I Cheated While Cultivating

Chapter 336: Chapter 56 The Heavenly Gate Opens Wide, Those Destined May Enter

“Congratulations! You’ve used special privileges to influence and cause the death of ‘Du Hong’s Incarnation’!

“Treasure box [Platinum] +1, Fortune Bag [Gold] +1, Fortune Bag [Silver] +1, Fortune Bag [Copper] +1, bonus reward quantity +1, existing base attributes +1, existing additional attributes +1.

“Special Skill Upgrade Card +1, Martial Arts Taoist Formulas Upgrade Card +1, lifespan +100, Du Hong’s Incarnation Projection Card +1, selectable reward quantity +1, Martial Arts Taoist Formulas Proficiency Gift Pack +1.

“You may choose any 1+1 items from the following rewards.

“① Natural Disaster Once: Unleash a natural disaster across the entire world, including but not limited to earthquakes, tsunamis, thunder and lightning, storms, meteorites, ground fissures, mountain collapses, etc., lasting for fifteen minutes.

“② Balance Once: Designate a target and add up the strengths of yourself and the target, then divide it evenly to balance both sides’ strength, lasting for fifteen minutes.

“③ Simulate Once: Simulate any real scene you have ever seen and materialize it, lasting for fifteen minutes.”

The sound of reward notifications kept coming, waking Zhou Heng from the spectacular sight of the world’s tragic beauty he had just witnessed.

After seeing the reward content clearly, he was immediately overjoyed.

The rewards this time were very generous.

Items like the Platinum Treasure Box were standard for defeating enemies beyond one’s level, but the rewards that followed introduced some new twists.

“Special Skill Upgrade Card: Can be used to increase the grade of a special skill card, enhancing its effect and application range.”

“Du Hong’s Incarnation Projection Card: Can materialize a projection of Du Hong’s incarnation, possessing one-tenth of the original strength, lasting fifteen minutes.”

The former could be used to upgrade an omnipotent special skill card, which would make effects like “Fooling” or “Five-Colored Divine Light” become powerful weapons capable of affecting Celestial Men, and even Tao Lords.

The latter was very straightforward and brutal, directly materializing a projection of a Tao Lord’s incarnation. Even if it only possessed one-tenth of the strength, it would still be far superior to any Celestial Man.

“Safety has been further secured, not bad,” Zhou Heng thought with happiness, while also turning his attention to the three options.

The Natural Disaster sounded quite imposing from the description, essentially a devastating force capable of destroying the world, a wide-area map cannon attack, not very targeted, fitting for annihilation purposes.

Balance was suitable for confronting great powers that were far above one’s own cultivation level. He wondered what the average between himself and a Divine First Rank would be?

Simulate was worth studying. To simulate any real scene he had ever witnessed meant if he had seen the big bang of the universe, could he simulate it?

Of course, he hadn’t, but he had witnessed an Evil God’s arrival, the display of might by the Ziwei Star Palace, and even numerous scenes of Evil Gods lurking beyond the world.

If he materialized those scenes, the effect would surely not be too shabby.

After some consideration, Zhou Heng finally chose “Balance” and “Simulate.”

The first “Natural Disaster” was undeniably powerful, but he had no immediate need to destroy the world, so he gave it up.

“Junior brother, are you alright?” came Yan Shouyi’s gentle voice.

“I’m fine, no worries,” Zhou Heng pulled his thoughts away from the rewards and nodded gently, “My injuries are almost healed, it’s no big issue, elder brother doesn’t need to worry.”

“That’s good to hear,” Yan Shouyi said with a smile, “Taoist Rhyme Theory is nearly finished with the transition of that ancient pure land, but since Du Hong, that old bald donkey, has fallen, I can only try to open it with Taoist Rhyme Theory. It’s uncertain whether I will succeed.”

He didn’t ask how Zhou Heng had just made Du Hong’s incarnation fall; in his eyes, it was Zhou Heng’s unique approach, and there was no need to inquire.

“Brother, rest assured about the ancient pure land,” Zhou Heng’s gaze looked down at the thousands of miles of landscape beneath him and said in a deep voice, “Next, I will be the one to open it.”

“What?” Yan Shouyi was immediately stunned upon hearing this and incredulously asked, “Brother, you have mastered the secret technique to open that ancient pure land? Just now?”

“Sort of,” Zhou Heng said with a smile, “I just used a little trick.”

The effect of fate stealing was to take a part of the other’s fate and transfer a part of one’s own fate to them. Du Hong’s incarnation took on the fate of Zhou Heng falling into madness, while Zhou Heng took on his fate of successfully opening the ancient pure land.

Therefore, even though Zhou Heng knew nothing about the ancient pure land or the secret technique to open it, it would be he who opened this pure land next.

This was Du Hong’s fate, and now it would be reflected upon Zhou Heng.

Hum hum!

