Shocking the Nine Heavens With My Sword
Chapter 140 - 135: Inverse Slash of the Land Cleaving Realm (1/3)

Chapter 140: Chapter 135: Inverse Slash of the Land Cleaving Realm (1/3)

"This kid must have mastered an extremely clever movement technique!"

The masked man couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. How could this junior in the Initial Separation Realm of the First Layer Heaven actually be comparable to him in speed? If he could learn this technique, wouldn’t he be able to compete with experts of the Heaven-Opening Realm in terms of speed?

Wouldn’t that mean he could strut around Cold Blue Country unchallenged? If he couldn’t beat someone, he could just run away, and who could stop him!

Thinking of this, he felt a surge of excitement and immediately decided to capture Zhou Heng alive, determined to force this peerless technique out of him.

But he didn’t know that once the Swift Cloud Radiant Step was fully unleashed, he would have been left far behind by Zhou Heng. The only reason he could get within a few zhang was that Zhou Heng was doing it on purpose.

At such a speed, Zhou Heng could maintain it for about an hour, but of course, he wouldn’t run for that long. He had to keep himself in peak condition because he intended to counter-kill the masked man!

If he wanted to run, he would have disappeared long ago, and by diving back into the Nine Mystic Trial Tower, the masked man would never find him till he died.

"Kid, you can’t run away. I will catch up to you," the masked man said with a cold laugh, eager to obtain the secret of Zhou Heng’s movement technique and not hesitating to provoke him with words.

Zhou Heng laughed heartily, and his figure suddenly stopped and turned around, saying, "Then let’s fight!"

The masked man was overjoyed. He was afraid that Zhou Heng would keep running, not because he worried Zhou Heng could escape from his grasp, but rather that some expert might suddenly appear en route to snatch Zhou Heng away!

The so-called ’the longer the night, the more dreams may come,’ he could only rest easy after forcing the movement technique out of Zhou Heng.

He abandoned the use of his sword, fearing he might accidentally kill Zhou Heng, and opened his palms. Two streams of vigorous power surged out like a net heading towards Zhou Heng. Once trapped, there was no way Zhou Heng could escape.

Zhou Heng chuckled, a fierce light flashing in his eyes. Shoo, shoo, shoo, three flag banners suddenly appeared and shot towards the masked man.

Four Yuan Returning Fiend Banner!

Even though only three remained, each one could unleash the power of the Land Cleaving Realm. With all three unfurled, it was as though three Land Cleaving Realm experts were striking simultaneously!

"What!" The masked man exclaimed in shock. He had never expected Zhou Heng to be able to launch such an offense. His face beneath the cloth turned pale, and he quickly clapped his hands together, booming with all his strength.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The three Four Yuan Returning Fiend Banners exploded simultaneously, the terrifying force creating a huge mushroom cloud.

"I didn’t expect you to have so many tricks up your sleeve, kid, but thinking you could kill me with that is far from enough!" From within the dust, the masked man’s voice carried a hint of weakness, but he had not sustained serious injuries.

After all, he was a Land Cleaving Realm expert. Although he couldn’t withstand the simultaneous strikes of three experts of equal realm, the Four Yuan Returning Fiend Banner was just a one-time-use forbidden artifact, used up and gone!

"Who says so!" In the cold voice, Zhou Heng killed his way out of nowhere, crossing the lingering dust. The Swift Cloud Radiant Step was pushed to its limit; his speed at this moment would astound even Heaven-Opening Realm experts!

Sky-soaring Nine Forms, strike!

The masked man’s face turned to panic, not expecting Zhou Heng’s speed to surge even further! By then, he naturally realized Zhou Heng’s previously demonstrated speed was just to lull him into complacency and draw him in, all for this earth-shattering sword strike!

If it wasn’t for the previous assault with the three Four Yuan Returning Fiend Banners, he could have unleashed his inner power and, using the suppression of the great realm, forcibly repelled Zhou Heng! But now, at his weakest moment after exerting all his strength, how could he muster that kind of power?

What meticulous planning by the kid. A series of arrangements forced him into accepting this sword strike!

But, so what!

He was a Land Cleaving Realm expert. How could an attack from a mere Initial Separation Realm ant matter to him? At most, it would barely break his skin!

And once he got his breath back, he would definitely capture Zhou Heng and use the cruelest methods to extract the secret of the movement technique before killing him!

He had to do so!

Whoosh, the Nine Heavens Sword moved, and the Black Sword slashed down!

As the power of the Sky-soaring Nine Forms compounded from one form to the next, despite Zhou Heng having reached the Initial Separation Realm, his strength was still drained after layering seven forms. And the Black Sword, drawing in the spiritual energy from around him, elevated its might to an incredibly terrifying level!

The masked man’s color changed drastically; this power was too terrifying, even posing a threat to his life!

Slash!

Whoosh, a spray of blood light rose. The upper half of the masked man’s body was already flying into the air, while the lower half staggered a few steps before crashing to the ground!

Another Land Cleaving Realm expert had fallen to Zhou Heng’s sword!

The difference was that previously, killing Zuo Hongchen had been entirely reliant on An Luochen’s strength, but now it was his own means, which he used in a comprehensive manner to achieve a successful strike!

—Withou the Four Yuan Returning Fiend Banner, Zhou Heng would have had no chance to close in for a sword strike! Without the profoundness of the Sky-soaring Nine Forms, the sharpness of the Black Sword, even if he had closed in, he couldn’t have killed the masked man!

Furthermore, in the end, it was the masked man who was careless and greedy! If they were to start over, he would definitely not be driven to such a state by the three Four Yuan Returning Fiend Banners!

No matter how it’s put, Zhou Heng won!

