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Chapter 91: Demonic Change (3)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

In the distance, Bai Jiu, who had managed to break out of the tight encirclement with much difficulty, heard the loud, dignified tiger's roar. Trembling in fear, he almost let loose and urinated in his pants again. "Luckily we ran away quickly, that tiger's roar was clearly of a Zong Stage Heavenly Beast! That Shangguan Bing'er must have died. What a pity, such an attractive little girl."

As the tiger's roar resounded throughout the forested hills, in an instant, all the Forest Direwolves cowering on the ground started shivering fiercely, and as beam after beam of green light emitted from the living Forest Direwolves' mouths, similar to multiple rivers flowing into the sea as they gathered to Zhou Weiqing's side, before being swallowed by him. The thick black-grey aura surrounding Zhou Weiqing grew stronger, causing his bones to give off a popping noise once again. Alas for those Forest Direwolves that gave up their Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy completely in tribute, fell down onto the ground dead.

In the world of Heavenly Beasts, this ability was known as Tribute. The Forest Direwolves had been unable to withstand the intense pressure and stress from Zhou Weiqing's tiger roar, and their minds collapsed completely, offered their precious energy as tribute and perishing as a result.

When Zhou Weiqing issued that huge roar, the Direwolf King's four limbs weakened, and without any further hesitation, it turned around to flee. Alas, it was too late for escape. Having just Devoured about a hundred Forest Direwolves' energies, how could Zhou Weiqing just let it go so easily?

In the deep darkness of the night, there was no sign of any brilliance. Without any warning, the Direwolf King suddenly felt something tighten around its body, as all twelve tentacles of a Touch of Darkness Skill enveloped it.

Even under the Demonic Change state, it was impossible for a single-Jewelled ranking Zhou Weiqing to restrain and control such a high level Zun Stage Heavenly Beast, but it was just sufficient to prevent it from running away.

The Direwolf King went all out in struggling, trying to break free from the tentacles holding it. In a short while, it actually succeeded in breaking free, but by the time it had done so, in that very moment when it got loose, a pair of bloodshot eyes appeared in front of it.

Another Fetters of Wind skill fell upon the Direwolf King. After having just Devoured so much Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy, the total amount of Heavenly Energy in Zhou Weiqing's body was almost more than that of the Direwolf King! Although he was still only able to use skills of the first Jewel rank and power, it was evidently enough currently.

The Direwolf King had just broken free of the Touch of Darkness when its body tightened up again, and its motion once again stiffened. This time, before it could break free of the Fetters of Wind again, Zhou Weiqing's right palm smashed viciously onto its head.

The crackle and sparkle of electricity shone in the air, as Zhou Weiqing evoked the Lightning Explosive Palm.

With a huge explosion, the Direwolf King cried out pitifully as its entire body flip-flopped and crackled with noise, a layer of blue bolts of electricity snaking around it.

This Direwolf King was indeed worthy of being a Zun Stage Heavenly beast, although it feared the aura emitted from Zhou Weiqing, but to kill it was definitely not an easy feat to accomplish.

After taking on the full blow of Zhou Weiqing's highest damage skill, the Lightning Explosive Palm, the Direwolf King was only paralyzed temporarily, as well as being a little dazed. If it were in normal conditions, even in the Demonic Change state, Zhou Weiqing would not be able to kill this Zun Stage Heavenly Beast.

However, Zhou Weiqing actually had that bizarre right leg, and right after he had struck out with the Lightning Explosive Palm, his Demonic Right Leg had lifted up high, just like a great black executioner's axe ready to fall down.

In the process of slamming down, Zhou Weiqing did not make use of the heel or the sole to cut downward, instead using the tip of the foot, which on his foot was similar to the black scorpion hook from the tiger's tail.

With a light *Puff* sound, the tip of Zhou Weiqing's right foot slammed right into the Direwolf King's skull forcefully, slicing right through it viciously, causing a burst of red light as blood exploded out. At the same time, Zhou Weiqing's body vaulted backwards, both his hands braced on the floor as he lunged away to the side. His right foot was thus pulled out from the Direwolf King's skull bones, along with it followed a similar bright green light to the ordinary Forest Direwolves, though much more solidified and coherent. As the green light was also Devoured by Zhou Weiqing, the Direwolf King's body slumped down onto the ground.

At last, Zhou Weiqing's body crumpled to the ground as well, and this time, he did not make any more noise. It was not known whether it was because he had Devoured too much wind Alignment Heavenly Energy, causing the black-grey aura surrounding his body to have a tinge of light green colour.

Just several minutes ago, this is a place with a sea of direwolves, yet just in a matter of minutes, it was just a mess of blood. Including the Direwolf King, all of the Forest Direwolves had been totally wiped out.

Shangguan Bing'er stood up shakily, staring blankly at the scene in front of her, her soul still trembling. Zhou Weiqing in his Demonic Change state was indeed so terrifying. In truth, the power that he had used the whole time was not very strong, but the overbearing aura surrounding him caused the ordinary Forest Direwolves to lose the ability to fight back. In the end, he had also relied on continuous use of Control Skills and the power of the Demonic Right Leg to kill off the Direwolf King. He had indeed achieved the impossible.

Although she did not know about Zhou Weiqing's Evil Attribute Skill Devour, she could actually see that Zhou Weiqing had been relying on the ordinary Forest Direwolves' power to restore and reenergise oneself, if not it would have been simply impossible to kill that Zun Stage Direwolf King. How did he achieve such a feat? Why was he able to make use of the Heavenly Beasts' strength after killing them?

As Shangguan Bing'er stood there transfixed to the ground, staring dully at the scene before her, all of a sudden, a flash of bloody light appeared, and a pair of dazzling yet monstrously bloodshot eyes appeared in front of her, a jet black hand grasping hold of her.

This is the end… The thought floated in Shangguan Bing'er's mind as she closed both her eyes. At least dying in his hand is better than becoming wolf food.

However, the expected pain did not arrive in the next instant, instead Shangguan Bing'er felt her body tighten, as her whole body was enveloped in a broad, solid, warm, yet evil, cruel and blood-filled embrace. The somewhat overuse of strength made her whole body ache, and the heavy breathing was loud and constant in her ears, but she did not make any move to resist.

After a short moment of being dazed, Shangguan Bing'er recovered her senses. Wait… He hasn't killed me? He actually didn't kill me? How is this possible? He was clearly in the Demonic Change State a moment ago! How else could he have possibly killed off all those Forest Direwolves?

Her face was plastered to his chest, and she could feel that his chest was icy cold, with an eerie chill constantly flooding into her, that cruel and evil aura still thick and flowing around him unceasingly.

Opening her eyes, Shangguan Bing'er saw that the evil looking black tiger tattoos on Zhou Weiqing's body were still fluctuating and moving, but at the same time, they were actually slowly fading away.

His Demonic Change is weakening and wearing off? Could it be… because of my presence?

This discovery made Shangguan Bing'er overjoyed, and she subconsciously lifted both her arms, ignoring the pain that was being caused to her by his tight grip, and embraced him back with his waist in her arms. In a firm and crisp voice, she spoke unhurriedly and clearly:

"Little Fatty… Wake… up… Come back…"

"Little Fatty… Wake… up… Come back…"

She kept repeating those words unceasingly, hugging him with all her might, using her body to keep him warm.

Chapter 92: Demonic Change (4)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

As the heavy breathing gradually returned to normal, Zhou Weiqing's body also started to get warmer, and the arms embracing Shangguan Bing'er also began to relax a little, as his grip lessened.

All of a sudden, Shangguan Bing'er froze. She felt something hard… large… and erect… pressing into her lower abdomen, even twitching a little. 1

After a short bout of surprise, Shangguan Bing'er realised what it was, but she dared not move, as she did not know if Zhou Little Fatty was still in the clutches of the Demonic Change, or if he had broken free yet.

Her body started to heat up gradually, both her arms which were embracing Zhou Weiqing were starting to shiver.

She was a little afraid, afraid that a sudden bestial 2 nature would overtake him once again, that evening she had lost herself for the first time was forever etched in her mind and she couldn't help but ask herself. What would I do if that happened again? What can I do? At present, Shangguan Bing'er found that regarding this question, she herself simply did not have any ready answer.

What Shangguan Bing'er could not see was that Zhou Weiqing was at this time blinking his eyes rapidly, a very strange look on his face.

In truth, when Zhou Weiqing fell into the Demonic Change State, he had lost control of his mind for only a very short period of time. During that period, whatever that was happening outside had actually been imprinted into his mind as well, but when he started the slaughter of the Forest Direwolves, he had actually awakened somewhat. However, at that point, he was still unable to control his own body, and could only watch himself unceasingly indulge in slaughter and Devouring.

He could only observe the attribute wheel sparkling in its grey area continuously; on one hand he was trying to comprehend the mysteries of the Evil Attribute, while on the other hand he was diligently trying to regain control of his own body.

It was only at the point when he dealt the finishing blow and killed off the Direwolf King, and his body flew back horizontally, when he had finally recaptured some measure of control over his own body from that instinct of endless slaughter. Without hesitation, he had thrown towards Shangguan Bing'er, grabbing hold of her, and using her tourmaline aura and the link she had with him to aid him in resuming complete control of his body quickly.

As such, Zhou Weiqing had actually woken up into a clear state of mind for quite a while, and since Shangguan Bing'er had started to hug him unceasingly in order to help, their bodies were tightly pressed together and with much friction between them, how could he not have a reaction! At this time he could only feel the lower part of his body rubbing against Shangguan Bing'er's smooth and soft lower abdomen unceasingly, such a pleasant sensation it was causing him to feel, a feeling like he couldn't 'control himself'. Alas, at this time, this little rascal couldn't bear to give up the beautiful maiden in his arms, such an opportunity to embrace each other was definitely a rare one!

As Zhou Weiqing struggled with his inner conflict, all of a sudden, his body shivered violently, and he could feel the previously tranquil Heavenly Energy in his body suddenly explode forth like a volcano. The black-grey aura surrounding his body vanished, but the green lights were becoming stronger and more powerful, and the restlessly moving Heavenly Energy ignited in his body, causing him to feel as if his internal organs were being twisted all over the place.

With a "Waah" sound, Zhou Weiqing vomited out a whole mouthful blood, as his 'little brother' subsided rapidly, he quickly loosen his hold around Shangguan Bing'er, falling back and down, sitting on the ground.

"Little Fatty, how are you?" Shangguan Bing'er was naturally extremely surprised, he seemed better just a moment ago, yet now this was happening… Was it a side effect from the Demonic Change?