Just at this moment, a trembling sound suddenly arose in the void, and the thick white mist enveloping the entirety of Yuzhou began to churn and quickly converge towards Yuzhou’s center, at the same time becoming thinner.

It was as if these white mists were being devoured by something.

“It’s done!” Yan Shouyi’s face showed delight as he laughed, “Under the influence of Taoist Rhyme Theory’s power, this ancient pure land has finally become a Taoist Heavenly Realm, no longer possessing the characteristic of forcefully converting people.”

“Brother, if we open it now, will there be any phenomena or effects?” Zhou Heng inquired.

“There will certainly be phenomena, and effects too, but mostly they will be positive,” Yan Shouyi said with a smile, “Once the Heavenly Gate opens, the long-sealed Taoist Heavenly Realm will intersect with the outside world.

“Because this Taoist Heavenly Realm was transformed by the power of Taoist Rhyme Theory, the major Taoist principles here are biased towards the Taoist way; after the two realms intersect, they will naturally influence the spiritual energy of this place.

“First, the spiritual energy in the entire state of Yuzhou will surge, and everywhere will be like a cultivation paradise. Following that, in many places where the spiritual energy is extremely dense, a higher level of spiritual energy will emerge, which is the ‘Immortal Energy’.

“Immortal energy itself is interwoven with profound Dharma principles, but its nature is mild and won’t hurt anyone. Even normal people, if they can breathe a breath of immortal energy, will instantly become Eighth Rank martial artists.

“If one already has some cultivation, breathing in immortal energy will make breaking through their current realm even easier… In the future, Yuzhou will become one of the most suitable places for cultivation in the thirty-three provinces of Da Qi.”

“This is like creating a cultivation paradise out of thin air,” Zhou Heng said with a laugh.

The impact of the opening of this Taoist Heavenly Realm was too good; it was a pity that such great influences only occurred when a long-sealed Heavenly Realm was opened, otherwise, if it was common for a Divine First Rank to ask, the whole world would be filled with such cultivation paradises.

“Yuzhou can also be considered lucky in misfortune,” Yan Shouyi said with a smile, “And this is all thanks to you, junior brother. If it wasn’t for your help, I would have only been wasting time with that old bald donkey.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“Brother, why be so formal with me?” Zhou Heng waved his hand, and at the same time, his perception of that vast world grew stronger, “Brother, I have a feeling that the Heavenly Gate is about to open.”

“Hmm, it’s about time,” Yan Shouyi nodded, saying solemnly, “Please, junior brother, open the Heavenly Gate for Yuzhou.”

“Alright!” Zhou Heng nodded his head, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly, “Open!”

Boom!

As Zhou Heng’s voice arose, the entire sky within Yuzhou boundary began to tremble, and the deafening roar reached the ears of every living being.

People subconsciously raised their heads to look up at the sky.

They saw that the white mist which had shrouded the heavens had disappeared without a trace at some unknown time, and the golden and azure suns had also vanished, leaving the normal sunlight to reemerge once again.

The sky was clear and blue, as if it had been washed clean.

This was the long-missed normal sky.

But then the people of Yuzhou saw a golden light suddenly shining above the azure sky.

This golden light, whose length was unknown, spanned the entire sky, and most people, no matter how far they could see, couldn’t see its end, as if it continued to the very edge of the heavens.

Immediately after, the golden light began to expand, slowly opening like a giant door, and it seemed as if a strange power was beginning to spread. Every person in Yuzhou felt the change.

The air around them seemed fresher, their spirits lifted instantly, and their bodies felt healthier, even the sick experienced direct healing.

For martial artists with martial arts knowledge, the sensation was even more evident, especially for Seventh Rank and higher martial artists, who could feel the world’s Qi boiling between heaven and earth with unparalleled clarity!

Boom!

From the heavens came a thunderous noise, ancient and vast, carrying an endless breath from within the golden light—as if a world that had been sealed for countless ages was opening its gates.

The golden light spread expansively, like a giant door across the sky, and the invisible Taoist Rhyme Theory poured forth from within, showering down and merging seamlessly with the external Taoist Rhyme Theory.

Subsequently, the natural Qi of Yuzhou’s land and sky began to surge, boiling over, with the Taoist Rhyme Theory becoming clearer, and in some areas, the intertwining of natural Qi and Taoist Rhyme even formed all sorts of colored lights and shadows that comprehension could be gained from by merely seeing them.

Many martial artists, who had been stagnant in their realms for years, suddenly had their fortunes enlightened, gained insight, and on the spot, experienced breakthroughs in their realms, especially from Seventh Rank to Secret Sixth Rank, and from Secret Sixth Rank to Sect Fifth Rank.

For a time, all over Yuzhou, there were people integrating with exterior sceneries, displaying Dharma Phases, and frequent miracles were occurring with various lights and Dharma Phases emerging in succession, creating quite a lively scene.

