Shattering the Pillar

These four bad friends hauled Zhou Heng to his feet and shoved him out with all their might.

He was just about to head back when the Purple-Clad Woman said coolly, "Since you're already up, why not come over and give it a try?"

Zhou Heng thought it over and decided there was no harm in trying. He knew he couldn't possibly have any Bloodline Power, but what could it hurt to test? Breaking through realms came easily to him, but only after he'd received the Black Sword's legacy. It wasn't something he'd been born with.

He stepped up to the Spirit Crystal Pillar, calmed himself, then reached out and grasped it.

A warm sensation immediately flowed through his entire body. When it reached his Dantian, the Black Broken Sword gave a slight tremor. A jet-black Sword Qi shot along Zhou Heng's arm and into the Spirit Crystal Pillar.

The Spirit Crystal Pillar flashed with a jet-black light, but the light lasted for such a fleeting instant that no one could make it out. Then, with a sharp crack, the pillar shattered into countless pieces!

Inside his Dantian, the Black Broken Sword bobbed once before settling back into stillness, as if some peerless expert had casually waved away an ant that dared to bother him, not giving it a second thought.

Damn, why'd it break?

Zhou Heng stared in bewilderment. He couldn't afford to pay for it!

"Hahaha! Was he afraid of embarrassing himself? He actually used brute force and crushed the Spirit Crystal Pillar!"

"With so many of us here, only one person managed to make the Spirit Crystal Pillar react. What's there to be ashamed of?"

"He was putting on an act earlier just to get Miss Zixing's attention. Now he's taking it even further!"

A wave of laughter rose from below. Zhu Zhihe and the other three, meanwhile, secretly admired their brother for being a true master of the Way of Wind and Moon, always coming up with such ingenious ideas.

"I'm really sorry for breaking your things!" Zhou Heng scratched his head. "How much do I owe you?"

Something this miraculous couldn't be cheap, could it?

A strange gleam flickered in the Purple-Clad Woman's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. Calmly, she said, "There's no need to worry about it, young master. May I ask your name?"

What? That actually worked?

The crowd nearly bulged their eyes out. If they'd known that was all it took to catch Miss Zixing's attention, they would've done the same long ago! But they'd all been afraid of offending the Purple-Clad Woman. Who among them would dare act so recklessly?

"Zhou Heng."

"Which sect are you from, Young Master Zhou?" the Purple-Clad Woman asked again.

A second question!

Even someone as extraordinary as Jing Tian had only been asked his name. Yet Zhou Heng had broken the Spirit Crystal Pillar and earned even more attention. Who could accept that?

"The Nine Spirits Sect," Zhou Heng answered simply. He didn't want to have much to do with the Purple-Clad Woman.

Seeing the unmistakable impatience on Zhou Heng's face, the crowd wanted to grab their weapons and hack him to pieces. He'd gotten such a good deal, yet he still acted ungrateful. Was he trying to make everyone else die of anger?

The Purple-Clad Woman hadn't expected Zhou Heng to react that way. She paused slightly, then managed a smile and took out a gleaming card, holding it out to him. "Young Master Zhou, this is a VIP Card from our pavilion."

This was a valuable item!

Zhou Heng quickly took it and smiled. "Thank you, Miss Zixing!"

Seeing the happy smile on Zhou Heng's face, the Purple-Clad Woman nearly spat blood!

So, in his eyes, she was nowhere near as important as a mere VIP Card!

She was furious! Absolutely furious!

Though she held a high position, she was still a woman in her twenties, and she was renowned for her beauty. Now that someone had ignored her so blatantly, how could she not feel anger rising in her heart?

"Young Master Zhou, would you care to stay and join me for a simple meal?" Though she was angry inside, a charming smile rose to her face.

"Of course! Of course!" Zhu Zhihe and the other three had already crowded over, eagerly accepting on Zhou Heng's behalf.

"So it's Young Masters Zhu and the others!" The Purple-Clad Woman clearly recognized the four of them. She gave them a faint smile, then announced the end of that day's Tea Ceremony Gathering. Afterward, she led Zhou Heng and the other four to an elegant courtyard, where food and wine were laid out for them to share.

The others were naturally green with envy, but who would dare cause a scene at the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion? Each of them had been warned by their sect elders not to make trouble there. All they could do was glare until their eyes turned bloodshot.

Shen Xinqi and Han Yulian, too, hadn't expected foolish, thick-headed Zhou Heng to have such a way with women. A strange feeling rose in their hearts.

Although Zhu Zhihe and the other three worshipped the Purple-Clad Woman, when they actually sat across from her, none of them dared let it show. They were all unfailingly respectful, chatting about the past and present in a stilted, scholarly manner.

The Purple-Clad Woman's attention was clearly focused on Zhou Heng. She kept probing him about his background. Zhou Heng figured that with the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's resources, it would be no trouble for them to dig up his history, so he simply hid nothing. He would never reveal secrets like the Black Sword, though.

Host and guests all enjoyed themselves. Zhou Heng dragged the four fellows away, though they were pretending to be drunk so they could spend the night at the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Zhu Zhihe and the others groaned and sighed in dismay.

"Miss, you say that man named Zhou Heng shattered the Spirit Crystal Pillar?" In a secluded part of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, the Purple-Clad Woman sat drinking tea. An old man in a gray robe stood beside her. His aged face was covered in wrinkles, making it impossible to tell just how old he was.