Zhou Weiqing quickly waved to Shangguan Bing'er, saying: "I need to breakthrough the next Death Acupuncture Point." After he said those words with great difficulty, he immediately closed his eyes and sank into deep concentration.

It was very obvious that the sudden change in his body was the result of him having Devoured so much Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy from the Forest Direwolves. Although his own Heavenly Energy also contained the Wind Attribute, but he was a human, and unlike Heavenly Beasts, even if he had the black pearl's power to back him up, having Devoured so much of the Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy, it was not something that his present Dantian could withstand. Previously, due to the Demonic Change, the huge amount of Heavenly Energy was suppressed, and was even able to forcibly make use of it as his own. Alas, now that the Demonic Change had ended, he immediately started having problems suppressing this sheer power.

The Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy Devoured externally, and Zhou Weiqing own Heavenly Energy were rather incompatible, and although the four energy whirlpools for his open Death Acupuncture Points were spinning at top speed to integrate the external Heavenly Energies unceasingly, but it was much too slow and definitely not sufficient to tide him through this dangerous period now. The only solution he had now was to make use of this external power to break through a Death Acupuncture Point; if he succeeded, the situation would naturally can be solved.

The Devour Skill that the black pearl had given Zhou Weiqing seemed to be only targeted towards Heavenly Beasts in this world, and did not work on humans. This was the reason why previously when Zhou Weiqing had issued forth the immense tiger's roar, Shangguan Bing'er was not affected. However, Devour had its other limits as well, the stronger he was, the ability and capacity to support more Devoured energy would grow as well. Alas, Zhou Weiqing's present strength was just too weak, but when he was under the Demonic Change State, he was being controlled by the instinct and need for slaughter, and naturally went about recklessly Devouring external Energy. At this point, his body contained too much excessive Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy, and if he did not deal with it promptly, many problems would occur, and in a worst case scenario, he could even implode internally and die from the excess energies.

"I'll keep watch for you." When Shangguan Bing'er heard that Zhou Weiqing needed to break through his next Death Acupuncture Point, she unhesitatingly vaulted up and stood behind him. At this moment, what Zhou Weiqing needed most was her support, as he would no longer be able to defend himself if any other Heavenly Beasts came.

Focusing his will, Zhou Weiqing controlled the restless Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy and merging it with his own Heavenly Energy to circulate and move at crazy speeds towards his lower limbs. Presently, his own Heavenly Energy had risen by a substantial amount after exiting from the Demonic Change, and was obviously transformed from all the Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy he had Devoured. Alas, the current problem was he had Devoured too much Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy, and if he did not deal with it, they would revolt.

Zhou Weiqing's personal Heavenly Energy was actually very pure, but the various Forest Direwolves' Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy was rather mixed and different. After all, each different Forest Direwolf had a different cultivation level, and having all the dozens of different energies mixing together, especially that final bout Devoured from the Direwolf King, these energies had been running amok in his body, making him feel miserable beyond words.

As he circulated the Heavenly Energy downwards, Zhou Weiqing could feel as though the meridian passages in his thigh area were being split apart, and in a split second, the mixed Heavenly Energy had rushed towards his Zhu San Li Death Acupuncture Point. As the Zhu San Li Death Acupuncture Point whirled with the circulated Energies, Zhou Weiqing swiftly followed the Immortal Deity Technique to manipulate both bouts of Heavenly Energy continuously downwards.

The human body was indeed something of mystery and beauty. The same Cultivation Technique being practiced by a different person could produce a possibly vastly different results. Furthermore, it could be said that this Immortal Deity Technique was somewhat a one-of-a-kind Technique, thus he was only able to attempt it by himself.

It seemed that Lady Luck was on his side, and as the mixed Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy charge through the Zhu San Li Death Acupuncture Point, the energy whirlpool revolving cyclone revolving sped up to three times its previous peak speed. As the mixed Energies overran the Point, it was as if they had gone through a filter, coming out obviously in a purer state.

Chapter 93: Demonic Change (5)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

The surface of Zhou Weiqing's skin seemed to 'bubble', as it let loose a thin layer of green gas from the pores, obviously the impurities being discharged after the filtration of the mixed Energies.

After crossing the Zhu San Li Death Acupuncture Point, the relatively purer energies rushed towards the San Yin Jiao Death Acupuncture Point. A similar situation appeared once again, and the immense pressure on Zhou Weiqing's body was relieved somewhat, making him feel a lot more comfortable after the mixed Wind Attribute Heavenly Energies had been filtered twice. Alas, the total amount and power was just too huge, and the amount absorbed by the two large Death Acupuncture Point energy whirlpools was only a very small portion.

Gritting his teeth, Zhou Weiqing focused his will with all his might, using his original Heavenly Energy to stimulate and lead the mixed Heavenly Energy directly towards the Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point. At this point, he just wanted to break through the Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point, making use of that to once again filter the remaining mixed Heavenly Energy. If he failed, he would have to try to reverse the flow and attempt to absorb all the mixed Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy slowly.

*Bang*! The vast amounts of Heavenly Energy smashed savagely into the Yongquan Acupuncture Point. Alas, with a marked difference from the ease of the first time Zhou Weiqing tried to break through his Clavicle Acupuncture Point, the breaking through of the Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point encountered an unexpected immense resistance and was extremely difficult.

An indescribable pain lanced through both his feet, Zhou Weiqing felt a large amount of blood rush backward along his legs, and once again he spat out a large mouthful of blood. This time, blood seeped out from the pores of his skin, covering his entire body.

The backlash this time was just too fierce, the Yongquan Acupuncture Point had barely forced open a little, and Zhou Weiqing did not know what problems would arise if he actually forced it open with brute force. Alas, like an arrow nocked on a bow which had to be released, he was already at the point of no return now.

Once more! Zhou Weiqing steeled his nerve and ruthlessly focused himself again. With a deep breath, he once took control of the mixed Heavenly Energy, which had became wilder after that first burst, and viciously slammed down in a second attempt of breaking through the Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point.

*Bang*! This time, Zhou Weiqing almost leapt up from the ground, as a cloud of blood spurted out from his pores once again, from the feet all the way up to the thighs, every inch of his flesh seemed to be covered with blood; it was as if his legs' meridians had been completely ruptured.

Zhou Weiqing felt as though the soles on both his feet had been opened up with a huge hole respectively, and a large amount of Heavenly Energy was gushing out, the acute pain filling his entire body, reminding him of period of time when he was breaking through his first Death Acupuncture Point, the Clavicle Acupuncture Point, but this time is was actually a lot more serious and severe.

"Not good!" Shangguan Bing'er cried out in alarm, and without any other considerations, she swiftly moved and arrived beside Zhou Weiqing in a quick flash. When Zhou Weiqing started his attempted breakthrough, she had already known that his target was the sole's Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point. Both her hands gathered Heavenly Energy, and she placed them onto Zhou Weiqing's Yongquan Acupuncture Points respectively, trying to help him seal up the shattered Death Acupuncture Point.

When her palm came into contact with his sole, that very instant, Shangguan Bing'er's entire body convulsed, and she immediately felt two bouts of rich and pure Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy flow from Zhou Weiqing's Yongquan Acupuncture Point, flooding into her body. She attempted to prevent it, but the two bouts of Heavenly Energy had seemed to lock onto her body, and she was unable to do anything. The Heavenly Energy crashed into her body, right into her meridians.

Shangguan Bing'er gave a muffled groan as her whole body shuddered, but she refused to give up, both hands holding onto Zhou Weiqing's foot with all her strength, unwilling to be shaken away by so easily.

It could be said both Zhou Weiqing and Shangguan Bing'er were suffering extreme pain, and at this moment, the black tiger tattoos which had subsided earlier reappeared once again on Zhou Weiqing's body.

The black word 'King' reappeared on his forehead once again, giving forth a dignified aura, and Zhou Weiqing's Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point on his right foot was once again sealed up instantaneously, forming an energy whirlpool almost immediately after. Although the process on the left leg was much slower, but it was clearly in the midst of healing up.

Feeling the change of Zhou Weiqing body, the Shangguan Bing'er gave a sigh of relief and relaxed. However, her body had just born the huge stress from the immense amount of Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy, and in addition to the previous exhaustion, darkness overcame her vision and she fainted.

As the left foot's Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point was gradually sealed up, Zhou Weiqing's pain also subsided like melting snow, but the mixed Heavenly Energy in his body was still moving around fiercely and restlessly. At this point, without any external stimulation, the revolution of the energy whirlpools at the four Death Acupuncture Point that had originally been broken through was going at top speed, quickly absorbing the wild mixed Heavenly Energy.

Finally, the left foot's Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point was also fully sealed, and as the energy whirlpool formed, an indescribably comfortable feeling spread all over Zhou Weiqing's body, into every corner possible.

With his fifth Death Acupuncture Point broken through, without a doubt, Zhou Weiqing's cultivation level had also entered the fifth level of Heavenly Jing Energy. Not only that, when the five energy whirlpools revolved simultaneously, Zhou Weiqing discovered that the absorption of Heavenly Energy from the environment had actually doubled!

Having finally broken through the Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point also meant that Zhou Weiqing had finally completed the first section of the Immortal Deity Technique, all the five Death Acupuncture Points on his limbs. Currently, when the five energy whirlpools on the Five Death Acupuncture Points were revolving, he could feel the whirlpools expanding their reach and growing larger. If we were to liken the four Death Acupuncture Points energy whirlpools to the size of a pigeon's egg, then with five Death Acupuncture Points now, these energy whirlpools had expanded nearly unceasingly, and in just a short period of time, it had reached every corner of the body. In other words, just the ten energy whirlpools from the five Death Acupuncture Points would be able to reach every single point in his body.

Although the black tiger tattoos had not subsided yet, but from Zhou Weiqing's skin, rings of creamy white light was slowly combining and linking together with the tattoos, forming an invisible energy shield around his skin; this was actually a symbol that the first portion of the Immortal Deity Technique had been completed.

The Immortal Deity Technique was definitely a mysterious yet extremely abnormal cultivation method. From the speed of cultivation, it was definitely faster than any other Cultivation Technique in the world, but it should definitely not be as fast as what Zhou Weiqing had accomplished.

In just two months, Zhou Weiqing had actually successfully broken through to this crucial fifth Death Acupuncture Point, which should have been totally impossible no matter what happened. However, under all the various unbelievable chances that had occurred, he had also Devoured a massive amount of Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy from outside, and needed the support of this fifth Death Acupuncture Point. As such, he had been stuck between a rock and a hard place, and had gone through the attempt in breaking through, and had even succeeded unexpectedly.

