Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1247 - 1243: Difficult to Deal With

The sun is still in the eastern sky.

Under the bright sunlight, the golden statue burst out with radiance more dazzling than the sun.

As if it had replaced the sun, golden light illuminated the peaks within a radius of ten miles.

Li Hongzhao’s phoenix-like eyes flickered: "Is this the statue of the Undying Evil Venerable?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly and gravely.

The golden sword at his waist cheered and rejoiced, as if it were a child seeing delicious food, its eyes shining with impatience to rush forward.

Li Hongzhao chuckled softly: "Interesting, this is an illusion technique, isn’t it? The illusion technique is quite powerful."

Her phoenix eyes sparkled, full of dazzling colors.

The power of the Phoenix Bloodline had already been stirred, surging within her body, suppressing all the illusions in front of her.

The glittering golden statue seemed to have spawned a small world.

In the small world, phoenixes and hundreds of birds were flying, she and Chu Zhiyuan each riding a phoenix, soaring freely in the sky.

The special true yuan within her circulated, making this small world flicker in and out of existence, disappearing and reappearing.

She had been informed in advance by Chu Zhiyuan that the statue of the Undying Evil Venerable had the power to manipulate minds and create illusions.

Otherwise, she would have thought this small world was too distant from this realm, and believed it to be truly existing.

"Seemingly real yet illusory," said Chu Zhiyuan: "The fundamental technique of the Undying Evil Venerable, Spirit Secret Technique."

He turned his head with a light laugh: "Not confident in saying it’s fake, right?"

Li Hongzhao said: "We clearly stand here and yet appear over there, could there possibly be two of us? That’s obviously fake at a glance."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head: "Without the Phoenix Bloodline, even seeing this scene wouldn’t spark any doubts or questions."

"That is indeed powerful." Li Hongzhao said: "Can it control minds with this alone?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded: "There are even more powerful secret techniques. When we get closer, you will experience them."

"Let’s go!" Li Hongzhao was full of enthusiasm.

The Phoenix Bloodline can demonstrate its strength in training, but cannot be showcased in ordinary times.

At this moment, she can express it, making her full of excitement.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head: "Don’t make a fool of yourself when the time comes."

"You underestimate me too much?" Li Hongzhao glanced at him sideways: "Hurry up, let’s go take a look!"

Chu Zhiyuan extended his hand.

Li Hongzhao moved forward gracefully, her garments fluttering as if walking in the air.

Chu Zhiyuan walked alongside her, passing over several mountain peaks, arriving at the nearest peak.

Right by the neighboring peak to the golden statue, observing the statue up close, a sense of awe arose.

Standing a hundred meters tall, over thirty meters wide, towering majestically at the mountain’s peak, as if suspended in mid-air.

Not feeling it from afar, but being close, there is a strong sense of its might reaching sky and earth.

Li Hongzhao’s smile suddenly grew intense, her expression joyful, staring blankly into the distance.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head helplessly.

He formed a sealing with his hands, uttering lightly: "Dismiss!"

Li Hongzhao’s smile froze, then transformed into surprise, turning her head to look at Chu Zhiyuan: "This... is truly powerful!"

What she had seen earlier, returning to Little Outer Heaven, back to Yujing, where she no longer recognized Chu Zhiyuan.

At that time, her ambitions soared high, thinking she could step Chu Zhiyuan beneath her feet, thereby breaking the realm and becoming the foremost in the Imperial Family.

The next moment, upon waking, realizing it was just an illusion, without any suspicion beforehand.

"Powerful, right?" Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

Li Hongzhao nodded with admiration.

She then lightly frowned: "But can you control minds with this illusion?"

Chu Zhiyuan said: "Sequentially, first using the illusion to open your heart defense, when completely letting go of guard, silently altering your thoughts, notions, even your memory."

"...Is it that terrifying?"

Chu Zhiyuan said: "Killing invisibly, that’s the Undying Evil Venerable, indefensible."

"How to counter it?" Li Hongzhao examined the golden statue.

Chu Zhiyuan looked around.

Li Hongzhao said: "Are there other people? Has it controlled more experts?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head: "For the time being, only those nine, ...let’s destroy this first and see."

Li Hongzhao said: "Destroy it, wouldn’t the death of those nine be inexplicable?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

Li Hongzhao said: "Why laugh, did I say something wrong?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head: "Your thinking comes from the Da Meng Emperor or the Court, but we are not the Court, just a Martial Arts Sect."

Li Hongzhao lightly frowned, seeming thoughtful.

She is so clever, yet she hadn’t escaped from the situation.

Upon hearing this, she quickly realized she had been imposing Court-like conduct on the Martial Arts Sect.

As one of the Four Great Sects, Heavenly Sword Sect doesn’t need to be as rigorous as the Court.

Chu Zhiyuan said: "Those nine are destined to be missing, possibly harmed by Evil Demons or Demons, such things are numerous in the world."

