I Cheated While Cultivating

Chapter 338: Chapter 58: Heard You Have a Divine Artifact?

A year ago at this time, Zhou Heng had only been at the Ninth Grade level, barely qualified to walk in the jianghu.

Back then, he was still struggling to make ends meet, and a few dozen silver taels would weigh him down.

Back then, the jianghu was abuzz with names like “Sword Maniac” Fang Wen and “Three Flowers Child” Chen An, receiving countless adulations and making others envious.

Back then, the Secret Six Rank was still lofty and unmatched.

Now, no matter how the jianghu has changed, he himself has undergone earth-shattering transformations. When he saw the crowd surrounding the ranking list, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat nostalgic.

With a nostalgic heart, Zhou Heng squeezed his way forward to examine the new edition of the ranking.

Wang Xiuye was ranked tenth… Gu Xiao was eighth… “Three Flowers Child” Chen An was still there, but his rank had dropped to sixth, Chu Qingchuan had progressed rapidly to fifth… The “Heavenly Mountain White Dragon Lady” from the Yaochi Sect, Li Qingyao, seemed to have greatly improved her strength and was now ranked third…

Some of these people were friends of Zhou Heng, some were enemies, and others were merely acquaintances. Seeing the information about them on the ranking list, he felt sentimental.

However, when he saw the top two names, his gaze became slightly concentrated.

Second place: “Divine Light Dominates Myriad Shapes” Liu Changsheng, true inheritor of the Five Elements Sect…

First place: “Sword Maniac” Fang Wen, true inheritor of the Longevity Way…

“Liu Changsheng, he has appeared again. I heard he went to North Zhou; it seems he must have had some fortunate encounters there,” Zhou Heng thought of Liu Changsheng with complex emotions.

This was the man who allowed him to step onto Ninth Grade ahead of time, saving Yu He’s life. He felt some gratitude, yet he had also killed Liu Changsheng’s father by his own hands. True, Liu Gaoyang invited his own demise, but this was, after all, a vendetta for paternal murder.

“Has he returned from North Zhou because he feels his strength has increased, thinking he can battle me now?” Zhou Heng gently shook his head, sighing softly, “Pity, I have already reached the Secret Six Rank.”

Then, his eyes moved to Fang Wen, who was ranked first.

After the Morning Sun Wine Meeting on February the 2nd, Fang Wen disappeared within Yuanzhen Son’s Cave Sky, and Zhou Heng thought he might have died. He even felt pity for having lost the opportunity to clash with him.

Unexpectedly, he has re-emerged in the jianghu.

It’s just unknown whether his path of the Sword Dao has advanced, whether he has truly embarked on a pathway of his own.

“It’s just a pity for those behind him, they will always be suppressed by this eternal first place on the ranking list,” Zhou Heng chuckled inwardly.

After scanning a few more ranks, he was about to leave the crowd when he suddenly overheard some people whispering.

“At last, the top ten on the ranking list are all our people from Da Qi. It’s not easy.”

“Since March, those barbarians from the south have been coming to Jiangzhou, picking fights with young experts, seizing many rankings on the list. Really detestable.”

“Exactly, those barbarians from Southern Jin are too hateful. Not only do they take up spots on the ranking list, but they also want the three hundred li of mountains near our border within Jiangzhou. The Imperial Court isn’t doing anything about it.”

“Humph, the Zhao Family’s court is now too busy with its own troubles to care about us, and I heard that the damned Crown Prince even sold Jiangzhou, along with Yuzhou and Jinzhou, to Southern Jin.

“Damn it, what’s the use of such an imperial court if they don’t even protect their own territory!”

“Tsk, don’t speak nonsense, criticizing the Imperial Court can get you beheaded!”

“Humph, didn’t you say they’re too preoccupied to care?”

…

“`

Zhou Heng listened to these people’s discussions, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Jiangzhou, Jinzhou, Yuzhou…

The situation in these three provinces was even more serious than he had anticipated. There was no need to mention Yuzhou, which had almost become the private property of Jia Ye Temple, and Jiangzhou had also been invaded by the force of Southern Jin, which even occupied the mountainous borders.

However, although the Zhao Family Imperial Court had lost the Crown Prince and a sixteenth prince, and the Imperial City had undergone a great upheaval, the Celestial Man was still there, and the Divine First Rank too. How could they be too busy to care about themselves?

Nevertheless, judging from the past few months, the Zhao Family Imperial Court’s involvement in worldly affairs indeed had dwindled increasingly. If it weren’t for the responsible handling by the prefectures everywhere, Da Qi might well have entered a state without an imperial court.

“Could it be that there are some problems with the high levels of the Zhao family?” Zhou Heng mused in his heart and quickly made a decision.

He would inquire about this matter at the Zhou Tian Boundary Officer after he finished refining the Nine Dragons’ Divine Fire Cover. The organization’s members had diverse backgrounds and broader sources of information. When he got to the Lan Family’s side, he could also ask Lan Yingzhi for more information about it.

With a plan in mind, Zhou Heng then stepped out of the crowd and no longer watched the rankings.

Heroes of Jianghu, contention for the rankings, such a life had little to do with him now.

