Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1259 - 1255: Peril

After shrinking to this extent, its shrinking speed has dramatically slowed down.

Chu Zhiyuan even felt that perhaps ultimately it wouldn’t be completely eliminated.

As it shrinks, it becomes purer, tougher, and its resistance to Miao Jing Spirit Water increases.

Miao Jing Spirit Water feels strained and needs external assistance.

Yet he feels powerless and unable to help.

He walks with his hands behind his back in the glow of the sunset, moving faster and faster.

Suddenly he stops, lightly taps his right palm with his left fist, and disappears.

Within the Imperial Ancestral Temple, a flying knife is embedded in the beam of the main room of a small courtyard on the edge.

The flying knife is barely visible as it is embedded deeply into the beam with only a tiny mark.

It suddenly flickers.

The next moment, Chu Zhiyuan appears in the main room of this small courtyard.

He disappears and the next moment appears behind a young man practicing in the courtyard, lightly tapping him with a palm and knocking him down.

This young man is precisely the Wanxiang Sect’s undercover agent.

With shallow cultivation, he falls unconscious without any reaction.

Chu Zhiyuan waves his sleeve, making the young man float gently onto the bed inside.

He then wipes his face, his body rapidly transforms into the young man’s appearance.

Super Sensing Illumination, identical to the young man, then he picks up the broom by the courtyard gate and steps out, heading to the altar.

The altar is empty, with no one around.

He walks to the center of the altar, swinging the broom and slowly cleaning.

He seems diligent and unobtrusive.

In his mind, Miao Jing Spirit Water becomes active, rapidly strengthening.

Super Sense simultaneously illuminates inside and out.

The Black Pearl is rapidly shrinking, with the change speed increasing by tenfold.

Miao Jing Spirit Water, however, is rapidly increasing.

Beneath the altar, there is an invisible aura, drilling into his mind through his feet, entering Miao Jing Spirit Water.

With the progress over these days, his spirit has strengthened, his super sense enhanced, he finally sees the situation beneath the altar clearly.

Beneath the altar are several crystalline stones, resembling crystal.

Within the stones, tiny strands of aura are drifting out, drilling into his feet.

Through his feet entering his mind, merging with Miao Jing Spirit Water.

After Miao Jing Spirit Water absorbs this aura, the amount remains unchanged, but the quality rapidly improves, becoming increasingly clear, like bright mercury.

As the quality improves, the power sharply increases, causing the Black Pearl to shrink rapidly.

He leisurely swings the broom, sweeping with detailed precision, leaving no dust behind.

After meticulously finishing the cleaning of the altar, the Black Pearl in his mind has completely disappeared.

Miao Jing Spirit Water becomes as calm as an autumn water, no longer absorbing the aura from beneath his feet, no longer growing stronger.

Chu Zhiyuan feels regretful.

This Black Pearl was too fragile, lasted only for just a moment.

Every additional moment, the Miao Jing Spirit Water strengthens by a fraction.

He "sees" two elders approaching slowly, and lazily leaves the altar, carrying the broom back to the small courtyard.

He stands the broom by the door, enters the room, lifts the young man up, placing him back in his previous position, then pats his back, and suddenly disappears.

The young man wakes up slowly, blinking in confusion, frowning slightly, and continues practicing boxing.

He thinks he was distracted for a moment, not realizing the time lapse.

Chu Zhiyuan has already returned to Huang Zhengyang’s small courtyard.

He walks with his hands behind his back, looking relaxed.

Having completely eradicated that pure black aura, eliminating future troubles, his mood suddenly lightens.

That pure black aura put great pressure on him, with power too strong, one mistake could have cost him his life.

...

Footsteps sound, Huang Zhengyang strides in.

By now, the evening has deepened.

After pushing open the courtyard door, Huang Zhengyang sits by the stone table: "Brother Chu, I’ve found out!"

Chu Zhiyuan leans forward: "What is its origin?"

Huang Zhengyang says: "It’s an ancient weapon, called the Seven Killings Sword."

"Seven Killings Sword..." Chu Zhiyuan searches his mind but has no memory of such a sword.

At this moment, Chu Liezhao has extracted Ji Qingyun’s memory.

Ji Qingyun’s memory also doesn’t contain the Seven Killings Sword.

This broken sword was passed down from the previous Sect Master, and the previous Sect Master inherited it from the one before.

The true origin of this broken sword is undocumented within Wanxiang Sect.

Ji Qingyun had also tried to learn more but found nothing, and didn’t pursue it further.

Huang Zhengyang says: "It is said that this sword comes from the outer world, a thing from beyond."

Chu Zhiyuan frowns: "How do we know it comes from beyond?"

"This sword descended from the heavens, instantly severing seven swords of the top masters of the time, hence the name Seven Killings." Huang Zhengyang said, "The eighth master is the legendary Zhu Feiyang, who also had a treasure sword, and exerted his full power to break this Seven Killings Sword."

