The divine manifestations began at the Gongwei Division.

In the alley opposite Yingchunlou.

On one side is a brightly lit midnight entertainment venue, and on the other side is a dark alley.

In the pitch-black night, a flash of cold light suddenly appeared.

The moment Zhou Heng hurled Zhong Xiaoxiao, he simultaneously completed both the forward charge and the slashing motion with his sword.

The other party clearly did not expect Zhou Heng to be so decisive and efficient.

As Zhong Xiaoxiao flew towards him, the other party subconsciously pushed Lü Zian aside and reached out to catch Zhong Xiaoxiao.

At that moment, the blade flashed through the air, heading straight for his waist and abdomen.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Zhong Xiaoxiao flew in the air, the masked man stretched out his hand in a gesture, and Lü Zian scrambled to his feet.

Zhou Heng remained expressionless.

The "Broken Gate Knife Technique" draws blood with every strike.

suddenly.

The bell in the air let out a sharp cry, and it spat out a mouthful of blood, which in the blink of an eye turned into a blood-red ribbon that wrapped around the masked man's body like a serpent.

Swish!

The dragon bird knife fell.

Zhou Heng frowned slightly.

His sure-fire strike missed its mark.

Unexpectedly, even though Zhong Xiaoxiao was seriously injured, she was still able to use such sorcery to help the masked man avoid his attack.

However, now that you've helped the masked man avoid a knife, who can help you?

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Heng's movements did not falter in the slightest.

His first strike missed, so he followed up with a swift, backward slash.

The long sword drew an arc, spraying a cloud of blood.

"what!"

The masked man was pulled back a few steps by the blood-red ribbon. Just as he regained his balance, he saw a scene that filled him with despair.

Suddenly, Zhong Xiaoxiao in mid-air broke in two, her painted skin shattering like porcelain, and the true form of the demon began to swell and reveal itself.

"Walk!"

Zhong Xiaoxiao shouted with her last bit of strength.

With a loud bang, its body exploded.

Zhou Heng swung his longsword to the side, blocking the force of the explosion, but his body was still thrown away by the terrifying force.

After he landed, the masked man had already disappeared.

Zhong Xiaoxiao's body was also lost without a trace.

If it weren't for the bloodstains still on the ground, it would seem as if nothing had happened.

The sound of the explosion startled the people inside Yingchun Tower.

At this moment, quite a few people were already peeking out of the building.

Niu Jingui, dressed in a somewhat mismatched silk outfit, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing Zhou Heng.

"Sir, this is—"

He looked at Zhou Heng, then at Lü Zi'an lying on the ground, and finally saw the pool of blood on the ground.

"Go and appease Yingchunlou. After you're done, go home. You don't need to keep an eye on things here anymore."

Zhou Heng sheathed his sword and said.

Before Niu Jingui could say anything more, Zhou Heng had already hoisted Lü Zian onto his back and left.

…………

You have survived a crisis and received a reward: an Enlightenment Pill.

A red pill emitting a rich medicinal fragrance appeared in Zhou Heng's palm.

The "Enlightenment Pill" may have a vulgar name, but it's an absolutely wonderful thing, the kind that you can't buy even if you have the money.

People often say that once they get the hang of something, they can do it well.

The first hurdle in martial arts training is also enlightenment.

If you don't get the hang of it, you'll just be a mortal no matter how hard you practice until you die.

Only those who have grasped the essence can be considered rank-level martial artists.

There are many ways to achieve enlightenment: diligent practice, guidance from a master, or taking an enlightenment pill.

"Opening the aperture means opening the so-called mysterious aperture. After a martial artist opens the aperture, he can condense the sea of ​​blood, and the power of blood and qi will wash over his body, giving him the strength of a thousand pounds."

Zhou Heng recalled the remaining memories of his predecessor.

His predecessor's father was a centurion of the Imperial Guard, and had reached the level of a seventh-rank martial artist when he was alive. These were the common sense things he had been taught.