Although the present Zhou Weiqing was still only a single jeweled cultivation level, but having completed the first portion of the Immortal Deity Technique meant that he had truly taken the first step down this cultivation path, a road of no return. Of course, that also meant that he would also truly be able to obtain all the various extra advantages from the insanely strong Immortal Deity Technique. At the same time, the drawback would be that the following cultivation would be even more difficult.

As the five Death Acupuncture Points' energy whirlpools absorbed Heavenly Energy from the environment unceasingly, Zhou Weiqing did not even need to focus much on cultivation, and he found that his fifth level Heavenly Jing Energy was already completely filled.

Shangguan Bing'er, who was fainted at his feet, did not realise that at that point, a large portion of the Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy that had been filtered and purified by Zhou Weiqing's Immortal Deity Technique had actually been suffused into her body, and most of what Zhou Weiqing absorbed, was only the bit that came from the Direwolf King.

Although his Devour ability was extremely strong, but the Devoured energy had to be used up quickly, unless he was a lot stronger than the amount that had been absorbed, otherwise he would not be able to absorb much of the energy. Perhaps, this was the world's way of balancing the scales.

Chapter 94: White Little Tiger (1)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

After being unconscious for an unknown amount of time, Shangguan Bing'er finally woke up slowly. As she awoke, she felt something throbbing on her face.

In a dazed state from just awakening, she subconsciously batted the large rod aside, but who knew, it just rebounded back onto her face.

"En?"

"En——"

Two voices sounded out lightly at the same time, the first being Shangguan Bing'er's.

The next moment, as her consciousness began to awaken, she slowly opened her eyes. By now, dawn was breaking and the sky was being lit by the first glimmer of the sun. The first thing that entered her eyes was an ugly disgusting thing pressed against her little face. It was burning hot and throbbing, and was reddish pink on the tip.

"What is that thing? Shangguan Bing'er was still not very clear-headed at the moment, and as she muttered to herself, she slowly raised her head higher. What she saw was Zhou Little Fatty's wide open eyes and indescribable expression.

A chill ran down her spine, and Shangguan Bing'er quickly looked down again. This time, she was fully awake.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Ahhhhh!"

Once again two shrill shrieks rang out simultaneously, and the two who had been pressed tightly together suddenly flew apart like they had been shocked by lightning. Shangguan Bing'er flew upwards and away, while Zhou Weiqing rolled and scrambled behind a large tree.

It might sound like a coincidence, but in truth, Zhou Weiqing had been this way for quite a while. Last night, when he had entered the Demonic Change state, all of his normal clothes had been shredded away by the intense energy and his enlarged muscles. His remaining cover, the titanium alloy internal armor had then been destroyed by the Direwolf King. However, at that time, things had been so hectic, in addition to being in the night, and Zhou Weiqing's body being covered in the black tiger tattoos, thus making it not obvious. Furthermore, at that time, Shangguan Bing'er had been so worried about his survival as well as the Demonic Change's side effects, that she had not noticed anything amiss.

Last night, while Zhou Weiqing had been attempting to breakthrough his Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point, he had been sitting cross legged. In order to help him seal his Yongquan Death Acupuncture Point which had burst open, Shangguan Bing'er naturally had to be right in front of him, and when she fainted, she fell right on top of him. Naturally, this had caused her to fall into that compromising position, resulting in the embarassing scene just a moment ago.

Shangguan Bing'er's lovely face turned red and white, and she said angrily: "Zhou Little Fatty, come out here now!"

"No way." Zhou Weiqing stuck his head out, saying in an aggrieved tone: "Bing'er, I didn't do anything! You were the one who woke me up!"

It was just exactly because Zhou Weiqing did not do it on purpose, and everything had happened once again by coincidence, that caused Shangguan Bing'er to have all that bottled up anger with nowhere to go, and she glared at him.

Zhou Weiqing grinned and said: "Heh, Bing'er, shouldn't we head back quickly before discussing that? If you want to hit me, we should find a safer place first, then I'll let you hit me to your satisfaction."

Shangguan Bing'er started, looking around at the surroundings, and she instantly drew a sharp breath. All around, the ground was littered with direwolf corpses; the direwolves which had went chasing after Bai Jiu and the other Kalise Empire Jewel Masters were nowhere to be found. Perhaps they just had not returned, or were scared off by Zhou Weiqing's aura and dared not approach. As she thought of the breathtaking dangers of the night before, her anger and embarrassment began to subside; they had managed to survive after all.

"Alright, just come out, let's get out of here first." Shangguan Bing'er's tone grew calmer.

Zhou Weiqing quickly looked around for several relatively larger pieces of cloth to surround his waist and cover his privates before coming out; though his buttocks were still half revealed, but at least the most embarrassing portions were covered.

Shangguan Bing'er stood there a little awkwardly, a blush on her face as she watched that rascal trying to cover himself, a strange light in her eyes. All along, she had known Zhou Little Fatty to be a person very afraid of them, you could even say that 'Safety First' was the motto he lived by. Yet, last night, when they were in danger, he did not hesitate to charge down the tree and attempt to draw away all the Forest Direwolves in order to save her. In the end, he had even used his own body as a shield to block the Direwolf King's attack from finishing her off. Such an action from a person so afraid of death was extremely commendable, and had definitely touched her. No matter what, he was a real man, who dared to stand forward when his woman was in danger.

Cheh Cheh! When did I become his woman! Shangguan Bing'er shook her head and blushed, but her look at Zhou Weiqing softened, and she subconsciously touched her face where she had been touched just now, flushing an even deeper red.

With much difficulty, Zhou Weiqing finally found a few pieces of cloth to tie around his waist, and managed to cover himself relatively decently. Just as he was about to call out to Shangguan Bing'er to leave, he suddenly felt something furry brush against his feet.

Looking down, Zhou Weiqing's gaze was transfixed. He saw a furry little thing, a full body of white with faint blue markings all over, with its body length less than one foot long, and it was rubbing against his left foot.

"What is this thing?" Zhou Weiqing bent down, grabbing the furry little creature and picking it up. "Bing'er, look, what is this?"

Picking up the furry little thing, Zhou Weiqing finally got a good look at it, realising that it was actually a little tiger cub!

It's round little head had the word 'King' grown in with deep blue fur, right smack in the centre. Although its white body lined with blue was rather small, but it definitely had the proportion and look of a tiger, except for its fur colour being extremely rare. Its large eyes were also a deep blue, and being grabbed by the scruff of its neck by Zhou Weiqing, it gave out several discontented meowls.

"Wahhh! Such a cute little thing!" When Shangguan Bing'er saw the little tiger, her eyes lit up and she quickly walked over.

Zhou Weiqing blinked and said: "This little thing, could it be a Heavenly Beast? But, why is it so tiny? Is it a newborn?"

Shangguan Bing'er said: "I've never seen or heard of such a white little tiger, but I'm sure it should be a type of Heavenly Beast. Little Fatty, you've really lucked out this time! A Heavenly Beast youngling can be raised, and when it grows older, it can help you fight, and even protect you. Furthermore, tigers are considered the king of beasts, even the weakest tiger-type Heavenly Beast have the possibility of reaching the Zun Stage. You really should take good care of it! Hmmm, but it's so small, how did it get here, where are its parents?"

On hearing that, Zhou Weiqing's expression changed. "Let's run, this little thing's parents might come looking for us once they discover that their child is missing, then we'd be in deep trouble!"

Shangguan Bing'er's heart was also struck by a sudden chill; although she did not know what type of Heavenly Beast this white little tiger was, but she could imagine how strong its parents were. Without hesitation, both of them picked up their Purple Dawn Bows and ran off at top speed back to the Heavenly Bow Empire's camp.

Chapter 95: White Little Tiger (2)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

They ran at full speed until they were out of the forested hills, before they heaved a simultaneous sigh of relief. At that time, Zhou Weiqing did not hesitate and held out the white little tiger to Shangguan Bing'er, saying: "Here, a gift for you."

"For me?" Shangguan Bing'er looked at Zhou Weiqing in surprise. "Little Fatty, don't you know the value of a youngling Heavenly Beast? Even a youngling of one of those Forest Direwolves that we just killed, each of them can be sold for more than a thousand gold pieces. This little white tiger of yours, I can't even imagine the price."

Zhou Weiqing said suavely: "That doesn't matter, I wouldn't be able to bear to give it to anyone else, but it's totally different for you." 1

Listening to him say that, Shangguan Bing'er blushed once again, but she did not reject him this time. She really did like this cute little white tiger, it was just too adorable, and she reached out for it.

However, a strange scene appeared; when the little white tiger saw that Zhou Weiqing was giving it away, it grew angry, its four little claws unsheathing as it bared its fangs at Shangguan Bing'er fiercely. Alas, it was just too small and cute for that, and the ferocity was just not convincing.

"Ehh, seems like it does not like me." Shangguan Bing'er said curiously.

Zhou Weiqing also discovered the same thing; earlier when he had picked up the little white tiger, the little fellow had not put up any resistance at all. They both exchanged looks and Zhou Weiqing muttered: "Perhaps this little thing was attracted by the tiger's roar I let out during my Demonic Change last night?"

Shangguan Bing'er said: "That's very possible, why don't you hug it and see."

Zhou Weiqing followed suit and hugged the little tiger, and as expected, it stopped struggling, instead snuggling close to his chest and rubbing against it, stretching itself in a comfortable position and closing its eyes.

Zhou Weiqing stroked the little tiger's back, playing with its fur as he felt amused in his heart. Of course, he really liked this little thing as well. In his eyes, there were two animals that he considered the most beautiful, one was horses, and the other was tigers. Horses' beauty lay in their vigorous and healthy body and shape, while tigers' beauty lay in their imperious aura, their beautiful lines and their grace and poise.

Although he had never touched a tiger's fur before, he could still sense that the little thing was very special. Normally, no matter how gorgeous or colourful a tiger's stripes were, its fur shouldn't be this soft, yet caressing this little thing felt as if he was stroking a piece of silk, and was extremely comfortable. Furthermore, it felt so soft and pliable as if it were boneless; although it was still rather tiny, but no matter where he touched it, it felt soft and meaty.

Zhou Weiqing flipped the little tiger around in his embrace, and gave a strange laugh, saying: "Haha, it's a little female tiger! Bing'er, look, these little protrusions, do you think they'll be for feeding milk next time?"

Shangguan Bing'er flushed once again, knocking him hard on the head and said: "What's your head filled with! You're not allowed to bully it!"

The little white tiger was also very angry, as it cried out, struggling to turn around, and giving Zhou Weiqing's hand a bite. However, it did not bite very hard, now even breaking his skin.

Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily, saying: "Look! It even knows how to be shy, such an interesting little fellow."

