Chapter 440: I am Heaven
Everyone dreamt of going to heaven.
Everyone dreamt that one day we would have wings on our back as we soared through the sky and breathed in the crisp, fresh air.
But to be honest...
If we had wings, then we would be birdmen.
Understanding and execution...
Those were two very different concepts.
That was the problem that Fang Zhengzhi was facing. He understood the meaning and gist of the Heavenly Dao, but he could not wield it.
The simplest example of this was, one may understand a dialect, but that didn’t mean that one could speak it fluently. It also did not mean that one would be able to replicate the accent.
That is something that requires practice and time.
Mere understanding was insufficient. He needs to cultivate and experience it for himself. That was the only way he could achieve this.
This didn’t mean that Fang Zhengzhi’s understanding was completely useless.
It had given him a shortcut to the end. He could now avoid all of the detours along the way.
Effectively... he had been given a straight road to the Heavenly Dao.
But, in order to do it...
He needed time... a lot of it.
He didn’t even know if he could make it to the end.
And when he got there...
It would be a completely different idea altogether.
He had to understand the rules of wind, fire, earth, stone... then, he had to allow his body to adapt to these rules.
Finally...
He had to break and change some of the rules to give himself control over all creation.
The Heavenly Dao...
It was the law of nature.
Previously, Fang Zhengzhi was able to use the Dao of All Creation. He was able to use a blade to generate wind and speed it up. He was able to add fire to increase its power.
This was him using the Dao of All Creation.
However, people skilled in the Heavenly Dao did not merely use the Dao of All Creation. They had complete control over it.
For example, everyone knows that diamond is made out of carbon. However, given carbon, could you turn it into a diamond?
You couldn’t.
If you could, then the world would be filled with genuine diamonds.
But...
Someone skilled in the Heavenly Dao could.
He could change the rules of nature. He could change the way things interacted with each other. Ordinarily, a fire should not be able to burn stone or metal, but he could make it happen.
This was him changing the rules of nature!
Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why his attack on Yun Qingwu had missed. In the moment that he passed through the blue light...
Many rules had been changed...
It could have been the concept of space...
Fang Zhengzhi had no idea what method Canyang had used. However, if he was skilled in the Heavenly Dao, then deflecting that attack would have been a piece of cake.
"Only those who understand the Heavenly Dao can break its restraints!" Fang Zhengzhi smiled bitterly as he thought about this.
Difficult?
This wasn’t difficult!
This was impossible!
Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why Yun Qingwu had said that he couldn’t do it. He also understood why the demons were mocking him.
He also understood why, despite the length of time he had been trapped...
Xing Yuanguo did not come to save him.
This had nothing to do with his talents. No matter how talented he was, he couldn’t absorb decades of experience in mere moments.
It was impossible.
Fang Zhengzhi was losing hope.
Yun Qingwu’s words rang out in his mind. She wanted him to plead with her and live an ordinary life in the Blood Shadow City.
He would be a prisoner...
Oh yes...
Yun Qingwu had mentioned that she would find him a wife. Was she referring to herself?
That was too naive.
Fang Zhengzhi dismissed that thought. No demon would ever approve of someone of Yun Qingwu’s status marrying a prisoner like him.
If his pocket dimension was sealed...
He would be stripped of all his powers. Any soldier who didn’t like him could kill him easily...
Fang Zhengzhi felt a chill down his spine.
He began to think about how he was going to survive if he took up her offer. After all, once he stepped into the Blood Shadow City, he would be the odd one out.
He couldn’t antagonize Yun Qingwu...
Furthermore, he could not make any enemies or exert influence over anyone. If not, someone would be waiting in the shadows to plunge a blade into him.
Having thought about it...
He concluded that he would probably be married off to an unwanted demon and would have to be a servant for the rest of his life...
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Was that the price of survival?" Fang Zhengzhi believed that there were certain sacrifices that needed to be made at times. However, this was below the belt.
He would never go to the Blood Shadow City!
Fang Zhengzhi screamed to himself. He had dreamt of surviving, but he couldn’t even stand the courts in the Great Xia. Accepting this deal would be even more suffocating!
He would have to stay in the Blood Shadow City for the rest of his life. He couldn’t cultivate, be arrogant, or show off. This was torture!
"Break, break, break!" Fang Zhengzhi growled. This was his final, desperate attempt.
He did not want to die...
But he didn’t want to go to the Blood Shadow City either...
What was he to do?
He had to try and escape. But how was he going to do that? He was being restrained by the Heavenly Dao, the rules of nature...
"Boom!"
An immense wave of force gushed outwards, almost like a huge stone had been dropped into a lake. However, Fang Zhengzhi didn’t move an inch.
"What is going on?" Fang Zhengzhi couldn’t bring himself to accept it. He had just broken through to the Supernatural State, and he couldn’t even enjoy it.