"I cultivate the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique, and my strength is no less than that of a ninth-rank martial artist. However, I have not opened the Xuan Guan Aperture, so I cannot be considered an entry-level martial artist."

"The ninth rank is a threshold; crossing this threshold is the beginning of extraordinary achievement."

With that thought in mind, Zhou Heng put the Awakening Pill into his mouth.

The pill entered my mouth and transformed into a warm current that flowed directly into my abdomen.

boom!

Zhou Heng felt a burst of heat in his lower abdomen.

In an instant, it was as if a huge hole had been blasted out of his dantian, and streams of mysterious power surged out from the hole.

The power surged from his dantian, instantly flowing throughout his body, and then began to merge with the blood in his body.

With each cycle, some "qi" is absorbed into the blood.

He felt a strange change occurring in the blood within his body.

This change caused his body to become stronger at a visible rate.

Zhou Heng even felt as if he were floating on air.

"Is this what enlightenment means?"

"A single opening in the passageway—isn't that like chiseling a hole in the wall to let in light?"

Zhou Heng muttered to himself.

The entrance to the gate is like a door; on this side of the door is his dantian, and on the other side is a mysterious place.

Once this door is opened, the spiritual energy on the other side can be stolen and channeled into the dantian.

This is the secret of cultivation.

Breathing only allows you to inhale air; only by opening the gateway to the universe can you steal the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

"The blood sea of ​​a martial artist, the qi cavity of a celestial official, and the divine court of a priest are all essentially the same thing."

Zhou Heng slowly stretched his body, adapting to the surge of power.

Lu Zian groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

He touched the back of his head, looking puzzled.

"Where am I?"

Before Zhou Heng could speak, his expression suddenly changed.

"I know who it is!"

He jumped up, felt dizzy, and almost fell back down.

After catching his breath, Lü Zian leaned against the wall and said to Zhou Heng.

"I know who's colluding with demons in the county government!"

I never expected it to be him!

How could it be him?

He has such a good reputation in the county!

What is he trying to achieve by doing this?

Lu Zian sighed repeatedly, his face full of regret.

"Lu Xiucai, this matter ends here. Go home now."

Zhou Heng said calmly.

"You found out too?"

Lu Zian hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"It's not hard to guess."

Zhou Heng spoke calmly and without a trace of emotion, "I killed the dog demon, and the matter could have ended there."

Then a snake demon suddenly appeared and tried to kill me.

To explain it simply with the word "revenge" is far too perfunctory.

Who in Ningyang County wants me dead?

If I die, who will benefit the most?

Think about it and you'll understand.

He didn't think in that direction at first.

After he killed the snake demon, Lü Zian came to report the crime, which led to the attack on the blacksmith shop.

In addition, Lü Zian was almost killed.

When all these events were connected, how could he not understand?

"Are you just going to let this go?"

Lu Zian hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help asking.

"Lu Xiucai, don't ask questions you shouldn't, or you could easily be silenced."

Zhou Heng strode forward, waved to Lü Zian with his back to him, and walked further and further away until he disappeared into the darkness.

…………

Ningyang County, County Government Office.

Zhou Heng pushed open the door.

A gust of wind blew into the room, causing the candlelight to flicker.

Shen Chong sat behind the octagonal table, pouring himself a drink.

Seeing Zhou Heng enter, he pointed to the seat opposite him.

"You're here? Have a seat."

Shen Chong said it casually.

Zhou Heng sat down in silence, looking down at the food and wine on the table.

The food and drinks were plentiful, clearly the work of a master chef from Tianxianglou.

Shen Chong picked up the wine pot and poured a cup of wine for Zhou Heng.

"This 60-year-old Yuye wine is so rare that even in the capital, you might not be able to find it. I only have this one jar, so I'll try it."

Shen Chong picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Why?

Zhou Heng looked at the wine glass, his hands on his knees, and did not move.

"Junior brother, would you like to hear a story?"