Shangguan Bing'er said exasperatedly: "You better spend more time thinking of how you're going to head back to the camp. Are you going to go back in this state?"

"Uhhh…" Zhou Weiqing scratched his head embarrassedly, then his eyes lit up as he thought of a plan.

When the two of them stealthily entered the camp, the Personal Aide Zhou Little Fatty was dressed in a common soldier's attire, and a poor sentry of the Heavenly Bow Empire was stripped naked…

When they finally reached their tents, the two heaved a huge sigh of relief. Shangguan Bing'er looked at Zhou Weiqing with a complicated look in her eyes and said: "Little Fatty, thank you."

Zhou Weiqing paused for a while, finally sighed and said: "Bing'er, honestly speaking, you are very kindhearted by nature, and I do not think your nature is suitable for joining the army. A soldier needs to be cold and ruthless, and that's something your nature will not allow. I do think it's the right decision for you to resign as Battalion Commander, and perhaps to leave the army too."

Shangguan Bing'er looked a little dazed, and asked: "What about you?"

Zhou Weiqing immediately stuck out his chest and said proudly: "Of course I'll follow you!"

"Who wants you to follow me." Shangguan Bing'er muttered softly, but her gentle voice held a tinge of happiness. Her radiant beauty at that moment caused Zhou Weiqing to stare, transfixed.

"I feel like my Heavenly Energy is a little off, I'm heading back to my tent to cultivate. As for the future…" Shangguan Bing'er hesitated a little before continuing: "I'll wait for the orders from headquarters before deciding." After she said that, she disappeared in a flash, going back into her tent.

Zhou Weiqing grinned and headed back to his own tent feeling rather satisfied, hugging the little white tiger. In his heart, he was thinking to himself: Looks like, this wife will not escape!

As he entered his tent, he prepared a basin of water and cleansed the dirt off his body. He couldn't help but look at his reflection in his water and said smugly: "Zhou Weiqing, you're really getting more and more handsome everything! Wahaha!"

He did not notice that the little white tiger which he had thrown at the side, had now very cutely lifted its two front paws, covering its eyes in a very human-like manner, even rolling its eyes at him.

...

The place where the Forest Direwolves and the Direwolf King had died.

Two shadowy white figures appeared out of nowhere; they were two middle aged men, both dressed in white with a head of silver, blue eyes shining and a majestic aura surrounding them.

The white robed man on the left furrowed his eyebrow, asking in puzzlement: "Her Highness' aura stopped here, how is that possible?"

The man on the right looked at the surrounding corpses, his eyes filled with a thread of fear. "Could it be… these Heavenly Beasts killed Her Highness? If not for that, how could this be possible, with our Snow God Perception, we would definitely be able to sense her aura.

The white robed man on the left said solemnly: "Don't make wild guesses. Even if Her Highness is weak during this period of her transformation, such weak Heavenly Beasts could never be able to injure her, let alone kill her. If Her Highness releases her aura, these Heavenly Beasts would have been literally scared to death. Lao Er 2, check how these direwolves died.

"Alright." After a short while, the man on the right returned after his checks, with surprise and doubt in his eyes as he said: "Such a strange, evil aura. These direwolves died around 8 hours ago, but the evil aura from the has not dissipated. The most terrifying thing is that there isn't any of their Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy remaining in their bodies, as if they had been drained completely. A powerful Heavenly Beast must have came here, perhaps even a Heavenly Evil Beast. I understand now, Her Highness must be together with that Heavenly Evil Beast, and its aura is covering her aura, that's why we aren't able to detect it. Big bro, what do we do now?"

Chapter 96: White Little Tiger (3)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

The man on the left heaved a deep sigh and said: "Her Highness is just too mischievous, even if she does not like the fact that His Majesty arranged her marriage, she didn't need to run! Leaving the Heavenly Snow Mountain during this time of transformation, it's just too dangerous! His Majesty just has one daughter, how can we go back like this?"

The man on the right said with a bitter smile: "What can we do then, Big Bro? Will His Majesty get angry with us?"

The man on the left gave a cold humph: "Stop talking nonsense! His Majesty is a great Heavenly Snow King, and he is wise and foresighted, how could he vent his anger on us. Let's go, we should head back and report to His Majesty and get instructions. As he said that, he waved his hands and a white flash of light enveloped them.

When the bright light disappeared, the two shadowy figures disappeared, and the direwolf corpses turned into blocks of ice, and in the next instant, they all shattered into dust, leaving no trace.

...

Zhou Weiqing washed his body clean, giving a lazy stretch butt naked in his tent, and he looked at a side and said exasperatedly: "Hmph, you've taken all the advantage, I haven't even kissed Bing'er's face! Hmph! Time to sleep." 1 After the long night of excitement, although he had broken through and completed the first portion of the Immortal Deity Technique and replenished his Heavenly Energy, but he was still extremely exhausted, especially in spirit. As such, he jumped straight into bed right then in his birthday suit.

"You little thing, why are you covering your eyes huh? This young master has such a perfect body and figure, and you dare to ignore it?" As Zhou Weiqing jumped under the covers, he noticed the little white tiger lying beside the pillow with its little paws covering its eyes and was a little exasperated and incensed. Although he had somewhat reined in his rascally nature with Shangguan Bing'er, but in his own tent, he was unfettered alone in his own tent.

Pulling back the little white tiger's paws, he threw the little fellow onto the bed and lay down upon it, pressing it down below him.

"Wuu wuu, wuu, wuu." The little white tiger cried angrily, struggling as it tried to squeeze out from under him.

Zhou Weiqing moved around, rubbing against the little tiger as he said: "So soft and comfortable, stop squirming around. Being under this big brother of yours is your honour! When you are bigger, you can be my steed, riding a white tiger, that should be very awe inspiring heh heh."

As he said that, he closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

After a while, the little white tiger finally managed to struggle its way out, shaking its cute little head angrily, its deep blue eyes filled with fury. It bared its teeth at Zhou Weiqing, but did not do anything, instead going back to that rascal's arms and snuggling up, before closing its eyes as well.

As Shangguan Bing'er, this half resigned Battalion Commander's Personal Aide, Zhou Weiqing was left undisturbed.

As for Xiao Ru Se, she had taken over the duties of Battalion Commander, added to the fact that all the new recruits had arrived, so she was extremely busy for the whole day.

It was only until the evening when Zhou Weiqing was awoken by hunger. As soon as he woke up, the little white tiger awoke as well, and as Zhou Weiqing dressed himself, it ran over to him and pawed at his pants with its little claws.

"You little thing, you're hungry as well right? Come, this big bro will bring you for some good food." As he said that, he grabbed the little white tiger and shoved it into his Squad Leader uniform before heading out.

Unless there were any urgent circumstances, there was usually plenty of food in the army camp, and Zhou Weiqing went to the mess and ate his fill with a huge meal. However, to his surprise, no matter what he tried to give the little white tiger hiding in his bosom, it refused to eat. Looking at its expression, it seemed to disdain the food he offered, even when Zhou Weiqing took a lot of trouble to get some meat soup for it, it still ignored it.

"Hmm, I didn't expect that such a little thing like you would be so proud. Hmph! If you don't want to eat it, then you can starve to death!"

When he returned back to his tent, Zhou Weiqing was about to throw the little white tiger onto the bed, but the little fellow absolutely refused to go, biting hard on his sleeve and insisting to stay in his arms.

"You little thing, you have the potential to become a warmer 2! Oh right, since you're following me now, let me give you a name. Hmmm… let's see, you're so small, you don't look like a tiger, more like a little cat, plus you're so nice and round and meaty… I got it! Your name will be 'Fat Cat' from now on! 3

"Wuu wuu, wuu, wuu." The little white tiger cried out in anger and unwillingness, its little claws scratching a white line onto Zhou Weiqing's chest.

"Resistance is futile. If you scratch me again, I'll spank your little bottom." As he said that, Zhou Weiqing vulgarly pinched its little butt, saying smugly: "Fat Cat!"

The little white tiger turned its head around, ignoring him.

"Bro is calling you, how can you not answer! If you don't answer… heh heh, then I'll help examine your body! Heh!" As he said that, he flipped it around and pulled its little legs apart."

"Wuu wuu, wuu, wuu."

Zhou Weiqing said with an evil grin on his face: "Bro will give you another chance, Fat Cat!"

"Wuu…" The little white tiger was extremely aggrieved, and gave a sad cry in agreement.

"That's more like it, this will be your name from now on! I'm going to cultivate now, don't disturb me! You go ahead and sleep."

As he said that, Zhou Weiqing flipped open his Immortal Deity Technique Manual.

He had already completed the first portion of the Immortal Deity Technique which consisted of breaking through the first five Death Acupuncture Points, and naturally needed to continue on cultivating this technique. As such, he flipped to the last page of the first portion.

"Ehh, what is this?" Zhou Weiqing exclaimed as he examined the last page once again, discovering a small line of words right at the bottom. Previously, he had mostly skimmed through the later pages and had not noticed it.

The words on the small line said: "If you are able to complete this first portion and break through your first five Death Acupuncture Points, place your palm on the page, and slowly bring forth your Heavenly Energy from your Taiyuan Acupuncture Point.

What was that all about? Although Zhou Weiqing had doubts in his heart, but he still followed the instructions written.

The Taiyuan Acupuncture Point was between the wrist and palm, and Zhou Weiqing slowly sent forth the Heavenly Energy into the page made of goat leather. At first, he didn't feel anything happening, but soon he felt as if the goat leather page was moving under his hands, and he quickly moved his hands away. With a glance, he saw that the single page had actually separated into two pages! That was to say, in between the first and second portions of the Immortal Deity Technique,

As Zhou Weiqing quickly focused on reading the page, he found several paragraphs were written on it:

When the Death Acupuncture Points on the limbs are broken through, your five Acupuncture Points will be linked to the world, and you can communicate with the essence of heaven and earth, evolving your body. Once your body is remade, the five energy whirlpools will spread throughout your body and form a natural shield, protecting you from external forces, hidden under your skin. The name of the shield is the 'Immortal Deity Shield'.

Chapter 97: White Little Tiger (4)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

When I created this Technique, it was only after I broke through the fifth Death Acupuncture Point when I found out this amazing benefit. With this in mind, I conjectured that every portion of the Immortal Deity Technique will bring an additional evolving. If I am successful in breaking through to the second portion, I will also record it down. If not, may you, my successor, try it yourself.

The profound meaning of the Immortal Deity Technique is in its unceasing improvement. Even if you are not focusing on cultivation, the energy whirlpools will continue drawing in the energy from the atmosphere, as such, once you have started learning the Immortal Deity Technique, the only option is to continue breaking through the Death Acupuncture Points.

