I Cheated While Cultivating - Chapter 385

Chapter 385: Chapter 105: A Different Approach

The Great Wind Tribe, not bothering to conceal themselves, marched imposingly towards the South Fire Tribe, naturally unable to escape the eyes and ears of spies.

The South Fire Tribe quickly received the news.

Mu Yangchi, the tribal chief, did not believe it at first.

After all, the Great Wind Tribe had just suffered a major defeat in the recent battle, losing their chief and severely weakened. Only a few days had passed; unless they had gone mad, they wouldn’t so brazenly invade the South Fire Tribe.

However, after multiple scouts reported back, and the tribe’s priests went to confirm personally, Mu Yangchi had no choice but to believe the news.

“How is this possible? The reports say that the one leading the Great Wind Tribe is the Young Tribal Chief Feng Liyuan; does this kid have a screw loose?” Mu Yangchi still found it hard to believe, turning to the priest beside him, “Or does this kid want to avenge his parents and forcefully rally the whole tribe for war?”

“I’m afraid not.” Priest Yan Zhuo gently shook her head. She was a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her twenties, naturally intelligent, and spoke gravely, “I once saw from a distance the oncoming troops of the Great Wind Tribe; they were fierce and high-spirited, hardly looking coerced.”

“This is highly unusual.” Beside them, the Great Witch Mu Youye frowned. He was a muscular man in his thirties, saying, “The Great Wind Tribe should be extremely weak now; how can they have such fighting spirit?”

“Perhaps they’ve received help from elsewhere?” Mu Yangchi conjectured with a furrowed brow.

“Chief, regardless, the Great Wind Tribe’s assault is confirmed. What shall we do next?” Yan Zhuo asked gravely, “Given their pace, they’ll reach us by noon.”

“What else can we do but annihilate them once more!” Mu Yangchi’s expression turned cold, then he addressed Mu Youye, “Go and invite that magician to act once more.”

“But the price that magician demands…” Mu Youye showed a troubled expression.

“As long as we wipe out the entire Great Wind Tribe, we will gain immensely, the magician’s fee is a small issue in comparison,” Mu Yangchi said bluntly, “Since the people of the Great Wind Tribe are courting death, this time we’ll eradicate them completely!

“Yan Zhuo, relay my orders: have our people prepare flint stones on the mountain valley that the Great Wind Tribe must pass through. As soon as they spot anyone from the Great Wind Tribe, push the stones down the mountain to blast them to death!

“Also, set up ambushed archers in the dense forests along the way. Upon sighting the Great Wind Tribe’s troops, fire flaming arrows without hesitation, burn them alive!

“Moreover, on the plains outside the forests, work quickly to create concealed traps filled with poison… To ensure absolutely no chances of failure, also carry some poison on you.

“That way, even in a head-on conflict, you can use these poisons to weaken their fighting power. Besides, your attractive appearance makes you seem fragile and deceptive, which can lower their guard, making it easier to ambush them.”

“…” Yan Zhuo listened, dumbfounded, her expression one of astonishment as she looked at her tribal chief, “Is such caution really necessary?”

“Of course, it is necessary,” Mu Yangchi sneered, “In the past, our fights with the Great Wind Tribe were external; we didn’t need these measures. Now that they’re coming to us, they can’t blame me for resorting to every conceivable strategy!”

“With such cautiousness from our chief, the Great Wind Tribe will surely be doomed to a one-way trip,” Yan Zhuo smiled, “I will make the arrangements immediately.”

…

The valley entrance between the Great Wind Tribe and the South Fire Tribe.

Zhou Heng stood flanked by Feng He and Feng Yuege, with a hundred warriors from the Great Wind Tribe behind him, their gazes all fixed on the valley ahead.

The terrain of the valley was narrow in the middle with steep cliffs on both sides; apart from noon, the stretch in the middle was almost always deprived of sunlight, making it an ideal place for ambushes.

“I’ve just sent a hawk to scout through the mountains; there are no ambushes,” Feng He said as he looked ahead into the valley, sighing with relief. He possessed divine power related to animals, able to control and even share their perspectives.

“Mm, the tribal chief of the South Fire Tribe, Mu Yangchi, is naturally hot-headed and straightforward; setting up traps would be too much for him,” Feng Yuege also said, laughing.

“This is not necessarily the case,” Zhou Heng shook his head with a light chuckle, his gaze sweeping over the peaks on either side of the valley, when a streak of purple qi suddenly flashed in his eyes.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion followed, as three huge firestone balls suddenly rolled down from the tops of the mountains. As soon as these three firestone balls appeared, another twenty or thirty firestone balls tumbled down in succession!

These firestone balls were special products of the South Fire Tribe. Although they looked like ordinary fire-red stone balls, they were made of special materials, containing a large amount of fiery elemental energy. They would explode immediately upon a violent impact.

Bang!

