Zhou Heng in the light screen, “Sect Leader Brother, what are you saying? You want me to apologize to this little brat?”

“If you don’t apologize, should we let Zhou Heng block everyone’s entrance and exit in front of our sect’s gate?” Qian Zheng said with an air of righteousness, sneering, “The longer this standoff lasts, the more face our Chang Xing Sect loses. Surely you don’t really want to get into a fight with Zhou Heng, do you?”

“Shut up! Qian Junior Brother, you talk too much!” Wan Fengchun massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on, and said to Liu Songshan, “For the sake of our sect’s greater good, please just bear this indignity for now.

“As you know, that Zhou Heng is after all a true disciple of Pure Yang Palace. We cannot really lay hands on him. Once this matter is over, I promise, I will definitely compensate you in the future; you will not be treated unfairly.”

At these words, Qian Zheng’s complexion changed slightly, and he looked somewhat flustered.

“Fine, fine, fine! I agree!” Liu Songshan said emphatically, nodding vigorously, “I will go and apologize to that little brat… I mean, I will go and give Zhou Heng a proper apology!”

…

Zhou Heng took a chair, a table, and some preprepared meals out of his Qiankun pouch and began to dine right in front of the Chang Xing Sect’s gates.

From time to time, he would also take out hay to feed to the jujube-hued horse beside him.

It was as if he wasn’t there to challenge them but to enjoy a leisurely holiday outing.

This attitude made the people of Chang Xing Sect itch with hatred, while the onlookers gaped in amazement.

How arrogant!

Pei Luoling’s eyes shone as she said to her older brother, “Brother, look, isn’t this the very epitome of the storyteller’s ‘a person like jade standing alone in the world, a young master without equal’? So free and easy, so carefree!”

“That’s outrageous…” Pei Luoshu felt as if veins might pop out of his forehead, suddenly feeling an impulse to pick a fight with Zhou Heng, but then thinking that he might not be able to beat him.

This is a dilemma, too tough.

In fact, Zhou Heng was not as leisurely as he appeared on the surface.

He had already secretly prepared “Geng Metal Sword Energy Talisman,” “Projection Card,” “Peak Card,” “Five-Colored Divine Light”… No matter what kind of powerful expert the Chang Xing Sect deployed, he had ways to counter them.

Boom!!

Just then, a thunderous boom came from the sky above the Chang Xing Sect’s gates, followed by the changing of wind and clouds, a fierce gale, and a swath of the sky lighting up with golden light. Then, a cloud shimmering with red twilight descended from the mountaintop.

“Shameless child! You’ve stolen so many of our Chang Xing Sect’s martial arts and yet you dare to strut around here; you deserve to die a thousand deaths!” A thunderous shout, akin to the rumbling of thunder, came with the descending cloud, deafening to all who heard it.

Atop the cloud stood a figure in a green robe.

It was none other than the elder of the Chang Xing Sect’s Enforcement Hall, the master of Kong Chengshun, the main culprit targeting the Yu Family and Chang Xing Sect — a Sixth Rank Innate, Liu Songshan.

The crowd was shocked, all staring at the figure in the sky with astonishment.

What’s going on?

Could it be that Liu Songshan is planning to make a move on Zhou Heng?

He’s gone mad!

The Pure Yang Palace is a top Martial Dao Sect of the present age, an ancient Taoist Immortal Sect, with a Divine First Rank in its ranks, an unparalleled sect that is always protective of its own!

And not one to be trifled with.

Nobody can withstand the wrath of the Pure Yang Palace.

A disciple of the Plague Emperor Sect once poisoned an external disciple of Pure Yang Palace, leading to the task “kill the disciples of the Plague Emperor Sect” becoming a daily mission for the disciples of Pure Yang Palace.

Even if by the laws of the martial world, Zhou Heng being the aggressor wouldn’t justify action from Pure Yang Palace if he were to be killed on his challenge, but is Liu Songshan not afraid of clandestine retaliation from them?

Moreover, this is a Sixth Rank Innate attacking an Eighth Rank on the Martial Path, a case of the strong bullying the weak, an oppressive use of higher cultivation level.

It would not sound reasonable to the outside world.

A careless move could bring disaster upon the entire Chang Xing Sect!

Yet Liu Songshan seemed to have lost his mind, flying high above in the sky, looking down at Zhou Heng with icy contempt. Without uttering a word, he reached up and grasped at the air!

Boom!

Suddenly, the clouds in the high sky burst apart, the qi of heaven and earth roiling, the ground trembling slightly. A colossal green hand, covering nearly a hundred zhang in radius, reached out from above the clouds.

It crashed down towards Zhou Heng with a ferocious slam!