Waves of fatigue assailed Zhou Heng, and he resisted the overwhelming exhaustion that begged him to sleep, his mind intent as he entered the Nine Mystic Trial Tower. As his strength improved, the power of Sky-soaring Nine Forms also grew, but correspondingly, the negative effects on him grew as well.

No sooner had Zhou Heng entered the Nine Mystic Trial Tower than he immediately fell asleep, and the place was safe enough.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he half-awaked in a daze, only to find that his body was brimming with strength, reaching the limit of Initial Separation First Layer Heaven, ready to break through to the Initial Separation Second Layer Heaven!

Could the battle that exhausted his mind actually have such an effect?

Zhou Heng couldn’t help but feel both shocked and elated. He didn’t leave but simply sat down cross-legged and started to break through to the Initial Separation Second Layer Heaven.

To reach Initial Separation Second Layer Heaven, one has to further separate the Dantian World vertically, until reaching Initial Separation Third Layer Heaven, creating an enormous disparity, and then one can proceed to Land Cleaving, Open Heaven, further perfecting the Inner World.

Zhou Heng’s world was no different from chaos right now, a gray blur both above and below, with no concept of sky or earth.

Wielding the Black Sword, Sky-soaring Nine Forms opened once more. In the world of Divine Sense, he could endlessly execute this ancient and peerless Swordsmanship.

Each execution brought a deeper understanding. Zhou Heng continuously executed Sky-soaring Nine Forms, and the Eighth Form of the sword technique seemed just within reach, just one step away from breaking through, yet there was a barrier he could not surpass, always just a little bit short.

But during this process, the Dantian World expanded rapidly, with the thunderous noise reminiscent of creating a new world.

He shook violently, his eyes snapping open—he had broken through!

The breakthrough was as simple as taking a sip of water; the Dantian World had tripled in size. The elevation of a minor realm was the same for everyone—a threefold expansion of the Inner World. However, increasing threefold from a base of one and from a base of ten were entirely different concepts!

The gap would grow wider and wider!

Accompanying this change in realm was the surge in Bloodline Power!

Under the Black Sword’s transformation, his Bloodline Power had been continuously improving, if slowly, but each time he broke through a minor or major realm, the improvement in Bloodline Power would leap dramatically, especially with a major realm.

He took a Spirit Stone Pillar and tested himself.

Purple Flame, One Star Earth Spirit Body! Metallic Transformation, One Star Earth Spirit Body! Azure Dragon’s Power, Four Stars Heavenly Spirit Body!

From Human Spirit Body to Earth Spirit Body was a qualitative leap. Zhou Heng flexed his arms, and his forearms burst into roaring purple flames, spreading right up to his shoulders. The same held true for the Metallic Transformation, with the extent of coverage growing larger.

Bloodline Power could greatly negate impact, serving both as a weapon for attack and a top-grade shield for defense.

Zhou Heng once again activated the Azure Dragon’s Power, and immediately, three fist-sized orbs of water began to swirl around him, each containing terrifying power. In comparison, the improvement in Azure Dragon’s Power was much smaller.

He didn’t get up but continued to refine the power he had absorbed from the Masked Man through the Black Sword.

This was power at the realm of Land Cleaving!

Previously, he had slain another Land Cleaving expert, Zuo Hongchen, but most of the power had been absorbed by the Black Sword itself. This time, however, the Black Sword didn’t compete with him, instead releasing all the power to him.

Zhou Heng’s cultivation level instantly began to surge!

Initial Separation Second Layer Heaven mid-stage, late-stage!

Unfortunately, receiving the power of a Land Cleaving expert did not mean he could replace him, especially since Zhou Heng’s Dantian Space was far larger than that of an ordinary person, so his accumulation of cultivation only reached the late stage of Initial Separation Second Layer Heaven.

Of course, this achievement was still astonishing!

Zhou Heng left the Nine Mystic Trial Tower and found himself on a desolate mountain where human footprints were rare. Hence, the dismantled corpse of the Masked Man had gone undiscovered but was instead eaten clean by wild beasts.

The flesh of a Land Cleaving Martial Artist was indeed a great supplement for Demon Beasts.

Zhou Heng had intended to see the man’s face, but upon his return, he found nothing more than two piles of dry bones. Nevertheless, it didn’t matter anymore; he could guess that the man must have been sent by the Orchid Concubine.

Back to the Imperial Capital for a counterattack!

Zhou Heng clenched his fists; the woman had made attempts on his life twice, and he couldn’t swallow his anger!

Upon reaching the nearest city, Zhou Heng asked for the date and was shocked to discover he had spent a whole six days in the Nine Mystic Trial Tower! In reality, his breakthrough to Initial Separation Second Layer Heaven hadn’t taken much time, so he had slept for at least five days due to exhaustion from executing Sky-soaring Nine Forms.

He marveled silently—if he hadn’t had the Nine Mystic Trial Tower, he might have ended up gnawed to bones by the Demon Beasts just like the Masked Man!

Executing Swift Cloud Radiant Step, he arrived outside the Imperial Capital in just three days, but he didn’t enter immediately. Instead, he rested for a day to return to peak condition before he confidently entered the Imperial Capital.

He wanted to let the Orchid Concubine know he was alive, to strike her psychologically first, and then sneak into the Imperial Palace to slaughter the wretched woman!

He made his way to the inn he had previously stayed at, but the Big Palace Master had long since returned to the Black Water Hall. He had left a message for Zhou Heng, instructing him to return after he finished his business, and so Zhou Heng opened a new room and settled in.

Nothing in the Imperial Capital could be kept secret, and the news of Zhou Heng’s return swiftly made its way to the ears of various powers. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, kindly visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)