Boom boom boom!

In an instant, flames shot up to the sky, and rocks flew chaotically; the valley in front of them became a sea of fire.

Feng He and Feng Yuege were dumbstruck upon seeing this, shocked to their cores, while the hundred-plus warriors from the Great Wind Tribe behind them turned pale with terror, filled with fright.

If they had really walked into this valley and encountered so many rolling firestone balls, it was feared that aside from the Young Tribal Chief whose power had greatly increased, as well as the Great Witch and High Priest, no one would have escaped with their lives.

“How could this be?” Priest Feng He’s face was filled with disbelief, unable to accept what was happening before his eyes, but he hastily performed a respectful bow to apologize to Zhou Heng, “Young Tribal Chief, it was my mistake in recon. We almost caused a great disaster; please impose a punishment.”

Previously, he had been sure that there were no ambushes ahead. Now, if he didn’t clarify his position quickly, there was a great possibility that he would be deemed a traitor. Even if he did make his stance clear, the suspicion would not be easily removed.

Priest Feng He was feeling quite panicked at this moment.

“There’s no need for that,” Zhou Heng said, waving his hand for Feng He to stand up, “It’s normal not to find the ambush using ordinary eagles for scouting.

“These firestone balls had been enchanted with an illusion technique similar to a blinding spell, which the naked eyes of ordinary animals could not detect. Even I had to use some special means to discover them.”

The blinding spell hiding the firestone balls was not ingenious. In Zhou Heng’s view, it was even full of loopholes, which were very unlikely to escape his Divine Sense Perception.

“Blinding spell?” Feng He frowned slightly, saying, “It seems that the magician of the South Fire Tribe has not left yet.”

“The magician is cunning; we must be careful and vigilant,” Feng Yuege nodded in agreement.

“Rest assured, with me here,” Zhou Heng nodded lightly, “Let’s move on. Continue forward.”

…

The South Fire Tribe.

Tribe Chief Mu Yangchi, Priest Yan Zhuo, Great Witch Mu Youye, and the magician they had hired, Jing Huan, were all gathered in the tribal chief’s stone house.

They were discussing ways to deal with the Great Wind Tribe.

Originally, Mu Yangchi was very confident in the traps he had laid out.

After all, those weren’t ordinary traps, they were enhanced by Priest Yan Zhuo to increase their lethality and concealed by Magician Jing Huan’s magic, virtually undetectable by ordinary means.

In theory, the Great Wind Tribe would be greatly weakened by any single trap they encountered, not to mention such a series of traps. It was almost impossible for them to reach the South Fire Tribe.

However, just a moment ago, a scout reported that all the traps had been broken, and the people of the Great Wind Tribe were unharmed. In another quarter of an hour, they would arrive at the South Fire Tribe’s lands.

“The Great Wind Tribe must have the help of a master!” The magician Jing Huan, his face as grim as water, was a man in his twenties with a rather effeminate appearance. He clenched his teeth and said, “Not many in the whole of Taizhou can break my illusion technique. How could a mere Great Wind Tribe manage to do it!”

The other three also nodded in agreement.

Taizhou is one of the thirteen provinces of Guangguo, which in turn is one of the smallest and weakest of the seven nations on the fringes of the Central Xia lands. Taizhou, being the edge of Guangguo, is thus an edge within an edge, with the Great Wilderness lying just beyond its borders.

Such a place naturally lacks powerful beings; even the governor of Taizhou is only at the awakening sixth stage. In the entire province of Taizhou, those at the awakening fourth stage are considered fairly strong.

Jing Huan, with a cultivation of the awakening second stage and skilled in Illusion Technique, could fool even masters at the awakening fourth stage into believing his illusions, whether they were Great Witches or Priests, provided they had no knowledge of illusionary arts.

This was precisely why he was so confident.

But now, all his illusions had been broken, which to his mind was clearly not something a mere Great Wind Tribe could accomplish.

“This expert might be a Magician skilled in illusion techniques, at least at the awakening second stage. It’s also possible that they acquired the Void Illusionary Divine Power,” Jing Huan said gravely.

“So, what should we do now?” Priest Yan Zhuo asked, frowning.

“What else can we do at this point? Fight directly!” Mu Youye stood up, clenching his fist as he spoke.

“Since all their traps have been destroyed, we have no choice but to eliminate them head-on,” Mu Yangchi nodded in agreement, sneering, “We’ve already slaughtered the bastard Feng Liyuan’s parents; one more won’t make a difference!

“This battle, we will level the Great Wind Tribe!”

…

The South Fire Tribe met a tranquil end.

Whether it was the tribal chief Mu Yangchi, the Priest Yan Zhuo, or the Great Witch Mu Youye, none stood a chance before Zhou Heng, who had recovered to the Secret Six Rank.

The Magician Jing Huan attempted to escape, but was seen through by Zhou Heng on the spot and slain with a single palm strike.