If an elder from one of the Three Great Sects had been present, he would have recognized the old man at once. He was Yan Sen, the master of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion in Fengyu City.

"Elder Sen, you know how sturdy the Spirit Crystal Pillar is. Even a Spirit Gathering Realm martial artist couldn't smash it with a single blow, let alone someone at the peak of the Ninth Layer of Body Refining!" The Purple-Clad Woman's jade-white face still bore traces of irritation. Clearly, she was remembering how Zhou Heng had ignored her.

"Indeed, it's utterly baffling!" Yan Sen nodded repeatedly. With so many wrinkles on his old face, it was impossible to make out his expression.

There was one thing the Purple-Clad Woman hadn't mentioned: the instant the Spirit Crystal Pillar shattered, she had seen a flash of black light!

It resembled the sign of someone the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion had been searching for, but it wasn't quite the same. This matter was serious. She had to report back to the main pavilion first, and at the very least bring back a more advanced Spirit Crystal Pillar for another test.

"Elder Sen, I'm returning tomorrow. Keep an eye on that fellow for me. Don't let anyone hurt him!" She thought it over before speaking.

"Yes, Miss!" Yan Sen replied respectfully, showing no resentment over the difference in their ages.

When Zhou Heng returned to the inn, the first thing he did was open the medicines he'd bought from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion and prepare the potion needed to practice the Bright Jade Art.

Zhu Zhihe and the other three took turns flattering Zhou Heng, then urged him to visit the Purple-Clad Woman again the next day so they could bask in her favor too.

Zhou Heng couldn't be bothered with the four fellows. He soon mixed the medicinal bath according to the recipe. It was simple enough: once he had all the ingredients, he just needed to weigh them and toss them into the tub one by one.

After driving the four of them out, Zhou Heng stripped down to his underwear and stepped into the tub.

So hot! It was scalding!

The water seemed to be boiling, brimming with searing heat. Zhou Heng hurriedly followed the Bright Jade Art's instructions, absorbing the medicinal effects one by one to temper his body.

As martial artists cultivated, their True Essence Power constantly tempered their bodies. Once they reached the peak of the Twelfth Layer of Body Refining, their bodies would be nearly as hard as rock. Defensive martial techniques took this a step further, making it so that even a sharp sword couldn't cut through them!

To achieve this additional effect, True Essence Power alone wasn't enough. They first had to use medicine to bring out the body's potential.

Zhou Heng sat as if immersed in boiling water. Even his willpower was close to giving out!

No wonder this top-grade martial technique had been sitting there, yet hardly anyone in the sect had ever managed to cultivate the Bright Jade Art. The very first step was already so brutal. Nine out of ten people would probably leap right back out as soon as they stepped in.

Absorbing the medicinal effects to strengthen the skin, muscles, and bones wasn't something that happened overnight. He had to practice the Bright Jade Art to merge the medicine with his body and unearth his deeper potential.

After a whole night, Zhou Heng was astonished to find that the bathwater, which had been crimson, had turned pale and clear.

That meant all the medicinal effects had been completely used up!

According to the technique, one dose should last for about ten uses. How had he absorbed it all in a single night?

His body seemed to have truly changed!

Zhou Heng knew that ever since the Black Broken Sword had "awakened," it had been slowly improving his body. He just hadn't expected that after nearly half a year, the change would be so astonishing!

He hurriedly circulated the Bright Jade Art and raised his hands. The surface of his skin had turned as smooth as jade!

This... he'd mastered the first layer of the Bright Jade Art!

Zhou Heng stared in amazement. This was far too outrageous. Everyone had different talents, but mastering the first layer of the Bright Jade Art in a single night was truly staggering.

Next, he could cultivate the second layer!

But before Zhou Heng could begin, the four bad friends, Zhu Zhihe and the others, burst through the door. They insisted on dragging him to Miss Zixing's tea gathering again.

"Didn't we go yesterday?" Zhou Heng asked irritably.

"Miss Zixing's tea gathering lasts three days wherever she goes, so we can still go for two more days!"

Their plan sounded wonderful, but when they reached the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, they were told that Miss Zixing had left that morning. Zhou Heng breathed a sigh of relief, while Zhu Zhihe and the other three howled in dismay.

With Miss Zixing gone, the four of them had no reason to stay. They wanted to continue chasing after their goddess.

Still, they'd gotten along very well with Zhou Heng, so they stayed one more day. They told Zhou Heng to visit them at the Black Water Hall whenever he had time. Zhou Heng was left speechless—could anyone just come and go from the Black Water Hall as they pleased?

Zhou Heng didn't leave at once. Instead, he continued practicing the Bright Jade Art at the inn.

His terrifying rate of progress continued. In just two days, he'd completed the second and third layers of the Bright Jade Art, tempering the flesh and bones of his entire body until they were like a sturdy shield.

Although the Bright Jade Art had ten layers in all, he was already very close to the Blood Refining Realm. It was time to leave.

"I'm going to the Heaven-Leveling Mountain Range!"

"I'll break through to the Tenth Layer of Body Refining in a few days. Then I'll be qualified to explore that Cold Pool!"

After checking out, Zhou Heng immediately left Fengyu City and headed for the Heaven-Leveling Mountain Range. Time was running short. At the start of every month, he had to return to the Nine Spirits Sect and accept challenges from others—whether anyone challenged him was another matter.

"I've been waiting for you!" Zhou Heng had only just entered the Heaven-Leveling Mountain Range when a figure appeared, blocking his path.