After a short while, the golden light portal in the sky had completely opened, and the dazzling light seemed to occupy the entire sky of Yuzhou, reflecting within it a landscape that felt strange and unfamiliar to the people of Yuzhou.

On the other side of the golden light portal, there appeared to be another world.

This discovery immediately sent a chill through the hearts of the people of Yuzhou who had just been immersed in the joy of surprise. Many became vigilant, even frightened.

What was the world on the other side of the golden light portal like? What kind of people were there? Would they pass through the portal to invade here, to kill and plunder?

Suddenly, a panic began to spread.

Above the heavens, Yan Shouyi was the first to sense the emotional change amongst the people of Yuzhou, followed soon by Zhou Heng, who had extended his sense through the Taoist Rhyme when he opened the Heavenly Gate.

“Senior Brother, it’s time for you to take action,” Zhou Heng said with a smile, “Your prestige in Yuzhou is unrivaled. You could explain the situation regarding this Heavenly Realm portal and the previous white mist to avoid panic among the people.”

At the same time, he shared his plans on how to handle this Heavenly Realm portal with Yan Shouyi.

“I was planning to do just that,” Yan Shouyi nodded lightly, raising a finger of his right hand and pointing towards the distant golden light, he said in a deep voice, “Fellow citizens, do not panic, this is an ancient Heavenly Realm gate.

“Half a month ago, it was foreseen that the Heavenly Realm gate would open, posing an impact to the populace. I came here with a treasure to suppress it and facilitate the process, hence the white mist that enveloped the cosmos—please forgive this inconvenience.

“Now, this Heavenly Realm is under the control of Pure Yang Palace. From now on, it will be known as Pure Yang Taoist Heaven. Inside, there are immortal mountains and sanctified realms, martial arts secrets, and legacies. Those with destiny may enter and acquire the legacies.”

The explanation regarding the Heavenly Realm being the Pure Yang Taoist Heaven and its opening to outsiders was proposed by Zhou Heng.

There are multiple gains from this single action which I will not discuss for now.

Yan Shouyi’s voice spread swiftly, disregarding the laws of sound transmission, resonating in the ears of all within Yuzhou at the same moment.

Moreover, this speech also contained the power of auditory Divine Skills, binding the information to Yan Shouyi’s words, meaning, that as soon as one heard this voice, they would immediately understand it to be Yan Shouyi speaking.

Just as Zhou Heng had said, Yan Shouyi indeed had unrivaled prestige in Yuzhou.

Once his words were spread, the panic in the hearts of the people of Yuzhou instantly dissipated, replaced instead with overwhelming joy, eagerly anticipating the full opening of the golden gate.

This was the gateway to Pure Yang Taoist Heaven with supreme secret legacies—a good fortune for anyone able to venture inside.

Many martial artists yearning for advanced martial arts felt their hearts ablaze with excitement.

With that, the crisis brought by the ancient pure land was resolved, and both Zhou Heng and Yan Shouyi exhaled in relief.

“What do you plan to do next, Junior Brother?” Yan Shouyi asked with a smile.

“First I’ll return to the mountain to adjust a bit, afterwards, I want to explore the Pure Yang Taoist Heaven,” replied Zhou Heng.

In fact, he had been planning to investigate it even before opening the Heavenly Realm portal to see if there were any clues related to the myths and legends of Earth.

After all, this Heavenly Realm portal was originally a pure land, left by the powerful figures of the ancient Buddha Sect and related to Jia Ye Temple—there might even be traces of that “Jia Ye” within.

“Hmm, after such a battle, you have indeed expended a lot, and I am also somewhat fatigued, it is indeed time we return to the mountain to recuperate,” Yan Shouyi nodded lightly.

“Then I’ll trouble Senior Brother to bring me along,” Zhou Heng said with a light laugh, “The speed of a Celestial Man that covers a hundred thousand li in an instant, I’ve always been very fond of it.”

“Of course, there is no problem, but don’t you want to show your face to the people of Yuzhou?” Yan Shouyi pointed down below, where many locals were kneeling and offering obeisance to heaven with utmost respect.

“Once a senior taught me that doing good without seeking recognition is a fine virtue,” Zhou Heng said with a smile, “Senior Brother, let’s return to the mountain.”

“This senior of yours is indeed interesting,” Yan Shouyi chuckled, and at the same time, golden light shone upon his body, enveloping Zhou Heng, and together they flew toward the direction of Yong State.

As the two departed, the light of Pure Yang Taoist Heaven gradually dimmed, the Heavenly Gate’s golden light dissipated, and Yuzhou was finally restored to its normal state.

…

Upon returning to Taihua Mount, Zhou Heng settled in a side hall on Jade Void Peak Golden Top.

After a brief respite, he decided it was time for the exhilarating moment.

To open the Fortune Bag!