The path ahead for him was the Longevity Way.

…

Not long after Zhou Heng left the crowd, people from the Lan Family in Jiangzhou came to greet him.

These were all people that Lan Yingzhi had arranged in advance. They had been waiting in various places inside and outside the city for seven days, all to avoid neglecting Zhou Heng and to greet him at the earliest moment.

Of course, those who were sent to receive Zhou Heng must have keen discernment; they did not disrupt him while he was viewing the rankings but waited until he left the crowd to approach him.

As he approached the Lan residence, not yet at the gate, Zhou Heng saw Lan Yingzhi, who stood with Lan Ying, the old ancestor of the Lan Family, with a crowd of Lan Family juniors behind them.

They were all there to welcome Zhou Heng.

After the success of the old ancestor’s life extension, Lan Yingzhi’s actions had become much more open, no longer cautious, and she directly welcomed Zhou Heng with such grandeur.

“Senior, this array is quite impressive.” Zhou Heng said with a smile.

“Master has bestowed great kindness upon our Lan Family; of course, such a welcome is deserved,” Lan Yingzhi smiled and said, “Moreover, the old ancestor, upon hearing of your arrival, especially instructed me to follow all the proper rites to welcome you properly.”

“Yes, if not for Master’s great kindness, my old bones would probably be buried by now.” Lan Ying said with a walking stick in hand, his face full of smiles, “Mr. Zhou, please come inside. I’ve had people prepare a feast to receive you and wash away the dust from your journey.”

Following that, the crowd of Lan Family juniors behind the two quickly stepped aside to clear a path for Zhou Heng to enter through the main gate.

This scene attracted the attention of passersby, with many whispering among themselves.

“Who is that, with such a large entourage, even making the Lan Family’s old ancestor come out personally to welcome him? This is a Fourth Rank Great Grandmaster we’re talking about.”

“Zhou Heng, it’s Zhou Heng, the powerful reincarnation from the Pure Yang Palace. They say he’s already a Secret Sixth Rank expert now, and just a few days ago, he defeated a monk from Jia Ye Temple in neighboring Yuzhou.”

“So it’s him, the number one junior brother on the Heaven List. But even so, it shouldn’t be worth a Great Grandmaster like Lan Ying personally greeting him. There must be other factors at play.”

“Heh, that you don’t know. I heard that some time ago, there were rumors that the Lan Family’s old ancestor’s lifespan was running out. It’s probably true.”

“Got it, got it! So that’s how it is. It seems the Lan Family really has a chance to become a Celestial Human Clan.”

“Huh? What? What’s going on? Explain clearly!”

Some understood, some were puzzled, and some bailiffs from the prefecture’s office, seeing that a significant figure had come, hurriedly left to report back to the office on how to handle the situation.

“`

Ordinary Secret Sixth Rank individuals naturally don’t receive such treatment.

But Zhou Heng was different.

He was a personage whom the Prefectural Governor had specially instructed not to be neglected.

…

The Lan Family took Zhou Heng’s arrival very seriously.

At this welcoming banquet, aside from Lan Ying, the Fourth Rank Absolute Grandmaster, there were four Fifth Rank Sect Masters including Lan Yingzhi, all high-level power-holders of the Lan Family.

Additionally, there were two young Secret Sixth Rank individuals who were considered mainstays of the Lan Family.

After several rounds of polite conversation, the wine had passed around three times.

Zhou Heng directly stated his purpose and asked when he could start refining magic weapons.

In fact, both Lan Yingzhi and Lan Ying were aware of the matter.

After all, Zhou Heng had already spoken to Lan Yingzhi about it in April, but since neither had mentioned it during the banquet, Zhou Heng took it upon himself to bring it up.

He instinctively felt that there might be an issue within the Lan Family.

Sure enough, as soon as he broached the topic, the expressions on the faces of Lan Yingzhi and Lan Ying changed, appearing somewhat ashamed, while the others nearby lowered their heads.

“What happened? There’s no need to hesitate, just tell me straight,” Zhou Heng said, cutting to the chase.

“Please forgive us, it’s not that we deliberately avoided the topic. There’s just been a problem with the smelting furnace,” Lan Yingzhi said with a bitter expression, standing up and bowing in apology to Zhou Heng. “Please give us some time, we will handle it well.”

“Tell me about it, perhaps I can resolve it,” Zhou Heng offered.

“This…” Lan Yingzhi hesitated.

“Just tell the gentleman,” Lan Ying sighed and said, “Gentleman, we’re truly sorry for this rather embarrassing situation. Young girl, you better explain.”

“Alright…” Lan Yingzhi nodded and spoke, “Gentleman, here’s the situation: over half a month ago, the Heaven Sword Sect, one of the top Martial Dao Sects of Southern Jin, occupied a 300-li mountain range bordering Jiangzhou and Southern Jin. Our family’s smelting furnace is built there…”

Refining precious weapons and magic weapons in a smelting furnace is no ordinary task. Usually, it requires a large-scale kiln, constructed using geothermal heat from the mountains’ terrain, assisted by various prohibition spells and formation patterns, to truly refine such treasures.