Under the Overturning Heaven Three Palms, all Divine Power, Witch Power, and Techniques appeared like toys of an infant, utterly lackluster. The entire process was nothing but a one-man show of Zhou Heng cutting through decay with ease, swiftly annihilating the many strong members of the South Fire Tribe.

Before the members of the South Fire Tribe could process what had happened, Zhou Heng had already killed their chief, priest, great witch, and the hired magician with the swiftness of a thunderbolt. A palm for each, not a moment wasted.

This not only stunned the members of the South Fire Tribe but also left the accompanying members of the Great Wind Tribe gape-mouthed, barely able to believe their own eyes.

When had their Young Tribal Chief become so powerful?

It was almost too formidable to believe!

Feng He and Feng Yuege suddenly felt grateful.

Thankfully they had made the right choice at the beginning, or else they might have been among those slain by the Young Tribal Chief’s hand.

Such might, such power, was simply terrifying!

To the people of the South Fire and Great Wind Tribes, Zhou Heng now seemed like a god descended to earth, his every action as if representing the will of the heavens, an unstoppable force in the world!

This was the impact of the Overturning Heaven Three Palms, as well as the psychological oppression that came with overwhelming strength.

After dealing with the South Fire Tribe’s leadership, Zhou Heng didn’t attack the ordinary tribespeople; instead, he incorporated them into the Great Wind Tribe.

In the following two months, Zhou Heng further integrated the people of the two tribes, resolving their conflicts and resentments, and striving for a harmonious coexistence.

Understandably, this process was not smooth.

The friction between the two tribes had persisted for over a century, with generational grudges not so easily dispelled.

However, after the integration of the two tribes, there was no longer a need for bloodshed over hunting grounds. Thanks to the growth in strength and the power of their chief, the tribe was able to expand, and with more land and resources, life naturally improved.

For the tribes living on the edge of civilization in Taizhou, having enough to eat, clothes to wear, and the ability to live a stable life was already a blessing.

Thus, while grudges and friction between the two tribes remained, occasional fights not withstanding, both the Great Wind Tribe and the South Fire Tribe were grateful to Zhou Heng.

The reason was simple: they lived a stable life, with plenty to eat and warm clothes to wear. That was enough.

With such results, Zhou Heng had achieved his goal; he could already sense the subtle flow of Yin Virtue Energy converging upon him.

Although it was still scant, little by little it would accumulate and be perfected.

Beyond improving tribal life, he had also secretly selected twenty individuals to practice the visualization techniques.

The Divine Soul Visualization Technique places great emphasis on spirituality and enlightenment; even ordinary people can reach the Secret Six Rank overnight if they achieve a moment of sudden comprehension.

It is one of the fastest methods of cultivation.

Moreover, the Divine Soul World’s suppression and repulsion are comparatively lower than that of the physical world, which is undoubtedly suitable.

However, the visualization image Zhou Heng gave them was neither the Great Compassionate Dragon Bodhisattva Visualization nor any other he acquired in the Divine Soul World, not even The Most High Riding the Ox. Instead, it was of himself.

Zhou Heng refined the formidable posture of his pure cultivation of the Overturning Heaven Three Palms, crafted a visualization diagram based on the Divine Soul Visualization Technique, named it the “Overturning Colossal Divine Likeness Diagram,” and let these secretly chosen individuals cultivate it.

It was a shortcut.

The core of the Divine Soul Visualization Technique is to comprehend the essence of the divine likeness in the visualization diagram. The deeper one comprehends the essence, the easier it is to advance one’s cultivation.

But the divine likeness depicted on the diagram is ultimately separated by a layer, not the completely real form, which naturally makes it difficult to visualize.

Now, by providing these individuals with the diagram for initiation and allowing them to directly observe himself, the original divine likeness, Zhou Heng naturally facilitated a rapid deepening of their understanding of the diagram’s essence, hence speeding up the cultivation process.

The results were indeed excellent; within two months, the first few cultivators had successfully manifested their divine souls, with the most talented among them even capable of nocturnal excursions, marking a prodigious advancement.

Zhou Heng was quite satisfied with this outcome. With this level of progress, the new pathway of cultivation was secretly established.

Next, it was time to leave this barbaric land and seek out information about Fuxi and Nuwa.

This was, after all, his main purpose in coming to the Xuanteng Realm.

…

Upon arriving at Taizhou Governor’s City, Zhou Heng led his horse in.

——————

PS: There is actually a more detailed version of this storyline, which includes the events on the way to the South Fire Tribe and the details of the battle, and I even planned to write about the subsequent integration process. Yesterday, that’s how I wrote it, and the plot for the next few days was also settled. But as I wrote, it felt wrong, and upon reflection, it seemed a bit drawn out. It’s better to speed up the pace and stick to the main storyline of this arc.