"... Alas, only this can be done." Li Hongzhao sighed helplessly.

Chu Zhiyuan patted his waist; the golden sword could no longer hold back, eagerly shot out, transforming into a streak of gold light toward the statue.

"Bang!"

"Bang bang bang bang..."

...

The Golden Sword transformed into waves of golden sword qi, clashing with the golden light emitted by the statue.

The golden light was like a golden shield, covering itself tightly, remaining unmoved as the Golden Sword struck it.

The Golden Sword seemed futile and ineffective.

The sound of sword light colliding with the golden shield reverberated like a heavy drum, shaking the soul.

Li Hongzhao furrowed her eyebrows.

Her heart beat violently in sync with the collision, her True Yuan incapable of suppression.

She snorted softly, "Your sword is getting stronger and stronger!"

The power contained within the Golden Sword was astonishing, able to make her feel so uncomfortable just by colliding.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and nodded, "It’s improving very quickly indeed."

The Golden Sword seemed to understand his words, growing even more excited.

The sword aura emanating from the sword body became more solid, transitioning from golden light to purple gold, transforming from a transparent sword into a Purple Gold Sword.

"Clink clink clink clink..."

The sound of metal clashing made the two of them resemble a real Golden Sword and golden shield.

"Can you take it?" Li Hongzhao observed the golden shield without any change, as if it could remain eternally firm.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "It’s almost over."

As he spoke, he pressed his left hand against her back, transferring a cooling aura.

Li Hongzhao curiously watched the golden statue as its golden light suddenly surged, resembling a sun falling before her eyes, blindingly bright.

She couldn’t help but squint her eyes, and a thunderous shout echoed in her ears: "Bold!"

The next moment, her vision brightened as the golden light emitted by the statue condensed into a human silhouette in mid-air, then another golden silhouette separated from within the golden statue.

The two golden silhouettes merged in the air, becoming as clear and safe as a real person.

It was a handsome youth, imposing and striking.

Features sharp, with bushy eyebrows, deep eyes, and a pronounced nose, exuding a cold, commanding presence.

He seemed dusted in gold, eyes shining with divine light, expression cold and stern.

He smirked coldly at Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan’s expression turned severe.

Unexpectedly, this time the Undying Evil Venerable could manifest physically, unlike before when only power appeared.

This youth invoked a sense of danger in him.

His hands formed sealing patterns as though facing a formidable enemy.

Above his head appeared the shadow of the Demon Suppressing Divine Tree, swaying its branches, scattering starlight.

The Golden Sword flashed and disappeared, reappearing the next instant in front of Chu Zhiyuan, shooting towards the golden youth.

"Clink clink clink clink..."

The clear ringing kept on, the golden youth raised his palm like a blade, deftly deflecting the Golden Sword.

It resembled the clashing of metals.

Chu Zhiyuan pulled Li Hongzhao close: "Let’s go!"

The two of them flashed and disappeared.

The next instant, in the void, Zhu Lingyun appeared not far away, forming sealing patterns with both palms.

Chu Liezhao followed, in his palm materializing the Haoyang Demon-suppressing Mirror.

The golden youth suddenly staggered, halted by Zhu Lingyun’s secret technique.

The next instant, the Golden Sword pierced his brow.

"Ah——!"

A howl echoed through the heavens, resounding beyond the clouds.

Already appeared behind a mountain, leaning against a rock wall, Li Hongzhao feeling puzzled, heard the howl.

Her gaze became hazy, sensing her soul about to exit her body.

The next instant, a cooling aura revived her, and the soul returned.

Chu Zhiyuan’s expression was stern, he shook his head.

Even with the Golden Sword piercing the brow, he couldn’t kill him; this Undying Evil Venerable was truly troublesome.

The next instant, Chu Liezhao stored away the Haoyang Demon-suppressing Mirror, forming sealing patterns with both palms.

A small golden dragon like an arm appeared.

A massive golden dragon in the void exhaled golden light onto the small golden dragon, making it turn semi-transparent, transforming into a faint golden stream shooting towards the golden youth.

The golden youth froze momentarily in the air, then with an angered roar, vanished abruptly, appearing the next instant in front of Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan and Li Hongzhao disappeared.

He disappeared afterward.

Chu Zhiyuan and Li Hongzhao reappeared on a mountain peak, and he followed, appearing.

Then he was immobilized.

Zhu Lingyun waved the golden staff, staring coldly at him, watching as he was pierced in the brow by the Golden Sword, his gaze filled with unwillingness dimming, then transformed into a colorful light, captured by the Haoyang Demon-suppressing Mirror.

At this moment, Chu Zhiyuan and Li Hongzhao vanished again, returning to their original position.

Li Hongzhao’s face was pale, phoenix eyes bewildered, dazed.

PS: Last day, requesting monthly votes.