"Zhu Feiyang..." Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded, "The Sword God from eight thousand years ago, invincible in the world, his end is unknown, it is said that he ascended."

"Yes, Zhu Feiyang ascended," Huang Zhengyang said, "This is certain, it’s just that the Court intentionally kept it a secret."

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Then how did this Seven Killings Sword end up in the hands of Wanxiang Sect?"

Huang Zhengyang said, "It was broken, thus a discarded sword, of no use anymore, and no one cared much about its whereabouts."

The Divine Sword demands sharpness and spirituality, a broken sword naturally lacks sharpness, and its spirituality is missing.

A treasure sword missing both is of little value, even if it comes from the outer world.

"This is good news," Chu Zhiyuan said, "So, other Evil Sects don’t have such a thing?"

Swords from the outer world must be scarce.

"Every Evil Sect has a sect-stabilizing evil artifact," Huang Zhengyang smiled, "But none reached such power, this is an anomaly."

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "Congratulations."

Huang Zhengyang let out a breath and laughed heartily, "The sect-stabilizing evil artifacts are often their Divine Statues, so the first step in their destruction is to ruin these statues."

"Then it seems we accidentally did the right thing," Chu Zhiyuan laughed, "The first thing we did upon entering the Main Altar was to destroy the Evil Venerable Statue. Destroy the statue first, then deal with the evil demons, indeed without backlash."

"We also knew this," Huang Zhengyang said, "Just afraid that some Evil Sects are deceitful, often hiding the Divine Statue, hard to guard against."

Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded.

He possessed Super Sense, allowing him to pinpoint all Evil Venerable Statues in advance.

This indeed brought him great advantage.

"The Evil Sects are plotting against me," Chu Zhiyuan said, "Can’t they just carry the Evil Venerable Statue over?"

Huang Zhengyang shook his head, "The Divine Statue cannot easily leave the Main Altar of the sect... that is a secret technique, the Jade and Stone Burning to assassinate you?"

"This won’t work." Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

After he mastered the Second Layer of the Earth Element, he rarely showed himself.

To go somewhere, he directly moved over, not needing to walk through the streets.

Huang Zhengyang said, "Set traps?"

"This is very possible." Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

At this moment, footsteps sounded outside, a clear voice rang out, "Director, the Undying Evil Venerable Statue has appeared again!"

Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

Upon hearing this, his blood suddenly surged, intuition issued a warning.

"Enter!" Huang Zhengyang said.

A handsome young man entered, clasped his fists in salute, and said solemnly, "Director, outside Dongning City, the Undying Evil Venerable Statue has appeared."

"Dongning City..." Huang Zhengyang thought for a moment, "More than three hundred miles away?"

"Yes."

Huang Zhengyang looked at Chu Zhiyuan.

Seeing Chu Zhiyuan’s solemn expression, he asked, "Brother Chu, is there something amiss?"

Chu Zhiyuan rubbed his brow, "I have a sense of foreboding."

Huang Zhengyang said, "Is it possible this Undying Evil Venerable is stronger, harder to deal with?"

"Could be, or it could be another danger."

"Avoid it then?"

"...Let’s go and see first."

Huang Zhengyang waved his hand, "Knowing it’s dangerous, improper, let’s hold off... I’ll have someone probe for reality!"

"Not wise," Chu Zhiyuan said, "That would cost manpower, better I go."

The handsome young man showed a thankful expression.

He would rather take the risk himself, unwilling to see the masters of the Evil Extermination Department lose their lives.

Indeed, he had a compassionate heart and was a truly good person.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, in a cave, Zhu Lingyun floated gracefully, like a wisp of smoke, heading towards Dongning City.

Chu Zhiyuan was worried not about the Undying Evil Venerable, but about traps.

Is the Undying Evil Venerable used as bait, luring him for an ambush?

Since it’s aimed at him, Zhu Lingyun going over could keep things under wraps and possibly uncover the truth.

Once Zhu Lingyun went, Chu Liezhao, Leng Tieya, and even himself could go over at any time.

Indeed, we need to see where the danger comes from.

"Brother Chu..." Huang Zhengyang hurriedly said.

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand, "Brother Huang, no need to say more... Where is the Undying Evil Venerable?"

He looked at the handsome young man.

The handsome young man quickly said, "On the mountain peak outside the city, far from the crowd."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded, "I’ll go back to prepare, set off tomorrow morning."

By that time, Zhu Lingyun should have enough time to check things out.

"Ah..." Huang Zhengyang shook his head helplessly, "Really going?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, "Afraid to face danger, why did I come down the mountain at all?"

Conducting oneself so openly and brightly, wouldn’t the Court’s secret technique be sent over?