Leaving the Valley

Zhou Heng had never imagined he would end up arguing with a donkey!

But this donkey was just too damn insufferable—so much so that he couldn't help but curse it out! Zhou Xianming and his lot were shameless and despicable, but at least they had some face to save. This donkey, however, had no shame at all, taking the word "insufferable" to its absolute peak.

"Stop! Stop!" The black donkey tried the same old trick again, proposing a truce, but Zhou Heng wasn't falling for it and swung his longsword even faster.

Still, this black donkey was truly something else. The Cloud-Soaring Nine Styles couldn't touch it, but the moment Zhou Heng activated his sword intent, the donkey bolted away like lightning, leaving even Han Yulian in the dust.

After half an hour of fighting, both sides were panting heavily.

"Kid, This Seat has no time to waste with you. Hurry up and take this lord out, or I'll bite your head off in one go, woof!" The black donkey said, its long tongue lolling out.

"You're not a dog, so why are you barking like one!" Zhou Heng quickly steadied his breathing. He had consumed nearly half his True Essence Power, and the physical exertion was staggering, sweat pouring down his forehead.

"This lord does as he pleases!" The black donkey said arrogantly, then stretched out a leg and pointed it at Han Yulian. "Little beauty, come give this lord a back rub!"

Never had he seen such a lazy, shameless donkey!

"No wonder you got suppressed—too insufferable, too hateful!" Zhou Heng laughed loudly.

"Bray—" The black donkey let out an angry cry. "Your donkey lord suffered an unjust calamity! I was sleeping soundly when that damned stone tablet sucked away my lifelong cultivation. Otherwise, with my strength, a single spit of mine could crush you all!"

This shameless donkey seemed genuinely furious, its eyes bulging wide and its rows of white teeth bared, grinding together with a crisp crunch.

Who knew if that was the truth!

Zhou Heng muttered to himself. He wouldn't take anything this donkey said lightly: "You're so insufferable, you deserve to be sucked dry!"

"You little brat, this lord is going to kick your ass and show you why flowers are so red!" The black donkey didn't attack, just cursed at Zhou Heng, its verbal combat skills no less formidable.

"Shameless donkey, how long have you been trapped under there?" Zhou Heng asked casually.

But the black donkey wasn't falling for it. It stared at Zhou Heng for a moment and said, "Stinking brat, trying to play mind games with This Seat, fish for information—you're still too green! This lord was playing those tricks when I was three!"

"Now hurry up and take your donkey lord out! This Seat will sweep across the four corners and eight wastelands, become the supreme ruler of heaven and earth!"

As it spoke, its shameless nature flared up again. It stood on its hind legs, striking a strong and powerful pose with its front hooves, its black fur rippling in a way that was impossible to look at directly.

Zhou Heng and Han Yulian exchanged glances, both unable to suppress a wince. This donkey's shamelessness completely diluted any sense of awe, leaving only the urge to beat it senseless.

"You two, seeing this lord's invincible heroic posture, aren't you going to bow in submission?" The black donkey leaned against the cliff wall, one hind leg propped up against the rock, its front hooves crossed over its chest, while its tail scratched its back in a most unsightly manner.

Faced with this utterly shameless black donkey, Zhou Heng couldn't even find a place to start getting angry—only a wave of helplessness washed over him.

"Fine, I'll take you, this shameless donkey, out!" Zhou Heng said after a moment's thought, nodding in agreement.

"It's Donkey Lord!" The black donkey protested indignantly.

"But there's a condition!" Zhou Heng continued. "What exactly are you?"

"This lord is, of course, the supreme Black Donkey Deity of heaven and earth!" The shameless donkey said without a hint of shame, proudly lifting its hooves even higher.

"How can you talk?" Han Yulian interjected. That was the strangest part—she had never heard of any beast that could speak human language. It defied all common sense.

"This Seat is a divine beast born of heaven and earth, an existence above all others. What's so strange about being able to talk?" The black donkey continued its arrogant tirade, its shameless expression making anyone who saw it feel irritated.

"No matter how you look at it, you're just an ordinary donkey!" Zhou Heng looked the creature up and down, shaking his head repeatedly.

"Stinking brat, I've said it a hundred times, a thousand times—This Seat is a divine beast of heaven and earth!" The black donkey said in exasperation.

"Then how did you get suppressed?"

"Pah, that was this lord's bad luck! I was in seclusion here, and somehow someone built a great formation without me knowing, nearly sucking me dry!" The black donkey said, full of fury, looking thoroughly displeased.

That might be the truth.

"Shameless donkey, since you've been trapped here so long, do you know what this place really is?"

"It's Lord Supreme Divine Donkey!" The black donkey said through gritted teeth, kicking the cliff wall with its hoof. "This Seat doesn't know either. I only know this place is cursed!"

Even this shameless donkey didn't know?

Zhou Heng shook his head and said to Han Yulian, "Senior Sister Han, let's head out!"

"Mm!" Han Yulian had no objections. Here, her life was in Zhou Heng's hands. Without his guidance, she would never leave. Who would willingly entrust their life to someone else?

