Chapter Eighty-Four: A Sudden Surprise

After all, the very act of cultivation itself is inspired by the forces of nature between heaven and earth, pursued in order to draw closer to them!

“Huh?” At this thought, Zhou Yi’s mind suddenly shifted. What was this? Wasn’t he supposed to be practicing martial arts? How had everything now veered toward the path of immortality cultivation?

“Never mind!” Zhou Yi dismissed the notion after a brief reflection. Whether it was cultivating martial arts or pursuing the way of immortals, as long as the ultimate goal was achieved, that was all that mattered!

“Enough, no more distractions—back to the main point!” Zhou Yi shook his head, casting aside the jumble of thoughts, and resumed taking stock of his gains.

“There must be a difference between opening the world all at once and doing so bit by bit!” Zhou Yi pondered as he examined his harvest, comparing the two approaches in his mind. “It’s a matter of essence, like laying a foundation: one is a natural outpouring, the other is like squeezing toothpaste, slow and halting—worlds apart!”

“Though I can’t be certain of the benefits gained by those who reached the Celestial State by the piecemeal method, I imagine there must be some gap between us!”

However, as this thought crossed his mind, Zhou Yi suddenly recalled his earlier battle with Mo Hu and the others. Reflecting on their attacks, his heart gave a jolt. After some careful analysis, he came to a conclusion that even he found shocking: “I couldn’t sense the presence of heaven and earth in them!”

Heaven and earth—not merely the power of nature!

When Zhou Yi simultaneously unlocked all three hundred and sixty-five acupoints, he had stepped into the realm of the Celestial Being. By opening all these points at once, he had gained all the information regarding the powers of heaven and earth and combined it to form a world—a world that Zhou Yi himself had become, as previously described.

Yet at this moment, though this world seemed complete, in truth, it was only so by comparison.

It was indeed a world, but only in rhythm and semblance—not a real world. To put it vividly, it was as if it were a world painted on canvas.

A world in a painting is still a world, but not a true one!

Because it lacks the true power of heaven and earth!

Zhou Yi had no problem accepting this—for he had just entered the realm of the Celestial Being. Possessing the power of a true world at this stage would be ludicrous.

But the most important thing was that, though it was not a true world, Zhou Yi had already grasped the mysteries of the world well enough. With sufficient power, he was confident that he could recreate a true world. This was the greatest benefit Zhou Yi had gained from this breakthrough.

Moreover, the illusory world now existing beneath the darkness in his body might not remain forever unreal. As Zhou Yi’s strength grew, there would come a day when it would become a true world!

But enough digression—back to the point.

“Their strength is at the peak of the Celestial Being realm, that much is certain!” Zhou Yi tried to deduce the strength of Mo Hu and the others based on the aura of their attacks: “Three hundred and sixty-five acupoints—before, I wasn’t strong enough to notice, but now I can be sure—they have all been opened!”

“In other words, they have unlocked all their acupoints and should have received all the information regarding the powers of heaven and earth. But why can’t I sense any hint of the world’s aura in them?” Zhou Yi pondered deeply, puzzled and unable to find an answer.

“Forget it!” After a long time with no conclusion, Zhou Yi simply let it go. After all, it wasn’t an urgent matter, and whether he figured it out or not was of little importance.

What’s more, he no longer had time to dwell on such questions, because his breakthrough was nearing its end!

Whoosh!

Zhou Yi’s body, standing upright, suddenly opened his tightly shut eyes. Within them flashed a divine light like lightning, radiating a mighty force that pierced through the surrounding flames.

He looked down at the fire burning on his body, then at the black wind swirling within the flames, making them ever fiercer. Finally, his gaze fell on his own bare skin—smooth and white, flawless as jade, as if untouched by dust.

“I really do look like a pampered pretty boy now!” Zhou Yi’s face twitched as he looked at his skin, and he smiled wryly in his heart.

“Is it true, then, that fortune follows disaster?” He gazed at his unscathed body within the flames, filled with emotion. He recalled how, at the very beginning, his body was nearly reduced to ashes the instant it touched the fire. If not for the existence of his golden finger, he might have been burned to death long ago!

Even if he had survived by sheer luck, it would have been mere lingering on, barely hanging by a thread. He had almost reached his limit, unable to hold out any longer. Who could have guessed, though, that just as he was about to despair, a new path would open—the vortex he had stumbled upon turned out to be the key to his breakthrough!

With a bit of luck, he obtained the information of the world’s power, assembled them into a world, and by becoming one with it, grew and evolved alongside it. In that instant, the hidden ailments within his body were swept away—a transformation akin to being reborn!

To put it in one phrase: he had been restored to perfect health and vigor, right where he stood!

The benefits of becoming one with the world far exceeded Zhou Yi’s expectations: not only did his spirit receive an enormous boost, ridding him of all mental fatigue, but more astonishingly, his body was also greatly strengthened!

When Zhou Yi merged with the world, the power of heaven and earth surged into his three hundred and sixty-five acupoints. Aside from fueling the evolution of the world, part of that power, guided by some mysterious connection, spread through his body, cleansing and reinforcing it—while at the same time healing it!

Thus, when the evolution of the world was complete and Zhou Yi awoke, the transformation of his body was also finished, and all hidden injuries within him were gone!

Hence Zhou Yi’s delight at this moment. After being refined by the power of the world, his body had reached a level he had never dared to imagine. Once, the black wind and flames, so forceful and domineering that they could burn a deep hole in the earth, now could not even scratch the surface of his skin.

“Ah!” The constant pain that had plagued his body suddenly vanished, replaced by a refreshing sensation so abrupt that Zhou Yi could hardly adapt. But soon enough, an overwhelming feeling of comfort flooded his mind, and he couldn’t help but cry out.

“Go!” Zhou Yi looked at the flames on his body, his gaze settling on the golden ring of energy encircling him. With a soft command, the golden ring responded, swelling rapidly. A powerful suction burst forth, and in an instant, all the black wind and flames that had tormented Zhou Yi for so long were drawn in and vanished without a trace!

Bang!

With the black wind and flames completely absorbed, the golden ring shrank quickly until it was the size of a palm. It flew into Zhou Yi’s hand, which snapped shut—and with a bang, it dissipated into nothingness!