There is no necessity in controlling the Immortal Deity Shield, as it will automatically protect its user.

…

After reading the words on the goat leather page, Zhou Weiqing was in a daze as he stared into the air for a long time. Finally, he scolded out to himself. "Damnit, I've boarded the pirate ship 1! No wonder this bastard died while trying to break through the eleventh Death Acupuncture Point, he really deserved it. He's really trying to get others in trouble, why didn't he specify in the summary that once you've started on this technique, you can never stop? What damned Immortal Deity Shield… rubbish! He hadn't even completed training his own technique, and yet left it behind to entrap someone else… what an as*hole!"

In truth, he had wronged the creator of the Immortal Deity Technique; after all, even though he did not explicitly state that you couldn't stop after starting this Technique, but he did mention that only someone who had the willpower and readiness to die could learn the technique.

In truth, Zhou Weiqing was very afraid. He knew in his heart that the real reason why he could successfully breakthrough the first five Death Acupuncture Points was not because of how talented he was or that he was a hidden genius; it was totally because of the black pearl that he had swallowed and its protection. However, only the gods would know how long more the black pearl could protect him; furthermore, he was also very afraid of the extreme pain caused every time be broke through a Death Acupuncture Point.

After venting his anger and fear in a bout of complaint, Zhou Weiqing decided to test out the Immortal Deity Shield's strength. He took up an arrow and carefully stabbed it down towards his arm. He didn't use a lot of strength at once, instead slowly increasing the amount of power. A miraculous sight appeared before him. At first, there wasn't an obvious feeling, but as he exerted more strength, he soon realised that the five energy whirlpools at his Death Acupuncture Points suddenly increased their speed, causing a layer of airflow to seemingly form just above his skin, and the arrow in his hands seemed to slide to the side due to this layer of air, and he didn't even feel a thing.

"Ehh, it does seem rather effective, although I wonder what's the extent of its protective capabilities." That night, he did not bother cultivating, and instead spent the whole night experimenting on the Immortal Deity Shield's limits. After a night of testing, Zhou Weiqing found that its protective capabilities were indeed pretty strong, but it was inextricably linked to his Heavenly Energy. Basically, the stronger the attack it was blocking, the greater the drain on his Heavenly Energy, and there was also a certain limit on the attacks it was able to block, once it surpassed that threshold, the Immortal Deity Shield was only able to neutralize a portion of the damage, and this threshold was about a full third of his entire Heavenly Energy pool. Furthermore, he also found out that the Immortal Deity Shield would stop activating once his Heavenly Energy was drained to less than half its total amount. 2

After a whole night of experimentation, Zhou Weiqing finally sat down and muttered to himself in summary: "Dammit, why does everything need Heavenly Energy…" Still, despite his complaints, he was actually very satisfied with the results of his testing, and more importantly, he also discovered that with the completion of the first portion of the Immortal Deity Technique, the automatic replenishing of his Heavenly Energy via the five energy whirlpools was doubled that of his previous speed, and this would allow him to increase his continuous fighting capabilities.

"Little Fatty, Little Fatty!" It was barely dawn when Shangguan Bing'er's urgent voice rang out, and as the tent flap was flipped up, she entered the tent, but in the next instance, she was out again with a red face.

"Zhou Little Fatty! You exhibitionist! Wear some clothes!!" Shangguan Bing'er's voice was flustered and angry, but with a tinge of glee as well.

Zhou Weiqing felt so wronged, thinking to himself: Sleeping naked is my normal habit, how did I end up becoming an exhibitionist?

Quickly donning his clothes, he gave a lazy stretch and said: "I'm dressed, come in!" As he said that, he looked down and spotted the little white tiger sleeping soundly. The little fellow was hugging its little head with its front claws, and looked unbelievably adorable.

Zhou Weiqing grinned and smacked its butt.

"Aoo!" The little white tiger rolled around, startled awake, and as soon as he saw Zhou Weiqing's wicked grin, it understood what happened and cried out angrily at him again. Wuuu… Wuuu!

"Fat Cat, your little butt feels quite good! But no lazing around. Come on." He grabbed it and hugged it into his arms. Strangely, as soon as the little white tiger entered his arms, it immediately quieted down. When Shangguan Bing'er entered the tent again, her face was still blushing, and she looked extremely enchanting.

"Stupid Little Fatty, are you bullying the poor thing again?" Shangguan Bing'er said exasperatedly. Before Zhou Weiqing could reply, the little white tiger in his arms nodded to Shangguan Bing'er, its large eyes seemed to have tears in it, causing her heart to melt.

"Come, let big sister hug." Shangguan Bing'er got closer and tried to hug it, but no matter what, the little white tiger refused, biting onto Zhou Weiqing's shirt and refusing to leave his embrace.

Shangguan Bing'er was rather nettled: "You little thing, he's bullying you yet you insist on letting him hug you."

"Wuu Wuu." The little white tiger glanced at Shangguan Bing'er again, then buried its head into Zhou Weiqing's arms again.

Zhou Weiqing said smugly: "Heh heh, Bing'er, see that! This young master's charm works on both humans and animals."

Shangguan Bing'er gave him an exasperated humph; she really did like this adorable little white tiger, alas it didn't give her the time of the day, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Suddenly recalling the reason she came in, Shangguan Bing'er jumped with joy and said: "Oh Little Fatty, my cultivation level increased!"

Zhou Weiqing immediately said: "Wow, that's great! You're indeed our Heavenly Bow Empire's top young genius lady, only the top genius suave fellow like me can be a perfect match to you!"

Shangguan Bing'er lifted up her hands and pinched his cheeks, saying: "Your skin is so thick!" After pinching him, she suddenly realised how intimate her actions were, and she blushed and quickly let go. Who knew that the rascal moved closer with his other cheek, saying: "Bing'er, how about this side, it needs some balance!"

"Cheh, stop playing around, I'm being serious here. My Heavenly Energy went from the eighth level to the tenth level after last night." Shangguan Bing'er's next line gave Zhou Weiqing a huge shock, and he stared at her in surprise and said: "Two levels at once? Bing'er, you're not a genius, you're a monster talent!"

Shangguan Bing'er shook her head and said: "It's all due to you actually. That night, when I was trying to help you seal your Yongquan Acupuncture Point, a large amount of Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy invaded my body, causing me to fall unconscious. When I came back and started cultivating, it was only then that I discovered my Heavenly Energy raised by so much. Although it is still rather unstable, but I am certain that my cultivation level has already broken through to the tenth level. Little Fatty, that's the power of your Devour Skill right.

Zhou Weiqing gave a bitter smile and said: "Don't mention that skill… it's not easy to use at all. That night, I Devoured too much Heavenly Energy from the Forest Direwolves, and it almost caused me to explode from the inside, I was just unable to hold so much Energy. Furthermore, I tested and tried using the skill last night under ordinary circumstances, and I was totally unable to do so at all. This might mean that the skill can only be used during the Demonic Change State, and yet during that state, I'm unable to control myself. That Devour Skill… just doesn't seem very valuable to me, and might even cause my death! If I Devour too much like last night, once I exit the Demonic Change State, I��d explode from within again. Furthermore, I don't even know how to enter the Demonic Change State again, it doesn't seem like I can control that."

Shangguan Bing'er thought about it for a while, then said: "Little Fatty, I think that is actually a good thing."

"Good thing? Why?" Zhou Weiqing asked curiously, at the same time, stepping much closer to her.

At this time, Shangguan Bing'er's mind was filled totally with cultivating, and did not notice his little actions, and she said: "The heavens are relatively fair. The black pearl that you swallowed is extremely powerful, but it should have its restrictions as well, if not for a huge measure of luck and coincidences, you should have died already. Same for the Immortal Deity Technique; such strong power usually comes at a huge risk. According to the texts I read previously, the Demonic Change they described seems to be very different from your Demonic Change."

"This is mostly because for all the examples of Demonic Change described in the texts, none of them could maintain clear thought like you. According to them, at that time, you should have killed me, and couldn't possible have awoken so quickly like you did. The normal scenario would be that you probably had to sleep for several days before awakening. Furthermore, the Demonic Change is usually followed by a bout of weakness. However, this did not happen in your case as well, and instead you broke through to the fifth level of Heavenly Energy instead!"

"As such, I feel that your Demonic Change is really different from what was written in history, and isn't as simple as that. Perhaps you can find the key in controlling it."

Listening to her words, Zhou Weiqing couldn't help but be highly tempted. He had experienced for himself how strong he was during the Demonic Change state, not just in terms of the sheer power of his body, but also his senses, both of which were increased by at least three times his norm.

Besides that, the speed of using his various elemental skills had also doubled, and he was also able to use the Devour Skill in that state, even being able to use the enemy's Heavenly Energy as his own temporarily. Without a doubt, in the Demonic Change state, if he faced a Heavenly Beast, coupled with the aura from the black pearl, he was able to fight with a Low Stage Zun Heavenly Beast already! As for Jewel Masters, even if the opponent was a Heavenly Jewel Master, he felt confident that in the Demonic Change State he would be able to fight with a two-jewelled Master like Shangguan Bing'er.

Shangguan Bing'er continued saying: "Well, you shouldn't think too much about it for now, take things as they come. The most important thing to do now is to keep cultivating your Heavenly Energy. It seems that at least for now, the black pearl will allow you to continue breaking through the Death Acupuncture Points, and I think that the best thing for you now is to keep raising your cultivation levels. This time, we really got lucky, we were really in above our heads. I am prepared to spend the next few days to focus on cultivation and stabilize my Heavenly Energy to the tenth level first. You should also stabilize your Heavenly Energy since you also just broke through to the fifth level. Work hard okay, I'll be going now."

Zhou Weiqing said: "You're leaving so soon? Bing'er, look, we went to take revenge together yesterday, shouldn't you give me a little reward?"

Shangguan Bing'er gave him a look and asked: "What sort of reward do you want?"

Zhou Weiqing grinned and said: "A hug! Or a kiss! Either is fine! If I could get a touch… that would be even better!"

Chapter 98: Admiral Zhou Arrives (1)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

"Touch your own head!" Shangguan Bing'er said angrily. "What about what happened yesterday? Hmph. If you let me cut off that thing, I'll give you a reward."

Zhou Weiqing involuntarily tightened his legs and took a few steps back, with a look of fright on his face: "Bing'er, don't be impulsive! For the sake of your future happiness… I'll skip the reward okay."