If he had known that this would happen, he would not have come.
Why did he send himself to be slaughtered?
"Hahaha... he’s wasting his effort!"
"I think he’s about to give up. Does he want to break the Heavenly Dao? He must be daydreaming!"
"I think his arrogance and confidence stems from ignorance."
The demons began mocking Fang Zhengzhi’s ’valiant’ efforts to break his restraints.
Even though they had already expected this result...
It was extremely comical and satisfying to watch Fang Zhengzhi struggle, especially after the events at the Icy Monkey Settlement.
Genius?
No matter how talented you were, you couldn’t possibly break it!
That was simply an impossible task.
Fang Zhengzhi bit his lip as he listened to the chatter around him. His mouth was the only thing that he could move.
"The Heavenly Dao augments and shines light on everything."
Just at that moment, a beautiful voice pierced through the air. It was calm and rhythmic, almost like the sounds of the ocean.
Fang Zhengzhi’s expression froze.
He subconsciously turned to look at the sky. The silver light was still as radiant.
"Chi Guyan..." Fang Zhengzhi looked at the silver light in confusion. He didn’t know why Chi Guyan would try to save him.
Didn’t she know that it was impossible to break the Heavenly Dao?
What was she trying to prove?
Was she trying to prove that she had tried? Or is she trying to make it up to him?
Was there any meaning to that?
He was a dead man, with no way of resisting.
Canyang was too strong.
Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Canyang would be this powerful.
"The Heavenly Dao punishes evil and rewards good."
"The Heavenly Dao is all-seeing, and acts like a god."
"During spring, flowers blossom. During autumn, we harvest the crops. This is the law of nature."
The voice never stopped and the words continued to flow into his mind.
Fang Zhengzhi wanted to ask her to stop!
But, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
"Stop reciting these passages! He can’t understand them, I have to save him!" Just at this moment, another determined, crisp voice rang out as a figure in red appeared in front of Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi was surprised to see this figure appear in front of him. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect...
That Ping Yang would come to save him?!
Wasn’t she extremely pampered? Why would she jump into the fray?
Fang Zhengzhi thought about Ping Yang’s spoilt and willful nature. He also thought about her unreasonableness. None of those were positives.
But, in the World of the Sage, Ping Yang had taken a blow for him.
That was an attack from Ying Shan.
At that time, Ping Yang was only in the Star Conglomerate State. In fact, she was still in that state.
Star Conglomerate...
And yet she’s jumped into the fray?
The flash of red arrived quickly, but also retreated quickly. In the blink of an eye, Ping Yang was back at her original position, blood trickling from the edge of her mouth.
The Red Flame Flower Armor.
One of the best defensive treasures in the Great Xia. Yet, it could not even block an attack from Canyang.
Canyang had done it so casually.
He didn’t even lift a finger. All he did was ’look’ at Ping Yang and she was sent flying back.
How powerful!
Fang Zhengzhi stared at Ping Yang.
Ping Yang was also looking at Fang Zhengzhi. He could see scorn and condescension in her eyes.
"F*ck!" Fang Zhengzhi couldn’t hold back.
He remembered that he was always the one who scorned her. Since when did she have the right to scorn him?
Ordinarily, Canyang’s power should have caused Fang Zhengzhi to despair.
He should have lost all hope.
But, it did quite the opposite. Looking at Ping Yang, Fang Zhengzhi was reminded of himself.
At that time, he had killed a Blue Fire Wolf on Cang Ling Mountain despite not having accessed Dao.
At that time, he was not given an official position, but he had left a gaping hole in the throne room.
At that time, he had not even broken through to the Supernatural State, but he challenged Ying Shan in the World of the Sage.
And now...
He was trapped.
Was he just going to give up?
The Heavenly Rebirth Dao!
So what? Everything had rules that had to be followed. No matter how powerful it was, it wasn’t invincible. He just had to figure it out.
Fang Zhengzhi looked at the sky once again.
The silver rays of light continued to rain down on the ground. Even though they had no chance of touching Canyang or Yun Qingwu...
Chi Guyan showed no intention of stopping.
"Hang in there even if you can’t see hope!" Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why Chi Guyan was the top talent of the generation.
Talent was part of it.
But...
Chi Guyan had extraordinary determination. When others would have quit, she would continue to hang in there. When others gave up, she trudged on.
That was Chi Guyan.
She was someone with immense talent and extraordinary drive.
"I can’t lose either!" Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes glimmered as he thought about how to break the Heavenly Dao.
It was too difficult, almost impossible!
No way!
There had to be a method to break this. Nothing was impossible! Maybe he just had to think out of the box... he just had to exhaust all possible options...
Hang on!
He had missed something.
He got it!
Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes brightened as he thought of a plan. It was something that was by his side all this time, but he had ignored it.
"Break heaven? Go to heaven? No, I am heaven!"