Shocking the Nine Heavens With My Sword
Chapter 266 - 254: Phoenix Rising Grass (3/3)

Chapter 266: Chapter 254: Phoenix Rising Grass (3/3)

The number of Tiger-headed Pythons was fewer than the Poison Spirit Frogs, but they were far more difficult to deal with. Zhou Heng spent three days to kill all these Demon Beasts and used up five Purple Thunder Beads in the process, making the Black Donkey extremely pained.

"Donkey, why are you so troubled?"

"What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine... is still mine, of course I’m troubled!"

Facing the shamelessness of this wretched donkey, Zhou Heng had nothing to say and could only extend a middle finger to express his deep contempt. The Black Donkey responded by shaking its backside and waving its tail, showing the same contempt for him.

After refining the Life Essence Qi of the Tiger-headed Pythons, Zhou Heng was only one step away from leaving the Third Layer Heaven.

"Zhou, let’s go make another big deal!" the Black Donkey said with sparkling eyes.

"What deal?"

"Further ahead lies the domain of the Waveform Beast, which is guarding a Phoenix Rising Grass that’s about to mature!" the Black Donkey drooled.

"Be more specific; not everyone is like you, an old antique that has lived for tens of thousands of years!" Zhou Heng glared at it.

"Pah!" The Black Donkey, unwilling to be outdone, glared back at Zhou Heng before saying, "Phoenix Rising Grass is indeed a treasure. It matures only once every hundred thousand years, and the fruit it bears allows an expert at the Spirit Sea Realm to break directly into the Nascent Soul Realm!"

Zhou Heng’s eyes lit up, but then he became skeptical. "This Phoenix Rising Grass hasn’t reached its maturity, has it?"

"Not yet!"

"How much longer?"

"Not much!"

"How long is ’not much’?"

"Er... just ten thousand years or so!"

Zhou Heng almost punched the donkey. Ten thousand years and it’s ’not long’? Even an expert in the Divinity Transformation Realm could only live for less than five thousand years!

"Zhou, you don’t understand!" the Black Donkey spoke solemnly. "Although Phoenix Rising Grass is best when mature, even just sprouting, it could be considered a Spirit Grass with an immense effect!"

"The Phoenix Rising Grass that is nine thousand years old has already produced a Spirit Fruit. Although it isn’t fully mature, it is just right for us!" the Black Donkey continued seriously. "If we split it between the two of us, it will definitely improve our Cultivation Level immensely!"

"You might even break directly into the Mountains and Rivers Realm!"

Zhou Heng nodded, "What’s the Cultivation Level of that Waveform Beast?"

"Spirit Sea Realm! Peak stage!" the Black Donkey sneered, "Honestly, it can’t live long enough to see the Phoenix Rising Grass mature. Being at the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm and with the immature Phoenix Rising Grass having no benefit for it, why stubbornly guard it? It’s like occupying the latrine without shitting. If I had my former Cultivation Level, I would have flattened it with a hoof already!"

The peak of the Spirit Sea Realm!

Zhou Heng showed a serious expression. A Demon Beast like that wouldn’t be much weaker than Zhao Duotian, it just probably hadn’t mastered its Domain, so he should be able to protect himself.

Defeating such a Demon Beast was impossible, but there was still some hope for snatching the treasure from under its nose, as neither he nor the donkey were ordinary warriors at the Heaven-Opening Realm or Mountains and Rivers Realm.

"We need a plan!" Zhou Heng said.

"... Eh, aren’t you the type who never uses his brain and just goes in fists flying?" the Black Donkey teased.

"Wretched donkey, do you not feel comfortable without being scolded, is that it?"

"Hahaha, that’s not even funny!"

The man and the donkey started to plan their strategy. The Waveform Beast was incredibly stubborn about the Phoenix Rising Grass; it must have been a belief passed down from its ancestors, generation after generation, that one day the Phoenix Rising Grass would mature, and one of its descendants would obtain this rare treasure of heaven and earth.

Utterly stubborn!

Since it couldn’t leave the valley, the Waveform Beast was always guarding close to the Phoenix Rising Grass and would not stray even a little. Otherwise, with the Black Donkey’s cunning ideas and having been here before, it would have made its move long ago.

"Simple. You attract its attention at the front and blast it with the Purple Thunder Bead, and I’ll take the chance to steal the Phoenix Rising Grass!"

Zhou Heng glanced at the wretched donkey, "You’re not planning to hog it all for yourself, are you?"

"Pah, am I that kind of donkey?"

"You absolutely are!"

After agreeing on a strategy, the man and the donkey immediately set it into motion. Zhou Heng wasn’t worried about the wretched donkey cheating him, because entering the cave dwelling of Gu Heqian required the help of the Nine Mystic Trial Tower, which the Black Donkey couldn’t get through with its current Cultivation Level.

They continued onwards, soon arriving at the end of the valley where the entrance to a cave was located, guarded by a colossal Demon Beast. Its body was almost transparent, rippling with waves only when it moved, as if made of liquid.

"This Waveform Beast’s ancestors were the door-guarding beasts for Gu Heqian, a tradition passed down through generations, always protecting this place, and that Phoenix Rising Grass was the reward Gu Heqian gave to the Waveform Beast, to eventually allow one of its descendants to reach the status of Deities by breaking into the Nascent Soul Realm!"

Zhou Heng chuckled, "When you put it that way, isn’t what we’re doing a bit immoral?"

"Pah, the Phoenix Rising Grass isn’t Gu Heqian’s; he just discovered it a bit earlier, that’s all. If that’s enough to claim ownership, then all the Spirit Grass in the world that I’ve laid eyes on should belong to me, right?"

"Let’s go!"