"Hmph, just keep acting." Shangguan Bing'er was both annoyed and amused at the same time as she looked at Zhou Weiqing, and as the images of the past day flashed in her mind once again, her glare softened. Suddenly, a green flash of light surrounded her, and Zhou Weiqing felt a blur before his eyes, before a soft figure hugged him lightly. Before he could even react, the figure flashed in another wink of green light and vanished, with only the tent flap's movement as the only clue there was someone else in the tent a moment ago.

"Haha… haha… " Zhou Weiqing stood there laughing foolishly to himself, and he lowered his head to the little white tiger in his arms and said happily: "Did you see that! Did you see that?! She hugged me, she hugged me of her own accord! Haha! It's good to be so suave!"

The little white tiger rolled its eyes, as if saying: Look at yourself. It then ignored him and snuggled deeper in his arms and went back to sleep.

…

As if in a blink of an eye, half a month had passed. There didn't seem to be any retaliation from the Kalise Empire for the sneak attack they had launched, and the only fighting between both sides were small skirmishes as usual.

In this half a month, Shangguan Bing'er spent it doing secluded cultivation 1. Besides having her 3 meals a day, she never left her tent. Zhou Weiqing also spent most of his time in his tent training during this period; besides cultivating his Heavenly Energy, he spent a lot of time trying to remember the feeling during the Demonic Change State, and how he had killed off the Forest Direwolves, trying to explore a better way to use his skills and how to match the various alignments in proper cohesion. With his faster recovery rate of Heavenly Energy, he was able to do some basic skill complementing.

The strangest thing for Zhou Weiqing was that in this fifteen days, the little white tiger refused to eat anything. At first, he was rather worried, and even tried to force feed it, but as time passed, the little thing seemed to stay lively and full of vigor, and did not seem the slightest bit hungry or dispirited. Zhou Weiqing was usually pretty easy going, and he chalked it down to the power of a Heavenly Beast, and thus didn't think much about it.

Evening.

"Little Wei, are you there?" Xiao Ru Se's familiar voice rang out from outside the tent. Zhou Weiqing was able to stop his cultivation at any time, as he had found out that the five energy whirlpools would always be drawing in energy at all times, and when he was cultivating, it just meant he was focusing his will on them to make their draw speed up. As such, he could do the same no matter sitting or lying down, without a change in efficiency. Naturally, most of the time he chose to do so lying down, although he did occasionally fall asleep due to that.

Hearing it was Xiao Ru Se outside, he quickly stopped cultivation and called out: "Ru Se Elder Sis, I'm here, come in."

Xiao Ru Se came in, decked out in full military gear, looking extremely valiant and capable. These few days, while Shangguan Bing'er and Zhou Weiqing were cultivating carefreely, she had been working her head off organizing the troops; training the troops, and dividing the new recruits into various squads and companies. Now that she entered, Zhou Weiqing could clearly feel a capable soldier's dignity and aura from her.

"Aiii" Zhou Weiqing sneaked a look at Xiao Ru Se's breastplate, and gave a soft sigh.

How could Xiao Ru Se know what that little rascal was thinking, and immediately said angrily, "Stupid Little Wei, what are you looking at?"

Zhou Weiqing looked at her with an innocent expression, saying: "Nothing! What was I looking at?" Shamelessly acting innocent was after all his best skill.

Xiao Ru Se gave a loud humph and said: "You smelly little brat, follow me. I still need to call Shangguan Bing'er."

Zhou Weiqing said lazily: "What are we doing?"

Xiao Ru Se's expression grew rather weird and she grinned widely and said: "Just come with me and you'll find out. The military headquarters have sent Shangguan Bing'er's orders down, don't you want to hear it? Elder Sis will bring you along, after all you are her Personal Aide."

Hearing Xiao Ru Se's words, Zhou Weiqing's interest was piqued. After all, he had told Shangguan Bing'er previously that no matter what she did, he would follow her. However, this was the army, and orders had to be followed. Naturally, the earlier they knew what her orders were, the easier they could plan for things. As such, he shoved the little white tiger into his leather armor, and followed Xiao Ru Se out of the tent.

Xiao Ru Se immediately went to the tent at the side to call Shangguan Bing'er, before leading the two of them towards the large tent which housed the Fifth Regiment Headquarters.

As they walked forward, Zhou Weiqing noticed that Shangguan Bing'er had her head held down, and her expression was rather pale. He nudged her with his shoulder and asked quietly: "Bing'er, what's wrong? What are you thinking about?"

Shangguan Bing'er gave a light sigh and said: "Little Fatty, His Majesty and the Admiral trusted me so much, and they gave me the position of Battalion Commander… but I've let them down, and even resigned the commision on my own accord…"

Zhou Weiqing said imposingly: "Don't be depressed, it is not your fault. It's clearly they who had the error in judgement; with your kind and gentle nature, you were never suitable to lead an army. Hmph, such a talented young Heavenly Jewel Master and they did not let you cultivate properly, and insisted on sending you to the army instead. How could they possibly blame you?"2

Shangguan Bing'er almost jumped in shock and quickly covered his mouth, shooting a quick glance at Xiao Ru Se in front. "Little Fatty, do not speak nonsense. How can you speak ill of His Majesty and Admiral Zhou? Furthermore, it's my own fault."

Zhou Weiqing seized the chance to hold her hand, squeezing it as he said: "Heh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, no matter what your orders are, I will follow you."

Xiao Ru Se who was in front turned and glanced at them, an interesting little smile on her face. Shangguan Bing'er was frightened by Zhou Weiqing's intimate actions; this was after all the army camp! She quickly snatched her hand back and gave him an angry glare: "You're my Personal Aide now, behave yourself!"

In the short span of time that they spoke, they had already reached the large headquarters tent. This was Zhou Weiqing's first time entering such a high ranked tentage; it was large and entirely made from well cured cow leather, with a steel alloy structure holding it in place, and was large enough to hold more than a hundred people in meetings.

As the tent entrance flapped open, Xiao Ru Se stopped and said in a loud voice: "3rd Battalion, Xiao Se, Reporting."

"3rd Battalion, Shangguan Bing'er, Reporting."

Listening to them shouting out, Zhou Weiqing took a quick peek into the tent, and that peek almost shocked and scared the soul out of him.

Right in the centre of the tent, sat a man who was extremely well built and looked about 50 years of age. His bronzed muscles seemed to glow with health, and he had a squarish face, a pair of piercing eyes and a straight nose. Although he was seated, it was clear that he had a large frame, his rock-like muscles causing his black suit to bulge out, while his eyes were full of spirit.

This face, Zhou Weiqing had seen countless times. Wasn't that his extremely strong father, the strongest man in the Heavenly Bow Empire, Zhou Shui Niu, Admiral Zhou?

At each side of Admiral Zhou, the Fifth Regiment Commander Gao Shen, and the Vice Commander Qian Zhan Tian stood respectfully. Currently, the two did not seem like the high ranking officials who commandeered an entire Regiment that they were, as they stood at his side with awe and respect.

"Come in." Admiral Zhou's deep voice sounded out.

Zhou Weiqing's heart was filled with regret for following them here, shooting a quick glare at Xiao Ru Se, thinking to himself: "Ru Se Elder Sis, this time you have gotten me in deep trouble! Once my dad gets hold of me, I'll be getting a big beating!"

This little rascal was pretty quick thinking, immediately moving quickly to the side, lowering his head and adjusting his Wind Hat. His plan was to blend in with the guards in hopes that his father would not recognize him.

Xiao Ru Se naturally could see what Zhou Weiqing was thinking, and sighed inwardly as she thought to herself: Sorry Little Wei, it's not that Big Sis doesn't want to help you, but Uncle Zhou only has you, his only son. If he didn't come personally, I could have still hidden it from him and not reported it up, but now that he is here, how could I hide this from him? Furthermore, you and Shangguan Bing'er were just too bold, even daring to sneak over and attack the Kalise Empire's camp. Did you two really think that no one would know? One of their ten main granaries being burned down, how could such a big issue be hidden?

It turns out, that night when Zhou Weiqing shot the Overlord Lightning Explosive Arrow, it was right into one of the ten main granaries of the Kalise Empire, and a lot of army rations were stored within, a lot of which burned down in the resulting fire from the lightning explosion. The scouts and spies of Heavenly Bow Empire had long since reported this news back to the headquarters. After a quick check on which Jewel Masters had exited the tent, it was easy to guess the 'culprits'. Of course, it was even easier for Xiao Ru Se to know that Shangguan Bing'er hadn't done it alone.

Xiao Ru Se and Shangguan Bing'er heard Admiral Zhou's command and immediately went forth into the tent. At the same time, Zhou Weiqing tried to sidle his way to the side. He managed to do so, and thought he had succeeded, breathing out a sigh of relief and was just about to turn around to run. Right at that moment, Admiral Zhou's angry voice sounded out once more: "You damned brat, you better get in here now! Don't make your Father, I, go out there and catch you myself."

Zhou Weiqing froze in place, and knew for sure then that he had been sold out by his Ru Se Elder Sis. There was no hiding now, with his father so close, how could he possibly escape? Shriveling a little inside, he lowered his head and went into the tent.

Xiao Ru Se naturally knew what was going on, and wasn't surprised at all, but Shangguan Bing'er had a big shock. If not for Admiral Zhou being present, she would have rushed over and asked Zhou Weiqing what was going on?

Admiral Zhou did not even look at Zhou Weiqing, saying coldly: "Go kneel at the corner. When I'm done with proper business, I'll handle you."

No matter how unwilling and dismayed Zhou Weiqing was, he had no choice but to go to the side and kneel down towards his father, his head bowed down low and the Wind Hat hiding his expression.

Admiral Zhou turned towards Shangguan Bing'er, his tone instantly becoming warmer: "Bing'er, tell me why you no longer wish to be a Battalion Commander?"

Shangguan Bing'er lowered her head and said: "Admiral, Bing'er is wanting in ability and shallow in knowledge, I have never learned how to lead troops, and I do not think I am able to live up to such an important rank. I'm not afraid of dying, as a soldier, I will willing to fight and die on the battlefield. But I cannot bear to see my companions die because I did not lead or direct them properly. So, please Admiral, release me from my commission. Company Leader Xiao is more than able to take over from me."

Chapter 99: Admiral Zhou Arrives (2)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

Admiral Zhou smiled faintly and said: "Very good, you have not disappointed me."

Shangguan Bing'er started, and couldn't help but look up at him.

Admiral Zhou slowly stood up and walked in front of her, smiling as he said: "Originally, when His Majesty and I discussed about this matter, I did it despite His Majesty's objections, pulling you to the army camp. Do you know why I did so?"

Shangguan Bing'er shook her head in confusion.