Such a smelting installation is small if it occupies a single mountain, but the larger ones can encompass three to five mountains.

“Southern Jin’s Heaven Sword Sect?” Zhou Heng was surprised upon hearing this and looked at Lan Ying with confusion. “Does that mean the Heaven Sword Sect sent a Celestial Man and you couldn’t make a move?”

“No,” Lan Ying shook her head, “it’s merely a Fifth Rank Sect Master.”

“Then why?” Zhou Heng frowned.

“Our ancestor…” Lan Yingzhi started to say something but hesitated.

“It doesn’t matter, there’s really nothing that can’t be said,” Lan Ying sighed again, “Don’t laugh at me, but when the master from Heaven Sword Sect seized the mountains where our smelting furnace is located, I already confronted that person and ended up being defeated.”

“How is that possible?” Zhou Heng was astounded. Lan Ying was an Absolute Fourth Rank over a thousand years old, whose cultivation was nearly reaching the threshold of the Celestial Man, and yet she was defeated by a Fifth Rank Sect Master.

At the Middle Third Rank level, triumphing across ranks is exceptionally difficult, almost an impossibility. Even the formidable Zhou Heng would find it hard to defeat a Sect Fifth Rank while being a Secret Six Rank.

The realm suppression of Absolute Fourth Rank over Sect Fifth Rank would only be stronger and more dominant. The power of the Yang God’s Dharma Body could absolutely not be matched by the Dharma Phase—the gap between them being as insurmountable as a vast chasm.

Especially since Lan Ying was not an ordinary Absolute Fourth Rank, but a supreme Grandmaster who had stayed at the threshold of the Yang God’s Dharma Body for at least five hundred years. How could she possibly be defeated by a Fifth Rank Sect Master?

Unless…

“Did that person have a Divine Artifact in hand?” Zhou Heng contemplated a possibility.

When it comes to fighting across ranks, high-level magic weapons are first-class trump cards.

Unlike weapons that require sufficient strength to unleash their full potential, magic weapons have various ingenious uses. As long as you have the corresponding Sacrifice and Refinement Technique and succeed in activating them, they can exhibit considerable power.

However, even with a magic weapon in hand, to bridge the gap between Sect Fifth Rank and Absolute Fourth Rank, it probably would take a Divine Artifact of at least Third Rank Celestial level.

“That’s correct,” Lan Ying nodded with a look of shame, “No matter how advanced my practice, it’s no match for the majesty of a magic weapon. When I approached, I only exchanged a glance with that junior, I didn’t even get a clear view of that magic weapon before I was blown back hundreds of miles.”

Hiss!

The surrounding members of the Lan Family couldn’t help but draw in a breath of cold air, knowing that their family’s ancestor had been repelled with a Divine Artifact, but this was their first time hearing the details.

Blown back hundreds of miles without even a clear glance at the magic weapon—wasn’t that too frightening? Was this what a Third Rank Celestial level Divine Artifact was like?

Too powerful!

“Gentleman, we are truly sorry. The artifact refining that we had previously promised may no longer be feasible,” Lan Ying said with a face full of regret, ready to bow and apologize to Zhou Heng.

“There’s no need for such formalities, Elder,” Zhou Heng stopped Lan Ying’s action and said, “As long as we can take back the smelting furnace, we can proceed with the artifact refining as usual, right?”

“Although that’s true, but…” Lan Ying began to explain but stopped halfway, then clenched her teeth and said, “Rest assured, gentleman, I will go again and, at all costs, I will take back our smelting furnace!”

“Ancestor!” Lan Yingzhi tried to intervene.

After all, Divine Artifacts were too dangerous, extremely powerful, and last time it was only a retreat of hundreds of miles, but this time, it would probably result in injuries.

“You misunderstand,” Zhou Heng gently shook his head, smiling slightly, “I am not asking you to go, I mean that I will go and meet this Heaven Sword Sect Master myself.”

“What?” Lan Ying, Lan Yingzhi, and the rest were shocked, staring at Zhou Heng, and then, in unison, they shook their heads and said, “Impossible!”

“Gentleman, you heard what the ancestor just said,” Lan Yingzhi said anxiously. “The person’s Divine Artifact is extraordinarily strong. Even the ancestor, an Absolute Fourth Rank, was powerless to fight back. How could you be an opponent for that magic weapon?”

“Indeed, gentleman, you are our Lan Family’s benefactor. We cannot let you take such a risk,” Lan Ying also hastened to dissuade him, shaking her head continuously, “Absolutely not, absolutely not, gentleman. Please wait here, let the elder handle it.”

“You have misunderstood,” Zhou Heng waved his hand and maintained a faint smile, “If I didn’t have a way to counter that Divine Artifact, why would I venture dangerous waters so lightly?

“Rest assured, if that Heaven Sword Sect Master has a Divine Artifact, I also have my Unique Secret Method, which can prevent that magic weapon from exerting its clever usage. At that time, naturally, I will subdue that person.”

Divine Artifact!

Third Rank Celestial level!

The Golden Light of Mounted Treasure has been starving and thirsting for too long!

——————

ps: A new month has begun, still seeking the base number of monthly votes~