Whoosh!

Zhou Heng shot out and without a word threw a punch, with Spiritual Power surging and a raging wind howling.

"Roar!" The Waveform Beast let out an angry roar, its sound waves resounding with the might of the Spirit Sea Realm.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Zhou Heng’s clothes were at least half transformed into flying butterflies, and blood seeped out from his eyes, nose, and ears. He suffered under that great roar! Fortunately, his physique was incredibly strong; otherwise, a roar like that would have shattered an ordinary Heaven-Opening Realm cultivator into pieces.

Seeing that a single strike failed to kill a tiny ant, the Waveform Beast showed a hint of confusion, but it didn’t take it to heart, for it was too powerful! Since guarding this place was both its duty and tied to the interests of its offspring, it wouldn’t budge an inch.

This had become an obsession passed down through generations in its blood.

It lay there lazily, with no mood to bother with Zhou Heng, having reached the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm, it could almost completely sustain itself on Spiritual Power without worrying about starvation. Moreover, only by transforming into a Deity could it continue to increase its strength; no amount of Spirit Stones or Spirit Grasses could help it now.

Zhou Heng smiled and struck out with his palm again.

"Ang!" The Waveform Beast was enraged. Its Spiritual Wisdom was nowhere near comparable to that of the Black Donkey, and with a sudden roar, its body vibrated, sending a terrifying force rolling towards Zhou Heng.

Zhou Heng performed the Swift Cloud Radiant Step, his speed somehow faster than the wildly rolling Spiritual Power, whoosh whoosh whoosh, he retreated a hundred meters in an instant, escaping the maximum reach of the Spiritual Power attack.

"Roar!" The Waveform Beast roared again, but its deeply ingrained notions prevented it from giving chase.

That damned donkey was right!

Zhou Heng originally didn’t want to waste the few remaining Purple Thunder Beads, but if he didn’t sacrifice what was precious, he couldn’t trap the wolf—he had to go all out!

He flipped his right hand, and immediately, a purple bead appeared in his palm, whoosh, he shot it towards the Waveform Beast.

If it were humans, they would become highly alert at the sight of a "hidden weapon," but Demon Beasts were simple-minded, and having been isolated in this place without human contact, the Waveform Beast had no idea there were threats beyond sheer force in the world!

Boom!

A loud noise ensued as the Waveform Beast casually struck out, but this unexpectedly detonated the Purple Thunder Bead, unleashing a vast expanse of blue lightning power, sending the Waveform Beast flying. Zhou Heng threw another Purple Thunder Bead.

With the power of lightning raging wildly, the Waveform Beast was already blasted sky-high and before it could fall, was struck again, sending it soaring upwards like a fountain, rising higher and higher.

The Black Donkey brayed and charged out, having long lurked in wait, it seized the opportunity!

"Ang!" The Waveform Beast was furious. This man and donkey team dared to covet its treasure—unforgivable!

Zhou Heng raised his right hand and launched the third Purple Thunder Bead, which exploded while still in flight under his control of Spiritual Power, unleashing a terrifying force that caused the Waveform Beast to rise rather than fall!

"Um ji ma!" The Black Donkey ran over with a whole silver Spirit Grass in its mouth, mumbling something incomprehensible.

"Go!"

Zhou Heng immediately turned around and dashed towards the entrance of the cave dwelling.

"Roar!" Being at the Spirit Sea Realm, the Waveform Beast bounced off the mountain wall and shot towards Zhou Heng and the Black Donkey as soon as the relentless pressure from the Purple Thunder Beads ceased. Its sonic waves took physical form, moving with unbelievable speed.

"Glug, glug, glugluglug!" The Black Donkey made a string of indescribable noises before realizing it needed to spit out the Phoenix Rising Grass it had in its mouth, saying, "Zhou, buy time for me to open the cave dwelling!"

That sounded easy!

But that was the Spirit Sea Realm—how could he possibly block that?

Zhou Heng looked at the Purple Thunder Bead in his hand with some distress before tossing another one.

Boom, the Purple Thunder Bead exploded, triggering another surge of terrifying power. Those sonic waves shattered into fragments, dissipated by the power of the thunder.

"Black Donkey, hurry up!" Zhou Heng urged. He had only one Purple Thunder Bead left.

"Almost there! Can’t you see that I’m busy?" retorted the Black Donkey without looking back; its hoofs were constantly on the move.

"Faster!"

Zhou Heng weighed the last Purple Thunder Bead in his hand, and finally threw it.

"Are you done yet?"

"Just a bit more!"

"Quick!"

"..."

"Quick!"

"It’s done!"

A flash of light flickered at the cave entrance, and Zhou Heng and the Black Donkey rushed in. Bang—the Waveform Beast slammed heavily against the entrance but failed to squeeze through and was blocked by a strange force.

"Ha, eat my ass!" The Black Donkey turned and shook its butt at the Waveform Beast.

The Waveform Beast was uncontrollably furious, constantly roaring, but it was stopped by the Formation at the cave mouth and couldn’t possibly break through.

After shaking its butt for a while, the Black Donkey suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no, Zhou, I left the Phoenix Rising Grass outside!"

"Despicable Donkey, you think I didn’t see you put away the Phoenix Rising Grass?" Zhou Heng glared at the greedy creature. This time knowing that it couldn’t forcibly take things, it actually resorted to this low trick!

"Heh heh, as it turns out, I did put away the Spirit Grass. Sigh, after sleeping for tens of thousands of years, my memory has deteriorated!" said the Black Donkey with unbelievably thick skin.

A man and a donkey walked into the cave, took a few turns, and soon the roars of the Waveform Beast could no longer be heard.

"It’s time to split the loot!"(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)