Admiral Zhou continued saying: " That's because, the army camp is the best place to temper a person, since you chose to be a soldier, then everything needs to start from within the army camp. Only when you've experienced everything for yourself, when you've seen true bloodshed, seen soldiers' lives pass before your eyes, then can the future you know your path, know what you are working towards. Your resignation, I accept it. In the future, if and when you return to the army camp, you will resume your commission as Battalion Commander. At that time, I believe that you will not tell me the two words 'I resign' again.

After he said that, Admiral Zhou returned to the commander's chair and sat down, saying with a solemn voice: "Shangguan Bing'er, your orders are here."

Shangguan Bing'er knelt down on a single knee: "This subordinate is here."

Admiral Zhou said: "Permission granted for Shangguan Bing'er to be relieved of her duties as the 5th Regiment, 3rd Battalion Commander. The Battalion Commander position will be taken over by Xiao Se. Tomorrow morning, Shangguan Bing'er will return to the Heavenly Bow City, and you will report to the Heavenly Bow Unit."

Upon hearing the 3 words 'Heavenly Bow Unit', Shangguan Bing'er noticeably trembled a little. When she once again lifted her head towards Admiral Zhou, her beautiful eyes showed an unrestrained joy. Admiral Zhou said with profound meaning hidden in his eyes: "The Heavenly Bow Unit is an even better place to temper a person. This time, there is no more backing down. Do you understand?"

Her eyes full of excitement, even fervour, Shangguan Bing'er said: "I understand. Thank you Admiral, for giving me this opportunity. No matter what price I have to pay, I will do my best to become a true member of the Heavenly Bow Unit."

Admiral Zhou nodded and said: "Very good. Return to pack your things then, you will leave tomorrow morning."

"Yes sir." With a respectful agreement, Shangguan Bing'er stood up, glancing to docile and submissive Zhou Weiqing kneeling down at the side, before walking out of the tent.

As soon as Shangguan Bing'er left the tent, Admiral Zhou's face turned black, even blacker than the bottom of a pan. Looking at Gao Shen and Qian Zhan Tian at the side, he said: "Both of you can head off now. Without my permission, no one is allowed to interrupt me."

The two officers were considered some of the highest ranking military officers in the whole Heavenly Bow army, but they did not hesitate at all in obeying Admiral Zhou's orders, bowing respectfully and heading out instantly. At this moment, there were only three people left in the tent, Admiral Zhou, Zhou Weiqing and Xiao Ru Se.

"Damn little brat, come over here!" Admiral Zhou shouted angrily.

"Orh." Zhou Weiqing stood up and walked forth with a gloomy face, and as he passed by Xiao Ru Se, he shot her a quick glare.

Xiao Ru Se gave a helpless shrug. Little Wei, in the army, knowing information and not reporting upwards is a huge and serious crime. If Uncle Zhou didn't come, I'd still be able to hide it, but since he came personally, if I didn't tell him the truth and something happened to you in the future, how could I possibly face him?

Just as Zhou Weiqing was about to say something, Admiral Zhou's foot came flying over without warning. *BANG*, Zhou Weiqing was knocked back 5 metres, rolling on the ground before lying down there.

Xiao Ru Se's jaw dropped in shock; although she knew that Admiral Zhou had a fiery temper, but she did not expect that he would be able to be so ruthless towards his son.

"En?" Admiral Zhou's eyes showed a tinge of surprise. When he had kicked Zhou Weiqing, at the point of impact, his foot had felt a soft, supple and flexible strength shifting most of the impact away.

Zhou Weiqing lay down on the ground, weeping 1 as he said: "Dad, I'm wrong! After all, I'm your only son, for mom's sake, can you hit lighter?"

Admiral Zhou said coldly: "You still know your mom? She's almost angered to death by you. Stop acting and get up."

Zhou Weiqing didn't dare keep acting in front of his father, and immediately vaulted up, causing the Wind Hat on his head to drop down. With a wronged look upon his face, he stole a quick glance at his father. That appearance, it was as if he was a mere punching bag; coupled with his honest, sad face, even Xiao Ru Se's heart ached upon looking at the scene.

This was the first time Xiao Ru Se had seen Admiral Zhou lecturing Zhou Weiqing, and she thought to herself: This father and son pair are sure a match for each other, the father kicking the son 5 metres away, yet Little Wei is still totally fine.

"Dad, give me a chance to explain! This time it's really not my fault!" As Zhou Weiqing said that, he sidled closer to Xiao Ru Se. If his father tried to hit him again, he would run over to her side!

Admiral Zhou gestured to the floor in front of him: "Come over here, kneel down and give your explanation."

Zhou Weiqing said with a woebegone expression: "Dad, in front of Ru Se Elder Sis, can't you save me some face?"

Admiral Zhou rolled his eyes and glared at him again: "Face? You still want face? Do you believe that your Father, I, will hit your face instead? Hmph. Let me tell you, you little brat, your father, I, have a stomach full of pent up anger now, if you're going to talk some rubbish, I'll beat you up until your mom doesn't even recognize you!"

Zhou Weiqing was also used to being beaten, and had no choice but to kneel down, thinking to himself: If you beat me up until my mom doesn't recognize you, she'll beat you down!

"Dad, what happened was as follows. That day, I went to the Stars Forest to take a nice bath. That's the usual spot I bathe in. Who knows that I would bump into the princess who also happened to take a bath there! It was really a coincidence! That Difuya was just too arrogant and obstinate, and she totally did not listen to my explanation, and used her Elemental Jewel to attack me, you almost lost your son then!"

"So you just ran like that?" Admiral Zhou said coldly. In truth, Difuya had already told the truth about what happened that day, as she knew how serious things were and didn't dare hide anything. As such, he had already known what happened. If not for the fact that Zhou Weiqing wasn't in the wrong, it wouldn't have been a single foot greeting him just now. With Admiral Zhou's temper, he would have already beaten Zhou Weiqing into a true Zhou Little Fatty. No. Perhaps he would be swollen into a Zhou Big Fatty. 2

Zhou Weiqing said aggrievedly: "How could I not run? Who knows what Difuya would say when she went back, if she blamed me instead, with your temper, wouldn't you have broken my leg? For the sake of your future grandson, I decided to save my life first, so I decided to go out and forge a name for myself first. When I returned, wouldn't that be a proud thing for you to see? I just happened to see the recruitment, and so I signed up to join the army."

Looking at his father, he thought to himself: Looks like Ru Se Elder Sis did not fully tell on me. Dad doesn't know about my Heavenly Jewel Awakening yet. Heh heh.

Listening to his son's explanation, Admiral Zhou's expression eased up a little. He knew his own temper, and in truth, if Difuya had turned the tables and lied about what happened, he probably wouldn't have easily forgiven Zhou Weiqing.

"So, tell me, since you entered the 3rd Battalion, what name have you forged for yourself?" Admiral Zhou said passively. Before Zhou Weiqing could even open his mouth, Xiao Ru Se who was standing at the side quickly replied: "Uncle Zhou, Little Wei's performance has been exemplary. Not only did he win the most outstanding recruit award in the Fresh Recruit Tournament and got himself the rank of Squad Leader, but he also was appointed personally by Commander Shangguan to be her Personal Aide. Furthermore, in the earlier ambush when Commander Shangguan was being attacked, it was his arrows that reversed the situation on the battlefield and saved her life. If we just talked about his credit on the battlefield, he can be promoted to a Company Leader!"

Xiao Ru Se's words made Admiral Zhou's expression ease up and look much better, and he said warmly: "Ru Se, are you praising this little brat too much? How can I not know his standards, how could Bing'er need saving from him?"

Xiao Ru Se smiled faintly and said: "Uncle Zhou, I'd better let Little Wei tell you himself. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised. A scholar who has been away three days must be looked at with new eyes. 3 The Little Wei now is no longer the same Little Wei as before."

"Hmm?" Admiral Zhou looked suspiciously at his son. He totally did not consider the fact that Zhou Weiqing might become a Heavenly Jewel Master, after all he knew his son's condition very well. With his meridians being blocked, there was no possibility of him cultivating Heavenly Energy. Admiral Zhou had spent many years trying out various methods, putting much time and energy into attempting to change that fact, but even with his mid level Zong Stage cultivation level, he had not been able to do anything about his son's meridians. By now, he had already lost hope about that."

"Speak, what's that about?" Admiral Zhou said coldly as he looked as his son.

This time, Zhou Weiqing straightened his back and stood up tall, thinking to himself: Heh heh, I can finally stand up proudly in front of dad. Grinning, he said: "Dad, your son is now a Heavenly Jewel Master!" As he said that, the little rascal pulled back his sleeves and revealed both his wrists. Manipulating his Heavenly Energy, the Icy Jade Physical Jewel and the Alexandrite Cat's Eye Elemental Jewel simultaneously appeared around his wrists and started revolving.

Looking at the Heavenly Jewels surrounding Zhou Weiqing's wrist, Admiral Zhou started. The next instant, his face turned black and he shouted out: "You scoundrel!"

"Ah?" Zhou Weiqing was rather startled by the scolding as he thought to himself: What's going on? I'm already a Heavenly Jewel Master and he's still scolding me?

You little… how dare you pretend to be a Heavenly Jewel Master to try and deceive me and escape punishment? Furthermore, you still pretended to be a Blue Cat's Eye Jewel, don't you know how to act properly? Hmph, making your Father, I, happy for a minute, wait till I beat you to death!" As he said that, Admiral Zhou took a step forward and his hand whistled towards Zhou Weiqing's head.

In truth, it was not surprising that he did not believe Zhou Weiqing. After all, preconceived ideas have a strong hold on people, and for him, someone who had suffered and tried everything for more than ten years in order to try and fix his son's meridians and failing to do so, it was a rather sore spot for him. As such, he had instantly thought Zhou Weiqing was lying. Furthermore, it was now in the day, and the blue Cat's Eye Jewel that showed was extremely unique; naturally he would not think of such a rare gem like the Alexandrite Cat's Eye.

As his furious palm came hurtling down, it was indeed an a scary amount of strength thrown in a moment of anger. However, it was after all his son, and halfway through, before it reached him, he had managed to change the course of it, targeting Zhou Weiqing's shoulder instead. If not, once that palm hit his face, Zhou Weiqing would become Zhou 'Toothless'.

"Wuu Wuu", an angry cry sounded out, and a cute little white head perked out of Zhou Weiqing's leather armor, baring its little fangs at Admiral Zhou. Of course, Zhou Weiqing didn't stand there to take the blow this time, and with a *swoosh* sound, his right leg tapped the ground and his body leapt back a few metres, dodging the blow.

