Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1321 - 1317: Probe

His expression changed slightly.

Was he ambushed?

His intuition hadn’t warned him, so there shouldn’t be any danger, which meant it wasn’t targeted at him?

Or perhaps it was aimed at him, yet without the intention to kill?

The courtyard was empty, Xiao Ruoling was meditating inside.

He waited for a moment, no outsiders came, so he stepped forward to the stone table and started brewing tea himself.

Hearing the commotion, Xiao Ruoling floated out gracefully, noticing Chu Zhiyuan’s unusual expression: "What’s wrong?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head: "I’m here to say goodbye."

Xiao Ruoling, in her moon-white silk robe, with jade-like skin and bones of ice, seemed like the Gusha Fairy untouched by the mundane world: "Husband, where are you going?"

Chu Zhiyuan replied: "A new Grotto Heaven has appeared, and I’m planning to explore it."

He pretended to know nothing yet vaguely felt there might be spying, maintaining a serious expression with a sense of reluctance: "I don’t know when I’ll be back."

"The new Grotto Heaven... is it very dangerous?" Xiao Ruoling lightly furrowed her dark eyebrows: "Do you have to risk it?"

Chu Zhiyuan said: "Since entering the Heaven-Reaching Sect, I must follow orders... Where is Hanyue? Let her come, and let’s see if we can push the Realm forward a layer today."

"The matter of the Realm isn’t urgent," Xiao Ruoling said: "You go ahead and prepare, don’t mind me."

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head: "Your Realm is important too."

"...Alright." Xiao Ruoling took out a Jade Pendant and activated her True Yuan to let it shimmer.

A moment later, Shen Hanyue in an apricot yellow silk robe pushed the door open, giggling: "Senior Sister?"

A fragrant scent wafted into the courtyard.

Seeing Chu Zhiyuan, she clasped her hands: "Young Master, is it cultivation?"

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

"That’s perfect." Shen Hanyue said: "Let’s go."

She had great expectations for the trial, hoping to advance further.

Entering the new Grotto Heaven, the deeper the Realm, the greater the gain.

The three quickly got into meditation positions to cultivate.

Time flew by as they cultivated.

By the next morning, Chu Zhiyuan slowly awoke, with a smile on his face.

The two women’s silk robes fluttered, black glossy hair danced, as if at the vortex’s center of a tornado, their delicate bodies slowly floated upwards, about to leave the ground.

As their feet just left the ground, the silk robes suddenly clung back to their bodies, fitting tightly, revealing their graceful figures.

A fierce aura burst forth, then immediately contracted back into themselves.

They opened their bright eyes, gleaming like cold lightning.

"So fast!" Shen Hanyue exclaimed: "Faster than I imagined!"

Xiao Ruoling nodded gently, the light in her bright eyes gradually receding: "Indeed faster."

She looked at Chu Zhiyuan.

Ultimately, it was Chu Zhiyuan’s aura that became three parts more formidable, doubling the speed of activation.

Therefore, the efficiency increased significantly, rapidly accelerating the cultivation speed, advancing one Rank in a short time.

Chu Zhiyuan, with some fatigue between his brows, smiled: "Now I can finally be at ease, it’s time for me to go."

Xiao Ruoling had reached the Sixth Transition, Shen Hanyue to the Fifth Transition, enough for their self-protection.

This was already his fastest speed, gathering all his spiritual power within a short period.

After the Sixth Transition, advancing wouldn’t be as easy, not something accomplished within ten days.

"Come over after exiting the Grotto Heaven," Xiao Ruoling said.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed: "By the time I come out, you might still be in training."

"Young Master, where are you going?" Shen Hanyue asked curiously.

Xiao Ruoling mentioned Chu Zhiyuan’s intention to explore the new Grotto Heaven.

"Oh, Young Master, you’re going to the new Grotto Heaven too? Could it be the same one we’re going to?"

She then shook her head with a light laugh: "That can’t be, the new Grotto Heaven was discovered by the Spirit Venerable ancestors, it’s absolutely confidential and not known to outsiders."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled: "Perhaps we’re going to the same Grotto Heaven."