The two of them and the donkey set off, stepping into the layers of thick fog.

"Hey, shameless donkey, since you're a donkey, how about letting me ride you?"

"This Seat will bite you to death!"

"...You're not a dog!"

"This lord likes it. What can you do about it?"

Amid the bickering, the two and the donkey soon walked out of the valley.

"Wahaha, this lord is finally out! A mere maze valley, how could it trap your donkey lord, hahaha!" The black donkey laughed loudly for a moment, then suddenly bolted off on all fours, fast as a gust of wind, vanishing in an instant.

That shameless donkey really knew how to burn bridges—it didn't even leave a thank you!

"Senior Sister Han! Junior Brother Zhou!" At that moment, Mao Xianzhi and Lu Qing rushed over from nearby, both looking relieved to see Zhou Heng and Han Yulian.

"By the way, I thought I heard someone else's voice just now. Was it someone from the valley?" Lu Qing asked.

The two hadn't seen the black donkey.

Han Yulian shook her head. A donkey that could talk—unless you saw and heard it yourself, who would believe such a thing existed? She said, "There was no one else. Just me and Junior Brother Zhou."

Lu Qing and the other had no reason to doubt this. Though they felt the strange duck-like voice didn't match Zhou Heng or Han Yulian, the valley was too eerie—mishearing things wasn't strange.

"Junior Brother Zhou, you, you, you... Ninth Layer of Body Refining!" Lu Qing suddenly stammered.

"What?" Mao Xianzhi immediately jumped up. After sensing Zhou Heng's aura, he too revealed a look of utter shock!

A fantasy!

He was only at the Seventh Layer of Body Refining before—how was he now at the Ninth Layer?

"I had some luck in the valley," Zhou Heng brushed it off casually. This kind of miracle couldn't be replicated. Without the Black Broken Sword, anyone entering the valley would only be walking to their death!

Lu Qing and Mao Xianzhi were filled with envy, their hearts brimming with regret. If they had been bold enough to follow into the valley, would they too have reached the Ninth Layer of Body Refining?

To jump two minor realms in one go—what a stroke of fortune!

Both were at the Eighth Layer of Body Refining, originally a realm above Zhou Heng. Now they were overtaken by a minor realm, and they felt a huge gap. But no matter how much they envied him, they could only congratulate Zhou Heng.

When the agreed time came, Zhou Heng and his three companions met up with Qi Guangyao's team and returned to the Nine Spirits Sect.

Their haul this time was great. Not only did they meet their expected goals, but they had a surplus as well. Thus, they received rewards from the sect—each person got one Sect Contribution Point. Of course, Qi Guangyao was excluded, as he had volunteered to help.

Sect Contribution Points were the exclusive currency of the Nine Spirits Sect. Worthless outside, they were more precious than gold or silver within the sect.

Because things like techniques, martial skills, and pills could only be exchanged with Contribution Points. For example, a Spirit Gathering Pill cost ten points—seemingly cheaper than gold or silver, but the difficulty of earning them was immense.

Not long after returning to the sect, Han Yulian brought him ten Gathering Essence Pills. This was his reward for placing first in the sect's assessment.

Ten Gathering Essence Pills—quite a generous move!

Zhou Heng was inwardly pleased. The energy the Black Broken Sword could provide him was dwindling. Ten Gathering Essence Pills could add a month of hard cultivation—exactly what he needed most.

His "luck" in the Mist Death Valley naturally couldn't stay secret. Lu Qing and Mao Xianzhi had already spread the news far and wide. But neither could guess exactly what Zhou Heng had encountered—they speculated he'd eaten some heavenly treasure, making him a celebrity in the sect these past few days.

Being famous like this, Zhou Heng couldn't care less. He himself harbored a great secret. If anyone discovered the existence of the Black Broken Sword... he didn't think he could withstand a Spirit Gathering Realm existence now.

Fortunately, his Dantian had become its own world. Even if someone reached into his body, they couldn't find the Black Broken Sword. For now, there was no need to worry.

The Mist Death Valley had left a deep impression on him, broadening his horizons even more than leaving Raw Stone Town.

"The figure beneath the Cold Pool of the Absolute Valley, the talking donkey, the resurrected skeleton—what secrets does the Heaven-Leveling Mountain Range hide?" Zhou Heng was puzzled, but what arose was intense curiosity. He wished he had the power to shake heaven and earth, to sweep through the universe and uncover the whole truth.

"In a few days, it'll be the start of the month. I can challenge the Top Ten of the Outer Sect. I need to secure a spot to get the best cultivation resources and break into the Blood Refining Realm as soon as possible!"

He waited patiently, taking one Spirit Gathering Pill daily, spending all other time circulating the Moon Shadow Heart Art to accumulate True Essence Power. The Black Broken Sword's energy was running low—he couldn't live off it forever.

As for the Heaven-Soaring Nine Styles, he was stuck on the fourth form. Understanding its sword intent required an opportunity. No matter how much time he spent, it was useless without it.

Zhou Heng seemed to return to those ten years when he couldn't cultivate. Apart from necessary rest, he devoted all his time to training.