Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1341 - 1337: Silence

That place is indeed strange.

He increasingly feels that this place is likely the true East Huan Sacred Valley.

To confirm it, he first needs to be able to enter, but unfortunately, he cannot get in now.

Why can’t he enter?

Is it due to insufficient spiritual power, inadequate cultivation, or some other lacking condition?

He is at a loss, with no place to start.

There are too few records about East Huan Sacred Valley; wanting to investigate leads nowhere.

He returns to the Heavenly Sword Branch, sits back on his bed, and begins to visualize the Spiritual Abyss Twelve Peaks.

...

In the evening, the remnants of the sunset illuminate the small courtyard.

He leaves the bed and steps into the courtyard, walking with hands behind his back.

The red clouds reflect on his handsome face.

His expression is heavy.

Progress on the Second Layer of the Human Element Skill is too slow, and despite diligent effort, there has been no advancement.

Since he began cultivation, other martial arts have progressed rapidly except for the initial Spiritual Abyss Twelve Forms, which progresses slowly but consistently with each session, only the progress is subtle.

Yet, with the Second Layer of the Human Element Skill, after each practice, it feels as if there’s no difference whether he practices or not.

This constant feeling brings him despair.

He cannot help but ask, how long must this toil last, is it forever?

"Hoo——!"

A long exhalation reverberates through the courtyard, causing the flowers in the flowerbed to sway fiercely.

This breath expels much of his frustration, and a sense of purpose emerges anew.

As he rallies himself, footsteps are heard from outside, followed by a knock on the door.

A short while later, he appears inside the grand hall of the Evil Extermination Department.

Huang Zhengyang, dressed in a black robe, appears solemn and dignified, exuding a stern aura.

He sets down a document, rises from behind the desk, approaches, and smiles with fists cupped, "Brother Chu, long time, no see."

Chu Zhiyuan smiles, "Brother Huang, you’re more radiant than ever."

Huang Zhengyang, full of spirit, gazes steadily with the look of a tiger and eagle.

Huang Zhengyang laughs, "Brother Chu joking, newly taking this position, indeed excites and unsettles me."

Despite knowing he is restless, he can’t control it.

This is driven by nature, and restraint can only suppress part of it.

Chu Zhiyuan smiles, "Brother, has something happened?"

The Deputy Director finally becomes Director; after waiting for years, even he would be restless.

"Yes, something strange happened."

Chu Zhiyuan’s spirit lifts, "Has the Undying Evil Venerable appeared again?"

Huang Zhengyang frowns, "Two villages suddenly vanished; one village with nearly a hundred people died almost instantly, without wounds, it’s inexplicable."

"Two villages?"

"Yes, separated by ten miles," Huang Zhengyang says solemnly, "The method looks like the Evil Venerable; an ordinary martial arts master doesn’t have such means,... but we haven’t seen the Evil Venerable’s Divine Statue."

"No clues?"

"The villagers have no external wounds or internal injuries, it’s as if their souls were devoured, leaving no trace."

"Let me take a look."

"Let’s go."

"Brother Huang, your status is different now, no need to accompany me."

"I feel something’s amiss with this, it’s better to investigate personally."

...

A small river quietly flows under the lush green valley.

To the north and south of the river stands two mountains, the northern mountain taller, both covered in dense forests.

Approximately forty-some courtyards ascend the northern mountain slope by the river, scattered to form a small village.

At this moment, this picturesque village lies in silence.

In the village’s center, an open space is lined with rows of corpses.

More than a hundred corpses, divided into four sections.

Every corpse wears a smile, as if in a pleasant dream.

Twelve experts from the Evil Extermination Department are divided into four groups, each studying the corpses.

Chu Zhiyuan and Huang Zhengyang arrive, and they rise and gather around.

"How is it?" Huang Zhengyang asks solemnly.

A square-faced middle-aged man shakes his head, "Director, the result is the same; souls dispersed instantly, died without pain, completely relaxed as if in a dream."

"Nothing else?"

"No external wound, unable to catch any sensation."

Huang Zhengyang looks at Chu Zhiyuan.

Everyone’s eyes fall on Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan holds high prestige among the Department, capable of what others cannot, they place their hopes on him.

Under the burning gazes, Chu Zhiyuan glances around and suddenly vanishes, reappearing atop the southern mountain across the river in the next moment.

The lush woods sway in the breeze, with no sound of birds, only silence.

He stands on a smooth green stone at the mountain’s peak, gazing down at the village below.

Huang Zhengyang dashes up, skimming tree tops, landing beside Chu Zhiyuan, "Anything unusual?"

Chu Zhiyuan, serious in expression, concentrates intently.

His mind flashes with Seven-Colored Light from the Golden Pupil.

Spiritual power depletes rapidly.

Time flows backward.

...

Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze quickly becomes hollow, dazed, immersed in recollection.

Huang Zhengyang watches without a word, not daring to interrupt.

"Hoo..."

Chu Zhiyuan exhales sharply, his gaze regains clarity.

His brow already bears a hint of weariness.

He looks at Huang Zhengyang, "Found it."

"Who is it?"

Chu Zhiyuan responds, "Let’s go back; I’ll draw him."

He places a hand on Huang Zhengyang’s shoulder.

Both disappear in a flash, reappearing at the entrance of the Evil Extermination Department.

Huang Zhengyang is unsurprised by this; swiftly enters and reaches the hallway.

Chu Zhiyuan soon sketches a character portrait.

The picture shows an elegant middle-aged man, with sword-brows and bright eyes, a clear beard on his chin, slim and agile, possessing an air of the immortals.

As if gently stroking his beard with a smile.

The smile mixes with indifference and arrogance.

Without inquiring how Chu Zhiyuan deduced the visage, Huang Zhengyang orders copies be made and distributed among the ten groups of the Department.

These ten groups are already dispatched within a hundred-mile radius surrounding the two villages, covering every town and village.

"Who is this fellow?"

After all orders are issued, Huang Zhengyang asks with a frown.

Chu Zhiyuan shakes his head.

"No more appearances from the Undying Evil Venerable recently, right?"

"No, it seems their news is quite savvy; this is the first in a month, likely the irredeemably wicked," Huang Zhengyang sneers.

Chu Zhiyuan nods.

Donghuan Saint Technique isn’t omnipotent; he only saw events from three days ago.

Merely observed the middle-aged man standing atop the opposite mountain, under a bright moon, posing in strange ways.

Moonlight slowly gathers on his body, turning him into soft glow, like a crescent moon.

The glow diminishes, condensing into a Bright Pearl.

Fist-sized, resplendent.

It swiftly shoots out, tracing a light arc, then enters the houses below one by one.

Soon, it traverses all the courtyards, returning to the handsome middle-aged man striking the strange pose.

Initially suspending before his brow, then slowly pressing there.

At the moment of contact, brilliance spreads, making the handsome man translucent.

His skin and bones appear vanished, leaving only a peculiar flower blossoming in the light.

This fist-sized flower resembles a rose, layers upon layers of petals slowly fold in.

As petals fold, the luminous brilliance gradually wanes, while his figure slowly clarifies, petals fading, sometimes visible.

Once his form becomes completely distinct, all brilliance vanishes, leaving a mere shadow of the closed flower.

"Whew——!"

He gently exhales, releasing a streak of black light expanding into a mist.

A gust blows, dispersing the black mist.

He reveals a smile, laughs heartily, utterly delighted.

The laughter echoes between the mountains, the village below remains silent.