"Absolutely not." Shen Hanyue shook her head: "The ancestors wouldn’t leak information, how could outsiders know about the new Grotto Heaven, who could make the Spirit Venerable leak it?"

Chu Zhiyuan said: "We have a Spirit Venerable too."

"Hmm, that’s still impossible." Shen Hanyue said: "Unless your Spirit Venerable defeated our ancestors and forced the location of the new Grotto Heaven... Hehe, it seems our relationship with your Heaven-Reaching Sect isn’t great."

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled: "Alright, then until next time, I’ll come out quickly, you be careful too."

Xiao Ruoling nodded gently.

Chu Zhiyuan waved, the Heaven-Reaching Order in his sleeve shone, and he vanished in a flash.

The next moment, he appeared outside the Heaven-Reaching Sect’s main hall.

He exhaled deeply.

His Super Sense had previously been isolated, though not in danger, it made him tense.

Now finally returning, he could completely relax.

He pondered why the Super Sense was isolated.

Was it intentional isolation by a Spirit Venerable, or triggered by a Treasure?

Zhang Ji Yuan and Ning Dongge stepped out of the Light Gate, seeing his grave expression, hurriedly asked: "Little Junior Brother, how are things with the sister-in-law?"

Zhang Ji Yuan said: "Won’t get punished, right?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head: "Nothing’s changed over there."

He had no way to discuss the Super Sense matter, so he pretended nothing happened and said: "Senior Brother Ning, have you found a solution?"

"No solution found," Ning Dongge shook his head: "We can only take one step at a time, first and see if we can find it; if not, then we’ll have to leave the sect."

Using a Miracle Technique to find the Grotto Heaven requires going there personally for identification.

Performing Miracle Techniques within the sect might only give a vague direction.

This is where the trouble lies.

Stay within the sect to avoid ominous signs, potentially missing out on the Grotto Heaven, or take a risk for the Grotto Heaven.

What if the black thread isn’t an ominous sign?

Wouldn’t that be unjust?

This involves the Divine Race’s Grotto Heaven, missing it would greatly impact the entire Heaven-Reaching Sect.

Zhang Ji Yuan eager to try: "Senior Brother, Little Junior Brother, let’s give it a try first."

Chu Zhiyuan stepped forward, extended his right hand.

Zhang Ji Yuan and Ning Dongge also extended their right hands, pressing them together, holding the translucent pebble.

The True Yuan circulated, transforming into a profound aura, then slowly injected into the pebble.

Their auras merged through the pebble, and their view suddenly brightened.

Then an intense booming sound echoed in their minds.

As if heaven and earth were collapsing.

Then the ground shook and the mountains swayed, as if the world were crumbling, as if they were amidst a torrent, rolling and rising, dizzy and beyond control.

Chu Zhiyuan focused deep into the Void of his mind, light burst forth.

The intense shaking vanished suddenly.

As if the flood entered the boundless sea, the waves quickly calmed.

He found himself in darkness, but within the darkness, there was a single starlight guiding him forward.

So he concentrated and moved forward, continuously advancing, yet the star seemed extremely distant, remaining elusive no matter how close he tried to get, always equally distant and faint.

An inexplicable sense of despair arose.

He discarded this despair, maintaining his forward momentum, always closing in on the starlight.

Years seemed to pass, perhaps decades, time seemed to lose meaning.

The starlight finally grew larger, turning into a Bright Moon.

Continuing forward.

The Bright Moon expanded tenfold, a hundredfold, a hundred-meter radius sphere suspended in the Void.

But as he advanced, he could no longer approach.

Retracting his spiritual power, he returned to his mind, gradually waking up.

Finding himself alone.

The surroundings were empty, the sun shining high, warm sunlight fell on him, cozy and warm.

He turned his head towards the main hall, activated the Heaven-Reaching Order, and stepped into the Light Gate entering the hall.

Zhang Ji Yuan and Ning Dongge were sitting cross-legged inside, faces pale, brows filled with fatigue.

Hearing the noise, they opened their eyes, seeing him vibrant, exchanged a glance, and shook their heads.

"Senior Brother, how long have I been standing?"

"A day and a half." Zhang Ji Yuan said: "We spent half a day operating together, and you spent another day alone."