Chapter 100: Admiral Zhou Arrives (3)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

Normally, when his father hit him, he naturally would not resist. After all, father hitting son was a universally accepted principle 1. However, this time, he knew it was a misunderstanding and accepting the beating would be unjust; naturally he wasn't that silly.

"You still dare to run? Ehh?" Although Admiral Zhou's strike just now was from a fit of anger, but his son's speed still gave him a surprise. In his heart, he thought: Could it be, that little brat was telling the truth?

"Dad, you're a Mid level Zong Master, don't tell me you can't even recognize an Alexandrite Cat's Eye Jewel!" Zhou Weiqing yelled out indignantly. As he did so, he raised his right hand and circulated his Heavenly Energy, and in an icy mist, the Overlord Bow appeared in his grasp. Actions speak louder than words, and he did not want to waste time; the Physical Jewel Consolidated Equipment would tell his tale for him.

As soon as the Overlord Bow appeared, an imposing aura filled the tent, and the thick fluctuations of a Strength Physical Jewel instantly drew Admiral Zhou's attention.

Admiral Zhou stared blankly at the Overlord Bow in his son's hand, and his next action was so sudden and strange that it caused both Zhou Weiqing and Xiao Ru Se to not know whether to laugh or cry. The distinguished Admiral actually lifted both his hands, and rubbed at his eyes.

"Physical Jewel Consolidated Equipment?"

Zhou Weiqing was afraid his dad would hit him again, and quickly said: "Yes! That's my first Physical Jewel's Consolidated Equipment, it's called the Overlord Bow, has an attack range of over 1.5km, and has an additional explosive effect added on. Furthermore, it also has an socket for an Elemental Jewel in order to make use of fusion skills.

Admiral Zhou's body trembled and swayed a bit, as he took a step back; his breathing obviously a lot heavier than before. "Weiqing, use your strongest skill and shoot an arrow at me."

As an archer, naturally Zhou Weiqing had arrows with him, but for him to shoot his own father, he did not dare do so. "Dad… that…"

"Don't waste time, use your full strength or I'll beat you up!" Admiral Zhou recovered from his short bout of dazed shock and disbelief, and his eyes shone with an unrestrained excitement and glee.

Zhou Weiqing was very familiar with his father's temper, and knew he would do as he said. As such, he didn't argue further and quietened down to focus. As he whipped out an arrow and nocked it onto the Overlord Bow's bowstring, his shoulders tensed as he drew the bow to its full crescent shape. With a quick thought, the Elemental Jewel on his left wrist quietly fell into the socket on the Overlord Bow. After all, Admiral Zhou was his father, although he had been told to use his strongest skill, but his attribute wheel moved to the black, Darkness Attribute area, instead of the highest damage blue, Lightning area.

Currently, Zhou Weiqing was around 10 metres away from his father, and at the instant that he drew the Overlord Bow, Admiral Zhou showed some surprised on his face. With his cultivation level, he could clearly feel how much Heavenly Energy that Overlord Bow was holding currently.

"Dad, be careful!" After he said that, Zhou Weiqing released the bowstring.

The severe whistling sound of the arrow and the final explosion rang out almost simultaneously, and before anyone could see the arrow, in the next instant, a black arrow appeared right in front of Admiral Zhou.

Zhou Weiqing's jaw dropped as he stared at the sight before him. The arrow that he had shot out with his Overlord Bow was just hovering there right in front of his father, and he had not even seen or felt what skill had been used.

*Bang* Another soft explosion sounded out, and the arrow disintegrated into dust. The Touch of Darkness skill activated and 12 black tentacles of about half a metre flickered for a second, before vanishing as well. From the look, it was as if a small octopus flailed around at Admiral Zhou for a while before disappearing.

Zhou Weiqing was very clear how strong the Overlord Bow's destructive power was, and for that arrow, he had indeed used his full strength. Unexpectedly, his father had stopped it so easily without even releasing his Heavenly Jewels. He had never really seen his father's real strength, and only now did he realise how terrifying a mid level Zong Stage Heavenly Jewel Master was.

Xiao Ru Se had been standing at the side, and could see things relatively clearer. Faintly, she had seen that when Zhou Weiqing released his arrow, Admiral Zhou had blown out a breath of air.

Zhou Weiqing was stunned, but at the other side, Admiral Zhou was just as stunned. Of course, with the huge difference in cultivation level, how could Zhou Weiqing possibly injure him? However, feeling the power of that arrow, he had also gotten a good estimation of his son's strength.

"Ru Se, please leave first, I have to talk to this little brat alone." Admiral Zhou said passively.

"Yes sir." Xiao Ru Se agreed respectfully, before turning around to leave.

Admiral Zhou's face seemed as calm as water, and in a flash, he appeared next to Zhou Weiqing, grabbing his shoulders. In another flash, the surroundings blurred around Zhou Weiqing as he lost sight of everything, only feeling a strong wind blowing past him. As he was also a Heavenly Jewel Master now, he could naturally sense that his father was not using his Heavenly Jewels, and this insane speed was totally with Heavenly Energy alone. Such speed was as if he was flying at low altitudes; this was the power of a 8-Jewelled Mid level Zong stage Heavenly Jewel Master!

After about 15 minutes, Admiral Zhou finally stopped, and Zhou Weiqing saw that his father had brought him to a small hillside.

Admiral Zhou put his son on the ground, and suddenly put his hands to his waist: "Wahahaha! £$%^&*&^%$£""£$%^&! My son is no longer a trash! Wahahaha!!!"

Admiral Zhou's boisterous laughter almost startled Zhou Weiqing into falling off the cliff. In his memory, he had never seen his black-faced father so happy before.

Admiral laughed out loud for nearly the time it took to finish a meal 2 before he finally stopped. However, when he looked at Zhou Weiqing once again, he resumed his usual strict face.

"Little brat, tell me how you became a Heavenly Jewel Master. Don't miss out any detail." 3

Zhou Weiqing said tentatively: "Dad, my Awakening process is a bit… weird. If I did anything wrong… can you not beat me up?"

Admiral Zhou gave him a hmph and said: "Alright, I won't hit you. You're already a Heavenly Jewel Master yourself, at least Your Father, I, will not have to keep worrying about your future! Why would I beat you up then! Do you think I enjoy beating you? My heart aches when I do so as well! Hmph. If not for the fact I'm afraid that you, this little brat, will die easily from not having enough to eat if I pass away, do you think I have so much time to beat my own son everyday?"

Although his father's tone was still brash and cold, but listening to his words, Zhou Weiqing felt a warmth in his heart. Indeed! No matter how much Dad hits me, he is still my father!

Humans, when they get excited, it is easy for them to blurt out the truth. Zhou Weiqing showed that trait right at this moment. "Dad, I did it with Shangguan Bing'er." 4

"Do it then do it… what's that got to do with your Heavenly Jewel Awakening?" At this point, Admiral Zhou was still extremely excited, but before his words ended, he suddenly realised what was being said, and grabbed the front of Zhou Weiqing's leather armor, scaring the little white tiger into shrinking its head back down again. "What did you say? You did what?"

Zhou Weiqing gave a foolish grin and said: "Heh … that …" As such, he started his tale from him getting the black pearl, running away and told everything to his father.

Even though Admiral Zhou was a Mid Level Zong Stage Heavenly Jewel Master, listening to his son's experiences this past few months caused his expression to change many times. Of which, the greatest change was when Zhou Weiqing described his Awakening with Shangguan Bing'er as a sacrifice, and when he had taken Huyan Aobo as his teacher.

Zhou Weiqing spoke for almost an entire hour before he finished detailing his experiences of the past month, and he also passed his father the Immortal Deity Technique manual.

Flipping open the Immortal Deity Technique, Admiral Zhou's face changed as soon as he read a few lines. Almost involuntarily, his hand raised up as if to hit Zhou Weiqing again, but he stopped himself halfway.

"Dad, you must keep your word, you said you wouldn't hit me just now." Zhou Weiqing said pitiably at his father.

Admiral Zhou threw the Immortal Deity Technique onto him, and Zhou Weiqing quickly kept it again.

Admiral Zhou said in a serious voice: "That is to say… you, this little brt, ate some strange black pearl, and cultivated this nonsensical Immortal Deity Technique, causing the Evil aura within the pearl to activate; followed by which you took advantage of Shangguan Bing'er as a sacrifice to Awaken your Heavenly Jewels? And Bing'er didn't kill you little bastard?"

Zhou Weiqing thought snidely to himself: Dad, if you call me a little bastard, doesn't that mean that you…

"Uhh… Yes that's right."

Admiral Zhou's furrowed brow relaxed a little, and he gave a small sigh before saying: "Bing'er is just too good a girl! Sigh… you better treat her well and take good care of her. From now on, she's our Zhou Family daughter-in-law. Hmph. Aren't you very good at acting, and learnt a whole bunch of rascally tricks? I don't care what you do, but you better bring her back home soon. However, you better remember that you can't force her, and she better be willing to come with you!"

Zhou Weiqing blinked in surprise, feeling joy pervade him and he said excitedly: "Dad, does that mean you are okay with me and Shangguan Bing'er?"

Admiral Zhou gave another hmph and said: "You have gotten the advantage this time little brat. As for Huyan Aobo, when you are 16, you should really work hard and learn how to create Consolidating Equipment Scrolls. You should understand how important a Consolidating Equipment Master is for our Heavenly Bow Empire. Alright, get lost now, you can head west to return to the camp, and when you do so, start packing up as well. Tomorrow, you will join Bing'er and report to the Heavenly Bow Unit.

Zhou Weiqing started a little; he did not expect that his father would be so easy going after knowing about him and Shangguan Bing'er, as he had expected a beating.

Once again asking tentatively, he said: "Dad, is that it? Aren't you going to ask me to cultivate harder?"

A strange light flashed in Admiral Zhou's eyes, and he said exasperatedly: "Urge? How could I rush you. That nonsensical Immortal Deity Technique, how can it be rushed? You little brat, you better remember, if you dare to die before Your Father, I will turn myself into a ghost and break your legs. Now, get lost!"

Zhou Weiqing saw that his father was near bursting point again, and didn't stop to continue talking and ran off.

Looking at his son's retreating figure, Admiral Zhou suddenly burst out laughing again, muttering to himself at the same time: "Hmph, who still dares say that my son is a trash, haha, he's a genius amongst all genius! Bing'er that little girl is extremely good, with her restricting that little brat, that'll be more than enough! Heh, that brat still wants me to teach him, what's there to teach! My 8th Jewel's Skill was the Touch of Darkness, that little brat… Wahahaha!"